Dr. Cao Duc Phat, Minister Ministry of Agricutural and Rural Development and Mr. Michael W. Marine, US Ambassador in Vietnam co-presided over the conference. Ms. Pham Chi Lan, Economics Expert, Mr. Dang Kim Son, Head of Institute of Strategy and Policy for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Chu Tien Quang, Central Institute for Economic Management and representatives of international organization such as World Bank, and Ambassdor of Australia, Sweden attended the conference.
According to Mr. Dang Kim Son, almost Vietnamese firms a small enterprise, 80% of them employed 10-500 people. Company limited enterprises normally have 10 employers and only 13% out of them have more than 1000 employers (mostly are central state-owned company). The number of their employer can use foreign language is too small (9.6% for private enterprise and 8.7% for Co. Ltd. enterprise while only 3.5% of them can contact with foreign people. Moreover, many enterprises have no idea about their competitors as well as the rank of their company in the market. That’s the fact that Vietnamese firms do not realize their position and also not ready to take part in the integration process. Besides, the integration ability of Vietnamese firm’s owners and their poducts are still limited, especially in agricuture.
Facing the chance to integrate with the global economy when joining WTO, Vietnamese agricultural firms would have some advantages because of the position of Vietnam in WTO, according to Ms Pham Chi Lan. Moreover, there are many advantages will come from the government, policies will be modified to strengthen the firm’s competitive ability. Government also modify the policies in the field of argriculture and improve the infrastructure in rural areas. In the other hand, there are many challenges in term of quality, standard, price and services waiting for Vietnamese argricultural firms when joining in WTO.
Mr Chu Tien Quang agrue that there are seven legally barriers which damage Vietnam’s economy. These barriers preventfirms from:
1. Integrating to market
2. Approaching land
3. Contacting bank and capital market
4. Approaching labour market
6. Entering good market
as well as some obstacles in:
7. taxation
8. management.
However, Ms Pham Chi Lan also suggested about some barriers will be cancelled. In Vietnam, it’s difficult to withdraw from the current market while Vietnam bankruptcy law is not effective enough.