ASIA: According to a report in the Hanoi Times, the authorities in Vietnam’s capital city will revise the development plan for the smart city project proposed by the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo on the city’s northern outskirts.
Municipal authorities will also begin several major tasks in the project in 2023 as part of a series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan, mayor Tran Sy Thanh said on March 15.
During a meeting with Yamada Takio, the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, and Shiomi Keigo, President and CEO of Sumitomo Corporation in Asia and Oceania, the mayor stated that local authorities recognize the project’s challenges and will work on potential solutions, according to Hanoi Times.
The smart city project would mean a lot to the socio-economic growth of Hanoi in the future, the city mayor said, adding that Hanoi has accomplished land clearance tasks for the project.
Shiomi Keigo, President and CEO of Sumitomo Corporation in Asia and Oceania, and Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of BRG Group – partner with Sumitomo in the project, expected that relevant sides will soon inaugurate the project in 2023.
The Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Yamada Takio, said that the northern smart city would become an icon, representing the two nations’ friendship and partnership.
He said that the project’s inauguration would be a big part that honoring the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations in 2023.
The smart city project in Dong Anh District of Hanoi is carried out by a joint venture between BRG Group and Sumitomo Corp with a total investment of US$4.138 billion, the largest in Vietnam.
The project will cover 271.5 hectares of land in the three communes of Hai Boi, Vinh Ngoc, and Kim No in Hanoi’s northern district of Dong Anh. The Hanoi People’s Committee approved the project implementation plan in May 2020. However, the construction has been delayed due to various reasons, especially the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2023, Hanoi’s authorities plan to clear 106 hectares of land in the three communes of Dong Anh District to prepare for the project inauguration.
BRG Group chairwoman Nguyen Thi Nga said that the smart city project would offer solutions in energy, transportation, administration, education and training, economic growth, and lifestyle.