Economic growth and economic development

Hanoimoi’s Weekend interviews architect Doan Ky Thanh, who is one of Hanoi Creative City’s founders.

Architect Doan Ky Thanh.

How do you assess the creative industry in Vietnam?

The creative industry has prevailed in the world for a long time, while in Vietnam this concept is still quite new. In fact, the creative industry is not something that is far away. What people imagine is turned into a product through their hands. It is creative industry.

But to be creative it is necessary to create an environment for creativity to grow and develop. That environment requires transparency in intellectual property rights. Certain creators must be protected for the products they create. That is the motivation to encourage and acknowledge the efforts and talent of creative people.

The creative industry has been showing its great contribution to the GDP of nations. In developed countries, the creative industry even accounts for the largest proportion. Innovative industries in countries such as Japan or Singapore contribute greatly and have high growth rates.

The creative industry only appeared in Vietnam recently. Compared to other countries in the region, we have been delayed by one step.

Recently, the Ha Noi Committee’s Commission’s for Publicity and Education organised a workshop to assess and re-examine the benefits of creative spaces in urban areas and the role of creative activities in socio-economic development.

This recognition shows the changing perception of managers about the role of creative spaces in socio-economic development and their contribution to the creative industry.

What is the most important thing for creators?

It is tolerance. In the office of Hanoi Creative City, we put the word “tolerant” at the highest level to remind our colleagues that to be creative, there must be tolerance to accept the ‘new’. Only tolerance makes people accept the difference of others. Then the difference and tolerance will be the cornerstone of creativity.

So where should we start?

The first thing that can be done right now is to create hubs that connect resources together.

The Vietnamese game Flappy Bird was very successful. To be like that people need to create, write music, graphics, sales and marketing, communications, etc. There must be a lot of capacity to be together to create a product that can convince the market.

For that, first, there must be creative hubs, infrastructure, which are hubs for people to share with each other.

This is very suitable for the knowledge economy that our country and the world are pursuing. Sharing resources, opportunities or legal issues and governance will create an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A business that starts will cost a lot but if it joins hubs it can reduce costs and spend resources investing in innovation and development.

Hanoi should create creative hubs. It can be seen that the benefits of innovative hubs are to connect the resources that inspire society and those who inspire creativity, attract tourism, and promote trade and production.

All these are socially beneficial when people; tourists and the youth in particular enjoy and consume innovative products. It also contributes to the economy. These hubs will create many other opportunities.

What role does traditional cultural heritage play in creative hub development?

In fact, creators always consider cultural heritage as an asset, an inspiration, and a material to create from.

Selling products is just a normal business. We need to sell cultural products and sell “joy”. To sell cultural products people must know how to exploit and use culture appropriately.

So what role does the creative hub play in developing the creative industry?

The art district is a place where young people have a place to play, enjoy art and interact with artists. Hanoi does not have such art districts.

Art districts are where artists show, experiment and commercialise their art products and bring them to the public faster and more efficiently.

Hoan Kiem District seems to form a creative hub with cultural heritage spaces such as book streets, walking streets or mural streets.

In addition to creating creative spaces and cultural spaces, these creative hubs also contribute to preserving heritage spaces and developing tourism.

Hanoi used to have Zone 9. It once attracted many tourists. Tourists could watch, drinking coffee, buying some items and painting and watching artists work.

In your opinion how should we connect traditional culture to youth?

Many artists around the world and in Vietnam have done that. There needs to be creative hubs or art districts to have space for the creators show their artworks.

Young people today do not have or have very few opportunities to access and transform traditional values. They don’t see and they are not inspired to get to know and like traditional culture.

I believe that if there are spaces for artists to perform surely young people will love traditional culture. VNS

Bao Khanh

Tran Quoc Nam, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Communist Party Committee and Chair of the provincial People’s Committee

Impressive development indexes have helped Ninh Thuan move ahead to rank among the top five provinces nationwide in terms of economic growth. Which spearhead sectors will the province focus on in the 2021-2025 period?

Given the province’s favorable conditions and difficulties, Ninh Thuan has identified four pillars of the local economy in the 2021-2025 period: (1) renewable and clean energy development; (2) tourism development; (3) building high-tech agricultural zones and farming areas associated with the commodity market; and (4) urban development associated with tourism promotion.

We have surveyed the province’s potential and advantages for renewable and clean energy development and found that it has the potential to generate nearly 20,000MW of electricity from renewable energy sources. Therefore, we have submitted to the government our plan to add about 6,000MW of electricity from renewable energy to the provincial power grid.

With its advantages for solar and wind power, as well as gas-fired and storage hydropower development, and suitable policies and mechanisms of the government and the province, we believe Ninh Thuan will become one of Vietnam’s top renewable and clean energy centers.

Along with exploiting renewable energy resources, we are also promoting urban development in combination with relaxation tourism to create high socioeconomic values.

To promote economic development, Ninh Thuan has appealed to investors to visit the province for surveys. Investors have already developed some large-scale projects in the province, such as the Ca Na Seaport Complex (first stage) of the Trung Nam Group, consisting of two wharfs with 70,000-tonne capacity, expected to be completed this year, gradually forming a logistics network in the province.

Phan Rang garlic is a specialty of Ninh Thuan Province

High-tech and clean agriculture associated with the commodity market is one of Ninh Thuan’s spearhead economic sectors. However, given water shortages and droughts, what kinds of farm produce will be prioritized and will investment in agriculture be promoted?

Ninh Thuan suffers some of the most severe natural conditions and harsh climate in Vietnam. The average rainfall throughout the province is around 700mm per year. The soil is depleted and lacks water due to drought all year round.

