BUSINESS IN BRIEF 21/7 VN, Singapore hold forum Nearly 200 business leaders, industry experts, policymakers and Government officials participated in the 2016 Viet Nam – Singapore Business Forum held yesterday (July 20) in HCM City. The forum was aimed at strengthening trade connectivity to leverage co-operation opportunities for Vietnamese and Singaporean businesses since the two countries have joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Hosted by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), this business platform connected companies in Viet Nam and Singapore, enabling them to explore co-operation opportunities. The forum also focused on Viet Nam's consistent efforts to improve the investment environment. Speaking at the event, Doan Duy Khuong, VCCI vice chairman, said: "VSBF 2016 is an important event which will further contribute to the success of multifaceted bilateral co-operation relations between Viet Nam and Singapore, especially after the two countries reached the Strategic Partnership agreement in 2013. "This is also a practical platform for businesses to promote international economic integration since both countries have become members of the TPP and AEC." Leow Siu Lin, the Singaporean consul in HCM City, said: "The forum is a valuable platform for the business sectors of the two countries to network and interact. "Business links are a key component of the bilateral relationship, which was elevated to a Strategic Partnership signed in September 2013. Dang Xuan Quang, deputy director of Foreign Investment Department, said the forum provided participants with valuable business opportunities and access to resources, capital and a credible business network to promote economic growth in both countries. Four panel discussions moderated by industry leaders, experts and government officials focused on financial services, processing and manufacturing, real estate development, and tourism and hospitality. The financial services session discussed the overview of the financial and banking market in Viet Nam 2016; key driver for reform in Viet Nam's banking sector: the application of modern technology; e-commerce trends; and Singaporean banks' offer of access to their full suite of banking solutions to Vietnamese companies. The processing and manufacturing seminar discussed co-operation between the two countries in manufacturing under the TPP to improve goods exported to member countries; how Viet Nam and Singapore can take advantage of the TPP to further improve investment in processing and manufacturing; and investment in industrial parks in Viet Nam. One of the most important areas of co-operation between Viet Nam and Singapore is real estate. Singaporeans have invested in 46 out of Viet Nam's 63 provinces and cities. Singapore-invested property projects focus on housing, industrial zones and offices for rent. The Viet Nam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) Joint Venture Company is a flagship project in the country. Viet Nam has seven VSIP-invested industrial parks in six provinces and cities -- Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, Hai Phing, Quang Ngi, Hai Duong, and Nghe An. Singaporean business eye Danang market  Dragon Bridge, Da Nang city. Singaporean firms have showed their keen interest in hi-tech investment in the central city of Danang at an investment promotion seminar held recently in Singapore. Those in attendance included 70 representatives from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation, the International Enterprise Singapore, the Young Entrepreneurs Society of Singapore and a large number of investors. Addressing the event, Executive Director of Singlarity consulting company Michael Dinh said its consumers and partners want to find out about information technology, clean energy and investment in Danang hi-tech park. Ben Lim, Director of Singapore’s Shado International Group, said the company is running a project in the central province of Ha Tinh and plans to launch an electric bus service in this central city. As a long-time investor in Vietnam, Chairman of the board of directors of Kinderworld Ricky Tan revealed that the group is poised to build an international-standard education-services complex on a 32ha site in the city. As the 34 th member of the Association of International Educators, Kinderworld will bring more students from ASEAN, Singapore and the world to Danang, he said. In a speech, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh expressed the city’s desire to allure foreign investment in high technology, information technology, tourism, trade and logistics. Singapore is currently largest investor of Danang with 22 projects worth nearly US$782 million, primarily in manufacturing, real estate, construction and education. Vietnam’s growth in 2016 projected at only 6% Vietnam’s economy is expected to expand by 6% or less in 2016, according to a report by the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR). The target of 6.7% would be unattainable despite a recovery in trade growth and a bright outlook on foreign investment attraction, said VEPR Director Nguyen Duc Thanh during the release of a report on the domestic economy recently. Dr Thanh said a slowdown in industrial production made the economy grow at a less-than-expected rate of 5.52% in the first half of the year. He warned of the risks of trading macroeconomic stability for high growth with the start of a new government term, noting that Vietnam would have to pay a higher price in case of recurring instability. According to the report, inflation is bound to speed up in the remainder of the year as a result of recovering global commodity prices, domestic price adjustments and money supply increasing in the first six months. The VEPR advised policy makers to anticipate risks of rising inflation in order to keep money supply in check, warning that credit growth of 18-20% in 2016 could make inflation spiral out of control as in recent years. The report said although the new government has taken the first steps in widening the development space for private enterprises, it should resolve to create an effective competitive environment and reduce the State sector, in addition to administrative reform. The VEPR said this is the best way to support Vietnam’s private companies in the context of rapid international integration. With falling revenues from a number of sources, especially interests from State-owned enterprises (SOEs), the VEPR recommends strong disinvestment from SOEs be made to add to government income. According to the VEPR, the idea of mobilising gold from the people is creating more instability on the market, and if implemented, will narrow the policy space in case of macroeconomic instability. The VEPR said in the long term, this idea runs contrary to the effort to fight dollarisation and use of gold in payment, which has just begun to take effect. Dr Nguyen Duc Thanh said the State Bank of Vietnam should persist in separating gold and foreign currency from circulation and put principles of the asset market into operation. Binh Thuan to strictly handle illegal Chinese dragon fruit traders Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the central province of Binh Thuan, Huynh Thanh Canh, has directed local departments and agencies to strictly deal with Chinese fruit traders illegally operating under the cover of Vietnamese businesses in the locality. The provincial has set up an interdisciplinary inspection group (or Group 2241) to investigate and deal with Chinese traders who have illegally traded dragon fruit in Binh Thuan since early this year. At the inspection group’s advice, the provincial People’s Committee has imposed fines worth VND410 million (US$18,600) on 17 Chinese nationals for entering and working in Vietnam without permission from authorised agencies. The province also fined two Chinese citizens VND50 million (US$2,270) for illegally doing business in Vietnam, seizing 12 tonnes of packed dragon fruit. Meanwhile, the provincial Migration Management Office shortened the duration of stay in Vietnam for those committing administrative violations for the first time. Those who repeat the offence will be banned from entering Vietnam for certain duration. Binh Thuan currently has over 26,000 hectares of dragon fruit farms, accounting for 80% of the country’s total dragon fruit area and output. According to the provincial People’s Committee, 232 organisations and individuals are involved in trading the fruit in the province. Currently, only about 15-20% of the dragon fruit output is sold in the Vietnamese market, while the majority is exported to China via unofficial trade. Thailand conducts hearing on stainless pipe and tube antidumping Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) has announced essential facts on antidumping investigations on stainless pipe and tube products imported from some countries including Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Competition Authority. DFT also announced that it will conduct a hearing at 10am on July 27 and offer an opportunity for relevant sides to send their opinions to DFT before July 22. Each side is allowed to register three people to join the hearing before July 22. Only entrants can take part in the hearing, which will be held in Thai language. On September 17th, 2015, the Thai authorities initiated an antidumping investigation on imports of stainless steel pipe (stainless pipe and tube) from China, Chinese Taipei, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. The products subject to investigation are classified under the following HS codes: 7305.3110, 7306.1110, 7306.1190, 7306.2100, 7306.4010, 7306.4020, 7306.4030, 7306.4090 and 7306.6100. Petro pump prices continue to drop The Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 20 announced the price of RON 92 petrol has once again been reduced, this time by US$.029 (VND665) to US$.69 (VND15,303) per litre effective as of 3:00 pm. Meanwhile the cost of E5 bio-fuel has been reduced by US$.027 (VND604) and now stands at US$.67 (VND14,843) per litre. There has been no change in the charge for diesel oil, paraffin or mazut. The maximum prices of diesel oil and paraffin are now pegged at US$.55 (VND12,298) and US$.48 (VND10,667) per litre and the price of mazut cannot exceed US$.40 (VND9,001) per kilogramme. Exhibitions on electrical, energy-saving devices open The ninth International Exhibition on Electrical Technology & Equipment (Vietnam ETE) and the sixth International Exhibition on the Products and Technologies of Energy Saving & Green Power (Enertec Expo) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20, attracting more than 160 exhibitors at home and abroad. With 250 stalls, firms displayed energy-saving devices for manufacturing and consumption, including brands such as Dien Quang light bulbs, Rang Dong thermos, Cadivi, and foreign showcases from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Germany. In his opening speech, Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thanh Kien said the exhibitions have become trustworthy destinations for electrical and eco-friendly equipment manufacturers. The events will last till July 23. Local, int’l real estate firms exhibit products in Hanoi expo The Vietnam International Real Estate Exhibition, VNREA EXPO 2016, kicked off in Hanoi on July 20, featuring nearly 100 booths from nearly 360 domestic and foreign businesses. On show are new products, services, construction materials and decor in the construction industry. The five-day event also presents real estate and housing projects, and technologies for the sector. Former Minister of Construction and Chairman of the Vietnam National Real Estate Association (VNREA) Nguyen Tran Nam said the exhibition will be organised annually at the National Architecture, Planning and Construction Exhibition Centre in Ha Noi. A similar event will be held in HCM City in September this year. This year’s event sees the participation of well-known companies such as Phuc Khang Construction and Investment JSC, Thang Long Air Services Corporation, Capitaland-Hoang Thanh Investment Limited, the Thu Do Investment and Trading JSC, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUD), Viglacera Real-estate Trading Company and Duckshin Housing Co., Ltd. The products displayed at the exhibition come from 36 real estate firms, 126 electrical equipment and smart home technology firms, 83 interior decoration companies and 53 building material firms, and 62 enterprises displaying products from sectors ranging from solar energy to machinery. VNREA EXPO 2016 is being organised by VNREA in collaboration with the Vietbuild Construction International Exhibition Organisation Corporation (VIETBUILD). Vietnam ICT COMM 2016 opens in Hanoi The Vietnam ICT COMM 2016, an exhibition of information and communication technology opened in Hanoi on July 20. On display at nearly 200 domestic and foreign booths are information and communication technology products, telecom and Internet services and applications, as well as games, software, electronics and ancillary industries. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Phan Tam noted that the event is a promising start for Vietnam to carry out a programme to develop broadband telecommunications infrastructure by 2020. The exhibited products and services at the event are expected to be widely used, contributing to socio-economic development, Tam underscored. The three-day event creates a venue to link local and foreign enterprises while serving an effective interactive channel for policy-makers and the business community to fulfill the legal environment, which will help branch out the Vietnamese information and communication industry. Participants at the exhibition will have a chance to share experience in innovation, business management efficiency and the application of IT in trade activities. Seminars on developing mobile phone apps, network security, job-oriented consultations and ICT resource training are also scheduled at the event. International electrical technology expo opens in HCM City The ninth International Exhibition on Electrical Technology and Equipment and the sixth International Exhibition on Products, Technologies of Energy Saving and Green Power opened in HCM City on July 20. Vietnam ETE 2016 and Enertec Expo 2016 feature nearly 250 booths set up by more than 160 local and international exhibitors in the fields of green energy and electrical equipment, including from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, and Germany. Several conferences would be held on the sidelines of the events, Pham Thanh Kien, director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said. With increasing investment to improve their production technologies, Vietnamese firms in the energy and electrical equipment sectors make advanced products which meet not only domestic quality standards but also export standards, he said. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, said besides the opportunity to showcase their technologies and products, the two exhibitions also offer local and foreign exhibitors a chance to compare notes and explore business opportunities. Organised by the department, the HCM City Power Corporation, and C.I.S Viet Nam Advertising and Exhibition Joint Stock Company, the exhibitions, on at the Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, will go on until July 23. Over 1,000 booths showcased at VNREA EXPO 2016 More than 1,000 booths displaying new products and technologies from 360 enterprises are participating in the Viet Nam International Real Estate Exhibition, VNREA EXPO 2016. The enterprises comprise 186 local firms, 94 ventures and 80 firms from 12 countries and territories. The expo kicked off yesterday in Ha Noi, aiming to promote trade and introduce real estate projects as well as new products and services in the construction, building materials and interiors sector. Nguyen Tran Nam, chairman of the Viet Nam Real Estate Association (VNREA), said the event would be organised annually at the National Architecture, Planning and Construction Exhibition Centre in Ha Noi. A similar event will be held in HCM City in September this year. "The organising board wants to deliver an early alert on development trends in the property market. Estate developers should pay attention to the social housing market segment, offering small-scale and medium prices to suit the incomes of the majority of people," Nam said. The expo has showcased housing, interiors and building material products. Several prestigious property developers have participated in the five-day exhibition, including Hai Phat, HUD and Viglacera Land. Seminars on various topics, such as sources of capital for the domestic real estate market, investment potential and opportunities in the market, as well as issues related to providing low-income housing, will be held during the event. Real estate experts will provide ideas on establishing a policy system to develop the real estate market and field questions on this and related subjects. The expo will also honour outstanding designers, real estate products and trading floors in localities nationwide. Fake goods threaten EU investment in Vietnam In Vietnam, the trade of fake goods is pervasive with many market analysts estimating that the overwhelming majority of retail consumer goods sold are counterfeit and likely to have been produced in China. There is a widespread saying among the business communities in the US and EU that if a product produced in one of their economies sells in Vietnam “it probably will be illegally duplicated in China or another Asian country.” If one purchases a Swiss Rolex watch, Italian Gucci handbag or a wide variety of American products such as Duracell batteries, Gillette razor blades, Safeguard soap, Head & Shoulders shampoo or Ensure nutritional supplements in Vietnam they are undoubtedly imitation and not the real thing. Currently, if a foreign company suspects counterfeiting of its products in Vietnam and has evidence to prove it, the individuals involved in the operation seldom go to jail, said Le Ngoc Lam, deputy director of the Ministry of Science and Technology Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Department. However, the country’s enforcement agencies and the courts have been actively issuing decisions with harsh civil sanctions on the infringers serving as good precedents and clear warnings on future violations. Mr Lam said the legal system is getting tougher on IP rights violators, largely in part, because of the far-reaching implications this has for the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement and foreign investment. The trade pact, signed earlier this year, currently in the process of ratification by the signatory member countries and on tract for coming into effect in 2018, has high legal requirements on IP protection standards and enforcement measures Many retailers from EU countries, said Mr Lam, have expressed their hesitation, if not outright refusal, to invest in the Vietnam retail sector unless and until their wares, have been extended the legal protections found in the developed world. Factually, a number of retailers from the EU such as Metro Group based out of Germany and French mass retailer Casino Group have this year exited the country’s retail market, demonstrating the appeal of the country’s retail sector currently is weak. A similar analysis and conclusion for EU investment in the manufacturing sector could be made, though using Vietnam as a manufacturing hub, carries with it a different risk assessment than entering its retail market. Thus, there can be little doubt that increases in foreign investment from the EU as a result of the trade deal, will ultimately depend on the effectiveness of intellectual property protection and enforcement in Vietnam. Mr Lam said presently in Vietnam, rights holders mainly seek administrative relief and border control measures before the Ministry of Science and Technology Inspectorate or the Vietnam Intellectual Property Research Institute as opposed to pursuing lawsuits before civil courts. They view that an administrative route takes less time and money to prosecute compared with civil actions, taking into account the unclear legal precedents of IP disputes and lack of experienced judges. The non-binding opinions of these administrative agencies are then included in the customs record, which effectively prevent the physical entry or exit of infringing goods at the country’s border crossings. However, administrative decisions only result in the fine and destruction of infringing goods without compensating the rights holders for their damages or even payment of legal fees, said Mr Lam. As a result, the country should expect to see an increase in litigation in courts in patent area over the next couple of years. With agriculture accounting for well over 50% of the country’s economy, it should come as no big surprise that the first major patent suits took place in this area. In these cases, the courts have issued decisions in favour of the foreign agro-science companies, which set precedents for future judgments. There are also movements afoot from various quarters to amend the criminal code criminalizing all intentional IP right infringements as harmful acts or conduct to Vietnamese society, Mr Lam concluded. Opportunities for food and beverage businesses boost trade Both domestic and foreign food and beverage enterprises will have a chance to promote trade and expand business while attending the Vietfood & Beverage and ProPack international exhibition, scheduled for August 10-13 in Ho Chi Minh City. The exhibition will feature 500 booths of 425 new and well-known firms from 20 countries and territories worldwide, including China, Germany, Malaysia, Poland, Taiwan (China), Thailand, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam, said the Vietnam National Trade and Advertising Company (Vinexad). This is also an opportunities for well-known domestic businesses like Habeco, Sabeco, Tan Hiep Phat Group, Vissan and Vifon to consolidate their positions on the market along with introducing their latest products, seeking partners and learning about customers’ demands. This year, domestic manufacturers will bring to the exhibition clean products cultivated and processed in line with environmentally-friendly and non-toxic standards such as organic rice, honey, bird nest and cereals. Highlight of the event will be the display of processed poultry products from the Associations of Poultry Processor and Poultry Trade in Poland and the European Union. The associations’ member businesses will provide consultations on bio-farming methods as well as new methods in food processing and preserving. Business-to-business (B2B) meetings will be organised during the exhibition to connect domestic and foreign poultry businesses. The food and beverage processing industry has great potential in Vietnam. Being a tropical agricultural country, Vietnam has abundant resources – a significant input for the processing industry. A large domestic consumption market with low labour costs coupled with strong equitisation of food enterprises has made the sector full of vitality, according to the organising board. The exhibition was first held in 1996. After 19 exhibitions witnessing significant and rapid changes in the market, from the initial purpose of serving consumers' basic needs, the food and beverage industry has become a sector with considerable market share accounting for 15% of the gross domestic product, and it will continue to grow. World’s top telecom brands converge on Hanoi A Telecommunications Exposition running July 20-23 in Hanoi at the International Exhibition Centre has attracted nearly 150 companies from more than 15 countries, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). At a July 14 press conference, the MoIT told reporters that a few of the global brands that have registered to attend are Ericsson, Frost and Sullivan, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Runsystem, and GlobalSign APAC. Leading local companies VNPT and FPT will also participate in the event. The MoIT said the telecommunications industry is a strategic, fundamental and leading industry in supporting national economic development that helps to improve communication at all levels, an important power in advancing changes to the way the economy works. Over 1,000 entrepreneurs gather to sharpen leading skills More than 1,000 domestic and foreign business people were brought together at the 6th meeting of the Business Network International (BNI), seeking to learn from each other’s experience and sharpen their managerial knowledge and skills. Under the theme “Trust to Abundance”, this year’s gathering, in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on July 15-16, is the biggest of its kind so far. Various activities were held during the meeting such as sharing investment opportunities in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, leadership training, fund-raising for impoverished students, and team building. BNI Vietnam was established in 2010 and is home to 2,400 members at 60 representative offices in 22 cities and provinces nationwide, including those in major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho, Lam Dong, and Ba Ria – Vung Tau. From August 2010 to June 2016, BNI Vietnam helped businesses to forge links and gross over 11.49 trillion VND (505.56 million USD) in revenues. Ba Ria-Vung Tau boasts competitive advantages, notably the deep seaport system, favourable transport network, and abundant human resources. It will focus on developing the gas-power-fertiliser industry, support industry, environmentally friendly industry, seaport, hi-end tourism and hi-tech agriculture. TPP members, Mexico work to boost trade ties A group of trade representatives of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members in Mexico will be set up in an effort to boost trade ties with the host country. Under an initiative by Vietnam, the group will be responsible for holding seminar and business forums between the ten TPP member states making their presence in Mexico and the host country. Vietnam’s initiative was discussed at the meeting on July 15 with the participation of ten commercial counsellors and commercials attachés from Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam. The group will also work with state agencies, associations and trade offices in Mexico with regard to the trade deal or economic, trade and investment issues and exchanged information between the members of the group. All TPP countries, except for Brunei, have established the trade presence in Mexico, including, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. According to Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy, trade between Mexico and other eleven TPP member states totalled 557.55 billion USD in 2015, representing 71.87 percent of its foreign trade. Mexico exported to its TPP partners 327.94 billion USD worth of commodities, accounting for 86.16 percent of the total export revenue while its imports from the partners exceeded 229.7 billion USD, or 58.12 percent of the total import revenue. Vietnam is currently the fifth largest trade partner of Mexico among the TPP members with bilateral trade reaching 3.86 billion USD in 2015. The TPP was concluded on October 5, 2015 after seven years of negotiation. It was signed on February 4, 2016 and is in the process of being ratified by each member state. The ratification procedures will take about two years. The TPP members will account for 30 percent of global trade and about 40 percent of the world’s economy. Vietnam’s car sales surge 31 percent in June Vietnamese people bought more than 24,400 cars in June, an increase of 31 percent compared with the same period last year, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said. Passenger cars were the market leaders with sales of 12,916 units, following by commercial cars with 10,325 units and special-purpose vehicles with 1,180 units. In the first half of this year, nearly 126,800 cars were sold, a 31 percent year-on-year increase. On average, about 700 cars were bought each day. Truong Hai Automobile Joint-Stock Company (Thaco) continued to monopolise the market last month, with sales of 9,246 units, claiming 42.3 percent of the market share. Thaco said it produced 51,000 cars in the first half of this year and developed 11 new models of buses, tour cars and trucks. Thaco plans to design a new bus under the national brand later this year as a Vietnamese brand promotion strategy in the ASEAN Economic Community and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Two truck and bus manufacturing plants will be built later this year, with a capacity of producing 16,000 buses and 100,000 trucks per year, while the production capacity of the Kia Thaco plant will be raised from 28,000 to 30,000 cars, and of Vina Mazda to 30,000 vehicles. Thaco’s sales were more than double of Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV), which ranked second with sales of 3,979 units, claiming 18.2 percent of the market share. These were followed by Ford Vietnam, Honda, GM Vietnam and Mercedes-Benz Vietnam with sales of 2,369 units, 869 units, 765 units and 655 units, respectively. The top five best-selling cars in the first half of this year were Ford Ranger, Toyota Vios, Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Innova, besides Mazda. The market prices of many models with engine displacement between 1,500cc and 2,500cc were sharply cut. TMV cut the price of Corrola Altis models by 48-59 million VND (2,147-2,600 USD) each, with the prices now ranging from 747 million VND to 933 million VND. Other Toyota models the prices of which were cut were Yaris, Vios and Hiace. Meanwhile, the firm raised the prices of Fortuner models by between 32 million VND and 38 million VND to reach 1.04 billion VND and 1.23 billion VND. The price of Land Cruiser VX increased by 870 million VND to touch 3.72 billion VND. A small survey conducted by online newspaper Vietnamnet.vn showed that agents cut the prices of many models in the sedan segment. An auto sales person in Hanoi, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the prices of models with engine displacement of 1,500cc to 2,500cc had been reduced. The agent did not make any profit, but still accepted the low price to close its revenue account for the first half of this year. Meanwhile, a representative of an FDI auto firm said the price cut was being implemented only by agents. They accepted cut in profits to increase revenue and hoped to receive a cash bonus from the automakers. Agents said they had to reduce the prices of many models because there was fierce competition among companies to claim and maintain market shares. Some businesses have announced price cuts. Meanwhile, some others do not cut the price themselves, but give the ‘green light’ to agents to cut prices, while promising to give them cash bonuses in return for increased revenue. Five major motorbike manufacturers sold more than 1.44 million motorbikes for the first six months of the year, an increase of 8 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM). VAMM includes five members, Honda Vietnam Co Ltd, Piaggio Vietnam Co Ltd, Vietnam Suzuki Corporation, SYM Vietnam Company and Yamaha Motor Vietnam Co Ltd. VAMM’s figures released in a report on July 11 did not include export sales or market share of each auto manufacturer. The five manufactures provide a wide range of products, including scooters, cubs and clutch gear motorbikes. Last year, total sales volume of the five members reached more than 2.84 million units. Canadian cherry introduced in Ho Chi Minh City A Canadian cherry festival opened in the SC Vivocity trade centre in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 on July 16, aiming to introduce Vietnamese consumers with cherry grown in British Columbia, a western state of Canada. Speaking at the event, jointly held by the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Co.op Extra supermarket chain and Nam Chan Food Corporation, Canadian Trade Counsellor Barbara Nadea said that the Canadian government has invested strongly in cherry production and successfully developed nutritious cherry varieties. Currently, British Columbia has more than 300 family cherry farms covering a total area of 4,000 hectares. Canadian cherry has met food safety and origin standards to be sold in Asian and European markets. According to Duong Minh Quang, Deputy General Director of Co.op Extra, Canada is among leading countries in fruit producing, storing and processing with advanced and environmental friendly technology. Co.op Extra and Vietnamese importers hope to provide Vietnamese consumers with high quality and safe products and variety of choices in food, farm produce and fruits, he added. Last year, the Canadian Embassy held a similar festival in Hanoi. In 2015, Canada exported over 1.7 million USD worth of cherry to Vietnam, a 50-percent rise over 2014. Demo day helps startups attract seed capital A demo day was held in Hanoi on July 16 as part of a business acceleration project following the Silicon Valley model, aiming to help startups attract seed capital to stimulate their growth. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said to have a successful startup environment, the relationship and cooperation capacity between startups and investors are the prerequisites. The number of startups receiving investment depends on investors’ capacity and the money they will spend. Startup founders’ ability of creating a business with rapid and sustainable growth is also a necessary condition for a successful startup environment. The business acceleration project looks to develop those founders’ capacity of building startups and call for investors’ seed capital, helping them have sufficient funding to try different business strategies, he added. He said he hopes the demo day will provide a precondition for successful connectivity between investors, investment funds and potential startups, helping startups to strongly develop in the future. At the event, 11 potential startups presented their product and business ideas to persuade investors. In the first demo day in 2014, nine startups presented their ideas, and four of them received capital from funds and angel investors. Those four startups generated profit almost five-fold what they had earned before the event. Real estate expo to take place in Hanoi The Vietnam International Real Estate Exhibition – VNREA EXPO 2016 – will take place at the National Architecture, Planning and Construction Exhibition Centre in Hanoi from July 20-24. According to the organising board, there will have around 1,000 booths from 12 countries and territories, introducing new products and technologies from 360 enterprises, including 186 local firms, 94 ventures, and 80 foreign firms. Nguyen Tran Nam, VNREA President said the event will be organised annually in Hanoi and HCM City. A similar event will be held in September in HCM City. Products displayed at the exhibition come from 36 real estate firms, 126 enterprises on electrical equipment and smart home technology, 83 enterprises related to interior decoration, 53 enterprises involved with building materials, and 62 enterprises displaying a range of products from solar energy to machinery. VNREA EXPO 2016 is held by the Vietnam National Real Estate Association (VNREA) in collaboration with the Vietbuild Construction International Exhibition Organisation Corporation. German state believes in bright outlook for cooperation with ASEAN Officials of the German state of Baden Württemberg expressed optimism about cooperation prospects between the state and ASEAN countries at a recent meeting with the member ambassadors of the Berlin ASEAN Committee (BAC). Minister-President of the state Winfried Kretschmann spoke highly of ASEAN’s efforts and accomplishments in building an ASEAN Community with unity in diversity. He expressed delight at the comprehensive cooperation outcomes between the two sides, noting that the state’s Minister for Economics Nicole Hoffmeister - Kraut will lead a business delegation to Vietnam and Singapore this November to create new momentum for bilateral partnership. Meanwhile, the Minister for Economics said the state has strength in machinery and automobile manufacturing, information technology, renewable energy, and health care, describing them as promising for cooperation between the German state and ASEAN. Aside from the meeting with Baden Württemberg officials, the BAC delegation met with the chambers of commerce and industry of the state’s Karlsruhe and Stuttgart cities, and the state’s international cooperation promotion agency Baden-Württemberg International. At the working sessions, the German side highly valued the economic partnership prospect between the state and ASEAN and also voiced interest in Vietnam. Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung informed the hosts about the new government of Vietnam and its resolve to initiate the second wave of reforms to promote the country’s industrialisation and modernisation. This is a big opportunity for German and Baden Württemberg businesses, he stressed. On this occasion, he also met with leaders of Daimler group, which has invested in Vietnam since 1995 and has recorded rapid growth there in recent years. Baden Württemberg, the third largest state of Germany, reported a GDP of 460 billion EUR and an economic growth rate of 3.1 percent in 2015 – the fastest rate in the country, whose economy grew by 1.7 percent on average. It is also holding 30 percent of Germany’s patents and home to globally famous brands like Bosch, Daimler and SAP. State plantations restructured slowly Additional legal framework is needed to speed up the restructuring of State-owned plantations in Việt Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hà Công Tuấn has said. The Politburo of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and the Government issued a resolution and decree on State-owned plantations two years ago as the plantations did not operate as effectively as expected, causing wastage to State-resources, particularly in land and funding use, according to the official. As many as 150 agriculture companies and 134 forestry companies owned by State are subject to restructuring. However, until the end of last month, 14 of those companies had not completed their restructuring plans or their revised plans had not been approved by the Prime Minister, Tuấn said at a conference held on Thursday. By the end of last year, State-owned agriculture and forestry companies across Việt Nam had a total asset value of VNĐ40.517 trillion (US$ 1.81 billion), and average pre-tax profit in the period 2012-2014 was VNĐ2.797 trillion ($125.41 million). Their accumulated losses totalled VNĐ1.071 trillion (US$48 million), accounting for four per cent of equity. Deputy Minister Tuấn said at the conference reviewing the plantation restructuring that localities across the country were struggling to find direction for future development. He said that the Government’s decree on restructuring of State-owned plantations – Decree 118/2014/NĐ-CP – should be reviewed and amended. For example, regulations on the bankruptcy of agriculture and forestry companies, and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of such companies should be added to the decree. The shortage of funding for measuring land areas that the State-owned plantation are managing also hindered the restructuring, localities reported. The Government planned to allocate VNĐ 1 trillion (US$44.84 million) for localities to measure and re-identify boundaries of State-owned farms but until now, just VNĐ450 billion ($20,170) has been disbursed. Localities revealed they were unable to arrange funding for the measurements as they faced financial difficulties. Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ said that the restructuring was important to avoid the waste of land and forest, as well as to increase the turnover of agriculture and forestry production. He asked relevant agencies to study and boost reforestation in areas where trees had been chopped down to make room for hydropower plant projects. In cases where there is no land remaining for reforestation in localities where hydropower plans are located, the plant investors must give the localities money for reforestation in other places, he said. By June 20, the country had planted 23,622 hectares of forest, 11,338 hectares of which were contributed by hydroelectricity projects. Textile firms blast formaldehyde directive The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been urged to retract a directive, which experts say creates unnecessary obstacles for textile and garment manufacturers. The directive, which took effect in December 2015, regulates the acceptable levels of formaldehyde and aromatic amines derived from azo dyes in apparel materials imported for local production. Under the circular, formaldehyde levels in textile materials must not exceed 30 mg/kg in textile products for children under 36 months of age; 75 mg/kg for textile products in direct contact with human skin; and 300 mg/kg for textile products not in direct contact with human skin. The new circular sets the same limits as one from November 2009, which it replaces, but adds requirements for sampling methods to reflect updated test methods and relevant quality management requirements. Nguyen Minh Thao, head of the CIEM's Business Environment and Competitiveness Division, said the ministry's requirement has forced enterprises to comply with a time-consuming and costly procedures for the past seven years. After reviewing relevant legal documents, her research group found that the issuance of Circular 37 was contrary to the current Law on Product and Goods Quality, Thao told Thoi Bao Tai Chinh (Viet Nam Financial Times) Online. Under the law, the ministry is only allowed to issue regulations related to the inspection of formaldehyde content in textile products if the products are on the list of commodities under the ministry's management. However, textile products are not on the list of potentially unsafe goods under the ministry's management. On November 24, 2015, the ministry promulgated Circular 41 to supplement the textile products on the list as a "band-aid" solution. Pham Thanh Binh, former head of the General Department of Viet Nam Customs' Post-Clearance Inspection Division, said "Circular 41 was issued and came into effect after Circular 37, thus Circular 37 is baseless." The Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) complained that the requirement has cost garment enterprises much time and money. In particular, the long customs clearance time interrupts production and, in some cases, causes firms to miss delivery deadlines. The complicated procedure will force enterprises to raise product costs, so their competitiveness will also be harmed, according to VITAS. A formaldehyde content check usually takes three to seven days and the examination fee for one sample is approximately VND2 million (US$90). Statistics from Tan Son Nhat Airport Customs show that customs officers examine about 8,000 imported shipments of apparel per year for formaldehyde content, but just six cases of non-compliance have been found. VITAS complained that the percentage of non-compliance never reached one per cent, but their products have undergone exhaustive examinations for years. Ideas seek funding at Ha Noi get-together A demo day was held in Ha Noi on July 16 as part of a business acceleration project based on the Silicon Valley model, aiming to help startups attract seed capital to stimulate their growth, vietnamplus.vn reports. Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said that in order to have a successful startup environment, the relationship and cooperation capacity between startups and investors are prerequisites. Startup founders' ability to create a business with rapid and sustainable growth is also a necessary condition for a successful startup environment. The business acceleration project looks to develop those founders' capacity for building startups and to seek seed capital to provide entrepreneurs with sufficient funding to try different business strategies, he added. At the event, 11 potential startups presented their product and business ideas to persuade investors. VIB offers fast-track loans for SMEs Vietnam International Bank (VIB) has launched a new campaign for fast-track loans to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which may be approved within 48 hours of submission of all documents. The programme is part of the bank's strategy to prioritise corporate loans and offer SMEs easy and flexible banking products to help them gain more business opportunities. Accordingly, SMEs which need short-term loans for their production and business activities, can access VIB credit packages with a preferential interest rate. The firms can receive loans worth up to 80 per cent of their value of mortgage assets. In order to facilitate corporate customers, VIB has also launched other outstanding banking services such as payment accounts, property insurance, online banking services and SMS banking. Corporate customers, who use one of these services, can enjoy preferential interest rates and get consultancy on suitable business solutions besides other attractive benefits and incentives. "SMEs are our core customers. Therefore, we have focussed on developing products and services to best serve this customer segment," VuongThiHuyen, VIB's head of wholesale banking, said. "We believe that the bank's fast-track loans will help SMEs expand their production and business activities, sharpen their capacities in current competitive business environment," she said. Phu My Hung launches Riverpark Premier With two show houses, Phu My Hung Development Corporation on Saturday (16.7) launched a new project named Riverpark Premier. Among the most beautiful and luxurious projects in the Phu My Hung City Centre, Riverpark Premier is designed by Germany's Korn Architects, who had earlier designed Riverpark Residence and Green Valley. The construction will be done by POSCO E&C Vietnam, one of South Korea's leading construction companies. By signing up the famous design and construction firms, Phu My Hung affirmed that Riverpark Premier would be the first of a new version of high-end projects to come out in the near future. Low construction density, green space and amenities are competitive advantages of Riverpark Premier The company added that this would be the last riverside project in the City Centre's HillView District, the most vibrant area in the Phu My Hung City Centre. With three buildings (one oval-shaped) ranging from 13 to 22 floors, the project will have 268 condos, four penthouses, three duplex flats and 13 shop houses. Phu My Hung is increasingly building larger flats: It revealed that units in Riverpark Premier will range from 112sq.m to 231sq.m. When finished in the last quarter of 2018, the project will offer full facilities including an infinity swimming pool, clubhouse, children's playing yard, yoga centre and gymnasium and a walking area. Riverpark Premier is designed under new trend mixing Resort and Residence, which brings new experience to their customers Though not yet open for sales, the project has attracted a lot of interest thanks to its close proximity to the city, river, main streets, parks, and schools. It has Nguyen Duc Canh to the east, the river to the west, the Saigon South International School and Lawrence S. Ting School to the south and Riverpark Residence and parks to the north. Riverpark Premier would be the last riverside project in the City Centre's Hill View District, Uniquely, customers can buy condos facing eighth different directions - north, north-west, east, north-east, south-east, south, south-west, and west. Like other projects in the Phu My Hung City Centre, this one has convenient transport options. By the time it is finished, many more transportation projects would have been completed. The roads leading from District 7 to District 4 will be upgraded, with Le Van Luong and Nguyen Tat Thanh streets widened. More bridges will be built between Districts 7 and 4 and Districts 4 and 1. Thu Thiem Bridge 4 will be built between Districts 7 and 2. Many other roads will be built to connect with surrounding areas to reduce traffic jams. Phu My Hung said Riverpark Premier would open for sales by the end of this month -31/7/2016. Thousands to attend Ha Noi technology expo Techmart Ha Noi 2016, a technology and equipment exhibition, will take place in the capital from September 28 to October 1, the event's organizers announced at a news conference last week. The forthcoming expo is expected to draw about 390 enterprises, focusing on information technology, automation, engineering and machinery along with agro-forestry, fisheries and pharmaceuticals. Foreign businesses will display their products at about 50 booths. The event will also include seminars and workshops on food safety and new technologies in biology, health and pharmacy. A seminar to introduce mechanisms and policies to support business will also be held on the sidelines of the event. Organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Techmart has facilitated closer co-operation between scientists and business to enhance the use of technology and improve competitiveness for international economic integration and sustainable development over the past 13 years. More than 450 contracts and MoUs, worth VND380.6 billion (US$17 million), were signed at the national-scale Techmart Viet Nam 2015. According to the management board, the previous expo saw much co-operation forged between participants, many research results were exchanged scientists found new markets for their technology. Vietnam catfish farmers indebted as demand from Chinese market drops Catfish farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta have suffered losses and are heavily indebted as the Chinese market, their primary purchaser, has stopped buying. The price of catfish in the region has constantly plunged over the past month, with one kilogram of the food currently selling at VND16,000 (US$0.71) to VND17,000 (US$0.76). Even with the fish price having hit a record low in the last five years, local farmers are still struggling to sell their products due to the absence of consumers. According to Nguyen Van Dan, an official in Thot Not District, Can Tho City, the total area for catfish farming in the locality is estimated at 400 hectares. “Local farmers could face up to billions of dong in losses [VND1 billion = $44,420] with the current price,” Dan said. Losing about VND600 million (US$26,652), Tran Thi Lan, a resident of Thot Not District, considered herself lucky as many farmers have not been able to sell their fish to any buyer. Nguyen Huu Nguyen, a member of a fishing cooperative in Chau Phu District, An Giang Province, stated that the situation was unprecedented. Businesses have been ignoring catfish farmers’ call for help while merchants have only been making empty promises, said Tam, another member of the cooperative. “We have to borrow money to afford food and other necessities, adding even more to our massive debts,” Tam complained. According to the fish farmers, local residents have tried every measure to minimize their losses, some of whom were even forced to abandon their farms to find other jobs. During an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Le Chi Binh, vice-president of the An Giang Fishery Association, said many processing businesses in the province have begun raising their own fish, meaning that they would stop buying from local farmers. These firms also sold their catfish that were not used as material, resulting in a hike in supply and drop in price, Binh continued. “This is the consequence of conducting business separately without proper planning and coordination,” he elaborated. According to Phan Kim Sa, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade in Dong Thap Province, the situation has been exacerbated because local firms compete with farmers to sell their fish to the Chinese market. “Several entities shot themselves in their feet as they began to lower their prices,” Sa said. He also mentioned a possibility that Chinese traders have manipulated the catfish market by steering local companies from behind the scenes. China was previously anticipated to replace the US and European markets to be the top consumer of Vietnamese catfish, evidenced by the high demand in the first months of 2016, causing the price to reach VND27,000 (US$1.2) per kilogram, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) stated. As local famers and businesses boost their operation to meet the demand, Chinese buyers have already started disappearing, the VASEP added. Vietnam’s exports of mobile phone, parts surge in H1 Vietnam earned nearly US$17 billion from exports of mobile phones and spare parts in the first half of the year, a year-on-year surge of 16%, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. The agency said that the shipments accounted for 20.7% of Vietnam’s total export revenue, which reached more than US$82 billion in the same period, posting a 5.7% increase year-on-year. Garment ranked 2nd with nearly US$11 billion, up 6.4% over last year. Computers, electronics and parts ranked 3rd with nearly US$7.9 billion, followed by shoes with US$6.3 billion and wood and wood products with US$3.2 billion Exports of other commodities, which contributed significantly to total export value two years ago, have seen a sharp decline. Crude oil export gained more than US$1.1 billion, down by nearly 47% over last year. Export of cameras and parts earned the same amount, a year-on-year decrease of nearly 7%. Vietnam – Singapore investment cooperation promoted The 2016 Vietnam – Singapore Business Forum (VSBF) is a significant foundation to connect trade and investment between the two nations, Singaporean Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Leow Siu Lin said at the VSBF that opened in the city on July 20. Leow Siu Lin highlighted the importance of business connectivity in Vietnam – Singapore bilateral relations, saying that it contributes to boosting multilateral cooperation, in areas such as trade, investment, finance, education and human resources development. Echoing the Singaporean diplomat’s view, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Doan Duy Khuong said the event will further contribute to the success of multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore, especially after the two countries reached a strategic partnership agreement in 2013. It is also a practical platform for businesses to promote international economic integration since both countries have become members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the ASEAN Economic Community, Khuong added. The key topics discussed during the event include financial services, processing and manufacturing, real estate development, tourism and hospitality. Koh Chong Yu, Director of the Singapore Trade Development Board, (IE Singapore) in Ho Chi Minh City highlighted investment potential in the Asian nations, including Vietnam. Singaporean enterprises wish to promote cooperation with Vietnamese ones in real estate, retail, restaurant – hotel services and petroleum and oil, she added. As of April 2016, Singapore ranked third among foreign investors in Vietnam, with a total investment exceeding 36 billion USD in 1,600 valid projects. The Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) is among the most effective projects in the country. UK helps Vietnam implement int’l arbitration standards The UK’s Commonwealth Fund will help the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice enhance its capacity via a project on implementing international arbitration standards. The move aims to boost Vietnam’s economic development by improving the domestic investment and business climate, the Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper cited a press release issued by the UK Embassy on July 20 as saying. UK Ambassador Giles Lever noted his hope that with the technical assistance, the ministry will outstandingly carry out the project’s activities. Outcomes brought about by the project are expected to exert long-term impacts on policy and rule building in Vietnam in order to increase the efficiency of the recognition and observance of decisions made by international arbitrators in the country, he said. According to the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), arbitration is conducted in 146 countries. In Vietnam, up to 124 legal proceedings were resolved by the VIAC between 1993 and 2014. Vietnam has 288 arbitrators, along with seven centres in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. Deputy PM receives German Siemens representative Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on July 20 received Lisa Davis, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. At the reception in Hanoi, Dung praised the dynamic development of Siemens and hoped the corporation would continue making more contributions to the socio-economic development in Vietnam. Dung said Vietnam is in the process of industrialisation and modernisation with the goal of achieving a high growth rate and rapid development, which require a network of infrastructure and a solid energy industry. He spoke highly of Siemens’ introduction of advanced technologies for clean energy and renewable energy to Vietnam and recognised the group’s active participation in electricity projects and oil and gas projects. The Deputy PM recommended that Siemens work with the Ministry of Industry and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group in order to learn the relevant information and conditions to supply equipment for projects under Vietnam’s laws. Lisa Davis appreciated the support of the Vietnamese government, ministries and sectors for Siemens, particularly the government’s efforts in enhancing investment and the business environment. Exhibitions on electrical, energy-saving devices open The ninth International Exhibition on Electrical Technology & Equipment (Vietnam ETE) and the sixth International Exhibition on the Products and Technologies of Energy Saving & Green Power (Enertec Expo) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20, attracting more than 160 exhibitors at home and abroad. With 250 stalls, firms displayed energy-saving devices for manufacturing and consumption, including brands such as Dien Quang light bulbs, Rang Dong thermos, Cadivi, and foreign showcases from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey and Germany. In his opening speech, Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thanh Kien said the exhibitions have become trustworthy destinations for electrical and eco-friendly equipment manufacturers. The events will last till July 23. VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VET/VIR |
