President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyễn Thiện Nhân delivers speesch at the 5th Congress of the Việt Nam Co-operative Alliance (VCA) in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dân

HÀ NỘI — It is necessary to reorganise the co-operative sector through gathering individual producers in cooperatives and cooperative groups in the time ahead, said President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyễn Thiện Nhân.
At the 5th Congress of the Việt Nam Co-operative Alliance (VCA) in Hà Nội yesterday, the VFF leader stressed the need to roll out measures to make Việt Nam’s co-operative economy develop in line with the general global trend.
He asked the VCA to arrange more campaigns nationwide to spread information on the 2012 Law on Co-operatives and the role played by new-style co-operatives towards improving the efficiency of individual production and business units and seeking markets for co-operatives’ members.
Outstanding models of new-style co-operatives in agriculture, transport and handicrafts should be introduced to farmers, so they are active in forming new-style co-operatives and co-operative groups owned by themselves, he stressed.
Additionally, special attention must be paid to training people who are or will be leaders of co-operatives in the future, he said, adding that it was necessary to solve difficulties concerning goods consumption, technology development and land facing co-operatives now.
According to VCA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Đắc Thắng, a total of 5,000 co-operatives and 150,000 co-operative groups were set up over the last five years, contributing about 5 per cent to the national GDP. The sector recorded a 3 per cent growth between 2012-2014.
Some new-style co-operative models, which have a connection to goods value chains have been taking shape in the period; while many co-operatives have expanded production and business, promoted technological application and enhanced links with other economic sectors.
However, he also pointed out limitations in enforcing the 2012 Law on Co-operatives, saying that the issuance of documents guiding the enforcement of the law and the State’s support policies for co-operatives remained slow and unsystematic.
The state management for the co-operative economy from central to local levels was not consistent, he noted, adding that the role and position played by the VCA has yet to meet requirements, in the context of fostering integration.
VCA Chairman Võ Kim Cự stated that the alliance would focus on developing new-style co-operatives in connection with building value chains of goods and prioritising the development of public service co-operatives and those specialising in producing materials, preserving, processing and selling products for their members.
It is set to increase the number of co-operative groups to 250,000 by 2020, with 5 per cent of the total being developed into full co-operatives. The average income of co-operative members and labourers was expected to double the 2015 figure, he said.
The congress elected a 142-strong executive board for the 2016-2020 tenure, led by Cự. — VNS