Industry and Trade sector strives to complete year plan

Overcoming difficulties

According to the report of the Department of Industry and Trade, the industrial and commercial production in the first 9 months of 2020 still maintains the growth rate. However, due to the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic, the increase was lower than the same period. In the first months of the year, the growth rate of product groups decreased significantly, but up to now, the growth rate of 46 out of 75 groups of industrial products has increased. This shows that enterprises have been operating stably, continue to maintain production and growth.

Products manufactured in Long An attend Vietnam merchandise week and OCOP products, Vietnamese products at MM Mega Market Vietnam

Handicrafts gradually develop and bring income to workers, contribute to the growth of the industrial production value of the sector. Accordingly, the index of industrial production in the last 9 months increased by 6.02 percent over the same period (the same period increased by 15.24 percent). In which, the processing and manufacturing industry increased by 5.84 percent; electricity production and distribution rose 10.3 percent; water supply; waste and wastewater treatment and management increased by 10.87 percent over the same period.

It is forecasted that in the last months of the year, production and business will continue to recover, contribute to the overall growth of the industry and trade as well as the economic growth of the province.

The Department of Industry and Trade has advised the Provincial People's Committee to dialogue and resolve difficulties for the investor of the industrial cluster's infrastructure to speed up the investment in infrastructure. Recently, the province has 1 more industrial cluster in operation, thus, up to now, the whole province has 22 industrial clusters in operation. This is also one of the favorable conditions to increase the land area for industrial development, contributing to increasing industrial production value in the province.

In addition, the province also has 38 out of 62 industrial clusters in the process of implementation with an area of 1,862 hectares and 3 industrial clusters that have not had investment policy.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the trade and service activities in the first months of the year maintained a relatively stable growth. Most businesses have prepared plentiful and diversified goods in both designs and types to meet the needs of consumption during the holidays, especially the storage of goods of the people in response to epidemics.

In fact, due to the disease, there are still many commercial and service establishments that have to suspend operations, so the expenditure structure of people tends to favor some essential goods and limits spending, especially tourism activities. Accordingly, the total retail sales of goods and service revenue in the province reached 65,677 billion VND, reached 64 percent of the plan, decreased 1.5 percent over the same period (increased 14.9 percent in the same period). In which, the total retail sales of goods reached 56,396 billion VND, increasing by 1.4 percent; accommodation, catering and tourism services reached 5,809 billion VND, decreasing by 18.6 percent; other services (including real estate) reached 3,472 billion VND, decreasing by 10.7 percent over the same period.

In addition, despite the impact of the epidemic, the export turnover was still quite good with the amount of 4.47 billion USD, up 1.8 percent over the same period (up 14.9 percent in the same period). In particular, some export markets still increased by over 10 percent over the same period (such as China, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, America, and so on). The main export products are rice, cashew nuts, aquatic products, mechanics - batteries - iron and steel - electronics, wood, animal feed, poultry, seafood, etc. Import turnover is 2,91 billion USD, decreasing by 10 percent over the same period (up 6.3 percent in the same period). As countries affected by the disease, the supply of raw materials decreased.

On the other hand, the Department of Industry and Trade has strengthened the support for enterprises to implement the campaign "Vietnamese give priority to using Vietnamese goods", encouraged the use of goods and services produced by enterprises in the province. In particular, trade promotion has been promoted through the connection of supply and demand, focusing on promotion on retail distribution, export enterprises, supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh and An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang provinces.

The Department also supports the selection of venues for the promotion and sale of OCOP's products from the funding of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; supports the province's businesses to participate in seminars, training courses, and purchase connection with foreign distribution systems via online forms of Walmart, Central Group, Aeon, Mega Market, Decathlon and Lotte.

Focusing on supporting businesses

According to Director of the Department of Industry and Trade - Nguyen Anh Viet, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, this year, the Industry and Trade sector will not reach 100% of the plan. However, in the last 3 months of the year, production and business are expected to gradually recover. Therefore, the targets of 2020 are estimated as follows: Industrial production value (2010 prices) is estimated at 260,364 billion VND, reaching 94 percent of the plan, up 9.8 percent; total retail sales of goods and service revenue reached 92,654 billion VND, up 3.1 percent, reaching 90.2 percent of the plan; export turnover reached 6 billion USD, import turnover reached 4 billion USD.

Enterprises have been operating stably, continue to maintain production and growth

To accomplish the goals, the Department of Industry and Trade will focus on well implementing the resolution of the Government, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council and the action plan of the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of measures to promote socio-economic development by 2020. In particular, the industry will focus on solving problems and difficulties for businesses in order to create favorable conditions for existing industrial production facilities; to help new investment projects go into stable production; to strive to achieve the highest growth rate planned in the current difficult conditions of Covid-19 epidemic.

Accordingly, the Department of Industry and Trade will continue to survey the progress and assist the industrial cluster infrastructure investor to speed up the investment in infrastructure; adjust the area of a few industrial complexes; refurbish the infrastructure; plan an industrial cluster development plan for the period of 2021 - 2030 to integrate into the provincial planning. At the same time, the Department will continue to support investors to build new projects; to add solar power plant projects to the electricity development plan in order to add to the electric energy source for the industrial development of the province.

Besides, the Department will support businesses to build venues to display and sell OCOP products from the Ministry of Industry and Trade's budget; promote typical local products; survey and encourage industrial production enterprises in the area in 2020. The organization to connect product consumption to the collective kitchens in enterprises, industrial parks, industrial zones, and schools in the province has also continued.

In particular, in order to expand the product market of the province, especially agricultural products, the Department will continue to support enterprises to attend the Fair associated with Ok-Om-Bok Festival of Tra Vinh province, Soc Trang province in 2020; the Vietnam International Food Industry Exhibition 2020 (Vietnam Foodexpo); the week of Vietnamese products and OCOP products, Vietnamese products at MM Mega Market Vietnam; develop e-commerce.

The Department will direct the Center for Industrial Promotion and Industrial Development Consulting to complete local and national industrial promotion projects by 2020; summarize the Industrial Promotion Program to 2020 and make a plan for the Industrial Promotion Program period 2021 - 2025. The Department will continue to organize and Build a streamlined and effective apparatus; coordinate with the Provincial Public Administration Service Center to implement administrative procedures to ensure the specified time, improving the PCI, PAPI index of the province in the coming time./.

By Mai Huong - Translated by Pham Ngan

Source: https://baolongan.vn/nganh-cong-thuong-vuot-kho-de-hoan-thanh-ke-hoach-nam-2020-a104427.html