Hanoi’s authorities today opened “business cafe talks” that would serve as an open and friendly platform for the state and business community to discuss issues of mutual concern.

A meeting between the business community and the HPA.

The first café talk is organized by the Hanoi Promotion Agency (HPA), a managing body for trade, commerce, and tourism promotion in the capital city.

The event will provide local businesses with an opportunity to raise their concern and recommendations to improve the business environment, and for the authorities to timely act on issues to speed up the economic recovery and further enhance competitiveness.

Taking part in the business café talk would include leaders of the Hanoi People’s Committee, and representatives of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, Department of Planning and Architecture, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Tourism, Department of Taxation, Customs, Social Insurance, as well as members of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Vice-Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen expected the platform to motivate the business community to overcome challenges and grasp opportunities in a new normal, in turn realizing the twin goal of both containing the pandemic and boosting economic recovery.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has exerted severe impacts on businesses’ operation, forcing many to close and people losing their jobs,” Quyen said.

“The business community, however, have been showing their solidarity in recovering and maintaining operation during this difficult period,” he added.

In 2021, Hanoi continued to post economic growth of 2.92% year-on-year despite the pandemic. During the year, Hanoi issued business licenses for around 25,000 new companies with a combined registered capital of VND346 trillion ($15.1 billion).

As of present, Hanoi is home to over 300,000 enterprises, 1,400 cooperatives, and 177,000 business households. The private sector contributed over 66% of the GRDP, 83% of the workforce, and 97% of total imports of Hanoi.