Partnering with businesses to drive growth (Part 2)

PART 2 

CLEARING BOTTLENECKS TO HELP BUSINESSES GROW

Dong Nai is targeting high economic growth in the coming years, with the business sector playing a key role in achieving this goal.

Nguyen Van Ut (front row, left), Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai City Party Committee (CPC) and Chairman of the City People's Committee, and Ho Sy Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), visit an exhibition booth at a forum on eco-industrial and smart industrial parks in Dong Nai in July 2026.

To achieve this goal, in addition to attracting new investment, the city needs to address obstacles that directly affect production and business operations. From premises and investment procedures to capital and markets, promptly resolving each obstacle will enable businesses to proactively plan production, expand their operations and strengthen their competitiveness.

Removing bottlenecks

Businesses face a range of costs, from raw materials and labour to transportation, warehousing and machinery. Meanwhile, demand and orders in some markets remain volatile, while business partners are imposing increasingly stringent requirements. These pressures require businesses to adapt quickly and underscore the importance of local authorities in creating conditions for them to sustain and expand production.

Dang Van Diem, Chairman of the Dong Nai City Business Federation, said that authorities needed to regularly listen to businesses’ concerns and help resolve their difficulties. Access to production space is a major concern, particularly for companies seeking to expand their factories or relocate to industrial parks and clusters. However, such moves can be difficult for many small and medium-sized enterprises. Businesses also need more streamlined investment and operating procedures, especially for applications involving land, construction, environmental compliance and fire safety, which often require coordination among several agencies.

Nguyen Duy Hung, Vice Chairman of the city’s Import-Export Association and Director of Hung Thinh Phat Co., Ltd. in Tam Hiep Ward, said more efforts were needed to connect businesses with customers, expand partnerships and improve export-import performance. In practice, having products to offer does not necessarily mean a business can secure large orders. Beyond price, partners consider product quality, delivery schedules, traceability and supply reliability. High logistics costs also erode competitiveness, particularly for smaller businesses.

Trade promotion and business-matching activities should focus on the specific needs of businesses. “Rather than simply showcasing products, these programmes should help businesses meet potential customers, connect with suppliers and become more involved in production chains. This would enable them to reach new markets and reduce their reliance on a handful of long-standing customers,” said Vo Van Manh Em, Standing Deputy Director of Domilk Joint Stock Company in An Phuoc Commune, outlining his hopes for such programmes.

Enabling businesses to grow

Dong Nai aims to achieve economic growth of 11% in 2026 and maintain high and sustainable growth in the years ahead. The business community’s contribution will play a decisive role in achieving these goals. Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the City People's Committee, said this was an extremely challenging task requiring a high degree of responsibility from both local authorities and businesses.

Production at a company in Ho Nai Industrial Park.

In particular, the city has called for concerted efforts to remove obstacles to investment, production and business operations, accelerate project implementation and strengthen the accountability of regulatory agencies. As Dong Nai seeks to maintain a high economic growth rate, addressing difficulties faced by businesses must go hand in hand with unlocking resources and improving investment efficiency.

Attracting new investment projects is essential, but helping existing businesses expand is equally important. This requires the city to move beyond simply receiving businesses’ concerns and follow each case through to a resolution. Departments and agencies need to coordinate proactively so that businesses are not left navigating multiple offices without knowing which agency is responsible. Authorities should also regularly monitor the handling of business requests, identify delays and take timely corrective action.

Economist Vo Tri Thanh said improving business competitiveness must go hand in hand with a better business environment and higher-quality institutions. As markets evolve rapidly and standards for technology, product quality and environmental performance become more demanding, businesses need to innovate to remain competitive. This transition will be easier if they have access to the necessary resources and can operate in a transparent and stable business environment.

Dong Nai is working to address these challenges. Under Plan No. 54/KH-UBND, dated June 2, 2026, the city will implement support policies for small and medium-sized enterprises, private businesses and household businesses in 2026–2028. The plan aims to improve competitiveness, foster private-sector growth and expansion, and help businesses participate more deeply in value chains. Key measures include support for digital transformation, technological innovation and start-ups; training to strengthen workforce skills and management capacity; and legal, accounting and tax consultancy. The city will also facilitate access to capital and production premises, provide tax and interest-rate support in accordance with regulations and promote trade, brand development and access to international markets.

The plan also aims to help household businesses register as enterprises, improve public access to support policies and strengthen coordination among government agencies, local authorities and business associations. These measures are intended to ease business constraints, foster a more supportive environment for sustainable growth and enable businesses to contribute more to the local economy.

“VCCI stands ready to work with Dong Nai to attract investment, improve the business environment and strengthen the business community through networking activities and thematic forums. These efforts will also help foster dialogue between businesses and local authorities and identify barriers that need to be removed.”

Ho Sy Hung, Chairman of the VCCI

By V The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho

Part 1: Helping businesses grow in Dong Nai’s new development phase