Partnering with businesses

(Baonghean)The Spring of the Year of the Horse 2014 marks the sixth consecutive year that the People's Committee of Nghe An province has organized the "Meeting with Investors at the Beginning of Spring." This activity has been included in the annual plan by the provincial leadership to meet, dialogue with, and acknowledge the contributions of businesses and investors to the development of the beloved homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. On this occasion, a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper interviewed Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee visits the VSIP Quang Ngai model. Photo: Nguyen Son

PV:Dear Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee! This is the sixth consecutive year that Nghe An has organized a meeting with investors at the beginning of the new year. Could you please tell us what practical benefits this activity has brought?

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong:First of all, I would like to affirm that, over the past five years, the Provincial People's Committee has successfully coordinated with the Party Committee of the Central Business Bloc and the Vietnam Investment and Development Bank (BIDV) to organize the "Meeting with Investors at the Beginning of Spring" event.

Through investor meetings held at the beginning of the new year, Nghe An province has widely promoted and introduced to domestic and international businesses, organizations, and individuals the potential and advantages for socio-economic development investment in the province. As a result, to date, Nghe An province has 627 active investment projects, including: 588 domestic investment projects with VND 109,589.13 billion and 39 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with USD 1.49 billion. At investor meetings held from 2009 to 2013, the province awarded investment certificates and signed contracts for 47 investment projects with VND 61,649 billion in registered capital. Of these, 42 are domestic investment projects with a registered capital of VND 59,134 billion and 5 are foreign direct investment projects with a registered capital of VND 2,515 billion. Within these projects, BIDV has signed 28 agreements to provide credit and banking services to 31 projects with a total amount of VND 43,490 billion.

Among the licensed projects, many large-scale, high-tech projects have become operational and are performing effectively, creating jobs and contributing significantly to the state budget, such as: TH dairy farming and milk processing; Saigon Beer – Song Lam Brewery; Hanoi Beer – Nghe An Brewery; Sabeco Packaging; Ban Ve Hydropower Plant; Hua Na Hydropower Plant; BSE Korea Electronic Components Factory; Muong Thanh Song Lam 5-star Hotel; Metro and Big C Supermarket Shopping Centers; and garment factories owned by Korean and Japanese investors. Many other projects are under construction and, once operational, will not only create jobs and increase budget revenue but also encourage the attraction of other investment projects to Nghe An province.

PV:Comrade, besides signing projects and promoting the potential and advantages of Nghe An, what other activities will the Conference include?

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong:I, along with many provincial leaders throughout history, believe that the conference not only serves to introduce and promote potential advantages and attract investment, but also provides an opportunity for the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments to enhance information exchange, listen to feedback, and understand the concerns and feelings of businesses, organizations, and individuals. This aims to improve the effectiveness of investment promotion for development purposes, ensuring a balance between economic interests and social welfare, as well as environmental protection.

Based on feedback from conferences, Nghe An province has promptly reviewed and supplemented sectoral and field planning, as well as mechanisms and policies. Support has been strengthened, and obstacles have been removed for projects that have been and are being implemented in the province. As a result, many businesses are satisfied with the investment environment and the service and coordination provided by departments and agencies. With the efforts and cooperation of businesses and investors, most projects and agreements have been implemented on schedule. In particular, some agreements and projects have been completed and put into operation with high efficiency, making a significant contribution to the province's socio-economic development, such as: the BSE Korea electronic component manufacturing plant, the Haivina Kim Lien garment factory, Vinh University of Industry, the VICENTRA trade center, and the Hanosimex textile and garment industrial cluster…

We highly value the opinions and experiences shared by investors and are committed to doing our utmost to support businesses and create favorable conditions for investors to conduct sustainable and effective business operations in Nghe An. With this in mind, at this 6th Spring Meeting, we also hope to receive many opinions and exchanges from businesses, organizations, and individuals both domestically and internationally to jointly build an increasingly attractive investment environment in Nghe An province.

PV:Comrade, given its importance, how has the Provincial People's Committee prepared for this conference?

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong:The Spring Festival gathering in the Year of the Horse 2014 was of great significance in contributing to the implementation of Resolution 26 of the Politburo on the direction and tasks for the development of Nghe An province until 2020.

Recognizing its importance, even before the Lunar New Year, the Provincial People's Committee established subcommittees such as: the Content Subcommittee, the Reception and Service Subcommittee, the Propaganda Subcommittee, and the Security Subcommittee. These subcommittees were assigned to the Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee, with representatives from various departments, agencies, and functional bodies as members. During the preparation process, the Provincial People's Committee conducted numerous reviews to ensure the conference would be conducted in a dignified and meticulous manner, with a high degree of openness and respect, demonstrating the affection and appreciation for the delegates, businesses, and investors visiting the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh.

Prior to the Lunar New Year, the Provincial People's Committee respectfully sent invitations to 600 delegates and received responses and registrations from hundreds of guests, including high-ranking officials from the Party, State, Government, embassies, organizations, and domestic and foreign businesses. Based on the experience of five successful events, and with the close cooperation of the Party Committee of the Central Business Bloc and the Vietnam Investment and Development Bank (BIDV), we hope that the Spring Meeting of Investors in the Year of the Horse 2014 will achieve positive results. Through this, we hope to continue working with businesses and investors to promote investment programs and projects in the province, contributing positively to motivating the entire Party Committee and people of President Ho Chi Minh's hometown to accelerate socio-economic development in accordance with Resolution 26 of the Politburo.

PV:Comrade, what results can be expected from the meeting with investors at the beginning of the Year of the Horse 2014?

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong:According to the plans and registration documents of businesses, at the conference, the Provincial People's Committee will organize signing ceremonies and award investment certificates for projects such as: Dong Hoi Port of Thanh Thanh Dat Co., Ltd.; the investment project for a high-tech essential oil, medicinal herb, and functional food production complex of VN Nam Dan Van An Co., Ltd.; the construction project of Nguyen Kim Shopping Center; projects signed with Japanese investors; investment commitments and credit financing agreements for construction and investment projects in Nghe An...

Besides the programs and plans already set out, through this conference, we want to convey to all delegates, businesses, and domestic and foreign investors the message: The Party Committee and people of Nghe An - the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh - are striving to realize the aspiration of lifting the province out of poverty and making it a prosperous province, as Uncle Ho instructed before his passing. This is not only the wish of the Party Committee, government, and people of the province through all generations, but also the desire of the Party and State leaders, the Government and central ministries and agencies, the business community, entrepreneurs, especially those from Nghe An living far from home.

At this conference, we also hope to receive contributions to jointly build an increasingly attractive investment environment in Nghe An province, contributing to the successful implementation of the goals of Resolution 26 of the Politburo, building Nghe An into a center for finance, trade, tourism, education and training, science and technology, healthcare, culture, sports, and high-tech industries in the North Central region. We also hope that investors and businesses will cooperate more closely with all levels and sectors of the province in their operations and compliance with the law; accelerate the progress of projects that have been granted investment certificates; innovate technology to increase productivity, lower costs, enhance product competitiveness, and effectively exploit domestic and export markets; and pay attention to the lives of workers in businesses, ensuring an environment for sustainable business development.

PV: Thank you very much, Comrade!

PV(Perform)