RESOLUTION

MAIN DUTIES AND MEASURES FOR IMPROVING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND ENHANCING NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS IN 2022

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Governmental Organization dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to National Assembly’s Resolution No. 32/2021/QH15 dated November 12, 2021 on socio-economic development plan in 2022;

At the request of the Minister of Planning and Investment,

HEREBY RESOLVES:

OVERALL SITUATION

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Vietnam's position on global prestigious ranks has been raised through 8 years of effort to reform In particular, Competitiveness 4.0 index (of the World Economic Forum - WEF) ranks 67/141 (in 2019) that is upgraded by 10 places compared to 2018; Creative Innovation index (of the World Intellectual Property Organization - WIPO) holds a good rank, at 44/132 (in 2021); E-Government index (of the United Nations - UN) ranks 86^th (in 2020) that is upgraded by 2 places compared to 2018; Sustainable development index (of the UN) ranks 51/165 in 2021 that is upgraded by 37 places compared to 2016 (88^th); Cybersecurity index (of the International Telecommunication Union - ITU) ranks 25/194 (in 2020) that is upgraded by 25 places compared to 2018 (50^th).

International organizations continue to maintain their assessment and ranking in 2021 in some specific sectors including Property Rights  (of the Property Rights Alliance), Corruption perception (of Transparency International), Governance efficiency (of World Bank - WB). In particular, the World Bank assesses that the governance efficiency of Vietnam in 2020 was improved better than in previous years.

The quality of the business environment was positively improved according to assessment results of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), although the degree of improvement was variable across sectors. In 2020, 58.2% of enterprises assessed that their business environment was effectively improved and higher than that in 2017 (51.7%); all 10 sectors of business environment set out in Resolution No. 19/NQ-CP and Resolution No. 02/NQ-CP were improved, in which business establishment and electricity access had the best improvement.

Thanks to the reform effort of central authorities and localities to improve the quality of business environment factors and competitiveness in the field of management, Vietnam got the above results. From 2020 until now, the COVID-19 pandemic has had heavy impact on people and enterprises. The Government and Prime Minister have promulgated many mechanisms, policies and solutions to overcome difficulties and support businesses and people. These mechanisms, policies and solutions have been applied to people’s lives. The enterprise community and people have welcomed and highly appreciated them. In the next time, enterprises will expect more from the Government's companionship through measures for reform in institutions, regulations and administrative procedures.

However, the reform in the business environment in Vietnam from 2020 is slowing down due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the global ranks, some improvement indicators are not sustainable. There are many specific indicators that the quality and ranking of Vietnam is still low or not improved, even slipped places. In 2021, many indicators that scores and places were slipped compared to 2020 include Creative Innovation that were slipped 2 places (from 42nd to 44th); Sustainable development that scores and places were slipped (from 49th to 51st); Property rights that scores and places were slipped (from 78th to 84th); corruption perception that were slipped 8 places (from 96th to 104th).

Position improvement on the ranks has become more and more difficult and requires more effort because other economies are also focused on reforms to improve their positions in the world. On the other hand, there are many indicators that need continuous efforts in next years for the purpose of improvement, especially those regarding infrastructure, human resources, and environmental and social factors. Therefore, central authorities and localities shall strictly and quickly reform the business environment, share and cooperate with the enterprise community and people.

The Government hereby promulgates a Resolution following the Resolutions No. 02/NQ-CP, Resolution No. 19/NQ -CP on improving the business environment, enhancing national competitiveness and requests relevant central authorities, localities, agencies and organizations to focus on implementation to successfully implement the goals that are set out in the 5-year socio-economic development plan from 2021 to 2025, the socio-economic development plan in 2022 according to the Resolutions of the National Assembly; at the same time, support enterprises in production and trade development and recovery, flexible and effective adaption to the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.

II. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

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By 2025, strive to rank competitiveness as follows:

a) Competitiveness 4.0 index (of WEF) is expected to be named among the top 50 countries.

b) Sustainable Development index (of UN) is expected to be named among the top 40 countries.

c) Creative innovation index (of WIPO) is expected to be named among the top 40 countries.

d) E – Government index (of UN) is expected to be named among the top 60 countries.

dd) Property rights index (of the Property Rights Alliance) is expected to be named among the top 60 countries.

e) Logistics Efficiency Index (of WB) is expected to upgrade by at least 4 places.

g) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (of WEF) is expected to be named among the top 50 countries.

h) Cybersecurity Index (of ITU) is expected to upgrade by at least 3 places.

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a) Improve the quality and the ranking of the business environment indexes, the competitiveness in sync the national credit ratings improvement of Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

b) Regarding improvement of competitiveness according to ranking of WEF in 2020:

- Improve the score and maintain the ranking of Law compliance cost index (briefly called B1).

- Improve the ranking of Bankruptcy Controlling Index (B2) by 10 places

- Improve the ranking of Land administration quality index (B3) by at least 1 places

- Improve the ranking of Infrastructure Index (B4) by 2-3 places

- Improve the ranking of Information Technology Application index (B5) by 2-3 places

- Improve the ranking of Job Training Quality index (B6) by at least 5 places

- Improve the ranking of Stock Market Capitalization Index (B7) by 2-3 places

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- Improve the ranking of Innovative Enterprise Growth Index (B9) by 2-3 places.

- Improve the ranking of the index of companies with creative and breakthrough ideas (B10) by 2-3 places.

- Improve the ranking of the index of access to capital for small and medium- sized enterprises (B11) by 2-3 places.

c) Regarding improvement of creative innovation capacity (GII) according to ranking of WIPO:

- Improve the ranking of Information Technology Infrastructure index (C1) by 5 places.

- Improve the ranking of Knowledge Intensive Recruitment index (C2) by at least 5 places.

- Improve the ranking of Research Cooperation Index of schools and enterprises (C3) by 2-3 places

- Improve the ranking of Environmental Quality index (C4) by at least 10 places

- Improve the ranking of IT and innovative organizational model index (C5) by 2-3 places

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- Improve the ranking of Higher Education index (C7) by at least 5 places.

- Improve the ranking of the index of import of ICT services (C8) and export of ICT services (C9) (C7) by at least 5 places.

d) Regarding improvement of Property Rights Index (IPRI) according to ranking of the Property Rights Alliance:

- Improve the ranking of the Judicial independence index (briefly called D1).

- Improve the ranking of Corporeal Property Rights index (D2) by at least 5 places.

- Improve the ranking of Intellectual Property Rights Index (D3) by 2-3 places

dd) Improve scores for Industry, Innovation and Sustainable Development index of the Objective 9 according to the UN Sustainable Development ranking.

III. MAIN DUTIES AND MEASURES

1. Continue to raise the responsibilities of the ministries assigned as centers for monitoring the improvement of indices (at Section 1, Appendix I) and of ministries, agencies assigned to manage and take responsibility for the indices and component indices (at Section 2, Appendix I)

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- Update, instruct, supervise and inspect the implementation of relevant duties and measures at central authorities, People's Committees of provinces; promptly propose and report on removing obstacles and difficulties regarding mechanisms, policies, solutions and duties that are arising to improve the assigned indices to the Government and the Prime Minister.

- Actively take charge to connect with the international organizations; establish an information channel for providing and updating full information in a timely manner, in order to evaluate and rank the indices with objective precision

- Take responsibility and cooperate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Government Office and relevant ministries and agencies in developing reporting and monitoring regime for the situation and improvement results of indexes and assigned indexes; updated on the report information system of central authorities, connect to the Government Report Information System for the purpose of direction and administration.

b) Ministries and agencies shall take charge and responsible for improving business environment factors (in Appendix II) in order to continue to implement measures for reducing the quantity of procedures, time, costs and risks to the enterprises, including: (i) business startup; (ii) Tax and Social Insurance Contribution Payment; (iii) construction permit and relevant procedures; (iv) Credit Access; (v) Investor Protection; (vi) Electricity Access; (vii) Property registration; (viii) Cross-border trade; (ix) Contract dispute resolution and (x) Business bankruptcy resolution.

c) The Ministry of Education and Training shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and relevant central authorities and localities in researching and adjusting statistical indices that are announced in education - training sector to ensure compliance with international practices.

