According to the provincial social and economic development planning towards 2020, Nam Dinh will become an above-average province in the Red River Delta, and over recent years it has created good policies, conditions and mechanisms for investors and enterprises to do business effectively. Vietnam Business Forum talked to Pham Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the Nam Dinh Department of Planning and Investment.

* Could you briefly introduce some outstanding results in investment attraction in Nam Dinh province in 2012 and in the first nine months of 2013?

In 2012 and in the first nine months of 2013, Nam Dinh province drew many domestic and foreign investment projects. Particularly, the province licensed 45 projects with a total investment of 7.716 trillion VND and 64.2 million USD which register to employ 5,576 workers and lease 57.6 ha of land. The province also allowed existing projects to scale up their investment capital by 12.8 million USD.

Some projects have investment capital of over 500 billion VND like Thai Binh Minh export garment factory (1.165 trillion VND), Thien Nam Sunrise textile dyeing factory (504 billion VND), Hoa Xa export wood processing plant - Phase 2 in Hoa Xa Industrial Park (1.807 trillion VND), Bao Minh export wood processing factory (523 billion VND), and Nam Dinh water supply and countryside sanitation project (793 billion VND).

Investment attraction into industrial zones in the province is also improved. To date, industrial zones are housing 26 projects with a total registered investment capital of 5.957 trillion VND and 38.8 million USD. Foreign direct investment (FDI) companies have paid 2.9 million USD to the State budget. In 2013, tax payment by FDI firms is forecast at 4 million USD. FDI firms are now employing approximately 22,000 workers.

In general, investment value remains modest in Nam Dinh province. However, amid current difficulties against companies, investment attraction is making good progress, with a significant rise in investment projects and value. This is the foundation for maintaining and fostering socio-economic growth and development of the province.

* Amid the current economic volatility, how has Nam Dinh province supported and accompanied businesses?

To address difficulties facing enterprises, the provincial People’s Committee has directed departments, districts and cities to support enterprises to deal with their problems in the spirit of Resolution No. 13/NQ-CP dated May 10, 2012 and Resolution 02/NQ-CP dated January 7, 2013 of the Government on a number of solutions to solve difficulties for enterprises, provide market assistance and settle bad debts.

The province has focused on implementing solutions to facilitate and assist enterprises to access support policies of the government and the province; reducing, exempting taxes and rescheduling tax payment for enterprises; supporting them to build quality management systems and renovate technologies; accelerating industrial and trade promotion; facilitating access to credit sources; facilitating access to land funds; and supporting human resource training for enterprises.

On May 29, 2013, the provincial People’s Committee together with State management agencies gathered in a meeting to discuss solutions to support enterprises to deal with difficulties and promote production and business activities. After hearing reports on business and production operations and proposals, the committee discussed and agreed on solutions to help enterprises. The Chairman of the committee directed agencies and authorities at all the levels in the province to continue studying and gathering proposals from enterprises to have timely, appropriate supports for enterprises.

In the last months of 2013, the provincial People’s Committee will continue to direct relevant agencies and departments to coordinate and implement plans, directives and policies effectively, focusing on supporting enterprises and workers to cope with difficulties.

* As an advisory body in charge of investment attraction into the province, how has the Department of Planning and Investment endeavoured to reform administrative procedures and support enterprises?

In 2011, after reviewing administrative procedures for streamlining, the province had 1,125 procedures. In particular, the Department of Planning and Investment had 216 procedures, accounting for 19.2 percent of administrative procedures in all State economic and technical management agencies in the province.

The department abolished 65 procedures, or 36 percent of its administrative procedures. The department’s efforts importantly contributed to the successful implementation of Project 30 in the province.

At the same time, the department focused on perfecting and improving the performance of one-stop mechanism by training service staffs to raise their knowledge, skills and attitudes; investing in synchronous equipment, network systems, software and computer professional services.

The department has coordinated with taxation sector and the police to use single tax code and business code for enterprises and manage enterprises on the national system. It has also supplied information, forms and instructions for business and seal registration procedures in order to shorten the time for business registration procedures to less than three days while effectively maintaining coordination with competent business management agencies in accordance with Decree 43/2010/ND-CP of the Government on the implementation of the Law on Enterprises. The department has actively advised enterprises to deal with difficulties in the course of doing business.

* What solutions will Nam Dinh province adopt to improve the investment climate in the coming time?

Being aware that investment attraction and support have correlative and direct effects on economic growth and development, the provincial Party Committee, the provincial People’s Council, the provincial People's Committee and relevant departments of the province will focus on adjusting policies and measures related directly to businesses and investors to match practical situations. The department will regularly organise investment promotion missions to other localities in the country and to other countries in the world to attract investors with strong financial capacity and advanced technologies.

It will accelerate the handover of My Trung Industrial Park for Japanese investors to attract investment projects, urge investors to build infrastructure in Bao Minh Industrial Park to provide investment spaces for investors, attract investors to build infrastructure for My Thuan Industrial Park, and support investors to deal with their difficulties when they prepare investment procedures. It also keeps track of investment progress of investors in order to revoke lisences of ineffective ones and give opportunities for others, especially thermal power projects of Teakwang Group (Republic of Korea).

With determination and responsibility of the entire political system in economic development and business support, the economy of Nam Dinh province is believed to thrive in the coming time.-VNA