HCMC – The Government has been striving to weigh all recommendations from and deal with concerns of firms amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a teleconference with the business community and provinces today, September 26.
PM Chinh said that since the current fourth wave of the pandemic began in late April, he has held meetings with local firms and foreign direct investment enterprises. What firms have proposed are being handled by the Government.
The prime minister thanked the business community for their support in the fight against Covid-19 over the past two years, the local media reported.
Despite the hardships induced by the pandemic, which has taken a heavy toll on firms’ business and production operations, the Government and firms should unite in efforts to overcome challenges by combating Covid and maintaining production, said PM Chinh.
The response to the Covid pandemic should go hand in hand with economic development, he said.
“If we focus on fighting the pandemic, we will run out of resources. In contrast, if we focus on developing the economy and adopt no anti-virus measures, we will fail to protect the health of residents,” PM Chinh stressed.
The Government is drawing up a safe and flexible scenario and preparing a draft law to amend and supplement several regulations to remove difficulties facing firms.
Addressing the conference, Pham Tan Cong, president of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that if social distancing was extended, firms would not be able to survive.
Vietnam should have a new mindset, vision and strategy for the pandemic response, Cong said, adding that firms agreed with the prime minister to live with Covid safely for long.
It is necessary to speed up the implementation of the dual task of fighting the pandemic and ensuring socioeconomic growth, he said.
Also, Cong proposed two solutions to adapt to the new normal, including considering a firm as a subject in response to Covid-19 to equip businesses with medical equipment and healthcare systems, and resolutely protecting, supporting and maintaining business and production activities.
The VCCI president also proposed the Government direct provinces and cities to lift restrictions on goods transport to facilitate businesses’ production and business activities, while the enterprise community proposed allowing firms to extend working time to meet requirements of the stay-at-work model and meet orders after delays due to the pandemic.
