PM Phuc: Nation currently unable to open doors to tourists

PM Phuc tells a meeting with members of the Private Economic Development Research Board and the Government’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform and Young Presidents’ Organisation that it could not be opened immediately to tourists (Photo: VNA)

The Government leader made the statement during a July 16 meeting in Hanoi held alongside members of the Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV) and the Government’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform and Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO).

With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) being successfully brought under control in the nation, it can now be considered essential to conduct flights for the purpose of bringing home Vietnamese citizens from abroad, including workers in the West African country of Equatorial Guinea who have been infected with the virus, he said.

The Prime Minister therefore expressed his wish that members of Board IV and YPO continue to make contributes to national development in the context of the global and regional situation undergoing a series of complicatedly changes, especially with 19 of the country’s most important partners failing to escape the negative impacts of the disease.

A major question now being posed is how to avoid economic collapse whilst helping the domestic business system develop moving forward, he added.

During the meeting, business representatives proposed a range of initiatives aimed at effectively attracting foreign investment, restructuring the local tourism industry, and restoring international tourism in the aftermath of the COVID-19 in an attempt to help the nation change its position in the region and the world.

Moreover, representatives of tourism business expressed their desire to see electricity bills reduced, equal to 20% of hotel costs.

Reacting to the comments, PM Phuc underlined the need to prevent a second wave of the COVID-19 from entering the country, therefore causing the collapse of the national economy. The Government will therefore promote the delivery of administrative services to the National Public Service Portal in an effort to facilitate greater investment attraction, he said.

As of July 17, the nation has spent 92 consecutive days without recording any COVID-19 cases in the community, with 25 people receiving treatment, of which 18 are positive.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Transport has proposed that the Government allow the opening of weekly commercial flights to destination such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Laos, and Cambodia from August.

If these flights take place, between 2,500 to 3,000 passengers are expected to enter the nation on these routes each week, in addition to flights conducted to bring home Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad organised by the  Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs.