A ship is built at Da Nang-based Song Thu Ship-yard building Corporation. Ship-building is one of hi-tech industries that the city want to lure more investment from EU (Source: VNA) Da Nang (VNA) - The centralcity of Da Nang has been compiling simplified investment procedures to supportEuropean businesses with more transparency and a reduction in informal charges.
Speaking at the Whitebook Briefing 2018 between representatives of EuroCham,European businesses and the city’s leadership on June 14, Deputy Director ofthe city’s Investment Promotion Agency Huynh Thi Lien Phuong said newprocedures will be introduced later this year, helping European investors toobtain investment licenses, clear land and understand tax and customsregulations.
She said Da Nang has been working hard onadministrative reform while promoting 2018 as The Year of InvestmentAttraction.
Phuong said the city will offer cooperative opportunities to European partnersand local colleges to boost education, information and communication technology(ICT) and human resources training.
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho said the city will createfavourable conditions for investors and tourists from the EU.
He said Da Nang and EuroCham have been cooperating well to promote the city’sinvestment environment.
EuroCham’s Co-chairman Denis Brunetti said: “EuroCham and Da Nang have beencooperating closely for the past two years, and that is also due to theexcellent work of our local EuroCham central Vietnam delegates.”
The local government understands thatEuroCham members and European business at large could be the best partners fortheir investment strategy vision over the next few years, betting on excellencein ICT, tourism, education and other value-added sectors – in which Europeanbusinesses are global leaders, he added.
Brunetti also introduced the focus andcontent of the Whitebook 2018 at the meeting, highlighting its most importantsectoral and cross-sectoral issues and recommendations, ranging from importantregulations on distribution and customs, to calls for greater enforcement ofsustainable practices among businesses in Vietnam.
The Whitebook 2018 was officially launched in Hanoi.
Jose Sanchez-Barroso Gonzalez, Vice Honorary Consul of Spain in Da Nang, suggestedmore direct flights from Europe to Da Nang with connections to populardestinations in central Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
He said Da Nang should connect with Hoi An,Hue and Quang Ngai to offer extension stays for European tourists, and Da Nangcould also become a base for connections with Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Baliand Phuket.
Gonzalez said Da Nang should develop a master plan for tourism development thatfocuses on sustainable business and a ‘green’ environment.
Dang Ngoc Hai, branch director of Axon Active Vietnam, said the city shouldconsider how it can reduce training times for ICT students while improving thequality of students to meet the increasing demand for manpower in the ITsector.
He also said that English language skillscould help IT students get jobs for foreign companies in Da Nang.
Nguyen Hai Minh, the tax and legal partner at Mazars Vietnam, said localauthorites should apply international standards when it comes to tax andtransfer pricing to ease pressure on the tax system.
He said support measures for SMEs and start-ups should also be implemented.
There are currently 73 EU-backed FDIprojects in Da Nang worth 219 million USD. French investors account for 40.5 percentof FDI investment from the EU, with 21 projects in the city.
Import-export turnover between the city and the EU reached 316 million USD in2017.-VNA
VNA
