According to the investment department of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Council, this is a concrete measure, a substantial and quantifiable reform that helps reduce the time required to remove obstacles to investment attraction procedures and helps accelerate the implementation of key projects in the region.
Specifically, on December 22, 2025, the People’s Committee of Nghe An Province issued Decision No. 4187/2025/QD-UBND approving the plan to simplify administrative procedures within the scope and functions of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board.
One of the salient points of this decision is the significant reduction in the processing time of a series of administrative procedures directly linked to the project life cycle, from the preparation of investments and the implementation of construction; environmental impact assessment; through to workforce recruitment and management, and production safety management in industrial parks.
In accordance with the approved plan, procedural deadlines in the construction sector have been reduced by 40% compared to the previous period. Specifically, the feasibility study review procedure for Group A projects was reduced from 35 to 21 days; for group B projects, from 25 to 15 days; and for Group C projects, from 15 to 9 days. These procedures, by considerably shortening deadlines, constitute a crucial step in the implementation of projects and have been highly appreciated by investors.
In addition to reducing assessment times, the province has also reviewed the procedures for issuing building permits, simplifying them considerably. The processing time for new or amended building permits has been reduced from 20 to 12 days; that of extensions and renewals went from 5 to 3 working days. Notably, the previously lengthy inspection and acceptance procedures for special and Category I projects were reduced from 30 to 18 days.
Among the simplified areas, environmental management saw the most significant reduction: the procedure for reviewing environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports was reduced from 50 to 18 days, a gain of 32 days, representing a reduction of 64%. This is a crucial step forward, especially as many projects in the Southeast Special Economic Zone (SEZ) often take too long to complete environmental procedures, impacting their overall progress.
In addition, certain labor procedures have been relaxed in order to be more business-friendly. Specifically, the time to register a company’s bylaws has been reduced from 7 to 5 business days, helping to ease compliance pressure at the earliest stages of production and business operations.
To ensure the effective implementation of the reduction measures, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Nghệ An Province instructed the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone to review, advise and reissue the processing times of administrative procedures in accordance with the new plan; and, at the same time, to approve and organize the implementation of internal and electronic procedures in order to immediately deploy the simplified procedures.
The significant reduction in administrative processing times demonstrates the province’s desire to implement and improve the five investment readiness criteria, thereby creating new dynamics for improving the environment and attracting investments in the Southeast Economic Zone. Reduced waiting times lead to lower compliance costs for businesses and faster entry of investment capital, thereby helping to accelerate the progress of projects, increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of the Southeast Economic Zone – Nghệ An compared to other industrial parks in the North-Central region, and gradually achieve the goal of becoming one of the two economic engines of the province.
The decision takes effect from its signature (December 22, 2025). Article
