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Social News 1/12
Court
sentences four for forging passports
The Ha
Noi People's Court on Thursday sentenced four persons to several years in
prison for forging authorised signatures and immigration documents to help
two people flee abroad.
According
to the indictment, the four persons are Phan Van Lap, 46, from Quang Binh
Province; Phi Manh Thang, 32, from Thach That District in Ha Noi; and Hoang
Anh Tuan, 40, from Dong Da District in Ha Noi; as well as Bui Phu Binh, 23,
from Phuc Tho District, Ha Noi.
Tuan had
earlier worked as an immigration police officer at
The four
convicts forged authorised signatures, immigration documents and passports to
help two other persons flee to
The two
persons who used these fake documents were caught in Noi Bai in 2013.
While
Lap was sentenced to 45 months in prison, Thang received a 33–month sentence,
Tuan got 24 months in probation and Binh was jailed for 12 months.
Land
erosion hits Ha Noi farmers
Rising
tides in the
In
recent years, more has been reported to be flowing through the small river,
eroding 4km of banks in the commune.
Bui Tuan
Cu, chairman of the Quang Bi Commune People's Committee, said unusual weather
has caused the erosion. Commune authorities have told residents to drive
bamboo stakes into the ground to keep the land stable.
Do Viet
Thang, head of Village 5 in the commune, said 300 of the village's 700
households had been damaged by rising water.
Dao Duc
Khang, a resident in the village, said his family once had more than 360
square metres of land, but this had been reduced by a third.
When it
rains heavily, the 200 families facing the brunt of the flooding temporarily
move to a neighbouring commune, Tran Phu.
Many
residents have provided their land to build a dyke to protect them from the
river, said Do Viet Huu, another resident.
In May,
they surveyed the possible route of the embankment. However, they have not
started working on it yet, despite hoping to finish it by October.
City
authorities stepped in and built a 700m-dyke along the river, but more than
3km has been left unprotected due to a lack of funds.
Ca
Mau airport closes for runway repairs
The
airport in the southernmost
Codeshare
flights (between Vietnam Airlines and VASCO) between
The two
carriers have contacted passengers booked on these flights and arranged
alternative transport, the CAAV said.
One
dead, four injured in Ha Noi market fire
One
person died and four others were injured after a kiosk in Ha Noi's Thuong
Thanh Market caught fire on Saturday.
Vu Thi
Diu, mother of the kiosk owner, was found dead after fire fighters failed to
reach her in time, while Tran Thi Nga, the kiosk owner, and three other
family members were injured.
The
injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment.
Rotten
meat headed for food stalls seized
Police
seized 250kg of rotten cow and buffalo parts being transported to
Police
said that Nguyen Thi Ha from
Ha
failed to provide hygiene certificates for the meat. Police stopped the cargo
on the
Internal
organs like hearts, stomachs, kidney and livers of cattle and poultry are
used as food materials in
The
truck was stopped for inspection in Binh Tan District. The truck driver, Nguyen
Quoc Truong, failed to show proper invoices for the goods.
The case
was handed to Binh Tan District police for further investigation.
Residents
march to protect the dugong
At least
800 hundred locals in the southern
Local
officials, residents, tourists and 300 secondary school students marched
around the island's streets carrying banners highlighting the plight of the rare
mammal.
The
dugong is listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature as a
vulnerable species.
According
to WAR, dugong numbers have fallen into the hundreds as their they are hunted
for food, traditional medicine and jewellery.
Dong
Thap aims to boost rice, fish farming
The
Mekong Delta
The
Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development chose the
heavily-based agricultural province as the first to pilot the national
agricultural restructuring plan. Dong Thap produces the most tra catfish and
ranks third for rice production. Agriculture accounts for 36 per cent of GDP.
The
province aimed to achieve a growth rate of more than 5 per cent by 2020 and
reduce the number of poor households by two percentage points annually,
according to Provincial Party Committee Secretary Le Minh Hoan. In addition
to rice and tra catfish, the province would focus on mangoes, bonsai trees
and poultry.
Under
the project, rice-growing land would be divided in two. One 10,000ha area
with the annual yield of 1.5 million tonnes would provide rice for export to
key markets such as
Chairman
of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Duong said the province had
made several requests to the Government, including subsidies for farmers,
piloting public private partnerships in developing agricultural and rural
infrastructure, building industrial-services zones in the intensive
cultivation areas and developing key agricultural commodity value chains.
He also
said that the province would create favourable conditions for enterprises
investing in agricultural development when it came to obtaining capital,
premises and human resources.
Delegates
suggested that the province clarify how it would boost the value of the five
key products, citing tra catfish fat as an example.
Unions
review rights of workers abroad
A
conference to discuss how trade unions should protect migrant and guest
workers' rights and interests was held in Ha Noi yesterday.
Representatives
from local trade unions, labour export agencies and organisations reviewed
They
said more co-ordination between trade unions and relevant organisations in
and outside the country was needed to assist and protect contracted
Vietnamese workers abroad.
A pilot
programme with
During
the event, jointly held by the
The
unions should collaborate closely with State agencies and the Viet Nam
Association of Manpower Supply to monitor and inspect the implementation of
laws among labour export enterprises, they said.
Labour
exports are an important part of a long-term strategy that will serve
national construction and international co-operation.
The VGCL
always said Vietnamese guest workers were an indispensable part of the
country's workforce and needed protection.
According
to the Overseas Workers Management Department under the Ministry of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs, in October 2014, 7,774 Vietnamese were sent to
work abroad.
