The department expressed its desire for these organizations to work closely with the city in building an investment promotion ecosystem and fostering strong business growth while enhancing the connection between government agencies and the business community.

In his opening remarks, Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Finance, stated that in recent years, the city has consistently supported the business community by implementing various solutions to overcome difficulties. 

These efforts have helped improve the investment and business environment and enhanced Hanoi's provincial competitiveness. The city has proactively developed flexible and effective policies to attract investment, focusing on industry- and location-based incentives.

Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Finance

Hanoi has also provided comprehensive support to businesses by establishing special task forces to promptly resolve challenges and maintaining regular dialogue channels. As a result, the city attracted more than US$3.67 billion in foreign direct investment in the first half of 2025, marking a 216 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024 and placing Hanoi at the top nationwide. 

The number of newly registered businesses has surged, with the Department of Finance's Business Registration and Financial Services Division processing up to 500 to 1,000 new applications in a single day. These figures reflect investors' strong confidence in Hanoi's investment climate.

Despite these encouraging outcomes, many challenges remain, especially related to regulations and policies.

Deputy Director Le Trung Hieu emphasized that the meeting provided an opportunity for the Department of Finance to encourage associations and business groups to join forces with the city in building a solid investment promotion ecosystem.

This collaboration aims to support business development and foster stronger ties between authorities and industry associations, creating a sustainable foundation that not only attracts but also retains investors in Hanoi.

He also expressed hope that the event would serve as an open and sincere forum for the department to listen to constructive feedback, specific requests, and proposals from associations. These contributions will be compiled and reported to city leaders as a basis for timely, effective, and lawful solutions to better serve the business community.

At the conference, representatives of various associations presented several proposals and recommendations focused on industrial land, regulatory frameworks, networks, and support mechanisms.

Overview of the conference. 

Ha Thi Vinh, Chairwoman of the Hanoi Association of Handicrafts and Traditional Villages, emphasized the importance of craft village activities in driving economic development and preserving cultural identity. However, she noted that many association members face difficulties with production space. She proposed that the Department of Finance develop dedicated industrial clusters for craft villages, allowing businesses and household producers to lease production space.

She also recommended that authorities allow greater building heights within these clusters to accommodate modern technology and equipment, which would help boost manufacturing capacity.

A representative from the Hanoi Association of Women Entrepreneurs proposed creating a dedicated support fund for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises. She also suggested providing support for loans, land use, technical assistance, one-on-one consulting, and startup training programs for women.

Nguyen Van, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Supporting Industries Business Association (HANSIBA), proposed that the Department of Finance advise the city on creating practical, enterprise-specific policies. He also recommended intensifying domestic and international investment promotion for local businesses.

Agreeing with this viewpoint, Tran Van Minh, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Hanoi Young Business Association, urged the department to propose programs to help businesses access markets and promote products. He also called for a review of existing business support policies, noting that some companies still face obstacles in implementation.

Tran Thi Phuong Lan, former Acting Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, acknowledged the city's numerous policies to attract investment, promote trade, and support startups. However, she pointed out that these policies often change annually and can be inconsistent or overlapping. She called for a thorough review and alignment of these policies.

Regarding investment promotion, Ms. Lan highlighted two dimensions: attracting foreign investment into Hanoi and promoting Vietnamese investment abroad. For inbound investment, she recommended focusing on high-tech zones that align with the city's green and clean industrial development goals, as well as investments in financial services, entertainment, healthcare, and education. She also encouraged attracting investment into craft villages and deep-processing industries.

For outbound investment, Ms. Lan suggested that the Hanoi Investment Promotion and Enterprise Support Center should study emerging markets and countries with which Vietnam has signed free trade agreements. She emphasized the center's role as an information hub that helps connect local businesses with international opportunities.

On the subject of industrial clusters, she proposed calling for more infrastructure investment to expedite the activation of additional clusters beyond the 43 currently operating in Hanoi. She emphasized the need to support small businesses and household producers by providing accessible, clean, and well-designed production spaces.

At the end of the meeting, Deputy Director Hieu acknowledged all suggestions and affirmed that the department would forward them to the relevant city agencies.

In the coming period, the Department of Finance will continue implementing measures to assist businesses, particularly in administrative procedures, improving the investment environment, promoting digital transformation within public administration, and enhancing enterprise support.

According to Hieu, investment promotion efforts will be significantly revamped with a strong emphasis on digital transformation. The department will publicly share all investment-related policies and project information in the fastest and most transparent way to both domestic and international businesses. The city will digitize the entire investment process, design visual diagrams, and publish them on digital platforms to ensure easy access for all businesses.

He also reaffirmed the department's commitment to working closely with business associations, federations, and the broader business community, especially in investment promotion and enterprise support.

As a short-term goal, the department will organize the "Hanoi 2025 – Connect and Grow" Investment Promotion Conference. This event will deliver a clear message to investors by announcing the city's investment policies, project lists, and available funding sources. It will also help identify key sectors for future, more targeted promotion activities.