|
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 11/1
Labour
market difficulties anticipated for new workforce
Adecco
At a
HCM City 2013–2014 Vietnamese labour market overview on January 9, Adecco
Adecco
Employment
opportunities will proliferate in sales, accounting and finance, human
resources, administration, marketing, and customer service.
Connolly
emphasised the Vietnamese labour market has always welcomed highly qualified
and adaptable employees.
Connolly
said
The
Vietnamese labour market’s recent development has been fuelled by growth in
key sectors such as health, energy, retail/consumption, and education.
In
2013, recruitment demand was most evident in sales, finance, administration,
information technology, and marketing and public relations.
Adecco
Influxes
of new graduates are therefore facing higher rates of unemployment.
Industrial
production up 5.9% annually
The
Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) announced the figure on January 10 at a
conference held in
Inventory
stockpiling in the processing and manufacturing industries also show
improvement as its rate has dipped from 21.5% in January 2013 to 10.2% in
December 2013, according to the MoIT.
The
total retail goods and services turnover in December rose 12.6% from last
year’s same period which indicates the domestic market is expanding and
moving in a positive direction.
Additionally,
according to the MoIT, the retail sector continues to focus on the promotion
of exports and the goal of maintaining a trade surplus.
Total
export value in 2013 rose 15.4% compared to a year earlier to US$132.17
billion-higher than the National Assembly’s target-while total imports
increased 15.4% to US$131.3 billion.
Export
growth and import growth rates remained steady in 2013 and
Export
restructuring in response to industrialisation and the 2011–2020
import-export development strategy with a vision for 2030 was also a key
component positively affecting the improved trade surplus.
2013
was considered a successful year of
Progress
was also seen in administrative reform, organisational apparatus,
anti-corruption and thrift practice, and anti wastefulness.
The
MoIT set its goals to fulfill tasks for the 2014-2015 period, such as keeping
supply and demand in balance of essential goods for the national economy in
all circumstances, effectively implementing market stabilisation plans and
programs, especially during holidays and Lunar New Year (Tet) and control
prices according to market mechanism under State regulation on electricity,
coal, petroleum and public services.
It
will strive to promote sustainable export growth, which is considered the
driving force for economic growth, and work to raise the proportion of
processing and hi-tech products, control the trade deficit, and limit imports
of non-essential consumer goods.
A high
ranking Lao delegation led by its Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath
held a working session with the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) in
A high
ranking Lao delegation led by its Deputy Prime Minister Somsavad Lengsavath
held a working session with the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) in
SBV
Governor Nguyen Van Binh briefed his guest on its responsibilities for
oversight of banking activities and implementation of monetary policy in
He
explained a variety of tools and policies the SBV utilises to obtain the
targets it sets to maintain macroeconomic, financial and monetary stability.
He
pointed out key monetary policy targets for 2014 that, if attained, will
provide the Vietnamese economy much needed support for sustainable economic
growth while containing inflation and stabilising the macro economy to ensure
social welfare.
Binh
emphasised that stabilising the foreign exchange rates and foreign currency
market requires a comprehensively coordinated approach that factors exchange
rate policy, foreign currency management and monetary policy mindful of the
need to prevent dollarization and goldenisation.
In
addition, strict controls should be imposed on monetary, fiscal and trade
policies, he said.
For
his part, Deputy PM Somsavad emphasised that experiences in overcoming
economic difficulties to ensure sustainable economic development especially
in recent years are helpful to
He
said he hopes that
The Ho
Chi Minh City Tax Department aims to reduce the tax arrears to 5% of the
total budget revenues by the end of this year, Director of HCM City Tax
Department Nguyen Dinh Tan stated at a 2014 tax task conference held in the
city on January 9.
To
obtain the target, the department will design firmer measures to reduce tax
arrears, thoroughly examining all tax debt cases and dividing them into
different types of tax debt.
According
to Finance Deputy Minister Do Hoan Tuan Anh, extending the time to pay tax
dues and income tax reduction for businesses are quite necessary policies
under the current circumstances.
He
also urged the tax department to enhance its inspection work to better detect
tax violation cases.
A
report from the HCM City Tax Department showed that the city contributed VND
167.65 trillion to the state budget in 2013, or 106.93% of year’s plan and up
11.83% against the previous year.
However,
the city posted tax arrears of VND17.3 trillion last year, of which the
recoverable debts were over 13 trillion VND; debts claimed to be adjusted
valued were VND1.2 trillion; and bad debts were VND143 billion .
In
2013, the tax department inspected 54,000 businesses with tax violation signs
and collected VND13 trillion from them.
The
department also worked with other 230 businesses on their exaggerated losses
and collected VND2.3 trillion of tax.
Harsh year from
Korean labour market
More
than 14,000 Vietnamese labourers who were preparing to work in the
The
RoK’s rational for the stoppage resulted from the high level of noncompliance
with its laws and regulations governing guest workers and a large number of
illegal Vietnamese guest workers in the RoK.
Since
the stoppage the
In
acknowledgement of the Vietnamese Government’s effort, on December 31 2013, a
special memorandum of understanding on sending and receiving workers under
the EPS was signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and
Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the RoK’s Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According
to the MoU, there are three classifications of workers who are allowed to
work in the RoK, which include those who passed the Korean language
examinations in December of 2011 and May and August of 2012, those in poor
districts who registered to participate in the Korean language examinations
in August 2012 and will work in agriculture in the RoK and former guest
workers who returned home on schedule.
Because
it has been a long time since the RoK stopped recruiting Vietnamese guest
workers, the MoLISA plans to authorise the Overseas Labour Centre (OLC) to
open courses on the Korean language to improve the language proficiency for
workers who pay their tuition fees.
Nguyen
Ngoc Quynh, Head of the Department for Overseas Labour Management (DOLM),
says that his department will pay the tuition fees for more than 2,700
workers in poor districts who have registered to take part in the Korean
language examinations and work in agriculture.
OLC
Director Phan Van Minh says there have been no difficulties with the security
deposit policy which requires payment of a VND100 million deposit prior to leaving
for work in the RoK.
Four
flights carrying Vietnamese guest workers to the RoK have been conducted to
date and four more are scheduled for January, 2014.
Minh
adds that these labourers had been working in the country so the deposit is
not too onerous for them. But, it is quite hard for those who will go to the
RoK for the first time and those from disadvantaged areas.
The
MoLISA will work with the Bank for Social Policies to help workers obtain
loans, Minh says.
Soon
after signing the MoU, guidance on how to complete the profiles was sent to
localities. Deadline for applications is January 17 and all worker profiles
must be completed before the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday to give to Korean
employers adequate time to process them.
The
Korean labour market’s closed door policy for Vietnamese guest workers
resulted in significant pressure on labour exports. The MoU offers
opportunities for thousands of Vietnamese labourers but more challenges
remain.
Minh
says the MoU provides for all workers who pass the Korean language
examination to be permitted to work in the RoK for one year.
After
eleven months from the MoU signing date the two sides will review the results
of the programme and consider an option to extend the programme for an
additional two years. This places yet another new pressure on
Minh
notes that it is not easy to reduce the number of workers who ran away,
especially in the context that the quota for guest workers in 2014 is only
5,600, down 50% from 2013’s 11,000.
This
affects workers whose work permits are ending and want to return home and
then go back to the RoK to work, he says.
In
late 2013, the RoK announced its plan to recruit 53,000 workers from 15
countries in 2014, 3,000 higher than in 2013. Quotas for each country will be
released in January 2014 and nearly 14,000 Vietnamese workers are eagerly
awaiting the announcement.
