Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 10, 2015

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 14/10


Smaller firms fear inability to cash in on new agreement
Though the textile, clothing, and footwear industry will supposedly benefit the most once the historic Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement comes into force, not all industry insiders are bullish over the opportunities offered by the agreement.
According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), not many businesses will have the capacity to cash in on the opportunities brought by this major trade deal.
Only big group with steady finance could become well prepared for TPP integration, whereas firms of small and medium size will face challenges ahead, Vitas assumed.
In the words of Dang Phuong Dung, Vitas’general secretary, one obstacle is that the textile sector has lagged behind the production pace of garment exports. Investment in textile is more costly than in the garment sector, coupled with a very lengthy capital recouping process.
Nguyen Van Thai, chairman of TNG Investment and Trading, said that most of the materials feed the textile garment sector were sourced from China, which was not a TPP member. Therefore, the sector would not reap many benefits from the TPP, as under TPP regulations, tax incentives only apply when using materials from TPP member countries.
Phi Ngoc Trinh, representing Hung Vuong Garment JSC in the northern province of Phu Tho, assumed that foreign invested firms could be major beneficiaries when Vietnam participates in the TPP, as two thirds of Vietnam’s textile garment export volume came from foreign invested enterprises.
The textile, clothing, and footwear industry’s other players, however, stood ready to cope with challenges created by the TPP.
Nguyen Phuong Nam, managing director of aothun.vn, is one example.
His company, founded in 2009, specializes in providing comprehensive solutions for elastic T-shirt to individuals and corporate customers, as well as original design manufactures (ODMs).
The company’s products are mainly exported to Japan. Two years ago, it shifted into importing materials from markets outside China.
Aware of their modest financing on exploiting nice markets and carefully choosing customers to be able to introduce a suitable supply chain.
Vietnam joining the TPP will not influence our export contracts very much, since we serve niche markets and have the capacity to control the value chain. We are ready for the TPP,” said Nam.
Now aothun.vn controls the entire process, from manufacturing end products, designing, to printing. When the items from TPP countries flow to Vietnam, the company will concentrate on designing, printing and increasing the added value of products, according to Nam. Meanwhile, Le Thanh, managing director of a shoe market Veritas Shoes Canada, was upbeat about opportunities brought in by the TPP. This firm has an outlet network in both Canada and Vietnam.
Currently, the company’s products incur a 18% import duty when exporting to Canada. Therefore, the TPP’s enforcement will benefit the company. “We are considering going into an alliance with a local firm on shoe production and intend to enlarge production scale through capital contribution,” Thanh said. 
Tan Son Nhat Airport to have US$283-million expansion
Vietnam's largest airport Tan Son Nhat, which is operating above its designed capacity, will be expanded over the next five years at a cost of VND6.4 trillion (US$283.12 million), local authorities has recently announced.
Under the plan recently approved by the transport ministry, the airport in Ho Chi Minh City will be around eight hectares bigger.
The expansion will allow 82 airplanes to be parked at the same time, twice the current number. 
With the exception of runways, many parts of the airport including its terminals will also be upgraded so that it can serve 25 million passengers a year in 2020.
Tan Son Nhat Airport received more than 22 million passengers last year, compared to its designed capacity of 20 million passengers, Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Nhat said. 
The capacity of its goods terminal which handled 406,000 tons last year will also be increased to 500,000 tons a year.
However, Nhat warned, even after expansion, congestion will likely continue at the airport as Long Thanh, a bigger airport designated to replace Tan Son Nhat, will not be operational until 2023.
The number of passengers at Tan Son Nhat has been projected to hit 40 million a year by 2025.
Located in the nearby Dong Nai Province, about 40 kilometers from the city, Long Thanh Airport is slated to serve 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of goods annually.
Construction of the first stage will start in 2019, expected to cost US$15.8 billion.
Drug and medicine imports surge sharply
Pharmaceutical imports jumped 11.59% year-on-year to US$1.656 billion in the nine months leading up to October, according to statistics of the Vietnam Industrial and Trade Information Centre (VITIC).
During the period, the import price of medicinal drugs also rose by 8.92% compared against the corresponding period last year.
Major markets supplying pharmaceuticals were France (accounting for 20.66% market shares), Germany (11.1%) and India (7.63%).
Viglacera debuts new energy saving glass
Vietnam Glass and Ceramics for Construction Corporation (Viglacera) has just pulled the curtain back on a new type of energy efficient glass that outperforms any similar product on the market.
On October 9, the company unveiled it had received a certificate allowing the project to move on to the production line and signed a contract to that effect with the Vietnam Development Bank (VDB).
Utilizing designs and technical services provided by Von Ardenne GmBH from Germany the innovative project will be located at the Tan Dong Hiep Industrial Park in the Di An district of the southern province of Binh Duong
NZ, Vietnam to share expertise in agriculture sector
Agriculture and food safety experts from New Zealand’s leading science institutes will visit Hanoi from 12 to 13 October 2015 to participate in a seminar to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for commercial collaboration to support Vietnam's agriculture sector.  
New Zealand experts from AsureQuality, AgResearch and Plant & Food Research will meet with Vietnamese Ministries, research institutions and businesses to discuss their expertise in food safety management, agriculture sector productivity and distribution networks.
The seminar is organised by the New Zealand Embassy, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and the NZ Government to Government KnowHow Office to support the Government of Vietnam's goal to enhance the productivity of its agricultural sector.
New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Haike Manning said,“Similar to Vietnam, agriculture and food sectors have been crucial to New Zealand’s economy. More than 80% of New Zealand’s total agricultural production is now exported. To get to this point New Zealand faced challenges around food safety and quality control, productivity, and distribution. As a result we have developed world-leading expertise, which we believe will be relevant as Vietnam grows its own food value chains.”
AsureQuality, AgResearch and Plant & Food Research have deep expertise and offer innovative solutions in agritechnology, horticulture, viticulture, food and food safety sectors.
The agencies play a key role in ensuring that New Zealand’s agricultural sector is continuously innovating, through the delivery of new knowledge and technologies which underpin sustainable food value chains. 
“Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has this week called for urgent reform of the agricultural sector in Viet Nam to improve its competitiveness of the global stage, ahead of new trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  
There will be huge opportunities for Vietnam’s agricultural sector as a result of these agreements but such opportunities can depend on having high quality systems and products and deep knowledge of building brands and marketing in overseas markets.  New Zealand has done this successfully with a range of agricultural products, including dairy, fruit, meat, wine and others,” Ambassador Manning added.
The seminar is being delivered as part of a new mode of cooperation between New Zealand and Vietnam focusing on Government-to-Government commercial partnerships, which provide access to world-leading expertise and experience held by New Zealand Government entities.
It is another important part of the partnership between New Zealand and Vietnam in the agriculture sector, and supports the work under way through the New Zealand’s development assistance programme and the Food Safety Cooperation mechanism set up between the two Governments in March 2015.  
2015 is the 40th anniversary of relations between New Zealand and Vietnam.
SBC assists business grapple with integration
The Saigon Business Club (SBC) in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association staged a business festival on October 9, attended by hundreds of small business operators.
The festival serves as a hub where small business operators can attend a low cost event, keep current with the status of integration and network with other small businesses, said SBC Vice President Pham Thi Tuyet Mai.
A seminar was also organised under the framework of the event, which provided much needed assistance for business operators understanding and coping with the challenges of international integration.
Other speakers at the event included Vice Director PhD Vo Tri Thanh of the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM) and World Bank (WB) Country Director in Vietnam Victoria Kwakwa who provided valuable insight into the evolution of the national economy. 
Vietnamese people drink beer in greater volume
Vietnam is listed among top five Asia beer-drinking countries and its people drink most beer in Southeast Asia, according to a recent survey of Kantar Worldpanel Vietnam.
Vietnamese people also drink beer more and more, up 11% against last year’s corresponding period.
The highly lucrative beer market presently posts constant two-digit growth as nearly 70% of households consume beer at least one per annum and even much more during special occasions or New Year festivals.
The Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association (VBA) reports that Vietnam’s beer production and consumption rose by 8.1% to 3.14 billion litres last year and is likely to hit nearly US$3.3 billion litres this year. 
Sector requests support for social housing projects
Amidst the recovery of the property market, complicated procedures and capped profits have deterred investors from converting their projects into social housing projects, noted the HCM City Real Estate Association.
The situation has put developers of many commercial projects that were registered in the past three years to be converted into social housing projects in a dilemma.
According to Le Hoang Chau, the association's president, many expenses borne by developers were not fully accounted for in determining the total cost of social housing, thus affecting the profits of the developers.
He pointed out that several projects were now stuck at the stage of calculating costs due to the gap in the market's land prices and the Government-listed prices.
The profits for developers of social housing projects were capped at 10 per cent. However, the real profits were lower, and in some cases, developers even suffered losses, according to the association.
In addition, procedures for converting commercial housing projects into social housing projects were complicated, involving several organisations, including the provincial authorities, the construction ministry, the central bank and commercial banks.
