Trade – Investment

On June 14th, Asia’s largest and most modern cruise vessel, Ovation of the Seas, carrying 4,300 tourists from the US, England, Australia, Canada and Singapore, docked at Phu My port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

(CPV) - After successfully buying Big C Vietnam for USD1.14 billion, Thailand's biggest retailer - Central Group, led by tycoon Tos Chirathivat, has planned to temporarily halt other acquisition projects in Europe to focus on Vietnam’s market.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee to organize a meeting on June 17th to promote litchi consumption in Ho Chi Minh city, said Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has set up an investment plan for the 2016-2018 period with the focus on airports with rapid tourist growth in association with socio-economic development, with total capital demand of over VND26.2 trillion.

(CPV) - Pepper export in the first five months of 2016 saw rapid growth in volume, but export value of the commodity decreased from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Resolution No.35 recently issued by the Government reflects the high level of determination to support and develop the business community, which requires ministries and state management agencies to drastically reform procedures to facilitate enterprises’ operations.

The administration of Dong Nai province promised to remove obstacles facing Japanese companies in the southern locality during a dialogue on June 10th.

(CPV) - Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Vuong Dinh Hue on June 6th worked with the Vietnam Development Bank (VDB) and presented PM’s decision appointing Pham Quang Tung as Chairman of VDB Board of Directors.

Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to set up a promotion center for investment, trade and tourism in Hai Phong city.

(CPV) - The Vietnamese Embassy in Greece on June 6th organised a conference introducing the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) and Vietnam’s marine shipping and shipbuilding industries to nearly 50 Greek partners.

(CPV) - To enhance the public-private sector dialogue and promote participation of Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country’s policy reforms, the first ever Viet Nam Private Sector Forum opens last week in Ha Noi.

The retail prices of RON 92 petrol and E5 bio-fuel increased by VND680 and VND668 per litre, respectively, from 3:00pm on June 4th.

As many as 100 excellent businesses in various fields nationwide were honoured with a Young Startup Entrepreneur Award 2016 at a ceremony in Hanoi on June 4th.

(CPV) - The Japan International Cooperation Agency and Government of Vietnam have inked Japanese ODA loan agreements up to a total of JPY166.124 billion for assistance for three projects.

Better service quality, more transit bus stations, a new legal framework, and enforcement of fines are expected to shut down illegal bus stations and unlicensed transport firms in HCM city.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has adopted scheme to promote wind power development in Ca Mau by 2020, with the vision to 2030, reported the Ca Mau provincial People’s Committee office on May 29th.

Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed in principle with the pilot operation of three non-subsidized bus routes using four-wheel tramcars with 12 seats in Ho Chi Minh city.

Three Vietnamese representatives, Vietcombank, Vietinbank and BIDV, have been named among Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s 2,000 biggest public companies (Global 2000) in 2016.

Deputy Prime Minister (PM) Trinh Dinh Dung has directed rice export in the first months of 2016, and missions and solutions for the coming time.

A delegation of leading enterprises from Richmond, a coastal city in western Canada, led by Councillor Chak Au, visited HCM City on May 27th to seek cooperation opportunities.

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture (VTPCA) will open a safe food market at No.489 Hoang Quoc Viet road, Cau Giay district, Hanoi twice every month.

A festival showcasing man hau (plum), a specialty of Moc Chau district in the northern province of Son La, will be organised on May 28th, according to the district administration.

Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia has urged the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to restructure local transportation, focusing on the waterway network to fully tap regional potential.

Despite positive results of the “Vietnamese give priority to use Vietnamese goods” campaign, the ratio of Vietnamese goods being sold in traditional markets remains quite modest.

Businesses sought to promote the exports of Vietnamese fresh lychees to China via Lao Cai border gate at a meeting in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on May 27th.

The US Senate’s approval of a bill that would repeal the US Department of Agriculture’s catfish inspection program is good news for Vietnam’s tra fish industry, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Export value of agriculture, forestry and fishery in May was estimated to reach USD2.32 billion, bringing the total figure for the first five months this year to USD12.18 billion, a year-on-year rise 4.9%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Vietnam had more than 44,740 newly-established enterprises in the first five months, with a registered capital of over VND349 trillion, up 24.1% in number and 59.3% in capital, reported the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Business Registration Management Agency.

Total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) capital in the first five months of the year reached over USD10.15 billion, a year-on-year rise of 136%, reported the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency.

On May 24th, the Ha Tinh municipal People’s Committee launched a groundbreaking ceremony of project on development of Ha Tinh city, with a total capital of USD42.12 million.