by Mi Bong
HCM CITY — The ability to access market information and advanced technology were the two major factors affecting the business community in the second quarter of the year, according to Viet Nam Business Insight Survey.
At a seminar held yesterday in HCM City by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pham Thi Thu Hang, head of the Business Development Institute, said the survey had received 374 responses from domestic enterprises.
Government investment in information and technology had helped further the use of advanced technology, they said.
Domestic and foreign market demand ranked second and third, respectively.
Some other influences included production costs, loan access, skilled human resources, infrastructure conditions such as water, electricity and wastewater treatment systems, transport infrastructure, land issues and site clearance.
The survey discovered that 65 per cent of businesses must borrow a short-term loan with an annual interest rate of 12-13 per cent and upwards.
Most of them said the interest rate was too high and would affect their investment plans.
The businesses said the interest rate should be adjusted to below 12 per cent to create favourable conditions to their production and business.
They expected there would be positive changes related to macroeconomic policies, loan access conditions and infrastructure improvement.
Vo Tan Thanh, director of the VCCI's HCM City branch, said the Viet Nam Business Insight Survey aimed to investigate and collect concerns and feedback from the business community through online fora.
It targets documenting the state of economy, industry and business environment in a timely and accurate manner.
The VBiS will also provide the Government as well as firms and executives with a precise and comprehensive insight into Vietnamese enterprise development and feedback on policy.
It was launched by the VCCI, the Asia Competitiveness Institute and the General Statistics Office under the sponsorship of the Asia Foundation.
At the seminar, Vu Van De, head of HCM City Statistics Department's Statistics-Industry Sub-Department, said industrial production growth in the first eight months of this year had increased 8.8 per cent over the same period last year.
The water and electricity distribution as well as production industry had the highest growth rate, 15.4 per cent, in the period.
The manufacturing and processing industry accounts for the highest, 60.1 per cent of total industrial production value, an increase of 11.6 per cent.
Challenges
Although industrial production has overcome the financial crisis period and seen a growth, it has faced challenges.
By early August, because of a drop in exports, the warehousing of manufacturing and processing products was fairly high, with an increase of 137.5 per cent over the same period last year, while consumption reached 112 per cent.
Power shortages in the first and second quarters affected the economy greatly.
Technical and trade barriers have made exports slow and unstable, causing a back-up of stored goods in the manufacturing and processing industry, according to the report. — VNS
