The Hanoi government will spend VND200 million (US$8,600) on environmental impact assessment in each craft village.

This is one of the city's policies to encourage development of rural industries and craft villages, which was approved at a meeting of the city People’s Council on December 4.

Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Phu My presents a report at the meeting. Photo: Gia Linh

Accordingly, to qualify for the environmental impact assessment funding, the craft villages have to apply for recognition of "craft villages and traditional trade villages" and once being recognized, they will be funded to carry out the environmental impact assessment.

In term of supporting brand building and brand ownership such as training on brand building and development, consulting branding strategy, logo design and the system of corresponding brand identification signs for brands, communication, marketing, product promotion, the municipal government will give a maximum of VND100 million (US$4,300) per item. A craft village can register up to five items

Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Phu My said that after more than five years of implementing policies to encourage development of craft villages in the city, a number of policies have shown their effectiveness and contributed positively to building new-style rural areas in Hanoi, creating favorable conditions for craft villages to advertise, introduce products, develop brands, expand product consumption markets, boost production and business.

Currently, Hanoi has 308 craft villages and traditional trade villages recognized by the municipal People's Committee, including 233 villages (accounting for 75.65%) practicing industries which need assessing environmental impacts, including: 11 villages of lacquer and shell inlay, 83 villages of rattan and bamboo handicrafts, 23 villages processing forestry products, 25 textile villages, nine villages processing leather and footwear, 13 villages doing metalwork, 15 villages carving sculptures, 55 villages processing food and agricultural products.