Hai Duong has a strategic geographical location in the northern keyeconomic zone. With the motto "The success of enterprise is the successof the province", Hai Duong province has applied many open investmentattraction mechanisms and policies and achieved positive results.

Particularly,the province has actively expanded and developed friendly andcooperation relations with Japanese organisations and businesses.

Chairmanof Hai Duong Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Manh Hien spoke withthe Vietnam Business Forum on the province’s achievements in the pasttime and investment attraction orientations in the coming time.

*Whatis your opinion about the administration of local authorities andsocio-economic development results of Hai Duong province in 2013?

In2013, in spite of enormous difficulties and challenges, Hai Duongprovince still achieved 12 out of the 13 social and economic targets,thanks to the effort and determination of all-tiers of government. Someimportant targets like economic growth, budget revenue, export turnoverand employment were higher than estimations.

- Stableagricultural production, continued countryside construction movement,many works at the service of agricultural production and rural life likeroads, water supply systems, schools and sanitation facilities servedproduction activities and improved material and spiritual life ofcitizens.

- Industrial production recovered and services were diversified. Some key projects were accelerated.

-Cultural and social aspects progressed. Social security policies wereimplemented and livelihoods of citizens were uplifted. Urgent issueslike class suits, prolonged lawsuits, illegal mineral extraction, andtraffic security were guided for resolution and achieved significantadvancement.

However, the province still confronted a lot oflimitations like reduced total social investment, unfulfilled land rentcollection, environmental issues, unplanned hill land exploitation,unplanned river gravel exploitation, unsettled class suits, andineffective State management in many aspects.

*Currently, alllocalities equally attract investment capital and investors are free tochoose localities with best investment environments to them. So, what isthe most effective investment promotion method, particularly before theadvent of a new investment wave from Japanese investors?

Currently,to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) capital, most provincesand cities are trying to build many industrial parks, economic zonesand hi-tech parks and offer alluring incentives for investors. Hence,investors have a lot of options. The competition in FDI attraction amongprovinces and cities in the country is becoming fiercer; therefore, itwill be tougher for the province to draw FDI capital than earlier.

Inthis context, the province has actively applied many measures toimprove the investment environment and make Hai Duong more attractive toinvestors, but the most effective method is on-site investmentpromotion.

First of all, the provincial government will directrelevant departments and agencies to review functions, duties,behaviours and attitudes to improve service quality to investors, whilesupporting businesses in the locality to achieve best operationalresults and deal with difficulties and challenges.

The provincebelieves that this is a very important and effective communicationchannel to advertise its image and investment environment to investors.Well-performing businesses in the province are expected to make othersfeel confident and assured when they invest here.

*What are the province’s advantageous industries and fields to attract Japanese investors?

Currently,the province has attracted investors from 23 countries and territoriesin the world and Japanese investors are the leading force. Most foreigninvestors with significant investment capital and advanced technologiesare operating stably and effectively.

Therefore, the provincepays special attention and gives high priority to drawing Japaneseinvestors, particularly those engaged in high-tech products, cleantechnologies, supporting industries, mechanical products, electrical andelectronics devices, automotive assembly, steel structure,refrigerating equipment, telecommunications equipment, printers, faxmachines and new building materials.

In addition, the provinceplaces priority to attracting investment capital for services projectslike trade, supermarket, restaurant, tourism, finance, transportation,telecommunications, insurance, consulting, science and technology,education and training and high-quality healthcare. Hai Duong drawsinvestment capital for agricultural biotechnology, storage andprocessing of agricultural products.

*In the coming time, whatpolicies will Hai Duong province adopt to create favourable conditionsfor Japanese investors and strengthen the fine relations between theprovince and Japan?

To provide favourable conditions forinvestors in general and Japanese investors in particular and strengthenfriendly and cooperative relations with Japan, the province has set outdirections and tasks as follows:

- Reviewing and proposing theabolition of unnecessary procedures and fees, simplifying administrativeprocedures to shorten required time for completing procedures relatingto land lease, land allocation, land transfer, tax and customs, andapproving foreign employment.

- Implementing measures and actionprogrammes to improve the investment climate, creating opportunities andfavourable conditions for local enterprises to make effectiveinvestment for production and business activities; maintaining a regulardialogue mechanism for provincial leaders and enterprises to helpauthorities to understand difficulties of enterprises and seeksolutions; subjecting strict penalties on red-tape, irresponsible civilservants; strengthening connections with businesses and improvingbusiness support service quality; encouraging enterprises to access anduse local business support services.

- Through the Japan -Vietnam Friendship Association, investment promotion programmes ofministries and Japan - Vietnam investment associations, the provincewill strengthen the cooperation with investment promotion agencies tointroduce its investment potential and opportunities to Japaneseinvestors. Periodically, the province organise trade promotionprogrammes and trade fairs to facilitate investors to access markets andpromote exports. And

- Strengthening cultural exchanges, eventsand conferences to commemorate major anniversaries of both nations tointensify mutual solidarity and friendship.-VNA