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23 August, 2024

On the afternoon of August 22, at the Presidential Palace, General Secretary and President To Lam met with the delegation of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that the Party and State always pay special attention and create the best conditions for the Vietnamese business community to operate and develop – Photo: VNA

Having gone through almost 20 years of formation and development, the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises has made great efforts, overcome difficulties, and increasingly affirmed its position and role in gathering, connecting, supporting, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises, acting as a bridge between enterprises and government authorities.

On March 23, 2023, the Association successfully organized the 4th National Congress for the term 2023-2028, with 30 units under the Central Association, including 6 branches and 61 member enterprise associations with a total of nearly 64,000 official members.

Accounting for over 98% of the total number of enterprises in the country, small and medium-sized enterprises are an important force contributing to economic growth, with about 50% of GDP and 35% of the total state budget revenue annually, creating jobs and income for more than 50% of the workforce. The Association has expanded its network to the district level and, in some areas, even to the commune level and craft villages.

Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his delight to meet with the representatives of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises – an organization representing a very large community of enterprises that are joining hands to build and develop the country’s economy.

Recalling the enormous contributions of small and medium-sized enterprises to the country’s overall economic growth, as well as their other meaningful activities, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, the General Secretary and President acknowledged, commended, and highly appreciated the achievements and results of the Association, along with its important contributions to the task of rapid and sustainable national development.

The General Secretary and President emphasized that the Party and State always pay special attention and create the best conditions for the Vietnamese business community to operate and thrive. The Resolution of the 12th Party Congress clearly stated that enterprises are the driving force of the economy, and on October 10, 2023, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the Politburo, signed and issued Resolution No. 41-NQ/TW on building and promoting the role of the team of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the new era. This is a source of inspiration, encouragement, and motivation for the team of enterprises and entrepreneurs to continue to have strong faith in their noble role and mission in the cause of building and developing the country in the new era.

Along with the achievements, the General Secretary and President also shared the difficulties and challenges faced by the business community in general, including small and medium-sized enterprises, especially the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic recession, which are still very severe. While many enterprises have taken good advantage of opportunities and strengths to break through, there are also quite a few enterprises that are still struggling with difficulties in the face of fierce competition.

While acknowledging that there are still many things that need to be improved in terms of policies and the joint efforts of various levels and sectors, the General Secretary and President affirmed that they always appreciate and recognize the tireless efforts and positive contributions of the business community, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to the country’s economy.

In this context, the General Secretary and President suggested that the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises continue to improve all aspects, constantly enhance the quality of activities and the Association’s movement. At the same time, it is necessary to have creative and innovative content and organizational methods, overcome difficulties and limitations in the specific operating conditions of the Association, and successfully fulfill the tasks and objectives set by the 4th National Congress for the term 2023-2028.

The General Secretary and President requested the Association to perform well its function as a socio-professional organization, effectively bridging and representing the voice, thoughts, and aspirations of enterprises, strengthening unity in the business community, and promoting the spirit of “self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-improvement, and national pride”. The Association should strive to be worthy of being a national-level organization and truly a place for gathering, spreading, and nurturing the growth of Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprise community in the cause of industrialization, modernization, international integration, building a law-governed state, and perfecting the socialist-oriented market economy.

According to the General Secretary and President, the Association’s activities must focus on priority goals that bring clear and practical benefits to its members, which is also the foundation for the Association to expand its membership. At the same time, the business community needs to proactively renew itself, restructure, and continuously improve. Along with this, it is necessary to strongly promote digital transformation, enhance competitiveness, build brand reputation, and focus on investing in the application of technology to take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and free trade agreements.

General Secretary and President To Lam with representatives of Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises – Photo: VNA

The General Secretary and President also noted that the Association must be a place to orient the activities of its member enterprises, which should strictly abide by the law, practice progressive business standards, pay taxes and mandatory financial obligations, fully realize the rights and interests of employees, protect the environment, and safeguard and uphold the reputation and prestige of the nation. At the same time, they must say no to commercial fraud and the production and trading of counterfeit, substandard, and poor-quality goods; build product brands, create prestige and position for enterprises, and make worthy and proud contributions to the strength of the national brand and country.

Emphasizing that the fight against corruption and negative practices will continue to be strongly, persistently, and relentlessly promoted without any tolerance or exception, the General Secretary and President stated that the business and entrepreneurial community must be an important factor in accompanying, responding, and contributing their responsibility and wisdom to this effort, thereby helping to build a truly clean and strong Party and State that operates effectively and efficiently, for the people, and for the noble ideal and goal of a “rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, and civilization”

Affirming that the country, after nearly 40 years of renewal, is facing many new and great opportunities and challenges, the General Secretary and President expressed his hope that the team of Vietnamese enterprises will continue to rise strongly, not only doing well in the economy but also in political and ideological work for the business community, so that entrepreneurs can deeply understand the honor and responsibility towards the Fatherland and the people. They should unite and strive, be creative in their labor, and fulfill their heavy responsibilities. Enterprises should accompany the Party and the State, create more jobs for society, better take care of the lives of workers, and actively participate in social activities, thereby demonstrating the superiority of Vietnamese enterprises.

The General Secretary and President expressed their belief that Party committees and authorities at all levels, the entire political system, along with the team of entrepreneurs and the community of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, will unite and strive to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the guidelines and policies of the Party and the laws of the State, contributing to building a prosperous, prosperous, civilized, and happy country.

The General Secretary and President, To Lam, wished that the Association, together with the entire team of entrepreneurs and the Vietnamese business community, would nurture great aspirations, be steadfast, promote better the cultural identity and national spirit, and reap much success in the noble career of a “soldier in peacetime”, worthy of the trust and pride of the Party, State, and people.

Nhat Quang