The Anatomy and Dynamics of Small Scale Private Manufacturing in Vietnam

The private manufacturing sector has been called upon to play a key role in the transformation and development of the Vietnamese economy since the launching of market oriented reforms a decade ago. Drawing on a comprehensive survey in 1997 of some 500 non-state manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam, the present study provides an in-depth analysis of the economic and operational characteristics of the enterprises in this sector. Their development track and growth constraints, linkages with other sectors of the economy, and role as a source of employment and income generation are among the aspects examined in particular detail. The analysis of the dynamics of this sector is based on a comparison of the results of the present survey with those of an almost identical survey undertaken in 1991.