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

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

Chairman of Hai Duong Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Manh Hien spoke with the Vietnam Business Forum on the province’s achievements in the past time and investment attraction orientations in the coming time.

*What is your opinion about the administration of local authorities and socio-economic development results of Hai Duong province in 2013?

In 2013, in spite of enormous difficulties and challenges, Hai Duong province still achieved 12 out of the 13 social and economic targets, thanks to the effort and determination of all-tiers of government. Some important targets like economic growth, budget revenue, export turnover and employment were higher than estimations.

- Stable agricultural production, continued countryside construction movement, many works at the service of agricultural production and rural life like roads, water supply systems, schools and sanitation facilities served production activities and improved material and spiritual life of citizens.

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

- Cultural and social aspects progressed. Social security policies were implemented and livelihoods of citizens were uplifted. Urgent issues like class suits, prolonged lawsuits, illegal mineral extraction, and traffic security were guided for resolution and achieved significant advancement.

However, the province still confronted a lot of limitations like reduced total social investment, unfulfilled land rent collection, environmental issues, unplanned hill land exploitation, unplanned river gravel exploitation, unsettled class suits, and ineffective State management in many aspects.

*Currently, all localities equally attract investment capital and investors are free to choose localities with best investment environments to them. So, what is the most effective investment promotion method, particularly before the advent of a new investment wave from Japanese investors?

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

In this context, the province has actively applied many measures to improve the investment environment and make Hai Duong more attractive to investors, but the most effective method is on-site investment promotion.

First of all, the provincial government will direct relevant departments and agencies to review functions, duties, behaviours and attitudes to improve service quality to investors, while supporting businesses in the locality to achieve best operational results and deal with difficulties and challenges.

The province believes that this is a very important and effective communication channel to advertise its image and investment environment to investors. Well-performing businesses in the province are expected to make others feel 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 territories in the world and Japanese investors are the leading force. Most foreign investors with significant investment capital and advanced technologies are operating stably and effectively.

Therefore, the province pays special attention and gives high priority to drawing Japanese investors, particularly those engaged in high-tech products, clean technologies, supporting industries, mechanical products, electrical and electronics devices, automotive assembly, steel structure, refrigerating equipment, telecommunications equipment, printers, fax machines and new building materials.

In addition, the province places priority to attracting investment capital for services projects like trade, supermarket, restaurant, tourism, finance, transportation, telecommunications, insurance, consulting, science and technology, education and training and high-quality healthcare. Hai Duong draws investment capital for agricultural biotechnology, storage and processing of agricultural products.

*In the coming time, what policies will Hai Duong province adopt to create favourable conditions for Japanese investors and strengthen the fine relations between the province and Japan?

To provide favourable conditions for investors in general and Japanese investors in particular and strengthen friendly and cooperative relations with Japan, the province has set out directions and tasks as follows:

- Reviewing and proposing the abolition of unnecessary procedures and fees, simplifying administrative procedures to shorten required time for completing procedures relating to land lease, land allocation, land transfer, tax and customs, and approving foreign employment.

- Implementing measures and action programmes to improve the investment climate, creating opportunities and favourable conditions for local enterprises to make effective investment for production and business activities; maintaining a regular dialogue mechanism for provincial leaders and enterprises to help authorities to understand difficulties of enterprises and seek solutions; subjecting strict penalties on red-tape, irresponsible civil servants; strengthening connections with businesses and improving business support service quality; encouraging enterprises to access and use local business support services.

- Through the Japan - Vietnam Friendship Association, investment promotion programmes of ministries and Japan - Vietnam investment associations, the province will strengthen the cooperation with investment promotion agencies to introduce its investment potential and opportunities to Japanese investors. Periodically, the province organise trade promotion programmes and trade fairs to facilitate investors to access markets and promote exports. And

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