Thai Nguyen(VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the northern province of ThaiNguyen to strive to become a leading hub of industry, service and innovation ofthe northern region and the whole country.

Addressing ThaiNguyen’s investment promotion conference on July 1, the PM suggested that thelocality should take advantage of the Republic of Korea-invested Samsung ThaiNguyen as a driving force for the local socio-economic development, especiallyin boosting electronic industry’s growth in a sustainable manner.

He noted that Samsung has contributed to raise the province’s industrialproduction by 15 times in three years, adding that exports of the province alsoincreased from 245 million USD in 2013 to 23.5 billion in 2017.

Besides, Thai Nguyen needsto focus on building trademark for its specialty tea by forming trademark, imageand geographical indication for the product, thus boosting the product’s exports,he said.

At the same time, theprovince should work harder to establish a tourism complex at national andinternational level by promoting Ho Nui Coc and Tam Dao’s eastern mountain sideand other historical and cultural relic sites such as Dinh Hoa safety zone andTan Trao relic site, with links to Ba Be Lake in Bac Kan.

PM Phuc also askedThai Nguyen to complete its socio-economic development plan with closer linkswith other localities and international partners, while ensuring socialequality, thus boosting inclusive growth.

He pledged that theGovernment will supervise and support Thai Nguyen through restructuring theeconomy, improving growth quality, stabilising macro-economy, improving investmentand business environment and ensuring transparency.

During the conference,Thai Nguyen called for investment in 65 projects in various fields, includingindustry, agriculture, trade infrastructure, culture, tourism, sports,transport, urban, health care, education. It also aimed to lure investors to fiveindustrial parks.

Currently, Thai Nguyenis hosting 6,318 enterprises with total investment of 79.5 trillion VND (3.49billion USD) and 130 FDI projects worth 7.3 billion USD.

At the event, theprovince granted investment certificates to 50 projects worth 46.78 trillionVND.

Commercial banks alsohanded over 12 billion VND to Thai Nguyen as social welfare support to theprovince. The banks also coordinated with investors to verify and sign creditcontracts for 27 projects with total loans of 10.19 trillion VND in the prioritisedsectors of agriculture, export, small-and-medium-sized enterprises, supportingindustry, and high technology industry.

On the occasion, PMPhuc also visited and presented gifts to Hero of the Armed Force Nguyen VietDuc in Tan Thinh district of Thai Nguyen city.-VNA