December 14, 2017

EuroCham participates in the 20th annual Vietnam Business Forum

On the 12th of December, the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) celebrated its 20th anniversary in Hanoi. The annual forum was chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and co-organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, The World Bank and International Finance Corporation.

At the forum, representatives from 5 chambers of commerce including the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), EuroCham, AmCham and the business associations of Korea and Japan shared their recommendations to help Viet Nam further improve its business climate and promote sustainable development and international integration. 

EuroCham’s presentation was delivered by Vice-Chairman, Mr. Tomaso Andreatta. He stressed that, in order to boost EU development, more focus should be put into developing the entire supply chain and sophisticated services, ensuring a well-trained workforce and providing reassurance that intellectual property rights are effectively protected in Vietnam. 

Mr. Andreatta also raised three key challenges for Vietnamese companies to reduce costs for businesses and Government. Meeting these challenges will make local products more competitive and more affordable for Vietnamese people. The challenges include: Corruption of officials, protectionism and a lack of coordination in legislation and regulations. 

EuroCham welcomes the work of the Government in addressing the first challenge. It has taken positive steps to reduce the opportunity for corruption and uphold the law. Turning to the second challenge, protectionism means higher prices for local companies to access better quality, safer and more reliable goods and services. The Government has shown that it is moving in the right direction in this regard, as the upcoming Free Trade Agreement with the European Union shows.

With regards to the third challenge, bureaucracy is a burden both to businesses in terms of fees and taxes, and public officials in terms of time and resources. For example, despite new regulations, the criteria for obtaining food safety certification are still open to interpretation. EuroCham proposes a solution of the notification on the part of the producers to the authorities that the new products comply with all local rules, which of course need to be clear and easily accessible. 

The wellbeing of Vietnamese citizens is also a top priority for European investors. EuroCham is the leading voice of the international health industry in Vietnam, and our Sector Committees represent companies from the world’s biggest economies. Some recent policies have made doing business for these companies more complicated. One example is the objections made to representative offices of pharma companies organising seminars to introduce new drugs. These seminars could help hospitals, doctors and all involved in healthcare learn about new products hitherto unavailable in Vietnam. The opening of public procurement to foreign manufactured products is welcome, but barriers still remain.

Europe has many of the world’s smart cities, and we have solid experience in reducing traffic, having tried and tested practical solutions over time. One of the most valuable insights we can share is that prohibiting motorcycles, on its own, is just part of the solution. It is also essential to provide an affordable and efficient public transport network. One other positive solution would be to quickly facilitate the switch from motorcycles to electric bicycles in Vietnam.

In his presentation, Mr. Andreatta also talked about the challenges of increasing foreign investment in infrastructure. He discussed the financial challenges that PPP projects face, and the reasons many do not get off the ground. He showed how, unless changes are made to how licenses are granted, we are unlikely to see solar plants being built and providing electricity to Vietnamese companies and people in the near future. Turning to the ‘Made in Vietnam Energy Plan’, the first priority should be to reduce electricity and heat waste, since the cheapest electricity is that which does not need to be produced in the first place.

In the third session, EuroCham’s Pharma Group Sector Committee also presented its recommendations. In 2017, EuroCham, positive participation and engagement in the VBF has increased both in terms of attendance, contents provision and cooperation with the VBF Working Groups to raise the issues that matter to European companies. EuroCham will further follow-up with VBF and update the Sector Committees on the Government’s feedbacks and actions.

More News

See all

September 29, 2023

Green growth takes center stage at Vietnam Green Building Week

Read more

September 29, 2023

[CORPORATE SUPPORT] BASF Vietnam and partners rebuild seventh school for 100 students

Read more

September 29, 2023

EuroCham attends discussions on the draft decree pertaining to the 2023 Tendering Law

Read more

September 29, 2023

EuroCham unveils upcoming Green Economy Forum (GEF) 2023 at Hanoi press conference

Read more

September 29, 2023

[CORPORATE SUPPORT] Nestlé ranks first in coffee sustainability

Read more

September 28, 2023

Empowering Vietnam’s agricultural sector: EuroCham attends seminar on innovation for export competitiveness in agriculture

Read more

September 28, 2023

EuroCham Transportation and Logistics Sector Committee Meets with Ba Ria-Vung Tau Customs

Read more

September 22, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam attended National Assembly’s Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2023: Reinforcing Internal Capacity for Sustainable Growth

Read more

September 22, 2023

EuroCham Medical Devices and Diagnostics Sector Committee (MDDSC) joined ASEAN Common Submission Dossier Template Workshop

Read more

September 22, 2023

EuroCham’s collaborative meetings with the EU Ambassador-Designate Julien Guerrier

Read more

September 22, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam extended a warm welcome to French Ambassador to Vietnam H.E .Olivier Brochet

Read more

September 22, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam joined a launch of the “Circular Economy & Pioneering Models” book

Read more

September 21, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam hosts an exclusive evening to welcome EU Ambassador-Designate to Vietnam

Read more

September 15, 2023

EuroCham engages in a productive dialogue with the Administrative Procedures Control Agency and Reform (ACAPR)

Read more

September 15, 2023

A resounding success: Vietnam International Sourcing Expo 2023 and the EU-VN Trade Forum

Read more

September 15, 2023

[Event recap] EuroCham Women in Business Sector Committee hosted successful Roundtable on Gender Pay gap with Fulbright Professor Graeme Walker

Read more

September 15, 2023

[Sector Committee spotlight] Food, Agri and Aqua Business Sector Committee (FAABS)

Read more

September 14, 2023

Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2023 and the 100 CEOs -Tea Connect spotlight green growth and net zero initiatives

Read more

September 12, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam engages in key talks with Luxembourg delegation to bolster EU-Vietnam economic relations

Read more

September 08, 2023

EuroCham participates in an inaugural meeting of Government Taskforce on Administrative Reforms (APR)

Read more

September 08, 2023

[CORPORATE] First Bayer ForwardFarm of Southeast Asia launched in Vietnam

Read more

September 08, 2023

EuroCham contributes to a critical discussion on attracting foreign investment in high-technology and promoting technology transfer

Read more

September 07, 2023

EuroCham Food, Agri, and Aqua Business Sector Committee (FAABS) explores sustainable aquaculture solutions at Skretting Factory in Long An

Read more

August 31, 2023

EuroCham delegation visits Bac Giang to discuss EU-Vietnam business trends

Read more

August 25, 2023

EuroCham Green Growth Sector Committee spotlights blue-green infrastructure solutions

Read more

August 25, 2023

EuroCham Vietnam engages authorities and state-owned enterprises to drive green growth and spotlight GEF 2023

Read more

August 25, 2023

[SUPPORTED EVENT] Nestlé Vietnam – Innovation and sustainability bring competitive advantages in business

Read more

August 25, 2023

[Sector Committee spotlight] Legal Sector Committee (LSC)

Read more

August 24, 2023

EuroCham’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee visits Binh Thuan to explore tourism promotion collaboration

Read more

August 24, 2023

[Event recap][Business Luncheon] Mid-year review and Forecast for the second half of the year On the Vietnamese Economy

Read more

Pour une expérience optimale, veuillez tenir votre mobile à la verticale !

Platinum Partners

Gold Premium Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Premium Service Partners