Vice Director of the Department of Animal Health Dam Xuan Thanh has issued an insurance that cheap imported beef had been thoroughly inspected and is safe for consumption.

The statement was made during a regular press conference held on March 2 by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.

Domestically-produced beef is being sold at VND170,000 (USD7.47) to VND300,000 per kilo. Meanwhile, a lot of imported beef is sold for just VND150,000 (USD6.59) per kilo. Many people wonder how imported beef which must bear several tariffs can still be cheaper and worry that those meat's expiry date is close or they're already expired.

Vice Director of the Department of Animal Health, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dam Xuan Thanh told the conference that all imported products must meet food safety standards and foreign firms and slaughterhouses must submit documents to Vietnamese agencies for approval. They must also label and clearly state the meat's origin and expiration date or else the products will not be cleared at customs.

"Violators will be fined and the cargo will be destroyed or returned. We haven't been informed about any expired or nearly expired case," Thanh said.

According to Thanh, some types of meat Vietnamese like may not have the same attractiveness to consumers overseas and so they can be exported to Vietnam at cheaper prices. For example, people in many countries don't eat chicken necks and wings while they are well-liked in Vietnam.

Vinh Long to host 1st agricultural inputs fair
     
The southern province of Vinh Long and the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Farmers’ Union will organise the first ever Agricultural Inputs Festival in the province this month.

To take place from March 23 to 29 in Vinh Long City, it will feature an agricultural-industrial and trade fair, orchid, bonsai and red-whiskered bulbul singing competitions, among other activities, Pham Minh Hung of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Farmers’ Union, said.

Speaking at a press briefing in HCM City on Friday, Nguyen Thanh Son, a member of the festival organisation board, said farmers and craft villages would have a chance to promote their products while enterprises can introduce their agricultural machinery and equipment, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, and other agricultural inputs.

Seminars on creating livelihoods for farmers amid climate change and on sharing the benefits of agricultural input producers and distributors with farmers would be held on the sidelines of the festival, he said.

More than 800 localities, establishments and businesses have so far registered to participate, with 200 businesses involved in the field of agricultural inputs, Hung said.

According to Pham Tu Phuong, director of the Vinh Long Department of Industry and Trade, the festival seeks to promote the goods and services of each locality and create opportunities for enterprises and farmers in provinces and cities to exchange experiences, introduce products and services and update technologies to improve their product quality and expand their market.

The festival is among activities related to an investment promotion conference the province would hold on March 26-27, he said.

At the conference, the province would solicit investment of VND27.56 trillion (US$1.2 billion) in 67 projects in various sectors, he added. 

Ford announces 2018 EcoSport prices, start at VND545 million
     
Ford Vietnam has unveiled the prices of its 2018 EcoSport ranging from VND545 million (US$23,900) to VND689 million ($30,200).

It would hit the market next Tuesday and its plant is now ready to hand over the cars to dealers, the company said.

The car comes in five versions all with improved design and interiors, it said.

The Titanium version comes with two engine variants -- EcoBoost 1.0L and Dragon 1.5L.

The other versions are equipped with the Dragon 1.5L engine.

Pham Van Dung, general director of Ford Vietnam, said the new EcoSport has been built with close co-operation between Ford technicians around the world after listening to ideas from customers globally, including from Việt Nam.

Ford believes the car would keep its leadership in the city SUV segment in Viet Nam, he said.

EcoSport has been manufactured at the company’s Hai Duong plant since 2014 and been the leader of the segment since then.

It has so far sold 15,000 units in Việt Nam.

EcoSport is sold in 149 markets around the world.

New Ford EcoSport prices including VAT:

EcoSport Ambiente 1.5L MT: 545.000.000 VNĐ

EcoSport Ambiente 1.5L AT: 569.000.000 VNĐ

EcoSport Trend 1.5L AT: 593.000.000 VNĐ

EcoSport Titanium 1.5L AT: 648.000.000 VNĐ

EcoSport Titanium 1.0L AT EcoBoost: 689.000.000 VNĐ

HDBank offers 0.7% extra interest
     
In continuation of its efforts to bring happiness to customers at the beginning of the lunar new year, HDBank launched the Bach nien phat tai (100 years of prosperity) programme, which offers extra interest of up to 0.7 percentage points to depositors.

