About 50 decrees on investment and business amended

Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Permanent Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh made the point on May 22 in Ha Noi at the opening ceremony of the third session of the 14th National Assembly

Streamlining 4,500 administrative procedures

Deputy PM Binh reported that the Government implemented Decree 35/NQ-CP on supporting and developing enterprises by 2020. So far, the Government amended 50 decrees on business and investment conditions; cut over 4,500 administrative procedures; apply the ASEAN single window mechanism with four other countries; and handle 850 out of 1,100 business proposals (over 77%).

The PM has issued Directive 16/CT-TTg

on enhancing access to the fourth industrial revolution and hosted a video-teleconference with the business community. In addition, Viet Nam’s competitive index jumped nine notches from 91th to 82th. The Purchasing Managers' Indexes (PMI) reached a record high this March and April over the last 22 months and was the highest rate in ASEAN.

However, Mr. Binh also acknowledged some shortcoming, especially fees and charges on investment and business and poor performance in investigation work. The enforcement of laws remained inefficient. The process of making guiding documents was slow. Some indicators on the business environment and competitiveness were low. In spite of a big surge in the number of newly-founded enterprises, most of them were in small and medium size and have low competitiveness. The number of suspended and dissolved enterprises was high. Capacity of domestic enterprises was low and their combination with the FDI sector was limited.

In the coming time, the Government will implement Resolutions of the fifth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee on completing the socialist-oriented market economy institution and “developing the private economy into an important driving force of the socialist-oriented market economy”. Laws and resolutions will soon be put into practice after being approved by the NA. The Government will timely issue guiding documents on the Laws on planning and supporting SMEs and foreign trade management and a resolution on handling NPLs of credit institutions. The Government will also perfect mechanisms and policies; ensure a fair and equal business and investment environment; create conditions for the private sector to join the restructuring of SOEs and access land and other natural resources.

Deputy PM Binh promised to assign ministers, agencies, and localities to drastically improve the investment and business environment; raise the economy's competitiveness in accordance the goals stipulated at Government’s Resolution 19; continue to streamline administrative procedures; accelerate IT application; provide public services; and facilitate people and enterprises' operation.

The Deputy PM also said that the Government would uphold the role of the PM’s working groups to inspect and supervise the implementation of every ministry, sector, locality.

Still poor discipline enforcement

Deputy PM Binh stressed that the Government focused on perfecting the apparatus; renovating working regulations; and strengthening disciplines and competence of administrative agencies at all levels.

Ten decrees on functions, tasks, authority, and organization of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and the Government’s working regulations were issued.

However, shortcomings still remain with poor performance and inappropriate nomination of public staff.

In the coming time, the Government will focus on overcoming shortcomings and weaknesses; building a professional, effective administration; streamlining the apparatus; raising the quality of public staff; cutting administrative procedures; perfecting the mechanism on reception and settlement of business and citizen complaints via the Government Web Portal and issuing outcomes.