Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, speaks at the meeting between the city leaders and the Young Businesspeople Association of HCM City on March 24. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Developing highly skilled human resources, policies to further promote investment and trade, investing more in infrastructure including logistics, and speeding up digital transformation were in the bucket list that the Young Businesspeople Association of HCM City raised at a meeting with city leaders on Wednesday.

Trần Thái Ngọc Sơn, CEO of Tiki.vn, said the value of e-commerce in the city is two or three times the country’s average and would continue to develop quickly, but logistics is a bottleneck.

It is hard to find a warehouse of around 10,000sq.m within a radius of 10km from the city centre, he pointed out.

The city needs to make logistics zoning plans, including for large-scale warehouses, so that shipping companies can optimise delivery times and reduce traffic congestion and pollution, he said.

Phạm Thị Bích Huệ, chairwoman of Western Pacific Group, said logistics services are required not only for exports but also domestic trade.

“But we still make zoning plans for logistics based on an old paradigm that mainly serves export activities, with most warehouses being located near ports.”

The city needs to review its zoning for logistics, one of its key industries, she added.

Tiêu Yến Trinh, CEO of Talentnet Corporation, said the city needs to identify necessary skills for its key sectors and tie up with schools, universities and businesses to develop human resources for them.

With businesses developing faster than leadership teams, the city needs to consider having policies for promoting leadership and attracting foreign talent, she said.

It needs to have appropriate strategies and resources for developing human resources for the technology sector, the future, she said.

Many business executives at the event urged the city to create a fund for supporting businesses with digital transformation, and offering incentives to both technology firms and businesses that invest in it.

They called on it to further improve the business environment, develop infrastructure to improve connectivity with other provinces and cities and create conditions that enable young entrepreneurs to participate in administrative reform and improvement of its business environment.

Lê Quỳnh Minh Tú, deputy director of the city's Department of Industry and Trade, said a project has been approved to develop the logistics sector with a focus on developing infrastructure, roads, waterways, ports, warehouses, and IT and human resources.

“We are in the process of drawing up a master plan for implementing the project.”

Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city has over 440,000 enterprises, or 32 per cent of the country’s total, and 67 per cent of the total social investment capital.

“Young entrepreneurs have deeply integrated in the international market, and many of them have established their reputation and brands in regional and global markets. The city hopes that, regardless of the circumstances, young entrepreneurs constantly innovate, embrace science and technology and improve productivity.

“The city is also stepping up implementation of the digital transformation programme to speed up the process of creating a digital government and economy.”

An institute of advanced technology and innovation would be established this year, he said.

He said young businesspeople should work closely with the Vietnam Youth Union and Vietnam Student Association to stimulate entrepreneurship in young people and guide their aspirations.

The city would provide better support to businesses and improve the investment environment, he promised.

The Young Businesspeople Association of HCM City on Wednesday received the Labour Order, First Class, for its outstanding contributions to the country’s socio-economic development — VNS