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Social News 21/7 Japan’s Sanjo city helps Ba Ria-Vung Tau train industry officials  Sanjo city in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture has agreed to help the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in human resource training by receiving apprentices from the province to study and work in Sanjo. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the provincial Department of Industry and Trade and Sanjo city’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed on July 20 during a visit by a Sanjo delegation led by Mayor Isato Kunisada, the two sides will share information and build a win-win cooperation framework. The deal also allows both sides to continue speeding up a joint programme to assist Ba Ria-Vung Tau in developing human resources and promoting the metal support industry, which is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Together with the northern port city of Hai Phong , Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been chosen by the Government to become a hub of support industry for metal production. The province is building an industrial park covering 1,000 hectares to host firms in the field. Over the past years, Sanjo and Ba Ria-Vung Tay have enjoyed sound partnership. Nearly 100 vocational teachers, owners of local mechanical firms and officials in charge of human resources and industry from Ba Ria-Vung Tau have been trained in Sanjo to enhance their knowledge in the metal support industry. Conference highlights impacts of water projects on Mekong delta Along with the El Nino, projects in the Mekong River’s upstream, including hydropower plants, water-diverting and water-use works, are likely to pose serious impacts to the Mekong Delta, heard a conference held by the People and Nature Reconciliation in Hanoi on July 20. According to a report by the People and Nature Reconciliation, Thailand has started water pumping in Nongkhai and Loei provinces since early this year. However, these are only small works included in the country’s large-scale water-diverting plan which has numerous projects. Meanwhile, neighbouring Cambodia is also diverting water by investing in irrigation works to take or keep water from the river for farming. Nguyen Nhan Quang, former Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, who is an independent expert on the river basin management, said that Thailand has the highest number of irrigation works with 6,388 works. Its irrigated land area is only second to Vietnam , he said. Thailand is planning 990 projects in the northeastern region, mainly to pump water from the Mekong River . At the same time, Cambodia is investing in the construction of a canal system, mostly in the Mekong basin, said Quang, adding that the total irrigated area in Cambodia is 504,245 hectares and will be expanded to 722,499 hectares by 2030. In 2030, Laos will add 321,062 hectares of irrigated land to the current area of 166,476 hectares. In Vietnam , the area is nearly 1.92 million hectares, accounting to 48 percent of the total irrigated land in the Mekong basin. Under the development scenario to 2030, 339 irrigation work swill be built in the Sesan and Srepok rivers’ basin (tributaries of the Mekong ) which covers 125,165 hectares, noted Quang. According to Nguyen Hong Toan, an expert from the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, the Mekong Delta region would be threatened by Cambodia ’s planned dams’ construction. He pointed to the need for members of the Mekong River Commission’s members to cooperate and share information of the river’s water resources. Dang Thi Ha Giang, a specialist from the Institution of Water, Irrigation and Environment, held that all water diverting projects should be carefully calculated with agreement among parties. In the 2015-2016 dry seasons, the Mekong River downstream region and Mekong Delta region in Vietnam in particular, experienced historic drought and saltwater intrusion that seriously affected agricultural production and socio-economic activities in the area. Vietnam Aviation Academy to be equitised The plan for the equitisation of the Vietnam Aviation Academy (VAA) will be completed before October 31 to submit to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) for approval, according to Vu Anh Minh, head of the Enterprises Management Department under the MoT. Minh, also head of the steering committee for the equitisation of the university, said the VAA has signed a contract with the Southern Auditing and Accounting Financial Consultancy Service., Ltd (AASCS) on assessing its value as of the date of March 31, 2016. In order to ensure the progress of the equitisation plan, in August, the VAA will complete the dossier on its valuation to submit to the MoT for approval and publish the information on September 30 at the latest. The head of the Enterprises Management Department stressed that the plan will also include a business plan for the first three years following the equitisation. The VAA was established in 2006 on the basis of the Vietnam Aviation School and operates under the management of the MoT. Summer Camp youths arrive in Quang Ngai As many as 110 young expats to the annual Vietnam Summer Camp 2016 visited My Son relic site in the central province of Quang Ngai on July 20. They offered incense to 504 civilians who lost their lives to the US army’s massacre on March 16, 1968. Pham Ngoc Huyen from Cambodia said she has learnt more about the heritage and relics of Vietnam, its land and people during the visit, adding that she will tell her friends about the Vietnamese culture and history upon return. The camp is organised by the Ho Chi Minh City’s Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to bring the youth living abroad closer to their home country with a host of activities held in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat city in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong. The four-day event attracted Vietnamese teenagers and young adults living in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, the US, Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and so on, alongside those from Ho Chi Minh City. They will visit a number of beauty spots in the country and discover unique local cultures. They will be offered a chance to experience daily life on a farm on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City and learn about the work of embroidery artists, the craft and tradition of Gong Culture, and how to grow and harvest strawberries in Da Lat city. The camp has welcomed around 650 youths from 20 countries and territories worldwide over the past 11 years. Dak Nong province – future growth pole of CLV Development Triangle The Prime Minister has signed a decision on developing the Central Highland province of Dak Nong into an important growth pole of the Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle by 2050. Under Decision 1439/QD-TTg dated July 19, 2016, Dak Nong province and surrounding areas are also set to become one of the socio-economic hubs of the Central Highlands, which includes the four other provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Lam Dong. The decision specifies tasks towards the targets, including mapping out development plans for the Central Highlands in general and the province in particular so as to optimise local advantages and potential. The plans should make use of the region’s advantages in agriculture, forestry, cross-border economic services, energy, mining and tourism. Orientations will be defined for the development of cities, industrial parks, border economic zones, tourist attractions, social infrastructure and rural residential areas to ensure equal and sustainable economic growth. Dak Nong, set up in 2004, covers more than 6,509 sq.km. of land with one town and seven districts. It has a strategic location in terms of security-defence as it is the southwestern gateway of the Central Highlands and shares a borderline of about 130km with Cambodia. It is among the five Vietnamese provinces in the CLV Development Triangle, which also covers four Cambodian provinces and four Lao provinces. Health sector seeks to develop domestic medicinal materials The health sector is seeking to develop domestic medicinal materials to produce drug at home. According to the Ministry of Health’s medicinal materials institute, Vietnam is home to 3,984 types of medicinal plants, 408 species of medicinal animals and 75 kinds of medicinal minerals. The country boasts about 322 drug producing facilities, including 20 meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. The institute is building some specialised areas to grow medicinal plants in northern provinces such as Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Phuc and Lao Cai, while providing technical transfer in line with conditions in each locality. It has put forth projects to help local farmers develop particular medicinal plants such as ginseng (Kon Tum), artichoke (Lai Chau and Lao Cai), purple amomum (Thai Nguyen), moringa (An Giang), araliaceous (Lao Cai and Ha Giang), red multiflorous knotweed (Lao Cai and Ha Giang), codonopsis (Quang Ninh and Thanh Hoa), and crocus (Quang Ninh). Vice Secretary of the Ha Giang provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the local People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son said the cool weather with high humidity in Ha Giang plateaus are suitable to develop medicinal plants with high economic values. In Quang Ninh province, growing medicinal plants is bringing a stable income for household businesses and cooperatives. Despite the advantages, the development of domestic medicinal material in recent years is facing a number of difficulties due to excessive exploitation without paying attention to preserving and protecting medicinal resources. Many valuable medicinal species are on the brink of extinction. The production of medicinal materials at home is on small scale and unstable, while the management of medicinal materials has yet to receive due attention, resulting in waste and losses. Given the fact, the institute proposed the Government focus on directing the implementation of the national master plan to develop medicinal materials until 2020 and with a vision towards 2030. It called on the health sector to improve mechanisms and encourage scientists to make significant contributions to developing medicinal materials. It is advisable to set up strong and capable centres to develop high-quality medicinal varieties. Vietnam uses around 60,000 tonnes of medicinal materials on an annual basis, 80-85 percent of which are imported, mainly from China , according to head of the Ministry of Health’s traditional medicine management department Pham Vu Khanh. The import of medicinal materials without clear origins should be promptly addressed, he said, adding that every week, close to 300-400 tonnes of medicinal materials are imported from China via the Chi Ma border gate in the northern province of Lang Son. Customs officer suspended as Vietnam probes logging of protected wood A senior customs officer in Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam has been suspended pending an investigation into a massive case of illegal logging on his watch. The local police said they seized more than 50 cubic meters of rare wood logged in protected forests on the Laos border, including nearly seven cubic meters found at the customs office at the Nam Giang border gate. Le Trung Thinh, the office head, has been suspended for failing to report the wood or prove its legal origin. The investigation began after some locals found logs of Fujian cypress trees hidden near a border guard station on July 9. Officials said they are expanding the probe and would likely find more wood. Fujian cypress is a threatened species in Vietnam, where it is considered valuable due to its aroma and exceptional weight. It is used to make art works, furniture, and charcoal. Central Vietnam has reported the most cases of deforestation in the country, with a number of forest rangers and managers axed or demoted this year for letting the crime occur. Nguyen Duc Luyen, vice chairman of Dak Nong Province in the Central Highlands, had said at a conference last year that Vietnam is unable to stop deforestation since illegal logging is either condoned or overlooked by authorities. 5 arrested for kidnapping Chinese businessman in Hanoi Five men have been arrested in Hanoi for allegedly kidnapping a Chinese businessman to demand repayment of a 700,000-yuan (US$105,000) loan he had guaranteed for a friend. The five, aged 23-37, are Pham Van Tuan, Pham Van Luan, Nguyen Van Mui, Dang Van Linh and Vu Dinh Duong. The police are hunting for Nguyen Van Nam, 34, the alleged mastermind in the kidnap of the businessman, 43, identified only as T, on July 12. The five said T was Nam’s business partner and had verbally guaranteed the loan. But after the friend fled without paying, Nam kidnapped T. Investigators said Nam asked T, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, to fly to Hanoi where he had the men kidnap him. They threatened to cut his hands and legs off if he failed to get back the money. T phoned a friend, who has not been identified, and asked him for the money. But his friend reported to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, which reported to the Ministry of Public Security. The police rescued T and arrested the five men at a hotel in Bac Ninh Province on July 14. The investigations are continuing. First ward-level centre offers dialysis treatment After receiving dialysis treatment yesterday at Bình Chiểu Ward Health Centre, a 32-year-old patient said he was relieved that he no longer had to visit a district hospital in HCM City. “I used to have to go to Thủ Đức District Hospital at 4am and then wait a long time to receive dialysis,” he said. “When I was told I could go the ward-level medical centre, I worried about the machine and the quality.” But after his first treatment, the patient, who has chronic kidney failure, was pleased with the results. “The machine is the same as the hospital’s, and the ward is near my house,” he said. Each month, the man, who has end-stage kidney disease, receives dialysis 12 times. Another patient with a kidney disorder, a female who lives in the area outside the city centre, said the ward-level clinic was similar to Thủ Đức District Hospital. Dr Nguyễn Ngọc Vĩnh Phúc, head of the Bình Chiểu Ward Health Centre, said the centre’s two machines, as well as medical process and human resources, had been assessed by the city’s Department of Health. The head of Thủ Đức District Hospital, Dr Nguyễn Minh Quân, said that many patients waiting for dialysis treatment at the hospital had lost valuable time at the jobs. Concerned about the problem, Quân chose the Bình Chiểu Ward, which has 65,000 residents and many industrial parks for a pilot programme. The area is not located near Thủ Đức District Hospital. Besides haemodialysis, other specialised clinics, including obstetrics, ear-nose-throat and others, operate at the Bình Chiểu Ward Health Centre, he said. Quân sends his doctors at Thủ Đức District Hospital to work at the ward-level centre, where they train the ward’s doctors to perform the procedures independently. If problems occur in the process, ambulances are available at the centre for transport to the district hospital, he added. “It is important that we help the centre and encourage trust from local residents,” Quân said. “If the centre has qualified health officials, I’m sure that locals will prefer to go there for common diseases.” The head of the city’s Department of Health, Tăng Chí Thượng, has praised the pilot programme for haemodialysis at the Bình Chiểu Ward Health Centre. “The centre is the first in the country to carry out dialysis and to have different specialised clinics. This has been useful for local residents,” Thượng said. If the pilot succeeds, the centre’s model, including dialysis, will be offered at two more centres, Hiệp Bình Chánh and Linh Trung. He said that other districts would learn how to set up dialysis treatment from doctors at Thủ Đức District Hospital. Thượng suggested that they choose one or two wards with a high population density for such implementation. Việt Nam has more than 80,000 patients with end-stage renal disease, according to the Ministry of Health. Many centres for haemodialysis nationwide are overloaded and cannot meet demand. Organic market opens at HCMC’s Saigon Outcast A market selling environmentally friendly products will open at Saigon Outcast on July 24 in HCM City. The market will sell organic food and beverages, locally grown and homemade food, organic body care and home care products. It will include activities for family, a kids’ corner, and live music performances. The event will take place from 12pm to 6pm at 188/1 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng Street in District 1. Group exhibition showcases city life Galerie Quỳnh is presenting the group exhibition “Dérive” showcasing real and imagined chance encounters in city life. “Dérive” – French for drift – refers to the “psycho-geographic practice of traveling through various urban environments without any pre-determined itineraries”, according to the press release. The exhibition features works by Hà Mạnh Thắng, Christine Nguyễn, Trọng Gia Nguyễn and Trần Văn Thảo. The event is open until August 1 at 151/3 Đồng Khởi Street in District 1, HCM City. Once Upon a Time in Hà Nội: Storytelling workshop A storytelling workshop will be held at Bluebirds’ Nest on July 26, 27 and 28. Teachers who want to improve their storytelling skills, facilitators, instructors, parents, actors, those who give presentations and those who just want to have fun while going on a collective adventure in the land of storytelling, all are invited to attend the workshop. Participants will be able to listen to several stories, learn tools on how to memorise and tell stories, practice telling a story in a group, receive feedback and learn how to use storytelling in their own life. The event will be conducted in English. Ticket costs VNĐ900,000 (US$40). Registration required. Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/134003120360986/ The workshop will take place from 7-10pm. Bluebirds’ Nest is at 13 Lane 19 Đặng Dung Street. HCMC maintain lead at swimming tournament HCM City maintained their lead at the National Junior Swimming Championships in HCM City yesterday. In the boys’ 12-13, 100m backstroke, HCM City’s Trần Trí Tài bagged a gold medal after clocking a time of 1:04.58. Tài’s teammate Đỗ Đình Thi and Trần Hưng Nguyên of National Defence Sports Centre 5 were the runners-up. On the women’s side, Nguyễn Lê Phương Thảo of Vĩnh Long took the gold medal with a time of 1:09.64. Cao Bá Hân and Đặng Hoàng Bảo Tiên of HCM City got silver and bronze medals, respectively. Tài also triumphed in the 100m butterfly with a time of 1:02.90. Trần Lê Thành Nhân of Vĩnh Long and Trần Quốc Cường of National Defence Sports Centre 4 finished second and third with a time of 1:04.36 and 1:04.54, respectively. Meanwhile, Lê Hoàng Bảo Ngọc of HCM City received a gold medal in the girl’s 12-13, 100m butterfly with a time of 1:08.66. After three days of competition, HCM City has brought home 14 golds, 2 silvers and 19 bronzes. National Defence Sports Centre 4 came second with 13 golds, four silvers and seven bronzes. While National Defence Sports Centre 5 were third with 12 golds, six silvers and five bronzes. Cần Thơ are bottom of the medal tally with only one bronze medal. Trang, Linh enter Vietnam Open’s second round Host athletes Vũ Thị Trang and Nguyễn Thùy Linh booked their berths in the second round of the Yonex Sunrise Vietnam Open badminton tournament. No 4 seed Trang yesterday defeated Cheng Chi Ya of Chinese Taipei 21-12, 23-25, 21-14 in the first round of the women’s singles. “I am not at my best in this competition because of my heel injury. I played with a little difficulty against Cheng but I worked hard and won,” Trang said. She will next play Susanto Yulia Yoshephin of Indonesia. In their first meet two years ago in this tournament Trang came from behind to win 17-21, 21-15, 21-16. Linh beat Yu Chien Hui, also from Chinese Taipei 21-13, 21-17. Her next rival will be No 3 seed Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong. The annual tournament will run until Sunday with US$90,000 up for grab. Goalkeeper error gives Bình Dương a draw Another mistake by goalkeeper Bùi Tấn Trường led to a regrettable error for defending champions Becamex Bình Dương in the National Cup’s semi-final draw against Quảng Ninh Coal yesterday. A misunderstanding between Trường and Trương Đình Luật brought a ball to Dyachenko Rodion Sergey who easily netted in the 74th minute to level for the visiting side. Trường committed several serious errors leading to Becamex Bình Dương’s losses in the V. League recently. “We believed in him. These were only technical mistakes. We were sad with the losses but he suffered much more than us during this time (when national leagues enter a sensitive phase and match-fixing is one of the concerns),” coach Nguyễn Thanh Sơn said. “At present, most of my players are not at their peak, not only Trường, who was my first choice at the beginning of the season,” he said. Earlier, Becamex Bình Dương’s captain Nguyễn Anh Đức opened the score from a penalty about 10 minutes after the break. Mạc Hồng Quân missed his goal near the end of the match when the pole denied him the chance. The draw puts Quảng Ninh Coal at an advantage in their second leg match on August 3 at the Cẩm Phả Stadium. In the other semis, Hà Nội T&T beat hosts Quảng Nam 3-2 at Tam Kỳ Stadium. Samson opened the score in the 14th minute for Hà Nội T&T. Nguyễn Văn Quyết and Phạm Thành Lương netted one each in the last few minutes. Quảng Nam’s goals by Phan Đình Thắng and Đinh Thanh Trung were sandwiched between the ones by Hà Nội T&T. Minh’s Việt Nam Open journey ends Vietnamese top badminton player Nguyễn Tiến Minh withdrew from the men’s singles event in the first round of the Yonex Sunrise Việt Nam Open. The game took place at Nguyễn Du Gymnasium in HCM City on July 19. Minh, No 6 seed and world No 34, lost to world No 424 Siril Varma of India. The Olympian Minh easily defeated his rival 21-6 in the first set, but the 33-year-old player then lost to 17-year-old Varma 7-21 in the second set. In the third set, while losing to his rival 5-13, Minh asked to withdraw from the game due to ill health. Earlier, the HCM City-born player had also withdrawn from the Canada Open and the US Open due to health issues. Minh won the Việt Nam Open in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. Minh, who won bronze medal at the World Badminton Championship in 2013, and his girlfriend Vũ Thị Trang earned a ticket to compete in the Brazil Olympics next month. VN, Cambodia in ASEAN football semi-final Việt Nam will play Cambodia in the semi-final match of the ASEAN U16 Football Championships in Cambodia today. Việt Nam top group A with 13 points. Cambodia, who beat East Timor 3-0 in the last match of Group B on Tuesday, are second in Group B with 10 points after four matches. Thailand will face Australia in a semi-final match. Việt Nam won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. After the tournament Việt Nam will have a training session in China to prepare for the final round of the AFC U16 Football Championships, which will be held in India from September 15 to October 2. Hai Duong polluters must clean environment Authorities of Kinh Môn District in the northern province of Hải Dương have asked businesses that caused pollution to promptly take measures to remedy the issue. At a dialogue held between local residents, businesses and local authorities on Monday, Vice Chairman of the district’s People’s Committee Lê Văn Bí said many businesses operating in the district have caused environmental pollution, affecting the living conditions of the locals. These businesses include Tân Đông Aluminum Ltd. Co, Tân Nguyên Metallurgy Joint Stock Company and Cường Thịnh Cement Company. A representative from the district’s Bureau of Natural Resources and Environment said violations include the release of exhaust fumes, toxic dust and bad odors into the environment, affecting local people’s health. Representatives of more than 12,000 people living in Phú Thứ town in Kinh Môn District, which suffered the most from pollution, said the surrounding environment