Article by Đinh Hồng Kỳ, published in Doanh Nhân Sài Gòn on February 17, 2026
According to Đinh Hồng Kỳ – Chairman of Secoin, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Green Business Association, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Construction and Building Materials Association (SACA), and Vice Chairman of HUBA – nation-building is not merely about constructing infrastructure, but about building ethical business foundations, trust, and sustainable development.
In the new era, the private sector is identified as the most important force of the economy. This is also the mission of nation-building entrepreneurs. How do you personally reflect on this?
I often ask myself: If one day I look back on my entrepreneurial journey, what will remain? Revenue figures? Scale? Or the projects, the people, and the values that I have left behind for society?
To me, a “nation-building entrepreneur” is not a rhetorical phrase. It is a state of consciousness. When an entrepreneur understands that every business decision—investment, production, recruitment, or even how one treats the environment—contributes to shaping the future of the country, then from that moment on, business is no longer a private matter.
Nation-building is not only about infrastructure, but about building ethical business foundations, trust, and sustainable development. An entrepreneur who seeks wealth solely for personal gain may go fast, but only for a short distance. If wealth creation is tied to the destiny of the nation, the path will be longer, more difficult, and far more meaningful.
In your view, beyond mechanisms and policies, what is needed for entrepreneurs to truly act in the spirit of nation-building?
Nation-building in the new era cannot be carried out by individual enterprises alone. It must be built on a foundation of interconnected business ecosystems that raise standards and develop together. A single strong enterprise may create isolated success, but only when enterprises connect into ecosystems does national strength multiply.
In foundational sectors such as construction and building materials, linkage enables businesses to share resources, technology, standards, and responsibilities, thereby forming sustainable competitiveness for the entire industry. More importantly, ecosystems allow enterprises not only to compete, but to jointly address major national challenges such as the environment, infrastructure, and quality of life. That is how entrepreneurs move from being economic actors to becoming nation-builders.
After the 14th National Party Congress, with a renewed and more transparent mindset from the Government to society and entrepreneurs, what changes in thinking are required for entrepreneurs to act correctly?
When the private sector is defined as a key driver of the economy, Vietnamese entrepreneurs must shift from a mindset of policy reliance to one of co-creating development. Rather than waiting for or merely reacting to policies, entrepreneurs need to proactively propose solutions and participate in shaping the rules and market standards.
This also requires modern governance thinking, innovation, green transition, and digital transformation, instead of chasing short-term growth. More importantly, entrepreneurs must place their enterprises within the nation’s long-term vision, aligning business interests with social interests and sustainable national development.
Only when entrepreneurs act with civic responsibility and a spirit of service can the private sector truly become a nation-building force.
What do entrepreneurs care about and hope for most following the new momentum from the Party Congress?
This spring, the business community feels optimistic and energized as the Party Congress has brought a new spirit of decisive action, rather than mere policy declarations. What entrepreneurs care about most right now is confidence in a long-term business environment.
Institutions, capital, and human resources are all critical, but they only work when entrepreneurs trust that the rules are stable, policies are consistent, and development orientations are long-term enough for them to invest with confidence.
Entrepreneurs can accept short-term hardship and even sacrifice immediate benefits, but it is very difficult to make major decisions when the future remains uncertain. When confidence is strengthened, enterprises dare to invest in technology, human capital, green transition, and expansion.
Therefore, trust is not just an emotion—it is a foundational condition for sustainable private-sector development and a decisive factor in entrepreneurs’ long-term commitment to nation-building.
To effectively realize the spirit of “co-creating development” between the State and enterprises under the newly issued Resolution 79, how must business associations transform?
In my view, associations must shift from merely “representing” to “leading thinking,” from “reflecting” to “co-creating.” This means not only voicing what businesses need, but proactively proposing models, solutions, and new standards for policy.
Associations must guide thinking instead of merely collecting opinions; create standards instead of simply following the market; and accompany policymaking instead of standing outside as critics. They must stand at the intersection of the State and the market—close enough to enterprises to understand real challenges, and strong enough to voice long-term perspectives that may not always be easy to hear but are essential for sustainable development.
Specifically, in response to national development requirements for 2025–2030, what have associations—and SACA in particular—done to accompany enterprises toward sustainable development?
We are entering a very different phase. Growth is no longer easy. Resources are no longer abundant. Pressures from the environment, climate change, and global supply chain shifts are increasingly evident. In this context, a single enterprise is highly vulnerable.
Business associations therefore cannot remain mere social or lobbying platforms. They must become spaces that gather collective intelligence, experience, and responsibility. Associations must act as “soft institutions” of the economy, where enterprises form shared voices, shared standards, and shared visions.
For SACA, we are facing a major responsibility: to accompany the restructuring of the construction industry toward a greener, more sustainable, and more responsible direction. This is a foundational sector of the economy—if it does not change at its core, growth will remain fragile.
In the era of national advancement, the nation-building mission also includes accelerating the green transition. How should enterprises and associations demonstrate their roles?
In my view, association leaders are not merely administrators or inspirational figures; they must represent the strategic voice of the business community. Management is foundational, inspiration is a means, but the core is synthesizing real business experience into long-term policy recommendations that help improve the business environment.
As green and digital transitions become mandatory, the most critical role of associations is to act as connectors and knowledge platforms for enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones.
Many businesses understand the need to transform, but lack information, implementation capacity, or confidence to begin. We believe associations must become centers for sharing knowledge, experience, and proven practical models—from technology and green finance to governance and new standards. More importantly, associations must create spaces where enterprises can move together, learn from one another, and experiment step by step in ways suited to their scale and resources.
Transformation is only truly successful when no one is left behind. Associations bear the responsibility of ensuring that this path is practical and achievable—not merely a slogan on paper.
What are your expectations for the relationship between business associations and policymaking bodies in supporting enterprise development?
I hope the relationship between business associations and policymakers will evolve toward substantive, trust-based, long-term dialogue, rather than ad-hoc consultation. When associations are heard early in the policy design process, the entrepreneurial voice becomes part of the solution, not just a reflection of difficulties.
Associations must act as bridges—faithfully conveying issues from real business practice, while also filtering, analyzing, and proposing systemic recommendations for the common good of the economy. Conversely, policies only truly come to life when they are built on deep understanding of enterprises.
When both sides view each other as partners in co-creation rather than opposing actors, trust is strengthened and national development capacity is amplified.
Original article link (Vietnamese):
https://doanhnhansaigon.vn/ong-dinh-hong-ky-chu-tich-cong-ty-secoin-kien-quoc-khong-phai-mot-nhiem-ky-333074.html
