The HCM City government has hailed businesses’ efforts to keep going through the COVID-19 pandemic, and thanked them for it.

Speaking at a HCM City Union of Business Associations event to mark Viet Nam Entrepreneurs Day (October 13), Phan Van Mai, chairman of the city People’s Committee, said while in the third quarter the city economy saw major setbacks, it also “achieved great results in production and exports, thanks to domestic and foreign businesses and investors.”

Some 83 per cent of businesses in industrial parks and processing and exporting zones have resumed production, and achieved over 60 per cent of capacity on average, he said.

A quarter of businesses elsewhere have also resumed operations, he said.

Businesses also contributed trillions of dong to the city’s pandemic control and prevention fund, enabling it to buy more ambulances and medical equipment spend on other requirements, he said.

The city needs to listen to their feedback to help them recover, and would focus on mitigating their difficulties to also ensure economic recovery, he said.

“Businesses should compete with one another … and push for digital transformation to facilitate the city’s growth.”

At the event, the city gave awards to 91 entrepreneurs and businesses for their “outstanding results” despite the challenges caused by COVID-19. — VNS