Experts present three scenarios for property market next year Experts, speaking at a recent conference in Hanoi, gave three scenarios for the 2017 domestic property market, with the most likely one being that the market will move sideways.  The other two scenarios are that the market will continue growing, which are the least probable, or will go down. The conference on prospects for the real estate market next year was held by Nha Dau Tu magazine, the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA) and Dau Tu newspaper in Hanoi on Tuesday. Tran Kim Chung, vice president of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), told the conference that the property market would cool in the coming time as speculation has eased. Chung said certain housing projects with a strong financial position remain attractive to homebuyers. However, real estate credit will drop since banks are tightening short-term capital for the property sector. He said big-ticket projects costing VND5 trillion (US$224.2 million) or VND7 trillion or VND10 trillion each will become rare next year compared to 2016. Chung suggested three scenarios for the 2017 real estate market. First, it will be better than in 2016, which is desired by many. The scenario will only become a reality if the global economy grows well and does not enter a recession and Vietnam’s economic growth reaches its peak. Chung said this scenario would unlikely happen. Second, the property market will move sideways with some segments plunging and some others edging higher. Chung said this is the most likely scenario but the market structure will change. Third, the real estate market will cool if the world economy remains unstable and Vietnam’s economy faces unfavorable developments. Do Thu Hang of Savills Vietnam said housing supply next year will stay high in both Hanoi and HCMC. Many more social housing projects will come on stream to meet rising demand of middle-income people and workers at industrial parks. Of some 2.6 million workers at industrial parks, 75% are migrants, 75% are under 35 years old, and they have annual income of US$2,500 on average. They are potential customers of the social housing market, Hang said. Chung of CIEM said the social housing segment would be the spotlight of the property market next year. However, the segment needs the Government’s supporting policies to grow. Nguyen Manh Ha, vice chairman of VNREA, said the real estate market will remain stable in 2017 with the low-end and social housing segments performing better. He said growth in the social housing and mid- and low-end segments will be impacted by State policies. Meanwhile, the shop-house and villa segments will continue attracting clients as many homebuyers prefer an independent house to an apartment. Reviewing the market this year, Ha said the number of successful housing transactions in 2016 is lower than in the previous year. By end-November, Hanoi and HCMC had recorded 27,565 such transactions, representing 80% of the 2015 volume. Ha said home acquisitions are to meet the real demand of people rather than for speculation. Hang of Savills Vietnam said apartment sales in Hanoi and HCMC this year are lower than in 2015 but still high compared to the previous years. Of around 30,000 apartments offered for sale, over 23,000 have found buyers in each city. SGT |
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Party chief receive Chinese guest Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hosted a reception for head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liu Qiba who was leading a Chinese delegation to attend the 12th theory conference between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the CPC on December 22 in Hanoi.
The Party chief welcomed the working visit of Mr. Liu Qiba for the conference under the theme “Party building amidst international integration – challenges and experience of the CPV and the CPC.” The host leader was convinced that amidst the positive ties, the visit would contribute to cementing and deepening the friendship and cooperative ties. Mr. Trong praised the theme of the conference which plays a crucial role in Party building and anti-corruption during the period of deep international “The Party, State and people of Vietnam always attach much importance to fostering friendly neighborliness and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China,” he affirmed. For his part, Liu briefed his host on the outcomes of the CPC Central Committee’s sixth meeting. The guest leader lauded the significant theme of the 12th theory conference and stressed the willingness to share experience with Viet Nam in Party building and anti-corruption at the event and strengthen the cooperation between the communication and media agencies. He affirmed that the Party and Government of China wish to work closely with Vietnam in persistently expanding the traditional friendship as well as comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China, making the ties grow in a healthy and stable manner. VGP |
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PM approves ADB-financed infrastructure project in four provincesThe PM has approved a basic infrastructure project for comprehensive development in the four provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri with its funding sourced from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The provincial People’s Committees were assigned to ensure counterpart capital themselves in line with the Law on State Budget and the PM’s Decision No.40/2015/QĐ-TTg dated September 14, 2015 stipulating the principles, criteria and norms for allocation of state budget funds for development investment during the 2016-2020 period. They were also asked to draw up a report proposing an investment plan for the project in accordance with the current regulations. The project will be implemented in six years since the ADB approved the loan worth US$97 million from the Asian Development Fund. It seeks to boost socio-economic development, accelerate economic growth and enhance regional competitiveness, aiming to meet the market modernization demand of the north central economy. First of all, the project will renovate and build new transport infrastructure facilities in order to facilitate regional links; boost commodity production; improve the environment and strengthen connectivity between locales in the region as well as with other localities in the coastal corridor and disadvantaged areas. Besides, infrastructure works will also be upgraded and constructed to serve production, seeking to accelerate growth, strengthen competitiveness and attract investment in the region’s key economic areas. VGP |
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Foreign investment could slow due to low localizationCommercial trade growth for the Asia Pacific Region slowed to 2.3% in 2015, far below the expectations of 2.7% that had been forecast, said the Asian Development Bank in a recently released report.  In the Asian Economic Integration Report 2016 the Bank pegged the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) rate for 2015 at 5.3%, which too fell well short of anticipated growth. In the report, the Bank warned that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows that it considers crucial to GDP growth may slow in the near-term on the back of rising protectionism sentiments around the globe. “Rising protectionism has become an increasing concern to international trade prospects,” the report said, citing the number of anti-dumping complaints filed against the region’s exporters as evidence to support the assertion. The report noted that the number of anti-dumping lawsuits filed had increased roughly 150% in the five years from 2011 to 2015, jumping by 98 in number from 181 to 279, respectively. The Bank warned of a more challenging commercial trade and investment environment because of a movement away from globalization and free trade pacts to localization and bilateral trade agreements, which potentially it asserts could negatively impact regional integration. “Recent political events – such as the Brexit vote in June 2016 and Trump’s victory in the US election – suggest a rising tide of anti-globalization and anti-establishment sentiment among parts of the electorate worldwide,” said the report. “Despite an unfavourable external environment, developing Asia is expected to maintain 5.7% growth in 2016 and 2017,” said the report. In dealing with the slow global growth, the Bank believes that greater commercial trade openness and investment can strengthen the region’s resilience, given that in 2015 the Asia Pacific attracted roughly one-third of total global FDI. Per the report, the Asia Pacific region remained the world’s top FDI destination, having attracted US$527 billion in 2015, up 9% from 2014, while global FDI increased to a record US$1.8 trillion in 2015, with around 30% going to the region. What this means for the domestic sector businesses in Vietnam is that they need to lay out an agenda to increase their localization rate in the global manufacturing supply chain, said experts at a recent business forum in Ho Chi Minh City. Most importantly, the domestic sector businesses need to be laser focused on accomplishing the initiative, the experts underscored. If FDI into the Asia Pacific region were to slow down as suggested— that would mean the domestic sector would face increased competition from their counterparts in neighbouring countries for fewer dollars, the experts noted. They added that automobile giants such as Toyota, Ford and Honda have already announced they have excluded Vietnam from their expansion plans in the region due to its weak support industries and localization participation in manufacturing. Citing reports by the Asian Development Bank, the experts pointed out, that only 21% of Vietnam companies have joined the local global supply chain compared with 30% of Thai and 46% of Malaysian companies. The localization rate of the domestic sectors in the countries within the region will most likely become the number one controlling factor for transnational companies in making the investment decision of where to invest, the experts speculated. A higher localization rate translates directly to lower costs for transnational companies for such items as transport, less money tied up in inventories of raw materials and intermediary goods, and all around less overhead costs, to name only a few of the savings. The bottom line is that a low localization rate for the Vietnam domestic sector means lower profits for transnational companies looking to set up shop in the Asia Pacific region compared to other countries, resulting in lower FDI inflows, the experts concluded. VOV |
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Vietnam mom insists given exit-row seat so son 'has space to play'  The woman is seen in this still image taken from Vu Duc Trong footage. A Vietnamese mother has sparked online uproar for insisting that she be given the exit-row seat so that her child “has some space to play” during the flight. According to a video posted on Facebook on Friday, the woman, speaking northern Vietnamese accent, is seen aggressively protesting a man’s request that she leave the exit-row seat as she does not meet the passenger criteria to sit there. The mother, holding a toddler on her lap, said she could not sit elsewhere but the seat right next to the emergency exit because “my kid needs some space to play,” according to the minute-long footage seen by Tuoi Tre News. “I could not be given the last-row seat as there is no space [there] for my child,” she said. Despite the man’s repeated explaining politely that children should never take the exit-row seats, the woman kept on saying noisily that she “has been flying numerous times and was always given the exit-row seat.” “I have been flying places and I tell you what, every check-in employee should know which seats to give the kids,” she said. The man remains calm and polite, excusing himself and trying to tell the noisy mother that as per the rule she is not supposed to sit there. “Don’t talk rational things with me,” the woman snapped back. “You are obviously wrong. “Let me tell you this: anyone flying with a kid must be seated here.” The video, fielding 822,000 views and 8,200 likes as of Saturday noon, ended with the woman remains seated with her son next to the emergency exit, when the ‘this is the non-smoking flight’ announcement is heard in the background. The Facebook user who posted the video, Duc Vu Trong, said in the footage description that he filmed the scene on board a Hanoi-bound flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Trong said prior to the row, the woman also “occupied other’s seat without their consent.” “The flight was full of Japanese passengers, and the loud voice of the woman was a complete opposite of the quietness of these foreigners,” Trong wrote. According to the Facebook post, the woman had also cursed at the check-in attendants, calling them “stupid and silly.” As per common aviation practices, passengers seated in an exit row must be able and willing to assist the crew during an evacuation of the aircraft, so there are specific requirements for passengers seated there. In his Facebook post, Trong also listed a number requirement for exit-row seats on Vietnamese flights. Accordingly, passengers are not allowed to take the exit-row seats if they are below 15 years of age and do not have the ability to read the instruction for emergency response. Most importantly, it states clearly in the rule that passengers who travel with anyone requiring special assistance in an emergency, such as an infant or person with a disability, or an animal, including service animals, are ineligible for exit-row seats. TUOI TRE NEWS |
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 24/12 Banks will have to buy more Government bonds  Banks participating in auctions of Government bonds will be under obligation to buy a minimum of VND4.5 trillion (US$200 million) in total from November 1, 2016 to October 31, 2017, according to the latest draft decision by the Ministry of Finance. In the previous period, the minimum value of Government bonds that branches of foreign banks had to buy was VND3 trillion and VND4.3 trillion for State-owned, joint stock, joint venture and wholly foreign-owned commercial banks. With this adjustment, the number of bidders joining the auctions this year was expected to reduce from 24 to 22. The obligation of securities companies joining these auctions was the same as the previous period in the draft, at VND2 trillion. Bidders must ensure that at least 70 per cent of the minimum amount of bonds they have to buy are of a maturity term from five years. In addition, they must participate in at least 60 per cent of the total number of auctions. Late in May, the State Bank issued a circular which raised the ratio of investments in Governments bonds to short-term capitals of branches of foreign banks from 15 per cent to 35 per cent and State commercial banks from 15 per cent to 25 per cent, which pushed up demand for Government bonds. Statistics showed that around 80 per cent of the bonds were bought by commercial banks. As of December 7, the State treasury raised more than VND280 trillion from auctioning Government bonds, fulfilling the goal for the full year. HDBank to give cheap loans to Mon Bay buyers As the sole mortgage provider for the Mon Bay project in Quang Ninh, the Housing Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDBank) has set aside VND2.73 trillion (US$119.7 million) for people to buy apartments and houses there. The bank will offer mortgages at 0-7.5 per cent interest for the first six months. The loans, of up to 70 per cent of the cost, have a tenor of up to 30 years. Located in Ha Long City, Mon Bay has a total of 1,444 apartments, nearly 1,000 of them in two 35-storey towers. The first phase will also see 197 semi-detached houses delivered to customers in the fourth quarter of next year. First bank announces Tet bonus Techcombank is the first bank to announce a Tet (Lunar New Year) bonus for its employees, amounting to up to seven months of their salary. Techcombank said all its employees would also receive a 13th month’s salary. In addition, each staff member would be given a bonus equivalent to 1.5-6 months’ salary, depending on their unit’s business results and each employee’s personal achievements. Techcombank’s managing board said in the first nine months of the year, its after-tax profit rose by 89.5 per cent from the same period last year to VND2.29 trillion (US$101 million). By the end of September, its total assets were VND222.7 trillion, up 16 per cent from last year. Its total loan outstanding balance was VND135.6 trillion, or a 21.5 per cent increase. The bank’s deposit mobilisation was also 15 per cent higher, reaching VND163.5 trillion. Techcombank is the second largest earner among joint stock banks, following VPBank. It held the top position in return on asset, which was at 1.47 per cent, while return on equity (ROE) was 17 per cent. The bank said it was Techcombank’s positive business results that were responsible for the Tet bonus for its employees. Phung Quang Hung, Techcombank’s head of Sales and Distribution Division, said the bank focused on retail banking as it believed retail profits would be higher than that of wholesale banking. Its retail banking department has some 5,000 employees, accounting for 70 per cent of the bank’s total employees. Its annual labour productivity was VND450-500 million per employee, and it was listed among the top banks in term of productivity. Techcombank held the second position in terms of spending through visa card this year. In addition, the bank improved risk management and resolving of bad debts, thus minimising costs. Int’l officials praise SBV Representatives of international credit and finance organisations praised Viet Nam’s monetary policy and efforts to help the nation maintain macro-economic stability this year. They spoke at a year-end meeting at the State Bank of Viet Nam headquarters in Ha Noi on Monday, reported Thoi bao Ngan hang (the Banking Times). Ousmane Dione, the World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam, said the central bank significantly contributed to stability and growth of the economy, and many countries would like to reach an economic growth rate of around 6 per cent that Viet Nam achieved. HSBC Chief Executive Officer Pham Hong Hai said the central bank had effectively run the foreign exchange market in a proactive manner in 2016, despite global instability. Hai said global and regional economies witnessed various fluctuations this year, such as the sharp depreciation of the Chinese yuan at the beginning of the year, and a British vote to exit the European Union last June. “The SBV was right to change the way it manages exchange rates by setting a reference rate every day from the beginning of 2016, enabling the foreign currency market to operate flexibly following market rules. This helped the banking system avoid shocks involved in exchange rates,” he said. Interest rates were also stable this year, helping enterprises reduce loan costs and support healthy economic growth. Money supplies were cautiously managed, supporting a national policy of curbing inflation, he added. Hai also praised the central bank for its continuous efforts to restructure the banking system. “Of course it’s not easy to pursue this way, yet it is vital for sustained development of the banking area in particular, and the economy in general,” he said. SBV Governor Le Minh Hung said the central bank had already completed plans to reorganise the banking sector over the next five years, focusing on handling non-performing loans and fragile credit institutions. The plans also call for adjusting the Law on Credit Institutions, proposing more international standards in local institutions to boost transparency for more healthy and secure development. Hung said the SBV acknowledged the policy advice of international organisations such as the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank (ADB) that contributed to Viet Nam’s accelerated reforms. “I believe that more active participation by you (foreign institutions) in this process will benefit us all,” he said. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told a development forum earlier this month that the WB’s International Finance Corporation would assist Viet Nam in handling bad debts, while the ADB and a private partner were planning to acquire a local weak bank. Vingroup launches new trade center model Vincom + Property and retail conglomerate Vingroup JSC (Vingroup) has inaugurated the first Vincom + Trade Centre in southern Dong Nai Province’s Long Thanh District. Vincom + is the new trade centre model of Vingroup’s Vincom trade centre system, following the brands Vincom Center, Vincom Mega Mall and Vincom Plaza. The event marks a new milestone in Vingroup’s strategy to expand its trade centre system across Viet Nam. The Vincom + trade centre chain is expected to be introduced in every district of the country to improve the quality of people’s life and provide them the opportunity to experience the most modern shopping service. The store booths in Vincom + are arranged in an orderly and convenient fashion to meet the essential needs of customers and their demand for all types of commodities, such as household appliances, electronic and electrical products, clothing, restaurants and entertainment. Vincom + Long Thanh is the first trade centre of the Vincom + brand to begin operations. It is centrally located, adjacent to many main roads, with total area of more than 4,000sq.m. It has an outdoor parking area which is surrounded by a flower garden, creating a beautiful and modern corner. Most retail brands of Vingroup were present at Vincom + Long Thanh, including Vinmart Supermarket, technology and electronics retail centre VinPro, and VinDS - the chain of stores for cosmetics, footwear, sports and fashion. Vincom + Long Thanh also uses more than 200sq.m. for the “Gaming area,” which has many exciting entertainment services. The introduction of Vincom + partly contributes to the strategy of Vingroup to expand the retail market throughout Viet Nam. It is expected that by the end of 2017, some 20 Vincom + trade centres will be put into operation nationwide. From now until Jan 1,2017, customers with VinID cards shopping at Vincom + Long Thanh, whose shopping bills are valued from VND300,000 at VinMart/VinPro or from 200.00VND at other booths, can participate in Vincom +’s lucky draw. Lucky customers will be presented Sony TVs 40-inch Full HD, Panasonic washing machines or Philips blenders. Midtown brings Japanese to Phu My Hung Midtown is the most luxurious development in the south of HCM City in the recent years. For the first time Phú Mỹ Hưng has collaborated with other leading Asian property developers, and the result is an architectural masterpiece. Phú Mỹ Hưng Development Corporation has unveiled a new complex called Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown, for which the corporation is collaborating for the first time with foreign companies. It has set up a joint venture called Phú Hưng Thái Joint Stock Company with three renowned Japanese companies -- Daiwa House Group, Nomura Real Estate Group, and Sumitomo Forestry Group -- to develop Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown complex. Without disclosing the investment involved, the developers said merely that the project is the most expensive in the recent years in the south of the city. Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown is inspired by famous complexes around the world like Tokyo Midtown and Manhattan Midtown. The project, targeting high-income customers, is being developed with materials imported from the EU. All the design and building contractors are leading companies in the region. Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown is situated on the main roads of Phú Mỹ Hưng City Centre – Nguyễn Lương Bằng and Tân Phú. It is an ideal location in Phú Mỹ Hưng City Centre since it connects International Commercial and Financial district and the south district’s luxury residential area. Near Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown are many administrative offices, office buildings, hotels, malls, hospitals, banks, and international schools. The new masterpiece also abuts a large green space in the south district of Phú Mỹ Hưng City Centre. The developers say Midtown has two components: construction and outdoor area. The central region includes four buildings which will be built on an area of 56,331sq.m. Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown will be a self-contained complex where many services will be available. In each building will have infinity swimming pool, sauna and massage room, outdoor BBQ area, gym, rooftop’s yoga and park, library, golf simulation, etc. Thus, residents will not need to go anywhere but can still enjoy all the services needed for daily life. Phú Mỹ Hưng Midtown will be a small city with F&B stores, commercial, offices, shops, and supermarkets which will be in the ground and second floors. Besides, the developers have used a large land lot to develop Sakura Park, which is inspired by parks with sakura flower in Japan. Two lines of Sakura trees will be planted along a 600m walking road. A playground for children and a sports centre will also be built. Many amenities will be built in both Vietnamese and Japanese styles -- like a Sakura fountain, floating pavilion and a sculpture garden, etc. Phú Mỹ Hưng Development Corporation said Midtown would become a public area like The Crescent that is successfully developed. Midtown is expected to become a new destination in HCM City in future, the corporation said. TAC to increase capital by issuing more shares Tuong An Vegetable Oil Stock Company (TAC) on Monday announced there would be extraordinary shareholders meeting on February 10 next year to discuss a bonus issue of shares and an employee stock ownership plan. The board of directors will propose a 10:7 bonus issue, or seven shares for every 10 shares owned. This will increase TAC’s registered capital from VND190 billion (US$8.6 million) to VND322.7 billion ($15 million). The company said it has yet to finalise the ESOP. This is the first time TAC will issue bonus shares to shareholders or stock options to employees since its establishment. KIDO Group (KDC) recently acquired 65 per cent of TAC to help the latter become the leader in the Vietnamese cooking oil market. Over 150 firms to participate at fashion fair More than 150 enterprises will showcase their products at the Vietnam International Fashion Fair 2016, which open its doors on December 21 at Ha Noi’s International Centre of Exhibition. Co-organised by Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre JSC (VEFAC) and Vietnam Textile and Garment Group, the six-day event will host over 200 booths covering 4,000sq.m. On display will be textiles and garments, footwear, cosmetics, jewellery and beauty services. Vu Ngoan Hop, member of the VEFAC’s board of directors, said the event is not only a trade promotion activity for the local fashion industry and exporters of textiles, footwear, jewellery and fine art products, but is also a good shopping festival for people in the capital city. He also described the event as a promising opportunity for participating enterprises to effectively advertise their products to customers. Last year’s event witnessed the participation of more than 250 local firms, showcasing their goods across 4,000 pavilions. PM approves proposal for infrastructure project for central provinces The Prime Minister has approved a proposal for an infrastructure project in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri to assist with economic growth in the region. The proposal said the project would be funded by a loan of 97 million USD from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Finance to identify the project’s domestic financial mechanism to ensure beneficiary localities could meet the conditions on loan payment capacity and loan limits as prescribed by the State budget law. The Ministry of Planning and Investment was requested to coordinate with relevant agencies to assess a report on investment proposal, and submit to the Government leader in January 2017. The ADB-funded project aims to upgrade and build new transport infrastructure in the region, thus enhancing regional connectivity, boosting trade, and improving business environment. Production infrastructure will also be built to increase the region’s competitiveness and attract investment into the region. Wood exports at $7.3 billion Wood and wooden product exports stood at $7.3 billion this year, a slight year-on-year increase of 1 per cent, according to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VAF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Wooden product exports were $5.27 billion, up 5 per cent year-on-year, while woodchip exports were estimated at $650 million, down 39 per cent year-on-year. Mr. Nguyen Ba Ngai, Deputy Director General of VAF, said that in 2016 the value of forest and wooden product exports grew 5-10 per cent compared to 2015 but the value of wood and wooden exports grew just 1 per cent against 2015. The reason is the decline in the value of woodchip exports, which is equal to 61 per cent of its 2015 value. The decline in woodchip exports came from lower global demand, particularly in China. Vietnam’s woodchips also faced competition in price with countries such as Thailand, Australia and some African nations. The country’s wood industry is expected to earn total export value from wood and wooden products of $7.7 billion this year, higher than the $7.1 billion recorded in 2015. Last year Vietnam recorded total export value from wooden and forestry products of $7.1 billion, an 8 per cent increase against 2014. Its three largest export markets were the US, Japan and China, accounting for 67 per cent of the total value. Export markets with high value last year included India, with growth of 64.45 per cent, Hong Kong with 41.95 per cent, the US with 17.8 per cent, and Germany with 10 per cent. The increase in export value was due to high demand in global markets. The US needs to import wooden products worth $27 billion each year while Vietnam exports between $1 billion and $2 billion of such products each year. The EU market has demand for wooden products worth $85 billion but Vietnam’s export value to the EU stands at just $700 million to $800 million annually. Once the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT) comes into force, there will be opportunities for Vietnam to export more wooden products to Europe and other new markets as well as earn higher prices, according to the EU Delegation to Vietnam. The pact will increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese timber products compared to those from countries that do not have much control over their forestry sector. A VPA is a voluntary trade agreement between the EU and countries making wooden products, to promote trade in legal timber and help ensure only legally-harvested timber is imported into the EU from these countries. The EU and Vietnam finished negotiating a VPA on November 18 and an agreement is expected to be signed in early 2017. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, under the agreement the country will create a timber legality assurance system (TLAS) in line with the country’s circumstances and the EU’s requirements for identifying the origin of timber. The full operation of the TLAS would significantly contribute to identifying the origin of Vietnamese timber products exported to the EU and other markets. Once the VPA is fully implemented, the country will issue FLEGT licenses for exports of wooden products to document that they meet all relevant local laws. If a license is in place, EU companies don’t have to conduct any due diligence. Ana Mandara Villas Dalat to expand Ana Mandara Villas Dalat has celebrated its landmark 10th anniversary by adding more than ten rooms for guests staying in early 2017. As it enters its second decade the resort also enters into a new phase of development, with brand promises to deliver a complete destination experience and multifunction services to guests. According to the resort’s Chairwowan Ms. Le Ha, it will build a conference area with a capacity of about 200, for guests, workshops, or destination weddings. Ana Mandara Villas Dalat is also offering a promotion package for only VND4,950,000 for a two-night stay in a Villa Room, including daily breakfast for two, airport pick-up, early check-in (subject to availability), and a 20 per cent discount on spa services and 10 per cent on F&B and excursions. The promotion is valid from now to February 28 when booked directly on its website or its reservation service. Opened in December 2006, Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa is set in the cool climate of the rural highlands of central Vietnam, amid lush rolling hills and just a five-minute drive from the center of Da Lat. It comprises 17 fully-restored luxury French-style villas converted into 72 guest rooms, preserving the original design, décor and charm from the 1920s and 1930s. The villas boast a view of the surrounding town and countryside and are in all areas of the gently sloping hillside property. Villas have two rooms, each with a different vibe and a distinguished design and interior. One room features old wooden ceilings and mountain views while the other has a working fireplace and old wooden doors leading directly to the garden. All have wooden floors, with the creaking sound of the floorboards adding charm to the experience. Both rooms also have beautiful large bathrooms with free standing bath tubs that are very much appreciated on cold Da Lat evenings. The furniture and decor are in dark wood, in keeping with the style and design of the villas. Together they give guests a cozy feeling, as if they were at home. The local hills were reconstructed for resort purposes, with an outdoor heated swimming pool, while the Le Petit Restaurant and La Cochinchine Spa were incorporated into existing villas, turning the resort into a small countryside village set nearby crowded city life just five minutes away. While walking around the resort, guests will see the green garden where the resort grows organic vegetables and herbs along with fruit trees. “Made in Vietnam” cranes shipped to Saudi Arabia After eight months of design, manufacturing, and inspection, Doosan Vina’s Material Handling Systems Shop on December 18 completed loading and shipped eight Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes (RTGC) to Saudi Global Ports (SGP). The shipment arrived a month ahead of schedule. The purchase of eight RTGC for SGP was signed between Doosan Vina and SGP on March 4, 2016. Each of the cranes weighs 155 tonnes, is 29 metres high, 27.6 metres long, and 5.6 metres wide. They are designed to load 40-tonne cargo containers onto trucks for transit to customers or to move containers around the port. These eight cranes raise the total number of “Made in Vietnam” cargo container cranes to 65. The cranes are expected to arrive in Dammam City, after three weeks of transit. Dammam City is a key gateway to the Arabian Gulf, a major economic and commercial hub of the SGP system. Fruit and vegetable exports beat rice, earning US$2.3 billion Revenues from fruit and vegetable exports in 2016 exceeded those of rice as of December 15, bringing in US$2.3 billion, according to the General Department of Customs. Meanwhile rice shipments only generated US$2.1 billion, the department reported. Data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development earlier showed that fruit and vegetable exports brought in US$186 million, raising total revenues in the first eleven months of 2016 to US$2.178 billion. China was the largest buyer of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables, accounting for more than two thirds, while the combined share of Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea also made up more than 10%. In the past ten years, fruit and vegetable exports have seen strong growth from only US$235 million in 2015 when these products were shipped to just 36 countries and territories. Currently Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables have reached more than 60 markets. Such impressive figures have become a significant driver to attract more investment into agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetables and help farmers to increase their incomes. Besides traditional markets, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables have gradually made their way into demanding markets such as the US, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This year, Vietnamese lychees and mangoes have been shipped to Australia and the US while dragon fruit will also come to Australia soon. That Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables are accepted by more and more markets around the world demonstrates their increasing quality and farmers’ greater awareness of good agricultural practices. FDI firms account for 70.3 percent of Vietnam’s export turnover  Foreign direct investment (FDI) sector posted an export turnover of US$117.99 billion as of December 15 this year, increasing 11.5 percent over the same period last year and accounting for 70.3 percent of the country’s number. According to General Customs Department, the sector’s import turnover saw a year on year increase of 5.4 percent to $97.52 billion, contributing to 59 percent of the country’s value. Vietnam’s export value neared $167.83 billion, up 8.5 percent equivalent to $13.11 billion against a year back. Import turnover touched $165.23 billion, up 4.3 percent equivalent to $6.85 billion. Total export import turnover approximated $333.06 billion, a year on year increase of 6.4 percent equivalent to $19.96 billion over the same period last year. The country saw a trade deficit of $228 million within the first half of this month but enjoyed a trade surplus of $2.59 billion this year. Discounted tours attract droves of buyers Nearly 220,800 customers have bought discounted tour packages under the domestic travel stimulus program this year, up more than 70% from last year, says the HCMC Tourism Association. The stimulus program is being deployed by the HCMC Tourism Association along with three local airlines – Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific. This year marks the first time Saigon Railways has joined the program by offering sales promotions, with over 13,000 tickets sold. “If the number of promotional tickets for tour operators did not have time limits, there would be even more buyers of promotional tour packages. The bigger the discounts are, the greater the purchasing power is,” said Nguyen The Vinh, head of the group of domestic travel stimulus enterprises at the HCMC Tourism Association. With the cooperation between tour operators and air carriers, many tour packages from HCMC to Hanoi, Phu Quoc, Danang, Nha Trang and Hai Phong are 20-40% or even 65% cheaper at some points. Rail tours give the lowest discounts, but their destinations are quite diverse, from HCMC to Nha Trang, Danang, Binh Thuan and Phu Yen. In 2017, the HCMC Tourism Association along with aviation and railway firms will continue the stimulus program on a larger scale. It is expected that Hanoi Railway Transport JSC will be a new participant for connection of tourist routes to Hanoi and northern provinces. Tourists may select road or rail tours, or a combination of both. Discounts may be up to 70% for airway tours and 25% for rail tours next year. “The program has proven effective, so this time we get prepared to sell sooner. In January 2017, travel firms will be able to offer promotional tour packages. Based on the current number of air tickets, tours will probably be sold out in March 2017,” said Ngo Thi Thu Hien, deputy director of the southern region branch of Vietnam Airlines. Saigon Railways informs it will set aside many promotions for the travel stimulus program next year. Tour operators will be able to buy tickets with discounts of up to 40% to design their packages. Even in the peak season of summer, railway fares will probably be slashed 10% instead of being kept unchanged as this year. If travel agencies book tickets 30 days in advance, the rates will be halved. “The partnership with tour operators has produced initial results. We are developing more infrastructure for tourism. It is expected that 15 new carriages will be put into operation in January 15. Earlier, we have fixed 37 carriages,” said Le Quoc Trung, deputy general director of Saigon Railways. Next year, such cooperation will be furthered to launch promotional programs called “Spring trip to Saigon” and “Spring trip to the south”, encouraging visitors from the north and the central region to travel to HCMC and elsewhere in the south during 10 days prior to and 10 days after the lunar New Year, or Tet. “Trains and flights are often one-way empty from the central and the north to HCMC during 10 days before Tet, so we work together to lure tourists. Currently, Vietnam Airlines is committed to discounts of 50-60%, Vietjet 98% to even 100%, and Saigon Railways 50% for the less-packed journeys for us to design our tours,” said Nguyen Thi Khanh, vice chair of the HCMC Tourism Association. Textile export target unobtainable The new year is less than half a month away but this year’s textile exports remain low and are still far from the initial target of US$31 billion or the adjusted one of US$29 billion. Textile exports reached US$1.9 billion in November, down 1.9% from October, as per the latest figures published by the General Department of Customs. Thus, the total export value of textile- garment products in the January-November period was US$21.56 billion, a modest rise of 4.6% year-on-year. That is 30% below the initial target. Earlier, the Department for National Economic Issues at the Ministry of Planning and Investment also noted the textile industry was facing multiple difficulties due to declining demand in major export markets such as the U.S., the EU and Japan. In the past 11 months, production of fabrics made from natural fibers fell 2.2%, whereas that of fabrics from synthetic or artificial fibers and casual clothing picked up 6.1% and 7.1% respectively. Market watchers said the export growth rate in the year to date is the lowest in 10 years, in which this key industry always recorded double-digit growth. In addition to objective factors such as a number of importers struggling with economic issues or the Brexit, it is believed the other difficulties of the textile industry come from the foreign exchange policy of pegging the Vietnamese dong to the greenback, making Vietnamese commodities more expensive and less competitive. Also, the domestic textile sector is dealing with competitive pressure from other major textile exporters like Cambodia and Bangladesh, whose exports stateside are duty-free while Vietnamese items are slapped a 17% rate. Besides, the minimum wage in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are lower than in Vietnam. Notably, export growth of the textile industry in the past 11 months is mainly contributed by foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs). Meanwhile, domestic firms are experiencing hardships in the search for new orders. A lot of small and medium enterprises may have to shut down due to their poor competitiveness and extremely difficult production conditions. Market watchers said customers are leaving Vietnam for countries with lower production costs, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and India, where there are no regulations on annual minimum wage hikes and the social insurance contribution rate is only 18% versus 22% in Vietnam. Moreover, labor costs in the above countries are lower than in Vietnam, prompting customers to shift their orders there. Even so, the Ministry of Industry and Trade informs the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) has predicted export turnover from textiles will be some US$28.5 billion in 2016, or only US$1.5 billion lower than the expected level, says a report on the online newspaper Tien Phong. In other words, the textile industry would meet 92% of the target. Analysts explain such forecasts of VITAS usually consist of export turnover from fibers, yarns and fabrics. With the turnover of these items included, the total export value of Vietnam’s textile industry in the first 11 months would be around US$25.2 billion, according to the General Department of Customs. Can Tho looks to become logistics center in Mekong Delta Can Tho City has singled out three locations and one of them will be selected to develop a logistics center and make it the biggest in the Mekong Delta in the coming time. Nguyen Quang Vinh, head of the trade management division at the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, told a meeting on December 20 that three businesses had shown keen interest in building a logistics system for the city. They are HCMC-based Long Thinh Co Ltd., Genuine Partner Group, and Thai Binh Province-headquartered TBS Group. Vinh was speaking at a meeting between the Can Tho government and relevant departments and agencies to discuss a plan to set up the logistics center. He said three places in Cai Rang District are suitable to develop this center, including a 74-hectare site at Cai Rang industrial and urban area, a 120-hectare site at Cai Cui Port and another covering 75.8 hectares at Hung Phu 1 Industrial Park. The city has not decided on one. Nguyen Tan Duoc, director of the Can Tho Department of Construction, said the city must collect data and consider cargo transport demand now and in the future before selecting a location for the logistics center to avoid wastefulness. Truong Quang Hoai Nam, vice chairman of Can Tho City, ordered relevant departments and agencies to review changes in land planning to clarify if the conversion of an industrial location into a logistics center violates the prevailing regulations or affects the city’s zoning plan, among other matters. Nam added the logistics center would become a driver for social-economic growth in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta as a whole in the years to come. In November last year, the Can Tho government wrote to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to seek backing for the formation of a logistics system in the city. The ministry supported the proposal, saying the construction of a logistic center in Can Tho is appropriate to the zoning plan for Vietnam’s logistics system until 2020 with a vision towards 2030. The zoning plan was passed in July 2015 with an aim to promote goods circulation and distribution for domestic consumption and export and boost social-economic development. Nhan Co plant turns out first alumina Vinacomin-Dak Nong Aluminium Company (DNA)’s Nhan Co alumina plant in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong produced the first products last Friday, said a source from Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin). Alumina is the final product of the production line at Nhan Co alumina plant. The plant produced hydrate products successfully early last November. Alumina is produced when baking hydrate at around 1,100 degrees Celsius or 2,012 degrees Fahrenheit. An average of 1.5-1.7 tons of hydrate will make a ton of alumina. DNA said the plant has produced 38,000 tons of hydrate, with average output of about 1,000-1,500 tons a day. The company will continue to raise its capacity to meet Vinacomin’s production plan after this first successful alumina products. Apart from Nhan Co and Tan Rai bauxite-alumina plants, Vinacomin is working on a plan to attract domestic and foreign investments into a modern aluminum electrolysis complex in the coming time. Previously, the Government gave the green light to alumina manufacturing facilities to go public. The Nhan Co alumina plant project located in Nhan Co Commune in Dak Nong Province’s Dak R’lap District has an annual capacity of 650,000 tons and total capital of over VND12 trillion. Local firm wants to export steel furnace dust Kim Phuc Ha Company in Lang Son Province has sought approval from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to export 300,000 tons of steel furnace dust, Tuoi Tre newspaper reports. Nguyen Van Sua, vice chairman of the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA), said furnace dust is the waste discharged from the steelmaking process. However, no local enterprises are capable of treating it. Therefore, the company has conducted market research and signed an export contract with a Chinese company. The waste is listed as hazardous in line with the regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as it contains dangerous metals including zinc. The Chinese company wants to buy furnace dust for the purpose of extracting zinc as the metal contained in dust accounts for 19-20% of volume, higher than the content from the normal zinc ore, Sua added. Some firms, mainly in the northern region, have registered to treat furnace dust. However, these enterprises fail to meet the requirement for treatment. The company can be considered the first enterprise to seek approval to export furnace dust. Trade surplus reaches US$2.59 bln in 12 months Viet Nam ran a trade deficit of US$288 million in the first half of December 2016, however, it enjoyed a trade surplus of more than US$2.59 billion from early 2016 till December 15, according to the Viet Nam Customs. As of December 15, the nation’s total export and import turnover attained nearly US$333.06 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%. Within the first 15 days of December, the total export and import turnover of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) sector fetched US$10.33 billion, down 3.7% or US$400 million less than the previous month. Viet Nam gained US$7.9 billion from exports in the first 15 days of 2016, down 7.2% against the previous month. The nation’s total export and import turnover was estimated at US$167.83 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8.5%. The FDI sector’s total export and import turnover exceeded US$117.99 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.5% or US$12.17 billion, accounting for 70.3% of the nation’s total import and export value. Viet Nam’s import turnover in the first 15 days of December obtained US$8.19 billion, down 0.6% compared to the previous month, raising the nation’s total import turnover till December 15 to US$165.23 billion, up 4.3% against the same period last year. The FDI sector’s total import value till December 15 reached US$97.52 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%, making up 59%. Deputy PM says TPP future unpredictable Vietnam has yet to measure the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on its economy because the future of the free trade pact remains unpredictable, said Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue. Trade and diplomatic polices of the U.S. will not be clear until President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House on January 20, 2017. Currently, Japan has approved the TPP and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might ask Vietnam for an early ratification of the deal at his upcoming visit to the country. The U.S. might face more pressure if many countries ratify the deal, Hue said at a meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee in Hanoi on December 21. With or without the TPP, the Government is looking to improve the nation’s legal framework in the next three to five years as the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) has similar standards to the TPP, Hue said. NA vice chairman Do Ba Ty at the meeting raised numerous questions over the Government’s forecast on the TPP, the nation’s participation in the pact and its impact on the local economy in case of U.S. withdrawal. Many countries have expressed concern over the fate of the TPP. Some have insisted on going ahead with the trade deal even if the U.S. pulls out while others are concerned about the significance of the deal without America. The Government should identify negative impacts if the TPP is not turned into reality and find coping solutions, Ty said. After Vietnam signed the TPP in February, the Ministry of Justice has coordinated with relevant ministries and agencies to review regulations of the deal to secure proper implementation and suggest solutions to deal with shortcomings, according to a Government report. Meanwhile, the NA Economic Committee did not mention the TPP in its report. The TPP, one of the world’s biggest multinational trade deals, was signed by 12 Pacific Rim nations including Vietnam on February 4. However, the agreement could take effect only with the approval of parliaments of at least six member countries, which account for at least 85% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the 12 members. Therefore, the U.S. that accounts for 62% of the TPP’s GDP and Japan makes up 17% are the decisive factors for the trade pact. Eurosphere set for HCMC in June The EU Vietnam Business Network (EVBN) will hold the first European Art of Living Exhibition in Vietnam and Southeast Asia (Eurosphere 2017) on June 16 and 17 at the Gem Center in Ho Chi Minh City. There will be 100 European brands exhibiting to 3,500 business visitors from Vietnam and Southeast Asia at Eurosphere 2017. Visitors can meet and connect with leading importers, distributors and luxury segment experts from Europe and policy makers from the region and remain up-to-date on the latest know-how in European creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship. The exhibition features a wide range of sectors: Gourmet Food, Wine & Spirits, Fashion, Fashion Accessories, Jewelry, Horology, Perfumery, Cosmetics, Furniture, Interior Design, and Automotive. It presents the elegance, sophistication and harmonious living of European culture. The concept of Eurosphere creates a lively flow of interaction among the exhibiting companies and visitors. Tickets for the two days are VND500,000 ($22). The overall objective of the EVBN is to increase exports and investments from the EU to Vietnam, in particular those by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as to strengthen the EU business community in Vietnam by facilitating market access via advocacy, primarily with the Vietnamese Government. The EU business community in Vietnam as well as SMEs and in particular businesses from EU member states who do not yet have official commercial representation in Vietnam are regarded as major beneficiaries of the program. The EVBN will strengthen the EU business community in facilitating market access in Vietnam by advocating and engaging primarily with the government, Vietnam’s business community, and other stakeholders. The EVBN will promote Vietnam as a high-potential trade and investment market and guarantee that EU companies, in particular SMEs, are better able to access the growing opportunities in Vietnam and use the country as a gateway to the Southeast Asian market. PM calls on Saigon New Port to develop Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told the Saigon New Port Corporation during a working visit to the company in Ho Chi Minh City on December 19 that he expects it to become the country’s leading maritime economic unit. The corporation needs to work harder and strive to reach international standards with continual entrepreneurship and creativity when doing business and become the leading defense and economic unit in Vietnam in the maritime economy, he said. It should expand production and pay special attention to improving its strategic locations while continuing to reorganize its affiliates, he said. He asked it to fulfil both its economic and defense missions and urged it to focus on increasing its workplace productivity, ensuring stable incomes for workers and enhancing competitiveness. The Saigon New Port Corporation, a 100-per-cent State-owned enterprise, operates as a one-member limited liability company and specializes in ports, logistics, and maritime transport. It has been ranked as a specialized enterprise since 2010. Its market capitalization stands at over VND30 trillion ($1.35 billion). Revenue has grown 21 per cent each year on average. This year it expects to earn around $775 million in revenue, up 12 per cent year-on-year, and $88 million in profit. The PM also praised it for reducing container loading times from 35 hours to 12 hours. One of the strong economic units of Vietnam’s People Navy, Saigon New Port possesses 17 ports capable of berthing vessels of up to 200,000 DWT. Its container port services hold a 50 per cent market share in Vietnam and 89 per cent in the Ho Chi Minh City area. It is listed in the Top 20 logistics companies in Vietnam with sea transport services holding a 25 per cent domestic market share. According to the national seaport development plan to 2020, Ho Chi Minh City is the southeast region’s key port with functional wharf areas in Hiep Phuoc on the Soai Rap River and Cat Lai on the Dong Nai River. The region’s seaports are expected to handle 265 to 305 million tons of cargo by 2020 and 495 to 650 million tons by 2030. In early December Saigon New Port held an opening ceremony for the Tan Cang - Cai Nui Port Phase 1 in the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho province. The first phase covers an area of more than 7 ha, with a wharf 180 meters in length that can berth vessels of 20,000 tons. The Van Thinh Phat Group, one of the leading real estate and hospitality groups in Vietnam, adopted a plan a few years ago to take part in the transformation project for Saigon Port. In 2011 the government released a document that permitted Saigon Port to establish new legal representatives to implement the investment project for the Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi Port area. Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) assigned Saigon Port to establish an investment plan in 2012. However, during the process of negotiating with partners, Van Thinh Phat applied to withdraw from the project. It has now been completed without the involvement of the Group. Cuba boosts cooperation with Mekong Delta Cuba will step up cooperation with the Mekong Delta of Vietnam in agro-forestry, tourism, medicine and biotechnology. Cuban Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Bernabe Garcia Valido made the affirmation at a meeting with local authorities in Can Tho city on December 23. He said Cuba is inviting Vietnamese businesses to invest in the aforesaid fields, adding that they can select investment and business partnership forms. He noted that Cuba is calling for investment in all fields, excluding education, healthcare services, and armed forces organisations. Investors are allowed to sell or transfer their capital to the State or the third party, and send foreign currency abroad without paying taxes, he added. Vietnamese businesses, in particular, will get more incentives on procedures as well as competitive advantages when investing in Cuba, he affirmed. Vice Chairman of the municipal Nguyen Thanh Dung referred to Labiofarm company as a joint venture between Can Tho and Cuba. The company is operating in the field of chemicals production using environmentally friendly technology and with a total investment of 5.6 million USD. Dung expressed his belief in the bright future of bilateral trade cooperation, adding that the Mekong Delta city hoped to welcome more Cuban businesses. Digital content may be next chapter in Vietnam's IT success story Impressive internet connectivity and the broad expansion of mobile phone usage could create a digital content boom. Fifteen years ago, Vietnam had virtually no information technology industry; today, business is booming and industry insiders say the country's impressive smart phone connectivity has potential to usher a digital content boom. Given Vietnam’s growing population of IT professionals and its rapidly developing Internet infrastructure, digital content generation has the potential to become the sector's driving force, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy minister of information and communication at the 2016 Internet Day Event. By 2020, Vietnam’s economy will have added an additional $5.1 billion to its economy, mostly due to mobile internet growth, researchers from Oxford Economics announced during a workshop on Tuesday. By that time, Government projections anticipate the mobile internet could contribute the equivalent of 6.2 percent of Vietnam's current GDP, while creating 145,600 jobs between 2015 and 2020. Le Hong Minh of VNG Corp -- a major online gaming company -- says that by the time those jobs come online, 60 percent of the population will use smart phones Even now, Minh added, Vietnam's internet centers around mobile devices rather than personal computers, a situation that promises huge growth potential. The creation of everything from traffic management apps to viral smartphone games stands as just the latest chapter in the industry's rapid transition from phone manufacturer to software designer. According to a recent release from the Ministry of Information, Vietnam's Information Technology sector expanded by an average of 34 percent per year and now boasts over 14,000 businesses. Starting in 2008, annual revenue growth held steady at 60 percent, according to the 2013 White Book on Information and Communication Technology in Vietnam. Export-oriented hardware production generated most of that money, as major manufacturers like Samsung shifted smart phone and tablet production to Vietnam to take advantage of cheap labor. Customs statistics reveal smart phone and electronic parts production has been Vietnam’s biggest money maker; revenue generated by the sector is expected to have grown by 12 percent (or US$4 billion) this year alone. Though markedly smaller, firms offering IT services have also grown by leaps and bounds. According to the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA), software and digital content contribute over $1 billion to the economy, annually. The top 50 IT companies generated $1.2 billion in revenue last year, mostly at outsourcing firms that reportedly employed 30,500 high-skilled tech workers. According to Internet World Stats, Vietnam is currently ranked 18th in the world’s top 20 countries in terms of the number of internet users. Vietnam has more than 49 million people surfing the internet. VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VET/VIR |
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Mind your behavior! Hanoi to issue public code of conduct in 2017  People cross the fences to enter a water park in Hanoi. The culture department in Hanoi is poised to issue two codes of conduct at a time next year, one for local public servants and the other for everyone in the Vietnamese capital. The department initiated preparatory work for the sets of rule as early as 2012, but it is not until 2017 will the code of conduct really be released, department head To Van Dong said Friday. Dong said the department had to be cautious in preparing the rules, so it has spent the last five years attentively listening to feedback from the public, the press and researches to ensure the rules will be effectively followed and supervised. The drafts of the codes of conduct were open to public feedback late 2014, but were immediately doubted for their feasibility. The final, carefully revised versions will take effect on January 1, 2017, setting the norms for Hanoi public servants to follow when in office, and for locals to behave in public places. No collarless shirts at workplace The code of conduct for Hanoi public servants, applicable for all employees of state and military entities, consists of six chapters and 16 articles, aimed to “build a professional, standard and effective administration for the capital city.” The rules cover behaviors at office, between coworkers and agencies, and between state servants and members of the public. According to the code of conduct, Hanoi public servants should not wear shirts without collar and sleeves, or dresses shorter than knee, to work. Tattoos are also banned at the workplace, and the public servants should wear “proper perfume, cosmetics or jewelry.”  A public servant (R) is pictured wearing collarless shirt in Hanoi. The code of conduct bans public employees from swearing, chitchatting during work hours, and cooking at workplace. Activities such as smoking, drinking alcohols, wearing headphones, listening to music, watching TV and playing video games are also prohibited during office hours. The Hanoi department also sets rules for relationship between public servants, stipulating that they should never feel envy with each other or “have fawning behaviors toward their bosses.” In return, those holding high positions have to “set examples for their subordinates.” According to the code of conduct, those who follow the rules will be praised and awarded, whereas those going against it will be “publicly criticized.” A code of conduct for everyone In the meantime, the other code of conduct for the public consists of three chapters and eight articles, aimed to “build up an elegant and civilized image for Hanoi.” The rules are applicable for “all organizations and individuals who live, work, study, visit, and stay in Hanoi.” It stipulates the correct and proper manners for specific locations, from the pavements and train, bus stations to parks, monuments and supermarkets and shopping malls.  People ignore the "No step on grass" sign to pose in Hanoi. Dong, the culture department head, admitted that despite the careful preparation, it remains a challenge whether the codes of conduct will be effectively implemented. “What matters is where public servants and city dwellers welcome and follow these rules,” he said. Dong admitted that the department had earlier sought public feedback for the codes of code on its website, but received no responses. “We have had to task district-level authorities with soliciting feedback from residents in their localities,” he said. TUOI TRE NEWS |
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City to build inland container depots
HCM CITY - HCM City has proposed building 10 new inland container depots to reduce the overload of traffic on roads as well as enhance connectivity among roads leading to seaports in the city. The roads have been congested for years, according to city authorities. The depots, to be located in the city outskirts to the northeast, east and west of the city, will be connected to seaports in HCM City and the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu. The depots would be built at Đông Nam Industrial Park, Tây Bắc Industrial Park in the outlying district of Củ Chi, Sài Gòn Hi-tech Park (SHTP) in District 9, and Tân Kiên Commune in Bình Chánh District, according to authorities. The depots are expected to play an important role in transporting goods between HCM City and neighbouring provinces. The Transport Department has asked the city administration to adjust the master plan to build an inland container depot at Đông Nam Industrial Park in Củ Chi until 2020 with a vision to 2030. The depot in Củ Chi, covering an area of 10 hectares, would be 11 km from An Hạ Bridge, near National Road 22 – Lê Lợi – Quang Trung – Đặng Thúc Vịnh roads. It would have a capacity of 150,000TEUs per year by 2020. Lê Hoàng Minh, deputy director of the Transport Department, said the depot would help to significantly reduce overloading on National Road 22. Under the proposal sent to the Ministry of Transport, HCM City will build the Tân Kiên depot with an area of 50ha at the meeting point between Võ Văn Kiệt Avenue and Trung Lương Expressway. Lê Thành Đại, deputy head of the management board of SHTP, said about 800 container trucks travel regularly from SHTP to Cát Lái Port in District 2, creating a traffic burden in the area. Đại said the city should build a depot to serve SHTP, which would help reduce traffic congestion and take full advantage of waterways from SHTP to Cát Lái Port via Ông Nhiêu canal. Speaking at a recent meeting with the Transport Department, Lê Văn Khoa, vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said it was essential to build the depots in District 9 and Củ Chi District, which play a key role in the city’s socio-economic development. Khoa urged the departments of Transport as well as Planning and Architecture, and the committees of District 9 and Củ Chi District, to carefully study the project to prevent waste. He also asked agencies to call for investment from businesses to build the depots. HCM City and its neighbouring provinces have 12 inland container depots, including Tân Cảng, Sóng Thần, Biên Hòa, Transimex, Tanamexco-Tây Nam and Sotrans, many of which are connected with roads but not waterways. Infrastructure facilities near ports are almost always overloaded. All of these have contributed to raising transport costs, thus reducing the competitiveness of the domestic logistics sector. There are 1,300 logistics firms, with more than 60 per cent of them in HCM City, mainly operating in shipping and delivering, transport, warehousing, ports, loading and uploading, distribution, customs procedures and integrated logistics services. Seventy-two per cent of local logistics companies are small- or medium-sized, and only 5-7 per cent of human resources are properly trained. A Việt Nam Logistics Association spokesperson said some major seaports are operating at below capacity due to the lack of road connectivity, but others with good road connectivity are overloaded and cannot keep up with increasing demand from logistics companies. Viet Nam News |
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HCM City prepares for Nguyen Hue Flower Street, Spring Book Street The Nguyen Hue Flower Street 2017, an annual biggest and most anticipated event welcoming the lunar New Year will be opened to the public at 7 p.m. on January 25 and run until the evening of January 31 (on December 28- January 4 of the lunar calendar).  This year’s event themed “The city named President Ho Chi Minh- glorious inspiration” will describe Ho Chi Minh City as a dynamic, civilized, and modern city. The flower street will spread from Nguyen Hue-Le Thanh Ton crossroad to Nguyen Hue-Ton Duc Thang junction with a total length of 720 meters. Artisan Nguyen Minh Phuong who has spent tens of years to make sacred animals from the Zodiac of the event will continue to present visitors a family of 17 chickens, including a cock, a hen and 15 chicks. They will be placed at the gate in the corner of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue streets as sacred objects of the year 2017. The event will feature thousands of flower pots of various ornamental plants and flowers as well as bringing the rural sense to city with the images of sceneries of the quiet countryside. Meanwhile the annual book street festival during the Tet holiday season will take place from January 25-31 (on December 28- January 4 of the lunar calendar). This year’s event themed “The city named President Ho Chi Minh- glorious inspiration” will be held along the main city streets including Mac Thi Buoi, Nguyen Hue and Ngo Duc Ke. The book fair will be divided into three subjects, including “Proud of the city named President Ho Chi Minh”; “HCM City- high quality of living, civilization and modernity”; and “Inspiration for shining”. The event will present to viewers Ho Chi Minh City’s achievements; rare ancient and valuable publications on the late President Ho Chi Minh; the 7 breakthrough programs of the city's 10th Party Congress; maps, photos, documents and artifacts which affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes. The festival will also display thousands of copies of publications of various genres such as politics, culture, history, literature and economics, and universal knowledge by leading publishers in the country. Several streets in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City will be closed for preparations and constructions for the Flower and Book Streets. SGGP |
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Social News 24/12 Can Tho to host int’l Mekong Delta agriculture festival  The International Agricultural Festival of the Mekong Delta will be held from March 9-13, 2017 in Can Tho city, expecting to attract up to 500 domestic and foreign enterprises, announced the organising board at a press conference on December 22. The festival aims to support agricultural development for the Mekong Delta region through the research and application of science and technology advances in production and building trademarks to increase competitiveness. Major activities of the event include introducing farm produces, meetings of scientists and enterprises to deal with current issues in researching and applying science and technology in agricultural production to increase productivity and quality. An agricultural products exhibition will be held with the participation of about 300-500 enterprises, along with a conference on science-technology application in agricultural development. Outstanding research institutes, training facilities, businesses, cooperatives and farmers with applicable agricultural technology inventions will be honoured, while scientists and enterprises will be connected to seek partnership. According to Phan Xuan Dung, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, the festival is an important event that creates opportunities for enterprises, scientists and management officials to meet, introduce their products and share experience in science-technology research and application in production and business. Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong held that amidst the sector’s restructuring efforts towards increasing added value and sustainable development in line with new-style rural area building, the festival is expected to contribute to promoting the smart agricultural production in the region, thus implementing the Party and State’s policy on agriculture and rural development. Dak Nong spends over 168 billion VND to upgrade electricity The Power Company of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong (PC Dak Nong) has spent 168.2 billion VND (7.3 million USD) in 2016 to upgrade and expand the provincial grid, said Director Tran Van Thuan. The investment has contributed to ensuring power supply for socio-economic development, national security-defence while bringing electricity to ethnic communities in remote and mountainous areas. Besides, the company also sold more than 4 million kWh of electricity to the neighbour country of Cambodia, an increase of 28 percent compared to last year. According to Thuan, Dak Nong province has also received more than 700 billion VND (30.8 million USD) from the Government to bring electricity to rural and mountainous areas in 2016-2020. He added that the electricity sector will invest additional 650 billion VND (28.6 million USD) to expand electricity network in Dak Nong, with the goal of connecting 99 percent of local households to the national grid by 2020. According to the PC Dak Nong, 95.04 percent of local households have access to electricity at present. Dak Nong is a large yet sparsely populated province, with a population of about 600,000 people of 40 ethnic groups. Vulnerable areas benefit from disaster risk management project A project on community-based disaster risk management is benefiting thousands of people in rural and urban areas of Quang Binh, a central province prone to natural disasters. The project is being implemented from April 2015 to March 2018 at an estimated cost of 600,000 EUR funded by the German Red Cross. It is set to benefit 4,000 people directly and more than 24,000 others indirectly in Phu Hai ward and Bao Ninh commune of Dong Hoi city, and Thuan Hoa and Mai Hoa communes of Tuyen Hoa district. During nearly two years of implementation, the project has offered many training classes on disaster risk response for local Red Cross staff and made emergency communication plans, heard a meeting to review the project on December 21. It has also provided Mai Hoa and Thuan Hoa communes with early-warning loudspeaker systems and built nine flood-resistance houses in Thuan Hoa – one of the localities heavily affected by the historic double flooding last October and November. Other activities have also been carried out successfully such as teaching local students swimming skills, providing water tanks, and equipping schools with first-aid kits. Vice Chairman of the Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Hoang said the project has proved effective, especially in preventing, responding, managing and settling disaster consequences. He hoped for more efforts to implement the project and asked the German Red Cross to continue its assistance to his province. Website for second “Don Ca Tai Tu” festival launched Activities and information related to “Don Ca Tai Tu”, the musical art that UNESCO recognised as an intangible cultural heritage in 2013, will be available at http://doncataitu.vn launched in the southern province of Binh Duong on December 22. According to Lai Xuan Thanh, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the website will update official information about the second national festival of “Don Ca Tai Tu” – Binh Duong 2017 provided by the organisation board. Other relevant information and services will also be offered on the website, including artists, sponsors, volunteers, documents and maps. The festival will take place in new Binh Duong city from April 8-12 with the participation of representatives from 21 provinces and cities in the south. The event will feature traditional art performances, and workshops on the art genre and local tourism development. The first national “Don Ca Tai Tu” festival was organised in the southern province of Bac Lieu in 2014. Known as a musical art that has both scholarly and folk roots, Don Ca Tai Tu was developed in southern Vietnam in the late 19th century. The impromptu art honours the creativeness and artistry of the performers. The art is performed at numerous events, such as festivals, ‘death anniversary' rituals, and celebratory social events. The audience can join in, by practicing, making comments or creating new words for songs. It has been transmitted from generation to generation through official and unofficial forms of education in all 21 provinces, where the art form is popular. Don Ca Tai Tu has continually been popularised through cultural exchanges among peoples, presenting their mutual harmony and respect. The art form is played on a variety of different instruments, including the kim (moon-shaped lute), co (two-stringed fiddle), tranh (16-string zither), ty ba (pear-shaped lute), song lang (percussion), bau (monochord) and sao (bamboo flute), and the violin and guitar, which were adapted. The musicians who contribute to Don Ca Tai Tu include master instrumentalists, master lyricists, master singers, instrumentalists, and singers. Influenced by other forms of cultural heritage from the central and southern regions of Vietnam, such as nhac le (ceremonial music) and hat boi (classical theatre and folk song), the music genre was added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.- Swedish ambassador meets with Ho Chi Minh City bookworms Newly-appointed Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Högberg on December 21 gave Ho Chi Minh City book lovers a closer look into the life of world-renowned Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as well as the culture of the Nordic country. After greeting the audience with a fluent Vietnamese greeting, the friendly ambassador joined journalist Tran Minh, the Vietnamese translator for Ibrahimovic’s autobiography, to share their thoughts on the life story detailed in the 35-year-old Manchester United striker’s book. “The evening is about Zlatan and the book, but also the other things that Zlatan stands for,” Ambassador Högberg told Tuoi Tre News at the event. “If you are good at something, you should be able to succeed,” he said, adding the book is also about strong friendship, trust, and open society. The Vietnamese version of the famous Sweden national team member’s autobiography was officially released in August this year under the title “Tôi là Zlatan Ibrahimovic” in Huy Hoang Bookstore. Journalist Tran Minh said it took him about two years to translate the book. The December 21 workshop, titled “Sweden – The Ambassadors of Contemporary Culture," also included a Q&A session with topics ranging from Sweden’s cultural values and education to opportunities for international students. “It’s an opportunity to talk about the country where Zlatan comes from,” the Swedish ambassador said. Högberg devotedly answered the excited crowd’s questions related to international students in Sweden, explaining his observations of the differences between Vietnamese and Swedes and giving tips for people who want to live in Sweden and communicate with Swedish people. The ambassador also discussed similarities in the two countries' cultures, pointing out similarities in music and noting that traditional Vietnamese music seems to have the same tone as indigenous Swedish music. Discussing food, the diplomat humorously shared that he lost a lot of weight after coming to Vietnam because the food is both extremely delicious and healthy. The ambassador also proudly announced in Vietnamese that “bun thang,"“pho bo”, and "cha ca” are amongst his favorite dishes. He even repeated “bun thang” twice to make sure everyone understood his Vietnamese pronunciation. Before his appointment as Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam in August, Högberg was the Deputy Director-General acting as Head of Sweden’s foreign ministry’s Africa Department. Sơn La police seize 50 cakes of heroin Police on Thursday arrested two people from the northern mountainous province of Sơn La for illegally transporting 50 cakes of heroin. Following a tip-off, the police stopped a car on National Highway No 6 for inspection and seized 50 cakes of heroin, each weighing around 350g, three mobile phones, VNĐ1.5 million (US$66) in cash and other items. The suspects have been identified as Hoàng Anh Tuấn, 41, from Hà Nội’s Hà Đông District and Trần Lê Hùng, 27, from Thanh Hóa Province’s Quảng Xương District. The duo told the police that they had bought the heroin from Hòa Bình Province’s Mai Châu District for consumption. A VNĐ50 million (US$2,200) award has been presented to investigator team who took part in the case. In a separate incident, police officials from the northern province of Phú Thọ and the capital uncovered a workshop that was producing methamphetamine, or crystal meth, which is a powerful stimulant. Thạch Văn Hòa, 60, a resident of Nam Từ Liêm District’s Đại Mỗ Ward, was caught red-handed on Thursday while selling meth to Đỗ Hiệp Hải, 59, and Nông Thị Hường, 21, also from Hà Nội. The police said they had their eyes on Hòa, who is a suspect in a case related to the illegal transportation of 300 cakes of heroin. The police confiscated 10kg of crystal meth worth around VNĐ10 billion (US$440,000), VNĐ31million ($1,400) in cash and equipment used to produce the recreational drug. Hòa told the police that he and his wife learnt how to produce meth while they were working overseas for several years. Formosa spill spikes Vietnam's labor exports Half of the country's labor exports, who are mostly low skilled, headed to Taiwan this year, followed by Japan and the Republic of Korea. Vietnam has sent mainly low and medium-skilled workers to over 50 countries around the world in recent years. Experts made up a humble 0.18 percent of the 560,000 employees sent overseas since 2011, according to the Department of Overseas Labor. During the first eleven months of the year, Vietnam sent around 108,000 people to work overseas. Applicants for overseas work spiked in the third quarter following the toxic waste release at the Formosa Steel Plant in Ha Tinh Province this June. The chemical release caused a massive fish death and virtually shut down the fishing industry in four central provinces. By the end of August, Ha Tinh Province alone had sent 17,000 locals overseas to work, mainly in the Republic of Korea. Half of Vietnam's exiting workers tried their luck in Taiwan. The rest left for ROK, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. Labor exports have been touted as a solution to unemployment in rural areas. The practice also provides remittances to those left behind. On average, 15-20 percent of total remittances comes from exported labor. Winners of ‘Vietnam’s beauty’ photo contest honoured  Rescue the Whale Tran Van Yen from Nghe An province won the first prize of a photo contest on ‘Vietnam’s Beauty’ for his photo entitled ‘Giai Cuu Ca Voi’ (Rescue the Whale) at an awards ceremony held at Nhan Dan Newspaper headquarters in Hanoi on December 22. The second prize went to Hieu Minh Vu from Dong Thap province, and three third and nine consolation prizes were also presented at the event. The ceremony was attended by Thuan Huu, Party