New Message and Fresh Wind

Dr Vu Tien Loc, President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), highlighted the message and new hope with the Party Politburo, for the first time, issuing a resolution on Vietnamese entrepreneurs. As a key person in the drafting of the new Resolution he expressed his profound feelings for Vietnamese business community and entrepreneurs. Tuan Ly reports.

VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said: “Resolution No.9 of the Politburo has consolidated the confidence and is a true support for Vietnamese entrepreneurs to overcome the most difficult time of business activities since theDoi Moi (Renovation) process. Vietnamese entrepreneurs, for the first time, have a Party Resolution of their own. The resolution reflects the genuine aspiration of entrepreneurs and the demand of the economy. It defines clearly the role, position and development orientation of the entrepreneurs and the working class, peasants and intellectuals in the Great Unity of the Nation and the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country. Responsible entrepreneurs must successfully engage in integration and competition. The whole political system must support and facilitate the development of entrepreneurs.

Over the years, VCCI has taken the lead in studying and propagating President Ho Chi Minh’s thought and guidance concerning businesses and entrepreneurs. Mr Loc related the stories: President Ho wrote the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam in the house of a Hanoi entrepreneur; Industrialists and traders were received first by President Ho at his office after the independence; the Party and President Ho chose the flag with a 5-pointed star symbolizing five social strata: Intellectuals, Peasants Industrialist, Traders and Soldiers. Referring to President Ho’s letter to industrialists and traders on October 13, 1945, the date that VCCI and business associations recommended the Prime Minister to declare it Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Day, Mr Loc said that the letter is the first document of the Party and State on entrepreneurs. 66 years have elapsed but the guidance in the letter remains. The letter defines precisely the role of entrepreneurs in national construction, as well as responsibility of the authorities towards the development of entrepreneurs. VCCI President also believed that Doi Moi process in economic consideration is a return to Ho Chi Minh’s thought on multi-sector economy and the role of businesses and entrepreneurs. Much earlier, in 1925 in the Statute of Thanh nien Cach mang Dong chi Hoi (Association of Revolutionary Youth), Ho Chi Minh already advocated new economic policy – multi-sector market economy.

 

  

The Resolution is a political document defining the position of entrepreneurs as important force in industrialization, modernization and in the Great National Unity together with working class, peasants and intellectuals. It has heartened entrepreneurs immensely. Of late, though the role of entrepreneurs has been recognized, it is not fully accepted by society. They are still considered as “exploiters” and without social responsibility. Now with the Resolution, entrepreneurs can be fully devoted to business activities, for themselves and the country, as well as in political life. Entrepreneurs consider the Resolution a “fresh wind.”

 

“Righteous talent is quintessence of the Nation,” entrepreneurs in the new time are also elements of righteous talent. Businesses, entrepreneurs and their brands are also properties of the Nation. From President’s Ho Chi Minh letter to the Party Resolution is a big step. The Resolution on entrepreneurs is a historic milestone.

 

The Resolution emphasizes demands to new entrepreneurs. They must be patriotic and responsible to the society, with business culture and high competitiveness. In short and symbolically, there are three pillars for the quality of Vietnamese entrepreneurs: nationalism, social responsibility and competition capacity. For their own feature, Vietnamese entrepreneurs must have the value of Ho Chi Minh’s soldiers – soldiers of peace time. They must engage wholeheartedly in business activities not only for their own interests, but also for the prosperity and prestige of the nation, for a Vietnam equal to the powers of the five continents, as President Ho wished.

 

Though Vietnam has already big enterprises such as Petrovietnam, Viettel, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Mr Doan Nguyen Duc of Hoang Anh Gia Lai has been included in the list of most influential entrepreneurs in the region), the Resolution set the target for ten more years for Vietnamese businesses to attain the level of big enterprises in South East Asia. I believe it is reasonable. We should be realistic.

 

It takes time to have enterprises of regional and international standard. Some Vietnamese enterprises have already big size, capital and workforce but not yet of that standard. The standard must be considered also in technology, management and business culture, not only in size. I believe that in the coming years, beside developing large enterprises and facilitating small enterprises, we must encourage SMEs to raise efficiency; large enterprises are less dynamic while medium-sized enterprises are “big enough to be efficient and small enough to be dynamic.” Though in medium size, they must attain international standard to compete and join global value chains. As a matter of fact, even Boeing needs small and medium-sized enterprises to supply equipment parts and in many cases those enterprises have key technology and high efficiency. It is the right path to develop Vietnamese enterprises and economic structure in both dynamism and efficiency.

 

Entrepreneurs not only play their role in economic leadership, management and operation but also in political life of the nation.It is a correct policy that the Party develops Party organizations in private sectors and Party membership among private owners. It will increase the role of   Party leadership in economic development, the central task of Vietnam. It will also make the Party stronger, uniting brilliant people of the nation from all strata: workers, peasants, intellectuals and entrepreneurs. Increasing number of entrepreneurs joining socio-political organizations, people’s councils at all levels, National Assembly and even Party Central Committee is a positive tendency.

   

In the implementation of the Resolution, the Politburo and the Government are the “orchestra conductors.” The tasks specified in the Resolution are already embodied in the functions of all ministries, branches and socio-political organizations. As the Resolution demands, all activities will be implemented consistently for the establishment of a full contingent of entrepreneurs.

VCCI will play its role as political-social-professional organization of the business community, associations, entrepreneurs and employers in Vietnam. We will soon establish a Steering Committee to implement the Resolution in the business community and together with the Central Commission for Social Affairs and related organizations to help the Party Politburo and Secretariat monitor and supervise the implementation of the Resolution and make periodic reports to the Party Politburo and Secretariat. For its part, VCCI will restructure its organization to meet the new demand and especially its role as core organization to cooperate closely with business associations to build a strong contingent of entrepreneurs.