The
RoK is a high-income labour market (around US$1,200-2,000 per month) and
receives more than 10,000 Vietnamese workers per year. To support the market
to create jobs for thousands of workers, 20 seminars and 6 campaigns have
been held to encourage Vietnamese workers to return home on schedule
thus helping minimize illegal workers.
Quynh
emphasises fines for workers who do not return home vary from VND3 million to
VND100 million. The security deposit of VND100 million is set at a high level
to ensure compliance with the return home regulations and policy.
With
new regulations and policies, it is hoped that more than 10,000 workers will
be sent to the RoK and create a new image that reflects more positively on
More than
71,000 workers have been sent to the RoK so far, resulting in high economic
efficiency for their families and themselves.
Cement
consumption to hit 63 million tonnes
The
Construction Ministry predicts that
Of the
figure, domestic consumption is likely to hit 48.5-49 million tonnes, while
the remaining 13.5-14 million tonnes will be exported.
The
Construction Ministry has announced its goals to conduct improved surveys and
provide quality forecasts to enhance
It
also aims to closely monitor the implementation of cement projects in the
2012- 2015 period and work with the Vietnam Cement Association to increase
its operational efficiency.
In
2013, local cement plants produced 70 million tonnes, and about 61 million
tonnes were consumed, exceeding the yearly set target and rising 13.9% year
on year.
Approximately
47 million tonnes was sold in the domestic market, and around 14 million
tonnes were exported.
Central
city deploys $5m stimulus
The
fund will reach VND100 billion (US$4.8 million), of which VND30 billion
($1.43 million) will come from the city's budget and 70 per cent from banks
and large firms.
Vice
chairman and general secretary of the city's Small-and Medium-sized
Enterprises Association (SMEs), Nguyen Van Ly, confirmed the creation of the
fund to Viet Nam News during a year-end meeting.
The
decision, which was announced on the last day of the year, is to provide
urgent action to revive poorly running businesses.
Over
1,200 enterprises – 10 per cent of total businesses in
Officials
note that SMEs contribute over 60 per cent of the city's GDP annually.
"It's
an initial support from the city and the association to help businesses that
have insufficient funding over the past years. However, the fund is not able
to save all enterprises from bankruptcy," Ly said.
"We
plan to offer loans at 9 per cent interest for a maximum VND3 billion
($143,000) loan, with strict examinations as of 2014," he explained.
He
added that 50 per cent of the enterprises are trading and manufacturing
companies with registered capital from VND500 ($24,000) million to VND1
billion ($48,000).
Ly
also complained that many businesses have received loans with interest rates
of 9 and 13 per cent.
Nguyen
Thi Thien Kim, manager of a steel company, said her company was one of
several businesses that received 9 per cent and 13 per cent loans from banks
last year.
"It's
a challenge. Businesses have to work with strict regulations set by banks if
they want access to preferential interest rate loans," Kim said.
"Of
course, profitable companies would receive low interest loans, but its is
blocked to small sized enterprises that had previous debts," she said.
In a
city's people's council meeting last year, director of the State Bank's Da
Nang branch, Vo Minh, said most banks in Da Nang are branches, so they had to
ask permission from their headquarters to grant loans with values of VND2
billion ($95,000).
Minh
noted that credit balances at banks operated under different regulations last
year.
"Fund
mobilisation grew 12.3 per cent last year, but loans being distributed were
only at 1.25 per cent. Strict regulations on loans were given to control bad
debts and risks, but it tightened the growth of credit, as well," Minh
said.
According
to SMEs' vice chairman Ly, the city will create a strategy to renew
investments in the city by designating this year as the Year of Enterprises.
"We
propose the city extend debts and grant businesses priorities on land prices
and taxes to produce lower-priced products and reduce inventories," he
said.
He
emphasized that speculation in the real estate sector, which has stagnated
for years, resulted in bankruptcy for businesses in the city.
