Quyết định 52/2008/QD-TTg

DECISION

APPROVING THE SCHEME ON THE MASTER PLAN ON VIETNAM’S BORDER-GATE ECONOMIC ZONE DEVELOPMENT UP TO 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
At the proposal of the Minister of Planning and Investment in Report No. 675/TTr-BKH dated January 29, 2008, and Report No. 1894/TTr-BKH dated March 20, 2008,

DECIDES:

Article 1. - To approve the scheme on the master plan on development of Vietnam's border-gate economic zones up to 2020 with the following principal contents:

1. Viewpoints

a/ To sustainably develop border-gate economy and economic zones in association with building and developing friendly, stable and sustainable political relations between Vietnam and China, Laos and Cambodia. To increase international cooperation and attract domestic and overseas investment through border-gate economic zones;

b/ To develop border-gate economy and economic zones under a long-term strategy and plan and in a priority order for each period suitable to national development orientations and specific conditions;

c/ To consider political and economic efficiency a key target, to fully take into account impacts of the market economy and international economic integration. Involved parties may all benefit from border-gate economy and economic zones;

d/ To closely combine border-gate economy development with human resource development in conformity with plannings on human resources and social infrastructure works (schools, healthcare, cultural and sports establishments, residential areas);

e/ Development of border-gate economy and economic zones must take into account environmental protection and defense and security requirements.

2. Conditions and criteria for establishing border-gate economic zones

a/ Conforming with the approved master plan on border-gate economic zone development;

b/ Having international border gates or main border gates as prescribed by the Government's Decree No. 32/2005/ND-CP dated March 14, 2005, on the Regulation on inland border gates; including adjacent administrative units without special division;

c/ Convenient link with national arterial roads; convenient for exchange with neighboring countries through their inland border gates; having favorable conditions and resources for technical infrastructure investment;

d/ Meeting requirements for comprehensive development of border-gate economic zones, covering trade, import-export, temporary import for re-export, transit cargo transport, industrial production, tourism and services; having conditions to promote potential of border localities and adjacent areas; having potential for developing trade and attract investment;

e/ Having the capacity to associate economic development with maintenance of security, politics, social order and safety and protection of national sovereignty in the border region;

f/ Neither negatively affecting nature reserves nor causing adverse impacts on and harming tangible cultural heritages, scenic places, architectural works of historical, artistic and scientific values; having conditions to meet requirements on environment, ecological environment and sustainable development.

3. Objectives

a/ Overall objectives

To build border-gate economic zones in border areas into key economic areas of every province bordering on China, Laos and Cambodia. By 2020, the country will have 30 border-gate economic zones, 7 of which will be newly established in border areas. To build complete infrastructure and adopt organizational and management models, mechanisms and policies for 9 border-gate economic zones, namely Mong Cai, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Bo Y, Moc Bai, An Giang, Dong Thap and Cau Treo and Lao Bao special economic-trade zone, in order to bring the total cross-border import-export value of goods and services to US$ 42-43 billion by 2020.

b/ Specific targets

- From 2008 to 2015:

+ To establish four border-gate economic zones, namely Long An in Long An province, A Dot in Thua Thien Hue province, Nam Can- Thanh Thuy in Nghe An province and Na Meo in Thanh Hoa province, bringing the total number of border-gate economic zones nationwide to 27, 6-7 of which will be put into complete and efficient operation;

+ To step up the development of trade, import-export, temporary import for re-export, transit cargo transport, industrial production, tourism and services. To strive for an import-export value of US$ 13.5-14 billion with a growth rate of 30.7-31%. By 2010, to bring the cross-border export value to US$ 5.7-6 billion and the import value to US$ 7.7-8 billion;

+ To receive around 2.9-3 million tourist arrivals through border-gate economic zones, including around l.2-l.3 million from and 1.7-1.8 million to Vietnam.

- From 2016 to 2020:

+ To continue investment in developing infrastructure of established border-gate economic zones;

+ To study and formulate schemes to establish another 3 border-gate economic zones according to specific steps and development condition while meeting requirements on border-gate economic zone establishment, including La Lay border-gate economic zone in Quang Tri, Dak Per in Dak Nong, and Dak Rue in Dak Lak;

+ To continue boosting the development of trade, import-export, temporary import for re-export, transit cargo transport, industrial production, tourism and services. To strive for and import-export value of US$ 42-43 billion by 2020;

+ To receive 7.8-8 million tourist arrivals through border-gate economic zones, including around 3.5-3.6 million from Vietnam and 4.2-4.3 million to Vietnam through border-gate economic zones.

