Localities are creating many advantages in terms of the business environment as well as many incentives to attract investment. Photo: Samsung Vietnam

People and enterprises are the center

In Resolution 11, the Government requested ministries, branches and localities to continue to review and remove barriers in terms of institutions, mechanisms, policies, and legal regulations hindering production and business activities, speeding up the roadmap to reduce and simplify administrative procedures and improve the business investment environment, strengthen the handling of administrative procedures on online platforms; continue to research and implement breakthrough solutions, encourage innovation, promote digital transformation, develop digital economy, green economy, circular economy associated with sustainable development.

In fact, the improvement of business investment environment has been continuously implemented by ministries, branches and localities for many years, through Resolutions 19 and 02 of the Government.

In particular, in localities, this work is also being implemented more thoroughly, especially when the Vietnam Chamber of Trade and Industry (VCCI) publishes the annual Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) report.

Localities can use it as a basis to analyze and evaluate the activities of the government for enterprises. On that basis, localities develop plans to effectively overcome limit ations and weaknesses, propose measures, and direct and administer to effectively improve the province's PCI; at the same time, develop a set of departmental, sectoral and district-level competitiveness indices (DCCI).

For example, in Quang Ninh, based on the province's DCCI index, departments and branches have significantly improved the province's business and investment environment, contributing to attracting investment flows, especially FDI into Quang Ninh.

According to Ms. Vu Kim Chi, Standing Deputy Head of the Board of Investment Promotion and Support of Quang Ninh Province, DCCI helped the province be assessed as a good example with many reform initiatives, associated with improving the business environment.

After seven years of implementing PCI, Quang Ninh had gradually moved to the top 3 position in the country and in the 2017-2020 period, Quang Ninh had risen and maintained the 1st position of 63 provinces and cities nationwide for four consecutive years. Thanks to a favorable business environment, Quang Ninh province currently has about 18,100 enterprises with many large investment projects.

Similarly, in Vinh Phuc, this province has also implemented many administrative procedure reform solutions such as strengthening control and speeding up the processing of administrative procedures, helping to shorten at least 20- 53% of the settlement time of more than 800 administrative procedures which have a settlement time of more than 10 working days.

Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee said that the province aimed to "Put people and enterprises at the center; taking the satisfaction of people and enterprises as a measure to evaluate the service quality of State administrative agencies at all levels".

Therefore, the province listened to the thoughts and aspirations of enterprises, entrepreneurs and workers to solve difficulties and problems, especially issues related to land, labor, and taxes.

The province also applies the highest investment incentives and implements the best mechanisms in terms of land, infrastructure, and labor. Administrative procedures on investment, construction planning, industry and field planning are launched transparently and simply.

Should closely follow enterprises

With the efforts of localities, the number of enterprises across the country still has an optimistic signal in the context of difficulties due to the impact of the pandemic. In January 2022, according to the General Statistics Office, the whole country had 13,000 newly established enterprises, an increase of 15.9% in the number of enterprises compared to the previous month; the number of enterprises returning to operation reached nearly 19,100, an increase of 352.8% compared to December 2021 and an increase of 194% compared to January 2021.

In addition, the business results of enterprises in 2021 also grew quite strongly. This has partly shown the optimism and confidence of enterprises about the business environment of the country in general and in each locality in particular.

As in Vinh Phuc, overcoming difficulties caused by the pandemic, the production value of the industry–construction sectors in 2021 reached more than VND301,000 billion, an increase of more than 15% compared to 2020. Most main products increased sharply such as electronic components increased by nearly 32%; ceramic increased by 2.4%, clothes of all kinds increased by 9.1%.

In Thai Nguyen, Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi, Chairman of Thai Nguyen Business Association, assessed that the business and investment environment of Thai Nguyen province had changed very positively and dynamically.

This province still had room for reform and growth, but it was important to choose the breakthrough stage. In fact, land and business premises were very important input factors for enterprises. Therefore, enterprises expected the provincial government to closely follow the steps of investors, dedicated to solving difficulties and problems.