This message was emphasised by Pham Tan Cong, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), at the Entrepreneurial Culture Forum 2025 themed “Responsible Business”, held by the VCCI's Entrepreneurial Culture Centre in Hanoi on 15 April.
In his opening remarks, President Cong highlighted that in 2024, Vietnam recorded notable achievements in nearly four decades of reform. The macroeconomy remained stable, inflation was under control, and GDP growth was estimated at over 7%, placing Vietnam among the fastest-growing economies in the region and the world. Many reputable international organisations have given positive assessments of Vietnam’s economic outlook. In 2025, the country’s target growth is at 8% as a foundation for double-digit growth in the following years, towards development goals by 2030 and 2045.
The private sector, particularly entrepreneurs and enterprises, is regarded as the core force driving growth. Inspired by General Secretary To Lam’s call for “The era of rising and developing prosperously”, Vietnamese entrepreneurs are expected to bring the country on par with the great powers. The Party and State have always been consistent in their viewpoints on economic development associated with culture, ensuring social justice, taking people as the centre and the goal of sustainable development.
The Vietnamese entrepreneurs are growing in both quantity and quality. However, the true strength of a business lies not only in its scale or revenue, but in its corporate culture - the values are built and spread. The Resolution 41-NQ/TW emphasises building a business culture with national identity, integrating with the world's elite. VCCI Chairman affirmed: "Culture guides the way for entrepreneurs."
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VCCI Chairman Pham Tan Cong delivered the opening speech. (Photo: NDO) |
To develop business ethics and culture, VCCI identifies entrepreneurs and businesses as the starting point. In 2022, VCCI announced six business ethics rules: creating social values, complying with the law, transparency, creativity, environmental protection, and responsibility to the community. These rules have been included in the textbooks for grade 11. Currently, VCCI is implementing the project "Promoting businessmen’s ethics and business culture in the 2024-2030 period", in which this forum is a typical activity.
VCCI identifies that building and promoting business culture, entrepreneurs’ ethics and culture is one of the three breakthrough tasks in this term. VCCI commits to continue accompanying the business community in building business ethics standards, promoting social responsibility, improving governance capacity, and preserving good national values in the modern business environment.
Also at the forum, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communication, Education and Mass Mobilisation Phan Xuan Thuy affirmed that VCCI has pioneered in promoting business culture, guiding businessmen and businesses towards the goal of "Harmonious Benefits - Sustainable Development". This contributes to building a strong business team, making the country prosperous, in line with the Party's guidelines on a socialist-oriented market economy, taking people as the centre.
VCCI has continuously initiated and spread activities to build businessmen’s ethics and business culture. The forum with the theme "Responsible Business" is a testament to VCCI's continued efforts.
Businessmen’s ethics and business culture are the foundation for developing an independent, self-reliant and sustainably integrated economy. To realise "responsible business", businessmen need to consider ethics as their core "brand", comply with the law, innovate and contribute to solving social problems.
VCCI and business associations need to continue to spread the six principles of the Code of Business Ethics for Vietnamese Enterprises, connecting businesses with national cultural values. At the same time, management agencies must improve institutions, create a transparent business environment, and encourage sustainable development.
At the forum, managers, experts, business associations and businessmen shared about the fundamental values of Vietnamese business culture; the connotations of business culture, factors affecting business culture; what is responsible business, how to practice responsible business and the role of entrepreneurs in promoting responsible business practices; and business ethics and social responsibility of entrepreneurs.
Thus, it is clear that businessmen are a force for national construction, and the culture of leaders can change society and business ethics, corporate culture is a decisive factor for the survival of an enterprise.
Box: In recent years, VCCI has closely coordinated with committees, ministries and sectors to organise many activities to promote and improve the effectiveness of responsible business practices in enterprises, contributing to meeting the sustainable development needs of enterprises as well as the whole economy.
