Thai Binh always listens to remove difficulties for investors

Thai Binh always listens to remove difficulties for investors

It is certainly not true that Thai Binh has accidentally become a star in attracting FDI investment capital in recent times. So what is the reason, how has Thai Binh reformed its thinking, and how has it realized in specific actions... Thoi Dai interviewed the Standing Vice Chairman of Thai Binh Provincial People’s Committee, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, about the above content.

- In recent times, Thai Binh has emerged as a bright spot in attracting FDI investment. If ranked in order of importance, from high to low, sir, what are the main reasons for this impressive achievement?

- In recent years, Thai Binh has been on the “map” of attracting investment, especially foreign direct investment (FDI). With the practical and efficient actions of the entire political system and all levels, sectors and localities in the province, many impressive results have been achieved in attracting investment. In 2023, with the attraction of about 3 billion USD of FDI capital, Thai Binh for the first time ranked in the top 5 provinces and cities of the country in attracting FDI capital.

There are many reasons to create this important result. One of them is a series of key, large-scale infrastructure projects being implemented, creating synchronization and helping to remove long-standing bottlenecks of Thai Binh, including connecting traffic infrastructure. This issue is both a competitive advantage and a big boost for the locality in exploiting potential and advantages to attract FDI capital.

According to the Standing Vice Chairman of Thai Binh Provincial People’s Committee, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, it is not by chance that in the context of economic difficulties, Thai Binh is still a bright spot in attracting investment.

We are always aware of the need to promote the advantage of being a coastal province, located in the development triangle of Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh and in the center of the development triangle of the Northern coastal region, Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hai Phong. Therefore, a series of important transport projects, promoting the development of the province and contributing to creating a complete regional connecting transport network, have been invested and built, especially Ninh Binh - Hai Phong expressway (CT.08), the section passing through Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces and the coastal road.

Thai Binh province clearly identifies industrial development as the top priority, so proactively creating conditions for this field to develop is a key task. Up to now, the province has established 1 economic zone, 10 industrial parks and 49 industrial clusters, attracting 157 FDI projects with a total registered investment capital of over 5.091 billion USD. The industrial parks put in operation have all completed investment in centralized wastewater treatment plants to ensure conditions for exploitation and operation of the projects. In addition, the province is gradually planning and calling for investors to build social infrastructure works, urban areas, commercial housing, housing for workers, social housing towards civilized, green, clean, beautiful direction to create the best living environment to attract workers and experts to work and live in long term in the province.

Perhaps rarely has the dynamism in attracting FDI capital in Thai Binh been as it is now. The province has organized many investment and trade promotion delegations in several Asian and European countries, opening up new connection opportunities for Thai Binh enterprises and potential international partners.

Another factor for Thai Binh to rise strongly in attracting FDI is the determination and close direction of leaders of province, departments, branches and localities, which are increasingly proactive, creative and strongly innovate in thinking, determining that the satisfaction of enterprises and people is a measuring tool of work efficiency. The investment environment is open, administrative procedures are public and transparent with many policies to encourage and support enterprises in a substantial way; high-quality public services, the time to process investment procedures is shortened to the maximum to save costs and time for enterprises. Provincial leaders regularly listen and substantially remove difficulties and obstacles for enterprises.

- Sir, from the very beginning, how was political will of Thai Binh steering committee established and set goals for attracting FDI capital?

- The Resolution of the 20^th Provincial Party Congress and the Provincial Planning in the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, clearly stated that one of the top important tasks of the province in the period 2021 - 2026 is to attract investment and develop enterprises. From there, realizing the goal of striving to build Thai Binh into a fairly developed province by 2025, catching up with the leading group by 2030 and becoming a developed province in the Red River Delta region by 2045. Thai Binh also sets a goal that by 2030, it will be one of the industrial development centers of the Red River Delta region; having a modern economic structure with industry as the main driving force for growth so that Thai Binh can develop rapidly, comprehensively and sustainably.

