HCM City (VNA) - Aprogramme launched by Ho Chi Minh City has proved to be effective in promotinglocal-made products and supporting domestic businesses to develop brands andimprove their production.

The “Supply-demand connectionprogramme” has been implemented by the HCM City authorities for six years inresponse to the campaign “Vietnamese use Vietnamese products” that was launchedeight years ago.

According to the HCM CityDepartment of Industry and Trade, the programme has proved a practical policywith a total of 1,761 contracts signed so far.

In 2016 alone, the programmehelped the consumption of 80,000 tonnes of lychee in the southern regionand 10,000 pigs in HCM City, as well as assessing the quality of fisheryproducts and assisting the Central region’s fishermen to consume seafoodproducts.

Speaking at a conference on December9, Deputy Minister of industry and trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said that theministry encourages local authorities to organise activities that promotedomestic trade and enhance the consumption of domestic-made products so thatlocal businesses, households and localities are able to access the market.

“One hundred percent of productsthat have been exchanged through the programme are Vietnamese,” Vuong said.

“This is truly an effectivepromotional channel that can help Vietnamese products access both domestic andforeign markets and complies with the campaign ‘Vietnamese use Vietnameseproducts’,” he said.

[Programm⛦e pr𒊎omotes domestic goods production, consumption]

“We have paid more attention tothe quality and safety standards of the products so that they are least harmfulfor consumers’ health amid the mass use of toxic and chemical substances inagricultural and fishery production.”

The programme has created asupply chain that provides safe agricultural and fishery products forVietnamese people and protects producers that meet the global Good AgriculturalPractices (GAP) and Vietnam’s food safety requirements, he said, adding thatthis is a way that could lead to sustainable agriculture production.

“The ministry is fully supportiveand willing to work with local authorities and businesses to promote productsin the country and prepare for the coming Tet holidays in HCM City and otherprovinces and cities,” Vuong said.

The deputy minister also askedthe HCM City Department of Industry and Trade and local businesses to preparesufficient supply of products at reasonable price levels for the Tet holidays.In addition, the city needs to combine the programme with other trade promotioncampaigns to expand the market and further develop local brands.

He also stressed that the localauthorities must further inspect, monitor and supervise the market regardingthe quality of goods and services, food safety and prices for the year-end andTet periods.

In response, Director of the HCMCity Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thanh Kien said the city willfurther develop safe food supply chains, track down product origins (fromproduction to distribution) and help localities develop their own brands andreputations so that their products are widely recognised in both domestic andoverseas markets.-VNA