"Currently, the property market is in recovery. If these bottle-necks are not tackled, it will be difficult to encourage developers to invest in social housing projects," Chau said.
The association also said the disbursement of the Government's VND30 trillion bailout package for the property market had been slow, citing statistics that only a quarter of the package value had been disbursed by September 15.
The association proposed the deadline for the disbursement of the package be extended by two years to May 31, 2018, along with interest rates of 3-3.5 per cent for social housing apartments and 4-4.5 per cent for commercial apartments worth less than VND1.05 billion (US$46,700) per unit.
The association said the interest rates must be reasonable for low-income earners and should be based on the country's inflation. 
SMEs need to innovate
With fierce competition as a result of open-door policies in many countries, businesses, especially small – and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), should build their own markets, apart from selling what the market demands.
Vo Tri Thanh, Deputy Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), made the recommendations at a seminar yesterday as part of a business festival in HCM City.
Regarding opportunities offered to SMEs, he said globalisation and regionalisation via free trade agreements would increase the inflows of goods, services, capital, skilled labourers, technology and information on a larger scale.
Southeast Asia was a dynamic region with huge potential to develop goods and services, Thanh noted.
Nguyen Phuong Dong, deputy director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, stressed the need for SMEs to maximise their efforts and affirm their role as pioneers in improving the competitive edge of made-in-Viet Nam commodities and boosting exports.
Victoria Kwakwa, the World Bank's country director in Viet Nam, suggested SMEs market products favoured by consumers at reasonable prices.
Enterprises should focus on innovations to keep their traditional customers and lure new ones while focussing on exploring the actual demands of the market instead of being concerned about their rivals, she said.
Co-operation will help them gain more knowledge and experience to churn out high-quality products more quickly, she recommended.
The festival, which drew hundreds of businesses from cities and provinces in the southern region, featured a range of activities, including a 60-booth exhibition, aiming to help the businesses exchange and update information on Viet Nam's integration. 
Management of Long Thanh toughens up
Chairman of southern Dong Nai Province People's Committee has asked the management of land near Long Thanh Airport to be tightened in order to prevent illegal land use.
This was aimed to ensure space and infrastructure planning for the airport's surrounding areas and the airport's future expansion plans.
The surrounding areas of Long Thanh Airport would limit investments in residential areas but focus on developing agriculture and low-rise buildings.
The approval of Long Thanh Airport project, worth VND336.63 trillion (US$16.03 billion), was expected to draw investments in its surrounding property projects. 
Da Nang almost done with land certificates
The granting of land use right certificates in central Da Nang City is nearly complete, according to the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
The department's statistics showed that 96 per cent of land of all kinds had been granted certificates, to date.
Meanwhile, Ha Noi was struggling to grant certificates to more than 144,000 existing land lots as these lots were said to be illegal or violated established laws on land use.
Ha Noi has more than 1.45 million land lots, 86 per cent of which have land use right certificates, to date. 
Phu Quoc sees $8b in resistered capital
Phu Quoc Island District off Kien Giang Province has attracted VND168 trillion or nearly $8 billion in registered capitals to its existing 203 property projects as of June this year.
According to the island's development management board, Phu Quoc Island attracted the attention of property developers thanks to its tourism potential and rapid infrastructure development.
A large number of resorts were developed or are under construction in the island with the presence of property giants such as Vingroup, CEO Group, Sungroup and BIM Group. 
Lenders hopeful of local economic outlook
Lenders are optimistic about banking and economic prospects, the latest quarterly survey by the central bank has revealed.
The State Bank of Viet Nam made the announcement on Thursday, citing its poll of local credit institutions and branches of foreign banks that 71.6 per cent of the lenders found the inner conditions were stable and improved this year as compared to last year.
The progress was seen the most in their customer services, risk management ability and credit policies.
About 34 per cent said the business environment was more positive, while nearly 60 per cent said the environment was relatively stable.
National interest and exchange rate policies, supervision of banking operations by authorities, and the demand for products and services of banks were relatively better off.
Most of the credit institutions expected demand for loans from customers to rally strongly this year following a drop in interest rates.
Nearly 78 per cent of the lenders said their business situation was better, with some 46 per cent expecting significant advancement. About 14 per cent affirmed business stability.
They were hoping for an average profit growth rate of 9.73 per cent for the banking system this year, a rise from the 8.89 per cent expectation polled in mid-2015.
Growth of net incomes, which was likely to reach 16 per cent to 20 per cent this year, drove profitability.
Eighty-nine per cent of the credit institutions believed that their bad debt ratios would fall to three per cent or lower this year, meeting the national goal for non-performing loan control.
