Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed strengtheningcooperatives at all levels with the support of authorities as they have animportant mission in the country’s integration effort and contributesignificantly to the national socio-economic development.

Hemade the instruction during a working session in Hanoi on June 21 with the VietnamCooperative Alliance (VCA).

Hesaid the household-based economy model is not strong enough to compete in the currentmarket economy so that there should be a professional linkage among them towardssustainable development to meet public demand.

ThePM admitted shortcomings in the State support and management of cooperatives,adding that infrastructure for production in rural and mountainous areas hasbeen downgraded, thus failing to meet demand for high-scale and hi-techmanufacturing.

Theleader asked localities to refine mechanisms and legal regulations to developvalue chain from manufacturing to consumption.

TheGovernment will continue issuing new documents relating to cooperatives, he stressed.

Localitiesneed to consider the transfer of new technologies and varieties, processing andconsumption, build new-style cooperatives and value chains, focusing onagricultural cooperatives, he said.

Ministerof Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, who is also deputy head of theSteering Committee for Innovation and Collective Economy Development, said only30 percent of cooperatives nationwide are working effectively.

Inorder to deal with difficulties regarding workforce, manufacturing tools andconsumption, he called for the support of Party units and local authorities inthe effort.

Chairmanof the southern Lam Dong provincial chapter of the VCA Pham Van Tuong said theprovince is now home to 128 cooperatives and 2,900 working groups with 86,000members working in almost cities and districts in different sectors. Inparticular, agricultural cooperatives contributed 80 percent to the locality’stotal export value.

Healso appealed for the State support in case local firms meet difficultiesregarding capital, consumption, planning, manufacturing orientations andseedlings.

Deputyhead of the Steering Committee for Innovation and Collective EconomyDevelopment and VCA Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Bao said 20,767 cooperatives areoperating nationwide with 6.5 million members, up 200,000 from the late 2017.  

Hesaid VCA will launch 8 economic development schemes, and build 500 models ofmanufacturing cooperatives in tandem with value chain for the 2018-2020 periodin 63 cities and provinces nationwide in the near future. -VNA