In the
first 10 months of this year, 91,143 Vietnamese workers went to work in other
countries, exceeding the 2014 plan by 4.76 per cent.
Better
medical research vital need in Viet Nam
At
present, a few medical students are sent abroad to study and conduct
research, head of the Ministry of Health's Science, Technology and Training
Department Nguyen Cong Khan, said at an annual meeting held yesterday by the
Viet Nam Public Health Association.
He said
that improving the quality of education for medical students in local medical
universities was imperative.
The
Ministry of Education and Training is piloting medical research at
universities in Ha Noi and
The
Public Health Association has been asked to consider setting up an
independent centre to verify the quality of the research, he said.
Doctor
Nguyen Duy Phong, from HCM City Medicine and
However,
he admitted that the university was confused about how to turn the university
into a research establishment in lined with global trends.
The
annual meeting drew more than 100 medical officials and experts from
throughout
Thousands
sign up to donate corneas
Nearly 40,000
people have registered to donate their corneas to the Eye Bank, which has
already received 461 corneas from 235 people in the past five years,
according to the Viet Nam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO).
The
institute honoured 37 families and individuals yesterday for their
outstanding contributions to the development of the Eye Bank and cornea donation
mobilisation.
Closer
links needed between Vietnamese universities and industries
Closer
co-operation between universities and industries is needed to further promote
human resource training and innovative research in
Pham
Hoang Luong, vice president of the Ha Noi University of Science and
Technology, explained that apart from carrying out their traditional teaching
and research activities as generators of public knowledge, many universities
in
They
could provide industries with well-trained graduates and basic and applied
research results from which new products and processes may evolve.
In
return, universities could obtain from industries significant benefits such
as additional new investment resources through industrially sponsored
research which will enable university researchers and students to work on and
study problems in the real world, Luong said.
Professor
Pasi Malinen of the
He
revealed that in
Petrus
Ng, BASF Vietnam managing director, said that in a highly diversified and
globalised international network, new ideas were generated and new impulses
were given to research.
"This
is why we involve external partners in our innovation processes and maintain
numerous contacts with businesses and universities and their graduates,"
he told Viet Nam News.
Education
and training are also important factors for the future success of BASF, he
said, adding that his company's demand for skilled employees would continue
to increase in the foreseeable future as a result of demographic changes,
especially in the fields of technology and production.
"Together
with our educational institute and university partners around the globe, we
are working in many different disciplines that will support us to achieve our
ambitious growth target based on innovations," the BASF managing
director explained.
Earlier
this year, BASF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ha Noi University
of Science and Technology on co-operation to promote sustainable development
that balanced scientific research and innovation with economic, environmental
and social needs.
The
company will also provide information about BASF scholarship and career
opportunities to students while promoting research opportunities towards the
faculty members.
ASEAN
will hold its first Consumer Protection Conference (1st ACPC) from December
8-9 in
The
event will see the participation of representatives of government bodies
handling consumer protection schemes, researchers, non-governmental
organisations, private sectors, business associations and relevant
organisations involving in consumer protection enforcement.
The
first ACPC will deliberate on a wide range of topics on current issues and
challenges relating to financial transactions, consumer product safety,
e-commerce and development of consumer redress mechanisms.
It is
expected to generate fruitful discussions and exchange of views on the
development of consumer protection in ASEAN and engender deliberations on the
future direction of the regional consumer trends and challenges.
The
conference, to be hosted by the Vietnam Competition Authority under the
auspices of the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection, is part of a wider
scale project entitled “Supporting Research and Dialogue in Consumer
Protection” funded by the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Programme
Phase II (AADCP II).
More
than 300 volunteers in the central city of
President
of the municipal Women’s Union Do Thi Kim Linh called on not only every
member of society but also authorities at all levels to engage in efforts to
eliminate domestic violence and build happy families.
Shoko
Ishikawa, a representative from the UN Women in
Children,
in particular, are prone to become either victims or inflictors of violence
if they regularly witness violent acts, she noted, saying changing gender
prejudice is needed to end the situation.
She
suggested the city’s Women’s
Statistics
announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that up to 58 percent
of Vietnamese married women reported that they experienced at least one type
of domestic violence in their lifetime, namely physical, sexual and emotional
violence.
Over the
past few years,
“Innovation
Nearly
7,000 students and youngsters joined the Innovation Sweden programme held in
The
programme, part of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the
Vietnam-Sweden diplomatic ties, comprised 15 events and activities under the
theme of innovative technology, she said.
In
particular, a series of workshops on climate change, urban traffic and
communications during the programme offered a venue for state agencies and
businesses of both sides to exchange ideas and seek technological solutions
to meet the demand of the modern industrial economy, said Mellander.
At the
same time, four delegations of top Swedish enterprises in technology also
participated in the programme to introduce solutions to urban traffic,
environmental pollution, climate change and natural disasters in
Meanwhile,
Doan Tuan Linh, Vice Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of External
Relations, spoke highly of the programme, including exhibitions, conferences,
film festivals and music performances that introduce the culture, nation and
people of
The
programme helps deepen the understanding of locals in
The
International Charity Bazaar, which aims to raise funds for disadvantaged
people around the world, took place in
Organised
by the Consular Club of Ho Chi Minh City, the 21st event attracted more than
2,000 visitors.
All
money collected from the fair will be used to help underprivileged people in
the community, the organiser said.
In 2013,
the fair raised over 2 billion VND (94,000 USD), which was used for the
provision of scholarships, medical care and assistance for flood victims.
The Club
comprises members from the 20 diplomatic and commercial agencies in the City.
It works towards improving the quality of life of underprivileged people in
the southern region.
