Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh

To implement the Government’s Resolution 35/NQ-CP to support and develop enterprises by 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade would have to amend, add and abolish regulations on import and export licences, market management, competition and the part supplying industry. Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh speaks to the Vietnam News Agency about those issues.

The industry and trade field has had many enterprises. How does the Ministry of Industry and Trade respond to the resolution?

In addition to yearly resolutions on major tasks and solutions on implementing socio-economic development plans and the State budget, Resolution 35 has shown strategic acumen of the Government to solve long-term issues for the period of 2016-20.

The resolution is necessary at present because the local enterprises are starting to recover after a difficult period in production and business due to international and local impacts.  

It was issued after two months of establishing a new Government, but the Government prepared, studied and carefully assessed the contents of the resolution.

The Government also had many meetings to discuss ways to solve difficulties among enterprises and promote their development.

In particular, in the 2016 conference between the Prime Minister and enterprises in April, the Government collected opinions and suggestions from local enterprises for review, then issued Resolution 35 with specific tasks and solutions to solve all complaints from local enterprises.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has pledged to create the best conditions for local enterprises in implementing administrative procedures in the fields controlled by the ministry. It will also advise the Government to build policies meeting integration requirements.

To implement the resolution, the ministry is assigned to implement four tasks according to its functions. What is the ministry doing to complete its missions?

The ministry’s four missions are related to key fields of industry and trade and will give support and create a favourable development environment for local enterprises.

It has studied its missions and then set up specific plans in its action programme.

According to the programme, the ministry will promote administrative procedure reform by simplifying procedures and abolish unnecessary procedures. It will create favourable conditions for startup enterprises in development and support enterprises in renewing production and business and using new technology to improve production processes, quality of products and competitive ability.

The ministry will also promote the management and development of a healthy goods and service market in Viet Nam to ensure supply and demand of essential goods.

It will build a general strategy on developing the domestic market by 2025, with a vision towards 2035, and also devise a plan to develop the local market in close connection with the nation-wide programme that encourages the use of Vietnamese goods.

It also will promote information about international economic integration for local enterprises, including a guide on implementing commitments under international economic co-operation frameworks such as ASEAN, WTO, APEC, ASEM, as well as free trade agreements involving TPP, RCEP and EU-Viet Nam FTA, to improve integration ability and expand the export market of local firms.

The minister and deputy ministers of industry and trade will follow the implementation of the action programme and have timely plans to complete the ministry’s missions.

Reforms in granting import and export licences and managing the market, competition and part supplying industry have attracted attention from enterprises, which expect to see a favourable business environment and cost reductions. How does the ministry implement the reforms?

Resolution 35 has focused on solving issues to create more favourable conditions for local enterprises to develop and improve their competitive ability, leading to the promotion of sustainable socio-economic development in the future.

To implement its missions under the resolution, the ministry has studied its missions and listed specific tasks for departments and divisions of the ministry to undertake.

The ministry’s leaders will closely follow the implementation of the plans and then have timely and efficient directions for the departments and divisions to carry out these plans.

So far, the ministry has reviewed 20 legal documents regulating the granting of import and export licences and managing the market, competition and part supplying industry. The ministry has also checked regulations related to the management of fertiliser, chemical and mineral products, and food safety controlled by the ministry. —  VNS