The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) wrapped up the morning session of the talks on March 2 to resolve issues at their joint industrial park, the government said. Details of the talks have yet to be released. A group of the RoK’s officials crossed the border into the neighbouring DPRK’s border town of Kaesong where the industrial park is located. The RoK’s delegation is expected to push for the adoption of the Radio Frequency Identification system in the DPRK to help speed up cross border passage and issuance of day passes for people entering the industrial park. Some 110 RoK’s companies operate factories in the joint industrial park employing 42,000 DPRK’s workers, mostly producing labour-intensive goods. The industrial complex, whose operations have occasionally been threatened due to tense ties between the two countries, is a long-standing but fragile symbol of inter-Korean co-operation. … [Read more...] about Koreas end industrial park talks
Industrial parks
Bac Kan Industrial Park Infrastructure Development Company: Short-term Challenges, Long-term Prospects
Over 10 years of development since its inception, Bac Kan Industrial Park Infrastructure Development Joint Stock Company has encountered numerous difficulties, mostly due to the inefficient operation of enterprises at Thanh Binh Industrial Park. Despite that, with the spirit of unity and continuous efforts, the company has always been ready to accomplish all tasks and meet the requirements of investors. However, there are also huge potential, advantages and a bright prospect for enterprises at Thanh Binh Industrial Park to develop. These are the opinions of Mr La Dinh Chinh, Director of Bac Kan Industrial Park Infrastructure Development Joint Stock Company. Duy Anh reports. Could you share your opinions on the operation of the company over the last time? During the past 10 years, our company has completed phase 1 of the infrastructure of Thanh Binh Industrial Park, which has been put into operation since 2012 with the approved plan of 73.5 ha, constructing the floor area of 62.3 … [Read more...] about Bac Kan Industrial Park Infrastructure Development Company: Short-term Challenges, Long-term Prospects
Sembcorp gets OK for Vietnam industrial park, power plant
Singapore industrial conglomerate Sembcorp Industries said on Monday it has obtained approval to proceed with a $337.82 million industrial park and 1,200-megawatt power plant in Vietnam. A Vietnamese-Singapore joint venture involving Sembcorp will develop the industrial park in Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam, Sembcorp said in a statement. The Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park Quang Ngai will comprise a 600-hectare industrial park as well as a 520-hectare site zoned for commercial and residential development. The park will be the Sembcorp-led consortium's fifth in the country. The Singapore firm also said its unit Sembcorp Utilities was granted in-principle approval to develop the 1,200-megawatt power plant in Dung Quat Economic Zone in Quang Ngai. Sembcorp is currently assessing the feasibility of this project, it said. Sembcorp businesses include oil rig building and ship repair, which come under listed Sembcorp Marine, as well as industrial parks, water and power … [Read more...] about Sembcorp gets OK for Vietnam industrial park, power plant
Conference lambasts industrial parks’ inefficiency
Many industrial parks (IP) around the country still yield poor economic effectiveness, while wasting land resources, said the Ministry of Planning and Investment yesterday at a meeting to summarize the IP development over the last 20 years. As for last December, Vietnam is home to 283 IPs with total area amounting to 76,000 hectares. Of these, 180 IPs have been operational, spending more than US$9.5 billion on infrastructure development. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate of the IPs and the export-processing zones (EPZ) is 65 percent, with around 10,000 hectares left unrented. Around 4,100 FDI projects with total capital worth $59 billion are operating in the IPs. As of December 2011, the IPs and EPZs have created jobs for 1.76 million laborers. In the 2006-2010, the zones earned an export turnover worth $63 billion, and contributed $5.9 billion to the state budget. Besides the IPs and EPZs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment said there are also 18 coastal economic zones, and 28 … [Read more...] about Conference lambasts industrial parks’ inefficiency
MPI defends industrial parks
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has come out on the front foot after criticism from National Assembly deputies that industrial parks are nothing more than a big waste of space. The attacks came after the government announced plans to add a further 260 industrial parks to the country’s current tally of 267 by 2020. The government also revealed it wanted to raise total industrial land to 200,000 hectares by 2020, well up on the 73,000ha already given over to industrial use. These ambitious plans met with fierce opposition from many National Assembly deputies with Ho Chi Minh City deputy Tran Du Lich saying it would take 50 years from now to use up the existing 73,000ha of industrial land. But a report from the Department of Economic Zones Management at the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) said the development of the industrial parks was not a waste of land. The report estimates the existing industrial park land will see full occupation by 2015. Many private … [Read more...] about MPI defends industrial parks