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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 22/1
HCM City pulls out all the stops for Samsung
Samsung has invested heavily in
Ha made the statement at a planning meeting on January 20 for
the Saigon Hi-Tech Park underscoring the economic importance of Samsung’s new
project to construct a US$1.4 billion electronics facility in it.
Last year, the Saigon Hi-Tech Park attracted 10 foreign
invested projects and nearly US$1.9 million of investment.
Foreign invested projects in the park grossed over US$3
billion in sales and accounted for over 90% of the city’s total export value.
In 2015 the hi-tech park should concentrate on upgrading
infrastructure, mobilizing resources and focus on encouraging more
environmentally friendly productions processes and most importantly, on
facilitating construction of Samsung’s new manufacturing plant, said Mr Ha.
On the occasion, Saigon Hi-Tech Park and Fab Max B.V from the
The City is closely linked with the Mekong Delta, dubbed
He pledged to create as many favourable conditions for
Japanese enterprises operating in the city as possible, while directing
relevant agencies to speed up cooperative activities between the two sides.
Speaking of the City’s socio-economic development efforts,
Koya Nishikawa said there are increasing numbers of Japanese investors eager
to do business in
At the meeting, representatives from Japanese businesses
suggested both sides intensify technology transfer and production of
high-quality agricultural products.
Vinaconex to launch huge volume of real estate projects
Seeking to generate total revenue of 10 trillion VND (465.4
million USD) in 2015, the Vietnam Construction and Import–Export JSC
(Vinaconex) is implementing a large number of real estate projects across the
capital city of
Accordingly, Vinaconex is negotiating with An Khanh JVC to
begin construction on the second phase of Splendora New City in Hoai Duc
district, while speeding up analysis, planning and procedure support for its
other important projects.
Vinaconex plans to concentrate its capital and human resources
on major projects such as upgrading the outdated apartments at
This year, the corporation targets a pre-tax profit of 650
billion VND (30.2 million USD).
To achieve this, it has capitalised on its financial strength
and the quality of transportation infrastructure. Top priorities for the firm
include increasing competitiveness, applying additional advanced technologies
and recruiting highly qualified staff.-
Indian businesses to promote trade in Vietnam
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said he was glad to see
The Deputy Prime Minister made the remark at a reception for
Indian Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry Rajeev Kher in
He noted that the Indian government is providing increased
support for Indian businesses looking to enter the Vietnamese market,
especially for high-added value products.
The official suggested the two countries actively coordinate
measures to implement agreements and commitments between the two governments
during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to
He also proposed
The two sides must advance the implementation of oil and gas
exploration agreements in
Within the multilateral framework, the pair should actively
work together to implement the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India on goods and
services and move forward with negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Rajeev Kher said
He also said
Transport fees fall on fuel price cuts
The Ministry of Finance said last Friday that transport
charges in 38 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities have been lowered
relatively in proportion to the recent fuel price reductions.
At the request of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of
Finance has adjusted down the ceiling airfare by 15% from the old cap set in
late 2011. Train fares have also been reduced by 10%.
As reported by 38 cities and provinces, taxi fares have
dropped 0.9-26.3%, with the popular reductions ranging from 3% to 10%.
Meanwhile, bus ticket prices have knocked down by 3-21.7%, but mostly 5-10%.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the fare reductions vary
as many enterprises maintained the fares registered in 2011 and 2012 or
revised down the charges by a slight 1% to give scope for readjustment in the
event of a fuel price rise.
Enterprises that increased their transport charges last year
made deeper cuts, around 20%.
Such cuts, according to the Ministry of Finance, are suitable.
With road cargo transport, fuels account for 25-35% of the
transport costs for vehicles running on gasoline, mainly taxis, and 35-45%
for diesel-fueled autos, chiefly buses and trucks. With the current fuel
prices 27% lower than on January 1, 2014, the average reductions of transport
charges, 3-10%, are just fine, according to the ministry.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Transport will coordinate
with the Ministry of Finance to inspect transport charges in some localities
like Haiphong, Hanoi, Nghe An, Danang, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, HCMC and Can Tho.
