The DANIDA-funded Global Competitiveness Facility for Vietnamese
Enterprises (GCF) will grant 216 billion VND (10.3 million USD) to
private businesses in eight Vietnamese provinces from now until 2013.
The
implementation of GCF started on February 24 by the Central Institute
for Economic Management, the Danish International Development Agency
(DANIDA) and Can Tho City’s Business Association.
The project
will cover agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, handicrafts and tourism
in 8 targeted provinces and cities, including Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Khanh
Hoa, Phu Yen, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, An Giang and Can Tho City.
Senior
advisor Amarnath Reddy from the GCF said that the beneficiaries must
provide solutions to challenges faced by small businesses, household
enterprises and farmers.
They will also offer new services not
already available in the eight targeted provinces and improve the
ability for several small producers to export.
During the first
phase from 2006-2010, the GCF has provided 135 billion VND to 96
initiatives in the four provinces of Ha Tay (now part of Hanoi), Nghe
An, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, in agriculture, aquaculture, bamboo and
rattan, handicrafts, fruit, tea, tourism and timber processing.
The
GCF is designed to increase the competitiveness of non-State businesses
in export-oriented business sectors in the targeted provinces through
better access to relevant business services and exposure to innovative
business models.
The GCF will help to reduce the financial risks
that Vietnamese enterprises face and identify and introduce new
technologies and business models, apart from access to new markets./.
