Dak Lak (VNA) – The Central Highlandsprovince of Dak Lakseeks to improve its business and investment climate to become an attractiveinvestment destination, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

Dinh Xuan Ha,the department’s director, said Dak Lak would continue to move up in the annualProvincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) rankings since it has assigned toppriority to administrative reform.

It aims todiversify its investment promotion efforts, including by holding regularmeetings and interactions with large domestic and international companies toapprise them about its potential and investment climate, he said.

Toppriority is also being given to ensuring publicorder and creating conditions to ensure businesses feel secure aboutinvesting, he said.

The provincewould work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies to obtainup-to-date information on its partners, he said.

It wouldprioritise investment in high-tech agriculture and food processingindustry, especially for exports, and industrial-scale livestock breeding, headded.

In June, the province licensed the first phase of the 360 billion VND (15.46 million USD) DHN high-tech livestock complex in Ea M’Droh commune,Cu M’gar district. 

Vu Manh Hung, Chairmanof Hung Nhon Group, its owner,said by the end of next year the complex is expected to supply high-qualitypork that meets international standards to the domestic market.

“Dak Lak hasfavourable conditions to develop high-tech livestock farming,” he said.

The Hung NhonGroup has tied up with the De Heus Group of the Netherlands to build a hi-techagricultural complex, expected to cost 1.5 trillion VND (64.49million USD), in the province by 2025.

According tothe department, the sectors most appealing to investors are wind and solarpower, urban development, eco-tourism, resorts, and agricultural production.

Six largerenewable energy plants have been completed and commissioned.

They includefive solar farms with a total capacity of 190MW and costing 4.88 trillion VND,and a wind power plant with a capacity of 28.8MW built at a cost of 1.8trillion VND. 

Five othersolar plants with a total capacity of 600MW are under construction. To cost 15.402trillion VND, they are expected to begin commercial generation by theend of this year.

Recently theprovince has sought the Government’s approval for a 7.7 trillion VND wind power project in Cư M’gar District to be built by the AMI AC Renewables DakLak Company Ltd.

Ha said the province has achieved average annual economic growth of more than 8percent since 2015.

The provincehas gradually shifted from agriculture, forestry and fishery to industry -construction, he said.

The PCIshows it improved many indicators in 2019, especially the index of businesssupport services, to rank a creditable sixth out of the country’s 63 provincesand cities.

The provincehas an airport and a fairly well-developed road network, with many importantnational highways passing through it.

With nearly540,000ha of agricultural lands, it grows a number of high-value commercialcrops such as coffee, rubber and pepper.

Dak Lak hasan abundant workforce of more than 900,000, including 400,000 well-trainedworkers./.