BẾN TRE – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday called on the youth in Bến Tre Province to intensify their pursuit of entrepreneurship for self-growth, making greater contributions to the society and the country.

Speaking at the opening night of  the Bến Tre Đồng Khởi Start-up Festival in the Mekong Delta province, Phúc hailed its efforts and achievements in promoting start-ups.

Bến Tre was a leader in implementing the Government’s guidance and plans for start-ups, he said.

“There are many young people here who have started doing business and succeeded at a very early age. I am very touched to see that many young men and women have come up with new products welcomed by the society within a year of starting the ‘Đồng Khởi Start-ups and Develop Enterprises’ programme,” he said.

Phúc said Bến Tre has experienced many socio-economic changes over the past 10 years, creating a better improvement for people to start new businesses.

However, the province still lags behind other localities, facing several development challenges, he said.

“The youth need to realise the province’s difficulties and try harder to change the situation,” he added.

The “Đồng Khởi Start-ups and Develop Enterprises” programme was launched last year to promote entrepreneurship as an effective means to boost economic growth and alleviate poverty.

The first start-up competition was held this February. It received 45 start-up ideas and 22 business models proposed by people of various ages, mainly the youth.

At the opening of this year’s festival, 7 ideas and 11 business models were awarded prize money of VNĐ305 million (US$13,400) in total.

The festival has also become a place for local companies, small and medium-sized businesses, household businesses and co-operative groups to introduce their products to customers, and look for partnership and potential investors.

It also promotes key local products, especially in the agriculture sector, to encourage the “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese products” campaign.

The festival opened a day before the Bến Tre’s investment promotion conference that will be held today.

On this occasion, the province is calling for investment in 63 projects in 11 sectors, including renewable energy, eco-tourism, building infrastructure for industrial parks, high-tech agricultural and aquatic products processing, building urban areas and trade centres and solid and water waste treatment.—VNS