Nation’s two large power projects discussed

Nation’s two large power projects discussed

QĐND – Monday, November 23, 2009, 16:51 (GMT+7)

A seminar on Vietnam’s two major power projects, Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant and Lai Chau hydroelectric power plant, was held in Hanoi on November 20.

Participants in the seminar were leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the Lai Chau provincial People’s Committee.

They said the Lai Chau Hydroelectric Power Plant plays an important role in providing electricity and water for the Red River Delta in particular and the country in general. It also contributes to socio-economic development in the two mountainous provinces of Lai Chau and Dien Bien, as well as ensuring security and defence in the northewestern region.

Talking about the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project, the participants emphasised the necessity for building the plant, saying it will help east the country’s electricity shortage.

According to the EVN, Vietnam’s demand for energy is forecast to sharply increase in the coming time. Therefore, a combination of the economical use of local energy sources, reasonable imports of electricity, coal and gas and building nuclear power plants is the best solution for the country, they said.

Several related issues were also discussed at the seminar, such as resettlement, human resources, infrastructure, nuclear safety and environmental protection.

Source: VOV

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Vietnam, US boost cooperation in sea ports

Vietnam, US boost cooperation in sea ports

QĐND – Monday, November 23, 2009, 16:51 (GMT+7)

Vietnam and the United States have pledged to boost the development of sea ports and transportation services in Can Tho and Houston to raise trade value between the two countries.

A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed on Nov. 20 in Texas by General Director of the Port of Houston Authority Aleg Dryer and Director of Can Tho Port Pham Thanh Tien.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, General Director Dryer said that the Port of Houston Authority would like to expand cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and sea transportation with many countries, especially in Asia. Vietnam is one of the countries in which the Houston municipal authorities have a keen interest.

Vice Chairman of the Can Tho municipal People’s Committee Tran Tuan Anh invited leaders of Houston city to visit Can Tho to realize the recently-signed MoU, paving the way for transportation of goods from Vietnam to the US through the Port of Houston.

The Port of Houston is the US ’s largest port in terms of goods transportation between the US and other countries.

Source: VOV

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International donors to meet in Hanoi early December

International donors to meet in Hanoi early December

QĐND – Monday, November 23, 2009, 16:51 (GMT+7)

After the Vietnam Enterprise Forum scheduled on December 1, the Consultative Group Meeting 2009 (CG 2009) will take place on December 3-4 in Hanoi.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung allowed the Ministry of Planning and Investment to organize these two events in early December.

The PM assigned the Ministers of Science – Technology and Justice to discuss with international donors before the CG 2009, issues related to the list of the fields to be established as private sci-tech organizations.

The CG is a forum for opinion exchange between the Vietnamese government and the community of international donors. The aim is to assess assistance commitments made at CG 2008 and the partnership between the Vietnamese government and international donors to improve the effectiveness of aid.

At the mid-term CG meeting on June 8 in Dak Lak, donors promised to continue assistance to Vietnam and praised the Vietnamese government’s macro-economic management.

One year ago, at the CG 2008, as many countries facing difficulties caused by the global economic crisis, donors still committed $5.014 billion to Vietnam

Source: CPV

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Ministry moves to tighten rice exports

Ministry moves to tighten rice exports

QĐND – Thursday, November 19, 2009, 20:22 (GMT+7)

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is drafting a new decree aimed at tightening rice exports, Minister Vu Huy Hoang said at the November 18 session of the National Assembly. 

Hoang said the drafted decree will fix prices for rice bought from farmers, and prevent business activities that violate the current regulations and cause losses to enterprises and farmers. 

The minister added that his ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance to map out support policies to stabilise rice prices. 

Sharing views on this issue, Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh told deputies that concerned ministries and agencies will discuss with the country’s major food corporations the establishment of a fund to ensure the purchase of paddy from farmers at the floor price. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecast that Vietnam is likely to export 6-6.2 million tonnes of rice this year, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. 

While answering the legislative deputies’ questions about recent fluctuations in petroleum prices, the two ministers said Decree 84 will replace Decree 55 as from December, permitting businesses of all economic sectors, excluding foreign direct investment enterprises, to trade in petroleum products and set prices within a certain range. 

Regarding bauxite projects in the Central Highlands, Minister Hoang said the Tan Rai project in Lam Dong province is being carried out on schedule, and causing no negative impact on social security and order. The project is expected to operate in late 2010. 

For the Nhan Co project in Dak Nong province, the minister emphasised the need to make further assessments of its economic efficiency before deploying it, especially in terms of its impact on the environment. 

During the session, Hoang also cleared up a number of issues related to the development of the domestic market, the fight against smuggled and poor-quality products, food hygiene and the planning of hydroelectric power projects. 

Source: VOVNews/VNA



 

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Footwear companies focus on domestic market

Footwear companies focus on domestic market

QĐND – Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 20:5 (GMT+7)

The footwear industry plans to corner 80 percent of the domestic market by 2015. This will be a big challenge for the market of 86 million Vietnamese who prefer foreign and illegally imported shoes. 

Currently domestic footwear companies have failed to win the favour of domestic consumers despite of the fact that they are some of the leading footwear exporters in the world market. In the domestic market, however, local companies have not focused on developing their trademarks and more and more Vietnamese consumers prefer products with famous brand names. 

The director of a domestic shoe company said that in order to attract more domestic customers, his company had to re-import products it had already exported overseas. 

He said that the products benefited from having import stamps and foreign tags attached. This situation has posed something of a paradox for the Vietnamese footwear industry. It has raised prices and badly damaged the trademarks of domestic footwear products. 

Hoang Van Hung, official from Agribank, said that he always preferred Vietnamese products and used many made-in-Vietnam shirts. 

However, Hung added, he did not like domestic shoes because they were not as attractive as imported models and more expensive than illegally-imported shoes. 

To achieve its 2015 target, the industry will have to find some major solutions. Companies are being advised to change their strategies by improving their designs and advertising methods, cutting costs and expanding the distribution network. 

The quality of Vietnamese footwear is no worse than in other countries. However, domestic consumers still prefer imported shoes as they are cheaper in price and better in design. 

Domestic footwear companies must pay more attention to improving their designs. This would be the best way to compete with imported shoes, said Nguyen Duc Thuan, chairman of the Vietnamese Footwear Association. 

Source: VOVNews/VNA

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Petrolimex opens a subsidiary in Singapore

Petrolimex opens a subsidiary in Singapore

QĐND – Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 20:5 (GMT+7)

The Vietnam Petroleum and Oil Corporation (Petrolimex) on November 16^th opened a Limited Company named Petrolimex Singapore, in Singapore.

In 1997, the company opened its representative office in Singapore and in 2004 it was upgraded to a branch of the company.

Under the license, Petrolimex Singapore will become an overseas important link of the petrol and oil production and business of the company with such responsibilities as business development, bunker service provision, market survey and partnership acquisition and to ensure the supply sources for the company’ business.

The company’s General Director, Bui Ngoc Bao, said that the foundation of the subsidiary is a turning point for the company and it is part of its strategy to expand its business chain to foreign markets.

Source: baothuongmai

Translated by Thu Nguyen

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Vietnam aims to develop new energy sources

Vietnam aims to develop new energy sources

QĐND – Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 20:5 (GMT+7)

The Government encourages international and domestic businesses to develop and use new energy resources, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai affirmed at the 8^th Vietnam-France Economic and Financial Forum.

The forum with the theme “Energy and sustainable development” took place on November 17^th-18^th in Quang Ninh.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Vietnam aims to effectively develop and sufficiently use its domestic energy resources and tries to ensure national energy security in the future. Therefore, the Government will financially support surveys, researches and pilot projects involving new and recyclable energy resources.

He also hoped French energy businesses and experts with much experience in clean energy would further assist and cooperate with Vietnam in developing new and recyclable energy sources.

Source: DDDN

Translated by Thu Nguyen  

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AFD offers EUR 30 million loan to support private sector

AFD offers EUR 30 million loan to support private sector

QĐND – Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 20:5 (GMT+7)

A contract providing credit worth EUR30 million was signed on November 18^th between representatives from the Vietnamese Finance Ministry and the Agency of French Development (AFD).

The credit will be used to implement the project “Supports in lending to the private sector for People’s Credit Funds”.

The money will be financed by the Finance Minister to the Central People’s Fund, which will then provide loans for private enterprises, households and individuals operating in rural and agricultural industries via its nationwide network.

In addition to the credit, AFD also offered a non-refundable aid of EUR500,000 to support technical issues for the People’s Credit Fund system.

With the new credit, AFD has earmarked a total ODA amount of nearly EUR900 million for Vietnam since 1994.

Source: baothuongmai

Translated by Thu Nguyen    

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Ben Tre wins MSC Certificate

Ben Tre wins MSC Certificate

QĐND – Monday, November 16, 2009, 8:12 (GMT+7)

Ben Tre has become the first locality in Southeast Asia to receive the Certificate of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for oyster cultivation, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

The certificate was granted under MSC’s recognition on the province’s advanced oyster production and management level.   Oyster fields are cultivated by hand, under the management of 10 cooperatives.

“Ben Tre’s oysters have been favoured by Europeans and MSC Certificate will help promote the product worldwide”, said Mrs Tran Thi Thu Nga, Vice Director of Ben Tre’s DARD.

“MSC Certificate is a historical milestone for a small-sized fishery in Vietnam, the first one in Southeast Asia to win MSC standard”, she added.

Source: DDDN

Translated by Hoang Anh

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Gial Lai offers investment incentives

Gial Lai offers investment incentives

QĐND – Monday, November 16, 2009, 8:13 (GMT+7)

The Central Highland province of Gia Lai has issued a list of projects calling for investment from now to 2015, in addition to a set of attractive investment incentives, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

“The province needs a total investment of 11.2 trillion VND (622 million USD) for 53 projects in sectors as agriculture, construction, wind power, services and tourism,” it said.

The province’s ability to attract investment still lagged despite increasing efforts from the local authority, said its People’s Committee chairman Pham The Dung.

Authorities vowed to continue to speed up the administrative procedure reforms to better facilitate investment activities, Dung said, emphasising several investment incentives that the province was offering.

The province, for example, would make heavier investment in infrastructure, which would help create favourable conditions for investors to implement their projects. Power lines, roads for convenient transportation and water treatment systems will be directly linked to production workshops.

Investors in industrial zones will not have to pay fees for using infrastructure in the first five years of operation, and will enjoy a 50 percent fee reduction over the subsequent five years. Gia Lai will also offer investors financial support in environmental treatment.

“The recovery of the international and domestic economies, the upgrading of Pleiku Airport and the opening of the Hanoi-Pleiku direct air route will create more favourable conditions for investors interested in the province,” Dung said.

The province now has 390,000ha of agricultural land, including 76,000 ha of coffee, 58,000ha of rubber, 20,000ha of cashew and other kinds of crop. Gia Lai has a bid reserve of forests, with a total forest area of 828,000ha.

It is home to six industrial zones (IZs), in which 110ha Tra Da IZ saw 80 percent of land occupancy, attracting 24 projects capitalised at 32 million VND (1.7 million USD).

As of October, Gia Lai province had attracted only nine foreign-invested projects worth 75 million USD, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Source: VNA

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