Vietnam pledges coordination with and hopes to receive further support from the World Bank (WB) and other partners to improve food hygiene and safety, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at an online conference held in Hanoi on April 18.

The Vietnamese Government has built a legal framework on food safety and hygiene, including the Law on Food Safety issued in 2010 which adopts a good approach to global trends, he said, noting that food safety management focuses on risks of unsafe food.

Authorities need to enhance testing capacity and built a database to provide reliable information for consumers and management agencies. Information and technology must be used to popularise food safety knowledge, trace origins of food and connect production units, he said.

He also stated that thanks to domestic businesses’ efforts to ensure food safety and hygiene for their products, exports of agro-forestry-fishery products in 2017 fetched over 36 billion USD.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC, the US, Laura Tuck, WB Vice President for Sustainable Development, stressed the significance of food safety and measures to improve food safety for sustainable development in countries worldwide.

Food safety with economic development and experience in assuring food safety were also discussed at the event.

Senior Vietnamese Party official visits Shanghai city

Nguyen Van Binh, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (L) shakes hands with Li Qiang, Politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of the Shanghai Party Committee

Nguyen Van Binh, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (L) shakes hands with Li Qiang, Politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of the Shanghai Party Committee

China’s Shanghai city should bolster cooperation with Vietnamese localities and improve the effectiveness of practical cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, tourism and culture, said Nguyen Van Binh, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Binh, who is also Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Affairs, made the statement during a meeting on April 18 with Li Qiang, Politburo member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of the Shanghai Party Committee.

At the meeting, Binh briefed his host on Vietnam’s socio-economic development over the past years and hailed Shanghai’s achievements during its reform and development process. 

Vietnam will create optimal conditions for Shanghai businesses to invest in large-scale projects applying high technology in line with the country’s sustainable development needs, he said.

For his part, Li introduced the city’s socio-economic situation and reform experiences and cooperative relations between Vietnam and Shanghai, as well as measures to bolster bilateral cooperation in the coming time.

During its stay in Shanghai, the CPV delegation paid fact-finding trips to Shanghai’s new economic development model in Pudong, along with the city’s free-trade zone and businesses.

Binh is leading a CPV delegation on a working visit to China from April 15-19 at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee.

PM orders enhanced cabinet-supreme procuracy coordination

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked governmental ministries and agencies to spare no effort in support of the procuracy sector’s activities.

PM Phuc made the request at a meeting between leaders of the cabinet and the Supreme People’s Procuracy (SPP) in Hanoi on April 18, where they discussed measures to boost the effectiveness of bilateral coordination.

According to reports at the session, the two sides have worked together in building institutions, and dealing with crime reports, and criminal, administrative and civil cases in line with law. 

The Government has directed relevant ministries and agencies to create favourable conditions for the SPP to exercise its prosecution rights and supervise judicial activities, while the SPP submitted recommendations to the government and competent ministries and agencies in carrying out preventative measures against law violations.  

Addressing the session, PM Phuc lauded the two agencies’ implementation of a joint resolution on working coordination, which set out 10 tasks, as well as their well engagement in crime prevention and law enforcement.

PM Phuc recommended the Government Office and the SPP organise annual meetings to improve their cooperation and highlighted the necessity of effective budget estimates for procuracy activities.

He expressed his belief that the collaboration between the two agencies will produce good outcomes, but noting that judicial reform should not criminalise economic, administrative and civil relations.

While emphasising the SPP’s important role in ensuring law enforcement, the PM suggested agency step up its IT application and accelerate the implementation of working coordination programmes with other agencies and sectors.

Government, Supreme People's Court review ties in performing duties

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a working session between leaders of the Government, ministries and sectors and leaders of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) in Hanoi on April 18 to review their coordination in performing the functions, tasks and power of each agency.

According to a report at the meeting, the coordination between the Government and the SPC has been enhanced in various spheres such as making socio-economic development plans, disseminating laws, and settling criminal and civil cases.

SPC Chief Justice Nguyen Hoa Binh asked the PM and the Government to assist upgrading infrastructure of the court system so that it is suitable for handling each type of cases, especially marriage and family cases, and in line with new legal regulations.

He noted more than 40 percent of 499,000 cases that courts at all levels handle each year are marriage and family cases. However, the court system is facing numerous difficulties in arranging courtrooms in conformity with judicial reform, Binh added.

At the session, PM Phuc said courts are the centre of judicial reform, and in fact, activities of courts at all levels have been improved, thus promoting their transparency, publicity, fairness and adherence to law. The court sector has greatly contributed to overall achievements of the country, he stressed.

The PM also applauded the collaboration between the court sector and the Government in implementing verdicts on civil cases, making laws, instructing law enforcement, fighting crimes, and settling prolonged complaint and denunciation cases.

The Cabinet leader affirmed that the Government has continually created favourable conditions for judicial agencies to carry out the Politburo’s Resolution 49 on the strategy for judicial reform until 2020.

