Workshop seeks improved effectiveness of support policies for virus-hit businesses

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Da Nang (VNA) - A workshop was held in the central city of Da Nang on July 17 to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of support policies for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Co-held by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the workshop also sought proposals to enhance the local business climate.

Delegates joined in a lively discussion on the effectiveness of government and localities’ programmes to recover production and business post-COVID-19, and later made recommendations on how to strengthen enforcement in these programmes.

According to CIEM, the Government has issued various resolutions on improving the local business environment and national competitiveness since 2014. It has also adopted measures to streamline public administrative procedures and business conditions, foster online public service delivery, and help companies cut costs.

Vietnam ranked 70th among 190 economies worldwide in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings last year, with 69.8 points, compared to 61.11 points in 2015.

Nguyen Minh Thao, head of CIEM’s Business Environment and Competitiveness Department, said that with orders continuing to be cancelled and international travel yet to be resumed, domestic companies have started to feel the pinch.

Though the government has launched a number of stimulus packages, many companies have found it difficult to gain access, she said.

Thao suggested the government focus more on cutting land use fees and helping agricultural products have broader access to the domestic market.

It is vital to beef up links and promote supply chains within regions and to enhance the quality of services to revive agriculture and tourism in the central region and central highlands, she added./.