In 2014, the world context was very complicated. The world economy recovered slowly than expected, conflicts occurred in many places, and sea waters disputes intensified. In the country, the macro economy was basically stable, inflation was controlled, economic growth recovered but the business environment, and the productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy remained low while international integration requirements got higher.
Before that context, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) attached much importance to seeking export markets, promoting investment and trade and coordinating with partners and supported Vietnamese companies to form cooperation with foreign firms. Japan, South Korea, the EU, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and many others were the key markets that VCCI had focused on with many business support activities. VCCI also maintained regular contacts with traditional markets like the US, India, Russia, China, and ASEAN countries.
According to statistics, VCCI received 74 foreign business delegations exploring the Vietnamese market and led 11 Vietnamese business delegations to other countries in 2014. It also hosted 58 conferences, seminars and meetings on trade and investment promotion.
Remarkably, VCCI collaborated with relevant State bodies to organise a business delegation to escort President Truong Tan Sang on his official visit to Japan from March 16-19, 2014, business delegations to accompany Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his official visit to Japan from October 8-12, 2014 and his visit to Iran from October 9-20, 2014.
Apart from going with Party and State leaders, VCCI also led Vietnamese companies to survey markets or potential trade connections in the United States, Chile, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, China, the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Benin.
Besides, VCCI received many business delegations accompanying their State and government leaders when they paid working visits to Vietnam as well as business delegations from other countries arriving in Vietnam to looking for investment and business opportunities. The agency also hosted many workshops, seminars and training courses for businesses.
In 2014, VCCI attended and put forth opinions to regional and international cooperation meetings in the cooperation framework of international and regional organisations like the International Conference on ASEAN - South Korea General Relations, the 56th Meeting of ASEAN-BAC Council and the second Meeting of ASEAN Business Award Committee 2014, the ASEAN Leaders Forum, the GMS BF Leaders Meeting, the fourth Mekong - Japan Meeting in Tokyo (Japan), the 60th Meeting of ASEAN BAC Council, the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN BIS), and the ASEAN Leaders Dialogue and ASEAN-BAC Meeting in Myanmar. It also attended ABAC 4 and APEC CEO Summit, accompanied the President to the ABAC - APEC Leaders Dialogue, joined the ASEAN-Korea Business Council and attended the ASEAN - South Korea CEO Summit.
The attendance to these meetings helped promote and expand Vietnam’s international cooperation with other countries in the world, capture information about cooperation policies and programmes, difficulties of enterprises in bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and recommend business development measures.
Particularly, VCCI also provided information for many foreign businesses and connected them with Vietnamese authorities when they came to seek information.
In the domestic market, VCCI collaborated with the Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee to successfully organise the "Ha Giang Investment Promotion Conference 2014" in May and the Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee to hold the “Thai Binh Investment Promotion Conference 2014 "in October 2014; coordinated with its branches to host conferences, workshops and meetings with local companies in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Da Nang, Hue, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and other localities to help them access to new policies, created opportunities for Vietnamese companies to learn about foreign markets, listened to expert opinions about business experience with foreign partners from foreign professionals and associations in Vietnam and foreign embassies in Vietnam.
In 2015, to have a better year, VCCI will invite leaders of Vietnamese business associations in foreign nations to join Forum Leader Board or corresponding Bilateral/Multilateral Business Council. Besides, the agency will continue to focus on important and potential markets for Vietnam like Japan, South Korea, India, the EU, the US, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Especially, VCCI will build plans and carry out activities in the framework of Vietnam - Latin America Business Forum, a project to support Vietnamese companies to promote internal resources, develop and diversify input markets for production and export to enhance national competitiveness. VCCI will accelerate investment and trade promotion in the cooperation framework with international and regional organisations like WTO, APEC, ASEAN, CACCI, GMS, ACMECS and PECC.
Quynh Chi
Vietnamese
