Mekong sub-regional countries passed on their thanks to Japan for its assistance in infrastructural development, natural disaster mitigation and industrial development in the region. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha proposed that Japan continue its assistance efforts in upgrading transport systems, developing coastal high-tech economic zones and tourism industry. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung again repeated Vietnam’s determination to improve its economy.
Promoting economic restructuring, renewing growth model, enhancing productivity, efficiency and competitiveness are our major tasks. Emphasis will be put on restructuring investment, credit institutions and state-own enterprises. In the next 3 years, many equitised SOEs will be listed on the stock market. The total estimated value of these listed shares will reach 25 billion dollars. This is a great chance for Japanese investors. It’s also necessary to encourage administrative reform and developing a transparent business environment. Vietnam aims to achieve ASEAN-6 criteria in terms of its business environment by the end of this year and ASEAN-4 levels by 2016.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also said that with the new decree on public - private partnerships, Vietnam was expected to raise enough capital to develop infrastructure. He claimed that by this year and 2016 by the latest, that Vietnam’s business environment would undergo significant changes to narrow the gap with international standards. PM Nguyen Tan Dung said the economic potential of Vietnam and the Mekong Sub-region would offer many chances to Japanese enterprises. At present, about 1,000 Japanese firms are members of the Mekong Japan Business Association. Last year, Japan investment in the region reached 6.8 billion USD.