Central Committee (PCC) member, Editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan newspaper and Chairman of Vietnam Journalists’ Association; Le Quoc Khanh and Dinh Nhu Hoan, Deputy Editor-in-Chiefs of Nhan Dan Newspaper; and representatives from the PCC Commission for Communication and Education. Addressing the event, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nhu Hoan, who is also Director of Nhan Dan Television - the contest’s organiser, said that the first-ever contest received an enthusiastic response from photographers and photography lovers. One year after being launched, nearly 9,000 entries were submitted to the organising board, focussing on 14 topics praising the land and people of Vietnam as well as pressing issues of the country, such as environmental protection, urban architecture, traditional costumes of Vietnamese ethnic groups, education, children and workers’ lives. According to the jury, the ultimate goal of the contest was to inspire patriotism and national pride among photographers and viewers while helping them to learn more about traditional culture and the customs of their country. At the ceremony, the organising board also presented VND 5 million to an eight-year-old girl with disabilities, Hoang Thuong from Ho Chi Minh City, who was the main subject of a photo collection submitted to the contest. Nhan Dan Newspaper editorial board will also sponsor her with VND 3 million each month until she turns 18. Italisa Vietnam relapses into environmental violation Chinese-invested Italisa Vietnam Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Boway Group, relapsed into environmental violations in Song Khe-Noi Hoang Industrial Zone of the northern province of Bac Giang. According to newswire Dantri, the Bac Giang People’s Committee has issued a fine of VND620 million ($27,257) on Italisa Vietnam for discharging untreated wastewater into the environment, causing serious environmental pollution. According to the inspection records, the company’s wastewater samples showed pollution levels exceeding the permitted level by 3-6 times. Furthermore, the company did not sort hazardous waste according to regulations. It simply put them into bags and piled them into the warehouse or outdoors. The province ordered the company to stop discharging wastewater into the environment, and simultaneously took appropriate measures to mitigate the environmental damage caused. In addition, the province ordered the company to improve its existing wastewater treatment system. It is not the first time that the company commits environmental violations. In early 2013, the Police Department for Environmental Crime Prevention and Control (C49) also detected similar conduct. In January 2015, C49 issued a fine of VND310 million (US$13,628) on the company after finding that the company’s wastewater samples exceeded pollution levels by 5-10 times the permitted level. In the latest move, in March 2016, a fine of VND650 million ($28,576) was imposed on the company due to relapsing into environmental violations. Disconcertingly, while authorities consecutively detected the company’s violations, Bac Giang’s Centre of Environmental Monitoring showed results confirming that analysis indicators were at the permitted level. Established in 2008 under the initial name of Powerway Alloy Material Vietnam Co., Ltd., the company was renamed Italisa Vietnam Co., Ltd. in 2010. The company specialises in manufacturing sanitary equipment and has a distribution system stretching across the country. Deputy PM wants increased train capacities The domestic railway sector is urged to fix its current infrastructure weaknesses to raise the capacity of carrying passengers to at least 13 per cent and loading goods to at least 14 per cent by 2020 following Government targets. To reach the goals, Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng, during his visit to several train stations in Hà Nội and then working with the Việt Nam Railway Corporation, tasked the sector to quickly upgrade its major railway stations. It was ordered to attract more investment capital from the private sector to connect the railway infrastructure system with domestic and even regional sea ports for conveniently transporting both passengers and goods, he said. Dũng said his requirements came after the domestic railway sector was found to be lagging behind, with loading capacity only meeting about 2 per cent of demand of passengers and goods compared to road and air travel. The current railway infrastructure system also failed to link with sea ports or major industrial processing zones, he said. Additionally, maintaining and repairing incidents on the railway was still slow and fatal railway accidents reportedly occurred mainly at level-crossings, he said. Dũng said the transport sector failed to point out a clear and consistent direction to develop the railway sector. According to the corporation, low investment to develop the railway sector was exacerbating the situation. Data from the corporation showed that investment for the railway sector only accounted for nearly 3 per cent of total investment for the transport sector. It was estimated to be VNĐ4.8 trillion (US$211 million) of the total VNĐ140 trillion ($6.1 billion) in the period 2001-10, and VNĐ11 trillion ($484 million) of the total VNĐ484 trillion ($21 billion) during the period 2011-15. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Ngọc Đông said the current investment capital spending on the railway sector each year only met about 40 per cent of demand. Đông suggested that the Government give priority to pouring medium-term investment capital to develop the railway infrastructure in the near future. Vũ Tá Tùng, general director of the corporation said weak infrastructure was the main obstacle for raising loading capacity and train speed. Tùng also said the railway sector was facing severe competition with other means of transport, especially low-cost airlines. Thus, improving the infrastructure would help the railway sector raise the frequency of trains running, reduce the transport cost and raise competitive capacity, he said. "However, the most important thing is we are in need of $1.8 billion to make the improvements," he added. In response to the proposal of raising investment capital for the railway sector, Deputy Prime Minister Dũng said additional investment capital would be spent to develop the railway sector, but the sector was required to ensure effectiveness. The railway sector stretches throughout the country with a total length of over 3,143 km. The number of level-crossings is estimated to be 6,400. HCM City earmarks $29m for Tết gifts to poor, others HCM City plans to give VNĐ661 billion (US$29 million) worth of gifts to its residents during Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, 10 per cent more than last year, the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said on Wednesday. According to Lê Minh Tấn, director of the department, said the department would spend VNĐ294 billion ($13 million) presenting gifts to more than 2,500 Heroic Mothers, war veterans and others. Presents will also be delivered to 57,000 poor households, 49,500 people who live on social security assistance, and 70,000 people aged above 80 years. Besides, 42,200 bus and train tickets would be gifted to poor students and factory workers returning home for Tết, 35,000 of them by the city’s Labour Union and 7,200 by the HCM Communist Youth Union. They will also give gifts worth VNĐ500,000 ($22) to more than 600,000 poor students and workers. According to the city’s Labour Union, many activities would be organised for the entertainment of factory workers who are not going home during the holidays. The Department of Transport will gift 1,000 bus and entry tickets to factory workers for attending the Spring Flower Festival while the Department of Industry and Trade will arrange 40 sales events at industrial parks. Quảng Ninh to stop transporting coal on highways Quảng Ninh Province should prepare plans to transport coal via the seaway instead of the roadway, which it was doing presently, the province’s Party Committee Secretary Nguyễn Văn Đọc stated. He said this at a conference held on Tuesday in the province on coal and construction materials management, which drew the participation of the Việt Nam National Coal-Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin) and other local concerned organisations. Đọc said the province was determined to stop transporting coal on highways 18A, 10A and Road 188 from next year. From the end of July 2016 until now, the province uncovered and penalised 59 cases of illegal dredging, transporting and trading of sand, with total administrative fines of more than VNĐ800 million (US$35,500), according to the province’s report. Nearly 4,000cu.m of sand and 21 sand dredging equipment items were withdrawn. The province also seized more than 5,800 tonnes of coal, withdrew 11 coal transporting vehicles and imposed administrative fines of more than VNĐ1 billion ($44,400). Đọc said the province had recently successfully dealt with coal exploitation, and therefore one did not see illegal coal exploiting hot spots, but management of coal transportation was weak, hence some drivers still transported coal via roads to other provinces for sale. Đọc asked the coal sector to better manage coal mines, especially in the border areas, and impose strict penalties on workers flouting norms. Đặng Thanh Hải, general director of Vinacomin, said the corporation was prepared to transport coal via the seaway. Photo exhibition to mark Đà Nẵng’s 20-year development An exhibition featuring 100 colour photographs of Đà Nẵng City’s 20-year development will be opened from December 26 to January 10 at the city’s Museum. The museum said the photo exhibition will review the developments since the city separated from Quảng Nam Province and came under the direct control of the central government, along with Hà Nội, HCM City, Hải Phòng and Cần Thơ. The exhibition, entitled Đà Nẵng – a 20-year Development Course, will focus on the process of urbanisation, administrative reform and environmental protection. Đà Nẵng, which was the capital of the former Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng Province, is expected to play a prominent role in ASEAN and Asia in the future. The museum covers 3,000sq.m and displays 2,500 objects, photos and documents related to the culture of Đà Nẵng and neighbouring central provinces. The museum also preserves a collection of 11 ancient, cast-iron cannons (made during the Nguyễn Dynasty between 1802-1860) that were unearthed in digs at the Điện Hải Citadel from 1979-2008. Report on ancient kiln announced A final report on the archaeological excavation of a ceramic kiln, dating back to the 13th century, in the northern province of Yên Bái was recently made public. The report was made by scientists from the Việt Nam Social Sciences Institute and the Yên Bái Provincial Museum, who conducted excavations at the Pù Lườn Xe site in Tân Lĩnh Commune, Lục Yên District, in 2011, 2015 and 2016. Through objects found at the site during the three excavations, scientists came to the conclusion that there used to be a kiln for baking building materials, such as tiles, bricks, clay statues and towers, for constructions sites at nearby Hắc Y Hill, Bến Lăn Pagoda and other areas during the period. All objects found at the site dated back to the 13-14th century during the rule of the Trần dynasty (1225-1400). Prof Bùi Minh Trí, an official from the institute, confirmed that the kiln is the first of its kind to be excavated in the north of Việt Nam. The discovery will open a new approach to research on the production of building materials during the Trần dynasty, he said. Hà Nội cares for residents near rubbish dump  Seven months after chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung met residents living near the Nam Sơn rubbish dump in Sóc Sơn District, compensation due to environmental pollution has been successfully distributed. The city authorities also organised health examinations and set up clean water systems to gradually improve the lives of the residents. Nguyễn Ngọc Oanh, deputy chairman of the Nam Sơn Commune People’s Committee, said the Nam Sơn rubbish dump was opened for public use in 1999, with the capacity to handle about 1,000 tonne of rubbish per day. But the population increased rapidly and the amount of rubbish was greater than planned, reaching some 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes of rubbish per day. However, the local waste treatment plant was not capable of treating such large volumes of rubbish, resulting in water and air pollution affecting the lives of residents in Nam Sơn, Bắc Sơn and Hồng Kỳ communes. In order to listen to local residents’ opinions and view their petitions, in May this year the chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, Nguyễn Đức Chung, met with them and discussed the environmental and health care problems. Local residents proposed to raise financial support for environmental pollution, and set up stations to keep close watch on air and water to limit the effects on residents. Right after the meeting, chairman Chung asked organisations to develop projects, issue health insurance cards and bring in clean water pipes, along with opening health stations for local residents. Deputy chairman Oanh said, at present, six projects had been implemented in the areas being affected by the Nam Sơn rubbish dump. The projects focus on upgrading several roads, canals, waste water treatment systems and clean water. A project of supplying clean water has been completed and has opened for public use. According to Nguyễn Thị Thuận, a resident in Nam Sơn Commune, earlier, a road near her house was choked by dust and odors, as trucks transporting rubbish ran day and night. Now, a special truck cleans the road every day and the problem is improved. The truck transporting rubbish also do not run during hours when children leave schools to avoid endangering them. Triệu Tuấn Đức, director of the Nam Sơn Branch of the Hà Nội Urban Environment Company, said that waste water in reservoirs was strictly supervised. Every month, the company joins with the Sóc Sơn Preventive Medicines Centre to clean the area and spray chemicals to kill harmful insects in the three communes being affected by the Nam Sơn rubbish dump. Also, the city spent VNĐ7.6 billion to support residents in the three communes. But, Oanh said, residents living near the rubbish dump were still facing problems. The city authorities should develop plans to create jobs for residents and increase their income, he said. Joint-programme signed on reproductive health A co-operative programme on population and reproductive health was signed on Thursday between the General Office on Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health, and DKT International. Under the programme, the two sides will propose joint-plans to target the population and provide family planning education. The two sides will also offer consultancy and education to improve professional skills for medical workers and knowledge for residents in those areas with high birth rates and abortion rates. They will also offer financial support to carry out events and target programmes to reduce abortions and spread knowledge about family planning. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Nguyễn Viết Tiến, Minister of Health, said that the population sector was targeted with much success, but also faced difficulties. Shortages of funds and manpower was a challenge for the country, he said. “I totally encourage the target of the joint-programme. We should find suitable measures, so that population and reproductive health programmes can be more successful,” said Tiến. According to Michael Evans, DKT International Head Representative in Việt Nam, besides success, Việt Nam still has to overcome obstacles, since education on contraceptive methods among the youth remains weak. Việt Nam’s abortion rate ranks first in the Southeast Asia and fifth in the world. “Việt Nam changed from a poor country to a country with average income, but as a result, different foreign countries cut their financial support to Việt Nam and gave that support to poorer countries, so now many localities do not receive support,” he said. The signing ceremony began a new period, and re-started the programme on family planning in Việt Nam, he added. DKT International is a social marketing nonprofit organisation working in Latin America, Africa and Asia to improve access to reproductive health products and services. 350 minority youths benefit from sustainable job project Some 350 young people from Quỳ Châu and Quế Phong in the central province of Nghệ An benefited from a project on employment for ethnic minority youths in the province. The project results were announced on Friday during a conference held in Hà Nội by ActionAid Việt Nam (AVV) and the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA). The project received financial support of more than VNĐ517 million (US$23,000) from the AVV. The first period for the project was conducted in 2013-14 in Quế Phong District, whereas the second period was held in 2015-16 in Quỳ Châu District. The project aimed at supporting ethnic minority youth in the two districts and run effective employment models to replace the old, ineffective ones that were followed in the localities. As part of the project, youths attend training courses on planting mushrooms, lime and some other agricultural products. Those youths participating in the project now have incomes of about VNĐ30 million ($1,300) per year. Đinh Quế Hải, deputy chairman of the CEMA, said the CEMA strived to promote socio-economic development for ethnic minorities by providing the Government’s guidance. “Ethnic minorities’ rights are one of the priorities of the CEMA in the near future, and economic rights are the first priority,” he said. Setting up businesses for ethnic minority youths contributed an important part in assuring sustainable reductions in poverty, noted Hải. Hoàng Phương Thảo, AAV head representative, said that ethnic minorities, especially the youths, were one of the priorities of AAV. “We believe that co-operation between AAV and the CEMA will create better conditions to conduct the National Target Programme from 2016-20 targeting sustainable poverty reduction and setting up new-style rural lives,” she said. Quế Phong is one of the poorest districts of western Nghệ An Province. The district has more than 5,000 youths, and most of them did not have sustainable work. The district is home to more than 13,500 households with 64,500 people. Most of the residents are Thái, Khmu, Thổ, Tày and Chứt ethnic minorities. More than 40 per cent of the households are poor. Quỳ Châu is the neighbouring district of Quế Phong District, with more than 10,000 households, and 20 per cent of them living in poverty. Average income for these households is about VNĐ6-7 million ($266,600-311,100) per year. Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital asked to increase scientific research President Tran Dai Quang asked the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital in particular and the health care sector in general for strengthening scientific research, technological application, and personnel training to improve services. Addressing a ceremony in Hanoi on December 23 to mark the 110th founding anniversary of the hospital, the President urged the hospital to focus on delivering professional support and technology transfer to health care staff at local levels. At the same time, the hospital should work closely with the media in popularising preventive measures to help people avoid diseases. He lauded efforts and achievements of the hospital and affirmed that the Party and State always give special attention to health care and consider the sector a priority for investment. Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, long previously known as Phu Doan hospital, is among the top central-level hospitals of Vietnam. It has gathered such well-known doctors and scientists as Professors Ho Dac Di, Ton That Tung, Nguyen Trinh Co and Nguyen Duong Quang. Closely attaching to the development of Vietnam’s health care sector, it has become the leading surgery hospital of Vietnam. Currently, the hospital is running one institute, 10 centres, 18 clinical and 8 para-clinical faculties, and 11 functional offices. It has more than 50 surgery rooms with an endoscopy surgery system meeting the world standards. It has 1,500 beds and a highly qualified staff, including three professors, 23 assistance professors, and 36 doctorate degree holders. On the occasion, the hospital also launched its traditional house and two large meeting halls. It received the Labour Order, first class, for the second time. Hoa Hao Buddhism founder's birth anniversary celebrated The 97th birth anniversary of the founder of Hoa Hao Buddhism, Prophet Huynh Phu So, took place at An Hoa temple in Phu My township, Phu Tan district, the southern province of An Giang on December 23. The event was attended by representatives from the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, Military Zone 9 High Command, and An Giang authorities, along with over 25,000 Hoa Hao Buddhism followers in and outside the province. Tran Tan Hung, deputy head of the Committee for Religious Affairs, highlighted Hoa Hao Buddhism’s patriotism, solidarity as well as social operations, particularly charity activities, over the past years. In 2016, Hoa Hao Buddhism followers donated about VND360 billion to charity activities, contributing to the local success in fulfilling socio-economic development tasks and building new-style rural areas. Hoa Hoa Buddhism currently has 391 executive committees in 17 cities and provinces and over 2 million followers nationwide, mostly in An Giang. Lao leader lauds cooperation in popularisation work with Vietnam General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Bounnhang Volachith has lauded the sound cooperation between his Party’s information and education commission and that of the Communist Party of Vietnam over the past years. He received Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Vo Van Thuong in Vientiane on December 23. The Lao Party and State leader suggested that the two commissions increase the discussion of theoretical and practical issues, while strengthening partnership in personnel training, especially for Lao officials. He also asked the two agencies to share information and experience in Party building, contributing to the successful implementation of resolutions of each party. On his part, Thuong, who is on a visit to Laos from December 22, congratulated Laos on the country’s important achievements over the past 30 years of renewal and the first year implementing the resolution of the LPRP’s 10th congress, as well as its good performance as the ASEAN Chair in 2016. He expressed his delight at the growing friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, affirming that Vietnam will do its utmost to preserve and promote the ties. Briefing the host on the outcomes of his talks with the head of the Lao Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training, Thuong thanked Party leaders for their close direction and support to the two commissions. The two commissions will continue working closely together and exchanging information and experience, thus strengthening education to raise public awareness of the Vietnam-Laos ties and popularising the ties among international friends, he said. The two sides also agreed to coordinate closely in fighting wrongful arguments of hostile forces that aim to harm the two countries’ solidarity. Danang official backs Han River tunnel costs  Danang Party Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh said the plan to build the tunnel beneath the Han River had been agreed long ago and was now even more necessary. On December 21, the river tunnel was the top concerns of all attendees during a press conference about major problems facing Danang City. The six-lane 1,315-metre tunnel will run from Dong Da Street in Hai Chau District to Van Don Street in Son Tra District and take three years to build. Regarding the project’s number, Tho said that it would partly come from the sell-off of land along local beaches. The plan to build the tunnel beneath the Han River was approved long ago According to Anh, the population is rising fast and by the next 5 to 10 years, the population will reach three million. The city is also experiencing a 10-12% increase in the number of personal vehicles each year. Anh said Danang might face the same severe congestion as Hanoi and HCM City. The plan to build the river tunnel was agreed last October and many meetings have been held to discuss the problem. However, the the date of construction or detailed plan are yet to be agreed. "This project is for our children, for the next generation. People can judge whether the project will have negative impacts or not. The chairman of Danang Huynh Duc Tho and myself don't have any personal interest in this," Anh said. He went on to say that there was also opposition when the plans to build Dragon Bridge and Han River Bridge were first raised. Tran Van Minh, former chairman of Danang City, thought the plan was too rushed. According to Minh, millions of USD could be used on more urgent issues. Costs would also rise with each meeting, from USD136m to USD180m. Minh suggested continuing research to not overspend and gather more opinions from experts and local people. Tran Dan, vice head of Vietnam Bridge and Road Association said the plan designed by the Bridge And Tunnel Engineering Consultants Company would fail because it was unsuitable for huge vehicles like lorries. He went on to say that because the local authorities refused to listen, many new constructions like Cam Le, Thuan Phuoc and Hoa Xuan bridges were showing short-comings. Christmas book fair opens in HCM City A Christmas book fair opened at the Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition House in District 1. The event features display booths of more than 30 publishing houses, presenting to readers thousands of book titles, stationeries and Christmas decorations. Readers will have a chance to buy cheap books at prices from VNd5,000 – VND50,000, and a big discount of 20- 50 percent. Visitors are invited take part in various sideline activities such as exchanges between writers and readers, and a meeting themed “ Sweden- Contemporary cultural ambassadors” with the participation of Ambassador of Sweden in Vietnam. The book fair will run until December 25. Friendly Art Club to host painting and pottery exhibition The Friendly Art Club will hold a painting and pottery exhibition featuring the beauty of Saigon-HCMC on Nguyen Van Binh book street in District 1, HCMC from December 24 to January 1. The Friendly Art Club, which consists of 23 artists and artisans, will present 50 pottery items by eight young artisans and 58 oil-on-canvas and watercolor paintings by 17 professional and amateur artists. The beauty of HCMC is seen through images of a girl in ao dai (Vietnamese long dress), an old-style market, the bustling atmosphere of a floating market in a river, and old and new architectural works. The paintings show the artists’ profound love for the city where they were born or brought up. There will be other activities at the event, including portrait sketching and pottery making instruction. The organizer will spend half of the proceeds from paintings sales to help child cancer patients at Children’s Hospital 2. The opening ceremony of the exhibition is slated for 9 a.m. on December 24. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE |
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2017 to be good year for Vietnam economy: analysts Economists say that 2017 is expected to be an auspicious year for Vietnam’s economy, with few signs of uncertainties.  Reviewing events in 2016, Le Dang Doanh, a respected economist, said Vietnam had seen big changes and challenges, from environmental disasters to natural calamities. He said that amid such challenges, the government has set a series of important policies, including ones on accelerating the establishment of new businesses and speeding up restructuring. When asked what is important in 2017, the economist said it is necessary to accelerate the equitization of state-owned enterprises.