The club
by 2013 assisted 24 charitable projects, including building bridges, presenting
scholarships, providing health care services, and installing water wells in
schools.
Over
160 Vietnamese citizens receive Australian scholarships
A total
of 161 Vietnamese citizens will start their post-graduate studies in
They
include 117 recipients of Australia Awards Scholarships, of whom two are the
disabled and seven are from ethnic minority groups; and 44 recipients of
Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships.
A
ceremony to present scholarship took place in
As many
as 4,500 Vietnamese citizens have been trained in
The Asia
Pacific Disability Forum 2014 (APDF) concluded in
The
forum heard the Hanoi Statement, which showed
The
Vietnamese National Assembly on the same day passed a resolution ratifying
the Convention.
Ha Dinh
Bon, Head of the Legislation Department under the Ministry of Labour, War
Invalids and Social Affairs, stressed the adoption reflected
It is
also a legal foundation to affirm
Speaking
at the closing session, Joakim Parker, Chief Representative of the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) in
USAID
will continue to provide support for
With two
plenary sessions, the forum created a platform for the people with disabilities
to share a wide range of topics from policy building, social welfare, and
vocational training to social integration and climate change impact.
In the
frame work of the event, a number of margin activities were organised such as
a photo exhibition, a gala dinner and a walking tour of Hanoi in response to
the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3).
On the
occasion, donors presented 25 scholarships to young people with disabilities
nationwide.
According
to the United Nations, around 15 percent of the world’s population or 1
billion people live with disabilities.
Charity
walk held to support persons with disabilities
Thousands
of people on November 29 participated in a charity walk around
The
programme aims to call for people from a variety of social strata to join
hands and care for those with disabilities.
Speaking
at the launching ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen
Thi Kim Ngan said the Party, State and people of
She
noted that laws and policies towards the disabled have been improved, citing
the approval of the Law on Persons with Disabilities by the National Assembly
in 2010 as an example.
During
the process of international integration,
According
to her, thanks to these efforts, persons with disabilities, especially women
and children, have seen their spiritual and material life improved
significantly.
She
attributed the results to the support of the international friends who help
Vietnamese disabled people integrate into the community.
Ngan
voiced her hope that more charity programmes will be launched in the coming
time in order to better care for the disabled people.
Joining
the event, Chairman of the 2014 Asia-Pacific of
The
prevalence of contraband and counterfeit goods remains the society’s pressing
issue that needs to be wiped out without delay for the creation of a healthy
market and protection of customers’ interests.
Deputy
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Head of the National Steering Committee on
the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities,
was speaking at a ceremony held in Hanoi on November 28 to mark the Day for
Fighting Fake Goods (November 29).
He asked
the Market Surveillance Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade to
increase sense of responsibility among officials and strengthen inspections
to prevent negative phenomena.
Deputy
Minister Tran Quoc Khanh reported the agency has so far uncovered nearly
64,000 violations, up 12.3 percent against the previous year, and collected
187 billion VND (8.7 million USD) in fines.
Chairman
of the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Trademark Protection
(VATAP) Le The Bao said production and business of contraband and fake
commodities have become more sophisticated with impacts on health and
domestic production.
He
proposed perfecting the legal framework and enhancing the coordination
between law enforcement agencies, businesses, and the press to raise public
awareness of the issue.
Trade
unions seek ways to better protect guest workers
Trade
union’s stronger engagement in protecting migrant and guest workers’ rights
and interests was sought during a conference held in
Representatives
from local trade unions, labour export agencies and organisations together
reviewed the outcomes and shortcomings of labour export activities of
They
proposed enhancing the coordination between trade unions and relevant
organisations in and outside the country in assisting and protecting
contracted Vietnamese workers abroad.
A pilot
programme should be conducted with
During
event, jointly held by the
The unions
should collaborate closely with State agencies and the Vietnam Association of
Manpower Supply in monitoring and inspecting the execution of laws among
enterprises exporting workers, they said.
Labour
export is defined by the Party and State as a long-term important strategy
serving the country’s national construction and international cooperation.
The VGCL
always sees Vietnamese guest workers an indispensable part of the country’s
workforce and gives much attention to protecting them.
According
to the Overseas Workers Management Department under the Ministry of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs, in October 2014, 7,774 Vietnamese were sent to
work abroad.
In the
first 10 months of this year, 91,143 Vietnamese workers went to work in other
countries, exceeding the 2014 plan by 4.76 percent.
Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND
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Chủ Nhật, 30 tháng 11, 2014
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 1/12
Overseas
remittances to hit US$12 billion in 2014
Banks
predict that remittances from overseas Vietnamese will reach US$12 - 13
billion this year.
Over the
past three years, the country has seen a sharp increase in remittances, from
US$9 billion in 2011 to US$11 billion in 2013.
Head of
the Ho Chi Minh City branch, State Bank of Vietnam, Nguyen Hoang Minh said
Vietnam would remain in the list of the world’s top 10 remittance
recipients with US$12.1 billion, up about 10% compared to a year earlier.
Similarly,
the Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV)’s also forecast a 10% increase
in overseas remittance to US$12 billion by the end of this year.
Meanwhile,
General Director of the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and
Trade (VietinBank) Le Duc Tho expected the figure to hit US$13 billion in
2014. The rising remittances, together with strong inflows of direct foreign
investment (FDI) and official development assistance (ODA) will make
Tho also
revealed that overseas remittances channeled through VietinBank mostly to
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and provinces having large numbers of people working
abroad, accounted for 15-17% of the country’ total value.
The Ho
Chi Minh City People’s Committee also reported that overseas remittances to
the city in the 11 months leading to December were estimated at US$4.4
billion.
Shutdowns
exceed 60,000 in 11 months
Vietnamese
businesses that have either been dissolved or have suspended operations in
the first 11 months of 2014 numbered more than 60,000, a 9.8-per cent
year-on-year increase.
According
to the General Statistics Office (GSO), a total of 8,661 enterprises
completed dissolution procedures while 10,147 others registered for temporary
suspension and 41,532 were either suspended while awaiting business codes or
failed to register.
The GSO
figures indicate that the business community has been facing numerous
difficulties, including competition pressure.
The
statistics office revealed that dissolved or suspended enterprises had been
increasing in number since 2013 while enterprises in the black either
retained the level of their operations or sought new opportunities.
GSO
figures also showed that from January to November, the number of new
businesses in Viet Nam reached 67,790, a 4.5-per cent year-on-year decline,
while the total registered capital of these new businesses reached VND391.3
trillion (US$18.6 billion), an 8.9-per cent year-on-year decline.
The
average registered capital of a newly established enterprise reached VND5.8
billion ($276,000), a 14-per cent year-on-year increase, while the total
number of employees of these new businesses was estimated to be 992,000, a
1.9-per cent year-on-year increase.
The GSO
noted that in terms of capital, the number of new businesses established this
year had increased year-on-year, suggesting that the country's business
environment had improved and boosted the business community's confidence.
The
number of businesses that have resumed operations following a temporary
shutdown numbered more than 14,200, an 11.8-per cent year-on-year increase
that indicated economic recovery.
The GSO
proposed stronger Government support to help businesses overcome difficulties
and achieve stable development. It also urged companies to strive to resolve
their own shortcomings.
Bilateral
trade with
Bilateral
trade between
Speaking
at a ceremony in HCM City yesterday to mark the 39th anniversary of the
National Day of Laos (December 2), Southideth Phommalat said two-way trade
was worth $995 million in the first nine months of the year compared to
$733.5 million in the same period last year.
Despite
the economic difficulties in the past years, the Vietnamese Government has
provided an increase of 10 per cent a year in official assistance development
(ODA) to
Meanwhile,
the country has granted scholarships for
Addressing
the event, Phan Xuan Bien, chairman of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship
Association in
He
emphasised that cooperation had been successful in a wide range of fields
from trade, industry and agriculture to healthcare, education and human
resources training.
Over the
past, the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation shared by both
countries had developed in all areas, he said.
More
opportunities to boost exports to Mexico
Mexican
multinational group Home Depot wants to import 18 types of products from
According
to the Vietnamese Trade Office in
Vietnamese
firms who want to be suppliers of Home Depot can contact at “The Home Depot
México S. de R.L. de C.V. Ricardo Margáin Zozaya 555, Edificio A Parque
Corporativo Santa Engracia, San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, C.P 66267
Mexico”.
Currently,
Home Depot runs 2,200 shops in the
The
Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that in recent times,
Two-way
trade turnover between the two countries in 9 months ending September rose by
45% to US$986 million compared to the same period last year.
Imports
from
In the
first 10 months of this year,
According
to Vietnam Customs’ statistics the country’s total imports and exports in the
review period increased by 18.6% to US$141.8 million.
In
general,
The
total value of
In the
review period,
Vietinbank
projects overseas remittances to reach over $12b
Viet Nam
Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) announced the
information at its conference on investors and specialists here last Tuesday.
Vietinbank
predicted that the country's gross domestic product this year would reach 5.8
to 5.9 per cent while the consumer price index would remain under control at
3.5 per cent. The momentum of foreign direct investment inflows will also
continue for the economy in the future.
In
addition, the bank predicted overseas remittances to be stable with a 10-per
cent growth rate this year. The State Bank of
Vietinbank
also predicted that the banking sector would face difficulties in meeting
their business targets in the year-end months and next year.
Interest
rates will be slightly reduced to support enterprises' production while
banks' liquidity will rise because the mobilising rate will be higher than
the lending rate.
The
Government bond market is expected to develop because of low interest rates
and high transaction amounts.
Regarding
bad debts, the bank believed the situation would not improve sharply,
especially for restructured debts. It added that current solutions to solve
bad debts were not effective, and the issue would be a key concern for banks
in the future.
Fisheries
urged to cut seed dependence
According
to the Directorate of Fisheries, nearly all fish seeds except tra and basa
fish have to be imported from other countries or exploited in their natural
environments.
The
seeds come from tiger and white-leg shrimp, as well as lobster, eel, tilapia
and sturgeon. Of these,
The
domestic fisheries sector needs 180,000 white-leg shrimp parents to meet
domestic demand for 100 billion seeds. To meet such a demand, they need to
import all parents from the
Tam
noted that import dependence had relegated enterprises and farmers to a
passive role in seed production and had resulted in exports that were priced
high to cover import costs.
To
address this concern, the ministry and aquaculture research institutes had
been implementing domestic shrimp seed production projects since 2013 to
develop domestic sources and reduce import dependence, Tam said.
If the
sector could produce seeds at home, the price of seeds could go lower than
that of imports, thereby increasing farmers' profits and placing shrimp
disease under control, said Pham Anh Tuan, deputy director general of the
Directorate of Fisheries.
The
ministry expects Vietnamese seafood export profits to reach US$7.3 billion to
$7.5 billion for the entire year, or more than $6.7 billion in 2013. Of this,
shrimp export profits could make up $3.6 billion or more than the $3.1
billion achieved in 2013.
