Deputy secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyễn Hồ Hải speaks at a conference summarizing overseas Vietnamese affairs on March 6 in HCM City. – Photo sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY – The HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese organised a conference on March 6 to summerise last year's tasks of overseas Vietnamese in HCM City and deploy tasks for this year.

Nguyễn Hồ Hải, deputy secretary of the local Party Committee, said the city has always striven to strongly promote internal resources, combine domestic and foreign resources, and take advantage of opportunities to reach many important domestic and foreign achievements.

Hải also recognised and praised the important contributions of overseas Vietnamese in HCM City in 2023.

Last year, the amount of remittances to the city reached nearly US$9.5 billion, an increase of about 43 per cent compared to 2022 and equivalent to nearly 50 per cent of the last year's budget revenue.

He emphasised that this is not only of material value but also emotional, demonstrating the unity of overseas Vietnamese in developing the country.

Vietnamese people living and working abroad are a valuable resource of the country. They contribute significantly to the country's development through annual remittances. Currently, there are about six million Vietnamese people working in 130 countries and territories, of which more than 80 per cent are in developing countries, a growth rate of about 5 per cent each year.

Nowadays, Vietnamese people abroad are continuing to integrate deeply and increasingly assert their value in host countries. They make important contributions in the countries they live in. Therefore, this community plays an important role in promoting trade cooperation between Việt Nam and other countries, enhancing the image of Vietnamese people and culture.

For this year’s tasks, he requested the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese coordinate with relevant units to thoroughly grasp and effectively carry out overseas Vietnamese work. It will promote the implementation of the Party and State's guidelines and policies to overseas Vietnamese and attract them to participate more in the development activities of the city.

Hải also asked the committee to strengthen connections between the city's businessmen and overseas Vietnamese businessmen, encouraging overseas Vietnamese to exchange and provide information on market needs, tastes, and regulations on quality standards for goods, acting as a bridge to introduce products of domestic enterprises to foreign countries.

Along with that, the committee needs to build a network between domestic businesses and overseas Vietnamese businesses to promote marketing, product consumption and develop distribution channels for Vietnamese goods abroad.

Trần Đức Hiển, deputy chairman of the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said that he noted the increasing contribution to the city's socio-economic development by overseas Vietnamese.

He said that the committee has implemented many practical activities to connect, attract and promote overseas Vietnamese resources in building and developing the city, including strengthening coordination and support for provinces and cities that have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bring overseas Vietnamese groups to visit and learn about investment opportunities.

The committee has also organised many conferences and meetings with Vietnamese businessmen abroad to inform them about policies related to investment, business and immigration, he said.

In 2024, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese will focus on coordinating with relevant units to implement plans and programmes to connect with overseas Vietnamese in the city in order to introduce Vietnamese Government policies to overseas Vietnamese and attract more overseas Vietnamese to participate in development activities of the City and the country.

In addition, the committee will also focus on completing data software for Vietnamese people abroad and a policy to attract and effectively promote remittance resources in the city during the 2023-30 period.

In addition, the committee will focus on carrying out activities aimed at celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification on April 30. – VNS