Joint support needed for sustainable e-commerce development: insider
Though there remains much room for growth, e-commerce still needs joint support from authorities, businesses, and people to develop healthily and sustainably, said a leader of the Vietnam E-Commerce Association (VECOM).
Consumers seek books on an e-commerce website (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Thoughthere remains much room for growth, e-commerce still needs joint support fromauthorities, businesses, and people to develop healthily and sustainably, saida leader of the Vietnam E-Commerce Association (VECOM).
E-commerce in Vietnam reacheda value of over 3 billion USD in 2015, with average annual growth of 38percent. In 2019, the retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue viae-commerce hit 12 billion USD.
An average growth rate of 29percent is forecast for the 2015 - 2025 period, according to surveys by theMinistry of Industry and Trade and international organisations.
However, most of e-commerceactivities still take place in the two biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi MinhCity, which account for 18 percent of Vietnam’s population but more than 70percent of e-commerce transactions in the country. The 70-percent proportionstayed stable throughout the 2016 - 2019 period.
That means the 61 remaininglocalities, making up 82 percent of the population, contribute to less than 30 percentof the local e-commerce market, VECOM Vice President Nguyen Ngoc Dung told the Diendan Doanh nghiep (Business Forum) magazine.
He assessed e-commerce inthese localities, especially rural and remote areas, as very modest while morethan 70 percent of the population are living in the countryside.
Given this, Dung stressedthat although there remains much room for growth, e-commerce still needs jointsupport from local authorities, agencies, people, business households, andenterprises to develop healthily and sustainably.
In May 2020, the PrimeMinister signed off a master plan on e-commerce development for 2021 - 2025 whichalso aims for e-commerce to be promoted across the country.
This plan targets that by2025, provincial-level localities other than Hanoi and HCM City will accountfor 50 percent of the total B2C (business-to-consumer) e-commerce transactionvalue, and 50 percent of the localities nationwide will have goods sellers or servicesuppliers online./.
The national plan on e-commerce development in the 2021-2025 period is integrated with current Vietnamese strategies and policies on participating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution toward developing a digital economy and promoting national digital transformation.
Up to 9,300 users registered and used www.onlineasean.com, the official website for the ASEAN Online Sale Day 2021, from August 8-10, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Vietnam looks to connect 5 million farming households to e-commerce platforms this year, which would create breakthroughs in the development of the digital economy in the agriculture sector, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Anh Tuan said.
Cross-border e-commerce has changed the way firms are doing business, with micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) given more equal opportunities to access global market, said Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).
Some special cooperation programmes are being carried out by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) with a view to helping Vietnamese enterprises boost exports via e-commerce giant Amazon.
The article by Cuba’s Inter Press Service detailed how Vietnamese private enterprise Agri VMA leased 1,000 ha of land in Los Palacios district, Cuba’s westernmost province of Pinar del Río, for rice cultivation over a three-year period. The project’s first harvest in 2025 recorded an impressive yield of 7.2 tonnes per hectare, far exceeding the local average of 1.6 tonnes.
During the visit, office representatives held a working session with the Tipaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry and met with several prominent local businesses operating in key sectors including industry, agriculture, fisheries, food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and plastics.
A Nordic delegation to Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 in September will feature leading names in retail, consumer goods, logistics, and sustainable manufacturing, including global fashion giant H&M, offering fresh prospects for partnerships in fashion, textiles, and green supply chains.
With the current trading band of +/- 5%, the ceiling rate applicable for commercial banks during the day is 26,276 VND/USD and the floor rate 23,774 VND/USD.
Effective from the date of signing on June 18, the decision halts procedures outlined in the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of Vietnam and Laos on the initial implementation of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement at the Lao Bao–Densavan border gate.
The event aimed to update businesses on new regulations and compliance requirements regarding US tax, trade, and customs policies, while offering practical solutions to facilitate exports amid shifting trade dynamics.
The festival marks a significant milestone in promoting the brand, value, and legacy of traditional fish sauce - a product deeply rooted in the island’s identity and history spanning over 200 years.
According to Mastercard data, Vietnam has recorded a remarkable 92% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in contactless transaction volume from Q4 2022 to Q4 2024.
Tuan expressed his confidence that LH, with its expertise and experience, would swiftly implement the urban area project, contributing to a modern urban landscape for the province.
With its strategic location, abundant workforce, and modern infrastructure, Vietnam holds significant potential to become a leading centre for power and electronics production in the region and the world.
The renewable energy workforce training and development centre, invested by Germany's GEO Group, is expected to be a cornerstone in shaping Binh Dinh as a renewable energy and innovation hub in central Vietnam, meeting the growing demand for skilled technical personnel in offshore wind, solar farms, and green hydrogen projects.
A notable trend is the shift toward satellite regions. With land scarcity and soaring prices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, investors are eyeing provinces like Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong, which are benefiting from improved technical infrastructure and transport connectivity.
To further strengthen private-sector innovation, Bac Ninh plans to accelerate administrative reforms, build a digital, service-oriented government, and develop an integrated innovation ecosystem that connects businesses with domestic and international institutions, universities, and experts.
The participation of H&M, one of the world's largest fashion corporations, in Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City in early September is considered a special highlight, opening up many cooperation opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in the fashion, textiles and sustainable supply chains.
This latest order builds on a previous agreement signed at the Singapore Airshow last year for 40 engines, bringing the total number of Trent 7000 engines ordered by the airline to 80.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien acknowledged that despite concerted efforts by ministries and local authorities in combating fake and substandard goods, the situation remains highly complicated, attributing the persistent challenges to high profits luring numerous participants, increasingly sophisticated violations, limited resources within enforcement agencies.
The group also placed among the Top 5 energy companies in Southeast Asia and secured the top spot among the largest Vietnamese enterprises featured on the list.
Consumers seek books on an e-commerce website (Photo: VNA) 
