Joining Forces to Improve Business Support Services

The Industry and Trade of Nam Dinh province in recent years has actively promoted industry and trade promotion, creating favorable conditions for businesses to develop. The Department of Industry and Trade has proposed solutions to improve the scores of the components of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), which focuses on improving the "Business Support Services" index.

In 2019, all 18 socio-economic development targets of Nam Dinh province were achieved or exceeded, of which two major targets of Industry and Trade including industry and trade development exceeded the target.

Accordingly, the index of industrial production increased by 13.25% compared to 2018. The value of industrial production (at comparative prices in 2010) reached VND72,684 billion, an increase of 14.5% compared to 2018, exceeding the proposed plan (14%). Currently, the province has 1,964 enterprises and 44,104 commercial business establishments. Total turnover of goods and service revenue reached VND44,825 billion, up 12.1% compared to 2018. In 2019, the total import-export turnover of the province reached US$3,085 million, of which exports reached US$2,005 million, up 24.5% compared to 2018, exceeding 17.9% of the year plan; import turnover reached US$1,080 million. Main export markets of Nam Dinh are the US, EU, Northeast Asian countries, and ASEAN.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Van, Director of Nam Dinh Department of Industry and Trade, the province has paid due attention to trade promotion and business support. In 2019, the Department organized 23 industrial promotion schemes, including 12 programs and projects on application of advanced machinery and equipment in production; two programs and projects in demonstration models of new production technology, eight programs to select typical rural industrial products which have selected 21 typical provincial rural industrial products.

The Department also organized and supported more than 170 businesses and cooperatives to attend exhibitions and conferences about supply and demand in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Dien Bien, Phu Tho and Quang Binh, Gia Lai, Thai Nguyen; held a conference to connect the supply and demand of goods for the Lunar New Year in 2020 in Nam Dinh City, with the participation and display of products of nearly 80 manufacturing and distribution enterprises inside and outside the province. Thereby, the Department created favorable conditions for businesses to participate in exchanges of investment cooperation, product brand promotion, improving competitiveness, expanding domestic and export markets.

Along with the above results, the industry and trade sector of Nam Dinh has also coordinated to perform well State management in the fields of electricity - energy, conditional business, food hygiene and safety, and administrative reform.

In order to strengthen measures to support businesses and contribute to raising the PCI, Director of Department of Industry and Trade Nam Dinh Nguyen Minh Van said that the Department has proposed many solutions to improve the PCI score, focusing on improving the "Enterprise Support Services" index. Accordingly, the Department collaborated with relevant units to effectively implement industrial promotion programs, plans and schemes. The Department also focused on supporting the production of new products, technological innovation, applying advanced quality management systems to improve productivity and product quality, building demonstration models, technology transfer, application of modern machinery and equipment into production; and start-up training.

The department will also strengthen trade promotion activities, providing market information and branding, organizing and supporting businesses participating in domestic and international fairs to link and connect supply and demand between enterprises of provinces and cities to introduce, promote products and seek partners in production, business cooperation and consumption of goods and products.

Source:  Vietnam Business Forum