Participants of the forum include Secretary of HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, Vice Chairman and Head of Organizing Board Le Thanh Liem, leaders of Central Government and more than 600 experts, scientists, intellectuals, domestic and foreign enterprises.

The first HEF 2018 aims to introduce the plan of countruction of Eastern part of HCMC toward creative urban model. This is a chance for the city to collect opinions of experts, scientists, investors, domestic and foreign enterprises on plan and measures to strengthen linkage and interactive relations between social components asl well as to contribute to construction of creative urban area.

Speaking at the forum, Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said as an economic hub and one of Vietnam’s big cultural, scientific and technological centers. It is the city’s goal to maintain a fast and sustainable development; improve quality of growth and competiveness in association with in-depth economic restructuring scheme; ensure favorable business and investment environment; encourage startups, innovation and creativity; build smart and creative city.

In line with the city’s development orientation, Mr. Phong especially raises the role of business community in building creative urban area as well as initiatives of connecting the State-enterprise-scientists and financial investors in enhancing creativity and efficiency of busienss innovation. At the same time, these contribute to mobilization of social resources joining hands to promote the city’s strong development.

Mr. Phong said in the face of the Industry 4.0, the city has implemented a project of building HCMC into a smart city in the period of 2017-2020 and a vision to 2025 with a focus on construcing a smart urban area in District 1, 2 and Thu Duc District based on foundation of digital and intellectual economy. This smart urban area will become a key factor in the context of Industry 4.0 and a foundation for implementing the smart city project.

According to Mr. Phong, the process of building create urban area is very positve when the National Assembly has approved the Resolution 54 on piloting special mechanisms and policies for HCMC’s development. The project is of significance with HCMC is heading toward a super urban area with a 23% contribution to the GDP, 30% to the State’s Budget, 15% of industrial productivity, 15% to the export quota and 32% of number of enterprises.

In order successfully build the creative urban area, Mr. Phong emphasized: “The city needs a cooperation and interative support of the State-enterprise-scientist-financial investor. Especially, entepririse will play the key role and driving force for creative activiites. Therefore, enterprises need to boost their productivity, create quality products with high content of grey matter. Besides, enterprises play the role of supplying human resource, finance as well as startup ideas and new technology application”.

Through the forum, Mr. Phong expressed his hope that policy decising makers, experts, scientists and enterprises will discuss and propose effective measures, giving sincere and frank ideas on mobilizing resources and upholding potential strengths of 320, 000 enterprises in HCMC to build the creative urban area in Eastern part of the city.
 
It is a commitment of HCMC to try its best to turn enterprises into a driving force for creative urban area. Specifically, the city will continue strenthening administrative procedure reform, ensuring an open business environment and a transparent legal frameworkd for enterprises, said Mr. Phong.

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