Vietnam approves casino on Phu Quoc Island

Vietnam's politburo has agreed to the opening of a casino on Phu Quoc Island in the Mekong Delta, as part of plans for a special economic zone, official media reported.
Chairman of Kien Giang Province, Le Van Thi, was cited as saying that the move to expand followed approval in 2004 by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for the development of a tourism and international trade centre.
But to properly exploit the potential of Phu Quoc, the government sought Politburo approval to establish a special economic zone with incentives to attract international investment.
The island district’s economic growth rate has been 25 percent a year on average over the past 10 years. Last year the island lured 430,000 tourists, an increase of 32 percent compared with 2012.
Phu Quoc has already attracted 200 projects, with 112 of these being granted investment certificates, with a total area of 4,850 hectares and total investment of VND135 trillion. Eighteen projects have been completed, totaling VND6.849 trillion.