Measures to develop environmental goods production sought hinh anh 1The workshop in Ho Chi Minh City (Source: Vietnam Government Portal)
Measures to promote development of commodity production and environmental services in Vietnam were discussed at a workshop held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 24.

The development of goods and environmental services is yet to meet the domestic demand, said Pham Nguyen Minh, Director of the Institute for Trade Studies and Research under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, adding the country mainly imports machines and technologies.

According to Minh, while environmental services such as wastewater treatment have contributed to meeting 30-35 percent of the environmental protection demand, the production of environmental commodities serving these activities has yet to develop.

Only 15 out of 1,016 enterprises operating in the environmental industry specialise in producing commodities for environmental protection, with key products such as dust filter systems, incinerators, rubbish classification machines, he said.

Experts to the workshop underlined the importance of commodity production and environmental services, saying that these are crucial issues debated in bilateral and multilateral negations and international cooperation.

They also focused their discussions on how to boost trade liberalisation in the field, stressing that this is considered an effective supporting tool to realise Vietnam’s green growth goal, contributing to forming a new economic sector in the country.

It will also create a momentum to promote sustainable development and help increase opportunities to access technologies, equipment and environmental services with reasonable
prices, minimising expenses for environmental protection activities, participants said.

The Government has enacted policies to foster the field. Orientations for the development of the field were included in the National Action Plan on Green Growth for 2014-2020, ensuring the fulfilment of national strategic targets on green growth for 2011-2020, with a vision to 2050.

Besides, the Law on Environmental Protection as well as plans approved by the Government, states the State’s incentives and policies, which aim to call on individuals and organisations to get involved in producing environmental goods and supplying services in the field.-VNA
VNA