“I strongly believe that if we can do this well, the stock market will be bustling in 2017,” he said. Doanh believes that in 2017, there will be big opportunities for investors in the service sector. The percentage of older people has been increasing in both Vietnam and the world, which means higher demand for special care services. There are not many of these service providers in the market. Saying that Vietnam will have favorable conditions in 2017 to develop economically, Doanh warned about several factors that could affect the economy. The devaluation of the Chinese yuan which will make Chinese goods cheaper will have adverse effects on Vietnam. He also said that it was important to watch the moves of the new US president-elect Donald Trump. Tran Du Lich, also a renowned economist, said the macroeconomic variables of the economy show that there is no latent instability, which means that the economy can develop in favorable conditions in 2017. He cited a report of the World Bank (WB) which forecast the 6.3 percent GDP growth rate for Vietnam in 2017 and the 6.5-6.7 percent growth rate in medium term. The World Bank believes that the GDP growth rate in 2016 would be around 6 percent thanks to the strong domestic demand and manufacturing industries. Lich, in his article on Dien Dan Doanh Nghiep, shows his optimism about the feasibility of the plan to curb inflation at below 4 percent. He said the basic inflation rate of 2.5-2.7 percent is heavily dependent on raw material and petrol prices. An inflation rate of below 4 percent will act as a ‘lubricant’ for Vietnam’s economy, he said. Regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), Lich said it is unpredictable at this point, and if the TPP is suspended, Vietnam will still have an open economy, with 10 signed free trade agreements, which will allow it to continue its global integration process. Mai Thanh, VNN |
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Experts bet on mid-, low-end property sector
HCM CITY – Housing developers in the country especially in HCM City will shift from luxury apartments to the mid- and low-end segments next year, experts have said. In its latest analysis, the HCM City Real Estate Association has made a similar forecast. Lê Hoàng Châu, its chairman, said there would be a big change in the market to address the imbalance in supply. While there is excessive supply of high-end housing, there is a dearth at the lower end, he said. There would be a shift towards affordability next year, he said. He cited Vingroup’s announcement it would build 200,000-300,000 apartments in the next five years at prices of VNĐ700 million-1 billion (US$34,000-49,000). Many other major developers like Him Lam Land, Khang Điền, Sacomreal, FLC, Vihajico, and Nam Long also plan to build affordable apartments. Lê Xuân Nga, general director of World Star Land, told a conference this week that transactions in the high-end segment have reduced this year, especially in HCM City. Next year the property market would witness a new trend of developers focusing on the mid- and low-end segments to meet demand for housing, he added. Võ Thị Dịu Hiền, general director of PHP Real, said the national housing market is driven by the low- and mid-end segments. In 2013-14 they had helped the market recover from a recession, but were ignored in 2015-16, causing a shortage, she said. Next year these segments would grow strongly, stabilising the market, she said. Đỗ Thu Hằng, a senior official at Savills Vietnam, predicted national housing, especially in the low-priced segment, to surge to meet the unfulfilled demand. Thời Báo Kinh Tế Việt Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) quoted her as saying that 2.6 million workers work in industrial zones and the number increases by 200,000 a year. Three-fourths of them are migrants with an average income of US$2,500 a year, and this is a promising sign for the market, she added. Experts said other segments too would grow next year but not strongly. Nga of World Star Land said high-end supply would still increase but only strong developers would succeed. Nguyễn Đức Thành, head of the Việt Nam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, said other property segments like hotels, offices, and industrial lands would stagnate next year due to changes in the global economy. Until two or three months ago many foreign investors were coming to Việt Nam to explore investment opportunities, but the numbers have dried up now, he said to explain why the segments would slow down. Nguyễn Trần Nam, chairman of the Việt Nam Real Estate Association, said overall the market is thriving thanks to the stable economy, rapid urbanisation and improving living standards. - VNS |
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Vietnam imports 16,000 Australian cows a month Vietnam needs to import 16,000 Australian cows to satisfy the high demand of the domestic market. There is no other supply source bigger and more competitive to replace Australia.  The cow imports from Australia increased sharply in recent months after a period of interruption earlier this year, when the Australian government decided to suspend cow exports to some slaughterhouses in Vietnam after reports about inhumane slaughter. The director of a company specializing in importing and distributing Australian cows told the press that 16,000 cows are imported to Vietnam a month and the figure would be increasing. “I am sure the imports will be increasing because there is no other source of supply which can provide products in large quantity and offer competitive prices,” he said. On December 10, Dong Ha Company opened a shop specializing in distributing Australian beef in Can Tho City. Dong Ha’s director Le Thi Kim Thu said the company plans to import 2,000 Australian cows in the first consignment, while the import volume in the next months will be based on the market demand.
Thu said this is the first closed and professional slaughtering line in Mekong Delta. “We choose healthy and safe cows in accordance with Australian ESCAS (Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System) and Vietnamese safety standards,” she said. Thu went on to say that the company plans to open more shops and first-class sales agents in other districts in December. In a longer-term plan, it will bring Australian beef into supermarkets, traditional markets, restaurants and hotels in Mekong Delta and HCMC. Vietnam not only imports cows from Australia, but also imports beef from Europe. A report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed that in the first nine months of 2016, imports from Europe were 15 percent higher than imports in 2015. In 2014, Vietnam imported 1,700 tons of beef from Europe. The figure soared to 11,000 tons in 2015. More than 200 exporters in European countries have the licenses to provide beef to Vietnam. High-end Indonesian beef products have also been seeking a way to enter the Vietnamese market. Safuan Kasno Soewondo, vice president of PT Santosa Agrindo, attended the 14th international trade fair organized in HCM City some days ago to introduce beef to Vietnam and seek distributors. Analysts have warned that imports will be a threat to the domestic husbandry industry. The Vietnam Livestock Association also admitted that high production costs make it difficult for domestic enterprises to compete with imports, especially when trade barriers are removed within the framework of FTAs. Kim Chi, VNN |
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 26/12 SHB to sell 100 million shares Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB) will issue 100 million shares worth VND1 trillion (US$ 43.8 million) to shareholders under its merger plan with Vinaconex-Viettel Finance JSC (VVF), the bank announced in a statement on Monday. The sale aims to convert all VVF shares into SHB shares at a 1:1 ratio and at a price of VND10,000 per share. SHB will restructure VVF to turn it into SHB Consumer Finance Co Ltd, operating in consumer credit. According to SHB, the date on record for VFF’s shareholders to register to make the share swap is January 12, 2017. Following the merger, SHB’s chartered capital will be raised to nearly VND10.5 trillion. SHB Consumer Finance Co Ltd will begin operations in early 2017, adding that several international partners have expressed interest in co-operating with SHB to promote the operation of the consumer finance company. SHB Finance will initially provide consumer credit services to individual customers that have annual income from VND150 million to VND200 million, later easing the market share to other individual customers with lower income. Once SHB Finance is established, SHB will also transfer all its lists of individual borrowers with annual income of less than VND200 million to SHB Finance. The share swap plan was passed by SHB and VVF shareholders at their annual general shareholders’ meeting last year. Last week, the State Bank of Viet Nam officially approved the merger plan of the two bodies. Quang Ngai Sugar JSC’s capitalisation reaches $925 million on debut day More than 187 million shares of Quang Ngai Sugar Joint Stock Company began trading on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) with code QNS on December 20. The company’s share price jumped 40 per cent to close at VND112,000 (nearly US$5) at the end of the session, bringing the sugar producer’s market capitalisation to VND21 trillion. QNS ended yesterday’s session at a price level that was lower than expected from HCM Securities Corp (HSC). The company’s shares are valued at VND127,185 per share, an upside premium of 60 per cent over the reference price of VND80,000 per share, HSC said in a note, adding that QNS was initiated with a “buy” rating. That evaluation came from the positive review of HSC on the prospective growth of Quang Ngai Sugar JSC as it owns the largest market share in soymilk (80 per cent) and is currently the third-largest sugar producer in Viet Nam. QNS could be an alternative option besides two other large-cap companies in the food and beverage sector, which are dairy producer Vinamilk and brewer Sabeco. QNS will have “plenty of scope for growth as the unbranded market shrinks with branded products taking over,” HSC said, noting that QNS is now dominant in the soymilk market – a branded market only. HSC remained positive on the future growth of QNS and forecast that the sugar producer could record a yearly average growth rate of 11.1 per cent in net sales and 8.6 per cent in net profit in the next four years though QNS recorded lower performance in 2016 compared to the average number between 2011 and 2015. QNS enjoyed strong business development from 2011 to 2015, according to HSC. Quang Ngai Sugar JSC recorded an average growth rate of 18.3 per cent in revenue and 20.8 per cent in net profit during this period. Business performance slowed down in 2016 compared to years before as revenue from soymilk sales – spearhead product of QNS – was slower in 2016 due to “overall weak demand given rising competition from dairy products.” In the first nine months of this year, Quang Ngai Sugar JSC received total VND5.3 trillion in revenue and VND807 billion in post-tax profit, a year-on-year decrease of 12 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. HSC also forecast that the third-largest sugar producer will move its listing to the HCM Stock Exchange from UPCoM in 12 to 18 months as “the authorities view UpCOM as a springboard to the main market” and “QNS is a large and very profitable company and will look a little out of place in UPCoM.” Ministry boosting econ zones  The Ministry of Planning and Investment is developing a decree aimed at boosting the development of industrial zones (IZs) and economic zones (EZs). The ministry on its website said the issuance of the new decree was pressing as new models of IZs were already making an appearance, such as industrial-urban-service zones, and for the support of IZs and eco-industrial zones. These new models of IZs would help enhance the competitiveness of IZs through diversifying investments, reducing production costs and promoting efficient use of resources but they needed mechanism for development. The new decree was expected to wipe out inconsistencies in recently-issued legal documents, such as the Law on Investment and Decree 118/2015/ND-CP, which changed the procedure of investing in industrial and economic zones, and to improve competitiveness in attracting investment. According to Tran Duy Dong, director of the ministry’s Economic Zone Management Department, the decree would introduce more attractive incentives to draw investment and simplify procedures. Dong said the duration for the incentive of 10 per cent corporate tax rate on projects in EZs was proposed to increase from the current 15 years to 30 years. The incentive would be provided to projects of a large scale, investing in technical infrastructure or using high technology, Dong said. The department’s statistics showed that as of the end of November, there were 324 IZs and 16 EZs nationwide, with areas of 91,800ha and 815,000ha, respectively. The figures excluded two EZs -- Thai Binh EZ in northern Thai Binh Province and Ninh Co EZ in northern Nam Dinh Province -- which were still in the planning stage. Of them, 220 IZs were operational, with occupancy rate of 73 per cent. Regarding investment attraction, IZs attracted more than 730 foreign-invested projects this year, with total registered capital of $11.2 billion. So far, IZs nationwide attracted nearly 7,000 foreign-invested projects, worth $110.2 billion, more than 60 per cent of which was disbursed. Domestic investments in IZs totalled VND705.6 trillion in nearly 6,500 projects, so far. The department said there were 36 IZs and non-tariff areas founded in 16 EZs. As of November, EZs attracted VND155 trillion (US$6.9 billion) worth of investments in developing the technical infrastructure system, of which foreign investments accounted for some 16 per cent. EZs have attracted 354 foreign-invested projects up till November, with total registered capital of $42 billion, plus more than 1,070 domestic projects worth VND347.9 trillion. Central province vows to facilitate coffee exporters The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak will continue supporting coffee exporters in seeking and expanding their export outlets and co-operating with domestic and foreign partners. According to Dak Lak People‘s Committee, the province’s coffee bean is being shipped to 75 countries and territories world-wide, with Japan, Switzerland and Germany being the largest importers. In the 2016-17 crop, the province plans to export 230,000 tonnes of coffee beans, the committee said. Meanwhile, Dak Lak also aims to double the ratio of processed products in its coffee exports, which currently account for only 7-10 per cent of its total coffee bean output in a year, following the province’s coffee development plan to 2020. It also strives to increase the proportion of powder and instant coffee in coffee sales in both domestic and foreign markets to 14-15 per cent of each year’s crop, raising added value and improving farmers’ income. The province has issued policies to encourage enterprises to invest in coffee processing factories with a capacity from 700 tonnes per year. Dak Lak is now home to 204,000ha of coffee farm, with an output of 450,000 tonnes of coffee beans each year. Milk price management reviewed before new rules take effect Many provinces have reviewed the price management activities for milk and other supplementary dietary products for children under six years of age, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has said. The reviews were done ahead of the deadline to implement the Government’s Decree 149 on regulations for managing the price for milk and other supplementary dietary products of children under six, which comes into effect on January 1, 2017. The People’s Committee of Bac Ninh Province has assigned the provincial department of industry and trade and the finance department to review the production and trading of these products. This will mean that organisations and individuals producing and trading milk and supplementary dietary products have to list and register the prices of the products. The departments will review the price listing and registration forms, and Bac Ninh’s department of industry and trade will manage the rates based on Decree 149, reported Zing News. Ha Tinh and several other provinces said they would also conduct similar activities to implement Decree 149. On November 11, 2016, the government issued Decree 149, amending some articles of Decree 177, adding some articles to it and providing specific guidance on implementing some articles under the price law. Until now, the finance ministry has managed the prices of milk products meant for children under six years of age. But from January 1, the ministry of industry and trade will take over the responsibility. Milk products are included in the list for price stabilisation and have a ceiling price since June 2014. As per the ceiling price mechanism, the retail price can be maximum at 115 per cent of the wholesale price. At present, 877 milk products for children under six have been listed and their registered prices released on the websites of the finance ministry and local finance departments across the nation. PM calls for stable Tet prices The Prime Minister has called on ministries and government agencies to tighten controls and take steps to ensure stable markets and social security during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. In a directive sent last week, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to closely monitor market demand and supply, especially necessary goods and services, to timely take measures to ensure a supply source and reasonable prices nationwide during Tet, which falls in late January 2017. The ministry was instructed to prevent counterfeit and low-quality goods without clear origins from being sold in the market and strictly punish those who speculate on products and cheat customers to earn illegal profits. Besides preventing smuggling, fraud and counterfeit goods, the Ministry of Finance, was also asked to control market prices so that they remain stable before and after Tet. Under the directive, the PM requested the State Bank of Viet Nam to ensure cash supply is sufficient for the economy during the holiday, ATM machines work properly and workers get paid before the festival. The central bank was also instructed to take effective measures to ensure stability of monetary, foreign exchange and gold markets. It was told to increase inspections and monitoring on operation of credit institutions and foreign banks’ branches to ensure the banking system’s safety and liquidity. The directive requires the Ministry of Transport to ensure that there are sufficient vehicles for people to travel during the Tet holiday with their families, especially those in remote and disadvantaged areas, including those inhabited by ethnic minority communities. It should also implement plans to keep unsafe and substandard vehicles off the roads, ask transport companies to publicise their rates and deliver tickets directly to passengers. It asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure that the agriculture sector continues production to meet market demand during the Tet holiday. EU-Mutrap provides workshop on Vietnam-EU free trade agreement The European Trade Policy and Investment Support Programme (EU-Mutrap) is a key ongoing project promoting economic development, inclusive growth and poverty reduction in Vietnam. It is currently engaged in a US$17 million funded program for the period running August 27, 2012 to June 30, 2017. At a workshop on December 20, the EU-Mutrap provided training for Vietnamese local businesses to learn about the trade opportunities accorded them by the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement. The specific purpose of the workshop was to support the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade in facilitating sustainable international trade and investment through improved capacity for local businesses. It is hoped this training will better help these companies further integrate into the global, ASEAN and sub-regional trade systems as well as improve their policymaking, policy consultation and the implementation of related commitments, particularly vis-à-vis the Vietnam-EU trade pact. This trade pact is a modern and comprehensive deal. It will remove nearly all tariffs on goods traded between the two economies. It shows the shared conviction of the EU and Vietnam that trade is essential to growth, the creation of jobs and sustainable development. Besides eliminating tariffs, Vietnam will also remove almost all its export duties. The agreement will equally create for both economies new market access opportunities in services and investment. Vietnam has agreed to liberalize trade in financial services, telecommunications, transport, and postal and courier services. On investment, Vietnam will open its market to the EU by removing or easing limitations on certain segments such as manufacturing of food and beverages and of ceramics or plastic products. In June 2016, the EU Delegation to Vietnam published a Guide to the Vietnam-EU trade agreement that provides first-hand information about the FTA as well as about the economic relations between EU and Vietnam. This workshop is an extension of the guide aiming to ensure local businesses have adequate training and enhanced capacity to be able to benefit from the trade deal when it comes into full force by 2018. Imported meat forecast to flood Vietnamese market Imported meat has been forecast to prevail in the Vietnamese market, posing challenges for domestic products and businesses. Vietnam’s husbandry sector is expected to face myriad difficulties in the near future when trade barriers are removed following the ratification of free trade agreements. Along with Australian beef, meat imported from Europe, Japan, and Indonesia is anticipated to steal the heart of Vietnamese customers thanks to attractive quality and affordable prices, while domestic food is still offered at a rather high quote. During the 14th Vietnam International Trade Fair recently held in Ho Chi Minh City, many visitors were intrigued by the presentation of a type of premium beef from Indonesia’s PT Santosa Agrindo company. Safuan Kasno Soewondo, vice-president of the firm, was advertising his product to the Vietnamese consumers and seeking partners in the country. Earlier in November, 42 businesses from member nations of the European Union had conducted a survey on the Vietnamese market. According to Phil Hogan, EU’s commissioner of agriculture and rural development, the companies hoped to push forward their export of beef and pork to the Southeast Asian country once the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement takes effect. Meat imports are still in high demand from local restaurants and hotels despite the currently high tax rate, between 14% and 30%, experts said, asserting that the products would flood the market if tariffs are removed. While Indonesian and European businesses are aiming at the high-end segment in Vietnam, Australian beef is dominating the lower end of the spectrum. According to the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV), cost of domestic meat is high due to a limited source of animal feed and technology, making it difficult for Vietnamese meat to compete against its foreign equivalent. Local businesses will grapple with more challenges when tax and other trade barriers are counted in as the result of free trade agreements. “The poultry industry in the country has been heavily affected by cheap imported chicken. The beef and pork sectors could suffer as well,” said Nguyen Van Ngoc, an official from the AHAV. The Vietnamese husbandry sector is still sluggish compared to other nations, Ngoc remarked, adding that it was not due to the lack of technology but how local businesses run their operations. HCM City guarantees loans for SMEs The HCM City Credit Guarantee Fund provided guarantees to eight projects of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2016 so they could get loans worth a total of 360 billion VND (16.07 million USD). The total investment of these eight projects is 813 billion USD. More than 200 SMEs received support from the HCM City Credit Guarantee Fund this year, which includes financial consultancy. Credit guarantee for SMEs to procure bank loans was not as efficient as expected because of the requirement to mortgage assets, which SMEs found difficult to meet. However, the situation is expected