Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone is expected to create jobs, raise incomes, improve living standards and gradually transform rural areas.
A breakthrough for transformation
On February 12, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 288/QD-TTg establishing the Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone. Covering more than 5,300 hectares, the zone spans six communes: Thuong Hong, Nguyen Luong Bang, Bac Thanh Mien, Thanh Mien, Hai Hung and Binh Giang.
For many local residents, this is more than a major project; it signals long-awaited change. Vu Kim Luong of Nguyen Luong Bang Commune said: “The specialized economic zone will create stable jobs in our homeland, so our children will not have to leave the village to earn a living far away.” This is also the common aspiration of many rural families whose livelihoods depend largely on agriculture and uncertain incomes.
The formation of the Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone is expected to open up new occupations, from industrial production to services and logistics. Local workers will gain not only more job opportunities but also access to a modern working environment, higher skills and better incomes.
Khong Quoc Toan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Thanh Mien Commune, said: “We have high expectations that the zone will attract local workers and open new economic development opportunities. The commune has stepped up communications so residents understand the project’s significance and objectives, creating broad consensus during implementation.”
Residents seek more than jobs; they also want comprehensive improvements in their lives. Synchronized technical infrastructure and essential services such as healthcare, education and commerce will improve quality of life. Ha Thi Thuy, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairwoman of Thuong Hong Commune People’s Committee, said the commune views the zone not only as an investment project but also as a “golden opportunity” for transformation. Thuong Hong aims to move from a purely agricultural commune toward green, modern and sustainable industrial and service development. Extensive communications are helping residents understand the long-term benefits and build consensus to embrace new opportunities.
Creating a new growth pole
The Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone is important not only to localities but also as a key pillar of the city’s long-term development strategy. Unlike traditional industrial parks, it is planned as a multifunctional model integrating production and services. Its functional areas include industrial development areas, including industrial parks and clusters; a comprehensive trade and services area; a non-tariff area and logistics services area; a logistics center; and an innovation center.
This model will attract strategic investors and create a complete economic ecosystem linking production with supply chains, import-export activities and value-added services. Once completed, the zone will become a new growth pole, strengthening Hai Phong’s economy and generating strong spillover effects across the Red River Delta and northern region.
Under the targets set, the Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone could contribute approximately 3–4% of the city’s GRDP by 2030 and more than 5% after 2030. Its greater achievement, however, will be the spillover effect that drives infrastructure, urban and service development, improves competitiveness and restructures the city’s development space.
Selecting western Hai Phong for the zone will expand the city’s urban space sustainably. Under the project roadmap, the general plan and several 1:2000 detailed plans for key subzones are expected to be completed in 2025–2026; investment, construction and initial operation will take place in 2026–2030; and infrastructure will be completed, urbanization accelerated and a green, smart urban landscape formed in 2031–2035.
Pham Van Thep, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and Head of the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, said the zone is planned as a multifunctional model integrating industry, services, logistics and innovation. It will provide a foundation for a modern economic ecosystem, improve competitiveness and increase the city’s appeal to high-quality investment. Once operational, the zone is expected to become a new growth driver with strong spillover effects, promoting rapid and sustainable development and strengthening Hai Phong’s role as an economic leader in the north.
When these expectations become reality, the Hai Phong Specialized Economic Zone will not only drive economic growth but also usher the entire rural region into a period of profound transformation.