Now it is the right time for people to buy houses in Hanoi, said Marc Townsend, the managing director of the CB Richard Ellis Vietnam (CBRE) at a seminar on the housing market in Hanoi on August 12.

The Prime Minister has allowed the Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) to sell an additional five percent of stake to the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC).

Vietnam earned around US$930 million from garment exports in July, bringing exports in the first seven months of the year to a record US$5.1 billion – up 20.5 percent from the same period last year.

The Vietnam International Electrical Technology and Equipment Exhibition (Vietnam ETE 2008) will take place at the Giang Vo Exhibition and Fair Centre in Hanoi on December 11-13.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will host a meeting of Vietnam’s trade counselors in the Asia-Pacific region on August 27-28, combined with a number of activities to promote cooperation in industrial investment with Japan.

The domestic market management group has put before the Prime Minister a number of solutions to ensure the supply and demand of essential goods to stabilise Vietnam’s market, keep social security and develop the economy in August and the rest of the year.

According to the Foreign Investment Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, there has been a new trend in recent years where many Vietnamese enterprises have boosted the inflow of overseas investments.

The governor of the State bank signed an official document on August 11, allowing commercial banks to lend money to rice exporters to buy rice even if the exporters have not signed any contracts. This is in a bid to help farmers sell four million tonnes of unsold rice.

Rising fuel prices have accelerated the sales of fuel-saving passenger cars, which were up by 60 percent year on year to 2,237 being sold in July, bringing the total sales of Vietnam’s eleven car makers to 8,458, a 31 percent rise over the same period last year, an industry group reported on August 11.

The country’s infrastructure and human resources are two key factors that will help to narrow the gap between registered and disbursed foreign investment capital.

Medical and pharmaceutical products from more than 20 countries worldwide will be displayed in 250 stalls at the 8th International Medical and Pharmaceutical Exhibition, Saigon Medi-Pharm Expo 2008, to be held at the Ho Chi Minh City International Exhibition and Convention Centre (HIECC) from August 21-24.

The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education and the online newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam held a press briefing in Hanoi on August 10 to introduce the second “Enterprises in integration and development” awards ceremony.

Vietnam will have to import pork, beef and poultry at the end of this year if the animal breeding and feed processing industry fails to solve its current predicaments soon, Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association has warned.

Singapore has invested US$15 billion in 580 foreign inverted projects to date, making it the fourth biggest foreign investor in Vietnam, according to investment officials.

Vietnamese General Consul in San Francisco, Le Quoc Hung has met with the mayors of Oakland and Berkeley cities of California state to discuss cooperation with these cities.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST)held a ceremony in Hanoi on August 9 to present the Gold Cup to 63 enterprises in recognition of their efforts to promote business culture.

An Intel curriculum on packaging micro-electronics will be widely introduced at technological universities throughout Vietnam.

It is a paradox that Vietnam which has enormous potential for salt has to import it. How to improve salt workers incomes and develop the salt industry is an urgent problem.

As the mainstay of the national economy, State economic groups and corporations should join hands with the Government to overcome difficulties caused by high inflation, stabilise the macro economy and meet the target set for this year, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

As from August 12, Vietnam Airlines (VNA) will launch direct flights from Hanoi to Nagoya, Japan, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, using Airbus A321s.

Since early this year the Southern province of Dong Nai has attracted more than US$2.4 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital, achieving 68 percent of the yearly plan (up 3.8 times compared to the same period last year).

The Norwegian Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will finance US$5.2 million for the first phase of a project on technical assistance for business registration reform in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Industry has approved the master plan for Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone in central Thua Thien Hue province.

An exhibition of Thai products opened at the Hanoi Friendship Cultural Palace on August 7, drawing more than 100 Thai businesses.

Italy’s leading business daily, Il Sole 24 Ore (literally meaning ‘the sun 24 hours’), has praised Vietnam as one of the most magnetic economies in the world and a leading destination for world retailing groups.

The Japanese Business Association (JBA) has met with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to discuss measures to attract more Japanese investors to Vietnam.

An investment and trade promotion delegation from the southern province of Binh Thuan is currently visiting western States in the US and meeting with American businessmen and overseas Vietnamese in San Francisco.

The Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone (EZ) in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum has attracted 24 domestic and foreign projects with a total investment capital of nearly VND282,000 billion, according to its Management Board.

A total of US$8.9 million has been provided to simplify the registration of new businesses throughout Vietnam.

A Swiss-funded project was launched early this month to improve the Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ)’s capacity to comply with WTO regulations on exports.