The Ministry of Finance will also continue urging enterprises
that have not made a move to lower fees. Those refusing to do so will be
fined in accordance with Decree 109/2013/ND-CP of the Government.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van
Tam delivered a keynote address on January 20 at the opening ceremony of the
third OIE Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health in
As a member nation of the World Organisation for Animal Health
(OIE), Tam said,
However, if the sector is to develop sustainably then it must
take drastic measures to effectively prevent epidemics and control antibiotic
residues in seafood products.
General Director of the OIE Bernard Vallat in turn echoed
Tam's view and added that aquaculture has been recognised as the world’s
fastest growing food production sector with nearly 50% of the supply source
coming from aquatic products.
However, epidemics have caused remarkable damages to
aquaculture production, making a negative impact on the economies in some
nations and the region.
He stressed the need to strengthen state management over
aquatic animal health and implement veterinary measures effectively, obey OIE
standards to prevent epidemics.
Mr Vallat underscored the importance of the conference which
he said helps raise member nations’ awareness about the need to control
veterinary services and aquatic animal health in the private and public
sector.
Conference proposes anti-corruption measures
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI) and the World
Bank (WB) on January 20 co-hosted a high-level conference on strengthening
governance to promote development in
The event was designed to propose anti-corruption measures and
improve the efficiency of public funds, particularly ODA funding in
Negative phenomena, fraud and corruption in ODA projects
remain a major concern for Vietnamese management agencies and donors.
During nearly 30 years of pursuing the Doi Moi (Renewal)
process,
Speakers said the complex and time-consuming projects have
been prone to acts of corruption and fraud. However, they acknowledge the
number of fraud cases were limited.
According to them, fraud and corruption have been principally
found in the bidding process and relate to misrepresentation of financial
capacity and experience in bidding packages or collusion among domestic
firms.
Solutions were put forth with emphasis placed on reinforcing
the law enforcement by complying with bidding regulations on risk management
and financial procurement based on public contracts.
It is imperative to implement auditing standards, intensify
supervision and inspection, impose sanctions on fraud and corruption and
fine-tune institutions and policies to encourage supervision from society and
media agencies for public investment and ODA projects, they said.
Real estate investments to reap higher profits this year
Experts said investors in the high-end residential sector
would earn profits at the rate of 15 to 20 per cent this year, owing to the
impending rebound in the sector.
Nguyen Khai Hoan, chairman of the Khai Hoan Land Company, said
the
Investors can expect a minimum profit rate of 7 to 8 per cent
and a maximum profit rate of 15 to 20 per cent, depending on each segment of
the city property market, he added.
Hoan further pointed out that the minimum profit rate of 7 to
8 per cent a year would be applicable to medium and high-end apartments, due
to a slight increase in prices by little less than 10 per cent for these
products during the last quarter of 2014.
Meanwhile, land in the suburban areas of
There was a big gap in the profit rate between the two
segments because investors in
The local property market this year would be brighter than
last year, Hoan said, but would not be able to match the strength seen in the
market eight years ago. Therefore, the expected profit rate of 15 to 20 per
cent was still very attractive.
"High-end residential properties and resorts will
prosper," Hoang Phuong, Associate Director and Head of Residential Sales
at Savills Ha Noi, reiterated.
"In 2014, the mid and high-end residential sectors
witnessed some recovery, which has been confirmed since the recent approval
of the new property title."
"When foreigners are allowed to own property in
Huynh Phuoc Nghia, senior consulting expert at the Global
Integration Business Consultants Company (GIBC), predicted that investment in
the property market would see strong recovery this year because of positive
factors affecting the market, including macro-economic indices, support
policies, external sources and the psychology of the market.
For the macro economy, indices of inflation and interest rates
for banking loans had reduced, creating a stable foundation for the local
economy, while the amended law on Housing and Law on Property Trading would
become effective from July and would create favourable conditions for
development in the local property market in the future, Nghia said.
Foreign direct investment for the property market had surged,
said Nghia, adding that the psychology of investors had improved further,
reflecting a strong surge in property transactions in numerous market
segments.
