Tay Ninh looks to turn Moc Bai into international trading hub

Moc Bai international border gate (Photo: VNA)

The southern province of Tay Ninh is working to turn its Moc Bai international border gate into a trade centre of national and international levels.

Tay Ninh plays a key role in connecting southern provinces to Cambodia, the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and other ASEAN countries, which lends strategic importance to its Moc Bai - the largest land border gate in the south.

Currently, the Moc Bai border gate economic zone is one of the eight selected by the Prime Minister to receive prioritised investment from the budget in the 2021-2025 period to develop into an international trade centre.

It has to date attracted 56 investment projects, including 19 foreign-invested ones, with a total capital of 401 million USD and 8.6 trillion VND (345.7 million USD). At present, 33 projects, including 11 foreign-invested, are operational.

Vo Thanh Thong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, said in an August conference that Moc Bai is one of the most important border gate economic zones on the Vietnam - Cambodia land border. Not only Tay Ninh's gateway to develop trade exchanges with Cambodia, Moc Bai also plays an important role in economic development, and has an strategic position in terms of national security and defence.

Compared with other zones, Moc Bai has a special advantage of being located on the national and international traffic axes in the South.

Tay Ninh needs to utilise the area’s existing natural and labour advantages to build policies to attract investment, the official said.

The province was also advise to focus on favourable tax policies for businesses, administrative procedures reform, and co-operation with relevant authorities and neighbouring Cambodia.

Concerted development of infrastructure for business production, export and import, and locals’ lives is also important, especially Moc Bai’s traffic infrastructure, he said.

Experts stressed the need to clearly define the role, position and importance of Tay Ninh and the Moc Bai border gate economic zone in the overall development of the Southeast economic region as well as the whole country in order to develop suitable both short-term and long-term orientations and goals; and at the same time restructure industries in the zone to create breakthroughs in productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

Mai Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, suggested Moc Bai make the most of its advantage as a gateway of the Trans-Asian economic corridor, with the need to transit goods from industrial zones in Svay Rieng province of Cambodia to ports in Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, Moc Bai should develop warehousing, forwarding and transportation services of imports and exports, added Thanh./.