Vietnam moves to free up business

Vietnam is introducing further changes to trade licensing rules in a bid to free up the country's heavily bureaucratized business sector.

A spokesman for the government Mr Ngo Van Giang said it wanted to create a free and open environment for enterprises.

He said the business community had previously been restricted by too many regulations which in turn encouraged corruption.

A BBC specialist in Vietnamese affairs says the government hopes the move will stimulate greater foreign investment and have a significant impact on the housing, transport and financial markets.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service