Vietnam pledges to further enhance administrative reform

Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnamese Government, for years, has been focusing on enhancing administrative reforms to improve the business environment, said Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office.

“Vietnam has a young and creative labour force which has helped the economy develop rapidly,” Dung said in the dialogue between the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedures Reform and the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam.

“In recent years, the Government has focused on promoting administrative reform so as to facilitate both people and businesses,” he said. 

Along with administrative reforms, the Government has carried out reforms to enhance the business environment.

“The government had lifted several hurdles to businesses by cutting off more than 3,400 business conditions,” said Dung, who is also the chairman of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedures Reform (ACAPR).

Customs and tax procedures have been also simplified to further facilitate import-export activities, he said.

“The Government has determined that administrative reforms must be continuous and committed to removing difficulties for businesses,” Dung said.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of EuroCham Nicolas Audier said: “The dialogue showed that the Government was serious about making Vietnam an even more attractive trade and investment environment and open to the ideas and insights of the European business community.”

EuroCham welcomed the introduction of the National Public Service Portal – a new electronic platform to better connect the Government with both people and enterprises.

“This was just one of the many recent positive developments in reforming Vietnam’s administrative procedures, and it is hoped events like this will help support the Government along this positive path of reform in the future,” he added.

“This dialogue sends a positive signal at a crucial time in the ratification process of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.”

“With a vote in the European Parliament scheduled for the New Year, it has never been more important to show that Vietnam was open for business and addressing the challenges faced by European enterprises in Vietnam,” the chairman added.

The dialogue, which followed EuroCham’s recent mission to Brussels to advocate for ratification of the EVFTA, was a venue for business leaders and government officials to discuss the challenges of doing business in Vietnam and solutions which can help to streamline procedures for international companies.

At the event, the representatives of EuroCham’s 16 Sector Committees – working groups of businesses in similar industries – raised their concerns with the Government of Vietnam and received direct feedback.

The dialogue was scheduled ahead of the Government’s Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025 and gave European business leaders a unique chance to provide their insights and recommendations to the authorities.

The participants discussed key issues facing European businesses’ challenges of market access for goods and investment into Vietnam including product registration, import-export procedures, and customs processes.

The challenges of circulating products in the market, with issues such as packaging, labelling, and advertisement being raised from the floor were also discussed in the meeting.

Questions on taxes, customs, and licensing were raised with the Vietnamese Government’s relevant officials.

This first-annual dialogue was the latest in a growing list of events between EuroCham and ACAPR.

Since 2017, EuroCham has been working with the ACAPR to help streamline business conditions and support administrative reforms./.