Fostering Business and Entrepreneur Roles in Integration

President Tran Dai Quang confirmed that this is a practically significant activity on the anniversary of 126^th birthday of Uncle Ho and hoped that more meetings will be held, at least one every year, to learn about the business community’s opinions from which changes and adaptations will be made to help businesses and enhance national competitiveness.

 

Reporting on current business activities in Vietnam, Dr Vu Tien Loc, VCCI President, said that the country now has over half a million businesses, more than 20,000 cooperatives, and nearly five million business households engaged in various areas. In past years, the business community has made efforts to overcome enormous difficulties and challenges, achieved many business successes, expanded production and business operations, created jobs for labourers, contributed to the country’s socioeconomic growth, and actively participated in charitable activities.

 

He said, although there are a lot of resolutions and directives on business facilitation, they are not fully and effectively implemented, thus resulting in undesired results, and there are so many barriers to business. Presently, according to VCCI’s survey results on weakness of legal institutions, slowness in verifying and approving business applications and criminalisation of economic and civil relations, among others, are hindering the business community.

 

He also suggested that the Party, the State and the President need to drastically reform economic institutions, review and eliminate all overlapping and unreasonable taxes and fees, and ensure fairness for all types of businesses.

 

In addition, it is necessary to keep a close watch on reform and integration, engage Vietnam in economic unions and expand export markets. Dr Vu Tien Loc added that about 98 per cent of Vietnamese enterprises are now small or medium-sized and fledgling; they therefore need timely support, information and advice from relevant authorities. Particularly, Vietnam needs specific policies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) so as to best improve their competitiveness in the integration process.

 

To honour and recognise businesses and individuals which create many jobs, pay much to the State Budget and make more values to society and community, VCCI President Loc suggested clear criteria and discipline. This will inspire businesses and entrepreneurs to devote more.

 

Congratulating and praising their outstanding achievements, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang affirmed that Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs have grown more strongly in all aspects, gradually raised their reputation, product brands and corporate brands, and asserted their high positions and roles in socioeconomic development and international integration of the country.

 

Citing evidence to this, he stressed that the business force increased from 10,000 units 25 years ago to hundreds of thousands of units, plus millions of individual business households, at present. Against the backdrop of global financial and economic crisis, Vietnam's GDP growth remained relatively high, importantly contributed by the business community.

 

President Quang also noted that apart from opportunities and advantages, the country also faces plenty of difficulties and challenges. In this context, building a strong business force of high number, quality, competence, qualifications, moral qualities, sense of citizenship, social responsibility, performance and significant competitive is specially important.

 

Putting emphasis on roles of enterprises and entrepreneurs in the context of extensive international integration, President Tran Dai Quang noted that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and a series of new generation free trade agreements (FTAs) will bring both enormous opportunities and challenges to the Vietnamese business community.

 

To avoid falling into the so-called “middle income trap” and successfully integrate into the world economy, the Party, the State and people of Vietnam put high expectations on enterprises and entrepreneurs, President Quang said.

 

President Quang also firmly believed that the Vietnamese entrepreneur force will continue to promote its active and creative roles to be an important driving force in the cause of advancing industrialisation, modernisation and international integration of the country, contributing to the achievement of the ultimate goals of rich people, strong nation, democracy, justice and civilisation to move toward to socialism.

 

To achieve these goals, Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs seriously carry out Directive 05-CT/TW of the Politburo (12^th term) on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, moral virtues and manners, he suggested.

 

“Vietnamese enterprises and entrepreneurs must further restructure and reorganise production and business operations, apply advanced scientific and technological achievements, and improve governance, productivity, quality and competitiveness. Furthermore, enterprises and entrepreneurs need to strengthen their connectivity and investment cooperation, establish supply chains, production chains, value chains in the country, the region and in the world,” noted President Quang.