Can Tho (VNS/VNA) - In the first five months of the year, the Mekongcity of Can Tho achieved impressive growth in industrial production, retailsales and tourism despite the effects of COVID-19.

Industrial production grew by more than 9 percent year-on-year, and totalretail sales and services grew by nearly 15 percent to around 63.1 trillion VND(2.7 billion USD).

The tourism sector is recovering, with its revenues rising by 18 percent to 1.25trillion VND. The number of visitors grew by nearly 58 percent.

Investment in the city tripled during the period to 1.3 billion USD as itranked third in the country’s FDI list.

However, only a fraction of the proposed public spending has been disbursed,one of the city’s biggest problems for many years now.

Its exports too fell.

Tran Viet Truong, chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said that thecity has been focusing on both reviving its economy and staying safe from thepandemic.

He instructed official agencies to focus on disbursing public spending funds,acquiring and clearing lands for investment projects and approving projectcarefully to stop unnecessary changes later.

Can Tho aims to become a major industrial hub and the Mekong Delta’s leadingone by 2025, and targets economic growth of 7.5-8 percent a year until 2025.

It is focusing on restructuring its four key sectors, foodstuff and beverageprocessing, chemicals; machinery and electronics, and electricity generation.

It is also seeking to create a favourable environment for investment throughsupport policies and administrative reforms, and facilitating industrialstart-ups./.