Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, made the remark at a meeting in the southern city on April 20, calling for collaboration with his guest Bertrand Ambroise, director for international cooperation at Semmaris, which administers the Paris-based Rungis International Market, the world’s largest wholesale food market.
Ambroise stated with the experience from running Rungis, Semmaris is willing to consult and transfer technologies on market building and operation to the Sai Gon Trading Group (SATRA) to oversee Binh Dien market.
With a view to helping Binh Dien turn into a big wholesale market, Semmaris intends to focus assistance on warehouse management, waste treatment and freezer technology.
Ambroise said his organisation also wants to increase trade transactions between the two markets and help Vietnamese agricultural products access EU markets.
The success of the Binh Dien expansion project depends largely on support from local authorities and close work between the public and private sectors, he added.
Commending his guest’s proposal, Tuyen suggested Semmaris and SATRA engage in research collaboration for a joint project to ensure hygiene and product quality at the expanded Binh Dien market.
The sides should boost transactions, contributing to bilateral trade between Vietnam and France, the official noted.
With 492 projects worth 3.4 billion USD, France is ninth among foreign investors in Ho Chi Minh City.