Additionally, instability in the financial markets due to the
effects of the global market and lower interest rates had transformed the
property market into the best investment channel at present, he said.
The GIBC expert expected cheaper apartments to continue
attracting more customers due to lower interest rates, payments stretched
over a longer period and more investments getting loans from the VND30
trillion (US$1.43 billion) credit package.
High-end apartments would also lure more investors, but
renting an apartment would be better this year, he said, while land in
industrial zones would see a greater likelihood for development, online
newspaper vnexpress.net reported.
Since the first quarter of this year, property speculators
returned to the local market because of growing speculation, said Marc
Townsend, CBRE Viet Nam's managing director. During the seven years of the
local property market crisis, the market lacked positive news and investors
had to wait for a longer period of time to come back.
High-end apartments would be in vogue this year, but other
segments in the property market would also improve, he said. If banks
continue to support buyers with attractive and reasonable interest rates, the
market for apartments on sale would see more positive development during the
next two to three years.
Draft keeps number of gas sales agents steady
The State has maintained the number of general sales agents in
the domestic gas trading system in its third draft on gas-trading
regulations.
This draft is an amendment to Decree 107/2009, released by the
Ministry of Trade and Industry.
In this third draft, the ministry has also added business
conditions for general sales agent of gas, reported Nguoi Lao dong (Labourer)
newspaper.
The conditions are similar to those mandated by existing
regulations, including obtaining a business registration certificate and a
warehouse with a minimum of 2,000 gas tanks in inventory. The general sales
agent must have a gas distribution network, including shops selling gas
tanks, stations providing gas, and a group of at least 10 other agents who
meet existing regulations. They must also have a current sales agent contract
with a gas dealer, effective for at least one year.
Initially, the second draft had outlined two levels for the
system: dealers and sales agents. General sales agents were excluded. In
theory, this measure would reduce the number of intermediaries, leading to
cut the selling price and help dealers properly monitor the delivery of goods
to customers.
However, in practice, some dealers in the local market have
sold gas to customers via general sales agents who offer cheaper selling
prices than the dealers selling directly to retail outlets.
In addition, under existing regulations, general sales agents
must contribute a hefty investment to meet operating requirements, especially
for meeting conditions that ensure fire safety.
Therefore, many general gas sales agents have been worried
about whether they will be able to stop running the business in view of the
regulations listed in the second draft.
The general sales agents, dealers, the southern branch of the
association of gas traders, and the HCM City Trade and Industry Department
have jointly proposed that the removal of general gas sales agen ts from the
local market should be reconsidered.
Under the third draft, the gas dealers have the right to
choose a distribution system that is most compatible with their business.
They can distribute gas via general sales agents or sell directly to gas
retail outlets, or both.
The new draft has also tightened regulations for retail sales,
stipulating that sales agents or retail outlets are only permitted to buy gas
from a single source - either a general sales agent or a dealer - rather than
from sources as they do at present.
Lenders say good run to continue
A majority of lenders is of the view that the business
environment and their performances improved significantly last year and will
continue to see positive progress this year.
The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) announced this in a statement
on Thursday, based on its quarterly survey of business trends for credit
institutions and foreign bank branches in
About 89 per cent of them said their liquidity was better in
2014 and that they expect this situation to continue throughout 2015.
They also expressed optimism for their outlook on economic
recovery and stability, with the gross domestic product growing higher than
expected at 5.98 per cent and inflation controlled at a low level last year.
Most expect to mobilise more capital from the economy, with
deposits likely to grow by approximately 4.5 per cent during the first
quarter of 2015 and by about 14.35 per cent over the year.
The expected growth rates for deposits in the dong are 4.7 per
cent and 15.37 per cent respectively, and for deposits in foreign currencies
are 3.87 per cent and 6.53 per cent respectively.
"The capacity of credit institutions to mobilise capital
witnessed more sustained and reasonable improvements in 2014, although the
SBV adjusted the policy interest rates twice last year," the statement
added.
