On September 17, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, held a working session with a delegation from The Asia Foundation (TAF), led by Mr. Thomas Park, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, and Ms. Phuong Pham Steinhauer, TAF Country Representative in Vietnam.

VCCI President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung (sixth from left) and the VCCI Women Entrepreneurs Council welcome the delegation from The Asia Foundation, led by Vice President Thomas Park (Photo: Truong Dang).

The meeting aimed to review the results of cooperation between the two organizations in recent years and discuss directions for collaboration in the coming period, focusing on enhancing competitiveness, promoting digital and green transformation, and expanding Vietnamese businesses’ access to resources.

The Asia Foundation began its operations in Vietnam in 1993 and officially established its representative office in Hanoi in 2000. Over the years, TAF and VCCI have jointly implemented numerous programs related to improving the business environment, developing the private sector and enhancing business capacity.

Mr. Thomas Park, Vice President of TAF, highly appreciated the effectiveness of cooperation between the two organizations in recent years. According to him, the partnership with VCCI is one of The Asia Foundation’s successful and sustainable cooperation programs in Vietnam.

“Through many years of cooperation, we have witnessed VCCI’s increasingly strong development, both in terms of its role, organizational capacity and the quality of its staff,” Mr. Thomas Park said.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue focusing on issues that have a direct impact on the business community, particularly SMEs, micro-enterprises and women-led businesses.

VCCI President Ho Sy Hung emphasized that VCCI determines that cooperation programs should focus on substantive outcomes and create tangible value for businesses.

“VCCI places great emphasis on substantive outcomes in implementing cooperation programs. Activities need to deliver specific, measurable results and provide practical value to the business community,” President Ho Sy Hung said.

VCCI and The Asia Foundation discuss areas of substantive cooperation to support businesses, particularly SMEs and women-led businesses (Photo: Truong Dang).

One of the key areas of focus is to support businesses in adopting digital technologies, enhancing their capacity to ensure information security in cyberspace, and improving management skills in line with international standards. VCCI and TAF also discussed programs to support businesses in adapting to green transformation requirements, developing a circular economy, and innovating products toward reducing environmental impacts.

Access to finance and credit for the private sector continues to be identified as an area requiring attention. Through technical assistance, market linkages and supply chain connectivity programs, the two sides expect to help businesses overcome capacity-related barriers, better meet international standards and participate more deeply in global value chains.

Cooperation between The Asia Foundation and the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC) under VCCI will also continue. Since 2016, the two sides have implemented various activities to support women-led businesses, focusing on management skills, digital transformation, cybersecurity and enhanced competitiveness.

The two organizations said that cooperation programs in the coming period will place greater emphasis on concrete results, impact measurement and sustainability. The Asia Foundation reaffirmed its long-term commitment to operating in Vietnam and working with VCCI to explore cooperation opportunities and connect businesses through regional and international forums, including APEC 2027, which will take place in Vietnam.

President Ho Sy Hung said that the current requirement is for programs and projects to deliver concrete results that can be sustained after the support period ends.

“What matters is that programs create substantive changes and leave lasting value after the project ends, rather than stopping at implementation processes or policy recommendations,” the VCCI President emphasized.

VCCI and The Asia Foundation expect that continued expansion of their cooperation will contribute to supporting the private business sector in enhancing its capacity to adapt, accessing new resources, and better responding to changing requirements in domestic and international markets.