HCM City’s manufacturing sector sees 3.2% growth
Loading cargo for export at Cat Lai port in HCM City. The city’s industrial production rose by 3.2 per cent in the first two months, doubled the number from a year ago. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu
HCM CITY (VNS)— HCM City’s industrial production rose by 3.2 per cent in the first two months of 2013, doubled the number from a year ago.
According to figures from the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, the processing grew at 3.1 per cent.
Fifteen of 26 groups of products achieved positive growth in the period, with leather and footwear growing by 36.5 per cent, construction materials by 23.9 per cent, chemicals by 16.9 per cent, and beverages by 11.2 per cent.
Last year manufacturing growth topped 4.9 per cent.
Exports were worth nearly US$4.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 21.4 per cent over the same period last year.
The public sector reported a 23.8 per cent growth, the domestic non-State sector, 6.7 per cent, and the foreign sector, 31 per cent.
Nguyen Van Lai, director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said in March his department would work with other agencies to explore ways for businesses overcome their difficulties.
The department would also implement trade promotion programmes launched by the city to help businesses renovate equipment and technologies, expand scale and improve product quality, lower costs and prices, and make their products more competitive, especially those making essential and export goods, he said.
To promote consumption and reduce stockpiles, the city plans to organise further trade promotion campaigns in the domestic market, and strengthen the distribution system to reduce costs, he said.
Businesses and distributors are being encouraged to do the same, he said.
The department has also made plans to further streamline the market stabilisation programme for goods like food and foodstuff; students’ utensils; pharmaceuticals; and dairy products this year, he said. The programme will last from April 1, 2013, to March 31 next year. — VNS