Driving forces for improving business environment in 2026

With the goal of striving to achieve double-digit economic growth in 2026 and the following years, each locality and the entire country as a whole are required to make extraordinary efforts. In this context, continuing to improve the business environment and enhance competitiveness is particularly important, helping to build confidence for the business community to grow and expand.

Workers at a manufacturing enterprise in Long Thanh commune. Photo: Vuong The

Cutting unnecessary paperwork and procedures, saving time for citizens and enterprises; accompanying, supporting and removing difficulties are issues that the business community expects to be implemented more effectively and in a more practical manner.

Strong commitment from the State

Improving the business environment and enhancing competitiveness is a consistent task, highlighted clearly in the very first days of 2026. On January 8, the Government issued Resolution 02 on key solutions and tasks to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in 2026. This is the 11th version of a thematic resolution on the business environment since Resolution 19 was first introduced in 2014 (except for 2023).

Resolution 02/NQ-CP is expected to help unlock resources. It sets targets for Vietnam to rank among the top 50 countries in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index; improve by at least three places in the International Property Rights Index (IPRI); rise by at least one place in the Global Innovation Index (GII); and improve by at least four places in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) and the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI). In addition, it aims to improve indices reflecting the perceptions of citizens and enterprises regarding the performance of authorities at all levels in relation to the domestic investment and business environment. These goals and solutions are set against the backdrop of Vietnam’s economy transitioning from recovery to breakthrough development.

For Dong Nai, Resolution No. 44/NQ-HDND dated December 10, 2025, on the socio-economic development and national defense and security plan for 2026, sets a target of 10% GRDP economic growth at constant prices. The proposed solutions include continuing to strongly improve the investment and business environment, encouraging innovation, and mobilizing all resources for development. The province will focus on reviewing and cutting administrative procedures, shifting from “pre-inspection” to “post-inspection,” and reducing compliance costs for citizens and enterprises.

The Provincial People’s Committee has also issued a plan on administrative reform for Dong Nai in 2026. The objective is to ensure that 100% of administrative procedures under provincial authority are reviewed, submitted, officially announced, and publicly updated on the National Database. The province aims to cut and simplify at least 10% of existing administrative procedures, while reducing by at least 20% the information required for declaration through the reuse of digitized data. Regarding business investment conditions, all unnecessary, inconsistent, or non-compliant regulations outside the list of conditional business lines under the Law on Investment will be completely abolished.

According to Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, accompanying enterprises is the responsibility of the locality. The province will continue to improve the investment environment to attract investment. Recommendations, difficulties and obstacles faced by enterprises must be regularly updated and promptly addressed by relevant departments and agencies once reported.

Expectations from enterprises

The private sector is playing an increasingly important role in national development and is regarded as the main and continuous driving force for strengthening internal economic capacity. In recent years, many policies of the Party and the State have been issued to encourage and promote the business community, notably Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW. Dong Nai has also implemented groups of solutions to realize this resolution, focusing on breakthroughs in ensuring fair access to land, capital and labor; supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in improving human resources and digital transformation; expanding markets, developing value chains, strengthening dialogue, and improving the investment environment.

According to the plan, the Provincial People’s Committee is expected to hold a conference with foreign-invested enterprises in 2026 on February 5. This will be an opportunity for the provincial leaders and departments to meet with foreign-invested enterprises to promptly listen, exchange views and address difficulties and obstacles, while introducing orientations for attracting FDI in the province. At the conference, investment registration certificates will also be awarded to several new and expanded FDI projects, and commendations will be given to enterprises with outstanding achievements in production and business performance during 2024–2025.

According to Dang Van Diem, Chairman of the Dong Nai Business Federation, although the business environment has improved in recent years, there are still “bottlenecks” that prevent enterprises from feeling fully confident in expanding investment. With recently-issued policies on private sector development and the strong determination of the Government and local authorities to improve the business environment, the business community hopes that this determination will be strongly reflected in practice. This will help unlock resources and create the most favorable conditions for enterprises to access capital, land, and production and business premises to move forward.

For foreign-invested enterprises, local efforts to improve the business environment and accompany enterprises have been acknowledged. Takahisa Onose, Vice Chairman and Head of the Tax and Customs Committee of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH), noted that issues related to tax and customs faced by member enterprises operating in Dong Nai have been promptly handled by relevant authorities. The association always encourages the Japanese enterprises to invest in Vietnam, including in Dong Nai. According to Takahisa Onose, before investing in the province, enterprises will certainly consult with those already operating there. Therefore, local efforts to improve the business environment and accompany enterprises serve as a major catalyst for larger corporations to come and make investment.

By Vuong The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha