Without shirking responsibility, we share the common goal of making Nghe An a prosperous province as soon as possible.

(Baonghean) - Frankness and responsibility were the guiding principles throughout the 2015 Business Dialogue Conference organized by the Provincial People's Committee on the morning of September 19th. In particular, the thorough resolution of the issues raised and the decisive directives from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee satisfied and reassured businesses that their rights were being protected...

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong emphasized the need to focus on making dialogue truly effective, with frank and direct feedback addressing the common good. The provincial leadership is ready to responsibly consider feedback and work alongside businesses...

Provincial leaders and delegates exchange views on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: Hoang Vinh

...The conference devoted most of its time to allowing businesses and investors to present their proposals. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Kien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cua Dong General Hospital, shared: Currently, the private hospital system in the area has 10 hospitals with 1,200 beds and a total investment of over 3,000 billion VND, but their operations are not effective and not commensurate with the investment level. Some hospitals are at risk of bankruptcy. The reasons include fierce competition, a shortage and weakness of human resources, with some doctors working simultaneously at 2-3 hospitals; and the construction of too many hospitals in Vinh City... He hopes that the Department of Health and relevant agencies will study possible solutions such as allowing private hospitals to operate within the referral system and provide medical examinations equivalent to those at the district level.

Mr. Tran Anh Son, Chairman of the Association of Outstanding Businesses in Nghe An, suggested that, according to projections, Vietnam's accession to the ASEAN community in December 2015, with the immediate focus on forming an ASEAN economy, will bring opportunities for development to Vietnamese businesses in general and those in Nghe An in particular. However, businesses currently do not see the involvement of relevant levels and sectors on this issue. He proposed that the Provincial People's Committee organize a conference to disseminate necessary information on ASEAN integration so that Nghe An businesses can be aware of it, take advantage of opportunities, and respond to the challenges facing them.

Some opinions reflected the fact that administrative reform was not yet truly effective, with "the top being open but the bottom not functioning properly"... Mr. Trinh Ngoc Son, Director of Nghe An Trading Joint Stock Company, said that provincial leaders and departments were quick to resolve issues, but the team of implementing specialists was still sluggish. "Regarding the implementation of Joint Circular No. 30 on handling mortgaged assets to confirm assets on land and land use rights for bank loans, in April 2015, we went to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to complete the procedures, but it wasn't until August 2015 that the Department informed us that the company lacked a technical appraisal certificate for the project. Why didn't the Department respond immediately but waited four months?... We request that the province find solutions to overcome this situation?" - Mr. Son suggested. Representatives from the Young Entrepreneurs Association, outstanding businesses, veteran businesses, business directors, and investors also spoke, reflecting on many issues related to production and the aspirations of businesses.

The conference devoted most of its time to direct dialogue and addressing businesses' concerns regarding compensation, land clearance, land lease prices, mineral exploitation, bank loan procedures, tax refund policies, tax incentives, industrial promotion activities, etc. A representative from Tan Long Joint Stock Company reported: based on Resolution 63/NQ.CP and Document No. 1537/CT-QLN from the Tax Department, which instructed that late payment penalties be waived if the company paid the principal before December 13, 2014, the company had paid the principal tax according to the above guidelines. However, the Tax Department is still demanding enforcement action. Currently, the company has fulfilled all its tax obligations and only owes 155 million VND in late payment penalties. Due to the company's current financial difficulties, they request that the late payment penalty be deferred. In response to the company's request, the Nghe An Tax Department stated that the cancellation of late payment penalties for businesses that had paid all their taxes before December 31, 2014, prior to July 1, 2013, was not approved by the National Assembly. The Law on Tax Administration and its implementing regulations do not contain provisions for debt restructuring; therefore, Tan Long Company must pay the outstanding late payment penalties and fines to the state budget in accordance with the Law on Tax Administration and current implementing regulations.

Seafood processing line at Royal Foods Factory (Southeast Economic Zone). Photo: Lam Tung

Notably, at this conference, in addition to leaders from departments, agencies, and localities, and specialists from various fields, a large number of businesses participated and expressed their opinions frankly. Besides the 33 opinions expressed directly at the conference, 80 opinions were answered in writing by departments and agencies, and compiled by the Department of Planning and Investment. Basically, the difficulties and concerns shared by many businesses and organizations were addressed quite thoroughly by the departments and agencies. At the end of the dialogue, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Xuan Duong, acknowledged the contributions of businesses to the socio-economic development of the province; and assigned tasks to all levels, sectors, and localities to promptly answer business inquiries. The recommendations raised at the conference demonstrated the frankness of businesses regarding their difficulties and obstacles, allowing the provincial leadership to devise appropriate solutions.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested that, taking into account the opinions of businesses, all agencies and departments must take responsibility for resolving them. Officials – those implementing public duties – must be more effective in creating overall progress. To address business obstacles more promptly, and not just through annual dialogues, the Chairman proposed that after this conference, the Provincial People's Committee should hold monthly meetings to listen to business proposals through associations. The Department of Planning and Investment will compile business proposals for the province to discuss solutions. The Chairman instructed the office to include this in the schedule before the regular monthly meeting of the Provincial People's Committee. The Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Vice Chairmen to hold monthly meetings with businesses on specific topics…

The entire morning was dedicated to dialogue, with many unspoken opinions to be addressed in writing by the relevant departments and agencies. Overall, the highly constructive questions from businesses, as well as the insightful responses from the departments and agencies, satisfied the conference attendees. The meticulous preparation by the Organizing Committee and the Department of Planning and Investment for this conference demonstrated innovation, a proactive approach, and genuine commitment to protecting the interests of businesses by the departments, agencies, and the Provincial People's Committee. The conference also unanimously agreed that Nghe An is making significant progress, as evidenced by its Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2014. However, despite efforts to improve its ranking and significant progress in attracting investment and developing businesses, much remains to be done to further strengthen the business community and to truly make Nghe An a prosperous province as envisioned in Resolution 26 of the Politburo. This includes focusing on supporting businesses, helping them develop sustainably, and also creating more jobs for workers, contributing a large amount of revenue to the provincial budget...

Thu Huyen