Tran Thanh Liem, Deputy Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People’s Committee: The business – entrepreneur community have been confirming their representative role of a new productive force of the market economy

20 years after the re-establishment, Binh Duong province has attracted all resources and all economic sectors to involve in business production. In particular, enterprises have played an important role in contributing to economic growth, exports, budget revenues, and effectively solving social problems, such as job creation and poverty reduction, ensuring social stability. On occasion of Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (Oct 13), Binh Duong Newspaper interviewed Mr. Tran Thanh Liem, Deputy Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People’s Committee (PPC), about the role, position and contributions of the business community, entrepreneurs in the province in the process of socio-economic development of Binh Duong.

- How do you think about the growth of the business community in the province? And the role of businesses - entrepreneurs in the process of socio-economic development of Binh Duong in recent years, sir?

- 30 years after implementing the renewal policy and nearly 20 years after the re-establishment, thanks to achievements of the former Song Be province, Binh Duong province Party, government, people and business community have been uniting, being dynamic and creative, focusing on economic restructuring, industrial - urban service development, creating good conditions for agricultural development towards improving product quality and pushing commodity production. Thus, after 20 years, provincial Party, government and people have made important and quite comprehensive achievements in all fields. It can be affirmed that the business - entrepreneur community have been dynamic, innovative, united, and supported each other in production, sales, making important contributions to the industrialization and modernization goal of the province; participated in creating jobs, creating huge revenues for the state budget, and organized many practical community-based activities. In addition, provincial business - entrepreneur community have been self-renewing, closely and actively linked with in the global production network and value chain, and flexibly responded to adapt to the opening and integration trend of the market economy, to minimize the risk of falling behind and being eliminated.

Only in the past 9 months, some key indicators surged compared to the same period in 2015. Namely, industrial production index increased by 8.92%; total retail sales of goods and services increased by 22.3%; export turnover reached over $16 billion, up 16.2% year-on-year. Domestic investment attraction reached VND14,784 billion, up 41% year-on-year. FDI attraction reached $1.624 billion; the province has now 2,789 FDI projects with total registered capital of $25.274 billion.

In fact, in recent years, the business - entrepreneur community in the province have confirmed their role in representing a new productive force of the market economy, become one significant factor in implementing the strategic objectives of industrialization, modernization and international integration. The business - entrepreneur community have legitimately enriched themselves, brought prosperity to society, brought major benefits to the country, and introduced Vietnamese products to around the world. The achievements of provincial business community in recent years are very admirable, have contributed significantly to the process of socio-economic development of the province.

Footwear manufacturing at Thai Binh Footwear JSC (Di An Town)

- Sir, could you share important orientations of Binh Duong province in economic development, investment attraction in the near future with businesses and investors?

- In recent years, Binh Duong province is a dynamic locality, always pays attention to strong, synchronous technical and social infrastructure development. In 2016 and subsequent years, Binh Duong province will continue to implement specific solutions, important orientations to further develop socio-economic condition, develop the business community with a number of key tasks, such as: Firstly, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, promoting potentials and strengths of the province, applying innovatively mechanisms and policies of the Central Government; setting up new models as a driving force of economic development; strengthening public administration reform; boosting key socio-economic infrastructure development to attract investments and stabilize  business production, contributing to fulfilling the objectives.

Secondly, ensuring the collaboration, consistency and harmonization of activities, operations of all branches, levels, and mass organizations to promote the synergy in implementing breakthrough programs of the province. In parallel, the province will focus on effectively solving problems in the fields of culture – society to improve the material and spiritual life of the people, especially policy beneficiaries, workers and employees in the province.

Thirdly, strengthening investment promotion and attraction, heightening the competitiveness of the province; focusing on solving difficulties and shortcomings, creating favorable conditions for business activities. Additionally, implementing synchronously solutions to processing, preventing pollution and environmental protection, contributing to the comprehensive and sustainable development of the whole community.

Finally, creating favorable conditions for the business - entrepreneur community in the province to develop sustainably; ensuring that each business – entrepreneur would become a soldier, a pioneer in commercial fronts; providing of public services to the community. Besides, building strong, capable, qualified business team with high competitiveness, with national spirit and social responsibility.

- Sir, in 2016 and subsequent years, while joining free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed, as well as in industrialization and modernization development goals of the province, Binh Duong leaders expect what from the business - entrepreneur community?

- Party, government and people of Binh Duong province always acknowledged and commended the important contributions of the business - entrepreneur community to provincial socio-economic development in recent years. We also hope that businesses and entrepreneurs would maintain and develop their role; strive to contribute to the development and integration of the country; preserve cultural values ​​of their enterprise in the Vietnamese entrepreneur’s cultural development.

Binh Duong provincial leaders and all levels and sectors keep assisting businesses; keep track of and timely solve problems of businesses in order to create the most favorable conditions for businesses in business activities and deploying investment projects. Provincial leaders always listen to opinions, feedbacks of enterprises and entrepreneurs in the province to take appropriate measures in order to create an open, attractive and effective investment environment.

- Thank you!

Reported by Phuong Le – Translated by Ngoc Huynh