Dedicated government, devoted businesses for Yen Bai's sustainable development

Business development remains a top priority and a key driver for Yen Bai as it pursues economic restructuring and growth repatterning. The province has accelerated administrative reform, created an enabling business environment and built a stronger business force to to achieve rapid and sustainable development goals. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview on this issue with Mr. Tran Huy Tuan, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang conducts a survey of national target programs in Yen Bai, August 2023

In 2023, Yen Bai ranked 9th in the SIPAS Index, 10th in the PAR Index, 28th in the PAPI Index, and 39th in the PCI Index, showing significant improvements in local governance and management. How do you assess these results, and what key solutions can address bottlenecks, particularly in enhancing civil servants' accountability and fostering leadership roles?

In recent years, Yen Bai has taken drastic actions to speed up administrative reform. The remarkable growth of local governance and management indices (like PCI, PAPI and PAR Index) affirms the province's determination and effort to enhance the administration and performance of the government system and gradually build a government that best serves the people and businesses. 

To achieve these results, the province has adopted many drastic and creative solutions to get rid of bottlenecks, develop a public employee force to meet work requirements and foster leaders' roles in socioeconomic development in general and administrative reform in particular.

The Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee issued Regulation 51-QD/TU dated May 20, 2024 on encouraging civil servants to be dynamic, creative, enterprising, bold to take action and self-responsible for the common good. At the same time, the committee effectively applied the regulations on public service culture to ensure professionalism, responsibility, dynamism, transparency and efficiency in performing public duties.

Every year, the province launched action programs, stating key targets and assigning specific tasks to Party cells and leaders in implementation.

In addition, the province organized a conference to announce ranking results and annual insightful workshops to analyze PAR, PCI and the District and Department Competitiveness Index (DDCI) so as to clarify the strengths that are highly appreciated by the business community and people as well as shortcomings and limitations that need to be addressed.

Furthermore, Yen Bai launched solutions on more effective implementation of support policies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and economic sectors and increased access to and absorption of capital for enterprises. The province also encouraged companies to do business and advance innovation, digital transformation and green transformation. The province hosted the "Weekend with people and enterprises" movement and the "Business Coffee" program to diversify meetings and dialogues with enterprises and cooperatives to promptly grasp and remove difficulties for them.

The Yen Bai Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1086/QD-TTg dated September 18, 2023. Could you tell us what development opportunities the plan has opened up for the province?

The Yen Bai Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, was built to promote the strength of great solidarity, self-reliance and aspiration for development; effectively exploit all potential and advantages; boost scientific and technological application, digital transformation and innovation; mobilize and effectively use all resources to develop Yen Bai rapidly, comprehensively and sustainably in the "Green, harmonious, unique, and happy" direction.

The plan aims to make Yen Bai one of Top 5 developed provinces in the northern midland and mountainous region by 2030. By 2050, Yen Bai will have comprehensive, sustainable, green, harmonious, unique and happy development; stand among the most developed provinces in the northern midland and mountainous region and a green development model of the region and the country. The social, economic and urban infrastructure system is synchronous, smart, modern. The cultural identity of ethnic groups is preserved and promoted. The ecological environment is protected. Society is in harmony with nature. People live happily. National defense and security are reinforced.

The planning is an important legal basis for the province to build and implement socioeconomic development plans and medium-term public investment plans, ensure objectivity and logicality, and move towards sustainable development goals on all three pillars (economy, society and environment) and ensure sustainable development in the long run.

A corner of Yen Bai City center

How has Yen Bai implemented Resolution 41-NQ/TW on building and promoting the role of entrepreneurs in the new era? In the current business context, what commitments and policies has the province made to foster business development and strengthen investor confidence?

Business development continues to be seen as one of the top tasks and driving forces for economic restructuring and growth model reform. The province aims to develop a larger business force in quantity, quality, reasonable structure, vision, intelligence, dynamism, creativity, advanced management capacity, regulatory compliance, ethics, business culture, social responsibility and environmental awareness to help boost its rapid and sustainable development.

Based on the spirit of Resolution 41-NQ/TW, the province thoroughly comprehended and seriously, fully and effectively implemented its viewpoints, goals and policies. Yen Bai focused on informing and mobilizing the province's business community to deeply and fully understand the role and mission, inherit and promote national traditions, uphold patriotism and follow Party and State policies and laws.

In the difficult business context, the province focused on drastically carrying out solutions like researching and applying preferential policies and investment support, helping businesses with active adaptation, quick recovery and sustainable development. The locality enhanced publicity, transparency and the responsibility of leaders at all levels, sectors and agencies in handling administrative procedures for businesses. It reviewed and proposed abolishing overlapping administrative procedures.

Yen Bai province continued to review and create a favorable, safe and equitable investment and business environment; further attracted all resources from economic sectors, with focus on effective projects with energy-efficient, environmentally friendly advanced technology to help the green economy to grow.

Moreover, Yen Bai facilitated entrepreneurs and enterprises to take part in political and socio-political organizations and in policymaking; organized training courses to improve business management and operation capacity; deployed the "Weekend with Enterprises" movement and the "Business Coffee" program.

The province also strengthened support for businesses in technological innovation, scientific and technologic application and digital transformation; actively advanced international integration, grasped and anticipated new business trends and new market trends. Doing so, Yen Bai generated a driving force to stimulate enterprises and entrepreneurs to develop and contribute to local socioeconomic development while affirming the position and role of the business community in the cause of national industrialization and modernization and international integration.

In the coming time, the province will pledge to support enterprises; consistently and effectively carry out tasks and solutions to improve the investment and business environment, enhance competitiveness, create an equal, transparent, stable and most favorable environment for enterprises and investors.

Thank you very much!

By Ngoc Tung, Vietnam Business Forum