Vietnam vows to partner with Korean firms to overcome hardship: minister

Vietnam pledges to work closely with countries, including the Republic of Korea (RoK), to overcome difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Minister - Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung.

Minister - Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung (R) speaks at the event. (Photo: VGP)
Minister - Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung (R) speaks at the event. (Photo: VGP)

During a dialogue in Hanoi on July 17 between the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Reform and the Korean business community in Vietnam, Dung said since the beginning of this year, the Government has cut down 239 business conditions, raising the total to almost 3,900 out of nearly 6,200.

The Government of Vietnam also slashed 6,776 out of 9,926 administrative procedures, as well as 30 out of 120 specialised administrative procedures.

In particular, the Government also issued Decree No. 45/2020/ND-CP on handling administrative procedures on electronic platform, cutting and simplifying at least 20% of regulations and 20 percent of costs related to business operations during the 2020-2025 period.

Together with the opening of the National Reporting Centre on August 15, the 1,000th public service related to motorbike and automobile registration is expected to be launched on the national public service portal, he said.

Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Park Nok-wan, for his part, suggested that the council should soon build a mechanism to normalise bilateral exchanges following the pandemic, assist key staff in entering Vietnam for work, shorten quarantine time, and minimise red tape.

He proposed the Government extend the support time for businesses and improve protection role of Vietnamese trade agencies.

Expressing his belief that the wave of Korean investment in Vietnam will heat up soon, Park urged Korean firms to actively devise their strategies to meet demand.

The ambassador proposed holding the dialogue two times a year in the near future as the two countries will celebrate the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2022.

Korean enterprises attending the event also offered suggestions regarding the double taxation avoidance agreement, exports-imports, logistics, administrative reform, fast-track service for immigration, among others.

Representatives from ministries and agencies answered questions and introduced resolutions on tackling difficulties for production and trade, disbursement of public investment capital and ensuring social safety amid COVID-19.

A bilateral cooperation plan post-COVID-19 was also tabled for discussions, with a focus on official development assistance used for rural development, education, smart city building, transportation, policymaking and building of a Vietnam - Korea industrial park.