With considerable untapped potential, the investment and business environment of Lang Son province has been increased to become a more attractive investment destination. The Investment Promotion Conference of Lang Son province in 2019 is expected to connect the resources, evoke the potentials and advantages, and bring success to investors, as well as the development of the province. In regard to this topic, Vietnam Business Forum Magazine had an interview with Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee.
Could you introduce the potential and outstanding advantages of Lang Son province?
Lang Son is a mountainous province located in the Northeast of Vietnam. The province has a border of over 231 km in length, with two international border gates, one bilateral border gate and nine secondary border gates. Lang Son has a quite special geopolitical and geopolitical position on the Nanning (China) - Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong corridor, and it is also a bridge and gateway not only for Vietnam but also for ASEAN countries with Guangxi and Southern China in the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (CAFTA).
A major advantage of the province is that the province's transport infrastructure is invested synchronously, with a distance from Hanoi capital, the seaports of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong not far away, including the National Highway 1A, the Highway 1B to Thai Nguyen, the Highway 4A to Cao Bang, the Highway 4B to Quang Ninh, the Vietnam-China international railway, and especially, the Bac Giang - Lang Son highway. The technical clearance for the Bac Giang - Chi Lang section at the end of September 2019 put into use in early 2020 will create favorable conditions for economic development activities. In addition, the Chi Lang - Huu Nghi border gate highway will be opened to expand the development door for Xu Lang in the near future. With convenient railway and road transport systems connecting with major economic centers of Vietnam, Lang Son has become a major gateway for goods transit of the country and ASEAN countries to China and vice versa.
Besides, Lang Son is also famous for its beautiful landscapes such as Tam Thanh Cave, To Thi Mountain, and Mau Son Peak. This region also preserves many unique indigenous activities and cultures, especially festivals such as Ky Cung-Ta Phu Festival, Dong Dang Festival, and Bac Nga Pagoda Festival. In May 2019, the Government approved the General Planning Task to build Mau Son National Tourist Area by 2040 with the orientation to become a tourism, recreation and entertainment center, and a cultural, spiritual and ecotourism destination of the Northern midland and mountainous region and the whole country.
With a large agricultural-forestry land fund, over 687,000 hectares with diverse sub-regions of soil and climate, Lang Son can develop many types of crops, especially forestry, herbal and edible crops. With high economic value, the province is developing cattle husbandry and poultry.
In order to promote the improvement of business environment, in recent years, what solutions has Lang Son province implemented?
In recent years, the provincial People's Committee has drastically improved administrative reform, creating an open and transparent investment environment to attract investment. The province identifies tasks throughout the term with the theme of strengthening discipline and administrative discipline, and improving responsibility and efficiency to serve people and businesses.
Firstly, they strictly implement administrative discipline, uphold the sense of responsibility, a sense of service of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees, promote the leading role, and strengthen the inspection of public services in parallel with resolutely handling cases that cause trouble for businesses.
The province also promotes simplification and shortens the settlement time with 100% of administrative procedures related to investment and business; The regulations, policies and planning are public on the website of the provincial People's Committee and at the headquarters of the departments, branches and People's Committees of districts and cities. Units such as the Department of Taxation and Customs Department regularly review the processes, dossiers, procedures and cut clearance time; continue to manage and operate effectively the electronic customs system (VNACC/VCIS), and facilitate the import and export of goods through border gates. They also promote the role of e-government in association with the effective operation of the Provincial Public Administration Service Center and the one-stop section of agencies and units, providing online public services at level 3 and 4 with the field of Business Registration Certificate at the level 4. The province also actualizes commitments to creating a favorable business and investment environment through many specific plans and solutions, including the implementation of a set of indicators for evaluating competitiveness at grassroots, departmental, district and district-level People's Committees (DCCI). The province also establishes a hotline, set up a team to receive, process information and respond to petitions, and regularly organize meetings, dialogues and direct work to capture thoughts and aspirations to promptly remove solving difficulties and problems and assisting enterprises.
Along with the establishment of the Provincial Development Investment Fund, the province will formulate the policy "The government guarantees businesses to borrow capital from commercial banks to carry out socio-economic development projects, the period of 2016-2020". Lang Son has also developed an operational program to support and develop businesses with the goal of building businesses with competitiveness, sustainable development and integration. The Provincial People's Committee has issued a scheme to support and develop businesses in Lang Son in the period of 2019-2025 with many solutions to remove obstacles on administrative procedures, land issues, land for production, and capital.
In addition to the implementation of Lang Son Provincial Planning in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, Lang Son Province will soon submit to the Prime Minister for adjusting the scope and scale of Dong Dang Border Gate Economic Zone - Lang Son, review, supplement and complete the detailed planning of functional areas, invest in upgrading and completing infrastructure of border areas, and enhance the ability to assemble and delivery of the wharf system.
In addition, the province will strengthen meetings and exchanges with Guangxi authorities and related agencies of China, promptly provide information on the management mechanism, supply and demand of goods to facilitate goods import and export business across the country quickly, and at the same time strengthen inspection and strictly handle violations and troubles for people and businesses.
On the occasion of Lang Son Investment Promotion Conference in 2019, do you convey the message or commitment of the provincial government to partners and investors?
| Lang Son Province has put into operation the Public Administration Service Center since January 2019, handling "four on-site" administrative procedures: receiving, appraising, settling and returning results. This is an important highlight in promoting administrative reform and improving the investment environment. |
Lang Son Investment Promotion Conference 2019 with the theme "Lang Son - Successful Destination" is an opportunity for businesses and investors to better understand the province's potentials, advantages and determination to make a breakthrough. A new feature of this conference is that Lang Son invites and welcomes investors with synchronous investment promotion policies with the highest preferential level, and always accompanies investors at the surveying phase. In the process of the project going into operation, the authorities together with the investors work closely to remove obstacles and difficulties to ensure the efficiency of investors because the efficiency of investors is always associated with the socio-economic development of the province. That is the message of the leaders of Lang Son province to send to investors in order to realize the expectation that Lang Son will become a major export hub of the whole country, forming a tourism linkage chain with its own highlights. I believe that, with the determination of the entire political system, Lang Son will build strong trust with investors when choosing the top land of the country as a destination in investment, development of production and business.
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