Phu Tho identifies businesses as the center of every decision

An incense offering ceremony was held at the Hùng Kings Temple Relic Site

Identifying businesses as one of the important driving forces for socio-economic development, over the past time, Phu Tho province has had many important solutions, facilitating businesses to develop and meet the requirements of international integration.

Could you tell us about the highlights of the business picture in Phu Tho province over the past time?

After the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Resolution No. 25-NQ/TU dated May 3, 2017 on business development in Phu Tho until 2020, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 2363/KH-UBND dated June 8, 2017 identifying 30 groups of tasks for all levels, sectors and mass organizations, in which it focuses on administrative reform and development of infrastructure, human resources and other issues related to improving the business investment environment in the province. Thereby, creating a foundation for cognitive transformation, promoting innovation and creativity in the business community and people; shaping a new face of a dynamic local government; identifying businesses as the center of every decision so as to promote socio-economic indicators and economic growth rate of the province.

By the end of 2020, Phu Tho had a total of 8,764 businesses with a total registered capital of 66,401 billion VND. In which, there are 3,513 newly established enterprises with registered capital of 25,933 billion VND, up 8.17% YoY on average; The ratio of enterprises' contribution to total social investment capital of the province reached 52.5%; Regular jobs available for 151.600 employees… As of September 30, 2021, there are 9,316 enterprises in Phu Tho with a registered capital of VND 67,076 billion. In the period 2017-2020, Phu Tho also attracted 658 projects of enterprises with an investment capital of 128,773 billion VND.

In your opinion, what are the advantages of Phu Tho in investment attraction and business development?

Phu Tho is located as one of the gateways of Hanoi as well as the center of the transitional zone between Hanoi and the Northern provinces. Phu Tho is 50km from Noi Bai international airport, 80km from Hanoi city center, 170km from Hai Phong port, 200km from Ha Khau international border gate, and Thanh Thuy - Lang Son border gate. In recent years, the province's infrastructure has been invested synchronously in the direction of modernization, with convenient and smooth road and waterway traffic. Noi Bai - Lao Cai highway passing through Phu Tho has 3 connection points, including IC7 - Viet Tri city; IC8 - Phu Ninh, and IC11- Ha Hoa…

Besides the potential, advantages of geography, natural resources, socio-economic development..., reliable policies have been seen as an important factor in attracting businesses. In recent years, the investment environment in Phu Tho has been increasingly improved towards transparency, openness, convenience, and friendliness. Phu Tho has always pledged to listen, share and accompany businesses through special mechanisms and policies on incentives, investment attraction, and investment promotion. Phu Tho province's PCI index has continuously gone up in recent years. In 2020, Phu Tho's PCI index increased 4 places compared to 2019, ranked 22nd nationwide and 3rd in the Northern mountainous region.

Mr. Trinh The Truyen, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment of Phu Tho province

Along with the PCI index, Phu Tho’s Public Administrative Reform Index (PAR INDEX) increased 10 places compared to 2019 and ranked 10th out of 63 provinces and cities, leading the Northern Midlands and Mountains region; Phu Tho’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) increased by 5 places compared to 2019, ranked 38th out of 63 provinces and cities; Phu Tho’s Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) reached 88.20% of the overall satisfaction rate, ranked 21st out of 63 provinces and cities, up 4 places compared to 2019.

These figures represent Phu Tho’s steady steps in the journey of improving the investment and business environment, building the service government, etc. These advantages have contributed to making Phu Tho a bright spot in investment attraction and business development in the Northern Midlands and Mountainous areas.

In fact, the investment environment of Phu Tho province has improved over the past time. Especially, administrative reform is considered a bright spot of Phu Tho when the PAR INDEX ranked in the TOP 10 provinces and cities around the country. What is Phu Tho’s breakthrough in this regard, sir?

With the purpose of creating a breakthrough in administrative reform, removing difficulties to create favorable conditions for enterprises to develop production and business, over the past time, Phu Tho has focused on reviewing and shortening the processing time for administrative procedures related to business registration, project appraisal, approval of investment policy, construction permit, reducing the time for settling investment procedures (from 35 days to 18 days); stepping up online business registration, on average, there are 1,200 times of online business registration YoY, accounting for 26% of applications.

The province has developed a set of criteria for assessing the satisfaction of enterprises through PAR scoring for 20 departments, sectors, 13 districts, 5 non-business units, 8 central vertical agencies. Annually, the province has reviewed and evaluated to improve the service quality of the administrative agencies. Phu Tho’s Public Administration Service Center came into operation on October 1, 2018, and Phu Tho has always improved the quality of the Department that receives documents and returns results in 13/13 districts. As a result, the processing time for administrative procedures was shortened, the rate of dossiers processed before and on time reached 99.84%. 

Phu Tho applied IT in solving administrative procedures; built public service website; connected the Provincial Public Service Portal with the National Public Service Portal, ensuring 100% connection of State agencies; digitalized the administrative procedures processing process by granting 2,086 digital signatures to officials at all levels. Up to now, the province has 1,363 level-3 public administrative procedures (reaching 76.5%) and 168 level-4 public administrative procedures (reaching 9.4%).

Along with the oriented planning to develop priority fields and sectors for each period, associated with the annual land-use plan, Phu Tho has concretized and built a list of priority projects as well as incentives to call for investment in the province. Annually, Phu Tho has developed the SME development plan, creating conditions to support the startup ecosystem under the Decision No. 1566/QD-TTg dated December 17, 2012 of the Prime Minister and Resolution No. 35/NQ-CP on development enterprises by 2025.

In particular, the province has directed and ensured disoverlap in the inspection of enterprises. Annually, the province has agreed to develop a plan for general inspection of the whole province, no more than once a year at enterprises, creating favorable conditions for enterprises to invest with confidence. The province has also maintained a hotline to support direct answers on related fields such as business registration, tax, customs, land, environment, construction, fire protection...

Could you briefly share about Phu Tho's orientation in business development in the coming period?

The 19th Phu Tho Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term has determined to make a breakthrough in drastically improving the business and investment environment. So, competitiveness improvement is a task and also an important goal to build a dynamic Phu Tho to attract investment and develop businesses.

Thank you very much!