The scene of the seminar

The event was attended by Mr. Le Van Dau, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Member of the Standing Committee and Deputy Secretary General of VCCI, as well as the PCI Project Manager; Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of VCCI Can Tho, and representatives of provincial departments and agencies, along with leaders of the People's Committees from various provinces in the Mekong Delta region.

During the opening speech, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, a member of the Standing Committee and Deputy General Secretary of VCCI, and the director of the PCI project, stated that on April 11, 2023, in Hanoi, VCCI officially announced the Green Index. Tra Vinh was recognized as one of the top three provinces and cities in the country with the highest Green Index. He emphasized that the assessment of the Green Index, which consists of four component indexes, is a valuable policy tool that can complement the provincial competitiveness index and contribute to enhancing the business-friendly investment environment and ensuring sustainable development in Vietnam.

Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Member of the Standing Committee, Deputy General Secretary of VCCI, PCI Project Director, speaking at the workshop

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Le Van Han, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, provided an overview of the socio-economic situation in Tra Vinh. He expressed gratitude to VCCI and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for organizing the seminar to introduce the Provincial Green Index, enabling provinces to have a better understanding and more specific programs and plans for future development. He expressed hope for continued support from VCCI, provinces and cities, as well as the business community, in contributing to the success of Tra Vinh province's journey towards improving competitiveness and achieving a greener transformation of the economy, aligning with other provinces in the region and the whole country.

Mr. Le Van Han, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province, speaking at the workshop

During the seminar, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thach, Deputy Head of the Legal Department at VCCI, presented the context, methodologies, and preliminary results of the 2022 Provincial Green Index development. Additionally, he discussed several approaches to promoting a green business environment and sustainable development through PGI, such as analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the locality based on the Green Index results, reviewing evaluation criteria in each component index, comparing local results with national averages and best results from other localities, and implementing periodic monitoring and evaluation in a substantive, public, and transparent manner.

According to the 2022 PGI results for the Mekong Delta region, Tra Vinh obtained the highest PGI score of 17.67 points and ranked first among the Mekong Delta provinces in terms of reducing both environmental pollution and negative impacts of climate change, with a score of 6.41 points.

During the seminar, delegates engaged in discussions and exchanged ideas on creating a business-friendly and environmentally conscious investment environment. They also listened to the opinions of businesses and local business associations to identify and address challenges, as well as to develop effective solutions for the implementation of the four component indexes in the upcoming period.

In conclusion, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, a member of the Standing Committee and Deputy General Secretary of VCCI, and the PCI Project Director, expressed gratitude to the Tra Vinh Provincial People's Committee for their wholehearted support of VCCI. He expressed confidence that Tra Vinh would achieve even greater success in economic development, with a stronger focus on environmental sustainability.

Furthermore, he recommended that provinces and cities in Vietnam prioritize economic development in conjunction with environmental protection, aiming to establish an ecologically sustainable business ecosystem and encourage numerous green initiatives. With a focus on becoming more environmentally friendly, the Green Index is anticipated to provide valuable information for state agencies, including ministries, sectors, provinces, and cities, to utilize in their administration and management. Investors can also refer to the index when making investment decisions and expanding their businesses. Ultimately, the Green Index serves as a policy instrument to drive operational improvements and transformations within localities across Vietnam.

Quoc Binh

Hoang Khiem (Translator)