On 16 September 2022, BIDV attended the workshop "Consultation on the implementation of support policies for women-owned small and medium enterprises in Can Tho City" chaired by the Asian Development Bank, Department of Planning and Investment of Can Tho City, Department of Enterprise Development (Ministry of Planning and Investment).

The workshop opened up opportunities for direct and effective connection and discussion between governing bodies, functional units of Can Tho City, commercial banks and women-owned SMEs residing in the area. The discussion focused on the policy framework to support women-owned SMEs in Can Tho City, the plan to implement the program to support women-owned SMEs in entrepreneurship and innovation in the period of 2021-2025 oriented to 2030 and the credit support package for women-owned SMEs from commercial banks.

Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong - Deputy Director of BIDV Corporate Customer Department - underlined that supporting SMEs, especially women-owned SMEs, is a priority goal of the Government, requiring the cooperation of ministries, organizations and commercial banks. BIDV has been giving a lot of support to SMEs in general and women-owned SMEs in particular on both financial and non-financial aspects. Specifically, BIDV has spent more than VND 300,000 billion with preferential interest rates to create conditions for women-owned SMEs to access loans. At the same time, BIDV actively works with ministries, international organizations, and donors to help women-owned SMEs access maximum support solutions. In particular: Comprehensive financial program to minimize the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for women-owned SMEs, according to which businesses receive a maximum aid of USD10,000 per customer and free advice from ADB consultants; The program "Digital transformation with SMEs" giving free MISA accounting software or BMP business management software of Kiu Vietnam which had been connected with the bank for SMEs to digitally transform, transparency of business activities, increase the ability to successfully access bank loans... In the coming time, BIDV will launch the SME EASY digital platform - A comprehensive non-financial solution for SMEs, creating a digital ecosystem to support SMEs through training, consulting and business matching activities.

BIDV's presence at the event once again confirms BIDV's commitment to becoming a sustainable development partner, accompanying the development of businesses in general and women-owned SMEs in particular.