The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued a document, asking tourism management departments, tourism associations and businesses to continue carrying out domestic tourism stimulus programmes in the remaining months of 2020.

The ministry suggested localities and businesses actively choose their own messages suitable to the attractiveness and specific products of destinations, focusing on stimulating demand of target tourists who are Vietnamese and foreigners working and living in Vietnam.

According to the ministry, localities and enterprises need to develop high-quality product packages with attractive prices, diversified programmes, and building flexible refunding and swapping policies to ensue the interests of tourists.

The ministry recommends that businesses and localities need to strictly follow instructions and regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control, ensuring safety at travel businesses, accommodation establishments, and destinations.

The tourism industry is required to promote communication campaigns about safe and attractive Vietnamese tourism on media channels, contributing to eliminating visitors’ fear of traveling.

HCM City improves management of farm produce safety

A new Ho Chi Minh City regulation would make it mandatory for all agricultural products and foodstuffs to have traceability and geographical indications, and require packaging and branding under VietGAP standards to ensure food hygiene and safety.

The new regulation, if approved, will be applied to retailers, wholesalers and distribution systems in the city. The model requires cooperation between linkages associated with the sale of agricultural products via value chains to ensure food safety, she said.

Currently, HCM City and the provinces in the southern key economic region only conform to biosafety production standards because of a legal requirement. In addition, the application of VietGAP standards is still not compulsory.

Over the years, the city has promoted effective management of production and consumption chains of agricultural products, with traceability and geographical indications to ensure food hygiene and safety for consumers.

The number of enterprises heavily investing in agricultural production still accounts for a low rate. In addition, wholesale markets associated with concentrated production areas have not developed in a coordinated way./.

HCMC to build seaport in Can Gio District

HCMC is planning to develop a seaport capable of receiving container ships of up to 200,000 DWT in the outlying district of Can Gio.

According to the seaport development plan for the 2021-2030 period, the city’s Department of Transport is considering four locations to build the port.

Under the first option, the port would be adjacent to the Long Tau River in Binh Khanh Commune. According to Hang Hai Construction Consultation JSC, the consulting firm for the plan, the port in this location would cover 250 hectares and be capable of receiving container ships of 30,000 to 50,000 DWT.

The HCMC Department of Transport said a port in this location would be conveniently connected to the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway, which is being developed. The consulting firm needs to conduct a further study for the port’s container yard and logistics services.

Under the second option, the port would be adjacent to the Long Tau River in Thanh An Commune. It would cover 50 hectares and be capable of receiving container ships of up to 100,000 DWT.

The Transport Department has rejected this option, as the location is near the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve and is not connected to the road system.

As part of the third option, the port would cover 150 hectares in Long Hoa Commune and be capable of receiving container ships of up to 150,000 DWT.

This area is also near the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve but is located at the water front. Therefore, it would be capable of receiving large ships.

If this option is selected, the city will need to consult the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment because it is situated near the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve.

Under the fourth option, the city would build a specialized port near Ong Cho Islet, which would cover 100 hectares and be capable of receiving container ships of up to 200,000 DWT.

The Transport Department said this location is adjacent to the Cai Mep-Thi Vai and Saigon-Vung Tau navigation routes so the port will be able to receive large ships and serve as a specialized and transshipment point for inland water transport.

The consulting firm also proposed developing a deep-water port on the Thi Vai River near Go Gia Islet in Can Gio District to receive ships of up to 80,000 DWT after 2030.

Construction of 143-million-USD industrial park begins in Binh Dinh

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh attended a ground-breaking ceremony for the Becamex VSIP Binh Dinh Township and Industrial Park on September 27.

The complex, with an investment of more than 3.33 trillion VND (143.45 million USD), will span an area of 1,425 ha in Van Canh district of the south central coastal province of Binh Dinh.

Once operational, it is expected to attract investment in excess of 2 billion USD, create stable jobs for about 150,000 workers, and contribute around 400 billion VND per year to the State budget.

