Mekong Delta provinces improve the quality of labour to satisfy the business inquiry - Photo nld.com.vn

MEKONG DELTA — The competitiveness of Mekong Delta provinces fell last year from the previous year as the COVID-19 pandemic undermined labour quality.

Mekong Delta provinces’ rankings in the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) dropped  in 2021 from 2020, according to Võ Thị Thu Hương, deputy director of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (VCCI) legal department in Cần Thơ City.

While the provinces have been making an effort to increase their competitiveness level, they still struggle in areas such as labour quality and business support. 

"Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the percentage of businesses satisfied with the quality of labour in the Mekong Delta has decreased, from over 90 per cent to around 56 per cent,” said Huong.

Trương Hoài Châu, director of Đồng Tháp’s Department of Planning and Investment, said that the province is having problems boosting the education of workers. Although universities and colleges have been purchasing equipment to train several professions, many other professions have to be trained by businesses.

Trần Việt Trường, chairman of Cần Thơ City People's Committee, said that the city has been making an effort to improve its investment climate, and in fact its PCI has been stable over the last five years. 

He also said that to improve PCI, localities need to focus more on training workers better. The Department of Planning and Investment also needs to coordinate with relevant authorities to support businesses more effectively. — VNS