Nguyễn Lộc Hà, vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, speaks at a ceremony to mark the 21st anniversary of Việt Nam Entrepreneurs Day and the 50th anniversary of HCM City Union of Business Associations in HCM City last weekend. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities have pledged to listen to and respond to businesses’ feedback, advance administrative reforms and place enterprises at the centre of public services.

Nguyễn Lộc Hà, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee, made the promise while speaking at a ceremony held by the HCM City Union of Business Associations (HUBA) last weekend to mark the 21st anniversary of Việt Nam Entrepreneurs Day and HUBA’s 50th founding anniversary, and to honour enterprises with outstanding products and services in 2025.

He said amid global economic fluctuations 2025 had been designated as a “year of acceleration” for laying the foundation for a breakthrough period from 2026 to 2030.

The city aimed for economic growth of 8.5 per cent or higher this year, focusing on boosting public investment, mobilising social resources and promoting the digital economy and innovation.

To achieve this goal, the city had identified three key solutions, with the business community playing a pivotal role.

First, the city would continue to effectively implement the Politburo’s Resolution 68/2025 on private economic development, improve the investment and business environment, enhance competitiveness index, increase transparency, and reduce informal costs and administrative processing time for enterprises.

Second, it would focus on reviewing and resolving long-delayed projects, particularly large ones, hindered by procedures related to fire prevention and control, land, investment, and construction.

The city would apply special mechanisms under National Assembly Resolution 98/2023 to comprehensively address development bottlenecks.

Third, it would step up the mobilisation of social resources for development investment, with accelerated public investment disbursement paving the way for stronger participation by enterprises.

Hà also called on HUBA to uphold its key role in representing and guiding the business community in the new era of integration, contribute to policymaking based on practical business insights, and effectively organise trade and investment promotion programmes.

These efforts would help city-based enterprises expand globally while attracting international investors to HCM City.

HUBA Chairman Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa said that over the past two decades HCM City’s enterprises and entrepreneurs had consistently advanced, demonstrating creativity, adaptability and leadership in a number of industries.

Its business community had actively contributed to unlocking resources, promoting the social division of labour, driving economic restructuring, and advancing industrialisation and modernisation towards sustainable development and competitiveness.

Through nearly seven terms of operation, HUBA has grown steadily, becoming home to 58 member business associations and over 17,000 member enterprises, 99 per cent of them privately owned, according to Hoà.

This community accounts for more than 51 per cent of the city’s economy, creates millions of jobs and donates tens of billions of đồng annually to social welfare programmes.

New growth momentum

Enterprises receive certificates for “Outstanding Products and Services of HCM City 2025” at a ceremony in HCM City last weekend. — Photo courtesy of Saigon Co.op

The merger of the former Bình Dương and Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu provinces with HCM City has created a “new development space” with unprecedented scale and influence.

The mega-city now integrates all key elements: the commercial, financial and technological core of the erstwhile city, the industrial hub of Bình Dương and the strategic logistics and seaport infrastructure of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu.

The synergy between these three economic zones will provide a major boost to the private sector and the city’s overall economy.

According to Hòa, Resolution 68 and Resolution 98 together form a “dual launchpad” enabling local enterprises to reach regional stature, access greater resources, and participate more deeply in global value chains. HUBA is also in the process of merging the business associations of HCM City, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu to create a unified representative body, strengthening collective power and a common voice for the business community in the southern key economic region.

“In the past private enterprises were confined to the city’s inner areas. Now they can build factories in Bình Dương, export goods through Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu ports, while keeping their branding, finance and design centres in HCM City.”

At the ceremony, HUBA recognised 109 products and 56 services made by 105 enterprises as Outstanding Products and Services of HCM City 2025 under the theme “Green Products – Digital Services – Smart Solutions: Elevating Vietnamese Brands.”

On the occasion the city People’s Committee also presented Certificates of Merit to 41 enterprises and 49 entrepreneurs who repeatedly won the titles of “Outstanding Enterprise” and “Outstanding Entrepreneur of HCM City” in recent years.

Vice Chairman Nguyễn Lộc Hà praised the 105 enterprises and commended exemplary businesses and entrepreneurs for their effective, sustainable performance.

They represented the core force contributing to the socio-economic development of both the city and the country, he added. — VNS