Based on the research of the 2025 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) Report published by the Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on May 15, 2026, Can Tho City’s 2025 PCI results show a clear differentiation among groups of sub-indices within the city’s business and investment environment. The city achieved very good results in administrative procedure reform during the market entry phase, informal cost control, and legal environment assurance. However, it faced many limitations in areas that directly impact investment activities, production and business expansion, and the long-term development of enterprises, such as resource access, transparency, and the proactiveness of the local government. This indicates that Can Tho has performed relatively well in its traditional administrative management role but has not yet created a breakthrough in building a modern, transparent, and truly favorable business environment for enterprise development.

PCI RESULTS OF CAN THO CITY IN 2025

General Assessment

In 2025, Can Tho City achieved a PCI score of 61.87 points, placing it in the Medium economic governance quality group, which is 2.03 points lower than the national median (63.90 points).

Among the 09 PCI sub-indices, there are 06 sub-indices with scores equal to or higher than the national median, including: Market Entry (8.21 points), Informal Costs (8.04 points), Legal Institutions and Security (7.50 points), Policy Compliance Costs (7.31 points), Equal Competition (5.51 points), and Business Support Policies (5.43 points). These areas reflect positive results in administrative reform, improvement of the investment and business environment, and support for enterprise activities in the city. Furthermore, the score gap between these sub-indices and the top-performing locality in the country is small, showing that Can Tho has a relatively good foundation to maintain and improve its governance quality.

However, the Resource Access, Transparency, and Proactive Governance sub-indices scored lower than the national median and still have a significant gap compared to the leading localities. These sub-indices directly affect businesses’ perception of the investment environment, their ability to access resources for production and business, as well as the proactiveness and flexibility of the government apparatus in resolving difficulties for enterprises. Therefore, these must be identified as priority areas for focus and improvement in the coming time.

Comparison Table of 09 Sub-indices of Can Tho City Compared to the Country

In the group of 07 centrally governed cities, Can Tho City’s total PCI score still has a certain gap compared to the leading localities. Specifically, the city’s PCI score is about 7-8 points lower than Hai Phong and Da Nang – two localities ranked in the group with the best economic governance quality in the country in 2025. Notably, the Resource Access sub-index is one of the areas with the largest discrepancy between Can Tho and the leading localities. With 4.57 points, this sub-index of the city is significantly lower than Hanoi (6.69 points), Hai Phong (6.44 points), and Ho Chi Minh City (6.28 points). This result shows that access to resources for investment, production, and business activities, especially land, production premises, and other development resources for enterprises in the city still faces certain limitations that need attention and focused improvement to increase the attractiveness of the investment environment and the city’s competitiveness.

Comprehensive Score Table of 7 Centrally Governed Cities

In the Mekong Delta region, Can Tho’s PCI score is equivalent to the regional average, lower than An Giang and Ca Mau but higher than Vinh Long and Dong Thap. This result shows that Can Tho still maintains its position as one of the localities with a relatively favorable business and investment environment in the region. However, as the central urban hub of the region, the city has not yet created a prominent gap compared to other localities in the region.

“Business Support Policies” Sub-index (17 Indicators)

Can Tho City’s “Business Support Policies” sub-index reached 5.56 points, ranking 14th out of 34 provinces/cities nationwide, ranking 1st in the Mekong Delta region, and 6th in the group of 07 centrally governed cities.

The support environment in Can Tho recorded positive results regarding labor supply and ease of procedural execution. Up to 81.82% of businesses agreed that local labor generally meets their needs, far exceeding the national median (57.99%). This is a huge competitive advantage that helps businesses save recruitment and retraining costs. In addition, the assessment score for the ease of implementing procedures to benefit from the province’s 13 support programs reached 3.00 points (on a 5-point scale), which is higher than the national median (2.82) and is also the highest score among 34 localities. This shows that the city’s administrative apparatus operates very smoothly in delivering support policies to businesses.

However, the effectiveness of specialized and modern support policies remains limited. Notably, there is a bottleneck in supporting science, technology, and innovation. The percentage of businesses receiving financial support from the state in the field of science, technology, and innovation only reached 1.92%, much lower than the national median (4.84%) and the leading locality (19.32%). Even the percentage of businesses receiving financial support funded by the provincial budget was only at 0.97% (national median is 3.78%, highest is 12%). In addition, support for international integration in Can Tho remains weak. Only 16.49% of businesses accessed the city’s international integration support programs (national median is 26.71%, highest is 46.43%). The ability of these programs to meet actual needs also only reached 31.63% (national median is 36.8%, highest is 62.79%). This shows that support policies on innovation, technology transfer, and international integration have not yet reached many eligible beneficiaries.

Can Tho is doing well in its role as a “service provider” by creating easy processes to receive support and maintaining a labor market that well meets standard production and business requirements. However, the city lacks resources and proactiveness in supporting key areas of the future, such as international integration, digital transformation, and innovation.