The expected bad debt ratios averaged 2.39 per cent for the whole credit institution system by end-2015.
Related to liquidity, ninety per cent of the lenders said they were seeing good conditions for both the dong and dollar, and nine per cent said their situation was stable. Only one per cent said their liquidity was not up to expectations.
Overall this year, credit institutions expected deposit growth to average 15.56 per cent, and credit growth to reach 17.6 per cent.
"These expectations show that the credit institutions are quite optimistic about economic recovery and the ability to absorb loans of enterprises, as well as their outlook for production and business in 2015 and 2016," the central bank said in a report.
FLC Group earns $57m in third quarter
FLC Group (FLC) earned VND1.28 trillion (US$56.9 million) in revenue in the third quarter of this year, a 250 per cent increase in one year, the group reported yesterday.
Most of FLC's revenue came from selling apartments and villas in the FLC Complex and FLC Garden in Ha Noi, and from running FLC Sam Son Resort.
The company's pre-tax profit was VND300 billion ($13.3 million), an increase of nearly 250 per cent.
In the first nine months of this year, FLC received a total of VND3.3 trillion ($146 million) in revenue and VND801 billion ($35.6 million) in pre-tax profit, equal to 59.4 per cent and 70 per cent of this year's plan.
The company's major project, FLC Sam Son Resort in Thanh Hoa Province, officially opened in July.
FLC has also started building big projects such as FLC Twin Towers in Ha Noi, Hoang Long Industrial Zone in Thanh Hoa Province and Nhon Ly Resort in Binh Dinh Province.
VnSteel plans to divest from port business
Viet Nam Steel Corporation (VnSteel) yesterday announced it would sell all its ownership in the Thi Vai International Port Co Ltd for at least VND90 billion (US$4 million).
VnSteel recorded an investment of VND81.2 billion in Thi Vai International Port in the first half of this year.
The Thi Vai International Port Co Ltd was licensed in 1997 but opened in 2014 as an associate between three companies - VnSteel, Vung Tau Shipping and Services Joint Stock Company and the Japan-based Kyoei Steel Ltd.
The port has an important role as it accounts for 60 per cent of container loading capacity in all national seaports. 
Ha Noi Bus Station lists on UPCOM
Ha Noi Bus Station Joint Stock Company has listed 9.5 million shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCOM) on Wednesday, local media reported yesterday.
Ha Noi Bus Station listed that number of shares at a face value of VND10,000. Ha Noi Bus Station JSC, initially known as Transportation Material Company, was founded by Ha Noi Transport Department in 1985.
Last May, the company officially operated as a joint stock company with a capital of VND95 billion ($4.2 million). The company has not raised capital since then.
By August 25, the company has a total of 425 shareholders. Two biggest shareholders are Ha Noi Transport Services Corporation and Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, holding 18.43 per cent of capital in total.
Pan Group divests sanitary service arm to Nihon Housing
Pan Group JSC, formerly known as Pan Pacific, has announced that it will sell stakes in its wholly-owned Pan Services to Tokyo-based Nihon Housing Co Ltd.
Pan Services includes two member companies, namely Pan Pacific Services Company Ltd. and Pan Pacific Company Ltd, and is currently operating as a cleaning service provider that accounts for 40 per cent of the local market share with an over 5,000 strong employee base.
The company caters to office spaces and healthcare facilities, with customers ranging from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport through the Bitexco Tower to shopping malls such as the Diamond Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City
In the first half of this year Pan Services brought a VND13.1 billion ($584,800) profit for the group.
Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Nihon Housing is deeply engaged in real estate management, providing condominium and building management services.
Nihon Housing announced the two steps of its acquisition as follows: Firstly, the company will acquire 80 per cent of Pan Services’ stakes in November. The other 20 per cent will be acquired within three years after the completion of the first step. The overall transaction value has not yet been disclosed.
The parent Pan Group is an established agro-business and food firm holding 42 to almost 100 per cent stakes in VinaSeed, Southern Seed Company, Aquatex Ben Tre, confectionery firm Bibica, Long An Food Processing Export JSC, and Pan Food.
Pan Group has also announced plans to set up a retail subsidiary. The divestment is said to be in line with its intention of focusing on core food businesses.
Moody’s rewards Techcombank’s performance
Moody's Investors Service has upgraded the long-term deposit and issuer ratings of Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) from B3 to B2.
At the same time, the bank's baseline credit assessment (BCA) was also upgraded to B3 from CAA1. The outlook on the ratings is now “stable”.
