Solutions discussed to boost enterprises’ participation in logistics

Experts gathered at a seminar held by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in Hanoi on October 29, to discuss policy recommendations to support logistics development in Vietnam.

Unloading cargo at Cat Lai port, Ho Chi Minh City.
Unloading cargo at Cat Lai port, Ho Chi Minh City.

Delegates identified difficulties and obstacles to logistics activities, from which they proposed solutions to perfect the legal system related to promoting the development of logistics services, reducing costs and improving the competitiveness for logistics enterprises.

According to Nguyen Dinh Cung, Head of CIEM, logistics is the backbone of international trade. Logistic services with low costs and highly responsive to customer requirements would help promote domestic and foreign trade and national economic development.

Logistics performance shows that for the countries with the same income per capita, the one with the best logistics performance witnessed a growth rate of 1% in GDP and 2% in trade. Therefore, the logistics sector in particular and other fields in the economy are in need of a rational change, Dr. Cung affirmed.

Michael Krakowski, Programme Director and Chief Technical Advisor of the GIZ’s Programme on Macroeconomic Reforms and Green Growth, said that, based on world experience, to take advantage of the fourth Industry Revolution, it is necessary to develop policies approached by each group and specific sector, in addition to defining solutions for each specific industry and group, and logistics is also one of the industries that needs to be studied in that direction.

According to CIEM, in 2018, hundreds of legal documents have been issued to help raise the efficiency of the logistics sector. However, its competitiveness is still faced by a lot of obstacles, including limited infrastructure, lack of connections and bottlenecks in hindered business conditions, specialised management and administrative procedures, while the IT development and application in logistics enterprises remains limited.

Business representatives at the event suggested multiple solutions to remove the obstacles and boost logistics development in Vietnam, including legalising IT application into business conditions.