Connecting Provincial Government and Businesses

The year 2020 was considered the most challenging year ever with the devastation of COVID-19. In the context of these common difficulties, the Business Association of Tay Ninh province still strived to accompany the business community and the province to successfully fulfill the dual goal of both preventing epidemics and ensuring socio-economic development.

One of the bright spots in the past year is that the member enterprises of the Tay Ninh Business Association still pay full budget and ensure jobs for employees. No member enterprises went bankrupt or dissolved. Playing the role of a bridge, representing enterprises in the province, the Association actively researches and advises the province to perfect mechanisms and policies; to step up the reform of administrative procedures, improve the business environment in the direction of openness, transparency and accountability. The Association regularly updates and promptly informs member enterprises about the documents and directives of the Prime Minister, ministries, branches and Provincial People's Committee on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures for enterprises to have suitable plans in production and business (production and business); guide enterprises to complete supporting dossiers according to the Prime Minister's Directive.

The Association also promotes activities to support trade promotion and improve the competitiveness of businesses; open short and long training courses to update and improve management knowledge and professionalism for businesses; and strengthen implementation of training activities to support businesses to access packages of solutions to remove difficulties caused by epidemics. In addition, the Association also plays a good role as a bridge between businesses and the provincial government; regularly captures information, synthesizes recommendations on difficulties and problems of enterprises to report to provincial leaders for taking solutions; proactively coordinates with departments, agencies to organize, participate in meetings with topics about solutions to solving difficulties for businesses, especially businesses affected by epidemics. All the difficulties of enterprises which were submitted through the Association were answered in detail by functional departments and the provincial People's Committee, thereby promptly solving problems, creating favorable conditions for businesses to develop. Especially, the Entrepreneur Café Meet-up events and CEO Forum with the participation of leaders of functional departments and the provincial People's Committee has created favorable conditions for businesses to exchange goods, products, and search for new markets and new partners to contribute to directly solving problems of member enterprises.

Being energized, member enterprises have researched to create new products, new ways to maintain and stabilize production and business; strengthening links, applying information technology, promoting forms of advertising and product consumption through online commerce channels. The competitiveness of businesses has been significantly improved; the added value of products is increasing day by day. Many businesses have initially overcome difficulties and reached the target of production and business in 2020 with remarkable results, ensuring jobs and income for employees, contributing positively to the local budget.

In particular, the Association has also affirmed the position and role of the business community in the province through regular, continuous, diversified and effective social security activities. Some outstanding activities can be mentioned as: distributing gifts to poor households, studious students in difficulty; and relief for storms and floods in the Central region. During the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Association provided more than 140 tons of free rice to the poor. The social security programs sponsored and organized by the Association have been brought into full play, showing the spirit of mutual love and mutual help, making practical contributions to hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

On the basis of these achievements, in the coming time, Tay Ninh Business Association will continue to promote its role as a bridge between the provincial government and businesses. At the same time, the Association also focuses on strongly developing its members, strengthening the staff of the Association's office as well as taking measures to increase operating budget, helping the Association to have conditions for long-term companionship and development with the business community.

By Duc Binh, Vietnam Business Forum