Simplifying business conditions: an urgent need

September 09, 2017 | 11:03
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Nguyen Dinh Cung, head of Central Institute for Economic Management, scrutinises recent efforts from authorised management agencies to improve the local business environment through simplifying procedures.

At the government meeting last month, the prime minister asked authorised management agencies to review and abolish irrational business conditions that hinder firms' business and production activities. Has there been any progress so far?

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered ministries to pare down irrational and unnecessary business conditions based on recent review results of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

More than that, the premier directed agencies to leverage the criteria applied by the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) member countries as a base when reviewing business conditions.

This means there will be comprehensive changes in the state management approach to firms’ business and production activities, not just in case-by-case settlements as previously.

Would it not be hard for ministries to remove the very business conditions they have introduced as the process has reported little progress so far?

Without reform it is impossible for Vietnam to step on a more sustainable growth path and improve the quality of development. It is a focal task to renovate Vietnam’s growth model. I trust that ministry leaders will actively engage in this process for the country’s development.

Paring down unnecessary business conditions under the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s proposal aims to enhance the competitiveness of the commodities and services market, reduce risk and costs, and improve national economic performance. This will contribute a great deal to improving the pace of development and quality of growth in the coming time.

The Law on Enterprises and Law on Investment Working Group has resumed operations as per the premier’s instructions. What is their major task in the short term?

The Working Group Secretariat has met and presented concrete plans.

We have a detailed list of more than 2,000 business conditions recommended for annulment, such as clarifying the clauses under regulated documents to serve as a basis for the removal of irrational business conditions.

There were suggestions to conduct an assessment of the impacts of inappropriate business conditions to specific sectors’ and businesses development.

Experts on business conditions from OECD countries will be invited to deliver independent assessments about the current state of required conditions applied in conditional and common business fields in Vietnam as well as their experience in this kind of work.

We will also recommend stricter regulations on enacting business conditions. All this work aims to enhance market competitiveness, helping to boost each business’ and each sector’s efficiency to ensure the country’s sustainable development.

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By By Khanh An

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