At the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2017 held on December 15, Ousmane Dione stated that effective and efficient logistics and connectivity are essential to Vietnam’s regional and global competitiveness.
"Logistics performance is particularly important for an economy like Vietnam that is highly dependent on participation in global value chains and exports. Ultimately, this will translate into productivity gain which Vietnam needs to achieve its ambitious development objectives." the WB Country Director for Vietnam noted.
He said that while Vietnam has made significant progress in improving logistics infrastructure and services, there is still ample room for further improvement as Vietnam’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index dropped from 48 in 2014 to 64 in 2016. During the same period, other economies improved their performance much faster than Vietnam, meaning it is losing competitiveness.
A strategy to enhance trade competitiveness in complementarity to trade liberalisation is needed to support Vietnam’s vision of becoming an upper middle -income country by 2035 with a more sophisticated economy and exports that sustain accelerated growth, he added.
Thus, Ousmane Dione recommended the Government and the private sector to define a clear agenda for reform if the quality of logistics services is to be raised in order to meet the demand of an increasingly sophisticated economy.
He also pointed out key aspects of this strategy, including promoting trade facilitation by simplifying customs and specialised management regulations; enhancing efficiency of trade-related infrastructure and the quality of connectivity; building a competitive logistics service sector; and strengthening interagency coordination and partnership with the private sector.
On the occasion, the Vietnam Logistics Report 2017 was also launched which provided a close look at the inherent vantage points and dynamics of international markets, revealing Vietnam logistics sector’s great potential for growth and deep integration in the global logistics arena.
The Vietnam Logistics Forum is held by Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, the Vietnam Economic Times, and the World Bank in Vietnam, with financing from the Australia-Bank Partnership Trust Fund.