The programme is applicable to individual customers aged 28 and above who make deposits for six-13 months until March 15.

Customers will get interest commensurate with their ages and deposit amount.

With the incentive rate, the maximum interest rate will be 7.1 per cent for six months and 7.6 per cent for 13 months.

The bank also has the “A Spring of Union - Prosperous Tet, Win Kilo of Gold” programme running from February 8 to April 13.

Customers who deposit at the bank and meet certain conditions will also get scratch cards with attractive gifts and go into a lucky draw that offers prizes including a kilogramme of SJC gold. 

Vietcombank increases service fees from March
     
The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank) has raised its service fees since the beginning of March.

Accordingly, the monthly fee of its SMS banking service increased from VND8,800 to VND11,000 (fees included value-added tax).

The bank has also begun charging VND2,200 per transaction from other Vietcombank account holders via the mobile banking app from March 1. Vietcombank is known for conducting the greatest number of transactions through its mobile banking service in Viet Nam’s banking system.

Customers using Vietcombank’s internet banking service also have to pay VND2,200 for each transaction worth less than VND50 million and VND5,500 for each transaction worth more than VND50 million.

The fee for an inter-bank transaction of below VND10 million is VND7,700, and when the amount is more than VND10 million, it charges 0.02 per cent of the total amount per transaction.

However, according to representatives from Vietcombank, this move only affects a small number of customers because the transaction limits for online money transfers are almost less than VND100 million.

Besides adjusting the fees of some services, the bank also offers incentives for account holders who paid the account management fees, including no charges for depositing/withdrawing from accounts or transferring money among Vietcombank account holders.

As a result of the rising market demand in the recent years, the revenue from fees and retail services are becoming significant income sources for several banks.

With more than 93 million people and sharply increasing consumption, Viet Nam is considered a hot destination for the retail banking segment, which is why banks have strategically planned to boost the segment.

According to Tran Du Lich, a member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council, banks currently not only gain profits from lending but also from banking services, so increase in service fees is inevitable in the future. 

First organic rice project underway in Hai Phong
     
Thuan Loi Limited Company has launched a high-tech organic rice farming project in northern Hai Phong City’s Kien Thuy District, the first of its kind in the northern port city.

The company’s director, Nguyen Dinh Thuan, said preparations for the project had been carried out since June 2016, with four high-quality rice varieties selected for cultivation on 32.3ha.

The company has built a production site with facilities for general management as well as for rice processing and storage.

Pham Van Ha, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said the project would help boost clean agricultural growth in the city and requested Kien Thuy authorities to facilitate its operation.

The city plans to zone off nearly 5,800ha for hi-tech farms in the next 12 years, following its resolution on high-tech agricultural area in the 2016-25 period with a vision to 2030.

In the first phase from now to 2020, Hai Phong will develop three hi-tech agricultural parks on 590ha and 17 hi-tech farming zones, stretching across more than 2,000ha.

The northern city also plans to build 16 hi-tech agricultural zones on an area of 1,900ha during 2021-25 and nine others covering a combined 1,300ha from 2026 to 2030.

The city said it would need more than VND11.88 trillion (US$522 million) for these projects.

Hai Phong has made some breakthroughs to fulfil this plan, including organising dialogues with investors to encourage them to invest in the city’s hi-tech agriculture, supporting local farmers in applying advanced technology in farming and helping enterprises build trademarks for their farm produce.

The city is now home to some 300ha of hi-tech farms run by seven firms, including DaBaCo, Thuan Loi, Chau Giang, Giang Son Viet Nam, Luong Hue, VinEco and Animex Hai Phong.

Some 12 other firms are planning to invest a total of VND8.6 trillion in hi-tech farming projects on more than 1,300ha.

Agriculture ministry seeks to surpass targets
     
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will raise its targets in production and business for this year, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan at the ministry’s monthly meeting on Friday in Hà Noi.

The ministry expects to gain a growth rate of 3.05 per cent in gross domestic product (GDP) and notch export value of US$40.5 billion for this year. Meanwhile, 39 per cent of communes are expected to meet new rural standards and forest coverage will reach 41.65 per cent.

