An upcoming G2B (Government to Business) conference will target creating favourable conditions for business growth, not merely on solving existing problems facing enterprises, a senior official said on Monday.

Le Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Government Office, was addressing a press conference held to announce details of the second annual meeting between the Prime Minister and businesses on May 17.

He said the conference will broadly focus on the promulgation and implementation of Resolution 35/NQ-CP, taking in suggestions and requests from business associations and individual firms about improving the business environment in Viet Nam.

The inputs will be assessed and action by appropriate government agencies under the PM’s guidance, he added.

Vu Tien Loc, President of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said at the press meet that his institution will submit to the PM around 200 opinions, divided into five groups, from businesses across the country.

He said the feedback largely dealt with administrative reforms, protection of corporate rights, and the need to reduce operational and production costs.

Two noteworthy requests from businesses are the streamlining of overlapping legal directives and administrative regulations, he said.

Businesses mainly want cheaper loans, easier access to credit, a transparent dispute settling mechanism, a transparent inspection regimen and logistical solutions, Loc said.

A majority of 420 requests sent by businesses to the 2016 conference have been resolved and the few remaining are being processed, he said.

Resolution 35 has been positively received by 75 per cent of total national businesses, while about 30 per cent considered the changes wrought to be limited.

Ha said that this year’s conference will reinforce the importance of the private sector as being on par with foreign direct investment and the State-owned sector.

Loc also said that in order to achieve the 2020 goal of establishing a million domestic enterprises, local authorities and firms will have to work closely together.

G2B meetings are seen as an effective way to increase understanding and communication between the two sides on many topics of shared interest, including market mechanisms, administrative regulations, legal documents and public sector divestment.

About 2,000 representatives of domestic enterprises, roughly four times that of 2016, are set to attend the upcoming conference. Of these, 1,500 belong to the household business sector, the FDI sector, State-owned and equitised enterprises, and representatives from foreign embassies and major financial institutions.

Senior leaders from 63 provinces and cities will attend the meeting via online streaming. The PM and Deputy PMs will monitor the conference, while the Government Office, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the VCCI will chair the event. This year’s G2B conference, themed “Side by side with Enterprises”, will be held at the Viet Nam National Convention Centre. — VNS