Established at a Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) group meeting in 1998, the corridor was expected to integrate the region’s economies by renovating road sections and strengthening cross-border links along the 1,450km-long highway that runs through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
However, the countries who had signed an agreement on the issue haven’t benefited from the corridor as previously expected, despite numerous inspections having been carried out to improve the situation.
“It is still a matter of perception,” said director of Da Nang Department of Foreign Affair Luong Minh Sam.
“Everyone has been impatient to achieve the hopeful prospects, including international partners JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).”
Thanh Nien has accompanied two inspection missions to the corridor over the last two years and witnessed the slow development of the initiative, which was supposed to boost economic development and promote tourism and trade in the central region.
Differences in driving standards and regulations on traffic and immigration have stalled corridor plans.
General Director of Da Nang Port, Nguyen Thu, said many Thai logistic companies had failed to implement necessary services due to these problems.
Statistics from Da Nang City’s Department of Foreign Affairs showed the city’s export turnover with other member countries on the corridor didn’t improved much in 2007 and the first eight months of 2008.
The number of tourists going through the Lao Bao Border Gate on the corridor between Vietnam and Laos also showed little gains.
Vietnam is planning to send a ministry-level delegation this month to the corridor to review achievements on the one-year anniversary of the EWEC event, a move that is expected to set the wheels in motion again.
By Truong Dien Thang |
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