BUSINESS IN BRIEF 18/4Dialogue talks Vietnam – Iran business opportunitiesA Vietnam – Iran business dialogue took place in Hanoi on April 17 to discuss business opportunities between the two countries. At the meeting, the Viet Nam Exporters Association and other business groups based in HCM City said they would send business delegations to the summit. This is a promising start for further expansion of business relations between Germany and Viet Nam. At present, there are some 300 German enterprises doing business in Viet Nam, of which 68 per cent said they were satisfied with the country’s business environment and 75 per cent hoped to further invest in Viet Nam in future. However, one of the main obstacles for German firms is seeking skilled workers in Viet Nam, said Marko Walde, chief representative of German Industry and Commerce Viet Nam.

The ‘grey’ areas of coastal Economic ZonesVietNamNet Bridge - It is expected that by 2020, coastal economic zones (EZs) will play a decisive role in developing the marine economy of Vietnam, making up 53-55 percent of GDP. In 2016, coastal EZs brought total revenue of $8 billion, including $5 billion from exports. An MPI report showed that the total investment capital for infrastructure had climbed to VND170 trillion by the end of 2010. “Vietnam doesn’t receive big benefits from coastal EZs, but has to pay a heavy price for environmental disasters,” an economist said. There are 16 coastal EZs with a total area of 815,000 hectares.

Vietcombank sells out OCB stake at auctionVietcombank sold out all 6.67 million shares of Orient Commercial Bank (OCB) at an auction on Tuesday. The OCB price in this auction doubled that in the first auction held at the end of last year. After last year’s auction, Vietcombank’s ownership rate at OCB fell from 4.72 per cent to 3.97 per cent. On the OTC market, OCB shares are also trading at around VND25,000 to VND27,000 per share, compared with some VND10,000 at the end of last year. With the success of the OCB share sale, Vietcombank currently holds 8.19 per cent stake in Eximbank and 6.97 per cent stake in Military Bank.

Could tungsten mines be the springboard for Vietnam’s auto industry? VietNamNet Bridge - Increasing the localization ratio and reducing production costs are vital issues for Vietnam’s automobile industry. As Vietnam is one of the worlds’s largest tungsten producers, it could be material that could help revive the auto industry. The auto production cost in Vietnam is 10-20 percent higher than in Thailand and Indonesia because of the high number of imported car parts. Vietnam’s automobile industry, after 20 years of development, still cannot reach the targeted localization ratio.

Vietnam to allow universities to set independent admission standardsVietNamNet Bridge - After many delays, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has decided that from 2018, it will not set floor marks, or minimum required standards, on students applying for universities. MOET will no longer set floor marksThe floor mark has been used for many years to select the best students for universities. Examinees must obtain marks equal to, or higher than the floor marks to be eligible for enrollment in any university in Vietnam. He said instead of the national floor marks to be applied to all schools, universities will set floor marks themselves based on their prestige and number of applicants. It has become easier now to conduct surveys on the number of university graduates getting jobs within 12 months after graduation.

HCM City sees busy real estate transactions in outlying districtsLand registration offices at some outlying districts in HCM City have been extremely busy due to recent rising land prices in the area. "We’re having to work at full capacity every day to serve the high demand for land transactions." Land transactions are busy not only in District 9 and 12 but also in some other outlying districts including Binh Tan, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh. According to a real estate company in Binh Tan District, the real estate market in the area has been fuelled by the rising land prices in the city's suburbs since early 2016. "Authorities in these areas should intensify the management of land and update information for local people to prevent possible cheating in land transactions," Tuyen stressed.

Cuong’s business was among the top twenty startups at the APEC 2017 Startup Forum and was a typical Vietnamese startup in 2017Flower Farm now has over 24,000 regular individual and institutional customers in VietnamWhen studying in Japan, Cuong was impressed by Japanese paper flowersReturning home, he decided to invest 1.5 billion VND into making paper flowers as he found the potential for developing this business in VietnamPeach blossoms always in high demand during Tet holidaysPaper imported from ItalyPeach blossoms, roses and daisies are favorite during TetFlower Farm’s products at the 2017 Startup Fair

Government draws up resilience plans for rainy seasonVietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) recently asked concerned agencies and localities to tighten the management of dyke maintenance and flood prevention for the coming rainy season. According to the Vietnam News Agency, MoARD has also asked Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority to guide localities on evaluating dyke systems and approve protection plans as well as inspect and urge the implementation of dyke maintenance during floods and stormy season. Meanwhile, from May 1, HCM City Greenery Parks Company will set up 17 quick response teams during working hours to handle incidents of falling trees in the coming rainy season. People can also notify the company in its subsidiary offices at Nguyen Thong Street, District 3; Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 11; Hoang Minh Giam Street, Phu Nhuan District; Street No.3, District 9; No.20A1, Nguyen Van Bua Street, in Xuan Thoi Son Commune, Hoc Mon Distrcict; and the company’s headquarter in Cong Truong Quoc Te, District 3. The company, therefore, is planning to plant new trees while handling old ones to minimise accidents caused by falling trees.

Phu Quoc's major river polluted severelyVietNamNet Bridge – Duong Dong, the largest river that supplies water for Phu Quoc Island in southern Kien Giang Province, is polluted with garbage and waste water. Workers from Phu Quoc Island’s Public Work Management Board collect garbage from the surface of Duong Dong River. Triet said the waste water was being treated only through the sedimentation tank, and then discharged directly into the river along canals. The deterioration of the water quality has affected the beauty of the river and disrupted the living conditions of the local people along the river. Pham Van Nghiep, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the river was not polluted from the headwaters, but the discharge of waste water and garbage from households on both sides of the river had inflicted the damage.

Ca Mau Province to inspect illegal farming activitiesVietNamNet Bridge – The Mekong Delta Province of Ca Mau on Tuesday launched an inspection of arbitrary seafood farming and planting activities on its island. Bich Thuy Enterprise carries out illegal aqua agricultural and farming activities on Hon Hang Island. — Photo thanhnien.vnThe inspection team, led by Le Van Su, vice chairman of Ca Mau Province People’s Committee, will inspect the activities of aqua agriculture, planting coconut trees and breeding chickens without the permission of Hon Hang Island authorities in the Hon Chuoi Island Cluster in Song Doc Town, Tran Van Thoi District. It will also inspect the project of breeding wild animals in combination with eco tourism on the islands of Hon Sao and Hon Doi Moi in Tan An Commune, Ngoc Hien District. Earlier this month, the provincial department of natural resources and environment submitted a report to the People’s Committee on the illegal farming activities of Bich Khai Enterprise in Song Doc Town, Tran Van Thoi District.

Thanh Hoa coastal forest swamped by rubbishDa Loc Commune protective coastal forest in Thanh Hoa Province has become a huge dumping site as large amounts of rubbish are being washed up on the beach. According to the local people, Da Loc Commune has about 400 hectares of protective forest along over five kilometres of the beach. Vu Van Dinh, chairman of Da Loc Commune, admitted that pollution was a serious problem and they needed help. Dinh said the rubbish was generated both from Da Loc Commune and other places upstream. The tide brings in rubbish to the forest in Thanh Hoa ProvinceRubbish remains tangled in the trees when the tide goes downDtinews

Deputy PM orders strict fines for fake drugsDeputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has called for tough punishment for faking medicines and medicinal supplements which poses risks to human health. Dam ordered the Health Ministry and Ministry of Public Security to work closely with the police and health departments of related localities to impose fines on Vinaca. Criminals involved in fake drugs cases have a lot of tricks under their sleeves, Đam said, adding that all activities related to producing and selling of fake products, fake medicines and functional foods must be punished, especially violations related to the treatment of incurable diseases. For a long-term solution, Dam asked the health ministry to continue tracking the origin of drugs and managing more than 4,000 pharmacies nationwide. Early this year, Hai Phong City police discovered thousands of Vinaca Company’s products being manufactured at a facility of Dao Thi Chuc in Kien An District.

Former police officer sentenced for espionageA former police officer of a department under the Ministry of Public Security was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of espionage and property plundering. Nguyen Hoang Duong at the trial.—Photo thanhnien.vnOn Monday, Ho Chí Minh City People’s Court sentenced Nguyen Hoang Duong to seven years in jail for espionage attempts and one year for property plundering. According to the indictment, from July 22-29, 2016, Duong had blackmailed his sister to get VNĐ100 million (US$4,500) but failed. October 4, 2016: Yang was arrested, and his attempt to sell classified documents was foiled. Considering his behaviour, personal background and the consequence of his crime, the Trial Panel sentenced Duong to eight years imprisonment, lower than the Procuracy’s suggestion of 13-14 years for two crimes.

Meat imports threaten domestic livestock industryVietNamNet Bridge - To improve their competitiveness, Vietnamese livestock companies have been told to restructure their production and supply chains. Le Ba Lich, chair of the Vietnam Feed Association, said that imported meat is cheap because export countries have highly specialized and automated livestock industries. At present, poultry and animal meat imports still bear tax, but are putting pressure on domestic products. According to Nguyen Dang Vang, chair of the Vietnam Livestock Association, the best solution for the livestock industry to become competitive is to develop closed farming chains. RELATED NEWSVN livestock industry in danger as imports are too cheapMeat imports reach record high as local livestock industry floundersKim Chi

AVC Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship slated for April 20The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship will kick off in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 20 with the competition of 36 players of 18 teams from 10 countries and territories, announced the organising board at a press conference on April 17. Cups for top teams of AVC Women’s Beach Volleyball ChampionshipThe host country of Vietnam will send three teams to the four-day event, while Australia, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and Thailand will have two teams each, and Kazakhstan, Singapore and Malaysia to send one team each. Total prize money of the tournament is 12,000 USD, with the winner pocketing 2,600 USD, the runner-up receiving 2,000 USD and the third one bagging 1,600 USD. Pham Van Luan, Vice Director of the Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and deputy head of the organising board, said that the AVC Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship is part of point-scoring system for players. The annual event is also a chance for the teams to exchange and improved their skills, he added.-VNA