Interest rates in the market fell by 1.5 to 2 per cent last
year from the previous year's levels, and are likely to remain stable or
decrease slightly in 2015.
However, bank deposits are expected to continue expanding as
they are considered a secure and efficient investment channel in the context
that the stock market is still displaying potential risks and the real-estate
market is yet to see any significant recovery.
The credit institutions observed that customers' demand for
banking products and services is also growing, and their demand for loans has
clearly surged since the fourth quarter of 2014.
Up to 97 per cent of the lenders forecast that outstanding
loans will expand at high rates in 2015, with the average lending growth for
the entire banking system expected to hit 3.5 per cent in the first quarter
of 2015 and 14.57 per cent at the end of the year.
Almost all credit institutions are of the view that bad debt
ratios remained stable or declined during the fourth quarter of 2014 and
predicted that bad loans will shrink during the first quarter of 2015. A
majority of them also believe that their non-performing loans will be lower
than three per cent of their total lending amounts this year.
Quang
The central
The certificate was granted to Rio Quang Nam Fibre Production
Co, Ltd from the
The factory will specialize in producing polyester a variety
of other kinds of industrial sewing threads.
It has a design capacity of 4.440 tonnes of product per year
and is scheduled to be operational by March 2015.
Speaking of the event, Kim Keun Choong, president and general
director of the company, revealed that with the procurement of the investment
certificate, the project has been put on the fast track to get it up and
running as quickly as possible.
According to the Plant Protection Department, negotiations to
deal with technical barriers produced significant results in 2014, helping
pave the way for litchi to the
The department also has asked for
Most of Vietnamese exported agro-products have met importers’
requirements on plant quarantine. Last year, 90 letters of notification of
violations were issued for Vietnamese partners, a reduction of 20% from 2013.
This year, the department will organise activities to
popularise the application of the integrated pest management (IPM) - an
effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management, and
advanced technologies in production.
It will also intensify inspection and management over
pesticides as well as working to ensure safety of vegetables and fruits.
Slow progress in SOE restructuring needs to be tackled
The restructuring of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) has seen
slow progress since it was launched in 2011, leaving significant tasks to
complete by the end of 2015.
According to the Steering Committee for Business Renovation
and Development, 143 SOEs were equitised in 2014, well below the set target
of 200 enterprises during the year.
432 SOEs were subjected to restructuring in the 2014-2015
period.
However, in Decision No. 37/2014/QD-TTg on June 18, 2014
regarding the criteria and lists for the classifications of SOEs, the
Government raised the total number of SOEs requiring equitisation to 532.
Assistant Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, Director of the
Vietnam Institute of Economics, stated that initial restructuring was rapid,
but has since slowed dramatically.
Dang Quyet Tien, Deputy Head of the Finance Ministry’s
Department of Entrepreneurial Finance, believes three main reasons have
contributed to the slow-down: impacts on Vietnam’s securities and capital
markets from the economic crisis in 2011, out-of-date policies, and
hesitation on the part of ministry leaders and business executives.
However, Finance Minister Dinh Tien Dung emphasised that an
evolution in the programme implementation is needed to make a real
breakthrough.
In order to speed up SOE restructuring, Assistant Professor
Dr. Tran Dinh Thien maintains the necessity of raising awareness of the role
of State-run businesses in Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy.
He also considers the most critical component towards a
successful restructuring process to be enhancing the operational efficiency
of the enterprises, in turn improving the quality of their products and
services, increasing their competitiveness, and accelerating the economic
restructuring in general.
According to the Finance Ministry, as part of efforts to
generate a fair competition environment for all businesses, the ministry will
expand SOE restructuring across sectors and business areas regardless of the
management bodies and levels of the firms.
The ministry has also asked other ministries, localities and
businesses to continue reviewing and supplementing the list of enterprises
needing restructuring in accordance with the Government’s Decision No.
37/2014/QD-TTg, while developing specific measures to complete restructuring
by 2015.
Law intended to optimise public investment restructuring
The revised Law on Public Investment, which took effect on
January 1, 2015, is expected to provide a comprehensive legal framework for
restructuring the public investment process.
Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said the
law is a step further of the Prime Minister’s Direction 1792/CT-TTg toward
optimising public investment via a synchronous legal framework for the
management of the entire public investment process, including project
approvals, capital source verification, and the implementation, supervision
and evaluation of projects.
An important new point in the law is the stipulation on
investment planning, which should be made on a five-year basis instead of
annual plans in the past. The move is in accordance with the country’s
five-year socio-economic development plans, which will facilitate the
allocation of investment resources and help ministries and localities make
suitable investment decision, he said.
The law is intended to maximise the efficiency of public
investment, especially amid limited capital sources, and to facilitate
transparent use of the State and local budget, Vinh noted, admitting that
other overall measures are needed in conjunction to optimise public
investment.
Le Hai Mo, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and
Policy on Finance, underlined the strict control of the State budget and
proposed a fixed cap on the State budget deficit. He stressed the design and
implementation of mid-term investments must be based on national interests,
and conducted with the utmost discipline.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Quang Thai from the Vietnam Economic
Association said the increased engagement of the public and the National
Assembly in the approval and supervision of public investment is the most
effective measure, as recommended by domestic and international experts.
Public investment restructuring is part of the economic restructuring
strategy stated in the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Resolution
No.10/2011/QH13 on the socio-economic development plan for 2011 to 2015. The
strategy also covers the reform of State-owned enterprises and the banking
system.-
Can Tho focuses on developing new tourism products
The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho puts a plan afoot to develop
infrastructure and diversify tourism products in a bid to draw more visitors
in 2015, according to Le Minh Son, Deputy Director of the municipal
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In addition to further promoting its existing destinations
like Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho will launch a number of new products
such as the traditional art and cultural programme of Khmer ethnic people in
Pothysomrom pagoda in O Mon district, the Tan Loc fruit festival, ancient
houses and Bang Lang stork park in Thot Not district, Pho Tho-Ba Bo flower
village in Binh Thuy district, and fact-finding tours of farms.
A number of tourism-related events are scheduled for this year
in the city, including the traditional southern cake festival and the Mekong
Delta green tourism week.
Son said that the city is also making efforts to successfully
host tourism cooperation activities between it and the four regional
provinces of An Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu.
Additionally, Can Tho aims to launch several new domestic and
international air routes connecting it with Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, the Republic
of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan (China), while building high-end hotels,
resorts, recreational and trade centres, and a bridge linking Ninh Kieu wharf
and Cai Khe islet.
Aside from preserving weekly art performances at Ninh Kieu
Wharf and Tay Do Theatre, the locality is also taking measures to promote
community-based tourism, and ensure safety and convenience for holidaymakers.
In 2014, the city welcomed nearly 1.37 million tourists,
including more than 220,000 foreigners, generating over 1.17 trillion VND
(55.5 million USD), up 9 percent and 20 percent, respectively, against the
previous year.
Investors show interest in FLC Group's projects
More than 2,000 investors participated in a seminar on the
potential and investment opportunities in the FLC Group in Ha Noi yesterday.
FLC Samson Residences in the FLC Samson Beach& Golf Resort
in the central Thanh Hoa Province. - Photo FLC
Nearly 1,000 investors who attended the seminar registered to
buy the group's properties.
"This is the third event with a large number of attendees
that I have participated in over the last 15 years," said Tran Dac Sinh,
chairman of the HCM City Stock Exchange (HOSE), at the seminar.
Sinh added that during the group's listing on HOSE, they
followed all regulations on information announcement and management.
Trinh Van Quyet, FLC's chairman of the management board, added
that the event aimed to help investors get more accurate information about
its operations and projects.
"Investors will not only have opportunities to invest in
its property projects, but also stocks," Quyet said.
He added that FLC posted an aggregate profit of VND400 billion
(US$19 million) in 2014, registering a 15 per cent year-on-year increase.
This year, it plans to earn VND1 trillion ($46.9 million) in
profits.