4. Tasks

a/ For China-bordering economic zones:

- To build and develop border-gate economic zones into trade, service and tourist centers of the northern midland and mountainous and key points of Hanoi-Lang Son-Nanning, Hanoi-Lao Cai-Yunnan, and Hanoi-Mong Cai-Fang Cheng economic corridors;

- To increase development cooperation under the planning on development of Hai Phong-Hanoi-Lang Son-Nanning economic corridors and the Tonkin gulf economic belt;

- To make effective use of advantages of natural conditions and economic geographic position of each border-gate economic zone in developing trade and domestic and international services, to boost economic development and economic restructuring of provinces having border-gate economic zones;

- To develop border-gate economic zones in association with forming border urban and rural residential areas and arranging and settling inhabitants of communes along Vietnam-China border;

- To plan on development of arterial roads linking border-gate economic zones with China's inland, border gates and border-gate economic zones to promote development of and connections between border-gate economic zones within a region and other national and international ones. Specifically, they are beltway 1 on the basis of the national highway 4 system (highways 4C , 4D and 4E), national highway 34, the border corridor route, national highways 18, 1A, 3, 2, 70, 6, 12, 18c, 31, 1B and 3B; Hanoi-Viet Tri-Yen Bai-Lao Cai motorway, extended national highway 6, Ho Chi Minh highway, extended national highway 1B; and Hanoi-Lang Son and Hanoi-Lao Cai railways;

- To associate economic development with protection of national sovereignty and border security on the basis of resolving pressing social problems and improving people's material and cultural life;

- To continue investment in completing infrastructure of border-gate economic zones under development master plans and the master plan on border-gate economic zones, including Dong Dang-Lang Son and Chi Ma border-gate economic zones in Lang Son province; Lao Cai in Lao Cai province; Mong Cai, Bac Phong Sinh and Hoanh Mo-Dong Van in Quang Ninh province; Cao Bang in Cao Bang province; Thanh Thuy in Ha Giang province; and Ma Lu Thang in Lai Chau province. To prioritize those being key points of inter-regional and international economic corridors such as Mong Cai, Lao Cai and Lang Son border-gate economic zones.

b/ For Laos-bordering economic zones:

- To build and develop border-gate economic zones in order to promote socio-economic development of the west of central provinces; to build them into centers of the border region of central provinces for economic and trade exchange with Bolykhamxay, Xieng Khoang, Huaphan, Savanankhet and some other provinces of Laos. They will become key points for import and export of goods and services to northern and central provinces of Laos, the northeastern region of Thailand, and Myanmar, and hubs for attracting domestic and overseas investment in production development and goods processing. They will contribute to generating employment, improving people’s material and spiritual life in border areas, and increasing local budget revenues.

- To increase development cooperation under the master plan on East-West economic corridor development and development cooperation in the expanded Mekong sub-region; to develop trade and import-export of goods and services through border gates;

- To continue investment in building and developing under planning the trans-regional transport system linking border-gate economic zones with other places such as national highway 279 linking Tay Trang with Dien Bien Phu city; national highway 4D from Lao Cai to Pa So crossroad, Phong Tho district of Lai Chau province; national highway 12 from Ma Lu Thang border gate to Muong Lay town of Dien Bien province; national highway 217 linking Na Meo border-gate economic zone with Hua Phan and northern provinces of Laos; national highways 8, 9, 12, 14, 14D and 49 linking central border-gate economic zones with seaports;

- To continue investment in developing 7 newly established border-gate economic zones including Tay Trang, Son La and Cau Treo, Cha Lo, Nam Giang and Bo Y border-gate economic zones and Lao Bao special economic-trade zone; to prioritize those being key points of the East-West economic corridor such as Lao Bao special economic-trade zone and Cau Treo and Bo Y border-gate economic zones. Before 2015, to plan another three border-gate economic zones, namely A Dot in Thua Thien Hue, Nam Can-Thanh Thuy in Nghe An and Na Meo in Thanh Hoa; from 2015 to 2020, to additionally set up La Lay border-gate economic zone in Quang Tri.

