Improving business environment to drive growth

In 2026, Viet Nam has set an ambitious target of achieving double-digit economic growth. To realize this goal, ministries, sectors, and localities are required to further improve the business environment while accompanying and supporting enterprises.

Workers at Nhat Tin An Packaging Co., Ltd. (Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park). Photo: Vuong The

Alongside nationwide efforts, Dong Nai has rolled out a series of measures to improve the business climate while strengthening partnerships with enterprises, enabling them to grow in tandem with the locality.

Reforms needed to sustain high growth

Issued on April 2, 2026, at the second plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee, Conclusion No. 18-KL/TW sets out key directions for socio-economic development, national finance, public debt, and medium-term public investment for 2026–2030, in line with achieving double-digit growth.

Accordingly, ministries and agencies are required to review and cut an additional 30% of conditional business lines (equivalent to around 60 sectors), while eliminating all unnecessary business conditions. At the same time, administrative procedures must see a 50% reduction in both processing time and compliance costs, with ministerial-level agencies handling no more than 30% of total administrative procedures within their scope.

From the very first days of his new tenure, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung instructed ministries and sectors to urgently draft plans to reduce administrative procedures and improve business conditions. According to Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, unnecessary business conditions must, of course, be cut, while other conditions must also be reviewed. The key is to improve the effectiveness of cutting administrative procedures in key sectors, so that enterprises' time and compliance costs are genuinely reduced.

A representative of Solar Thermal Technology JSC in Long Binh ward introduces products to customers. Photo: Vuong The

Speaking at the National Assembly on April 20 during discussions on socio-economic development, NA deputy Trinh Xuan An of the Dong Nai delegation underscored that high growth targets in the coming period, aiming for double-digit expansion, are not merely economic indicators but a political mandate. He stressed that achieving this goal will require a stronger resolve, more innovative thinking, and real, measurable results. He further pointed out that small and medium-sized enterprises continue to face numerous challenges. Beyond costs, their main concerns lie in policy stability, transparency, and predictability. While businesses may accept market risks, they find it difficult to operate with confidence when the legal environment remains uncertain.

Therefore, delegate Trinh Xuan An proposed a strong shift from a mindset of managing enterprises to one of accompanying enterprises, with a focus on reducing compliance costs and legal risks. At the same time, substantive support mechanisms need to be designed so that small and medium-sized enterprises can gain access to capital and land and participate more deeply in value chains.

Dong Nai steps up business environment reforms

Like the rest of the country, Dong Nai regards the 10% growth target as a significant responsibility toward both local and national development. In this context, improving the business environment and accompanying enterprises has remained a consistent guiding principle in recent years.

The province aims to increase the number of newly established and re-entering enterprises by around 15–20% in 2026 compared to 2025, while the number of businesses exiting the market is expected to account for about 10%, in line with projections under the Government’s Resolution No. 02/NQ-CP.

On March 17, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No. 136/KH-UBND to implement key tasks and solutions to improve the business environment and enhance national competitiveness in 2026. The plan focuses on significantly upgrading the quality of the investment and business environment in line with evolving development trends, thereby improving rankings in key indices such as PCI, PAR Index, and PAPI.

The province also seeks to foster a healthy, competitive environment, accelerate the growth of new and returning enterprises, and reduce market exits. Meanwhile, it will continue to review and refine the list of conditional business sectors, streamline and standardize business conditions to ensure transparency and rationality, and shift regulatory approaches from licensing and certification toward disclosure and post-inspection.

From the business community’s perspective, enterprises in Dong Nai have expressed strong support for recent State policies promoting private sector development. However, they also expect these commitments, particularly efforts to improve the business environment, to be more effectively implemented. Such progress would help unlock resources and create more favorable conditions for enterprises to access capital, land, and production facilities.

According to Nguyen Kim Long, Standing Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai People’s Committee, support measures must be closely aligned with the actual needs of enterprises. Relevant agencies and localities should focus on accelerating administrative reforms, removing bottlenecks, and promoting both the private and state economic sectors. Moreover, administrative procedures need to be fundamentally reformed, shifting from a passive approach to proactive service delivery. In doing so, the province aims to unlock resources and provide enterprises with the most favorable conditions to access capital, land, production space, and high-quality human resources.

By V. The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho