Ninh Thuận focuses on improving the investment environment and policies to increase competativeness. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH THUẬN — The People’s Committee of Ninh Thuận Province plans to improve its Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2022.

According to the PCI 2021 survey results from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Ninh Thuận ranked 49th out of 63 provinces and cities, down 17 notches, and achieved 62.23 points, down 1.21 points (it was 63.44 points in 2020).

Ninh Thuận is among provinces with average economic performance.

Deputy Chairman of Ninh Thuận People's Committee Phan Tấn Cảnh said six of Ninh Thuận's sub-indexes saw their scores and rankings reduced. These are business support services, fair competition, transparency, cost of time, dynamism of provincial leaders and market entry costs.

To improve PCI, Ninh Thuận will build an equal business environment for all sectors, and have suitable solutions to support small and micro business groups.

In addition, the province should continue working on administrative procedure reform, especially in the fields of taxes, fees, land and social insurance as well as reducing the burden on enterprises during inspections.

Cảnh also highlighted the need to increase business consultation and promote the role of provincial business associations to consolidate the trust of the business community.

Localities should create mechanisms and policies to support small- and medium-sized enterprises, such as capital support, information, training and policy advice, but should not expect that the economic efficiency of small businesses would be the same as that of big ones, experts said.

Small businesses create job stability and ensure social security along with providing logistics and products for large businesses, they added.

Cảnh said the province was determined to promote the application of information technology to reduce the unofficial costs for businesses.

Provincial agencies would provide public hotlines for feedback from people and businesses. Provincial leaders and localities need to increase the dialogue with business communities to solve pressing problems quickly, Cảnh noted.

At the same time, the monitoring of public officials would be strengthened and civil servants who caused trouble for businesses or violated regulations would be strictly punished, he added.

He called on all local agencies to step up administrative reforms to improve the province’s investment environment and position in the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) and the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR-index). — VNS