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Binh said the project will serve as a nucleus promoting the development of Binh Dinh’s industrial and services sectors, urging local authorities and people to work with the investor to ensure its progress and safety.

He also asked Binh Dinh authorities to improve investment climate, promptly handle administrative procedures for investors and care for residents whose land is revoked for projects.

The same day, the Deputy PM attended a ceremony to open a road linking Nhon Hoi Economic Zone with Phu Cat airport of Binh Dinh province. The road, measuring 20km in length and 20.5m in width, was built at a cost of 1.82 billion VND, with four lanes.

Also on September 27, a ground-breaking ceremony for a high tech agricultural complex was held in Cu M’gar district of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

It is invested by Hung Nhon Group and De Heus of the Netherlands at an investment of 1.5 trillion VND (64.6 million USD), aiming to produce high quality animal feed and fertiliser for exports.

Covering an area of about 200ha, the complex is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.

Upon its completion, the project is hoped to turn the Central Highlands into a hub for swine breeds and hi-tech husbandry models in the region and Asia.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the project is an environmentally-friendly one which will use solar power energy and create jobs for nearly 300 local labourers.

New coastal economic zone set up in Quang Ninh

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently signed a decision on the establishment of the coastal Quang Yen Economic Zone in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The 13,303ha economic zone, located in the southwest of Quang Ninh, will include an urban, industrial and hi-tech complex and the Dam Nha Mac seaport, related services, industrial and urban complex.

In particular, the urban, industrial and hi-tech complex will span over 6,403ha in Uong Bi city and Quang Yen town.

Meanwhile, the Dam Nha Mac seaport, related services, industrial and urban area will spread on more than 6,899ha in Quang Yen town.

This economic zone is aimed at capitalising on natural and geographical advantages in economic, trade and service connection with other coastal economic zones like Van Don in Quang Ninh, Dinh Vu-Cat Hai in nearby Hai Phong city and Thai Binh in Thai Binh province, thereby helping to optimise competitive edges of each zone and forming socio-economic development connectivity between the economic zones with neighbouring areas.

The Quang Yen Economic Zone will closely combine investment attraction and economic development with defence-security ensuring, and preservation and promotion of values of local marine ecosystems, historical relics and culture.

It also looks to become a multi-sectoral economic zone and a modern and smart industrial, port logistics services and urban centre of Quang Ninh as well as the Red River Delta; create a modern living environment via synchronous development of technical and social infrastructure; while boosting hi-tech and environmentally friendly sectors and R&D centres.

The economic zone is scheduled to be developed from now to 2035, according to the Prime Minister’s decision.

Footwear industry expects more export opportunities by year-end

The domestic leather and footwear industry still has a chance to increase exports from now to the end of the year, but it will be unable to reach its export target of US$24 billion this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The Viet Nam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso) said the local leather and footwear industry will have a chance to increase its share in the global supply chain because China's market share in the world has decreased from 60-70 per cent to about 45-50 per cent due to the pandemic. Viet Nam and other countries including India, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia are boosting exports to grab a larger slice of the pie.

Diep Thanh Kiet, Lefaso vice chairman, said that there is still an optimistic situation for production and business this year, saying that though export orders from countries have been greatly reduced, the situation is worse in countries that have struggled to control the pandemic.

As Viet Nam has controlled the pandemic well, Vietnamese footwear companies have faced a lower reduction in export orders than companies in rival countries, Kiet said.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, consumption of the leather and footwear industry will continue to face difficulties because it depends on the ability to control the pandemic in the US and EU. The biggest driver for the industry's growth is the Viet Nam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) that was effective from August 1. However, it is not easy to take export opportunities from this agreement.

The domestic leather, footwear and handbag industry has more than 1,700 businesses. About 85 per cent of them have limited capital, technical ability and technology and also have to import raw materials. Therefore, they need to build a supply chain of raw materials to take advantage of the EVFTA, the ministry said.

Some leather and footwear enterprises have said that firms in the industry need to work together to form production chains. For example, Vien Thinh Shoe Company produces soles, heels, nails and shoe ribs. Therefore, the company hopes to work with many other businesses in the industry to not depend on imported materials, reported Dien dan Doanh nghiep (Business Forum) newspaper.

According to Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Lefaso vice chairwoman and general secretary, imports of raw materials have resumed but consumption is facing many difficulties. Companies’ production output has dropped by 40-50 per cent and orders have slowed. Most products are for export, so it is difficult to consume them in the domestic market due to high prices.

The ministry said the export value of footwear in the first eight months of this year reached $10.9 billion, down 8.6 per cent from the same period in 2019.

Therefore, it is almost certain that the Vietnamese leather, footwear and handbag industry will not be able to fulfil its export target of $24 billion this year.

The major footwear export markets of Viet Nam, such as the US, China, Japan, Belgium, and Germany, decreased footwear imports compared to the previous month. In the first seven months of this year, the US was the largest export market of Vietnamese footwear with a value of $3.43 billion, accounting for more than 36 per cent of the total export value, down 9 per cent compared the same period in 2019.

Exports fell by 19 per cent to $1.14 billion to China, 17 per cent to $554 million to Belgium, 2 per cent to $552 million to Japan and 10 per cent to $505 million to Germany.

Exports to Denmark dropped sharply by 64 per cent to only $6.2 million. 

FTSE Russell keeps VN at secondary emerging market level

Viet Nam remains a secondary emerging market following the latest market re-classification by the British analytics and data solution provider FTSE Russell.

FTSE Russell had listed Viet Nam in its watchlist for potential re-classification since September 2018. The latest result, made on late Friday, had been widely expected by local securities firms.

According to Bao Viet Securities Co (BVSC), in FTSE Russell’s March re-classification, Viet Nam met seven of nine criteria to upgrade it to the emerging markets status.

The two standards Viet Nam did not satisfy were Settlement – Rare incidence of failed trades and Deliver-versus-payment (DvP) Settlement Cycle, which were marked “not available” and “restricted”.

BVSC said that Viet Nam did not meet those two items as investors were asked to make a sufficient deposit before trading, subject to Circular 203/2015/TT-BTC dated December 21, 2015.

FTSE Russell in its assessment said that the rule did not allow the settlement to follow the DvP model and failed trades were almost non-existent in the market.

According to KB Viet Nam Securities Co (KBSV), Viet Nam may get a chance to be promoted to emerging markets status as soon as September 2021.

Until the upcoming review in March 2021, Viet Nam will not have enough time to make changes to its existing issues addressed by FTSE Russell, KBSV said.

The State Securities Commission (SSC) may complete upgrading the trading system in early 2021, KBSV predicted, which would become a milestone for Viet Nam to transform its settlement method from pre-funding – which requires the investor to have a sufficient amount of cash in the account to buy and sell securities – to DvP system, the brokerage said.

However, the transformation will not go smoothly as there are some differences between the SSC and the settlement service provider and securities firms will need some time to complete updating their technology to match the stock exchanges’ trading systems, the company said.

KBSV said that a failure in next year’s market status re-classification and the slow process of equitisation among State-owned enterprises may make Viet Nam miss the chance to draw a huge flow of foreign capital.

VNDirect Securities Corporation (VNDS) forecast that about US$1.4-1.9 billion worth of foreign capital may flow into the local equity market if Viet Nam is lifted to emerging markets status. 

Half of HoSE-listed stocks beat the market despite COVID-19 impact

More than half of stocks listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) have enjoyed positive growth since the beginning of the year despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The benchmark VN-Index on the HoSE has fallen nearly 5.5 per cent since the beginning of the year and most of its decline has been attributed to the downturn of the global financial markets, which have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 214 stocks listed on HoSE, or 55 per cent of the total, have still shown good performance despite the local market’s downturn.

Of the total, 12 stocks have at least doubled in market value, ndh.vn reported.

Among the 12 best-performing stocks, FLC Mining Investment and Asset Management JSC (GAB) soared nearly 86 per cent to VND158,500 (US$6.83) per share on Friday.

Other significant gainers include Thang Long Urban Development and Construction Investment JSC (TLD), My Chau Printing and Packaging Holdings Company (MCP), and Vien Dong Investment Development Trading Corporation (VID), which rose between 154 per cent and 259 per cent.

Others include some popular names such as retailer Digiworld Corporation (DGW), Dabaco Group (DBC), Tuong An Vegetable Oil JSC (TAC) and confectionery firm Kido (KDC).

Among the 214 stocks that have outperformed the benchmark VN-Index in nine months, 11 stocks have increased by 70-99 per cent, 20 stocks have gained 50-69 per cent, 43 stocks have risen 30-49 per cent, 65 stocks have advanced 10-29 per cent, and 63 stocks have recorded below 10 per cent growth.

Those include 10 large-cap stocks such as lenders Sacombank (STB), Vietinbank (CTG) and VPBank (VPB), which surged 25.9 per cent, 25.6 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively.

Travel firms adapt to Covid-19 pandemic

The second outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced local travel enterprises to change their mindset by setting up business plans adaptable to unfavorable scenarios instead of waiting for a medicine or vaccine that can cure the disease.

Many enterprises have introduced demand stimulus programs following the new strategy, considering price and safety as the most important factors, followed by attractive products and services.

Speaking at a seminar held by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on Thursday, Vu The Binh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said many firms in the tourism industry failed to predict the impact of the pandemic although they had gone through several crises such as the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the global economic slowdown in 2009.

The pandemic has yet to show signs of subsiding, having battered the world for over eight months. In Vietnam, the first demand stimulus program was a great success, with the number of domestic tourists reaching a record growth. However, it then tumbled to a new low once the second outbreak hit central Danang City.

Currently, the situation has been brought under control but the new demand stimulus program will see little effect if the pandemic breaks out yet again in November or December.

“We have to think about long-term solutions to deal with all possible scenarios, such as living with the pandemic,” said Binh.

Speaking to The Saigon Times, many enterprises shared the same opinion.

Nguyen Ngoc Toan, director of Images Travel, said the economy will sink deeply into a recession if travel measures continue to be tightened.

At present, some European countries have decided to live with the pandemic. The economy and the tourism sector can stage a recovery only if governments accept changes and explain the situation to their citizens, he said.

Addressing the seminar, a representative from low-cost carrier VietJet said that similar pandemics may occur in the future. Therefore, to adapt to and operate smoothly in this context, localities should provide guidelines and apply infection prevention measures to ensure safety for travelers.

During the previous demand stimulus program, enterprises cut prices sharply to lure vacationers. Consequently, they failed to improve their financial situation despite the soaring number of travelers.

After the second outbreak, tourists remained anxious about the risks of traveling, prompting enterprises to design new products and services instead of offering big discounts like before.
“In August, we lost nearly one million arrivals. We slashed prices to the lowest rate. To attract tourists again after the second wave of the pandemic, the first thing is to make them understand that it is a safe time to travel,” said Tran Thi Nguyen, sales director of Sun World under Sun Group.

Most businesses at the event introduced the infection prevention measures applied at their restaurants, hotels and resorts to make customers feel safe.

Vietjet to resume services on Vietnam-S. Korea route

Local low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has announced that it will resume international commercial flights between Vietnam and South Korea starting September 30 to meet the high travel demand from passengers, after six months of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The carrier will operate one weekly flight on the HCMC-Seoul route on Wednesdays beginning from September 30, and the return leg of the flight will depart from Seoul every Wednesday from October 7.

Besides this, Vietjet will operate more flights on the Hanoi-Seoul-HCMC route on September 29.

Passengers departing from Vietnam or South Korea are required to possess a medical certificate with a negative Covid-19 test result taken within three days before departure and comply with the mandatory quarantine requirements of the host countries.

The South Korean Government demanded that passengers travelling to South Korea declare their medical information before departure and comply with the 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement at their residences or at paid quarantine facilities after entering the country.

Passengers arriving in Vietnam can register for paid quarantine services at hotels and lodging facilities appraised by the local authorities.

Eight of 12 industrial parks in Haiphong lack establishment decisions

After years of operations, eight of 12 industrial parks in the northern city of Haiphong still don’t have an establishment decision, affecting the enterprises located in them, especially when they ask for tax incentives from the Government.

These industrial parks comprise Nam Cau Kien, Trang Due, Nam Dinh Vu, MP Minh Phuong, Haiphong International Container Terminal, Nam Dinh Vu Non-tariff Zone, Maritime Service and Industrial Zone and VSIP Haiphong.

Vietnam Japan Engineering Company, an investor in the Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park, said the park’s lack of an establishment decision has prevented it from enjoying tariff incentives. In July, the company asked for a tax exemption on imported devices used for its plant at the Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park. However, the Haiphong Customs Department for Industrial Zones and Export Processing Zones rejected the suggestion because the Nam Cau Kien Industrial Park does not have an establishment decision.

Vice head of the Management Board of Haiphong Economic Zone Le Tri Vu admitted that these eight industrial parks don’t have an establishment decision. However, he said the imports and exports of enterprises in these industrial parks have continued as normal over the past years.

Only two enterprises, including Vietnam Japan Engineering Company, have complained that the industrial parks’ lack of an establishment decision has affected their operations. “We are consulting the municipal government on these cases,” Vu said.

Tran Van Thang, board chairman of Red Star Corporation, said the management boards of the economic zones and the local authorities bear a higher responsibility for the lack of an establishment decision at the industrial parks than the investors do.

He said the Cat Hai-Dinh Vu Economic Zone was particularly established following the prime minister’s decision. Therefore, industrial parks in this economic zone don’t need an establishment decision from the Haiphong City authorities.

According to the Government’s Decree 82, the decision to establish an industrial park is issued by the municipal or provincial government after the construction plan is approved.

Speaking to VnExpress, Pham Hung Hung, spokesperson of the Haiphong City People’s Committee, said relevant agencies of the city are working with the management boards of the economic zones to review the legal records of industrial parks.

Businesses show little interest in Covid-19 relief aid

The Government’s VND16-trillion credit package to support Covid 19-hit employers has received a lackluster response from the local business community due to the difficult requirements.

Statistics show that just one firm has been determined as eligible for the zero-interest loan program during the five months of its deployment.

The information, given by the State Bank of Vietnam at a conference on September 22, has surprised local businesses. Further, the latest data of the General Statistics Office showed that the number of firms that suspended operations in the January-August period amounted to around 34,300, soaring by 70.8% over the same period last year.

Although this relief aid program was launched in April to support ailing employers in wage payments has drawn positive feedback, many businesses said they had actually found the requirements extremely difficult to meet.

Meanwhile, the central bank affirmed that it had prepared a legal foundation for the provision of the relief aid and arranged VND16 trillion for the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to make soft loans available for those businesses in need.

According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, enterprises have been indifferent to the aid as they are finding it tough to prove their hardships.

The ministry is revising conditions over the credit package, suggesting the Government cross out a criterion regulating that only firms without any income are eligible for interest-free loans. Instead, firms faced with revenue falls or financial distress should be considered, said the central bank.

Many domestic enterprises are struggling with the unprecedented challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But they have given up due to the strict requirements of the credit package.

Speaking at a recent seminar, Nguyen Van Quyen, chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, said that most members of the association have found the loan package is beyond their reach.

For instance, only enterprises without any income and having used up all their funds will be qualified for the credit. However, if there are no sources of income, a company would have to suspend operations.

Moreover, employers must follow regulations in terms of the credit usage and are not allowed to use any funds they choose for wage payments, Quyen said.

Le Duy Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, stated that most enterprises in the industry have yet to receive relief aid, especially from the Government’s VND16 trillion package for wage payments.

According to economist Le Dang Doanh, the program is great but it cannot be realized due to the tough requirements.

HCMC targets per capita income of US$40,000 in 2045

HCMC expects to emerge as a financial and economic hub in Asia with a per capita income of US$40,000 in 2045, HCMC Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan said at a meeting on September 24.

The city is trying to become a smart city by 2025. At the same time, it expects to become a modern industrial service city and remain the country’s economic hub and leader in innovation and life quality.

By 2030, the city has targeted emerging as an economic, financial, scientific and technological center in Southeast Asia. Its per capita income would reach US$12,570, nearly doubling last year’s figure of US$6,862.

Nhan said in the next five to 10 years, the country and the world would experience many changes, especially conflicts between large countries that might affect HCMC’s development. Therefore, the city must prepare a careful and practical development plan.

Last year, HCMC’s gross regional domestic product grew by 7.86%, a little higher than the country’s gross domestic product growth of 7.02%.

During the 2001-2010 period, the city’s contribution made up 26.5% of the nation's state budget, which increased to 27.5% in the 2011-2019 period.

The city’s economic output accounted for 17% of the country’s total between 1996 and 2000, increasing to 20% from 2001 to 2010 and to 22% between 2011 and 2019.

Hue seeks to develop international gateway seaport

Thua Thien-Hue Province has requested the Ministry of Transport to develop the current provincial seaport complex into an international gateway seaport to enhance its competitiveness, according to information unveiled following a meeting between provincial leaders and the Ministry of Transport’s delegation led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Cong yesterday, September 23.

In addition, Chan May Port will become an integrated port receiving containers and goods as well as the transit cargo of Laos and Northeastern Thailand. Apart from a terminal for international cruises, the port will also have terminals for petrol and liquefied natural gas.

These proposals are based on the fact that Chan May Port annually welcomes 45-50 cruises with a combined 130,000 passengers and sailors. Currently, the port’s terminal No. 1 has exceeded 120% of its designed capacity. Moreover, it lacks conditions to receive container ships. Thus, businesses operating in the province must export a large number of containers through other ports in the central region, equivalent to 81,600 TEUs.

By 2025, many big projects will be put into operation in Thua Thien-Hue, such as a medical glove factory that has a capacity of 10 billion pieces and 800 tons of fiber a year and two automobile production projects with a combined capacity of 220,000 units a year. The Billion Max toy factory project can produce 20 million units a year.

Therefore, the demand for exporting goods through Chan May Port will be very high, estimated at some seven million tons of goods.

At the meeting, the leaders of Thua Thien-Hue also suggested the Vietnam Maritime Administration invest in an inland port at the central cargo logistics and commercial service center at the Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone. The 120-hectare port will be added in the national inland port system for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, in line with the master plan of the Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone approved by the Prime Minister.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Cong agreed with the proposals and asked the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee to work with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to develop a port specializing in handling international passenger cruises.

The Thua Thien-Hue seaport system that is seen as a national general port is inclusive of Chan May and Thuan An ports. In 2019, the seaport system served 3.40 million tons of goods, with 2.87 million tons handled by Chan May Port.

Goods through the port comprise mainly wood chips, coal and clinker exported to China, Korea, Japan and elsewhere.

HCMC promotes trade cooperation with other cities, provinces

As Vietnam’s economic hub, HCMC has supported other cities and provinces through a range of trade promotion programs, solidifying its cooperation with these localities and boosting the growth of production and business.

HCMC possesses great strength in production and processing, while other localities offer advantages in the agriculture sector and have abundant sources of materials and local specialties, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported.

Nguyen Huynh Trang, deputy director of the HCMC Department of industry and Trade, said that over the past five years, the trade cooperation program aimed at expanding supply chains and stabilizing the market between HCMC and other localities in the southeastern and southwestern regions has produced positive results. The program, therefore, has elevated the cooperation ties.

