Hanoi, Vietnam, 30 November 2010 : The Asian Competitiveness Institute (ACI), one of the four research centres of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore launched the “Vietnam Competitiveness Report” today. The Report emerged from a meeting between Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Professor Michael E Porter in late 2008. Prof Porter is the co-Chairperson of the ACI International Advisory Panel.

The Report was officially commissioned by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai in 2009. This report is a joint product between ACI and the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Asia. Prof Porter and his team at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness of the Harvard Business School provided the conceptual framework and technical guidance.

The Report was launched by DPM Hai and Prof Porter at the National Convention Centre today with more than 400 members of the government, the private sector, and multilateral institutions in attendance.

Click here [7.9MB] to download the full Vietnam Competitiveness Report.

About the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is an autonomous graduate school of the National University of Singapore. Its mission is to help educate and train the next generation of Asian policy makers and leaders, with the objective of raising the standards of governance throughout the region, improving the lives of its people and, in so doing, contribute to the transformation of Asia. For more details on the LKY School, please visit www.lkyspp.nus.edu.sg.

For further information on this release, please contact:
Ms Do Hong Hanh
Country Manager, Vietnam, Asia Competitiveness Institute
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy:

“Vietnam has a great potential to emerge as one of the region’s newest economic tigers. The key to success is to have a comprehensive reform programme. We hope that the Vietnam Competitiveness Report will support reform by providing a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Vietnam’s competitiveness in all its dimensions. The Asia Competitiveness Institute of the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is proud to have worked closely with Prof Michael Porter, Dr Christian Ketels and CIEM in producing this report.”

Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai:

“Vietnam is facing an important milestone in redefining strategic directions and a growth model for the country over the next decade, with competitiveness and sustainability being put at the heart. The development and release of the Vietnam Competitiveness Report 2010 provides an important and useful input for the Vietnamese Government and business leaders in their decision making. This is the first ever national report which provides comprehensive assessments of Vietnam’s competitiveness in different aspects and at different levels, from both microeconomic and macroeconomic optics. My hope is that this report will lay an important stepping stone for Vietnam to conduct regular national competitiveness assessments and to implement rigorous action initiatives and programs at both government and firm levels to upgrade the country’s competitiveness and successfully achieve its ambitious development goals over the next decade.”

Prof Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School:

“The VCR provides a comprehensive analysis that can help Vietnamese leaders design a specific strategy that builds on foreign experience and addresses the specific situation Vietnam is in. Vietnam is well advised to carefully study this report and take action. An action agenda informed by the ideas outlined in this report will be an important step towards exploiting the significant potential for future growth that exists in Vietnam. More will need to follow: Vietnam needs to start a discussion about how it wants to position itself in the global economy. What are the specific activities, clusters, and business environment strengths that it wants to be known for? And it needs a more fundamental review of the institutional framework for economic policy making and implementation. I am proud to have been able to contribute to the VCR through conceptual guidance and my role in ACI’s International Advisory Board. Our ambition with ACI is to provide government leaders with data and frameworks to make more informed policy decisions, whether or not they agree with every conclusion or recommendation. My hope is that this first Vietnam Competitiveness Report achieves this purpose and becomes a model for many other reports to follow.”