Hanoi focus on raising competitiveness index

Hanoi is accelerating administrative reform and anti-bureaucracy efforts with the aim of raising its competitiveness as the city has slid in the national ranking over recent years.
Hanoi is accelerating administrative reform and anti-bureaucracy efforts with the aim of raising its competitiveness as the city has slid in the national ranking over recent years.

In 2008, Hanoi ranked 31st among 64 cities and provinces in terms of competitiveness, dropping four places from 2007, according to a result of a annual survey jointly conducted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

In 2009, Hanoi ’s provincial competitiveness index (PCI) ranked 33 rd , two places lower than its ranking in the previous year.

Experts attributed the weakened competitiveness to the expansion of the capital city, which was merged with Ha Tay province, Me Linh district of Vinh Phuc province, four communes of Luong Son district of Hoa Binh province. Those changes affected businesses’ operation and business in many aspects.

In addition, difficulties in site clearance, access to land and bank loans, poor infrastructures and cumbersome administrative procedures continued to be barriers for improving investment environment of the city.

To solve the outstanding problems, the city has launched a project with the aim of improving its investment and business environment and lifting its PCI ranking by 10 places to 23 rd among cities and provinces in the countries.

Under the project, administrative reform was considered a breakthrough. As a result, the city has streamlined 71 percent of administrative procedures as against the Prime Minister’s requirement of 30 percent.

The city also asked relevant agencies to complete their land use planning to facilitate land allocation to enterprises’ production and business, reduce time for enterprises’ registration and carry out programmes on personnel training for small-and medium-sized enterprises./.

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