"Our projects have got committed loans of VND20 trillion
($938.9 million) till 2020 from banks. However, FLC has used its own capital,"
he said, adding that the group even had VND500 billion in bank deposits.
They will use bank loans this year, but for the short-term, to
implement a range of projects.
Deputy General Director Dang Tat Thang said that they have
implemented projects including the FLC Garden City with 1,100 apartments, 20
villas and 20 terrace houses, and FLC Complex 36 Pham Hung with 483
apartments. Both are in Ha Noi's South Tu Liem District.
In addition, the group will put on sale the Dinh Cong project
in Hoang Mai District, which has 80 terraced houses and 200 apartments; 675
villas in FLC Samson Golf Links and Resort; and 155 terraced houses and 255
apartments in the FLC Complex Thanh Hoa.
Export, import tax payment time shortened to five minutes
Businesses take only five minutes now to pay export and import
duties after two months a circular on tax declaration and payment was
released by the Ministry of Finance, reported the General Department of
Vietnam Customs.
Earlier it took 30 minutes for businesses to do export and
import tax formalities.
The tax declaration of export and import goods has been
simplified to reduce time and costs for both businesses and customs agencies.
Businesses can make payments during and outside office hours, in off days,
and via modern payment channels such as the Internet and ATM system.
Customs agencies will be updated with online tax payment
transactions every 15 minutes instead of an hour as before.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, a
total of VND10,499 billion (US$492 million) taxes were paid through
commercial banks for the last 11 months with more than 68,100 transactions
from 63,200 tax returns.
Yearend demand warms up construction material market
The construction material market has gradually warmed up after
a long-lasting gloominess as residents have rushed to build or repair houses
ahead of the lunar New Year festival.
Construction material demand has considerably increased since
the fourth quarter last year and shop owners reported a year on year increase
of 20-30 percent in purchasing power.
Steel and cement have been most consumed with slightly hiked
prices. Steel price has edged up VND300,000 a ton since last December after
the Southern Steel Corporation lifted their prices.
The prices of cement, bricks and tiles have also gone up by
5-10 percent in recent months over the previous months. Sand and gravel
prices have also soared up a little.
Owner of a construction material shop in Highway 13, Ho Chi
Minh City said that the number of customers increased over normal in the last
two months, most of them had been building or repairing their houses.
In some areas such as Thanh Xuan ward, District 12 tens of
houses has been built within one week.
Construction Material Department under the Ministry of
Construction said that construction material consumption has seen a 10
percent year on year increase.
Ho Chi Minh City Construction Department reported good
consumption of some construction materials, for instance cement sales have
soared by 12 percent. This shows a positive sign of the construction market
after three consecutive years of price and sales reduction.
Economic experts forecast that the construction material
market will gradually heat up because social housing, apartment and
residential area projects have been sped up in big cities nationwide.
In HCMC a lot of social housing projects have been carried out
to solve difficulties for the real estate market, stimulate construction
consumption and meet residents’ demand of low cost apartments.
However the General Statistics Office warned that the
construction market will face with a lot of difficulties and challenges this
year as real estate market has recovered slowly.
Construction businesses have been unable to tackle debts left
from the previous years. Although interest rates have been lowered, small and
medium businesses have still found it difficult to access loans.
In addition construction materials from neighboring nations
will continue to overflow domestic market due to tax exemption. Statistics by
the Steel Association show that the volume of steel imported with 0 percent
tariff rate to Vietnam has risen to 43,000 tons so far.
Tile segment has faced strong competition from Chinese
products with beautiful designs and low costs. Chinese bathroom accessories
such as tubs, taps, douches, wash basins and plastic doors have been rather
popular in the market with the price accounting for only 60-70 percent of
domestic prices of the same products.
Wage hikes in Hanoi signal recovery
Higher monthly wages at many companies in Hanoi, especially in
the FDI sector, signal continuing economic recovery in the capital.
The Hanoi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs,
which surveyed some 570 enterprises, found highest monthly wage at FDI
companies of VND60m (USD2,800), with the average wage in 2014 at VND4.4m a
month, an increase by 1.0 percent on a year earlier.
