Journalism and business solidarity brings success

At last week’s dialogue between the press and enterprises towards enhancing Vietnam’s competitiveness, Do Van Ve, deputy general director of the Huong Sen Group, and a National Assembly member representing Thai Binh province, pointed out that Vietnam’s doi moi or reform process had been made possible, at least in part, by journalists.

In 1981, after Ve and his associates established a private company in Thai Binh, the successful company was mentioned in several newspapers, which planted the seeds for renewal.

“Such articles made our company well-known nationwide, because at that time the private sector had not yet developed. Then the company was visited by thousands of people who wanted to learn from our experience so that they could establish their own private companies,” he said.

“After my company, many private enterprises were established in Thai Binh as well as in other provinces and cities,” Ve added.

“Without journalists, our company would not have been able to develop into the group it is now,” he stressed. “Also, the press made great contributions towards raising the awareness of high-ranking leaders so they could enact laws and regulations for enterprises.”

1990 saw the promulgation of the Law on Companies and the Law on Private-Owned Enterprises, which were the first legal documents permitting the establishment of private economic organisations, including limited liability companies and joint stock companies, as well as private-owned companies.

“Ve’s story is typical of the strong connection between the media and enterprises in Vietnam. The media has been playing a great role in conveying information from enterprises to the government and policy makers, and vice versa,” said Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) chairman Vu Tien Loc at the dialogue.

A crucial role

At the dialogue, Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said over the past 90 years, Vietnam’s press had been doing a very good job in contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 11.76 times from US$17 billion in 1995 to an expected US$200 billion this year. GDP per capita also has increased more than seven times from US$300 in 1995 to US$2,200 this year.

Nhan said that in the same year that Vietnam was celebrating its 90th Vietnam Press Day, the media should be recognised for the role it has played in Vietnam’s integration into the world’s economy, especially as the country prepares to enter into a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) with the Republic of Korea and the Eurasian Economic Union.

This year, Vietnam is also expected to ink the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, as well as an ­­­­FTA with the EU.

“The press has helped make all FTA information available to the public and enterprises. Also, amid the global economic changes, the press has helped the government to find ways to improve national competitiveness,” Nhan said.

In the government’s Resolution 19/NQ-CP dated March 12, 2015 on key tasks and solutions to continue improving Vietnam’s business climate and competitiveness for 2015-2016, Prime Minster Nguyen Tan Dung ordered that Vietnam’s press be made responsible for disseminating government policies among enterprises and the public, for instance with administrative procedure reforms, the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and banks, and reforming regulatory frameworks.

Underlining the four crucial roles of the press

Nhan affirmed that first and foremost the press has helped clarify the country’s development path.

Secondly, by making clear the challenges and advantages of the country’s socio-economic development, they have helped the government take proper measures to overcome these challenges and support enterprises.

Thirdly, the press has highlighted enterprises’ success stories, and the experience of various localities in attracting investment.

Lastly, the press has pointed out the responsibilities of the state, enterprises, and scientists in the country’s socio-economic development.

Nhan noted that “Journalists have played a significant role in supporting Vietnam to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). In fact, many foreign investors said they sought information about Vietnam’s investment climate from the press.”

Highlighting the role of the media in all this, in their 2015 Whitebook, which covers economic, trade, and investment recommendations to the Vietnamese government, the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) used various documents as references, including several articles from VIR.

Franz Jessen, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, said, “We, as regular foreign readers, are delighted to see that VIR has become a reliable media source, defined by good quality news reports on trade, economics, and investment. The newspaper is also a useful communication forum for business groups to get to know the business environment in Vietnam.”

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh Borrowman also said VIR was “a leading provider of information on developments in the business environment in Vietnam.”

“We welcome VIR’s analysis on government policies and regulations relating to economic reform, as well as on the business environment and opportunities for foreign investors. Other topics such SOE reform and equitisation are also of great interest,” he said.

At a recent meeting with VIR, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said the weekly publication was among the best economic and investment newspapers in Vietnam, which played a very important role in transmitting the party and the government’s policies to the public and enterprises, both at home and abroad.

He added that it was vital for conveying recommendations from enterprises to the government.

“The press, generally, but especially VIR, have greatly contributed to the country’s socio-economic development, and have helped create a consensus among the public regarding national policies. It has also contributed to Vietnam’s ability to attract FDI,” he said.

Close co-operation

Nguyen Hoang, chairman of Hanoi Supporting Industries Business Association, said the country’s development was thanks to enterprises, while the pervasion of enterprises’ success was thanks to the media.

A few years ago, an enterprise from the association wanted to implement a project in Hanoi, but failed due to site clearance difficulties.

“The residents on the project’s site refused to move to another place. Then some journalists wrote about this. The authorities then helped us with the site clearance. Nearly 1,000 households moved away. Then we had the land after only 20 days,” Hoang said.

“Enterprises and journalists should maintain good relations, as this will be to our mutual benefit,” he said.

Echoing this view, Vietnam Journalists Association chairman Thuan Huu said enterprises needed journalists to promote their business, brand names, services and products, and to provide them with business information.

Of course, this relationship between the media and enterprises is not all one-way. Indeed, journalists depend on businesses for their news stories, and so in this way the two sides prop each other up.

“All political or social events organised by the media, especially events aimed to raise funds to support the poor, develop rural areas, or help those hit by natural calamities, are all attended by enterprises,” Huu said.

According to Do Van Ve of the Huong Sen Group, his company will gladly continue to co-operate with journalists as it develops in the years to come.

“Vietnam has and will ink many FTAs, which will bring enterprises like us great export opportunities. I hope journalists will continue giving us useful information about this,” he said.

Another representative of the enterprise community, Vu Tien Loc from VCCI, said that over the past few years, relations between the press and enterprises has become quite close.