Vietnam Economy Forum

[Viet]

AccorHotels unveils Pullman Vung Tau, the 4th Pullman hotel in Vietnam
A newly inspired seaside hotel offering the best amenities for business and leisure guests

23 December 2015

AccorHotels opens Pullman Vung Tau, the first five-star international hotel in the seaside destination, just 1.5 hours drive from Ho Chi Minh city. Featuring the largest meeting facilities in Southern Vietnam and spectacular beach views, Pullman Vung Tau is perfect for business and leisure travellers seeking a quick getaway from Ho Chi Minh city.

"Pullman is AccorHotels' upscale brand specifically catering to today's modern travellers," said Mr. Patrick Basset, Chief Operating Officer for AccorHotels Upper Southeast and Northeast Asia. "Half of Pullman's global hotel network is located in Asia Pacific, making it one of the most preferred brands among seasoned cosmopolitan travellers in the region. Following three other successful Pullman openings in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh city, AccorHotels is very proud to introduce Pullman Vung Tau in the increasingly popular resort destination known for its coastlines."

The hotel has 356 spacious rooms and suites. These stylish, modern rooms are cocoons of tranquillity and privacy designed for rest, work or play. Each room category (Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Executive and Deluxe Suite) provides breath-taking views of the city and sea, along with complimentary Wi-Fi and a unique Pullman bedding concept with memory foam pillows, promising guests a restful nights sleep. The executive rooms and suites on the 10th through 12thfloors feature additional amenities including espresso machine, Jazz Blu Dock and exclusive access to the Executive Lounge located on the 11th floor. The Executive Lounge offers guests VIP check-in and check-out, breakfast, evening cocktails and use of a private meeting room.

Mr. Raetus Balzer, General Manager of Pullman Vung Tau said, "Pullman is renowned for its vibrant and cosmopolitan touch while maintaining a reputation of innovation and comfort for all types of guests. Our hotel is a perfect choice for travellers seeking a work- life balance. The hotel provides a unique choice for global nomads living in Vietnam and beyond, as well as locals residing in the nearby business hub of Saigon."

Pullman Vung Tau's food and beverage outlets offer a unique dining experience. The all-day dining restaurant, Riviera, serves a sumptuous buffet spread for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as an international and locally-inspired a-la-carte menu, all served from a theatrical open kitchen. At the stylish Corniche Ultra Lounge,
guests can relish PullmanTapastry, a tapas menu concept with a variety of small bites, or enjoy a selection of international or local wine hand selected by the sommelier at Vinoteca. The Lobby Bar provides an intimate yet relaxed ambiance suited for social appointments or business meetings, while Pool Bar promises a delicious selection of cocktails and refreshments.

The hotel also offers 2,036 square metres of flexible meetings and events space comprised of two Grand Ballrooms, four multi-functional meeting rooms and a chill-out area. The meeting rooms are equipped with the latest technology, flat screen LCDs, teleconferencing services and high-speed Wi-Fi.

Gym fanatics can look forward to a great workout at the 24/7 Fit Lounge, which offers various cardio-training and floor exercises with the latest equipment or relax with a dip at the hotel pool. Young ones will also delight in a separate children's pool.

To celebrate its opening, the hotel is offering a special rate of VND 1,700,000++ (USD 77++) per room per night.

Pullman Vung Tau is located at 15 Thi Sach street, Thang Tam ward, Vung Tau city, 95 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh city. For more information, please visit www.accorhotels.com, email h7133@pullmanvungtau.com or contact +84 (64) 355 1777 for general enquiries or reservations.

 

[vtnsx]

AMWay is a scam company.

 

[Viet]

Vietnam's 2015 economic growth hits 8-yr high of 6.68%: govt

Vietnam's economy has expanded an estimated 6.68 per cent in 2015, the fastest growth since 2007 and extending growth momentum that started in 2012, the government said on Saturday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Dec 26, 2015 2:07 PM

[HANOI] Vietnam's economy has expanded an estimated 6.68 per cent in 2015, the fastest growth since 2007 and extending growth momentum that started in 2012, the government said on Saturday.

The annual growth rate exceeds a 6.55 per cent forecast by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung early this month.

The Southeast Asian nation's economic growth has been accelerating every year since 2012, when it slipped to 5.25 per cent from 6.24 per cent the previous year.

The government has projected economic growth of 6.7 per cent next year.

Vietnam's 2015 economic growth hits 8-yr high of 6.68%: govt, Government & Economy - THE BUSINESS TIMES

 

[Viet]

Industries | Mon Dec 28, 2015 4:00pm EST
Related: Financials, Non-Cyclical Consumer Goods
Facing TPP dairy deluge, Vietnam milk firms shift strategy to survive
HANOI | By Mai Nguyen

cows are seen before milking at a farm in Moc Chau plateau in Vietnam. The Vietnam dairy industry was worth US$2.8 billion in 2013 and may have grown to US$4.1 billion this year. – Reuters pic, December 29, 2015.



Dec 29 Vietnam's fast-growing dairy companies are investing big in new markets as they brace for stepped-up competition at home from global giants on the prowl to take advantage of a Pacific trade pact.

Domestic milk demand is soaring as household spending power increases in the country of 90 million people, boosting profits for dairy firms that are expanding quickly, but can meet only a third of the milk needs.

That's leaving a void that giants like New Zealand's Fonterra and Canada's Saputo could fill with new products and lower prices once the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) comes into play, eliminating tariffs among 12 markets worth 40 percent of the global economy, and nearly three-fourths of Vietnam's dairy imports.

It is the flip-side of the communist country's aggressive drive to outpace Southeast Asia in getting preferential access to the world's biggest markets for its swelling electronics, textiles, seafood and commodities output.

Trade liberalisation would strengthen a vibrant economy set to grow to $200 billion this year, but foreign competition from the TPP could deal a heavy blow to local firms that lack capital and expertise and are unfit to join supply chains. According to private estimates TPP would add 15 percent to Vietnam's economy up to 2025, compared to less than 2.2 percent for Malaysia and Singapore.

That would further burnish an economy that has grown at a rapid 5 percent-plus clip over the past 15 years.

Vietnamese diary firms, bracing for stiffer competition, are seeking to expand overseas and utilise non-TPP trade deals, or find niche markets at home to navigate the pitfalls of the biggest trade pact in a generation.

"TPP is definitely a challenge, from big investors entering the market, tariffs cuts ... but we've been preparing for five years," Hoang Cong Trang, vice president of unlisted dairy outfit TH Group, told Reuters.

On top of ploughing $1.2 billion into domestic projects, TH recently announced $2.7 billion of investment into cow farms, milk plants and distribution channels in Russia, which has a dairy shortage and is squeezed by European Union sanctions over its military intervention in Ukraine.

"The Vietnam market has much potential, and so too Russia," Trang added.

According to local VPBANK Securities, which cites Euromonitor, the Vietnam dairy industry was worth $2.8 billion in 2013 and may have grown to $4.1 billion this year.

BIG PROSPECTS

TPP members New Zealand and the United States in 2014 exported a combined $18.2 billion of dairy products globally and produced 115 million tonnes of raw milk, while Vietnam imported $1.1 billion of dairy produce last year.

Vietnam's top listed company by capitalisation, Vinamilk is also looking abroad, though incrementally, with an initial $30 million into the United States, New Zealand and Cambodia and $3 million in Poland, aiming to eventually use it as a gateway to the EU, with which Hanoi has concluded a free-trade agreement.

Vinamilk's strong prospects have put it on foreign investors' radars and the government's recent decision to divest its 45 percent stake sent the stock to an all-time high on speculation that second-biggest shareholder Fraser and Neave would snap up the state's holdings for $4 billion.

Vinamilk's shares have risen about 60 percent this year and the company's value has increased 10 times over the past decade to $6.8 billion. Net profit last quarter rose 55 percent from the same time in 2014 to $95 million, while revenue overseas increased 44 percent annually to $264 million during January-September, compared with just 10 percent at home.

Conglomerate Hoang Anh Gia Lai is keen to tap the diary demand at home and this year listed a $1.1 billion agribusiness unit that's larger than its parent and predicts cows would deliver about half the group's 2015 revenue.

Smaller companies struggling with capital are also shifting strategy, to niche areas like fresh milk through cooperatives used successfully in New Zealand.

"Foreign companies face very high transportation and maintenance costs," said Tran Cong Chien, chairman of cooperative Mocchau Milk. "I can totally compete on fresh milk."

Those unable to evolve face a bleak future from TPP, not just in dairy, but multiple sectors across Vietnam's fast-growing but already heavily foreign-invested economy.

"There were times people poured milk on the road rather than sell at low prices," said Dang Thi Thu Huyen, who traded pigs for cows she thought would be lucrative.

"I'm not sure I can hold on for much longer. I was already late to the game."

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Martin Petty & Shri Navaratnam)

Facing TPP dairy deluge, Vietnam milk firms shift strategy to survive| Reuters

 

[Carlosa]

Impressive traffic projects in Vietnam in 2015
Image: Impressive traffic projects in Vietnam in 2015 - News VietNamNet

VietNamNet Bridge - Many traffic projects were completed in 2015 to become focal points and create a new face for transport infrastructure and contribute to the economic development of regions.

1/ 105km Hanoi-Hai Phong Highway: The construction of Vietnam’s most modern highway started in May, 2008 and was completed in late December this year. Total investment capital was estimated at VND45,487 billion (US$2.02 billion). This is the first highway of Vietnam built under international standards. Permissible speed is 120 kilometers an hour and standard toll rate is VND1,500 per vehicle per kilometer. The highway goes through four provinces of Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong.

It starts from Hanoi’s belt road No. 3 to the port of Dinh Vu in Hai Phong. It helps shorten travel time between Hanoi and Hai Phong from 2.5 hours to less than 1.5 hours.

2/ The upgraded and extended National Highway 1 from Thanh Hoa to Can Tho. On December 26, a 40km section of the National Highway 1 through the central province of Ninh Thuan opened to traffic. This is the last section of the project to expand the National Highway 1 from Thanh Hoa to Can Tho, with a total length of 1,342 km. The project was implemented in three years. Earlier, the 133 km section between Hanoi and Thanh Hoa was put into operation in 2013. Passing through 20 provinces and cities, the highway has four lanes for motor vehicles and two lanes for others, which can run at the highest speed of 80km/h.

