Online bidding piloted on Wednesday

HANOI – Online bidding will be implemented on a trial basis from on Wednesday at three State organizations, namely the Hanoi City People’s Committee, Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group, and the Electricity of Vietnam Group.

The trial online bidding, provided for under Circular 17/2010/TT-BKH issued by the Ministry of Planning and Investment that takes effect on Wednesday, will apply to consulting, acquisition of goods, and construction packages at the three organizations. Each of the three organizations will put forth for competitive bidding at least five acquisition tenders, three consulting services packages, and three construction packages.

Both the bidder and the bid organizer will have to register their participation via the website http://muasamcong.mpi.gov.vn so that they will be granted a digital identity code each, according to the circular.

All electronic documents with the digital signatures of the representatives made via the online system will have equal merit as the paper-based documents.

Apart from the three above-mentioned organizations, the Ministry of Planning and Investment also encourages other entities to apply online bidding in line with this circular.

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IBM commits more assistance to city’s development

IBM senior vice president Jon Iwata (L) at a meeting with HCMC vice chairman Nguyen Trung Tin at the City Hall on Tuesday - Photo: Kinh Luan

HCMC – IBM Corporation will continue to assist HCMC with some pilot programs being implemented in the city, said a senior executive of the company.

Jon Iwata, IBM’s senior vice president for marketing, communication and citizenship organization of the company, made the commitment in a meeting with vice chairman of the city Nguyen Trung Tin on Tuesday.

IBM will help move the pilot projects forward including projects building e-government, improving food safety, managing heath-care industry and water sources plus infrastructure and high technologies.

“We will find a way around the obstacles in the projects through discussion. IBM will help speed up the process, and learn from the pilots to be able to expand the scale of projects that follow,” said Iwata in his first visit to Vietnam to check the implementation of the cooperation projects that started in February.

This year, to deploy a global program called “Smarter City”, IBM has sent two groups of consultancy specialists to HCMC.

After studying the city’s development needs, IBM’s consultants recommended that the city’s authorities address the needs through three projects on food quality management, healthcare management, and public traffic safety.

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Vietnam says to head off U.S. tra anti-dumping tariffs

Tra fish harvested at a farm in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam is trying to prevent the possible U.S. anti-dumping levy on tra imports from Vietnam, which might reach 136% - Photo: Le Toan

HCMC – The agriculture ministry has said the Government would take action if the U.S. imposes new anti-dumping tariffs on tra fish imports from Vietnam, which could amount to 136%.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong told reporters in HCMC on Tuesaday that the Government would do something to prevent this; otherwise, it would affect tra exports to other markets.

“Though tra exporters are not totally dependent on America, the levy may set a negative precedent by encouraging other markets like the EU and Middle East to follow suit. That’s why we must make concerted effort to cope with the matter,” Phuong said.

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has said unofficially that the anti-dumping tariffs for products of certain Vietnamese seafood exporters might reach 136%. In a review of the tariffs, DOC used the Philippines as the third-country market to determine dumping margins for Vietnamese tra fish, instead of Bangladesh, thus leading the tariffs to rise.

If the new prohibitively high tariffs are imposed in March next year, many tra fish exporters will certainly leave this market.

Andrew B. Schroth, advocate of the Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP who has advised tra fish exporters on the anti-dumping case, said that if DOC took this decision, it could be seen punitive rather than variable from the last time.

“Though the final rates will not be released until six months later, related sides must work very hard in order to divert the decision,” Schroth told the press conference at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers office in HCMC.

The possible measures which Vietnam should take, he said, include using all available channels in the Philippines, both legal and political, to prove that the choice of the Philippines as a third country to consider as the benchmark is not at all appropriate.

The Philippines is, in many aspects, far different from Vietnam. Labor, business management cost and even the raw material price are higher than in Vietnam, but they were used for the calculation of dumping margins of Vietnam’s tra fish.

A source from the agriculture ministry, who requested anonymity, said earlier that it was due to the growing popularity of the fish on the American market that had resulted in the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) lobbying against Vietnamese tra fish.

Last week, John Connelly, president of the U.S. National Fisheries Institute, said during his visit to Vietnam that Vietnamese tra had for the first time become one of the most favorite fish in the U.S.

This explains why DOC suddenly shifted to the Philippines as a third country to calculate dumping margins, the ministry source said.

