(VOVworld) - The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) opened its 5^th national congress in Hanoi on Tuesday for the 2016-2020 tenure, attended by 500 out of 13 million cooperative members across Vietnam. Over the past 5 years, the cooperative sector has renovated its operations to make it more competent within the market mechanism and international integration, thus contributing to Vietnam’s economic and social development. GDP contribution from the cooperative sector has increased from 5% in 2013 to 6.5% last year.

Nguyen Thien Nhan, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, delivers his speech at the congress. (Photo: VCA)

Nguyen Thien Nhan, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, spoke at the event: “Over the last 30 years, Vietnam saw individual production households getting involved in the production and consumption chain in Vietnam and foreign markets, but such individuals were unable to negotiate and protect their legitimate rights. The cooperative model has turned individual household into an economic actor with legal status, competitiveness, and wider partnerships.”

Nhan asked the VCA to actively propose development plans for its sector and accelerate communications on the new cooperative models.