Buy-local campaign gets results
Buy-local campaign gets results
An ongoing campaign to get Vietnamese to give priority to buying Vietnamese products has led to a 25 per cent increase in the sales of domestic goods and services compared to the same period last year.
After nearly three years, the campaign has made significant progress in getting domestic businesses to buy local goods.
This has already led to a reduction of stockpiled goods, said Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Nguyen Nam Hai.
Hai said this had helped lower the trade deficit and boosted production levels in the country. State-run corporations and companies, including Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), Viet Nam Steel Corporation, Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), among others, are leading the campaign.
"PetroVietnam is using domestic products and goods including fuel, diesel, cement, stone and sleepers, among others, for production", said its representative.
PetroVietnam, which usually imports coal from Indonesia and Australia, recently signed a contract with Vinacomin to buy 800,000 tonnes of Vietnamese coal for thermal power plants and cement factories.
Another State-owned corporation, Viet Nam Steel, has also started to use liquefied petroleum gas from Viet Nam instead of imported fuel oil.
This has saved up to VND72 billion (US$3.4 million) per year.
Provinces and cities are also reported to be working with each other to boost use of domestic goods.
As part of its contribution to the campaign, the Department of Trade and Industry in Ha Noi will soon begin promoting exhibitions throughout Viet Nam.
It will also open offices for consumers, providing information on prices, origin of goods and products.
Hai said enterprises should improve their products and goods if they wanted the campaign to be fully effective.
He added that the Ministry of Industry and Trade would submit a plan to the Prime Minister requiring corporations and companies to buy domestic products.
BQ shoes company director Phan Hai said
The State should improve infrastructure and simplify lending procedures to encourage local business.
vietnamnews
