Regional business news

VNR to keep divesting its subsidiaries Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) wants to continue the divestment of its subsidiaries, aiming to improve competitiveness and attract investors to enhance efficiency after three years on a downward spiral. A report on the results of the first six months of 2018 from VNR shows that all of its business indicators are on the rise, with revenue amounting to some VND4,000 billion, up 17.8% year-on-year, and with profit reaching VND106 billion. According to the report, the growth in revenue results from a series of renovation solutions for railway services, including replacing new cars, flexibly increasing and decreasing ticket prices depending on the market demand and linking to the tourism sector to attract passengers in groups. As railway transport models are still facing challenges, VNR has been forced to continue rearranging and restructuring its mechanisms and activities to sustain its operations and develop further. Besides this, the corporation … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 5/8

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