Tuyen Quang Province: Efforts to Improve Investment Climate

 

Under the close leadership and guidance of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council, the focused, aggressive, flexible and efficient administration of the Provincial People's Committee and the constant efforts of all economic sectors, Tuyen Quang province continues to grasp socioeconomic development results, guarantees national defence and security, and stabilise people's lives. In spite of being impacted by the recent economic downturn and inherent difficulties of a mountainous, border-sharing province, having a low starting point, weak economic infrastructure, and frequent national disasters like flooding, insufficient investment capital for development, and limited human resources, the province has still tapped its potential advantages, grasped support from the central government and utilised the unity of all sectors and the business community to maintain socioeconomic development. Operations of local businesses are still bright and stable.

 

The Provincial People's Committee also holds regular dialogues with enterprises on their production and business activities and their projects to understand their troubles and apply the best solutions. The provincial government has helped investors of corrugated iron plants, sugar plants and Yen Son hydropower plant to deal with difficulties in administrative procedures and site clearance. Thus, investors have met their project schedules. Districts and cities granted cleared land to investors in a timely manner. The province has also strengthened on-site investment promotion with a number of measures like basing on underway projects to remove difficulties for investors, creating conditions for plants short of materials to seek input sources, and supplying labour and essential services like electricity and water for projects. Every year, the province reviews, amends and supplements regulations on the investment and business climate to ensure openness and convenience for businesses and citizens; effectively applies single-window mechanism and applies information technology to administrative procedures to eliminate unnecessary and troublesome ones. In particular, the province set up an information reception and business support team to help and advise enterprises to deal with investment and business administrative procedures. The province continues to improve the investment environment to attract investors into the locality.

 

Tuyen Quang province is among the lowest ranked in the provincial competitiveness index (PCI) ranking list. To improve its PCI ranking, the province must recognise limitations of component indices to seek best solutions to overcome. That will be the basis for the province to build action plans for improvement of the local business environment and investment attraction. In 2014, the specific objectives of the plan were to enhance the business environment, to accelerate the reform of administrative procedures, shorten the handling process to reduce the time and costs required for administrative procedures, ensure transparency and improve accountability of State administrative agencies. The province targets to reach the average score of 55 points in all 10 sub-indices. To accomplish this goal, Tuyen Quang Province People's Committee proposed the following tasks and solutions:

 

Supporting information on domestic and foreign markets and prices, input supplies, equipment and technology and output markets; improving information provision (specific guidance on processes and procedures for business registration).

 

Helping businesses join market surveys, attend exhibitions on new technology, access new markets, exchange information, and seek business partners.

 

Accelerating the implementation of Project 30 on simplification of administrative procedures in the field of business registration and investment certification to shorten the time required for these works; raising the disclosure and transparency of procedure processes, documents, forms and detailed instructions for completing administrative procedures with the shortest time and the lowest expenses.

 

Effectively implementing mechanisms and policies on investment encouragement and attraction; focusing on the completion of essential infrastructure in Long Binh An Industrial Park and other industrial zones.

Firmly terminating and revoking investment certificates of projects which are slow-moving without reasonable explanation.

 

Issuing regulations on coordination in implementing the Law on Investment, on facilitation of investment - construction - land - tax procedures linked to minimise the time and cost for these works; improving transparency and reducing informal costs for investors.

 

Enhancing the roles of business associations and social organisations in consulting and arguing provincial policies; creating favourable conditions for businesses to contribute their opinions on State regulations and policies through more frequent dialogues between authorities and businesses, through the National Assembly delegation of Tuyen Quang province, through websites of the province, and through business associations and professional associations; periodically organise meetings and discussions with businesses to hear their opinions and learn about their difficulties in production and business activities.

 

Training high-quality human resources, particularly executives, specialists and administrators for enterprises; carrying out the Tuyen Quang human resources development plan for the 2011 - 2020 period and the rural worker and commune-level officer training project until 2020.

 

Encouraging the opening of lawyer's offices and strengthening legal support services for businesses; encouraging enterprises to supply public products and services.

 

Resolving difficulties in production and business spaces for enterprises; renovating technologies and raising professional levels; accessing new markets and expanding business operations; and developing skilled human resources for businesses.

 

Supporting businesses to make investment for production expansion, registering trademarks and creating competitive products of high quality.

 

Business associations and young business associations actively coordinate with the investor community to capture their problems, difficulties and shortcomings in fulfilling administrative procedures relating to investment, land and construction to reflect to competent authorities for rapid and effective solutions.

 

Coordinating departments and business associations to develop effective business support programmes, build effective competition strategies, apply science and technology, develop brands, carry out corporate social responsibility to gradually improve business level and competitiveness of the business community, thus helping raise the overall PCI ranking of the province.