Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park Granted Autonomy in Licensing, Appraisal and Approval of Projects, Streamlining Administrative Procedures

Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park has been granted the authority to issue environmental permits, approve project construction, and oversee other decentralization procedures. Ms. Huynh Thi Ngoc Dao, Chief of Office of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (SHTP), announced this during a business meeting conference on April 16.

Under Resolution 98, SHTP has the power to directly handle licensing, appraisal, and approval of environmental impact reports, as well as appraise and approve construction conditions for investment projects based on 1/500 planning. However, due to changes in specialized laws, some of these responsibilities were transferred to other agencies, causing delays in investment procedures.

The lengthy administrative procedures affected the progress of investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park. Previously, it took only around 6 months for businesses to complete procedures, but with the transition to interdisciplinary agencies, it now takes up to 2 years to deploy project construction.

In an effort to address these challenges, SHTP has proposed decentralizing its authority to carry out inspections and sanctions for violations of environmental laws, as well as resolve issues with construction works. The goal is to establish a more efficient on-site one-stop shop mechanism for administrative procedures.

The new Resolution 98 and Decree 10 provide an institutional framework for SHTP to implement this mechanism, allowing for quicker project implementation, particularly in key sectors like semiconductor microchips, aerospace