Vietnam to Tap Global Market with First Bond Issue

Thu, 10/06/2005 - 14:56

Vietnam, which has considered the idea of tapping global capital markets since the 1990s, has approved the country's first sovereign bond issue, local media reported Thursday.

The Finance Ministry will issue the dollar-denominated bonds sometime this month, but local newspapers did not say how much the issue was intended to raise.

Ministry sources told Reuters in August the plan was to raise $500 million and the debt issue would help create a benchmark for Vietnamese bonds abroad.

Vietnam Hopes Listed Shares Will Equal 10% of GDP

Tue, 10/04/2005 - 14:58

A draft stock exchange strategy calls for efforts to increase Vietnam’s market capitalization to 10 per cent of GDP by 2010.

The draft, for the 2006-2010 period, was discussed at a forum in Hanoi Thursday and is expected to be submitted to the Government in October. The market capitalization, or the total value of shares and bonds listed on Vietnam's five-year-old stock market, is now a mere 0.9 per cent of the GDP.

Hanoi Selected Top Five Asian Tourist Cities for Second Time

Tue, 10/04/2005 - 14:38

A leading US magazine has again selected Hanoi as one of the top five leading Asian cities for tourism for 2005.

Travel and Leisure magazine made the selection, heeding millions of readers on the basis of the city's landscapes, culture, people and food. The other four cities are Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong and Kyoto.

The capital city of Vietnam ranked fifth this year, compared with fourth in 2004.

Vietnam Southern Hub Starts Online Customs Clearance

Tue, 10/04/2005 - 14:31

Vietnam’s commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City has for the first time launched official customs clearance via the Internet with US$1.5 million worth of goods being cleared.

The HCMC Customs Department approved up to 30 online customs declarations of five local companies on Wednesday.

The department said it had to spend only 2 minutes to approve one declaration, while the time could reach seven or eight hours for normal clearance.

From now to September 10, about 11 companies will get their goods cleared by the department via the internet.

Vietnamese Are Spending More

Mon, 10/03/2005 - 10:09

Statistics show consumer spending is on an upward trend in Vietnam, a favorable signal for foreign investment into the country.

Increased spending is one of the major factors drawing investors to Vietnam, with the large population and high growth also contributing to the country’s appeal. Vietnam has a population of more than 83.1 million for 2005, increasing by 1.35% year on year.

US Committed to Vietnam’s WTO Accession

The US wants to see Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization occur as soon as possible, and is committed to working with Hanoi to make it possible, a US diplomat said Tuesday.

"The US is also very much committed, as President Bush told Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in Washington, to Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO),” said the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Eric John, in a press briefing after arriving in Hanoi for a visit.

Vietnam, US Should Seek to Patch up Differences: Deputy PM

Vietnam and the US need to continue dialogues to solve differences to enhance bilateral ties, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan told the visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Eric John, Tuesday.

The two sides met during John’s Vietnam visit to discuss with Vietnamese officials issues of mutual concern, including law enforcement, healthcare, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza, and issues of religious freedom and human rights.

US Funds Anti-human Trafficking Project in Northern Vietnam

The US Embassy in Vietnam has agreed to provide US$14,976 for a project to prevent trafficking of women and children in the northern province of Thanh Hoa.

The project will be implemented by the local Women's Union between September 2005 and September 2006.

It will include training courses on preventing trafficking, vocational and business training for poor women, and distribution of handbooks and booklets on prevention of human trafficking, gender issues, and small business management.

American Singer with Message of Peace, Mutual Respect and Ethical Accountability

Thu, 09/22/2005 - 10:42

Viet Nam News, September 22, 2005

American folk singer and anti-war activist Peter Yarrow, of the group Peter, Paul and Mary, has recently carried his message of peace, mutual respect and personal, ethical accountability to Vietnam through performances for war victims organized by the Fund for Reconciliation and Development.

Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in New York Nguyen Anh Tuan spoke with Yarrow and John McAuliff, executive director of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, about their concerns for Vietnamese war victims.

US Singer: We Owe Agent Orange Child Victims an Apology

Wed, 09/21/2005 - 14:37

Ha Noi - Septermber 19, 2005 (VNA) - US folk singer Peter Yarrow, who is in Vietnam to raise funds for Viet Nam's Agent Orange (AO) victims, said he felt he and his friends have the responsibility to make apologies to child AO victims for their sufferings.

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