Vietnam’s business associations lagging: experts, officials 08/05)
06/08/2010 - 69 Lượt xem
Critics say that business association’s prioritization of common interests and formulation of partnerships would be crucial to domestic businesses survival against international enterprises in the highly competitive post-WTO world.
Several EU consultative experts who have been brought to Ho Chi Minh City to stage a conference on the issue pointed out that Vietnamese business associations have not helped the country deliver on its WTO commitments.
They all pointed fingers at the loose coordination between Vietnamese business associations and their failure to adopt efficient working agendas.
A Ministry of Trade official who spoke on condition of anonymity admitted that state-owned businesses made up the majority in those associations. State-owned company chiefs and CEOs are being installed into significant posts in the groups, allowing for vested special interests to dominate the associations without regard to common interests, he said.
He added that several key vacancies have been set aside exclusively for retired senior officials.
Many Vietnamese businesses have expressed their longing for better associations with leaders capable of tailoring effective agendas to bridge the gap between businesses and agencies, allowing the government to map out effective open-door economic policies.
For example, the Vietnam Cashew Association is in the middle of a crisis as its members have claimed that the chairman was incompetent.
Additionally, Vietnamese business associations should be fully aware of their pivotal role in handling would-be international commercial litigations post-WTO.
Vu Khoan, a governmental special envoy, stressed that while facing a slew of international anti-dumping lawsuits, Vietnamese business associations must join hands to survive or they would die before they were even born.
Source: Tuoi Tre
