The Khanh Hoa province, in which aquaculture and tourism are the key sectors that provide major employment, is going to benefit from the support to innovations in the export value chains under the Danida supported Business Sector Programme through the Global Competitiveness Facility (GCF).
The Danish-funded Global Competitiveness Facility (GCF) is a matching grant facility designed to support project ideas that:
provide solutions/services to challenges faced by several small businesses, household enterprises and farmers are innovative and offer new services not already available in the target provinces improve export possibilities for several small producers, preferably within agro-value chains
Following the launch in Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Can Tho, and An Giang, the launching seminar of GCF 2011-2013 was held on 7th March 2011 in Nha Trang with participation from the Provincial People’s Committee and various relevant departments and business associations whose members are primarily involved in important export value chains.
Speaking at the Seminar, Ambassador John Nielsen envisaged that the support will help Vietnam fulfil its key development objectives of improving the production quality, achieving and sustaining global competitiveness while at the same time ensuring that the poor are taken along the growth path.
Mr. Tran Son Hai, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, urged the private enterprises in Khanh Hoa to cooperate closely with GCF in developing innovative project ideas that can enhance the export capacity of the province.
After the seminar, a visit to the packaging company Hiep Hung was organised to see the results from the support from the earlier phase of GCF-2005-2010. Thanks to GCF support, Hiep Hung has not only been able to modernize the design and production of packaging materials but also reduce costs for over 100 exporters in the seafood and handicrafts sector by providing packaging materials made of recycled paper. Further, Hiep Hung has emerged as an exemplary corporate citizen by being the first packaging company in Vietnam to achieve OHSAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety.
