HCM City (VNA) – Administrative reform, integration♐ and business competitiveness drew the attention of associations and enterprises at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on June 29.

Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc, who is also deputy head of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform, highlighted Resolution 35 dated May 16, 2016 on supporting and developing enterprises to 2020 as the Government’s first long-term policy on business development. The resolution affirms the important role played by private firms in the country’s industrialisation and modernisation, and improving the national economy’s competitiveness, he said. Under the document, Vietnam aims to have about 1 million enterprises which are competitive and run in a sustainable manner. Of the total, more than 30 percent will be innovators. Private firms are expected to make up half of national GDP. Tran Viet Anh, General Director of Thai Son Company, said small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should receive further optimal conditions to grow stronger. Besides, start ups should be oriented to operate in different sectors. Vu Kim Hanh, Chairwoman of the Business Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Products, suggested enterprises be equipped with knowledge about integration and how to adapt to and cope with the economic integration climate. She proposed connecting management agencies, big businesses, banks and SMEs together in order to build strong production and business units. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the southern metropolis creates the best possible conditions for businesses’ development as it considers investors and enterprises main contributors to national construction and modernisation. He called on investors, firms and business associations to tighten their links with the municipal authorities and work as advisors for local departments and agencies to handle socio-economic-cultural issues.-VNA