Ho Chi Minh City marks 20th anniversary of Japan roundtable

The Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) and the Japanese Business Association of Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH) jointly held a ceremony on December 14 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Japan Roundtable.

Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan speaking at the event
Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan speaking at the event

The Japan Roundtable has been held since 1998, as a forum between the Japanese business community in Ho Chi Minh City and the municipal government.

Speaking at the ceremony, JCCH Chairman Mizushima Kozo stated that the roundtable is an opportunity for Japanese companies to report their difficulties for city authorities to consider and deal with in a timely manner.

He added that its significance is not only towards enterprises currently operating in the city, but also potential investors, helping them to ensure confidence when doing business in Ho Chi Minh City.

Kozo highlighted Ho Chi Minh City as an attractive destination to Japanese investors, as well as international investors in general, thanks to an abundant source of workers and a large population with higher incomes.

Speaking at the event, Ho Chi Minh City Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan underlined the impressive growth of Japanese investment throughout the city, despite the impact of COVID-19, as reflecting the confidence of Japanese investors in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

He stated that at the end of November 2021, the total number of Japanese projects in Ho Chi Minh City was 3,218, with a total capital of 7.4 billion USD, ranking 4th among 116 foreign investors.

Over the past 20 years, based on the opinions of Japanese companies, the Ho Chi Minh City government has stepped up administrative reform, considering it as one of the key measures to promote socio-economic development.