Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. 2 connects Lao Cai city and Hebei district (China). This is an important trade area as every day there are hundreds of import-export vehicles passing between the two countries.
In 2023, the total import-export turnover through Kim Thanh border gate will reach over 1 billion USD, in 2024 it will be over 2 billion USD.
According to research, in 2020, Lao Cai province approved the adjustment of the detailed planning of Kim Thanh Border Gate Area with an area of 194 hectares.
It is divided into 2 main functional areas, including mixed-use urban area - 114ha (high-rise mixed-use buildings; commercial services, event centers; hotels - restaurants, new urban residential areas...)
The International Road Border Gate Area No. II - Kim Thanh - 80ha (National Border Gate; working area of border gate agencies; import-export inspection areas; border markets; import-export parking lots, warehouses, logistics...).
This area is expected to be a new urban development area of Duyen Hai ward in the future, including cultural, educational, commercial service land, mixed-use land, residential land, and green park land for synchronous development.
Thereby meeting the requirements and criteria to serve the development needs of the Border Gate Economic Zone according to the planning orientation to 2040, with a vision to 2050.
However, after 5 years of planning, the area next to Kim Thanh border gate is still lacking investors.
At the end of May, Lao Dong Newspaper's reporter here showed that a large area is now filled with weeds and wild plants.
Through observation, although traffic infrastructure and power systems have been relatively fully invested in, they are rarely used.
In reality, the place planned to become an urban area at the border gate currently has only a few buildings built, but it is still not completed. Meanwhile, many rows of houses have been abandoned for a long time, with grass growing as high as the head of a person.
Due to the lack of construction works and projects, large plots of land with good grass have been built, making them an ideal place for people to graze cattle. Along with that, this place is also a place for some people to illegally dump household waste.
Mr. Nguyen Van Kien (Lao Cai City) shared: "I heard the province say that it is planning to become an urban area, commercial services next to the border gate, but for many years there has been nothing. This area has several large buildings that are unfinished and abandoned and have not been completed for many years. It even became a place to dump people's waste."
According to Mr. Kien, there are not many businesses operating in the planned area next to this border gate. Mainly transportation units and wharves serve import-export activities, while there are very few commercial activities.
On May 27, informing Lao Dong, Mr. Le Tuan Anh - Chairman of Duyen Hai Ward People's Committee said: "This area has a detailed plan to build mixed-use houses, but there is currently nothing done, all are left unfinished. The reason is that the border gate cannot be developed, so the units do not invest in it".
According to Mr. Tuan Anh, Lao Cai province has a preferential policy for land rent for businesses for 10 years, but they do not invest or have any activities, so the province is reclaiming it.
"Because there are no residents, this area has become a place for people to graze buffalo and cows and illegally dump waste. Therefore, we often have to move", the Chairman of Duyen Hai Ward People's Committee added.