To achieve those targets for fisheries, Tuan said the fishery industry must strengthen public relations activities as well as boost inspection and control to avoid illegal fishing. The ministry expects the European Commission (EC) to withdraw its warning label regarding illegal, unregulated and undeclared (IUU) fishing in Vietnamese seafood exported to the European Union (EU).

Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung, director of the Department of Science, Technology and External Cooperation under the General Department of Fisheries, said that the State has acted drastically to eliminate IUU within fishing activities. Efforts included reviewing current regulations and developing more regulations relating while popularising urgent solutions to prevent IUU fishing among fishermen.

In addition, Viet Nam will cooperate with coastal countries and island nations to prevent IUU fishing and implement dialogue with the EU, as well as providing progress updates to show that Viet Nam has been working to improve responsibility in fisheries management, she said.

During the meeting, Tuan delivered a summary report on equitisation of State-owned enterprise. The Agricultural Materials Corporation has completed successful equitisation and turned into a joint stock company.

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam Rubber Group sold 2 per cent of its total shares in its initial public offering (IPO), lower than the 11.88 per cent that was expected to sell in the IPO, he said.

At present, the ministry has directed to the group to sell its shares for a second time, including selling to workers and the union.

So far, the group has not attracted any strategic shareholders, according to the ministry.

However, Tuan said the equitisation of the group will still follow the scheduled roadmap and the group will become a joint stock company even it does not sell its shares as scheduled.

He said the Southern Food Corporation will have an IPO on March 14 and it is seeking strategic investors. The corporation must be careful in implementing its equitisation because at present, it has had many difficulties in finance and other factors affecting on the equitisation process.

The corporation is expected to turn into a join stock company in the second quarter of this year.

The minister also reported that in the first few months of the year Viet Nam had strong rice exports. The export price of Vietnamese rice stood at US$475 per tonne, higher than that of Thailand. The high export price was due to Viet Nam increasing the area of growing high-quality rice seeds over the past three to four years to 80 per cent of the total area of rice production.

Meanwhile, to promote stabilisation and sustainable development in the husbandry industry, the MARD has proposed relevant state offices to cooperate with and support enterprises in the development of chain producing animal products for exports, including solutions on developing systems of slaughtering, processing and distribution of animal products.

The ministry said the national export value of farming, forestry and fishery products in the first two months of this year reached $6.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30.2 per cent.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will raise its targets in production and business for this year, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan at the ministry’s monthly meeting on Friday in Hà Noi.

The ministry expects to gain a growth rate of 3.05 per cent in gross domestic product (GDP) and notch export value of US$40.5 billion for this year. Meanwhile, 39 per cent of communes are expected to meet new rural standards and forest coverage will reach 41.65 per cent.

To achieve those targets for fisheries, Tuan said the fishery industry must strengthen public relations activities as well as boost inspection and control to avoid illegal fishing. The ministry expects the European Commission (EC) to withdraw its warning label regarding illegal, unregulated and undeclared (IUU) fishing in Vietnamese seafood exported to the European Union (EU).

Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung, director of the Department of Science, Technology and External Cooperation under the General Department of Fisheries, said that the State has acted drastically to eliminate IUU within fishing activities. Efforts included reviewing current regulations and developing more regulations relating while popularising urgent solutions to prevent IUU fishing among fishermen.

In addition, Viet Nam will cooperate with coastal countries and island nations to prevent IUU fishing and implement dialogue with the EU, as well as providing progress updates to show that Viet Nam has been working to improve responsibility in fisheries management, she said.

During the meeting, Tuan delivered a summary report on equitisation of State-owned enterprise. The Agricultural Materials Corporation has completed successful equitisation and turned into a joint stock company.

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam Rubber Group sold 2 per cent of its total shares in its initial public offering (IPO), lower than the 11.88 per cent that was expected to sell in the IPO, he said.

At present, the ministry has directed to the group to sell its shares for a second time, including selling to workers and the union.

So far, the group has not attracted any strategic shareholders, according to the ministry.

However, Tuan said the equitisation of the group will still follow the scheduled roadmap and the group will become a joint stock company even it does not sell its shares as scheduled.

