(VOVworld) – Dong Thap is ranked second in the 2015 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI 2015) and topped the Mekong Delta region with a score of 66.39. This is the eighth consecutive year Dong Thap made it into the top five of PCI. The breakthrough is attributed to cooperation between the provincial authorities and the business community. A report by Thanh Tung:

Nguyen Van Duong – Chairman of Dong Thap’s People’s Committee (second from right) at the ceremony. (Photo: dongthap.gov.vn)

Launched in 2005, the PCI is widely used in Vietnam to rate the convenience of administrative procedures and support services offered by provincial governments for private companies operating in the locality.

Among 10 sub-indices of the PCI 2015, Dong Thap had achieved two of the criteria and led the whole country. These are proactivity of the provincial leadership and time costs. Many investors agreed that the strongest point of Dong Thap is the dynamism and decisiveness of provincial authorities towards the business community.

Jo Hyung Tae, director of In Jae Company in Dong Thap, said his company has received an investment license after a short time of waiting for registration.

He spoke highly of “the investment environment in Dong Thap, whose administration has granted us a lot of incentives while the relevant agencies have also given us great support. Dong Thap’s people are friendly. We’ll expand the production lines and generate more jobs for locals.”

Dong Thap’s biggest goal is to develop an image as a dynamic locality to make it an attractive destination for both domestic and foreign investors. A prestigious Dong Thap brand will be the key to luring qualified human resources and capital for socio-economic, tourism, and cultural development.

Le Minh Hoan, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, said its second position in the national PCI rankings and in leading the region last year have created a new driving force for Dong Thap to further reform and grow.

“To attract more investors, local authorities should have the proper program to provide support for the local business community to devlop, because they will create a link and persuade other investors,” said Hoan.

Chau Hong Phuc, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said Dong Thap always attaches importance to reforms and simplifying administrative procedures to serve the people and businesses best.

Phuc noted that in the future, Dong Thap will exert all resources to step up economic restructuring and improve infrastructure to welcome investors to explore its potential.

“Based on the PCI 2015, we’ll review sub-indices towards outlining solutions for improving the local investment environment. The most important thing is that all contributions and recommendations by enterprises are highly valued, thus making companies secure to do business in the locality,” according to Phuc.