Such climatic and soil conditions hinder Ninh Thuan’s agricultural development but enable the province to expand the planting of specific crops such as grape, jujube, onion, garlic, asparagus, and develop sheep breeding. In recent years, the province has paid special attention to improving the quality of its farm products to enhance their competitiveness in the domestic market, paving the way for their presence in the global market.

To achieve this target, we are diversifying farming models and increasing investment in clean, organic and smart farming. Researchers recently launched a new grape variety which is selling well in the domestic market.

We will continue improving farm produce quality through scientific research and technology application, developing clean, organic and smart farming. To do this, we encourage scientists to research and transfer new farming techniques to farmers. For their part, farmers should be determined to learn and apply new technologies.

Ninh Thuan has attractive tourist sites

Tourism is also a major advantage of Ninh Thuan. However, this sector has yet to achieve breakthroughs in development. How will the province promote tourism development and increase its competitive advantages compared with neighboring localities?

A coastal province, Ninh Thuan has both the sea and forests, with special landscapes ideal to develop tourism.

Apart from landscapes, Ninh Thuan is also home to traditional cultures of the Cham and Raglai ethnic groups. The province’s great potential for tourism development remains untapped. Tourism investors have come to Ninh Thuan and are seeking opportunities to invest. We plan to create distinctive tourism products, including leisure tourist sites, tours to discover local culture and experience local farming. The harmonious combination of different tourism forms will make Ninh Thuan a special destination.

Ninh Thuan has great potential for renewable energy development

Which factors will you focus on during your tenure as the Chair of the provincial People’s Committee in order to improve the efficiency of the local administrative apparatus so that it can benefit businesses and people?

In the 2021-2025 period, highlighting the motto “Solidarity, creativity, discipline, development, acceleration, efficiency” and the spirit “Government goes alongside businesses”, Ninh Thuan will mobilize the entire political system to enhance the efficiency of the administrative apparatus at all levels, while at the same time accelerating administrative and institutional reforms, intensifying the application of information technology, and increasing the sense of responsibility in the implementation of public tasks. We will encourage businesses to promote digital transformation to increase productivity, improve quality and enhance competitiveness, keeping pace with global business development trends. Ninh Thuan will also continue improving the investment and business environment to help businesses overcome difficulties and promote creative startups.

Many investors have come to Ninh Thuan, considering it a safe destination. Do you have any message for domestic and foreign businesses?

We are willing to welcome and accompany domestic and foreign investors with our highest sense of responsibility. We will create the most favorable conditions for investors to carry out their projects successfully in Ninh Thuan. The success of investors and businesses will contribute to the province’s development and promote its image as a reliable destination.

Hong Ha

WIPO helps Vietnamese firms in IP protection Stepping forward with high-tech

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac speaks at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Le

The latest ranking was announced by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in New Delhi, India on Wednesday.

With this jump, Vietnam has leapt 17 spots since 2016. This year’s result is also the highest ranking Vietnam has ever achieved.

Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the Netherlands and the UK remain at the top.

The GII 2019 ranks economies based on 80 indicators, from traditional measurements like research and development investments and international patent and trademark applications to newer indicators including mobile-phone app creation and high-tech exports.

This year’s theme was “Creating Healthy Lives – The Future of Medical Innovation.”

Through the theme, GII 2019 focuses on how medical innovation, including the use of artificial intelligence, genomics and mobile health applications, will transform the delivery of healthcare.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac said Vietnam’s science-technology and innovation sector has made important contributions to national economic growth over recent years, especially in the fields of health care, agriculture and industry.

Growth based on capital and cheap labour is gradually slowing. In order to maintain momentum, Vietnam is shifting to a growth model based on technology and innovation, he said.

The new GII report also stated that Vietnam and the Philippines made significant progress this year. “Both economies improved in most of the GII areas and gained top ranks in high-technology imports and exports,” it said.

Sacha Wunsch Vincent, head of the WIPO’s Composite Indicator Research Section, Economics and Statistics Division and Co-Editor of the GII, hailed Vietnam as a model country among those surveyed by the WIPO over the past three years.

GII’s 80 indicators provide a comprehensive overview of innovation, including political environment, education, infrastructure and business sophistication.

Last year, Vietnam ranked 45th out of 126 countries and economies, up two places from 2017.

Published annually since 2007, the GII is now a leading benchmarking tool for businesses, policy makers and others seeking insight into the state of innovation around the world.

VNS

National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ speaks at the meeting. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ has urged stepping up the vaccine strategy with a specific roadmap and measures to achieve herd immunity, thus laying an important foundation to catch up with the global economy.

Chairing a working session with permanent members of the NA Committee on Social Affairs and several NA organs in Hà Nội on Sunday, Huệ urged the Government to review the efficiency of support packages for laid-off workers and those hit by COVID-19 pandemic to report to the NA in the next meeting.

He reiterated the Politburo’s stance on continuing to realise the dual goals of fighting the pandemic and ensuring macro-economic stability and the safety of finance-banking and public debts.

The leader suggested continuing with the 5K+technology message, considering vaccination a strategy; and enhancing international cooperation in seeking vaccine supplies.

In order to effectively perform socio-economic development policies and provide support for those hit by the pandemic, Huệ asked the Government to soon issue a growth scenario, accelerate the disbursement of public investment, continue improving the business environment, developing the private and digital economy, and stimulating domestic demand while boosting collaboration to effectively direct fiscal-monetary policy, and soon make the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress a reality.

Lawmakers reported that the NA and its Standing Committee issued nine resolutions and documents to ease difficulties amid the pandemic.

As a result, payment of VNĐ99.2 trillion (US$4.3 billion) worth of added value tax, corporate and individual income tax, land lease for 57,000 business households and 128,600 firms has been extended, along with VNĐ19.3 trillion in special consumption tax for automobiles last year. — VNS