Trademarks
needed to boost domestic specialities
Tran Thi
Phuong Lan, the Ha Noi Department of Trade and Industry's deputy director,
made this observation at a conference here last Saturday.
The
conference, which the Ha Noi Department of Trade and Industry organised,
aimed to support enterprises in enhancing the value and developing the
trademarks of their products to make
Numerous
experts in trademark development and protection were invited to help
enterprises further understand how to build, develop and protect trademarks
for success in business.
Even
though some enterprises were successful in developing trademarks in and
outside the country for their high-value specialities, a number of them have
yet to learn how to develop the trademarks for export.
To enter
large distributing channels, the enterprises need to meet international
distributors' standards on design, quality and packaging.
To build
sustainable trademarks in domestic and international markets, many successful
enterprises in the world began their respective businesses in small shops,
revealed Nguyen Huyen Minh, lecturer of the Foreign Trade University (FTU).
Since they focused on quality, they built a trademark that later became
popular in the world. Minh said.
He added
that to be successful, enterprises must also put themselves in the shoes of
their consumers. "Many producers take it for granted that buyers must
know how to use their products. But in fact, many buyers do not know how to
use or cook local specialities in the right way," Minh noted.
He
suggested that businesses provide detailed information about the origins and
procedures on the making and use of their products.
He also
stressed the importance of the domestic market in the enterprises' trademark
development strategy. "Domestic specialities should win over domestic
consumers because the domestic market is crucial in the sustainable
development of speciality manufacturers and serves as a safety zone if they face
difficulties in foreign markets," Minh said.
Trademark
protection regis-tration and intellectual property was also discussed and
recommended during the conference, especially for enterprises that plan to
export their products.
Tran
Tam, an intellectual property lawyer, said that understanding legal
requirements of trademark protection would help enterprises defend themselves
against trademark infringement or copying and protect the trademark's
prestige.
Le Ba
Ngoc, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Handicraft Exporters Association
(Vietcraft), advised enterprises to formulate detailed and long-term plans,
raise village producers' awareness of the need for specialities development,
improve quality, invest in packaging and focus on training quality workers
for sustainable trademark development nationwide and worldwide.
The
programme to promote regional specialities here is open from November 28 to
December 2.
Nearly
40 producers of Vietnamese high-quality goods and local specialties introduced
their products and services for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday under a
"Tung Hang Tet" (Spreading Tet Goods) programme organised in
The
one-day programme attracted about 1,000 participants, including small traders
at 45 traditional markets, distributors and purchasing staff at supermarkets.
Most of
the producers are active in the food, cosmetics, fashion, beverage,
confectionery, gift services and others.
The aim
of the event was to promote domestic brands and help local firms cope with
tough economic times, and at the same time introduce customers to locally
made, high-quality products at reasonable prices.
It also
provided an opportunity for local producers and distributors to exchange
information to boost sales at a time of low consumption, said Vu Kim Hanh,
chairwoman of the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Goods.
It was
organised by the association and the Business Studies and Assistance Centre.
Electronics,
appliance sales surge to 1.3 billion USD
Vietnamese
consumers spending on electronic products and appliances reached 28 trillion
VND (1.3 billion USD), a 20.9 percent increase, in the third quarter of 2014.
Most of
the products purchased were mobile phones and earphones, which brought in
sales of more than 12 trillion VND (561 million USD), a 28 percent year on
year rise.
Information
and technology (IT) products ranked second with total sales of 5.6 trillion
VND (262 million USD).
Significant
growth was also seen in total sales of three major domestic appliances:
refrigerators at 15.6 percent, washing machines at 15.5percent and microwave
ovens at 12.8 percent.
However,
sales of laptop computers declined, even as sales of tablet devices doubled with
the exception of the Apple iPad and iPad mini, which ironically experienced a
sales decline in the world market following the release of Apple’s iPhone 6.
GFK, one
of the world’s largest research companies, predicted
The
company predicted bestselling products to include the LED TV, smart phones
and tablet devices, as producers and retailers are expected to offer
promotional and sales programmes for these products during the year-end
months to stimulate consumer spending.
Sales of
washing machines, refrigerators and laptops are likewise expected to grow but
at a low rate.
Vietnamese
firms seek paths to EU market
Vietnamese
businesses have been provided with necessary information on opportunities to
make inroads into the European Union (EU) market through
Jointly
organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Trade
Promotion and the Wallonie region’s Trade and Investment Promotion Agency,
the November 28 event aims at boosting stronger Vietnam-EU trade ties.
Addressing
the event, Vo Ta Luong, Deputy Director of the ministry’s Department of Trade
Promotion for Southern region said Vietnam and EU have set up a comprehensive
cooperation in all fields, including trade, investment, judiciary
cooperation, security, and the climate change.
The two
sides are close to the signing of an EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA),
which is expected to bring benefits as well as challenges to Vietnam’s key
sectors, Luong said, the
According
to Jean Claude Marcourt, Vice President of the Wallonie Government stated
With its
potential along with advantages of geography and infrastructure,
The EU
is
Business
role in promoting national competitiveness discussed
Vietnamese
officials and entrepreneurs as well as top experts from the World Economic
Forum (WEF) shared opinions on ways to promote the role of enterprises in
enhancing national competitiveness in the context of increasing regional and
international integration during a conference in
According
to Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, the Vietnamese Government always
defines the improvement of business environment and competitiveness as a key
task in the country’s socio-economic development strategy.
Along
with renovating the growth model and restructuring the economy,
Thanks
to its reform efforts,
WEF
Managing Director Philipp Roesler said
He also
emphasised the need to better fiscal policy, invest more in infrastructure,
connect rural areas and economic hubs, and develop information technology.
