Gia Lai province has rolled out an ambitious plan to accelerate the transition of household businesses into enterprises, positioning the private sector as a core engine of economic growth.
Under Plan No. 21/KH-UBND, issued on 20 January 2026, the province targets the creation of 7,000 new enterprises by the end of 2026, including up to 3,275 converted from household businesses. The initiative aligns with national directives emphasising the private sector’s role in driving development and strengthening social security.
* Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW affirms the private sector as a key driver of growth, yet development remains below potential. How is the private sector performing in Gia Lai?
Mr. Đinh Hữu Hòa, Deputy Director of the Department of Finance. Photo: T.Sỹ
- Between 2021 and 2025, Gia Lai averaged 1,575 newly established enterprises each year, an increase of 990 per year compared with the 2016, 2020 period. In 2025 alone, the province recorded 3,185 new enterprises, up more than 47% from 2024, with total registered capital reaching 28 trillion VND (≈1.12 billion USD), a rise of over 43%.
Today, Gia Lai has nearly 19,000 enterprises and around 66,000 household businesses, contributing about 80% of local GRDP and generating jobs for 94% of the province’s workforce. This reflects strong private-sector expansion and its central role in socio-economic development.
However, most firms remain small or micro-sized, with limited financial resources, modest management capacity and low innovation. They are vulnerable to operational risks, and many face persistent barriers in accessing credit, land and skilled labour—constraints that continue to hold back competitiveness and long-term growth.
* Plan No. 21/KH-UBND aims to promote the conversion of household businesses into enterprises. What are the province’s objectives under this plan?
- Plan No. 21 identifies household-to-enterprise conversion as a priority task to strengthen private-sector development in a rapid, sustainable and efficient manner. The Provincial People’s Committee has set a target of 7,000 new enterprises by the end of 2026, including 3,050 to 3,275 household businesses converting to enterprise status.
Beyond numerical targets, the province aims to improve the overall quality and scale of the private sector, paving the way toward a broader goal of reaching about 65,000 enterprises by 2030. This shift is expected to enhance business performance and boost provincial budget revenues.
The province’s multi-faceted support will drive private sector development. - In the photo: Garment production at Hoang Trang Trading and Service Co., Ltd. (Long Mỹ Industrial Park, Quy Nhơn Tây Ward). Photo: T.Sỹ
* As the lead agency, what key measures is the Department of Finance prioritising to implement the plan?
- We follow the principle that “enterprise satisfaction is the measure of effectiveness.” To that end, we have streamlined business-registration procedures by digitising administrative processes, reducing the time for issuing new business-registration certificates from three days to about three working hours, and applying digital signatures to all registration results.
These reforms have delivered early gains: in January 2026, we issued certificates to 602 newly established enterprises—an increase of around 300% year-on-year—with registered capital reaching 4.058 trillion VND (≈162 million USD), up roughly 495%. New enterprises are exempt from registration fees, appraisal costs and initial licensing for conditional business sectors.
In parallel, we are working with other departments and local authorities to review household-business data and identify those eligible for conversion. We have issued coordination documents and are preparing guidance materials explaining registration procedures and the advantages of converting to enterprise status. Local People’s Committees are being advised to set up support teams to assist businesses in transition.
On 3 February, the Department of Finance, together with the Department of Industry and Trade and the Provincial Tax Department, met with authorities and businesses in Quy Nhơn and Quy Nhơn Nam wards to assess progress and gather feedback to refine upcoming support measures.
From the second quarter of 2026, we will guide the use of state-budget funds to provide free shared accounting software and training on business management, accounting and tax compliance. Management-skills courses will be organised for small and medium-sized enterprises that have converted from household businesses. We will continue urging relevant units to execute Plan No. 21 and report regularly to the Provincial People’s Committee.
Our goal is for 100% of household businesses to receive information and support on enterprise conversion, and for all newly converted enterprises to complete tax and registration procedures electronically quickly and conveniently.
Petrol retailers and distributors in Gia Lai province are preparing to fully replace conventional gasoline with E10 RON 95-III biofuel from June 1, as authorities push forward with plans to promote greener energy and reduce emissions.