has been filled with bad smells and exhaust fumes ever since these plants were put into operation. They said many people have suffered respiratory illnesses such as sore throat and pneumonia, as well as cardiovascular diseases. They complained that they often have to close all their doors and windows, even during summer, to prevent dust from entering their houses. At the dialogue, many people asked these companies to state where their solid waste and wastewater were discharged. Some people presented evidence showing that these companies dumped waste near residential areas. In response, representatives from these companies admitted that their plants released exhaust fumes, dust and bad odors during operations. They blamed the problem on faulty machines and equipment, coupled with the unskilled operation of machines. Tân Đông Company admitted that local people discovered it was dumping waste near residential areas, while Tân Nguyên and Cường Thịnh companies said they hired professional waste treatment companies to treat their waste. Bí demanded that the companies take immediate measures to deal with the pollution. In the long-term, these companies must improve their production technology and invest in high-technology to avoid polluting the environment during operations, he said. The Tân Đông company, which dumped untreated waste near residential areas, was temporarily suspended to deal with the pollution. HCMC cleans out 18 polluted canal networks According to the direct of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang about cleaning up the city’s polluted canals, rivers and flows, the HCMC People’s Committee required relevant departments and agencies have to finish dredging 18 polluted water and drainage canals in Hoc Mon district and district 12 by the end of this year. The Committee also directed the Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Anti-flood Program to plan measures to logically execute work for moving dust mud and litter to prescribed places. Earlier, Party Chief Thang had a meeting with the electors in Hoc Mon. At the reception, the voters reflected with the city Party Chief about prolonged- years polluted problems on local drainage canals. Concert celebrates musician Viet Anh’s 20-year career A concert marking the 20-year career of composer and pianist Viet Anh of the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will be held at Hoa Binh Theater in Ho Chi Minh City on July 29. The music show themed Dong song lo dang (Wandering river), named after the musician’s favourite song, will present to music lovers his popular deeply romantic songs that have won audiences’ hearts over the past 20 years, such as Nhung mua hoa bo lai (Flower Seasons are Left), Chua bao gio (Never) and Hoa co vang noi ay (When do flowers turning yellow), Dem nam mo pho (Dreaming of streets). The show will also premiere his three new songs. Pop stars Dam Vinh Hung, Quang Dung, Uyen Linh, Thu Phuong, the Sai Gon Pops Orchestra and others will join in the concert under the baton of conductor Tran Nhat Minh. Born in 1976, Viet Anh was known for his songs that reached highest positions of the Lan Song Xanh (Green Wave) Music Awards by the Voice of Ho Chi Minh City radio station in the 1990s. He graduated with a Master of Composition degree from Waikato University in New Zealand in 2011. His works include symphonies, film scores and musical pieces for dance. He has been recently working with the HCM City Ballet, Symphony and Orchestra (HBSO). Art project features old Saigon An art project called “Saigon Vi Vu” and featuring images and stories of an old Saigon will be on from Thursday to Sunday in HCMC through a movie, a talk show and a photo exhibition. Carried out by a group of artists who call themselves Saigon Vi Vu Team and share the same love for Saigon, the project recreates an old Saigon through photos, paintings and documentaries about Saigonese, who have witnessed changes in this 300-year-old city. The free-entry event is open on July 21 with a movie screening from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at BLANC Gallery, 57D Tu Xuong Street, District 3. It is followed by a talk show the next day featuring famous local artist Thanh Loc, and a photo exhibition on July 23 and 24. The Spa @ The Reverie Saigon among world’s best The Spa @ The Reverie Saigon has recently made “The World’s Best New Spas” list according to a CNN article. The spa features a private salon, treatment rooms for individuals and couples, world-class spa amenities, and modern facilities. In separate facilities, women can linger in the Himalayan pink salt sauna or the color therapy steam room, while men will find an invigorating ice fountain for use in conjunction with the sauna. The signature treatments distinct to the hotel include classic Vietnamese – a combination of Vietnamese cupping and massage techniques that releases tension and boosts circulation; Thai Oriental – a particularly therapeutic treatment that combines gentle Thai-style stretching with deep massage; and Aromatherapy – a combination of gentle Swedish and deep-tissue techniques applied with a choice of signature essential oil blends, as well as jade stones - known to boost immunity and energy levels, to calm both body and mind. Other tailored body massage packages include Five Elements – a Tibetan-style massage and Seaweed Hot Stone – a treatment which incorporates seaweed-based products and the application of natural seaweed alongside warm stones. Guests to The Spa every Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. receive 50% off all 60-minute or longer body massage treatments. The promotion is valid until September 30, 2016 and is not applicable with Reverie Harmony treatment. The Reverie Saigon, Times Square Building is located at 22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard & 57-69F Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCMC. Improved healthcare services to better satisfy patients, Health Minister Health Minister Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến yesterday said that any healthcare provider would be rejected from their work if they broke the code of ethnics and damaged the image of Vietnamese doctors. The healthcare sector is determined to improve service delivery quality and attitude to patients in order to better satisfy patients and service users. From the middle of last year, the Health Ministry launched a programme on improving healthcare providers’ manners and attitude to better serve patients. Minister Tiến spoke via an online meeting yesterday with health officials across the country, commenting that patients’ satisfaction of healthcare services was a top goal for the healthcare sector. According to reports released at the meeting yesterday, five healthcare providers were fired, seven people were dismissed from their duties, 50 people were assigned to other positions and more than 15,800 people were disciplined as they were found to have committed wrongdoings against patients. The Health Ministry’s hotline – 19009095 – received over 4,000 calls in the last six months, about 40 per cent of which were patient complaints on hospital infrastructure and poor facilities, 28 per cent related to professional procedures and 14 per cent related to healthcare providers’ attitude and performance. Hospitals and healthcare centres must pay attention to both medical services and non-medical services like parking, security, canteens and transportation in hospitals, Tiến said. She asked hospital managers to review the operation of such services, particularly those provided by companies which are not under the management of hospitals. “Hospitals must ensure transparent biddings to select providers of such hospital logistic services,” she said. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE |
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Article 1
2016 M&A Forum to look at wider horizonThe race is on for Vietnamese and foreign investors as the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are going to turn the 90-million strong country into a uniquely attractive market.
The AEC, as well as the free trade agreements that Vietnam signed, have been a strong motivation for capital flows into the country. In 2015, the market witnessed 341 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals, at a combined value of $5.2 billion, according to a recent report released by market research company Stoxplus. Foreign investors were involved in 98 deals, accounting for 46 per cent of the total value. Real estate was the most attractive for foreign companies, seeing 20 transactions worth nearly $1.64 billion. In this context, the 2016 Vietnam M&A Forum, with the theme “M&A in Wider Economic Boundaries”, is going to be a platform for CEOs, investors, and foreign experts to exchange experiences, widen their professional networks, and shape new M&A deals that are going to help them take advantage of the opportunities presented by Vietnam’s deepening economic integration. Now in its seventh year, Vietnam’s biggest annual forum on M&A and strategic investment, is going to welcome top leaders and experts from large foreign and domestic corporations and investment funds, government policymakers, leaders from leading state-owned enterprises and from consulting firms in the region to shed light on the past, examine the present, and shape the future of M&A. Co-organised by Vietnam Investment Review and AVM Vietnam since 2009, under the patronage of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the forum is going to include a specialised seminar on M&A activities in Vietnam, a networking programme, a deal awards ceremony, the issuance of the Vietnam M&A Outlook 2016 Publication, and a master-class of “Fund raising for M&A deals.” Vietnam M&A Forum 2016: M&A in Wider Economic Boundaries is slated to take place on Thursday, August 18, 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City. By Hong Anh, VIR |
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Article 0
Fake coffee rife in Vietnam Local authorities are still struggling to ensure the standards of even basic goods such as coffee following revelations that many coffee shops use entirely synthetic replacements.  A factory in Quang Ngai Province was producing fake coffee. Photo by Phapluatonline According to the survey done by the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association, a third of local coffee products were either of extremely low quality or even completely fake. The results of the report were announced on July 20 at a conference discussing the issue in Ho Chi Minh City. Dinh Van Manh from the Department of Anti-Environmental Crime Police said the fake coffee was largely a mixture of corn, soybean and flavour powder. "The market isn’t only flooded with dirty coffee that is produced in unhygienic conditions, but also fake coffee made from different powders and sometimes chemicals," he said. Nguyen Duy Thinh from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology voiced concern about the potentially carcinogenic ingredients being used in these cheap coffees. According to Thinh, coffees cheaper than VND160,000 per kilo were extraordinarily likely to be fake and could include mouldy corn, soybean and cheap coffee beans that have not been stored properly. "Vietnamese people like strong bitter taste in their black coffee so those ingredients will be over roasted. This is carcinogenic," he said. Meanwhile, Le Phan Cafe Company said each person had different taste and in order to meet market demands, they need various kinds of products and brands. Representative of Le Phan Cafe Company admitted that in order to produce cheap coffee brands, they cheated and used grainsand flavour powders. "We hope the authorities will issue detailed criteria for coffee products. But the customers must research the formula for themselves to choose the most suitable products," he said.  Fake instant coffee being sold at Kim Bien Market in HCM City. Photo by nld Nguyen Huy Quang from the Ministry of Health said they had only developed a national standard for coffee in the past three years for one of Vietnam's main export products. However, there were some difficulties. He urged firms to follow hygiene and food safety standards and be transparent with consumers. Pham Tien Dung from the inspectorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development thought that the punishments were still far too light for adulterated food and beverages. "They are not strict enough to act as deterrence so people and firms keep violating regulations," he said. dtinews.vn |
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Article 12
Taekwang Industrial to crack open Vietnamese fertiliser marketOn July 20, Korean-owned Korea-Vietnam Fertiliser Co., Ltd. (KVF) organised the ground-breaking ceremony of its $60 million compound fertiliser production plant in Ho Chi Minh City’s Hiep Phuoc industrial park.
According to newswire Pulsenews.com.kr, the construction is expected to start operation in September 2017. The plant will be equipped with modern technology lines imported from KVF is a joint venture between Taekwang Industrial Co., Ltd. (Taekwang Industrial) and its subsidiary Huchems Fine Chemical Corporation. The mother company Taekwang holds a 51 per cent stake and Huchems the remaining 49 per cent. Once the plant comes into operation, Huchems will be in charge of the operation and management of the plant, while Taekwang Industrial will be responsible for sales and marketing. “Once completed in 2017, the plant is expected to account for nine per cent of the entire NPK compound fertilizer production in Taekwang Industrial also plans to implement a $171 million shoe-manufacturing factory in 2B Hung Phu industrial park in Cai Rang district of the Mekong Delta city of The factory covers an area of 62 hectares, 52 hectares of which houses the production area, while the remaining 10 hectares is set aside as a service and commercial area and warehouses for lease. The investor is completing the necessary procedures to implement the project and expects to carry out the land clearance in the upcoming months. The factory’s construction is divided into three phases. The first phase’s construction is expected to kick off in 2016 and last until 2019, and the second and third phases are to be finished by 2022 and 2025, respectively. The factory constructed during the first phase will start operation in the first quarter of 2017, while the second phase will be inaugurated in 2020, and the third phase in 2023. Once the factory comes into operation, it will have a total capacity of 100 million products per year and create 30,000 jobs. By Ha Vy, VIR |
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Article 11
Newly elected NA deputies determined to fulfill responsibilities317 of the 494 deputies in the 14th National Assembly (NA) are first timers. They are proud of being trusted by the voters and consider it a great responsibility to represent them in the NA.  The election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly (NA) and the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure occurred on May 22. 494 NA deputies were elected. 160 of them were deputies of the 13th NA. 317 joined the parliament for the first time. The rest were NA deputies in previous tenures. Honor and Pride It is a great honor for the freshman deputies. Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hien, a NA deputy for south-central Phu Yen province expressed her pride in being elected. She said the election result showed the voters’ expectations for her future contributions to the locality. Ms Trieu Thi Huyen, representing northern Yen Bai province, is one of youngest deputies of the 14th NA. She felt honored to have won the election with 87% of the votes, but said she understands the heavy responsibility deputies have to represent the voters in the supreme body of State power during the 5-year tenure of the 14th NA. Mr. Hoang Van Cuong, NA deputy for Hanoi, is keenly aware of his responsibility to fulfill the trust and expectations of the voters. "Being elected to the NA is my great joy because I won the voters’ trust. Sitting in the Parliament, I am fully aware of my responsibility to fulfill voters’ expectations. Like all the other deputies, I understand that we must fulfill our tasks with the highest determination and dedicate our hearts and minds to making people-oriented decisions. Big responsibility in the first NA session The NA deputies will spend 6 days in the first session reviewing and making decisions on the organization and high-level staffing of the NA, State, and Government under the Constitution and law. The deputies will also review the implementation of socio-economic development and the State budget for the first half of 2016, and discuss solutions to realize the socio-economic development plan and the State budget for the rest of the year. They will also review and adopt the law-making program for 2017, an amendment to the 2016 law-making program, and the NA oversight program for 2017. In order to fulfill his role and responsibility to the voters of the Mekong delta, Mr. Tran Van Ron, a deputy for southern Vinh Long province said he had carefully studied the NA’s working agenda and firmly grasped the status of the locality. "I have fully prepared for the meeting with voters to understand their issues and be responsive to them. I am determined to fulfill my responsibilities in the NA. The Vinh Long team and I are particularly interested in legislation." Human resources will be a key topic in this NA session. Ms. Pham Minh Hien, a deputy for Phu Yen province said:"I’ll represent the people in electing staff for key State and government bodies. First of all I should believe that they understand the people’s wishes and will make clear-sighted decisions to fulfill people’s aspirations, particularly in socio-economic development." Mr. Trieu The Hung, a deputy for the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong said: "The 13th NA was very successful. It is a challenge to the 14th NA deputies. We shall continue all of their activities and make them a success." In her opening speech, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the newly-elected deputies will successfully fulfill all the responsibilities entrusted to them by the people. VOV5 |
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Article 10
Vietnam risks becoming "pollution haven" The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is expected to continue the shift of investment flows into industries of high pollution risk in Vietnam like textile-dying, paper, iron and steel. Economic and environment specialists say that Vietnam’s regulation and monitoring of wastewater treatment are still loose, with many gaps, so investors can dodge the law. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has asserted that once pollution occurs, the local government must be responsible. “Giant” projects  Illustrative image In Vietnam, many textile-dying projects, paper, and steel projects have been reported polluting the environment. The Chinese-invested Mei Sheng Textiles Co. Ltd Vietnam in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau has been suspended seven times since 2010 for illegally discharging waste into the environment. This company built a dyeing enterprise with an annual capacity of 1,100 tons per year. This plant discharged untreated wastewater to the Da Den Lake, which supplies water to 90% of people in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. On June 30th 2016, the Environment General Department and the Ba Ria - Vung Tau authorities asked the company to shut down the dyeing workshop. Most recently, people in Phu Thu Town in Kinh Mon District of the northern province of Hai Duong asked for intervention of the authorities as the environment was seriously polluted by the operation of two Chinese-owned companies – Tan Nguyen Metallurgical JSC and Tan Dong Aluminum Co. Ltd. Local residents claimed that dust and smoke with stinking smell discharged by the two companies was destroying their lives. The rate of people suffering from respiratory diseases has increased quickly. According to the Foreign Investment Agency, the TPP has become a "magnet" to attract capital into the textile, and paper industry, with a series of large-scale investment projects from China, Taiwan ... Last year investment in textile and garment projects reached $3.5 billion. In the first half of 2016, there were 83 textile and garment projects, including 50 textile projects. Among them are very big projects: a $660 million project of Hyosung Co. Ltd of Turkey producing fibers of various kinds to produce carpets in the southern province of Dong Nai; a $300 million project of Worldon Vietnam Co. Ltd, invested by an investor from British Virgin Islands in HCM City, producing high-end garments; $274.2 million project of the Far Eastern Polytex Co. Ltd Vietnam in the southern province of Binh Duong to produce polyester synthetic fiber. Chinese investors have three major projects: construction of a textile-garment industrial park worth $400 million in Nam Dinh; Texhong’s $300 million project in Quang Ninh and $200 million of TAL in Hai Duong; Dai Duong Paper Co., Ltd (Taiwan)’s $220 million project to produce paper of various kinds in the southern province of Tien Giang. Dr. Luu Bich Ho, former Dean of the Institute for Development Strategy of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, noted that Chinese technology is generally good but Vietnam must carefully monitor technology transferred to Vietnam, which may be secondhand or outdated. Dr. Ho warned that Vietnam’s policies to attract FDI were outdated and should be amended. The technological and environmental standards must be made more clear. The State also should monitor the import of equipment and technology. "It’s time for Vietnam to be choosy in attracting foreign investment. The management of foreign investment projects, especially investment in the fields of high risk of pollution, must be tightened in accordance with environmental standards," Dr. Ho stressed. High risk of pollution To create conditions to attract investment into the textile and garment sector and to be favorable in waste water treatment, the Vietnam Textile-Garment Association has suggested that the Government adjust textile-garment planning in the period 2035-2040, and build textile industrial zones of 500-1,000 hectares to call for investment in the production of fabric, fiber and dying. The Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh recently petitioned the Prime Minister to consider the association’s proposals. Assessing investment in the industries of high risk of pollution in Vietnam, especially textiles-dying projects from China, Mr. Phan Huu Thang - former Director of the Foreign Investment Agency - said China is paying the price for the hot development of its textile industry with heavy environmental pollution. Therefore, Vietnam should be careful with textile-dying projects from China, to avoid falling into the similar "footsteps" of environmental pollution. Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, Director of the Institute for Economic and Policy Research of the Economics University, Vietnam National University, said the cost of wastewater treatment of the textile and steel industries was huge. The management and monitoring of waste discharge is difficult, requiring high technical level. Developed countries do well in supervision and management of waste discharge so it is easy to understand that these projects are coming to Vietnam. "If we do not handle polluting enterprises strictly, ensure effective protection of the environment, then damage to society and the people will be enormous, threatening to sweep away our efforts to make economic growth and social stability," Thanh said. Mr. Dinh Duc Truong, head of the Study of Environmental Impact of Foreign-invested Firms Team of the National Economics University, said many FDI enterprises have modern waste water treatment stages but the authorities could not monitor them. These firms "ignored" the stages to save VND80 million ($4,000)/day. Speaking at a recent conference held by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the mass fish deaths in the central region caused by Taiwanese investor Formosa was a big lesson in attracting foreign investment. "I have asked leaders of ministries and localities to be responsible before the Government, State and people if similar environmental disasters occur. The Government is determined to protect the environment, including the natural environment, social environment and competitive environment, especially the people's living environment," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated. Tien Phong |
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Article 9
Artists show patriotism through bilingual music video After producing several music videos (MV) with the participation of hundreds of Vietnamese artists, singer Minh Quan has kicked off a community music project entitled “Vietnam My Homeland" to express the love of Vietnamese people for their country.  Singer Minh Quan (black) and MC Diem Quynh at studio to record the song. Singer Minh Quan said, the song "Vietnam My Homeland", a famous song by late composer Do Nhuan, has meaningful lyrics about Vietnam’s rice, green tea, blue sea ... but also an invitation and greeting that shows the Vietnamese people’s hospitality and love for peace. "We always welcome international visitors to Vietnam to learn about our country and to further understanding of Vietnamese people. We artists always understand the power of solidarity and unity so we are very excited to make this music video," Minh Quan said. Tran Quang Minh, who joins Minh Quan to edit the MV, said: "We want to make this music video to raise our voices. Through this MV, we wish to contribute one more voice to defend Vietnam’s sovereignty over islands and water." "The song Vietnam My Homeland was chosen because its lyrics are an introduction to the country of Vietnam to international friends, so that they will better understand the people of Vietnam," he said. Minh said the project has been warmly supported by famous singers and artists in Vietnam, such as Meritorious Artist Hong Lien, musician Do Hong Quan, pop stars Dam Vinh Hung, My Tam, Bang Kieu, Tuan Hung, Thu Phuong, Anh Tu, Ngoc Anh, MC Hoang Linh, Khanh Hoa, actress Chieu Xuan and many others. According to Minh, American singer Kyo York will translate the lyrics into English. This will be the first community MV released in both Vietnamese and English. With this form, the MV producers and singers desire to send to international friends messages about love of the country from the Vietnamese people. The MV will be released very soon. Thanh Van, VNN |
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Article 8
Traditional markets in central areas, shopping malls in suburbs Saigonese often advise travelers to go to central business districts if they want to find traditional markets, and to the suburbs for modern shopping malls.  A report of Savills Vietnam, a real estate service provider, showed that HCMC had 1.050 million square meters of retail premises by the end of the second quarter of 2016, up by 13 percent compared with the same period of last year. However, central area is reserved for the traditional markets which have existed for 100 years such as Ben Thanh, Tan Dinh, Binh Tay and An Dong. Meanwhile, large shopping malls such as Aeon Mall, SC Vivo City and Lotte Mart can be found only in the suburbs. The business central districts 1, 3, 5 and 10, for example, mostly gather traditional markets, small supermarkets and very few hypermarkets. In the suburban districts of Go Vap, Tan Binh and Binh Tan, more and more medium and large shopping malls have appeared.
