VCCI’s international cooperation helps improve domestic business environment

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has made great efforts in cooperating with international organisations and foreign embassies in Vietnam to promote partnership between Vietnamese and foreign partners.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been working with the VCCI in many cooperation projects, with the most prominent joint effort being the making of the annual provincial competitiveness index (PCI) rankings.

The PCI has significant influence on the improvement of Vietnam’s business environment, especially from 2014 when the Resolution 19/NQ-CP on major solutions to improve the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness was issued.

On the foundation of the PCI, localities nationwide have designed detailed plans of actions and specific ideas to further better the local business environment.

Meanwhile, according to Karashima Hiroshi, President of the Japan Business Association in Vietnam (JBAV), the VCCI has become a bridge linking the business communities of Vietnam and Japan.

With the support from VCCI, the  has received operation permit in Vietnam and exerted efforts to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.

In 2017, the JBAV was the co-chair of the Vietnam Business Forum, and worked with the VCCI to successfully organize the event, he added.

Currently, many Japanese firms have showed their interest to invest in Vietnam. The JBAV leader held that conferences held by the VCCI are useful for Japanese enterprises to learn Vietnamese trade information.

The JBAV will continue to share information of VCCI events to member businesses, he stated.

At the same time, the VCCI has maintained effective cooperation with the UN Development Programme and other UN organisations to support the sustainable development of businesses.

Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam said that the UNDP will continue the close coordination with the VCCI in supporting private firms, which is also one of key focuses of the UNDP currently.

She held that sustainable development goals cannot be completed without the engagement of the private sectors as well as the support of an organization representing the business community.

The VCCI spent nearly three years to work with social, economic and environment experts as well as international partners to compile a sustainability index for enterprises, which will be applied soon.-VNA