According
to the vice chairman of the city's Property Association, Vo Van Cuong, sales
of real estate in
In the
latest report, the city said received nearly VND1.9 trillion ($90 million)
from land-use taxes – just 4.5 per cent of the city's budget of VND8.6
trillion ($409 million) last year.
African
execs eye
A
delegation of 20 business executives from the Monetary Community of Central
Africa and West African Economic and Monetary Union met Vietnamese
counterparts from the agricultural processing sector at a forum held in
Trade
and investment relations between
Rice
is
Rice
exports to UEMOA members were worth US$330 million in 2011, accounting for 80
per cent of all exports.
It was
followed by textiles and garments at $12.3 million.
Rice
exports to CEMAC were worth $60.3 million and accounted for more than half of
all exports.
It was
followed by textile and garment at $53.3 million.
Imports
from CEMAC, mainly of wood, cotton, and scrap iron, were worth $130 million.
Africa
with a population of 1 billion is a promising market for
Trade
between
The
forum was held under the auspices of the Viet Nam-Africa-Middle East Business
Forum, which promotes commercial and economic relations.
It was
organised by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International
Organisation of La Francophonie, and the International Trade Centre.
Banks
to face uncertain growth in lending
Competition
among banks to lend is likely tougher as the State Bank of
Credit
by banks expanded 11 per cent last year, below the 12 per cent target set for
the year, despite concerted efforts by commercial banks and the central bank
to boost lending.
Last
month, the central bank announced that it would resolve policy-related and
procedural issues to facilitate credit expansion and ensure the sector's
financial health.
However,
banks believe hitting the target is not that easy.
Sacombank's
General Director Phan Huy Khang told the Investment newspaper that attracting
borrowers is becoming more difficult because enterprises have no plans of
expansion in the currently dull market environment.
In
principle, banks are allowed to use no more than 30 per cent of their
short-term deposits for funding medium-term loans. However, as almost all the
deposits are short-term in nature, the rule prevents banks from increasing
their lending, Khang argued.
Banks,
such as the NamA Bank, Mekong Bank and SCB, will give priority to low-risk
borrowers, including individuals, retail traders, households, small and
medium enterprises, and borrowers from rural and agricultural businesses.
With
the addition of new clients becoming challenging, several banks are
attempting to retain existing clients by offering lower interest rates and
restructuring short-term loans into medium – or long-term loans.
Governor
Nguyen Van Binh said
According
to the HCM City People's Committee, to achieve the 14 per cent credit growth
target, the city will work with the central bank to implement monetary,
credit and interest rate policies in such a manner that these policies ensure
the stability of the financial markets and local banks.
City
leaders have also proposed that the central bank reduce the interest rate of
loans given to the priority sectors. This would encourage eligible
enterprises to continue investing and improving their competitive
capabilities.
In
regard to social housing loans, the People's Committee suggested that the
central bank should co-ordinate with the various ministries and branches to
improve the legal framework for administrative procedures and mortgage
transactions. That would also give banks collateral for loans.
According
to the central bank's report on operations in 2013, the total loans of banks
in HCM City were estimated at VND952.55 trillion (US$45.14 billion),
representing an increase of 9 per cent compared with late 2012, People's
Committee vice chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hong said.
Lixil
Lixil
Global Manufacturing Vietnam, a company under
The
factory, constructed on an area of 55ha at a total investment of US$440 million,
will produce aluminium and PVC windows and doors for houses, offices, as well
as civil and industrial projects.
It is
the biggest investment project of the Lixil Group in
Dinh
Quoc Thai, chairman of the provincial People's Committee, told Vietnamplus
newspaper that the number of Japanese investors seeking official approval to
conduct business in Dong Nai had been increasing in recent years.
In
2013 alone, he revealed, Japanese investors accounted for 30 per cent of the
$1.6 billion in foreign direct investment in the province.
Thai
pointed out that the committee is always willing to support companies and
create the best operating conditions for companies to carry out their
production and other business activities effectively.
