Make a breakthrough in commercial development

In order to promote the potential and advantages of the locality, in recent years, Thai Nguyen province has focused on investing in trade development. The main focus is on attracting investment in building trade infrastructure; promoting and advertising activities to traditional domestic markets as well as seeking and expanding foreign markets...

Through the organization of fairs and exhibitions, localities in the province have been supported to develop branded, characteristic and specialty products and goods.

With the goal of making trade a solid bridge between production and consumption, contributing to promoting socio -economic development, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 182/NQ-HDND dated November 4, 2021 approving the Trade Development Program of Thai Nguyen province for the period 2021-2025 (abbreviated as the Program) with 11 targets.

Accordingly, in order for the Program to achieve its set goals, the Department of Industry and Trade has proactively advised the Provincial People's Committee to increase support for enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, organizations and individuals producing and trading in the province to seek partners, promote opportunities to buy and sell goods and provide services. Along with that, it is necessary to direct localities to continue to complete the synchronous commercial infrastructure, reasonably distribute the network of markets, shopping centers and convenience stores. In particular, the commercial infrastructure in urban areas is modernized, applying digital technology in exploitation, operation and management.

In the context of Vietnam implementing new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), the Department of Industry and Trade has proactively coordinated with relevant departments, branches and units to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue implementation plans to take advantage of incentives of FTAs ​​and promote local advantages.

After more than 2 years of implementing the Program, in general, the trade and service infrastructure in the province has been gradually invested and developed. According to statistics, the total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in the province in 2022 reached over 56 trillion VND, an increase of 26.1% over the same period. The average growth rate of total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in the period of 2021-2022 is 18.3%/year, higher than the general target of the period of 2021-2025 of 5.3%/year.

Regarding export value in the province, the target set for the period of 2021-2025 is to increase by an average of 7%/year or more, of which local exports increase by an average of 11%/year or more. In 2022 alone, the total export turnover of goods in the province reached 29.877 billion USD, of which local exports reached over 699 million USD, an increase of 18.2% over the same period. With this result, Thai Nguyen still holds the 4th position in the country in terms of export value; on average in the period of 2021-2022, export value increased by 10.56%/year, of which local exports increased by an average of 17.49%/year.

Lien Minh Commune Market (Vo Nhai) was newly built with a total investment of nearly 5 billion VND, is a class III market, contributing to promoting trade of goods in the area.

The rural market system has been gradually upgraded and newly built to meet the people's demand for goods trading. In mid-October, Lien Minh commune (Vo Nhai) was handed over the market project with a total investment of nearly 5 billion VND. With an area of ​​over 4,000m2, Lien Minh commune market has invested in building 1 market hall, 4 kiosks, 2 large yards, with full sanitation facilities, ensuring the standards of a level III market. Taking us to visit the newly handed over market, Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune Hoang Van Thuong excitedly shared: Before, there was no market, the products made by the people had to be brought to Trang Xa commune market to sell, or displayed on the roadside, causing traffic insecurity.

Over the past 2 years, the whole province has had 7 markets invested in new construction, upgrading, and renovation from the central budget to implement national target programs, of which Dinh Hoa district has 3 markets in Bao Linh, Lam Vy, Quy Ky communes; Vo Nhai district has 2 markets in Cuc Duong, Lien Minh communes; Dai Tu district has 2 markets in Phu Thinh, Phuc Luong communes.

An important highlight in trade development in the province is the development of trade infrastructure. To date, the province has 140 markets, of which 107 markets have implemented the Market 4.0 model. In the 2021-2022 period, 125 communes have met criterion No. 7 on rural trade infrastructure in new rural construction (accounting for 97.6% of the total number of communes in the province). From 2021 to June 2023, 67 projects were approved for investment policy, of which 13/67 projects were in the trade sector with a total investment of VND 4,675/41,669 billion.

In particular, the Department of Industry and Trade has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Science and Technology to support localities in developing branded products, specialties; implementing programs to create, manage and develop intellectual property. Thereby, the quality and value of products have been improved. In the past 2 years, the whole province has had 61 safe food supply chains granted certificates; provided and supported over 1.7 million traceability stamps; supported 3.8 million stickers to identify safe products along the chain; designed and manufactured 1,500 OCOP Thai Nguyen badges to promote and honor entities with qualified products. Departments and branches also organized many skill training courses for OCOP entities on livestreaming, promoting and consuming products on digital platforms (facebook, tiktok...).

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202310/tao-dot-pha-trong-phat-trien-thuong-mai-26226fb/