Since its inception in 2005, the Viet Nam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in the country’s 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector businesses.

Da Nang ranked second in the PCI between 2005 and 2007, and then topped the ranking for the 3 consecutive years from 2008 to 2010.  However, it dropped into 5^th in 2011 and 12^th in 2012.  It then climbed back to top in 2013 and 2014. 

The city’s top position in 2014 was mainly attributed to the effective implementation of the city’s “Year for Business” programme and its focus on taking the initiative to simplify administrative procedures, and shorten the time for business registration procedures.

Chairman Tho (middle) receiving the souvenir cup in recognition of Da Nang’s top position in the PCI 2014 on behalf of the local leaders and people

In addition, special attention was paid to giving financial and credit aid to local businesses, renewing equipment and technology, promoting the development of the local tourism sector, and training high-quality human resources.  Many local businesses accessed preferential loans from the city’s Credit Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the local Development and Investment Fund, and the Science and Technology Development Fund. 

Moreover, many trade promotion programmes were organised in order to help local businesses to expand their consumer markets to foreign countries such as Laos, Thailand, Japan and Germany. 

Over 153 million VND from the city’s budget was spent on providing training courses on improving business management skills for local businesses, and on organising 30 job fairs which offered 9,700 job opportunities in the city.

The municipal People’s Committee Chairman, Mr Huynh Duc Tho, has pledged that the local authorities will continue their efforts to assist local businesses to together secure the city’s top position in the PCI rankings in the years ahead.  Greater efforts will be made to improve the local investment environment to attract more domestic and foreign investors.