In order to promote the advantage of more than 54km of coastline, the future development orientation of Thai Binh is to open up development space through “sea encroachment” activities. This is both an inevitable trend and an aspiration; at the same time, new and breakthrough points identified in the Planning of Thai Binh province. Therefore, Thai Binh province is focusing on building and developing Thai Binh Economic Zone into a key point, a driving force for economic development of the province in a multi-sector, multi-field direction, with synchronous and modern infrastructure, an attractive “entrenched fortification” to attract investors, especially FDI investors. The province plans to localize the coastal districts of Thai Thuy and Tien Hai in the Economic Zone as the main driving force to focus on developing the marine economy, attracting investment in the fields of seaport, trade services, tourism and seafood; exploitation and processing of oil and gas, mine gas; urban infrastructure and housing; high-tech agriculture, etc.

Thanks to the continuous reform efforts, Thai Binh’s economy has recently had very positive changes, both in quantity and quality.

Instead of attracting a large number of projects, Thai Binh has shifted from “quantity” to “quality” in the direction of attracting to the field of high-tech industry, environmentally friendly technology, clean energy, renewable energy to promote green growth towards sustainable and in-depth development; at the same time, focusing on attracting fundamental industries in which the province has advantages such as material industry, supporting industry, chemicals, processing, manufacturing, industry serving agriculture, gas power, wind power and electronics in accordance with the viewpoints and policies of the Party and the State.

It is not contingent that, in the context of domestic and world economies with difficulties, Thai Binh is still a bright spot in attracting investment in the Northern region. With the attention and direction of the Provincial Party Secretary and the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, the provincial leaders have proactively “knocked on the door” of big domestic groups and investors and directly traveled to many countries around the world to invite and persuade groups and enterprises to invest in Thai Binh. Then, they directly took them to survey the fact and had options to quickly resolve investors’ requests. In particular, to support investors, Thai Binh has established the Center for support, investment promotion and development of the province; the investment promotion working Group from Korea - Korea Desk Thai Binh; special working Group to remove difficulties and obstacles, efficiently support enterprises, investors, and investment projects in the province, headed by the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; 3 working groups to direct the resolution of outstanding tasks and difficulties, headed by the Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People’s Committee; Working group to support the implementation of LNG power project...

With the spirit of dedication and the desire to build and develop the homeland, the leaders at all levels in the province have innovated, created and determined in their leadership and management with the motto “taking people and enterprises as the center of service”; at the same time, daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility for the common interests of the province; determined to reform administrative procedures, create a strong change in the investment and business environment, improve the competitiveness of the province to successfully implement the goals, tasks and solutions set out in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress and the Provincial Planning.

2/3 of the term has passed, the will and aspiration of the Party Committee, government and people of Thai Binh province in the journey to break the situation of “monoculture” of rice, to be in the top “billion-dollar” provinces and cities in terms of FDI have been being demonstrated by the drastic actions of local Party committees and authorities; at the same time, it is affirmed that the 2020 - 2025 term is the period for Thai Binh to concretize its aspirations and identify new breakthrough development goals.

- Objectively speaking, sir, in comparing advantages, what are the disadvantages of Thai Binh compared to other localities in attracting FDI that make you most worried?

- It is possible to point out some of the province’s shortcomings and limitations such as low per capita income, small economic scale; the proportion of agriculture in the economic structure is still high; administrative reform, although being promoted, has not yet met the requirements; digital transformation is still slow; the urbanization rate of the province is still low... These are the “bottlenecks” that need to be removed for Thai Binh to make a stronger breakthrough in the coming time.

In addition, investment mobilization activities and investment promotion forms are still simple, not flexible and diverse. Investment cooperation activities and enterprise exchanges of the province with the enterprises of other province and foreign countries are still limited. The construction of information system and database to serve the province’s investment promotion activities has been updated regularly, promptly, consistently and synchronously, however, it has not yet met the requirements set out in investment promotion activities at the conferences abroad.