“The upgrade of Techcombank's deposit and issuer ratings to B2 from B3 reflects the improvements in the standalone credit profile of the bank, as reflected by the upgrade of the BCA to B3”, said the Moody’s press release.
According to the renowned rating agency, Techcombank's asset quality metrics have improved in 2014 and the first half of 2015, although it is important to note that the change originated from a relatively weak base. The improvements in asset quality were driven by write-offs, recoveries, and some measure of credit growth.
In particular, the ratio of assets considered problematic has decreased to 12.8 per cent of gross loans as of June 2015, from the 14.4 per cent in December 2014 and 20.1 per cent in December 2013.
These problematic assets include non-performing loans (loans listed in categories 2 to 5 under the Vietnamese accounting rules), as well as bonds issued by the Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) and other receivables.
Besides, Moody’s noted that Techcombank's public disclosure of asset quality metrics was better than its domestic rated peers. The bank's tangible common equity-to-risk weighted assets improved to 10.1 per cent as of June 2015, from 9.2 per cent in December 2014.
Although Techcombank's profitability is still moderate, with a 0.9 per cent return on average assets in the first half of 2015, Moody’s remains positive regarding the bank’s prospects.
The agency analysed that profitability was pressured by high loan-loss reserves. The bank channelled a high 60-70 per cent of its pre-provision income into reserves in 2014 and the first half of 2015 as  provisions made against loans, VAMC bonds and receivables.
The bank is also viewed as not materially reliant on market sources for funding: its ratio of market funds to banking assets amounted to 14 per cent in June 2015, while liquid assets such as cash, interbank and government bonds, and trading securities amounted to 36 per cent. These liquid assets were of relatively good quality, because government securities made up around one-third of the balance.
Outsourcing IT service boosted among state agencies
The Government is aiming to boost the hire of information and technology services in state agencies, according to a resolution released on October 7.
Accordingly, state agencies can choose between full or partial service packages related to hardware, software, transmission lines and solutions to provide online public service.
The government also will allow ministers, deputy ministers, governmental agencies and the People's Committee chairperson to assign contracts and choose short-term hiring prices (under 12 months) if there are not enough conditions to determine a fixed price.
The Vietnam National Committee on Information Technology adopted the hire of information and technology services in state agencies last year.
The Prime Minister also signed a decision to initiate contracts for information and technology services in state agencies, which took effect in February.
According to the decision, state agencies, which outsource information and technology services, must have requirements for service providers related to professional capacity, finance, technical and technological conditions, experience, and information safety and security.
The outsourcing can help State-run agencies and companies remove the need for large investments in high-tech facilities by spending on their specific needs.
E-commerce delivery woes eased
Vietnam has great potential in e-commerce, according to IT experts, as one-third of the population regularly accesses the internet. After ten years of development the country’s e-commerce sector has the foundations and market for expansion. To develop fully, however, its logistics infrastructure requires attention.
According to Mr. Nguyen Hoa Binh, Chairman of the Board of Management at PeaceSoft, warehousing and logistics in Vietnam continue to be a “nightmare” for the country’s e-commerce sector. Storage, packaging, and delivery account for half of the work in e-commerce, and the shortage of warehouses and unprofessional cargo management sees many goods go missing.
Vietnam’s logistics costs are equal to 25 per cent of GDP; 1.7 times higher than the global average and more than double the figure in developed countries. Though high, the cost is yet to be optimized because enterprises must keep large amounts of stock and delivery times increase depending on the geographical distance between warehouses and buyers nationwide.
To assist enterprises, the logistics company BoxMe has cooperated with PeaceSoft and others partners to launch the first e-commerce warehousing infrastructure in Vietnam. Individuals or enterprises operating in e-commerce can consign goods in the logistics center of BoxMe in Vietnam, which is operated by ViettelPost and Kerry Express.
Sellers can manage and coordinate goods by mobile apps anytime, anywhere. The warehouse management system of the seller’s website is automatically synchronized with BoxMe through API programming.
When an item is sold, the nearest BoxMe warehouse to the buyer will take the order and package and deliver the product in the shortest possible time, in some cases less than half the time taken previously. In case of failed delivery or where the customer wishes to return the products, the package is sent back to the nearest BoxMe warehouse. Individuals and enterprises using this logistics infrastructure do not have to pay registration fees but pay storage fees and incur a cost when an order is processed.
“We joined BoxMe to resolve logistics problems for e-commerce companies in Vietnam,” said Mr. Cao Dinh Ngan, Deputy General of Director ViettelPost. “ViettelPost has four centers, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and we are aiming to open centers in all 63 cities and provinces throughout the country. This will be an open platform to help individuals and enterprises conduct e-commerce more easily, with good delivery services and costs.”
