Setting up new banks: green light on

Setting up new banks: green light on
16:41' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The regulation on setting up joint stock banks has been promulgated by the State Bank of Vietnam, paving the way for the establishment of more banks after a decade with no new banks.



With the aim of creating healthy competition in the market, while only allowing the most capable banks to be established, the central bank has set up strict requirements for candidate banks.

In order to get operation licences, banks must follow the strict requirements on chartered capital stipulated by the Prime Minister in different periods. From now until the end of 2008, the required chartered capital is VND1tril ($62.5mil) at minimum. After December 31, 2008, investors must have at least VND3tril to be eligible to set up banks.

Investors must make capital contributions to banks with their own money; they are strictly prohibited from making capital contributions with borrowed money.

Foreign investors are not allowed to make capital contributions to newly set up banks. They are only allowed to buy stocks of local banks which have been operating for two years at least. The foreign ownership in a local bank must not be higher than 30%.

A bank to be set up after the regulation comes into effect will have at least 100 shareholders, including three founding institutional shareholders who have the minimum assets of VND2tril and chartered capital of VND500bil.

In case the founding shareholder is a commercial bank, it must have the minimum total assets of VND10tril, chartered capital of VND1tril, and a bad debt ratio of below 2%. Shareholders are not allowed to transfer shares within three years of the day of licencing. Founding shareholders can only transfer shares among themselves within five years of the day of licencing.

Every institutional shareholder is allowed to hold 20% of the bank’s chartered capital at maximum. Individual shareholders are allowed to hold 10% of the bank’s chartered capital at maximum. Shareholders must get the Prime Minister’s approval to hold more than the above proportion of shares.

The regulation on setting up banks was promulgated on June 7 and will be valid 15 days after the regulation is published in the official gazette. Kieu Huu Dung, Director of the Banks and Non-banks Credit Institutions Department under the State Bank of Vietnam, said that right after the regulation came into effect the central bank would release a notice about receiving the applications for setting up new banks.

Twenty five applications for setting up joint stock banks have been sent to the central bank. All of them have the tentative capital sums of VND1tril and higher, and one of the banks has the impressive capital of VND3tril. However, Mr Dung said that the central bank would not consider any applications until the regulation came into effect.

State Bank Governor Le Duc Thuy stated at a meeting with the press in March that the central bank would not be soft in licencing new banks. Prior to that, experts warned that many investors would set up banks not for doing business themselves, but for reselling their operation licences.

IZs in Mekong River Delta left idle

IZs in Mekong River Delta left idle
16:39' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – There are 120 existing industrial zones (IZs) in the Mekong River Delta area, but only four of them are fully occupied.


The Tra Noc IZ, one of the few effective IZs in the Mekong River Delta
The biggest problem of the IZs in the area is that they do not fit in with the master development plans of the area, while every IZ develops in its own way. This has resulted in waste in land funds and investment. Moreover, pollution in the IZs has become alarming.

The land in the Mekong River Delta has been mainly used for cultivation. Foreign experts have also said that the delta is the ideal area for agricultural development. However, the wonderful land area suitable for growing paddies and fruits has now been turned into industrial zones.

The programmers in the Red River Delta seem to think in a simple way. They believe that changing the land for agricultural cultivation into land for industrial production will help speed up the local economic restructuring process, and create jobs for labourers.

Local authorities have been put under pressure to obtain high GDP growth rates; therefore, they have tried to set up as many IZs as possible, though they did not make good preparations for the IZs. A series of IZs have been born, leaving farmers bare-handed as they do not have land any more to cultivate.

The IZ programmers never made thorough studies before designing the IZs. It seems they never sat together to discuss the strategy on the Mekong River Delta development in general so every locality has been setting up their own policies, which, as a result, has spoiled the common development plan.

In fact, IZs in the Mekong River Delta have low land use ratio. Most of them see the occupancy of 36-40%, and in some IZs, the ratio is 5% only.

Trade with Japan could reach $18bil

Trade with Japan could reach $18bil
16:54' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Bilateral trade value between Vietnam and Japan is expected to reach about US$18bil by 2010 if the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is approved, according to Vietnamese trade counselor in Japan, Nguyen Trung Dung.



Dung said the list of Vietnamese items eligible for Japan's taxation preferences would be lengthened.

"There will be many more Vietnamese products eligible for the Japanese market. They include agricultural products, art arid handicrafts and seafood," Dung said.

