Hi-Tech Parks join hands for integrity

Accordingly, the parties agreed to continue sharing experience in collective action to strengthen integrity in business, improve the investment environment by promoting openness and transparency, while discussing the method and roadmap to replicate the models at Hoa Lac and Danang HTP.

Pham Dai Duong, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology cum head of the management board of Hoa Lac High-Tech Park (HHTP), said at a recent seminar that, "Transparency and integrity are the key elements to creating a healthy business climate which helps attract more investment and ensure healthy competition for businesses to thrive."

Vietnam is now home to three national high-tech parks. To date, SHTP has signed several agreements with businesses on collective action to strengthen business integrity. In particular, in 2007, SHTP signed with the US's Intel Products Vietnam. The move was applauded by business community.

Le Bich Loan, deputy chairwoman of the SHTP Management Board, said that one of the factors that contributed to the park’s achievements is collective action to strengthen integrity in business, which is an urgent need among investors.

"We have so far attracted 101 projects worth over $5.6 billion in total registered investment capital. The park's land area is mostly filled," she added.

Hoa Lac and Danang high-tech parks are also following the SHTP model. At the seminar, HHTP and VNPT Technology Company signed a commitment to transparency and integrity in business, making it the first of its kind at Hoa Lac.

Pham Anh Duong, deputy director of Towards Transparency Organisation, said that, "Through collective action initiatives like the one run by SHTP, businesses can proactively connect to each other, cooperate with state agencies and civil society organisations to turn transparency and integrity commitments into particular action and anti-corruption solutions. Cooperation is a sustainable approach for the Vietnamese business sector to develop towards full transparency and integrity.

However, local businesses find it a rocky path to do business with integrity.

"Although Vietnam has developed a comparatively comprehensive legal framework on transparency and anti-corruption, the enforcement of various laws have been revealed to be weak, and the business community have not been really convinced to participate in anti-corruption initiatives and operate with integrity. The individual efforts of businessess to build up a corruption-free business culture more often than not stalls on a chronic lack of consensus, encouragement, and support from relevant stakeholders," admitted the deputy minister.