Reform Must Be Measured by Businesses’ Experience

Commending Thanh Hoa as a pioneering locality in implementing the Department and District Competitiveness Index (DCCI) assessment under the two-tier local government model, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Ho Sy Hung said that this is not only a milestone for Thanh Hoa but also a meaningful step in the country’s administrative reform process.

According to the VCCI President, conducting the survey in the first year of operation of the new administrative apparatus helps capture the actual experiences of businesses while establishing a baseline dataset to monitor governance quality throughout the 2026–2030 period. This will provide an important basis for authorities at all levels to continue improving governance methods and enhancing the effectiveness of services for people and businesses.

He also acknowledged Thanh Hoa’s notable achievements in socio-economic development in recent years. The province’s GRDP growth rate has consistently been among the highest nationwide; state budget revenue has ranked among the top 10 localities with the highest collections; and its business development index has led the North Central region. In particular, according to the Report on the 20-Year Assessment of the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), Thanh Hoa is one of the three localities that have made the strongest improvements in provincial competitiveness.

However, according to the VCCI President, as the country enters a new stage of development, the requirement is not only to improve institutions but, more importantly, to enhance the quality of implementation.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, President of VCCI, emphasized: “The bottleneck of bottlenecks” at present lies in the implementation stage. Therefore, the competitiveness of each locality should be assessed based on substantive results that businesses experience in the course of production and business activities.

According to him, for businesses, reform is reflected in very specific changes, such as shortening an administrative procedure, removing an overlapping regulation, reducing a compliance cost or promptly resolving a business recommendation. Each such improvement creates additional resources for businesses to invest, expand production and contribute to economic growth.

“The competitiveness of a locality is not measured by the number of documents issued, but by its ability to turn policies into actions and actions into results that businesses can feel.”

DCCI Becomes a Modern Governance Tool

According to the VCCI President, Thanh Hoa is now well positioned for a breakthrough, with the goal of maintaining double-digit GRDP growth and becoming a growth pole of the region. To realize this goal, the province needs to continue building a transparent, favorable and highly competitive investment and business environment, with businesses at the center of the development process.

He highly appreciated the growth of Thanh Hoa’s business community as well as the connecting role of business associations in the province. However, for businesses to feel confident about making long-term investments, the most important factor remains the establishment of a stable, transparent and predictable investment environment that builds confidence in policies and the effectiveness of the implementing apparatus.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, President of VCCI, and Thanh Hoa provincial leaders present DCCI plaques to units in the “good governance group”.

The VCCI President expressed his confidence that, if implemented seriously and objectively and effectively utilized, DCCI will become a modern governance tool, contributing to building a professional administration that places businesses and people at the center of public services, while creating additional momentum for Thanh Hoa to continue improving its investment environment, enhancing competitiveness and affirming its position as a growth pole of the region.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung affirmed that VCCI will promote its role as a bridge between businesses and policymaking agencies; foster public-private dialogue; support businesses in enhancing management capacity, digital transformation, green transformation and expanding investment and trade connections.

For Thanh Hoa, VCCI will continue to coordinate in improving the quality of DCCI, maintaining regular dialogue channels between the authorities and businesses, and contributing to building an increasingly transparent and favorable investment and business environment.