Hai Duong Province Advancing Dramatically in PCI Rankings

Hai Duong province rose to secure the 13th position on the PCI rankings in 2021, 34 places higher than the previous year to stand among the good performers. This is the highest PCI standing of the province in 17 years. Hai Duong is also one of the Top 10 performers of infrastructure quality in the country. On this occasion, Vietnam Business Forum's reporter has an exclusive interview with Mr. Trieu The Hung, Chairman of Hai Duong Provincial People's Committee. Anh Mai and Ngo Khuyen report.

The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2021 is the best evidence that Hai Duong is effectively carrying out breakthrough solutions to "Improve the business investment environment and enhance competitiveness" as per the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress and Resolution 08-NQ/TU dated August 19, 2021 of the Executive Board of the Provincial Party Committee on the strong improvement of the business investment environment and provincial competitiveness in the 2021 - 2025 period. Could you please tell us more about this?

In the past years, Hai Duong province has carried out many tasks and solutions to improve the business investment environment and sharpen its competitiveness and has attained remarkable achievements. Some PCI component subindices looked up, securing a high position as compared to other provinces in the region and to the whole country. These positive results were appreciated by the business community. Nevertheless, some component indices were slowly going up and even at risk of falling further behind other provinces.

Determined to make a breakthrough improvement in the business investment environment, the Provincial Party Committee (17th term, 2020 - 2025) adopted a thematic resolution (Resolution 8-NQ/TU dated August 19, 2021) on the strong improvement of the business investment environment and the provincial competitiveness in 2021 - 2025. The Provincial People's Committee launched Action Plan 300/KH-UBND dated January 28, 2022 to materialize the execution of Resolution 08 of the Provincial Party Committee, which focuses on implementing seven key groups of tasks as follows:

First, effectively executing Resolution 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 of the Government on safe, flexible adaptation to and effective containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second, further accelerating administrative reform, especially administrative procedures; focusing on building e-government toward digital government; improving and promoting decentralization and authorization while strengthening the responsibility and accountability of authorities at all levels to the investment management of enterprises.

Third, ensuring transparency and increasing access to resources for enterprises.

Fourth, raising the quality and effect of business support services.

Fifth, solving difficulties and obstacles, and creating a favorable and stable environment for the business investment of enterprises.

Sixth, reforming and improving the quality and effect of investment promotion.

Seventh, continuing to streamline the organizational apparatus to be leaner, more effective and more efficient; strengthening administrative discipline.

Based on the action plan of the province, sectors and localities are also actively reviewing to work out specific tasks and solutions that affect the score of each subindex with the aim of clearing bottlenecks that are hindering business investment of enterprises. At the same time, they continue to utilize and promote successful aspects to create breakthroughs in competitiveness improvement. The province pays special attention to carrying out solutions to rapidly raise scores of component indicators with a heavyweight on the PCI score such as transparency, labor training, business support services, access to land, and proactivity of provincial leadership.

Resolution 08-NQ/TU dated August 19, 2021 of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee sets a target that Hai Duong province's PCI will climb five places each year on the PCI Ranking from 2021 to 2025, but it marvelously leaped 34 places in 2021. How does this spectacular advance affect the direction and administration of the province?

As we all know, all localities in the province are making great efforts for better PCI performance, the score difference of component indices among localities tends to get narrower, meaning that a small change in the composite PCI score of a locality may also lead to a relatively large ranking fluctuation of that locality and Hai Duong is certainly no exception. Therefore, the fact that Hai Duong jumped up 34 places to secure the 13 position in 2021 does not mean that the province has already "exceeded the target" of Resolution 08-NQ/TU. To ensure the successful completion of the goal of improving the business investment environment and enhancing provincial competitiveness in the 2021 - 2025 period, the province needs high political determination, great effort and continuous leadership of the governments at all levels and we have defined three basic target groups below:

First, tapping potential and making efforts to increase the score of important component subindices that have a great impact on PCI such as transparency, labor training, business support services, informal changes, and land access.

Second, as for component indices currently ranked low or medium, the province needs to focus all efforts to rapidly increase the scores.

Third, respecting sustainability in improving subindices scores.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, the province will spare no effort to identify the right breakthrough stages and key tasks, and will strengthen the individualized responsibility of agency leaders in directing implementation.

Right after the PCI 2021 announcement ceremony, what solutions and actions will Hai Duong take?

Hai Duong province will urgently analyze and assess the performance of each indicator and component index to have an objective and comprehensive look at the good achievements, the shortcomings and weaknesses in a timely manner; correctly identify bottlenecks hindering the improvement of the business investment environment to work out very specific tasks and solutions to tackle those bottlenecks; continue to drastically and consistently execute seven groups of key tasks set out in the Action Plan of the Provincial People's Committee on implementation of Resolution 08-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee. The province will resolutely assign individualized responsibility to the agency in leading and directing implementation, and making changes in execution inspection and supervision. The province will soon apply the Department and District Competitiveness Index (DDCI) as a basis for assessing performance, reviewing the responsibility of each department and branch in improving the business investment environment and enhancing the provincial competitiveness. With high political determination and ongoing effort of the Party, the government and people, I believe that Hai Duong will well accomplish its goal of garnering a Top 20 place on the PCI rankings by 2025.

On this occasion, on behalf of provincial leaders, I would like to acknowledge the cooperation, assistance and encouragement of media agencies for local socioeconomic development in the past time and look forward to receiving more effective cooperation in information and communication from press agencies, enabling Hai Duong to successfully achieve its goals and look toward building a "convenient, sustainable, friendly and safe" business investment environment and an ideal destination for domestic and foreign investors.

Thank you very much!

By Vietnam Business Forum