Though Go Vap is not a central business district, Saigon Co-op, Big C, Vincom, Lotte Mart, E-mart and Auchan are all interested in the area. Tan Binh and Tan Phu districts now see the race of Maximart, Lotte Mart and Big C with Aeon Mall Tan Phu Celadon. District 7 is the ‘playing field’ for Lotte Mart, SC Vivo City and Crescent Mall, while the districts in the eastern part of the city such as 2, 9 and Thu Duc have Vincom, Parkson, Metro and Co-op Mart. An analyst commented that there is a sharp contrast between Vietnam’s HCMC and Thailand’s Bangkok. The central area of Bangkok gathers vast shopping malls attracting millions of visitors a year. This is the way that has helped Bangkok successfully turn into a shopping center of the entire South East Asia. Meanwhile, the central area of HCMC attracts people with traditional markets and three other addresses which gather millions of people a year – the Saigon Railway Station, the Saigon Port and Tan Son Nhat Airport. Aeon, explaining why it has not set up a supermarket in the central business districts of HCMC, said its business strategy is to facilitate development and improve people's life in new urban areas. However, even if retailers want to set up shopping malls in central business districts, it is nearly an impossible mission. HCMC’s leaders have been repeatedly urged to re-plan the city’s development. In fact, central business districts where the people’s income is higher than the average level are top choices for retailers. Tri Thuc Tre |
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Article 7
Industrial waste dumped by trucks in southern Vietnam forest  A big hole of untreated industrial sewage at a forest in Dong Nai Province. Photo: Hoang Tuan Police in Dong Nai Province have started investigating the massive illegal dumping of industrial waste in the middle of a forest which local residents say has been going on for years and told the media about it. A local man, 50, only identified as N.V.R., told Thanh Nien that trucks have been dumping untreated waste in Vinh Cuu District for more than five years. The waste has now grown into a 10-hectare dump, he said. During a recent visit, Thanh Nien found the site was heavy with the smell of burned waste and the foul odor of chemicals and acid in several holes around 10 meters deep. The trees around the holes were all dead. N.V.R., who came to Thanh Nien after he and his family did their own investigation, said sometimes the waste burns for days. “There are all kinds, from cloth and footwear to chemicals. The authorities would come once in a while to check, but then the waste would keep returning. It’s suffocating here.” He said trucks come from two major industrial zones, Nhon Trach and Bien Hoa, usually at around 8 p.m. or between 2 a.m and 4 a.m and dump the waste. He said he followed one of the trucks to the Nhon Trach Industrial Zone two months ago and managed to get a job as a truck driver just to lay his hands on some of the chemical waste. He took the waste to local authorities, but has not received any response. A month-long investigation by Thanh Nien confirmed R.’s statements. Some motorbikes would come ahead to make sure there was no one around, and the dumping would be completed in 10-15 minutes. The Dong Nai police began an investigation after Thanh Nien contacted them last week, and since then almost no dumping has been taking place. But they arrested one truck driver on Wednesday when he was dumping 4.35 tons of cloth and leather waste, which he said was collected from companies in neighboring Binh Duong Province. “The dumping gang has lookouts everywhere,” a local resident said. “When they suspect the police or the media are onto this, they stop everything.” By Hoang Tuan - Tieu Thien - Cong Nguyen, Thanh Nien News |
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Article 6
Spooked by unsafe greens, Vietnam farmers switch away from soil  Many farmers in Da Lat City, a resort town in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, are exerting efforts to produce clean vegetables.Tuoi Tre Environmentally conscious farmers and engineers in localities scattered throughout Vietnam’s Central Highlands are going to great lengths to adopt organic growing methods that leave traditional soil and hydroponics out of the equation. Top quality fruits and vegetables are a trademark of Da Lat, a beloved resort town nestled in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong and known for the produce it ships out to the rest of the country. Safe greens currently account for more than 700 hectares of growing space in the province, according to statistics recently released by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The new ‘clean greens’ are the result of replacing soil with a mixture of coconut coir or waste, rice husks, pellets, bales, and briquettes. Although the mixture has no nutritional value, plants are able to easily dig their roots into the compound and absorb any nutrient additives the farmer adds. According to Nguyen Van Son, the provincial agriculture department’s deputy head, in traditional farming, growers do not know which nutrients in the soil have been absorbed, an obstacle that can be effectively controlled with this technology. Pesticide residues are kept at minimal levels to give a boost to the look and texture of the greens, satisfying even the most fastidious clients and distributors, Son added. “Traditional agricultural soil had become irreversibly tainted causing the quality of my greens to plummet before I switched to the model two years ago,” Mai Van Khan, head of Tan Tien Cooperative in Da Lat, said. The coconut waste and rice husk ash mixture can be recycled for use with multiple crop cycles, he stressed. Tien’s neighbors have also started to adopt the practice, though many were initially deterred by its costly investment. Tran Huy Duong, director of Langbiang Farm in Da Lat, has begun using the new approach to distinguish his plants from their chemical-dipped Chinese counterparts. By tucking potato seeds into coconut coir, his potatoes yield high-quality tubers that stand out when compared to those from Chinese farmers. He added that compared to conventionally grown potatoes, his tubers are almost equal in size and boast spotless look and texture. Though the same area yields over 30 percent less produce compared to conventionally grown plants, the high quality vegetables can be sold at double the price of veggies grown using traditional methods.  A bed of clean veggies are grown without soil. Photo: Tuoi Tre Water-centered farming Farmers in Lam Dong province have introduced hydroponics into their operations – an innovative agricultural approach in which leafy vegetables are grown in nutrient-filled water pipes. The method has become so popular that several farmers have traveled to Malaysia and Thailand to seek experience and purchase equipment. The model requires well-equipped greenhouses, a circulation water processing system, and pipes with pores designed to fit small trays of saplings. Nutrient-filled water runs through the pipes and moderately fills the trays. Pham Thi Cuc, a farm owner in Lac Duong District, noted that access to her water tanks is strictly limited. “We cannot afford to allow strangers to approach the tanks. If they become contaminated the entire veggie garden could flop,” she explained. At Cuc’s farm, technicians are tasked with constantly gauging and adjusting the water’s nutrient concentration. During harvests, farmers gently pull the vegetable stems from the pipes and chop off their roots before immediately consuming the stems and leaves, without rinsing or preliminarily processing. Hydroponically-grown greens fetch prices three to five times higher than their soil-based counterparts. The latest analysis by the Lam Dong Agency for Agricultural, Silvicultural, and Aquatic Product Quality Management showed that hydroponically grown samples are proven to have almost zero residue, a rate considerably lower than the maximum allowed by Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP), set by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The rates are also within the permitted range regulated by Japan and Singapore. Da Lat is currently home to 15 hectares of greenhouses dedicated to the cultivation of hydroponically grown vegetables, according to statistics released by the provincial agricultural department. Demand for the high-quality, pricey produce usually exceeds supplies.  Technicians are seen working at the laboratory at QNA Safe Co., based in the central province of Quang Ngai. Photo: Tuoi Tre Persevering Though some early-movers have been quick to jump on the new technology, six young engineers in Quang Ngai City, a central city in its namesake province, have encountered countless difficulties talking local farmers into adopting their safe vegetable production process. Despite repeated hefty losses, they have refused to give up on their dream. They are founders and staffers of QNA Safe Co., which currently owns approximately 1.1 hectares of safe greens and is the first in the province to use greenhouse technology in their production. Organic fertilizers and soil enriched with beneficial microorganisms are used instead of pesticides and conventional manure. Products from QNA Safe Co. must meet stringent standards at the company’s laboratory before being put on the local market. Produce that fails the company’s stringent tests is immediately destroyed. Their produce has qualified for VietGAP. Nguyen Ngoc Vien, a QNA Safe member, was greatly impressed by Japanese farmers’ hygienically ensured vegetable gardens during a trip to the country in 2013. He then shared the story with his like-minded friends and their company came into being shortly after that. Unfortunately, their faith in the new model was not shared by many other farmers in the area. “Several shook their heads, believing the model would lead to lower profits, while others hesitantly agreed, but their products were still found to be riddled with pesticide residues,” one of the engineers recalled. The company paid these workers, before destroying the products and ending contracts. “Despite devastating failures, we have persevered in introducing our technology to farmers and ensuring outlets for their products,” Huynh Van Tiep, director of QNA Safe, said. Their persistent efforts have partly paid off: many safe green gardens have cropped up in Quang Ngai City and neighboring districts over the past six months. QNA Safe has also expanded their model to the province’s Mo Duc District, and Kon Plong District in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. According to statistics provided by the Quang Ngai agricultural department, the province boasted 20-hectare safe vegetable growing areas out of 13,000 hectares of orchards and veggie farms in 2015. TUOI TRE NEWS |
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Article 5
Quang Nam forest ravaged by illegal loggers Quang Nam’s authorities are expanding an investigation into the illegal logging of a large amount of Fujian cypress in the border area adjacent to Laos. The investigation was conducted after provincial authorities recently found more than 100 pieces of Fujian Cypress timber, a rare kind of tree, at the campus of Nam Giang District's Customs Office. Head of the office Le Trung Thinh was suspended for the duration of the investigation. Trinh explained that the wood was collected from many different sources; including part of which allegedly given by Lao policemen and customs officers who apparently had generously donated the rare and valuable wood for the construction of a temporary office for Nam Giang District's customs staff.  The wood found at the campus of the Nam Giang District's Customs Office Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Province People's Committee Le Tri Thanh, suspected that this may be related to a major ring of illegal wood trading with the support of customs and border guard forces in border areas. On July 20, Thanh led a group of the provincial representatives to directly visit the Fujian Cypress forest which has been attacked by illegal loggers. Fujian cypress is a threatened species in Vietnam, where it is considered valuable due to its aroma and exceptional weight. It is used to make art work, furniture, and charcoal. A cubic metre of Fujian cypress is valued at VND18 million. The authorities said that they were intensifying the investigation and would strictly punish violators  Many Fujian Cypress trees of nearly 100 years old cut down  According to Nam Giang District's police, by July 20, around 60 Fujian Cypress trees had been trimmed into 600 long pieces, equal to 44 cubic metres.    A Fujian Cypress trees fell down to the ground, affecting layers of small other trees nearby.   Many trees are sawn half and then abandoned by loggers after being disturbed.  Timber awaiting transportation dtinews.vn |
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Article 4
Air conditioner vendors battle it out over VietnamJapanese Daikin Industries will invest $93.6 million to build an air conditioner manufacturing plant in Vietnam, as part of its plans to capitalise on the Southeast Asian nation's potential for rapid growth, according to newswire Nikkei.com.
The plant will be located in an industrial park in the outskirts of Hanoi and is expected to start operation in 2018, with an annual capacity of 500,000 units. The figure will increase to one million by 2020, depending on the demand. The reason for constructing the plant in Vietnam is that almost all Daikin air conditioners in Vietnam are imported from Thailand, while its Thai production facilities have been operating at full capacity since the third quarter of 2015, yet still falling short to meet the increasing demand in Vietnam market and other countries. In addition, Daikin is facing market saturation in Japan and other developed countries. Furthermore, the company has to compete with large brands, namely Chinese Gree Electric Appliances and American United Technologies, which are boosting investment in their Southeast Asian markets. In Vietnam, Daikin is expanding its speciality outlets. The company will also double the number of service centres to 30 by the fiscal year of 2020. Vietnam has a population of about 93 million with steadily increasing income, who consume about two million air conditioning units per year. The figure has increased by an average of 30 per cent annually. Thus, Vietnam is considered a desirable market by numerous air conditioner producers, namely Panasonic, Samsung, Hitachi, Toshiba, Nagakawa, Mitsubishi, and Carrier, among others, a number of whom established air conditioner assembly facilities in Vietnam, including, Panasonic, Hitachi. Regarding Carrier, the group opened representative offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 1991. In March 1997, the company was licensed to establish Carrier Vietnam Air Conditioner Co., Ltd., which specialises in assembling, manufacturing, and distributing air conditioners. In April 2011, Japanese air conditioner Nagakawa was licensed to build a plant in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, with a capacity of 250,000 products per year. However, in July 2011, the company submitted a document to the Vinh Phuc People’s Committee to withdraw from the project due to difficulties in land clearance. In 2015, Samsung released plans to develop a plant in Vietnam in 2016, however, as of now, there has been no further movement on it. By Phuong Vy, VIR |
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Article 3
More IPOs in oil and gas industry planned PetroVietnam Oil Corporation, among big names in the oil and gas industry expected to IPO in H2.(Photo: VNA) Hanoi -There would be more auctions of shares from oil and gas companies in the second half of 2016 under the directives of the Government on equitisation of State-owned enterprises. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung told the first half meeting of the PetroVietnam Group (PVN) last week that the group should continue to promote the restructuring of enterprises and investment activities. In the last half of 2016, there will be the initial public offering (IPO) of three big names in the oil and gas industry including PetroVietnam Power Company (PV Power), PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PV Oil) and Binh Son Refinery (BSR). PV Power which was the second largest electricity producer in Vietnam after the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), would hold an IPO in October, then have the first general assembly, and business registration as a joint-stock company in December of this year. After equitisation, PVN would hold 75 percent stakes in PV Power. In the first half, PV Power earned a revenue of 12.3 trillion VND and a profit after tax of 897 billion VND, which was 149 percent higher than its plan. The firm said it had so far contributed 563 billion VND to the State budget this year. Meanwhile, PV Oil, the No 2 in petroleum market, after Petrolimex, planned its IPO in the fourth quarter. It was now looking for a foreign partner to sell stakes in the upcoming IPO. The Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co (BSR), which operates and manages Dung Quat Oil Refinery, was also planning its IPO in late 2016. Another firm of PVN, the PetroVietnam Machinery and Technology JSC (PVMachino), a member of the Power Corporation Oil and gas (PV Power), was also expected to be listed as soon as possible as per the shareholders’ desire for nearly six years. The firm’s leaders used to tell shareholders that they would list the shares when the firm got better business results. Last year PV machine reported sales of 664 billion VND and the profit of 15.6 billion VND, 11 percent and 4 percent higher, respectively, than planned. Therefore, many shareholders suggested that it was time for the stock to be listed. On July 12, Binh Son Refinery (BSR) offered 7.97 million shares, equivalent to 45.53 percent of the charter capital in PetroVietnam Building and Commercial JSC (PV Building), a member of the PetroVietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN). After the auction, 2.3 million shares or 29 percent of the shares offered were sold. Tran Ngoc Nguyen, CEO of the BSR said, the firm would reduce its ownership from 96.53 percent to 51 percent so that PV Building could be listed on the stock market as a public company. Thus, most likely, BRS would continue to sell about 5.7 million PV Building shares after the auction. PV Building, with a charter capital of 175 billion VND, produced packaging and plastic products, housing management services as well as restaurants and accommodation that mainly served the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in Quang Ngai Province. In 2015, PV Building achieved a net profit of 10.8 billion VND and planned a growth of 30 percent annually in the future.-VNA |
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Article 2
Pokemon Go available in Southeast Asia, but not in VietnamAccording to some sources, Pokemon Go will be officially released in eight Asian countries this week, but not in Vietnam.
