Promoting the core role in developing collective economy and cooperatives

The City Cooperative Union organized the "1st Cooperative Product Fair - 2025" with the participation of 19 local Cooperative Unions. Photo: TRAN TRUC

Important economic components

According to the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, President Ho Chi Minh was the first person to bring the cooperative ideology to Vietnam. Right after the successful August Revolution in 1945, on April 11, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter calling on Vietnamese landlords and farmers to participate in agricultural cooperatives. In the letter, Uncle Ho wrote: "Vietnam is an agricultural country, the economy is based on agriculture"; "if farmers want to be rich, if agriculture wants to prosper, there must be cooperatives"...

After 19 years, recognizing the great contributions of the collective economic sector and cooperatives in the country's reconstruction, on April 11, 1964, Uncle Ho sent a letter to the Congress of Cooperatives and the advanced agricultural production teams in the mountainous and midland areas, praising the typical advanced cooperatives, and at the same time requesting all levels and sectors to pay attention to directing the development of agricultural cooperatives. Since then, the collective economic sector and cooperatives have continued to develop strongly in both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, attracting millions of workers to participate.

With the significance of April 11, marking two important events for the cooperative movement in Vietnam, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, term IV, 2010-2015, unanimously submitted and received approval from the Prime Minister to take April 11 every year as Vietnam Cooperative Day (Decision No. 1268/QD-TTg dated July 27, 2011).

In 1993, the first National Congress of Delegates of Vietnam Cooperatives established the Council of Vietnam Cooperative Alliance with the function and task of representing and supporting all cooperatives operating in all sectors and fields of the national economy. Up to now, it can be affirmed that the activities of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance system have increasingly changed positively, closely following the functions and tasks to organize activities, constantly improving efficiency, gradually meeting the requirements of cooperatives and members; continuing to play a core role in the development of the collective economy and cooperatives. With great contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance system and its members have been awarded many noble titles and awards by the Party, the State and the Government.

In particular, the Party and State always attach importance to and affirm that the collective economy and cooperatives are important economic components of the national economy. Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW dated June 16, 2022 of the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to innovate, develop and improve the efficiency of the collective economy in the new period emphasized: "The collective economy is an important economic component, which must be consolidated and developed together with the state economy to become a solid foundation of the national economy".

According to statistics, by 2024, 1,942 new cooperatives will be established nationwide, bringing the total number of cooperatives to 33,557. In terms of business activities, the total charter capital of cooperatives is VND 68,013 billion, an increase of 6.94% over the same period in 2023, an average of VND 2 billion/cooperative. Total assets are VND 178,941 billion, an average of VND 5.3 billion/cooperative; total revenue of cooperatives reaches VND 95,273 billion, an average of VND 2.9 billion/cooperative; average profit is VND 203.4 million/cooperative. Cooperatives nationwide attract more than 6.14 million members (mainly household representatives), an increase of more than 108,000 members compared to 2023, with an average of 183 members per cooperative.

Many events in response to the International Year of Cooperatives

2025 is the second time in history that the United Nations has dedicated an international year to cooperatives. Accordingly, on June 19, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on cooperatives in social development and proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. Previously, in 2012, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the first International Year of Cooperatives to honor the contributions of cooperatives to socio-economic development, especially their impact on poverty reduction, job creation and social integration. The International Year of Cooperatives 2025 takes place over a year to inspire cooperatives around the world, promote the great contributions of the cooperative sector to society, honor achievements and further actions to develop the cooperative sector and improve people's lives.

Meanwhile, 2025 is the second year that the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance organizes the Action Month for Cooperatives with a series of activities taking place in 2025, and the climax is in April. With the theme "Cooperatives - building a better world", the action month aims to promote, motivate, and encourage to create new motivation and new spirit for cadres and workers in the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance system and managers, members and employees in cooperatives and affiliated members nationwide and the whole society to be determined, make efforts, promote the spirit of responsibility, proactiveness, innovation and creativity to contribute to promoting the collective economy and cooperatives to develop more and more. At the same time, promote digital transformation in all aspects of cooperative activities; connect cooperatives and domestic enterprises, expand international markets; perform well the function of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of member cooperatives...

In order to seriously and effectively implement the policies of the Party and State on the development of collective economy and cooperatives nationwide, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance organizes activities of "Action Month for Cooperatives and International Year of Cooperatives 2025" with many outstanding activities. For example, the National Cooperative Forum 2025 with the theme "Transforming green production for sustainable development" aims to exchange, discuss and share experiences between the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance system, managers, experts, businesses and cooperatives.

At the same time, the ceremony to honor typical cooperatives and award the Cooperative Star Award "CoopStar Awards" in 2025 to 100 typical cooperatives with prestige, competitiveness, effective operations, and positive contributions to the development of the collective economic sector will be held. In addition, there will be activities such as conferences to support typical cooperatives to improve their capacity to access loans and connect with trade; survey activities, and experience exchange at some typical cooperatives...

Through the response activities, we will arouse pride, continue to promote and enhance the spirit of responsibility, proactiveness, innovation, creativity, strive to excellently complete tasks, especially building a strong Vietnam Cooperative Alliance system.

HUU ANH - SON GIANG

Source: https://baodanang.vn/kinhte/202504/phat-huy-vai-tro-nong-cot-trong-phat-trien-kinh-te-tap-the-hop-tac-xa-4003437/