c/ For Cambodia-bordering economic zones

- To build border-gate economic zones into key economic areas of each province, contributing to rearranging the population and laborers, improving local people's material and spiritual life in close association with consolidating defense and security, firmly protecting the national border and protecting the ecological environment;

- To carry out development cooperation under the master plan on development of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia and the trans-Asia highway economic corridor;

- To develop trade, services, import-export of goods and services through border gates; to build border markets and develop transit tourism; to form industrial and handicraft production clusters. To well protect, improve and zone off for forestation natural forests, especially border protection forests. To develop social and cultural activities;

- To step by step invest in building planning border-gate economic zone infrastructure, including transport; post and telecommunications; water and electricity supply; border centers; urban centers and rural residential areas; trade, tourist, industrial-handicraft production centers and other public service works. To rapidly build national highway N1 connecting Cambodia-bordering provinces under the Ministry of Transport’s master plan;

- To continue investment in developing 8 established border-gate economic zones, including highway 19 border-gate economic zone in Gia Lai; Bonue in Binh Phuoc; Moc Bai and Xa Mat in Tay Ninh; Dong Thap in Dong Thap; An Giang and Khanh Binh in An Giang; and Ha Tien in Ha Tien; to prioritize Moc Bai, An Giang and Dong Thap border-gate economic zones. Before 2015, to additionally plan Long An border-gate economic zone in Long An; from 2015 to 2020, to plan another two border-gate economic zones, namely Dak Per in Dak Nong and Dak Rue in Dak Lak.

5. Measures to implement the master plan

a/ The Government shall promulgate uniform mechanisms and policies for development of border-gate economic zones nationwide in accordance with the Decree on economic zones, industrial parks and export-processing zones, including mechanisms and policies related to border-gate economic zones such as import-export and immigration policies and management mechanisms for border-gate economic zones;

b/ Development of border-gate economic zones must conform with the approved master plan . To elaborate master plans and detailed plans for each border-gate economic zone. To raise awareness about and ensure good coordination between ministries and central branches with provincial People's Committees in directing the development of border gate economic zones;

c/ To build technical infrastructure in border-gate economic zones. To diversity funding sources for infrastructure work construction. In addition to state budget funds as start-up capital), technical and social infrastructure works, public service and utility works in service of border-gate economic zones may use funds from official development assistance (ODA), the land fund according to the land law, and preferential credit, and other technical assistance, and attract investment capital in the form of BOT (build-operate-transfer), BT (build-transfer), or BTO (build-transfer-operate), and other forms according to law for investment in building border-gate economic zone infrastructure;

d/ To further promote investment in border-gate economic zones. To concentrate on attracting investment in services, infrastructure construction and formation of functional zones in border-gate economic zones. To mobilize and promote investment with the participation of ministries, branches and local administrations in a coordinated and proactive manner. To publicize detailed plans, lists of prioritized investment projects incentive policies for investment in border-gate economic zones for investors' and peoples' information. Management boards of, and administrations of localities having, border-gate economic zones shall further study the economic situations, investment markets and policies of other countries, groups and major companies so as to appropriate incentive policies;

e/ Solutions and policies on funding sources:

- To provide central budget funds for building technical infrastructure of border-gate economic zones according to mechanisms on central budget capital support, such as the state budget capital support mechanism for investment in building technical infrastructure of industrial parks in localities meeting with socio-economic difficulties under Decision No. 183/2004/QD-TTg dated October 19, 2004, and similar localities for coastal economic zones from now to 2015.

- To study and formulate the targeted development program on border-gate economic zone investment.

+ For border-gate economic zones being key points of international and inter-regional economic corridors: the State shall concentrate investment on key border-gale economic zones to act as a driving force for economic, service and trade exchange of the country such as Mong Cai, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Cau Treo, Bo Y, Moc Bai, An Giang and Dong Thap border-gate economic zones and Lao Bao special economic-trade zone;

+ For established border-gate economic zones in the stage of infrastructure building and business and trade development, in addition to state budget funds for infrastructure construction, the State should decentralize investment powers and responsibilities to localities on the basis of promulgating particular incentive policies and overall policies on border-gate economic zone development and mobilize and call for investment from domestic and overseas enterprises and entrepreneurs under the approved master plan;

+ To combine investment in border-gate economic zone development with key projects and works in border-gate economic zones to avoid capital and land waste, to bring into play the impacts of border-gate economic zones on socio-economic development of each province as well as each area and region.

