The Mekong Delta City of Can Tho has taken drastic measures to enhance the competitive capacity of local businesses since early this year in a bid to boost the industry sector, said the municipal Department of Investment and Planning.

The city’s authorities have provided local firms with legal consultations on preparing terms and documentation of business contracts alongside advice on diversifying their products.

Furthermore, firms have been updated on anti-dumping regulations and import procedures of a number of countries and trained to ensure they complete accounting and auditing forms correctly.

They have also been offered guidance on overseas technical regulations, standards and quarantine treatment which, should they fail to satisfy, will create unnecessary obstacles to trade.

The city recommended companies establish business cooperation with other firms in the Mekong Delta region in order to address trade barriers.

Other recommendations included intensifying market research and trade promotion in line with renewing production technology to improve product quality.

Thanks to the efforts, numerous businesses in Can Tho city have adopted international standards of quality management systems to ensure workplace safety and focused on expanding distribution networks and improving personnel training quality.

Additionally, the locality has amended its policies in accordance with Vietnam’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and prepared itself to support businesses and local products vulnerable to the integration process.

During the first half of the year, the city’s consumption of industrial products exceeded 40 trillion VND (1.84 billion USD) and imports reached 487 million USD, up 12.8 percent and 2 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.-VNA