The Ministry of Industry and Trade organized a meeting of the Expert Group to provide comments on the Survey Questionnaire for businesses, survey methods and calculation methods to develop a set of indicators to assess the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) in localities in 2024.
Surveying businesses in localities, calculating and building the FTA Index
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Ngo Chung Khanh - Deputy Director of the Department of Multilateral Trade Policy, Ministry of Industry and Trade said: Within the framework of implementing free trade agreements (FTAs), in Official Dispatch No. 1153/VPCP-QHQT dated February 15, 2020 of the Government Office, the Government leader requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to "preside over and coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to study and develop a set of indicators to evaluate the annual implementation results of the CPTPP Agreement of ministries, branches and localities to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the Agreement".
Pursuant to the Government's direction, on June 28, 2022, in Official Dispatch No. 3660/BCT-DB, based on the opinions of ministries, branches and localities, the Ministry of Industry and Trade submitted to the Prime Minister a Project to develop a set of indexes to assess the annual implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) of localities.
On August 31, 2022, in Official Dispatch No. 5678/VPCP-QHQT of the Government Office, the Government leaders agreed to approve the Project to develop the FTA Index, and at the same time assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to implement the Project.
Based on the direction of the Government, on January 11, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 48/QD-BCT on the establishment of the FTA Index Working Group after synthesizing opinions from relevant ministries and branches. In 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Trade chaired and coordinated with members of the FTA Index Working Group to develop and approve a set of criteria and conditions for units selected to implement the FTA Index Project.
In 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade presided over and coordinated with members of the FTA Index Working Group and relevant units to select units to implement the FTA Index Project based on the set of criteria and conditions approved by the FTA Index Working Group in 2023 in accordance with current processes and procedures.
Pursuant to Decision No. 1314/QD-VP dated September 20, 2024 on approving the results of contractor selection for package No. 01: "Providing services for investigation, synthesis, data analysis and development of a set of indicators to evaluate the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) in localities", Foreign Trade University is the unit selected to perform this task.
"To successfully implement the Project to build a set of indexes to evaluate the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) annually in localities in 2024, one of the most important contents is to build a survey questionnaire for businesses in localities, survey methods and calculation methods to build the FTA Index", Mr. Ngo Chung Khanh emphasized.
Mr. Ngo Chung Khanh - Deputy Director of Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, representative of FTA Index Working Group, informed about the Project to develop a set of indexes to evaluate the annual implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) of localities.
Reliable information base to assess the effectiveness of FTA implementation
At the meeting, Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Ngoc Tien - Vice President of Foreign Trade University, the unit selected to perform the task of "Providing services for investigation, synthesis, data analysis and development of a set of indicators to evaluate the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) in localities" presented the plan for investigation, synthesis, data analysis and development of the set of indicators.
Accordingly, the organization of surveys, data synthesis and analysis and the development of a set of indicators to evaluate the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) in localities aims to meet the following purposes:
FTA Index reflects the effectiveness of FTAs to localities, especially assessing direct beneficiaries such as businesses and consumers;
FTA Index is a reliable supplementary information that helps investors orient and make investment decisions, thereby helping to encourage high-quality investment flows to take advantage of opportunities from FTAs;
FTA Index is an important information base to strengthen direction and supervision of FTA implementation in localities;
FTA Index helps to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management and the role of central agencies in supporting localities and businesses to take advantage of opportunities and minimize risks and challenges from FTAs;
FTA Index helps evaluate the results of implementing FTAs of localities compared to the action programs issued by the Government as well as the action programs built by the localities themselves to implement FTAs, thereby finding out the advantages and limitations in implementing these FTAs. At the same time, this is also an important basis for planning policies and development strategies at the local level;
FTA Index helps to motivate and increase the interest of agencies, localities, people and businesses in exploiting and utilizing FTAs as well as international economic integration.
According to the proposed plan, it is expected to conduct a survey using a sampling method for 4,000 enterprises in 63 provinces and cities that have activities of exporting or importing goods. Enterprises participating in the survey must ensure the sampling criteria regarding the type of enterprise, main business and production sector and the number of years of production and business in a number of economic sectors directly related to taking advantage of FTAs according to the Vietnam Economic Sector System (VSIC 2018).
