VCCI Can Tho Accompanying Businesses

4:26:11 PM | 3/12/2013

Can Tho Representative Office of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI Can Tho) in the Mekong Delta region, was established in 1991. In its role of gathering and representing the business community, employers and associations, VCCI Can Tho has made important contributions, particularly in creating local cohesion and supporting business activities.
Creating cohesion in the locality
One of the highlights of VCCI Can Tho's work, recognized by the business community in the area, is building cohesion among enterprises, business associations, promotion centres, and departments in the region; gathering and being representative of the business community to create a common voice to promote the development of enterprises and businessmen; and supporting trade and investment promotion activities, scientific and technological cooperation to create favourable conditions for business development.
 
Mr Vo Hung Dung, Director of VCCI Can Tho, said: "To help businesses in the area operate in together with strong unity, VCCI Can Tho has established business associations at localities, professional associations of rice, seafood and the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, and set up a council of business associations in the Mekong Delta to promote further engagement activities to support businesses through association. VCCI Can Tho also established the trade-investment-tourism promotion centre for Mekong Delta provinces (Mekong PC) to coordinate the implementation of activities to promote trade, investment and tourism, mounting trade between domestic and foreign enterprises, training promotion skills and popularizing the local image.”
 
VCCI Can Tho has also held regional economic research seminars, such as the Mekong Delta Investment Forum in consecutive years 2003, 2004 and 2005, organized a seminar on exporting rice, seafood, organizing analysis workshops to improve provincial competitiveness index in consecutive years from 2007 to 2011. VCCI Can Tho also consults for improving local competitiveness index. It also joins Secretariat Board of the Mekong Delta Economic Forum, an annual symposium held on the Mekong Delta economic situation, creating trade links for businesses with business forums in the EU, USA, Japan, Russia, and the Middle East – Africa, and has many other meaningful activities.
 
Strengthening business support activities
In recent years, VCCI Can Tho has done good work in taking care of members and the business community in the region. VCCI Can Tho has implemented many activities caring for members such as updating information, nominating businesses to engage in the program "For the development of ASEAN community"; Gold Cup "Brand name-trade name", and the award for "excellent manager in the reform era" submitting to the Department of Trade of Can Tho; and annually reviewed and granted awards for "Entrepreneur of the Mekong Delta" on Vietnam's Entrepreneurs’ Day.
 
In 2011, facing many difficulties of the business community in the Mekong Delta, VCCI Can Tho conducted surveys to collect business opinion in each particular field, such as trade and services, construction - real estate, processing food to deliver the recommendations to the local and central government about difficulties and problems of enterprises in business process activities.
 
VCCI Can Tho also organizes and coordinates with domestic and foreign institutions to open more practical training programs for businesses, more staff training programs for local management. The training program is increasingly attracting more participants, and is highly appreciated by the enterprises and other localities. Especially, the expansion of training and consultancy activities in enterprises are increasing business attraction. Its curriculum is practical and goes deep into the operations of each business. In the action plan, VCCI Can Tho will focus on the promotion of investment, trade, improving the business environment and enhancing business support activities.
 
Mr Vo Hung Dung said, "Although the economy is difficult, perceptions of foreign investors about Vietnam are very positive. VCCI Can Tho needs to identify the upcoming trade-investment promotion activities to focus on promoting the local image and the Mekong Delta image in target markets such as Japan, Singapore and the United States, particularly in the field of food in 2014. VCCI Can Tho will hold an investment conference to the Mekong Delta in Ho Chi Minh City, and other events to call for investment in ports and logistics zones. In addition, we will implement the development program for featured products in the Mekong Delta region through building brand to support business in accessing markets and developing business in the future."
 
Hoang Ngoc