Several Japanese investors put forward a series of recommendations about services and facilities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, expecting the airport to accelerate automated immigration clearance, heard the Japanese Enterprise Round-table Conference, chaired by the municipal People’s Committee on Thursday.

The quality of airport services, technology, and facilities at the southern metropolis’ airport are lagging behind those seen at other airports in many countries.

Fliers still have to stand in line and experience a long wait to complete immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat.

In August this year, five local airports, including Tan Son Nhat International Airport, debuted an automated entry system to facilitate the entry of travelers and speed up immigration procedures.

The system is accessible to all Vietnamese citizens and foreign fliers who hold a temporary or permanent residence card issued by a Vietnamese agency.

Alongside Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai in Hanoi, Da Nang in Da Nang City, Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa Province, and Phu Quoc off southern Kien Giang Province have introduced this self-serving system.

However, until now, foreign passengers have been unable to access the automated gate, some Japanese businessmen complained.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese nationals are showing little interest in the self-serving immigration clearance system. Instead, they are still waiting for human interaction while passing through an entry gate at the airport.

Multiple Japanese companies proposed the operator of the airport improve its services, better automated immigration clearance, and separate areas for Vietnamese and foreigners.

Besides, issues linked to restrooms and parking lots at the airport should be resolved, according to the participating Japanese firms.

In addition, at the conference, Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ono Masuo pinpointed several obstacles over tax, customs, regulations, and environment facing Japanese firms, proposing that the city remove these hindrances to facilitate their business and investment activities.

Meanwhile, many Japanese firms believed that Resolution 98, which was passed by Vietnam’s lawmaking National Assembly in June, on special mechanisms and policies for Ho Chi Minh City's development would create a big chance for foreign investors to tap the city's potential.

As such, Japanese companies proposed that the city publicize a list of planned projects, and incentives for investment so that they could expand investment in the coming time.

Phan Van Mai, chairman of the municipal administration, told these Japanese enterprises at the event that he expected stronger cooperation between Japanese firms and companies in Ho Chi Minh City, and between municipal authorities and the Japanese administration in various fields in the coming months.

Vietnam and Japan are seeing much potential for deeper partnership, especially after the two nations lifted their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world in late November.

“Through the conference, the city can garner recommendations from Japanese firms and understand multiple challenges facing them to remove such hindrances,” Mai said.

“The city pledges to accompany and support both local and international firms to go through hardships."

In December, the city will provide Japanese investors with information and documents in Japanese linked to Resolution 98, Mai added.

Japanese investors have been executing 1,657 projects with a total pledged capital of US$5.7 billion in Ho Chi Minh City, representing 14 percent of the city’s total foreign-invested projects.

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