PM okays Van Don EZ development Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the northern province of Quang Ninh the go-ahead to develop the Van Don Economic Zone as a special administrative-economic unit.   The province has been asked to use the local budget and other sources to fund and implement the project. The PM has also agreed in principle to selecting and hiring foreign consultants for the project, in line with the Law on Bidding and Decree 30/2015/ND-CP, dated March 17, 2015. The Quang Ninh People’s Committee will discuss and negotiate the contract value and payment with foreign consultants. Van Don District comprises over 600 islands, and is located around 175km from Ha Noi, 80km from Hai Phong City and 50km from Ha Long City. The district encompasses the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay. It covers a total area of 2,171sq.km, of which natural land is 551sq.km. The district is sparsely populated and its total population is 41,645 people. With the variety and uniqueness of the archipelago, rich ecosystems and beautiful beaches, the islands have the potential to become a world-class maritime tourism destination. Its favourable transport infrastructure, much better compared to the country’s 14 coastal economic zones, is an added benefit. The province’s leaders have also asked the government to promulgate the circular on casinos, which will lay guidelines for Vietnamese citizens, and contribute towards attracting more investments into Van Don, where luxury resort complex projects and a casino are being planned. Quang Ninh is working towards developing the required infrastructure for the special administrative-economic unit, even as it draws up detailed plans of the project. The unit will also help in the development of the Mong Cai-Hai Ha border economic area and Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone. Van Don (Quang Ninh), Bac Van Phong (Khanh Hoa) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) are all to be developed as special administrative-economic units, once the draft law is passed by the National Assembly (NA), according to the Government Office. Special administrative-economic units are magnets for investment, high technology and advanced management, becoming high-growth areas that generate more resources and motivation and accelerating the development and economy of the province, the region and the country. The Ministry of Planning and Investment expects that the three special administrative-economic units of Van Don, Van Phong, Phu Quoc will contribute billions of dollars annually to the local GDP from 2020. The average income per capita in the units will be $12,000 to $13,000 per person per year after 2030. VNS