Sweet potato processing businesses in Gia Lai province are expanding production of noodles, vermicelli, cakes and snacks in an effort to stabilize prices and reduce dependence on volatile fresh produce markets, as farmers continue to face losses from oversupply during peak harvest seasons.
The rapid growth in electricity demand and the accelerating shift toward renewable energy are increasing pressure on Vietnam’s power system, highlighting the urgent need for large-scale energy storage solutions.
Authorities in Gia Lai are accelerating construction and land clearance efforts for major transport infrastructure projects, including the second runway at Phu Cat Airport and strategic road links connecting industrial zones and ports, provincial officials said following a site inspection on May 11.
Vietnam has introduced sweeping tax relief measures for individuals, household businesses and small enterprises under a new government decree aimed at stimulating private sector development and encouraging business expansion.
Construction on Vietnam’s strategic Quy Nhon-Pleiku Expressway is accelerating during the dry season, but provincial authorities have warned that delays in central government funding allocation for 2026 could threaten project progress and place mounting pressure on contractors.
In April 2026, the Gia Lai Provincial People’s Committee issued Document No. 3861/UBND-KGVX, authorising the use of the geographical name “Gia Lai” for registration of the certification trademark “Gia Lai durian”.
Vietnam’s crab fishing industry has been granted equivalency recognition by the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), expanding access for Vietnamese crab exports to the American market.
Gia Lai has approved commune-level master plans for 111 out of 135 communes and wards as of early May 2026, achieving more than 82% completion as the province accelerates efforts to reorganize development space and strengthen investment competitiveness following administrative restructuring.
Gia Lai is restructuring its One Commune One Product (OCOP) program with a stronger focus on food products, prioritizing quality standardization, value-chain production, brand development and market expansion.
Cooperatives in Gia Lai province are accelerating a transition to organic pepper cultivation, aligning with stricter global market standards while boosting export value and long-term sustainability.
An alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation model deployed across eastern communes during the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop has significantly reduced emissions, saved water and improved rice yields, according to provincial agricultural authorities.
Gia Lai province is intensifying efforts to attract investment and accelerate sustainable economic growth in 2026, targeting 170 new projects as part of its broader 2026-2030 development strategy focused on infrastructure expansion, administrative reform and green industrial development.
New rice varieties are significantly improving production efficiency and supporting more sustainable farming practices in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, as farmers report higher yields, lower costs, and stronger market linkages.
Gia Lai province is accelerating its transition to low-emission agriculture, targeting carbon credit markets and long-term sustainability as part of its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
More than four decades after waves of post-reunification migration, Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has transformed from sparsely cultivated land into a major agricultural production hub, driven by settlers who built new lives on basalt soil.
Farmers in the remote western districts of Gia Lai province are increasingly adopting clean agriculture practices, boosting product value, stabilizing market access and improving incomes through standardized, technology-driven production models.
Gia Lai province aims to produce between 800,000 and 900,000 tonnes of finished steel annually by 2030, under a government-backed industrial development plan, authorities said.
A surge in offshore fishing activity has brought unusually large oceanic tuna to Tam Quan fishing port in central Vietnam, including a specimen weighing more than 300 kilograms, as total catches nearly doubled year-on-year.
Once a barren and economically underdeveloped commune, Kon Chiêng is emerging as a growing hub for large-scale livestock investment, driven by proactive local governance and close coordination with businesses.
Authorities in Gia Lai province have launched a livestream campaign aimed at accelerating agricultural sales by connecting local producers with e-commerce platforms, officials said on April 24.
Authorities in Gia Lai province are intensifying efforts to help household businesses comply with new tax and financial regulations, despite many remaining exempt from personal income tax and value-added tax due to low revenue levels.
Gia Lai province reported strong public investment disbursement in the first quarter of 2026, allocating more than VND 1.763 trillion (about $72 million), equivalent to 12.3% of the Prime Minister’s target and 11.3% of the provincial plan.
Producers in Gia Lai province are accelerating the adoption of science and technology to upgrade the quality, consistency and market reach of products under the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme, positioning themselves for deeper integration into domestic and international supply chains.