Lang Son holds a particularly strategic position along the Nanning–Lang Son–Hanoi–Hai Phong economic corridor, serving as a vital gateway for trade between Vietnam, ASEAN countries and the Chinese market. However, well-developed and synchronised infrastructure is only a necessary condition. The sufficient conditions for retaining investors are the quality of governance, the effectiveness of the government apparatus, reductions in compliance costs, and the creation of an open, transparent and equitable investment environment.

The Lang Son Provincial People’s Committee organised a conference on June 5, 2026, to assess the 2025 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), discuss solutions to improve the PCI, and promote private sector development in Lang Son in 2026.

Building an Enabling Ecosystem and Enhancing Growth Quality

At the conference on assessing the 2025 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), discussing solutions to improve the PCI and develop the private sector in 2026, held on June 5, Associate Professor and PhD Ho Sy Hung, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), affirmed that Lang Son has made significant efforts in recent years to improve the investment and business environment, promote administrative reform, and strengthen dialogue with enterprises. This provides an important foundation for the province to continue implementing more comprehensive reforms.

According to the VCCI President, reform in the new period should not stop at cutting individual administrative procedures, but should move towards creating an enabling ecosystem for development. The province needs to ensure consistent policy implementation, reduce compliance costs, enhance the predictability of the business environment, and support enterprises in accessing resources effectively. Greater attention should be paid to the quality of growth in the private enterprise sector, with the aim not only of increasing the number of newly established enterprises but also of supporting sustainable enterprise development, enhancing competitiveness, and making greater contributions to the economy.

Sharing this view, Mr. Ho Phi Dung, Chairman of the Lang Son Provincial Business Association, spoke highly of the efforts made by the provincial authorities in recent years. To further promote the private sector, the Association recommended that authorities at all levels and sectors continue to shorten the processing time for applications in sensitive areas such as land, investment licensing and construction, while ensuring consistency between the province’s policies and their implementation at the grassroots level.

Substantive Action – Strengthening Confidence

In concretising Politburo Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW, Lang Son has identified the private sector as one of the most important drivers of growth in the coming period.

Chairman of the Lang Son Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Canh Toan affirmed that the province is committed to continuing to build an enabling government, placing people and enterprises at the centre; and creating a transparent, favourable, equitable and safe investment and business environment so that the business community can feel confident in investing and expanding production and business activities.

Currently, Lang Son has effectively put into operation a document management system serving enterprises, with two-way connectivity among the authorities, tax authorities and customs authorities. At the same time, the province is coordinating with central agencies to resolve difficulties related to land, compensation and resettlement, with an estimated 10 projects involving around 1,000 households and 1,400 resettlement lots expected to be cleared for implementation.

In particular, the Lang Son Provincial People’s Committee has recently issued a decision establishing a Working Group on Advising on the Improvement of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Private Sector Development in Lang Son. The Working Group is headed by a Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, with the Deputy Director of the Department of Finance and the Chairman of the Business Association serving as Deputy Heads, while its members include leaders of provincial departments, boards and sectors, representatives of three enterprises, and VCCI experts.

On July 22, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association, in coordination with the Lang Son Young Entrepreneurs Association, organised VPSF 2026 – the Lang Son Local Dialogue, under the theme “Vietnam’s Private Sector: Institutional Breakthroughs – Public-Private Synergy”. Photo: Khanh Ly

Mr. Doan Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son Provincial People’s Committee and Head of the Working Group on Advising on the Improvement of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Private Sector Development in Lang Son, said that the establishment of the Working Group first and foremost demonstrates Lang Son’s determination to further concretise the spirit of Politburo Resolution No. 68, firmly identifying the private sector as one of the most important drivers of the province’s growth and development.

According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Doan Thanh Son, the Working Group is not merely aimed at improving Lang Son’s PCI score or ranking, but, more importantly, at substantively improving the quality of government administration towards a service-oriented approach that places people and enterprises at the centre. Through the Working Group, the province will regularly listen to enterprises and identify bottlenecks related to procedures, land, capital, access to information, compliance costs, digital transformation and other resources in order to promptly address them.

At the same time, this mechanism will also link the specific responsibilities of each department, sector, locality and head of agency to the results of serving enterprises. Good performance will be recognised, while delays or actions causing difficulties will require clear identification of responsibility and appropriate handling.

“The ultimate goal is not simply to improve the PCI score, but to create a transparent, equitable and safe investment and business environment with low costs; strengthen enterprises’ confidence, unlock social resources, and enable the private sector in Lang Son to develop more rapidly, effectively, substantively and sustainably,” Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Doan Thanh Son emphasised.

To ensure that these commitments are put into practice, on September 1, 2026, the Lang Son Provincial People’s Committee issued Official Letter No. 2447/UBND-KTTH, directing efforts to focus on resolving difficulties in production and business activities, requiring heads of agencies to assume direct responsibility, strengthen administrative discipline, and put an end to the avoidance and shifting of responsibilities.

In terms of implementation, the province has assigned the Department of Finance to serve as the focal point for monitoring support policies and to organise at least two dialogue conferences with enterprises each year on a regular basis. The Department of Home Affairs and the Office of the Provincial People’s Committee will inspect public-service discipline, improve the PAR INDEX and SIPAS, and simplify investment procedures. The Department of Science and Technology will promote innovation and study the upgrading of the Digital Border Gate Platform in the third quarter of 2026.

To address bottlenecks related to production premises, the province has assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to publicise planning and land data and accelerate site clearance. The Departments of Industry and Trade, Construction, and the Management Board of the Dong Dang–Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone will focus on developing logistics infrastructure, industrial parks and industrial clusters. The Provincial Business Association will continue to serve as a bridge for consolidating enterprises’ difficulties and supporting members in improving their management capacity.

With the motto “Prosperous Enterprises – Developing Lang Son”, Lang Son is affirming its strong commitment to building a safe and transparent investment environment and standing ready to work alongside the business community to realise the goal of rapid and sustainable development.