At the roundtable, Professor Hausmann from Harvard University said Vietnam had grown fastest during the last 30 years. The country is now focusing on diversifying its exports, relying less on rice and developing other products, according to each province's strengths. Professor Hausmann also said that Vietnam still had a lot of potential for development.
Professor Tran Van Tho from Waseda University, Japan said that besides attracting FDI, Vietnam should also encourage the domestic private sector. Professor Tran Ngoc Anh from Indianna University agreed that FDI enterprises and the private sector were still not well-connected. One of the reasons for this is the administrative system, which accounts for a large portion of GDP but has low efficiency.
In reply, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated that foreign investment would become ineffective if there was no co-operation coming from Vietnam itself. The government had taken note of the challenges and difficulties pointed out, and was resolving them step by step. The PM stressed that the government needed to have a global vision and be aware of Vietnam's real conditions.
The PM also called for more opinions and input from the public, academics and businesses in order to have a well-rounded perspective and to take practical actions.
