List of business lines of conditional investments: Adding automotive industry?

Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, the National Assembly Deputy of Quang Tri Province – the Minister of Planning and Investment: the law cannot be based on the requirements of any interest groups

In the view from many angles, when a policy is issued, there can be different levels of impact on different interest groups. But the Government must base on the overall interests of the economy, combine multiple targets in a harmonious way, including an important target is ensuring the survival and development of Vietnam automotive industry and protecting the investors who have been operating in the field of production of components, assembly of automobiles, etc. the law cannot be based on the requirements of any interest groups.

Mr. Tran Hoang Ngan, the National Assembly Deputy of Ho Chi Minh City: It is necessary.

Currently, Vietnam is executing the improvement of the business investment environment, the reform of administrative procedures, creating a favorable business investment environment. But that does not mean allowing businesses to operate freely without the control. Businesses cannot produce the products that harm consumers freely. Thus, making the list of business lines of conditional investments is necessary. There are some fields that produce goods causing traffic accidents or hazardous when people use them, then we need to have conditions. The problems here are: the conditions must be open and transparent, and it is urgent to amend, supplement and perfect the legal framework.

Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Economic Committee, National Assembly Deputy of Soc Trang Province: The automotive industry of Vietnam should be given one more chance

The addition or abolition of a business line from the list of business lines of conditional investments must be based on the data and the full assessment of budget revenues, jobs, development and competitiveness capabilities of domestic businesses, etc.

When gathering and analyzing has not been careful as expected yet, I think that it cannot be decided right away. It should be added that the business conditions have to be considered on the basis of the mutual benefit of the nation, not just some provinces. In the case of the automotive industry, it should be considered to put all three sub-sectors i.e. "manufacturing", "assembly" and "importing" into the list of business lines of conditional investments or not.

However, Article 4 of the Law on Investment 2015 allows the adjustment of the list of business lines of conditional investments annually to suit the actual situation. This is the opportunity that can be utilised to protect domestic businesses without violating international commitments. I think the automotive industry of Vietnam should also be given one more chance, even though in recent years, this industry has not developed as social expectations, despite being given many favorable conditions.

Lawyer Truong Trong Nghia, the National Assembly Deputy of Ho Chi Minh City: The automotive industry must be a conditional business line.

I think that we should not be "afraid" of business conditions in general. In some cases, it is necessary to set up business conditions in order to protect the interests of the nation, the interests of the whole society. The problem is the way the conditions set up. If the conditions are specific, transparent, public; the officers do their duties in a responsible and timely way, there will be nothing to be afraid. For example, Ho Chi Minh City has regulations on work processing time limits; businesses are easy to check the progress of their application processing on the network; they can supplement or modify promptly if they have any concerns.

In the case of automotive manufacturing, repairing, importing industry, it needs to be seen that in the process of integration, all countries must strive to protect the interests of their country and people. After trying their best to negotiate, they must take advantage of every opportunity to be able to design appropriate protection policies, create conditions to promote domestic production.

The automotive industry, in my opinion, must be a conditional business line, because it is not only the industry requiring a variety of good technologies and technical equipment, but also a source of danger, according to the civil law, so there must be tightly controlled. On the other hand, the domestic market of Vietnam, with around 100 million people, is a major asset. Without policies to support domestic manufacturing businesses grow strong, use resources and domestic workers efficiently, we may undersell our domestic market. Benefits derived from the integration will not correspond to things that are lost.