Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong has proposed an extended partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand pioneering entrepreneurial models, fostering a positive impact for enterprises to deeply engage in global supply chains.
The suggestion was made during a recent meeting with Ms. Aler Grubbs, director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam.
The minister appreciated USAID's collaboration in implementing the Improving the Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) Project since 2020. This project aims to support businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in enhancing their competitiveness in the international market.
USAID's collaboration with the private sector and pioneering businesses has contributed to improving competitive capabilities and promoting innovation and autonomy in business communities.
Deputy Minister Dong also expressed gratitude for USAID's support in implementing the USAID Workforce Improvement and Skills Enhancement (WISE) program from 2021 to 2023 to improve the quality of Vietnam's workforce for the 4th Industrial Revolution. The USAID WISE initiative has proven effective, reaching numerous partners with a high level of dissemination and positive impacts.
During the meeting, Ms. Aler Grubbs acknowledged the close collaboration between the ministry and the USAID in implementing various official development assistance (ODA) projects, particularly the IPSC project from 2020 to 2025. She commended initiatives that demonstrated the strong commitment of the Vietnamese government to supporting the development of the private economic sector and enhancing competitiveness.
Besides, joint projects have been meeting schedules and reaping successful results, including addressing challenges facing Vietnam in workforce training via the USAID WISE program. The director hoped that the two sides would soon resolve obstacles in regulations and institutions to carry out cooperation projects.
(MPI [1])