Sanjo Project provides US$1.7 million for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province

DNHN - The project to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (known as the Sanjo Project) was funded by JICA with a capital of US$1.7 million. To date, the Sanjo Project has achieved many remarkable results.

Through the introduction of Vietnamese products manufactured by Tsubame-Sanjo and the TsubameSanjo brand in Vietnam” (known as the Sanjo Project) signed between the People’s Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and the Government of Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

The project to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (known as the Sanjo Project) was funded by JICA with a capital of US$1.7 million. To date, the Sanjo Project has achieved many remarkable results. The project has produced products under the common brand of the Tsubame-Sanjo region and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, including products such as hand saws, kitchen knives, and beauty products. In addition, the project has effectively implemented technical and environmental support, and management skills training for SMEs in the province; training and guiding civil servants and officials of the Department of Industry and Trade to develop solutions and formulate policies to support SMEs. The project has also built a showroom for machinery, equipment, and products of the Tsubame Sanjo - Ba Ria - Vung Tau project in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province to support SMEs in the province; at the same time, promoting common brand products and Tsubame-Sanjo products.

The Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province - Nguyen Cong Vinh said that after nearly 5 years of implementation, the Sanjo Project has now completed its objectives. Through the project, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Sanjo City have created a common brand “enii” with unique, high-quality products manufactured in cooperation between enterprises of the two localities. Thereby, creating a premise for further cooperation and development of the mechanical industry of Ba Ria-Vung Tau as well as strengthening the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Japan in general and between Ba Ria-Vung Tau enterprises and Tsubame-Sanjo enterprises in particular.

On behalf of the provincial People’s Committee, the Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee expressed his gratitude to the Mayor of Sanjo City and JICA for their attention, support, and facilitation for the effective implementation of the Project; at the same time, he thanked the member enterprises of the project, the consulting experts who have been active in training and providing technical guidance to civil servants and officials of some relevant departments and sectors, and the provincial enterprises producing products under the common brand between Tsubame-Sanjo and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

Based on the achieved results, the Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Cong Vinh requested the Department of Industry and Trade to take the lead in coordinating with relevant departments and sectors to continue applying the acquired knowledge and experience to advise on policies and programmes to support SMEs in the province practically and effectively; organise the management, exploitation, and use of donated assets for the right purposes; at the same time, pay attention to cooperating, exchanging, and sharing experiences with Sanjo City in the fields of tourism, agriculture, and training of high-quality human resources to effectively implement the signed programmes.

Ms Vu Bich Hao - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province said: The Sanjo Project funded by JICA has a total grant capital of US$1.7 million with the implementation of Japanese enterprises, the counterpart capital of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province is US$201,755 implemented by the Department of Industry and Trade to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. Although the implementation progress was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Project has now come to an end and achieved its objectives. Those are: Producing products under the common brand of the Tsubame - Sanjo region and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province; Training and guiding civil servants and officials of the Department of Industry and Trade, the Industrial Promotion Centre to develop solutions and formulate policies to support SMEs; Receiving machinery and equipment, building a Showroom for machinery, equipment, and products of the Tsubame Sanjo - Ba Ria Vung Tau project at the Industrial Promotion Centre to support SMEs in the province to display and promote common brand products and Tsubame-Sanjo products.

Ms Vu Bich Hao hopes that JICA, the Sanjo City government, Japanese enterprises, and SCCI will continue to pay attention to and create conditions to promote cooperation between the two localities, train high-quality human resources, and continue to support Ba Ria-Vung Tau province in implementing new generation ODA programmes, digital transformation, digital economy, and green growth.

At the project closing conference, the People’s Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and the Government of Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan organised the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on establishing friendly relations and cooperation between the two localities for the period 2024-2026. Accordingly, the two sides will organise many activities such as exchanging information between SMEs of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Japan in the fields of trade and industry at appropriate times; coordinating the training of high-quality human resources; exchanging information between tourism companies of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Sanjo City to promote tourism of the two localities.

The implementation of the cooperation programme for the period 2024 - 2026 demonstrates the strong commitment of the authorities of the two localities to tighten the good cooperative relationship between Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Sanjo City in all fields.

On the side of Sanjo City, Mr Ryo Takizawa believes that the connection between Sanjo City companies and model companies in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province will continue even after the project ends. He also hopes that in the future, he will continue to support the development of both localities in many areas such as human resource training and market development.

Thu Hien