(HBO) - With utmost efforts and resolve, the provincial Department of Industry and Trade has actively coordinated with relevant sectors and district-level administrations to step up the implementation of Resolution No. 02, issued on December 28, 2015, by the provincial Party Committee, on the development of industry and handicraft industry in Hoa Binh for 2016-2020.

In particular, they have pressed on with improving the investment and business climate so as to create the best possible conditions for investment in industrial parks and clusters. They have also worked with relevant agencies and localities to speed up building infrastructure as well as technical facilities at industrial parks and clusters, especially roads to these places. Besides, support and manufacturing industries have been developed to improve the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the products Hoa Binh has strength in.

In the first half of 2020, the province’s industrial production value was estimated at 19.8 trillion VND (853.1 million USD), up 1.54 percent year on year and equivalent to 46.04 percent of this year’s plan. Some industrial and handicraft products post fair growth in output compared to the same period last year such as cement, brooms, metal products and medium density fiberboards. However, output declines were recorded in apparel (down 4.95 percent), electronics (2.47 percent), power for production activities (52.9 percent), and bricks of all types (2.96 percent). Besides, the output of many products also failed to achieve half of their annual targets.

These figures have made the fulfillment of this year’s targets a heavy task, including industrial production value rising 15 percent year on year to over 43 trillion VND and added industrial value growing 11.8 percent.

To tackle difficulties to promote industry and handicraft industry, the provincial People’s Committee assigned the Department of Industry and Trade to go on with the industry and handicraft industry development plan for 2020. Accordingly, apart from fostering support, processing and manufacturing industries, the department has been facilitating the industries that serve agriculture, rural development, and farm produce processing. It has also been encouraging businesses to form more sustainable connectivity, especially in some major processing and manufacturing sectors like textile-garment, leather-footwear, electronics and wood products, with partners from the Republic of Korea, Japan and India so as to avoid overdependence on a single or just few partners or markets.

The department has coordinated with other agencies to improve the management of mineral mining, especially stone mining for construction material production. It has also worked with the Hoa Binh Power Company to build electricity supply plans so as to meet demand in economic activities and people’s daily lives.

Recently, the Centre for Industrial Extension and Industry Development Consultancy checked and took over some national industrial extension projects, including the one on assisting the application of advanced machinery to textile-garment production at the An Phuc Export Garment JSC, based in Hang Tram township of Yen Thuy district, and another on assisting the application of advanced machinery to agro-forestry processing at the Lac Thuy Essential Oil JSC, based in Phu Thanh commune of Lac Thuy district.

These projects have generated practical benefits, useful for bolstering industrial development in rural areas, creating stable jobs and raising income for local residents, the Department of Industry and Trade said, noting that they have also helped businesses develop production after COVID-19 was brought under control./.