Enterprises seek opportunities to participate in public projects

Public investment is currently being accelerated at both the local and national levels. Prominent public investment projects in Dong Nai province and across the country are expected to serve as key drivers and “seed capital” to promote the development of other sectors.

Xuan Hung industrial cluster (Xuan Hoa commune), invested by Hong Ha Co., Ltd., is gradually completing its infrastructure. Photo: Duc Quy

For the business community in Dong Nai, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), there is a strong desire to accompany local authorities by supplying their products and services to public projects.

Opportunities from public investment

According to economic experts, Vietnam has recently implemented various solutions to boost growth. Vo Tan Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), noted that after a period of monetary policy easing to support economic recovery, selecting the next set of solutions has become more challenging. Domestic consumption has recovered but remains fragile, while the private enterprise sector continues to face difficulties related to costs, markets, and capital absorption capacity. In this context, public investment has emerged as a key pillar.

Dong Nai is currently implementing a wide range of major infrastructure projects in transportation and socio-economic development. This endeavor creates favorable conditions for local enterprises to serve as investors or participate in specific components of projects related to housing, industrial parks, resort tourism, trade and services, logistics, agro-processing, high-tech agriculture, and industry.

In the new development phase, public investment should not be viewed merely as a demand-stimulus tool or assessed solely by disbursement rates, but as a lever to enhance the economy’s overall productivity. Each public investment project, if well-designed and effectively executed, should help reduce logistics and compliance costs for businesses, expand development space, and strengthen regional connectivity. In doing so, public investment can guide private investment, promote technological innovation, and improve production organization. This undertaking forms the foundation for shaping a growth model that is both rapid and sustainable during the 2026–2030 period.

Encouragingly, the private sector is now being properly recognized for its role and position as the most important driving force of the economy. Resolutions of the Party and the National Assembly, along with Government action plans, have been issued to create more favorable conditions for private-sector development. Resolution 198/2025/QH15, adopted by the National Assembly on May 17, 2025, sets out several special mechanisms and policies to promote the private economy, including support for medium- and large-sized enterprises and pioneering firms. Accordingly, the State is expanding private-sector participation in key projects of major socio-economic significance and nationally essential projects through direct investment, public-private partnership (PPP) models, or other legally compliant forms of cooperation between the State and the private sector.

Enterprises want to take part in local projects

The business community believes that now is the right time to implement policies that enable enterprises and household businesses to take part in all production and business mechanisms, as well as in the State's public investment. Specific policies that draw domestic private enterprises into public investment programs, such as direct assignment, designated bidding, or the use of domestically produced materials, would help optimize the effectiveness of public investment. Vietnamese private enterprises would, in turn, become more mature and stronger.

According to Dang Quoc Nghi, Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs Association, tens of thousands of businesses are currently operating across the province. These enterprises recognize local advantages and are eager to participate in and support the authorities in socio-economic development projects. In several sectors, Dong Nai already has strong enterprises, particularly in construction and real estate, that hope to receive support to participate in bidding for provincial development projects. This endeavor would create favorable conditions for businesses to grow and expand further.

Similarly, Nguyen Quang Ha, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Wood and Handicrafts Association, said the province's wood industry currently ranks second nationwide in terms of export scale. At the same time, Dong Nai is home to a large concentration of factories and processing facilities producing wood products for the domestic market. Last year, Dong Nai’s wood exports reached nearly USD 2.7 billion, while the domestic market also represents a vast potential. Promoting the domestic market would help increase the use of plantation timber sourced within the country and the province, especially as Dong Nai has merged with the former Binh Phuoc, expanding the raw material area. Therefore, in addition to businesses’ own efforts to secure domestic orders, they also hope to be supported in supplying wood products to the public sector, particularly for major construction projects such as schools, hospitals, and government office buildings.

By Vuong The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho