Phạm Thiện Nghĩa, deputy chairman of the Đồng Tháp Province People’s Committee, speaks at a workshop on “Overview of Việt Nam e-Commerce: speeding up after the Covid-19 pandemic” on July 22. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG THÁP — E-commerce is developing rapidly in Việt Nam but needs a new push to reach rural areas and help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) close the gap with large enterprises, experts have said.

Speaking at a workshop on “Overview of Việt Nam e-Commerce: speeding up after the Covid-19 pandemic” held in Đồng Tháp Province on Wednesday (July 22), they said the digital business environment would help reach more customers in rural areas in places like the Mekong Delta to increase the competitiveness with large firms.

E-commerce is an effective tool for SMEs in rural areas since they do not need to invest in brick-and-mortar stores and distribution systems, but many in the delta region have not grasped or fully exploited its advantages and remain focused on traditional sales channels, they said.

The workshop, attended by provincial authorities and hundreds of business executives from the delta region, was held to share and update information on e-commerce development trends in the country.

To help local businesses better understand the rules and procedures of participating on Tiki, one of the leading e-commerce platforms in Việt Nam, Nguyễn Chí Hùng, Tiki's Training Manager, spoke about registration procedure, effective sales processes and special support for Đồng Tháp enterprises in designing booths and posting products on the Tiki website.

The Việt Nam E-Commerce Association also work with 4 modern e-commerce platforms including Tiki, Lazada, Sendo and Shopee to signed a strategic co-operation with the province Department of Industry and Trade to help local enterprises selling their products more smoothly on e-commerce floors.

Đồng Tháp has a number of agricultural products including specialities that are in great demand, but most of them are still distributed through intermediaries and traditional markets.

Every year in the province, as well as in the delta, farmers struggle to sell their products, and in some provinces they suffer losses when prices fall due to excessive supply.

E-commerce is thus seen as a new avenue for them to seek new customers and even expand globally, experts said.

Phạm Thiện Nghĩa, deputy chairman of the Đồng Tháp People’s Committee, said the province pays special attention to and seeks to create favourable conditions for developing e-commerce.

The number of businesses entering e-commerce is increasing, he said.

In future the province would continue to support businesses with developing e-commerce by organising training courses, co-ordinating with Lazada to promote local products, encouraging businesses to go on modern e-commerce platforms, building free websites for businesses, and developing digital brands for the province’s key products, he added.  VNS