Bac Giang: Continued Reforms, Elevated Status

Despite impressive economic growth, investment attraction, and administration, Bac Giang province is determined to continue reforms and make new breakthroughs to enhance its status and image.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits the construction site of a social housing project for workers in Nenh urban area

Advance to a higher position

In 2022, Bac Giang obtained remarkable economic growth and investment attraction to make an all-time high GRDP growth of 19.3%, the second highest in the country and 2.5 times higher than the nation’s average. The province’s GRDP was VND155.9 trillion (US$6.5 billion) to stand among the Top 13 provinces and cities in the country, and its GRDP per capita was US$3,400, up 15.3% year on year. The province lured US$1.7 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital, up 6.5% from a year earlier and ranking 9th in the country. In the first six months of 2023, Bac Giang continued to maintain its development momentum, boosted by the GRDP growth of 10.94%, the second highest in the country, and drew US$1.5 billion of investment capital, up 47% year on year.

In addition, the province’s investment and business environment has been significantly improved. The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2022 ranked second among 63 provinces and cities (rising 8.06 points and climbing 29 places over 2021). The Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) ranked 4th out of 63 provinces and cities, especially with three consecutive years of leading the country in "Building and developing e-government and digital government".

To continue this outstanding progress, in the last months of 2023, the province continues to make drastic efforts to carry out its tasks and solutions, with focus placed on:

Effectively carrying out the Bac Giang Provincial Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, capturing every opportunity to create new development spaces; creatively applying central guidelines, mechanisms and policies while actively monitoring local and external situations and development trends to have flexible management solutions; striving to achieve the highest possible targets in 2023.

Focusing on infrastructure development, particularly traffic infrastructure, industrial zone infrastructure and supporting service infrastructure for industrial development: Speeding up the clearance of the remaining areas of Viet Han, Quang Chau, Hoa Phu, Song Khe - Noi Hoang (southern part), Yen Lu, Tan Hung and Hoa Phu industrial zones; completing the construction of industrial zone infrastructure in order to create an available land fund for investors.

Executing the Action Plan of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee to implement Resolution 29-NQ/TW dated November 17, 2022 of the 13th Party Central Committee on continued industrialization and modernization to 2030, with a vision to 2045; carrying out solutions to accelerate industrial restructuring to increase the share of processing and manufacturing and reducing the share of outsourcing and assembling.

Strongly improving the investment and business environment; maintaining PCI rankings among Top 10 provinces and cities nationwide; seriously, drastically and effectively executing central and provincial guidelines and resolutions on PAR Index, the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS), the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) and the Provincial Green Index (PGI), while strongly fulfilling the project "Communications on Bac Giang investment and business environment in 2023 - 2025".

Enhancing the dynamism, innovation and determination of all-level leaders, party members and public employees. Leaders of party committees and administrative agencies must innovate their leadership, closely contact people and businesses to better understand them and provide better service for them.

Consistently carrying the business support policy, promptly resolving complaints and recommendations from investors and enterprises to create an enabling business and investment environment.

Mr Phan The Tuan, Vice Chairman of Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee, said: Although the tasks are very heavy, with determination, unanimity and effort of the Party, authorities and people, I believe that Bac Giang will achieve all goals very well.

The local transport infrastructure is being upgraded to attract investment in industrial development

Continuing reforms

In 2022, Bac Giang made much progress in improving the investment and business environment. This was both an honor and a motivation for Bac Giang to go further. “Resolved to work harder and better, the province will focus on overcoming existing limitations, difficulties and obstacles faced by all-level authorities and assigning specific tasks to agency leaders; promptly remove obstacles to form a favorable and open environment for businesses, and create new development motivations," he emphasized.

Therefore, right after VCCI announced the PCI 2022, the Provincial People's Committee held a meeting to “analyze PCI Index, PAR Index and SIPAS Index in 2022 and seek solutions for better performance in 2023”. The Provincial People's Committee issued Plan 21/KH-UBND on improving the PCI Index in 2023, specific tasks assigned to eight lead bodies for upgrading PCI component indicators.

The Provincial People's Committee also issued documents to further accelerate administrative reform; maintain and replicate the modern and interconnected electronic single-window mechanism, especially in executing administrative procedures at the Provincial Public Administration Service Center and the District Single Window Division.

Agencies and localities continued to adopt many initiatives in administrative reform. Localized digitization was effectively launched from June 1, 2022, with all departments and agencies capably handling their administrative procedures at the Provincial Public Administration Service Center.

The responsibility of agency leaders was markedly changed, expressed through their direction, administration, contact and exchange as well as their presence at the “Business Coffee” Program and at government-business meetings, thus solving completely difficulties and obstacles in production and business.

In the coming time, Bac Giang will continue to effectively implement Directive 26-CT/BTV of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee on rectification of working style and manners and responsibility in task performance. Accordingly, relevant entities are required to work with their highest attitude and responsibility in an active, drastic, flexible and creative manner in leadership, direction and execution of tasks; willingly accept and endeavor to complete all tasks well; never avoid work; thoroughly get rid of the administrative thinking of "granting a license" or "granting a permission"; reform their leadership and direction methods in a more drastic, more flexible and more effective manner; carry out their tasks methodically, closely and scientifically; actively develop and implement work programs and plans with evident responsibility, progress and outcome. They are responsible for regularly reviewing and evaluating the status of task performance; promptly detecting and solving emerging issues within their jurisdiction or reporting and proposing them to superiors for solution in the spirit that "all difficulties and problems must be resolved in a timely manner.”

Production activities at Viettonic Co., Ltd are in full swing

Spreading efforts and values

After five years of executing Resolution 73-NQ/TU dated May 6, 2016 of the Provincial Party Committee on improving the investment and business environment in 2016-2020 and nearly two years of executing Resolution 105-NQ/TU dated April 28, 2021 of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee on improving the investment and business environment and raising the PCI Index in 2021 - 2025, the perception of all Party members and public employees to this effect has been positively raised. However, the information and communication on improving the investment and business environment is still not good as expected. The province has a few articles on its investment and business environment. Information portals/websites of many departments, agencies, sectors and localities do not work effectively.

To form a favorable investment and business environment and gradually enhance the position and image of Bac Giang, the Provincial People's Committee launched a special communication project on the province’s investment and business environment. The project implementation also aimed to change perception and action of all levels and sectors, thus generating a ripple effect on a dynamic, open Bac Giang that always seeks to provide maximum advantages for people and businesses while “keeping the fire" of innovative spirit for a better investment and business environment in each public employee and the entire government system.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum