Quang Ninh Investment Promotion and Support Board: Seeking Solutions for PCI Improvement

To attract investors, Quang Ninh province has sought measures to improve the provincial competitiveness index (PCI) and the business and investment environment.

In 2012, the composite PCI score of Quang Ninh province was 59.55, driving the province’s ranking to 20^th place, from 12^th place in 2011. Compared with the 11 Red River Delta provinces, Quang Ninh province ranked second in 2012, after just Bac Ninh province, unchanged from the place it held in 2011.

 

Quang Ninh province improved in two out of nine index components in 2012, namely transparency and access to information (ranked 21^st out of 63 provinces and cities, up one position from 2011) and legal institutions (ranked 20^th, up 28 spots from 2011).

 

However, the province lost ground in seven other index components compared with 2011, particularly entry costs (ranked No. 51/63, down 19 places), access to land (ranked No. 61/63, down 26 places), time costs of regulatory compliance (ranked No. 33/63, down 2 places), informal costs (ranked No. 40/63, down 5 places), dynamism of provincial leadership (ranked No. 19/63, down 6 places), business support service (ranked No. 12/63, down 1 place), and labour training (ranked No. 2/63, down 1 place).

 

Compared with the Red River Delta, Quang Ninh province saw improvement in only one component over 2011, namely legal institutions (ranked No. 3/11, up 6 places) while it saw a decline in seven index components, specifically entry costs (ranked No. 8/11, down 2 places), access to land (ranked No. 10/11, down 5 places), time costs of regulatory compliance (ranked No. 8/11, down 3 places), informal costs (ranked No. 9/11, down 2 places), dynamism of provincial leadership (ranked No. 4/11, down 1 place), business support service (ranked No. 4/11, down 1 place), and labour training (ranked No. 2/11, down 1 place). Transparency and access to information was unchanged from 2011 (ranked No. 3/11).

 

To raise its PCI, in 2013, Quang Ninh province has reviewed and reformed administrative procedures at district and provincial public administration centres in order to shorten settlement time, decentralise power, and remove some papers. The province has put into operation public administration centres in Uong Bi and Mong Cai. Mong Cai Public Administration Centre has 86 procedures used in nine fields and Uong Bi Public Administration Centre has 69 procedures used in seven fields. The province is reviewing 443 administrative procedures in 54 fields used by 19 departments, tax agencies and police forces. Quang Ninh plans to put into operation public administration centres in remaining localities in 2014. The province is also accelerating the deployment of e-government to reduce administrative procedures and time costs, while enhancing the transparency of documents of the province. Quang Ninh has identified the following specific tasks:

 

Informing and raising awareness from leaders to staff members of public administration units, especially those related to PCI; adding PCI and investment - business environment improvement contents to meetings of governmental units to raise the awareness, thinking and deeds of public officials and businesses.

 

Intensively and extensively implementing public administration reform (from thinking, perception to action); deploying single-window mechanism to help investors shorten the required time for investment procedure settlement and raise the service quality of civil servants.

 

Reviewing, adjusting, supplementing and timely disclosing mechanisms, policies and plans of the province (socio-economic development planning, land-use planning, construction location planning, sectoral planning, etc.) in order to provide the best conditions for businesses and investors to access information and opportunities of investment and business in the province.

 

Proactively meeting, discussing and listening to feedback and reflections from units and enterprises to timely address difficulties and problems facing enterprises and perfecting mechanisms and policies of the province.

 

Improving advisory quality of specialised agencies and strengthening direction, control and supervision provincial leaders to overcome limitations in investment, production and business environment.

 

Stepping up information and communication of business and investment environment and investment support policies of the province, creating consensus in socioeconomic development.

 

Using State funds to upgrade and improve infrastructure systems, appealing investors to invest in infrastructure of industrial zones and economic zones in the province, encouraging investment projects in the form of BOT, BT, BTO and PPP.

 

Raising awareness and knowledge of business laws for enterprises by informing legal documents, organising business start-up training courses for newly established businesses, organising vocational training courses.