Resolution No. 02 on tasks and solutions to improve business environment and national competitiveness

RESOLUTION

on continued implementation of major tasks and solutions for improving the business environment and the national competitiveness in 2021

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 124/2020/QH14 dated November 11, 2020 of the National Assembly on the Socio-economic Development Plan for 2021;

At the propsal of the Minister of Planning and Investment,

RESOLVES:

I. EVALUATION OF THE SITUATION

Since 2014, thanks to the implementation of the Government’s annual resolutions on improving business climate and sharpening national competitiveness according to international practices (Resolution No. 19/NQ-CP 2014-2018 and Resolution No. 02/NQ-CP for the years 2019-2020), ministries, branches, localities, and the business community have gradually been instilled and fully aware of the importance of improving the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness, and become increasingly proactive and active in deploying solutions within their assigned scope of competence. As a result, thousands of improper regulations have been abolished, business environment quality and competitiveness have been improved, as reflected in various international rankings.

Though Viet Nam is a low middle-income country (127th), the country was ranked 70th out of 190 economies in the 2019 World Bank's Ease of Doing Business (up 20 places from 2015), 67th out of 141 economies in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 (up 10 places compared to 2018. Over the past five years, Viet Nam’s tourism competitiveness jumped 12 places to 63^rd; logistics ranking 39^th, up 25 places; global innovation index ranking 42, up 17 places; sustainable development index ranking 49^th (up 34 places from 2016). In addition, there have been significant improvements in many other indices, with electricity access jumping 81 spots to 27^th while information technology application climbing up 54 places to 41^st, etc.

In 2020, together with the efforts to well manage the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government and the Prime Minister directed ministries, branches, and localities to pay utmost attention to implementing solutions to support enterprises to overcome multifaceted impacts of the pandemic and to boosting recovery. The year 2021 has important implications for our country's socio-economic development in the new normal as the country will foster post-pandemic recovery. It is the first year Viet Nam implements the Socio-economic Development Strategy for 2021-2030 and the Socio-economic Development Plan for 2021-2025. Successful realization of this year’s targets and tasks will create foundation and source of encouragement for the following years.

To continue to create greater improvements in the business environment and national competitiveness, the Government issued this Resolution on continued implementation of major tasks and solutions for improving the business environment and sharpening the national competitiveness in 2021.

II. OBJECTIVES

Focus on completion of the general goals and specific goals for 2021 as enshrined in the Resolution No. 02/NQ-CP dated January 01, 2019 on continued implementation of major tasks and solutions for improving the business environment and sharpening the national competitiveness in 2019 and orientations to 2021.

III. MAJOR TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

Ministries, branches, People's Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces shall perform the following tasks and solutions:

1. Continue to comprehensively, consistently and effectively implement tasks and solutions according to the specific objectives and targets set out in Resolutions  No. 02/NQ-CP adopted in 2019 and 2020, in which, attention shall be paid to the following indicators: Construction Licensing, Asset Registration, Settlement of Contract Disputes, Settlement of Corporate Bankruptcy, Quality of Land Administration, Application of Information Technology, Quality of Vocational Training, Skills of Students, Registration of Inventions and Patents, Corruption Control, Sustainable Ecosystem, etc.

2. Focus on instantly addressing shortcomings in coordination among related agencies and units by: (i) identification of line agencies/units; (ii) clear and transparent division of rights and responsibilities between line agencies/units and coordinating agencies/units while at the same time handling shortcomings arisen due to the lack of unspecified, overlapping, conflicting and replicated regulations on state management in the fields of investment, land, construction, and resources and environment. Integrate legal documents in order to ensure synchronous, transparent and accessible legal system that is easy to understand and find.

3. Concentrate on implementing tasks and solutions for digital transformation in accordance with Decision No. 749/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2020 of the Prime Minister on approving the national digital transformation program through 2025 and orientations to 2030 in tandem with administrative reform, with an emphasis on solutions to enhance readiness and adaptability to new production model in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Focus on: (i) provision of level-3 and level-4 online public services (especially essential services in healthcare, education and training, social security areas), (ii) acceleration of non-cash payment and e-commerce development, (iii) information technology application so as to strengthen transparency of procedures, (iv) development and implementation of a support program for corporate digital transformation in the 2021-2025 period.

4. Direct the compilation and implementation of medium-and long-term strategies/plans with clear targets and specific roadmaps to create solid improvements in such fundamental indicators ecological environment, multidimensional poverty reduction, development in mountainous and remote areas, etc; strive to maintain and improve rankings of sustainable development while strengthening communication to raise the awareness of the whole society, especially the business community, of the contents and significance of sustainable development in order to quickly develop a business community with sustainable development.

5. Continue to support people and enterprises to restore production and business, overcome the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IV. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached bodies and Chairmen of the provincial-level People's Committees shall directly direct and take responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister for the implementation results of the Government’s Resolutions on improving the business environment and sharpening the national competitiveness.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached bodies and the provincial-level People's Committees shall strictly follow the reporting regime. Before June 10 and before December 10, 2021, they shall have to make reports on six-month and whole-year implementation results of the Resolution and send them to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (the Central Institute for Economic Management) and the Government Office for synthesis and reporting to the Government and the Prime Minister at the Government's regular meetings in June and at the end of the year./.