Regarding cooperation in the time ahead, he asked the Government and the SPC to strengthen ties in judicial staff training, upgrading infrastructure, and applying IT to implement the single-window model in the court sector.

Korean investors join efforts to develop RoK-VN ties: Finance Minister

The Republic of Korea (RoK) investors’ participation in Vietnamese market shows their responsibility for promoting Vietnam-RoK relations, said Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung.

He made the statement while chairing an investment promotion conference in Seoul on April 18, which drew the attendance of more than 400 RoK investors and representatives from Financial Services Commission, Korea Financial Investment Association, Korea Stock Exchange, investment funds, and leading banks and insurance groups.

The RoK is currently the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with total registered capital of 59 billion USD and the Vietnamese Government lauded the presence of RoK leading businesses in the country in the past three decades, Dung said.

He stated that Vietnam-RoK relationship is entering a new phase thanks to the Moon Jae-in administration’s New Southern Policy, in which Vietnam plays a core role.

Moon’s visit to Vietnam last month helped deepen the ties across the fields, Dung added.

Informing the participants of Vietnam’s economy, the official noted that import-export revenue smashed the record benchmark of 400 billion USD in 2017 while the registered FDI capital reached 319.6 billion USD. The FDI sector has created millions of jobs for local labourers and promoted growth model shifting in the country.

At the event, many RoK businesses expressed their interest in Vietnamese securities and insurance markets as well as the country’s new policy to develop the economy.

Earlier on April 17, Dung had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Strategy and Finance Kim Dong-yeon, during which they agreed that Moon’s visit to Vietnam marked the two governments’ determination to deepen the strategic cooperative partnership.

During his stay in Seoul, the minister visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK on April 16. He lauded the embassy’s role in promoting the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in all sectors, especially in economic collaboration and investment attraction.

Ambassador affirms Japanese investors’ interest in Mekong Delta

Many Japanese investors are keen on investing in the Mekong Delta, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio affirmed at a conference in Can Tho city on April 18.

The conference, aiming to connect Japanese partners with the 12 provinces and Can Tho city of the Mekong Delta, drew more than 160 Japanese businesses, more than 50 of which came to Vietnam for the first time.

Cooperation potential in transport infrastructure development was among the main issues attracting participants’ attention.

Luu Quang Khanh, Director of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Department for Foreign Economic Relations, said the Mekong Delta has a favourable intra-regional transport system helping connect many localities within the region and support development. This system also links the Mekong Delta, located in the southwest of Vietnam, with the southeastern region, especially Ho Chi Minh City, and other regions in Vietnam and neighbouring countries.

He noted despite those advantages, the Mekong Delta hasn’t attracted much investment from Japan due to asynchronous infrastructure linking the whole region with other regions and linking production areas with consumption markets.

Konaka Tetsuo, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam, said to help southwestern localities solve transport problems, research organisations of Japan are ready to transfer bridge and road models using Japan’s high-quality materials and advanced technologies to the Mekong Delta.

Japan will also help local authorities seek capable investors to partner in developing arterial transport projects like My Thuan – Can Tho Expressway, Trung Luong – Can Tho Expressway and the National Road 30 expansion, he added.

Regarding tourism cooperation, Takahashi Ayumi, Chief Representative of the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) in Vietnam, said the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan and vice versa has grown strongly over the last 10 years, about 30 percent year on year.

However, Japanese arrivals in the Mekong Delta remain modest, partly because tourism promotion activities of the localities have yet to truly access tourists. Most Japanese tourists just visit big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.

He said to address this problem, the JNTO will work with local administrations to hold cultural exchanges with arts programmes and exhibitions of the Mekong Delta’s traditional products to introduce local culture to the Japanese. It will also connect the local tourism sector with the Japan Association of Travel Agents to share information about tourists’ taste.

On agricultural ties, Takimoto Koji, Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation in HCM City, pointed out that although the Mekong Delta boasts many advantages of agricultural and aquatic products, cheap land prices and low labour costs, it lacks effective connectivity among localities.

He said the region lacks suitable development strategies to optimise production chains, boost product quality and productivity, and diversify products to meet demand.

Appreciating Koji’s opinions, Director of the Department for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Kim Long said Vietnam is working to turn the Mekong Delta’s agriculture into a smart and sustainable one.

The country hopes for assistance from Japanese partners in applying new technologies, especially bio-technology, in aquaculture, rice cultivation and fruit farming to enhance product quality and value. Vietnam also wants help to adapt agriculture to climate change, the official noted.

Asazuma Shinichi, envoy of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, said many agricultural businesses of Japan are seeking cooperation with Vietnamese firms, including those in the Mekong Delta. 

Leaders of the region need to understand investors’ demand and improve the local investment climate. The Japanese Embassy will support the organisation of annual conferences to introduce the Mekong Delta’s investment environment to foreign investors.
Adjustments to Thanh Thuy International Border Gate approved

The PM has approved the adjustments to Thanh Thuy International Border Gate overall plan in the northern province of Ha Giang till 2030. 

