Side by side on the new front

(Baonghean) - Daily life requires them to continue to promote the qualities of soldiers on the front line of the economic "front"; and the camaraderie is still intact when they gather together as a team, share and encourage each other to overcome difficulties and challenges, contributing to the cause of hunger eradication, poverty reduction and enrichment in their homeland. Those are the members of the Nghe An Veterans Business Association...

It can be said that, among over 4,000 Nghe An enterprises that had to stop operating or dissolve in the period of 2012 - 2014, the fact that only 7/107 enterprises of the Nghe An Veterans Enterprise Association had to temporarily stop operating is a "telling" number, that: Veterans returning from challenges, fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield have rushed into the new business front in the market mechanism with an equally high determination to win.

Nghe An Veterans Business Association was established in 2012, currently has nearly 100 member businesses, operating in the fields of: Basic construction, construction materials production, mechanics, mineral exploitation, agricultural - forestry - seafood processing, livestock, afforestation... creating jobs for tens of thousands of workers in the province. Talking about the effectiveness of the Association of War Veterans - Businessmen, Mr. Nguyen Phong Phu - Chairman of the Provincial War Veterans Association said: "The War Veterans Business Association is different from other associations in that in its nature, in its thoughts and ideas, it has the nature of Uncle Ho's soldiers as its foundation... so in the past two years, the organization has been developed from all levels. Strictly implementing the mechanisms, policies and laws of the state for business organizations, in the past two years, members of the Nghe An War Veterans Business Association have overcome difficulties in the context of the global economic crisis. Of more than 100 member enterprises, in addition to 7 enterprises that had to temporarily suspend operations, the rest still developed well, with revenue in the past two years reaching nearly 3 trillion VND, contributing more than 60 billion VND to the budget.

In particular, Nghe An CCB enterprises have attracted nearly 6,000 regular workers and tens of thousands of irregular workers with an income of 3.5 million VND/person/month. There are enterprises such as Hoa Hiep Company Limited operating in the construction sector, with revenue in 2012-2013 reaching 660 billion VND, contributing nearly 20 billion VND to the state budget and regularly employing over 400 workers...”.

Through contact with workers at enterprises owned by war veterans, we found that workers feel more secure and confident when their legal rights are always guaranteed there... Actively producing to meet the year-end market and preparing for next year's construction season, at the factory of Dinh Nhan Company Limited (Nghi Lien Commune - Vinh City), they are mobilizing all equipment capacity and human resources to produce high-quality steel products.

Workers actively produce at Dinh Nhan enterprise of veteran Nguyen Tien. Photo: AV

CCB Nguyen Tien Dinh - Director of the Company said: "In fact, our enterprise has had to go through a period of suffering losses in production and business due to the infringement of intellectual property rights of storm-proof embankments by fraudulent traders. We immediately received enthusiastic support from our comrades and comrades in the Provincial Association of CCB and especially the Association of CCB Enterprises to help prevent such illegal acts... Thanks to that, the enterprise can rest assured in production, ensuring jobs and income for workers".

Mr. Nguyen Van Nhat, a young worker, said: “Working at Dinh Nhan Company Limited, we feel very secure. The company director is a veteran, clearly demonstrating his courage to say and do, which has helped the business stand firm through difficult times to stabilize production and develop; thereby taking great care of the lives of workers like us.” Operating in the fields of construction materials trading, freight transport... Hoa Thuong Company Limited (Vinh City) directed by veteran Nguyen Thu Thuong is a trusted address for many veterans and their children in the province to find jobs. Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh - a driver of the Company, said: "After completing my military service, I was given a leave of absence. During the process of looking for a job, I came to Hoa Thuong Company Limited and when he found out that I was a war veteran, the director immediately hired me with a good income and a lot of attention, creating a comfortable working environment for me as well as other colleagues."

At the bamboo and rattan weaving villages of Duc Phong Company Limited (Nghi Phong - Nghi Loc), workers are taking advantage of their time to produce lanterns in time for the Company's fourth quarter orders. The company, led by veteran Thai Dai Phong, is considered a typical example of the province's labor and social activities, making an important contribution to the development of the bamboo and rattan weaving profession in Nghe An over the past decades. The success of this enterprise is an opportunity for thousands of local workers to have more jobs, stabilize a source of income, and many households working in the profession have ensured a sustainable escape from poverty. Veteran Thai Dai Phong confided: "By joining the Veteran Business Association, entrepreneurs who are veterans like us want to gather together, stand side by side to help and encourage each other to do business, thereby not only enriching ourselves but also creating jobs for many workers, including the children of veterans and our fellow war invalids."

Making bamboo and rattan at Duc Phong enterprise of war veteran Thai Dai Phong. Photo: Xuan Nhuong

The economic efficiency is also to have a more positive impact on social activities, which is always the goal of enterprises owned by war veterans in Nghe An; they not only focus on getting rich legally but also focus on the goal of sustainable poverty reduction in the area. The policy of supporting the Western region to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty has been issued by the province and units in the whole province have joined hands and implemented it. The Association of War Veterans Enterprises of Nghe An has chosen Chau Dinh commune, a remote commune in the mountainous district of Quy Hop to support and help. This is a purely agricultural mountainous commune, the people's lives still face many difficulties, the poverty rate is over 40%. These natural and social conditions influence the farming and production habits of the people.

To change the way of thinking and working of farmers in Chau Dinh commune, the Association of Veterans Enterprises committed to providing technical support and seeds to produce 4 hectares of new rice varieties in the commune; the AC5 rice variety model was successfully tested and has been widely replicated throughout the commune. In addition, the Veterans Enterprises have coordinated with Duc Phong Company Limited to open 2 classes to teach rattan and bamboo weaving for export to farmers in Chau Dinh commune. Acknowledging the support of the Veterans Enterprises, Mr. Nguyen Van Suu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Chau Dinh commune said: "That is a very practical support, opening up prospects for the Party Committee, government and people of Chau Dinh commune in the work of hunger eradication and poverty reduction...".

Creating excitement in the business activities of the province, the businessmen who are war veterans have stood side by side on the new, equally fierce front in the market economy and they have truly asserted themselves. Not only expanding their local organization to join ventures and production associations, the businessmen who are war veterans of Nghe An have had a far-sighted strategy in the form of exchanging and learning experiences from other units. For example, linking up with the Association of War Veterans Enterprises of Quang Ninh province, a unit with many conditions and experiences in production and business. In 2013, the two associations had a program to exchange, learn experiences and sign an agreement to expand production development relations. This direction has created more opportunities for war veterans enterprises of Nghe An and neighboring province of Quang Ninh to improve the production and business efficiency of each enterprise...

Thus, with the effectiveness of their activities, the members of the Nghe An Veterans Business Association have represented the veterans of Uncle Ho's homeland to affirm: No matter what field of activity they are in, the soldiers of the past have proven their pioneering role and position, becoming typical examples in the cause of building their homeland, making efforts to contribute to making Nghe An the economic center of the North Central region!

Mr. Vu