Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2024: Digital transformation, green development - future foundation

Within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2024, on the afternoon of September 25, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a policy dialogue session. The message delivered by the Prime Minister demonstrated the Government's determination to transform the economy to adapt and integrate with the world's development.

Attending the opening ceremony and plenary session were comrades: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai; leaders of departments, ministries, central agencies, provinces and cities; representatives of many countries, localities of countries, diplomatic agencies, consulates, international organizations; many domestic and international experts, businesses, investors.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh dialogues with large domestic and international corporations. Photo: HOANG HUNG

Green development legislation is complete

Moderating the dialogue session, Dr. Tran Du Lich raised the following questions: What is the Government doing and will do to accelerate and perfect the ecosystem for industrial transformation? What are the next breakthrough policies to promote the development of the science and technology market? Another issue that many businesses are interested in is the legal corridor for the clean energy industry and green transport transformation to develop.

Representatives of many ministries and sectors attending the forum affirmed that the bottlenecks will soon be resolved through policies issued in the coming time. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said that currently, regulations on criteria, standards, and norms to identify green enterprises, green projects, etc. have been completed. These are solid legal bases to encourage enterprises to implement green transformation and digital transformation. Along with that, in the coming time, an investment support fund will be established to target enterprises in the fields of innovation, digital transformation, and green transformation.

In the field of science and technology, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh informed that the ministry is developing the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation. This draft law focuses on socializing resources to promote science and technology development, mainly implemented in the non-state sector, so that enterprises have enough capacity to absorb technology and innovate. With this legal corridor, enterprises can set up a science and technology development fund to create conditions to attract human resources and technology, contributing to increasing the endogenous capacity of enterprises.

Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh added that the Government is currently amending the decree related to the use of research products developed from state budget funds. However, the underlying mechanism is the public asset management mechanism, if maintained as it is now, it will be very difficult to invest in product development. In addition, the law on civil servant management does not allow civil servants to participate in leadership or establish enterprises, which also greatly hinders labor transformation and participation in science and technology development, causing some research to be technologically feasible but not commercially feasible.

Regarding the field of energy and green transportation, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan, the Ministry is preparing two projects to develop urban transportation in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. At the same time, there are policies to encourage people and businesses to switch to green and clean transportation by 2030. However, it must be noted that implementing the transportation project requires a large investment with a roadmap.

Adding to the responses of ministries and sectors at the dialogue session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that the Government has been developing and amending many laws. At the upcoming National Assembly session in October, many laws will be submitted to the National Assembly for discussion, amendment and approval. The Government will speed up the development of decrees and decisions so that the laws can soon come into practice. The Government also builds a policy mechanism to mobilize resources, contributing to infrastructure development, especially digital infrastructure, transportation, climate change response infrastructure, green development and social infrastructure, health, education and culture. However, localities must be proactive and creative in their own conditions, and have mechanisms to mobilize people and businesses to participate in implementing the Net Zero target.

Speakers discuss at the forum. Photo: HOANG HUNG

Open and transparent investment attraction policy

In a dialogue on policies to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), Dr. Tran Du Lich cited many barriers that greatly affect the quality of investment attraction, especially in the high-tech sector.

In his response, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Duc Long said that the revised Telecommunications Law project mentioned the orientation of developing data centers and cloud computing to attract foreign investment. Foreign investors are not limited in the capital contribution ratio when participating in investing in the construction of data centers; the licensing work also has a breakthrough when introducing the principle of post-inspection. The State will use the budget to build laboratories for domestic and foreign enterprises to use together. The Ministry also submitted to the Government a strategy for developing digital technology enterprises. "Currently, the Government is urgently completing the investment support fund for projects that are being invested in and will be invested in the near future related to the high-tech industry," the representative of the Ministry of Planning and Investment added.

The Prime Minister believes that with the consensus and support of the people, businesses and the facilitation of international friends, ministries, branches, the Government, and Ho Chi Minh City will achieve the set goals.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that FDI capital is very important and breakthrough because domestic resources are limited. The Prime Minister called on investors to continue coming to Vietnam, because Vietnam has open policies, developing infrastructure, and smart people and governance. Currently, the global minimum tax may create some limitations, but Vietnam will have other support policies...

