Speaking at a press conference after the signing ceremony, Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc said the third-phase plan has identified 37 specific contents focusing on the board of directors’ activities towards joint ventures set up before the 2005 Enterprise Law, the corporate income tax, the relationship between employers and employees, road systems, intellectual property, development of subsidiary industries and power sources. 
 
Minister Phuc affirmed that Vietnam ’s business and investment environment has been much improved thanks to the implementation of the first and second phases of the VJJI. 
 
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba expressed his belief that together with the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the implementation of the action plan for the VJJI third phase will not only improve Vietnam’s investment environment but also boost Vietnam’s and Japan’s economic development as well as further strengthen the friendship between the two countries. 
 
To facilitate Japanese businesses’ operations in Vietnam , a Japan Desk will be set up at the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency. It will coordinate investment exchanges and assist Japanese businesses in implementation of the third-phase plan. 
 
Launched by the two Governments in April 2003, the VJJI aims to improve Vietnam ’s investment environment and its competitiveness. The first phase was implemented from December 2003 to November 2005 and the second phase, from July 2006 to November 2007.