Long An has obtained outstanding achievements in investment attraction and industrial and urban development. What has made the province successful in the past time, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak?

The COVID-19 pandemic is complicated and unpredictable, and it has severely affected social and economic life in the short, medium and long terms. Defining the pandemic containment and economic recovery as the top priorities, the authority has actively worked out the long-term sustainable roadmap and strategy and achieved four objectives: Ensuring socioeconomic stability, making quick economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 period; supporting economic activity, especially in the business sector to prevent and minimize corporate insolvency, bankruptcy, and dissolution to facilitate the business sector to accelerate post-Covid 19 rapid recovery; carrying out economic restructuring in line with post-pandemic changes; and ensuring social security.

You have made strong reforms of administrative procedures toward an electronic administration. Is it a key factor to your success?

In 2022, the province has endeavored to support investors to obtain investment certificates for projects in industrial zones in just one day after their submitting enough valid documents. Our priority goes to large-scale environment-friendly projects that adopt advanced technology and modern machinery. We support investors closely from the time they arrive in the province to study the investment environment till the time they launch their projects. Determined to provide favorable conditions, and reduce financial and traveling costs for people and businesses in dealing with administrative procedures, we have actively launched consistent solutions to bring 50% of administrative procedures online and solve all its 37 administrative procedures on the public service gateway. In case individuals or organizations come directly to the Provincial Public Administration Service Center, officers at the service will support them to create accounts to submit application forms on the Online Public Service Gateway and guide them to carry out the next steps of online submission.

To further improve the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), what policies will Long An implement?

Improving the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) is an extremely difficult and challenging journey. In particular, the biggest challenge is to change the mindset and approach of public officials. At the same time, to raise the PCI, Long An province will endeavor to achieve three goals: A good and comprehensive legal environment, good technical infrastructure and good business service. In particular, administrative procedures are considered our key task.

Furthermore, the most difficult task for Long An today is infrastructure construction and site clearance. Therefore, to tackle these weaknesses, we have stepped up communication on the Party and State policies and laws in land management, planning management, construction order, land compensation and site clearance. In this regard, we need the drastic concentration of the whole political system, including the Party leadership at all levels, the administration of the government, the participation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and sociopolitical organizations to create favorable conditions for consistent, timely, public and transparent implementation of these activities.

Favorably located adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City and in the southern key economic region, Long An province has made breakthrough development of industrial zones and border gate economic zones and attracted many companies to make a long-term investment. Introducing Long An and its strengths to more investors will require an enormous effort from the entire province. Confidence and real competence will help to elevate the province’s value. Driven by the motto "Every step must be effective and firm" and with the high determination of all public employees to accelerate administrative reform, Long An province’s industry will grow impressively and help enhance the PCI Index and the PAPI Index in the coming time.

Thank you very much!

By Hoang Lam, Vietnam Business Forum