HCM CITY – Business leaders and experts discussed digital solutions to involve and integrate small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the global market, at a conference in HCM City on Thursday.

The workshop was organised by the US-ASEAN Business Council and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Sanket Ray, CEO of Coca-Cola Vietnam, said the conference served as a forum for US multinationals to share their digital marketing experience with Vietnamese SMEs.

Võ Tân Thành, the VCCI’s director in HCM City, suggested that the State relook at policies to improve the business climate, focusing especially on programmes that would support enterprises in increasing their investment in science and technology, human resources development, renovation, creativity and financial digitalisation.

The Government is already making every effort to improve the business climate, Thành added.

The VCCI has joined hands with Microsoft Vietnam in a project for Vietnamese SMEs to achieve sustainable development. The aim is to help enterprises access new business opportunities and cope with challenges related to sustainable development, Thanh explained, adding that the project would assist materials, services and trade firms.

At the event, experts said that retail was a promising sector in Việt Nam, thanks to the rising income of the middle-class and consumer confidence.

Effective use of technology and co-operation with experienced logistics suppliers will help Vietnamese SMEs grow in Asia and globally, they said.

Daryl Tal, CEO of UPS Vietnam Company, said online customers in Asia have a deep understanding of technology and catch up with technology trends quickly, so it is necessary to optimise the electronic supply chain to attract more customers.

In the 2017-18 period, Việt Nam aims to keep pace with other ASEAN nations in improving its business climate and promoting international integration, in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and economic digitalisation.  — VNS