The decision was made at a meeting on Van Don planning held in the locality on December 16.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Thanh said Van Don will be developed in line with the local general social-economic planning and the province will have meticulous discussions with the consultant to ensure that Van Don planning is in accordance with provincial development and meets requirements of a special economic zone.

A working group will be set up to support the consultant in evaluating local situation, he added. 

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A corner of Van Don special administrative-economic zone

Dianne Legge Kemp, Vice President of the Callison RTKL, a subsidiary of Arcadis, committed to sending experienced experts for the work. 

In a bid to develop Van Don Special Economic Zone, the province needs around USD 12 billion. 

An international airport in Van Don district, about 50 kilometers from Ha Long city-home to the world heritage site of Ha Long Bay, is scheduled to become operational in 2018. 

Van Don has a politically and economically important position as it lies on strategic transit route from East Asia to Southeast Asia and from ASEAN to China, in Vietnam-China “two corridors, one belt” cooperation area, in Nanning-Singapore economic corridor and in extended Tonkin Gulf inter-regional cooperation area. 

The zone is part of a Government-approved plan to build three such zones in the country. The other two are Van Phong in Khanh Hoa province and Phu Quoc in Kien Giang province. 

The zones are expected to spearhead to country’s growth and exploit local advantages to drive growth in the area. They will pilot key new economic and administrative policies before they are applied nationwide to develop the maritime economy.

Source: VNA