Gia Lai: Removing the 'bottleneck' to make Le Thanh a billion-dollar border gate

DNVN – With a receptive spirit, Gia Lai provincial leaders have listened and committed to accompanying businesses to remove "bottlenecks" in import and export, aiming to build Le Thanh into a billion-dollar border gate, a pillar of border trade in the Central Highlands region.

Many "knots" need to be untied

On September 27 at Hall 2/9 (Pleiku ward), Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee organized a meeting and dialogue between provincial leaders and enterprises with import-export activities in the Le Thanh International Border Gate Economic Zone (EZ).

Mr. Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, Head of the Gia Lai Provincial Economic Zone Management Board, delivered the opening speech at the conference.

Le Thanh international border gate - the trade gateway connecting Gia Lai with Ratanakiri province (Cambodia), has long been considered a strategic highlight in the development of local border trade.

With the advantage of the shortest connection from the Central Highlands to the Central seaports and the East-West corridor, Le Thanh has the potential to become an important logistics center in the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia development triangle.

In his opening speech, Mr. Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang - Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, emphasized that the conference not only resolved immediate difficulties but also sought fundamental solutions for long-term development.

With the spirit of always accompanying businesses, creating the most favorable conditions to promote investment, production and business activities with the motto of 5 together: "listening together, discussing together, implementing together, sharing results together, and overcoming difficulties together". The conference is an opportunity for Gia Lai provincial leaders to listen, share, and promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles that import-export enterprises are facing.

“With a spirit of responsibility, openness and cooperation, the conference will be a practical forum for the government and businesses to look back and discuss development solutions, while affirming the determination of the government to create - business development - people prosperity”, the Vice Chairman of Gia Lai province emphasized.

According to the report, by the end of August 2025, Le Thanh International Border Gate Economic Zone had attracted 37 investment projects with a total registered capital of nearly VND 644 billion. The realized capital reached more than VND 319 billion, equivalent to 49.6% of the total registered capital.

Total import-export turnover reached 155 million USD, of which imports accounted for 92 million USD and exports reached 63 million USD. The border gate recorded 15,829 vehicles entering and exiting the country, an increase of 31.5% over the same period; passengers reached 99,980, an increase of 9.4%. These figures demonstrate the growing role of Le Thanh in border trade.

Businesses raised many recommendations, difficulties and problems that need to be resolved.

However, the company also pointed out the “bottlenecks” that need to be resolved. A representative of a logistics company frankly said: “The quota for intermodal transport licenses has run out, Vietnamese vehicles cannot enter Cambodia, the transport chain is broken, and logistics costs are increasing. If we do not resolve this soon, we will lose market share.”

Meanwhile, a representative of an agricultural enterprise reflected: "100% inspection of transit goods, especially fresh fruits, makes goods easily damaged, increasing costs. We suggest only random inspection or when there are signs of violations, thus protecting goods and maintaining export reputation."

Wood export enterprises are frustrated about the difference in working hours between the two border gates. The Vietnamese side has extended the working hours to 8:00 p.m., while the Cambodian side only operates until 5:30 p.m. “Goods are often stuck at the end of the day, delivery is late, and costs increase. This directly affects business efficiency,” the enterprises emphasized.

“We hope the government will maintain its strong support and commitment like today. When the business environment is open, businesses will dare to expand investment and create more jobs for local people,” said a representative of an agricultural export enterprise.

In addition, difficulties related to the circulation of right-hand drive vehicles from Cambodia, or cumbersome regulations on goods gathering, were also recommended by businesses to be resolved.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Sen - Chairwoman of Gia Lai Provincial Business Association, spoke at the conference.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Sen - Chairwoman of Gia Lai Province Business Association, emphasized: "In addition to investing in upgrading infrastructure, businesses hope that administrative procedures will be simplified, electronic procedures will be enhanced, helping to reduce costs for businesses. Businesses also need preferential policies on service fees, financial support, and credit to expand production, and exploit more strongly the resources of the new province after the merger, thereby forming a closed value chain."

Long-term companionship, towards the billion-dollar goal

At the conference, representatives of relevant departments and branches directly received and answered many recommendations from businesses. Issues under their authority were guided and clarified right at the conference, focusing on intermodal transport procedures, border gate operating hours, customs inspection procedures and vehicle circulation conditions.

Representatives of Customs Region XIV share information with businesses.

For recommendations beyond their authority, the provincial leaders pledged to synthesize, report to central agencies and coordinate with the Cambodian side to resolve them in the coming time.

Concluding the conference, Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan affirmed that he will always stand side by side with the business community, creating the most favorable conditions to promote investment, production and business activities.

In particular, it is necessary to innovate management methods, shifting from the mindset of "control" to "service and innovation", taking people and businesses as the center, as "customers" of administrative agencies.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan said that the province is oriented to develop border trade, especially the connection between Le Thanh International Border Gate with the airport and seaport in the East of Gia Lai, striving for the export and import turnover through Le Thanh to reach 2-3 billion USD by 2030.

To realize the goal, the Chairman of Gia Lai province requested departments and branches to focus on administrative reform and quickly resolve business recommendations: "All legitimate recommendations must be handled promptly, considering it a measure of management effectiveness. We must build a team of cadres with the right people for the right job, with strong political will, clear public ethics, professional style and the ability to adapt to digital transformation."

Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan delivered a concluding speech at the conference.

He also called on the business community to promote internal strength, improve production capacity, and research and expand industries in line with local advantages. “Enterprises need to proactively propose initiatives and coordinate with the government to perfect mechanisms and policies. When both sides work together, the momentum of border trade will be many times stronger,” Mr. Tuan emphasized.

Not stopping at economic benefits, the head of Gia Lai province also asked businesses to pay attention to social responsibility: "Developing border trade must be associated with taking care of the lives of people on both sides of the border gate. This is the foundation for maintaining security and order, ensuring sustainable development."

Minh Thao - Diamond

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/kinh-te/gia-lai-go-nut-that-de-le-thanh-thanh-cua-khau-ty-usd/20250927045847204