The
Lixil group of
Co.op
Mart parent to open first mall
Saigon
Co.op is set to launch its first ever mall with a supermarket, food court,
entertainment areas with games, bowling, and cinemas, and fashion and
cosmetic stores.
The
22,000sq.m mall, called
TPBank
profit higher than expected
The
Tien Phong Joint Stock Commercial Bank (TPBank) generated VND362 billion
(US$17.24 million) in pre-tax profit in 2013, which is 15 per cent higher
than the target set for the year.
Deposits
from the public grew 160 per cent, while lending expanded 190 per cent
year-on-year, the bank said. Bad debts accounted for less than 2 per cent of
the total outstanding loans.
The
results were better than expected. At the start of 2013, the plan was to
raise deposits to VND19 trillion (up 105 per cent from the previous year),
increase lending to VND13.5 trillion (up 122 per cent) and limit the bad debt
ratio to below 3.5 per cent.
Rattan
exports hit $225m in 2013
The
exports of the rattan industry climbed to nearly $225 million last year,
according to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The
ministry said that
The
Nevertheless,
Economic
growth still depends on capital, resources
According
to the minister, among the factors affecting national GDP growth, capital
accounts for 57.5 percent; labour, 25.5 percent; and productivity, 16.25
percent.
Despite
recording a GDP growth rate of 5.4 percent this year, Vietnam still faces a
lot of difficulties as two driving forces behind the growth, raw materials
and public investment, are running dry, he said.
He
noted that in the middle and long-term, the local economy cannot grow in that
way because natural resources like oil and gas, coal and iron ore will be
exhausted.
“To
reach the GDP growth targets for 2014 and subsequent years, we should
implement synchronous measures to increase foreign direct investment (FDI)
attraction, improve business productivity and efficiency, and complete legal frameworks,”
said Vinh.
The
minister laid special emphasis on institutional reforms, especially creating
a legal framework for the private sector to get involved in infrastructure
building, economic development and public services.
The
country also needs to accelerate the restructuring of its economy, only when
it has enough resources can sustainable growth be achieved, he added.
According
to Vinh, over the past three years, despite the economic recession,
These
enterprises have made important contributions to
Noting
that FDI enterprises face fewer difficulties in capital access and operation
efficiency than those confronted by local businesses, the minister said
Vietnam need basic and effective solutions to remove obstacles and help
domestic firms so that they are able to achieve the same successes.
He
mentioned a possible measure which is speeding up the process of buying up
bad debts of firms having clear and feasible development plans so that they
can access low interest loans to maintain operation,” he said.
In
addition, a transparent legal framework will allow businesses to have fair
access to resources.
At the
same time, the minister stressed the need for domestic enterprises to
increase productivity and apply scientific and technological advances in
their operation.
“Science
and technology will be the decisive factor for enterprises’ competitiveness,”
minister Vinh said.
In his
opinion, the State should encourage the private sector to engage in the
economy, including providing public services, investing in production and
generating jobs for local labourers, while speeding up the equitisation of
State-owned enterprises ( SOE s).
According
to approved plans, by 2015,
“These
institutional reforms are essential to the Vietnamese economy not only for
the 2014-2015 period but also in the middle and long-term. Only by this way,
will the local economy develop in a strong and sustainable manner,” minister
Vinh concluded.-
Thai
Nguyen - FDI most attractive province in 2013
Northern
Thai Nguyen province led localities in FDI attraction in 2013, bringing in
about 3.3 billion USD, making up 16.1 percent of the country’s total figure
of 21.6 billion USD.
Apart
from successfully attracting the largest FDI amount last year, Thai Nguyen is
also proud of Samsung Group’s three investment projects.
Duong
Ngoc Long, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, told the Vietnam
Economic News that Samsung’s investment in Thai Nguyen is an important
economic factor which will largely contribute to the province’s
socio-economic development and create the premise for FDI projects to come in
the future.
