(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is holding a direct dialogue with Vietnamese businesses today to carry out government Resolution 35 to support and develop businesses until 2020. Themed “Accompanying businesses”, the dialogue shows the government’s determination to be a constructive and working government to help businesses become a national driving force.
 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) meets businesspeople |
This is the second dialogue between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and businesses. About 2,000 businesspeople will attend the event and 10,000 others will teleconference from Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities. They include representatives from embassies, state-owned and private enterprises, government agencies, and major economic institutes.
Resolving difficulties for businesses
After the dialogue with businesses in 2016, the Prime Minister issued resolution 35 to support and develop businesses. Subsequently, ministries, sectors, and localities have eliminated thousands of administrative procedures, business requirements, and out-dated regulations to facilitate business.
Dang The Luong, Secretary General of the Hai An Precinct Business Association in Hai Phong city. said: “The Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee meets with businesses on the 10th day of each month. Many business problems have been resolved quickly in the spirit of Resolution 35. This has strengthened trust in the administration, whose Chairman is committed to resolving all problems within his authority.”
Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment, said local efforts to reform administrative procedures, improve the business environment, reduce costs, and support startups have had positive results. Over 110,000 businesses were established in 2016, 16% more than in 2015. Vietnam jumped from 91st to 82nd of 190 economies rated by the World Bank’s Doing Business 2016 report. Eurocham, Amcham, and Jetro have all released positive evaluations of Vietnam’s business environment.
Helping businesses prosper
Prior to the dialogue with businesses, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) received 200 opinions from businesses and forwarded them to functional agencies and localities.
VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said VCCI has proposed to the government 5 groups of measures to support businesses. “The Prime Minister listens to the administration and businesses to make appropriate decisions. Business opinions show that some ministries, sectors, and localities have been unable to meet the spirit of Resolution 35. The Prime Minister and government have to transmit their determination to reform to the grassroots level.”
Vietnam wants to have 1 million businesses by2020. But statistics show that the number of bankruptcies in the first quarter of 2017 was high. The Prime Minister’s dialogue with businesses, which is taking place after the 5th session of the Party Central Committee that issued a resolution on boosting the private economic sector, demonstrates the government’s desire to help businesses become a “locomotive” of Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy.