Vietnam Morning News For September 4

Tens of trillions of dong of state capital nearly lost in equitization
According to Tran Dinh Thien, the number of SOEs has decreased significantly over the last 15 years of restructuring, from 6,000 in 2001 to 700 in 2016.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Vietnam wants to make own cars; Vingroup to invest $3.5B
Vietnam wants to design and make cars for its 90 million motorbike riders.
— Business Mirror

Vinalines to cut seaport stake
The Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) has proposed to reduce its stake in many strategic seaports.
— VietnamPlus

Dong Nai records 1.4 billion USD trade surplus in eight months
The southern province of Dong Nai enjoyed a trade surplus of nearly 1.4 billion USD in the first eight months of the year, according to the provincial Statistics Office.
— VietnamPlus

HCM City seeks to mobilise capital from private sector
According to Su Ngoc Anh, Director of the city Department of Planning and Investment, many new measures and policies have been put in place to mobilise private resources, but challenges remain.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Work starts on first Vietnamese automobile manufacturing complex
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended a ceremony in the northern port city of Hai Phong on September 2 to start the construction of the first Vietnamese automobile manufacturing complex in Dinh Vu – Cat Hai economic zone.
— Bizhub

Standing witness to Vietnam’s rise
In 2002, I was offered a position for the setup of “Le Domaine de Tam Hai”, a beach resort in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, Quang Nam.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Vietnam wants to make its own cars, and how
Vietnam wants to design and make cars for its 90 million motorbike and scooter riders.
— Business Standard

Super small houses bedevil HN planners
Handling super small and skinny houses in Ha Noi remains a headache for local officials.
— Bizhub

Vietnamese real estate conglomerate to make dream of domestically-made cars a reality
Vingroup is expected to start introducing ‘Made in Vietnam’ cars to the market within the next two years.
— VnExpress

Hai Phong told to revise fee collection
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has asked the Ministry of Finance and Hai Phong city to strictly follow the PM’s instruction on reviewing fees for using infrastructure, service facilities and public utilities at ports in the city.
— Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Hanoi, HCM City copy Dong Thap’s ‘businessmen café’ model
In Dong Thap province, at a corner of the provincial People’s Committee office’s campus, some stone tables and chairs are put together surrounded by ornamental trees which help people feel at ease.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Toyoda Gosei to produce airbags in Vietnam
Japan’s Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. will build a factory in northern Thai Binh province to meet growing demand for airbags as safety regulations become more stringent around the world.
— Vietnam Economic Times

Odon Vallet scholarships granted to 193 students in Hue
The scholarships were worth over 2.2 billion VND in total, with those for university students (63) valued at 16 million VND each and for high school students – 9.5 million VND.
— VietnamNet Bridge

World leaders send congratulations to Vietnam on National Day
World leaders have continued sending messages of congratulations to Vietnamese leaders on the country’s 72nd National Day (September 2).
— VietnamPlus

Despite strains, Vietnam and China forge closer economic ties
Tensions are high on the South China Sea as Vietnam faces off against China over their overlapping maritime claims.
— Today Online

Quang Ninh opens fifth One Commune, One Product programme
The northeastern province of Quang Ninh opened the fifth One Commune, Once Product (OCOP) fair on September 1 under the theme “Quang Ninh OCOP products – Vietnamese people’s brand”.
— VietnamPlus

PAN Food acquires Bibica in latest merger
The PAN Food empire marches on: the company just announced its successful acquisition of Bibica Corporation with 50.07 per cent of total share ownership.
— Bizhub

Out to the world
Despite being in its early stages of development, Vietnam’s logistics sector remains on the radar of foreign investors thanks to the country’s skilled workforce, relatively low costs, and rapid e-commerce development.
— Vietnam Economic Times

Vinatex seeks investment opportunities in Armenia
A delegation of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) made a fact-finding trip to Armenia in late August to seek partners to develop production projects as Vietnam is the first country to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) that includes Armenia.
— VietnamPlus

August FDI in Hanoi at $1.74bn
Total foreign direct investment (FDI) into Hanoi stood at $1.74 billion in August, according to the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment.
— Vietnam Economic Times

Ho Chi Minh City travel fair expected to host 300 int’l tourism firms
The International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) next week is expected to host 300 foreign travel companies seeking cooperative business opportunities in Vietnam.
— Tuoi Tre

South Korea cinema operator to invest $200m in Vietnam by 2020
CJ CGV Vietnam, a subsidiary of South Korea’s CJ Group, opened its 50th cinema in Vietnam on Thursday in Ho Chi Minh City, expanding its screening facilities in the country to 313 studios and 42,800 seats.
— Nikkei Asian Review

VAT increase to have little impact on the poor: ministry official
The finance ministry has proposed to increase the country’s VAT by 20 percent in 2019, raising it from the current 10 percent to 12 percent, in a bid to boost state revenue.
— Tuoi Tre

Vietnam: Consumer Confidence Hits Record High
Vietnam’s consumer confidence hits a record high according to the recent Nielsen Q2-2017 Consumer Confidence Index. The country stands as the fifth most optimistic country with an index score of 117, up five places from last quarter of 2016 and its highest score in the last five years. The Nielsen study aims to measure the consumers’ confidence, concerns, and spending intentions.
— Vietnam Briefing

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