Hanoi (VNA)🐼 - Minister - Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung and Chairman of theEuropean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EuroCham) Nicolas Audier co-chaireda dialogue with European enterprises in Vietnam on June 30.

Themed “AdministrativeReforms: Key Role in the Implementation of the EVFTA”, the dialogue aimed at discussingadministrative reform before the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) takeseffect on August 1. In his opening remarks,Audier called on Vietnam, the EU, and businesses to continue with measures toensure the effective implementation of the agreement, including theestablishment of an EVFTA Business Council to address challenges during theprocess. Once the EVFTA comes intoeffect, one of the most critical factors will be to accelerate Vietnam’s progressin administrative reform - streamlining business conditions, strengthening the businessenvironment, and modernising the legal framework, he said. Dung, who is also Chairmanof the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform,said it was the third annual dialogue between the council and the Europeanbusiness community in Vietnam since 2018. He lauded EuroCham's releaseof the White Book 2020 on the same day, which reflects European companies’ wishto accelerate improvements of Vietnam’s business environment. Though economic growththis year is forecast to reach just 2.7-4.9 percent due to COVID-19, he saidinternational organisations still believed that Vietnam will be one of only afew countries to post growth because it has been hit less by the pandemic. Dung said the Vietnamese PrimeMinister has directed a number of measures be taken to tackle the difficultiesfaced in production and trade and food security, step up public investment, andensure social welfare and social safety and order. Since the beginning ofthis year, the Government has cut 239 business conditions, raising the total to nearly 3,900 out of almost 6,200, along with 6,776 out of 9,926 goods subject tospecialised inspection and 30 out of 120 administrative procedures related tospecialised inspection, he said. Over 6.3 trillion VND insocial cost has been saved each year, the official added. After being operational forsix months, the national single window had provided 725 online public servicesand saved more than 3 trillion VND each year. Dung asked firms to speakabout their difficulties and suggestions so that the council can collect them forsubmission to the Prime Minister for consideration. The White Book 2020, the12th edition of its kind, was released on the same day. As an annualreport from EuroCham, the book details important issues in 17 economic sectorstogether with recommendations for the Government to improve the businessclimate and enhance trade and investment with the EU./.