Investors may no longer receive public land as part of BT infrastructure development projects, Photo: Le Toan The recent proposal to end build-transfer (BT) infrastructure investments in exchange for public land have brought development under the format to a screeching halt. The Ministry of Finance recently ordered localities to stop using public assets to pay BT investors until a governmental decree on this issue is enacted. Under the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets, payments in terms of land for BT investors are no longer allowed, but many localities have failed to comply. The plan is for projects to go on auction in the future. Investors hit the brakes A representative of Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment JSC (CII), which has projects built under the BT format, told VIR that this halt would not impact current projects, but would surely impact future undertakings. “This step will not affect CII’s projects and business strategy at the moment, since … [Read more...] about BT projects put on hold
Mergers and acquisitions best practices
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 31/8
Mitsubishi plans to make electric cars in Viet Nam Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation plans to invest in an electric automobile manufacturing factory in Viet Nam, said Executive Vice President Hiroshi Sakuma during a meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue in Ha Noi on Wednesday. At the meeting, Sakuma said his firm was evaluating the feasibility of the project and look forward to new regulations on environmental protection taxes to promote investment in the country. Hue said Viet Nam’s National Assembly would soon discuss and pass the Law on Environmental Protection Tax. There would be incentives commensurate with environmentally friendly products. The Mitsubishi Corporation is currently investing in two BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects in Viet Nam, namely the Vung Ang 2 Thermal Power Plant (1,200 MW) and Vinh Tan 3 (1,980 MW) Power Plant. The corporation and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade signed an investment … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 31/8
M&A deals require knowledge and training
What do you think of the development of the M&A market in Vietnam over the years? Where does Vietnam’s M&A market stand in comparison? Since I first got involved in M&A in Vietnam many years ago, I think M&A in Vietnam has experienced a remarkable transformation. Initially, it was just foreign acquirers growing the market. However, over the past few years, Vietnamese companies have also pursued more and more transactions. This makes the M&A market in Vietnam more stable and robust and less reliant on foreign acquisitions. The legal framework has been advanced to some degree, but also requires further efforts, because the fewer obstacles there are, the more valuable Vietnamese companies will be. The privatisation and equitisation of some companies has made some progress, but there are still a lot of challenges here that need to be solved. Last but not least, Vietnamese companies need to grow abroad to build internationally competitive players and gain access to … [Read more...] about M&A deals require knowledge and training
EY sees slight cooldown in regional M&A transactions
EY sees slight cooldown in regional M&A transactions, Source: internet Confidence versus challenge As per EY’s 2018 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) survey, entitled Global Capital Confidence Barometer, confidence across the regional M&A market remains strong, with some 75 per cent of the Southeast Asian companies surveyed believing in its improvement over time, up from 53 per cent six months ago. Nevertheless, 83 of these respondents admitted that they have failed to complete or cancelled a planned acquisition in the past 12 months. The reasons for the failure, as cited by these companies, include competition from other buyers or disagreement over the valuation (54 per cent), concerns about competition or antitrust views (22 per cent), and intervention by activist investors (15 per cent). According to Vikram Chakravarty, leader of EY’s ASEAN Transaction Advisory Services, although interest in conducting M&A in the region remains very high, internal and … [Read more...] about EY sees slight cooldown in regional M&A transactions
HCM City to reform food markets
Viet Nam News HCM CITY — HCM City plans to focus on the four key areas of exports, logistics, exhibitions and fairs, and wholesale and retail activities, according to Nguyễn Huỳnh Trang, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade. Local authorities will not allow the opening of more traditional markets, but will upgrade existing ones to ensure that they have a hygienic environment and meet food safety and origin regulations. Three wholesale markets, Bình Điền, Thủ Đức and Hóc Môn, will eventually be transformed into import and export trading centres and be open to tourists. The department has also proposed rental rates for stalls in traditional markets in a document submitted to the municipal People’s Committee. To support the retail sector, the city is encouraging businesses to invest in the logistics sector and develop distribution systems that could link to tourism development. As part of its plan, … [Read more...] about HCM City to reform food markets