Nghe An improves Provincial Competitiveness Index
(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An Newspaper interviewed comrade Pham Hong Quang - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment on improving the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and District, Department and Sectoral Competitiveness (DDCI).
PV:In 2023, despite the difficult global and domestic context, Nghe An province has achieved important socio-economic results. It is expected that 25/28 targets will be met and exceeded, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate will reach 7.14%, ranking 26/63 provinces and cities. That result has important contributions from improving the PCI Index and attracting investment. Can you tell us about the importance of the Provincial Competitiveness Index today?
Comrade Pham Hong Quang:The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has long been considered a fairly accurate tool for measuring and evaluating the quality of provincial economic management, reflecting the actual experience of enterprises in various aspects of local economic management. The annual PCI results, after being announced, are a channel for recognition and comparison with other provinces and cities, thereby helping to promote reform efforts, especially administrative reform. PCI also has the effect of promoting programs and initiatives to improve the business environment.
According to the 2022 PCI rankings that we already know, Nghe An province's PCI index reached 66.60 points, ranking 23rd out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide, up 7 places compared to 2021 (30/63). This is a significant step forward compared to before.
However, observing Nghe An's PCI score from 2006 to 2022, although the province's absolute score has continuously increased over the years, the ranking is unstable and has not had a clear breakthrough. Some of the province's PCI component indicators are still ranked low compared to the national average such as: Labor training, land access, and time costs.
In the context of attracting investment in Nghe An being a bright spot in the country (one of the 10 provinces attracting the largest FDI capital in 2023), we determined that it is necessary to promote solutions to further improve the investment and business environment, synchronously implementing solutions to truly become a bright spot in administrative reform and investment attraction.
PV:To improve provincial competitiveness PCI in the coming time, according to you, what solutions should Nghe An continue to implement?
Comrade Pham Hong Quang:Immediately after VCCI announced the PCI index in 2022, the Department of Planning and Investment advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a document directing departments, branches and localities to continue implementing and at the same time providing solutions to substantially improve the investment and business environment, enhance provincial competitiveness in the coming time, focusing on the following solutions:
For component indexes that increase scores and rankings: Require departments, branches and localities to continue implementing solutions to further improve these component indexes.
For component indicators that have decreased scores and rankings: Identifying this as a bottleneck that needs to be focused on removing, departments, branches and localities need to develop general and specific solutions to improve these indicators; focusing on 6 solutions:
Firstly, prepare the conditions for investment readiness. In particular, focus on completing, submitting for appraisal and approval the Project to expand the Southeast Economic Zone into Nghe An Economic Zone to the Prime Minister for approval; zoning plan for construction of functional areas in the economic zone. At the same time, specify the mechanisms and policies of Nghe An province approved by the Politburo in Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW dated July 18, 2023 and continue to implement Resolution No. 36/2021/QH15 dated November 13, 2021 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Nghe An province to promote the effectiveness of mechanisms and policies in attracting investment.
Second, prioritize investment resources for essential infrastructure according to the approved Project on Development of Key Infrastructure Systems for the 2021-2025 period, such as: Cua Lo Deep-water Port; Investment in upgrading and expanding Vinh International Airport; Road connecting Vinh - Cua Lo (phase 2); Road connecting from National Highway 7C (Do Luong) to Ho Chi Minh Road (Tan Ky); Coastal road from Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) - Cua Lo (Nghe An), ... in coordination with the Ministry of Transport to soon complete the North-South Expressway Project through Nghe An province.
Third, focus on improving the quality of labor resources, focusing on training skilled technical staff, improving professionalism, communication skills, foreign languages, information technology... Strengthen cooperation and linkage between training institutions and businesses to carry out vocational and human resource training associated with business needs.
Fourth, increase support and accompany existing infrastructure investors (VSIP Nghe An Co., Ltd., WHA Industrial Zone Nghe An Joint Stock Company, Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company, etc.) to prepare infrastructure and clean land to welcome secondary investors. At the same time, proactively approach strategic investors to attract infrastructure investment, especially infrastructure for industrial parks and industrial clusters. Link the province's investment promotion activities with the national investment promotion program, central ministries, branches, and localities in the same region.
Fifth, continue to substantially improve the investment and business environment; simplify administrative procedures, especially investment procedures in economic zones and industrial parks; improve the quality and service attitude of cadres and civil servants.
Sixth, assign the Provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center to preside over and coordinate with the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, Nghe An branch, and relevant agencies and units to annually assess the competitiveness of districts and departments and branches (DDCI), as a basis for assessing the quality of management work of departments, branches, and People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns, thereby focusing on directing and perfecting each content to improve the PCI index. All levels, branches, and the entire political system focus on implementing the above solutions and believe that next year, Nghe An's PCI index will improve even more strongly.
PV: Thank you, comrade!
