ESTABLISHING AND DEVELOPING

The precursor is the City General Service Company belong by owned Ho Chi Minh City Committee by decision No. 50/QĐ-UB dated 21/03/1985. To enforce decision of the City Party Committee Meeting, decisions of City Town Committee of Party and mission for improving and developing Ho Chi Minh City economy that it is important and key business - trading and service. So that, The HCMC Committee was issued for establishing CISTRA Company, its function is to support the HCMC Committee manages  administrative, economic and service in general HCM city with main functions are following as:

1. The repairing service serves for activities of HCM people and visitors.
2. The manufacturing, selling and trading, processing products, exchange, exploit and creating goods and materials supply for trading companies in HCMC area including privates and government... In this stage, the CISTRA is focusing to human resource development and strive to take over basically difficult, to organize management team, to open more branches to win mission that the HCMC Committee handed over.

With currently developing of HCM City and Vietnam country, the expand market and integrating to the countries in the world are important of all companies and the Government but it is very important more than at innovation and development of CISTRA that is potentialities and strength to meet the target in first stage. In here is history of CISTRA:
- Decision No. 50/QĐ-UB dated 21/03/1985: The City General Service Company established
- Decision No. 243/QĐ-UB dated 30-07-1991 Changed name and established The Service – Manufacturing – Trading Union owned by HCMC Committee with short name is SEPROTIMEX it activates with the functions as service, trading, manufacturing and directly import – export, trading joint venture, trading agency that detail of key commodities are manufacturing, repairing, processing, assemble, trading consult, social activities service, currency exchange, building design and construction, furniture, tours, restaurant, hotel, transportation service and trading goods and materials in domestic and oversea and trading real estate,...
To activate above functions, SEPROTIMEX opened 9 branches and action independent with mother company.

1. Decision No. 3076/QĐ-UB dated 08/12/1992: SEPROTIMEX Union changed to named The City Service and Trading Company and it still belong to owned HCMC Committee.
2. Decision No. 159/QĐ-UB dated 31-03-1993, the SEPROTIMEX is the Government Company with independent legal personality and accountability.
3. Decision No. 7472/QĐ-UB-NVVX dated 02/11/1995: The Sai Gon Trading and Service General Company (SATRA) established and SEPROTIMEX is sub-company of SATRA.

With over 20 years history of CISTRA, it contributed very much positive to develop trading and service of HCMC and Vietnam Country in general. Especially, it served to almost common consumer demand of people and partners.
To implement the Policy of Government for Privatization of owned Government Company, The HCMC Committee issued decision 526/QĐ-UB on date 04/02/2002 decides The City Service and Trading Company has fully condition for privatization. Along with CISTRA, there are 9 other owned Government Companies also privatize with the same decision. To implement the decision, The CISTRA have been executing necessary steps for privatization since as, until dated 15/8/2005, The HCMC Committee issued decision No. 4175/QĐ-UBND to establish CISTRA Joint Stock Company and The HCMC Department of Planning and Investment approved license No. 4103004860 dated 08/06/2006. At that time, The CISTRA Joint Stock Company was born.
The CISTRA is legal name with inheritance fully taking shape and developing progress of previous CISTRA owned by The HCMC Committee. After privatization, the CISTRA is arranging  Human Resource and Administrative Organization and step by step making projects for development as: investing, trading joint, trading union,.. to hit high effective in business area, it is bringing to the CISTRA and investors with big benefit, it is simultaneous to contribute for social benefit. It is important more than that the CISTRA would like to serve and support almost demand of customers in local and foreign.