He said the Southern Food Corporation will have an IPO on March 14 and it is seeking strategic investors. The corporation must be careful in implementing its equitisation because at present, it has had many difficulties in finance and other factors affecting on the equitisation process.

The corporation is expected to turn into a join stock company in the second quarter of this year.

The minister also reported that in the first few months of the year Viet Nam had strong rice exports. The export price of Vietnamese rice stood at US$475 per tonne, higher than that of Thailand. The high export price was due to Viet Nam increasing the area of growing high-quality rice seeds over the past three to four years to 80 per cent of the total area of rice production.

Meanwhile, to promote stabilisation and sustainable development in the husbandry industry, the MARD has proposed relevant state offices to cooperate with and support enterprises in the development of chain producing animal products for exports, including solutions on developing systems of slaughtering, processing and distribution of animal products.

The ministry said the national export value of farming, forestry and fishery products in the first two months of this year reached $6.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 30.2 per cent. 

Ben Tre’s green Xiem coconut gets certificate of Geographical Indication
     
The National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam has issued a registration certificate for Geographical Indication for Ben Tre Province’s green Xiem coconut, the province Department of Science and Technology announced on March 1.

The People’s Committee of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province holds the GI rights.

The geographical area in this case includes Chau Thanh, Cho Lach, Giong Trom, Mo Cay Nam, Mo Cay Bac, Thanh Phu, Ba Tri, and Binh Dai districts and Ben Tre City.

According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the GI registration is expected to boost the value of the green Xiem coconut in the domestic market and help expand exports to foreign markets such as the US, Japan and the EU.

Small with a green skin, each coconut has an average of 258ml of water.

Its water is sweeter and also different from others in terms of nutrition and health benefits.

Ben Tre has some 70,000ha under coconut and is the country’s largest producer, growing some 600 million nuts a year.

Of the figure, about 10 per cent are grown for water, which is mainly sold in the domestic market.

In recent years, the province has had many policies and plans to promote the coconut industry.

Coconut is expected to turn into a major economic product for the province. 

Vinh Long targets $107m in aquaculture
     
The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long has set itself an aquaculture production target for this year of more than 112,500 tonnes worth VND2.45 trillion (US$107.67 million).

The focus will be on food safety through the consumption chain.

To achieve the target, the province plans to diversify its products to ensure each is bred in a suitable area and also farmers can adapt to climate change.

The province will resume pangasius farming in areas where it has been suspended or other valuable species, including freshwater fish and eels.

It will develop intensive aquaculture on salt fields of species of high economic value such as mackerel, yellow catfish, prawn, anchovy and eel in districts affected by saline intrusion such as Vung Liem, Tra On and Binh Tan.

It will also improve production methods to ensure harmonisation of benefits for farming, purchasing, processing and export.

It will encourage farmers to use advanced production models to ensure food safety.

The province will help producers find buyers in the form of signing contracts with distributors such as wholesale markets and distribution centres in trade centres and supermarkets.

It will also strengthen trade promotion activities for local fishery products and introduce advanced breeding processes.

Vinh Long has more than 257 hectares of farms breeding pangasius with GlobalGAP, ASC, and VietGAP certification.

There are two fish breeding facilities of GlobalGAP standards on a total area of ​​6.3ha.

However, the aquaculture sector faces several challenges such as small scale production and weak linkages between production and consumption.

Besides, the products are mainly consumed in fresh form. There are few or no enterprises investing in creating added-value products.

Investment in the sector is limited and not commensurate with the demand and growth objectives.

The price of pangasius has remained low for a long time, causing losses for local businesses and farmers. 

Retail goods, services generate over 30.8 billion USD in Jan-Feb

Retail goods and services generated revenues of 704 trillion VND (30.88 billion USD) in the first two months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 10.1 percent.

If inflation were excluded, the amount marked a surge of 8.7 percent against the same period last year, according to a report of the General Statistics Office (GSO). This is much higher than the year-on-year growth rate of 5.1 percent in the first two months of 2017.

Vu Manh Ha, a GSO expert in domestic economy, said the Lunar New Year (Tet) week-long holiday in early February boosted consumption, besides increasing the demand on entertainment services and travel after Tet.

