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Many enterprises taking part in the online seminar held recently by Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) expressed their concern about the impact of the fourth outbreak on their business activities, according to Vietnamnet.

Vu Duc Giang, chair of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), said the textile and garment industry is using nearly 3 million workers. A lockdown, if it is imposed, and production suspension, even for half a month, will cause very serious consequences to yearly production plans.

Vaccinations are believed to be the most effective solution at this time. Businesses are all impatiently waiting, and are seeking vaccine sources themselves and are willing to share the vaccination costs.

Tran Duc Nghia, CEO of Delta International, said the enterprise has nearly 150 drivers. Since late April, when the fourth outbreak began, the company has had to spend hundreds of million of dong on testing.

Photo: Vietnamnet

The revenue of his company has fallen dramatically and there has been no revenue on some transport routes, but the company still has to pay for problems arising because of Covid-19. He said he would rather pay for vaccinations for his workers.

Nghia proposed that the Government work out a mechanism to allow businesses to buy vaccines for their workers, because the vaccination cost is even lower than the testing cost.

Do Thuy Huong, who represents the Vietnam Electronics Association and Supporting Industries Association, said the industries are facing a risk of supply chain disruption, because the latest pandemic resurgence has hit the industrial production centers of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.

In such conditions, enterprises would rather pay to vaccinate their workers.

If enterprises can find vaccine sources, vaccines will arrive sooner than the Government's vaccines.

She said the Government needs to allow enterprises to use their channels to negotiate to buy vaccines. In principle, the State will approve the vaccine purchases, control vaccine quality, and supervise the vaccinations.

The country allows enterprises to make financial contributions to vaccinate their workers and workers’ families. Its health ministry appoints companies and units authorized to import vaccines, while chambers of commerce and business associations register the number of vaccines they need with importers.

The vaccines used at enterprises in Indonesia must meet the requirements of World Health Organization and the health ministry.

Businesses work with gov’t to speed up vaccination drive

Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the city People’s Committee, speaks at an online COVID-19 prevention meeting in HCM City on Saturday morning. Photo courtesy of the HCM City Press Centre

The business community is willing to work with the Government to speed up the mass vaccination programme providing there is a policy to support them, speakers said at an online meeting in HCM City.

During the conference held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Do Hong Hanh, member of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said that some businesses were willing to connect with suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure optimal conditions for supply.

“A policy, however, is needed for the private sector to participate in the drive in order to speed up the process in general,” she noted.

For example, a company could negotiate with suppliers to bring vaccines to the airport for quality testing before payment, or could even negotiate for the transfer of vaccine production technology, she said.

The electronics and supporting industries face a risk of disruption in the supply chain as the fourth wave of COVID has hit the “industrial capital” of the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.

Most business leaders (in the electronics, textiles, footwear, wood and dairy sectors) said they were willing to join hands with the Government to find vaccine sources and pay for vaccination costs for workers.

The garment industry has a number of FDI enterprises that have good connections with the governments of the EU and the US, which could facilitate the import of vaccines, according to Giang.

Vu Tu Thanh, regional deputy executive director of the US-ASEAN Business Council, said the FDI business community in Vietnam, especially pharmaceutical companies that make COVID-19 vaccines from the US and Europe, could help speed up negotiations on purchases of the vaccine.

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