Question:
To help businesses maximize the opportunities from the EVFTA Agreement and draw from the experience of implementing the CPTPP Agreement, what solutions will the Government adopt to assist businesses in fully capitalizing on these opportunities?
Answer:
– Participating in new-generation FTAs like the EVFTA means that Vietnam enters a large playing field, accepting to confront new difficulties and challenges to compete with larger countries. To adapt to this context, the Government will issue an EVFTA Implementation Plan immediately after the National Assembly reviews and approves the Agreement to provide timely directions, plans, and roadmaps for Ministries, sectors, and localities to fully, accurately, and promptly execute the commitments of the Agreement, realizing its benefits for the people and businesses.
– In this Implementation Plan, there should be a focus on five main groups of solutions, including:
- Regarding dissemination and information sharing about the EVFTA and the EU market: Enhancing the dissemination of information about the EVFTA to related stakeholders through more innovative and creative means, including various forms of media, electronic information sources, printing materials, documents, radio and television programs, training courses, seminars, to enhance understanding and awareness of the commitments and the tasks to be implemented effectively within the framework of the EVFTA; establishing and strengthening inter-agency focal points for EVFTA implementation at the Ministry, sector, and locality levels, etc.
- In terms of law and institutional building: Conducting a review of legal documents during the implementation process and reporting to the Government to amend, supplement relevant legal normative documents following the timeline stipulated by the EVFTA; developing and completing necessary mechanisms to implement the Agreement, such as establishing advisory groups or domestic organizations, ensuring balanced representation among economic, social, environmental sectors, including labor organizations, employers, businesses, environmental organizations, etc.
- Enhancing competitiveness and developing human resources: Building support programs to enhance competitiveness, promote technological application for sectors, businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, farmers, suitable to international commitments; at the same time, preparing solutions to cope with and support sectors, industries heavily affected by the implementation of the Agreement; supporting Vietnamese businesses to participate in regional and global production networks, value chains, supply chains, etc.
- Regarding policies and the relationship with trade unions and labor organizations at enterprises: Continuing to improve the legal system governing labor relations, labor standards in accordance with international standards, commitments, and international conventions that Vietnam has participated in; participating in the remaining basic ILO conventions, etc.
- Social security, environmental protection, and sustainable development policies: Developing and issuing synchronized social security, environmental protection, and sustainable development policies.
– In addition, the Government will also instruct Ministries, sectors, and localities to urgently build their respective implementation plans based on these major groups of tasks and enhance monitoring of implementation to ensure that Vietnam’s execution is complete, effective, and synchronized.
