Dear BritCham members,
I am delighted to update you on the technical working session and high-level session of Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) that took place on March 17th and 19th, respectively. The Annual Vietnam Business Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the World Bank Group, and the International Finance Corporation organized the sessions.
This year's event was particularly significant as it marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the VBF. The Forum was themed "BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM IN FOSTERING GREEN GROWTH" and provided a platform to engage in a high-level Public-Private Policy Dialogue with key decision-making Government Officials. The technical session was held on Friday, March 17th, and the high-level session was held on Sunday, March 19th. The high-level session was attended by His Excellency Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who stressed the need for harmonious and mutually beneficial collaboration.
BritCham assumed the co-chair role for the coming year, and Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director AstraZeneca Vietnam and Asia Area Frontier Markets Vice President, International Vaccines & Immune Therapies, member of BritCham Board and British Corporate Advocacy Council (BCAC) will take on this responsibility. The spirit of both sessions was one of cooperation, and the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of dialogue in the event of challenges and issues, as they do not want serious investors to face long-term losses.
The technical sessions were productive, with many issues raised in the papers submitted by the 11 working groups. High level session also heard papers from the six consortium members, including BritCham, representing the other ordinary members. We received good collaborative responses from the Ministries, and many of the issues raised by BritCham, including those related to visas and TRCs, will be addressed through a revision of resolution 152, revision of the land law, revision of the Pharma law, and requirements for PPAs.
Overall, it was a highly productive and successful event, and we look forward to continuing to play an active role in the VBF and driving meaningful change for our members.
Onwards and upwards!
For more information, please find:
- BritCham position paper here
- VBF technique session book here
- VBF High level session book here
Best regards,
Kenneth Atkinson OBE
Chairman, BritCham
