With its advantages of a beautiful island and sea area, ideal potential for development of luxury eco-resorts, adjacent to the major urban centers and industrial parks of the province, Van Don draws particular attention of the province to investment and development. It is therefore a magnet for investors.
In recent years, thanks to the investment from the State, Van Don district has made many efforts by taking advantages of investment capital for a comprehensive development. Investment in basic infrastructure of the district has mostly completed, for example transport system (both on land and sea); schools; medical stations; dykes…To date, all communes in the district have wharves, roads carpeted with tar or concrete connecting all communes, creating a smooth traffic system. Alongside with investment in infrastructure, Van Don mobilized all resources for socio-economic development, especially marine economy. Fishing and aquaculture activities are maintained and developed. The district also successfully grows sea products of high economic value, namely snout otter, pearls, oysters …As a result, the total value of products gained over VND 2,492 billion; the average growth of 5 years (2007-2011) is 16.8% per year. The total of social investment capital is VND 1,400 billion, an average rise of 22% per year.
Notably, on 19/8/2009 the Prime Minister issued Decision N01296/QD-TTg approving general plan on construction of Van Don economic zone to 2020 with a vision to 2030. Accordingly, Van Don is oriented to be developed into a high-class eco-resort and recreation hub supporting the development of the northern key economic region.
Van Don economic zone consists of the whole Van Đon island district, Quang Ninh province; it is adjacent to Tien Yen and Đam Ha districts to the north and northeast; to the southeast, it borders on Co To district; to the west, it is includes Cam Pha town and Ha Long city.
Van Đon economic zone consists of one township and 11 communes, with more than 600 islands and islets within Bai Tu Long bay.
The economic zone covers an area of 2,171 km2. Of which,land area is 551.33 km2 and water area is about 1,620 km2. According to the forecast, by 2020, the total population of the economic zone will be around 150,000 people. To reach the targets as well as to create a leverage attracting investors, QNPPC has offered many preferential policies for investment in the district aiming at providing investors with a convenient and attractive environment. At the same time, all departments and sectors at all levels are continuing to prepare the project proposing preferential policies for investment and development of Van Don economic zone. Under this project, these policies must be unique and only applied for Van Don economic zone in attracting national and international investors. Accordingly, Van Don is able to employ different methods of raising capital. For example, using ODA capital and preferential credits for building social and technical infrastructure. In addition, Van Don economic zone is allowed to attract investment capital in forms of BOT, BT, BTO and mobilize capital from land fund and from investment of domestic and foreign organizations and individuals.
Technical infrastructure in the economic zone is always highly paid attention. At present, within this area, 22 projects on technical infrastructure are implemented with the total approved capital of VND 4,586.9 billion. Of which, a number of those projects have been completed and effectively operated. For example, project on building road 334 (the 1st and 2nd stages); Xuyen Hung road (Dai Xuyen commune)… Telecommunication infrastructure has been built at all communes. 100% of the communes within the economic zone have their own post offices; and 98.1% households at Cai Bau island used national grid electricity. In the economic zone, a number of important technical infrastructure projects will be soon invested, namely: the national road 4B stretching through Van Don economic zone; Van Don international airport; Van Tien bridge and Van Hoa port.
At the same time, Van Don District People’s Committee has paid high concern to planning and planning management. Specifically, research are being undertaken to develop detailed plans for 9 functional areas. The survey serving for sub-divisional planning of 4 functional areas have been now completed. They include Cai Rong urban area (2,200 ha); Doan Ket urban area (4,400ha); Cai Bau Park Complex (2,000 ha) and Cai Bau urban area and the port in northeastern Cai Bau island (2,000 ha). There are also 10 projects on planning for functional areas in details, which are expected to complete by mid-2012.
At present, in Van Don economic zone, there are 79 investment projects with the total registered investment capital of VND 9,800 billion. These projects are mainly on the fields of ecotourism, hotels, motels, infrastructure construction, mineral exploitation, aquaculture, and transport infrastructure etc…
With investment planning and preferential policies together with the acceleration of investment in infrastructure, Van Don economic zone will soon become a center of high-quality marine tourism, an international trade hub and one of the major areas motivating the development of the northern key economic region.
