Foreign investors who contribute capital to economic institutions won't have to deal with procedures involved in investment certification, according to a new decree. — Illustrative photo luatsuthudo.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Foreign investors who buy shares in or contribute capital to economic organisations won't have to deal with procedures involved in investment certification.

This is in accordance with Decree No 118/2015/ND-CP, which was issued on November 12 and takes effect on November 27, providing guidelines for the Investment Law 2014.

Quach Ngoc Tuan, the deputy head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI's) legal department, said the decree will ease procedures for foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises.

The economic institutions, with foreign investors' stakes or capital contribution, will be responsible for registering changes in shareholders or members with business registration agencies, if any.

This process is to conform to the laws on enterprises and economic institution-related legislation.

However, foreign investors will have to register with planning and investment departments themselves, in localities where the economic organisations are headquartered, in the following cases:

- The economic institutions deal in business areas that are accompanied by certain conditions for foreign investment, as stipulated by the authorities.

- The stake acquisition or capital contribution increases the share of foreign investors in the economic institutions from below 51 per cent to 51 per cent or more; or from 51 per cent to higher levels.

After receiving foreign investors' registration documents, the planning and investment departments will notify them whether they are qualified for their investments or not, within 15 days.

Tuan said foreign investors who are set to establish companies in Viet Nam will also be able to get investment certificates for their projects within 15 days with one-stop shop procedures.

The MPI will coordinate with other ministries and relevant agencies to review business sectors with conditions for foreign investment, in conformity with domestic and international laws, and release them on the national portal on foreign investment.

Following the new decree, the Government said it will provide support and incentives to investment projects involved in high-tech nursery, biotechnology development, information technology software manufacturing, and recycle and clean energy production.

The announcement has reportedly excited domestic startups, many of which told Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam recently that there was inadequate government support for the startup community.

There was a lack of tax incentives for internet-based service providers, while barriers in receiving foreign capital remain significant, they said. — VNS