NDO/VNA) – Experts from the UK and the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shared their experience in accelerating the reform of business regulations and designing digital services for people and enterprises during a workshop on December 16.

The workshop was jointly held by the Vietnamese Government’s Office and the British Embassy in Vietnam.

The experts also talked about how to ease the administrative burden and made recommendations for Vietnam in this regard.

Rachel Holloway, a reform specialist from the British Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, stressed the need to maximise interests and minimise costs from the implementation of such regulations as well as barriers to market access.

This is a long process, not a sprint, so it needs to establish clear accountability mechanisms and set priorities, she said.

According to Ngo Hai Phan, Director of the Administrative Procedures Control Agency at the Government’s Office, said the Office has proposed the Government issue Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP on a programme reducing and simplifying regulations relating to business activities for the 2020-2025 period.

The programme is intended to fine-tune at least 20 percent of the regulations, and cut at least 20 percent of relevant costs, he said, adding that the Government has approved the contents regarding business activities under the management of the ministries of health, construction, transport, and information and communications, and the State Bank of Vietnam, with a total of 666 business conditions cut or simplified.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward lauded the Vietnamese Government’s Office for its strong commitment to improve the business environment, attract foreign investments, and boost exports, innovation and growth.

There would be more British projects in Vietnam thanks to the enforcement of the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement and a better business environment, he said.

The ambassador said Resolution 68 is a major reform programme of Vietnam, which helps to improve the local business environment with ambitious goals, and even would help the country save billions of US dollars.