Terlier Herve, an experienced consultant, quietly stayed in the meeting hall of the Central Economic Management Institute after a workshop to criticise his report entitled “FDI and its impacts on Vietnam” on the morning of July 22 in Hanoi had finished.

All Vietnamese experts who were invited to consider and give comment on the report criticised it.

Herve self-confidently presented the report, which was planned to be submitted to the government after the workshop.

This expert surpassed 400 international consultants in a race to participate in an $830,000 project funded by the UNDP. The expert was paid $650/day to make this report.

Report suitable for 15 years ago

Mai Thu, Vice Head of the Foreign Investment Agency, said this report was appropriate for the Vietnam of 15 years ago. “Vietnam is not at the time of learning about FDI and attracting FDI at any cost. The vital issue is how to absorb FDI, how to choose and use FDI,” she said.

Economist Pham Chi Lan said the author looked at Vietnam’s FDI environment from the outside and lacks inside surveys and observation. “The author didn’t have a comprehensive perspective about the FDI-related matters that Vietnam is facing,” she commented.

A legal expert of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, said the report “copied” the contents of a workshop in Paris in 2005.

Dr. Le Dang Doanh didn’t agree with the author when he wrote that FDI is the most important factor for economic development.

Doanh agreed with Chi Lan’s opinion that FDI is important for Vietnam and China but said the development policy with local resources are the most important.

“Up to 90% of jobs in Vietnam are created by local investment,” Chi Lan emphasised.

Foreign consultancy still needs local experts

Outspokenly pointing out controversial points in the report, Vietnamese experts said that the biggest problem of this report is the shortage of updated information about Vietnam’s situation.

Dinh Van An, Director of this project, said the author had certain barriers, especially language, in having access to Vietnam’s situation.

An also said that it is difficult for independent foreign consultants to write reports about Vietnam when their advantages are international experience and understanding, not the most important foundation – an understanding of Vietnam’s situation.

Both An and Chi Lan regretted the previous time, when consultative reports were mainly prepared by local experts.

“The quality of consultative reports will be better with opinions contributed by international experts but if we let them write about Vietnam, it seems that we let them sit on a cloud,” Chi Lan said.

An said in the past local experts were the ones who wrote consultative reports and then foreign experts supplemented their international experience.

Expert Herve carefully listened to and took notes of all opinions. As time was limited, he promised to talk with Vietnamese experts later.

“I can’t be the provider of information about Vietnam. I think you shouldn’t let international experts work alone. Even if I know about Vietnam, I can’t have deep understanding about it. So I can’t satisfy your expectations,” Herve said.

Herve said he was not afraid to adjust his report and said that the report will be better if there is a mechanism of combination and coordination between foreign and Vietnamese experts.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has just agreed in principle to invite reputed international economic experts to work as consultants for Vietnamese government agencies and businesses.

The Foreign Ministry is responsible to combine with related agencies to select and invite international economic experts to Vietnam to exchange and share their experiences as well as give advice to Vietnam.
Source: Vietnament