New drive to boost use of local parts in cars made in Viet Nam (27-06-2009) Head of the Industry Development Strategy Institute Phan Dang Tuat spoke with Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) about using local components in cars made in Viet Nam. How do you evaluate the development of the automobile support industry in Viet Nam? Currently, there are about 1 million different cars running in Viet Nam, but small cars only account for 30 per cent of that number (about 300,000). Moreover, nearly 100,000 cars from many different brands are launched on the market every year. This splits the market into many parts and doesn’t encourage domestic enterprises to invest in the automobile component industry. This is also the main reason why the Vietnamese support industry remains underdeveloped. In your opinion, what measures should be done to develop the industry? I think there should be adequate strategies to select the main automobile brands in the market. After finalising … [Read more...] about New drive to boost use of local parts in cars made in Viet Nam
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Viet Nam’s rich, ancient cultures go hand in hand with national tourism
Viet Nam’s rich, ancient cultures go hand in hand with national tourism (24-08-2009) The director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyen Van Tuan, spoke to Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) about measures to boost tourism. What do you think about tourism promotion activities? They are limited due to lack of finance. There have been no large-scale and effective promotion programmes. However, we still have to do our best with what we’ve got. It is essential to link tourism and cultural promotion programmes in each region because tourism activities are linked to the culture and people of Viet Nam. When the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is merged into the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourism promotion activities will be strengthened. There is still a lack of highly competitive tourism products. What does the VNAT plan to do to solve the problem? Viet Nam has a rich cultural and ecological environment, but it … [Read more...] about Viet Nam’s rich, ancient cultures go hand in hand with national tourism
Viet Nam’s soft power rises on successful social policies
The Government's soft power, the ability to obtain goals through co-option and attraction rather than coercion, is increasing said Nguyen Van Trung, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment in an interview with Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times). What is your assessment of Viet Nam's soft power? Viet Nam has enough power to promote it and facts have shown that our soft power is increasingly developing. This is manifested in many policies, and the social welfare policy is the one imbued with the Government's efforts in developing the country's soft power over recent years. On a working visit to a poor district in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, I heard the locals there saying they was inspired because the Government had helped them build houses. Obviously, if we want the world to have confidence in us, it is a prerequisite for people to trust the Government first. More attention has been paid to our social welfare policy, especially in the context of … [Read more...] about Viet Nam’s soft power rises on successful social policies
Fight for greater transparency in Viet Nam begins to pay off
Tran Van Truyen, the Government's chief inspector, spoke with Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) about the current state of play in the country's fight against corruption. In the last four years, the Judicial Committee of the National Assembly has asked the government several times to take action against the top leaders of workplaces where corruption has been uncovered. Has this request been implemented? The Government Inspection Office has received instructions from the Prime Minister to accelerate our inspection visits in the hope of detecting signs of corruption at an early stage, in order to prevent it or by taking action in alleged corruption cases. We have an annual work plan developed by our office and approved by the PM. In 2010 we have conducted thousands of inspections from central to grassroots levels. With the strong backing of the PM, I can say that our 2010 performance has been rather successful. We have brought to light many serious corruption cases. I … [Read more...] about Fight for greater transparency in Viet Nam begins to pay off
Viet Nam’s cheap labour: a double-edged sword
Business Beat (29-10-2007) Viet Nam’s cheap labour: a double-edged sword by Hong Van In response to foreign journalists’s inquiries about the recent shift of Thai and Japanese investment from Thailand to Viet Nam early this month, Thai Deputy Minister of Industry Piyabutr Cholvijarn said it didn’t concern him. Viet Nam and Cambodia attract labour-intensive manufacturing while Thailand is shifting its attention to the high-tech and information technology industries, he said. He added that these industries have more added value and do not create as much environmental pollution. Vietnamese officials, on the other hand, stress the availability of cheap labour as a key to attracting more foreign direct investment. A ready supply of cheap labor compared to that in neighbouring countries like Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia is a significant incentive to attract foreign investors looking to cut costs. But what about the workers themselves? With rising consumer prices, it is a … [Read more...] about Viet Nam’s cheap labour: a double-edged sword