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This is not the first time the conference was held. How is this year’s conference different?

This year’s theme is “Accompanying companies in the private sector.” It shows the government’s determination to proactively support companies and turn them into the driver of the country’s growth. This year, 2,000 participants have registered, four times as much as last year. 1,500 of them represent the private sector. The leaders of localities and many companies from all 63 cities and provinces will gather at designated points to participate in the teleconference of a sort.

The companies will evaluate the implementation of Resolution 35/NQ-CP on developing and supporting companies between 2016 and 2020. They will have the chance to propose solutions to the difficulties they are facing. From 3 PM of the conference day, the PM and deputy PMs as well as government agencies will meet and address the complaints of companies together.

The conference is only one day long. How can it solve all problems?

Actually, many problems have been addressed and tackled throughout 2016. The Government Office has kept an open ear to complaints and directed relevant government agencies to act within their mandates. Problems under the authority of the PM were duly forwarded to his office, similar to localities’ leaders. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry also did the same thing.

At the moment, 18 out of 20 government agencies and 48 out of 63 cities and provinces have submitted their reports on the implementation of Resolution 35 to the Government Office and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). MPI is compiling them into a report that will be read at the conference and will be uploaded to the government’s portal soon.

Xin Chao Café (in which a café owner was charged with “conducting business illegally”) was the highlight of last year’s conference. What is the highlight this year? Is there a specific case study?

PM shoots down publicised proceedings

True, by coincidence, the Xin Chao café incident happened right before last year’s conference. This incident heated up the conference and the main discussion was on decriminalising a civil economic relationship. The business community was very happy that the topic was highlighted.

This year, we have yet to see a major incident and we hope not to, either. The conference will focus on policies to help companies develop. Of course, that includes offering solutions to existing difficulties.

As the government is working to increase the role of the private sector, is there special significance to the conference?

Last year, most participants were from private sector companies because foreign-invested companies and state-owned companies had held their own conferences already. This year, it will be the same. At the moment, the private sector has the highest number of companies, including many foreign companies, while the number of state-owned companies has decreased to only a few hundred. As to the target of having one million companies by 2020, the private sector will make up the lion’s share.