Alliance of Businesses

VCCI Vung Tau Branch (VCCI Vung Tau) has played an important role in assisting local authorities to improve the business environment, promoting trade and business partnerships, upgrading management skill, developing human resources, transferring technology and building trademarks. Talking with Vietnam Business Forum, Ms Vu Thi Thu Ha, Director of VCCI Vung Tau reaffirmed: “VVCI Vung Tau will continue to act as an alliance for businesses in the years to come.” Thanh Tam reports.

 

In 2010 and early 2011, Vietnam’s economy confronted several difficulties: natural disasters, impacts of the economic recession, and high interest rates affecting business activities in the province and nationwide.

In face of such challenges, VCCI Vung Tau tried its utmost to complete its main tasks with far reaching activities. Seminars were organized with such topics as: Inflation and impacts on macro economy, Monetary and financing market – impacts to the economy, and Provincial Competition Indexes 2010. VCCI Vung Tau has also assisted businesses in promoting trade, investment and international integration, upgrading consultancy, business matchmaking and market survey, sponsoring a seminar on Vietnam-Sweden partnership in sustainable development, and organizing business missions for market surveys in EU and South Korea.

 

Beside business assistance and promotion, VCCI Vung Tau has increased training programmes building capacity for businesses. The training courses focus on such themes as: development of salary scales, internal supervision, management of human resources, In addition to short-term training courses to increase business capacity and understanding of new policy changes, VCCI Vung Tau has also organized high-level training courses for CEOs and CFOs.

 

Regarding certificates of origin (C/O), VCCI Vung Tau continues to work through the weekends receiving and processing documents to facilitate business activities. In the first half of 2011, 3,435 sets of C/O of different kinds were granted. Meanwhile, business recognitions and awards have been granted and community responsibility activated with relief worth hundreds of millions of VND to help victims of natural disasters in Central Vietnam.

 

The achievements of VCCI Vung Tau are the outcome of the concerted efforts of all the staff. In the conditions of economic recession, VCCI Vung Tau has doubled its efforts to assist business communities inside and outside the province. Due to its contributions, VCCI Vung Tau has been highly commended by Vung Tau Party and People’s Committee as a true representative of the business community in Southeast provinces.

 

Vietnam’s economy and the world as a whole are facing many challenges. In that context, businesses in Ba Ria – Vung Tau cannot avoid the same difficulties. The outstanding difficulties are related to policy, input, access to capital, workforce shortage and weakness, and poor business forecasting. In particular, due to their weaknesses, local businesses have little chance to approach markets. Besides, with WTO commitments in force, foreign businesses will have national treatment, and competition will be fiercer. Without improvement, Vietnamese businesses will be beaten in the home market.

 

In such conditions, concerned authorities should accelerate administrative reform, relieving businesses of constraints to information access, stabilizing market prices and reducing input expenses. Banks should assist businesses by reducing interest rates and facilitating capital access.

 

In addition to improving the business environment, the province should give high priority to human resources development, as it is the most important factor. VCCI Vung Tau has also recommended establishing a Business Training Centre in East Southern provinces to ensure in-depth training for businesspeople.

 

As a deputy to the People’s Council and executive member of the Fatherland Front of the province, I always involve VCCI Vung Tau in activities raising funds for charity programmes of the province, such as “Sharing sympathy,” “Day for the Poor,” “Nguyen Huu Canh scholarship” and others. VCCI Vung Tau also participates in the committee for building a monument in honour of Con Dao martyrs, and calls for business assistance to Truong Sa soldiers and donation to families of martyrs and invalids.

 

In the years to come, VCCI Vung Tau will implement the VCCI general programme of action, Government Resolution 11 and help businesses overcome difficulties and continue stable business activities. More specifically, we will cooperate with central VCCI in surveys for provincial competition indexes to improve business environment and administrative reform in the province, and organize training courses to upgrade human resources for sustainable development.

 

Together with programmes assisting and restructuring businesses, we will organize more forums and market surveys to help businesses develop new markets. We will also organize local business associations and, together with local authorities, improve the business environment.