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