Workers at a factory of Protrade Garment JSC, Bình Dương Province. VNA/VNS Photo Trần Việt

By Ly Ly Cao

HÀ NỘI — After social distancing orders were eased in many provinces and cities, businesses have been working to resume operations, ensure orders are fulfilled and production chains restored.

Factories in industrial parks are reopening, but can’t run at full capacity due to preventive measures for COVID-19. 

“Currently, leather and footwear companies in the industrial park only operate at about 30-40 per cent of capacity,” Phan Thị Thanh Xuân, General Secretary of Việt Nam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso), told Việt Nam News.

Restrictions are being lifted at a normally busy time of the year with festivals and celebrations, which is also the main shopping season in many countries. However, not all businesses are benefiting this year. 

“Our southern companies have missed this Christmas season since we have to prepare from August. At the moment, only northern factories can meet demand for the Christmas and year-end holidays,” Xuân added. 

“And actually they are speeding up.”

However, disruptions during social distancing still strongly affected industries, causing many enterprises to struggle in restarting production.

Each province carries out different requirements, with some very open in supporting businesses, while others were not, said the general secretary of Lefaso.

“Workforce is not a problem for us at the moment as we run at low capacity, but local rules are,” Xuân said.

The special working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that in Bình Dương Province, most businesses’ concerns were over procedures to return to production, testing requirements, operating under the “three-green” model and vaccine issues. 

All enterprises in Bình Dương’s industrial cluster have resumed operations, but the capacity has only reached 44 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic period. 

As soon as the normal state returns, the Department of Industry and Trade of Bình Dương suggested that businesses wishing to return to operation develop plans in the new situation, send them to all related agencies and immediately start the work. 

Bình Dương Province will give the rights to enterprises to resume production, and the local government will carry out post-inspection work. 

The Department of Industry and Trade of Bình Dương has issued a guiding document approving the granting of initiative rights for enterprises to reopen, while the State management agency will perform post-check to accelerate the restoration of production. Currently, Bình Dương Province has allowed businesses to test and issue certificates for workers to travel by themselves. 

Moreover, Bình Dương’s authorities also allowed businesses to access quality test kits for only a few tens of thousands of đồng per test. Enterprises are allowed to combine 3-5 samples, so the cost of testing for each worker will be very low. At the same time, the time limit for test results is up to 7 days. Workers in Bình Dương have received the first dose of vaccine and it is expected that the second dose will be completed this month.

A report on industrial production from the southern special working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that in Bến Tre Province, the activities of enterprises are relatively stable, with obstacles basically being solved, creating favourable conditions for enterprises to resume business activities, as well as deploy disease prevention measures.

As of October 13, the whole province recorded 2,258 enterprises in operation with 67,015 employees.

Of which, there are eight companies operating under the “three-on-site" model with 863 employees, while 2,250 businesses operating in the new situation with 66,152 employees.

Southern governments also implemented plan No 6601/KH-UBND on bringing workers back to HCM City and the provinces of Bình Dương, Đồng Nai and Long An to work.

Data showed that as of October 8, there were 1,056 registered workers in Bến Tre City. 

Currently, Bến Tre Province has 2,224 enterprises operating with 65,430 employees, accounting for 54 per cent of the total number of operating enterprises and up 1,559 enterprises compared to when Directive 16 was applied. 

Accordingly, 19 companies operate under the “three-on-site" model with 3,393 employees, while the rest operate in production in the new situation with 62,037 employees.

In Đồng Nai Province, there were a total of 3,898 companies completing the self-assessment on the risk of COVID-19 infection at the enterprise, according to the special working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The result showed that more than 3,180 businesses are in the low-risk group, while only 49 in the medium-risk group.

Businesses in the province are restoring production activities according to plans to ensure safety against the pandemic.

Of which, as of October 11, in the industrial park, the total number of enterprises implementing the "three-on-site" model is 1,176, with a total of 154,699 resident workers. Meanwhile, there are 139 enterprises implementing the plan for workers to go home every day with a total registered workforce of 41,762 people. — VNS