Co-operation and Business Prospects between Vietnamese and Italian SMEs

 

According to standing vice chairman of the VCCI Hoang Van Dung, Vietnam’s SMEs are considered a most active sector, accounting for 96-97 per cent of total enterprises registering for operation in Vietnam. The SMEs contribute more than 60 per cent of the country’s GDP and create 70 per cent of total jobs for Vietnamese labourers.

 

The conference is a chance for Vietnam’s SMEs to learn and exchange management experiences from Italian companies. It also helps Vietnam learn SMEs support mechanism from Italy, particularly in financial and credit policies. Participants heard speeches from top experts from banks and study institutes about SMEs in Vietnam and Italy.

 

The conference also provides an opportunity for Vietnam’s SMEs to meet and talk directly with Italian companies on bilateral co-operation, especially in the fields of garment-textile, leather-shoes, agricultural products, foodstuff processing and tourism.

 

Deputy Planning and Investment Minister Nguyen Ngoc Phuc said over the past number of years trade revenues between the two countries increased annually and stood at nearly Euro700 million in 2003. However, the figure is small in comparison to potential trade between the two countries. Recently, the Italian government decided to co-sponsor a UNIDO project titled, “Supporting establishment of an apparatus to help develop Vietnam’s SMEs national and provincial levels”. Mr. Phuc also affirmed that Italian companies could invest in all fields from very small projects to large ones in Vietnam. Via trade relation between Vietnamese and Italian SMEs, the Vietnamese government hopes that Italian companies will transfer technologies and business experiences to local firms.

Lan Anh