Vietnam’s trade turnover in the first nine months of this year reached US$483.17 billion, a year-on-year increase of 24.4%, according to the General Statistics Office.

An enterprise-bank connecting programme was held virtually on September 27 to introduce and discuss about the US$5 million COVID-19 relief provided by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) to support women-led Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has coordinated with relevant ministries, sectors, agencies and localities to build a draft resolution on supporting and developing businesses in the 2021-2025 period, with a target of about 710,000 newly-established enterprises in the period.

Representatives of foreign invested enterprises and business associations in the central city of Da Nang have made a number of proposals to the city on measures to recover production, one of which is to speed up COVID-19 vaccination for workers, in the hope of quickly resuming full production.

The Government have issued a host of preferential policies for businesses operating in supporting industries over the past time. However, their beneficiaries have said it is difficult for them to access incentives and support from these policies.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Do Van Chien, on September 22, received nearly VND36 billion (over US$1.58 million) worth of donations for COVID-19 prevention and control from 24 state-owned enterprises.

Vietnamese enterprises operating in the support industry, which account for 4.5% of the total number of enterprises operating in processing and manufacturing, are facing several challenges, according to Akutsu Michio, consultant of the Japan Association of International Business Consultants.

Vietnam’s first half growth demonstrates the underlying strength of the economy, which will provide a platform for the country's growth once its new COVID-19 outbreaks are contained, said Stanley Chou, Chair of the Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited (VEIL).

Businesses are bearing severe impacts from COVID-19 developments and social distancing campaigns.

Steel enterprises have boosted exports while facing difficulties in domestic consumption due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA).