On June 5, in Hanoi  the seminar on the theme "Energy policy and economical use of energy in small and medium-sized enterprises" was held by the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM).

Dr Nguyen Manh Hai - Head of Public Service Policies - CIEM says that in the period 2011 - 2014, energy utilization rate was always higher than GDP growth rate. As electricity and gas prices rise high, the companies increase the cost of production / services accordingly.

SMEs account for 40% of total energy consumption in the industrial sector. In some areas such as brick, ceramics and food processing, energy saving potential is calculated at relatively high levels, above 30%. Meanwhile, for areas such as cement production and agriculture, the potential is even over 50%. As such, SMEs need to invest to renovate the technology and equipment to improve the energy efficiency.

Madam Do Thi Tu Anh - General Secretary of the Hanoi Youth Business Association says energy is one of the components embedded in the product cost. Therefore, companies should have a plan for rational use of energy in order to reduce product costs, help enterprises increase competitiveness in the market.