The Japanese government has pledged to assist Vietnam in developing six industry sectors in a move to support the latter’s industrialization strategy in the years to come, said Nguyen Thi Tue Anh from the Central Institute of Economic Management. The information was released at a seminar on industry strategies and cluster development in Hanoi on Mar 28. The event was co-held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Japan Economic Foundation (JEF). Accordingly, Japan will focus its support on household electricity, food processing, shipbuilding, farming machines, environment and energy saving, and automobile and spare part manufacturing, she added. Vietnam and Japan will jointly build a system for checking and supervising the plan’s implementation this year. The two sides are considering setting up two industrial parks in the northern and southern regions. Addressing the event, VCCI General Secretary Pham Thi Thu Hang suggested that during the globally economic integration, Vietnam should improve its competitiveness, work out strategies and focus on developing clusters of industries to achieve its set targets. Noriyuki Yonemura, JEF Secretary-General, said that Japan has used industry strategies as an important tool of its government to develop the sector, adding that experiences gained during its industrialization can help Vietnam boost its own process. Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yasuaki Tanizaki earlier reaffirmed the Japanese government’s commitment to maintain ODA to Vietnam, including assistance for industrial development, despite economic uncertainties. (Phap Luat TP.HCM – HCM City Law Mar 29 p11, Ha Noi Moi – New Hanoi Mar 29 p8, Vietnamplus.vn Mar 28)
