Southern region industrial promotion enhances innovation and sustainable developmentInnovation and improvement of industrial promotion policy effectiveness after merger

After the merger and implementation of the 2-level local government model, the management and implementation of industrial promotion policies have changed a lot. In the new context, the southern provinces will strengthen coordination, train industrial promotion staff and closely follow the grassroots to ensure effective implementation of industrial promotion policies.

Opportunities and challenges intertwine

According to the Center for Industrial Promotion and Trade Promotion of Vinh Long province, after merging administrative units and switching to a 2-level local government model, the management and implementation of industrial promotion policies in the province have changed a lot.

After merging and applying the 2-level model, it is necessary to innovate the implementation method and strengthen coordination to improve the effectiveness of industrial promotion. Photo: Nhi Tran

With its large geographical area, large population and diverse production sectors, Vinh Long faces both opportunities to promote regional strengths and challenges in coordinating, linking and allocating resources reasonably and effectively among regions. In order to effectively implement industrial promotion programs, in July 2025, the Provincial People's Committee submitted to the Provincial People's Council Resolution No. 11/2025/NQ-HDND stipulating the spending levels for local industrial promotion activities.

However, industrial promotion work in Vinh Long still faces many difficulties. Coordination between sectors is not really close, affecting the progress of implementing support programs. In addition, most businesses in the area are small-scale, have limited financial and management capacity, outdated machinery and equipment, while innovation thinking is slow, leading to low awareness of technology application and production transformation.

A representative of the Department of Industry and Trade of Tay Ninh province said that after the merger, industrial promotion resources were concentrated and used more effectively, helping rural industrial establishments access favorable support policies, avoiding overlapping. The 2-level local government model also contributed to shortening the approval process, increasing the initiative in implementing support programs. Many technical demonstration models, application of advanced machinery and technology transfer have been replicated, gradually forming a production-consumption linkage network in the locality.

However, the difference in industrial development speed between the two localities after the merger remains a major challenge in resource allocation. Many production facilities in remote areas are still limited in finance and lack information; while the grassroots industrial extension staff lack experience, the database is not synchronized and the digital transformation process is slow.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Nai province said that after the merger, the expanded scale of the area has caused the need for support for rural industrial development to increase sharply, while resources and staff for industrial promotion are still limited. In particular, the lack of high-quality human resources is a major barrier in the process of technological innovation and digital transformation.

In addition, the differences in management mechanisms and policies between the two old provinces require time to adjust, causing the progress of implementing some projects to be slow. The division of responsibilities between the provincial level and the commune and ward levels is not really clear, affecting the effectiveness of supporting the facilities. Notably, industrial promotion activities at the commune level are quite new, and have not been allocated separate funding, leading to difficulties in planning and coordinating the implementation of tasks at the local level.

Strengthening coordination and training of industrial extension officers

To promote the achieved results and make the most of the potential and opportunities in implementing industrial promotion work, the provinces and cities in the Southern region have determined to continue to synchronously implement many solutions to remove difficulties and improve the effectiveness of business support.

Accordingly, the Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Nai province will review and adjust industrial promotion policies to be more suitable to reality, and at the same time advise on issuing guidelines for implementing Decree 235/2025/ND-CP (amending and supplementing Decree 45/2012/ND-CP on industrial promotion). Coordination between the two levels of government will be enhanced, associated with training and fostering of industrial promotion staff.

Encouraging rural industrial establishments to innovate technology, apply technical advances, build brands and expand markets through trade promotion is also a focus in the coming period. At the same time, the industrial promotion program will be closely linked with national target programs on new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction, in order to create a spillover effect and promote comprehensive effectiveness.

The Center for Industrial Promotion and Trade Promotion of Vinh Long province proposed that in the coming time, it is necessary to perfect the apparatus and unify the coordination process between agencies and units from the provincial to the communal level, and at the same time establish a focal point for industrial promotion at the grassroots level to receive and promptly respond to the needs of businesses.

At the same time, the province will strengthen training and professional development for industrial extension staff to improve management capacity and policy implementation. Information dissemination and propaganda work will be promoted to remote areas, especially communes meeting new rural standards and traditional craft villages.

The locality will also coordinate and integrate industrial promotion activities with trade promotion, e-commerce and tourism to expand the market and increase product value. Surveys and inspections at the grassroots level will be carried out more frequently to grasp the reality, promptly remove difficulties, ensure transparency, responsibility and efficiency in the implementation of industrial promotion projects.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Tay Ninh province said that in the coming time, it will focus on implementing Decree 235/2025/ND-CP, and at the same time, develop a plan for rural industrial development linking the region with the fields of industry, agriculture and logistics. The locality prioritizes supporting businesses to innovate technology, improve product quality according to green standards, and aim for sustainable development.

At the same time, Tay Ninh will build a digital database connected to the national system and develop an inter-regional industrial promotion model, especially in the strong fields of agricultural and food processing.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/khuyen-cong-khu-vuc-phia-nam-tang-cuong-doi-moi-phat-trien-ben-vung-doi-moi-nang-cao-hieu-qua-chinh-sach-khuyen-cong-sau-sap-nhap-10392846.html