International economic integration

The authorities of Hoa Binh Province determine that implementing foreign policy and expanding international relations has great significance, making an important contribution to trade promotion, investment cooperation, and serving social-economic development in the province.

The Hoa Binh Provincial People's Committee has closely followed the Party's policies and guidelines on international integration, promulgated, adjusted and updated its legal documents to implement resolutions and decisions of the Party and the Government on international integration and multilateral foreign affairs.

Photo: Mr. Nguyen Phi Long, Secretary of the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee at an investment, trade and tourism promotion conference held by Hoa Binh Province in Thailand.

The Steering Committee for International Economic Integration of Hoa Binh province has promoted propaganda and dissemination of legal documents issued by the central and local governments. The local authorities have paid special attention to information and propaganda work, raising awareness of international economic integration for officials, civil servants, businesses and people in the province.

The committee has also promoted images of activities of international delegations, diplomatic activities of mass organizations and localities to help the international community and overseas Vietnamese better understand Hoa Binh province, contributing to attracting investment into the province.

In the first 6 months of 2023, there were 210 newly-established businesses in Hoa Binh, with a total registered capital of about 2,500 billion VND. The number of newly-formed businesses was equivalent to 80.8% of the same period of 2022, while the registered capital was equivalent to 38.5%.

The work of arranging and innovating businesses was implemented as planned. There were 16 locally-invested projects were approved with a total registered capital of 2,200 billion VND. During the same period, the province also terminated operations of 7 projects and announced to stop operations of 1 project.

So far, Hoa Binh province has attracted a total of 731 projects, including 37 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of 608 million USD and 694 domestically-invested projects with a total registered investment capital of about 201,791.4 billion VND.

Industrial parks in Hoa Binh have 107 valid projects. In the first half of 2023, revenue from production and business activities of enterprises in industrial parks was estimated at 11,067 billion VND, up 1.1% over the same period of last year, reaching 50.3% of the plan for 2023. These firms also created new jobs for 707 workers, an increase of 493.5% over the same period in 2022.

Currently, the province hosts 12 programs and projects using ODA capital, including 8 ongoing projects and 4 projects under preparation for investment. Total investment in these programs and projects is over 12 trillion VND, including over 8 trillion VND of ODA capital and nearly 4 trillion VND of reciprocal capital.

This year, the total capital planned to be disbursed to projects in Hoa Binh Province is over 534 billion VND, including over 384 billion VND of ODA capital and over 150 billion VND of reciprocal capital. By the end of May 2023, over 51 billion VND was disbursed, including over 37 billion VND of ODA capital and over 14 billion VND of reciprocal capital.

There are 64 enterprises engaged in import and export activities in the province. Their export turnover in the first half of 2023 is estimated at nearly 771.5 million USD, up 11.79% over the same period of 2022, reaching 45.51% of the yearly plan. The total import revenue in this period is estimated at over 582.6 million USD, up 9.4% year on year, reaching 47.41% of the plan for 2023.

The management and development of infrastructure industrial clusters in Hoa Binh has been improved. In the first 6 months of 2023, the Collective Economic Steering Committee advised the Provincial People's Committee to add the Thinh Minh 1 Industrial Cluster to the Industrial - Handicraft Development Planning for the period 2016 - 2020, with a vision to 2025.

The committee also reviewed and updated the development planning of industrial clusters into the integrated industrial cluster development plan of Hoa Binh province for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, the development planning for 37 industrial clusters with a total area of about 2,252.37 hectares was designed, in compliance with Resolution No. 330/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2020 of the Hoa Binh Provincial People's Council.

Investment promotion

In order to creating motivation to promote international economic integration to achieve the goals set for 2023, Hoa Binh authorities have actively implemented many programs and policies.

Specifically, the local government has carried out assessment and classification of cooperatives, cooperative groups and farms in the province; allocation of capital for vocational training under the national target program for socio-economic development for ethnic minority groups and in mountainous areas; implementation of the new rural area construction program in 2023; development of contents and funding to implement the OCOP Program in 2023; and at the same time urged and guided localities to organize and implement the OCOP Program in accordance with the annual cycle; coordinated with the Central Coordination Office to update data into the National OCOP Product Monitoring and Management System;

Promoted the province's potential and advantages in producing and consuming key agricultural products and OCOP products; promoted the construction of raw material areas to develop processing and preservation of agricultural products; strengthened trade promotion and consumption of agricultural products; issued documents on export activities, food safety and trade promotion for agricultural products, management of growing area codes and agricultural product packaging facilities for export...

Determining investment promotion as one of the important tasks to attract investment resources for socio-economic development, Hoa Binh province has made many innovations in this activity to creating a breakthrough in attracting investment, creating momentum to successfully implement goals in 2023 and the following years.

The province has actively participated in many investment promotion programs and conferences at home and abroad; fairs, exhibitions to promote and introduce agricultural products, OCOP products... in order to help local businesses access the market.

In particular, the province has made many efforts to support investors through making contact and having dialogue with businesses to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles for them. The Provincial People's Committee has promptly directed and urged the handling of problems, creating favorable conditions for investors and sponsors, gradually overcoming limitations and weaknesses, improving the effectiveness of attracting investment and supporting businesses.

In addition, the mobilization and management of foreign non-governmental aid has been carried out well. The province has approved 6 new programs/projects with a total committed value of about 2.078 million USD. So far, the province has attracted 39 programs/projects with a total aid commitment of 31.778 million USD from 16 non-governmental organizations, development cooperation agencies, and donors.

Currently, non-governmental organizations are operating in 10/10 districts and cities of the province, mainly in the areas with difficult socio-economic conditions and focusing on the areas of rural area development, health care, education, clean water and environmental sanitation, and solving social problems.

Programs and projects using foreign non-governmental aid are small in scale but they have practical activities, consistent with the aspirations of the community, and identify the right subjects and objectives of assistance so they have received support from government at all levels and the people who benefit from the projects.

With positive activities, investment promotion work has made an important contribution to promoting the province's potential, policies, and investment environment to domestic and foreign partners; supporting and building close relationships with investors.

So far this year, the Hoa Binh Provincial People's Committee has issued decisions on investment policy for 2 new projects with a total registered capital of about 3,414.8 billion VND and decided to adjust investment policies for 2 projects.

So far, Hoa Binh has lured 740 off-budget capital investment projects with a total registered capital of about 203,455 billion VND, including 37 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of 608 million USD. Of them, there are 107 projects in industrial parks, including 25 foreign-invested projects totaling 519.33 million USD in registered capital and 82 domestically-invested projects with a total registered capital of 15,814 billion VND.

The province has timely and effectively provided support for workers. Specifically, the province has implemented Resolution No. 216/2022/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2022 of the Hoa Binh Provincial People's Council on loan policy for those who work abroad under contracts for the period 2023 – 2026; implemented policies to support people working abroad under contracts according to Joint Circular No. 09/2016/TTLT-BLDTBXH-BTC.

Hoa Binh province has always focused on attracting investment in high-tech agriculture, manufacturing industry, and processing of agricultural and food products. In the field of trade and services, priority is given to developing supply chains and good consumption. For tourism, the province has prioritized attracting investment in building national tourist areas and connecting tourist routes...

Hoa Binh province has concretized its commitments of accompanying businesses and investors, through many practical policies and actions. In particular, the province has called for investors to survey and research investment opportunities in the province; proactively worked with ministries, departments and central agencies to enlist help on mechanisms and policies related to investment; applied the Competitiveness Index at the district level and departments and branches to evaluate the government's capacity from an operating perspective and created a favorable environment for the operations of local business establishments and enterprises.

Quynh Nga