Foreign business associations in Vietnam have co-signed a petition to the Prime Minister proposing strategies to restore safe production and business activities amid the pandemic.

Many associations believe that investment will not increase without a clear recovery plan and that potential investors will not come without reasonable policies in place. Vietnam’s slow reopening may mean the country will miss out on investment opportunities.

The associations recommended that in order to maintain regional and global competitiveness against Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, businesses need to have a clear route to reopening. Many foreign investors also suggested that Vietnam take advantage of supply chain diversification from China.

They also believe that vaccinations are key for the economy to reopen. Moreover, administrative management needs to more widely accept digital documents from businesses, in order to facilitate trade and investment amid Covid-19 and enable the development of the digital economy.

While food security is a top priority, recent social distancing measures have disrupted many remaining supply chains and caused difficulties for goods transportation. Therefore, delivery, markets, and food supply chains need to be prioritized in Covid-19 vaccine access and should be able to reopen immediately. The government should also consider restaurants an important partner, to ensure food security as well as employment.