Vinh Long province is focusing on developing green and sustainable e-commerce, linked to comprehensive digital transformation, aiming for the goal of "Vinh Long - the destination for digital commerce in the Mekong Delta."
Exploiting the "green gold mine"
According to the Department of Industry and Trade of Vinh Long province, e-commerce transactions by businesses and production and trading establishments in the province are making a positive contribution to the local trade and service results.
E-commerce retail sales currently account for approximately 15% of the province's total retail sales. Currently, 70% of the province's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engage in e-commerce activities, 60% use electronic invoices, and 75% have bank accounts for electronic payments. The percentage of the adult population who shop online has reached 68%.
In addition, Vinh Long has also established OCOP (One Commune One Product) stalls and a provincial e-commerce trading platform, connecting with provinces in the region, promoting more than 900 distinctive products, contributing to an increase in online export value of approximately 12% per year.
In particular, the province has built a database of businesses in the industry and trade sector that is interconnected with the "trade.vinhlong.gov.vn" platform, comprising 390 businesses and cooperatives with 1,953 products, of which 100% are OCOP products.
According to Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Vinh Long province, the province's e-commerce activities have undergone a transformation, with many agricultural products and specialties such as mandarin oranges, pomelos, Siamese coconuts, sweet potatoes, ceramics, and handicrafts now available on major e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, TikTok Shop, and Sendo.
The "Vinh Long Agricultural Products Development Week - Leveraging Infrastructure, Elevating OCOP" program, implemented at the end of August, alone consumed over 185 tons of agricultural products in just 7 days.
This is a vivid testament to the power of e-commerce when it is well-organized, innovative, and effectively connected.
Vinh Long province currently has strengths in fruit trees, especially coconuts, vegetables, and commercial sweet potatoes, as well as advantages in aquaculture. These advantages create a foundation for the development of a comprehensive agricultural value chain from raw material areas to processing and consumption. Vinh Long also has the largest coconut growing area in the country, accounting for approximately 50% of the total coconut growing area nationwide. The Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Vinh Long province shared that many of Vinh Long's products are truly valuable "sweet fruits" that are not yet known. If good products are not "on the market" or digitized, their value will remain in the fields and ponds of the villages, unable to reach a larger market.
Therefore, with over 1,000 OCOP products, hundreds of agricultural products, handicrafts, processed foods, etc., if properly utilized, this will be a "green gold mine" for developing cross-border e-commerce, bringing Vinh Long's goods to the world through international platforms.
Enhancing competitiveness
Vinh Long province currently has favorable foundations for developing e-commerce, such as technological infrastructure, payment solutions, logistics, e-commerce marketplace management, and digital workforce training models.
However, the three biggest bottlenecks that need to be addressed for the e-commerce sector in Vinh Long province to break through are: unfavorable logistics infrastructure; a shortage and weakness in digital human resources; and limited online management capabilities in many businesses.
According to Mr. Le Van Bay, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Agricultural and Rural Development Bank branch in Vinh Long province, one of the current difficulties in developing e-commerce in the province is the continued prevalence of cash usage among the majority of people and small traders.
The level of technological literacy and smartphone usage among the population, especially the elderly in rural areas, is still limited. Therefore, Vinh Long province needs to prioritize the development of telecommunications infrastructure, broadband internet, and support the provision of facilities at public places in rural areas.
At the same time, the Department of Industry and Trade acts as a bridge, supporting e-commerce platforms and supply chains of Vinh Long specialties to integrate with the bank's payment system.
According to Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Vinh Long province, at the recent workshop "Developing e-commerce - Promoting investment and supporting local businesses" organized by the Department of Industry and Trade, experts and businesses discussed and proposed four important directions to make Vinh Long a leading e-commerce center in the Mekong Delta region in the near future.
Specifically, Vinh Long needs to develop its e-commerce ecosystem, which should include not only trading platforms but also logistics, digital payments, consulting services, human resource training, and communication.
The province is promoting e-commerce for agricultural products, OCOP products, and local specialties, enabling farmers and small businesses to "sell by phone and export with a click."
In addition, the province is gradually building and establishing an e-commerce and logistics center in the Mekong Delta region in Vinh Long, which will connect localities, share infrastructure, reduce circulation costs, and increase the competitiveness of businesses.
In particular, the province needs to strengthen training and transfer of digital skills, considering this as the foundation for every business to confidently enter the digital world.
Vinh Long province has identified e-commerce as the inevitable path to bring Vinh Long's products, services, and brands deeper into the digital economy, reaching consumers throughout the country and even around the world.
This is a key solution for expanding markets, increasing product value, and supporting local businesses in integration.
However, to effectively harness this potential, close coordination between the government, businesses, and consumers is needed, as well as increased investment in digital infrastructure, improved governance capacity, and the development of high-quality human resources in this field.
According to the orientation of the People's Committee of Vinh Long province, in the period 2026-2030, the province aims to be among the leading localities in the Mekong Delta region in terms of e-commerce development speed.
Over the next five years, the province aims to have 70% of its adult population participating in online shopping; e-commerce retail sales are projected to increase by 20-30% annually, accounting for 20% of total retail sales in the province.
The target is for over 70% of businesses to adopt e-commerce, and for 100% of transactions on e-commerce platforms to issue electronic invoices.
The rate of cashless payments in e-commerce has reached 80%, and approximately 60% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conduct business on e-commerce platforms.
Along with solutions to improve institutions and policies, develop digital infrastructure and e-commerce logistics, promote digital payments and ensure cybersecurity, the province will train 20,000 businesses, cooperatives, and household businesses in e-commerce skills; and establish an E-commerce Innovation Center.
At the same time, the province is building a platform to connect e-commerce in the Mekong Delta region; cooperating in sharing data on OCOP products, agricultural products, and aquatic products; and developing Vinh Long's storefront on Amazon, Alibaba, and other international platforms.
Furthermore, aiming for the development of green and circular e-commerce, the province supports businesses in using recycled packaging, clean logistics, and renewable energy; striving for 50% of e-commerce products to use recycled packaging and 40% of e-commerce logistics businesses to use clean energy.
Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Long province, Nguyen Truc Son, affirmed that the digital economy is one of the important targets for Vinh Long province in the 2026-2030 period.
The province has shifted its GRDP growth axis from the traditional drivers of investment and exports to new drivers of science, technology, and innovation.
E-commerce is no longer an option, but has become an inevitable trend, a crucial driving force for the development of the digital economy, especially in the context of increasing globalization and integration.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/vinh-long-but-pha-thanh-diem-den-cua-thuong-mai-so-vung-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-post1072347.vnp
Comment (0)