A corner of Vĩnh Long Province. The province targets resumption of all business activities this year. — Photo baovinhlong.com.vn

HCM CITY — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vĩnh Long targets resumption of all business activities this year, according to its authorities.

Director of its Department of Planning and Investment, Võ Quốc Thanh, said there were favourable conditions for this such as high [COVID-19] vaccination rate and most businesses resuming operations.

The Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận Expressway that opened to traffic last month would help attract more investment to the province, he said.

Vĩnh Long has a roadmap for socio-economic recovery and development after the pandemic is brought under control, with manufacturing expected to achieve full recovery by June 30 and services after July 1, according to Thanh.

The province hopes to have over 97 per cent of enterprises in the national business registration system operational by the end of this year.

In 2022 it targets 10 per cent industrial growth and 11 per cent growth in retail sales of goods and services and creating 20,000 jobs.

Lê Quang Trung, permanent vice chairman of the province People's Committee, said the plan for restoring business operations after COVID is controlled would be implemented “drastically and effectively” since the dual goal is to achieve economic development and epidemic control.

The province would also scrupulously implement the Government’s policies and programmes for supporting enterprises, business sectors and families affected by the pandemic, he said.

It would strengthen dialogue with the business community to promptly mitigate their difficulties, and focus on ways to improve the business environment and attract investment. 

Thanh said many enterprises did well last year despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic.

The province’s economy shrunk marginally, but it managed to attract investments of VNĐ6.3 trillion (US$277.7 million), he said.

Nguyễn Tường Nam the chairman of the Vĩnh Long Young Entrepreneurs Association, said the pandemic did not bring just difficulties and challenges but also opportunities for new business sectors and services. — VNS