The dialogue conference between the local government and businesses

Could you please introduce outstanding investment results of Tay Ninh province in 2022 as well as its investment policies in 2023?

In 2022, although the economy was affected by many unfavorable factors, domestically and internationally, the investment picture of Tay Ninh province still brightened. The province drew VND16,500 billion of domestic and foreign investment capital, up 4.7% year on year. It licensed 56 new investment projects, including agricultural and industrial projects and urban development consulting services. Specially, two new solar power projects in Dau Tieng Reservoir registered to invest more than VND7,000 billion.

Notably, in the past year, FDI inflows into Tay Ninh were significant, mainly into industry. At present, the province has 370 FDI projects with US$9.2 billion of investment capital, ranking 15th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. Tay Ninh is home to 7,279 companies with a total registered capital of VND184,399 billion. The local investment environment remained stable. Existing projects paid good tax to the State Budget.

Agricultural development support policies also produced practical effects. The Provincial People's Committee launched seven production support policies, with six accessible to the people, to gradually create motivation for agricultural restructuring. As for loan interest support policies for developing good agricultural practices, high-tech agriculture, and organic agriculture in Tay Ninh province in the 2019-2025 period (according to Decision 21/2019/QD-UBND dated June 17, 2019), from 2019 to 2022, the department advised the Provincial People's Committee to approve and support 13 projects with an area of 233.5 ha and with a support budget of VND4.67 billion. Carrying out agricultural production support and consumption policy, from 2019 to 2022, the province supported a total of nine projects with a combined area of 2,231 ha and a total support budget of VND12.87 billion.

Fostering the outcomes in the past time, in 2023, Tay Ninh will further step up investment promotion and attraction and mobilize resources for development investment. The province worked out the Investment - Trade - Tourism Promotion Program in 2023; launched a list of projects seeking investment fund in 2023; and promulgated instructions on investment procedures. The province will focus on attracting industrial, tourism, trade - service investment projects and agricultural value chain projects, with focus placed on developing hi-tech agricultural areas and building crop-breeding chains in which the province has advantages.

Tay Ninh province will speed up the progress of ongoing projects like Hung Thuan logistics, Moc Bai dry port, Thanh Phuoc dry port, 49-ha Ninh Thanh urban area, Tan Nam international border gate infrastructure, and Dau Tieng solar power plants 5.1 and 5.2, while launching new projects like Ba Den Mountain thematic sightseeing and resort area and an urban area for Nui Ba Den National Tourist Area.

At the same time, the province will concentrate on investing in industrial zone development to draw more investors. In addition to six existing industrial parks, the Provincial People's Committee submitted to the Prime Minister and central authorities for consideration and approval of the project on adding new and expanded industrial zones to the Tay Ninh Industrial Zones Development Plan in 2021-2030 and further to 2050. According to this project, Tay Ninh province will plan two new industrial parks and plan to expand another with a total proposed land area of 3,944ha to meet investors’ needs in the coming time.

Tay Ninh province has advantages for sugarcane development

Public administration reform and investment climate improvement were defined by the 11th Tay Ninh Provincial Party Congress (2020 - 2025 term) as one of four strategic breakthroughs to create motivations and resources for socioeconomic development. How have these activities been performed in the past time? Could you tell us some specific results?

While speeding up socioeconomic development, the province directed Party committees and authorities at all levels to reform administration, actively improve the business investment environment, and accompany businesses through many concrete and practical work. The province stepped up public administration reform towards leanness, consistency, openness and transparency, thus creating an open investment environment, a reliable destination for organizations, individuals, investors and businesses.

The province also drastically reformed administrative procedures, highlighted roles and responsibility of agency leaders in this work, accelerated public administration reform, especially documents concerning land, natural resources and environment. Tay Ninh reviewed and simplified administrative procedures, reduced the time needed to settle administrative procedures, quickened information technology application and digital transformation to solve administrative procedures, thus helping reduce the waiting time for people and businesses.

At the same time, the province directed branches and levels to carry out business recovery and development support policies, consistent with decrees and resolutions of the Government. It focused on enhancing the capacity and performance of civil servants, especially at grassroots level, to create the most favorable conditions for people and businesses to deal with administrative procedures.

In the coming time, the province will further accompany businesses, promptly remove difficulties and obstacles against them, facilitate businesses and economic sectors to live through difficulties and achieve business recovery soon because their success is also the success of Tay Ninh.

On Feb 22, 2023, the Tay Ninh Provincial People’s Committee launched an action plan on main tasks and solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in the province in 2023 (Plan 451/KH-UBND). Would you be kind enough to tell us more about this action plan as well as the province's expectations for it?

The Action Plan aims to improve the business environment and raise the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) of the province and boost its national competitiveness index. Accordingly, by 2025, Tay Ninh will strive to have a good PCI Index, a high Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), a Top 30 PAR Index, higher than the national average of the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS) and a Top 10 ICT Index.

In 2023, Tay Ninh province will stand among Top 20 PCI, with all 10 component subindices higher than the national average. All administrative procedures under the authority of the Provincial People's Committee are publicly announced, and regularly and periodically reviewed regulations on improper business conditions and administrative procedures for annulment or abolition. It will continue to reduce the time for business registration, investment, land, environment and construction; and support businesses and investors in an open and transparent manner. It will enhance the performance of the Provincial Public Administration Center and single-window divisions at all levels. All administrative procedures under the competence of provincial and district agencies are deployed and resolved at the center and single-window divisions.

To accomplish the above goals, the province will focus on eight key tasks and solutions, including strengthening reform, reducing and simplifying administrative procedures and business regulations by further decentralization and empowerment to localities; enhance business environment factors by reducing procedures, time, cost and risks for businesses and investors; speed up land registration and land administration reforms; carry out digital transformation tasks and solutions as per Decision 749/QD-UBND dated June 3, 2020 of the Prime Minister on National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with an eye to 2030, in line with public administration reform; intensify reform, reduction and simplification of administrative procedures and business regulations while advancing decentralization and empowerment to localities; develop an innovation ecosystem, support and encourage innovative start-ups; raise the quality of labor training; boost cooperation programs with other provinces in the region, especially forming and upgrading inter-regional infrastructure connection and logistics projects so as to ease costs for businesses.

With its active approaches and actions, with complete and comprehensive solutions for a better business and investment environment, Tay Ninh province is promised to become a promising, safe and effective destination!

Thank you very much!