The executive committee of the HCM City Union of Business Associations for the 2026–31 term. — Photo courtesy of HUBA

HCM CITY — Mai Hữu Tín, chairman and CEO of U&I Investment Corporation, has been elected chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations (HUBA) for the 2026-31 term.

The decision was made at HUBA’s first congress following its consolidation, held on August 27. The congress also approved changing its Vietnamese name from Hiệp hội Doanh nghiệp TPHCM to Liên đoàn Doanh nghiệp TPHCM, elected a 93-member executive committee and a seven-member inspection committee, and set out key priorities for the new term.

Tín said HUBA would become “the common home of the HCM City business community – an association of associations as well as an organisation representing major enterprises operating in the city”.

“It will be a place that vigorously promotes connectivity among businesses and brings together the city’s collective business knowledge and expertise,” he said.

“With the expanded development space of the new HCM City, our business community is now the largest in the country. We no longer represent just a locality. We carry a responsibility of national significance,” Tín said.

“If the 300,000 businesses operating in HCM City can each improve productivity a little, strengthen management, invest more in technology, train people better and innovate more, the change will not be limited to individual businesses. It will improve the competitiveness of the entire Vietnamese economy,” he said.

Tín added that HUBA would not only connect businesses but also encourage entrepreneurs to take greater responsibility for the country’s future through job creation, better working conditions, technology investment, innovation and the development of internationally competitive products.

For the 2026-31 term, it will focus on building a professional and effective organisation; strengthening its role in representing and protecting businesses; improving policy consultation and advocacy; promoting business connectivity, trade and investment; supporting corporate capability development; and encouraging social responsibility and the entrepreneurial culture of HCM City.

Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, speaks at HUBA’s first congress in HCM City on August 27. — Photo courtesy of HUBA

Addressing the congress, Nguyễn Văn Được, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, praised the business community for its spirit of innovation, resilience and efforts to overcome difficulties. He reaffirmed the city government’s commitment to working alongside businesses and improving mechanisms and policies to support their development.

Được said the consolidation of HCM City, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu had significantly expanded the city’s development space and strengthened its position, bringing together advantages in industry, logistics, energy, trade, services, science and technology, and human resources.

The city’s achievements to date have been supported by the sustained contributions of HUBA and the business community. However, challenges remain, with the number of businesses exiting the market rising in the first seven months of the year amid a difficult global and domestic environment.

Được urged HUBA to focus on four strategic priorities.

First, it should shift from simply “providing feedback on policy” to “working together to shape and implement policy”. HUBA should consider establishing a working group of experts, business leaders and representatives of sectoral associations to participate substantively in the city’s policymaking process, with recommendations based on data, actual business costs and market experience.

Second, HUBA should strengthen connectivity and cooperation to create the strength of the new city.

Third, digital and green transformation must become core competitive capabilities for businesses. Global markets are imposing increasingly stringent requirements on emissions, traceability, data governance, green manufacturing and social responsibility.

Được said: “Green transformation is not merely about regulatory compliance but also about reducing costs, improving quality and retaining customers and orders.” He called on HUBA to develop a network for sharing transformation experience, with leading businesses supporting those that are less advanced and large enterprises assisting smaller ones.

Finally, HUBA should work alongside the city to promote rapid, sustainable and inclusive development.

The city aims for GRDP growth of more than 10 per cent and State budget revenue exceeding VNĐ1 quadrillion (US$38 billion) in 2026. 

The city will also work to simplify administrative procedures and address bottlenecks in land, planning, investment, construction, site clearance and public investment disbursement, while maintaining direct and substantive dialogue with businesses, he said. — VNS