From the voice of workers to business expectations
When hearing the information that the regional minimum wage is proposed to increase by 7.2% from January 1, 2026, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom (born in 1990) - a worker at Thang Long Industrial Park (Dong Anh, Hanoi) waited. After more than 10 years of working at the factory, her salary has increased from 800,000 VND/month to 9 million VND/month. Ms. Thom shared: "That is because I have been senior. The salary of new workers is only a few hundred thousand dong higher than the minimum wage of region I (4.96 million VND)".
Ms. Thom's family has three young children, the total income of the couple is about 20 million VND/month but still has to spend frugally. She said that every time the minimum wage increases, the landlord also increases the price of rooms, electricity and water. More than a month ago, the couple had to move to a rented room for 1.5 million VND/month, including other expenses of 1.7 million VND. "Every month, I go back to my hometown a few times, bringing rice and clean food to save money. Going to the market, you have to think about every penny. Increasing salaries is a natural desire, but I also hope that market prices will be stable" - Ms. Thom confided.
From the business perspective, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong - Vice President of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said that VCCI's nationwide survey shows that only 32% of businesses said they will expand production and business in the next 2 years. Although there are nearly a million enterprises in operation, Vietnamese enterprises are still mainly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (accounting for up to 98%) and only about 2% are large enterprises.
Mr. Hoang Quang Phong shared that the business community in general still faces many difficulties and challenges. Therefore, in order to make a breakthrough in 2025, the Vice President of VCCI believes that reforming economic institutions, improving the business environment, promoting and supporting businesses will be the key "keys". Not only increasing the ability to absorb capital for businesses, the development and improvement of the competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses, especially the private economic sector, to gradually master core technology, moving deeper into the global value chain is an important requirement set for in the coming time.
The information gate guard
The digital age opens up opportunities for strong economic development, but also poses a series of challenges, from market fluctuations, legal problems to the need for technological innovation and rapid changes in consumer behavior. Faced with that reality, Dr. Tran Xuan Luong - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute for Real Estate Market Research and Evaluation - emphasized that the role of the press becomes more urgent, not only a channel for information provision but also a reliable bridge between the State, businesses and people.
According to Mr. Luong, mainstream press is the "gatelkeeper" of information, fighting against fake news and false rumors, thereby creating a stable foundation for the market. He suggested: Enterprises need to proactively make information transparent, invest in digital transformation; the press must promote in-depth investigation, support small and medium enterprises; The State continues to improve legal procedures, promote public-private cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Mac Quoc Anh - Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, Director of the Institute of Economics and Business Development gave a noteworthy parable: "If policies are treated as institutional infrastructure, then journalism is an electricity - water system that leads that energy to each enterprise. Businesses can only develop sustainably when policies come into life, and policies are truly successful when businesses understand and implement them correctly".
According to him, the press needs innovation in many aspects. Not only reporting, but also explaining and guiding policies for businesses to " read - understand - apply". The press needs to develop a team of reporters specializing in finance, tax, logistics, digital technology... to interpret policies in a handsome manner for each industry. The press must also take advantage of digital technology, build a data platform, feature bulletins, and apply policy warnings for businesses. At the same time, the press needs to strengthen the connection of the business community through forums, seminars, online surveys, creating a mechanism for two-way exchange, while quickly verifying and refuting fake news, affirming the role of legitimate sources of information.
Press with the task of "escaping" policies
He also emphasized that, in the context of small and medium enterprises accounting for more than 98% of the total number of Vietnamese enterprises, the need for policy access is extremely large. However, many businesses are afraid of legal documents because of their academic language and difficulty in applying it. "The press can do the task of "admitting" policies, giving specific situations, and analyzing the direct impact on each group of businesses. At that time, the policy will not be far away, but will become a practical tool for businesses to plan strategies" - Prof. Dr. Mac Quoc Anh said.
Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu - Director of the Institute for Financial and Real Estate Market Development Research Global assessed that the Vietnamese press system is very modern and developed. However, the press is competing fiercely with social networks, leading to risks when facing the risks of social networks. Somewhere, there are also some journalists who take advantage of the press for personal gain.
To improve the effectiveness of communication work, especially communication for businesses, Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu recommends the application of technology and the application of multimedia platforms in journalism. The press must be a bridge, a multi-dimensional reflection of people and businesses' concerns towards State agencies, as well as more open and constructive; Strengthening the role of supervision and social criticism; Proactively participating in policy making, creating a transparent, fair and developing business environment.
From the perspective of the Hanoi Association of Small and Medium Enterprises with more than 11,000 members, Prof. Dr. Mac Quoc Anh affirmed: "The press will be the honest voice of businesses, participating in the process of perfecting policies, while spreading good examples, creative models, and international integration stories. Vietnamese press will continue to affirm its irreplaceable role in socio-economic development, contributing to building a transparent, fair and modern business environment for a strong and prosperous Vietnam".