He also said that the signing of the EPA would not only result in the opening up of the two countries' markets, but also create opportunities for Vietnamese and Japanese businesses to expand their relationships in many fields such as investment, tourism, human resources development and cultural exchange.

"Thanks to the agreement, Vietnam will gain access to Japan's financial and technical assistance in science, technology, e-commerce, finance and banking."

He said the third round of negotiations to draft the EPA has just finished in Tokyo.

"At this round of talks, the two sides had detailed discussions relating to many areas such as investment, industry, agriculture and labour and have agreed many issues," he said.

"Both the Vietnamese and Japanese sides want to end negotiations and sign the bilateral partnership this year."

Dung said the Vietnamese and Japanese relationship was developing very well in many sectors, particularly trade, tourism and investment.

This was evident from the bilateral trade value of VND10bil ($625,000) in 2006.

The US$18bil bilateral trade value target was feasible, he said. "I have worked as a trade counselor in this country for many years. However this is the first time I saw so many Japanese businesses pay attention to the Vietnamese market like it is at present."

Recently, the Vietnamese Ministry of Trade joined with the trade office of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to organise two trade promotion workshops in Tokyo and Fukuoka, he said.

"The two events attracted the participation of hundreds of Japanese enterprises. Many major Japanese distributors said they were ready to import Vietnamese high-quality goods and sell them to local supermarkets and trade centres," Dung said.

In addition to traditional export items including seafood, wood furniture and textiles, many other Vietnamese products such as chemical engineering goods, processed agro-products, footwear, and plastics will also have great potential in the Japanese market after the EPA is signed.

Dung said domestic enterprises need to make thorough preparations to ensure that products are of good quality and design.

There are still many hurdles for Vietnamese goods to be exported to Japan, he said.

"To protect domestic production, Japan is applying many strict technical regulations to exporters from Vietnam and many other countries, particularly relating to food hygiene and safety."

In future, these technical barriers might be simplified after the agreement was signed, he added.

SBV reconsidering 3% decision

SBV reconsidering 3% decision
16:33' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) may enact another document to replace the newly promulgated decision which puts a lid on bank loans for securities trading deals.

SBV tightens control over loans for securities trading deals



Under the newly promulgated decision, the outstanding loans of commercial banks given to stock investors must not be higher than 3% of the banks’ total outstanding loans.

Soon after it was released, the decision faced strong opposition from banks and stock investors.

A financial expert said that while Vietnam was trying to manage the market with economic measures, an administrative order like the newly released decision should not be applied.

The expert said that he could not understand why the 3% safety line had been set up, and not a 5% or another one. He said that 10 joint stock banks had reported that their outstanding loans for securities investments had exceeded the allowed level but their businesses were still performing well even while the market was down.

Banks and investors also complained that the regulation was not clear, which makes it difficult for banks to follow it. The regulation did not clarify the deadline when banks must reach the said 3% safety line and how they would be punished if they did not obey the instruction.

Arguments have been raised over the regulation even among officials of SBV. An official from the central bank said that it was necessary to keep banks on the right track; however, it was also necessary to consider thoroughly such a sensitive decision.

The official said that the enactment of a document with more reasonable and detailed provisions was being considered. He said that the document to be enacted would reflect the spirit of limiting funding securities investment, but would consist of flexible provisions in order to avoid shocks to banks and investors.

Stock brokerages told to let banks manage investor accounts

Stock brokerages told to let banks manage investor accounts
15:56' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Early November is the deadline for securities companies to authorize commercial banks to manage finance of stock investors, the Ministry of Finance has ruled.



Currently, stock brokering houses rather than banks take money from investors, so the ministry has issued a new rule forcing these brokerages to transfer this job to the banks.

The rule bans securities firms from receiving money directly from investors, so investors must deposit money at banks designated by securities firms. Most securities firms now take money from investors and only transfer the money to banks at the end of day.

Bui Thi Thanh Huong, head of the securities trading department of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC), told local media that a securities firm's operations included brokering, consulting, and underwriting.

Cash management must be in the hands of credit institutions, she said. The rule aims to secure safety for investors when securities firms face trading problems as well as ensure interest rates and reimbursement.

An executive from Bao Viet Securities JSC said the firm was receiving money directly from investors and send to banks at the end of day but he did not elaborate on how to manage the switch.

Meanwhile, Rubber Securities JSC director Do Khac Thang said that his brokerage was considering setting up a link with a bank.

Some companies like Dai Viet JSC and Viet Dragon JSC are changing methods to manage cash of investors.

