AusCham participates in the Policy Dialogue with Hochiminh People's Committee
HCMC - On 18 September, AusCham representatives participated in the Policy Dialogue co-hosted by the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) Consortium and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee (HCMC PC) hosted the 2024 Policy Dialogue with theme "Driving Sustainable Growth: Optimizing Economic Ecosystems, Technology, and Energy".
In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Vo Van Hoan, emphasized the significant and multifaceted impacts of science, technology, innovation, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution on nations. He noted that this presents a unique opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces to enhance their technological capabilities, boost production capacity, and accelerate the transition to a growth model driven by science and innovation. However, he also acknowledged the challenges this transformation brings, particularly in addressing employment issues, inequality, and the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan highlighted that this is the inaugural collaboration between the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) to organize the Policy Dialogue Program. He expressed that Ho Chi Minh City, known for its dynamism, creativity, and innovative thinking, continually strives to be the economic engine and financial hub of the nation, serving as a vital link to neighboring regions, especially the Southeast and Mekong Delta provinces.
(AusCham President Sam Conroy)
Recently, Ho Chi Minh City launched the Green Growth Action Plan for 2024-2030, aimed at implementing the National Strategy on Green Growth to promote sustainable development in the city from 2021 to 2030. The city is also formulating policies and strategies to drive sustainable growth, optimize economic, technological, and energy resources. This includes promoting high value-added industries with advanced technology, developing green financial services and industries, and encouraging businesses to shift from traditional production methods to cleaner, more sustainable practices while fostering a favorable business environment.
Ho Chi Minh City has established cooperation agreements with provinces and cities in the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions to enhance regional development mechanisms and policies. These agreements focus on synchronizing transport infrastructure, healthcare, education, regional development planning, promoting science and technology, digital transformation, and developing high-quality human resources to attract talent to the region.
(AusCham Director David Whitehead - Chair of VBF Agriculture Working Group)
The 2024 Policy Dialogue Program consists of two sessions. The first session will address optimizing the economic ecosystem, covering topics such as logistics strategy, human resources, taxation, and investment. Participants will discuss logistics and supply chain development, visa and work permit issues, enhancing the skills of the Vietnamese workforce to meet global demands in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, aerospace, and high-tech design and manufacturing, as well as reforming administrative procedures related to investment and taxation.
The second session will focus on promoting a sustainable future, exploring alternative energy and smart technologies, renewable energy development, carbon emission reduction in aviation, the future sustainability path and potential of input materials in Vietnam, sustainable cooling to support the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and digital transformation in agriculture.