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Focus on implementing the GREAT 2 project in Son La

02/08/2025 17:40 GMT+7

(en.sonla.gov.vn) The GREAT 2 project in Son La is funded by the Australian Government through non-refundable aid. The project implementation agreement was signed in April 2024. To deploy the project, the Son La provincial Peoples committee coordinated with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam to finalize and sign the implementation agreement. Son La province established a Steering Committee and issued operational regulations. After restructuring and streamlining the political system’s apparatus, the project’s ownership was reassigned to the Department of Finance. The Steering Committee and Project management Unit were also restructured. The donor has approved the Project implementation manual and the investment approval procedures.

The GREAT program supports the use of online tools to develop businesses and promote tourism.

The GREAT 2 Son La project includes the following components: developing market systems in agriculture and tourism; implementing strategies to support four cross-cutting issues (access to finance, digital transformation, development of women-led enterprises and cooperatives, and behavior change communication); and supporting the development, refinement, and implementation of policies. The plan is expected to design and implement 13 sub-projects with a total investment of approximately VND 250.8 billion, including over VND 236 billion in non-refundable ODA and VND 14.5 billion in counterpart funding from the local budget.

Until now, the project has had 8 proposals approved and implemented, accounting for 61.5%, and 5 proposals under development, making up 38.5%. Among them, the proposal "Development of the bamboo shoot value chain in Son La Province" was approved for implementation in the districts of Bac Yen, Muong La, Van Ho, Sop Cop, and Quynh Nhai. The implementing partner is the Consulting and Research on Education and Development for Agriculture and Tourism Company Limited (CRED TAC). For the 2024–2025 plan, the sub-project includes 39 activities, of which 30 have been implemented or are in progress (77%), and 9 activities have not yet started (23%).

The proposal "Technical support to strengthen an inclusive digital transformation ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Son La province" is led by Kisstartup joint stock company as the main partner, with Tay Bac University as the technical partner. The sub-project consists of 36 activities divided into multiple phases. As of the reporting date, 22 out of 36 activities have been implemented, achieving 61.1% completion. The proposal "Improving the investment and business environment in Son La through enhancing competitiveness at the department, sector, and district levels during 2024–2027" is carried out by the Son La provincial center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion as the main partner, and the Economic management consulting joint stock company as the technical partner. This sub-project is currently underway, with 7 out of 18 activities completed (38.89%), while 11 activities (61.11%) have not yet been implemented.

Regarding the proposal “Technical support for implementing production development policies under the National Target Program in Son La province for the 2024–2027 period”, the partner is currently in the technical consultant recruitment phase. For the proposal “Development of vocational training services and job creation in the tourism sector in Son La”, the partner is in the process of recruiting personnel and developing a detailed quarterly activity plan.

Currently, five sub-projects are finalizing their proposals, including: Digital integration in agriculture and tourism; Development of Vietnamese ginseng in Son La; Development of medicinal herbs in Son La; Promotion and innovation in supply chain management; Behavioral economics for gender equality.

The activities of the GREAT 2 project in Son La align with the province's development orientation. The project is expected to enhance incomes, increase participation in socio-economic activities, and elevate the status and confidence of women within families, communities, and production/business environments. Through its implementation, the project contributes to supporting Son La province in carrying out national target programs and advancing Vietnam’s gender equality strategy.