With the policy of easing social distance and supporting solutions from agencies and departments, production activities of enterprises in Dong Nai industrial zones quickly recovered, returning to a new normal state.

Daikan Company workers at Amata Industrial Park. Photo: ST 

Catch up with difficulties, timely support

The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected the production and business activities of many enterprises in Dong Nai province.

According to a report by Dong Nai Customs Department, over 94% of businesses were affected. In which, 50% of enterprises had to temporarily suspend operations, 46% of enterprises operated below normal levels, only 4% of enterprises operated normally.

With the "3 on-site" option, 1,122 enterprises have deployed it, but with a small scale, only reaching 40-50% of capacity. Most of the enterprises implementing "3 on-site" are small and medium-sized enterprises, while large enterprises, especially those producing garments, leather shoes and fabrics, have all ceased operations since July 2021.

Up to now, the situation has been controlled and measures to ease social distancing and restore production are being actively implemented. From September 15, the People's Committee of Dong Nai province issued a plan on step-by-step restoration of socio-economic activities, security and defense to ensure the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the following contents: guide enterprises inside and outside the industrial zone to maintain and restore production. After the plan was issued; the Provincial People's Committee, other departments and agencies actively met and listened to comments, difficulties and problems of the business community to take timely support measures.

Specifically, Dong Nai Customs Department has established a team to support and handle customs procedures for import and export goods at the department level in the new situation. The group to answer questions for enterprises is organized at two levels: Department level and Sub-department level.

Along with that, the "Supporting businesses" column on the website of Dong Nai Customs Department has also received problems and recommendations from businesses; informed enterprises of documents and policies of the General Department of Customs, related ministries and branches and urgent solutions to remove difficulties for enterprises.

On the basis of the comments of businesses after the first reopening, on October 11, the People's Committee of Dong Nai province issued a document guiding the implementation of production and business plans to ensure the prevention of Covid-19 in the new situation. In particular, the difficulties and obstacles in the restoration of production have been removed. Dong Nai is focusing on providing vaccines to businesses and industrial parks in the area to deploy the fastest 2nd dose for the workforce in order to soon achieve herd immunity, thereby ensuring the health and safety of the workers when restoring production safely and sustainably.

Quick recovery

With the open-door policy and many positive support solutions, production activities are quickly being restored in industrial parks in Dong Nai province.

Le Van Danh, Deputy Head of the Management Board of Industrial Parks of Dong Nai Province, said that before the 4th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, there were 1,713 active projects in industrial parks in Dong Nai province. Up to now, over 1,400 projects have returned to production, reaching the rate of over 82% with the total number of employees working at over 330,000, reaching the rate of 54%.

According to Mr. Le Van Danh, foreign-invested enterprises see the province's opening schedule, so they are quickly signing contracts with foreign customers. As a result, orders are not moving abroad. Some enterprises with a large number of employees have resumed operations such as: Chang Shin Vietnam Company, Tae Kwang Vina Industrial Co., Ltd., Phong Thai Group, Hwaseung Vina Company, and Pousung Vietnam Co., Ltd.

Currently, enterprises are actively promoting production to ensure the delivery schedule. It is forecasted that in the fourth quarter of 2021, enterprises will continue to have export contracts, ensuring socio-economic development targets as planned by the People's Committee of Dong Nai province.

Along with the rapid recovery of production activities at enterprises, the investment attraction situation of Dong Nai province also recorded very positive results and received a lot of good news. According to a report by the Industrial Park Management Board of Dong Nai province, despite many difficulties due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, from the beginning of the year to October 14, industrial parks in the province still attracted added 44 new FDI projects with a total registered capital of US$355.65 million and eight domestic investment projects with a capital of nearly VND1,139 billion (equivalent to US$49.28 million). In addition, there were 93 FDI projects that increased capital with an additional capital of US$736.29 million and seven domestic projects increased capital by nearly VND1,249 billion (equivalent to US$54 million).

The result of attracting FDI investment from the beginning of the year until now in Dong Nai province has reached US$1,092 billion, exceeding 56% of the 2021 plan. Recently, there have been two new registered and large-scale capital increase projects, including Lotte Global Logistics Vietnam Co., Ltd. investing in the project with a total capital of US$39.8 million and Nisshin Technomic Vietnam Co., Ltd. increasing capital by US$44.74 million. Total domestic investment capital also reached VND2,388 billion, exceeding 19% of the 2021 plan.