07/12/2017
On Feb 13, 2017, “The scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam to 2025” was approved by the Prime Minister at Decision no. 192/QD-TTg with the target “to 2025, the Vietnam’s environmental industry basically meets the environmental protection demands” with specific implementation tasks and solutions. To find out more about this, the Environment Magazine had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Huy Hoan - Deputy Director General of the Science and Technology Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade.
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Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàn - Deputy Director General Department of Science and Technology - Ministry of Industry and Trade |
Can you tell us some main objectives of the scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam to 2025 that was recently approved by the Prime Minister as well as the feasibility of these objectives?
Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàn: 2015 was the final year of phase I to implement the scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam that was approved by the Prime Minister at Decision no.1030/QD-TTg dated 20/7/2009. With the need to promote the development of the industry for environmental protection, in 2016, the Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to formulate and submit to the Prime Minister for approval of the scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam to 2025, with targets in each sector: development of technologies for waste treatment and recycling, environmental pollution analysis, monitoring, supervision and control; technologies for sustainable use of resources, manufacturing of equipment and products to basically meet the demands of environmental protection… which aims by 2025 the environmental industry of Việt Nam will basically meet the demands of environmental protection. This is considered to be a highly ambitious objective compared to the current development status of the environmental industry in Việt Nam. According to the survey data and assessment of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, by now the environmental industry of Việt Nam only meets 2 - 3% of the urban waste treatment demands; 15% of solid waste treatment, 14% of hazardous waste treatment. The number and scope of environmental industry enterprises are limited with low chartered capitals (52.6% enterprises are small-scale, with capitals of less than five billion dong, only 2.84% enterprises are large-scale, with capitals of more than 500 billion dong). Environmental industry enterprises mostly focus on the service sector, while there is a shortage of strong enterprises to address large and important issues of the country. Products and equipment on the market are mostly simple and low-level mechanically designed; enterprises have not paid enough attention to development research, product improvement and technology innovation.
To achieve the proposed objectives, the scheme has identified specific tasks and solutions: continuing to improving the policies, legislations and organisations on environmental industry; developing environmental protection technologies, sustainably using natural resources and rehabilitating the environment; manufacturing, producing and supplying environmental protection equipment, facilities, tools and products; developing environmental service; deploying markets and attracting investments in environmental industry; training human resources, enhancing awareness and capacity for the development of the environmental industry.
In your opinion, what are the main difficulties and challenges for promoting the environmental industry development in recent years?
Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàn: I think that the environmental industry development has many favourable conditions in terms of markets as environmental protection is increasingly being paid more attention and the regulation system on environmental protection is gradually improved. In addition, statistics on goods export - import quotas and environmental service of Việt Nam (according to the classification list of environmental goods and services of APEC) during 2010 - 2015 showed that the average growth rate was 20%/year with the revenue increased from 2.7 billion USD in 2010 to 5.3 billion USD in 2015. These figures are very impressive. The issue is “Why Việt Nam enterprises have not made use of this opportunity?” The practical data shows that the proportion of Việt Nam environmental goods and services only constitutes around 10 - 15%, most products are simple and lack of technology inputs. I think the underlying cause is due to limited competitiveness of Việt Nam environmental industry enterprises and their ability to connect with suppliers in the market. To address this, it is necessary to mobilise enterprises to enhance the ability to supply high quality goods and services, good post-sale service, and competitive price. However, in order to create a “push” for environmental industry enterprises in Việt Nam, the role of the Government is needed. Therefore, the Government needs to clearly identify areas, products and services that enterprises can compete, from which to identify solutions on policy, science and technology to support the development of enterprises. In addition, in terms of state management, it is necessary to have clear assignments and close collaboration among relevant ministries and sectors as environmental industry is multi-sectoral. In the beginning, it is necessary to complete the legal framework on environmental industry development, to promulgate the Decree on environmental industry development as well as guiding documents for unified management and development of the industry.
What are science and technology solutions for the implementation of the scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam?
Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàn: To promote the development of the environmental industry in the upcoming time, it is necessary to have comprehensive solutions, particularly those on science and technology. According to experts’ assessments, products and services provided by Việt Nam enterprises are generally simple and have low levels of scientific and technological inputs. Whereas current technologies and products that are being imported and consumed domestically have high selling price and high cost. Therefore, scientific and technological solutions are proposed, on the one hand, to enhance the inputs of science and technology, from which to enhance the value and quality of domestic products, on the other hand, to promote the study, receipt and transfer of treatment technologies, technologies on product and equipment production from overseas into Việt Nam. In the scheme for environmental industry development in Việt Nam to 2025, the Prime Minister approved the national target scientific and technological program on environmental industry development in order to promote and enhance the capacity in development of technologies for environmental protection treatment, equipment and products that have high quality and reasonable price and operation expense and are appropriate with the specific conditions of Việt Nam; at the same time, to promote the linkage between research institutes, universities, financial organisations and enterprises, the coordination and support of the Government in scientific and technologies activities for environmental protection. In addition, the Government studies to promulgate appropriate mechanisms and policies such as: encouraging the import, study, encoding, mastering and development of pollution treatment technologies and equipment that require high technological inputs; establishing risk funds to support applied environmental technologies; allowing research organisations to apply technological study results to contribute capitals for establishing environmental business companies...
Can you share with us some experiences in environmental industry development in other countries in the world?
Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàn: Currently in the world, leading industrial countries such as USA, Japan and some Western European countries have a high proportion of the environmental industry sector, up to 85%, while developing countries only makes up about 13 - 14%. To promote the development of the environmental industry sector, the Government plays a very important role in promulgating policies, regulations, programs and projects to develop the environmental industry sector as well as deciding in construction of infrastructure and information network to promote the development of the environmental industry sector. In general, many countries have applied following measures development and enforcement of environmental protection laws; formulation of policies promoting the use of environmental industry products and services; encouraging and supporting the study, application and transfer of technologies in environmental industry development; propaganda, organization of workshops, exhibitions, international conventions to disseminate environmental industry products and service… I think there are good experiences, however, during the application, we need to pay attention to the difference in conditions and development levels of each country■
Thank you!
Phạm Tuyên
(Implemented)
