HCMC – The latest Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) report, released by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (VCCI) on May 9, underscores ongoing land-related challenges faced by business and calls for local governments to deal with them in earnest.
According to the 2023 report, the ease of access to land or expanding business premises has declined. While 55.2% reported no difficulties in 2021, this percentage fell to 48% in 2022 and further to 40.7% in 2023.
The survey also highlighted that nearly 73% of businesses postponed or cancelled their expansion plans in 2023 due to cumbersome land-related administrative procedures. This figure represents an increase from 42.9% in 2022 and 53.9% in 2021.
The dynamism index of local governments appears to be less optimistic, with a decrease from 86% in 2022 to 82.1% in 2023.
About 77% of respondents still recognize the provincial efforts in being proactive and creative in addressing emerging issues, although this is a slight decline from 79.7% in the previous year.
In the 2023 PCI rankings, Quang Ninh Province maintained its lead with 71.25 points, climbing eight points from the previous year. Long An Province came second with 70.94 points, overtaking Bac Giang Province. Meanwhile, major urban centers such as HCMC and Hanoi were ranked 27th and 28th, respectively.
