Foreign investors suggest HCM City focus on policy consistency

Mon, 03/22/2004 - 12:32


(03/22/2004 -- 16:58GMT+7)

HCM City, Mar. 22 (VNA)- Tax rates, capital market development and investment licensing were major concerns of foreign investors who requested Ho Chi Minh City authorities to focus on consistency and transparency in policy making at a meeting last week.

“Foreign investors need clear tax laws and regulations with minimal changes and consistent enforcement”, Richard Irwin of Pricewaterhouse Coopers said at the meeting, the second since October 2002 which was part of the city’s initiatives to attract foreign investment.

Foreign companies allowed to purchase shares of joint stock banks

Mon, 03/22/2004 - 12:30


(03/22/2004 -- 17:09GMT+7)

Ha Noi, Mar. 22 (VNA) - Wholly foreign-invested companies operating in Viet Nam will be permitted to purchase shares of joint stock banks, said an official circular recently issued by the State Bank of Viet Nam.

The circular stated that foreign-invested businesses are able to buy and hold a maximum of 30 per cent of joint stock banks' statutory capital.

US helps improve electricity safety in VN



HA NOI — Chemists from the United States and Viet Nam held a PCB management course for electricity workers in Ha Noi last Friday.

Polychlorinated biphenyls are commonly found in electrical transformers manufactured before 1995, and are known to have harmful effects on human and environmental health.

Experts from both countries discussed the challenges of developing environmental management systems for the inventory, storage, handling and treatment of PCBs.

Govt must set aside more money to popularise VN’s image, policies

Thu, 03/11/2004 - 17:58



Phan Huu Thang, director of the Department of Foreign Investment at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, discussed investment promotion strategies with Quoc Te (International Affairs Review) newspaper.

Q: The promotion of investment does not seem to be as much of a priority as the promotion of trade. Why is that?

A: It’s true investment promotion has not been made a key national programme with the Government’s financial backing. However, investment promotion has always been considered an important initiative by both central and local governments.

Shrimp skirmish to cause ripples


By Aaron Kuriloff
Tuesday March 02, 2004
St. Bernard/Plaquemines bureau

(Posted with author's permission)

The Louisiana shrimp industry's fight against low-cost, farm-raised imports could have some unanticipated, and unwanted, consequences, including lost domestic jobs and higher consumer prices, according to seafood dealers, economists and industry experts.

Economic community should play key role in ASEAN growth, says PM

Wed, 03/03/2004 - 11:15


(03/03/2004 -- 22:38GMT+7)

Ha Noi, Mar. 3 (VNA) - Economic community should play a key role, while other two "pillars" i.e. security-political and cultural cooperation should also develop for a strong ASEAN community by 2020, suggested Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Wednesday.

The Government leader of Viet Nam made the comment while meeting ASEAN foreign ministers on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Retreat.

Viet Nam condemns terrorist attacks against Iraqi civilians

Wed, 03/03/2004 - 10:44


(03/03/2004 -- 20:50GMT+7)

Ha Noi, Mar. 3 (VNA) - Viet Nam strongly condemned terrorist attacks targeting innocent civilians in Iraq, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung.

He was answering a Vietnam News Agency correspondent's question on Viet Nam's reaction to a series of blasts in Iraq recently, causing heavy losses in lives and property, particularly the anti-Shiite attacks in Karbala and Baghdad.

Disney backs new $1 billion resort project


Seven US investors want to build a Disneyland-style theme park and resort in the coastal town of Phan Thiet, 300 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City. South Fork Development Company has applied to develop a $1 billion resort in the town.

The company was to begin with registered capital of $25 million. “But that is just the start-up capital,” South Fork Director Le Thi Dung said. “In the next five to seven years, six large American companies would bring in some $1 billion to develop the project if the investment licence is awarded.”

An American Veteran's Letter to Senator Brownback

Wed, 02/25/2004 - 18:16


SENATOR BROWNBACK:

Deputy PM lauds VVAF's contributions to Vietnam-US ties

Nhandan.org.vn

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan on Tuesday lauded the contributions by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), particularly President Robert Muller, to promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples and the normalisation of Vietnam-US relations.

Expressing his appreciation at a reception given to Mr Muller in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Khoan said he hoped that VVAF would continue to boost friendship between the Vietnamese and American people and help Vietnam overcome war consequences and develop sustainably.

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