Director
of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc stated that
competitiveness plays an important role in the current regional and
international integration, especially when the country joins the ASEAN
Community and signs free trade agreements with many countries and the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.
Participants
at the event also discussed factors affecting the competitiveness of
enterprises and their contributions to the national competitiveness.
Enterprises join international handicraft fair in Italy
Fifty
Vietnamese enterprises are taking part in the 19th international exhibition
on fine art and craft products (AF-L’ARTIGIANO), which kicked off in
Vietnamese
Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long attended the opening ceremony of the
exhibition, which first began in 1996 and now is the largest international
event dedicated to the handicraft industry.
The
diplomat lauded the Vietnamese businesses’ participation as it allows them to
reach customers far and wide and learn experience in production and brand
improvement from foreign partners.
The
display of hand-made products on an area of nearly 1,000m2 together with the
performances of traditional long dress (Ao Dai) and lion dances help feature
a beautiful, hospitable, and peaceful
The
businesses’ trip was co-organised by the Vietnam Cooperatives Alliance, the
Vietnamese Embassy in
This
year’s event will run until December 8.
Leather,
footwear sector needs more domestic materials
Increasing
the localisation ratio of leather and footwear products is a priority
requirement for the industry in international integration as materials
account for 68-75 percent of footwear production costs, the Vietnam Business
Forum Magazine (VBF) said.
According
to the magazine, the localisation ratio is now only 40-45 percent, while key
materials like leather, artificial leather and canvas are mostly imported.
As of
early 2014, the country had 129 material producers, including tanners. The
industrial production value of the leather and footwear material sector
expanded 16.5 percent a year in the 2006-2011 period. The proportion of
material value to overall leather and footwear production value was only 20.3
percent in 2011. This growth was lower than the rate recorded by supporting
industries of other industries like garment-textile, electronics and mechanics,
and was not commensurate with the development potential of supporting
industries in
The
Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) admitted that the
added value of leather, footwear and handbags of
In
addition,
Moreover,
according to Lefaso, if material output is not invested for expansion after
2013, Vietnam will have to import 75 percent of leather in 2015 and 87
percent in 2025; 96 percent of leatherette in 2015 and 99 percent in 2025; 92
percent of woven and non-woven fabrics in 2015 and 94 percent in 2025.
Currently,
In the
long run,
In 2014,
Vietnam's leather and footwear industry targets to earn 12 billion USD from
exports, up 16.5 percent over 2013, including 9.5 billion USD from footwear,
up 13 percent, and 2.5 billion USD from handbags, up 31 percent. To achieve
this goal,
Local
company hands over platform topsides to Indian customer
The PetroVietnam
Technical Services Corporation launched and handed over the upper
infrastructure of the HRD process platform to the Indian oil and gas company,
ONGC, on November 29.
This is
the biggest project in the field of building drilling platforms that has been
undertaken by a Vietnamese company so far.
Speaking
at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said the project proves
the skills of the PTSC staff, paving the way for them to winning more
customers in the field.
The PTSC
won the contract to build the 11,000 tonne structure in April last year.
More
Vietnamese guest workers come to Japan
The
number of Vietnamese guest workers going to
Statistics
from the Vietnam Association of Manpower Supply show that as of October more
than 16,280 workers had gone to Japan this year, the first time ever the
number has exceeded 15,000.
Fifty
labour companies have sent at least 200 workers there.
Nguoi
Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper quoted Nhat Hy Khang Company as saying labour
supply to
Tracimexco,
a company also sending Vietnamese workers to
Vu
Thanh, director of Tracimexco, told the newspaper: "We have permanent
recruitment cooperation with more than 20 associations and trade unions in
But
Esuhai Limited Company is the leader after obtaining contracts for 700
workers of whom 400 have left for
Esuhai
has ties with 50 Japanese small-and-medium-sized enterprises that supply
manpower to 300 factories in
Until 2012
But
since last year the number of Chinese workers going to Japan has been falling
dramatically, forcing
With
In the
last quarter of this year an expected 1,700 Vietnamese workers will go to
Hai
Phong remains among top FDI attractive destinations
Hai
Phong city remained one of the most attractive destinations for foreign
investors with 406 valid projects valued at 9,887 million USD so far,
according to a city senior official.
The city
attracted investors from 25 countries and territories, with most projects
focusing on industry and high technology, said Vice Chairman of the municipal
People’s Committee Dan Duc Hiep.
Notably,
the city was the choice of some world giants, including Bridgestone with a
447.8 million USD factory launched in October, as well as Nipro, Pharma, Fuji
Xerox, and LG Electronics, he noted.
Currently,
Hai Phong has 19 industrial parks covering 9,716 hectares, including
Nomura-Hai Phong, Dinh Vu, VSIP Thuy Nguyen, Cat Hai and Lach Huyen, said
Hiep.
However,
he also pointed to a number of shortcomings that can hinder the FDI inflow
into the city, including a lack of professional investment promotion campaigns,
and slow implementation of projects and ground clearance, along with poor
infrastructure system and a short of skilled workforce.
In the
future, the city will focus on designing policies to support and encourage
investors, while working with domestic and foreign partners in speeding up
ground clearance and building infrastructure, focusing on industrial parks
for support industry, he said.
