Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Removing “Institutional Bottlenecks”

Recently, General Secretary To Lam has frequently spoken about “bottlenecks.” He identifies the three biggest current bottlenecks as institutions, infrastructure, and human resources, noting that institutions represent the “bottleneck of all bottlenecks.” In Ba Ria – Vung Tau (BRVT), the Provincial Party Committee and the People’s Committee have actively addressed the institutional bottleneck for many years.

The “Special Task Force” Model
With a mission to serve, create, and collaborate with investors and businesses, BRVT’s Special Task Force was established in May 2023. It includes 10 members, led by Provincial People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Tho as Task Force Head and Director of the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI) Le Ngoc Linh as Deputy Head.

The Special Task Force is responsible for reviewing and addressing obstacles encountered in the implementation of investment projects across the province. It provides guidance to ensure consistent interpretation of investment laws and related regulations, resolves obstacles, and promotes project progress. It also proposes solutions within the purview of relevant authorities and monitors the resolution process.

Since its establishment, the Task Force has received and addressed numerous requests, promptly resolving issues to create a favorable environment for businesses and investors.

Most requests involve matters such as land-use conversion, building plan adjustments, legal procedures, VAT refunds, land-use extensions, site clearance, investment deposit requirements, and financial obligation determination.

As Task Force Head, Chairman Nguyen Van Tho frequently directs the DPI to coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and other departments to review and process each business’s request based on project legality. If difficulties arise during the process, timely reports are submitted to the Provincial People’s Committee for resolution. Guidance is continually provided to businesses and investors for completing project procedures, and strict action is taken against delayed projects.

To achieve this, BRVT's Department of Justice has worked to improve the quality of commentary, evaluation, and control of administrative procedures, as well as legal document review. Efforts to innovate in legal dissemination and education have also been strengthened. Inspection and monitoring, particularly in judicial support areas, have been reinforced to assist in resolving issues at district and commune levels.

In addition to the Special Task Force, on June 1, 2024, the People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau (BRVT) issued Decision No. 1332/QD-UBND to establish a Task Force to support businesses and investors in accessing information and expediting investment processes and procedures for the province’s priority investment projects.

Strengthening Decentralization

At this session, Provincial Party Secretary Pham Viet Thanh highlighted BRVT’s limitations, such as the slow implementation of key projects, low public investment disbursement rates, underperforming budget revenue indicators, weak planning and regulatory adjustments, and slow progress in social housing development and private sector investment in healthcare and education.

These issues stem primarily from weaknesses in implementation, including a lack of decisiveness among some leaders and insufficient inter-agency coordination. Decentralization has not been fully realized and remains somewhat superficial. Without timely, clear delegation and accountability, these issues could impact BRVT’s ability to fulfill political objectives and achieve socio-economic development targets.

Following this session, the People’s Committee and local agencies drafted detailed plans and solutions with clear responsibilities, timelines, and expected outcomes. They emphasized strengthening practical decentralization, clarifying responsibilities, enhancing supervision, and enforcing discipline in public administration.

Regarding investors, BRVT has worked quickly to resolve long-delayed projects, supporting businesses and eliminating obstacles in project execution. Efforts are underway to increase occupancy rates across industrial parks and clusters in the province.

Thanks to these decisive measures, BRVT has achieved impressive growth over the first 10 months of 2024, exceeding initial targets. Industrial production - especially manufacturing and processing - has contributed significantly to the province’s economic growth. The industrial production index (excluding oil and gas) rose by 15.34%, well above the target of 10.11%. High growth was recorded in food production, chemicals, metals, and electronic products, underscoring the industrial sector’s leadership role in the province’s economy.

BRVT continues to affirm its position as one of the most attractive destinations for investors. In the first 10 months of the year, the province attracted 27 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, with total registered capital reaching USD 145.4 million. The FDI target was achieved at 95.95% of the annual plan, indicating strong interest from foreign investors. Meanwhile, domestic investment reached 168.3% of the plan, reflecting local businesses’ confidence in BRVT’s development potential.