In the previous anti-dumping review, a majority of Vietnamese exporters enjoyed the lowest tariff of 0.52% and some were even recognized as not dumping the fish on the American market.

The anti-dumping tariffs for Vietnamese tra exports to the U.S. have impacted on the local industry since 2003. Last year tra exports to this market totaled US$134 million, about 10% of the total export.

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Vietnam says to head off U.S. tra anti-dumping tariffs

Tra fish harvested at a farm in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam is trying to prevent the possible U.S. anti-dumping levy on tra imports from Vietnam, which might reach 136% - Photo: Le Toan

HCMC – The agriculture ministry has said the Government would take action if the U.S. imposes new anti-dumping tariffs on tra fish imports from Vietnam, which could amount to 136%.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong told reporters in HCMC on Tuesaday that the Government would do something to prevent this; otherwise, it would affect tra exports to other markets.

“Though tra exporters are not totally dependent on America, the levy may set a negative precedent by encouraging other markets like the EU and Middle East to follow suit. That’s why we must make concerted effort to cope with the matter,” Phuong said.

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has said unofficially that the anti-dumping tariffs for products of certain Vietnamese seafood exporters might reach 136%. In a review of the tariffs, DOC used the Philippines as the third-country market to determine dumping margins for Vietnamese tra fish, instead of Bangladesh, thus leading the tariffs to rise.

If the new prohibitively high tariffs are imposed in March next year, many tra fish exporters will certainly leave this market.

Andrew B. Schroth, advocate of the Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP who has advised tra fish exporters on the anti-dumping case, said that if DOC took this decision, it could be seen punitive rather than variable from the last time.

“Though the final rates will not be released until six months later, related sides must work very hard in order to divert the decision,” Schroth told the press conference at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers office in HCMC.

The possible measures which Vietnam should take, he said, include using all available channels in the Philippines, both legal and political, to prove that the choice of the Philippines as a third country to consider as the benchmark is not at all appropriate.

The Philippines is, in many aspects, far different from Vietnam. Labor, business management cost and even the raw material price are higher than in Vietnam, but they were used for the calculation of dumping margins of Vietnam’s tra fish.

A source from the agriculture ministry, who requested anonymity, said earlier that it was due to the growing popularity of the fish on the American market that had resulted in the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) lobbying against Vietnamese tra fish.

Last week, John Connelly, president of the U.S. National Fisheries Institute, said during his visit to Vietnam that Vietnamese tra had for the first time become one of the most favorite fish in the U.S.

This explains why DOC suddenly shifted to the Philippines as a third country to calculate dumping margins, the ministry source said.

In the previous anti-dumping review, a majority of Vietnamese exporters enjoyed the lowest tariff of 0.52% and some were even recognized as not dumping the fish on the American market.

The anti-dumping tariffs for Vietnamese tra exports to the U.S. have impacted on the local industry since 2003. Last year tra exports to this market totaled US$134 million, about 10% of the total export.

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Liberty launches online insurance service

HCMC - U.S. firm Liberty Insurance Limited on Tuesaday started launching an online automobile insurance service after three years of providing insurance products in the Vietnam market.

Carlos Vanegas, general director of Liberty Insurance, told a news briefing in HCMC on Tuesaday that the increasing trend of online transaction services and payments using credit and debit cards had prompted the insurer to upgrade its website www.libertyinsurance.com.vn for the online service.

“We have looked for and put into operation the latest technical advancements in order to improve the quality of our products and services to ensure strong growth and to meet the increasing demands of customers,” Vanegas said.

He described the interactive website as an online automobile insurance distribution channel, supplying new functions and links to its customers, staff, agents and partners with convenient tools and information.

The online service allows customers, particularly busy ones, to buy insurance and pay premiums anytime and anywhere by clicking on suitable insurance services for their automobiles. Besides the options to pay by cash or bank transfer, customers can also use their credit or debit cards to pay online.

“It takes only a few minutes for a customer to get an automobile insurance quotation with various options of insurance benefits and premiums,” he said, adding this offers an easier and faster way to do business with the company.

The insurer’s first 24/7 call center in Vietnam can address all clients’ specific needs and inquiries in both Vietnamese and English.

Liberty Insurance, which entered Vietnam in 2007, is among the top ten of 28 life insurers in Vietnam in the automobile insurance field, according to the company.

