Promoting the activities of the Investment Promotion and Support Center

(Baonghean) - Comrade Le Tien Tri - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center gave an interview to Nghe An Newspaper.

Comrade Le Tien Tri, Provincial Party Committee member, Director of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center.

PV:Dear comrade, the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center is a newly established agency under the Provincial People's Committee, playing a very important role in the field of promoting and supporting investors. Could you tell us some of the results of the center's activities in recent times?

Comrade Le Tien Tri:In order to effectively carry out the activities of calling for, promoting, and seeking investment opportunities to attract domestic and foreign investment into Nghe An; at the same time, consulting, supporting, guiding and providing information to enterprises in the province in understanding, selecting investment projects and procedures related to investment work, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2465/QD-TTg dated December 16, 2016 on the establishment of the Nghe An Investment Promotion and Support Center. In recent times, the Center has gradually stabilized its organization, apparatus, personnel and put into effective operation.

Firstly, regarding investment promotion activities, the Center has advised on the successful organization of the Spring Meeting with Investors 2017. At the Conference, Investment Registration Certificates were awarded to 8 projects and 25 memorandums of understanding on investment cooperation in Nghe An province were signed with a registered capital of over 22,600 billion VND. The Center has updated and standardized the investment promotion documents in Nghe An province, including a profile introducing the province's potential and strengths along with a list of key projects calling for investment in Nghe An until 2020. Regularly research and evaluate the potential for investment cooperation with traditional markets such as Korea, Japan, and Singapore to advise provincial leaders on implementing activities with each partner. In the first 7 months of 2017, the Investment Promotion and Support Center coordinated with VSIP Group to organize investment promotion seminars in VSIP Nghe An Industrial Park in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Korea, and most recently, coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Business Association in Vietnam and the Governments of the states of Victoria (Melbourne) and South Australia (Adelaide), and New South Wales (Sydney) to organize investment promotion conferences in Nghe An province.

The Center has proactively worked to connect and support investors with projects to grant Investment Certificates, signed agreements at the Conference to deploy the next procedures, and worked with provincial leaders to work with FLC Group to speed up the survey progress and implement the project of the entertainment and resort complex in Nghi Tien commune, Nghi Loc district. In addition, the Center also advised provincial leaders to organize direct working sessions with partners from the US, the Netherlands, Poland, and Korean investors (investigation survey of solar energy projects with a capacity of 20MW; Project to improve Nghe An yellow cow breed with Korean cows; ...). Promote investment connection with investors from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Poland, ...; actively coordinate with the Provincial People's Committee Office, the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, the Department of Planning and Investment to work with investors to speed up the progress of key projects in the area.

Regarding investment attraction results, in 2017 (up to July 15, 2017), the province has granted new investment registration certificates to 96 projects with a total registered capital of nearly VND 10,650 billion. Adjusted 11 projects with an increased adjusted capital of over VND 280 billion.

Second, regarding the operation of the “One-stop shop” Unit: On May 30, 2017, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 2282/QD-UBND on the establishment of the Unit for receiving and returning results under the one-stop shop mechanism in the investment sector. As of July 17, 2017, the MCLT Unit has received 104 dossiers, returned results for 10 dossiers and provided guidance on preparing 25 dossiers.

Third, regarding investment consulting and support activities, the Center performs two main tasks, which are: Consulting and guiding investors on mechanisms, policies, administrative procedures, preparing and advising on preparing project dossiers; Coordinating to grasp, synthesize, process or submit to competent authorities for consideration and resolution of difficulties and problems of investors.

Although newly established and facing many difficulties, initial consulting and support activities have achieved certain results. Closely monitor each project, promptly update progress, grasp difficulties and obstacles, connect with departments and branches to directly resolve for investors, and synthesize reports to the Provincial People's Committee.

The One-Stop-Shop Department of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center has come into operation. Photo: CL

PV:What are the important roles and tasks of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center at present? Especially in improving Nghe An's PCI index and supporting investors at a new level?

Comrade Le Tien Tri:The Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center is the focal point connecting with relevant departments, branches and localities to advise the Provincial People's Committee on organizing investment promotion activities, attracting domestic and foreign investment into the province; supporting investors throughout the operation process.

Firstly, regarding the investment promotion task: The Center is responsible for advising and assisting the Provincial People's Committee in developing and organizing the implementation of long-term, medium-term and annual programs and plans on investment promotion; researching and proposing to the Provincial People's Committee to promulgate policies and mechanisms on investment promotion in all economic sectors; advising on the organization of conferences, seminars, meetings with investors; building and forming an investment database and providing information on investment incentive policies and mechanisms in the province. Carrying out propaganda and promotion activities, building an image of an open investment environment, the potentials and strengths of the province, and developing a strategy to promote the image of Nghe An.

Second, regarding the task of receiving and processing investment procedures: Investment procedures are received and processed through the "One-stop shop" Unit (MCLT). On June 15, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2575/QD-UBND promulgating the Regulations on the operation of the Unit receiving and returning results under the one-stop shop mechanism in the investment sector. This unit receives and processes administrative procedures in the investment sector including: Decision on investment policy; Issuance/adjustment of Investment Certificate; Appraisal and approval of detailed construction planning at a scale of 1/500; Approval of investment in housing development projects, new urban area investment projects, confirmation of environmental protection plans or appraisal and approval of environmental impact assessment reports...

Third, regarding the task of consulting and supporting investors: Providing public services to meet the needs of investors; promptly supporting investors throughout the investment process in the province.

The Center's activities have a positive impact on improving the investment and business environment; improving and enhancing the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and actively supporting and creating the most favorable conditions for investors. Instead of going to many agencies to carry out administrative procedures, investors now only need to go to one location, the MCLT Department located at the Investment Promotion & Support Center, and receive advice and support on administrative procedures, policies, investment laws as well as investment-related issues throughout the project implementation process in the province. The Center believes that it will gradually improve the PCI index of the province in 2017 and the following years.

MDF wood panel production line. Photo: Sy Minh

PV:In the coming time, how will the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center promote its activities to meet the new development requirements of the province, sir?

Comrade Le Tien Tri: The agency assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to take on the role of focal point, connecting investment promotion and support activities is the Investment Promotion and Support Center, this is clear evidence that the provincial leaders have placed great expectations when establishing this Center, aiming to promote and more effectively attract investment into the province as well as meet the new development requirements of the province. To do this, the Center will focus on three main spearheads: investment promotion activities, consulting activities, supporting investors and activities of the Provincial One-Stop-Shop Department. Specifically:

Regarding investment promotion activities, the Center will focus on coordinating with domestic and foreign units to organize investment promotion seminars and investment promotion activities at home and abroad, prioritizing traditional markets such as: Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, expanding potential markets such as: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, ... to call for and promote businesses to invest in Industrial Parks in Nghe An...

Regarding investment consulting and support activities, the Center is coordinating with departments, branches, and People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns to organize many forms of propaganda and promotion to better serve investors. Every month, the Center collects difficulties and problems of investors and advises the Provincial People's Committee to focus on removing difficulties and problems for investors.

Regarding the operation of the Provincial MCLT Department, the Center is building a coordination mechanism between the Center and departments, branches, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns in the field of handling administrative procedures in the investment field, to ensure a smooth and effective working mechanism between the Center and relevant agencies and units, creating the most favorable conditions for investors according to the criteria: When investing in Nghe An, only go through a single address, the Investment Promotion and Support Center; Focus on directing and changing the improvement of the sense of responsibility and public ethics of cadres, civil servants and public employees in performing their duties and public services; The MCLT Department works until there are no more citizens and organizations transacting, according to the principle "The work is over, not the time is over"; Promote the application of information technology in the operation of the agency. Effectively use information infrastructure and electronic information pages in directing and operating information exchange.

PV:Thank you, comrade!

Pearl(Perform)