Thus, the total revenue of retail goods accounted for 76.15 percent of the national revenue to reach 531.98 trillion VND, up 10 percent year-on-year, GSO said.

Three of the key products---food, garments and home appliances---gained a growth of 11-11.8 percent in revenue each. They accounted for 50 percent of the total national revenue.

The tourism sector accounted for one percent of the total national revenue but had the largest growth rate of 38.42 percent in revenue because of the high demand for domestic and international tours.

The high consumption of retail goods and services was attributed to positive changes in the sale of goods and services, owing to trade promotion programmes and trade fairs on quality goods before, during and after Tet.

Japanese firms keen to partner with HCM City to develop urban area

The Japan Conference on Overseas Development of Eco-Cities (J-CODE) wants to cooperate with Vietnam’s southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City in urban development.

President of J-CODE Keiji Kimura made the statement while meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong in HCM City on March 2.

J-CODE has 57 members with plenty of experience in financial management, development planning and urban infrastructure building, he said.

The association is willing to share experience with HCM City to address challenges including population pressure, traffic jams and environmental protection as well as provide the latest solutions and technologies to build the city into a modern and environmentally-friendly urban area with sustainable growth, he added.

For his part, Chairman Phong hoped the cooperation programmes between HCM City and Japan in urban development will contribute to developing the two countries’ sound traditional relations.

He expected the workshop on urban development co-organised by J-CODE and Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association on March 3 in the city will open up more cooperation opportunities for the two sides in the future.

Can Tho to hold investment promotion conference in August

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will host an investment promotion conference in August to introduce its economic development achievements and potential, as well as policies on investment attraction. 

Speaking at a meeting in Can Tho on March 2, Director of the municipal Trade, Investment Promotion and Exhibition Centre Nguyen Khanh Tung said the event is expected to lure 500 domestic and foreign delegates. 

He revealed that officials of the city will take the occasion to present investment decisions to several projects and kick off approved key projects. 

They will focus on calling for investment in high-tech projects, he noted, adding that the municipal Department of Planning and Investment has determined 14 projects to draw investment. 

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong highlighted the importance to make the list of projects calling for investment, saying that those should focus on the fields of service, tourism and IT. 

Meanwhile, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tran Quoc Trung asked relevant departments and sectors, especially the Department of Planning and Investment, to give priority to calling for investment in large-scale projects.

It is necessary to promote the image of a friendly authority in order to win investors’ trust, he added.

Can Tho serves 1.8 million tourists in two months

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho welcomed an estimated 1.8 million tourists in the first two months of 2018, up 19 percent against the same period in 2017, and fulfilling 22 percent of its set target. 

According to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the local tourism sector pocketed 515 billion VND (22.66 million USD) in the reviewed time, a year-on-year rise of 28 percent. 

Tran Viet Phuong, Director of the department, attributed the increase to the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which led to higher demands for tourism and entertainment. 

Apart from festive activities, Can Tho launched new tourism services, including an electric car service from Ninh Kieu Wharf to famous destinations like Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery, My Khanh Tourism Village, Binh Thuy Communal House and Binh Thuy Ancient House. 

The city’s tourism sector and localities have ensured safety, hospitality, security, and food safety and hygiene at the tourist sites. 

Besides, the city has partnered with big travel companies and localities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang to promote its tourism. 

Can Tho enjoyed strong growth in tourism in 2017 due to a series of international political and cultural events and traditional festivals.

The number of tourist arrivals surged 40 percent to 7.5 million, while tourism revenues rose 61 percent to 2.9 trillion VND (127.6 million USD).-

Agricultural sector looks to surpass assigned targets

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan has said the ministry will strive to surpass growth target as assigned by the government this year. 

During a regular press briefing in Hanoi on March 2, Tuan said the ministry targets a 3.05 percent growth, 40.5 billion USD in export earnings while 39 percent of communes will be recognised new-style rural areas and forest coverage will reach 41.65 percent this year. 

He asked the fisheries sector to strengthen inspections over illegal fishing, towards persuading the European Commission to withdraw the “yellow card” warning to Vietnam’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by April 2018. 

Tuan urged the wood sector to meet requirements on tracking product origin for export and domestic consumption.