The content of the investigation and survey, in addition to general information about enterprises, will focus on enterprises' assessments based on 4 groups of tasks in the Government's Plan to implement new generation FTAs (CPTPP, EVFTA, UKVFTA). In which:
The tasks of information dissemination include: The level of awareness of enterprises about FTAs; activities of dissemination and popularization of FTAs in the locality; provision of information and market requirements provided by local agencies;
The task of Lawmaking includes: Understanding legal documents implementing FTAs of enterprises; support and guidance of local State management agencies in learning and understanding related legal documents; quality of answering questions;
Taking advantage of FTAs and the task of improving competitiveness and developing human resources include: Taking advantage of FTAs by enterprises; issuing support programs for enterprises by local State management agencies: supporting enterprises in technological innovation, applying science and technology in production and business; supporting enterprises in improving the quality of management and human resources; supporting enterprises in connecting domestic enterprises with FDI enterprises;
The task of implementing sustainable development commitments (labor and environment) includes: Understanding the sustainable development commitments of enterprises: The ability to comply with sustainable development commitments of enterprises; support from local State management agencies for enterprises in compliance.
The time for conducting the investigation, survey and information collection is expected in October and November 2024.
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Dao Ngoc Tien - Vice President of Foreign Trade University presented the plan for investigation, survey, synthesis, data analysis and construction of the FTA Index.
Compatibility with other existing index sets should be considered.
Highly appreciating the implementation plan of the Project to develop a set of indicators to evaluate the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) chaired by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as the plan to investigate, survey, synthesize, analyze data and develop the FTA Index by the Foreign Trade University, experts in the FTA Index Expert Group attending the meeting focused on exchanging and contributing more opinions on a number of contents.
Dr. Luong Van Khoi, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (Ministry of Planning and Investment) suggested that regarding the subjects of investigation and survey, the Implementation Group should classify the enterprises participating in the survey by type, scale, field of operation, and location... to specifically examine the current status and level of FTA utilization by enterprises; should focus on survey information on the linkage and connection between Vietnamese enterprises and enterprises in FTA markets.
Along with that, Dr. Luong Van Khoi also gave additional comments on the sampling method; the method of calculating the FTA Index; the use of data sources. At the same time, it is recommended to research and build an online survey and ranking system for the FTA Index, creating convenience for businesses to participate in the survey.
Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand Strategy and Competition Research, said that the construction of indexes such as the FTA Index needs to consider the necessity and compatibility with other existing indexes; it is necessary to clearly define the objectives and outputs of the survey research. The survey process needs to include research on specific cases of FTA utilization (case studies).
In addition, Dr. Vo Tri Thanh suggested that the Implementation Team consider adding more specific indicators related to green transformation, digital transformation... and the content of the survey questions related to risk sharing, ways to respond to risks when integrating, trading with FTA partners, business feedback on the implementation of policies supporting FTA implementation...
Agreeing with the contributions of other experts, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Van Huyen - Director of the Institute of Economics, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, gave further comments on the survey subjects; selection of sample enterprises for survey; content of the survey questionnaire...
Meanwhile, a representative of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI Institute) said that the tax codes of surveyed enterprises should be added so that the level of utilization of FTAs by industry and field of operation can be synthesized and classified.
"Before conducting a survey of the entire population, it is advisable to conduct a typical survey on a number of representative businesses; from the results of the typical survey, there will be a basis for conducting a survey of the entire population of businesses that need to be surveyed more closely and effectively," the representative of the TBI Institute suggested.
The representative of the Group implementing the investigation plan, surveying, synthesizing, analyzing data and building the FTA Index said that they will absorb all comments from experts; review and edit the questionnaire, survey plan, and calculation plan to be able to build the Index as the Project's objectives.
| In the coming time, the FTA Index Working Group and the Task Force "Providing services for investigation, synthesis, data analysis and development of an Index to assess the implementation results of FTAs (FTA Index) in localities" will continue to consult and collect comments from experts, ministries, departments, branches and relevant subjects to complete the investigation and survey plan and develop the FTA Index according to the assigned plan and tasks. |
Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/hoat-dong/hoat-dong-cua-cac-don-vi/tham-van-chuyen-gia-hoan-thien-phuong-an-khao-sat-xay-dung-bo-chi-so-fta-index.html
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