“To
succeed in attracting FDI, Thai Nguyen started improving investment
environment with eight major solutions related to laws and policies,
planning, infrastructure, human resources, site clearance, administrative
reform, investment promotion, and environmental pollution,” Long said.
Thanks
to the implementation of a series of Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI)
improvement measures, Thai Nguyen has improved the investment environment
remarkably, climbing from 57th among the 63 provinces and cities across the
country in PCI terms in 2011 to 44th in 2012 and 17th in 2013.
To
promote the achievements, Thai Nguyen will this year continue to focus on
attracting FDI into industry, especially the hi-tech and support industries,
to create a breakthrough in provincial industrial restructuring.-
Vietnamese
seafood exporters grasp golden opportunities
The
Vietnamese fisheries sector has grasped opportunities arising from the
current trend of global integration, placing the country fifth in the world
rankings in terms of seafood production and export after a record 6.8 billion
USD worth of total shipments were made last year.
In a
recent interview granted to Vietnam News Agency, Deputy General Secretary of
the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) Nguyen
Hoai
This
was partly due strong global demand while supplies declined due to widespread
epidemics in farming areas abroad - including those in
Responding
to figures that show 96 percent of exports to
Asked
about how the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership will influence the sector,
However,
to get a competitive edge over their rivals in this playing field, Vietnamese
firms must improve their product quality and output, he added.
Discussing
opportunities offered by the free trade agreement between
As
Europe lists quality as the top criteria, Vietnam should focus on this issue
in order to maximise the opportunities, Nam said, adding that after joining
the World Trade Organisation, Vietnam has issued the Law on Food Safety &
Hygiene and a range of regulations to ensure that its seafood processors are
qualified to supply goods to this market.
He
said other promising markets in South America, the Middle East and Islamic
nations will come under the association’s radar in the coming time.-
HCM
city: ground segment sees increasing demand
According
to a survey on the property market conducted by Savills Vietnam Real Estate
Company , the lower price and flexible use of the segment are the main
factors behind the demand surge of buyers and investors.
In
2013, more than 800 ground areas were on offer in the city, 11 percent higher
than 2012, while only 120 villas sold to the market, decreasing by 18 percent
compared to the previous year.
In the
segment, three new projects have been introduced to customers, supplying more
than 430 ground areas, raising the total number of areas on offer to 1,200 –
an increase of 93 percent compared to the previous quarter.
According
to Savills
Vietnamese
rice to face tough competition in 2014
The
Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has forecasted Vietnamese rice will face tough
competition from
At a
January 9 meeting in
The
VFA believes quality Vietnamese fragrant and white rice enjoys competitive
advantages in Chinese, African, and Southeast Asian markets.
Southeast
Asia’s rice import demands have stagnated or even slumped, but
The
VFA was careful to acknowledge the Chinese market’s inherent risks and
comparatively low prices. It promised to devote resources to consolidating
shares in traditional markets and expanding promotional efforts in emerging
markets.
Business
representatives also urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and
relevant agencies to encourage cross-border exports.
The
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the MOIT should
devise an overarching rice sector strategy that includes strict chemical
residue monitoring for intended US, EU, Japanese, and South Korean exports.
Bright
prospects for Vietnam-Africa cooperation
Two-way
trade turnover between
A
Participants
noted that
The
forum offered businesses an opportunity to share experience and explore
possible partnerships in importing and exporting rice, cashew nuts,
construction materials, canned and dried fruits, and agricultural processing
machinery and equipment.
Africa’s
more than one billion consumers makes it a market rich in potential,
especially considering the prices of Vietnamese goods broadly accord with
local living standards.
Vietnamese-African
trade exchange has previously encountered the hindrances of geographical
distance, transportation expenses, and bureaucratic formalities complicating
payments.
Many
forum participants said administrative and financial red tape must be
streamlined to allow Vietnamese businesses to invest in African markets.
