This was shared by Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Võ Tân Thành at the Business Association Conference for Enterprises in the Central Highlands region on the afternoon of April 10. According to the information, Vietnam's economic situation in 2023 continued to maintain a positive trend amidst many difficulties and uncertainties in the global economy, thanks to the government's efforts in issuing many supportive policies, promoting public investment, and administrative procedure reform.

As a result, the macroeconomic situation remained stable, with GDP increasing by 5.05% compared to the previous year. The Vice Chairman of VCCI mentioned that Vietnam continues to be among the countries effectively controlling inflation. The average CPI in 2023 increased by 3.25% compared to 2022 and achieved the target set by the National Assembly, with core inflation increasing by 4.16%. Vietnam's total import-export turnover in 2023 experienced a decline for the first time in 10 years, reaching only $683 billion, with a trade surplus of $28 billion.

Vice Chairman of VCCI Vo Tan Thanh mentioned that VCCI has implemented many initiatives to support businesses in restructuring their production and business activities, seizing opportunities for recovery and development after the pandemic.

"The bright spots and distinct marks of the Vietnamese economy in 2023 acknowledge the significant contribution of the business sector. Despite the challenges, the business community has been diligently conducting business, evidenced by a record number of new business establishments at 159,294, impressively 1.2 times the average level of the 2017-2022 period and a 4.6% increase compared to the full-year target for 2023. Along with that, the number of businesses returning to operation reached 58,412, averaging 18.1 thousand new business establishments and returning to operation per month," shared Vice Chairman of VCCI Vo Tan Thanh.

According to him, the business situation in the past year still faced many difficulties in the recovery process after the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of businesses exiting the market continued to remain high, increasing by 20% compared to the same period in 2022, and many declining sectors showed no signs of recovery.

In the second year of implementing the Resolution of the National Congress of VCCI VII, 2021-2026 term, amidst favorable conditions and intertwined challenges, VCCI has conducted many prominent activities to support businesses and leave a mark in 2023. Specifically, VCCI has proactively and actively collaborated with the Central Economic Commission, taking the lead in implementing many important contents within the framework of the Project summarizing 10 years of implementing Resolution 09-NQ/TW dated December 9, 2011 of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on building and promoting the role of the Vietnamese entrepreneur team, advising on the drafting of a new resolution to replace Resolution 09.

Thus, the act of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the Central Committee, signing and issuing Resolution No. 41/NQ-TW dated October 10, 2023, on building and promoting the role of the Vietnamese entrepreneur team in the new period, is an event of special significance for the entrepreneur team, the Vietnamese business community, with the prominent role and mark of VCCI. Along with that, VCCI has participated in contributing opinions through written documents on 406 drafts of legal normative documents related to enterprises, published the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2022, the first edition of the Provincial Governance Index (PGI), the Annual Report of Vietnamese Enterprises in 2023, ...

VCCI will enhance the implementation of regional linkage activities focusing on two main regions: the Central Key Economic Region and the Central Highlands, promoting the association of associations and businesses...

"VCCI has implemented many initiatives to support businesses in restructuring their production and business activities, seizing opportunities for recovery and development after the pandemic, among which stand out the projects 'Connecting the high-speed economic axis in the East' and 'Collaboration in building a media environment to promote business development.' In 2023, VCCI organized for the first time a national conference of business associations, Vietnamese entrepreneurs nationwide, and it is expected to become an annual activity to strengthen and promote connectivity within the entire system of business association organizations in Vietnam. At the same time, VCCI launched the Vietnam Top Business Council, gathering enterprises with scale, prestige, and influence both domestically and internationally," added Vice Chairman of VCCI.

In addition to the above activities, VCCI has also participated in economic foreign affairs activities, advising on content, programs, and accompanying the State President in participating in activities related to enterprises at the APEC High-Level Week in the United States, ASEAN BAC activities... and other sideline business events at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia; participating in the annual meeting of the Global Sustainable Business Council in 2023; Forecasting Vietnam's economy and outlining VCCI's activities in 2024.

In the first three months of 2024, although there have been many positive signs in the economic and social sectors such as the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) increasing by 3.77%; the Industrial Production Index (IIP) rising by 6.18%; international visitors increasing by 1.7 times compared to the same period in 2023; and a trade surplus reaching USD 8.08 billion..., according to Vice Chairman of VCCI, Vietnam still faces many difficulties amid the world economy being forecasted by most international organizations to slow down due to continued geopolitical competition among major countries, financial markets, currencies, energy security... posing many risks. Therefore, the forecast for Vietnam's economy is still challenging in the first two quarters of 2024 and is expected to pick up momentum in the last six months.

Vice Chairman of VCCI believes that the agricultural, forestry, and aquatic product sectors are forecasted to continue to be stable, with an increase in food product prices playing a positive role in economic growth. The recovery of the industrial sector, employment, and wages will help boost domestic consumption demand.

Some commercial sectors may sustain growth momentum due to trade policies and the promotion of domestic consumption, such as the aviation transportation sector, wholesale and retail, accommodation services, food and beverage, financial services, tourism services... Non-market service sectors are forecasted to remain stable. Inflation is tightly controlled at a reasonable level, which will positively support domestic consumption.

In the near future, Vice Chairman of VCCI Vo Tan Thanh stated that VCCI will intensify the implementation of regional linkage activities, focusing on two main regions: the Central Key Economic Region and the Central Highlands, promoting the association of associations and businesses, contributing to the specific realization of the policy to enhance regional connectivity, effectively leveraging its role as a representative body and bridge between the business community and local authorities, and associations will be the "extended arm" of VCCI in implementing business support activities. VCCI will maintain the organization of regional business association meetings and the national conference of business associations and entrepreneurs in 2024.

Additionally, VCCI will continue to propose the removal of difficulties and obstacles related to mechanisms, policies, administrative procedures, reviewing and abolishing unreasonable regulations to reduce input costs for businesses, creating an equal and conducive business environment, promoting supply and demand, and reducing inflationary pressures. VCCI will focus on building and implementing the Action Program to implement Resolution 41-NQ/TW of the Politburo on building and promoting the role of the Vietnamese entrepreneur team in the new period.

Furthermore, VCCI will enhance the implementation of activities related to digital transformation support for businesses, particularly promoting activities and solutions to support digital transformation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), developing tools to support individual business households in digitalizing management activities, encouraging business model transformation towards enterprises. Activities supporting Vietnamese enterprises in fulfilling social responsibilities, sustainable development, activities within the framework of promoting circular economy models in Vietnam will be emphasized and actively implemented.

"As the national organization representing the business community, entrepreneurs, labor users, and business associations in Vietnam, VCCI has always been a companion, listener, gathering opinions, thereby making many recommendations, policy suggestions on integration issues, contributing to improving the business environment, enhancing competitiveness, promoting the digital transformation process, green growth, sustainable development, and pioneering in building a business culture for enterprises," affirmed Vice Chairman of VCCI.