On the equitisation of State-owned enterprises, the Vietnam General Corporation of Agriculture Materials (Vigecam) was successfully equitised and has operated as a joint stock company. 

The Vietnam Rubber Corporation sold only more than 2 percent out of 11.88 percent of its stake. 

The Vietnam Southern Food Corporation will conduct its initial public offering on March 14 and choose a strategic investor. It plans to switch to the status of a joint stock company in the second quarter. 

As of the late February, the northern localities sew 907,100ha of winter-spring rice crop, equivalent to 97.3 percent the same period last year. 

In the south, winter-spring crop production reached 1,953,100ha, up 1.9 percent year-on-year. The Mekong Delta harvested around 249,200ha out of 1,563,900ha.

The Department of Crop Production reported that the winter-spring rice output in the Mekong Delta hit 6 tonnes ha, up 0.5 tonnes annually with higher export prices. 

According to the ministry, the export of agro-forestry-fisheries hit 6.1 billion USD in the first two months this year, up 30.2 percent year-on-year.

Tra Vinh lures new investment projects

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh attracted 17 new investment projects with total registered capital of 344 billion VND (15.11 million USD) in the first two months of 2018, reported the provincial Planning and Investment Department.

Two rural agricultural projects were added, including a 200 billion VND seafood feed factory at Tra Vinh city’s Long Duc industrial zone and the Tan Hoa seafood processing plant worth 60 billion VND in Tieu Can district.

Director of Tra Vinh Planning and Investment Department Do Van Khe said the province has supported ongoing projects in the locality and addressed businesses’ difficulties.

The department will increase monitoring over projects with slow disbursement. It has asked the provincial People’s Committee to revoke licences from businesses that fail to make progress.

Tra Vinh is home to 233 investment projects. Of the figure, there are 195 domestic projects with registered capital worth about 100.82 trillion VND (4.43 billion USD) and 38 foreign ones worth more than 3.1 billion USD.

In 2017, the province drew 60 new projects, with 32 of them now operational.

Vinacomin raises coal stake

The Vietnam National Coal and Minerals Group (Vinacomin) registered to buy more than 4.47 million shares of its subsidiary Nui Beo Coal JSC (HNX: NBC) on March 1.

The share purchase will be carried out between March 1 and March 30 via order-matching transactions.

Vinacomin now holds more than 19.5 million shares of Nui Beo Coal JSC, equal to a 52.9 percent stake in the mining firm.

The deal may help increase Vinacomin’s stake in the local mining business to 65 percent.

Vinacomin had previously failed to buy that amount of NBC shares between December 29, 2017 and January 26, 2018 due to unfavourable market trading condition.

In late January, Nui Beo Coal JSC reported it earned 415 billion VND (18.4 million USD) in revenue and 57.6 billion VND in net profit for the fourth quarter of 2017, up 25 percent and 203 percent year on year.

The fourth-quarter earnings figures helped the company raise its full-year revenue to 1.49 trillion VND and pre-tax profit to 99.3 billion VND, up 22.6 percent and 101.67 percent year on year.

Bangkok Airways opens first Hanoi-Chiang Mai air route

This is the airlines' third air routes in Vietnam, after two air routes from Thailand to Danang and Phu Quoc were launched last year.

Varong Israsena Na Ayudhya, vice president for sales at Bangkok Airways, said the average load factor on Bangkok-Danang and Bangkok-Phu Quoc air routes is 70%. This indicates huge tourism potential in Vietnam. 

In a recent survey by Bangkok Airways, 75% of asked people had expressed interests in visiting Chiang Mai for the first or second time for its beautiful scenery, festivals and affordable travel expenses.

Bangkok Airways will offer daily flights to and from Hanoi starting from March 25. The first flight will start at Chiang Mai at 9.55 am and land in Hanoi at 12 pm. The one-way ticket price is USD108.6 and USD192.4 for two-way tickets.

Bangkok Airways is the first airlines to start the direct Hanoi-Chiang Mai flight route, cutting off the travel time from five hours to just two hours compared to other services.

Australian officials optimist about Vietnamese longan imports from 2019

The Vietnamese longan has been assessed, evaluated, and approved for import licensing in Australia beginning in 2019, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Representatives from Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources visited Vietnam last month for an assessment of the cultivation procedure, cultivating area, postharvest treatment, and packaging procedure for Vietnamese longans.

