HANOI: After social distancing orders were eased in many provinces and cities, businesses have been working to resume operations, ensure orders are fulfilled and production chains restored.

       Factories in industrial parks are reopening, but can’t run at full capacity due to preventive measures for Covid-19.

       “Currently, leather and footwear companies in the industrial park only operate at about 30%-40% of capacity,” Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, general secretary of Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso), told Viet Nam News.

       Restrictions are being lifted at a normally busy time of the year with festivals and celebrations, which is also the main shopping season in many countries.

       However, not all businesses are benefiting this year.

       “Our southern companies have missed this Christmas season since we have to prepare from August. At the moment, only northern factories can meet demand for the Christmas and year-end holidays,” Xuan added.

       “And actually they are speeding up.”

       However, disruptions during social distancing still strongly affected industries, causing many enterprises to struggle in restarting production.

       Each province carries out different requirements, with some very open in supporting businesses, while others were not, said the general secretary of Lefaso.

       “Workforce is not a problem for us at the moment as we run at low capacity, but local rules are,” Xuan said.

       The special working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that in Binh Duong Province, most businesses’ concerns were over procedures to return to production, testing requirements, operating under the “three-green” model and vaccine issues.

       All enterprises in Binh Duong’s industrial cluster have resumed operations, but the capacity has only reached 44% compared to the pre-pandemic period.

       As soon as the normal state returns, the Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Duong suggested that businesses wishing to return to operation develop plans in the new situation, send them to all related agencies and immediately start the work.

       Binh Duong Province will give the rights to enterprises to resume production, and the local government will carry out post-inspection work.

       The Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Duong has issued a guiding document approving the granting of initiative rights for enterprises to reopen, while the State management agency will perform post-check to accelerate the restoration of production. — Viet Nam News/ANN