3/ Ho Chi Minh Highway through the Central Highland (National Highway 14) was completed in July 2015 with a length of 420 km. Passing through the mountains and forest of the Central Highlands, the upgraded Ho Chi Minh Highway erased the "path of suffering" of the past, enabling people to travel easily and boost economic development in the region.

4/ The three-storey overpass at Hue T-junction in Da Nang City is situated on National Highway 1A. It is the first three-storey overpass in Vietnam. It was built in 16 months, consisting of the ground floor, a roundabout and the third floor. It is able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.

The total investment in this project is close to VND1,800 billion (nearly $900 million). Technically, the overpass has a total of 491 piles and 50 spans with a total length of over 2 km. Each floor has four lanes. The highlight of this work is the Linga-shaped pillar of 65 meters high and Yoni roundabout, representing Yin and Yang. The roundabout is 150m in diameter. The work is a new symbol of Da Nang.

5/ Co Chien Bridge: The bridge connecting the Mekong Delta provinces of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh opened to traffic on May 16, reducing the distance between HCMC and Tra Vinh by ten kilometers to 60 kilometers.

The Co Chien Bridge crosses the river of the same name and connects Mo Cay Nam District in Ben Tre and Cang Long District in Tra Vinh. The bridge project has two components. The first, comprising a 1.6-kilometer bridge of four lanes, was built under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format at a total cost of nearly VND2.3 trillion, with VND1.24 trillion from the investor’s equity and the remainder from the State budget. Financed by the State, the second component worth VND997 billion upgraded 9.39 kilometers of approach road in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.

After finishing the bridge, the consortium of Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 1 (Cienco 1), Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company and NBB Investment Corporation involved in this BOT project can collect tolls for a period of 19 years and three months to recover their capital.

Co Chien is one of four major bridges on National Highway 60. The other three are Rach Mieu, Ham Luong and Dai Nga. It is one of the important links between Highway 60 and highways in the eastern coast corridor of the Mekong Delta, including Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces.

Before Co Chien Bridge was finished, the distance between HCMC and Tra Vinh through National Highway 1A was 70 kilometers.

6/ 44 railway bridges were completed in 2015. These bridges replaced old ones, which were almost 100 years old and located on prime locations of the North-South railway system of Vietnam. The total investment in this project was more than VND9.2 trillion ($450 million), using Japanese ODA. This project was carried out over many years. The completion of these bridges helped shorten the traveling time of the North-South trains by 2-3 hours.

7/ The Ministry of Transport this year completed the construction of 187 suspension bridges in 28 mountainous provinces. This project was conducted within two years. Since the bridges were built, many villages of ethnic minorities are no longer isolated in the rainy season. The second phase of the project will start in 2017 with the goal of building 295 suspension bridges in remote areas.

 

[Viet]

not too bad, but I hope we soon have the money for HSR.

 

[Carlosa]

Why Vietnam’s economy is outperforming its Southeast Asian peers
Why Vietnam’s economy is outperforming its Southeast Asian peers - Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: A global trade recession and a slower-growing China have hobbled economic growth in most parts of Southeast Asia this year, except in one country which has seemingly managed to defy gravity.

Vietnam’s fourth quarter gross domestic product (GDP) grew at its fastest pace in five years, rising 7.01 per cent compared to the 6.9 per cent growth over the same period in 2014, government statistics released on Saturday (Dec 26) showed. The growth rate was an increase from the 6.87 per cent in the third quarter and easily surpassed the government’s official target of 6.2 per cent.

This puts Vietnam at the top of the GDP growth leaderboard in Southeast Asia.

While second-placed Philippines, picked up somewhat to see 6 per cent growth in the third quarter, economists generally expect the country to miss its full-year GDP target of 6 per cent when it releases fourth-quarter growth data next month. Meanwhile, other regional countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have endured slower growth rates in 2015, largely due to the economic woes in China. Malaysia, in particular, logged its lowest GDP growth rate in more than two years over the July to September period.

Vietnam usually releases growth estimates before the end of the quarter, weeks ahead of its regional peers.

STRENGTHS

One area in which Vietnam is faring better that its peers is exports.

According to official figures, the country's exports rose 8.1 per cent in the 12 months through December, while imports climbed 12 per cent.

Mr Rajiv Biswas, the chief economist for Asia-Pacific at IHS Global Insight, attributed Vietnam’s trade resilience to the country’s success in diversifying its exports towards electronics and garment manufacturing.

Apart from the types of goods produced, Vietnam also has diversification in terms of export markets, said Mr Glenn Maguire, ANZ’s chief economist for Asia-Pacific.

“The regional trade and growth slowdown is emanating from China’s rebalancing and a recovery in the US and high-income economies that is spilling over more to demand for services rather than goods. This means that undiversified commodity exporters are bearing the brunt of the regional trade and growth slowdown such as Indonesia and Malaysia,” the Singapore-based economist said in an email interview.

Secondly, the Southeast Asian country of 89.7 million is also getting a lift from record foreign direct investments (FDI), underpinned by the country’s growing attractiveness as an investment destination, thanks to geographic advantage, low labour and operating costs, as well as Vietnam’s participation in regional trade pacts. This flurry of international interest helped FDI inflows to hit a record high of US$14.5 billion thus far in 2015, up 17.4 per cent year-on-year, according to IHS’ Mr Biswas.

Economists also point to a recovery in credit growth, as the government made progress in clearing up bad debts that have been a major drag on economic growth.

According to a statement from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on Dec 24, annual credit growth is expected to quicken to 18 per cent in 2015, outperforming a previous government target of 17 per cent. Meanwhile, bad debts in the banking system fell to 2.72 per cent as of Nov 30, down slightly from 2.93 per cent at the end of September, the central bank said.

A “measured depreciation” of the Vietnamese dong over the course of 2015 has also helped, according to Mr Vishnu Varathan, a senior economist at Mizuho Bank in Singapore. The SBV has devalued the Vietnamese currency three times this year, the latest being in August, pushing the dong down nearly 6 per cent against the US dollar thus far.

“Rather than doing an abrupt depreciation, the moves have been slow and well-communicated. This helped to ease the pressure in the economy,” Mr Varathan said in a telephone interview.

MORE GROWTH TO COME IN 2016

Moving forward, analysts believe that Vietnam’s success story has further room to run, even as inflation eased to a 14-year low in December.

Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) rose just 0.6 per cent on-year in the final month of 2015, marking its lowest level since 2001, thanks to tumbling crude oil prices. On a month-on-month basis, headline CPI inflation nudged up a meagre 0.02 per cent.

Persistently low inflation amplifies the risk of outright deflation, but analysts say this is less of a threat for an emerging market such as Vietnam.

“Given Vietnam’s demographics and development cycle, low inflation doesn’t edge into the psyche of consumers that prices will remain on a downward spiral. Low to zero inflation will be taken as a relief instead,” said Mr Varathan. “This is one of the nuances in developing economies where ultra-low inflation do not evoke fears that are commonly seen in developed economies.”

Mr Biswas from IHS echoed these sentiments, noting that benign inflation will allow interest rates to stay low and curb pressures for inflation-linked wage increases. These in turn help to shape a stable economic environment that is attractive for foreign investors.

Nonetheless, analysts said the factors which have thus far helped to speed up Vietnam’s GDP growth will not insulate the country entirely from external risks such as a lacklustre global trade environment and China’s economic slowdown.

“Lingering external risks will mean that Vietnam won’t be in a very sweet spot with rapid acceleration in growth in 2016,” said Mizuho’s Mr Varathan. “It is a positive picture, but just nothing too dramatic.”

Analysts Channel NewsAsia spoke to expect Vietnam’s economy to expand between 6.5 and 6.9 per cent in 2016.

 

[Aepsilons]

Japan's Koizumi Group acquires stake in Vietnam's steel firm: media

Koizumi Group, a major wholesaler of housing equipment and materials in Japan, has acquired a 23 percent stake in Vietnamese-owned QH Plus, local media reported Thursday.
The deal, whose value has not been disclosed, is expected to help Koizumi expand into Vietnam's construction materials market.
Founded in 2006, QH Plus is a known producer and trader of steel products and other construction materials in Vietnam with offices in China, Japan and other ASEAN countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

Its sales are estimated at US$100 million this year, compared to $90.63 million the year before, according to the reports.
The Japanese company runs nine subsidiaries and more than 100 sales offices mostly in Japan with sales of over US$1.14 billion last year, they said.


Japan's Koizumi Group acquires stake in Vietnam's steel firm: media | Business | Thanh Nien Daily

------------

HA NOI (VNS) — The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) has joined hands with Viet Nam in setting up a chain of agricultural manufacturing units, involving production, processing and consumption activities.

JICA's Chief Representative in Viet Nam Mori Mutsuya said this at a conference held today in Ha Noi.

JICA's partners are the agriculture and rural development ministry (MARD), the central Nghe An Province, Lam Dong Central Highlands Province and the northern Ha Nam Province.

Mori said the key to making the co-operative projects successful was the close co-operation between the concerned agencies.

With help from MARD, pilot projects in Lam Dong, Nghe An and Ha Nam provinces will become stable and be expanded to other localities.

JICA's survey in Lam Dong Province showed that the local farmers' income was only one-ninth of those in Malaysia. If Japanese enterprises invested in Viet Nam, not only the enterprises but local farmers too would get great opportunities, Mori said.

For instance, the local farmers' income in Lam Dong has increased by nine times ever since they started planting flowers instead of coffee trees.

Yamamoto Satoshi, JICA official in charge of agriculture, said MARD should supervise the above-mentioned project and replicate the model. While implementing the project, local farmers should pinpoint the problems and define which of them could not solved by them and then ask for support from JICA.

Mori said manpower training was also one of the targets in the Viet Nam-Japan dialogue on agricultural development co-operation.

Manpower training in agriculture and environment sectors will be conducted at Can Tho University.

JICA is also planning to join hands with the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture in researching rice varieties.

Mori said after the medium-term and long-term visions of the Viet Nam-Japan dialogue on agricultural development co-operation were formulated, the number of Japanese enterprises paying attention to Vietnamese agriculture had increased.

Viet Nam's agriculture could not develop properly because of problems such as farmers and enterprises facing difficulties in accessing credit with interest, lack of information technology and of information about consumers.


