Constantly Innovating, Improving Business and Investment Environment

In recent years, Binh Thuan has always achieved a good economic growth pace and the economic structure of each sector and each field has made a positive shift. This success is significantly contributed to by the Department of Planning and Investment as a general advisor and an excellent coordinator of resources allocation and investment fund utilization. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment of Binh Thuan Province, on this topic. Minh Xuan reports.

How have you endeavored to further improve the favorable, transparent and equal investment and business environment and promote innovation and entrepreneurship?

To aggressively ameliorate the business and investment environment, we have been proactively reviewing and reducing the time needed to deal with administrative procedures and raising service quality for citizens and businesses. Specifically, we have promoted communications on public administration reform and use of Level 3 and Level 4 online public services and public postal services on mass media. We have conducted surveys and assessed public and individual satisfaction about administrative procedure settlement to promptly reflect, recommend and propose solutions to address limitations and shortcomings for better service catered to organizations and citizens. We have publicized addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of persons assigned to receive and respond to public feedback and recommendations concerning administrative procedures on websites of relevant agencies and on the Provincial Public Administration Center.

To better administration of non-State funded investment projects in the province, we have actively worked with other relevant departments and branches to advise the Provincial People’s Committee to approve Decision 12/2019/QD-UBND dated May 30, 2019 on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Regulation appended to Decision 07/2017/QD-UBND dated February 22, 2017 of the Provincial People's Committee on process and order of self-settling investment procedures applied to non-State funded projects in Binh Thuan province. At the same time, assisting businesses by delivering business development services on training, consultancy and market information is always our major concern. We regularly cooperate with other departments and localities to update the list of local projects seeking for investment funds to match requirements and challenges as our economy has positively shifted and flexibly meet actual needs of investors and businesses who come to study and explore the investment environment in the province.

Please describe your accelerated solutions to improve the governance quality and promptly resolve administrative procedures to best serve businesses, thus helping raise the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index), the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) and the Department and District Competitiveness Index (DDCI)?

For PCI Index, we have continued to coordinate with other departments, branches and localities to effectively implement Decision 07/2017/QD-UBND, Plan 951/KH-UBND dated March 20, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee as well as the Resolution 01/2017/NQ-CP dated January 6, 2017, Resolution 02/NQ-CP dated January 1, 2019 of the Government. We’ve continued to coordinate with relevant departments, branches and localities to urgently review and advise the Provincial People's Committee to propose the Government to amend provisions of the Law on Investment, the Law on Public Investment and the Law on Tender; seriously and consistently fulfilled reforms specified in the Law on Enterprises, directive decrees on business startup and business registration certificate to promote good aspects of the market entry index.

In parallel, we’ve focused on effectively implementing the SME Support Program in the province in 2018-2021 and deploying the DDCI Index. We’ve promptly provided information on socio-economic planning, investment attraction policies, and list of investment projects on its website; and regularly requested our people to raise the awareness of responsible service and attentive attitude to people, investors and businesses.

For DDCI Index, we’ve assigned the SME Support Center to develop a plan for the implementation of DDCI Index in the province and the center is currently accelerating its implementation.

For PAPI Index, we have always raised the sense of working responsibility and service attitude of public employees in executing their jobs, eradicated bureaucratic harassment in settling administrative procedures, upheld the movement of following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style; practiced thrift, prevented corruption and wastage and effectively implemented the Central Resolution 4.

To raise PAR Index, we’ve continued to review and simplify administrative procedures concerning investment and business registration; monitor, inspect and urge relevant agencies, units and localities to strictly carry out Decision 07/2017/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee to provide favorable conditions for drawing investment capital for local socioeconomic development and raise PAR Index and PCI Index.

Could you please tell us your central tasks to quickly realize the goal and successfully implement resolutions of the Department Party Congress in particular and the Provincial Party Congress in general?

One, we will advise relevant agencies to make the most of resources, effectively exploit potential, and bring into full play our comparative advantages in order to promote economic growth to reach and exceed expected objectives.

Two, we will advise on the execution of the Provincial People's Committee's Plan 4625/KH-UBND of December 9, 2016 on implementation of the Provincial Party Committee's Resolution 04-NQ/TU on accelerated mobilization of investment resources for socioeconomic infrastructure development to 2020. We will press on the progress of key projects; speed up the progress of applying solutions to mobilize private resources and other resources; and carry out consistent measures to clear hardships to speed up the construction progress of infrastructure development investment projects.

Three, we will advise the Provincial People's Committee to implement tasks and solutions according to Plan 4879/KH-UBND dated December 27, 2016 of the Provincial People's Committee, carry out the Resolution 11-NQ/TU dated November 3, 2016 of the Executive Board of the Provincial Party Committee (13th term) on human resources development for socioeconomic development to 2025.

Four, we will step up investment promotion; give priority to investment projects engaged in clean energy, tourism, hi-tech agriculture and manufacturing and processing industry. We will approach strong and capable corporations and investors to invest in the province. We will always support, readily direct and meet investors to deal with difficulties and obstacles, and provide favorable conditions for investors to launch their projects soon.

Five, we will effectively carry out Directive 15-CT/TU dated August 1, 2016, Conclusion 371-KLTU dated July 24, 2017 of the Executive Board of the Provincial Party Committee and Plan 652/KH-UBND dated February 28, 2017, Action Program 2390/CTr-UBND dated July 7, 2016, Plan 2284/KH-UBND dated August 31, 2017 of the Provincial People's Committee. We will consult the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant departments, agencies and localities to assist businesses to tackle their hardships; continue to review and complete policies and processes, eliminate improper administrative procedures to reduce obstacles, reduce execution time and reduce market entry cost for enterprises.

Thank you very much!