BUSINESS SUPPORT THROUGH INVESTMENT, TRADE, AND TOURISM PROMOTION ACTIVITIES OF CAN THO CITY

In the first 6 months of 2026, Can Tho Promotion Center (CPA) enhanced foreign affairs, international cooperation, and investment promotion activities, such as leading and coordinating the reception of 08 domestic and foreign investor delegations visiting and working in Can Tho City. Prominent among these were a working session with the Vietnam – Korea Businessmen and Investment Association (VKBIA) and the organization of the Can Tho – Singapore Business Matching Program. CPA has established effective investment promotion channels with professional organizations and investment promotion agencies of various countries, such as: the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (KOCHAM) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Ho Chi Minh City; the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – JICA Vietnam Office, Ho Chi Minh City Branch, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City (JCCH) to introduce the investment environment, potential, orientation, and development planning of Can Tho City. These channels serve to exchange information, share experiences in investment, trade, and tourism promotion to strengthen cooperation, expand markets, and attract investors and businesses; receive opinions and recommendations from international associations and organizations to improve the investment and business environment, thereby enhancing the efficiency of business support; and create relationships between the unit and international organizations to discuss cooperation directions for promotion activities in the coming time.

Working session with the Vietnam – Korea Businessmen and Investment Association (VKBIA)

At the same time, CPA coordinated the organization of 2 investment promotion delegations to South Korea and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Within the framework of the working trip, CPA chaired and organized the Busan – Can Tho Business Matching Session at the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, aimed at introducing Busan’s trade policies, promoting Can Tho’s investment environment and potential, and creating opportunities for direct exchange and connection between businesses of both sides.

Regarding trade promotion, activities were effectively implemented, aligned with the practical needs of businesses and citizens. The organization of markets, fairs, and trade matchings attracted the participation of many businesses, supporting market expansion, competitiveness enhancement, and brand recognition, especially for OCOP products and local specialties. A prominent result was that the City People’s Committee assigned CPA to represent the city at the 1st Spring Fair in 2026, which was directly recognized and praised by the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. CPA was also honored for its outstanding achievements and received a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the City People’s Committee for its work in organizing the 2026 Military-Civilian Tet.

CPA always focuses on providing timely information to businesses regarding policies, regulations, trends, and market/industry opportunities through diverse forms. This includes inviting businesses to attend the monthly Trade Promotion Briefing Series with the Vietnam Trade Office system abroad, participating in Export Market Consulting Sessions organized by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, and attending events, conferences, seminars, and training courses on trade promotion, introduces market opportunities from many large and small international markets, focusing on those with FTAs with Vietnam so that businesses can quickly utilize FTA incentives to increase advantages and competitiveness. It also provides information for businesses to participate in domestic and foreign events to help them expand markets and find partners.

Furthermore, CPA supports business networking through social media platforms such as Vie4biz, the Facebook fanpage of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Global B2B groups, and regional B2B groups coordinated by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and Vietnam Trade Offices abroad; and conducts consulting activities and direct trade connections based on the specific requests and individual orders of businesses.

Regarding tourism promotion, the marketing of Can Tho tourism at events inside and outside the city has effectively introduced tourism services, products, destinations, traditional festivals, and local cultural heritage to domestic and international tourists. It has also created conditions for tourism businesses to meet, connect with partners, expand markets, and improve service quality. Specifically, this included organizing Can Tho tourism promotion booth at “The Colors of Orchard Spring” Program and setting up a miniature landscape booth at the Art Flower Street. Besides, CPA coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related units to successfully organize the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, the 13th Southern Traditional Cake Festival in 2026, the Can Tho City Culture – Tourism Week, and participated in promotion at VITM Hanoi, contributing to raising the image of Can Tho as a destination domestically and internationally. Concurrently, CPA researched and advised on building new tourism programs (tours – routes) to introduce and promote tourism in Can Tho City, aiming to exploit and promote local tourism potential; create unique and competitive tourism products; promote the local image professionally; and create linkages between tourist areas, destinations, accommodation establishments, restaurants, and transport services, helping to form a complete tourism value chain.

Visitors at Can Tho City Culture – Tourism Week 2026

Information and communication activities are increasingly focused and improved. Documents and publications are becoming more diverse and rich. The application of information technology to create electronic publications has been accelerated. Information on the investment and business environment, as well as investment and trade promotion activities, is regularly and timely updated on the Center’s E-portal to contribute to widely promoting the local image and providing timely information to investors and businesses across multiple platforms.

CORE SOLUTIONS FOR THE BUSINESS SUPPORT POLICIES SUB-INDEX

With the goal of transforming the mindset of business support from “passive but positive” to “proactive and positive”; taking enterprises as the service center, proactively identifying needs, connecting resources, and accompanying businesses throughout their development process.

In its role as an advisory body helping the City People’s Committee deploy foreign affairs and promotion services in the fields of investment, trade, and tourism domestically and internationally; supporting business development; and providing advice and procedural support for investors and businesses exploring investment opportunities in Can Tho City, the Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center of the city will chair and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to act as the city’s focal point for business support, specifically:

– Advise on formulation and implementation of medium-term and long-term business support programs and plans; organize the implementation of business support programs of the Central Government and the city.

– Build a business database and a database of business support programs; regularly review and statistics the support needs of enterprises in the area.

– Act as the focal point to receive and synthesize feedback, recommendations, difficulties, and obstacles of businesses; periodically report to the City People’s Committee for guidance and resolution.

– Enhance investment promotion, trade promotion, demand-supply matching, and supply chain connections; support businesses in brand building, market expansion, and participation in value chains.

– Organize training courses, workshops, and consultations to improve corporate governance capacity, competitiveness, digital transformation, and international integration for businesses.

Kim Ngoc – Translated by Huy Pham