Upgrading urban, transport infrastructure for socioeconomic development

Improving urban face

Ninh Thuan’s aspirations and determination to turn disadvantages into advantages have made the province a bright point in Vietnam’s socioeconomic development. Today’s Ninh Thuan consists of three development areas. The northern area is devoted to tourism development, with large, luxurious resorts stretching along the coastline from Binh Tien to Vinh Hy. The southern area is for industrial development, with its core being the Phuoc Nam and Ca Na industrial zones. The plains area is intended for urban development, focusing on services and trade, with the city of Phan Rang-Thap Cham identified as the driving force for economic growth and an investment magnet. Urban areas have become a spearhead of the provincial economy.

The Ca Na Seaport Complex project (first stage) invested by the Trung Nam Group

The resolution of the 13th congress of the provincial Communist Party Committee (2015-2020 tenure) reflects the province’s determination to improve its transport network to facilitate traffic within the province and connections with other localities. The province is coordinating with the Ministry of Transport to invest in upgrading National Highway 27 and construction of the North-South Expressway section running through Ninh Thuan. The province is also calling for investment in construction of the Ca Na and Ninh Chu seaport complexes.

Tran Quoc Nam, Chair of Ninh Thuan Province’s People’s Committee, said that aware of the important role of the urban economy, the province has applied suitable policies to attract investment in urban development projects.

For example, the Ca Na Seaport Complex project (first stage) of the Trung Nam Group is underway and expected to be completed this year. Its first stage consists of two wharfs designed to receive 70,000-100,000 tonnes of cargo, one wharf for up to 20,000 tonnes of cargo, storage and service facilities, covering a total area of more than 108ha. The project will lay the foundation for a logistics-industry-mineral-energy urban area worth billions of US dollars in the future. It will contribute significantly to facilitating the transportation of equipment for wind and solar power projects, helping turn Ninh Thuan into a national renewable energy hub. The project will also serve the transportation of goods between the south central region and the Central Highlands.

The Ca Na Seaport Complex project, based in Phuoc Dien Commune, Thuan Nam District, has contributed significantly to improving the face of the area.

Along with this project, Ninh Thuan is expediting necessary procedures for the Ca Na LNG Power Complex (first stage) to be built in the Ca Na Industrial Zone, with a capacity of 1,500MW. The Chair of Ninh Thuan Province’s People’s Committee hopes the Ca Na Seaport Complex project will be completed this year, contributing to the formation of an economic complex in the southern part of the province, paving the way for Ninh Thuan to accomplish its socioeconomic development goals for 2025, 2030 and further.

Le Pham Quoc Vinh, Director of the provincial Construction Department, said that over the past five years, Ninh Thuan has approved 223 detailed plans and called for investment in seven new urban and residential areas. The urbanization rate of the province has reached 35.72 percent (in the city of Phan Rang-Thap Cham, the rate is 94.96 percent). Housing development has been accelerated, focusing on low-income earners.

On-schedule project completion

The resolution of the 14th congress of the provincial Communist Party Committee (2020-2025 tenure) directs Ninh Thuan to focus investment on upgrading transport infrastructure, irrigation works and seaports; connecting provincial roads with the North-South Expressway, National Highway 1, National Highway 27, and coastal routes. This should be considered a major solution to connect Ninh Thuan with other provinces and cities, creating a driving force for socioeconomic development, the Chair of the provincial People’s Committee emphasized.

Chair of Ninh Thuan Province People’s Committee Tran Quoc Nam (right) visits the Mui Dinh wind power project site

Transport planning should be an integral part of Ninh Thuan’s socioeconomic development plan for the 2021-2030 period, with an orientation towards 2050. The provincial Department of Transport will provide consultancy for the Ninh Thuan People’s Committee to seek public capital resources for investment in transport projects, especially those connecting Ninh Thuan with Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces; land transport and railway projects connecting the Ca Na Industrial Zone and Ca Na Port with the North-South Expressway; and projects connecting the province’s major tourist sites.The province has coordinated with Project Management Unit 85 of the Ministry of Transport to accelerate site clearance for construction of a 61.5km section of the Eastern North-South Expressway project, which runs through Ninh Thuan Province, to be completed in 2022; and site clearance for construction of a 11.18km section of National Highway 27 to be completed this year. These projects will help connect Ninh Thuan with neighboring localities and enable the province to attract investment and promote trade.

Aware of the important role of the Ca Na Seaport Complex, the provincial government is coordinating with the People’s Committee of Thuan Nam District and relevant departments to support the project’s investor so that the first stage can be completed on schedule. At the same time, suitable investors will be selected for the next stage of the project, as well as for construction of the Ninh Chu Seaport and inland waterway ports, strengthening the role of seaports in the provincial economy.n