A seminar entitled ‘Trade Finance and Product Development: Ways to Support Businesses’ took place in Da Nang on Tuesday.  The event was jointly organised by the Trade Promotion Agency under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

Workers at a local seafood processing company

Attending the event were representatives from businesses, business associations, and cooperatives from localities throughout the central region.

The participants were introduced to the national support programme for domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  Also discussed were effective ways to help SMEs develop their production activities, and facilitate their access to loans without requiring mortgages.

According to information released at the event, over 70% of businesses nationwide are SMEs.  Most notably, the majority of them are facing difficulties in promoting their trade activities and boosting their global integration due to limited capital.  The participants pointed out the difficulties and obstacles facing them, and asked the relevant central agencies to help them to access bank loans more easily.

More effective ways to enhance links in further developing regional specialities were also presented.  The focus is on helping regional localities, which have great strengths for agriculture and fisheries products, to boost their export activities to potential markets worldwide.