Luang Namtha eyes transformation into smart city, logistics hub

Provincial authorities recently held a meeting to explain the Amata “smart and eco city” project to the public and private sectors and to local residents.

The meeting was attended by the province’s Agriculture and Forestry Department Director Mr Khamdai Sipaseuth, Deputy Head of the Special Economic Zone Promotion and Management Office Mr Bounmy Souvannalangsy, and a representative of Amata Corporation Public Company Limited, Ms Meena.

The province is authorising Amata, a leading global industrial city developer from Thailand, to collect data on building a smart city and logistics hub in Luang Namtha district.

“We started collecting data two weeks ago and expect to finish in about two months,” Director of the provincial Planning and Investment Department, Mr Bountham Chinthapaseuth, told Vientiane Times recently.

“We don’t have a precise date for a project plan as we have to consider whether or not to go ahead with the scheme.”

“We will hold monthly meetings to circulate information in a bid to build public understanding and seek people’s views on the project,” he said.

Under the suggested project development plan, in the first phase the developer would turn Nateuy village near the Laos-China railway and four other villages on a total area of 800 hectares into a logistic hub. This would serve as a regional centre to link with regional and international ports like Laem Chabang in Thailand and Hai Phong in Vietnam.

In the second phase, the developer would transform Luang Namtha district into a modern city comprising 14 villages on an area of 3,700 hectares.

The developer would also upgrade existing public utilities, such as hospitals and educational institutions, and build modern vocational schools.

Under the scheme, advanced technology would be incorporated to attract overseas investors and ensure the project was developed effectively.

The developer will encourage landowners to take part in the project on behalf of shareholders by getting financing bodies to provide loans at low interest rates, build vocational schools to train local people in appropriate skills, and provide them with permanent job opportunities.

The developer will not relocate villagers but will manage appropriate sites for them.

According to its tourism website, Luang Namtha covers an area of 9,325 square kilometres. Its main industries are agriculture, wood processing, lignite and copper mining, handicraft production, transport, and tourism.

To the north, Luang Namtha shares a 140km land border with the People’s Republic of China and its northwest frontier with Myanmar follows a 130km stretch of the Mekong River.