JICA sees heightened Japanese interest in VN agriculture - Society - VietNam News

 

[Carlosa]

Trade-friendly Vietnam now offers far more than just low-cost labor
By Thao Vi, Thanh Nien News
HO CHI MINH CITY - Friday, January 08, 2016

Trade-friendly Vietnam now offers far more than just low-cost labor | Business | Thanh Nien Daily

“Vietnam has a lot more to offer investors than just low-cost labor,” Guibert told Thanh Nien News in a recent email interview. “The country is fast developing economically and has a large consuming class of its own. It also takes an increasingly liberal approach to trade as witnessed by the EU-Vietnam FTA, the TPP and other trade deals that Vietnam has undertaken recently.”

As manufacturers are moving their factories from China to ASEAN countries, Guibert said that move “is not solely about labor costs though such costs are certainly a significant element.”

He said the ASEAN Economic Community, which will remove many trade barriers within the region, coupled with the large and growing population and a young and relatively tech savvy working populations, will make the region a more attractive place for investors.

The prime beneficiaries of the move from China will be countries which adopt a more liberal approach to regulation and shy away from unexpected regulatory developments, according to Guibert.

“Countries such as Vietnam which are opening up more and more are certainly well positioned to take the most advantage,” he said.

The country is fast developing economically and has a large consuming class of its own." -- Francois Guibert, Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council

Vietnam’s actual foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow hit a record of US$14.5 billion last year, or a 17.4-percent year-on-year increase, official data showed.

Meanwhile, new FDI pledges dropped 0.4 percent to $15.58 billion. Nearly 70 percent of the new investment pledges are for the manufacturing and processing industry, followed by the energy and property sectors.

Vietnam's economy expanded 6.68 percent in 2015, the fastest pace in five years. That growth rate, supported by an expanding industrial sector and foreign investment, beat the government's estimate of 6.5 percent.

In a move to make the business environment even more attractive, in late-December the government published a list of 17 business sectors that are open to foreign investors, with some conditions.

Earlier in December, Vietnam signed a free trade deal with the EU, making it the first Southeast Asian country signing the FTA with the bloc.

“The fact that Vietnam has been willing and able to enter into such an agreement is a clear sign that the country is positioning itself as being open for international trade and investment, to be a gateway not only to ASEAN but also to the broader Asia-Pacific Region,” said Guibert.

Region-to-region FTA

The EU has also concluded its agreement with Singapore and is holding separate talks with Malaysia and Thailand to secure similar free trade deals.

In addition, the EU-ASEAN Business Council is supporting and actively advocating for a region-to-region FTA between the EU and ASEAN because it “sees real and tangible benefits in such a trade deal, both politically and economically,” Guibert said.

A regional FTA between the two blocs would be “an important political statement from the part of the EU, acknowledging ASEAN as an economic bloc and a trading partner of growing importance,” he said.

“The value of this to both Europe’s standing collectively in the ASEAN region, and to the long-term economic and political relationship between the EU and its member states and ASEAN and its member states cannot be overemphasized.”

From an economic and doing business perspective, a region-to-region deal would bring benefits particularly for European businesses that manufacture goods in the region, according to Guibert.

Such a deal would lead an increase in products qualifying for FTA benefits through the accumulation of local content as content from all ASEAN countries would be counted towards “local content” requirements, Guibert said.

The deal would also make developing businesses within the region easier thanks to one set of rules and regulations for the whole region, he said.

Guibert said the deal would give an increased access to smaller less developed nations in ASEAN.

“With countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos likely to be many years from being near the top of the European Commission’s bilateral FTA negotiation list, a region-to-region FTA would provide better access to these markets, thus aiding trade and investment with them whist simultaneously helping them develop their economies further.”

Europe is the largest source of FDI for ASEAN, with total investments in 2014 alone amounting to more than $29 billion, or more than a fifth of all the FDI coming into the region.

The EU ranks fifth among the big FDI partners of Vietnam, with committed investments reaching $587 million in 2014.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rapid growth expected to make Vietjet country’s biggest domestic carrier
Friday, January 08, 2016 11:25

Rapid growth expected to make Vietjet country’s biggest domestic carrier | Business | Thanh Nien Daily

Private low-cost carrier Vietjet has been expanding its local market segment fast and is expected to overtake Vietnam Airlines in domestic market in a couple months, according to new analysis.

Sydney-based CAPA Center for Aviation which provides independent aviation market intelligence, analysis and data services forecasts that Vietjet will see 7 percent increase in domestic capacity in the first quarter to 259,000 seats a week in March, up 73 percent year-on-year.

Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines domestic weekly seat capacity: Sep-2011 to Mar-2016, according to statistics by CAPA Center for Aviation.

The increase will allow it to take over the national carrier Vietnam Airlines’ leading position in domestic market for the first time.

The latter holds 47 percent of the market at the end of 2015 when Vietjet holds 36.3 percent, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. Their market shares sometimes got close to being even last year with each around 40 percent.

CAPA said Vietjet’s share is going to grow to 43 percent of the market in March while Vietnam Airlines’ shrink to 42 percent.

Vietjet’s share may well grow to 50 percent this year, making it the country’s biggest domestic carrier, it said.

Jetstar Pacific and VASCO held respective market shares of 14.9 and 1.8 percent in November 2015, according to official figures.