“BoxMe commits to helping sellers cut logistics costs by 30 to 50 per cent compared to maintaining separate warehouses, so they can focus fully on their marketing and sales,” said Mr. Han Van Loi, CEO of BoxMe. Goods are packaged according to industry standards and the delivery time has been shortened by half, which helps sellers increase service quality and therefore sales. According to Mr. Loi, BoxMe is implementing the program with free storage fees for the first six months for the first 500 registered sellers.
Aviation service quality picking up
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has released figures on delayed and cancelled flights and theft of property and luggage at airports from January to September.
In the first nine months domestic airlines conducted over 151,000 flights, of which 23,700 were delayed, accounting for 15.6 per cent and 3.1 per cent fewer year-on-year, and 834 were canceled, or 0.5 per cent and 1.9 per cent less year-on-year. According to Mr. Lai Xuan Thanh, Director of CAAV, the figures are good regionally and passable globally.
Jetstar Pacific recorded the highest rate of delayed flights, at 20.8 per cent, followed by Vietjet Air with 18.3 per cent. Vietnam Airlines had the lowest rate, at 14.1 per cent.
Mr. Vo Huy Cuong, Deputy Director of CAAV, said that the efforts of all involved in the aviation sector should be recognized. There were a range of force majeure reasons, such as weather, as well as runway closures while repairs were done (at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong, among others), which contributed substantially to the total number of delayed or cancelled flights.
There were 292 cases of theft of property and luggage during the period. The numbers are thankfully on the decline. In the first few months of the year there were around 50 cases each month but in July there were only 28 August and September saw 15 and nine cases, respectively; a record low. This is evidence of the efforts made by authorities in improving the overall quality of aviation services.
Strong measures aimed at improvements have been made at major airports such as Hanoi’s Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. A representative from Noi Bai International Airport said that many measures have been introduced to combat the theft of property and luggage.
“Visual inspections and security screenings have been conducted, preventing thieves from stealing luggage left unattended by passengers,” the representative was quoted as saying. Employees are also required to sign a declaration regarding their possession of tablets, phones, laptops, and other valuable goods at the end of every shift.
SOE equitization goals unlikely to be met
Only 94 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) were equitized in the first nine months of the year out a total of 289 slated to undergo the process. If the annual target is to be met there must be 195 enterprises equitized over the remaining three months of the year.
Mr. Dang Quyet Tien, Deputy Director of the Corporate Finance Department at the Ministry of Finance, said one reason for the tardiness was concern among investors, despite the policy mechanisms for equitization having been made easier.
“Foreign investors are involved but only to a small degree, as they are wary about information transparency,” he told local media.
Even though the government has publicly announced valuations conducted on SOEs transparency remains an important matter, as questions remain over the accuracy of such valuations.
The attitude of SOE leaders is also a factor in the equitization process proceeding at a slow pace. Many are concerned about losing their position and power and that their competency or otherwise will be revealed during the process.
Mr. Tien added, though, that the quality of equitization was more important than merely reaching targets. “The key is changing the leadership mindset post-equitization,” he was quoted as saying. “There may be personnel changes, and leaders must accept that their performance will monitored once the SOE is listed on the stock market,”
Authorities are planning to sanction enterprises that are yet to finalize their equitization. Those experiencing delays will continue to be named so they will be answerable to higher authorities such as ministries or the government.
TPP to tighten IP protection
The TPP agreement is to include rules allowing criminal prosecutions for infringements of intellectual property rights (IPR), such as designing software to crack other software and the illegal use of cable TV.
One of the many features of the TPP is its efforts at establishing high standards in the protection of IPR, especially in pharmaceuticals. It requests member countries have effective enforcement mechanisms for the protection of IPR in their territory, including at the border and within the internet environment.
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, said that allowing criminal prosecutions for IPR infringements is a stronger approach than that taken in the WTO, where they are dealt with under a civil prosecution.
In the 30 chapters of the TPP is a chapter exclusively dedicated to IPR, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other forms of intellectual property.
The provisions will make it easier for enterprises to register and protect their intellectual property in new markets, which is particularly essential for small enterprises.
Deputy Minister Khanh said that Vietnam will implement all standards contained within the TPP in accordance with the timeline and the country’s capacity.
Vietcombank & FLC sign credit package
Vietcombank’s South Hanoi branch has signed a deal to provide loans totaling VND253 billion ($11.39 million) to purchasers of apartments at the FLC Complex, invested by the ION Complex. Co., at 36 Pham Hung Street in Hanoi.
ION Complex is a subsidiary of the FLC Group.
At the signing ceremony Ms. Huong Tran Kieu Dung, General Director of the FLC Group and Chairman of ION Complex said that the credit package will benefit both sides, in particular enhancing the relationship between Vietcombank and the FLC Group.
She committed to the credit package being used efficiently and to implement the rights and obligations contained within the contract.
Vietcombank will provide loans to customers who purchase an apartment at the FLC Complex with a preferential interest rate of 7 per cent per annum.
The FLC Complex is surrounded by many other notable buildings, such as Keangnam, Indochina Plaza, The Manor, and My Dinh National Stadium.
Banking innovation now a top priority
The Institute of Manpower, Banking and Finance (BTCI) organized the Annual Conference - ASEAN Region 2015 on October 9 with the theme of Banking & Finance Innovation.
Speakers raised matters concerning Vietnam’s banking sector regarding technological innovation and the context of the TPP being signed and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) approaching.
Mr. William Anthony Jennings, Vice Chairman and Acting CEO of BTCI, said that in recent years Vietnam has seen huge improvements in its banking sector, of which innovation in providing services has been a top priority of local banks.
He added that Vietnam’s banking sector has continued to see the development of retail banking. Government pressure on renewal and restructuring in the sector has encouraged banks to offer competitive new products and improvements in operational processes and procedures and to focus on developing high-quality human resources.
Mr. Douglas Jackson, Partner and Managing Director of the Boston Consulting Group, said that since the first ATM was installed by Barclays in the country, which conducted very simple banking transactions, digital banking has developed very quickly and provides much more complex services. Customers can now conduct an array of banking activities online. The development of technology has seen costs fall significantly and the banking sector can easily take advantage of innovation to develop new services with the support of high technology.
In regards to the gap between the application of technology in foreign banks and local banks, Mr. Jackson told VET that this is understandable because Vietnamese consumers are yet to fully adapt to digital banking activities while the cost of internet use remains relatively high and e-commerce is still in the early stages of development. In order to improve the application of technology in the near term, he suggested banks invest more and gain a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and identify what digital banking services are needed in daily life.
In terms of technological innovation in Vietnam when the AEC comes into being, Mr. Nguyen Huu Thai Hoa, former Chief Strategy Officer at the FPT Corporation, said that information technology in Vietnam will hold major advantages during the integration process.  
HCMC to expand seaport approach roads
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has approved a build-operate project to broaden Nguyen Duy Trinh Street to connect Phu Huu Seaport with surrounding main roads and reduce traffic pressure to Cat Lai Seaport, said director of the Department of Transport Bui Xuan Cuong on Sunday.
According to the department, the 1.6 kilometer long road is only 7 meter wide with two lanes. The project will increase exploitation effectiveness of Phu Huu and Cat Lai seaports in eastern HCMC, making them the city’s key seaport group.
The Build-Operate project will meet cargo transport demand from Phu Huu Industrial Park to main roads of the city.
Total capital is expected to reach VND930 billion (US$42 million), of these VND700 billion for site clearance.
Previously, the committee had asked the department to work with the People’s Committee of District 9 and Ha Tien 1 Cement Company to speed up site clearance for construction of a road to Tan Cang-Phu Huu Seaport, which is scheduled to complete by January next year.
The Urban Traffic Management Zone 2 and contractors have been instructed to step up the progress of Rach Chiec 2 Bridge in the belt road no.2 in order to open it to traffic by the fourth quarter this year.
The District 9 People’s Committee should clear the site over 19.12 hectares for building of a container yard as per proposal by Saigon Newport Company.
The Transport Department and the company have been instructed to build an extra of 220 meters of new quay and upgrade 320 meters of the existing quay of Tan Cang-Phu Huu port to receive container vessels of up to 40,000 DWT.
Relevant departments should review overall plan to improve the effectiveness of seaports in eastern and western HCMC. They will be broadened to over 200 hectares with two kilometers of quays to receive 120-150 million tons of import goods a year from 2018-2020.
First VietGap pork stall opens in HCMC
The first spot selling pork under the Vietnam Good Agricultural Practice (VietGap) has been opened in Hoa Binh Market, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City by An Ha Company.
The opening of the stall is result of the World Bank financed project on livestock competitiveness and food safety (lifsap), which has been implemented since 2010 with a total fund of US$5 million.
The project has assisted 848 participating households to practice safe breeding in nine communes of Cu Chi and hoc Mon districts.
It has supervised all phases from feed, breeding, slaughtering and selling and taken samples periodically for analysis on diseases, quality, banned substance residues and environmental impact estimation.
Slaughterhouses have been repaired and upgraded with waste treatment systems to meet requirements on environmental hygiene. 
Implementation of the project has faced with many difficulties, from changing farmers' breeding habit to choosing markets with stalls meeting hygiene requirements.
That is why although VietGap pork has been produced for the last couples of years but consumers have been unaware of it.
An Ha Company has become a pioneer in safe pork supply chain by connecting breeders, slaughterhouses, transporters and sellers together.
The company purchases all pigs from households practicing VietGap standard, about 240 pigs are slaughtered a day. Besides Hoa Binh Market, it will provide the product at other markets.
The price of VietGap pork is equivalent to that of the same product in the market, said director of the company Nguyen Thi Hong Tham.
InterContinental hosts first MICE group
InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hotel on Sunday began hosting the first MICE group since its inauguration on September 9.
The hotel said the Siemens AG’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) group consisted of 365 people who are occupying 195 rooms in the mid-town hotel for three days.
Siemens AG, a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering in the industrial, energy and healthcare sectors, is organizing its annual sales conference in Vietnam for the first time at the newest luxury hotel and residence complex.
“InterContinental Asiana Saigon is proud to serve our first MICE group. This will not only help Siemens get the most out of their meetings and conventions, but also help us showcase HCMC’s leading conference and MICE facilities,” said Phil Riley, InterContinental Hotels Group’s regional general manager.
He said the event once again highlighted HCMC’s attractiveness and potential as a MICE destination for global companies.
The 21-story InterContinental Asiana Saigon has 305 guest rooms and suites.
Vietnam Airlines announces direct Hanoi-Osaka service
Vietnam Airlines will launch five weekly flights between Hanoi and the Japanese city of Osaka from January when Japan Airlines suspends its daily service on this route.
Vietnam Airlines will use Airbus A321 aircraft for the flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from January 13, one day after Japan Airlines suspends its daily service.
The national flag air carrier clarified a statement that it had joined the code-share flights operated by Japan Airlines between Hanoi and Osaka over the past years, but this Japanese carrier last week announced the end of the service from January 12 because of its network restructuring to cope with difficulties.
Vietnam Airlines decided to commence direct flights on the run to meet market demand and replace the code-share flights to Japan, one of the important markets for the carrier in Northeast Asia.
Pham Ngoc Minh, CEO of Vietnam Airlines, said the new service proved the carrier’s role in contributing to the development and promotion of commercial, investment and tourism links between Japan and Vietnam.
The carrier said that while the global airline industry was facing tough times triggered by the global downturn it strived to expand services to Japan after launching weekly direct flights between Hanoi and Japan’s Fukuoka in October in addition to new domestic routes from Hanoi to Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa and Pleiku and from HCMC to Quang Binh.
Osaka will be the fourth Japanese destination of Vietnam Airlines’ direct flights from Hanoi after Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. This will be the eighth route operated by the carrier between Vietnam and Japan.
The five additional flights will bring Vietnam Airlines’ number of total direct flights to Japan to more than 30 per week, including seven from HCMC and four from Hanoi to Tokyo, seven from HCMC and five from Hanoi to Osaka, four from Hanoi to Nagoya, and two from HCMC and two from Hanoi to Fukuoka.
* Thai AirAsia looks set to launch direct daily flights between HCMC and Thailand’s Phuket next month in a new move to expand operations in Vietnam and offer more options to travel between Thailand and this emerging market.
Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, told reporters in HCMC last week that the member airline of Malaysia’s low-cost AirAsia Group was selling tickets for the new service, set to open December 3, at www.airasia.com.
One way fares start from US$25, excluding airport tax, for the HCMC-Phuket route on which Thai AirAsia will use Airbus A320s configured with 180 seats. Flights will arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 9:10 p.m. and leave at 9:40 p.m.
Asked about the unfavorable arrival and departure times, Bijleveld explained that Thai AirAsia had no choice because of tight schedules at the airport in the southern tropical resort paradise of Thailand.
Bijleveld told the Daily the airline would soon change the inconvenient schedule in order to meet the expectations of passengers traveling by air between the two destinations.
Bijleveld said the first direct service between HCMC and Phuket would make it easier for foreign tourists to come to explore attractions in Vietnam and to have connecting flights to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Jakarta and many more holiday getaways.
“We foresee a strong demand for the new Phuket-HCMC route and believe the demand will constitute guests from a mixture of leisure seekers and business travelers,” Bijleveld said.
Bijleveld expects good bookings for the HCMC-Phuket service as many foreign tourists come to Phuket every year for vacations of two to six weeks and want to travel to other places in the region.
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