Japanese representatives at the Japan Business Roundtable Conference 2025 on December 12 - Photo: NGHI VU
On December 12th, at the 2025 Japan Business Roundtable Conference, Kume Kunihide, President of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH), suggested that Ho Chi Minh City needs to improve waiting times for immigration and customs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to create a better impression on investors, especially first-time visitors.
Tan Son Nhat Airport needs further improvement.
As an annual event, this is the 24th year the Japan Business Roundtable Conference has been held, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC) and JCCH.
The conference was attended by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Van Duoc, representatives from city departments and agencies, the Japanese Consul General, Ono Masuo, and senior leaders and staff of JCCH.
Within the framework of the conference, JCCH presented 23 recommendations and proposals from the Japanese business community, focusing on four groups: legal and labor issues, taxation, customs, and living environment.
Ms. Takami Hisayo, Head of Environment and Life at JCCH, stated that despite recent improvements, immigration procedures for foreign visitors at Tan Son Nhat Airport remain inconvenient and time-consuming.
Ms. Takami stated that despite the installation of autogates and the opening of Terminal 3, Ho Chi Minh City's airport is still unable to meet the increasing travel demand from both tourists and business travelers.
The Japanese representative suggested that Ho Chi Minh City should increase the number of automated security gates and potentially allow foreigners to undergo automated screening on domestic flights. In addition, the equipment for these gates needs to be improved to avoid malfunctions.
Handling the situation to avoid creating a bad impression on investors.
Sharing his personal experience, JCCH President Kume Kunihide said that even though he had registered for the autogate at the airport beforehand, he still received an error message when passing through the gate and had to queue for 1.5 to 2 hours to get through customs.
"For new investors coming to explore the Vietnamese market, having to wait this long leaves a bad impression. This is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed," Mr. Kume stated.
Responding to the request, Mr. Nguyen The Vinh, Deputy Head of the Border Police at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, stated that the current autogate at the entry point is only for Vietnamese citizens, while the exit area is for foreigners using residence permits.
According to Mr. Vinh, approximately 400 people register to use the automated control gates each day, and the number of passengers using them ranges from 2,500 to 3,000. Of these, Vietnamese citizens account for 85%, while foreigners make up only 15%.
The unit has also requested an expansion of its area and the installation of additional autogates to serve the transportation needs at the airport, along with expanding their use to include foreigners.
Regarding Mr. Kume's incident, Mr. Vinh informed that passengers who are eligible to use the autogate but encounter problems should immediately contact a nearby staff member for assistance, instead of having to return to the queue.
The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH) currently has nearly 1,100 member companies, making it the third largest Japanese business association in the world , after Shanghai and Bangkok.
After Ho Chi Minh City merged with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces, this association has approximately 900 member businesses, equivalent to about 80% of the total, operating in the area.
With over 2,200 investment projects and a total registered capital exceeding 15 billion USD, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Loc Ha noted that Japanese businesses, in addition to large-scale projects, have demonstrated trust and perseverance in cooperation, having been associated with the city through its ups and downs, and standing by it even during the most difficult times.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doanh-nghiep-nhat-gop-y-tp-hcm-can-tiep-tuc-cai-thien-thoi-gian-xuat-nhap-canh-tai-tan-son-nhat-20251212194656074.htm
Comment (0)