Nguyen Thi Hanh, the director of the Can Tho City Trade Cooperative Union, said that each company must identify any advantages it may have in terms of production and produce higher quality products to compete in the new open market atmosphere. To improve product quality and lower production cost, companies have to modernize and begin using newer production techniques. Many businesses are aware that they do need to modernize their production process and begin to do more than just preliminary processing. Now would be an ideal time to do this but money is tight for small and medium-sized companies. When they need capital, most businesses often seek loans from banks. However, they cannot rely entirely on that source of capital. It is the shortage of capital that is the main reason hindering companies from increasing productivity, improving product quality and investing in modernizing production technology. Companies are trying to find customers abroad for what they are now making but this is a skill they seem not to have and so most sell to a Vietnamese middleman who then resells the products abroad. Nguyen Thi Hanh said that the State should be helping small Vietnamese businesses find customers so that they can export directly, cut out the middleman, and make more money themselves.
Dr. Le Dang Doanh, a senior advisor of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that companies in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta need to spend money on information technology, worker training, marketing, and to improve product distribution. In his opinion, the city and provincial governments should have policies that would attract more investment and they should take into consideration the opinions of local inhabitants towards any matter, especially the matters related to economic development. Dr. Le Dang Doanh said that throughout the entire Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta human resources need training. Small businesses should establish business associations, but they need to be headed-up by capable and responsible people. After coming to a clear understanding of what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of each locality in each area of production, the local administrators should take steps to help businesses become more able to compete, Dr. Doanh said.
To create conditions under which small and medium-sized companies in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta can operate, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) - Can Tho Branch recently set-up a program that is to help them approach business development services so that they can popularize their image and improve their business capability. VCCI has helped businesses with production plans, accounting, marketing, advertising, market research, trademark development, and product distribution - all without charge. VCCI has also helped businesses move closer to using ISO quality management systems, information and telecommunication technology, and promote their products.
Businesses have also received help with trade promotion activities, office leases, financial consultation, brand and industrial design registration, and information about international trade regulations.
There are in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies, most weak in many aspects, but especially market research. The VCCI program mentioned above is to help small and medium-sized companies in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta improve the competitiveness of their products in the post-WTO period.