State-owned corporations were in second place with highest
monthly wage of VND37m, with an average wage of VND4.7m.
In third place, was the private sector with a highest monthly
wage of VND35m and an average monthly wage of VND4.3m, up 5.1 on a year
earlier.
Lastly, state-owned one-member limited liability companies had
a highest monthly wage of VND27m and an average monthly wage of VND4.4m, up
1.6 percent.
Pham Van Thanh, manger of the Department of Labour, Employment
Policy under the city's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs,
said the statistics were drawn from enterprise reports. The monthly wages at
some enterprises, which did not provide reports, could be even higher and
more optimistic.
The reported numbers also showed positive changes in Hanoi in
the past year, despite some outstanding difficulties such as unpaid wages.
"The restructuring process has helped enterprises
overcome challenges," Thanh said. "Overall, average wages in 2014
increased by 2.5 percent compared with 2013, so it looks like employees' Tet
bonuses should also increase by 5.5 percent."
Farmers hit by cut in milk purchases by dairies
Farmers are facing a hard time as milk companies in Vietnam
set quotas on the amount of milk they will buy, creating a market glut.
Many households in Tu Tra and Da Ron communes in Lam Dong
Province resorted to pouring away fresh milk outside Dat Lat Milk Joint Stock
Company (Dalat Milk) to oppose its new purchasing policy.
Farmers say Dalat Milk will only buy the equivalent of 16kg of
milk per cow, while the daily average output per cow is 20-25 kg a day. This
has caused a milk glut and farmers are unable to find new markets.
In Hanoi, farmers in Phu Dong Commune, Gia Lam District
denounced IDP Company for a sudden and dramatic cut in its purchases of milk.
Tong Xuan Trinh, Deputy the head of the Animal Husbandry
Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that
local authorities had intervened and IDP agreed to buy more fresh milk from
farmers.
Farmers say companies were not complying with contracts.
But Ngo Minh Hai, general director of Dalat Milk, said milk
output has expanded beyond the company’s processing demand, so purchases have
had to be restricted.
Hai said restrictions were aimed at curbing the practice of
farmers exploiting contracts by buying up milk from other producers and
reselling it to the company at a higher price.
However, one expert said milk output in 2014 was almost
unchanged from 2013, and companies were cutting purchases of fresh milk
so they can import cheaper powdered milk from foreign countries for
reprocessing into liquid milk products.
Trinh said milk prices on world markets have dropped 60-70
percent, and many companies were importing foreign powdered milk to remain
competitive.
Vietnam spends some USD1 billion to import milk a year. The
figure was USD1.09 billion in 2014.
The country has a goal to reach local fresh milk output of one
million tonnes by 2020, or 50 percent of the local demand.
Trinh said that it is only fair companies decide how and where
to source milk for their production. Management companies are only
responsible for checking product quality and that it meets stated
specifications.
He said the government should revise dairy development policy
to encourage companies to join hands with farmers for produce fresh milk or
allow farmers to engage in self-production.
Farmers are reluctant to bend existing contracts in the
interests of maintaining long-term business relationships.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently
ordered local departments to ensure dairy companies honour contracts.
Japanese firm seeks to build clean vegetable plant in Ha Nam
Japan’s Showa Denko Group has worked in conjunction with
authorities from the northern province of Ha Nam to design a plan to develop
a clean vegetable production plant using LED lighting technology.
During a working session with leaders of the provincial
People’s Committee on January 19, the firm’s General Director, Daiken
Murakami, briefed them on the new technology, stressing its necessity for
current agricultural production as outdoor cultivation methods are
experiencing negative impacts from climate change.
The modern method can ensure plants receive the necessary
growth amenities, ultimately helping conserve water, reducing crop waste
volume by 40 percent, and contributing to lower production costs.
Daiken Murakami said his firm has built 21 plants applying the
technology in Japan and plans to expand the model to other countries around
the world.
The group is eager to cooperate with Vietnamese clean
vegetable producers, he added.
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Mai Tien Dung
introduced a number of high-quality clean vegetable growing models in the
province, suggesting cooperation between Showa Denko and Ha Nam’s An Phu Hung
Company to carry out the model in the near future.
The An Phu Hung Company has previously partnered with Japan’s
H.B.C International to successfully implement a Japanese technology organic
vegetable-planting model in Ha Nam.
Vietnam, Germany step up agriculture cooperation
Vietnam is looking to Germany for supporting its exports to
the European Union, particularly seafood, rice, tea, coffee, and fruits,
Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat told
his host, Minister of Food and Agriculture Christian Schmidt, in Berlin on
January 19.
Minister Phat expressed his appreciation for Germany’s support
to Vietnam over the past years, saying that he hopes the two countries
continue to strengthen their bilateral ties, especially in agriculture.
He also hopes to intensify cooperation in climate change
adaptation, ecosystem protection, and forestry development, he stated,
suggesting Germany facilitate training for Vietnamese agricultural officials
and farmers.
For his part, Minister Schmidt spoke highly of recent
achievements in Vietnam and pledged to continue promoting bilateral relations,
particularly in agro-forestry. He plans to discuss the signing of specific
cooperative documents with relevant German offices and the corresponding
Vietnamese partners.
Minister Schmidt also committed to visiting Vietnam to
continue discussions on further cooperative efforts.
Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Berlin,
Minister Phat hailed the importance of promoting bilateral trade, as Germany
is not only a big importer of Vietnamese goods, but also a central EU market.
Vietnam has much to learn from Germany’s technologies, especially those
involving product processing and preservation, he added.
Earlier, he visited Vietnam’s Dong Xuan Trade Centre in Berlin
to meet with Vietnamese import businesses there and discuss cooperation
possibilities with export companies at home.
The import enterprises suggested improving product quality and
design as well as standardising processing and packing steps to facilitate
increased exports.
Hanoi American International Hospital idle 17 years
17 years after its investment certificate was issued, Hanoi
American International Hospital project is still a desolate construction area
in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district.
Overlooking from the other side of the Nghia Do Park, Hanoi
American International Hospital project, which is invested in by US-based
Keystone Global Group, looks furbished with its front covered by glass
windows. However, its backyard is still a construction area with dunes of
sand and rock as well as rusting construction equipment.
The about 3,000-square-metre area is now a nutritious land for
wild grass to grow. The storage area also seems to have been untouched for a
long time.
A guard of a nearby coffee shop told VIR that, within two
months, when he started guarding cars parked in front of the hospital, he has
not seen anyone working on the project.
As for a middle-aged gardener inside the hospital’s area,
there are only three people working here with a monthly wage of VND3 million
($140) each. “We have asked for a raise many times but they rejected. They
said that we can quit if we don’t find the pay satisfying,” he told VIR.
The gardener added that the investor has already spent over
VND1 trillion ($47 million) on the project and is now selling it. He also
said that there was a foreign company offering to buy the project for VND800
billion ($37.5 million) but the investor denied. “I think this project will
continue being idle until it is sold,” he believed.
VIR contacted Keystone via mobile number and email available
on www.hospitaldirectoryasia.com, but there was no reply.
Keystone’s head office is at 20 Doc Ngu street, Hanoi. Through
observation, the house is still lighted and there are people coming in and
out. However, Huong, the owner of the house, which has land area of 80 metres
square, told VIR through mobile phone that it is now open for lease with the
price of VND15-25 million ($700-1170) per floor per month.
Hanoi American International Hospital, with the registered
investment capital at $50 million, was the second healthcare foreign invested
hospital in Hanoi, following the French Hospital of Hanoi. Being licensed in
1997, the hospital was planned to have 300 international quality beds and a modern
helicopter landing pad.
Due to slow land clearance, the project started its
construction in 2006 and finished its raw building in 2011, since when the
project has been left desolate.
In 2011, Hanoi American International Hospital said on its
website that the hospital would officially open in November that year and
boasted that it would welcome the US President Barack Obama on the opening
day.
Nobody knows whether the project is going to be continued.
Source :VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR
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Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 1, 2015
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