HCM CITY — HCM City and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement in industry and trade between the two localities that will extend between this year and 2020.

The ageement is expected to unleash the potential of each locality, contributing to socio-economic development through full cooperation in industry and trade.

Under the agreement, HCM City and Gia Lai Province will exchange information and practical experiences as well as improve State management of industry and trade in the two localities.

The localities will implement the market stabilisation programme, and update and share market information as well as resolve any problems related to fluctuations in the market.  

They will also offer support to enterprises to invest in infrastructure projects in industrial zones and clusters, and help them resolve their challenges.

HCM City and Gia Lai will work to implement the supply-demand connection programmes, and promote trade and support enterprises to participate in trade fairs in the city and trade fairs in rural areas.

The two localities will also cooperate in setting up a chain of diverse agricultural products, livestock and poultry, from production to consumption.

The goal is to promote farm produce such as livestock and poultry products from Gia Lai Province in the HCM City market.

The localities will also strengthen inspection of goods transported between the two localities, and fight smuggling and trade fraud as well as ensure food safety and promote primary processing at the source.

The localities will also cooperate in human resource training, improve the management capacity in the trade and industry sector as well as apply e-commerce in production and business.

In addition, the city and the province will work with other localities to develop four key industries (food processing, chemicals; rubber – plastics; mechanical engineering and electronics; and information and technology), and the support industry.

Bùi Khắc Quang, director of Gia Lai Province’s Department of Industry and Trade, said HCM City is a large and important market for Gia Lai.

The province wants to improve connections between the two areas so that quality farm produce from Gia Lai such as vegetables, fruits and beef can be brought to the market in HCM City.

Quang also suggested the city’s Department of Industry and Trade will encourage enterprises to join the conference on supply-demand in Gia Lai Province to be held in September.

He also called for businesses in HCM City to invest in infrastructure development projects in the province. — VNS