Fishermen load tuna from a fishing boat in Binh Dinh province. The seafood processing industry is facing a lot of difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: dantri)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Keyindustries like textiles, footwear, electronics, food and seafood processingmust be prioritised for support in the “new normal” situation, said TruongThanh Hoai, Director of the Industry Department under the Ministry of Industryand Trade (MoIT).
Hoai pointed out that the localtextile and footwear industry with more than 4 million direct workers andanother more than four million indirect workers has been affected badly, whileorders for the electronics sector decreased significantly this month and wereexpected to keep dropping in the following month.
The director added the localautomobile manufacturing and assembly industry also dropped with showroomsclosing and factories operating in moderation.
“The state needs to give directsupport because the commercial banks themselves cannot implement policies tosupport the businesses. The State should give them direct credit instead tohelp them overcome difficulties,” said Hoai.
“Support for land rental isapplied in a very short time,” he said, suggesting that “The Statecan increase public investment in which they can buy iron and steel andfurniture to support the local industries.”
Agreeing, Tran Duy Dong, Directorof the Domestic Market Department, said: “Those industries must be on top toget the support.”
Dong said the pandemic had astrong impact on the services and tourism industries, reducing the income ofworkers as well as domestic consumption, thereby reducing spending and personalconsumption.
In order to promote thedomestic market in a "new normal" situation, Dong proposed toimplement three measures including ensuring full supply of goods in the localmarket, taking full advantage of e-commerce and promoting links betweenindustries.
“The connection between supplyand demand such as the retail and distribution sectors and the agricultural andaquatic products producing sector should be boosted to the maximum so thatlocal consumers can help buy local products,” he said.
Earlier, Minister of Industryand Trade Tran Tuan Anh said “It is necessary to point out the conditions forthe industry to operate in a "new normal" and to recover as it wasbefore the pandemic.”
Anh asked all MoIT’s departmentsand agencies to work with industry associations to get specific data to seewhat they can support.
"The goal is to develop anaction plan to implement the Prime Minister's Directive to bring the economyback to normal as well as striving for development goals of 2020,” said theminister.
Anh also agreed to put keyindustries of textiles, footwear, electronics, food processing industry,agricultural and seafood at the top priority of the plan./.
