NDO - Ho Chi Minh City has asked relevant agencies to urgently address obstacles for foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises in order to create conditions for effective production and business activities.

The statement was made by Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong (who has been recently assigned as Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission) at a meeting between the municipal People's Committee and FDI enterprises on August 20.

Ho Thi Thu Uyen, head of external affairs for Intel Products Vietnam, said that the city should prioritise the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines for workers at high-tech parks as soon as possible to achieve community immunity, such that enterprises can return to production at full capacity.

In addition, the city should allow workers who have been vaccinated with one dose and are staying in “green areas” to go to work by company buses. They are to strictly follow 5K regulations and will be tested regularly, Uyen noted.

FDI enterprises also suggested extending the overtime limit to 100 hours in this year to help them deal with labour shortages as well as permitting experts who have been fully vaccinated to enter Vietnam to work.

They expressed their hope that the city will soon establish a concentrated COVID-19 treatment centre at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park to support mild F0 cases as well as F1 and F2s while helping enterprises monitor their employees.

General Director of AEON Vietnam Furusawa Yasuyuki suggested the reduction of the price of testing services for employees, thereby reducing cost pressure for enterprises.

In addition, it is necessary to optimise and simplify import and export procedures to accelerate import and export activities of FDI enterprises, and develop solutions to maintain the domestic supply chain, especially the supply chain of raw materials.

Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the city has devised four flexible production options for enterprises while enterprises are encouraged to organise safe production models.

He noted that the city’s policy is to vaccinate all workers in industrial parks and export processing zones. About 85% of workers have been given their first dose and the city is working to inject the second dose for these workers along with the 15% of workers who have not yet been vaccinated.

The issues beyond its authority regarding administrative procedures, credit and tax policies will be submitted to the Government and the National Assembly, Phong said.

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has just sent a proposal to the Prime Minister recommending many solutions to remove difficulties for businesses in terms of raw materials, goods circulation, finance, credit and others in order to maintain safe production and supply chains amid the pandemic.