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Misunderstanding of businessmen must be abolished
Many people are afraid of it being known they make a lot of money and are honoured as outstanding businessmen who enrich themselves legitimately. Sharing this worry with businessmen, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said that society is prejudiced against businessmen.
The Central Argument Council on July 8 organised a national seminar on building a contingent of Vietnamese intellectuals, including businessmen-intellectuals. The opinions expressed at this seminar will be collected to serve the 7th conference of the Central Party Committee, which opened on July 9 in Hanoi, and the compilation of documents for the 11th Central Party Congress.
According to former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, businessmen-intellectuals are not clearly defined in documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Social prejudice against businessmen is still tough. He spoke about this issue on the sideline of the seminar.
What do you think when a businessman says he is anxious that he makes a lot of money?
There are reasons for him to make that statement. But I don’t think our state has that way of approach. Any business operating in any field and located in any place that produces assets and contributes to the state budget is welcomed.
In my understanding, the matter rises from social thinking. Vietnamese people are still biased against businessmen because Vietnamese people used to be educated to not respect traders. In the state-subsidised period, businessmen faced a lot of hardships and prejudice. In the renovation period, they are honoured by the state but social thinking about the business circle hasn’t completely changed.
The policies are open but businessmen still face troubles doing administrative formalities at government agencies. Why?
There are many problems associated with the current administrative apparatus, which make troubles for everybody, not businessmen alone. These problems plus social prejudice lessen businessmen’s enthusiasm. So we need to abolish social misunderstanding of the business circle.
Our policies, though they need to be further improved, are very open. We don’t restrict business. The new Enterprise Law creates a fair playground for enterprises. The new tax laws reduce corporate income tax. It is easier for local businessmen to cooperate with foreign partners and foreign investors are welcomed.
Statistics show that only 7% of businessmen have university degrees. What do you think about the current businessmen?
Only 7 percent have degrees but I don’t think degrees demonstrate knowledge. Many people don’t own degrees but have a lot of knowledge, for example the farmers who manufactured the plane. Degrees are important but they are not enough to evaluate someone’s knowledge. Many businessmen who don’t hold degrees do business very well and they have a lot of knowledge. We have bachelor’s or engineer diplomas but we may not do business as well as them.
In the market economy, businessmen are important factors. Without their presence our economy can’t develop. They play a vital role in the country’s integration process.
One of the topics discussed at the 7th Central Party Committee is building a contingent of intellectuals. What do you think about creating an environment for the development of intellectuals?
The environment means policies and mechanisms for intellectuals. Regarding policies, the most important thing is a preferential treatment policy, but for intellectuals, preferential treatment is not the most significant thing, but an environment in which they can work creatively. We are really not good in this aspect. For example, the state annually allocates a certain amount of money for scientific and technological research. There were projects that didn’t bring about any practical effect that received investment while effective projects did not.
Authorities also need to listen to intellectuals. This seminar is a forum to collect intellectuals’ opinions. We also need to have mechanisms for cooperation between intellectuals to make a community of intellectuals to contribute to the country.
Some say that the environment for intellectuals is a good attitude toward intellectuals. What do you think about this?
There are agencies that behave and treat intellectuals very well and there are agencies that don’t care. I belong to the old generation and I admire President Ho’s policy for intellectuals. There were many great intellectuals in his government and these people were honoured, for example Vu Dinh Hoe, Le Van Chien, Cu Huy Can, etc. This is a model of respecting and listening to intellectuals. It is not the treatment and behaviour of several intellectuals, but a sign for the whole community of intellectuals that they are used at important functions, respected and listened to.
There are many channels for intellectuals to contribute their opinions to the state. Many intellectuals directly convey their opinions to the central authorities. But it is important to have ones who collect and respond to intellectuals’ opinions. If intellectuals don’t receive responses, they may be discouraged. Because of poor working style, intellectuals’ opinions for central authorities are not collected and responded to, not because central authorities don’t respect or don’t listen to intellectuals.
VNN
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