Vietnam Morning News For March 14

Vietnam’s steel exports increase more than 38%
Vietnam’s total steel exports for the first two months of the year increased 38.6% over the same period last year to more than 728,000 tonnes, according to the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA).
— Nhan Dan Online

Local cosmetics sector needs preferential policies
Viet Nam needs more preferential policies to attract investors to the local cosmetics sector, economic experts have recommended.
— Viet Nam News

VITM 2018: Vietnam’s travel companies adapt to Industry 4.0
Businesses from 43 provinces and cities across Vietnam will participate in the sixth Vietnam International Travel Mart – VITM 2018 – from March 29 to April 1, seeking to learn about tourism trends in the fourth industrial revolution.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam’s MobiFone calls off acquisition of 95% stake in Audio Visual Global
In a major deal collapse in Vietnam, MobiFone, the second largest network operator, has called off the acquisition of Audio Visual Global (AVG), the operator of An Vien pay-TV service, in the wake of a long-drawn inspection by the government.
— DealStreetAsia

Vietnam striving to enhance food quality as tariff changes enhance export opportunities to Japan
Vietnamese food firms say exports to Japan is at an all-time high, with greater quality control, increasingly favourable trade rules and new product development helping to drive business.
— Food Navigator

Private equity bets on Vietnam’s growing pool of wealth
From fish sauce to dairy and beer, lumpy investment bets in Vietnam have typically been placed on the country’s teeming working class and its growing propensity to consume.
— DealStreetAsia

SOEs failed to disclose business information to be punished
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has just asked the Government to handle the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which failed to disclose their business information in 2017 in line with the Government’s Decree 81/2015/ND-CP issued in September 2015.
— VietnamPlus

More banks to soon carry out listing in securities markets
Many banks have planned to submit listing plans to shareholders for approval in 2018 annual general meeting (AGM) season to capitalize on the advantageous conditions of the securities market.
— The Hanoi Times

MOIT considers response to US steel tariffs
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) is closely following developments in the case and considering all settlement measures in order to protect the legitimate rights of Vietnamese businesses, said the MOIT’s Department of Trade Defence.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnamese P2P lending startup Tima seeks to close Series B round by June
Vietnamese P2P lending startup Tima plans to close a Series B funding round in the next three months and forge a strategic partnership with a local top-tier bank soon.
— DealStreetAsia

$66b invested in Greater Mekong Sub-region: ADB official
The Greater Mekong, including Việt Nam, is expected to have a colossal US$66 billion poured in to strengthen regional economic co-operation in the next five years, said an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official on Tuesday.
— Viet Nam News

US dollar losing charm as investment haven in Vietnam
Short-term trading in U.S. dollars has increasingly become less lucrative in Vietnam as the VND-USD exchange rate has been kept stable by the State Bank of Vietnam, which also maintains a zero interest rate for savings in the greenback.
— Tuoi Tre

Japan bank considers funding PetrolVietnam’s gas project
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is considering funding the Block B&52/97 project of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetrolVietnam) using loans without a government guarantee.
— VietnamPlus

Hanoi’s housing market is drawing a buzz, a decade after the bust
The Vietnamese capital Hanoi has emerged as a favoured destination for foreign investors looking to the property market, as prices remain among the best value in Indochina, even as a gradual recovery has been underway since a disastrous slump rocked the housing market in 2007.
— South China Morning Post

Vietnamese, Lao provinces seek to boost cross-border trade
Optimal measures to facilitate cross-border trading of agricultural products and materials through Lao Bao-Densavan international border gate between Vietnam’s central Quang Tri province and Savannakhet province of Laos were discussed at a workshop held in Dong Ha city of Quang Tri on March 13.
— Nhan Dan Online

Outstanding businesses in made-in-Vietnam products campaign to be named
Ninety-six outstanding enterprises in the “Vietnamese people prioritise using made-in-Vietnam goods” campaign will be announced at an awards ceremony to be broadcast live on VTV1 on March 17.
— VietnamPlus

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