In the first six months of this year, Hai Duong has attracted 29 foreign invested projects, worth US$273 million, up by 60 percent from the same period last year. In addition, eight existing projects raised their charter capital by US$39.6 million.

The latest addition brings the number of foreign invested projects in Hai Duong to 187, with a total capitalization of US$2.19 billion. Some 88 of the projects, valued at over US$1.3 billion, are operating in the province’s industrial zones.

Currently, 97 foreign-invested projects are up and running, creating 51,000 jobs.

Hai Duong Province has attempted to attract foreign groups who are willing and able to make investments in the infrastructure before putting their projects into operation, said Nguyen Xuan Doan from the department of Planning and Investment.

“We met with success when using this approach at the Ninh Giang industrial complex where a group of Taiwanese investors started seven projects after investing in the construction of the complex’s infrastructure,” Doan said.

This month, the province will welcome a delegation of US enterprises who will be reviewing the investment opportunities in the fields of energy, hi-grade glass production, plastics and aluminium.

After choosing suitable locations for their projects, the US investors will pump investment into upgrading the infrastructure of the selected areas.

The province has also approved the necessary land clearance as each phase of the project progresses to avoid wasting any land. “This is a very important move because if the progress of the project is slower than expected, the land can still be used temporarily,” he emphasised.

In addition to assisting investors in sorting out any issues arising from land clearance and compensation, the provincial authorities said they will help to resolve any obstacles that businesses may encounter to speed up the projects.

Priority is being given to large-scale projects that will use the available raw materials and labour resources to promote exports.