Boosting Border Economy

(VEN) - With more than 240km of borderline with Cambodia, Tay Ninh Province plays an important role in expanding the country's external relations. As a link between Vietnam and other countries in sub-regional cooperation programs, Tay Ninh contributes considerably to accelerating the country's regional and international integration process.   The Moc Bai International Border-crossing in Tay Ninh Province is the largest one on land border between Vietnam and Cambodia. It is the most important point on the trans-Asia route that runs from Myanmar through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and ends in Guangxi, China. Moc Bai is 70km from Ho Chi Minh City and 170km from Phnom Penh - the capital of Cambodia. In the area of the Moc Bai Border-crossing Economic Zone, there are the Moc Bai International Border-crossing and two sub border-crossings: Phuoc Chi and Long Thuan, which cater for trade, tourism and transport between Vietnam and neighbor countries. This area is an important economic, cultural, scientific and technological center of Tay Ninh Province and the entire southeastern region. In November 2009, the Prime Minister approved the plan to develop the Moc Bai Border-crossing Economic Zone to 2020. Under this plan, in the future, the Moc Bai Border-crossing Economic Zone will have total area of 21,284ha and cover Long Thuan, Tien Thuan, Loi Thuan, An Thanh communes, Ben Cau township of Ben Cau district, and Phuoc Luu, Binh Thanh, Phuoc Chi communes of Trang Bang district. The Moc Bai International Border-crossing covers about 5ha. Around this border-crossing there are border security, customs and international quarantine offices, duty-free shops and other shops, trading and service facilities with total area of 250ha; and a 300ha industrial park. Rural residential areas are in the centers of Long Thuan, Tien Thuan, Loi Thuan, An Thanh, Phuoc Luu, Binh Thanh and Phuoc Chi communes. Currently, 49 businesses are operational in the Moc Bai trade and industrial complex, including six supermarkets of the Golden Century Company Limited, the Duong Bien Market, the Hiep Thanh Trade Center and the Phi Long International Trade, Industrial and Service Center. A report by the management board of the Moc Bai Border-crossing Economic Zone shows that in the first six months of 2010, the Moc Bai trade and industrial complex received nearly 1.25 million visitors and obtained retail sales totaling nearly VND590.64 billion, down 23.92 percent compared with the first half of 2009, and contractual sales totaling about VND200 billion. Though retail sales fell considerably, contractual sales to other non-tariff areas such as Tien Bien, Lao Bao and Vinh Ba increased. Visitors to the Moc Bai trade and industrial complex are allowed to buy goods duty-free within the norm of VND500,000 per person per day (this regulation came into effect on March 1, 2010). Alcohol, beer and cigarette are sold to only those who are at or above the age of 18 within the norm of VND500,000 per person per month. The Xa Mat Border-crossing Economic Zone is another major economic zone of Tay Ninh Province, which plays an important role in export promotion. Comprising of the Xa Mat International Border-crossing and three sub border-crossings: Chang Riec, Cay Go and Tan Phu, the Xa Mat Border-crossing Economic Zone has total area of more than 34,000ha. With 90km of borderline, the zone is 150km from Ho Chi Minh City and 200km from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Xa Mat is located alongside National Highway 22B that is a lifeline leading to the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia and Thailand. Via Xa Mat, one can go from Vietnam to northern provinces of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and India. With such a favorable location, Xa Mat can contribute to boosting import-export activities of Tay Ninh Province. Good topographic conditions and underground water resources allow Xa Mat to contribute to boosting socioeconomic development in 20 border communes as well as the whole Tay Ninh Province and adjacent localities. The Tay Ninh People's Committee has promulgated some open policies, for example allowing border residents to import goods duty-free (VND2 million per person per day), allowing them to import buffaloes and cows for commercial purposes. Thanks to such policies, border-crossing economic zones of Tay Ninh Province are utilizing their potential to contribute to expanding the country's external economic relations and accelerating Vietnam's integration into the region and the world./.