The information was jointly announced by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the US Agency for International Development on March 28.
Quang Ninh has taken the crown for a second consecutive year.
In 2018, it scored 70.36 points out of 100 in the points scoring system, followed by the three Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap with 70.19 points, Long An with 68.09 points, and Ben Tre with 67.67 points.
According to VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc, enterprises questioned in the 2018 PCI-related surveys saw optimistic prospects for their businesses. 49 per cent of the surveyed private firms and 56 per cent of the FDI enterprises planned to expand their operations over the next two years, he added.
However, the survey results also indicated that the number of businesses facing difficulties is on the rise, especially among small and medium-sized businesses, the VCCI Chairman said.
In addition, the local business climate in 2018 improved considerably against 2017, with reduced unofficial costs and business conditions and better administrative reforms.
Of note, the PCI 2018 report reviews local private firms’ capability in accessing the global value chain, indicating that they confronted a number of difficulties and barriers.
Therefore, the solution to be implemented in the future is to inform more widely and guide enterprises on domestic legal regulations as well as international commitments on available dispute settlement mechanisms.