After over two weeks of release in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and more than 20 European countries, Niantic Labs, the distributor of Pokemon Go, appears to be cautious in Asia, with no country in this region officially hosting one of the world's most popular games. This is a puzzling move of Niantic Labs, as Asia has long been recognized as the world's largest market for games, especially games on mobile phones. But according to the latest information, eight Asian markets will be on the list of Pokemon Go release, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan, this week, along with some countries in the Americas such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and others. Earlier this week, the head of Pokemon Go developing team - John Hanke - said Pokemon Go is expected to be released in 200 countries worldwide. However, young people in some countries such as South Korea, North Korea, and China may be unable to enjoy the game due to the restriction of GPS location access. Pokemon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. It was released in most regions of the world in July 2016. Making use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices, the game allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world. The game is free to play, although it supports in-app purchases of additional gameplay items. An optional companion Bluetooth wearable device, the Pokemon Go Plus, is planned for future release and will alert users when Pokemon are nearby. Pokemon Go was released to mixed reviews. Reviewers praised the overall experience of the game and the incentive to adventure the real world, while noting technical issues that were apparent at launch. The game quickly became one of the most used smart device apps, surpassing the previous record held by Candy Crush Saga in the US, and was a boon to the stock value of The Pokemon Company and Nintendo. The game was credited with popularizing augmented reality, and was praised by some medical professionals for potentially improving the mental and physical health of players, but also attracted some controversy due to reports of causing accidents and being a public nuisance at some locations. Vietnamnet |
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Article 1
PM okays exceptions for Hanoi railway A section of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project that crosses Hoang Cau Lake. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi -Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a special mechanism for completion of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project in an effort to overcome numerous delays and cost overruns. Under the mechanism, proposed by the Ministry of Transport, the main contractor (China Railway Sixth Group) will be authorised to make decisions, especially on buying equipment, without having to seek time-consuming permission from State authorities. However, the contractor must ensure that prices do not exceed those set out in the signed contract. The project was supposed to be completed by the end of this year. However, only 74 percent of the railway project has been completed since it broke ground in September 2010, according to the project’s management unit. The investment in the project increased from a projected 542 million USD in 2008 to 892 million USD in 2014. Regarding the selection of foreign contractors for safety assessments, the Prime Minister has agreed in principle that contractors will be chosen in accordance with Article 26 of the Law on Bidding, ensuring that selected contractors are qualified, have adequate experience and meet the requirements of the tender package. On additional loans for the project, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance were urged to promptly work with the Chinese side on reaching agreement on supplement preferential loans for the project. The Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Transport to review the preparation and implementation of the project as a lesson for the next steps of the project and other projects to ensure the efficiency, quality assurance and construction progress.-VNA |
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Article 0
In Vietnam, apartment owners fazed by investor violations  The Ho Guom Plaza apartment building in Ha Dong District, Hanoi. Residents of many apartment buildings all over Vietnam are being forced to live with unexpected inconveniences and lack of service due to violations of the developers and prolonged penalization from authorities. Most offenses arise from investors unilaterally making adjustments to the original building designs, including changing the capabilities of each floor, expanding the area of each apartment, and increasing the number of flats in a building. Despite moving into their new units in 2009, people living in the Hong Linh Apartment Building in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, have not been issued sufficient paperwork proving their house ownership, while the apartment blocks have yet to be equipped with a fire protection system. According to N.H.Q., a resident, the developer enlarged the size of the basement, added a few extra apartments to the top floors, and blocked the emergency exits of the building. Penalization on the violations has yet to be concluded, causing inconvenience for the residents, Q. added. Nguyen Hoang Loc, deputy director of Hong Linh Company, developer of the apartment building, stated that the firm had admitted to their offenses, adding that it had asked the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment to complete the necessary paperwork for the residents earlier this month. Other services will be provided to the people after competent authorities finalize their punishment, Loc said. In another case, hundreds of homeowners at the Ho Guom Plaza apartment building in Hanoi carried out a demonstration in late April to express their dissatisfaction with the investor. Several components, including the swimming pool, kids’ playground, flower beds, fountains, and fire alarm systems among others, have not been finished. The area of each apartment was also narrowed down in order to hike the number of apartments on each floor. A similar situation was also reported at the BMM apartment complex in Ha Dong District in the capital city as the residents have not been granted legitimate house ownership certificates. The developer of another apartment building in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, was caught adding an extra floor to the original approved design in order to gain additional profits, resulting in many house owners failing to be presented with ownership certificates. Possible solutions According to Nguyen Huu Nghia, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the government is considering the provision of house ownership documents for residents in such apartments. Violations of the investors shall not affect the rights and interests of house owners, who have already fulfilled their obligations, Nghia elaborated. Regarding the penalization of the violating investors, there are two possible categories violators fall into, due to the amendment added to the law, said Nguyen Viet Dung, chief inspector of the Hanoi Department of Construction. Violations committed after October 2013 will result in investors having to pay a fine as well as returning 50 percent of the profit obtained from their illegal operations. For offenses recorded prior to the timeline, violators will be forced to dismantle the entire construction, Dung underlined. TUOI TRE NEWS |
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Article 2
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 23/7 Binh Dinh terminates investment attraction for oil refinery project The central coastal In the coming time, the province will continue its other investment promotion activities while creating favourable conditions for investors from After receiving agreement from relevant ministries and agencies, the province will work to lure investment projects to the Industry-Trade-Service-Urban Becamex-Binh Dinh complex, which covers 2,400 hectares in Canh Vinh commune, Van Canh district. This overriding priority is also given to investment attraction in other projects, including the Japanese Yo Yo frozen aquatic processing plant, Vinh Loi aquatic industrial complex and Cat Khanh seafood processing zone. Australia to intensify inspection of imported seafood from VN The Australia Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has announced that a reduction of the intensified inspection frequency on Vietnamese seafood will depend on the results of the examination of exporters’ next shipments to the country. The information was sent in reply to the request by the Department of Agro-Forestry and Fishery Quality Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on easing the frequency of intensified inspections on seafood processing facilities who had batches of seafood rejected by Australia. The department has since inspected the facilities to find out the reasons and acknowledged their measures to fix the problems. Under the Food Safety and Inspection Service under the Food Standards Australia and Initially, 100 percent of high-risky products, including bivalve molluscs, shrimp, tuna, codfish and processed fish, will be inspected. If the following five batches meet requirements, the inspection ratio will drop to 25 percent, and then to 5 percent if the next 20 lots pass inspection. If any lot fails to meet the import requirements, the ratio will return to 100 percent. Meanwhile, the supervisory groups, including fish, fresh, frozen, dry and salted fish paste; sardines; salmon, and fish sauces will have an inspection frequency of 5 percent applied. However, if any batches are detected to be in violation of the requirements, the frequency will increase to 100 percent. If the next five lots pass inspection, the ratio will return to 5 percent. Minister urges more effort to reach export goal  Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh at a conference held yesterday in HCM City called for more concerted efforts from the Government, localities and businesses to reach the target of 10 per cent export growth this year. To improve productivity, the ministry would encourage the use of high technology and innovative management practices, while focusing on institutional reforms and new governmental policies, Anh said. With a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) expected to take effect this year, he said the Government would disseminate market information to help businesses learn more about the opportunities and challenges offered by FTAs. Although exports reached US$82.13 billion in the first half of the year, up 5.7 per cent against the period last year, the increase was lower than in the same period last year compared to 2014. Duong Phuong Thao, deputy head of the Ministry's Import Export Department, attributed the situation to a decline in export prices, including prices of crude oil and industrial processing products. In the first half of the year, global oil prices continued to drop, reaching a 13-year low of $27, affecting activities in oil and gas exploitation, mining and exports. Revenue from crude oil over the past six months reached only $1.1 billion, a year-on-year fall of 46.6 per cent. Thao said the global economy was still facing difficulties as demand and export prices continued to fall. In addition, trade volume from key importers of Vietnamese products has showed signs of a decline or slow increase. The markets include Besides the drop in trade volume, Vietnamese exporters are expected to face more trade barriers as many import taxes will be eliminated under existing and upcoming FTAs. Anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases have also been on the rise, affecting Vietnamese exporters and preventing them from taking advantage of trade agreements. Other challenges are outdated production technology, limited management capacity, and weak competitiveness. In addition, many small- and medium-sized businesses find it difficult to access capital. Unpredictable exchange rates, interest rates and prices of fuel and materials for manufacturing on the global market affected many Vietnamese exports. The severe drought in the country, the worst in 90 years, and saltwater intrusion also had a severe impact on agricultural exports. Rice exports brought only $1.3 billion in the past six months, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7 per cent. However, exports of agro-forestry and fishery products in the country reached $13.63 billion in the first half of the year, up 4.1 per cent over the same period last year. In addition to improving quality and competitiveness of products, both the State and enterprises were encouraged to expand promotions by participants attending the conference. Trade promotions should be better organised, focusing on goods that are in high demand and on countries that have FTAs with They also encouraged a more active role for Vietnamese agencies abroad in helping businesses expand their markets and sharing information about host countries. Binh Duong launches cold storage zone Japanese company CLK Cold Storage Co Ltd on July 21 put into operation its modern cold storage zone in Tan Dong Hiep Industrial Zone, The coldest temperature in the zone is minus 50 degrees Celsius. The US$18-million cold storage zone will keep goods in cold storage with modern temperature management technology. The cold storage area was set up due to the increasing demand for Japanese food and predictions of large demand for frozen food in the future, the company said. In addition, the cold storage will help to promote the export of farm products, such as fruit. Chairman of the people's committee of Binh Duong Province Tran Thanh Liem highly appreciated the project and expected the cold storage to work efficiently in the future. He also asked Japanese investors to invest in the province because Binh Duong has created a good business environment for investors, such as good maritime and air transport infrastructure and professional operations of industrial zones. Binh Duong has so far attracted 250 Japanese projects with a total investment capital of US$5 billion. CapitaLand and Thien Duc celebrate topping out of Vista Verde CapitaLand Limited (CapitaLand) and the Thien Duc Trading Construction Co., Ltd (Thien Duc) celebrated the topping out of Vista Verde in Thanh My Loi ward in “We are proud to have successfully topped out Vista Verde on schedule,” said Mr. Chen Lian Pang, CEO of CapitaLand “We are proud to have been the first to partner CapitaLand in the development of The Vista,” said Ms. Le Nu Thuy Duong, General Director of Thien Duc. “Our partnership with CapitaLand in developing Vista Verde allows us to combine our strengths to deliver an outstanding project.” Launched in 2014, more than 80 per cent of apartments at Vista Verde have been sold to date. Comprising 1,152 high-end apartments in four 35-storey residential towers with spectacular views of the It provides residents with more than 50 state-of-the-art recreational facilities and design features. A shopping town on the ground floor provides residents with essential retail shopping at their convenience. Designed for modern living, apartments at Vista Verde include spacious living and dining areas, natural ventilation and a loggia. Vista Verde won the prestigious “Best Condominium in CapitaLand Japanese locality looks to boost links with Vietnam Ambassador Cuong paid a three-day visit to the southernmost locality from July 18, where he met local officials and representatives of local enterprises with a view to boosting connections between Okinawa and Takeshi Onaga briefed the Vietnamese diplomat on Okinawa’s socio-economic development, stressing that the locality is providing a gateway for Meeting with Ambassador Cuong, head of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Yonekichi Shinzato recalled a visit made by local businesses to The Vietnamese diplomat hoped cooperation between He asked the Japanese local authority to make it easier for local enterprises to receive more Vietnamese trainees and labourers, while supporting Vietnamese expats living and working in the locality. Holding a talk with representatives from several enterprises and policy researchers of the locality, Ambassador Cuong introduced Participants said they believe that During his stay, the Vietnamese diplomat also joined an annual meeting of the Okinawa-Vietnam Friendship Association, during which he expressed his deep gratitude towards the people in Okinawa for their valuable support for Government - cooperative sector cooperation strengthened Strengthening the cooperation between Governments and the cooperative sector was the theme of the July 19 press briefing on the 10th Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference that will take place next year in The event was co-chaired by Chairman of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) Vo Kim Cu and Balasubramania Iyer Director-General of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) - Asia-Pacific Region. According to Balasubramania Iyer, the 10th Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference is scheduled for Aprill 18-21, 2017. The conference is expected to release a joint vision on economic cooperation and cooperatives by 2020 with the participation of over 400 delegates from between 60-70 countries and territories, and international organisations, he said. Participants will focus their discussion on youths’ involvement in cooperatives, access to food and socio-economic services, the green economy and public-private partnerships, according to Balasubramania. Meanwhile, VCA Chairman Vo Kim Cu highlighted the significance of the upcoming conference to the The occasion also presents opportunities for On the occasion, Vo Kim Cu and Balasubramania Iyer signed an agreement on the agenda of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Conference. Global experience necessary for boosting new-style cooperatives He made the remark at the fifth national congress of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) in While their operations have yet to meet members’ demand, some local authorities haven’t fully understood the role of the cooperatives in economic development and social stability. Domestic and global experience showed that connecting separate smallholders to form cooperatives and cooperative unions is the best way to improve the livelihoods of the millions of farming households, he said. The PM stressed that a new cooperative model must be created by cooperatives’ members, not imposed by authorities. He asked the VCA to closely work with authorised agencies to create optimal conditions to spur cooperatives’ operations and their members’ creativity. Meanwhile, ministries and local administrations should have thorough understanding of cooperatives’ role so as to provide support policies and conditions they need. The VCA’s fifth national congress for the 2016 – 2020 tenure was attended by 546 official delegates representing about 30 million labourers across the country. At the event, VCA Vice Chairman Nguyen Dac Thang reported that 5,000 cooperatives and 150,000 cooperative groups were set up over the last five years, contributing about 5 percent to the national GDP. The sector recorded an average 3 percent growth between 2012 and 2014. Official safeguard measures on imported steel launched The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on July 18 issued Decision No 862/QD-BCT on applying safeguard measures against steel ingots and long steel products imported into Under the decision, the ministry will maintain a safeguard duty of 23.3 percent on steel ingots while that levied on long steel products will be raised from 14.2 percent to 15.4 percent. The decision will take effect within 15 days since it was signed. According to the Vietnam Competition Authority under the MoIT, On December 25, 2015, the MoIT issued Decision No 14296/QD-BCT on a safeguard investigation into imports of steel ingots and long steel products, upon a complaint lodged by local producers Hoa Phat Steel Joint Stock Company (JSC), Southern Steel Co Ltd, Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel JSC and Vietnam-Italy Steel JSC. On March 7, 2016, the ministry issued Decision No 862/QD-BCT on applying temporary safeguard measures against steel ingots and long steel products imported into Accordingly, the ministry imposed temporary safeguard duties of 23.3 percent on steel ingots and 14.2 percent on long steel products for a maximum of 200 days. Cooperatives should be restructured for stronger development: official It is necessary to reorganise the cooperative sector through gathering individual producers in cooperatives and cooperative groups in the time ahead, said President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan. At the 5th Congress of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) in He asked the VCA to arrange more campaigns nationwide to spread information on the 2012 Law on Cooperatives and the role played by new-style cooperatives towards improving the efficiency of individual production and business units and seeking markets for cooperatives’ members. Outstanding models of new-style cooperatives in agriculture, transport and handicraft should be introduced to farmers, so they are active in forming new-style cooperatives and cooperative groups owned by themselves, he stressed. Additionally, special attention must be paid to training people who are or will be leaders of cooperatives in the future, he said, adding that it is necessary to solve difficulties concerning goods consumption, technology development and land facing cooperatives now. According to VCA Vice Chairman Nguyen Dac Thang, a total of 5,000 cooperatives and 150,000 cooperative groups were set up over the last five years, contributing about 5 percent to the national GDP. The sector recorded a 3 percent growth between 2012-2014. Some new-style cooperative models, which have a connection to goods value chains have been taking shape in the period; while many cooperatives have expanded production and business, promoted technological application and enhanced links with other economic sectors. However, he also pointed out limitations in enforcing the 2012 Law on Cooperatives 2012, saying that the issuance of documents guiding the enforcement of the law and the State’s support policies for cooperatives remained slow and unsystematic. The state management for the cooperative economy from central to local levels was not consistent, he noted, adding that the role and position played by the VCA has yet to meet requirements, in the context of fostering integration. VCA Chairman Vo Kim Cu stated that the alliance will focus on developing new-style cooperatives in connection with building value chains of goods and prioritising the development of public service cooperatives and those specialising in producing materials, preserving, processing and selling products for their members. It is set to increase the number of cooperative groups to 250,000 by 2020, with 5 percent of the total being developed into full cooperatives. The average income of cooperative members and labourers is expected to double the 2015 figure, he said. The congress elected a 142-strong executive board for the 2016-2020 tenure, led by Vo Kim Cu. Thua Thien-Hue draws 88 foreign direct investment projects As many as 88 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a total registered capital of 2.26 billion USD have landed in the central coastal Large groups operating in the locality include Singaporean Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, HBI Group from the The 850-million USD Laguna Lang Co resort complex, Banyan Tree’s first fully integrated world-class hospitality development in The Royal Caribbean International Group also invested 5 million USD in the upgrade of Wharf No.1 at the According to Nguyen Dung, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, the province welcomed over 75,000 sea arrivals in 2015 and expects to receive 150,000 sea-bound tourists to visit the former imperial Hue city through the Chan May port this year. The province plans to call for further investments to preserve the ancient imperial relic site in Along with building comprehensive infrastructure, the province has streamlined administrative procedures under a “one-door” mechanism to encourage further foreign investment in the locality. It is also focused on calling on all stakeholders to complete infrastructure in big projects with competitive products like the garment support industrial park, Chan May-Lang Co economic zone and Bach Ma National Park. The overriding priority has been given to the study of additional suitable mechanisms and policies to lure foreign investors, especially large and strategic enterprises like Bitexco, Vingroup and Bayan Tree. Meanwhile, revamped investment promotion methods and the issuance of a list featuring the province’s prioritised projects during 2016-2020 have also been paid due attention. Australia – potential market for Vietnam’s fruit, vegetable Australia, which needs to import 1.7 – 2 billion USD of fruit and vegetable each year, is a potential market for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable but its strict quarantine regulations remain a great obstacle, said the Vietnam Trade Office in the country. According to the Vietnam Customs, Vietnam exported over 1.3 billion USD worth of goods to Australia in the first six months of 2016, of which fruit and vegetable made up 10.3 million USD. The figure for 2015 was 19.6 million USD and for 2014, 17.4 million USD. Currently, Australia has licensed the import of Vietnamese fresh lychees only with more than 10 tonnes shipped to the market so far. Vietnamese dragon fruits and mangoes are expected to enter the market in the coming time. In late June, a delegation from Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources came to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta provinces of Long An and Tien Giang, and south central coastal Binh Thuan province to inspect the cultivation and harvest of dragon fruits as well as other steps before the fruits are ready for export. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia , the visit is an important part in the risks analysis process. The Australian Government is scheduled to release a draft report for public comment at the end of 2016. Vietnam conducted evaluation of market access for dragon fruits right after Australia approved the import of Vietnamese fresh lychees in 2015. The process to pave the way for fresh fruits to reach the market takes at least two years, the office said. Besides fruits, Vietnam can look to expand its export of frozen, dried or processed fruit and vegetable to Australia, which currently imports 5-7 million USD worth of frozen mixed vegetable from China, but only 1,000 USD worth of the same products from Vietnam. Australia also spends between 8-10 million USD on vegetable and dried mixed vegetable from China, but a mere 20,000-30,000 USD on those from Vietnam. The most important issue to be addressed in order to sell more Vietnamese fruit and vegetable to the Australian market is ensuring food safety and hygiene throughout all steps from growing, harvesting to processing. Southern electricity sees changes in use among sectors There was a remarkable change in the use of electricity among sectors in southern provinces in the first six months of 2016, according to the Southern Power Corporation of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVNSPC). The proportion of electricity used in industry and construction fell from 61.82 percent to 59.29 percent, while that in agro-forestry-fisheries increased from 3.22 percent to 5.37 percent. In January-June, the company sold over 26.7 billion kWh of commercial electricity, a year-on-year rise of 12.41 percent, fulfilling 48.86 percent of the annual target. Electricity used in industry and construction recorded a growth of 7.8 percent against the same period last year, while that in agro-forestry-fisheries also registered a high growth, mainly in Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc and Hau Giang provinces. The main sources to supply power for households in 21 southern cities and provinces come from electricity plants in the south and the 500kV North-South transmission line. The EVNSPC is coordinating with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promote electricity thrift practices among customers and build proper measures to avoid overloading and ensure sufficient electricity during the dry season and for the whole of 2016 in the south. Viet Nam's fruit import up Amid rising incomes, demand for imported fruits, especially cherries, has steadily increased among Vietnamese consumers, delegates said at a "Taste Canadian Cherries" event held in HCM City's SC VivoCity Shopping Plaza on July 16. Barbara Nadeau, Commercial Counsellor of Canada in Ha Noi, said overall exports of Canadian fresh fruits, including cherries and Ambrosia apples, have increased by 80 per cent, reaching nearly C$4 million (US$3.12 million) last year. Exports of fresh Canadian cherries to Viet Nam alone were valued at over C$1.7 million ($1.32 million) last year, a year-on-year increase by nearly 50 per cent, she told the event organised by the Embassy of Canada and Consulate General of Canada in collaboration with Co.opXtra supermarket and Nam Chan Food Corporation. At the event, Vietnamese consumers had the opportunity to taste the finest Canadian cherries produced in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province located on the Pacific Coast. Canadian cherries are being exported to many markets in Asia and Europe. British Columbian cherry farmers are accredited for food safety and traceability standards, she said. "Canada is a proud producer of the highest quality cherries," she said, adding that its Government has invested greatly in its cherry industry and has developed cherry varieties that feature high sugar and firmness. "In Viet Nam, Canadian cherries enjoy increasing popularity among consumers," she said. Duong Minh Quang, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op Fairprice Limited Liability Company, which operates Co.opXtra supermarkets, said the co-operation programme will contribute to offer local consumers more diverse and high quality products. According to the General Department of Viet Nam Customs, Viet Nam spent nearly $278 million to import fruits and vegetables in the first five months of the year, an increase of 48 per cent over the same period last year. Website connects distributors, consumers of farm produce The e-commerce website muahangviet.com.vn, which specialises in selling clean and safe farm produce, debuted in HCM City on July 19. The launch of the portal was part of the project Buying Vietnamese Goods initiated by Thanh Nien Newspaper Joint-Stock Company, which targets farmers, enterprises and consumers. In the initial phase, muahangviet.com.vn will supply more than 50 farm produce divided into two segments – safe products and organic products having certificates of international safe food authorities. Products will include organic rice, fruits and vegetables produced by farms in Da Lat and Can Tho. To be able to join the project, suppliers must apply Good Agricultural Practices such as VietGap/GlobalGap in their farming, said Nguyen Phuong Linh, the project director. All of the products have to pass strict testing steps, including testing at farms in cooperation with local Plant Protection Departments and the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute that will test heavy metals, plant protection residue and others before harvest. Testing will also be done at distributors' sites with nitrate-measuring devices and post-testing conducted by independent laboratories. "Selling fruits and vegetables with clear origin and safety is a top commitment to our consumers," she said. After receiving orders, products will be harvested and delivered to customers within 24 hours. Dao Hong Hanh, deputy general director of Thanh Nien Newspaper Joint Stock Company, said the model helped reduce time needed for distribution of farm produce and ensure the quality and safety of products. In the second phase of the project, expected earlier next year, other Vietnamese products that meet export standards will be supplied via the portal. Eximbank to cut 2016 profit target Eximbank will submit a plan to cut its 2016 profit target by 44 per cent at its upcoming shareholders' meeting. According to a report due to be released at the meeting on August 2, the bank will cut its profit target in 2016 to VND400 billion (US$17.85 million) from VND720 billion, set earlier this year. Under the report, the bank aims to achieve total assets worth VND134 trillion in 2016, up 7.3 per cent against last year. The targets for capital mobilisation and outstanding loans will rise 9.7 per cent and 4 per cent to touch VND108 trillion and VND100 trillion, respectively. Last year, the bank's pre-tax profit dropped sharply by nearly 30 per cent against the previous year to reach just VND40 billion, following the provision of large amounts of risky loans worth VND1.434 trillion. At the shareholders' meeting next month, Eximbank will also appoint more members to its board of directors for the 2016-20 period. In addition, the bank will submit for the shareholders' approval a plan worth VND10 billion for payment of salaries to its board of directors in 2016. KINDEX Vietnam attracts Korean investors KINDEX Vietnam VN30 ETF attracted much attention from Korean investors two weeks after being listed on the Korean Stock Exchange (KRX), according to the HCM City Securities Exchange (HoSE). KINDEX (245710KS) was among the certificates with most trading volume on KRX. On July 14, it rose 4.87 per cent to reach KRW10,450. KINDEX Vietnam ETF simulates VN30, and is managed by HoSE through an investment swap mechanism. VN30 was calculated from the price index of 30 leading capitalisations and liquidity on HoSE. The southern bourse said it was the first time a local fund certificate was listed on a foreign bourse, adding that the attention of Korean investors has confirmed the position of the VN30 in the international market. HoSE expected to list more ETFs certificates in the overseas markets in the future. Vingroup subsidiary suspends loan swap with furniture firm Tan Lien Phat Investment and Construction JSC, a subsidiary of Vingroup, has announced the suspension of a loan swap worth VND1.2 trillion (US$53.7 million) with Truong Thanh Furniture (TTF). According to Tan Lien Phat, the decision was made after finding serious discrepancies in data provided by TTF. On April 15, TTF approved the issuance of 69.7 million shares as the swap for its borrowings in Tan Lien Phat, worth over VND1.2 trillion. The first loan, worth VND603.5 billion, was set to be converted into shares at a conversion price of VND14,200 each, while the second loan, worth VND598.5 billion, was converted into shares at the price of VND22,000 each. The swap was expected to be made in the second quarter of this year. However, after the recent verification and evaluation activities of the furniture firm, Vingroup's subsidiary found the discrepancies and canceled the loan. In May 2016, Tan Lien Phat reportedly paid more than VND1.8 trillion to buy back 72.16 million shares or 49.9 per cent of the stake in TTF. Tan Lien Phat is the investor in Vingroup's Vinhomes Central Park and the chain of supermarket and convenient stores of Vinmart and Vinmart+. TTF is the main provider of wooden items and furniture for large construction projects by of Vingroup such as Vinhomes, Vincom, Vinpearl, and VinDS, in addition to Vinmec. Based in HCM City, with a charter capital of VND1.4 trillion, TTF is active in the timber and furniture industry and manages 14,000 hectares of harvesting forest in the south of Viet Nam. After the information released on July 19, TTF stock lost nearly seven per cent to end at VND40,600 on the HCM Stock Exchange on the same day. Fertiliser firms fail to attract investors When the market rose an average of more than 15 per cent, fertilisers stocks, despite a high rate of return, did not see good growth. As the three largest firms in the industry, Binh Dien Fertilizer (BFC), Phu My Fertiliser (DPM) and Lam Thao Fertiliser (LAS) often give quite good dividend rates to shareholders. In early June, BFC paid a dividend of 30 per cent for 2015. DPM was also a stock with a high dividend rate. In three years, the firm has paid a total dividend of 95 per cent corresponding to more than 30 per cent of the annual cash dividends. LAS, with the highest annual dividend of 40 per cent, even gave shareholders bonus shares at 45 per cent in the third quarter of this year. However, except the instant growth of BFC, DPM and LAS saw no significant change till very recently in the third quarter, when the two stocks showed some growth. DPM shares, which were often traded at VND28,000 each before, grew six per cent to touch VND29,400 each on HOSE on July 19. On the northern bourse, LAS shares rose nearly 12 per cent in the last quarter from VND27,000 to VND31,8000 each on July 19. According to local experts, despite receiving high dividends from the fertiliser firms, investors looked out for profit-making potential. In Q1, most fertiliser sales and profits fell. Earlier this year, FPT Securities Company (FPTS) said local fertiliser firms were facing fierce competition from peers and lower demand. The Bao Viet Security Ccompany referred to the reports of the World Fertiliser Association, which said prices would fall following oversupply in the future. The World Bank (WB) forecast that fertiliser prices would decrease by two to five per cent in 2016 from the previous year. In Viet Nam, the local fertiliser production was forecast to increase with the operation of new plants. Vu Duc Minh Hieu, an expert in the field, said market analysts were of the opinion that fertiliser supply in Viet Nam was always higher than demand by one to 1.2 per cent, adding that demand would grow 1.5 to two per cent in the next five years, while supply would increase by 4.1per cent. More importantly, Viet Nam was mostly producing and using inorganic fertilisers (second largest after China), while the global trend was towards less use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture to promote environment-friendly cultivation. With such trends, increasing demand for food safety and more environment protection, local fertiliser firms would face long-term risks, which should force them to prepare suitable development strategies or be left behind, the FPTS evaluation department said. Starwood Hotels & Resorts to open new six properties in Vietnam Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced to launch six new properties in Hanoi, Hoi An, Danang, Phu Quoc and Halong in the country from now until 2019. Starwood Hotels & Resorts expects to launch Sheraton Hoi An Tam Ky Resort in Q2, 2017, Four Points by Sheraton Danang and Sheraton Phu Quoc Resort on July 1, 2017, Sheraton Danang Resort and Sheraton Halong Bay Hotel on January 1, 2018, and The Westin Hanoi on January 1, 2019. The information was unveiled at a Media Appreciation Night in HCMC last week to wrap up The Week of Appreciation organized by Starwood from July 11 to 15. On the occasion, Sheraton Saigon opened its brand new ballroom on level 3 of the hotel with the presence of representatives of Starwood Divisional Office, general managers of four Starwood properties, including Sheraton Saigon, Sheraton Hanoi, Sheraton Nha Trang and Le Méridien Saigon, and local media. Since the opening of Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers in 2003, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has accelerated growth in Vietnam with signing more upscale-brand properties including Sheraton Hanoi Hotel and Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa in 2004 and 2010 respectively. The debut of its Le Meridien brand with Le Méridien Saigon in 2015 marked the fourth milestone of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Vietnam. To mark this special occasion, Starwood Vietnam properties and Uber Vietnam collaborate to promote “Dine with SPG, Ride with Uber” program, effective from July 12 to December 31, 2016 as Uber riders are offered free Starwood Preferred Guest enrollment and 15% off on their bills at participating restaurants and bars of Sheraton Saigon, Le Meridien Saigon and Sheraton Hanoi. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in some 100 countries and over 180,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood focus on the luxurious market segment with 11 globally-known brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Element, Design hotels and Tribute Portfolio. Coffee prices hit 12 month high The prices of green robusta coffee beans in the Central Highlands have risen to 37.6- 38.3 million VND (1,671-1,702 USD) per tonne this week, up according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The prices at one time reach 38.9 million (1,729 USD) per tonne, the highest since June 29, 2015, in Dak Lak province. Meanwhile, the freight on board (FOB) price of robusta coffee in Ho Chi Minh City gained 24 USD per tonne, to 1,756 USD per tonne. The rising trend was buoyed by the global price hike last week due to concerns over the prolonged drought’s impact on coffee harvest in Vietnam and India, two among the world’s top robusta coffee producers. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, coffee exports of Vietnam, the world's largest robusta coffee exporter, reached an estimated 1.32 million tonnes in the first nine months of the 2015-16 crop year ending September, up 32 percent from a year earlier. PetroVietnam seeks way to handle challenges PetroVietnam will continue to boost oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities this year to offset the impact of the slow recovery in crude oil prices and higher costs. This would help PetroVietnam deal with difficulties in production and business arising out of those factors. Nguyễn Vũ Trường Sơn, CEO of PetroVietnam group, said the increase in oil exploitation productivity was quite difficult. Most of the oil wells have been exploited to the maximum. The group’s expectations mostly focussed on new oil well explorations and exploitation to ensure an increase in oil and gas reserves. To drill new oil wells in 2016, efforts are on to limit the fall in crude oil productivity in 2017, Sơn said, and added that priorities would be given to highly-effective projects focussed on developing the Cá Rồng Đỏ, Lô B, Cá Voi Xanh oilfields. According to PetroVietnam, while exploiting one million tonnes of crude oil for the 2016 target, it has made efforts to continue drilling new wells in Sư Tử Nâu oilfield (Brown Lion) in Block15-1. It is expected to start drilling this month and be put into operation by September this year. The oil productivity is expected to reach 67,000 tonnes. The group will also continue to drill two more wells including RC-9 in block 09-1. It is expected that oil productivity can reach between 10,000 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes. PetroVietnam is also considering drilling two more wells at the Tê Giác Trắng (White Rhinoceros) oilfield in block 16-1 of the Cửu Long Basin, which could extract crude oil amounting to 43,000 tonnes. Sơn said this month that PetroVietnam will work with contractors to conduct specific projects and ensure drastic measures to successfully implement exploration and exploitation activities of government-approved projects. This year, PetroVietnam has also set a target of exploiting crude oil productivity of 17 million or one million surpassing this year’s plan. The group says that despite falling crude oil prices it has accomplished all targets for the first half this year. Its crude oil exploitation volume reached 14.75 million tonnes, or 1.1 million over the target. PetroVietnam also supplied 10.74 kWh of electricity to the national power grid. Live cattle imports from Australia dip Vietnam imported 129,471 head of cattle from Australia in the first half of this year, down 35% against the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Vietnam was the largest importer of Australian cattle, after Indonesia and China. Last year, Australia shipped more than 300,000 head of cattle to Vietnam. The decline is attributed to better supplies on the domestic market not because of Vietnam slaughterhouses’ violation of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS). The Australian Embassy said cattle exports to Vietnam depended on many factors like domestic demands, export prices and exchange rates. Regarding Australian temporary ban on cattle exports to Vietnam after the animal welfare group Animals Australia revealed footage that showed cow being repeatedly hit by a sledgehammer, Tong Xuan Chinh, deputy head of the Animal Husbandry Department, said the country temporarily stopped exporting cattle to Vietnam to conduct investigations. If real proofs are found, a fine will be imposed. Up to now, there has been no answer from the Australian Department of Agriculture. Mr Chinh said temporary stop exporting cattle to Vietnam will affect domestic livestock businesses, but not immediately. It will take at least six months before the decision can affect prices on the domestic market. Amy Guihot, Counsellor (Agriculture) - Australian Embassy in Hanoi, said the ban will come into effect until the investigations complete. It is imposed only on violating slaughtering facilities while those meeting ESCAS still receive cattle from Australia. Hapro opens Unimart - Seika supermarket in Ha Noi The Ha Noi Trade Corporation (Hapro) opened the Unimart - Seika Supermarket at 51 Le Dai Hanh Street, Ha Noi, last week. This is the third of its kind coinciding with the Japanese standard launched in the capital city. The supermarket chain is a joint venture between Hapro's Hanoi Food Company and Vietnam Supermarket Joint Stock Company (VHSC). The 1,000sq.m supermarket showcases nearly 20,000 food and non-food products, processed products and home appliances. Many of these have been imported from Japan, South Korea and European countries, are of good quality and have reasonable prices. Hapro has so far set up two shopping malls, three wholesale centres, and more than 40 supermarkets and Hapromart stores, besides Haprofood stores. The corporation is also doing business in some other areas, such as electronic equipment and garments in Ha Noi. Steel firms seeing optimistic growth Local steel firms have recorded upbeat business results in the first half of this year on account of steady demand and an unexpected market rebound. Local steel firms are receiving positive results during the first half of this year compared to last year’s performance In the first six months of this year, the steel sector turned out over 8.5 million tonnes of product, a 35.7 per cent jump on-year. Over eight million tonnes were sold, up 39 per cent on-year, of which more than one million tonnes were exported. Chairman of Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) Ho Nghia Dung attributed the sector’s upbeat performance to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s imposition of temporary safeguard duties on imported steel billet and long-steel products. This helped to back up local firms’ production and sales in the year’s second quarter. Nam Kim Steel JSC, based in the southern province of Binh Duong and one of the country’s leading steel makers, reported VND200 billion ($9 million) in profit in the year’s first half and sold 346,000 tonnes of product. This outcome is remarkable compared to the company’s performance last year. Nam Kim Steel sold a total 423,000 tonnes of product last year and reaped only VND126 billion ($5.7 million) in post-tax profit. According to Nam Kim’s general director Pham Manh Hung, the company has a lot of advantages when exporting to Malaysia as its export products do not incur anti-dumping tariffs when entering the Malaysian market. In early 2016, Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Ministry announced its decision to impose anti-dumping tariffs on imported coated steel products. Nam Kim coated steel products incur an anti-dumping duty of just 0.06 per cent, and according to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations, it is not an anti-dumping case if the duty was set below two per cent. This will be an advantage for Nam Kim when exporting to Malaysia during the 2016-2021 period. In another case, state-owned Vietnam Steel Corporation (VNSteel) reported a 22 per cent jump in steel billet production in the first half of the year, and a sale volume hike of 7 per cent on-year, to 314,000 tonnes. Its construction steel production reached 1.6 million tonnes, up 23 per cent, and sales volume surpassed one million tonnes. The parent company reported VND105 billion ($4.7 million) in pre-tax profit during the period while its subsidiary companies touched VND339 billion ($15.4 million). Private steel giant Hoa Phat Group gained VND1.85 trillion ($84.4 million) in post-tax profit in the first six months, reaching 58 per cent of the year’s projection. Of this sum, VND1.28 trillion ($58.4 million) came from the construction steel business. During the period, Hoa Phat exported more than 8,000 tonnes, equal to 10 per cent of the group’s total steel sale volume, with a stable month-on-month growth in the export value to ASEAN markets. Bitexco buys State stake in Huong Giang Travel The Bitexco Group has secured the entire State stake in the Huong Giang Travel Joint Stock Company after signing a strategic cooperation agreement with the Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee. In response to enquiries from VET, Mr. Vu Quang Hoi, Chairman of the Bitexco Group, confirmed that “the group has bought 70.48 per cent of the charter capital in Huong Giang Travel,” or equivalent to 14,096,200 million shares. He did not reveal any further information about the deal. Mr. Hoi therefore becomes Chairman of the Huong Giang Travel JSC, which holds 100 per cent of the Huong Giang Travel Company (HG Holdings) along with 91 per cent of the My An Travel Joint Stock Company, which is in possession of some valuable real estate in the province. At the end of March the Provincial People’s Committee issued a decision granting approval to the Bitexco Group purchasing the entire State holding in Huong Giang Travel instead of 7.6 per cent, as was previously decided. Securing more than 70 per cent of Huong Giang Travel allows Bitexco to change Huong Giang’s hotels into international-standard hotels. According to Mr. Hoi, when signing the cooperation agreement with Thua Thien Hue province Bitexco committed to investing in projects developing local tourism infrastructure to international standard and promoting high quality tourism products that will attract visitors to the city. Its development plan includes projects such as the construction of the high-end Aman Hotel and Resort, luxury My An resorts, which have hot mineral springs, the upgrading of the Sai Gon Morin to a five-star hotel brand, and supporting the promotion of Hue’s tourism potential to the world. Local authorities, in turn, committed to supporting and creating favorable conditions for Bitexco to implement investment projects and business within the province. The Minh Dien Vital Real Estate Joint Stock Company, a member of the Bitexco Group, has recently announced the launch and opening of display homes at the Manor Crown Hue project, which has an area of 4.2 ha at the An Van Duong urban area, which is Hue’s administrative center and next to the city’s services, tourism and entertainment area. Bitexco now owns a number of major real estate projects in large cities, including the Manor My Dinh and the Manor Central Park in Hanoi and the Manor Officetel and Bitexco Financial Tower in Ho Chi Minh City. Expert calls for integrated approach to prop up entrepreneurship in Mekong Delta Tran Dinh Thien, director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, has underlined the urgency of adopting an integrated approach, especially in terms of policy, to shore up entrepreneurship and economic growth in the Mekong Delta and help the region better deal with emerging challenges. Thien told a business forum as part of the Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation 2016 in Hau Giang Province (MDEC - Hau Giang 2016) last week that laws and regulations have been revised in recent years to fuel the development of enterprises, particularly private ones. Thien said the region showed a better sign in the January-June period that it posted higher growth than the nation’s average in terms of startup, registered capital and employment. However, Thien expressed concern over a big gap in administrative and institutional reforms and visions of provinces in the Mekong Delta. What Dong Thap has done to brace for international integration is far better than other provinces in the delta. Nguyen Thi Thuong Linh, vice director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Can Tho City, said Dong Thap came second among the nation’s 63 provinces and cities in the 2015 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) thanks to the local government’s strong reforms. But efforts of other provinces to cut informal fees and create a level playing field for businesses have not paid off. Thien said greater effort and an integrated approach would be needed to bring positive changes in the delta, which is not only reeling from the national economy’s woes but also feeling the pinch of drought and salinity intrusion. Linh cited figures of the investment departments in 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta as saying that the region had had 59,350 operational firms as of end-March, accounting for 11.6% of the country’s total. There were 1,240 startups in the delta in the first quarter with total registered capital of VND54.6 trillion, up 12.1% versus quarter one of last year. However, Linh said the country’s international integration, climate change and drought have hit businesses in the delta. Thien shared Linh’s view, saying the impact of drought, salination and rising sea levels on the delta is not yet over. The delta will continue dealing with drought, salination, fresh water shortfalls and less silt in the coming years, he noted. Thien stressed the region would find it tough to ride out these difficulties. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, further studies should be carried out to find viable solutions for the Mekong Delta to efficiently cushion the effects of drought and salination on its economy and society. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang told the Daily on the sidelines of a seminar on solutions to control salination and store fresh water for production and daily use in the region in Hau Giang Province last week that more scientific research should be implemented and lessons from domestic and foreign organizations learned to combat drought and salination. Although numerous conferences have been organized and coping measures have been proposed by experts, climate change is not a problem that can be solved overnight, Thang said. He said the Government has spent big on projects in the Mekong Delta in recent years with large canals dredged, but the region still needs huge finances for more projects to boost the resilience of the region. At earlier conferences, experts proposed solutions for the Mekong Delta to adapt to climate change. For instance, Nguyen Ngoc Tran, former deputy head of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Policies, suggested restructuring plants and livestock, and building dikes for freshwater storage and saltwater prevention to reduce the impact of drought and salination. Thang said it is difficult to thoroughly solve problems concerning saltwater intrusion and climate change in the Mekong Delta but stressed new proposals are welcome. According to the Southwest Steering Committee, drought and salination have caused severe water shortages for daily use and agricultural production in the Mekong Delta, with total losses estimated at VND4.68 trillion (US$210.5 million). VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VET/VIR |
