Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Dinh La Thang, right, and BBGV Chairman Kenneth Atkinson. — Photo VNA

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — Authorities of HCM City will continue to hold meetings with local and foreign businesspeople to promptly remove obstacles faced by them.

This was pledged by Dinh La Thang, secretary of the HCM City Party Committee.

During his meeting with Kenneth Atkinson, chairman of the British Business Group in Viet Nam (BBGV), on June 21, he also said the city would continue improving the local business climate.

Thang hailed BBGV for conducting a lot of market studies and serving as a link between Vietnamese and UK firms.

The United Kingdom is the eighth largest investor in HCM City with two-way trade hitting US$875 million last year, he said, adding that he hoped Atkinson and the BBGV would keep calling for UK investment in the city.

Atkinson, for his part, put forward suggestions involving an extension of the stay of businesspeople, the granting of work permit to foreigners and the settlement of civil disputes, which he said, would make it easier for UK business operations in Viet Nam.

He said a number of UK companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, were interested in doing business in Viet Nam, and the BBGV would help bring them here.

The BBGV currently comprises 490 members, Atkinson said. — VNS