Quang Ninh awaits approval for casino

News - Quang Ninh Province is looking for foreign investors for three multi-billion dollar projects to support fast development of Van Don Economic Zone, with the first project regarding a US$4-billion tourism complex covering 2,000 hectares and comprising a casino.

Nguyen Van Doc, chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee, told the Daily that the casino in the complex in Van Don District was among prerequisites to attract investors and tourists to the northern province, which is home to the UNESCO-listed heritage site of Halong Bay.

Last January, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung assigned Quang Ninh Province and some ministries to mull policies for the complex including the casino. Doc said the Government was expected to consider the policies in the regular meeting by the end of this month.

“We (Quang Ninh Province) receive six million tourists annually, but we still lack entertainment facilities for them”, Doc said. “Foreign investors told me they would only come to do business when the province had a casino. This is a task for us.”

Vietnam’s current regulations do not allow development of casino projects, but some casinos are in place with approval of the Government on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, Vietnam News Agency reports Quang Ninh Province and Malaysia’s Genting Group have signed a memorandum of understanding on preparing the feasibility study for building the complex.

The second project is to build Van Don International Airport worth some US$1 billion in the economic zone. Doc said some foreign investors including a big Korean company had showed their interest in this project.

The third project is a non-tariff zone and clean industrial areas in the Van Don Economic Zone.

Van Don Economic Zone was approved by the Prime Minister in 2009, covering 217,000 hectares. Vietnam now has 18 economic zones nationwide.