The total includes 1,340 newly-registered firms with capital of VND5.3 trillion ($249 million), a year-on-year increase of 25 per cent, and 421 that registered to increase their additional investment with VND7.3 trillion ($343 million).

In order to encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises, the province plans to boost trade promotion programmes and help enterprises cope with credit and export difficulties, said Bo Ngoc Thu, director of the department.