Hanoi (VNA) – Politburo member and Secretary of theHanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue has asked local enterprises to step upoperations while preparing their response plans for the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a working session with the Party Organisationof the Hanoi Business Bloc and corporations based in the city on March 24, Huestressed that COVID-19 prevention and control are the most urgent task atpresent, requesting them to take measures to ensure safety for their employeesand clients, continue thrift practice, and ensure harmonious labour relationsin their businesses.

Given the complex developments of the pandemic,he suggested that firms carry out concerted solutions to facilitate productionand business activities while guaranteeing goods supply.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Secretary of the HanoiBusiness Bloc’s Party Committee, said under the municipal Party Committee’sdirection, the bloc’s Party Committee had set up a steering board for COVID-19prevention and control. It is determined to help contain the outbreak, sustaineconomic growth, and maintain political security and labourers’ safety, hesaid.

At the meeting, companies in the tourism sector askedministries and central sectors to reduce taxes, extend deadlines for personalincome tax payments, and delay social insurance contributions in the peakmonths of the epidemic.

They also called on the city’s authorities toissue practical policies to help them weather difficulties caused by COVID-19,invest more in tourism promotions and demand stimulation after the pandemicends, support the creation of strategic tourism products, and resume big eventsthat have been delayed like the F1 Vietnam Grand Prix to attract visitors.

Talking about countermeasures, a representativeof Hanoitourist Corporation said the firm has asked local hotels to offeronline sales and food services. It is also promoting online training and hotelrenovation to prepare for tourism recovery when the outbreak is over.

Secretary of the Party Committee of the HanoiTransport Services Corporation (Transerco) Nguyen Hoang Trung said thetransport sector is currently struggling due to the impact of the novelcoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, noting that in his company’s arm of publictransport, about 7,000 labourers have been affected. Reducing shifts andletting its workers take annual leave are among the measures Transerco hasapplied so that employees can still receive their salaries. 

For the Hanoi Trade Joint Stock Corporation(Hapro), its exports to key markets like the US, Europe and ASEAN have beenstagnated. However, its retail activities remain effective with sales ofessential goods and food in the domestic market rising about 25 – 30 percent,according to General Director Vu Thanh Son.

The firm still manages to balance its operationsin domestic distribution via the Hapro mart network and export, he said, addingthat it is pressing on with production and business activities, stockpiling andsupplying goods, and stabilising prices as ordered by the municipaladministration./.