Untitled appointment
On the morning of the 3rd day of Binh Ngo Tet, in a familiar corner in the premises of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee headquarters - where "businessmen and businesses coffee" sessions have taken place for many years - small tables are simply arranged. No backdrop, no agenda, no prepared documents, the meeting takes place like a reunion.
Mr. Pham Thien Nghia - former Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee - and some former provincial leaders actively invited businesses to meet at the beginning of the year. Also attending were Mr. Ho Chi Dung - Chairman of Dong Thap Business Association and representatives of some businesses in the area.
Notably, Mr. Tran Tri Quang - incumbent Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee - was also present as the former Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, who had been associated with the "business coffee" model for many years before.
The meeting was entirely organized voluntarily by individual former leaders and businesses. Mr. Doan Tan Buu - former Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee - sponsored the coffee costs, not using the state budget.
No longer in the executive position, the story takes place openly, revolving around the market situation, production transformation, post-merger changes and expectations in the new period. There are no directing statements or administrative commitments, but for many businesses, what is valued is maintaining connection.
From administrative model to cultural memory
The "entrepreneur coffee" model of Dong Thap was launched by the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee in 2016, operating in a flexible and creative method, not affecting administrative working hours and saving time for businesses. Meetings usually take place in the early morning before working hours, frankly exchanging and quickly handling arising problems.
With that approach, for nearly a decade, this model has been seen as a space for direct dialogue between the government and businesses. Some cases have been resolved after only a few tens of minutes of exchange, creating trust and motivation for the local production and business community.
After the merger of the province, the organizational mechanism changed, the model no longer maintained periodically as before. However, for many entrepreneurs, "entrepreneur coffee" is not only a place to solve work quickly - neatly - quickly, but also a symbol of the spirit of listening and accompanying.
According to Mr. Ho Chi Dung - Chairman of Dong Thap Business Association, meeting with former leaders at the beginning of the year has special spiritual significance: "We used to exchange work here. Today's meeting is like an encouragement and sharing to give businesses more confidence to step into the new year.
The rest is listening
At the 3rd Tet gathering, there were no orienting speeches, no specific documents or instructions as before. Instead, there were handshakes, wishes and friendly conversations. This shows that businesses always need substantive dialogue channels. The model may change with each management stage, but the need for connection between the government and the production and business community remains.
Therefore, this early spring coffee session is not only a snapshot of memories of the dynamic reform period - where the coffee cup became a bridge between the government and businesses, but also a way to ignite a small spark, contributing to "keeping the fire" of the spirit of dialogue that once made a mark on the local investment environment.
In the new context after the merger, the story of keeping the "entrepreneur coffee" fire not only shows efforts to maintain a specific model, but also suggests how to create effective exchange spaces, suitable for current management conditions to create a solid foundation for the journey to accelerate into a new era.
