VN, Japan in agreement
VIETNAM and Japan reached an agreement on a series of actions to tackle issues related to business policies and investment environment as well as improve small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)' capacity on Monday.
Under the memorandum of understanding on the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative Phase VI signed by the two sides, the action plan of Phase VI will focus on dealing with existing problems of Phase V and some newly arising issues which are categorised into seven groups.
They are labour, salary, logistics-transportation services, services; small- and medium-size enterprise (SME) supporting, Law on Investment and Law on Enterprises, and pharmaceutical distribution sector. In the field of labour, specific issues include applying the mechanism in which enterprises can provide for the maximum amount of overtime by industry by themselves; revising the list of heavy, toxic and dangerous work; applying regulations of labour safety and hygiene suitable for each industry and each work; and improving enterprises' knowledge about of laws on labour accidents.
Regarding the salary issue, Japan proposed to clarify the definition of minimum salary and economic indicators and survey data used to review minimum salary, reconsider the method for studying minimum cost of living required and the method for researching ability to pay salary of enterprises.
Related to SMEs support, Vietnam and Japan will co-operate to conduct surveys on activities such as financing to expand investment, technology transfer and personnel training. Japan will also assist policymakers in drafting the law on SMEs and join hands with Vietnam to organise conferences on policies to support SMEs in the near future.
