Rice for exports (Photo: VNA)Vietnam’s business environment will improve considerably if the country can address the two key issues on business conditions and export-import management, an expert told a workshop reviewing the six-month enforcement of Government Resolution 19 on the business climate and competitiveness.
Among the 10 criteria set by the World Bank, two are judicially relevant and eight others are applied in the law executive branch. The Government should work closely with the Supreme People’s Court to meet judicial performance goals, said Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Nguyen Dinh Cung.
Regarding criteria in the field of law execution, uneven progress was seen with gaps among ministries, agencies and localities.
He cited the example of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), saying that while the MoIT set regulations on conducting business and export-import management, the MARD did a better job in implementing the Government Resolution 19.
At the current pace of resolution implementation, targets pertaining to construction permits, asset declarations and border customs clearances will not be met, Cung said.
Pham Thanh Binh, an expert from the United States Agency of International Development (USAID)-funded Governance for Inclusive Growth (GIG) programme, said businesses reported slow progress in specialised export-import management procedures.
Surveys at customs offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and Hai Duong showed 30-35 percent of imports are subject to specialised inspection while exports face strict specialised checks by numerous agencies.
President of the Vietnam Tax Consultants’ Association Nguyen Thi Cuc said the business community is urging more changes in insurance payment for maternal leave, online application for social insurance, among others.
The event was co-hosted by the CIEM and GIG programme.-VNA