Since early 2020, when the country was fighting the coronavirus outbreak, HCMC has effectively collaborated with many provinces and cities to create favorable conditions for the transportation of goods and balance supply and demand to avoid a shortage of goods in the market.

Through the trade cooperation program, a number of distributors in HCMC have cooperated with prestigious suppliers of various high-quality products in these localities, making HCMC-based firms major consumers of farm produce and smoothing the path toward global markets.

Besides, these localities have introduced multiple support policies and opened the door for HCMC firms to invest in projects there. Up to now, 28 enterprises joining the city’s market stabilization program have invested in 47 factories and production facilities and 63 farms in the regions with a total investment of over VND18 trillion.

Long An Province appreciates the cooperation measures adopted by HCMC, expecting the city to continue its role in guiding the market and deploying a program to build a connection chain of farm produce, production and consumption as soon as possible, said Chau Thi Le, deputy director of the Long An Department of Industry and Trade.

Long An Province and other localities will cooperate with HCMC to effectively implement this project, she added.

The Ben Tre Department of Industry and Trade also expected HCMC to create favorable conditions for goods and products in the province and others to be consumed in the city

A conference to review the trade cooperation program in the 2016-2020 period and the supply-demand connection between HCMC and other provinces in 2020 is taking place from September 24 to 27 in HCMC, attracting over 598 firms from 41 provinces and cities.

PM launches nationwide campaign to support businesses

The Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued Decision 1322/QĐ-TTg approving the national programme to support businesses to improve productivity and quality of products and goods in the 2021-30 period.

The decision, which was issued at the end of last month, is considered a new push to support enterprises amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution that strongly affects the competitiveness of enterprises.

In order to continue to strongly spread this activity, the national programme to support enterprises to improve their efficiency in the 2021-30 period sets the goal of supporting enterprises on the basis of applying solutions of standards, technology, management systems, and improvement tools, contributing to increase the proportion of the total factor productivity (TFP) to economic growth, and quality improvement, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy.

In this programme, the Government has set a number of specific targets for the coming period. Specifically, in the 2021-25 period, it is targeted to have the harmonisation rate of the national standard system with international standards and regional standards reach about 65 per cent.

It also targets training and certifying about 600 quality productivity experts at ministries, agencies, localities and enterprises.

In the 2026-2030 period, striving for the harmonisation rate to 70-75 per cent and training and certifying standards for about 1,000 experts, of which about 200 experts are certified with regional and international qualifications.

To realise these goals, the Prime Minister will strengthen communication, specifically, it is necessary to promote guidance on the application of management systems, productivity and quality improvement tools, especially supportive tools for smart production and services in enterprises.

Along with that, building and developing a database of good productivity practices to serve businesses and other related databases; paying attention to the honour and reward of collectives and individuals with high achievements in productivity and quality activities; and encouraging enterprises to participate in the National Quality Awards.

Malaysia prioritises to help COVID-19 affected SMEs

The Malaysian government is committed to continue helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) along their recovery path in the upcoming Budget 2021, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

He said this would be done via continued support for digitalisation and automation, building on the foundation laid by the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (PRIHATIN), PRIHATIN SME PLUS, National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA), and Prihatin Supplementary Initiative Package (KITA PRIHATIN) to encourage this transition, Malaysia’s Bernama News Agency reported.

The government will also facilitate the SMEs to accelerate the adoption of digitalisation under Budget 2021 that will be tabled the Parliament on November 6, he added.

“Records have shown that crucial technological and digital migration have yet to hit critical mass among SMEs” the news agency quoted the minister as saying.

He stressed the need to raise awareness that with digitalisation, SMEs can have a bigger market reach and go regional, and how financial institutions can support them in this process.

According to the minister, under Budget 2021, the government would also guide SMEs towards business resilience and sustainability, as most SMEs adopted high-growth strategies in making decisions, and this left little room for them to respond effectively to economic shocks.