2. Focus on the implementation of the following key duties and measures:

a) Reduce the list of investment lines, conditional business and reform business conditions.

b) Focus on removing barriers to investment and trade activities due to inconsistent, unreasonable and different legal regulations.

c) Continue to promote management reform and strict inspection of imported and exported goods

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dd) Implement digitalization duties and measures according to Decision No. 749/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2020 of the Prime Minister approving "National digitalization program by 2025 with orientations towards 2030" in sync administrative reform implementation.

e) Strengthen reform, reduction and simplification in administrative procedures and business regulations; at the same time, promote decentralization, assign tasks and authority to local government, inspect and supervise.

g) Promote the implementation of measures to create sustainable change in the sustainable development targets.

h) Continue to focus on assisting people and enterprises to recovery production and trade, overcome the negative effects of the COVID-19 epidemic.

i) Develop creative innovation ecosystem, assist and encourage enterprises in innovative startup.

k) Promote international cooperation activities in association with the implementation of domestic reforms in the business environment and national competitiveness improvement.

Request relevant central authorities, localities, agencies and organizations to perform specific duties that are assigned in Appendix III attached to the Resolution.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministers, Heads of the Ministerial-Level agencies, Heads of the governmental agencies, the Presidents of the People's Committees of provinces shall:

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b) By January 20, 2022, develop and promulgate the Program, Action Plan, specific documents to implement this Resolution; in particular, identify objectives, duties, implementation progress, expectation of the results of each task, assign units to take responsibility for implementation and submit to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Government Office.

c) Regularly inspect and monitor the progress and results of the implementation of the Program, the Plan for carrying out the Resolutions on improving the business environment and enhancing the national competitiveness; at the same time, publish the results of inspection and supervision. Assign the unit to take responsibility for advising, instructing, inspecting and summarizing the situation of improvement of the business environment and enhancement of the competitiveness of central authorities and localities.

d) Regularly organize meeting to discuss with people and enterprises to promptly receive feedback on policies and solve difficulties and problems. Ensure regulations applied to officials on the performance of their duties; strictly handle officials harassing enterprises. Organize communication work on improving the business environment and enhancing competitiveness under their responsibilities.

dd) By June 10 and December 10, 2022, report the situation and the results of the implementation of the Resolution within 6 months and 1 year to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (Central Institute for Economic Management) and the Government Office in order to summarize and report to the Government and the Prime Minister at the regular Government Session in June and at the end of year.

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall research and integrate some evaluation and ranking criteria for the implementation of the Resolution into the content of the annual survey of the administrative reform index and Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS).

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take charge and cooperate with the Government Office and the National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement in monitoring and evaluating the situation and the results of the implementation of the Resolution in order to promptly report difficulties and problems to the Government and the Prime Minister for solving. Annually, they shall publish the results of monitoring and evaluation.

4. The Government Office shall apply information technology to design and report information collection to serve the direction and administration of business environment improvement, national competitiveness enhancement and sustainable development.

5. Business associations and industries shall independently and regularly monitor and evaluate the situation and the results of the implementation of the Resolution. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry shall annually investigate and publish the PCI index; combine and integrate assessment of the results and effect of the Resolution.

6. The Prime Minister's Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform shall annually conduct survey, evaluate and publish the Administrative Procedures Compliance Cost Assessment Index Report (APCI).

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ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT
PRIME MINISTER




Pham Minh Chinh