Economic Growth

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USAID/Vietnam works with the Government of Vietnam to help strengthen the country's transition to a market-driven economy. At the Government of Vietnam's (GVN's) request, USAID carries out activities to support an enhanced business environment through legal and regulatory reform, competitiveness, intellectual property rights protection, infrastructure financing, and agricultural development.

IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR TRADE
USAID helps to ensure that Vietnam meets its World Trade Organization and Bilateral Trade Agreement commitments by training staff, developing institutions, and building the capacity of state agencies. USAID supports the GVN's own efforts to implement trade and investment reforms, including changes in economic governance and macroeconomic areas, and ensuring an attractive environment for investment, trade and private sector growth. Since 2001, USAID has provided technical support for the drafting of 150 trade-related laws, of which 115 have been adopted.

CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 
USAID assists the GVN with building a more business-friendly environment through reforms based on thorough analysis. Publication of the annual Provincial Competitiveness Index, a survey-based tool that measures private sector satisfaction with provincial policies and performance, has spurred an unprecedented number of reforms at the local level, helping increase Vietnam's overall competitiveness in the global economy. USAID has supported Vietnam's reform agenda to streamline the administrative procedures process under Project 30 and built the capacity of the Administrative Procedures Control Agency, ensuring future quality and transparency. In addition, USAID promotes the use of regulatory impact assessments to enhance public participation and an informed policy making process.

IMPROVING LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH SERVICES
In September 2011, USAID began a program of technical assistance and training to strengthen the Institute of Legislative Research's (ILR's) overall capacity, improve the services it provides to the National Assembly, and assist the ILS in becoming the leading center for research and policy analysis for the National Assembly.

IMPROVING RURAL LIVELIHOODS
Expanding Vietnam's cocoa sector into the remote provinces of the Central Highlands supports USAID's goal of improving livelihoods among poor, rural, and ethnic minority farmers. Working in alliance with partners such as the World Cocoa Foundation, and Mars Inc., the Sustainable Cocoa for Farmers (SCF) project has enrolled farmers, nursery owners and fermentary operators in training programs that promote sound agricultural practices while building strong local technical and management capacity for long-term economic and environmental sustainability. Recent efforts include increased outreach, inclusion and leadership training for women farmers that has helped to bridge social and economic isolation.