It is still not easy to answer the question on how to apply e-commerce to the development of production and business activities in Vietnam. In late 2003, the Government assigned the Ministry of Trade to build a national e-commerce portal, which was launched on August 26, 2005. After three months’ operation, the application of the portal to activities of Vietnamese enterprises has initially gained high results.
Tran Huu Linh from the management board of the national e-commerce portal (ECVN), said that ECVN had helped enterprises expand their markets, reducing transaction costs with the application of-commerce. In the first three years (2005-2007), ECVN will provide free services to enterprises. THe three main functions of ECVN are to help enterprises trade online, provide online trade support services, and provide online public services relating to import and export activities. However, in order to ensure reliability of enterprises for online transactions, enterprises will be evaluated by the Ministry of Trade before becoming members of ECVN. The Ministry of Trade is inviting major and prestigious foreign importers to join ECVN as gold members. The project’s short-term goal is to attract major and prestigious foreign importers, thus helping Vietnamese enterprises have partners and reduce transaction costs.
After three months’ operation, the management board of ECVN has evaluated and admitted around 300 enterprises. Of the figure, 150 enterprises are gold members, equal to 50 per cent. At the same time, the number of ECVN members continues to rise. ECVN now offers over 200 trading opportunities of its members. By late November, 2005, around 150 members had their logos placed on ECVN. Logo exchange has been implemented by ECVN among its members and with other prestigious websites. ECVN use the United Nations’ CPC (central product classification) version 1.0 for classifying products and services with an aim to support business-to-business (B2B) transactions of ECVN. Linh said that B2B transaction accounted for 95 per cent of sales in the market. The number of Vietnamese enterprises applying e-commerce has risen quickly. So far, around 170,000 enterprises have had their own websites.
Tran Quy Huy, head of the Planning and Investment of the Machine and Accessories Company, said that since it had become a member of the ECVN, his company had received much support from the project management board. He said he hoped that his company would receive further support in information, especially information about online auctions, market prices, partners and supplies. Tran Minh Ha, deputy director of the Hanoi Import and Export Company, said she hoped that the Ministry of Trade should accelerate the provision of online public services, including e-payment, electronic certificate of origin, and electronic licences.
Linh affirmed that in the coming month ECVN would co-operate with the American e-commerce portal to help enterprises promote their export to the market. Also, ECVN is striving to provide more effective support for enterprises by promoting the development of online public services.
Kim Phuong
Vietnamese
