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Norwegian solar companies seek cooperation opportunity in Vietnam A group of Norway’s leading solar companies attended a Norwegian Solar Seminar in Hanoi on October 15 to look for cooperation opportunities with local partners in the solar energy sector. The event is co-organized by Royal Norwegian Embassy and Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 1 (PECC1), under the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) with the attendance of  Norweiginan Ambassador designate, Ms Grete Lochen, Commercial Counsellor Mr Harald Naevdal, General Director of EVN PECC1 Mr Pham Nguyen Hung, representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and over 70 participants from the EVN and its subsidiaries, independent power plant owners, construction companies, private investors from Vietnam and Laos, suppliers and consultants and other stakeholders. At the seminar, an energy consultant of the World Bank presents an overview of Vietnam’s solar energy, highlighting the achievements of … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 19/10

Hanoi Gift Show 2018 to draw more than 250 exhibitors Local airlines increase aircraft fleet Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) show that the number of aircraft registered in Vietnam amounted to 175 as of September, up 14% year-on-year. Cat Lai customs work with 58 shipping firms over waste imports Customs officials at HCMC's Cat Lai Port have worked with representatives of 58 shipping companies that have transported over 3,000 containers of scrap to the port to determine their responsibilities and brief them of the Prime Minister’s Directive 27 on solutions to enhance control over imported waste, Thanh Nien newspaper reported, citing Pham Thi Leo, deputy head of Saigon Port Area 1 Customs Office. Leo said the customs agency was cooperating with these shipping companies in line with the 2014 Customs Law and 2005 Maritime Law. Shipping companies were asked to carry ineligible scrap imports out of Vietnam. They must assume responsibility for the waste … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 17/10

Helicopter Corporation to sell 20.3 million shares of MBLand Holdings      The Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH) will auction 20.3 million of its shares in property developer MBLand Holdings with the beginning price of 12,366 each on October 26. According to the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, VNH holds a 31 per cent stake in MBLand Holdings. VNH is expected to collect a minimum VND251 billion from the sale. MBLand, formerly known as MB Real Estate JSC, was established on January 25, 2008 by two major shareholders, Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (code: MBB) and VNH. After nine years of establishment and development, MBLand Holdings now has an ownership capital of VND800 billion, total assets worth VND2 trillion and charter capital of VND653.7 billion. MBLand Holdings has 18 shareholders, including 12 organisations and six individuals. The main shareholder of MBLand Holdings is MB Bank with the ownership ratio of over 65 per cent, or nearly 42.7 million shares. In early … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 13/10

VinaCapital officially ends investment in poultry firm Ba Huan Ba Huan JSC, the country's leading pasteurized eggs and poultry meat producer, has decreased its charter capital from VND280 billion (US$12 million) to VND222 billion (US$9.53 million), effectively ending the involvement of VinaCapital, one of the two largest asset management firms in Vietnam, with the company.  This results in an increase in the stake holding of domestic shareholders from 66.2% to 83.6%, of which Ba Huan's Director Pham Thi Huan owns 64%. In Feburary, VinaCapital`s flagship fund Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF) invested US$32.5 million to acquire a significant minority stake in Ba Huan.  However, in early July, Ba Huan sought Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's intervention in terminating its partnership with VinaCapital. The firm said there were differences between the English and Vietnamese versions of the agreement and the terms were not what the two parties had agreed initially.  Among … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 10/10

SSI upgrades stock board and order services for Web Trading      SSI Web Trading, an online trading service from Saigon Securities, has upgraded its online stock board and updated two more conditional orders for derivative trading. The two new orders, namely OCO and Bull & Bear, are the two most useful orders in derivative trading. With this upgrade, all market data displayed on the board and order screen will be updated consecutively and immediately, helping investors track stock prices and follow transactions quickly and accurately. In June, SSI also upgraded its Web Trading by adding four more types of conditional orders. The continuous upgrades to the platform demonstrates SSI’s efforts in providing diversified, efficient trading tools for profit maximisation and risk prevention for clients when practicing derivative trading. With two new conditional orders, OCO and Bull & Bear, SSI has six types of conditional orders, including Up, Down, Trance Up, … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 6/9

Agro-forestry-fishery exports generate 25.7 billion USD in 8 months The agro-forestry-fishery sector raked in 3.13 billion USD from exports in August, raising the total value in the first eight months of this year to 25.7 billion USD, up 7.3 percent year-on-year.  According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the best performers in the period included rice, fruit and vegetables, key forestry products and seafood.  Exports to major markets like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Republic of Korea (RoK), China, the US and Japan increased significantly over the past eight months.  The country exported about 4.4 million tonnes of rice worth 2.2 million USD between January-August, up 6.8 percent in volume and 22.1 percent in value from the same period last year. In August alone, 441,000 tonnes valued at 209 million USD was shipped abroad.  China remained Vietnam’s largest rice importer, making up 24.7 percent of the market … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 2/9

PetroVietnam signs deals on Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet gas field exploitation A series of trade agreements on exploiting the Sao Vang-Dai Nguyet gas field was inked between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and its partners in Hanoi on July 31. The agreements included a gas sales and purchase and a gas supply agreement.  The stakeholder participation in the Petroleum Sharing Contract includes the operator Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd with 43.08 percent; Teikoku Oil (Con Son) Co Ltd, 36.92 percent; and PetroVietnam, 20 percent. Speaking at the signing ceremony, PVN General Director Nguyen Vu Truong Son said the signing of trade agreements achieved after over two years of negotiations among sides involved. He said the event is very significant for the gas filed to turn out the first flow of oil and gas in the third quarter of 2020, with an estimated annual output of 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas and of 2.8 million barrels of crude oil and natural-gas condensate. The … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 4/8

JLL reports on real estate M&A in first half Vietnam’s real estate market continued to exhibit irresistible appeal among foreign investors in the first half of 2018 and continued to witness high-value merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in a variety of sectors such as residential, commercial, and industrial, according to Ms. Khanh Nguyen, Associate Director, Capital Markets, Vietnam, at JLL. Joint ventures have become popular among foreign developers who have strong financial capacity and track record, with them joining forces with local developers who own land and have strong connections with the local community. Foreign investors are from many different countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, and with an increasing number of groups from Mainland China. JLL observes that there is an increasing number of local investors who are actively seeking real estate deals alongside foreign investors. 2018 started off with the acquisition of Sun Wah office tower … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 3/8

Can Tho invites investors to investment promotion conferenceThe Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will hold an investment promotion conference on August 10, inviting investors for 54 projects worth nearly 124 trillion VND (5.44 billion USD). At a press conference on the conference on August 1, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong said investors have already expressed interest in 44 out of the 54 projects on offer, and some are ready to start work immediately on 22 projects. He added that some projects attracted two or more investors, so the city will set criteria to select the best among them. Among the 54 projects, 21 are in real estate, 9 in culture-sports and tourism, 9 in agricultural and industrial infrastructure, 8 in transport, 4 in logistics and power, 2 in cultural-sport and health care infrastructure and 1 in information technology. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to deliver a keynote speech and chair the conference, … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 2/8

Vinh Phuc seeks investment from S Korea      The northern province of Vinh Phuc promoted its potential and called for investment at a conference held in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea on Friday. Speaking before an audience of South Korean businesspeople, Chairman of Vinh Phuc provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tri highlighted the province’s convenient location in Viet Nam’s northern key economic zone and favourable natural conditions suitable for industry, tourism and hi-tech agriculture. He informed the South Korean business circle that the province has made efforts to streamline its administrative procedures, upgrade infrastructure, especially at industrial zones, and train the local labour force. The provincial leader reported that Vinh Phuc is now home to more than 300 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, including many run by South Korean corporations such as Partron Vina, Haesung Vina, Bangjoo and Interflex. Several more South Korean … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 1/8