10-year campaign promotes development of made-in-Vietnam products

Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong

Addressing a conference in Hanoi on August 2 to review the 10-year implementation of the “Vietnamese people prioritise using made-in-Vietnam goods” campaign, Vuong acknowledged the efforts of the entire political system to engage people from all walks of life.

He noted that more challenges lie ahead such as growing competition on the domestic market, especially when the country implements bilateral and multilateral agreements it has signed.

The strong development of science-technology also has huge impacts on production, business and consumption, and consumers have more choices and stricter requirements for products, he stated.

Therefore, it is necessary for enterprises and producers to continuously renew themselves and apply advanced technology in production to increase the quality of products, he stressed.

Sharing the same view, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung voiced his hope that Vietnamese businesses should seek ways to improve the quality and competitiveness of their products and services, build their brands, and deliver on their commitments to ensuring consumers’ interests.

He suggested ministries, sectors and enterprises focus on domestic trade promotion, better the distribution network, and issue goods standards in accordance with international commitments to gradually control imported products and market order.

It is also important to strengthen market management and strictly handle the trading of counterfeit products, violations of intellectual property, and illegally-imported commodities, he added.

Speaking at the conference, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man said that the Political Bureau launched the campaign 10 years ago to promote patriotism and foster the production of made-in-Vietnam commodities which have high quality and competitiveness, helping to meet demand for domestic consumption and export.

The campaign has produced positive results, contributing to curbing inflation, stabilizing the macro-economy and ensuring supply-demand balance.

Statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that the proportion of made-in-Vietnam products reaches at least 90 percent at supermarkets, and over 60 percent at traditional markets and convenience stores.

Total goods retails and services revenue has grown by 10 percent each year since 2009, while inflation has reduced from 19.8 percent in 2008 to below 5 percent in recent years. The economy has shifted from trade deficit to trade surplus. If the country reported a trade deficit of 12.5 billion USD in 2010, it enjoyed a trade surplus of 7.2 billion USD last year. The localization rate has also increased significantly in several major industries, such as garment and textiles and footwear over the past years.