The EuroCham Central Viet Nam Business Forum (ECV Business Forum) 2018, and the introduction of the 2018 White Book on Trade and Investment Issues and Recommendations took place in Da Nang on Thursday.

Municipal People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho exchanging ideas with EuroCham representatives on the sidelines of the event

In attendance at the event were municipal People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho, EuroCham Co-Chairman Denis Brunetti, and the leaders of a total of 20 businesses from Da Nang and European countries.

In his remarks at the event, Chairman Tho noted that European Union (EU) member countries have always been considered to be Da Nang’s potential foreign markets.

Recent years have seen continually rising export revenues from the city to EU. In 2017, the total imports from the EU to Da Nang reached 316 million US$.

To date, there have been 73 European-invested projects, worth more than 219 million US$ in total, in Da Nang.

In particular, EuroCham has actively been involved in advertising Da Nang’s investment environment to the business community in Europe.

Chairman Tho also remarked that constructive recommendations made by EuroCham and mentioned in the 2018 White Book would help to enhance the Vietnamese investment and business environment, thereby ensuring the implementation of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement.

The city leader pledged that the most favorable conditions would be created for European investors to effectively implement projects in the city.

Co-Chairman Denis Brunetti highly appreciated Da Nang’s sustainable development strategies, and introduced some key information in the 2018 White Book.

The 10^th edition of the White Book is a collective expression of the views of EuroCham member companies operating in a wide range of industries. The publication echoes the European business community’s desire to support the Vietnamese Government to develop the current legal framework, contributing to a prosperous business environment in Viet Nam for the benefit of all companies, investors and society. 

According to the 2018 White Book, Viet Nam is an attractive destination for foreign investors, thanks to a number of legislative changes such as reducing tariffs, easing licensing conditions for foreign workers, tax incentives for business expansion or removal of corporate taxes.

The book also makes recommendations in terms of healthcare, agriculture, food and nutrition, consumer choice, sustainability and efficiency, as well as legal, tax and customs, from the addition of statutory representation to single member limited liability companies or the construction of a sustainable energy roadmap to attract new investments, to the enforcement of intellectual property rights.

In its 10^th edition, the book marks not only 30 years of European foreign direct investment into Viet Nam, but also 20 years since the establishment of EuroCham.

With regard to the educational sector, Ms Catherine McKinley, the Director of Green Shoots International School, Viet Nam, suggested that the city authorities should assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing administrative procedures regarding land access for the development of educational establishments, and the granting of work permits for their foreign teachers.

In reply, Deputy Director of the Investment Promotion Centre Huynh Lien Phuong, noted that one of the solutions mentioned in the landmark campaign ‘2018: The Year of Investment Promotion’ is to ensure the transparency in grating investment licences for investors, and facilitate them to access land.

In his recommendations regarding tourism, the Spanish Deputy Consul General in Da Nang, Mr Jose Sanchez Barroso Gonzalez, underlined a need for the city to facilitate the opening of more direct flights connecting with renowned tourist attractions in the Southeast Asian region in the coming time, and boost closer links with other localities in Central Viet Nam, hereby developing itself into a tourism hub and a transit point for even more foreign tourists.

Mr Dang Ngoc Hai, Director of the city’s branch of Axon Active Viet Nam presented some suggestions remarked about increasing the quality and quality of IT human resources working in the city, with one focus on adding the internships programme to the compulsory syllabus for IT students.