The event, held in preparation for the 8th National Congress of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) for the 2026–2031 term, is attracting considerable attention from the business community as the country enters a new era of development, requiring innovation in the growth model and enhanced national competitiveness.

Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of VCCI (fourth from left), together with other delegates, chairs and moderates the Ho Chi Minh City Regional Members’ Conference, which provides comments on the draft documents and conducts the consultation and election of delegates to attend the 8th VCCI National Congress for the 2026–2031 term

On the afternoon of September 11, at the Ho Chi Minh City Regional Members’ Conference to provide comments on the draft documents and conduct the consultation and election of delegates to attend the 8th VCCI National Congress for the 2026–2031 term, VCCI leaders, together with representatives of enterprises and business associations, engaged in frank discussions and put forward a number of important recommendations aimed at strengthening VCCI’s role as the “common home” of Vietnamese enterprises.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that VCCI and the business community are taking the necessary steps to prepare for the 8th VCCI National Congress for the 2026–2031 term.

Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), delivers the opening remarks at the conference.

VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong affirmed that the development of the documents to be submitted to the 8th VCCI National Congress is of particular importance, as it not only reviews and evaluates the results achieved during the previous term but also defines the orientations, objectives, tasks and key solutions for the new term.

In particular, VCCI looks forward to receiving specific proposals on solutions to improve the effectiveness of VCCI’s operations, enhance the business environment, support sustainable business development and effective international integration, promote business linkages and the development of the private sector, and strengthen the voice of the business community in the process of policy formulation and implementation.

VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong noted that every contribution from delegates, whether from the perspective of enterprises, business associations or localities, is valuable information for the Drafting Committee and Secretariat to further refine the documents and fully incorporate the recommendations, ensuring that the documents submitted to the Congress are persuasive and meet expectations.

According to VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong, another important task is to conduct the consultation process to select and nominate delegates to attend the upcoming 8th VCCI National Congress.

“I call on the delegates to uphold the spirit of democracy, solidarity and responsibility, and to select outstanding delegates with credibility, capacity and dedication to represent the voice and legitimate interests of the business community,” VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong said.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Deputy Secretary-General of VCCI and Director of the VCCI Ho Chi Minh City Branch, presents a summary report on the draft documents and amended Charter of VCCI for the 8th term.

Presenting the summary report on the draft documents and amended Charter, Mr. Tran Ngoc Liem, Deputy Secretary-General of VCCI and Director of the VCCI Ho Chi Minh City Branch, affirmed that, entering the 8th term under the action motto “Solidarity – Pioneering – Innovation – Development”, VCCI has set out key objectives, including supporting 50,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in digital and green transformation, training 6,000 CEOs to meet modern standards, supporting 1,000 enterprises in expanding into international markets, and expanding the application of the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI).

In particular, the proposed amendments to the VCCI Charter focus on completing regulations on VCCI’s legal status, standardising the title of the Standing Committee, establishing the VCCI Standing Body, and reforming personnel procedures to meet the requirements of modern governance.

Mr. Hoang Duc Thao, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Member of the VCCI Executive Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Science and Technology Enterprises, and Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations, contributes his comments at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, business representatives highlighted a number of practical challenges arising from global economic fluctuations and put forward practical recommendations. Mr. Hoang Duc Thao, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Member of the VCCI Executive Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Science and Technology Enterprises, and Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations, proposed increasing the number of delegates representing the Ho Chi Minh City area, an economic hub accounting for more than 40% of the country’s total number of enterprises.

From a local perspective, Mr. Dang Van Diem, Chairman of the Dong Nai City Business Federation, proposed that VCCI strengthen the regional linkage model in the Southeast region, develop technical support packages and facilitate access to green finance to help enterprises meet stringent international standards on sustainable development.

Mr. Phan Minh Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Phuc Sinh Joint Stock Company, contributes his comments at the conference

Sharing the same perspective on the Net Zero trend, Mr. Phan Minh Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Phuc Sinh Joint Stock Company, shared the company’s success in advocating for a policy on value-added tax refunds for agricultural products with the support of VCCI. He also proposed that VCCI continue to play a bridging role in addressing shortcomings related to transfer pricing tax regulations for domestic enterprises, while sharing practical models to help businesses overcome barriers to green transformation.

In his concluding remarks, VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong expressed his appreciation for and highly valued the frank, dedicated and highly practical contributions from representatives of enterprises and business associations in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh and Lam Dong, as well as the insightful presentations from the VCCI Executive Committee and the Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Products. VCCI affirmed that it will continue to uphold its role as an “extended arm”, promptly listening to and identifying difficulties arising from production and business practices, consolidating them and making recommendations to competent authorities for consideration and resolution.

Reviewing VCCI’s contributions to institutional policy advisory work, VCCI leaders noted that, in the very first week following the establishment of the new Government, VCCI submitted a 142-page consolidated document reflecting the needs, recommendations and difficulties of the business community. At the same time, pursuant to Decision No. 310/QD-TTg and the coordination regulations, VCCI maintains regular monthly and quarterly reporting mechanisms with the Prime Minister and Government leaders, and even increases the frequency of reports to just a few days apart in urgent situations, in order to promptly address difficulties arising at the grassroots level.

VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong delivers the concluding remarks at the conference.

Notably, VCCI is undergoing a strong shift from a “management mindset” to a “service-oriented, supportive and development-enabling mindset”, deeply inheriting the spirit of President Ho Chi Minh’s letter to the trade and industry community following the Declaration of Independence, which emphasised the dedication of the State apparatus to serving the people in close connection with the efforts and contributions of the business community.

Regarding key tasks ahead of the 8th VCCI National Congress for the 2026–2031 term, VCCI will closely coordinate during the National Assembly’s October 2026 session to consider amendments to the Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises and related mechanisms, thereby facilitating enterprises’ access to resources. In addition, VCCI is actively preparing to organise the “Top 100 Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneurs” Honouring Ceremony on the occasion of Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13), recognising reputable entrepreneurs nationwide, with a large number of outstanding nominees from the southern region.

The conference also completed the consultation process to introduce the list of delegates to attend the 8th VCCI National Congress. The dedicated and responsible contributions from member enterprises in the southern region will serve as valuable input for VCCI to incorporate and further finalise the documents to be submitted to the Congress, creating new momentum for the Vietnamese business community to move confidently forward in the nation’s new era of development.