Vietjet’s domestic capacity at the end of 2015 has increased 82 percent from a year before to 242,000 seats a week and the capacity on overseas services increased 30 percent to 19,000 seats a week.

Its top ten domestic routes increased 29-200 percent in number of passengers between the last week of 2015 and the last week of 2014, according to CAPA statistics.

VietJet top 10 bases/stations ranked by weekly seat capacity: Jan 4, 2016 to Jan 4, 2016


Vietjet, which started operation in December 2011, has been pursuing domestic expansion to meet the rapid growth in demand.

The airline launched services connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with the Central Highlands’ town Pleiku, its 16th domestic destination, on October 1.

It has announced to open flights between Pleiku and the northern city of Hai Phong on January 15, between Pleiku and the central town of Vinh on January 16 and flights between Ho Chi Minh City and the south central town of Tuy Hoa on January 20.

Flight debuts usually come with big promotions that offer millions of cheap and free tickets.

The airline will also increase the frequency of high-demand routes during the upcoming Tet to more than 20 round trips per day for the Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi route, 10 round trips per day for the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang route, four round trips per day each for the Ho Chi Minh City - Hue and Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh routes, six round trips per day for the Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong route and three for the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route.

Lunar New Year holiday, which peaks this February 8, is a high season for air travel in Vietnam as it is the time of family reunions and it is when most people have the longest break of the year.

 

[Viet]

Last update 14:29 | 07/11/2015
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/science-it/145693/vietnam-s-largest-solar-battery-factory.html#
Vietnam’s largest solar battery factory

VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi authorities last week hosted an inauguration ceremony for Vietnam’s largest centre for technology transfer at the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park, with the largest solar battery production line in the country.

The 2.1-hectare centre is capable of accommodating 200 scientists working in five sections of the complex.

Modern facilities will keep scientists from key institutes, universities and laboratories connected together.

The centre will also act as a venue for joint research activities under science and technology co-operation programmes between Vietnamese and international scientists.

The centre is tasked with conducting research, transfers and appraisals in the fields of mechanical engineering technology; electronics and automation technologies; energy saving and solar battery manufacturing technologies; and environmental technology.

Among the centre’s focuses is the manufacturing of high-capacity and small-size solar batteries, which will join the national grid in 2020 in realization of the national power planning until 2030.

 

[Viet]

• Updated : 1/12/2016 5:31:11 PM

Early FDI activity promises prosperous year
As millions of dollars of foreign capital flowed into the country over the first few days of the New Year, many believe that this signifies another buoyant year of foreign direct investment for Vietnam in 2016.

• Vietnam welcomes record high FDI
• Billion-dollar FDI highlights of 2015
• FDI outlook positive for year ahead

However, this also puts pressure on the country’s plans for effective measures to attract further foreign investment. On January 6, the northern province of Bac Ninh received the first foreign direct investment (FDI) project of 2016, which involves building a garment plant in the province’s VSIP Bac Ninh Industrial Park (IP).

The new project, developed by Singapore-backed Maple Company Limited, is valued at US$110 million in the total investment capital and aims to produce 22 million items per year.
It is expected to begin operation in early 2018, when the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership deal (TPP) comes into effect.

On January 7, Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) Management Authority also granted investment certificates to its first projects in the new year, including a US$21 million project from Malaysian investor United More SDN Bhd, which plans to build a plant to manufacture high-precision plastic products for smart TVs.

United More allegedly aims to become a supplier for the US$2 billion hi-tech complex of the Republic of Korea (RoK) giant Samsung Group, Samsung SEHC, which will hopefully commence operations from next month, also at SHTP.
‘Receiving the first FDI project of 2016 signifies a good start to the new year and new chairmanship tenure’, said Nguyen Tu Quynh, chairman of the Bac Ninh People’s Committee at the ceremony where the project’s investment certificate was presented to Maple Company.

SHTP leaders also showed bright faces at the certificate granting ceremony.

2016 is forecast to be another favorable year for Vietnam in at tracting foreign direct investment as the country integrates more deeply and broadly into the global economy through the signing and upcoming enforcement of a raft of new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), including the TPP.

However, concerns exist over the likelihood of Vietnam attracting as much FDI in 2016 as it did last year, when the country received around US$23 billion in the total newly committed and expanded capital volumes, an increase of 12.5% on-year.

This accomplishment was partly attributable to the landing of five newly-registered and expanded billion-dollar projects with the combined investment capital of US$8.2 billion, surpassing 35% of total FDI volume for the whole year.
While the newly committed capital is difficult to predict, Phan Huu Thang, former director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning of Investment, had no doubts about a continued rise in the country’s disbursed FDI in 2016.

‘Disbursed FDI touched US$14.5 billion last year. This year, we may see this figure jump about 10%-15%, or even higher’, Thang stated.

