The conference deployed the tasks assigned by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Decision No. 827/QD-TTg dated July 11, 7 of the Prime Minister on establishing the Central Highlands Coordination Council, in order to strengthen the work of the Prime Minister. promote trade, link production, connect supply and demand, promote the image and brand of local industries and products in the Central Highlands region; Support businesses to effectively exploit free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed to develop products, diversify markets and supply chains, and promote import and export.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr. Vu Ba Phu - Director of the Department of Trade Promotion assessed that in recent times, the Central Highlands region has made good use of the region's potentials and advantages, contributing to the overall success in the country's import and export picture. Specifically, the Central Highlands has become an area producing a number of key agricultural products on a large scale, accounting for a high proportion, especially industrial crops and fruit trees. Some of Vietnam's export products are ranked among the top and second in the region as well as the world, the Central Highlands has contributed many products such as coffee, pepper, passion fruit, cashews and macadamia, rubber... Planting area Precious medicinal herbs such as: Ngoc Linh ginseng, string ginseng, red lingzhi mushroom, polyscias fruticosa, polyscias fruticosa, dong quai, rose flower... in the Central Highlands are also developing rapidly to form concentrated medicinal areas. However, the export turnover of the Central Highlands region is still very modest. In the two years 02 and 2022, during the recovery process after the Covid-2023 pandemic, the total import-export turnover of the entire region will reach about 19 billion USD, accounting for less than 4,6% of the total import-export turnover of the country. , in which the region's export turnover will reach nearly 1 billion USD in 3,8 and over 2022 billion USD in 3,7, about more than 2023% of the country's total export turnover.
Besides the above mentioned bright spots, Director Vu Ba Phu also frankly pointed out that the Central Highlands region still has some major limitations. That is, the scale of production and processing of agricultural products in the region is still small, and deep processing centers are lacking and weak, leading to export products or raw materials for export being raw and not bringing high value. for people and businesses. The quality of key agricultural products is uneven, so there are many technical trade barriers.
In addition, the industrial sector also faces many difficulties and challenges due to the lack of high-quality human resources and weak logistics infrastructure and facilities. In particular, intra-regional linkages are showing many weaknesses, laxity, and lack of synchronous investment, leading to a lack of intra-regional supply chains.
To find feasible and effective solutions for trade promotion activities and import-export development in the region, at the Conference, representatives of functional departments and agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Trade focused on discussing solutions. Key economic issues of the region include: potential and advantages of forming export production chains; import-export development strategy in the coming years; foreign market opportunities for regional products; some solutions for industrial and commercial development of the region; Trade promotion activities for export development in 2024 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade with the Central Highlands region.
Mr. Nguyen Tuan Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, said that Dak Lak province has not met the set expectations. Specifically, according to Dak Lak province's expectation, the average annual growth rate is about 11%, but in reality, the average growth rate is around 7%. To develop, the province must transform its economic structure from the agricultural sector to areas with better potential, such as the trade and service sector and especially import-export activities.
According to the opinion of the Vice Chairman of Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee, to gradually narrow the gap in income and trade development level of the region compared to the national average in the coming time, Dak Lak and the provinces in the region need to promote strengthening regional connectivity; Actively remove difficulties and facilitate the development of industrial infrastructure, production, processing and consumption of agricultural products. At the same time, it is necessary to make the most of the advantages and preferential policies of the State to speed up the progress of attracting investment projects in industrial clusters; Leverage the development of industries and services with added value and high local competitive advantages. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Ha further shared: "After the conference to carry out regional coordination tasks, trade promotion and import-export activities need to be built according to a new orientation and new formula. Besides, Dak Lak province also wants to receive support from the Trade Promotion Department to help the trade promotion work of the Central Highlands provinces have positive changes in the next 5 years.
The conference is also expected to contribute to lifting the Central Highlands region out of its "low-lying" position in foreign trade development, gradually narrowing the gap in income and level of trade development of the region compared to the national average. next time.
Concluding the Conference, Director Vu Ba Phu emphasized: To support and promote the Central Highlands region to have a prosperous transformation in trade promotion activities and develop import and export more strongly in the coming time, The Central Highlands provinces need to link together to agree to develop key strong products for each product group of the region, thereby determining appropriate supply chain and value chain models to exploit the best product values. In addition, localities need to pay attention to commercial infrastructure, infrastructure for trade promotion of the whole region, and need a mechanism to build and form companies and corporations specializing in trade. special trade to ensure consumption of regional products.
Businesses need to promptly update information about foreign markets to grasp consumer tastes in each market, thereby adjusting products accordingly to each market, improving product competitiveness, Mr. Vu Ba Phu emphasized.
After this conference, with the responsibility of being the agency performing state management functions on industry and trade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to fully synthesize the support needs and recommendations and proposals of localities. localities, associations, businesses, coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to focus on resolving issues within their authority or report to the Government and Prime Minister for consideration and direction to resolve issues within the Government's authority. , contributing to promoting production and export development, making a positive contribution to the country's development, said Mr. Vu Ba Phu.
On the sidelines of the conference, large-scale display, introduction and promotion of products by suppliers of goods and services inside and outside the Central Highlands region with export enterprises and trade promotion organizations also took place. commercial. In addition, the Trade Promotion Department also coordinates with a number of Trade Departments, Trade Branches, and Vietnam Trade Promotion Offices abroad to organize online trade connections between manufacturing and trading enterprises. trade in vegetables, tubers, fruits, coffee, processed foods... inside and outside the Central Highlands with nearly 30 importers from important export markets of Vietnam such as the Philippines, China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