According to the plan, the border gate will be formed into an integrated and multi-disciplinary economic zone in fields of trade, services, tourism, industry, agriculture and forestry to attract more investment and enhance international integration. 

The border gate aims to boost trade activities, exports and imports between Yunnan Province (China) and provinces in the North of Viet Nam and between ASEAN nations and countries in the Northeast Asia. 

The border gate will be developed sustainably, attached socio-economic development with ensuring security and defense for sustainable ecological environment.  

The total import-export revenue through the Thanh Thuy International Border Gate reached a record high of US$3.66 billion in 2017, soaring 200% from the previous year.

Working group on implementation of Law on Planning set up

The PM has decided to establish a working group on the implementation of the Law on Planning.

Accordingly, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung heads the working group and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Le Quang Manh is his deputy.

The working group is tasked to consult the PM to direct the realization of the Law on Planning and measures at Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP on the implementation of the Law on Planning.

It also urges, coordinates and directs ministries, ministerial agencies and the People’s Committees of cities and provinces to launch the Law on Planning and tackle obstacles and difficulties during the process of realizing the Law.

VN, Myanmar step up comprehensive cooperative partnership

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s upcoming visit to Viet Nam from April 19-20 is expected to strengthen bilateral ties and tighten the two nations’ comprehensive cooperative partnership.

The first official visit to Viet Nam by Myanmar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the President’s Office Aung San Suu Kyi is made at the invitation of Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Viet Nam and Myanmar set up diplomatic relations in 1975. The two nations elevated their ties to a comprehensive cooperative partnership during a State visit to Myanmar by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017. 

The two sides have supported each other at sub-regional, regional and international forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam cooperation, Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

Economic, trade and investment ties have been maintained 12 prioritized areas, including agriculture, fisheries, finance-banking, aviation, telecommunications, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, power device production and automobile manufacturing and assembly, construction, investment and trade. 

The two-way trade value hit US$828.3 million in 2017, up 51% from 2016. Viet Nam is the 7th biggest foreign investor in Myanmar with 70 projects worth nearly US$2 billion.

Viet Nam had nearly 170 trade representatives in Myanmar in forms of representative offices, company’s branches, joint-stock companies and companies with 100% capital invested by Viet Nam. 

The two countries have regularly held meetings of the joint committee on bilateral cooperation and the joint sub-committee on trade. Trade fairs have also been held in each country to introduce products and attract investors.

Based on a defense cooperation agreement signed in 2011, the two armies have sped up all-level delegation exchanges and boosted cooperation in border management, and illegal migration and smuggling prevention.

Support industry needs push: Deputy PM

The Ministry of Industry and Trade and Samsung Electronics Việt Nam jointly organised a programme to train 200 Vietnamese experts to meet the demand of firms in the country’s support industry. 

Developing the support industry has been one of the most important tasks to restructure the economy in depth, thus improving Việt Nam’s competitiveness and integration ability.

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng told this at the launch ceremony of a programme to train 200 Vietnamese experts, held in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

The training of these experts is to meet the demand of firms in the country’s support industry.

The programme is jointly organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Samsung Electronics Việt Nam.

Addressing the ceremony, Dũng affirmed that South Korea had been one of the top economic partners of Việt Nam, while the latter has also been one of the major partners of South Korean firms.

More and more South Korean businesses are operating in Việt Nam, making important contributions to the country’s economic development, he said.

He added that currently, some 150,000 Vietnamese people are living in South Korea, a strong force that helps foster the Việt Nam-South Korea partnership.

Việt Nam is on its way to industrialisation and modernisation, Dũng said, adding that the country is focusing on three strategic breakthroughs: completing the socialist-oriented market economy institution, developing a synchronous infrastructure system and transforming the growth model to improve the economy’s competitiveness.

Việt Nam needs to boost the growth of the support industry, especially in electronics, mechanical manufacturing, automobile, footwear and garments. Therefore, the country has always created optimal conditions in policy as well as a favourable legal corridor for this industry’s expansion, Dũng said.

He, however, pointed out the poor capacity of Vietnamese firms and their weak connectivity while stressing the vitality of investing more on human resources.

He hoped that the training programme would contribute greatly to the expansion of Việt Nam’s support industry.

Dũng asked the ministry to support Samsung in dealing with any problem that arises for the highest efficiency of the programme.

Meanwhile, Shim Won Hwan, general director of Samsung Việt Nam, said human resources training for enterprises was the shortest way for Việt Nam to improve competitiveness in future.

This year, Samsung plans to give consultations to 12 Vietnamese firms attending the programme, he said, adding that sending Samsung experts to Vietnamese firms will be a good way to boost the support industry’s growth.

He said the launch of the programme marked a new milestone between the Vietnamese Government and the company. After graduating, the 200 experts trained under the programme will be sent to work for Vietnamese firms across the country.

Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Tuấn Anh hailed the significance of the programme and said its success would help enhance the capacity of Vietnamese firms, strengthening their competitiveness and opening up new opportunities for them to engage in supply chains of multinational groups, including Samsung.