At an investment promotion conference on Friday, the province also signed three memoranda of understanding on investment cooperation with Xuan Thien Group, T&T Group and Phuong Anh Construction and Trading Investment Co., Ltd. The MoUs cover projects with combined investment capital of more than VND439 trillion ($16.84 billion).

The 96 projects seeking investment span housing and urban development, energy, tourism, culture and sports, environmental protection, transport, healthcare and education, trade and services, agriculture and fisheries, as well as infrastructure for industrial parks, industrial clusters and economic zones.

Ten green and renewable energy projects alone have combined investment of over VND54.5 trillion ($2.09 billion).

The 19 projects obtaining in-principle approvals or investment registration certificates include developments in wind power, shipbuilding and mechanical engineering, seafood processing and other sectors. The province also received investment commitments for projects in these fields.

Turning geography and infrastructure into investment

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lu Quang Ngoi said Ca Mau may not have the most favorable conditions in every respect, but possesses distinctive advantages that few other localities can match.

Located at Vietnam’s southernmost tip, he noted Ca Mau is the country’s only province with three sides facing the sea and has a coastline of about 310 kilometers. It has strengths in fisheries, agriculture, energy, the marine economy, tourism, and natural ecosystems.

Those advantages are being reinforced by major national infrastructure projects under development, including the Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway, the Ca Mau-Dat Mui Expressway, a road linking the mainland to Hon Khoai Island, the Hon Khoai dual-use general port, and the expansion and upgrade of Ca Mau Airport.

The infrastructure projects are expected to improve Ca Mau’s connections with economic centers in the region and across the country, while creating better conditions for marine industries, logistics, tourism and energy, Ngoi stated.

But he noted geographical advantages and infrastructure alone would not be enough. "Potential does not automatically become value; opportunities do not automatically become projects,” he stressed.

Ca Mau wants to attract investors with financial capacity, long-term vision, modern technology and management expertise, while prioritizing projects that generate high added value, create jobs, build production chains, and contribute to local communities.

Investment success, he said, should be measured not only by capital scale or budget contributions, but also by technology transfer, jobs created, value generated, environmental protection, and long-term benefits for local residents.

Government urges follow-through on investment commitments

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said Ca Mau had entered a new phase of development following its administrative merger with Bac Lieu province in July 2025, with an area of nearly 8,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 2.6 million.

The expanded province has greater room to reorganize its growth drivers and strengthen links among its marine economy, fisheries, agriculture, processing industries, renewable energy, tourism, services and logistics, he said.

Dung called on Ca Mau to accelerate strategic planning and infrastructure development, particularly in transport, energy and logistics, while ensuring that key projects are completed on schedule and operated effectively.

He highlighted the Hon Khoai dual-use general port and its connecting route, the Ca Mau-Dat Mui Expressway and the Nam Can Economic Zone as projects that could play a key role in expanding the province’s development space.

Ca Mau should also translate its three-sided access to the sea into concrete investment opportunities in the marine economy and renewable energy, develop concentrated industrial clusters for deep processing of key agricultural and seafood products, and diversify ecotourism offerings linked to cultural preservation, he stated.

The province should also continue improving its investment and business environment, promote the private sector and make investor and business satisfaction an important measure of government performance.

Dung requested specific agencies and officials to be assigned to monitor individual projects, assist investors with procedures and land clearance, and promptly address difficulties and bottlenecks.

“Commitments must be fulfilled and promises must be kept,” he said, urging both authorities and investors to follow through on agreements reached at the conference.

He also called on the province to focus resources on strategic projects, attract investors with the capacity to deliver on their commitments and take action against projects that are delayed or use land inefficiently.

Development, he noted, should be balanced and sustainable, without sacrificing the environment for growth.