to improve as policies are to be amended and loans sanctioned based on the evaluation of a project’s efficiency rather than the mortgage of assets. There are more than 120,000 SMEs in HCM City, which account for 96 percent of the total number of firms in the city. Since it was formed in 2007, the HCM City Credit Guarantee Fund has provided loan guarantees to 121 SMEs, helping them procure loans worth 871 billion VND. Statistics with the Finance Ministry show that there are 27 credit guarantee funds nation-wide with total charter capital of nearly 1.5 trillion VND. The outstanding loans that they have guaranteed total 361 billion VND. At a conference on December 13, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue urged that a mechanism be put in place to improve the efficiency of credit guarantee funds so they can better support SMEs, in line with Government Resolution 35 about developing businesses. Da Nang, Japanese bank ink agreement The Da Nang Investment Support and Promotion Board and Japan’s Gifu Shinkin bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation, investment promotion for small- and medium-sized enterprises from Japan in Da Nang city. Gifu Shinkin, the largest bank in Gifu, Japan, has more than 156,000 customers, of which seven are Japanese enterprises in Da Nang. Director of the city’s Investment Support and Promotion Board Le Canh Duong said this was the first MoU that the board had signed with a Japanese bank. Japan is the biggest investor in Da Nang, with 113 projects worth 397.5 million USD – 10.78 percent of the accumulated foreign direct investment projects in the city – creating 32,000 jobs. Eighty-four percent of Japanese investment is focused on manufacturing, food processing, construction and information technology, while healthcare, real estate, tourism and education have merged as new investment fields among Japanese investors in recent years. Khanh Hoa: International arrivals surpass one-million mark The number of international tourists to the south central province of Khanh Hoa in 2016 is estimated to reach 1.115 million, a 21-percent increase from 2015 and the first time meeting the 1-million mark. According to the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, along with the record number, the average duration of stay of international tourists in Khanh Hoa is 3.2 days, up 26 percent from 2015. Chinese top the list of foreign tourists in Khanh Hoa, numbering more than 444,000 as of the end of October, a 3.3-fold increase against the same period last year. Russia ranks second with over 200,000 visitors, representing a growth of 114 percent. The number of holiday makers from India and Thailand also increased, but those from European Union, America and Oceania and many Asian countries plunged 25 percent. At the same time, Khanh Hoa also welcomes 22.5 million domestic tourists. Khanh Hoa attracts visitors for its beautiful sea and islands and temperate climate, with Nha Trang City being the main magnet. HCGF cooperates with Saigon Bank to support SMEs The HCMC Credit Guarantee Fund (HCGF) last Friday signed an agreement with Saigon Bank for Industry and Trade (SaigonBank) to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) gain access to bank loans to fund their operations. HCGF and SaigonBank will cooperate to provide consultancy on feasible business and production plans, financial management and technology besides provision of capital for SMEs. Vu Quang Lam, chairman of HCFG, said the fund’s credit guarantees for enterprises have shown signs of declining lately. Enterprises often approach HCGF to ask for credit guarantees when their projects are ineligible for bank loans. However, under the prevailing rules, enterprises would have difficulty applying for credit guarantees as they are required to have assets as collateral. Thanks to the new agreement with SaigonBank, HCGF will support enterprises in preparing feasible business plans and completing procedures so that they can gain easier access to bank loans as the time needed for the bank’s appraisal process is shortened. However, HCGF still has to ensure transparency and the bank will still decide which enterprises can borrow. The Government plans to revise the regulations on credit guarantees in a way that allows SMEs to take out unsecured loans from banks. Therefore, HCGF will closely coordinate with SaigonBank in all steps, from appraising to handling arising risks in preparing themselves for the amendments in the coming time, Lam added. Currently, there are more than 12,000 SMEs active in HCMC, accounting for 96% of the total number of enterprises in the city. SMEs play an increasingly important role in the country’s economy, especially in creating jobs. Due to poor corproate governance, outdated technology and lack of premises, SMEs face stricter conditions for credit guarantees. HCFG, established in March 2007, is the financial organization under the HCMC government. The fund is mandated to support SMEs to gain access to bank loans. As of the end of last year, HCGF had total chartered capital of VND232.36 billion. Of which, VND227.9 billion came from the city’s budget, or 98.1% of the fund’s chartered capital. After ten years of operation, HCGF has signed 121 credit guarantee contracts worth VND871.2 billion, creating favorable conditions for SMEs to borrow a total of VND1.45 trillion. Hoang Dinh Thang, director of HCGF, said the fund’s performance was dismal in the 2014-2015 period as most SMEs failed to meet the collateral requirement. Currently, the role of the credit guarantee fund is to provide consulting for enterprises to complete legal procedures so that their projects are eligible for bank loans. This year HCGF has worked with 200 SMEs, and provided financial consultancy for 29 projects with total investment of nearly VND4.2 trillion and total loans of VND2.2 trillion. Of this number, eight projects have got the nod from banks or investors with total investment of VND813 billion and total loans of over VND360 billion. Facebook touted as business development tool Huynh Kim Tuoc, director of Asia-Pacific Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Energy Markets at Facebook, insisted at a seminar last week that local enterprises should attend more to Facebook as a tool for business development. Speaking at the seminar called “Updates and business model innovations for SMEs” in Can Tho City last week, Tuoc raised two questions: why enterprises should be interested in Facebook and what they should do to grow stronger on this platform. To answer the first question, Tuoc said the number of Facebook users in Vietnam was huge, with over 45 million people accessing the social networking site at least once a month (as of September 2016). For daily use, there are about 28 million people, he said. He noted that although television is a popular medium, its growth over the past 20 years has remained flat. “There are a lot of TV users, but strong growth has been seen in digital and mobile platforms,” he said. Another reason why enterprises should care about Facebook is Vietnam is one of the leading countries on the high level of interaction between users and Facebook pages. In other words, when consumers are interested in a product or service, they tend to interact with businesses on Facebook, and Facebook measures such activities, Tuoc said. “This is a sign that business growth on Facebook is very strong,” he said. He believed Vietnam had the opportunity for healthy business development on a digital media platform thanks to the golden population and the technology that helps such population takeoff. “We have the chance, and should not let it fly,” he noted. To further develop on the digital media platform, Tuoc said businesses should immediately set up their own Facebook pages, where they could advertise their products without any charge and conveniently interact with many different communities. Enterprises can learn of their target customers thanks to the measurement tool on Facebook. Since all Facebook users have an identity, it is possible to figure out if they are young, old, male or female. Meanwhile, Brandon Lim, commercial director of childcare at P&G Vietnam, brought up data on the marketing of diapers in 1976 and 2016 and asked: “What has changed and what remains the same over the past time?” The love of a mother for her child has not changed, and so has the demand for childcare, but changes in the world have led to changes in the way of marketing, Lim said. “However, you should understand your target customers and that they are very knowledgeable about the value of your products, so you have to take note of this,” he suggested. Construction ministry warns against resort real estate glut Investors should be cautious in resort real estate projects as the strong growth of resort real estate this year may lead to an oversupply in the future, the Ministry of Construction advised. Resort real estate has developed strongly since 2015 with many projects mainly in Danang, Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc opened for sale, said Pham Van Truong, head of the real estate market management office under the ministry’s Department of House and Real Estate Market Management at a review conference on the real estate market in 2016 and market trends in 2017 held by the Vietnam Association of Property Brokers last Friday. Many resort projects have been licensed in the coastal provinces. Particularly, there were 46 licensed projects covering more than 3,000 hectares in Khanh Hoa Province and 75 licensed projects occupying more than 2,000 hectares in Vung Tau. If all of these projects are completed, there will be hundreds of thousands of villas, leading to an oversupply in the market, Truong said. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, board chairman of DTJ Investment and Distribution Joint Stock Co., said at the conference that resort properties have boomed this year. The number of projects opened for sale has increased sharply this year while last year saw only one to two projects put up for sale. There have been only two projects opened for sale in Danang and Lao Cai in the fourth quarter this year, the lowest quarterly number in 2016, but in the third quarter, there were as many as 11 projects opened up for sale in Khanh Hoa, Danang and Quang Ninh. This year has witnessed the recovery of the resort real estate market and a boom in the sector in three major destinations namely Danang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc. Some 35 projects with 12,000 apartments and 2,000 villas have been offered for sale, Khanh said. Thailand may slap anti-dumping tax on Vietnam steel sheets Thailand may impose anti-dumping tariffs of up to 60.26% on color-coated steel sheets imports from Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) under the Thai Ministry of Commerce on December 12 released preliminary results of an anti-dumping probe into Vietnam’s color-coated steel sheets, including painted hot-dip galvanized cold rolled steel, or aluminum zinc alloy-coated cold rolled steel, with dumping margins expected to range from 4.51% to 60.26%. DFT will give relevant businesses and agencies from Vietnam a chance to respond to the investigation results and send evidence to the department by January 6 before a hearing is organized on January 16. The Thai agency said it had got a dumping investigation petition from NS BlueScope Company for an alleged dumping margin of up to 89.58% in September last year. Statistics of the Vietnam Competition Authority show that the country’s exported steel products are subject to most anti-dumping lawsuits. As of May 2016, there had been 25 trade cases against Vietnam’s steel products, of which 18 were anti-dumping ones initiated by ASEAN nations like Thailand and Malaysia. Earlier, the Vietnam Steel Association had requested producers of metallic-coated and color-coated steel sheets to reduce their export shipments and control selling prices to the Malaysian and Thai markets for risks of anti-dumping measures. Steel firms of these two nations have repeatedly complained about huge volumes of Vietnam’s steel products imported into their countries at low prices, adversely affecting their production. New Land VJ inaugurates modern warehouse in Binh Duong New Land Vietnam Japan Joint Stock Company (New Land VJ) has put into operation a large modern warehouse worth a total of nearly US$10 million to meet cargo storage needs of manufacturers. The facility of the joint venture between local firm New Land and two Japanese partners, Sojitz and Kokubu, covers 20,000 square meters at Binh An Textile Industrial Park in the southern province of Binh Duong. Nguyen Minh Thong, managing director of New Land VJ, said the warehouse has enough room for a total of 15,500 pallets and serves customers in sectors like processed food, dairy goods, farm produce, poultry, meat, beverages and medical material. Taku Imai from Sojitz said his company had got involved in this warehousing service venture because it had strong growth potential in Vietnam as a fast growing economy. Kokubu is a leading distributor of food and alcoholic beverages in Japan with annual revenue of US$15 billion. It has business links with nearly 10,000 producers and 35,000 retailers. Sojitz was the first foreign firm to be licensed to open a representative office in Hanoi. It has got involved in many projects, including those in power generation, fertilizer production and industrial park infrastructure development sectors. Growers of bizarre fruits worry over fickle weather as Tet draws near Fruit farmers specializing in unique and bizarre fruits typically grown for exclusive use during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tet, are under constant worry that the unpredictable weather hitting Vietnam over the past few weeks may affect their crops. The upcoming Tet holiday will fall on January 28, and farmers are hurriedly preparing special fruit to supply Vietnamese religious offering and ornamental needs during the celebration. With local consumers willing to open their wallets for bizarre and unique gift ideas, local farmers have been trying to cash in by growing fruit in unique shapes. Though their success has led them to increase supplies and develop new products for the upcoming holidays, recent foul weather has had a significant impact on their business. In the southern city of Can Tho, Tran Thanh Liem, known for growing watermelons in the shape of gold bullion, is pessimistic about his yield for Tet. After planting over 4,000 seeds this year, Liem expects a meager 1,000 crop harvest. Liem said he received several large orders for the fruit, but only signed contracts to supply 100 pairs to two businesses out of fear that his final supply will fall below expectations. A pair of 1.5kg gold bullion-shaped watermelons fetches VND2.5 million (US$112), and VND3 million (US$134) for those weighing 2kg each. Similarly, growers of special grapefruits shaped like bottle gourds in An Giang Province also expect to see their yields drop compared to last Tet. Many said they will only be able to supply the market with 2,400 fruits compared to 10,000 last year. To make up for the dwindling supply, farmers will introduce new products with calligraphic texts reading ‘fortune’ and ‘luck’ besides the bottle gourd shape. ‘Phoenix pineapple’ growers are facing the same struggle. As the name suggests, the ‘phoenix pineapple’ has red inflorescence, making it look like the mythical bird. Many Vietnamese believe that displaying this kind of fruit during Tet will bring them peace and luck. However, Luu Van Luom, who is waiting to harvest his 1,000 phoenix pineapples, said bad weather will greatly affect his yield. He expects only 60 to 70% of his crop to meet acceptable standards for sale. Huynh Thanh Tam, a farmer in Ben Tre Province known creating coconut with text imprints, is also unhappy with the recent weather. Tam was able to sell 300 of his coconuts during last year’s Tet holiday and chose to increase this year’s crop to 2,000. However, Tam is worried that the bad weather may reduce his final yield. “The unusual rain at this time of year may cause the young coconuts to crack when put into moulds to have the text pressed onto their shells,” Tam said. Still, many farmers do not appear shaken by the unsettled weather. Huynh Thanh Khoa, the ‘father’ of special mangos with skins bearing calligraphic texts such as ‘luck’, ‘longevity’ and ‘fortune’ decided to increase his supply by 5,000 fruits from 1,200 last year. The Dong Thap-based farmer said he will introduce a new product this year - mangos that bear the Vietnamese map on their skins. “Some partners in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have placed orders for more than 1,000 mangos,” he said. Conference talks AEC’s influence on young workers The impact of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on the lives of students and young workers in HCM City was the main focus of a conference in HCM City on December 25. The event aimed to help improve understanding among local young people and labourers of job opportunities and required skills in the regional integration. It drew 133 young scientists who presented 79 reports, focusing on opportunities and challenges facing students and young workers when the the AEC is officially formed, measures to improve their skills and integration capacity. Participants shared the view that the city has seen an increase in the number of skilled and educated workers. However, the quality is still yet to meet socio-economic development and integration requirements. They suggested joint efforts made by local authorities, enterprises and training institutions to improve local human resources quality. Delegates called on young workers to keep learning new technologies and necessary skills, particularly foreign languages. More attention should be paid to job placement to ensure market-oriented training. Thai Nguyen: Master plan on Nui Coc lake development announced Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has lauded the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen’s optimal conditions for tourism development, particularly Nui Coc lake and tea culture. He made the praise during a local ceremony on December 25 to announce a master plan on developing the Nui Coc lake national tourist area to 2025 with orientations to 2030. The Deputy PM suggested attention should also be paid to the maintenance and preservation of ecological environment within and around the lake, given that the lake also helps with irrigation, aquaculture and flood prevention. Hue revealed that the government will devise an action plan to materialise the government’s resolution on Vietnam’s tourism restructuring for 2016-2020, which focuses on tourism infrastructure, environment and products imbued with traditional cultural characteristics. Apart from calling on strategic investors, the province was advised to develop community-based tourism, considering the people a crucial factor during the process. According to the Deputy PM, the government has directed ministries and agencies to refine policies regarding investment, taxation, fees, electricity and e-visa while strengthening State management in tourism. As part of the capital zone master plan and the country’s third largest hub of human resources development, Thai Nguyen must become economically and militarily strong, he stated. At the event, he also witnessed the signing of 10 investment projects in the fields of electricity, tourism, infrastructure and telecommunications worth over 45 trillion VND (1.95 billion USD) in total, and a ceremony to begin the construction of Nui Coc lake road, one of the first works in the master plan. According to the Nui Coc lake master plan, 1,200ha, exclusive of water surface, will be earmarked for the development of a national tourist area, which will offer sightseeing and resort, water sports and community-based ecological services in association with Tam Dao national park in Quan Chu commune. The lake is expected to be recognised as a national tourist area before 2025. By 2030, it looks to be a major ecological and resort centre of the country and serves 4 million tourists, earning nearly 2 trillion VND (86.9 million USD). In the morning the same day, the official attended a ceremony announcing the PM’s decision on approving adjustments to the Thai Nguyen master plan by 2035 and beginning the construction of a flood-proof system on Cau River and completing urban infrastructure on two banks of the river. The project, costing over 18 trillion VND (780 million USD), comprises nine components invested by a joint venture between Phuc Loc Group and the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CIENCO) No.8 in the public-private partnership and build-transfer model. The Deputy PM emphasised that the adjustments aim to develop Thai Nguyen into an economic, cultural, education, health care, tourism and service centre in the northern mountainous and midland region, and in the development quadrangular of the northern key economic region. On the occasion, he presented the PM’s decision to the provincial authorities. Sellers get creative for lucrative Xmas season As Vietnamese tend to spend more money during the Christmas season, many local enterprises tried all possible ways to satisfy there “God’s” demands. Alongside other popular Christmas gifts and ornaments, the Christmas market this year offered more exclusive and unique options. HCM City-based enterpriseimported about 200 real pine trees by sea from Oregon, United States. According to Diep Nguyen, the owner of the enterprise, the company decided to import such a large number of real trees after the first two attracted a great deal of attention from customers last Christmas. “The import procedure is quite complicated, so we had to place our orders in August and received the support from the US National Christmas Tree Association”, she told Tuoi Tre daily. Even before these Christmas trees docked at the port in HCM City, half of them were booked online with costs ranging from 3 – 8 million VND (130-150 USD), depending on the height of the tree (from 1.8 m to 2.7m). The buyers were mostly foreign expatriates or wealthy local families. While the real trees seem to be for a group of limited customers, the plastic ones – in different height, colours and eye-catching decorations, were available in every supermarket and shopping mall across the city. All the Christmas shops located on Luong Nhu Hoc and Hai Thuong Lan Ong Streets in District 5 started their high business season from mid-October. Ho Thi Minh Tam, the owner of a shop on Luong Nhu Hoc Street, District 5, said all 20 plastic trees and nearly 1,000 ball ornaments that she imported from Thailand for the first time had been sold out within a week. According to Tam, those products attracted customers because their prices are the same or even slightly cheaper than other similar Made in Vietnam products. Over the past two years, Christmas gifts and ornaments from Thailand have increased their presence in the Vietnam market. Ho Kim Cuc, who runs a Christmas shop on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, said her shop had rented 15 large-size Christmas trees out to different offices with prices ranging from 2-4 million VND (87-175USD), which were just one-third the purchase price. This year, the Christmas market witnessed significant participation of many local producers. According to a representative of the Kim Lap Christmas shop on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, two thirds of the 6,000 products that his shop sold in the first 10 days of this month are products that are made in Vietnam. The increase in Vietnamese Christmas products was thanks to the increasing awareness of local enterprises of the potential market. That was why they hadpaid attention to improving both quality and design of products. Owner of the Phuong Thao shop on Luong Nhu Hoc Street, Nguyen Phuong Thai, said she stored 6,000 Christmas costumes created by local producers. “With 20 different designs the price was 10 percent to 20 percent cheaper than other imported costumes. That was why the ones made by local producers have magnetised customers. At the moment, thousands of Christmas costumes that we stored are almost sold out”, she said. Vo Hong Tan, director of Doma Vina – a company specialisng on paper quilling products said his company introduced to the market more than 2,000 products in this festive season, of which the best sellers were Santa Claus, X’Mas tree and bell. Like any other previous years, the seasonal service – Santa Claus delivers gifts to children – was still a flourishing business, as the demand from customers has increased year after year. Ngo Thi Phuong Loan, owner of the Beyeume gift shop on 3 Thang 2 Street in District 10, said that her shop had to recruit a “Santa Claus” a month before Christmas. According to her, the service fee this year has increased between 15 percent and 20 percent compared to last year, when it was between 90,000 VND and 100,000 VND to between 120,000 VND and 130,000 VND. “However, that price was for the service offered a few days before Christmas. A day before Christmas Eve, the price was more, at 160,000 VND, and at 200,000 VND on Christmas Eve”, Loan said. Most of the recruited “Santa Claus” were students. VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VET/VIR |
