Trade counsellors see limits to their services Promoting economic cooperation and commercial trade in foreign markets for the nation’s business community with an eye towards enhanced exports has long been one of the Vietnam Commercial Counsellors primary functions. Working out of the nation’s embassies established around the globe, the Counsellors utilize a broad range of measures to support Vietnamese businesses engaged in operation and export activities in foreign markets. The Counsellors and their staff have been especially focused over recent years in assisting small and mid-sized businesses and most often view their role as that of mentors, facilitators, networkers and advisors to them. Alongside the traditional external economic promotion as a way of supporting Vietnam economic interests abroad, marketing for Vietnam as a location for foreign businesses to relocate has emerged in recent years. In the globalized economy that has materialized as a result of the Doi Moi economic reforms and integration, investment from abroad helps the nation develop new technologies and create or secure better and higher paying jobs for its citizens. The Counsellors have become one of the strongest pillars of external economic promotion for the nation, according to Deputy Minister Nguyen Cam Tu of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). Deputy Minister Tu said the Counsellors have played a pivotal role contributing to vigorous exports in markets like the US, EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Middle East to name only a few. At the 2016 Commercial Counsellor Conference recently convened by the MoIT in the central city of Danang, Tu said the delegates discussed at length, ways to clarify and strengthen the role of the Counsellors. Our objective is to get as much synergism as possible between Counsellors, businesses and other governmental and non-governmental agencies in order to further the nation’s economic interests, Tu said. At the Conference Deputy Head Tran Thanh Hai of the MoIT Import-Export Department had positive remarks on most Counsellors performance in the area of promoting the economy and supporting business. However, he said there have been some complaints and he had a few concerns about particular Counsellors such as the Cambodia office that, in his opinion, were not providing adequate support for businesses. Commercial Counselor Nguyen Bao to Cambodia in turn said the problem doesn’t lie with the Counsellors’ offices but rather other governmental offices such as the Import-Export Department. Bao said on numerous occasions his office had sent documents and other information to the Import-Export Department pertaining to rice exports but never heard back and therefore were stymied from effectively carrying out their mission. The Counsellors office in Cambodia is also severely strapped for money to pay the costs necessary to carry out its mission said Bao as the MOIT approved budget for the 2016 National Trade Promotion Program was only VND90 billion. That budget is woefully inadequate, Bao stressed. Minister Counselor Pham Ngoc to Morocco agreed but also pointed the finger at local businesses, saying they don’t put forth enough time, effort and money to effectively market themselves. Local businesses simply don’t advertise in Morocco he said, nor take the initiative to travel to the country and join trade events and they can’t expect the Counsellor’s office to do everything for them. On the flip side, many Moroccan businesses are very interested in doing business in Vietnam but those businesses don’t have the financial capacity to advertise or travel to the country to promote themselves. It’s too much too expect the Counsellor’s office to finance the Moroccan businesses as the limited budget is already stretched too thin and there simply aren’t sufficient funds available to provide the support. Counsellor Pham Quang Niem in Russia, also expressed the view that local businesses just don’t do enough for themselves, expect too much from his office and the limited budget has tied his hands on the types and amount of support they can provide. There are plenty of opportunities to boost exports in Russia as the country is short on many products particularly agricultural products, seafood and food— but local businesses are not helping themselves sufficiently to take advantage. Locating good business partners is very important but the Counsellor’s office can’t carry all of the load for local businesses due to limited resources of time, personnel and money, said Nam. Local businesses must learn to stand on their own two feet, not expect someone else to do all the work for them and look to the Counsellor’s office solely for support to assist them in operating their businesses as there are limits to the services they can provide.         VOV