On the other hand, the province’s infrastructure is in the stage of being invested completely and synchronically, so inter-regional traffic connections are still limited; the economic scale is small, the starting point is low, the efficiency, competitiveness and growth quality of the economy are not high. The development of value-added and high-tech industries and supporting industries is still limited. Service development is still slow, there are no modern types of services that are attractive and sustainable.

Although Thai Binh has achieved important results in attracting investment, especially attracting FDI, these results are only initial, not commensurate with the expectations, potentials and advantages of the province because the space for industrial development is still very large.

- Creation of a real consensus among cadres and public servants is not an easy task in many localities. So in Thai Binh, sir, how has this content been disseminated and thoroughly grasped by the competent authorities to all levels and sectors to minimize subjective obstacles caused by humans?

- Determining the quality of cadres and public servants as the direct subject to change the face of the province’s administration, create a premise for improving service quality and socio-economic development, the Provincial People’s Committee has promulgated Directive No. 09/CT-UBND, dated 8 August 2022 on strengthening administrative disciplines in agencies, units, and localities in the province and related regulations on strengthening administrative disciplines.

Along with that, the province launched the emulation movement “Responsibility, discipline, strengthening reform, taking opportunities, breaking through to move forward”; at the same time, continue to promote the emulation movement “Cadres, public servants, and officials of Thai Binh province emulate to implement the office culture” in the period of 2019 - 2025, creating a widespread spread, creating a strong change in awareness and action, raising awareness and public ethics of cadres, public servants, and officials... In addition, Thai Binh also implemented the pilot construction of model of “Friendly government to serve the people” in communes, wards, and townships in the province. Up to now, the whole province has had 16 communes, wards, and townships piloting the model according to the province’s project.

Along with the above contents, Thai Binh has organized conferences to meet and discuss with department heads and equivalent levels, listen to the thoughts and aspirations of the cadres and public servants of some agencies, units and localities on administrative reform and socio-economic development of the province. From there, grasp the actual situation at the grassroots level. On that basis, propose solutions to facilitate the team of cadres and public servants at the department level to perform assigned tasks.

With the consistent viewpoint of “taking the satisfaction of the people and organizations as a measuring tool of work efficiency”, agencies, units, localities and each cadre and public servant have constantly innovated, created, and changed their thinking from “administrative management” to “administrative service”. PCI indicators such as “Government dynamism”, “Land Access indicator”, “Market Entry”, “Time Cost”, “Transparency” ... in Thai Binh province in recent years have been all improved, increased points clearly... This is a good sign, creating a premise for Thai Binh to move towards building a modern, professional administration, serving the people.

- To attract FDI capital more efficiently in the future, sir, what specific mechanisms and laws does Thai Binh recommend to the Central agencies to amend or supplement?

- It can be seen that the achieved results in attracting FDI capital resources of the province in the past time have affirmed the initial efficiency, at the same time creating a solid foundation for the province in building an attractive and modern investment environment, improving the quality of growth, thereby making Thai Binh develop more and more rapidly and sustainably.

To further improve the efficiency of investment attraction of Thai Binh in the coming time, Thai Binh proposes and recommends that the Government, the Prime Minister and central ministries and branches promptly remove difficulties and obstacles in fields such as land, housing development, economic zone and industrial parks, industry and trade, public investment and investment under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode...; urgently have decrees and circulars guiding the implementation of the Land Law 2024 and the Housing Law 2023, especially issues that need to be resolved in site clearance, land recovery, land price determination, social housing, commercial housing, etc., investment attraction policies and mechanisms.

Along with that, it is hoped that the Central agencies will continue to create conditions for Thai Binh province to participate in working delegations of leaders of the Party, State, ministries and branches on business trips abroad to introduce the province’s potentials, strengths and investment opportunities to foreign partners. Research and orient investment promotion mode in the inter-provincial and inter-regional directions to further improve the efficiency of investment promotion and attraction activities of localities. Support the promotion of information on the environment, potentials and investment opportunities of the province through investment promotion agencies of ministries and branches abroad; at the same time, organize training courses, create conditions for cadres working in investment promotion in provinces and cities to study, exchange and share experience.

- Sincerely thank you!