Hanoi (VNA) ꦯ– The capital cityof Hanoi’s industry and trade sector has developed models to supply “made-in-Vietnam”products to rural areas, as well as industrial and processing zones which employmillions of labourers.

Nguyen Thi Na, a worker at the Thach That Industrial Park in the capital cityof outskirt district of the same name, said she had frequently purchasedforeign products as she assumed they were better than those locally-made. “However, since I visited markets exclusively for made-in-Vietnam products, Ihave realised that they have diversified packaging and their quality is notlower than imported goods. More importantly, they are sold at reasonable pricesand with clear origins. Therefore, I now prefer Vietnamese goods,” she said. According to Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Deputy Director of the municipal Departmentof Industry and Trade, over the past years, Hanoi has integrated activitiesintroducing Vietnamese goods at the city’s industrial and processing zones intothe market stabilisation programme to help labourers, especially low-wageworkers, access good quality products at affordable prices. During the 2009-2019 period, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade hasteamed up with agencies, localities and management boards of industrial andprocessing zones to instruct businesses to organise about 3,200 mobilegoods-selling vehicles, 254 fairs and other promotion activities. Besides, they have provided products for canteens of the industrial andprocessing zones, and mountainous and remote areas in Ba Vi, Quoc Oai, ThachThat, My Duc, Son Tay and Phuc Tho districts. Vu Thi Hau, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Retailers (VRA), said fairsin rural areas and industrial and processing zones have helped retailerspromote their brands and tap the potential of the rural market. These programmes have also connected firms with consumers, and helpedenterprises explore the demand and tastes of local consumers to adjust theirproduction strategies and roll out suitable distribution channels, thusimproving their market shares in rural areas, she added. Through such activities, local consumers have changed their consumption habitstowards made-in-Vietnam products, Hau said. However, experts pointed out that promotion activities are still heldseasonally, and mobile goods-selling vehicles have failed to attract consumersdue to undiversified products. Moreover, few retailers are interested in the programme on introducingVietnamese products to rural areas. Nguyen Thi Hai Thanh, Deputy General Director of the Hanoi Trade Joint StockCorporation (Hapro), explained that businesses have not earned much through theprogramme, and some districts and management boards of the industrial andprocessing zones have shown little interest in the mobile goods-selling vehiclesand fairs.    Given this, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Deputy Director of the municipal Department ofIndustry and Trade, suggested trade unions and management boards of industrialand processing zones work with businesses in communications and help them withvenues and tax. Participating businesses want to receive the State’s support in transportationcosts and marketing to raise their competitiveness against foreign investors,she noted.   Echoing Lan’s view, VRA President Dinh Thi My Loan also suggested the Ministryof Industry and Trade and local authorities put forth a long-term, synchronous andflexible strategy to encourage local firms to promote their products in ruralareas. The municipal Department of Industry and Trade said to further implement thecampaign “Vietnamese prioritise using Vietnamese products,” it will work withrelevant agencies to review policies on land, planning, science-technology,loans, brand building and trade promotion. The Department of Industry and Trade will propose authorised agencies facilitateproduction expansion, market survey, technological innovation, brand buildingand network development of businesses, while helping them engage in the marketstabilisation programme. It will also push ahead with the development of retail networks in Hanoi’soutskirt localities, with stable venues./.