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Social News 23/7 Vietnam, Laos,  Border guards arrested a woman involved in a human trafficking ring. A workshop aimed at promoting joint efforts by The event drew the participation of representatives from women’s associations of Quang Tri province, the Lao provinces of Salavan and Savannakhet, and Participants discussed ways to prevent human trafficking, particularly along the joint borderline of the three nations. Focus was put on strengthening cooperation among authorities of the provinces along the East-West Corridor which runs from Other efforts include creating jobs and providing financial support for returning victims and sharing experience in combating human trafficking among the localities. Over the past years, numerous exchanges have been conducted by the relevant provincial women’s associations to strengthen the cooperation among the localities, particularly in fighting human trafficking.- Government Inspectorate updates media on inspection work Hot issues regarding inspection and the settlement of complaints and denunciations were major topics of a press conference hosted by the Government Inspectorate in Asked about Ha Tinh authorities’ responsibility for leasing land to According to legal rules before 2014, the province was only allowed to license land rent for no longer than 50 years. The Investment Law 2005 stipulates that any foreign-invested project is valid for a maximum of 50 years. In necessary cases, the government could consider extending business operations which should not be more than 70 years, he said, adding that the Khanh said Ha Tinh authorities have not properly clarified their own responsibilities in the case, and the Government Inspectorate and relevant units are investigating several issues involving About the inspection of business activities at the PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC), Khanh said the government inspectorate has uncovered law violations during the construction of a bio-fuel plant in Phu Tho and the Dinh Vu fiber plant in Hai Phong, which will be dealt with in line with the law. As regards security and order at the citizen reception offices, head of the Government Inspectorate’s Central Citizen Reception Department Nguyen Hong Diep informed that several riotous incidences happened at citizen reception offices in the second quarter, including a serious case when an official was stabbed and injured. The Government Inspectorate has suggested the government and the Ministry of Public Security add citizen reception offices into the list of security protection targets. A nationwide teleconference will be held to seek solutions to improving the reception for citizens and the settlement of complaints and denunciations, Diep said. Le Hong Linh, head of the Government Inspectorate’s General Planning Department said during the second quarter, the sector conducted nearly 2,000 administrative inspections and 85,000 specialised inspections. The inspections brought to light the misuse of more than 8 trillion VND and 860ha of land. The sector recommended administrative disciplinary measures towards over 200 units and transferred 19 cases involving 31 individuals to criminal investigation agencies. Four officials in the central Ministries, agencies and localities inspected 782 units, 19 of them were found to have committed law violations, he said. Netherlands aids waste treatment project in Binh Duong The Dutch Government will give financial support to the implementation, operation and maintenance of the water drainage and wastewater treatment project in the southern The 12 million EUR project will benefit 219 small production facilities and nearly 19,400 local households in Tan Binh commune (Di An town), part of An Phu and Binh Chuan commune (Thuan An town), Thai Hoa commune and part of Tan Phuoc Khanh commune (Tan Uyen town). Its aim is to ensure the local environment and to improve water quality for the Dong Nai river system – the main source of water for over 12 million people in Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces and According to Simon Van Der Burg, Consul General of the Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, noted that the province has paid due attention to improving local livelihoods and protecting the environment, especially in densely-populated urban areas. However, the province needs support from foreign nations and international financial organisations due to its limited capital, he highlighted. The aid will be provided under the Facility for Infrastructure Development ORIO, which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. National Defence Sports Centre 4 triumph National Defence Sports Centre 4 triumphed at the National Junior Swimming Championships which wrapped up in Long An came in second, with 19 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals. After five days of competition, District 1 Sports Centre only won one silver medal, while Bình Định won two bronze medals to rank last out of 19 teams. Vietnamese nurses, orderlies in demand in Japan There are 32.7 million people aged at least 65 in Japan at present, accounting for 25.75 percent of the population, Noboru Yamamoto, head of the international cooperation division of the association, which receives Vietnamese orderlies, said at an international conference in Hanoi on July 22. He added the country will need 700,000 orderlies and caretakers in the next 10 years while Japanese people working in this area number around 300,000 – 400,000. It will need the same number of orderlies from other countries, including Additionally, orderlies who already graduated from At the event, Chairman of the Nearly 500 Vietnamese candidates have been involved in the apprenticeship programme in The international conference, held by the Vietnam Nurses Association and the All Japan Hospital Association, shared information on nursing personnel in Japan and experience in caring for the elderly.- Excavation conducted at Binh Dinh’s old commercial port Artifacts dating back to the 16th century were found during a trial excavation at the relic of Thi Nai – Nuoc Man commercial port in the central Archaelogists said at a press briefing in the province’s The architectural vestiges were believed to date back to the 18 th -19 th century, while the artifacts were of different periods from the 16 th century up to the 20 th century. Bui Van Hieu from the Vietnam Archaeology Institute said the large amount of ceramic items dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties of China and Hizen porcelain of Archaeologists said the port, first called Thi Nai and then changed to Nuoc Man, held a very important role in the economic development of the province as well as the region, adding that further excavations are needed to seek insights into the trading and cultural exchanges between Bac Giang targets over 1 million tourists by 2020 The Between 2016 and 2017, the province will develop Tay Yen Tu as a tourism brand and annually hold Tay Yen Tu festival, starting from January 2018, said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of the provincial Steering Committee for Tourism Development Le Anh Duong. The provincial Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Giang, Quang Ninh and Hai Duong will compile dossiers to seek the recognition of the Tran Dynasty and Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhism relic complex as UNESCO world heritage. Cultural-spiritual, historical and ecological tourism products will be major offers. Private investment will be called for a 100-200ha cultural park, while Kham Lang-Chu Dien and Trung Son golf courses will be added to the master plan of Apart from restoring and upgrading the local special national relics and the carved woodblocks of Vinh Nghiem pagoda, Bac Giang will also call for investment in Khuon Than lake tourist area, as well as build tourist products in Luc Ngan fruit areas, among others. Bac Giang is currently home to more than 2,230 relics, including 680 recognised ones, for example, Vinh Nghiem pagoda is where a collection of 3,050 carved woodblocks recognised by UNESCO as a world documentary heritage are kept; there is also Nuoc Vang-Luc Nam spring, Khe Ro-Son Dong natural preservation area and Dong Cao plateau. Since 2011, the province has spent thousands of billions of Dong to build infrastructure in tourist areas. This year, Bac Giang expects to serve 492,000 visitors, including 8,000 foreigners and rake in more than 317 billion VND (14.4 million USD). It is home to 342 lodging facilities with more than 4,200 rooms. Experts to discuss Central Highlands’ drought crisis This The one-day workshop looked at the causes and impact of the average annual loss of 51,200ha of forests as well as the impact of power plants’ dams and reservoirs built on Srepok and Sesan on local livelihood, environment and water resources. The participants at the workshop also had a closer look at the fast and unplanned growth of plantations of commercial trees such as pepper, rubber, coffee and cashew, which had led to increased deforestation in the highlands over the past few decades. All the three above-mentioned causes had converted areas such as the Central Highlands that once had plenty of water into drought-hit regions that face a crisis every year. This year’s drought is the worst in 20 years, which has made rivers, streams and underground water sources to dry up, experts said at the workshop. A report released by the agriculture and rural development ministry in April this year said 160,000ha of plants faced critical shortage of water, causing economic losses of about VNĐ100 billion each in Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Đắk Nông and Đắk Lắk, besides Lâm Đồng. Panel discussions focused on climate change and the impact of the El Nino phenomenon and possible threats to the region in the coming years. The meeting of 150 participants, including local residents and representatives from Electricity of Việt The steering committee for the Central Highlands is a central government body that specialises in monitoring the political and socio-economic balance of the region. Drought hits Nghệ An Province Prolonged drought in the central Nghệ An Province has left rice fields fallow and local residents without water. Yên Thành District’s agriculture and rural development sector said that according to their estimates, about 1,500ha in the district were unable to be cultivated, and 3,000ha of summer-autumn rice were left unwatered. Forty to 60 per cent of households in mountainous communes were lacking water for daily usage because wells had dried up. Lê Đình Hùng, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Hùng Thành Commune in Yên Thành District, said farmers could not grow rice in 234ha in the commune because all eight reservoirs in the commune had run out of water. More than 30 households in the commune had to dig new wells over the past month to seek new sources of water. The cost for this work increased because water could only be found at a depth of 50-60 metres, instead of 30-40 metres as usual. The surging demand for new wells also made it difficult to hire people to do this work, said Nguyễn Viết Tân, head of Sơn Thành hamlet. “My family has waited for 15 days, but is still unable to hire people to dig a new well,” Tân said. He said drought was not a new phenomenon in his locality, but it was so severe that people could not grow rice for the summer-autumn crop this year, which was unusual. Yên Thành District’s People’s Committee has decided to support local residents with VNĐ3-5 million for every new well to ease the burden. Severe water shortages have also affected nearly 2,000 households with 9,000 people in the mountainous Nghi Văn Commune in Nghi Lộc District. Nguyễn Thị Thơm in hamlet 20 said her family had to sell their only cow to get money to dig a new well. “For the past month, we have had to ask for water from other people in our hamlet for cooking. But water sources in the hamlet are also drying up, so we have to spend VNĐ16 million to get a new well,” Thơm said. Cao Cự Đăng, vice chairman of Nghi Văn’s People’s Committee, said the commune authority had asked local residents to share water with each other and use it economically to cope with the situation. Fire destroys pine forest area in Nghệ An Province A forest fire broke out yesterday in Nghi Lộc District’s Nghi Kiều Commune in the central Local residents told the Giao Thông (Transport) newspaper that the fire started at about 10am yesterday and quickly became uncontrollable. Local communal authorities have mobilised hundreds of people to put out the fire. It took nearly three hours to get the fire under control, as hot weather stoked flames in the highly flammable pine forest, local authorities said. Also yesterday, a fire broke out at Earlier, the The causes of the fires are being investigated. V. League top teams meet in Round 17 The match between Hải Phòng and SHB Đà Nẵng will be the focus of the V. League’s Round 17 this weekend. Hải Phòng are the leaders with 34 points while SHB Đà Nẵng are in third place, six points behind. A win will help Hải Phòng strengthen their top position while SHB Đà Nẵng may take the second place in case FLC Thanh Hóa do not beat defending champions Becamex Bình Dương. Hải Phòng grabbed two draws in a row in their last two matches but it was on away grounds. They are, however, very powerful when playing at home, as they have not lost any match at Lạch Tray Stadium. After eight matches, they have won six and drawn two. In this match, Teofilo Soares Eydison will be the key striker of SHB Đà Nẵng who said goodbye to James Torace, while their best forward Gaston Merlo is sidelined because of yellow cards. Since playing for Đà Nẵng, Brazilian Eydison has scored three goals. SHB Đà Nẵng President Bùi Xuân Hòa said his team would take all opportunities to beat their rivals for the cup. He said the match was important, because if they won they would narrow the gap with Hải Phòng, and it would make the race to the podium more exciting. SHB Đà Nẵng beat Hải Phòng 2-0 in the first leg game. Becamex Bình Dương strongly dominated the V. League in two recent seasons but they are struggling in this year’s event which runs three fourths of its period and they are at No 8. A 1-0 win over Quảng Ninh Coal last week pushed them up a little bit after five matches in a row without a win. Prior to leaving for Thanh Hóa, the team managers steadily confirmed that their target was to defend their title. Their personnel problem was solved when their key players, midfielder Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng and defender Trương Đình Luật, returned after their bans. FLC Thanh Hóa, who have 29 points, also showed their determination to compete for the top place. A win over Becamex Bình Dương will at least maintain the four-point lead with Hải Phòng and also create intense pressure on the leader. In their first leg match, FLC Thanh Hóa created a bang with a 3-0 win, marking their first victory at Gò Đậu Stadium in two years. Their only disadvantage was that technical director Lê Thụy Hải could not be present with the team because of his two-match ban. However their rivals were exhausted with a National Cup match three days ago against Quảng Ninh Coal. Elsewhere, Đồng Tháp are isolated at the bottom and they are closest to relegation. They will travel to Nha Trang to play Sanna Khánh Hòa. Long An are next to Đồng Tháp and trying to escape from the SOS area. They will meet with hosts Quảng Ninh Coal at Cẩm Phả. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai are more confident after beating Hà Nội T&T 1-0 last week. The team of youngsters, third from the bottom, will visit Quảng Cần Thơ will welcome newcomer Sài Gòn in a match between two teams who stand at the middle of the ranking. Two former champions Hà Nội T&T and Sông Lam Nghệ An will meet at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium. Coach Chu Đình Nghiêm of Hà Nội T&T said his team would focus on each match and would grab any chance coming to them. Tiến beats Zhang of Nguyễn Đắc Tiến beat Zheng Qi Jonathan Zhang of Hong Kong in the ITF U18 junior tennis tournament’s third round at Tiến, junior world number 1293, beat Zhang, ranked 699th, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the event’s quarter-final where he will meet Chinese Taipei’s Yin Bang Shuo. Earlier, Tiến, from Hà Nội, crushed his teammate Huỳnh Minh Thịnh 2-0. Seventeen-year-old Tiến won the U18 Thailand Open in May. The tournament, in which 120 players from 22 countries and territories are competing, will end on July 24. Book on A new book highlighting the sports and printed press history of The overseas Vietnamese author Nguyễn Đức Hiệp wrote Sài Gòn – Chợ Lớn, Thể Thao Và Báo Chí Trước 1945 (Sài Gòn – Chợ Lớn: Sports and Printed Press Before 1945). The book is a part of a series about old The first two books were mainly composed of material Hiệp published online and in various journals over the past six years of research. "The new book was written during the beginning of this year to cover two subjects: sports history, which often does not attract much interest; and printed press and journalism, which were extensively studied in academia and popular literature. Hiệp researched valuable special sources. It makes his book distinctive from others,” Huỳnh Thị Xuân Hạnh, director of the publishing house, said. “I told him to write more three books about Hiệp was born in He currently works at the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage in In addition to his scientific publications on the subject of environmental sciences and climate change, Hiệp’s interests also include heritage conservation and urban development. He has since returned to Việt Since the late 1990s, Many old colonial buildings and architecture from the last century continue to be replaced by modern high rise commercial and residential buildings. “One of the reasons I wrote these books about “The various articles cover streetscapes, stories and narratives of people and societies in the past centuries, based on archival material from the National Library of France, the National Library of Việt Author Hiệp yesterday delivered a talk with two English researchers, Tim Doling and French Daniel Caune, at Nguyễn Văn Bình book street in Exhibition on Japanese culture exchange held in Hà Nội An exhibition on Japanese culture entitled Ichigo Ichie 2016 (The Journey of the Sun) will be held at the Hà Nội–Amsterdam Highschool, Activities at the exhibition include a display of Japanese cultural objects like dolls, masks, costumes, toys, footwear, carp streamers and origami. Other activites include board games, shogi chess, uno games, yukata (summer kimono) costume wearing and lots of cultural exchange games. The exhibition also has art perfomances like a furisode (the most formal style of kimono worn by young unmarried women in The exhibition is to be held from 7am to noon. Entrance is free for the public. Large-scale farm model a success but lacks co-operation The large-scale farm model, which has achieved great success since being adopted in the Mekong Delta five years ago, could produce even better results with closer co-operation between farmers and enterprises. The model, which involves farmers pooling lands to achieve economies of scale, works by co-operation between them and businesses with support from the government and crop scientists, but is plagued by inefficient co-operation. There are often complaints by both farmers and the agricultural businesses that the other has violated the contract: the former complain the businesses come up with new demands when paddy prices fall, while the latter claim farmers sell their produce to other traders when the price increases. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Trần Thanh In the near future, when export enterprises need reliable sources of rice and farmers become aware they should be united with businesses amid the country’s integration, they will develop a trusty relationship, he says. But for that there should be greater intervention by authorities, he says. Phan Công Bình, director of Công Bình, a company based in Long An Province, says “We face many challenges without support from the local government.” He says the key to the problem lies in harmonising the benefits of the two sides. Farmers and enterprises agree that they rarely sue each other even when one side violates the contract, but experts want penalties to be made more stringent. Đồng Tháp and An Giang were the first two provinces in the country to adopt the model, which helps farmers cut costs and improve quality. But since the model was adopted, the cost came down to VNĐ2,700, Nguyễn Văn Đồng, director of the provincial agriculture department, says. Five years after the programme began the delta has the largest area -- 450,000 hectares -- under the large-scale farm model. Several companies like Gentraco, Lộc Trời Corporation and others have been operating efficiently under the model. In the last two years alone, banks have lent VNĐ7 trillion (US$318 million) for 21 projects by companies involved in it, with the money used to produce high-quality rice for export. Sketches about Vietnamese history on show An exhibition of sketches and lacquer paintings about Organized until August 2 by San Art, a non-profit arts organization based in HCMC, the “Sketching Vietnamese history” exhibition features a vast collection of sketches and 12 lacquer paintings by artist Quach Phong. The sketches, drawn on two paper scrolls with each measuring over 50 meters in length, cover the history from the dynasty of Hung Kings dating back to over 2,000 BC to the early period of the Later Le Dynasty in the 15th and 16th centuries. The 12 lacquer paintings, part of Phong’s ongoing effort to bring these sketches to life, and an interview with him on his artistic vision are expected to highlight the exhibition at 97 Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1, HCMC. Gala concert marks 60th anniversary of HCMC Conservatory of Music A gala concert, one of the music shows celebarting the 60th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music will be held in the evenning on July 28. The HCMC Conservatory of Music Nearly 200 artists of the city’s music academy, the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra, the traditional music orchestra, inclduing pianist Bich Tra, violinist Hoang Tuan Cuong, meritorious artists Ta Minh Tam and Tran Vuong Thach, violinist Bui Cong Duy, artists Nguyen Thuy Yen, Pham Nguyen Anh Vu, Pham The Vi and among will join in the event. They will present to audiences Vietnamese and international musical works. The Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music will hold a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of its establishment and development as well as receiveing certifications of merit from the Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and the municipal People’s Committee in the morning on the day. An exhibition on its acitivities over the past 60 years opened on July 22. Jetstar Pacific offers cheap tickets Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines announced to sell cheap airfares at less VND 320, 000 a route at 11am on July 22- 24, on the occasion of the airline puts into exploitation of its Airbus A320 CEO Sharklet, the first among four aircrafts receiving this year. The cheap ticket will be applied for 11 domestic flights departing from Buon Ma Thuot/ Nha Trang/ Da Nang/ Hue/ Phu Quoc/ Tuy Hoa/ Quy Nhon/ Chu Lai/ Dong Hoi/ Pleiku/ Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City. Routes from Hanoi/ Hai Phong/ Thanh Hoa/ Vinh to Ho Chi Minh City and international routes connecting between Bangkok/ Singapore and HCMC also will be offered the preferential program with VND 320, 000. The ticket price excludes tax and other additional fee. By the end of this year, the low-cost carrier will continue to receive three A320 aircrafts. Earlier, the airline also signed a contract to buy ten A320 CEO Sharklet aircrafts from the European aerospace giant Airbus in 2017. PM visits & hands over gifts Heroic mother in Can Tho Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc yesterday visited & presented gifts to families of people who served the nation in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on occasion of the 69th Day for Invalids and War Martyrs (July 27). The Prime Minister visited & handed over gifts to veteran Nguyen The Minh at Xuan Khanh commune of Ninh Kieu district and Vietnamese heroic mother Pham Thi An at Tran Phu Street of Cai Khe, Ninh Kieu district. Heroic mother An’s husband & son sacrified in the wartime for national liberation. The Prime Minister asked mother An’s health adding that mother An and Mr.Minh and others should maintain & foster the revolutionary tradition, contributing developing local & the country. He suggested the local authorities pay attention to people who served & sacrified for the nation. Quang Tri sculpture workshop remembers iconic battle Artists introduce works featuring the life of people during battle of Quang Tri 1972 at a sculpture workshop in the central province of Quang Tri. The workshop, opened with the theme of Immortality and Revival, showcased 22 works of various artists. The pieces depict those who died in the Second Battle of Quang Tri which began on June 28 and lasted 81 days until September 16, 1972. In July, many people from various provinces and cities visited Quang Tri to light incense for those who died in the battle. Veteran Tran Luan Tin named his work Immortality to praise the courage and endurance of those who were there. "That's the image of Vietnamese people after the battle, rising up from the debris, bomb holes and bullet shells that are everywhere. They never stop working to rebuilt the country. Tonnes of bombs dropped during the war can deliver the deadliest blows but never kill the spirit," he said. Artist Vuong Duy Bien brought to the workshop his work, Smile, to share about his view about belief in the strength of the soldier and victory. It shows the smile of the soldiers after the battle. "In the fierce battle, the soldiers continue believing in victory and smiling to keep on fighting," he said. Mother, the work of sculptor Pham Van Hang, is a familiar yet powerful subject. Hang said he had visited Quang Tri Citadel and the cemeteries many times to pay tributes to those who died and to understand more about the life during the battle. Those stories from the participation of young women in the war to the mothers who used their own bodies as human shields made him emotional. He wanted to depict a mother who was working hard to raise their children, crying when their children left home for battles but also be willing to die for the cause. Mai Thuc, vice chairman of Quang Tri Province said, "When you drink water, remember the source, that's what we want to show in this workshop. It's the gratitude to those that died for our independence." Japan launches new Vietnam friendship association The Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association (JVFA) has launched a new chapter in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, comprised of 200 members. At the launch, JVFA President Ohta and General Secretary Sakai Hironori said the new chapter will serve as a bridge to promote economic growth and commercial trade between the two nations. “The organization was created to support the development of business,” Hiroshi said. He said even though Vietnamese make up a small percentage of the population in Japan, they contribute a large chunk of gross receipts and so we felt it necessary to form the association. “The conclusion was to join an established organization with a set framework and connections to help the Vietnamese community to communicate more as a unified voice,” he said. The Vietnamese community particularly needs assistance with starting a business in Japan, said Hiroshi, and so business creation will be a big focus for us to assist individuals develop their businesses to take them to the next level. Vietnamese entrepreneurs don’t always use a support system, but if they are given the right tools and use the resources that are freely available, they will develop and grow a lot faster. The lack of knowledge of resources is the biggest challenge that I see, he said. Vietnam Consul General Tran Duc Binh in turn pledged to support the association and said he is confident it will contribute to enhancing mutual understanding, friendship ties and economic exchange between the two regions. Festival gathers nation’s creative entrepreneurs The third annual festival for designers, writers, photographers and chefs to share stories and concerns about what it’s like to be a creative entrepreneur in Vietnam has been launched. The event is the brainchild of Vietnam Creative Entrepreneurs Network who want to shine a bright light on the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit throughout the country, said speakers at a July 21 press conference in Ho Chi Minh City announcing the launch. Those interested in participating in the competition dubbed – Vietnam Creative Festival 2016 – can find complete information on the rules and application process at either the http://creativefest.vn/ website or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativeEntrepreneursNetwork. The deadline for submission of entries is September 15. Individual winners will receive cash prizes of US$670 (VND15 million) while team winners will get US$1,340 (VND30 million). In connection with the contest a whole slate of activities including a cooking contest along with lively discussions, workshops, seminars and exciting activities are scheduled for October 7-8 at the National Finals in HCM City. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE |
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Did you, expats, know of this regulation on marriage certificates when marrying Vietnamese?  Local supermodel Vu Ha Anh and British man Oliver Dowden pose after getting their marriage certificate in Did you, expats, know that you and your Vietnamese husband- or wife-to-be have the right to receive your marriage certificate at a formal ceremony, along with flowers, champagne, and congratulations from authorities? This is what the administration of Ba Dinh District in At the ceremony, as updated on the supermodel’s Facebook page the same day, the couple, who will tie the knot during a wedding reception later this month, were congratulated and granted the marriage certification by a top official. There were also a pair of champagne glasses for the couple to toast their marriage, now formally recognized by the law.  Local supermodel Vu Ha Anh and British man Oliver Dowden pose after getting their marriage certificate in In her Facebook post, accompanied by a series of photos capturing the formalities, Anh expressed how proud she felt to see officials handle her marriage registration procedures with great respect. However, the Facebook post and photos of the ceremony have attracted not only congratulatory comments, but also hatred feedback. Some people said that was simply Anh’s publicity stunt and such a ceremony was unnecessary. The district administration has also been criticized for giving such alleged favorable treatment to the couple. Many Vietnamese people have indeed received their marriage certificates in a less formal way, usually at the working counter of the local administration office. An official will ask them to both sign the document, which is all for the formality. There will be no ceremony, no congratulatory messages, no flowers nor champagne, such as what Anh and Dowden were treated to. However, as the supermodel pointed out on her Facebook a few days later, such a formality is totally normal and stipulated in the law. The supermodel cited the Vietnamese law on civil status, ratified by the lawmaking National Assembly in November 2014, saying that “a marriage certificate ceremony is a required formality in the marriage between a local and a foreigner.”  The marriage certificate granting ceremony is seen in this photo posted on Anh’s Facebook page on July 12, 2016. Many of Anh’s fans also commented on her Facebook, saying they had got their marriage certificates at similar ceremonies when marrying foreign spouses. It turns out that few know of such a regulation, and Anh has just made it known to the wider public. So if you are going to tie the knot with a local, do not forget to request such a ceremony be held when you receive your marriage certificate TUOI TRE NEWS |
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