Delegates at an event marking the 20th anniversary years of the annual roundtable conference between HCM City officials and the Japanese business community. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The annual roundtable conference between HCM City officials and the Japanese business community has become an effective communications channel, contributing to building close ties between the two sides, an event held to mark its 20th anniversary heard on December 14.

Deputy Chairman of the city People’s Committee Võ Văn Hoan said there are 3,218 Japanese projects in the city with investments of US$7.4 billion, or 10.44 per cent of the total foreign investment in the city.

He is incredible to the administration’s support to investors in the form of policies and mechanisms.

His administration seeks to proactively learn about and mitigate difficulties faced by Japanese investors by holding roundtable conferences, he said.

Cao Thị Phi Vân, deputy director of the Investment & Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City (ITPC), said the effectiveness of the 20 annual roundtable conferences is indicated by the number of Japanese projects in the city increasing from 69 in 1998 to 3,218 now.

Such conferences have helped win the trust of the Japanese business community in the city’s commitment to ensuring a stable environment for investment, protecting the legitimate rights and interest of investors and facilitating stable and effective operations of Japanese businesses.

Representatives of Japanese businesses said amid the severe impacts of COVID-19, the city has been listening carefully and understanding enterprises’ difficulties and thus taking timely corrective steps to help them gradually recover.

They expressed the wish that city authorities would continue to eliminate factors hindering their operations, strengthening the trust between them and the business community, and boosting business activities.

Mizushima Kozo, chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City (JCCH), said the annual roundtable enables Japanese businesses not only operating in HCM City but also others to have a dialogue channel going with the government to create a favourable investment environment.

Hoan reiterated the city’s commitment to continued co-ordination with the Japanese business community.

He said however the format of roundtable conferences be renewed to help increase mutual interaction and thematic discussion and relations.  VNS