Thua Thien – Hue (VNA) – The centralprovince of Thua Thien-Hue recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rateof 7.44 percent in the first half of 2017, much higher than the figure of 5.8percent in the same period last year.

Statistics revealed at the fourth meeting ofthe provincial People’s Council on July 13-14 showed that the total socialinvestment in Thu Thien-Hue reached 8,538 billion VND (376 million USD), whilethe state budget collection hit 3,308 billion VND (145.55 million USD),accounting for 48.3 percent of the yearly target.

In 2017, the province has focused on investingin infrastructure to serve production and economic development while protectingthe environment, ensuring social welfare and addressing consequences caused bythe marine environment incident.

Thanks to the province’s efforts to improve itsinvestment and business environment and provide incentives for investors, 324enterprises were set up in the period, with a combined registered capital of3,772 billion VND (166 million USD), up 17.8 percent in volume and 3.65-timeshigher in value.

The locality also lured 21 domestic projectswith total investment of over 2.2 trillion VND (96.8 million USD), and twoforeign investment projects worth 64,850 USD.

The industrial production index rose 13.45percent from a year yearlier, mainly buoyed by an increase of 2.24 times inelectricity production and other key goods, including cement, garment-textilesand material construction.

In the reviewed period, Thua Thien-Hue welcomed1.75 million arrivals, including 414,500 international visitors, up 1.9 percentand 6.76 percent year on year, respectively. The tourism sector earned 1,735billion VND (76.34 million USD), up 8.3 percent from 2016.

In the remaining months of this year, incentiveswill also be offered to craft villages, cooperatives while revising legalframework to maintain domestic flights, accelerating the launch of moredomestic and international flights, and developing other facilities.

The province will provide support for investorsin building infrastructure at local industrial parks, building agarment-textile supporting industrial park in Phong Dien district whilefocusing on agricultural development and new-style rural area building.

In 2017, the province set a GPD growth target ofbetween 8-8.5 percent, mobilise total investment of 19 trillion VND (836million USD), and collect 6,856 billion VND (301.66 million USD) for the statebudget.-VNA