- Management boards of, and localities having, border-gate economic zones shall:

+ Review and adjust detailed master plans and elaborate plans with a view to concentrating on development of key projects and works in each border-gate economic zone;

+ Elaborate and implement investment plans for development of infrastructure inside and outside functional zones of border-gate economic zones which must specify investment phases and priorities on the basis of taking in to careful account the overall balancing capacity of national, regional and local economies.

f/ Solutions on consolidation of defense and security in border-gate economic zones:

- Management boards of, and administrations of localities having, border-gate economic zones should direct and carry out solutions for socio-economic development of communes along Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Cambodia borders (under the Prime Minister's Decision approving the scheme on socio-economic development of communes along Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-Cambodia borders up to 2010);

- Management boards of border-gate economic zones shall coordinate with the Border Guard, army and security forces in actively participating in socio-economic development of border communes in appropriate forms. To well implement plans on landmine detection and removal in border areas;

- Management boards of border-gate economic zones shall coordinate with the border guard, police and customs of the two countries bordering Vietnam in preventing illegal border cross-border smuggling, and cross-border trading and transport of drugs and women and children trafficking under agreements on prevention an control of crimes, illegal trading and transport of drugs, and cross-border smuggling between countries in the Mekong river sub-region;

- To concentrate investment on construction of border guard stations, defense works, patrol roads and border belts. To increase the capacity, develop ready-for-action army and police forces to be able to cope with urgent eases;

- To promote the movement of national security protection by the people, to educate and propagate about national consciousness to inhabitants in the border region, to coordinate with agencies and organizations in implementing programs on coordination in fighting crimes and protecting border sovereignty;

- To increase foreign relation activities and international cooperation with security forces of Laos and Cambodia in fighting crimes and solving issues of mutual interest.

g/ Human resource development: to attach importance to human resource development; to support investment in building vocational schools and training centers, support vocational training and generate employment in areas where land is recovered for border-gate economic zone construction.

h/ Environmental protection:

- To associate construction of border-gate economic zones with protection of the environment inside and outside the zones. Protection of border-gate economic zones' environment covers mainly:

+ Protection of water, air and soil quality;

+ Protection of biodiversity;

+ Protection of the urban environment.

- To select clean technologies, issue specific regulation on technology and equipment import according to norms on energy consumption and wastes according to branches and domains for border-gate economic zones;

- To formulate policies on finance, tax reduction loans for the import of waste treatment technologies and equipment. Schemes on industrial and tourist development must specify technology plans and waste treatment processes in accordance with environmental standards;

- To increase inspection and supervision of sources of wastes of industrial production and tourist establishments, to conduct environmental audit for operating projects in order to evaluate the efficiency of production technologies and waste treatments systems. To increase community education on environmental protection, collect fees and impose other administrative measures on plants discharging large volumes of wastewater and gas.

Article 2.- Organization of implementation

1. Dissemination of the master plan

After the Prime Minister’s Decision approving the master plan is issued, to publicize the scheme on the master plan on Vietnam's border-gate economic zone development up to 2020. Ministries, branches and localities shall promptly formulate plans to implement the master plan on border-gate economic zone development suitable to development periods.

2. Assignment of responsibilities

a/ The Ministry of Planning and investment shall:

- Monitor and urge the implementation of, and promptly adjust, the master plan. To urge, examine and supervise the formulation of development master plans on each border-gate economic zone and investment in border-gate economic zone construction;

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and concerned agencies in, planning schemes to support state budget funds according to the targeted support program on border-gate economic zone development;

- Organize review conferences and supply information on border-gate economic zones.

b/ Ministries and branches shall, based on their functions, coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in directing their local subordinate agencies in monitoring, guiding and supervising the implementation of the master plan on border-gate economic zone development.

c/ Local administrations, management boards of border-gate economic zones and investors in border-gate economic zones shall propagate and adopt plans to promote investment in border-gate economic zone development;

d/ Based on the evaluation of the master plan implementation, to annually adjust and supplement the master plan suitable to realities

and conditions of each area and region having border-gate economic zones.

Article 3. - Implementation provision

This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Article 4.

– Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and presidents of provincial/municipal People’s Committees shall implement this Decision.