Nguyen
Ngoc Thang, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s
(VCCI) International Relations Department, said state agencies will support
Vietnamese enterprises’ African ambitions.
He
said increased trade with
The
forum formed part of the 2014
It has
encouraged women and youth unions and businesses to set up more than 200
mobile kiosks to provide essential goods for rural people, employees at
industrial parks, low income earners and hospital patients.
The
city has stockpiled Tet goods valued at nearly VND7,500 billion for the price
stabilization programme. As many as 7,500 mobile kiosks and convenience
stores have offered lower prices than market levels at residential areas and
traditional markets.
The
Municipal Department of Industry and Trade has assigned the Saigon Union of
Trading Cooperatives (Saigon Co.op), Saigon Trading Group (Satra), and Ba
Huan company to work closely with local businesses to carry out the programme
at the peak of the Tet holiday from January 1 to 25, 2014.
The
city will closely monitor market prices and trade frauds to nip any
violations in the bud.
TPP
to bring new opportunities to Vietnam: Seminar
The
advantages
The
event was jointly organized by the Vietnam Peace and Development Fund and the
Vietnam Economics Times.
Economic
experts and researchers said that the TPP is a great opportunity for
The
pact, with the participation of many countries, aims to set up a general free
trade framework for countries in the Asia Pacific.
The
agreement’s negotiated content is wide-reaching, covering issues related to
goods and service exchange, technical barriers, intellectual property rights,
environmental policies, working regulations and anti-corruption measures.
When
the agreement comes into force, its members will get a preferential export
tax rate and their export activities will meet with fewer obstacles.
Participants
also focused on analyzing the impact of the TPP and challenges that will face
Vietnamese businesses, thus taking measures and mapping out specific action
plans to fully tap the positive aspects and restrict the negative ones.
The
latest TPP session came after the World Trade Organization reached an
agreement on December 7 on some of the issues under the long-stalled Doha
Round of trade liberalization talks in
TPP
member countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and the US, in addition to Vietnam.-
Vice
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Xuan Viet made the demand
at a conference in
To
this end, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to
renovate agricultural services and enhance the effectiveness of land, labor,
technique and material use, bringing the agro-foresty-fishery production
value to 230 million VND (10,900 USD) per hectare from the current 212
million VND.
In
particular,
In
terms of animal husbandry, the city will increase its livestock to 150,000
cows (including 13,500 milk cows), 1.4 million pigs and 20 million fowls.
Despite
difficulties caused by harsh weather, disease and the economic downturn,
Hanoi’s agro-forestry-fishery production value in 2013 rose by 1.3 percent
from last year to 38 trillion VND (1.8 billion USD).-
Seafood
firms eye sale boost through supermarkets
Representatives
of local seafood firms have said they are planning to expand their businesses
by selling products via supermarket channels.
Nguyen
Thi Thu Sac, deputy chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood
Exporters and Processors (VASEP) and the head of the association of
enterprises providing seafood for the domestic market, said at present there
are 13 local seafood firms that have succeeded in selling their products
through the Co.opMart supermarket system in the domestic market.
This
year, four more firms will join the system, she said.
Thoi
bao Kinh te Vietnam (Vietnam Economic Times) newspaper quoted Co.opMart
officials as saying the businesses should offer new and special products to
customers to compete with their rivals.
The
association for enterprises providing seafood for the domestic market was set
up this year to create favorable conditions for local firms in promoting
domestic seafood consumption, Sac said, adding it has attracted 30 companies
to cooperate in improving the quality and quantity of products.
However,
experts of the fisheries industry say Vietnamese customers have
hard-to-change habits in buying fresh seafood products, and this makes it
difficult to promote frozen and processed ones.
Those
frozen products have been mainly sold at supermarkets in large cities and
provinces. At traditional fish markets, traders find it difficult to invest
in refrigeration equipment and warn that such extra costs would result in
increases in the prices of the products.
Source:
VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR
|
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét