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ICT to support Vietnamese enterprises to access to international markets

The Hanoitimes – The Vietnamese Government expected that the International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN development offices and the World Trade Organization will support the Vietnamese businesses to get access to market information to deeply join in the global supply and value chains.
Deputy PM, FM Pham Binh Minh made that statement at his reception for ITC Executive Director Arancha González in Hanoi on February 27.
The Deputy PM expressed thanks and hailed ITC’s support for Vietnam over the recent years, affirming that Vietnam attaches importance to the cooperative relations and hopes to receive more sponsors from the ITC. 
As integration helps Vietnam participate deeply in the global supply and value chains, a few local enterprises are competent enough to take part in these chains, he said, proposing the ITC give consultancy to help the Vietnamese Government build a strategy to support its enterprises in taking part in the chains.
He expects the ITC will help form information channels to facilitate Vietnamese businesses’ access to market information make more effective business decisions as most of Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 97% of the total number, find it difficult to approach information about the international market.
Regarding the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Deputy PM Minh asked González and the ITC to back and raise voice to accelerate the signing and ratification of the agreement and help improve Vietnam’s capacity so that the country could fully and effectively implement the deal’s commitments.
For her side, Ms. González highly appraised Vietnam and other nations’ efforts in enhancing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). 
The ITC director affirmed to do her utmost to assist businesses from developing nations, including Vietnam to get access to information, expand market and deeply join the global value chain. 
Established in 1964, the ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. It is the only development agency that is fully dedicated to supporting the internationalization of SMEs.
Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of the Vietnamese permanent mission, talked about ICT policies, development and application in public services and agricultural production and trading in Vietnam. 
He also pointed out ICT challenges facing the country like limited investment, backward technologies and the disappearance of several traditional crafts in the country. 
Zenysha Shaheed Zaki, Maldives Minister of Gender and Family, shared her country’s experience in applying ICT in protecting the rights of disadvantaged groups, fighting violence against children and empowering female business leaders. 
Head of the Japanese mission in Geneva, Ambassador Junichi Ihara underlined the need to pour huge resources into ICT infrastructure to make the best use of the sector. 
Japan has committed 300 million USD in support of the ICT sector in developing countries in the next three years, the ambassador said, calling on international organisations in Geneva to increase exchanges and coordination to utilise ICT potential. 
Source: http://www.hanoitimes.vn/economy/2018/02/81E0C261/ict-to-support-vietnamese-enterprises-to-access-to-international-markets/