Announcement of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) for 2024

According to the PCI 2024 results, Hai Phong province ranked first for the first time with 74.84 points; second place went to Quang Ninh province with 73.20 points; third place to Long An with 72.64 points; Bac Giang province ranked fourth with 71.24 points; and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province ranked fifth with 71.17 points.

Among the top 10, Hung Yen is included for the first time, along with Hue, Hau Giang, Phu Tho, and Dong Thap.

The group of 30 provinces and cities with the best governance quality in 2024 also recorded many positive developments in some localities such as Ha Nam achieving the 22nd position for the first time - its best result ever; Thai Binh also returned to the top 30 after 3 years.

Six centrally-governed cities – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Hue, Da Nang, and Can Tho – are all included in the top 30.

According to the rankings, Nghe An province's PCI index in 2024 reached 66.48 points, ranking 44th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, maintaining the same ranking as in 2023, and ranking 2nd in the North Central region (after Thanh Hoa province).

According to the PCI 2024 report, Nghe An province saw improvements in several component indicators compared to 2023. Specifically, the Market Entry Index reached 7.92 points (an increase of 0.59 points); access to land reached 7.01 points (an increase of 0.76 points); business support policies reached 8.01 points (an increase of 0.45 points); and legal institutions and security and order reached 7.68 points (an increase of 0.97 points).

2024 marks a significant milestone in the nearly 20-year journey of implementing the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) – an initiative aimed at reflecting the voice of the business community on the quality of economic governance and the investment environment in Vietnam.

Over the past two decades, the PCI has become a trusted tool for promoting administrative reform, improving the business environment, and enhancing the competitiveness of localities, thereby contributing to nurturing and developing the private sector – the pillar of a dynamic and sustainable economy.

The PCI 2024 report was released against the backdrop of Vietnam entering a period of significant transformation with the aspiration of achieving 8% GDP growth by 2025 and double-digit growth in subsequent years.

This objective requires a high level of commitment to improving the institutional framework, enhancing governance quality, and creating a favorable, efficient, and transparent business environment.

In this context, the PCI continues to serve as a mirror reflecting the realities of governance in provinces and cities, helping localities identify strengths and weaknesses and, consequently, develop appropriate improvement strategies.

This year's survey was conducted with responses from nearly 11,000 businesses, including both domestic private and foreign-invested enterprises. Businesses continue to express confidence in local authorities, particularly in areas such as information transparency, labor quality, and online administrative procedure reforms.

However, the report also highlighted areas requiring attention, such as continued access to land, high compliance costs, and a decline in the dynamism of local governments in some areas.

The PCI 2024 report will be the final PCI report to fully assess all 63 provinces and cities before the merger of provincial-level administrative units, as stipulated in Resolution No. 60-NQ/TW of the Central Party Committee, is implemented starting in 2025.

Regarding the Provincial Green Index (PGI) in 2024, Hai Phong city achieved an excellent overall score across all four component indicators, leading the ranking with 29 points. The following positions were held by Vinh Long, Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, and Long An.

In 2024, Nghe An province's Provincial Green Index (PGI) reached 25.98 points, ranking 20th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. The component indicators all showed improvements: ensuring compliance reached 7.42 points (up 1.46 points); promoting green practices reached 5.13 points (up 1.56 points); incentive policies and support services reached 6.98 points (up 1.68 points); and pollution and disaster mitigation reached 6.44 points (up 0.02 points).

Since 2005, the PGI has been a set of indicators used to assess and rank localities in terms of environmental friendliness from a business perspective, including: the level of application of environmentally friendly technologies by local businesses, the level of environmental management and behavior of businesses, the level of concern and willingness to invest in environmental issues by local authorities, and many other important environmental issues.