In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan extended Lunar New Year greetings to the expats, many of whom are scientists and business leaders, and thanked them for what they have done to help the city before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ho Chi Minh City believes Vietnamese people living overseas are an important resource to help the southern economic hub fulfill its socio-economic tasks and goals in 2022 and the following years, Hoan said.
The city wants to receive their advice and recommendations on how to fight the pandemic and deal with its aftermaths, he noted, adding that the expats’ opinions on local programmes on economic development, investment attraction, urban government building, new urban models, production expansion solutions and more are also sought after.
Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Pham Quang Hieu also expressed his gratitude towards the Vietnamese diaspora’s donations and contributions to the city and the country at large, particularly during the fourth coronavirus wave. Vietnamese expats have donated medical equipment, raised funds and shared COVID-19 response experience, he said.
He asked the municipal administration to better engage overseas Vietnamese in developing the city in the coming time.
Expats put forward recommendations on how the city should do to recover its economy after the pandemic, which focused on boosting exports, improving human resources, developing sustainable healthcare services to increase the city’s preparedness for epidemics, and getting more expats involved in accelerating local socio-economic growth.
