The Ho Chi Minh City Young Businesspeople Association held its first congress for the 2026-2029 term on the afternoon of August 21.
Attending the event were Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc; former Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and former First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Hoang Binh Quan; Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Youth Federation Central Committee.
Addressing the congress, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc highlighted that the city’s GRDP grew by 8.55 percent, the highest rate in a decade, while state budget revenue in the first seven months of the year reached nearly VND580 trillion (US$22.2 billion), equivalent to 72 percent of the annual estimate and up 21 percent year on year.
According to him, this is only the beginning. The city has set a target of achieving growth of more than 10 percent and state budget revenue of over VND1 quadrillion, gradually affirming its position as a regional and international economic, financial, commercial, scientific, and technological hub.
The city needs substantial resources, particularly a business community with strong aspirations and resilience. He expressed his expectation that young entrepreneurs would become a pioneering force, willing to venture into new fields amid continued market uncertainties, invest, innovate, take responsibility, and rise again after setbacks.
He urged young entrepreneurs to nurture ambitious aspirations and build the qualities and resilience of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the new era.
Young entrepreneurs must carry global aspirations while grounded in Vietnamese identity and resilience, embrace modern thinking on the foundation of national culture, combine competitive spirit with business ethics, and pursue prosperity in tandem with responsibility toward the community and the country, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc emphasized.
According to him, the city’s new development space, structured around the orientation of three regions and three development corridors, must be translated into business opportunities, creating a broader market, a stronger business ecosystem, and greater international competitiveness.
The Ho Chi Minh City Young Businesspeople Association should take the lead in connecting businesses across different regions, linking large enterprises with small and medium-sized enterprises, and fostering connections between businesses and research institutes, universities, experts, investment funds, and international markets.
He called on young entrepreneurs to take the lead in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, while paying greater attention to attracting, training, and retaining talent. During its term, the association should help foster more technology enterprises, new business models, and innovative products, as well as young companies capable of becoming the city’s leading enterprises.
He also urged the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter, the Vietnam Youth Federation, and the Ho Chi Minh City Young Businesspeople Association to engage more closely with businesses, listen to concerns at the grassroots level, and gain a clear understanding of the obstacles enterprises face and the support they need from authorities, shifting from merely “listening to businesses” to “working with businesses to solve problems.”
The city is committed to fostering a transparent, fair, and favorable investment and business environment while continuing institutional reforms, removing bottlenecks, unlocking resources, and creating favorable conditions for businesses to grow.
With the theme "Synergy—Creation—Breakthrough—Rising to New Heights,” the congress set out key priorities, including promoting innovation and digital transformation to help businesses enhance their competitiveness; building an ecosystem and delivering greater tangible value to members, with a focus on business networking and trade and investment promotion.
It also aims to elevate the role and capacity of entrepreneurs by strengthening training, improving management capabilities and developing business leaders with innovative mindsets; enhancing policy dialogue and cooperation with authorities, while serving as a bridge between the business community and regulatory agencies; proactively contributing feedback, policy analysis and recommendations; and promoting social responsibility and sustainable development.
The congress elected a 68-member Executive Committee and a three-member Inspection Committee for the new term.
Businessman Phan Tan Dat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Binh Duong Minerals and Construction JSC, was elected Chairman of the HCMC Young Businesspeople Association for its first term, spanning 2026-2029.
Mr. Phan Tan Dat has many years of experience in finance and investment, real estate, minerals, and construction materials. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in business networking, association development, and efforts to promote the role of young entrepreneurs in economic growth, cooperation, and community service.
