Vietnam approves 10 year masterplan for Can Tho province HANOI - Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has approved a 10-year master plan for Can Tho Province that will see it become the largest commercial centre in the Mekong Delta. The province will increase co-operation with other economic sectors and provinces around the country to boost trade and expand markets in rural areas in its bid to achieve an annual growth rate of between eight percent and nine percent by 2010. Crucial to these efforts will be the recently opened My Thuan Bridge spanning the Tien River and the construction of a bigger Can Tho Bridge over the Hau River. Construction of the Can Tho Bridge is set to begin next year and be completed over a period of four years. It will considerably widen access to the Mekong Delta and boost the local economy. The province aims to raise its gross domestic product (GDP) from US$358 this year to $550 in 2005 and $875 in 2010. It also plans a 13 percent to 14 percent increase in industrial growth during the same period. Provincial authorities have mapped out detailed projects for economic and infrastructure development, and expanding rural transport and irrigation networks. These include the project to upgrade and expand Can Tho Port, one to build the Cai Cui Port and another to upgrade the Can Tho Airport towards linking the delta with other ASEAN countries. A 1,200MW thermo-power plant will be built in Tra Noc while the two water plants in Can Tho will be upgraded to produce 200,000cu.m of clean water per day from the existing 70,000cu.m per day. Can Tho is encouraging foreign investment in bio-technology, information technology, food processing and post-harvest treatment of agricultural produce. Authorities will take measures to boost industrial and handicraft production with a focus on the development of industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones. The province has now four operational IPs with 43 licensed tenants including 14 foreign-invested projects capitalised at US$143 million. The Tra Noc IP No. 1 and Tra Noc IP No. 2 have a combined area of 300ha while the Hung Phu IP No. 1 and Hung Phu IP No. 2 cover 975ha. With two million tonnes of rice each year, Can Tho is the second largest rice producer in the Mekong Delta behind An Giang Province. The province also boasts the Can Tho University and the Mekong Rice Institute which have trained thousands of engineers and researchers. Vietnam News Agency - June 21, 2000.