Bình Phước Province's One Commune One Product items on display at a local supermarket. — Photo dangcongsan.vn

BÌNH PHƯỚC — Thanks to the efforts of Bình Phước Province to improve its investment environment, the private sector is growing in number and quality and increasing its share of the economy.

By the end of last year, Bình Phước has nearly 11,700 businesses, exceeding the planned target of 2,700 businesses, with a registered capital of about VNĐ 200 trillion (US$8.78 billion).

To attract investors, it has prioritised administrative reform, improving transport infrastructure and developing human resources.

Every year it organises a conference to evaluate administrative reform indicators such as the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) to improve its business environment.

It organises meetings and keeps in contact with businesses to help them overcome difficulties.

Infrastructure works related to transport, irrigation, power supply, industrial parks, shopping, and social housing are included in its investment promotion programmes.

The province also offers investors access to capital.

Trần Tuệ Hiền, Chairman of the province People's Committee, said the locality would focus on developing infrastructure to create a favourable business environment, especially transportation.

The HCM - Chơn Thành (Bình Phước Province) Expressway and the North - South Expressway section between Gia Nghĩa (Đắk Nông Province) and Chơn Thành (Bình Phước) are under construction and would provide an alternative to National Highway No.14 when opened.

When the projects completed, they will reduce the travel time between Đắk Nông, Bình Phước and HCM City and provide easy access to Long Thành international Airport in Đồng Nai Province and Cái Mép – Thị Vải Port in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province.

Bình Phước has prioritised training the workforce to meet investors' requirements.

The province also encourages and has policies to support conversion of the workforce from agriculture to other occupations in line with its economic restructuring.

The locality will also continue to arrange the apparatus and staffing in a streamlined and efficient direction, coupled with strong reform of administrative procedures, shortening settlement time, and making transparent procedures related to investment, production and business.

The chairman of the Bình Phước People's Committee assured that the province would promptly detect and crack down on violations of the law and create a healthy and fair business and investment environment.

Support for One Commune One Product

Bình Phước has 157 products certified under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programmme. They are quite diverse and rich in terms of variety, including 127 food and foodstuffs such as durian, avocado, green-skinned grapefruit, jackfruit, cashew, products made from jackfruit, orange, guava, and cashew.

They also include 30 alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic ones such as coffee, nutritious cereal powder, bird's nest, and honey, handicrafts like knitted hats, shoes, slippers, and wool hats, and artistic wood paintings.

To popularise OCOP products, this year Bình Phước opened the S'Tiêng Farm and Cyber Farm stores in Đồng Xoài City.

The stores sell more than 300 OCOP items of all kinds from 100 partners in and outside the province.

Director of the Bình Phước Province Cooperative Alliance Nguyễn Thanh Phương said the establishment of the stores aims to improve the promotion of OCOP products.

Bình Phước strives to have 150 more certified OCOP products by 2025. — VNS