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Social News 26/12 Hanoi Police discover goods trafficking cases  The Hà Nội Police recently discovered different cases of goods trafficking, involving a significant amount of money, to the capital. Specifically, at predawn yesterday, the city police, patrolling Nhật Tân Bridge in Tây Hồ District, discovered a 16-seater coach transporting 27 large packets of goods. On checking the packets, the police found different types of goods, such as clothes, shoes and watches with the fake trademark of some of the world’s leading companies. The police also discovered that the coach’s number plate was fake. Driver Ngô Đức Thịnh, 28, from the northern province of Lạng Sơn, failed to show any papers related to the coach and the goods. Earlier, on December 11, the police also searched an automobile that was being driven on Pháp Vân Road and discovered more than one tonne of clothes in different styles. The driver, Lưu Văn Điểu, 37, from the northern province of Bắc Giang, admitted to the police that he was hired to transport the goods from the northern mountainous province of Lạng Sơn to Hoàng Mai District to deliver to the concerned person. The discovery was part of the city police’s drive to crack down on trafficked goods, which was launched at the end of November this year. Give jobs to physically challenged women, say experts Physically challenged women face a lot of obstacles while looking for jobs, from companies and from other women too, said experts at a discussion held in Hà Nội today. The workshop, titled Jobs for People with Disability in Enterprises, was held by non-governmental organisation Inclusive Development Action (IDEA), which works with people with disabilities, and Kenan Institute Asia. It is part of Kenan’s Việt Nam Women Improving Lives and Leadership (Vietnam WILL) Project, which has been running from October 2014 and will continue till March 2017. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hoài, an expert from Việt Nam Women Academy, said that at present not more than one third of women with disabilities in the country had jobs. Most of them had simple jobs and very few receive vocational training, she said. A large percentage of differently abled women - more than 60 per cent - work at home, and the remaining work in associations connected with disabled people, and private and state enterprises, the latest research done by the Academy reveals. One in four physically challenged women worked in poor conditions that affect their physical and psychological health, Hoài said. Nguyễn Hồng Oanh, director of IDEA, said it was difficult for women with disabilities to find jobs because of social discrimination, shortage of equipment for rehabilitation and hurdles in commuting. Many enterprises didn’t have the right awareness or assessment of the abilities of physically challenged people, Đinh Thị Quỳnh Nga, director of Trái Tim Hồng (Pink Heart) Co-operative, a co-operative whose 80 per cent employees are differently abled women, said. “Once they get a job, they are very hard-working and patient in their work.” Enterprises discriminate, often focusing on a person’s disability and finding excuses to refuse them jobs, said Nga, who is disabled herself and was unemployed for seven years till she decided to set up an enterprise to create work for people in her situation. Experts shared the opinion that the state should institute stronger policies for employing physically challenged people. It should punish businesses that refuse to hire disabled people, Hoài said. The procedure to borrow capital with interest from social banks should also be simplified, Hoài said. At present, the process is complicated whereas the amount of capital they can borrow is not much. Nga suggested that there should be more vocational training schools for people with physical disabilities and that enterprises must improve infrastructure so that physically challenged people can do more diversified work. VNRC campaign to help the poor, AO victims Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) has launched a humanitarian campaign to help the poor and Agent Orange (AO) victims prepare for the upcoming traditional Tết (Lunar New Year) festival. The annual campaign, called "Tết for the poor and Agent Orange victims 2017," aims to mobilise support from local and international communities to provide 1-1.5 million Tết gifts, worth at least VNĐ300,000 (US$14) each, to poor families and AO victims nationwide, VNRC Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu said. Thu said by mid-December, the VNRC at all levels registered to provide nearly 1,153 million gifts and mobilised more than VNĐ52.124 billion ($2.27 million), including money and goods, from local and international donors. On the occasion, the society also launched an SMS campaign to mobilise funding for the campaign. People can support the campaign by texting TET to 1402 from December 10, 2016 to February 8, 2017. Each SMS costs VNĐ20,000 ($0.85). VNRC today received nearly VNĐ15 billion (over $652,000) as donations from several groups and companies, such as Vingroup, Tình người Red Cross Assistance Society branch, PVPower Service JSC, and Coca Cola Vietnam, as well as Frisland Campina, Prudential Vietnam. According to VNRC’s statistics, the society has mobilised more than VNĐ4.5 trillion ($196 million) to help more than 17 million poor households and AO victims over the past 18 years since the first campaign was launched in Việt Nam in 1999. Last year, VNRC mobilised more than 2.17 million gifts, worth over VNĐ852 billion ($37.8 million), to help the poor and AO victims in the country. Man receives life sentence for trafficking heroin The Hòa Bình People’s Court on Monday sentenced Hà Văn Quân, 40, to life imprisonment for trading and transporting heroin. According to the indictment, at 8pm on September 8, 2009, the Hòa Bình Police searched an automobile driven by Hà Ngọc Lương, 33, from Hòa Bình Province’s Mai Châu District and discovered that he and his accomplice Trần Lê Quang were transporting five packets of heroin weighing more than 1.7kg. Widening the scope of investigation, the police unearthed a heroin trafficking ring from Sơn La and Hòa Bình provinces to Hà Nội, Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh, where the drug was being sold for a high amount. Hà Văn Quân was part of the ring. He was seized on February 18, 2013. Quân admitted to the police that from 2007 to 2009 he and his accomplices trafficked 65 packets of heroin weighing more than 22.8kg. Others heroin traffickers were judged at different trials, Quân was, however, judged at the trial yesterday. Vietnamese cultural and historical figure honoured The Temple of Literature has recently hosted the 400th birthday anniversary of a famous Vietnamese historical and cultural figure, Nguyễn Mậu Tài. Tài was born in 1616 in Kim Sơn Village in what is now Hà Nội’s Gia Lâm District. He became a doctor when he was only 30. He held many significant positions as a royal mandarin, serving five Kings Lê and three Lords Trịnh. Tài was praised by Lord Trịnh Căn (1633-1709) as a living example for posterity, and an upright, loyal, unflinching person by Lê and Nguyễn dynasties historians. Associate Professor Nguyễn Thành Nam, head of the temple’s administration board, said Tài was a living example of protecting the law and rejecting sycophants. “He was also a staunch and upright mandarin, as he was reappointed in 1676, but refused. According to historical studies, young people can learn many things from his life story,” Nam said. Alongside political contributions, cultural and historical researchers have affirmed his dedication to poetry and literature during the 17th century, and they also announced the publication of a documentary book entitled Cultural and Historical Figure, Grand Councillor and Doctor Nguyễn Mậu Tài (1616–88) – Biography and Lifelong Career. Rob a bag, and it’s in the bag It is not unusual in Việt Nam that bag-snatchers go the whole hog. Dirty pigs, you might say, or worse. But what happens is this: after a successful snatch, the thieves take all the valuables like cash and jewelry, then call the owners and make a generous offer: For a certain sum of money, documents like the passport, ID card and driving license will be returned. The owners are grateful for such big mercies, we can be sure. Of course, many heartless souls don’t bother with the potential to make extra money by selling documentation important to the owner, not the thief. One robber in HCM City confounded everyone recently by going the extra mile to return the stolen goods. A woman living in District 4 had her bag snatched while walking from her apartment building to her private car to take her child to school. It was an awful day. All her cash, mobile phone, ATM cards, credit cards and ID card were gone. The woman had no choice but to report the case to a nearby police station, the first step to applying for new cards, licenses, etc. As she returned home, we don’t know if she hoped against hope to receive a call from the thief with an offer to return the crucial documents, but if she had, she was in for a big surprise. When she got back, the building’s security guard handed her the stolen bag. Surprise, surprise. Then came the mother of all surprises. Nothing had been taken from the bag. Everything was intact – cash, mobile phone, ATM card, ID card. The security guard recalled that very soon after the snatch, the robber returned to the gate of the apartment building and threw the bag towards the guard, saying: “I am returning the stolen bag. Nothing’s lost.” Local police are still scratching and shaking their heads. “It is a rare case,” was the limp response from one of the cops in Ward 1, District 4. Rare or not, explanations came in thick and fast as netizens responded to the story. One guessed that the robber had checked the victim’s ID and realised she was one of his relatives. Some others surmised that he was “insulted” by the low returns on his investment – not enough money and an inexpensive phone. If this explanation does not surprise you, try this one for size: The robber was taking a “robbery class” and the snatch was only a test for him to pass the course. Since he succeeded in robbing his victim, and returned in person the stolen goods in their entirety, we may safely assume that he passed the test with flying colours before flying the coop, as it were. A pregnant pause Getting a class off because the teacher is sick or otherwise busy is usually a welcome break for students, and their parents are only happy to indulge such happiness. But when a teacher takes months off, it becomes too much of a good thing, for both students and parents, since they can’t pass the mandatory exam if they haven’t been taught anything. All students of the Thanh Nưa Primary School in Thanh Nưa Commune in northern Điện Biên Province have been told there’ll be no English class for the whole semester because the only available teacher is going on maternity leave. The English lessons have been replaced with other subjects, but the semester’s performance report will be delayed, parents have learnt. Those who have complained have been asked to sympathise with the school, understanding the “shortage situation”. There are just 32 English teachers for 37 primary schools in the district. Some have to take turns to teach at more than one school. And if this weren’t bad enough, of the 32 teachers, seven are set to take maternity leave this school year. Can’t make light of the matter here, there are some heavy shoes to fill. Can Tho Book Festival to return in March  The second Can Tho Book Festival will be held at Luu Huu Phuoc Park in the Mekong Delta city from March 25-31, the Department of Information and Communications announced yesterday. The event will feature 350 display booths of more than100 publishing houses throughout the country and abroad. The book festival will present to readers thousands of book titles, stationeries and also include seminars, exchanges between writers and readers. On the occasion, the event’s organization board will launch a promotional program to support libraries in schools and rural areas. The first Can Tho Book Festival attracted over 300,000 people with 260 booths in 2015. It is one of the largest-scale book shows in the country, including Ho Chi Minh City Book Festival and Hanoi Book Festival. Vietnam undergoes significant transition in migration: survey Vietnam has undergone a significant transformation over the last three decades, particularly over the past five years, as 13.6% of its population is now composed of migrants, according to statistics from a recently released survey. Key findings like this were disseminated at a national workshop on the results of the 2015 National Internal Migration Survey, which was held in Hanoi on December 16 by the General Statistics Office (GSO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam. The survey was conducted under GSO Decision No. 1067/QD-TCTK, dated November 11, 2015 in twenty provinces and centrally run cities representing the country’s six socio-economic regions, and in its two largest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. It was the second national internal migration survey conducted by the GSO, coming after the first in 2004. According to the survey, migrants aged 15-59 account for 17.3% of the total population, of whom 19.7% are urban migrants and 13.4% are rural. Approximately 19.7% of the urban population are migrants, whereas this proportion for the rural population is only 13.4%. The Southeast has the highest proportion of migrants at 29.3%. Regarding the reasons people migrate, Nguyen Bich Lam, GSO Director General, said that uneven development has led to a growing gap in income and living standards between urban and rural areas, making life more difficult for many people, especially agricultural households and those living in areas with unfavourable natural conditions. This is a major cause of the influx of migrants from rural areas into cities and industrial areas to find work. This is clearly evident in the flows of migrant labour from rural areas to big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and other key economic regions. According to Luu Bich Ngoc, PhD, from the Institute for Population and Social Studies, in addition to the simple economic reason, migration decisions may have many causes, such as socio-economic causes, social causes and causes related to the environment. However, just like the previous survey in 2004, last year’s study also showed that economic issues are still the leading reason for people’s decisions to migrate. Nearly 30% of migrants who participated in the survey said their move was due to “Finding a job in a new place”; 11.5% emigrated to have “better working conditions”; 11.9% migrated to “facilitate their work”; and 12.6% migrated to “improve their lives.” In addition, “being close to relatives,” "learning” and “getting married” are also reasons many migrate (respectively, 23.5%, 18.8% and 12.9%). According to Lam, in the course of Vietnam’s industrialisation and modernisation, internal migration has an important role to play in demographic changes and therefore has a close relationship with many socio-economic development and environmental issues. For that reasons, the survey aimed to collect data and information on internal migration at the national level and socio-economic regions and in the two largest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for developing socio-economic development policies, as well as policies and programmes for migrants. Astrid Bant, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, said that the results of the 2015 Migration Survey helped provide a better understanding of the impact of internal migration in the country, while making clear key changes needed in policies and practices to provide more options for migrants, especially the poor and vulnerable, to help migrants and society as a whole benefit from voluntary economic migration. According to experts, with the rapid increase in the movement of people to and from provinces and regions, migration and development are obviously closely linked, particularly in terms of economic improvement, remittances, impact on the environment, equity, reproductive health and other risks. Therefore, they suggested that the survey’s results should be used for evidence-based policy advocacy and development planning. Ngoc added that policies for migrants need not be too prioritised but need to ensure their equality with non-migrants in all respects, thus encouraging and strengthening migratory dynamics and labour restructuring towards sustainable migratory behaviours. According to the data from the survey, a higher percentage of migrants compared to non-migrants have professional or technical qualifications (31.7% versus 24.5%). Notably, the percentage of migrants who got an education at the college/university level or higher is 23.1% while this figure for non-migrants stands at 17.4%. Most migrants (74.8%) and non-migrants (78.2%) aged 15-59 are currently working in paid employment. The Southeast has the highest percentage of migrants who are working (87.8%), followed by the Red River Delta (81%). These two regions are the main locations of industrial zones. The findings suggest that most migrants are employed in places of destination, and thus do not increase significantly unemployment in these places. Seizing the opportunity to export vaccines Vietnam has recently successfully produced a combined measles-rubella vaccine, becoming the fourth country in Asia that is capable of producing the measles-rubella vaccine, following Japan, India, and China. This is the second combined type of vaccine to be produced domestically after DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus), the vaccine that was produced and put in the national expanded programme of immunisation in 1991. This is also the first vaccine that has been produced in Vietnam by the Ministry of Health’s Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC) under a technology-transfer project funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). According POLYVAC Director Nguyen Dang Hien, the project started in May 2013 with a total cost of JPY700 million (US$6.7 million). It targets a combined MR vaccine meeting the Good Manufacturing Practices standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO). With a current capacity of 7.5 million doses per year, the centre can fully meet the domestic vaccine demand and will be able to start exporting in the future. Over recent years, Vietnam has reaped great achievements in the research and production of vaccines, especially the production of 11 out of the 12 kinds mentioned in the nationwide expanded immunisation programme. In 2015, the WHO certified that Vietnam has a fully-equipped national regulatory authority (NRA) system that ensures the safety and efficacy of vaccines produced and used in Vietnam. Currently, Vietnam is among 25 nations that can produce vaccines around the world. In the recent NRA assessment, the WHO said that four of Vietnam’s vaccines ─ Japanese B encephalitis, measles, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B ─ can join WHO pre-appraisal before being sold in bulk to international organisations. Local vaccine manufacturing facilities can currently supply enough doses for both domestic needs and export demand. For example, for Japanese B encephalitis vaccine, the demand for domestic immunisation is approximately 8 million doses, while production capacity is about 12 million doses a year. For the measles vaccine, local demand is 3 million doses, while Vietnam is capable of producing approximately 7.5 million doses a year. For oral polio vaccine, local manufacturers can produce 40 million doses per year, while only 7.5 million doses are needed for domestic demand. In recent years, the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH) has exported over 3 million doses of Japanese B encephalitis vaccine to India. Japanese encephalitis vaccines are also penetrating the market of East Timor. In addition, 32,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccine have been exported to the Republic of Korea and 115,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and India. Vietnam currently has four factories producing vaccines, using modern equipment and technology meeting CGMP-WHO standards: VABIOTECH; Pasteur Da Lat Vaccine Company Ltd., (DAVAC); the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biology (POLYVAC); and the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC). All four factories employ qualified staff to produce vaccines which meet international standards for the national EPI programme and for export. However, the country’s export of vaccines has yet to meet expectations. The results do not fully reflect the potential and opportunities for the export of domestic vaccine products as the export is still small scale without a high commercial value. In order to export to official channels on the international market, especially for international organisations such as UNICEF and GAVI to sell large quantities, Vietnam should ensure higher standards for vaccines. Some obstacles in administrative policies and mechanisms should also be removed to help local vaccine manufacturers promote their strength and enhance competitiveness. Seminar seeks ways to support Vietnamese guest workers A seminar took place in Hanoi on December 16 focusing on issues relating to safety for Vietnamese guest workers and the role of local trade unions in supporting and protecting the workers. The event, co-organised the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Asia Fund, discussed measures to help those people who sought to work abroad be aware of safe working environment and to support re-employment efforts on their return. Chief Representative of the Asia Fund in Vietnam Michael DiGreogorio said the Vietnamese Government’s policy on labour export will play an increasingly important role for the country’s development, especially when the country joined bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. However, he noted that Vietnamese guest workers are encountering risks of labour exploitation and even human trafficking due to their limited knowledge on suitable jobs they could work when returning home. The situation requires the Government and relevant agencies to take specific policies and solutions in order to ensure rights and legitimate interests of the contracted workers, participants stressed. In recent years, the VGCL’s chapters and relevant agencies have exerted efforts to support contracted guest workers, significantly contributing to addressing employment issue and helping many local labourers escape from poverty. Up to 80,000 to 90,000 Vietnamese workers have been sent to work abroad every year since 2007. The workers were estimated to send over 2 billion USD to their families each year. The situation shows that Vietnamese labourers abroad are making remarkable contributions to the country’s socio-economic development. The VGCL is also implementing a study project funded by the Asia Fund, with the aim of protecting the rights of Vietnamese guest workers.-VNA Books for Rural Areas of Vietnam Program encouraged The Vietnam National Committee for UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Training have honored organizations and individuals for their outstanding contributions to encourage book reading habits in rural areas. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) acknowledged the Vietnamese initiative during its 50th anniversary of the International Literacy Day on September 9th this year. The program reflects successful cooperation between the state and the community for better education. After 9 years of implementation, the program has built up book shelves in 12,000 classrooms, enabling rural pupil access to at least 50 books a year. Nguyen Quang Thach, one of the movement’s founders said,“We have a specific strategy to mobilize schools and parents’ contributions. With an annual donation of 50,000 dong, their kids could read books worth up to 2 million dong. Our pilot scheme in one school has been duplicated in hundreds of schools nationwide. This has triggered more donations from Vietnamese people at home and abroad.” A UNSECO representative said, "these civil libraries are different from public libraries as they are funded by mobilising community resources and are managed by community members or volunteers. The programme seeks, in particular, to increase book availability and accessibility for readers in rural and mountainous areas who have fewer opportunities to read books. As well as providing access, it also organises group reading activities where readers can practice and strengthen their literacy skills." Apparel-footwear workers face unemployment due to automation  As many as 86 percent of Vietnamese workers in the garment-textiles and leather-footwear industries may face unemployment due to automation, according to a report released recently by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The report, entitled “ASEAN in transformation: How technology is changing jobs and enterprises”, forecasts that three-fourths of labourers working in the electric and electronic sector might be replaced by robots. These are major export sectors of Vietnam, which account for nearly 40 percent of the total workforce in production. However, the garment-textiles and leather-footwear industries, which employ mostly unskilled labourers, are facing an alarming low productivity which is equal to only 20 percent of that of Thailand. At the same time, the ILO report held that the improvement of workforce skills should be an important task of Vietnam as the country is facing changes in the nature of jobs in the technology era when unskilled workers may be replaced by automation. David Lamotte, ILO Vice Director for Asia-Pacific, said that the changes will take place in the next few years as cost for technology will decrease while that for workforce will increase. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the 2017-2025 period, Vietnam’s workforce will rise 1.28 percent or 723,000 people per year, while the total workforce will reach 62 million in 2025. In order to provide jobs for all, the economy should create additional 650,000 jobs, according to the ministry, adding that transforming labour structure is a way to increase labour productivity. By 2016, only 11.2 million labouers in the total number of 56.4 million, or 20.6 percent, have been trained. The qualifications of labourers are different between urban and rural areas, while the trained workforce has yet to match the market’s requirements, said the ministry. HCM City aims to build road beside clogged highway The HCM City People’s Committee has sought the Government’s approval to build a new road running parallel to its suburban National Highway No 50. The road will begin at Pham Hung Street Extension in Binh Chanh District and run up to the city’s border with Long An Province. It will help improve traffic capacity on the route and reduce the time it takes to travel from the city to nearby provinces. The new road will have six lanes, and will be built under PPP (public-private partnership) mode with the public component provided by the city. If approved, the new road will be added to the city’s transportation plan for 2020 and built in 2016-20. An earlier plan to widen the highway has finally been scrapped after long consideration because of the likely difficulties in acquiring land since there are many new urban areas and industrial parks along it. The 95.2-kilometre National Highway No 50, which runs through HCM City, Long An and Tien Giang provinces, is often overloaded because of the large number of vehicles transporting goods from provinces to the city. Drug gang busted in Đồng Nai The Đồng Nai drug police agency busted a drug gang on Tuesday, arresting four suspects and seizing heroin, meth and ecstasy from them. The arrested were identified as Đào Tuấn Anh, 26, of Bình Dương Province, Trần Thanh Trung, 25, of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province and Trần Quốc Bảo, 28, and Nguyễn Huy Bình, 26, of Đồng Nai. According to the Police Deparment for Investigation of Drug-related Crimes (PC47), they caught Anh with 148 ecstasy pills, six packs of heroin, and five mobile phones in Tam Phước Commune in Biên Hòa City. They then raided his house and discovered a shotgun with 80 bullets. Bảo and Trung were caught in Tam Phước with heroin and US$900 and VNĐ5 million ($220) in cash. A searching of their houses turned up more heroin, a car, and more than VNĐ600 million ($26,406) in cash. Bình had two packs of meth and a car. The four allegedly bought drugs and sold them in Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, and Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu provinces. The cars the police found were hired. Saigon-Hanoi ranks 7th among world's busiest air routes About 4.1 million passengers are estimated to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi this year, putting the route among the world's most busiest, according to the UK.-based air travel company OAG. Latest data from the company showed that the northbound route came in at the seventh place in the list of global busiest air routes, up five spots from a year ago. The route accounts for about 35% of the country’s air traffic, with up to 700 daily flights carrying passengers. Huge numbers of passengers traveling between the two largest cities have also strained Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Lai Xuan Thanh, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, said that there were times dozens of flights had to fly around, waiting for 15-60 minutes before they could land. The airport is expected to handle 31 million passengers this year, far beyond its maximum capacity of 25 million. Thanh said that the situation is likely to worsen in the next four years as domestic carriers plan to expand to meet the local travel boom. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, low-cost Jetstar Pacific and VietJet Air, and newly-founded Vietstar had raised the total number of airplanes to 141 by the end of the third quarter, up 50% against five years ago. They are planning to expand their fleets to a combined 263 aircraft by 2020. Vietstar has not been licensed to fly. To handle the problem of overcrowded airports, authorities are considering increasing the number of night flights and putting a cap on the number of new planes local airlines can buy. Vietnam’s aviation market is growing at the third fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the aviation administration. It is estimated that the number of passengers, including international ones, in 2016 will jump by 29% to hit about 52.2 million. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE |
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How can the deadlock of ASEAN on the East Sea be overcome? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will celebrate its 50th founding anniversary next year. So, it's time for the organization to consider the near future. A particularly important question is how to help ASEAN become more effective in addressing the emerging security challenges. The biggest worry now is that currently ASEAN cannot form a common stance on the issue of the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) dispute, mainly because of the principles of consensus of this association. The consensus principle  Vietnam’s President Tran Dai Quang at the 38th Singapore Lecture forum, held by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, with the theme "Strengthening partnership for sustainable development of the region". Due to the great diversity of the ASEAN member countries, the association has considered the consensus principle as a fundamental principle of its activities. Officially put on the ASEAN Charter in Article 20, this rule helps to ensure the equality of sovereignty among member states and prevent any member country from being marginalized in the association’s important decisions. Although the consensus principle helps ASEAN maintain unity and make the member states feel more comfortable participating in the association, sometimes it becomes a problem. For example, ASEAN was perplexed in issuing a response to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in the United States as well as the fight against terrorism led by the United States later, especially in the Middle East. A larger number of members make it difficult for association to find a common voice. The increasing number of members also facilitates the intervention of external powers in the process of making decision, if the powers find out that this decision will be unfavorable for their national interests. Security in the East Sea At the 45th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) hosted by Cambodia in July 2012, ASEAN did not have a joint statement for the first time in its history. At the 49th annual meeting held in July 2016, the ASEAN foreign ministers once again did not reach consensus on adding opinions on the historic ruling released by an international arbitration court on the lawsuit between the Philippines and China related to the East Sea into its joint statement. If ASEAN keeps failing to deal with disagreements, the goal of "maintaining and enhancing peace" as its Charter stated will be suspected. More importantly, if ASEAN does not take action to solve a problem that is so important to peace and security in the region, some member states and partners may seek outside mediation to address this matter. If that happens, it will affect the unity and the central role of the Association. Therefore, ASEAN needs to discuss ways to reshape itself in order better implement the principle of consensus to ensure that the interests of member states may be in harmony with the interests of the entire association, thereby helping maintain the central role of ASEAN in the regional security architecture. This pressing need has been highlighted in recent years. Notably, at the 38th Singapore Lecture in late August 2016, President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang also said that although consensus is a fundamental principle of ASEAN, ASEAN needs to establish additional mechanisms to allow a certain degree of flexibility in managing a number of emerging issues. Towards a policy to make decisions based on majority votes  A solution for this is to apply the mechanism to make decisions based on a vote by majority instead of the consensus principle. This is not a new proposal for ASEAN. For example, in the 2006 report, the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for advice on the ASEAN Charter said that as the scope of activities of ASEAN is expanding, ASEAN should consider alternative decision-making mechanisms which are more flexible, including the vote. Also, besides the principle of "ASEAN minus X" in the economic field, there was also precedence for the mechanism of making decisions based on majority votes in the field of politics - security. For example, the Treaty on Southeast Asia without Nuclear Weapons 1995 stated that decisions made by a committee established under the Treaty will be made by consensus, or if consensus is not reached, then by a majority of two thirds of the presenting member states who vote. Thus, we can say that the application of the mechanism of making decision based on majority vote in the fields of politics and security should not be regarded as an "impossible mission" for ASEAN. The matter is how to design a voting mechanism that is attractive enough and can be accepted by all ASEAN member states. Firstly, a voting mechanism based on the "super-majority" or two-thirds should be regarded as a reasonable starting point to bring this idea into discussion. Accordingly, each member state will be entitled to one vote with equal value and any decision made must be backed by at least seven of the 10 member states. In that case the two-thirds majority is considered a too low threshold. ASEAN might consider a higher threshold, for example, three quarters. Accordingly, decisions are made if they are backed by at least 8 of the 10 member states. Secondly, in case that ASEAN cannot reach consensus on a certain issue, there should be a clear distinction between the two types of problems. The first type are problems with a clear impact on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and domestic autonomy of any member state; and the second type are problems with a clear impact on the peace and security of the region. The ASEAN member countries must seek consensus in the matters of the first category, unless the countries directly affected have different decisions. As for the problems of the second kind, ASEAN should apply the principle of making decisions based on majority vote. Accordingly, if an issue under consideration has no obvious impact to the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political autonomy of any member state but has an important impact on peace and security of the region, the member states should not be allowed to veto against the interests of the remaining nine members and detrimental to peace and security in the region. Institutional reform: focus on the East Sea issue  Special conference of ASEAN - China Foreign Ministers at Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, China. In the case that ASEAN cannot adopt a decision-making mechanism based on voting by majority, the member states may need to search for new institutional arrangements to overcome the impasse caused by the principle of consensus, through which they can address more effectively urgent security problems, especially East Sea disputes. First of all, ASEAN should consider establishing an ASEAN Commission on the East Sea Dispute Management. This committee should be a permanent body including the four ASEAN countries directly involved in the disputes as well as other ASEAN member countries that are concerned with this issue. The main purpose of this committee is to help coordinate ASEAN's position on the East Sea issue and serve as a centralized point of contact to help coordinate ASEAN with China in dispute management. Accordingly, the commission should be assigned the task of making the joint ASEAN response to the incidents in the East Sea, and compile the contents on the East Sea dispute in joint statements as well as other appropriate documents of ASEAN. If it is established, this committee will be an important institutional step forward for ASEAN to better manage the East Sea disputes. Secondly, if the committee is not established, the ASEAN claimants of the East Sea might consider restoring its consultative groups for the East Sea issue. This mechanism used to help the countries of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam exchange views and set a common stance on the East Sea dispute before the ASEAN meetings. If the consultation group is resumed, and especially if it is institutionalized and expanded to include the ASEAN countries that do not participate in the East Sea dispute, but are interested in this issue, it could play a suitable role, though less formal, to help ASEAN more efficiently resolve issues related to the East Sea disputes. Finally, in case all of the above measures are not possible, the nations with the same sense of purpose in the region, whether involved in the East Sea dispute or being a member of ASEAN, should work together to establish a regional consultation group on the East Sea dispute. Operating outside the framework of ASEAN, this consultation group will help coordinate the members' stance on the East Sea disputes, especially at regional forums like the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) or the East Asia Summit (EAS). In the long term, if it is possible, this consultation group could evolve into a regional security arrangement mechanism to support security mechanism led by ASEAN. Although such a consultation group may undermine the unity and ASEAN's central role, perhaps that's the only possible measure to help the countries concerned resolve the East Sea dispute in an effective way if ASEAN cannot overcome the impasse caused by the consensus principle. In general, the principle of consensus so far has played a very important role for the success of ASEAN. However, as the regional context has changed rapidly, this principle makes ASEAN become less effective in addressing the urgent security issues, including the East Sea disputes. The above initiatives can help ASEAN overcome this limitation. However, ASEAN still has huge benefits in maintaining the principle of consensus in important issues, and especially if the East Sea dispute is no longer a dangerous threat to peace in the region. To achieve this purpose, there should be activities to strengthen confidence-building, cooperation, and dialogue among the member countries of ASEAN, and between ASEAN and China. All ASEAN members should strive to achieve a balance between national interests and the greater common interests of the whole region. Meanwhile, some powers outside ASEAN should be more sensitive to the security concerns of ASEAN members, and should act appropriately to turn the East Sea into an area of peace and prosperity rather than an arena of tension and confrontation. VNN,Dr. Le Hong Hiep Dr. Le Hong Hiep is the principal researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute), Singapore. The author would like to thank Hoang Thi Ha, Tang Siew Mun and Termsak Chalermpalanupap for their ideas, comments and suggestions which have been very useful for this article. |
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Vietnamese woman puts rat poison in niece’s noodle broth pot over land dispute Ho Chi Minh City police have summoned a woman for questioning after she was found sneaking rat poison into a pot of broth in her niece’s noodle stand over land disputes.  The poisoned pot of noodle broth is sealed and kept at the police station.Tuoi Tre Investigative police officers of District 9 on Sunday questioned Ho Thi Ngoc Diep, 52, over her allegedly deliberate poisoning of her niece’s pot of noodle broth. Diep and her niece, Tran Thi Bach Tuyet, 37, had prior disputes over land ownership, according to their testimonies at the police station. According to Tuyet’s statement, she was preparing the broth for her noodle stand early Sunday morning when she rushed to buy some more spices, leaving the pot unattended. “When I returned, I found it suspicious that the color of the broth was different than usual, but Diep insisted that she had nothing to do with it when I confronted her,” Tuyet recalled. Tuyet left the pot untouched and notified local police of the suspected poisoning. Footage retrieved from a nearby security camera showed her aunt sneaking something into the pot while Tuyet was away. At the police station, Diep admitted to having put rat poison in Tuyet’s pot of broth. According to Tuyet, she serves at least 70 customers a morning at her noodle stand, all of whom could have been poisoned if she had not discovered the crime. TUOI TRE NEWS |
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Vu Quang Hai resigns from Sabeco after public opposition The Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed that former minister Vu Huy Hoang's son, Vu Quang Hai resigned from Saigon Alcohol Beer and Beverages Corporation (Sabeco)'s management board on December 21. Hai's resignation will be accepted in accordance with the regulations. The ministry is also carrying out the Central Inspection Committee’s punishments for officials involved in the promotion of Vu Quang Hai.  Vu Quang Hai In August, the head of Vietnam Association of Financial Investors Nguyen Dinh Cung sent a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, urging the ministry to inspect the appointment of former minister’s son, Vu Quang Hai, as deputy CEO of Sabeco in early 2015. Before the promotion Hai was the general director of PetroVietnam Finance Investment JSC. Between 2011 and 2012, under Hai’s management, the company racked up losses of VND220 billion (USD10 million) compared to registered capital of USD13.5 million. Cung branded the ministry "shameless" after it claimed the promotion of former minister's son had followed all procedures. dtinews.vn |
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The ‘dragon fish’ threat While Vietnam has seen a ‘whirlwind’ of goods from ASEAN countries and China, Vietnamese enterprises still have not found effective solutions to conquer the vast ASEAN market of 1.9 billion consumers.  An image of dragon fish is used to describe the situation of the ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA) because of the characteristic of the fish. Each fish is peaceful and gentle in a separate area, but it will become aggressive and try to fight if it is paired with another dragon fish. The government has released a list of products that will receive preferential tariffs under ACFTA. These include farm produce, meat and seafood. As such, Vietnam’s farm produce would face stiff competition. Chinese goods, with low prices, would reach every corner of the Vietnamese market.
It is expected that the liberalization rate that Vietnam will offer to China and ASEAN is 86 percent by 2020. This means pressure on the domestic market. An analyst commented that Chinese have taken action to take full advantage of FTAs. Miniso has signed a franchise contract to enter the Vietnamese market, announcing a plan to open 12 branches in large cities this year. Some months ago, Alibaba took over Lazada in a step to more quickly penetrate the SE Asian market. Lazada could be a channel through which Alibaba brings Chinese goods to Vietnam. A report of the General Department of Customs (GDC) showed that China remains the biggest exporter to Vietnam with $40.3 billion worth of export turnover to Vietnam in the first 10 months of the year. Meanwhile, Vietnam could only export $17.3 billion worth of products to China, which means the large trade gap of $23 billion. Vietnam also imports products in large quantities from regional countries, including Thailand ($6.27 billion), Malaysia ($3.7 billion) and Singapore ($3.59 billion). As for the Thai market, Vietnam spent $289.6 million to import fruits and consumer goods, many of which can be produced domestically. Le Dang Doanh, a renowned economist, said that Vietnam’s 10 percent reduction in exports to ASEAN and the increased trade deficit show the weak competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises. “Vietnam may become a depressed area in ASEAN in the years to come,” he said. Nguyen Van Khanh from the HCMC Leather and Footwear Association noted that in previous years, Chinese goods were a threat to Vietnamese products, but now, Thailand is the biggest rival. In such fierce competition, Vietnamese enterprises show signs of a shortness of breath. Vietnam’s exports to Cambodia have decreased by 30-40 percent as the neighboring country has increased imports from China and Thailand. Kim Chi, VNN |
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Indonesia initiates an anti-dumping investigation of Vietnamese steel
HÀ NỘI – Indonesian Anti-Dumping Committee (KADI) has initiated an anti-dumping investigation of relevant colour-coated steel sheet imports from China and Việt Nam. This was revealed by the Việt Nam Competition Authority (VCA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. VCA said the investigation could be implemented for 12 months and extended to 18 months if required. The decision was made following the complaint by PT NS BlueScope Indonesia alleging that repeated illegal trade practices have devastated production and employment and are causing irreparable harm to the Indonesian steel industry. The colour-coated steel being investigated have HS codes of 7210.70.10.00, 7212.40.10.00 and 7212.40.20.00. Large Indonesian steelmakers are seeking an anti-dumping investigation and the imposition of tariffs on steel imports from both Việt Nam and China. KADI said from July 2015 to June 2016, Indonesia imported 224,120 tonnes of colour-coated steel, of which, imports from Việt Nam and China were 196,191 tonnes, accounting for 87.5 per cent of the country’s total steel imports. VCA said Vietnamese colour-coated steel has been also under investigation by Thailand following the complaint of the NS BlueScope Company. The product can be levied anti-dumping taxes of 4.51 to 60.26 per cent in Thailand. Viet Nam News |
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