Nguyen Mien Tuan, CEO of Viet Dragon JSC (VDSC), said his company was linking with Eximbank to manage investor's cash, so investors were required to come to Eximbank to deposit money which was then transferred to the account of VDSC.

When investors wanted to withdraw money from their securities trading accounts, banks would let them take money out if they got a notice from VDSC, Tuan added. He said this method sounded workable in line with the new rule.

Similar to VDSC, Dai Viet JSC has authorized the Military Bank to receive money from its customers. CEO of the company Bui Van Tuynh said the new method helped the firm save on human resources and money.

Stock brokering arms of commercial banks like ACBS or Sacombank Securities Company have found things easier as they are using the information technology infrastructure developed by their parent organizations.

Mix business and pleasure

Mix business and pleasure
13:13' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge - Members of Amadeus group are heading to Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh province for their annual Board of Directors' Meeting, but as it's just a stone's throw from Halong Bay, it's the perfect chance to have some leisure time before getting down to business.

Vietnam is fast becoming a place for all kinds of tourism activities. As a global company which provides new and effective distribution channels to travel services, acting as a bridge between travel services, travel agents and service users, Amadeus believes Vietnam has ample qualities to bill itself as a prime destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions).



Of course, the Amadeus team has to check this out for themselves so after making their way from Hanoi, the delegation boards a Halong junk which sets off, meandering through the beautiful islets, so all and sundry can enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine away from the traffic congestion, polluted air and heaving crowds of Hanoi during summer.



"It is really amazing floating around the spectacular landscape of Halong Bay.



How wonderful it is," says Carlos Romero, Vice President of Amadeus Asia Pacific.



After a lunch fit for a Roman Emperor all eyes move towards the peaceful coves in limestone islets where the blue waters wash upon white-sanded beaches.



The junk lowers the anchor by Bo Hon island where Sung Sot (which means surprise) cave can be found. The main `surprise' inside the I0,OOOsqmcave is the innumerable amount of stalactites and stalagmites. The interior is as large and imposing as a palace.



Next stop is Titov island



"The island was named after a visiting Russian Astronaut Giecman Titov in 1962 by late President Ho Chi Minh. Its old name was Cat Nang (meaning Sun and Sand)," says Tuan, a guide from Transviet Travel Group, Amadeus' local partner.



While some team members enjoy a dip in the ocean others try their hand at kayaking. For those looking for a worthwhile walk, a quick hike to the summit of Titov offers a sweeping view of the bay.



More of a surprise than Sung Sot cave is the gala dinner that awaits guests in Trong cave.



Hundreds of candles are lit while Spanish and Vietnamese melodies fill the air.



"It's really a dream for me. It's unbelievable," says David Brett, also a Vice President of Amadeus Asia Pacific.



"This time in Vietnam, besides our meeting, we want to carry out a survey of new destinations and we all agree that Vietnam is very suitable for MICE," says Brett.



The next day the party heads to the sacred site of Yen Tu mountain in the early morning. Before the meeting, the group takes a cable car a third of the way up the mountain, as far as Hoa Yen pagoda, before continuing to the summit by foot.



With bamboo sticks the team members happily traipse up the hillside. Gongs from a pagoda bell can be heard. Mist covers the stone paths and slopes.


Looking at these happy pilgrims, it's hard to believe they're off to a board meeting.

Rex Hotel: Vietnam’s home to foreign tourists recalls memories

Rex Hotel: Vietnam’s home to foreign tourists recalls memories
11:26' 12/06/2007 (GMT+7)

A view of Rex Hotel from the center of the city (photo: SGGP)
VietNamNet Bridge - During the 1970s, the Rex shopping center used to be the place for many U.S. military officers and war reporters to come for entertainment. Thirty years on from Viet Nam’s unification and Rex has become a four-star hotel and restaurant, a top destination for foreign war veterans returning to Viet Nam in order to recall old memories.

Located in the heart of the city, the Rex Hotel stands next door to the People Committee House, a witness to the city’s historic difficulties and for this very reason, the hotel has acquired historical value. The Rooftop Garden Restaurant & Bar on the terrace is where war reporters used to gather before 1975 and Newsweek recently chose it as one of the best bars in Southeast Asia.
It’s historical value makes the Rex a top destination in many international magazines and guide books, in which tourists are recommended to pay a visit to the hotel to witness a remainder of the old Sai Gon and the enjoy the warm and cozy atmosphere.

The hotel has four restaurants, including the Cung Dinh (Imperial Palace) Rex Restaurant that serves traditional Vietnamese food. Here many foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese come to enjoy delicious food and witness attractive traditional dancing. The restaurant also organizes cooking courses for diners who are interested in learning more about Vietnamese cuisine.

The Rooftop Garden Restaurant & Bar was recently home to a party for over 100 veterans and war reporters from across the world, Tim Page, an ex-war reporter, simply stated that, “Four decades elapsed and Rex Hotel now is not just a place for eating and drinking.”

It comes as no surprise to find that many diplomatic corps have once set foot in the hotel. Included in the list of celebrity hotel patrons are the King of Norway Herald V, the Queen of England, the President of Tanzania and the Chief Executive of the World Trade Organization Pascal Lamy. The hotel was once the general headquarter for the 22nd SEA Games and during the APEC event in 2006, more than 40 chefs from the Hotel prepared a banquet at the Reunification Palace to serve 300 diners.

At present, the yearly turnover of the restaurants account for 40% of the hotel’s annual total turnover, expected to reach US$1 million by the end of the year. At this, the restaurant may soon be eligible for a place on the list of restaurants that have the highest turnover in the world.

To meet demand, the Rex is currently upgrading facilities to become a five-star hotel by 2008. A training program for the restaurant’s employees is underway, equipping them with professional skills that meet international standards of management. The famous 5-star Raffles Hotel and Resorts’ management team will be visiting Viet Nam to give the necessary training to the restaurant staff.

As a sign of gratitude, this June, President Nguyen Minh Triet bestowed the title Hero of Labor to the hotel.

Int’l travel service providers have to pay VND250mil in security

Int’l travel service providers have to pay VND250mil in security
17:03' 11/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The Prime Minister has agreed to allow the firms providing international travel services to pay a security of VND250mil ($15,625) instead of VND500mil ($31,250) as suggested by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).



This sum of money will be used to compensate clients in case the travel firms break the contracts, and deal with risks.

Prior to that, VNAT proposed the security level of VND500mil, which faced strong opposition from travel firms. The firms complained that a big sum of money would be left idle, while they would still have to borrow money at banks at the interest rate of 1.1% on average.

Travel firms which are also booking agents for airlines now have to pay VND250mil in security for providing international travel services (inbound and outbound tourism), and $30,000 as a security for booking agents which puts big difficulties on them.

Decree 92 signed by the Prime Minister stipulates that persons who operate domestic travel businesses must have the working time in travel business of three years at least. Meanwhile, the operators of international travel businesses must have the minimum time working in this field of four years.

International travel service providers must pay a security of VND250mil. These firms can only hire tour guides who have the international tour guide card to provide services to foreign travelers.

Under the decree, foreign travel firms which want to open branches and representative offices in Vietnam must operate as travel firms for five years before setting up branches or offices in Vietnam.

Once the branch is set up, the head of the branch must not hold the post of the head of the representative office of the same company in Vietnam at the same time, or head the representative office of another foreign company in Vietnam.

The new decree also stipulates requirements for granting international or domestic tour guide cards. Tour guides must not suffer from infectious diseases and must not use addictive substances.

Tour guides who have been granted cards before the day this decree comes into effect will be able to guide tours for two more years before they must meet the requirements stipulated by the decree.

There are 473 operational travel firms in Vietnam.

Investment in golf course booms

Investment in golf course booms
16:14' 12/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge – There are around 5,000 golfers in Vietnam at present, including 2,000 regular players. Moreover, the number of foreign tourists playing golf in Vietnam is increasing while the country has just 14 golf courses. Therefore, golf projects are attractive to investors.



Golf courses + tourism



The northern region now has the Hanoi golf course (wholly Japanese owned), Kim No (a joint venture with Thailand), Dai Lai Star, Flamingo Dai Lai, Sky Lake Golf (wholly Korean owned), and Long Son (also with investment from Korea).



The Hai Phong People’s Committee has licenced a US$17.3 million 27-hole golf course of Korea’s Mibaek Industrial in Thuy Nguyen district. The Investment Consulting and Corporate Service JS Company (INCONESS) has kicked off the construction of the Dong Thai tourist site in Ninh Binh province, which includes a 54-hole golf course on 740ha of land, with a total investment of $100 million. It is scheduled to be completed in 2015.



A newly-established joint venture named Ha Long Bay Group has signed a memorandum of understanding for investment in three big projects: a $400-450 million project to build an international 36-hole golf course, a golf club, 640 villas, 350 high-class villas, 25 coastal villas, an international yacht club, a heliport, an underwater entertainment zone, expanded works and upgrade the Tuan Chau tourist zone on Tuan Chau Island in Quang Ninh province.