The
official also stressed the need to step up international economic cooperation
and expand the city’s economic space, along with broadening relations with
strategic partners, including
Project
helps VN re-brand rice
The
quality of Vietnamese rice was lower than that of neighbouring countries such
as
Under
the project, IRRI will help
Deputy
agriculture minister Le Quoc Doanh noted that the agricultural sector faced
huge challenges, as its contribution to GDP dropped from 20 per cent in 2010
to 19 per cent in 2013, but was optimistic that IRRI's expertise in
researching and developing sustainable rice varieties would help farmers gain
better income.
A
representative from An Giang Province Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development expressed the need for IRRI to support staff at the local level
when it came to choosing suitable rice varieties.
MARD and
IRRI will form a steering committee to oversee the programme. MARD will
select the members of the committee, which will be chaired by the MARD.
Policies
to blame for low productivity
Ngoc
said this indicated that the Government needed to improve its policies.
He said
there were nearly 54 million labourers in 2013, and only 18.4 per cent of
them were well educated and trained, an increase of one per cent over 2007.
Ngoc
said that Vietnamese workers lacked necessary skills, including creativity,
teamwork, and leadership, and seemed unable to acquire new technologies. This
often led to low-quality work.
In
addition, many employees were not working in the fields they were trained for
and therefore could not perform well, the deputy director said.
Experts
said other causes for low productivity included the Government giving
advantage to low-productivity State-owned enterprises for investments and
resources.
Le Dang
Doanh, former director of Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM)
said that Vietnamese companies considered they did not have to improve their
technologies and labour quality.
This was
because their business depended on the relationship with management agencies
which they could bribe to receive economic advantages.
He said
that Vietnamese companies must change their business model to sustainable
growth and invest in technology development, the Government should increase
its efforts to fight corruption and revise education and training system to
provide more skilful labourers for the market.
Pham Chi
Lan, an economic expert, said labourers were not the only ones to blame for
low productivity.
She said
the Government should move some of its resources from the public sector to
the private sector which had higher working productivity, invest in the
fields with economic competitive advantages, and remove the barriers which
prevented the labour force from moving among economic sectors and among
geographic areas.
Nguyen
Dinh Cung, CIEM director, said society should support new inventions and
initiatives, which would motivate enterprises.
He also
said that the Government should remove the current minimum wage and let the
market decide the labour wage because companies often paid their workers the
minimum wage, limiting their enthusiasm.
Policy
support can boost private sector role in agriculture
Stable
policies, together with incentives in land and credits, would encourage the
private sector to invest in agricultural and rural development, experts said
at a workshop yesterday co-organised by the Embassy of Denmark and the
Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).
The
private sector was hesitant to invest in the agricultural sector due to
worries about working with farmers who were ill equipped to cope with bad
weather and diseases, deputy director of the
CIEM's
vice president Nguyen Thi Tue Anh said that small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) changed the employment structure in rural areas. Anh cited
a study that found that the number of rural residents employed in the
agro-forestry-fishery sector declined from 79.6 per cent in 2011 to 59.6 per
cent today, while the number working in industrial production and services
increased from 7.4 per cent to 18.4 per cent.
However,
declining productivity was a major issue due to the large number of SMEs
creating primarily low-productivity jobs, Anh said. With outdated technology,
declining investment, intense competition and cheap imports, SMEs would also
find it hard to maintain growth.
During
the 2011-14 period,
The
US$11 million programme provided grants for 42 projects in eight provinces
with a focus on increasing the competitiveness of Vietnamese exports through
supporting innovations and initiatives to develop commercially viable
business services for SMEs, household enterprises and farmers.
The
Danish programme's grantees also shared experience at the workshop, besides
an exhibition showcasing products and initiatives from the programme's
supported projects.
During
2014-15,
Workshops
on support industry development held in Japan
A series
of workshops on investment cooperation to develop
Speaking
at the events in Osaka and Kyoto, Consul General in Osaka Tran Duc Binh affirmed
that Vietnam-Japan relations have been developing strongly in all fields,
from politics, security, economy, trade, and scientific research to
people-to-people exchange, laying a firm foundation for Japanese investors to
operate in Vietnam.
Kansai
central region comprising of
For his
part, Consul General in Fukuoka Bui Quoc Thanh said there is huge potential
of cooperation between
This
event is an initial step for cooperation between
Meanwhile,
Chairman of the Hanoi Supporting Industry Business Association (HANSIBA)
Nguyen Hoang said Vietnamese firms want to cooperate with Japanese partners
in supporting industries to meet the increasing demands of Japan’s leading
groups, such as Toyota, Honda and Sony and access Japan’s global production
chain, Hoang said.
He also
introduced participants to the
Quang
Ngai’s Dung Quat economic zone attracts investment flows
The Dung
Quat Economic Zone (DEZ) with the 3 billion-USD Dung Quat Refinery as its
heart can be said to be the driving force of economic development in the
central
The DEZ
has also attracted several large-scale projects, thus becoming one of the
central region’s most attractive investment destinations, contributing to
economic development in the locality and the region at large.
The
first 10 months of this year saw 10 projects granted licences to operate in
the Zone with a combined capital of over 1 trillion VND (47 million USD), a ccording
to Le Minh Huan, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. Three of
these projects are invested by foreign investors.
Three
other projects worth over 4,000 trillion VND (188 million USD) are expected
to be granted licences in the remaining months of the year, Huan added.
After 18
years of development, the zone has attracted 120 projects with a total
registered capital of 8.5 billion USD and disbursed capital worth 4.85
billion USD.
In
2013-2014, the Zone’s management board enhanced its investment promotion
efforts, both domestically and abroad, by participating in workshops to
introduce the park to leaders in the support industries and agricultural
sector in
At the
same time, many delegations from the Japan External Trade Organisation
(JETRO), and businesses from Japan, the RoK, the US and Singapore, along with
other international and domestic firms, undertook fact-finding tours to the
province to seek investment opportunities in the DEZ as well as in other
local industrial parks.
