Based on 2025 PCI evaluation results, Điện Biên province clearly identified remaining limitations while formulating plans and deploying specific solutions to raise scores and governance quality in 2026.

In 2025, the province’s PCI reached 63.75 points, ranking 19th out of 34 provinces and cities within the “Average” group, closely approaching the upper group starting at 63.76 points. Nevertheless, numerous sub-indices remained low below the median or fell short of expectations, with the enterprise support index and creative government index ranking 20th out of 34 nationwide, the resource access index ranking 25th out of 34 nationwide, the administrative compliance cost index ranking 26th out of 34 nationwide, and the legal institution index ranking 28th out of 34 nationwide. Survey results indicated persistent harassment during administrative procedure resolution alongside overlapping working contents among inspection and audit delegations.

Facing that reality, the province designated 2026 as a year to focus on unblocking bottlenecks directly affecting the perception and satisfaction level of the business community.

A paramount task involves continuing administrative procedure reform toward open transparency, taking enterprises as the service center. Agencies and units intensify dossier digitization, elevate online public service quality, shorten processing times, and minimize repeat trips for businesses. In 2026, the province aims to raise its online service quality evaluation score from 9.68 to 10 points and increase dossier digitization results from 20.10 to 21 points.

Concurrently, anti-corruption efforts and informal cost controls are designated as key solutions to bolster enterprise confidence in the administrative apparatus. The provincial Inspectorate coordinates with provincial departments, sectors, and localities to strengthen public duty execution supervision, detecting and strictly processing harassment or trouble caused to residents and businesses promptly.

In 2026, the province targets reducing the proportion of enterprises believing inspection activities incur informal costs from 17.86% down to 12.5%, while decreasing the proportion reporting administrative procedure harassment from 40% down to 39.8%.

To reduce inspection pressure on businesses, the province strictly enforces coordination principles among functional agencies to eliminate overlapping working contents, aiming to reduce the proportion of enterprises reporting duplicate inspection contents from 14.81% down to 8.8% in 2026. Inspection plans will be formulated openly and transparently, integrating information technology management to minimize instances where a business receives multiple inspection delegations within a single year.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, guaranteeing an equal competitive environment across economic sectors remains crucial among proposed solutions. The province requires state management agencies to publicize land-use master plans, investment information, bidding data, and enterprise support policies to establish equal access opportunities for all businesses.

Functional units must review and remove barriers that could cause disparities in accessing land, resources, and business opportunities between large enterprises and small-and-medium enterprises, aiming toward reducing the proportion of businesses believing land access is a privilege reserved for large enterprises from 35.42% down to 26.1% in 2026.

Beside enhancing business environment fairness, the province continues boosting support activities for enterprises, particularly small-and-medium enterprises, startups, and cooperatives. Trade promotion, digital transformation, technological innovation, governance capacity elevation, market access support, and international integration programs will receive more synchronized deployment.

Vũ Hồng Sơn, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, noted that his department alongside related units were assigned tasks to elevate support program efficiency, ensuring businesses easily access and benefit from programs tailored to practical production demands.

Boosting administrative procedure reform linked with digital transformation and deploying the “green lane” mechanism effectively to shorten processing times stands as a core task.

To date, 35 administrative procedures have been proposed for execution under the “green lane” mechanism. For instance, construction investment feasibility study appraisal under the green lane mechanism takes no more than 35 days for Group A projects, 25 days for Group B projects, and 15 days for Group C projects from full valid dossier receipt. Processing time reduction levels under the “green lane” mechanism currently reach over 60%.

Procedure reduction, decentralization, and simplification work are intensified. Since early year, procedure list announcements covered 574 administrative procedures, including 84 newly announced procedures, 270 amended or supplemented procedures, 19 replaced procedures, and 201 abolished procedures. Timely procedure updates guarantee organizational execution consistency and facilitate citizens and businesses.

Particularly, regular dialogues between authorities and businesses are maintained as an important channel to grasp grassroots-level difficulties and recommendations. Through periodic and thematic meetings, issues concerning land, tax, investment, construction, labor, or capital access receive timely resolution, building a more transparent, stable, and favorable investment environment where 100% of land regulations, administrative procedures, and guidance contents are posted publicly.

By clearly recognizing limited indicators from 2025 and formulating specific action plans for each sub-index, Điện Biên demonstrates determination in improving economic governance quality. Synchronous and decisive solutions are expected to generate distinct transformations in 2026, elevating the PCI Index to 64.75 points or higher to join the upper ranking group, attract investment, and drive provincial socio-economic development.