The Vietnamese and Swiss Governments inked an agreement in Hanoi on May
31 to cement their cooperation in improving export competitiveness of
Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a local
trade promotion system in the 2013-2016 period.
The
four-year programme, valued at 3.89 million USD, will enhance the
skills and capacity of trade promotion agencies and trade supporting
organisations in three regions.
It is expected to
help SMEs improve their efficiency by exporting products with more added
value rather than those with low labour costs.
The programme is built on the basis of the outcomes of the VIE 61/94
project funded by the Swiss and Swedish Governments, which focuses on
supporting trade promotion and export development in Vietnam in the
2004-2010 period.
Addressing the signing ceremony,
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh affirmed that
Vietnam has taken steps to participate in the global supply chain with
value-added products and services.
He highlighted
the increasingly important role of SMEs and expressed his hope that the
programme will help local firms tackle difficulties in their efforts to
increase their participation in the country’s export development.
Through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the
Swiss Government has supported Vietnam ’s sustainable economic
development since 1993.
In the framework of its new
national strategy for Vietnam from 2013-2016, SECO has reaffirmed its
commitment to support Vietnam in the long-term to help it achieve
comprehensive and sustainable growth.-VNA