There have been a long time, most of the locals spread out “red carpets”, attracted investment at all costs. As a result, the projects which put into operation mostly used low-technology, caused environmental pollution and energy-consumption.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau province is quite successful in attracting FDI. Wave of FDI projects in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province can be divided into two main stages: The period from 1996 to 2000 marked the formation of the first deepwater area of the province, the operation of the offshore gas pipeline system to shore. The period from 2006 to 2010 was the acceleration of the port system. The massive development of FDI projects in Ba Ria-Vung Tau can be considered hot development since during the operation and activities of FDI in the province, it has revealed a number of limitations such as environmental pollution.

In fact, over the years, dozens of households in Ngoc Ha town, Phu My town and Tan Thanh district sent letters to several agencies reflecting the environmental pollution caused by a number of steel mills. The province also made plans to relocate these households out of the polluted area.

At the seminar "Solutions to promote investment in Ba Ria-Vung Tau for new era" was held recently, Professor Nguyen Mai, Chairman of Foreign Investment Enterprises Association, said that the evaluation of industrial projects required investors to ensure environmental standards, have enough funds for waste treatment systems and technology to expel the least carbon according to the world"s advanced level. The commitments must be taken seriously and only after authorities’s checking, field supervision, certification, then plants can be put into operation.

Recognizing the limitations of the investment in the past time, Ms. Tran Thi Huong - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said today, Ba Ria - Vung Tau had a comprehensive change, both in approach, inviting and attracting investment. If the province had focused on large businesses, corporations previously, nowadays this would pay more attention to small and medium-sized enterprises, enterprises in the fields of mechanics, electricity - electronics, chemicals and plastic.

But all new projects must use clean technology, be friendly environmental, ensure that the waste meets the technical regulations. Intensive industrial zones serve high-tech industrial projects have also been constructed under the model of urban industrial zones. These industrial zones has not only workshops, but also provide all services for life and production services to cater for factories and enterprises. With these industrial zones, area ratio for workshops will be less while the ratio of trees, trading, services, life, even housing, recreation areas will be much more.

“It is necessary to accept the fact that from this time afterwards, the registration of foreign investment capital would be considerably reduced. It can be considered this is the ending period of tips of activities, to transfer into intensive activities, and foreign investment attraction in the province has also formed a new direction towards sustainable development . Accordingly, the province gives priority to high-tech projects, projects using large trained labor force, this also means that Ba Ria-Vung Tau, in the current period, do not welcome land-intensive, intensive resource and cheap labor-intensive projects ...”, said Mr. Ho Van Nien, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee,