Positioning Dong Nai on Vietnam’s FDI map (Final part)

Final part: The “key” to retaining FDI investors

To maintain its position among the leading localities nationwide in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in recent years, Dong Nai has identified a decisive “key” throughout its development process as consistently listening to, accompanying and creating the most favourable conditions for enterprises to address difficulties and obstacles promptly.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, member of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Dong Nai Provincial People Committee (left), visits the exhibition booth of a Japanese enterprise at the Vietnam – Japan Trade Connectivity Conference in November 2025. Photo: Ngoc Lien

To date, many enterprises that have operated for many years continue to choose Dong Nai to increase investment capital and expand production and business activities. According to these enterprises, when an “enabling and service-oriented government” is maintained and implemented through concrete actions, Dong Nai has succeeded in building trust among investors.

Creating a favourable investment environment

Since opening up its economy, Dong Nai has determined that attracting FDI inflows is only the initial step, while retaining investors is the decisive factor for sustainable development. Therefore, the province has adopted the motto of “government accompanying enterprises”, not only focusing on attracting new projects but also prioritising improvements to the investment environment and strengthening the confidence of enterprises already operating in the locality.

The spirit of a "service-oriented government" has been translated into a series of administrative reform measures, including shortening the time required for investment licensing and enterprise registration, investing in the completion of industrial zone infrastructure, and deploying an integrated electronic one-stop system that enables investors to monitor the progress of administrative procedures transparently. These measures make it easier for enterprises to complete procedures remotely, thereby saving both time and costs.

Regarding the support from the provincial leadership and various departments and agencies in Dong Nai, at the dialogue conference between Dong Nai customs and enterprises operating in the province in September 2025, Dien Khon Truong, Chairman of the Taiwan Trade Association in Dong Nai, noted that many Taiwanese enterprises have been investing in Dong Nai for decades. In recent years, they have received substantial support from provincial leadership, prompting the Taiwanese enterprises to continue expanding and launching new investment projects in the province. To date, Taiwan (China) remains among the leading countries and territories in terms of investment projects in Dong Nai, with total capital exceeding USD 5.6 billion. Notably, several high-tech Taiwanese enterprises have recently invested in sectors such as electronics, semiconductors and supporting industries, which align closely with the priority sectors of both Vietnam and Dong Nai.

In recent years, embassies, consulates general, and FDI enterprises visiting Dong Nai to explore investment environment have shared the common view that the province is an ideal destination for FDI investors. Dong Nai has maintained regular meetings with FDI enterprises to promptly identify and address difficulties arising during project implementation and business operations, accompanying enterprises in overcoming challenges and enhancing operational efficiency. This approach demonstrates that the Dong Nai authorities regard enterprises as development partners, with investor confidence serving as a key driving force. The province not only seeks to attract FDI enterprises, but also aims for them to establish a long-term presence and grow alongside Dong Nai.

In addition to administrative reform, the province has prioritised investment in synchronized infrastructure, Dong Nai, given its position as a transport hub of the southern key economic region, has been accelerating major transport projects, including the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, Dau Giay – Lien Khuong Expressway, Gia Nghia – Chon Thanh Expressway, ring roads, as well as the development of logistics systems and regionally connected industrial zones.

These efforts have laid a solid foundation enabling enterprises to operate with confidence and expand investment, while also building the Dong Nai brand as an “ideal destination” for FDI investors. Each year, the province’s FDI attraction has exceeded annual targets by 20–50 percent.

At the 1st Party Committee Congress of Dong Nai province for the 2025–2030 tenure, Vu Hong Van, Secretary of the Dong Nai Party Committee and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, emphasised the determination of the Party organisation, authorities, armed forces and people of Dong Nai to seize “golden opportunities” for breakthrough growth, aiming to develop Dong Nai into a green, prosperous, civilised and modern locality, striving to meet the fundamental criteria of a centrally-run city by 2030.

Currently, Dong Nai is attracting investment across multiple sectors, including industry, agriculture, trade and services, logistics and tourism. To achieve breakthrough economic growth, next-generation FDI capital is regarded as indispensable.

Dong Nai is determined to remain among top destinations nationwide for FDI attraction

Vietnam has become a strategic destination within global supply chains. Dong Nai, as one of the leading provinces nationwide in attracting FDI projects, is undergoing a strong transformation as it welcomes a new wave of FDI focusing on high technology, green industry and sustainable development.

Resolution No. 50-NQ/TW dated August 20, 2019, of the Politburo on orientations to improve institutions and policies and enhance the quality and efficiency of foreign investment cooperation through 2030 stipulates that Vietnam’s FDI attraction in the new period must be more selective, of higher quality and more effective, prioritising high technology, innovation, high value-added projects and spillover effects for domestic enterprises. In line with this orientation, Dong Nai has proactively shifted its strategy from “quantity-based attraction” to “quality-based attraction” with the goal of becoming a high-tech industrial and modern logistics hub of the Southern key economic region.

To capitalize on all remaining potential for industrial development in the province, the Resolution of the 1st Congress of the Party Committee of Dong Nai province for the 2025–2030 tenure identified the synchronised implementation of solutions centred on two key growth drivers as a core task. These include industrial development with a focus on attracting strategic, next-generation investors, filling existing industrial zones and continuing to attract investment into potential zones, prioritising high technology, green industry and supporting industries. Simultaneously, the province will develop services centred on the integrated service urban area of Long Thanh International Airport, encompassing free trade centres and an aviation–logistics–trade–tourism service ecosystem. Efforts will focus on addressing bottlenecks, unlocking all available resources, and ensuring stability and sustainable development. The province will maximise the spillover effects of Long Thanh International Airport in terms of infrastructure investment, transport connectivity, urban development and enhanced economic value. Industrial development will be oriented towards high technology and environmental friendliness, alongside the restructuring of agriculture in conjunction with building new-style and modern rural areas. At the same time, modern service sectors—particularly logistics, trade, tourism, and finance—will be further expanded.

Following Resolution No. 50-NQ/TW, the Politburo issued four major resolutions at the end of 2024 and early 2025, collectively referred to by enterprises and economists as the “four pillars”. These include Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation; Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new context; Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW on reforming law-making and law enforcement to meet national development requirements in the new era; and Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private economic development.

At the national conference held on September 16, 2025, to disseminate and implement these resolutions, General Party Secretary To Lam called for intensified attraction of high-quality FDI, particularly from major global corporations playing leading roles in key supply chains such as information technology, telecommunications, semiconductor chips and artificial intelligence… Priority will be given to investment projects featuring advanced, new, high and clean technologies, modern governance, and strong spillover effects, as well as eco-industrial and smart industrial parks, innovation centres, logistics facilities, and strategic infrastructure projects, including transport infrastructure.

Over nearly 40 years of attracting foreign direct investment, Dong Nai Province has conducted thorough assessments of both strengths and shortcomings in investment attraction, thereby drawing valuable lessons learned. On that basis, the province has continued to shape new investment attraction strategies with practical and effective solutions to promote socio-economic development. Particular emphasis has been placed on lessons related to the timely adoption and implementation of the Party and State guidelines and policies, ensuring that investment attraction is carried out in full compliance with legal regulations and in line with international practices and laws.

Specifically, key lessons include a thorough grasp of the Party orientations and lines, as well as State policies and laws, in order to apply them appropriately to local realities. The province has proactively proposed to the central authorities mechanisms to remove bottlenecks, constraints and barriers, thereby unlocking, mobilising and efficiently utilising resources and potential, creating competitive advantages and driving development. At the same time, Dong Nai has leveraged its potential strengths and strengthened regional linkages, with particular emphasis on developing high-quality human resources, and on taking science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key driving forces for development.

In addition, the province places strong emphasis on planning work and on investing in synchronised infrastructure to meet the requirements for the allocation of investment projects, while ensuring that documents related to FDI investment are handled in a transparent and clear manner, with due consideration given to local conditions.

Throughout the investment attraction process, Dong Nai has shifted from a large-scale, indiscriminate attraction to a more selective approach oriented towards green and sustainable development. At the same time, the province has maintained close relationships with FDI investors through meetings and direct dialogue conferences to listen to their feedback and promptly address difficulties and obstacles, thereby creating the most favourable conditions for investors. To meet the demand for high-quality labour from high-tech and environmentally friendly enterprises attracted to the province, Dong Nai has also strengthened cooperation in training and developing this human resource base.

One of the most valuable lessons Dong Nai has learned is the promotion of linkages between FDI enterprises and domestic enterprises to form supply chains and foster the shared development of businesses both at home and abroad. A notable example is the cooperative linkage programme with Japan in human resource training and development support; this model has been highly regarded and encouraged for nationwide replication.

In addition to improving the investment environment, Dong Nai has intensified investment and trade promotion activities in major markets such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and India, thereby introducing the province’s potential and investor support policies to international partners.

During her visits to FDI enterprises on the occasion of Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day on October 13, 2025, Huynh Thi Hang, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee, highly praised the close partnership and contributions of FDI enterprises to the province’s development. She affirmed that Vietnam is entering a period of significant development opportunities and confident integration into the global economy. She noted that at present, the Politburo is placing strong emphasis on private economic development, and that Dong Nai will closely adhere to the Party orientations to effectively promote the private economy, thereby both realising the Party and State guidelines and policies and creating an opportunity for the province to assert its position further.

Dong Nai province still has considerable room for development, with the northern part showing significant potential to attract FDI. Therefore, if FDI enterprises have a strategy to expand production, they can explore and consider investing in areas of Dong Nai with ample room for growth. The provincial leadership will always accompany and provide maximum support to ensure that investors can operate their production and business activities in the province with confidence.

Comrade HUYNH THI HANG, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial VFF Committee, spoke during a visit to several FDI enterprises on the occasion of Vietnam Entrepreneurs' Day, October 13, 2025.

By Huong Giang, Ngoc Lien – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha