Economic competitive index now in public eye

Cement, steel, chemical fertilisers, feeds and milk were listed as having relatively healthy competitive behaviours.

The assessment was reported by the Competition Management Department
under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on October 14 for
the first time.

However, some products of the
above-mentioned five industries, including imported powder milk and
construction steel, were criticised for unhealthy competitiveness due to
their misleading advertisements.

The report,
which covered 10 economic sectors, slammed five other industries, namely
aviation, banking, insurance, petroleum distribution and
telecommunication, for unhealthy competitive behaviour, citing abuse of
advertisements and discounts to gain market share.

Deputy Director of the Competition Management Department Vu Ba Phu
emphasised that the report aimed to establish and maintain a fair and
healthy competitive environment for all economic sectors in Vietnam .

The report was expected to increase awareness of competition policies and law among enterprise circles, Phu said.

Dr Dinh Thi My Loan, General Secretary of the Vietnam Retailers
Association, said the ranking was based on the impact of price changes,
consumer responses and concerns about the surveyed industries or
products.

Loan, however, said the report wording remained “soft and yet fully reflecting customer worries”.

Her view was shared by another expert, Vo Tri Thanh, Deputy Rector of
the Central Economic Research and Management Institute, who said the
report should be subjected to objective evaluation by experts.

The report, prepared under the sponsorship of the Beyond WTO
programme, will be released in HCM City on October 20, following its
Hanoi release.

The Competition Management
Department unveiled a plan to conduct research and supervise the
competitive structure of several other economic sectors for inclusion in
the annual report./.

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Seminar seeks ways to better ODA management

Vietnam needs to improve legal frameworks and institutions in its
efforts to better the use of official development assistance (ODA), said
an expert.

Head of an independent evaluation
delegation Marcus Cox put forth the suggestion at a seminar which was
held in Hanoi on Oct. 8 to get feedback about a draft report on the
performance of the Paris Declaration and Hanoi Core Statement on Aid
Effectiveness.

Cox recommended Vietnam build the capacity of sector-level managers and utilise more objective assessment tools.

The draft report pointed out the fact that Vietnam ’s national
development programme and its rapid growth have not relied on ODA aid
capital, but the nation is still facing a lot of challenges in terms of
institutions, making plans and decentralisation of power in ODA
management.

A number of delegates said the report
should give out specific figures and more detailed analyses of new aid
methods, refundable and non-refundable aid.

Meanwhile, a representative from the National Assembly Office emphasised
the necessity to enhance technical management rather than
administrative measures, saying it is one of the most effective way to
manage ODA.

The workshop was co-hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Aid Effectiveness Forum (AEF).

Vietnam is one of 24 countries worldwide participating in the 2
nd phase of evaluation on the implementation of the Paris Declaration
on Aid Effectiveness./.

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UK port businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam

British seaport businesses are ready to help Vietnam obtain breakthroughs in the industry and improve sea transport and management.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Mark Kent made this statement at the seminar, “UK-Vietnam Partnership in Ports” held in Hanoi Tuesday during a visit to Vietnam by a UK ports mission.

The seminar was held by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in Vietnam with the participation of nine leading businesses in UK port operations and development, provision of equipment and maritime services, and consultancies specialising in developing port infrastructure, coastal and offshore engineering and finance and education.

Representatives from UK businesses agreed that with over 3,200km of coastline and a strategic location in the region, Vietnam has huge potential for marine development.

Vietnam is attracting interest from international services and management companies who are seeking opportunities to develop markets involving ports and take part in projects to expand ports in Vietnam.

They said the UK, with its long and vast history in port development and operation and its strength in global markets, is well suited to assist Vietnam in this sector.

The UK has accumulated significant experience in port design and construction, providing marine safety, liquefied petroleum gas facilities, equipment, consultancy services, project management, training and financial, legal and logistical services.

Participants agreed that the UK, the world’s leading country in revamping and modernising port management, could help Vietnam create suitable solutions for management of its developing port facilities.

Addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said that under the plan, from now till 2015, the Vietnamese government would give priority to developing the infrastructure at Van Phong deep-water port in central Khanh Hoa province and Lach Huyen international port in the northern city of Hai Phong.

The UK port mission is on a three-day visit to Vietnam from Monday to showcase the UK ’s expertise in the port sector with the aim of highlighting the success of the UK-Vietnam partnership in this key sector.

They visited ports and worked with relevant agencies and sectors to study the operations of Vietnamese ports and the nation’s port development strategy, and to seek cooperative partnerships and investment opportunities.

 

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UK port businesses seek opportunities in VN

British seaport businesses are ready to help Vietnam obtain
breakthroughs in the industry and improve sea transport and management.

British
Ambassador to Vietnam Mark Kent made this statement at the seminar,
“UK-Vietnam Partnership in Ports” held in Hanoi on Oct. 5 during a
visit to Vietnam by a UK ports mission.

The seminar was
held by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in Vietnam with the
participation of nine leading businesses in UK port operations and
development, provision of equipment and maritime services, and
consultancies specialising in developing port infrastructure, coastal
and offshore engineering and finance and education.

Representatives
from UK businesses agreed that with over 3,200km of coastline and a
strategic location in the region, Vietnam has huge potential for
marine development. Vietnam is attracting interest from international
services and management companies who are seeking opportunities to
develop markets involving ports and take part in projects to expand
ports in Vietnam.

They said the UK, with its long and vast
history in port development and operation and its strength in global
markets, is well suited to assist Vietnam in this sector.

The
UK has accumulated significant experience in port design and
construction, providing marine safety, liquefied petroleum gas
facilities, equipment, consultancy services, project management,
training and financial, legal and logistical services.

Participants
agreed that the UK, the world’s leading country in revamping and
modernising port management, could help Vietnam create suitable
solutions for management of its developing port facilities.

Addressing
the seminar, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said that
under the plan, from now till 2015, the Vietnamese government would give
priority to developing the infrastructure at Van Phong deep-water port
in central Khanh Hoa province and Lach Huyen international port in the
northern city of Hai Phong.

The UK port mission is on a
three-day visit to Vietnam from Oct. 4 to showcase the UK ’s
expertise in the port sector with the aim of highlighting the success of
the UK-Vietnam partnership in this key sector.

They visited
ports and worked with relevant agencies and sectors to study the
operations of Vietnamese ports and the nation’s port development
strategy, and to seek cooperative partnerships and investment
opportunities./.

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Land management looks to int’l standards

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a symposium in Hanoi Friday to listen to foreign land managers in an effort to catch up with developed economies in the region by 2020 as planned.

Experts from Sweden, Holland, South Korea, China and the World Bank shared experiences in land registry, land pricing, land information systems, digital land management, land fund development and land compensation.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen emphasised three key points in the orientation on land management modernisation, based on a modern organisational mechanism, advanced technology and efficiency of land management.

“All this is necessary to contribute to poverty alleviation, democracy and social parity,” said the minister, revealing that the nation’s final goal was to reach international standards by 2030.

Acting Head of the Land Management Department Phung Van Nghe said land managers should no longer simply do an administrative job but should manage the business of national properties.

He explained that land management was geared towards providing administrative and legal procedures for land users and the community.

The Law of Land, promulgated in 2003, has opened up a new era where the Government has shifted land ownership or auctioned small parcels of land to enrich State coffers.

In 2009 alone, land auctions fetched VND40 trillion (US$2.04 billion), representing a 10-fold increase over five years ago.

 

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Land management looks to int’l standards

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a symposium in Hanoi Friday to listen to foreign land managers in an effort to catch up with developed economies in the region by 2020 as planned.

Experts from Sweden, Holland, South Korea, China and the World Bank shared experiences in land registry, land pricing, land information systems, digital land management, land fund development and land compensation.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen emphasised three key points in the orientation on land management modernisation, based on a modern organisational mechanism, advanced technology and efficiency of land management.

“All this is necessary to contribute to poverty alleviation, democracy and social parity,” said the minister, revealing that the nation’s final goal was to reach international standards by 2030.

Acting Head of the Land Management Department Phung Van Nghe said land managers should no longer simply do an administrative job but should manage the business of national properties.

He explained that land management was geared towards providing administrative and legal procedures for land users and the community.

The Law of Land, promulgated in 2003, has opened up a new era where the Government has shifted land ownership or auctioned small parcels of land to enrich State coffers.

In 2009 alone, land auctions fetched VND40 trillion (US$2.04 billion), representing a 10-fold increase over five years ago.

 

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Drastic measure planned to boost public investment management

Cua Viet Bridge, which was built from the State budget, is one of the key projects for central Quang Tri Province's socio-economic development strategy. The Government is expected to improve its public investment management with drastic measures and mechanisms. — VNA/VNS Photo Ho Cau

HA NOI — The Vietnamese Government is to implement drastic measures and transparent mechanisms to improve its public investment management, international participants at a seminar in Ha Noi yesterday were advised.

The Government would focus on improving its policies and structures on investment management, especially regarding State funded projects, the head of the Planning and Investment Ministry (MPI)'s External Economy Department, Ho Quang Minh told the participants.

The seminar was held to share international experiences in public management and help Viet Nam learn lessons from other countries in the field.

To improve the effectiveness of public investment, said Minh, the government was speeding up the completion of guidelines related to investment management. The policies and mechanics on consulting, supervising and managing of publicly invested projects will be improved to make the processes more transparent, according to Minh.

According to MPI statistics, around VND286 trillion (US$14.6 billion) was spent on public investment during the 2001-05 period, accounting for more than 23 per cent of the total investment in all social fields. Total expenditure is expected to rise to VND739 trillion (nearly $37.9 billion), accounting for more than 24 per cent of total investment, during the 2010-15 period. That means huge investment from the State budget on the public projects and targeted programmes, according to the MPI.

It is vital to have efficient management to make the most effective use of investment. The Government therefore needs to have proper measures and policies to ensure national investment funding is effectively used.

Viet Nam had a high rate of public investment, throughout a wide range of different fields, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the nation's gross domestic production, Martin Rama, head of the World Bank's East Asia Development office, told the seminar.

There were, however, weaknesses in many of the country's investment fields, said Rama, the bank's lead economist, who pointed out the drawbacks in public investment at the meeting. Regional development as a component of the comprehensive investment plan had not received adequate attention and a strategic environment evaluation had not been completed to determine key fields for investment, said Rama.

Decentralisation has resulted in inefficiencies and an overlapping in the public investment management, according to the bank's economist.

Sharing the South Korean experiences in economic renovation, head of the Public and Private Infrastructure Management Centre of the country's Development Institute Kim Jay-hyung said he agreed with the Vietnamese Government's plan which would see investment project assessment at both central and local levels.

The Vietnamese Government would adopt comprehensive measures when assigning responsibilities to relevant authorities and investors based on the grade of the project, said Minh. The works on assessment, supervision and inspection will be improved while ineffective projects and investment funds which did not meet the requirements of the comprehensive plan reviewed, according to Minh. — VNS

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Seminar aims to better public investment management

An international seminar on strengthening public investment management opened in Hanoi on September 8.

During the two-day seminar, jointly held by the World Bank, the
Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), and the Asian Development
Institute, participants share their experiences in mapping out
strategies that help countries improve public investment management.

According to the MPI, around 286 trillion VND was used for public
investment during the 2001-2005 period, accounting for 23 percent of the
total social investment. In the 2006-2010, the figure is estimated to
reach over 739 trillion VND or 24 percent of the total social
investment.

State capital for public projects and
programmes holds a large proportion so the effective management and use
of the source are very important and necessary.

Therefore, the Vietnamese government should have suitable measures and
policies to use the national capital source more effectively, the
ministry said.

Marin Rama, Acting Director of the
WB’s East Asia Development Department, said Vietnam is one of the
countries with a high public investment proportion, nearly 40 percent of
its total GDP.

However, he also pointed out
Vietnam ’s shortcomings in public investment management that should be
addressed in the coming time, including ineffective uses, insufficient
attention to regional development in the overall investment plan,
decentralisation and the overlapping of related laws such as the State
Budget Law, the Construction Law and the Bidding Law./.

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