Hanoi, April 13 (VNA) – Experts and representatives from trade villages gathered at a recent forum in Hanoi to seek ways to enhance trade village competitiveness in the lead up to the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community, which is slated for the end of this year.
During the event, Chairman of the advisory council for the Vietnam Craft Villages Association Vu Quoc Tuan said as Vietnam is in the group of lesser developed countries in ASEAN, great challenges are ahead for domestic trade villages when import-export tariffs among countries in the bloc will be reduced to 0 percent, allowing free flows of goods from other countries in the bloc into Vietnam.
He stressed the urgent need for craft villages to improve their products in order to compete against foreign goods.
Associate Professor Dr Tran Manh Dat from the University of Hue – Quang Tri suggested for example, alternative materials should be developed for silk weaving villages in tandem with hand-made silk to ensure sustainable development of silk villages.
Other participants said craft villages should review products produced by other ASEAN nations, such as rattan, bamboo, wood, gold or silver handicrafts, while restructuring their production to reduce costs.
Trade village representatives called for incentives for trade villages and establishing an institution to manage their development.
They also suggested amending relevant regulations on vocational trainings to ensure appropriate approaches and durations of handicraft training courses.
Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises ten members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
During the event, Chairman of the advisory council for the Vietnam Craft Villages Association Vu Quoc Tuan said as Vietnam is in the group of lesser developed countries in ASEAN, great challenges are ahead for domestic trade villages when import-export tariffs among countries in the bloc will be reduced to 0 percent, allowing free flows of goods from other countries in the bloc into Vietnam.
He stressed the urgent need for craft villages to improve their products in order to compete against foreign goods.
Associate Professor Dr Tran Manh Dat from the University of Hue – Quang Tri suggested for example, alternative materials should be developed for silk weaving villages in tandem with hand-made silk to ensure sustainable development of silk villages.
Other participants said craft villages should review products produced by other ASEAN nations, such as rattan, bamboo, wood, gold or silver handicrafts, while restructuring their production to reduce costs.
Trade village representatives called for incentives for trade villages and establishing an institution to manage their development.
They also suggested amending relevant regulations on vocational trainings to ensure appropriate approaches and durations of handicraft training courses.
Established in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises ten members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
VNA/VNP
