Enterprises with double targets

Unexpected damages and changes by the pandemic of COVID-19 have made the year of 2020 a difficult year to the global economy

Dealing with COVID-19

Although having many difficulties from impacts of the pandemic, many enterprises have actively found solutions and their own ways to maintain their business. “When there is will, there is a way”, many enterprises have maintained their stable growth and also contributed a lot to the course of fighting against the pandemic.

SNP actively applied various solutions to safeguard laborers, to share difficulties with customers, to assist communities and to maintain their business activities

As a representative for enterprises operating in the field of seaports, Bui Van Quy, Executive Vice President of Saigon Newport Corporation said: ”Although there are many difficulties, determination of maintaining production and business of each enterprises are meaningful in the country economy’s recovery and re-blooming back. In addition, seaport service is an important role in the global supply chain: helping goods circulate, it should not be interrupted. At the very beginning of the pandemic outbreak in Vietnam, SNP actively applied various solutions to safeguard laborers, to share difficulties with customers, to assist communities and to maintain their business activities”.

With the market share of containers imported/ exported of over 90% in the South and 50% nationwide, SNP has always been a pioneer in applying technology in business. In 2018, the Corporation finished the Project of Modernizing Forwarding Procedure in the Tan cang - Cat Lai Terminal by developing the smart port system (ePort), connecting to the payment gate NAPAS that allows customers to do procedures and payments through internet with all kinds of container forwarding at ports. Currently, ePort has been deployed at all ports belonging to the system as Tan Cang - Hiep Phuoc Terminal, TCIT, and TCTT... And 100% of local and foreign shipping companies using port services by SNP have used electronic delivery order (eDO) with cargo uploaded and unloaded at the ports. The bases have brought safety and conviniene to cusotomers and kept activities uninterrupted in even time of the pandemic.

Dealing with impacts from the pandemic of coronavirus, SNP quickly generated online information connection mode with email, viber and zalo; meeting with customers and shipping companies on online bases; doing forwarding procedures and payment online; using digital signatures; together with applying flexible assisting policies with each customer and shipping company in the time of the pandemic. As the result, they have maintained smooth and stable operations. The container productivity imported and exported through ports of SNP in the first 7 months reached recorded amount- an increase of 9.2% year-over-year in 2019, accounting for 62% of the total number of containers imported and exported nationwide. Besides maintaining business, SNP has accompanied with functional offices to carry out propaganda work on fighting against the pandemic to their staff, customers and partners. Medical survey and health tests on local and foreign working groups at SNP are regularly conducted, giving an image of a professional enterprise and safety to customers.

Willing to welcome EVFTA

After 9 years of negotiation, the Europe - Vietnam Foreign Trade Aggrement was approved and came into valid in August 1st. This has been considered a great driving force that will speed up economy and improve Vietnam’s position in the global supply chain. According to research from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the EVFTA will help Vietnam’s export turnover to the EU increase around 20% in 2020; 42.7% in 2025; 44.3% in 2030. At the same time, import turnover from the EU will increased at a speed lower than that of export: around 15.28% in 2020; 33.6% in 2025 and 36.7% in 2030.

When the EVFTA is implemented, there are opportunities to increase the size of import-export markets, resulted in great demands in logistics activities

Mr. Bui Van Quy said sea ports in the EU were handling aroung 4bn tons of cargo annualy. Largest revenue comes from seaports: transport accounts for 46% of the total value of the logistics markets; warehousing accounts for 11% and other logistics service, 43%. When the EVFTA is implemented, there are opportunities to increase the size of import-export markets, resulted in great demands in logistics activities. The busier the import-export activites are, the larger the logistics service market becomes, especially international logistics service.

In the situation of unpredictable changes of the pandemic, the implementation of the EVFTA is expected to bring great opportuntiest to both the EU and Vietnam, bringing a new driving force for export and economic recovery, for trade cooperation and investments as well.

Mr. Bui Van Quy also said economic damages and social unstabilities caused by the pandemic of COVID-19 was great. Enterprises should change their minds: using modern technologies, actively improving their inner production activites and making good use of advantages that EVFTA bring to develop markets and to enter deeply into the international value chain.