On the afternoon of April 8th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the ceremony to announce the set of indicators for evaluating the results of implementing free trade agreements (FTA Index) in localities in 2024.
The Prime Minister stated that the Government will continue to promote solutions to maximize the benefits from the signed FTAs... - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
The event, chaired by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the Government Office and relevant agencies, connected online from the Government headquarters to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities.
At the Dak Lak province's location, there was Mr. Luu Van Khoi - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, and leaders of the Department and relevant agencies.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has negotiated, signed, and implemented 17 FTAs with more than 60 partners across all continents, making a significant contribution to building a stronger and more developed Vietnamese economy.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the ceremony announcing the FTA Index 2024. - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
To further enhance the effectiveness of FTA implementation, in 2024 the Ministry of Industry and Trade spearheaded the development of the FTA Index. This is a quantitative and systematic tool, built based on surveys of businesses in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide.
The FTA Index is built on four main pillars: FTA dissemination and awareness campaigns; implementation of FTA legal regulations; policies supporting enhanced competitiveness; and implementation of sustainable development commitments.
Each locality's total score is calculated based on a 10-point scale for each component indicator, resulting in a maximum total score of 40.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien delivers the opening remarks. - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
According to the survey results, the top 10 localities nationwide in terms of FTA Index scores in 2024 are: Ca Mau (34.90 points), Thanh Hoa (34.13 points), Binh Duong (34.03 points), Khanh Hoa (32.96 points), Tra Vinh (32.74 points), Long An (32.50 points), Ha Giang (32.46 points), Bac Lieu (32.43 points), Ninh Binh (31.74 points), and Dien Bien (31.72 points).
The FTA Index 2024 recorded an average score of 26.20 points for all 63 provinces and cities, while the province with the lowest score only achieved 14.49 points. This indicates a significant disparity among localities in their capacity to implement integration commitments.
The survey also revealed that the Department of Industry and Trade is the primary channel for disseminating information about FTAs in localities, and is chosen by the majority of businesses (59.3%). It is also the agency tasked with coordinating the implementation of FTAs at the local level.
In addition, the Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Planning and Investment also have a high rate of disseminating information about FTAs to businesses, with rates of 23% and 19.5% respectively.
Delegates attending the event via video link from Dak Lak.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien stated that the development of the FTA Index is not merely a ranking system, but also a strategic step in measuring the effectiveness of international integration at the local level – where FTA commitments are directly implemented for businesses.
Through this set of indicators, the Government will gain a clearer understanding of the implementation of support for businesses to utilize FTAs in localities, enabling it to provide guidance and supervision on FTA implementation at the local level. It will also allow for timely solutions and support to address difficulties, thereby helping businesses to develop sustainably and meet integration standards.
Leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized that evaluating the results of FTA implementation through this set of indicators is not only for "comparison," but also serves as a driving force to encourage localities and business communities to effectively implement and optimize opportunities from FTAs. The goal is to diversify export markets, supply chains, and products, contributing to maintaining sustainable export growth and realizing the practical and effective goals of international economic integration set by the Party and the State.
However, Mr. Dien also frankly stated that practical experience shows that the implementation and utilization of FTAs are still uneven across localities. Therefore, it requires more measurement, evaluation, and stronger solutions from central and local FTA implementation management agencies, as well as breakthroughs in thinking and action to further increase the opportunities brought about by FTAs.
The Prime Minister awarded Certificates of Commendation to 5 provinces and cities for their achievements in evaluating the implementation results of free trade agreements (FTA Index) in 2024 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that Vietnam is facing both great opportunities and significant challenges from the process of international economic integration, in the context of complex and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, requiring flexible, timely, and effective adaptation.
In this context, effectively leveraging FTAs is a crucial path to sustaining growth and enhancing Vietnam's position in the international arena. This is not only the responsibility of the Government but also requires the joint efforts of ministries, sectors, localities, the business community, and industry associations.
Therefore, the Prime Minister requested that agencies and localities closely coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to finalize this tool, serving the country's long-term economic and trade strategy.
The Prime Minister stated that the Government will continue to promote solutions to maximize the benefits from signed FTAs, improve the quality of international commitment implementation, expand markets, and sign new FTAs with potential partners; and diversify markets and supply chains.
At the announcement ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh awarded certificates of merit to five provinces and cities for their achievements in evaluating the implementation of FTAs in 2024. Leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also awarded certificates of merit to four provinces and cities that achieved the best results in evaluating the implementation of FTAs in 2024 for their respective component indicators; eight provinces and cities that achieved good results; and fourteen provinces and cities that achieved fair results in evaluating the implementation of FTAs in 2024.
Source: https://daklak.gov.vn/-/cong-bo-bo-chi-so-anh-gia-ket-qua-thuc-hien-fta-index-nam-2024
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