The figure, however, showed that the region, which consists of 14 provinces and cities, achieved just 45.6 percent of the yearly target, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said at a conference in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai on July 20.

The private economic sector played a key role in industrial production, contributing almost 48 percent to the regional output. The sector registered a year-on-year increase of 18.2 percent in industrial output value to over VND24 trillion in the first six months of the year.

It was followed by the State economic sector, which made up almost 36 percent of the regional industrial output.

Foreign-invested businesses managed to raise industrial production output by 16.8 percent over the same period last year to more than VND8.13 trillion, contributing 16.2 percent to the regional total.

VNA