The Central Committee of the HCM Communist Youth Union (HCYU) in co-operation with the Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Co-operation (SABECO) and its Bia Saigon brand on Thursday presented support packages worth VND5 million in cash to 600 small food and beverage businesses that are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic in HCM City.

The activity is under the "Collecting Millions of Stars" programme which was launched on August 28 to honour National Day, and encourage fellow citizens to expand the positive spirit of “Di Len Cung Nhau” (Stronger Together).

After only nearly two weeks, there were more than 30,000 public posts on social media and Facebook that feature a creative star image, accompanied with the hashtags #Goptrieungoisao, # Dilencungnhau; @ Bia Saigon.

The programme has attracted the attention and participation of many painters, artists, influencers, social communities, students, and youth union members across the country, with rich and meaningful content. Many positive messages and words of encouragement presented in various forms have been sent to the country’s frontline forces for their continuous efforts in the nationwide fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the plan to promote community participation in the "Collecting Millions of Stars" programme, after the end of the programme on September 15, SABECO and its Bia Saigon brand commit to contributing VND3 billion to the fund.

Accordingly, on September 23, HCYU and SABECO handed over the package to five businesses in HCM City. The remaining 595 businesses will be awarded by the HCYU via bank transfer due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire amount will be announced by the Central Committee of the HCM Communist Youth Union and Bia Saigon as soon as the transfer procedure is completed and the businesses receive the full amount of support.

The support is expected to help small food and beverage businesses overcome the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Photo courtesy of SABECO

Bennett Neo, general director of SABECO, said: “SABECO is a company with a long-standing history in Viet Nam, which owns Bia Saigon, a brand loved by generations of Vietnamese.

"Viet Nam is home to SABECO and Bia Saigon. When Viet Nam encounters difficulties and challenges, Bia Saigon is prepared to work together to support the country and our people through the most practical means.

"With the spirit of “Di Len Cung Nhau”, we jointly co-operated with the Central Committee of the HCM Communist Youth Union to launch the programme to support food and beverage businesses facing difficulties in HCM City.

"We hope that this support together with the encouragement from thousands of people across the country through the "Collecting Millions of Stars" programme will give them more motivation to firmly overcome difficulties and be ready to return business as soon as HCM City returns to normal operations.”

Ngo Van Cuong, secretary of HCYU’s Central Committee, said: “One year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Viet Nam, the lives and activities of the people, as well as the production and business activities of enterprises and companies, have been turned upside down.

"Experiencing the pandemic, many industries have suffered heavy losses. Therefore, when entering the fourth wave of the pandemic with multiple strains and outbreaks, and many sources of infection in provinces and cities, not only large enterprises but also lots of small businesses are facing the risk of bankruptcy.

"To continue to maintain and develop the activities, small businesses are in dire need of help from the community. Therefore, this situation motivated the HCYU’s Central Committee to co-operate with SABECO and Bia Saigon to implement the programme "Collecting Millions of Stars" for small businesses in HCM City that are being severely affected by COVID-19. We believe that with the timely support, businesses will soon recover and stabilise in the "new normal" condition.”

A representative of SABECO and its Bia Saigon brand presents the supporting package to a business owner in the food and beverage industry in HCM CIty. — Photo courtesy of SABECO

In addition to this programme, the Central Committee of the HCM Communist Youth Union and SABECO have co-ordinated to deploy many meaningful and practical activities to support hospitals and frontline teams in the fight against the pandemic, and even health care workers and households severely affected by COVID-19. With continuous initiatives and efforts, SABECO and Bia Saigon continue to affirm their commitment to contribute to the country and the people of Viet Nam to promote development in the spirit of Stronger Together.

As a company with a history of 146 years of development in Viet Nam, SABECO is always committed to performing the role of a responsible corporate citizen, especially in the key periods of the country. SABECO is one of the largest taxpayers to the country’s State budget. SABECO's business activities also contribute to creating stable jobs for more than 12,000 employees in the same ecosystem.

Over the years, in addition to business activities, SABECO has always actively contributed to the community and sustainable development projects to bring positive values ​​to the country and Vietnamese people. SABECO has implemented programmes to support the country's frontline staff in COVID-19 prevention. In addition, the "SABECO Cares" programme has also been implemented to ensure their employees’ safety and health. — VNS