He suggested businesses need to balance out their priorities to help themselves remain afloat regardless of the changing operating landscape, and said that the government is looking at how sustainability can be the foundational premise on which SME-centric measures are crafted.

Tay Ninh to build complex with logistics centre, port, container depot

The southern province of Tay Ninh has approved building a multifunctional complex that would include a logistics centre, an inland container depot (ICD) and a general port, with total investment of more than 2.9 trillion VND (125 million USD).

The project will cover 259.22ha in Trang Bang town, including a 159.70ha logistics centre, a 48.94ha ICD, and a 50.58ha complex port.

With modern technology and infrastructure, the multi-functional complex will have warehouses, storage yards, technical infrastructure, housing, offices, an executive centre, roads, green spaces and other services.

It will be close to Sai Gon River in the north and southeast directions, and adjacent to a residential area on Provincial Road No 789 in the southwest direction, and Ho Chi Minh Highway (running from northern Lang Son province to southern Ca Mau Province) in the northwest direction.

Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the project is expected to provide 1,500 jobs after completion.

The complex will help exploit inland waterway routes on the Sai Gon River and reduce traffic pressure on roads. It will also take full advantage of domestic transshipment, export and transit of goods in the southeastern region and southern key economic region.

Road, inland waterway and seaway transport connections in the region are also expected to improve.

Vietnam a bright destination: French investors

Dozens of French groups and major companies operating in different fields joined an online conference on September 28 that sought ways to promote French investments in Vietnam after the COVID-19.

The conference was co-organised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the French Embassy in Vietnam, and MEDEF International - a non-profit private-funded organisation created in 1989 by MEDEF, the French Business Confederation.

François Corbin, President of the Vietnam-France Business Council and Vice President of MEDEF International, said the large number of businesses involved in the conference reflects the high level of interest in Vietnam.

He highlighted Vietnam’s positive growth amid the pandemic, saying the country has become a candidate destination for value chain transformation in Asia.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said the Vietnam-France relationship has developed fruitfully since the two countries set up a strategic partnership in 2013.

Regarding the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), he said they will open up more opportunities for Vietnamese and French investors to access the markets of each other.

Vietnam has paid attention to quality, efficiency, technology, and environmental protection during its investment attraction efforts, he stressed.

According to Do Nhat Hoang, head of the Foreign Investment Agency, the Vietnamese Government has adjusted the Law on Enterprises and the Law on Investment in an effort to streamline procedures and create an open corridor for foreign investors in the country.

In anticipation of waves of foreign investment, the country has prepared land and human resources while setting up a working group in charge of removing obstacles to investment and attracting quality and large-scale investment projects.

Participating French firms at the conference raised questions regarding Vietnam’s priority projects and measures to address difficulties facing existing projects.

The two sides agreed to further exchange information and facilitate French investments in areas of shared concern, especially technology-intensive and high-tech sectors.

Japan praises Ha Nam province’s investment potential

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio and representatives of Japanese companies praised the potential, advantages, and investment attraction policies of northern Ha Nam province at a seminar on September 28.

During the seminar, on economic cooperation between Japan and Ha Nam and jointly held by the provincial People’s Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese side expressed a hope for stronger cooperation and an attractive investment environment.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Xuan Duong reviewed the 10-year cooperation between Ha Nam and Japanese localities and businesses through a range of trade and investment activities and people-to-people exchanges.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung also highlighted the extensive and intensive cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, which has been consolidated through high-level meetings, and suggested the two countries enhance their cooperation in education and culture.

Ha Nam had 321 FDI projects as of September, including 100 from Japanese investors in 26 Japanese prefectures with registered capital amounting to 1,041 million USD, or 25 percent of the total FDI in the province.

Le Thi Thuy, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, said Ha Nam regards Japan as a priority partner, and pledged that it will make greater efforts to improve its investment environment. She also proposed implementing high-quality human resources training programmes for Japanese companies.

The seminar saw the participation of representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI)./.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/VIR/VOV/SGT/NDO/Dtinews