Economy and commerce
Investment
Vietnam on track to replace China as new manufacturing hub: experts
With increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into its manufacturing sector, Vietnam stands a great chance of leaping ahead and replace China as the new production center, experts have said. They were speaking at a conference recently organized by the State Bank of Vietnam in collaboration ...
World Bank drops post-coup Thailand's business ranking
Post-coup Thailand barely retained its position among the World Bank’s top 50 economies worldwide and has ranked third among ASEAN countries on the ease of doing business during the past year. In its annual Doing Business 2016: Measuring Quality and Efficiency survey, Thailand fell three places from the ...
Real estate giant Vingroup acquires Vietnam's oldest supermarket chain
Real estate conglomerate Vingroup has acquired Vietnam’s oldest supermarket chain Maximark in an effort to strengthen its foothold in the retail market. The value of the deal has not been revealed. Maximark, whose first supermarket was open in January 1996, has nine supermarkets, mostly in Ho ...
Vietnam to open up airports to private, foreign investors
The government has announced a new decree which for the first time will allow private and foreign investors to provide certain services at Vietnamese airports. According to the decree, which will take effect on 12 December, private investors will be allowed to purchase rights to manage ...
Foreign investor accuses Ho Chi Minh City officials of corruption: report
An investor from the British Virgin Islands has filed a complaint against ho Chi Minh City officials for mishandling its investment license and soliciting bribes, local media reported. K.S.T International Holdings Ltd., which is seeking a license to open a business to import electric equipment, said ...
Singapore, Malaysia among biggest investors in Vietnam: report
Eight out of 10 member states of ASEAN have made investments in Vietnam with a total pledge of $56.32 billion for 2,681 projects, the Foreign Investment Agency recently reported. The cumulative investment figure was recorded at the end of September and was up 8.6 percent from ...
Thailand must do more for investors, says Citi chief
While political and policy risks have been among the biggest concerns for foreign investors in recent years, other issues such as bureaucracy, legal enforcement and business restrictions perhaps weigh even more heavily on Thailand’s competitiveness. Darren Buckley, country head of Citi Thailand and president of the American Chamber of ...
Thai franchises in line for tax perks
The government is considering privilege packages for Thai franchises in a bid to promote them in the world market. Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee, who presided over the opening of the “Excellent Thai Franchise” event on 21 October, said the franchise business still had a lot of ...
Xayaboury province bans further investment in banana farms
Xayaboury province will impose restrictions on banana farms following reports which suggested that farms in several provinces had used harmful chemicals which leaked into the soil and threatened local livelihoods. Governor of the northwestern province, Mr Phongsavanh Sitthavong, recently informed the media that Xayaboury would allow ...
China aims to develop border area with Laos
China has announced that it will invest US$31.4 billion in the Mengla economic zone in Yunnan province of the country, which shares a border with Lunag Namtha and Phongsaly provinces in northern Laos. The investment will cover more than 240 projects in such fields as transportation, ...