Yasuzumi
Hirotaka, CEO of JETRO said following his tour that Quang Ngai is one of the
most popular destinations for Japanese firms to invest in, and his agency
would serve as a bridge to introduce the locality’s potential to more
Japanese investors.
There
have been positive signals in attracting investment into the DEZ in recent
times, as a number of international businesses have affirmed their intention
to deploy large-scale projects in the zone in many fields, especially thermo-electric
power generation, gas-power, and wood-pulp.
At the
same time, preparations are under way for two key projects worth
approximately 4 billion USD, which are the Dung Quat Thermal Power Plant (2.2
billion USD) and the expansion of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery (1.8-2 billion
USD).
Deputy
Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has assigned the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group
(PetroVietnam) to complete studies on upgrading and expanding the Dung Quat
Oil Refinery, to be submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Trade before
November 15 for verification.
Meanwhile,
the Ministry of Industry and Trade was assigned to work with relevant
ministries and sectors, as well as the Quang Ngai provincial People’s
Committee to verify the project, and report to the Prime Minister in
November.
PetroVietnam
said the plant’s production capacity would be increased to 9-10 million
tonnes/year from the current 6.5 million tonnes. The expansion will start in
2017 and it is expected to be fulfilled after 60-78 months of construction.
Meanwhile,
the Dung Quat thermal power plant will be financed by Sembcorp Corporation of
Its
first turbine will be operated commercially from September 2020 onwards,
while the entire plant will become fully operational in March 2021,
generating 7 billion kWh of electricity every year.
The
DEZ’s management board is building resettlement areas for some 2,160
households, the largest number of households to be relocated in the zone so
far.
The VSIP
Quang Ngai Industrial-Urban-Service Complex, invested by the
Vietnam-Singapore Joint Venture Co. Ltd, is set to become a new magnet for
light industry and service projects to the DEZ in the near future.
By the
beginning of November, the complex attracted nine FDI projects and a domestic
project with a total funding of 164.3 million USD.
Three
projects are expected to be completed or become operational by the end of
this year, and three others are due for completion in 2015. These six
projects are set to employ 8,000 people.
The DEZ
is working to expand its southern section with the formation of the Dung Quat
Heavy Industrial Zone 2 and the Dung Quat deep-water Seaport 2.
According
to a plan publicised in September 2013, the Zone 2 will cover nearly 2,820ha,
bordering the Dung Quat Seaport 2 in the northeast, the Van Tuong new urban
area in the northwest, Sa Ky city in the southeast, and Binh Tan and Tinh Hoa
communes in the southwest.
It will
focus on oil refinery, chemical industry, manufacturing, shipbuilding, steel,
thermal electricity, and support industries, to be served by the deep
seaport.
Meanwhile,
under the Ministry of Transport’s detailed plan for 2030, the Dung Quat
Seaport 2 will comprise 1,850ha of land and water. The port will be able to
cater for ships with tonnages of over 300,000 tonnes, and handle 37 million
tonnes of cargo per year by 2025 and 100 million tonnes by 2030.
Additionally,
Quang Ngai province is also working hard to perfect its traffic
infrastructure, such as the second phase of Vo Van Kiet road, the routes
connecting Tri Binh and Dung Quat port, and Dung Quat 1 and Dung Quat 2
zones.
At the
end of November 2013, the provincial People’s Committee issued a decision
stipulating policies to support investments in certain activities. The
support includes the construction of resettlement areas, technical
infrastructure and labour training for projects on social housing, education,
vocational training, health, culture, sport the environment and tourism,
investment projects in industrial parks and the DEZ as well as projects in
the province’s list of priority investment.
Maximum
support for a project is 20 billion VND. Additionally, investors will receive
financial assistance in order to hold three-to-six-month training courses for
their new labourers.
Currently,
local authorities are offering a range of tax incentives according to the
Government’s regulations for investors, including a preferential corporate
income tax rate of 10 percent for the first 15 years since the start of
production; a four-year tax exemption after earning taxable income; and a 50
percent tax cut for the next nine years.
Large-scale
projects must be approved by the Prime Minister in order to enjoy a
preferential tax rate of 10 percent over the course of 30 years; tax
exemptions for fixed asset imports, and tax exemptions for imported
production materials over 5 years since the start of production; and a 50
percent tax reduction for personal income tax.
Local
authorities also adopted policies to support land clearance compensation and
labour training in a bid to encourage investments in the Dung Quat economic
zone.
This
year, the DEZ generated nearly 130 trillion VND (6.19 billion USD) in
industrial production and commercial services value, despite the Dung Quat
refinery having to halt operations for two months of maintenance.
The
provincial industrial production value was estimated at 20.6 trillion VND,
exceeding the annual target by 6.7 percent. Export turnover stood at 650
million USD, up by 27.8 percent, and imports stood at 760 million USD, down
by 34 percent year-on-year.
The
province contributed nearly 28.1 trillion VND to the State budget, with 26
trillion VND generated by the DEZ.
The
provincial economy is forecast to continue to thrive in 2015 due to the
stable operations of the Dung Quat oil refinery plant and the commencement of
investment projects in the VSIP.
Gross
domestic product (GDP) per capita is expected to reach 2,546 USD per year,
while the production value of industry and construction would rise by 11-12
percent, services by 12-13 percent, and agriculture-forestry-fishery by 2-3
percent.
Source:
VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR
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