Growing trend of Industry and trade sector

In the first quarter of 2023, the total retail sales of goods reached 28,361 billion VND, an increase of 9.5% over the same period

The steady growth

In the first quarter, the index of industrial production increased by 7.4% over the same period. In which, the processing industry increased by 7.5%; electricity production and distribution increased by 1.5%; water supply, management and treatment of waste and wastewater increased by over 10%. In the province, 33/58 groups of industrial products increased over the same period. The increased groups include floating components; wooden bed; drainage system operation services; milled rice, fertilizers, light-emitting diodes; coaxial cable and coaxial power conductor; services related to the printing industry;etc. Enterprises in the province are still facing difficulties and challenges due to high prices of raw materials and construction materials, tight monetary policy,etc. However, domestic enterprises are still trying to implement many solutions to ensure stable production and business activities.

According to the Industrial Cluster Development Plan in the province approved by 2020, there are 62 industrial clusters with a total area of 3,106.5 hectares and Hai Son Duc Hoa Dong industrial complex with an area of 261.2 hectares; 23 industrial clusters eligible to receive secondary investors, attracting 688 projects with a total leased land area of 812 hectares. In 2023, the Department of Industry and Trade strives to have 2 more industrial clusters put into operation, eligible to attract investment. Thereby, investors can have more options for investment destinations, production and business, contributing to the province's socio-economic development.

The first quarter is the time of the New Year and the Lunar New Year, so enterprises, system of trade centers, supermarkets and business establishments actively prepared an abundant source of goods to serve the needs of consumers. Besides, many attractive promotions, reasonable prices are prepared by retail business units, making the market have no abnormal fluctuations. The Department of Industry and Trade has implemented stabilization of the commodity market in order to limit the increase in prices of consumer goods, especially for essential commodities, food and foodstuffs. Thereby, in the first quarter, the total retail sales of goods reached 28,361 billion VND, an increase of 9.5% over the same period. However, the trade and service industries ís still facing many difficulties and challenges in terms of transportation, warehousing, labor costs, etc. Besides, people's incomes have not been improved much so consumption trends still focus on purchasing the main groups of essential goods and limiting the groups of goods and services that are not really necessary.

Continue to accompany the businesses

The Industry and Trade sector focuses on implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee in removing difficulties and obstacles to encourage enterprises to promote production and business.

In 2023, the Department of Industry and Trade developed an action plan to carry out the task of developing the industry and trade sector, in which, focusing on implementing 12 key tasks assigned by the Provincial People's Committee under Decision No.152, dated January 6, 2023. Up to now, the Department of Industry and Trade has completed on time 5 tasks assigned in the first quarter of 2023: Directive on the Lunar New Year of the Cat 2023; power supply management plan in the province and the list of important customers; action plan to implement the Strategy on Import and Export of goods in Long An province to 2030; trade promotion plan in 2023; industrial clusters management and development plan in 2023. Currently, the Industry and Trade sector has 7/12 remaining tasks and 1 task transferred from last year.

In addition, the industry also implemented the drastic direction of the Provincial People's Committee on removing difficulties and obstacles to encourage enterprises to promote production and business. Accordingly, the Department has gradually innovated and improved the efficiency of trade promotion and supported enterprises to penetrate new consumption markets, especially fastidious markets in order to diversify export markets; focus on building brands; support enterprises to research and develop high added-value production to diversify export products and actively participate in the global value chain, ensuring effective annual export growth; continue to implement the project on developing the domestic market in association with the campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize Vietnamese goods" in the period of 2021-2025 and in the new situation; focus on developing the domestic market, promote circulation and stimulate consumer demand for Vietnamese products, typical products, and OCOP products of the province.

The Department of Industry and Trade also continues to closely monitor market developments, promptly providing information on the world market, changes in policies, and technical barriers in trade so that businesses can take advantage of the preferential advantages, improve competitiveness, promote exports, develop markets; support enterprises to apply information technology and e-commerce in production and business activities to promote brands, develop markets, e-commerce transactions on reputable e-commerce platforms; support access to digital transformation; participate in the National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with orientation to 2030. In particular, the department will focusing on promote digital transformation and develop the digital economy in a number of fields such as energy, industrial production and logistics in order to contributing to improving the quality of growth, transforming the province's economic structure in the spirit of Resolution No. 21 dated October 8, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee on digital transformation of provinces to 2025, with orientation to year 2030 and Project on Digital Transformation of Industry and Trade sector to promote digital economic development in the 2021-2025 period./.

By Mai Huong - Translated by Q.Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nganh-cong-nghiep-thuong-mai-co-xu-huong-tang-truong-a153545.html