Through VERI, Mr. T.Kubota has assisted the Danang Rep Office in Japan to hold many conferences to publicise Danang's image, call for investment and invite representatives from major Japan-based economic and financial corporations to Danang. The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) helped produce films about Danang and show them on Japanese televisions.

After dozens of Danang investment promotion workshops held in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Chia, Kawasaki and Osaka, many Japanese enterprises, including Fujitsu, Daiwa Seiko, Sumitomo, Ravos, Imao and Land Housing Association, and some organisations such as ASEAN-Japan and the Japan Investment Research Institute have came to Danang to seek investment opportunities. Mr. Lam Quang Minh, director of the Danang Investment Promotion Center, said that many Japanese investors were very satisfied with implementation of the 'one-stop' mechanism in Danang. The time for granting investment licenses was reduced to only 3 to 10 days. This has helped investors to save much time and money.

Many more projects

After the Mabuchi Corporation invested in a US$40mil super-small electric motors manufacturing plant at the Hoa Khanh industrial zone, many other Japanese enterprises have came to Danang. Mabuchi built a US$6mil factory to produce support products for Sumitomo. Daiwa Seiko constructed a US$15mil plant manufacturing sports equipment and fishing rods. The P&I Corporation is preparing a construction design for a high-grade resort on Non Nuoc beach with capital of US$10-15mil. The Japanese Land & Housing Association has established the Danang Investment and Development Company and will build a shopping area worth US$5-10mil. The AI Electronic Company has cooperated with the Danang Industrial Zones Infrastructure Development Company to build 2ha of Japanese standard workshops at the Hoa Khanh industrial zone. Although the construction has not been finished, seven Japanese companies have registered to lease them. The project is expected to be expanded to over 20ha at the expanded Hoa Khanh industrial zone.

Regarding doing business in Danang, Mr. Shinji Kamei, president of the Mabuchi Motor Corporation said that Danang has facilitated the investors by providing information and completing procedures in the shortest time. His company is going tobe put into operation and employ over 7,000 workers. To provide worker accommodation, the Danang People's Committee has given the company 5 ha of land to build flats. This has made Japanese investors trust in the city authrities and choose Danang for their business in Vietnam.

In a recent investment promotion conference held by the Danang People's Committee in Tokyo, many Japanese enterprises expressed their desire to invest in Danang. The Ramla Corporation specializing culinary services with 150 restaurants in Japan, signed an MoU to build a large-scale restaurant in Danang. The Foster Electronic Company is going to invest in a plant to produce headphones and audiovisual equipment. At the end of October 2006, a 29 member delegation of Japanese medium and small-scale enterprises led by Mr. Otake Kenichiro, vice president of the Shoko Chukin Bank came to Danang to seek investment opportunities. This visit has promised some more Japanese projects in software technology, sea products processing and tourism for Danang.

(Young People Newspaper)