HCMC’s total retail sales of goods rise 11.9 percent in 2020

(Saigon Investment) - The Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, on January 13, held a conference to summarize its activities in 2020, deploy the plan for 2021, and honor the typical industrial and supporting industry products in HCMC in 2020.

Customers go shopping at Emart supermarket in Go Vap District. (Photo: SGGP)
Customers go shopping at Emart supermarket in Go Vap District. (Photo: SGGP)
Mr. Nguyen Phuong Dong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of HCMC, said that the industry and trade had made great efforts to overcome difficulties, sticking to the dual goal of both preventing the Covid-19 pandemic and developing the economy in 2020. The retail industry, with the support of e-commerce, had become the fulcrum for the whole service sector, which is most heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The wholesale and retail trade sector accounted for 25.2 percent of the service sector, equivalent to 15.7 percent of the city's gross regional domestic product (GRDP). It was the industry that attracted the most foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2020, with 418 projects worth US$233.2 million of newly-registered capital. Total retail sales of goods reached more than VND759.71 billion, an increase of 11.9 percent year-on-year.

In 2021, the industry and trade set an increase of 5 percent in the index of industrial production (IIP) of the whole industry. Of which, four major industries climb from 6.7 percent upwards compared to last year; total retail sales of goods surge by 10 percent; export turnover rises by 10 percent; import turnover goes up 11 percent.

Ms. Phan Thi Thang, Vice Chairwoman of HCMC People's Committee, highly appreciated the efforts of industry and trade in deploying and implementing key programs of the city. In 2020, the industrial and commercial sector maintained the contribution rate in GRDP at 35.3 percent, whereas it was 35.5 percent in 2019 while contributing 1.15 percentage points to the increase of 1.39 percent in GRDP. It shows the crucial role of industry and trade in the economic development of the city.

As for the plan for 2021, Ms. Thang asked the industry and trade to focus on effectively implementing the Resolution of the 11th City Party Congress for the term 2020-2025. In which, the Department of Industry and Trade was assigned five key tasks in implementing three programs to support the development of enterprises and products of the mechanical engineering - automation, rubber - plastic, and food processing industries in HCMC. The department should focus on effectively implementing the theme of 2021 "Year of building an urban administration and improving investment environment", launching programs to support enterprises to promote business recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, and continuing to promote the role of the industry councils in the implementation of major policies to support the development of key sectors of the city in the coming years.

On this occasion, the Department of Industry and Trade awarded certificates and logos for 92 products of 56 enterprises recognized by the HCMC People's Committee as "Typical industrial and supporting industry products in HCMC in 2020".

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