Speaking at the end of the dialogue, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his joy and pride when Ho Chi Minh City organized the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum on an increasingly large and profound scale, attracting greater attention from international friends. The choice of the theme of industrial transformation is topical, suitable for the current economic development context. The Prime Minister praised Ho Chi Minh City for always being at the forefront of innovation in policy mechanisms, social security, maintaining growth momentum and contributing to the overall development of the country. Referring to the issue of industrial transformation, the Prime Minister said that it is necessary to renew traditional industries and incorporate new industries, focusing on green transformation, digital transformation, cultural industry, high technology, etc.

The Prime Minister requested relevant ministries and sectors to prioritize resources, policy mechanisms, and build appropriate institutions to create a clear legal corridor for Ho Chi Minh City to develop. In particular, focusing on infrastructure development solutions related to the fields of human resources, smart governance, and mobilizing social resources through public-private partnerships. Smooth infrastructure, clear institutions, and smart governance are the foundation for the city to develop. "The State ensures the legal and legitimate rights of investors and does not criminalize economic relations. On the contrary, investors must comply with the law," the Prime Minister affirmed.

Expressing his wishes to foreign investors, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam needs resources for development. Therefore, it needs investors to support capital, transfer technology, and participate in human resource training. Regarding digital management capacity, Vietnam still faces many limitations, so it is in great need of support from investors. "Work together, enjoy together, win together and develop together", the Prime Minister expressed.

Seriously accepting all the directions of the Prime Minister at the Forum, Comrade Phan Van Mai emphasized that the City People's Committee will focus on developing a Plan to implement the Prime Minister's directions, especially on important tasks in industrial transformation, ensuring that Ho Chi Minh City continues to be a model of successful industrial transformation. Thereby creating momentum for transformation for the whole region and spreading throughout the country, being a pioneer in testing new development policies. At the same time, with the inauguration of C4IR, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai also pledged to create the best conditions for the center to soon stabilize and operate effectively.

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee PHAN VAN MAI: Applying new technology to key industries

In the coming time, Ho Chi Minh City will focus on developing potential industries, encouraging the application of new technologies to key industries, supporting businesses to improve their capacity to participate in the global value chain. Ho Chi Minh City will strongly implement dual transformation, green transformation, digital transformation; promote the combined strength with the participation of businesses and people, promote international cooperation, especially promoting the role of the newly established C4IR. Industrial transformation is not a new process in the world but is very urgent for Ho Chi Minh City. With a flexible, drastic approach, a focused strategy, in the spirit of listening and learning, effective governance capacity, open legal corridors, based on specific policies and mechanisms to support specific businesses, especially the determination of Ho Chi Minh City leaders, strong support from the Government and the Prime Minister, Ho Chi Minh City will definitely successfully implement the industrial transformation process.

Mr. TRINH HUONG DONG, Deputy Mayor of Chongqing City (China): Establishing a distribution hub for goods inland in China

To promote cooperation, first of all, jointly improve the comprehensive service level of the new international trade corridor on land and sea, build a high-quality and efficient logistics environment. Accelerate the construction and connection of railway and highway infrastructure, open the high-quality train line of China-Vietnam railway. Next, improve the quality of cross-border e-commerce. Promote the establishment of the new international trade corridor on land and sea in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, expand the import scale of high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products such as fruits, seafood, rice, etc., promote Vietnamese specialties such as coffee, durian, cashew nuts, etc. to join the online and offline platform "Luc Hai Uu Pham", forming a distribution hub for goods from Chongqing to inland areas of China.

Mr. PHAM HONG DIEP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shinec Joint Stock Company - investor of Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park (Hai Phong): Ready to cooperate and support Ho Chi Minh City in developing ecological industrial parks.

If an ecological industrial park (IP) is built, it will be filled in just 3 years. Ho Chi Minh City is a locality that has developed the IP model early. Up to now, some IPs have almost expired their lease terms, as well as many enterprises whose lease contracts have expired, which is a very good opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to convert to ecological IPs. I propose that Ho Chi Minh City apply investment incentives for ecological IPs equal to those in economic zones. At that time, enterprises investing in infrastructure will have to speed up, possibly converting at the same time in IPs, because without conversion, they will not be able to compete. We are ready to cooperate and share experiences with Ho Chi Minh City in building ecological IPs.

AI VAN - PLUM FLOWER

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dien-dan-kinh-te-tphcm-nam-2024-chuyen-doi-so-phat-trien-xanh-nen-tang-tuong-lai-post760723.html