Da Nang has a new opportunity and chance to develop rapidly when Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly on the organisation of urban government and piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for its development officially took effect from January 1, 2025.

The Con Market

Markets are waiting to "change their fortunes"

In the last days of the year of the Dragon, as usual, the Con Market became more bustling and busier than normal days as a large number of trucks carrying goods and market-goers continuously come and leave.

The Con market is associated with the memories of Da Nang people. Most of the market's facilities were built 40 years ago and many have long been degraded. In fact, nearly 10 years ago, the city had a policy to rebuild the mảket in the direction of a traditional market combined with civilisation and modernity, but the construction was slow due to legal problems in determining investment capital sources and investment forms.

In the bustling space of the days near Tet, the Con Market and other markets in the city, especially Ha Than, Hoa Khanh, and Hoa Tho Tay, are waiting for a "change of fortune" when Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly officially took effect from January 1, 2025, including an investment policy under the public-private partnership (PPP) method for projects on building market infrastructure.

Implementing Resolution No. 136, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade has drafted a resolution of the People's Council specifying the contents of PPP projects in the field of investment, construction and business of market infrastructure in the city.

At the same time, the department has worked with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the People's Committees of districts to conduct preliminary screening to determine the feasibility of 4 markets proposed for investment under the PPP form, including Con, Hoa Khanh, Ha Than and Hoa Tho Tay markets.

Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade Le Thi Kim Phuong said "Resolution No. 136 allows the city to mobilise investment resources from the private sector to invest, manage, operate and do business in market rebuilding projects in the city, thereby contributing to improving and developing commercial infrastructure, especially market infrastructure".

Resolving difficulties for industrial clusters and logistics centres

Under the Da Nang master plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the city plans to invest in the construction of 12 industrial clusters with a total area of ​​532.89 hectares by 2030, and 15 industrial clusters with a total area of ​​757.79 hectares and after 2030.

Although investing in industrial clusters is urgent, the implementation process in the past encountered many difficulties and obstacles. Resolution No. 136 not only “unties” investment in the city’s industrial clusters, but also brings opportunities to “change fate” for small and micro-sized enterprises in residential areas and many people living nearby who have suffered for many years from environmental and noise pollution, and high risk of fire and explosion, from small and retail production and business establishments.

“Resolution No. 136 allows Da Nang to implement policies on management and development of industrial clusters with public investment. This will help industrial clusters to be put into operation, creating favourable conditions for production and business premises for small and micro-sized enterprises. In the field of logistics, this resolution also allows the city to reclaim land for the implementation” Ms. Le Thi Kim Phuong said excitedly.

According to Resolution No. 136, land acquisition for construction of items and works to form logistics centres is implemented in accordance with the provisions of Article 79 of the 2024 Land Law. This special mechanism and policy creates conditions for the city to implement logistics projects according to the Da Nang Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, especially the formation of concentrated logistics center clusters, including Lien Chieu Seaport logistics centre (regional logistics center, grade 1), railway logistics centre, Da Nang High-Tech Park logistics centre, Hoa Nhon logistics center combined with dry port, and Da Nang International Airport logistics centre, contributing to the early formation of functional areas in the Da Nang Free Trade Zone.

Opportunities to reach international level

According to the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, under the Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15, the National Assembly, Da Nang is allowed to carry out a number of specific policies on financial management, state budget; investment management; planning management, urban, natural resources, environment; priority industries and occupations to attract strategic investors to the city; the establishment of Da Nang Free Trade Zone; and investment in developing semiconductors, artificial intelligence, information and communication, science and technology management, innovation.

The policies in this resolution are important driving forces, offering new opportunities for Da Nang to develop rapidly to achieve its goal by 2030, and to become one of the major socio-economic centres of the country and the Southeast Asian region. By 2045, Da Nang targets to turn itself into a large, ecological and smart city; a centre for startups and innovation; and a livable coastal city of Asian stature.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Le Thanh Tung said that by applying specific mechanisms and policies, especially the policy of developing the Da Nang Free Trade Zone, and attracting investment in the field of semiconductors, Da Nang is bold and pioneering in creating momentum to help the city develop faster and more sustainably.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Quang Binh, lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, the University of Economics - the University of Da Nang, representing the advisory group for the Department of Industry and Trade, acknowledged that the National Assembly's approval to build the Da Nang Free Trade Zone will create a new driving force for the development of the city in order to expand its economic scale. Accordingly, with the free trade zone, Da Nang will expand its economic scale not only within the Central region and the whole country, but also internationally.

“By 2040, the Da Nang Free Trade Zone will expand to the Asia-Pacific region and become the growth centre for the city. After 2040, the vision for the Da Nang Free Trade Zone is to expand to the world and consider the world market as the city's market to serve economic development”, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Quang Binh emphasised.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP - Translating by M.DUNG