VCCI Supports Thanh Hoa Province to Enhance Competitiveness

Dr. Vu Tien Loc, President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), on March 2 had a meeting with leaders of Thanh Hoa province to work out a cooperation plan in developing the business community, speeding up trade and investment promotion, and improving the business environment in the province.

 

Mr. Mai Van Ninh, Deputy Party General Secretary and Chairman of People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province chaired the meeting. 

 

Thanh Hoa province has 5,454 enterprises, however, the revenues from their production and business activities has not been high because most of the number are small and medium-sized enterprises. It has only 37 foreign-invested companies and 17 State-owned enterprises so far. In 2008, the province had 823 newly-established enterprises, up 20 per cent over the previous year, including 8 foreign-invested companies with total registered capital of US$6.2 billion, Mr. Ninh reported.

 

Accordingly, he asked VCCI to conduct a survey for the real situation of the province’s enterprises and then find out solutions to enhance their competitiveness, set up business strategies, expand linkages with business associations across the country to have market information, develop brand-names of products and services, and strengthen business management skills in the international economic integration.   

 

He also urged VCCI to cooperate with the province to organize trade and investment promotion programs to call for local and foreign investors to invest in the sectors with many advantages such as Nghi Son deep-water seaport, civil airport, subsidiary industries for oil refinery and petrochemistry, engineering and assembly, electric and electronic industries, hi-tech, industries using many labourers, and agricultural, forestry and seafood processing.  

 

Dr. Doan Duy Khuong, VCCI Vice President, stressed the importance of international cooperation and seeking foreign reliable partners, and suggested that apart from organizing trade and investment promotion delegations to foreign countries, the province should also find one of big cities in the world which have the same advantages with the province to cooperate and associate. From the close linkage, investors in the cities will have more opportunities to understand the province’s investment advantages and decide to invest. Dr. Khuong took the example of the partnership linkages between Hanoi and Moscow, or between Da Nang city and Kawasaki of Japan.   

 

Regarding the cooperation in improving the business and investment, the province’s leaders have tried utmost to create favourable conditions to investors, and the large-scale, important projects have been implemented quickly with the direct guidance and involvement of the province’s top leaders, remarked Mr. Ninh. However, for small and medium-sized projects, the progress is still slow or delayed due to difficulties and problems in administrative procedures from relevant authorities. To deal with the issue, he asked VCCI to closely cooperate with the province’s authorities to intensively evaluate elements of provincial competitiveness index (PCI) to help the province overcome shortcomings and further improve its business environment and enhance the competitiveness. 

 

VCCI President and Thanh Hoa People’s Committee agreed proposals of the two parties at the meeting, and planed to sign a draft cooperation agreement in April 2009 to jointly carry out in the discussed priorities.   

 

Dr. Vu Tien Loc also presented the Medal to Mr. Mai Van Ninh for his contributions to the business development.