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Industrial tradeshow opens in town

HCMC – A three-in-one biennial industrial tradeshow featuring energy efficiency, renewables, electrical installation, security and fire systems, and industrial automation opened in HCMC on Wednesday.

The 3-in-1 show comprises of Elenex Vietnam 2010 featuring Power & Renewable Energy; Architecture Building M&E Vietnam 2010 featuring Securitex & Fire Vietnam 2010; and Industrial Automation 2010.

The three-day event at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), District 7 provides a sourcing platform with hands-on solutions to customers from the electrical engineering, building, security and fire, and industrial automation sectors.

Given the phenomenal success of the second edition of Elenex Vietnam, the show is believed to return to the spotlight this year with more quality exhibiting companies and international buyers taking part, according to organizers Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd and VCCI Exhibition Service Co., Ltd.

The fair has a strong international presence with over 250 companies from more than 20 countries and territories, and the group pavilions of Austria, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the U.K.

The tradeshow encompasses hundreds of mainstream and cutting-edge products and technologies that will appeal to professionals from the automation, building, electrical engineering machinery, security and trading and distributing sectors.

Ranging from power applications, and transmission and distribution to electrical installation and lighting technologies, Elenex Vietnam delivers various options for electrical industry professionals to seek solutions for their daily challenges.

The exhibition offers traditional mainstream electrical products such as cables and wires, connectors, relays and converters, switches and switchgears, and features on-site power, power generation and renewable energy technologies to present both immediate power uplift and more efficient green alternatives.

Incorporating building and industrial security needs, Securitex & Fire Vietnam 2010 demonstrates a selection of the most innovative and groundbreaking security-related technologies and products.

Industrial Automation Vietnam makes a timely event to inspire change as it addresses transformation in manufacturing, plants and utilities progressively, from upgrading existing processes through to full automation for Greenfield plant investments.

Key exhibits include automation and control software, cables/cable systems, drives and actuators, industrial PCs, plant automation and monitoring systems, and process automation, among others.

More than 7,000 trade professionals are expected to gather at the event to acquire new businesses, and make quality sourcing, network and exchange market intelligence.

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Industrial tradeshow opens in town

HCMC – A three-in-one biennial industrial tradeshow featuring energy efficiency, renewables, electrical installation, security and fire systems, and industrial automation opened in HCMC on Wednesday.

The 3-in-1 show comprises of Elenex Vietnam 2010 featuring Power & Renewable Energy; Architecture Building M&E Vietnam 2010 featuring Securitex & Fire Vietnam 2010; and Industrial Automation 2010.

The three-day event at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), District 7 provides a sourcing platform with hands-on solutions to customers from the electrical engineering, building, security and fire, and industrial automation sectors.

Given the phenomenal success of the second edition of Elenex Vietnam, the show is believed to return to the spotlight this year with more quality exhibiting companies and international buyers taking part, according to organizers Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd and VCCI Exhibition Service Co., Ltd.

The fair has a strong international presence with over 250 companies from more than 20 countries and territories, and the group pavilions of Austria, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the U.K.

The tradeshow encompasses hundreds of mainstream and cutting-edge products and technologies that will appeal to professionals from the automation, building, electrical engineering machinery, security and trading and distributing sectors.

Ranging from power applications, and transmission and distribution to electrical installation and lighting technologies, Elenex Vietnam delivers various options for electrical industry professionals to seek solutions for their daily challenges.

The exhibition offers traditional mainstream electrical products such as cables and wires, connectors, relays and converters, switches and switchgears, and features on-site power, power generation and renewable energy technologies to present both immediate power uplift and more efficient green alternatives.

Incorporating building and industrial security needs, Securitex & Fire Vietnam 2010 demonstrates a selection of the most innovative and groundbreaking security-related technologies and products.

Industrial Automation Vietnam makes a timely event to inspire change as it addresses transformation in manufacturing, plants and utilities progressively, from upgrading existing processes through to full automation for Greenfield plant investments.

Key exhibits include automation and control software, cables/cable systems, drives and actuators, industrial PCs, plant automation and monitoring systems, and process automation, among others.

More than 7,000 trade professionals are expected to gather at the event to acquire new businesses, and make quality sourcing, network and exchange market intelligence.

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