Forum seeks to assist ethnic minority people’s startups

(VNF) - Supporting ethnic minority people’s business and production based on local potential and advantages is the best approach to poverty reduction and sustainable development in mountain areas, said Do Van Chien, Minister-Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs.

His statement was made at a forum on ethnic minority development 2017 entitled “Cooperation and Connectivity to Support Ethnic Minority Start-ups”, jointly organized on May 16^th in Hanoi by the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) and the World Bank (WB).

How to assist ethnic minority people’s startups was the key topic discussed at forum.

“Ethic minority people should rely on themselves. Abundant natural resources, specialties, and stunning landscape in mountain regions are the advantages for agricultural cultivation, animal husbandry, and tourism services,” Mr. Chien said.

Ha Viet Quan, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of CEMA, suggested that communications be promoted so that ethnic minorities are more aware of their rights. He also said that it’s essential to provide capital and help people expand markets inside and outside Vietnam for their products.

“We have contacted partners to support ethnic minority people in finance, outlet and skills to access markets,” Mr. Quan added.

According to CEMA’s representative, the rural economy should focus on developing crafts by fully tapping its potential and using local labour, raising animals and planting cash crops of high economic value, developing forests and the processing industry, and expanding outlets for farm products.

The plan to increase the number of enterprises run by ethnic minority groups from the current 30 to 100 by next year in a bid to tap into the full potential of these groups and reduce poverty, was also unveiled by CEMA at the forum.

“We are determined that poverty reduction and sustainable growth in mountainous and ethnic minority areas rely on the internal power of ethnic minority communities,” said Minister-Chairman Chien.

The plan is a start-up model expected to develop into a startup eco-system nationwide. Its goal is to ensure that “No one is left behind.”

Nguyen Thi Huyen, National Programme Coordinator of the International Labor Organisation (ILO) suggested offering business skill training to ethnic communities, helping them access capital sources.

Ethnic minority people should be regarded as “creative partners”, she said, adding that it is necessary to maintain their traditional identities while developing businesses.

The forum also offered an opportunity for nealy 30 ethnic minority start-ups to find assitance, receive advice from enterprises, local authorities and non-governmental organizations to improve the efficiency of their start-up activities./.

Phuong Nguyen