 

[Carlosa]

Japan pledges over $800 million for Vietnam's infrastructure projects
Japan pledges over $800 million for Vietnam's infrastructure projects | Politics | Thanh Nien Daily

@Nihonjin1051

Long Bien Bridge, which is part of Hanoi's first urban railway system. The project was hit by a corruption scandal in 2014, which forced Japan to reduce its ODA pledges to Vietnam to a record low of 100 billion yen. Photo: Thai Son

Japanese government will lend 95 billion yen (US$811.53 million) in official development loans (ODA) for three transport infrastructure projects and one climate change response plan in Vietnam, the government website has reported.
The loans, whose agreements were signed in Hanoi on Friday, were part of a package of over 300 billion yen ($2.56 billion) Japan pledged for Vietnam in its fiscal year 2015, it said.

Japanese ambassador to Vietnam Hiroshi Fukada was quoted as saying at the signing ceremony that the countries expect to sign loans agreements for another three transport projects by the end of the fiscal year which will be this March 31.

Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Planning and Investment, said it was "remarkable" that Japan raised its ODA pledges to Vietnam this fiscal year three folds from the previous year.

In the fiscal year 2014, Japan's ODA loans to Vietnam hit a record low of around 100 billion yen, following a graft case linked to Hanoi's first urban railway system funded by Japan, Vinh was quoted as saying.

Six Vietnamese railway officials was found having received VND11 billion in bribes from Japan Transportation Consultants Inc., a technical consultant for the project.

The Vietnamese officials, including three people who were chiefs of Vietnam Railways' project management unit between 2009 and 2014, received sentences ranging from five and half years to 12 years for "abuse of power" at a hearing in October last year.

As Vietnam's biggest sponsor, Japan has pledged 2.6 trillion yen ($22.21 billion) in ODA to the country since 1992, according to official figures.

 

[Carlosa]

Vietnam considers $2.5 billion Vientiane – Hanoi expressway - News VietNamNet
Vietnam considers $2.5 billion Vientiane – Hanoi expressway - News VietNamNet

VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Transport is considering two plans to build the road connecting Hanoi and Vientiane (Laos) via the border gate of Thanh Thuy in Nghe An Province or the Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh province.

At a meeting on Tuesday, a representative of the Transport Engineering Design Consultant Company (TEDI) said the highway will be 760 km long, starting from National Highway 13 in Vientiane to the belt road No. 3 in Hanoi.

TEDI representative said the highway may pass through six pairs of border gates. To have the shortest road, TEDI suggested the Thanh Thuy border gate in the central province of Nghe An and Nam On in BolyKhamxay Province of Laos.

It is expected that the project will not only form a highway connecting Hanoi and Vientiane but also facilitate convenient connections with Thailand and Myanmar.

At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong, Nghe An People's Committee Chairman proposed the Ministry of Transport to build a highway from the border gate of Thanh Thuy to Vinh City of Nghe An Province.

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho told TEDI to focus studying the two plans of connecting Vientiane and Hanoi through the border gates of Thanh Thuy-Nam On (BolyKhamxay) and Cau Treo (Ha Tinh province-Vietnam) - Nam Phao (BolyKhamxay province-Laos).

The project will have a total investment of about $2.5 billion. The highway will have four lanes, with the minimum width of 22,5m, meeting technical standards of Vietnam and Laos.

The project will be implemented in two phases, with $1.5 billion for phase 1 (from now to 2020) and $1 billion in phase 2 (after 2020).

Thu Ly

 

[Viet]

UNITED STATES-VIETNAM


Vietnamese student numbers growing in the US

Mark Ashwill
15 January 2016 Issue No:396

There are currently 1.2 million international students studying in the United States, nearly 75% of whom are enrolled in bachelor, masters or doctoral programmes. California, New York and Texas enrol 36% of all students. Some 919,484 of them, or 77% of the total, are from Asia. Compared to July 2015, the total number of active international students studying in the US increased 13.3%.

These figures are from the latest SEVIS by the Numbers quarterly update published in December. Unlike the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors statistics, which are based on data collected the previous year and include higher education enrolment only, SEVIS data are real-time and encompass all levels of the educational system.

Spotlight on Vietnam

One of the shining highlights of the SEVIS report is the breakneck growth in Vietnamese enrolments at all levels of the US educational system, especially at its colleges and universities.

Vietnam has surpassed Japan in total enrolment. It recorded an astounding 18.9% increase from July to November 2015, the third highest after India (20.7%) and China (19.4%).

Incredibly, Vietnam now ranks sixth among all sending countries with 28,883 students studying at US institutions, mostly colleges and universities but also boarding and day schools.

Vietnam is also nipping at the heels of Canada, something that was unimaginable seven years ago when it was not even in the top 10. It climbed to eighth place in 2009 with 15,994 students and stayed there until the end of 2015.

The US has surpassed Australia in terms of numbers of Vietnamese students as there were 28,524 Vietnamese students studying in Australia at all levels as of October 2015, a 0.4% decrease over the previous year.

Interestingly, 54.7% of all Vietnamese students in the US are female and 45.3% male. That’s a difference of nearly 2,700 students.

In terms of degree-related programmes, the breakdown is as follows:

• Language Training: 12.9% (3,732)
• Associate: 27.9% (8,050)
• Bachelor: 31.1% (8,976)
• Masters: 8.1% (2,330)
• Doctorate: 4% (1,159)

The rest are not on degree-related programmes. That means that a total of 24,247 Vietnamese students are either enrolled in a degree programme or preparing for admission to one.