After their field assessment in Ben Tre and Hung Yen Provinces, the representatives appeared optimistic that Vietnamese longans could be approved for the Australian market beginning in early 2019.

A detailed report will be published following the field assessment. Afterwards, officials from the two countries will begin discussions on the terms and conditions for importation.

Vietnamese longans are predicted to make sizeable returns despite Australia being agriculturally capable of producing the fruit, mainly due to Vietnam’s ability to provide the fruit when it is out-of-season in Australia.

The US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) already import Vietnamese longans and appreciate that the produce is certified as pest-free, homogeneous, safe for consumption, guaranteed quality-wise, and in-season all year round.

These factors give way to optimism that longans will become the fourth Vietnamese fruit approved for importation into Australia.

The first Vietnamese fruit approved for the Australian market was lychee in 2015, following 12 years of negotiating importation terms and conditions.

Mango followed lychee’s footsteps in 2016 to become the second Vietnamese fruit to gain approval by the Australian government after seven years of negotiation.

In 2017, Vietnamese dragon fruit was licensed for importation into the Australian market, making Vietnam the first Australian-approved dragon fruit exporter.

Longans, along with dragon fruits, are two of Vietnam’s ten most profitable exports, according to Dr. Nguyen Huu Dat, general secretary of the Vietnam Vegetables and Fruits Export Association.

Dat also suggested that more effort be exercised to ensure the quality and health safety of the Vietnamese produce should Vietnam wish to export more fruits and vegetables.

January 2018 saw an increase in produce exports from Vietnam, with US$383.7 million in returns, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The figure shows an 18.3% increase compared to December 2017, and a 63.3% rise compared to January 2017.

This was the result of high demand from the Chinese market during the Lunar New Year.

However, predictions for a fruitful 2018 export season in other demanding markets, such as the US, Japan, and RoK, are optimistic.

Indonesia tries to jump-start car exports to Vietnam

A new regulation issued by Vietnam has forced Indonesia to halt car exports to the country, which could cost it US$85 million in Dec - Mar period.

The Indonesian government is planning to change the vehicle type approval (VTA) certificates it issues in an effort to reopen automotive exports to Vietnam.

"With the VTA adjustment, Indonesian automotive exports are expected to return to the country," the Jakarta Post quoted Indonesian Trade Ministry international trade director general Oke Nuwan as saying.

“The government will convey the change in the VTA certificate to the Vietnamese government to get an immediate response. Hopefully, there will soon be automotive exports to Vietnam,” said Oke.

A new regulation issued by Vietnam designed to protect its own developing automotive industry forced Indonesia to stop exports of completely built-up (CBU) vehicles to the country this month, according to the Jakarta Post.

The new regulation stipulates that traders are only permitted to import automobiles if they can provide valid vehicle registration certificates issued by authorities from the countries of origin.

Original quality control certificates for each vehicle and letters of authorization regarding recalls of defective vehicles from the manufacturers are also required, along with copies of quality assurance certificates provided by the countries of origin.

The regulation also requires importers to have one car from each batch shipped to Vietnam to go through emissions and safety tests.

Under the previous regulation, only one certificate was required for each model of car, regardless of how many batches were imported.

Oke said if manufacturers are reluctant to export their cars to Vietnam, Indonesia could lose around US$85 million in the December-March period.

Last year, Indonesia exported 38,832 CBU vehicles worth US$718 million to Vietnam, according to the Jakarta Post.

Indonesia is also the third largest passenger car exporter to Vietnam, after Thailand and China, with a market share of 13.12%.

Japanese firms keen to partner with HCM City to develop urban area

The Japan Conference on Overseas Development of Eco-Cities (J-CODE) wants to cooperate with Vietnam’s southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City in urban development.

President of J-CODE Keiji Kimura made the statement while meeting with Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong in HCM City on March 2.

J-CODE has 57 members with plenty of experience in financial management, development planning and urban infrastructure building, he said.

The association is willing to share experience with HCM City to address challenges including population pressure, traffic jams and environmental protection as well as provide the latest solutions and technologies to build the city into a modern and environmentally-friendly urban area with sustainable growth, he added.

For his part, Chairman Phong hoped the cooperation programmes between HCM City and Japan in urban development will contribute to developing the two countries’ sound traditional relations.

He expected the workshop on urban development co-organised by J-CODE and Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association on March 3 in the city will open up more cooperation opportunities for the two sides in the future.

Can Tho to hold investment promotion conference in August

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will host an investment promotion conference in August to introduce its economic development achievements and potential, as well as policies on investment attraction.

Speaking at a meeting in Can Tho on March 2, Director of the municipal Trade, Investment Promotion and Exhibition Centre Nguyen Khanh Tung said the event is expected to lure 500 domestic and foreign delegates. 

He revealed that officials of the city will take the occasion to present investment decisions to several projects and kick off approved key projects. 

They will focus on calling for investment in high-tech projects, he noted, adding that the municipal Department of Planning and Investment has determined 14 projects to draw investment. 

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong highlighted the importance to make the list of projects calling for investment, saying that those should focus on the fields of service, tourism and IT. 

Meanwhile, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tran Quoc Trung asked relevant departments and sectors, especially the Department of Planning and Investment, to give priority to calling for investment in large-scale projects.

It is necessary to promote the image of a friendly authority in order to win investors’ trust, he added.

Upbeat trends in Vietnam-Ukraine bilateral trade

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Ukraine showed a considerable growth during the first month of the year with Vietnam enjoying a trade surplus of US$13.8 million, an 11-fold increase when compared to the same period last year.

According to preliminary statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, bilateral trade between the two nations surged 22.2% beyond last January to US$35.5 million. Exports were the main driver of the figure, rising 62.2% to US$24.6 million while imports dropped 21.9% to US$10.8 million.

Bilateral trade has seen a positive growth from 2016 up to now and is projected to continue its strong performance this year.

In January 2018, Ukraine imported products from 11 of Vietnam’s commodity groups, mainly telephone and components, with a turnover reaching US$15.9 million (accounting for 64.5% of total import turnover).

Plastics ranked second among the major imports in commodity groups at US$512.800, a five-fold increase compared to the same month last year, trailed by seafood, garments and textiles, and footwear with a reduction in turnover.

Vietnam’s key export items to Ukraine include cashew nuts, pepper, and tea. This year, rice was absent from the list of export items to Ukraine but two more items were added, namely rubber, and iron and steel in various types. The Southeast Asian nation’s major imports from Ukraine are machinery, equipment, appliances, and spare parts.

According to economic experts both nations will experience a sharp increase in trade turnover this year. To facilitate all-round cooperation in potential areas and friendship between Vietnam and Ukraine, and support businesses seeking investment opportunities, the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce organised a forum in last October which promoted the benefits of the Vietnam-Ukraine relationship for the new period.

The forum was held in coincidence with the 14th meeting of the Vietnam-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, thus fostering profitable business opportunities and herald a new period of development in comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Ukraine.

At the forum, representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnamese ambassador to Ukraine emphasised the significance Vietnam-Ukraine relations, underlining the important role of businesses in promoting the relationship between the two sides, outlining orientations for cooperation and solutions to develop production and business activities, as well as supporting the Vietnamese community in Ukraine. The two countries have also stepped up cooperation at all levels.

Specifically, in late 2017, the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with leaders from Ternopil, Urkaine covering activities of industrial parks (IP).

Under the MoU, both sides exchanged views on issues of shared concern and investment and cooperation practises, and, examined ways to facilitate the operations of businesses in both Ternopil and Dong Nai. Ukraine has also adopted incentive policies for foreign investors operating in the country. From 2022, Ukraine will provide full tax exemptions on some kinds of imported machinery and spare parts.

Head of Ternopil Regional State Administration, Stepan Barna, said the western Ukrainian city has strengths in agricultural development with staple export products such as alcohol, milk, and poultry meat.

Tran Van Vinh, vice chairman of Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee said the locality has advantages in developing the industry sector. So far, the province is home to 32 IPs, which have attracted more than 1,200 FDI projects totally capitalized at US$30 billion.

Dong Nai and Ternopil will continue to boost cooperation in such fields as industry, trade, and services and other areas of particular strength.