Special policies to 'unlock' Hai Phong's development

Breakthrough mechanisms and policies

On September 1, Hai Phong officially took over the management of 489.2 out of 517.5 km of national inland waterways within the city’s territory from the Ministry of Construction, to be responsible for the maintenance and management of ports and inland waterway terminals. The city’s budget will receive 100% of the revenue from fees and charges collected from these waterways and from port and terminal operations… This is one of the special policies stipulated in Resolution No. 226/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly.

The most notable point in the resolution is the establishment of a free trade zone (FTZ) with multiple special mechanisms and policies to attract investment, finance, trade, tourism, high-quality services, and highly skilled human resources.

Specifically, the municipal People’s Committee is authorized to decide on the establishment and adjustment of the FTZ boundaries associated with the Dinh Vu–Cat Hai Economic Zone and the Southern Coastal Economic Zone of Hai Phong.

The Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority will directly manage the FTZ, provide public administrative services, and support enterprises in investment, production, and business activities.

The FTZ will consist of production areas, port and port logistics zones, logistics centers, commercial–service areas, and other functional zones.

Regarding mechanisms and policies in the FTZ, the resolution stipulates that foreign investors may establish economic organizations within the zone without needing an investment project or being required to obtain an investment registration certificate beforehand…

This area will apply exceptional preferential mechanisms such as visa exemption and 10-year temporary residence cards for foreign experts, scientists, talents, managers, and highly skilled workers, along with their family members working at enterprises headquartered in the FTZ; preferential corporate income tax; and simplified investment and administrative procedures.

The FTZ is expected to attract capital from high-tech corporations, international financial institutions, global research and development centers, etc.

Resolution 226 grants Hai Phong special authority in investment, finance, and budget management. The city is authorized to approve investment policies for port and terminal construction projects with an investment scale of 2.3 trillion VND or more within Hai Phong port…

The city is allowed to establish a venture capital fund to invest in high-tech projects and startups… The city’s budget will also receive 100% of additional revenues from adjusted fee and charge policies to reinvest in socio-economic infrastructure and other expenditure tasks.

“Golden opportunity”

Le Trung Kien, Member of the Standing Board of the city Party Committee and Head of the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, affirmed that Resolution 226 officially came into effect on July 1, coinciding with the merger of Hai Phong with Hai Duong province and the official operation of the two-tier local government system, adding greater significance.

Particularly, the city successfully organized the Investment Promotion Conference, themed “Hai Phong – Strategic gateway to the new era,” on the sidelines of the third meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC III).

At the conference, the city handed over investment registration certificates for 32 projects and seven memoranda of understanding with a total committed capital of more than 15.6 billion USD. This provides a solid foundation for Hai Phong’s breakthrough development in the coming period.

Leading global investors highly appreciate the advantages of the FTZ and consider it a driving force for Hai Phong to create new breakthroughs and attract both domestic and foreign investment.

Le Ngoc Chau, Deputy Secretary of the city Party Committee and Chairman of the city People’s Committee, emphasized that Resolution 226, with the establishment of the FTZ, and the specialized economic zone in the western part of the city will create one of the most open and attractive investment environments in the country.

With a strong aspiration for advancement, the city will seize the advantages from Resolution 226 to achieve the goal of building Hai Phong into a leading economic hub of the country, a strategic trading gateway in the region and the world, and a major port city taking the lead in industrialization, digital transformation, green transition, and innovation.

The city will focus on developing key sectors such as logistics, seaport services, tourism, education, and science – technology and on completing synchronous and convenient infrastructure to propel Hai Phong to stand on par with exemplary cities of Asia.

PHAM CUONG