Hong Long Social Housing, Trade Centre and Deluxe Residence: New Urbanity of Pho Yen

With a total area of nearly 38 ha with such main items as trade centre, flat-style social housing, restaurants, hotels, filling stations and clinics and an investment capital of nearly 4,000 billion, the project, located in the northern key economic area, has attracted great attention from society, as it is not only convenient for transport but also unique in other criteria that the investor and the designer set. The leadership of Hong Long emphasised that the project aims to be a satellite city for Hanoi in the future. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr Duong Van Quang, General Director of the project, to learn more about it. Ngo San reports.

Could you briefly introduce the significance, size, progress, as well as difficulties and advantages of the project?
Costing over VND4,000 billion, the project will be a highlight of Pho Yen district and Thai Nguyen province, lift the company’s position and popularise its brand name.

This giant project requires timely decisions and well-arranged works from the Board of Directors. Fortunately, we have received valuable support from local authorities whenever we see hardships. We have also had the consensus of local people.

How do you feel the contact and support of local authorities for the timely completion and quality guarantee of the project when you carry out it in Thai Nguyen province? What do you think about the current investment environment of Thai Nguyen?
As we know, the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of Thai Nguyen province has always been among the top of the country over the past years. Investment projects and investment capital are very high each year. Starting from 2012 with its high determination expressed in Resolution 19 of the Provincial Party Committee on strengthened leadership of the Party in raising local competitiveness, the provincial government affirmed that Thai Nguyen is committed to continuously improving the investment climate towards transparency, convenience, stability, reliability and efficiency. The Party and people of Thai Nguyen province have made every effort to create breakthroughs resources for Thai Nguyen to grow stronger in the years to come.

On administrative reform, the Provincial People’s Committee has directed relevant agencies and units concerned to assess and score Public Administration Reform (PAR) Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators in 2016; surveyed and assessed PAR performances in three commune-level units in three districts, enterprises, provincial departments and agencies; and hosted a consultation conference on opinions in commune-level administrative procedure reception and return unit construction project and a project that supports facilities and equipment for commune-level administrative procedure reception and return units in poor areas.

Thai Nguyen province ranked 7th in the PCI rankings 2016 among 63 provinces and cities in the country, its third consecutive year in the Top 10, and stood second in the northern mountainous region and third in the northern region with a total score of 61.82 points, an increase of 0.61 points over 2015. The outcomes reflected efforts of local authorities and people to improve the business environment, economic governance and administrative reform to support business development.

Do you have any contributions or suggestions for Thai Nguyen province in order to further facilitate business, as well as enhance the efficiency of investment attraction?
With its advantages in land, natural resources and human resources among others, Thai Nguyen has sufficient conditions for strong development. The province needs to further review and develop plans in a scientific and effective manner, even in rural areas, to better shape not only rural infrastructure, but also agricultural production and handicraft production associated with urban areas. Thai Nguyen needs to effectively tap land potential, natural resources and labour resources and build Thai Nguyen into the centre of the Northeast mountainous region.

Reducing inappropriate administrative procedures; enhancing publicity, transparency and simplicity of administrative procedures in line with the direction of the Government, especially investment procedures; issuing business registration and establishment certificates; streamlining tax procedures; and applying information technology in State administrative apparatus.

Further reviewing and proposing adjustments to preferential investment attraction policies and disseminating information on mass media to attract and encourage all economic sectors to increase development investment; creating favourable conditions for the planned development of industrial production and business establishments and integrating investment renovation with environmental protection; effectively carrying out schemes on improving the investment environment and raising the provincial competitiveness index and the provincial public administration reform and the provincial governance and public administration performance index (PAPI); intensifying information and communications on local potential, advantages and achievements in investment attraction.