The Standing Committee of the Government meets with businesses.
On the morning of February 10th, the Standing Committee of the Government held a meeting with businesses to discuss tasks and solutions to help private enterprises accelerate and make breakthroughs, contributing to the rapid and sustainable development of the country in the new era.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the conference. Co-chairing were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, and Deputy Prime Ministers Tran Hong Ha, Le Thanh Long, and Bui Thanh Son.
Also attending were leaders from various ministries and agencies, representatives from the Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, and 26 large state-owned and private corporations and enterprises.
This was the first meeting of the Government Standing Committee with businesses at the beginning of the new year 2025. Here, in addition to encouraging and commending the contributions of the business community, the Government Standing Committee and ministries also listened to, shared, and exchanged ideas with businesses to resolve difficulties and obstacles, as well as discuss tasks and solutions to further strengthen the development of private enterprises.
The Standing Committee of the Government also hopes that businesses will provide feedback to the Government, ministries, departments, and localities on institutions, policies, and administrative procedures…
The government is very sympathetic to businesses facing difficulties.
In his opening remarks at the conference, on behalf of General Secretary To Lam and the Party and State leaders, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh extended his respectful greetings, warm regards, and best wishes to the businesses.
According to the Prime Minister, we have entered the final year of the 13th National Congress of the Party. The period from 2021 to 2025 is a difficult one, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, wars and conflicts around the world disrupting supply chains; in 2024 alone, Typhoon No. 3 (Yagi) caused serious consequences, and the sudden passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong… all impacted the country's situation.
However, under the leadership of the Party, consistently and directly by the Politburo and the Secretariat, headed by the General Secretary, with the involvement of the entire political system, the support and agreement of the people and businesses, and the assistance of international friends, we have strived to overcome all difficulties, at times very severe, and achieved impressive socio-economic development achievements.
According to the Prime Minister, in 2024, the whole world continued to face many difficulties due to the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, strategic competition, etc., affecting national development and business operations. From the beginning of 2025, the world has already encountered new and complex challenges, so businesses need to always be prepared for difficulties to arise at any time.
The Prime Minister affirmed that the overall achievements of the country include the important contributions of businesses, especially large enterprises. Businesses have actively participated in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming its consequences, and helping the country overcome current difficulties…
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government deeply sympathizes with businesses facing difficulties and is determined to always stand alongside them, working together to resolve obstacles, especially institutional obstacles which are both the "bottleneck of bottlenecks" and the "breakthrough of breakthroughs".
What solutions are there for the country to achieve double-digit growth?
The Prime Minister stated that a new development for 2025 is that the Government will assign growth targets to all localities, relevant ministries and agencies, state-owned enterprises, and sectors. If growth remains "average," it will be impossible to achieve the two centenary development goals. The Central Committee has issued Conclusion 123, requiring GDP growth of at least 8% in 2025 to create momentum and impetus for double-digit growth in subsequent years. To achieve this, the contribution of the business community, especially large enterprises, is crucial.
The Prime Minister stated that the Government plans to meet with banks, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and FDI enterprises to share and resolve difficulties and obstacles related to institutions, mechanisms, and policies; to provide feedback to the Government, ministries, and localities; and to listen to the opinions of businesses on what needs to be done in the immediate future to continue developing.
The government has instructed ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies to continue reviewing and reporting monthly on institutional obstacles to higher authorities for amendment; such as the exemption of registration tax for automobile manufacturers, VAT exemption for businesses, exemption and reduction of land and water surface lease fees, taxes, fees, and charges; and resolving issues related to planning, land, procedures, and permits… This requires input from businesses. In the past, new laws and regulations related to land and the environment have been enacted with contributions from the business community.
The Prime Minister raised the question of what solutions are needed for the country to achieve double-digit growth; such as the need for synchronized growth among localities, domestic and foreign businesses, and FDI enterprises; and a thorough analysis and assessment of how to respond to the current situation in the event of a worst-case scenario.
The Prime Minister shared that we are aggressively implementing several very large projects such as the North-South high-speed railway, three standard-gauge railway lines connecting with China, and nuclear power plants; focusing on breakthrough development in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation; promoting the exploitation of new development spaces such as underground space, maritime space, and outer space; boosting GDP growth; removing institutional bottlenecks; and streamlining the operational apparatus for greater efficiency and effectiveness…
Expressing admiration, respect, and appreciation for the efforts and achievements of private enterprises, the Prime Minister suggested that in the aforementioned major national projects, businesses should register to participate and propose mechanisms and policies to support their efforts, provided they are not self-serving and are committed to preventing corruption and negative practices. The head of government cited examples such as the recent request for Truong Hai Group (THACO) to research, transfer technology, and manufacture train carriages and eventually locomotives for high-speed rail; Hoa Phat Group to manufacture high-speed rail rail; and FPT Group to focus on training high-quality human resources and designing semiconductor chips…
Acknowledging the situation presents many difficulties and challenges, but also many opportunities and advantages, the Prime Minister hopes that business leaders, drawing on their practical experience, successes, passion, enthusiasm, and dedication, will boldly contribute their opinions with sincerity and frankness, all for the development of the country, for the Fatherland, and for the prosperity and happiness of the people.
