Hau Giang emerging investment hub in Mekong Delta

Hau Giang province, traditionally known as an agricultural production center, is emerging as an investment hub in Mekong Delta, attracting big Vietnamese names like Masan, Vingroup, Minh Phu, and Tan Hiep Phat.

Hau Giang will soon welcome three expressways, namely Can Tho-Ca Mau, Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang, and Ha Tien-Rach Gia-Bac Lieu. A maritime route connecting Hau Giang and Tran De ports will also facilitate transfer of goods from local industrial parks and urban areas.

Increasingly attractive to investors, Hau Giang has lured 418 domestic investments worth VND140,542 billion ($6.02 billion), and 24 foreign-invested projects worth $617 million.

Hau Giang currently has two industrial parks covering a total 500 hectares, with an occupancy rate of 80%. Until 2030, the province will allocate an additional 2,200 hectares toward eight new industrial parks, of which four located in Chau Thanh and Chau Thanh A districts that neighbor Can Tho city are scheduled to open in the next three years.

Tran Ngoc Hung, director of Hau Giang’s Department of Planning and Investment, said the province boasts areas of abundant agriculture, a strong laborforce, and preferential policies on tax and land leasing as seven localities near Can Tho are considered as "having especially difficult socio-economic conditions".

Most recently, Masan Group, one of Vietnam’s largest listed conglomerates by market capitalization, got the green light to develop a VND3,500 billion ($150 million) food complex in Hau Giang.

Cat Tuong Group was licensed to conduct the Nga Bay 3 new urban area project worth VND1,119 billion ($47.86 million), while a joint venture between Oleco-NQ and American Property JSC was allowed to implement the Cai Tac-Thanh Hoa new urban area project worth VND400 billion.

DHG Pharmaceutical JSC, listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) as DHG, kicked off on July 9 the construction of the Betalactam factory at Tan Phu Thanh Industrial Park, with an investment of VND600 billion ($25.66 million).

The factory, covering six hectares, is scheduled to open in 2024 with an annual output of one million anti-biotics products. DHG is Vietnam’s largest listed pharmaceutical firm by market cap.

Earlier, Nam Song Hau Trading Investing Petroleum JSC (NSH Petro, HoSE: PSH) had commenced the construction of the Song Hau Industrial Park control center worth VND1,260 billion and Mai Dam petroleum storage worth VND600 billion.

Previous major investments in the province include a shrimp processing plant of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation (UPCoM: MPC), Aquaone Group’s clean water supply factory with an output of 800,000 to one million cubic meters a day, Masan Group’s Su Tu Trang brewery, Vingroup’s Vincom trading center in Vi Thanh town, Tan Hiep Phat Group’s biggest Mekong Delta-based soft drink factory, and Lee & Man’s paper plant in Phu Huu A Industrial Cluster, among others.

Hau Giang province plans to conduct an investment promotion conference on July 15-16, with the theme “Businesses Come, Hau Giang Happy”. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to attend the event.

At the conference, Hau Giang People’s Committee plans to hand over 12 investment licenses worth VND30,000 billion ($1.28 billion) and witness the signing of memoranda of understanding and investment cooperation agreements worth VND160,000 billion ($6.84 billion).

Hau Giang is one 12 provinces in Mekong Delta, which also includes Can Tho city, one of Vietnam's five centrally-managed cities, together with Hanoi, Hai Phong, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City.