HCM City eyes more Japanese investments

Deputy Standing Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party’s Committee Tat Thanh Cang participated in the MIPIM Asia Property Leaders’ Summit in Osaka, Japan, on September 8 to attract foreign investment in real estate.

Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper quoted Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Le Thi Huynh Mai as saying that HCM City drew in around 920 investment projects from Japanese businesses from 1988 to August 2016, with a total capital of 2.93 billion USD.

Deputy Standing Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party’s Committee Tat Thanh Cang (C) at the event

In the first eight months of 2016, Japan had 92 newly-licensed projects, ranking sixth in terms of capital, after Singapore, Malaysia, British Virgin Islands, the Republic of Korea, and China’s Hong Kong, among 79 countries and territories, she said.

Up to 70 percent of the city’s population is at working age and 80 percent of workers received training, she said, adding that the city is building the e-government to improve administrative procedures.

At a meeting with Vice Mayor of Osaka Seigo Tanaka the same day, Cang spoke highly of the Japanese city’s assistance and cooperation in low carbon mitigation, cultural exchange, education, training, and high-quality human resources development.

The two officials talked about the bilateral cooperation prospects and Osaka’s valuable experience to help HCM City improve urban development projects, public transport, water drainage management, waste treatment and flooding prevention in urban areas.

While visiting the Port of Osaka, Cang was reassured that the Japanese seaport company will dispatch experts to the Sai Gon Port next month to help with goods transports.