Secondary enrolment, which includes boarding and day schools, stands at 11.5% of the total, or 3,329 students, up from 2,289 a couple of years ago when the Institute of International Education released a report entitled Charting New Pathways to Higher Education: International Secondary Students in the United States, a first look at international secondary enrolment.

At that time, Vietnam ranked sixth – with Brazil fifth and Mexico fourth. Interest in boarding schools, many of which charge an average of US$50,000 a year, remains strong.

Other categories include 'other', which is likely to be vocational or trade schools such as cosmetology and dental hygiene programmes (3.1% or 906 students), primary schools (0.6% or 184 students) and flight school (0.6% or 185 students).

All 50 states have Vietnamese students, ranging from six in Alaska to 6,151 in California and everything in between, according to the interactive 'Mapping SEVIS by the Numbers' website.

The state in the Midwest with the most is Minnesota (541), while the southern state with the most Vietnamese students is Florida (1,052), followed by Georgia (606). There are a number of states with untapped potential such as Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, South Carolina and West Virginia.

In line with international student enrolment in the US, but also for unique historical reasons, in some cases, the top five states for Vietnamese students are California, Texas, Washington, Massachusetts and New York.

The first two are because of family ties, the result of waves of post-war emigration; the third because of the popularity of its high school completion programmes and the recruitment activities of its community colleges, dating back to the early days (10-15 years ago); the fourth because of the high concentration of higher education institutions and the reputation of Boston; and the fifth simply because it’s New York.

The top three states host nearly half (47%) of all Vietnamese students, which means universities not located in one of those states have to try harder in their recruitment activities. The other states rounding out the top 10 hosts of Vietnamese students are Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and Georgia. In total the top 10 enrol 20,797, or 72% of all students from Vietnam.

Some reasons for the continued impressive growth

There are a number of reasons for this upward trend, some of which are related to Vietnam’s economic growth rate, one of the highest in the world, and the preference for the US for those who wish to study overseas.

They include:

• Robust economic growth, 6.5% in the nine months through to September 2015, which translates into growing ability to pay for one of the world’s most expensive higher education systems;
  
• Vietnam has the fastest growing percentage of ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWI), those having a net worth of at least US$30 million, in the world, according to the global real estate consultancy, Knight Frank. In its 2015 Wealth Report it predicted that the percentage of UHNWI would double by 2024, an increase of 159%. Ho Chi Minh City is among the cities that will experience the most rapid growth in wealth, in addition to Jakarta, Mumbai and Delhi.
  
• A survey conducted by Nielsen concluded that Vietnam ranks third in the world in terms of fondness for branded goods, only surpassed by China and India. As the most popular overseas study destination, US higher education is a brand.
  
• Proactive recruitment on the part of growing numbers of US colleges and universities, which means more choices for Vietnamese students and parents; and
  
• More institutions with an overall living cost per year – with or without scholarships – in the US$20,000 to US$35,000 range or less.

This is in spite of a high visa denial rate over the summer for many universities, especially in the Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, and growing concern about personal safety as a result of the recent spate of mass shootings.

Vietnamese parent investment in US education

Extrapolating from the estimate calculated by the Institute of International Education based on information from the Open Doors data and the US Department of Commerce, this means that the current contribution to the US economy by Vietnamese students is US$919,467,364, a conservative figure considering that some of those 28,883 students are enrolled in US boarding schools, many of which cost US$50,000 per year, with a much greater overall cost.

This means that Vietnamese parents are spending nearly US$1 billion on their children’s education in the US. To put this in perspective, Vietnam’s 2014 gross domestic product, or GDP, was US$186.2 billion.

Looking ahead

I fully expect this pattern of growth to continue for the foreseeable future, with Vietnam overtaking Canada, currently with 31,717 students in the US, in the next couple of years.

While quite a few Vietnamese students make the fateful decision to remain overseas – either in the US or a third country – growing numbers are returning home to participate in and benefit from a rapidly developing economy and society to their benefit and that of the US.

Dr Mark Ashwill is managing director of Capstone Vietnam, a full-service educational consulting company with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He blogs at An International Educator in Vietnam.


Vietnamese student numbers growing in the US - University World News

 

[Viet]

Tuna caught in Vietnamese waters are auctioned at a wholesale market in Osaka on Friday. | KYODO

JICA-trained Vietnamese fishermen sell first tuna in Japan
Kyodo

Jan 22, 2016

The sale of tuna caught in Vietnamese waters at a wholesale market in Osaka on Friday marked a major step forward for fishermen who have struggled to keep their catches fresh enough for Japanese tastes.

The fishermen have adopted a system that stuns the fish with electric current, preventing them from thrashing about and helping to keep the meat undamaged. They are also draining the blood quickly to keep the fish fresh, a technique taught in a project commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency that involves a nonprofit organization and private companies.

A tuna’s freshness determines its price. The eight yellowfin and bigeye tunas sold in Osaka fetched prices of ¥950 to ¥1,600 per kilogram, prices that traders say are decent.

Tuna is one of Vietnam’s mainstay exports, but it has rarely been exported to Japan because fishermen could not keep their catches fresh.

In 2013, the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Sakai and Japanese enterprises based in Osaka Prefecture launched a project to modernize Vietnamese fishing methods. Their effort gained the support of JICA in June last year.

Officials say the project will continue through June 2017.