Dong Nai City  strengthens competitiveness to match its stature

Dong Nai is entering a pivotal phase of development, with the task of retaining its leading position in socio-economic development and investment attraction while reinforcing its competitive edge.

Dong Nai businesses participate in trade and business networking activities at a conference organized by the city People’s Committee.

Aiming for double-digit economic growth in 2026 and beyond, Dong Nai City is accelerating administrative reforms, enhancing competitiveness, and building a more business-friendly environment for enterprises.

Driving breakthroughs

Dong Nai is now Vietnam’s seventh city, with a large population and economic scale that give it the stature and standing of a regional urban center exerting influence across both the region and the country.

Alongside economic development, work is being accelerated on a series of strategic infrastructure projects, including Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Roads 3 and 4, the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway, the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh Expressway, and connector routes to Long Thanh International Airport. Once operational, these projects are expected to open up new development space and strengthen the city’s competitiveness not only this year but also in the years to come.

According to the latest Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), Dong Nai remains among localities with relatively strong economic governance, although it has yet to achieve breakthroughs commensurate with its potential. Several component indicators, including market entry, land access, time costs and the proactiveness of local authorities, have yet to rank among the country’s leading performers.

Given its new status, Dong Nai needs to position itself among the country’s top performers in the PCI rankings, particularly as competition now takes place among 34 provinces and cities following administrative mergers. In this new development phase, investors are no longer choosing locations solely on the basis of tax incentives or land rental costs; they are placing greater emphasis on transparency, policy predictability and the efficiency of public administration.

Dong Nai has taken a number of positive steps to address these challenges. The city has identified PCI improvement as a key task in economic governance while strongly promoting digital transformation, administrative reform and e-government development. The rollout of the two-tier local government model following the merger also presents an opportunity to streamline the administrative apparatus, reduce intermediary layers and shorten processing times for residents and businesses.

Production activities at Green Ecosystem Co., Ltd. in Long Binh ward. Photo by Vuong The.

According to Dau Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), provincial governance quality still has considerable room for improvement. Key areas for reform include the implementation of business support policies, access to resources, fair competition and the development of a facilitating government model. These are areas in which Dong Nai holds advantages compared with the national average.

For the business community, Nguyen Phuong, Chairman of the Dong Nai Wood and Handicrafts Association, expressed hope that under the urban governance model, Dong Nai City would continue translating business support policies into more practical and effective measures. This would enable enterprises across the city to further unleash their dynamism and creativity, expand production and business activities, and contribute to the city’s development.

Strengthening competitiveness

In recent years, Dong Nai has implemented a broad range of measures to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of state management, placing residents and businesses at the center of public service delivery. The city has accelerated decentralization and delegation of authority coupled with stronger accountability; upgraded digital infrastructure; strengthened training for officials and civil servants; and expanded cooperation and data sharing with ministries, sectors and neighboring localities. These efforts are aimed at further improving service quality and fostering an investment environment that is transparent, efficient, sustainable and highly competitive both regionally and nationwide.

Under the Resolution of the First Congress of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee (now the Dong Nai City Party Committee) for the 2025–2030 term, science and technology development, innovation, digital transformation and administrative reform have been identified as one of the city’s three strategic development breakthroughs for the coming period.

Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of the VCCI ’s HCM City branch (VCCI- HCM), said the chamber would work closely with Dong Nai City authorities, departments, agencies and local business associations to improve the PCI and its component indicators.

The city has also issued a key administrative reform plan for the 2026–2030 period, dividing the roadmap into two phases with specific targets to ensure feasibility and effective implementation.

During the 2026–2027 phase, the city will focus on strengthening the foundation for administrative reform, standardizing procedures and accelerating digital transformation. Targets include ensuring that 100% of eligible administrative procedures will be delivered through fully online public services and that 100% of administrative procedure outcomes will be issued in electronic form. At the same time, the city will increase the proportion of online applications, digitize dossiers and administrative processing results, and step up data utilization and management. All national digital platforms are expected to be effectively deployed and operated, while agencies and units will achieve Level-3 data governance maturity in line with the roadmap.

In the 2028–2030 phase, the city will shift its focus toward improving the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of administrative reform. Dong Nai aims to maintain its position among the country’s leading localities in terms of Digital Transformation Index (DTI) and Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index), while targeting a Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) score of at least 95%.

Dong Nai will continue stepping up efforts to improve the investment climate, raise its PCI ranking, and develop transport, logistics, energy and human resources infrastructure. Meanwhile, the city will intensify dialogue and refine mechanisms and policies for local economic development. According to Standing Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyen Kim Long, Dong Nai will implement measures to shorten administrative processing times, accelerate decentralization and digital transformation, and strengthen the accountability of officials and civil servants in carrying out public duties.

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