Other Briefings
Vietnam Devalues Currency, Raises Interest Rates
HANOI, Nov. 25 – The central bank has announced that it would devalue the Vietnamese currency and raise benchmark base interest from 7 percent to 8 percent beginning next month. This is the third time since since 2008 that the dong has been devalued. The central bank said that one-time devaluation will see the currency’s […]
HCMC Cuts Electricity to 51 Companies Due to Environmental Violations
Nov. 23 – Ho Chi Minh City authorities have cut electricity to 51 businesses last week as punishment for their environmental violations reports Thanh Nien News. The city gave an ultimatum that blacklisted business will not be reconnected again unless they clean up and stop damaging the environment. The 51 firms were found to be […]
Ho Chi Minh City Included in Top Cities for Software Testing
Nov. 20 – Strategic advisory firm, Tholons has included Ho Chi Minh City in its annual report of Top 6 Established Global Outsourcing Cities for Software Testing for the second year in a row. The city located in South Vietnam was also named in Tholon’s list of Top 10 Offshore Nations, Top 50 Emerging Global […]
Hanoi Plans to Streamline New Business Procedures
Nov. 19 – Hanoi’s Department of Planning and Investment announced plans to cut down the number of days it takes to establish a new business from the current 30 days to a maximum of nine days beginning November 17. Deputy director of Department of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Van Tu, told Thanh Nien News that […]
Business in Vietnam as a Matter of Alignment
By Joyce Roque HANOI, Nov. 17 –Vietnam Briefing spoke with Robert Hughes, a principal at Tonkin Capital and a consultant for T&C Holding JSC. Hughes has been in Asia for 18 years taking top corporate posts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the place he now calls home. He […]
AirAsia Launches HCMC-Phuket Route
Nov. 12 – Malaysia’s low cost carrier AirAsia has launched a new daily flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the famous Thai beach destination Phuket. It is AirAsia’s first direct flight shuttling from Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket. This route would include a “mixture of leisure seekers and business travelers,” Thai AirAsia’s chief […]
A Hanoi Primer
By Joyce Roque HANOI, Nov. 6 – The first thing you will remember on your drive out of Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport might also be the last thing you see as you leave the city – the motorcycles. The undulating wave of motorcycles that zip and turn to no apparent whim but its own. […]
Business License Issuance Delayed in Congested Areas of HCMC
Nov. 5 – The government has opted to temporarily suspend issuing business licenses to congested areas in Ho Chi Minh City as a way to alleviate worsening traffic. Businesses that attract crowds like supermarkets and foreign language centers will be restricted as well as possibly wedding service providers. In addition, parking in traffic prone areas […]
Vietnam Launches National Database for Administrative Procedures
HANOI, Nov.2 – The government launched its first national database on administrative procedures in Hanoi last month for streamlining procedures and cutting costs. The new National Database on Administrative Procedures or commonly called Project 30 will save the country VND10,000 billion yearly by making all the administrative procedures and legal documents for all ministries and […]
HSBC Increases Stake in Top Vietnam Insurer to US$105 Million
Oct. 28 – Banking giant HSBC has raised its stake in one of the country’s leading insurance and financial services group to 18 percent for US$105 million. The increased investment on Bao Viet Holdings is in line with HSBC’s overall strategy to expand into emerging Asian markets. HSBC first bought a 10 percent stake in […]
