Promoting digital transformation and enhancing competitiveness

The province's telecommunications infrastructure has been invested in and developed, ensuring that 99% of village and residential area centers are covered by 3G and 4G mobile waves, and 5G technology infrastructure is invested in; 85.6% of villages and residential areas have fiber optic infrastructure for Internet access. The province's data connection and sharing platform continues to develop, put into use, and deploy the integration of 29 interconnected applications with the information system, national databases on population, land, finance, justice, construction, enterprises, social insurance, etc. and electronic payment platforms, the National Public Service Portal, etc., creating a favorable environment for businesses to access and implement digital transformation. To date, the rate of small and medium enterprises using digital platforms has reached over 47%.

Lao Cai strives to have over 200 cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises trained, coached, consulted, connected with digital transformation solutions, and experience digital platforms for business digital transformation each year. Select about 20 enterprises with effective digital transformation to replicate in the province. The goal is that by 2025, 100% of cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises in the province will be supported to raise awareness of digital transformation; about 40-50% of cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises in the province will apply e-commerce forms to connect, promote, and introduce products.

In 2023, according to the Vietnam E-commerce Association, Lao Cai province's e-commerce index reached 18.0 points, ranking 21st out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. (Illustration photo)

The Lao Cai Provincial SME Support Program has focused on enhancing competitiveness through training activities, in-depth consulting and encouraging the application of technology. In the first half of 2024, training institutions organized recruitment and training for over 4,800 people, contributing to increasing the rate of trained workers for businesses. Functional sectors have organized connections between labor supply and demand, providing information on jobs and the market for workers and employers. Organized job fairs, propaganda and job counseling for over 10,000 people.

Accompanying business development

Lao Cai focuses on reforming administrative procedures, reducing barriers and simplifying administrative procedures (AP). Lao Cai province has reduced at least 30% of the time to handle AP compared to the Central regulations for 977 APs. The time for business registration has been reduced from 3 days to 1.5 days; the time for construction permits has been reduced from 20 days to 10 days. Investment licensing and dispute resolution processes have also been improved, helping businesses save time and costs, thereby creating more favorable conditions for production and business activities.

In order to help SMEs expand their markets and access new business opportunities, Lao Cai province organized 8 trade fairs and 5 business networking seminars in the first 6 months of 2024. These events attracted more than 200 businesses inside and outside the province to participate, many of which signed important product supply and distribution contracts, expanding their markets outside the province, contributing to revenue growth.

In order to create maximum convenience for businesses, Lao Cai Customs has applied 4.0 technology in state management of customs, improving the efficiency of serving people and businesses, especially businesses operating in import and export activities. Maintain hotline numbers of the General Department of Customs, Provincial Customs Department at the headquarters of Sub-Departments and units to promptly receive and handle feedback from individuals, organizations and businesses.

In 2024, Lao Cai province approved to attract investment in 5 new projects including: Sa Pa Airport Construction Project, Road connecting Sa Pa Airport to Sa Pa Town, Dong Pho Moi Dry Port; Kim Thanh - Ban Vuoc Dry Port and Sa Pa Airport Dry Port... with a total capital of more than 20,000 billion VND. Attracting investment in these important projects not only brings direct benefits to Lao Cai but also creates a premise for sustainable development of the region and the whole country.

Through the achieved results, Lao Cai continues to affirm the message of “Accompanying businesses to develop”. The local government is committed to creating a favorable investment environment, where businesses not only receive financial support, but also legal and policy guarantees.

With these efforts, Lao Cai has been affirming its strong attraction in becoming an ideal destination for domestic and foreign investors./.