
Hanoi (VNA) – The Innovation and Competitiveness Grant Facility (ICGFacility) of the SwissTrade programme will provide 10 – 15 selected smallgrant projects with funding of up to 150,000 USD each during a period of 12 –24 months, heard a conference held in Hanoi on July 25.
TheSwiss Trade Policy and Export Promotion (SwissTrade) Programme is a technicalassistance programme sponsored by the Government of Switzerland and representedby the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) from 2021 to 2024, Vu BaPhu, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Vietnam TradePromotion Agency (Vietrade), told the launch workshop.
Theprogramme aims to improve trade performance and international competitivenessof small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through enhanced frameworkconditions for trade, public-private dialogue mechanisms, and a strengthenedeco-system for dynamic export promotions to help Vietnam achieve sustainableeconomic growth and reduce the poverty rate, according to Phu.
Vietradehas been tasked by the MoIT to implement the project’s Component 3, whichintends to strengthen export-related services and develop the export promotionecosystem by providing funding for small grant projects of Dynamic BusinessSupport Organisations (BSOs) in both public and private sectors for theimplementation of initiatives to support enterprises and help them accessglobal value chains.
NguyenThuy Hien, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Department of Planning and director ofthe programme management board, highlighted the significance of the project tothe Vietnamese Government and the MoIT, saying it will enable the country toboost its export performance and enhancethe international competitiveness of Vietnamese SMEs.
Exportationis a key driver of economic growth in Vietnam that creates many jobs, she said,adding that the private sector, particularly SMEs, plays an increasinglycrucial role./.