The newly-appointed Minister of Industry and Trade talks with Vietnam News Agency about his actions to improve efficiency of the ministry’s activities from 2016 to 2021, and create favourable conditions for enterprises during international integration.

The people expect to have an active government from 2016 to 2021. What will the ministry do to contribute to the national socio-economic development during this period?

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said the key tasks that Government will accord priority to stability of the macro-economy and the creation of favourable conditions for developing the nation.

The Government will continue completing market regulations to create good business, production and investment environments for attracting more sources that will contribute to the national socio-economic development in the future.

Therefore, this year the ministry will focus on implementing directions of the government to stabilise the macro-economy and build a legal environment according to the requirements of international integration.

The ministry will also follow the market closely to implement the State policies efficiently and create the most favourable conditions for enterprises and producers to improve efficiency in production, business and exports, and integrate efficiently into the international market.

Việt Nam is in the process of integrating into the international economy. What solutions will the ministry have so that the nation could gain the most efficiency from joining free trade agreements (FTAs)?

Việt Nam has had several plans approved by the government to reach the most efficiency from FTAs and the nation must give maximum priority to implementing legal regulations related with commitments in the integration process.

For instance, Việt Nam has completed negotiations and signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), and the nation must now institutionalise integration commitments, while State management offices must also implement the commitments such as requirements in deadlines and contents to create synchronisation.

With the new favourable conditions from the TPP, the first priority is to provide information about those conditions for the economic sectors, enterprises and consumers in order to take business and investment opportunities, expand production and business and approach the international market.

The ministry is one of the representatives of the State to extend support to enterprises and the people in accepting integration opportunities from markets, transferring technology, training the workforce, and building the brand, in addition to protecting local producers and consumers.

Apart from that, the ministry will also promote restructuring and reforms for economic sectors of the industry and trade sectors to develop further in the future.

The restructuring and reforms in the mining industry, energy industry, and import and export, apart from local trade activities, is scheduled to be implemented this year and beyond.

The ministry will support start-up businesses to grab production and business opportunities from the market.

It will also set up growth targets in industrial production, import and export. To gain those targets, it must solve the problems of export enterprises and producers, and have trade defence measures to protect legitimate interests of enterprises and customers.

In the new position, how do you expect to improve efficiency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in co-ordination with other ministries to solve socio-economic problems?

The Minister of Industry and Trade will have the responsibility of implementing directions of the Government in socio-economic development.

With experience in implementing legal policies, the ministry will closely combine with other ministries and relevant agencies to review all regulations of the local legal systems for ensuring efficiency of the State management while ensuring the interest of the people and enterprises.

Especially, this year, the ministry will work with other ministries such as those of agriculture and rural development, and of health, to change State-managed activities with regard to food safety issues and implement the Government’s directives about the food safety month.

With the role of the State management office, the ministry will meet the demand in food safety of customers and also ensure international requirements on that issue. – VNS