Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Director of Long An Department of Industry and Trade, once emphasized: "The tasks of the industry and trade sector are heavy but we will strive to fulfill them". Therefore, to uphold its achievements in the past time, the province will actively carry out trade and industry tasks and solutions, flexibly adapt to pandemic developments and support local socioeconomic growth as well as development targets set by the resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress.
Long An has spent a lot of resources to support the business community to expand production, promote trade and facilitate e-commerce development to diversify consumer channels and boost marketing performance. With its efforts, the province now has 56 licensed industrial zones covering a total area of 2,864.91 ha, including 21 industrial zones with a combined total area of 1,104.035 ha in operation. The occupancy rate is as high as over 90%. “Long An province does not advocate using the State budget for infrastructure construction of industrial zones but encourages private companies to do so. As a result, local industrial zones are all invested by infrastructure investors, engaged in various industries, mainly processing and manufacturing sectors. Currently, the industry and trade sector is coordinating with a consulting unit to develop an industrial zone development plan and integrate it into the Long An Plan for the 2020 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050. In 2021 - 2030, the province will have 68 industrial complexes covering a total area of 3,670.6318 ha,” Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh, Director of Long An Department of Industry and Trade said.
In international integration, the industry and trade sector is seeing significant opportunities and challenges. International integration is an important factor to foster the development of production, trade and services to generate more jobs, assist socioeconomic development, accelerate sectoral restructuring, and strongly encourage domestic and foreign investors to boost investment into all economic sectors, and protect localities, business associations and enterprises in international trade disputes. Besides, people have more choices of goods and services of high quality and competitive prices. However, this also leads to fiercer competition in foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction into industry and trade and this requires ongoing effort for better infrastructure and better incentive industries to meet the rising demands of international investors.
Accordingly, the sector will make efforts to support and guarantee Vietnam's international integration commitments to come to life to bring practical benefits to businesses and people. It will continue to improve provincial competitiveness; and upgrade the investment environment without compromising the interests of existing companies as well as new investors in line with the Master Plan for Socioeconomic Development to 2030, with a vision to 2050 (if approved) and regional and inter-regional plans. It will attract all economic sectors to form and develop value chains, build brands and labels for key products and enhance product competitiveness. The Department of Industry and Trade will focus on carrying out breakthrough programs on high-tech agricultural development in line with agricultural restructuring; enforce and deepen the province’s cooperation agreements with foreign localities. It will put a premium on developing the domestic market, expanding distribution and stimulating consumption of Vietnamese products, local products and OCOP products to facilitate the substantive development of the one commune one product (OCOP) program. The Department of Industry and Trade will strengthen connectivity between producers and consumers along the supply chain; develop the distribution system with domestic market development projects and the “Buy Vietnamese” campaign which encourages Vietnamese people to put made-in-Vietnam products on the shopping list. The Department of Industry and Trade will also encourage and support enterprises to apply technology in e-commerce transactions and coordinate cross-border e-commerce management. The department will focus on improving the investment and business environment, and create favorable conditions for rapid and sustainable recovery and growth of the industry and trade sector. “All activities are based on effective and sustainable management and use of natural resources; protection of the living environment; proactive and effective response to climate change, natural disaster prevention and mitigation. Those will be sustainable steps beyond time, enabling the industry and trade sector to play a key role in the economy,” Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh emphasized.
It is clear that, in the context of deepening international economic integration, the industry and trade sector of Long An province always wholeheartedly supports the business community, makes every effort to capture opportunities, and stays deeply aware of challenges, difficulties and limitations to engage joint efforts for more sustainable development of the sector. The Department of Industry and Trade also hopes that Long An province will always advocate the restructuring of the industry and trade sector, foster industrial and commercial growth, reform the development pattern towards efficiency and sustainability, support the province’s economic restructuring project, gradually make substantive internal changes to enhance productivity, performance and competitiveness so as to make Long An confident to accomplish all plans and targets it set.
By Hoang Lam, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi