HANOI, September 24, 2019 – Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Office of the Vietnamese Government, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment launched the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (USAID LinkSME) project. The event was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mr. Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Michael Greene, as well as representatives from ministries, local government agencies, business associations, Vietnamese small and medium enterprises, foreign firms, international organizations, and the media.

The five-year, $22.1 million USAID LinkSME project will work with the Office of the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to strengthen the small and medium enterprise (SME) supply chain linkage ecosystem, and improve business associations’ and trade groups’ capacity to support SME business development. Linking SMEs with lead firms will advance the Indo-Pacific vision of improved trade and competitiveness and support USAID/Vietnam’s objective of expanding inclusive, market-driven, private sector-led growth.

For more information on the project, visit: https://go.usa.gov/xVVSq

For photos of the event, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHdE7rn