A project to build a 108-hole golf course on 1,000ha in Yen Trung Lake area in Uong Bi Town, Quang Ninh province is underway, with a complex of six golf courses, a golf practice ground, an international tourist centre, a golf club, 2,000-2,500 high-class villas.



Golf courses + resorts



The Rang Dong Construction and Installation Company has invested in the Sea Link Golf & Country Club Phan Thiet golf course, which is located on a white sand bank with a total area of 134ha. This is also a closed architecture complex with a five-star hotel of 200 rooms.



VinaCapital has cooperated with the Sai Thanh Investment and International Travel JS Company to establish the VinaCapital Hoi An to build the Hoi An Bay Royal resort with initial investment capital of $16 million in Dien Duong commune, Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province. The resort will be on 7.3ha of land, with nearly 100 villas, restaurants, clubs.



VinaCapital is also investing $150 million in another resort with a five-star 350-room hotel, villas on 15ha, and a 36-hole golf course on Nam Non Nuoc beach in Da Nang city.



This company also plans to invest $200 million in a five-star hotel and four-star hotel, 1,000 apartments, an international school and a shopping mall in Son Tra district, Da Nang city.



The Kingdom Hotel Investment group, run by an Arabian princess, has bought the Vegas project in Da Nang city. This group will invest $65 million to build a 150-room hotel and villas on 12ha of land in front of the Marble Mountains.



The 20ha plot of land next to the Vegas project will become a complex of hotels, apartments and villas for lease run by Indochina Capital. This investor has also invested $50 million in the Nam Hai resort and is about to invest $48 million in an 18-hole golf course in Quang Nam province.



The Ministry of Planning and Investment has licenced the Lado Filter Engineering Co, Ltd of the Republic of Korea to build the Ba Na golf course with registered capital of over $12 million in Hoa Binh and Hoa Phu communes of Hoa Vang District. The project is scheduled to be completed in late 2007.



Besides the Ba Na golf course, Da Nang city will have the 36-hole Hoa Hai golf course invested in by VinaCapital, which has been initially approved by the Da Nang People’s Committee.



The People’s Committee of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has just ratified the construction plan of the western part of Hue city totalling 439.3ha, including 136ha for a 36-hole golf course and the remaining for villas, hotels, shopping malls and farms.

Clinching partnership deals: Vietnamese filmmakers’ solution

Clinching partnership deals: Vietnamese filmmakers’ solution
16:57' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)

In a meeting between Vietnamese Phuoc Sang Film and Korean Bily Pictures
VietNamNet Bridge – Domestic film studios are exploring partnership opportunities with Vietnamese and foreign filmmakers. This is considered by some to be a matter of survival in the face of fierce competition with foreign films.

Fifteen years ago, Vietnamese filmmakers didn’t have much access to different film industries in the world.

But since the Vietnamese film market opened its door wider to global integration, more private films studios have come on the scene, and they, as well as state-owned ones, are now active in searching for partnerships.

Recent examples are the Oscar-nominated Buffalo Boy by state-owned Liberation Film and Novak Films from Belgium and 3B Production from France; Golden Kite winner Hanoi Hanoi co-produced by Vietnam Writers’ Association Film and the Yunnan Ethnic Minority Film Studio from China, and the first Vietnamese horror movie in many years, Ms. Muoi by private Phuoc Sang Film and Korea’s Bily Pictures, to name a few.

Working with partners, Vietnamese or otherwise, on promising projects, is sometimes a make-or-break matter for many film studios, including wealthy private ones.

For instance, it was Liberation Film, which once faced closure, which pioneered the search for multi-partner projects. Other major studios like Phuoc Sang and HCM City TV Film Studio (TFS) are also riding on the same track.

Vietnamese filmmakers take partnership projects very seriously, since “investors can’t be joked with”, and joint venture films often involve billions of dong. Yet, making films is just the first phase.

It is also essential to find partners for distributing films in and out of Vietnam as Tran Khai Hoang, Vice President of Megastar Media, a major cinema and entertainment complex business in the country, often emphasises.

Some domestic films have been quick to realise the importance of film distribution. Private Chanh Phuong Film Studio, for example, has signed a deal with Weinstein Company on the distribution of The Rebel in the US.

Another private film company, ViFa, is also counting on its partner CJ Media to distribute Scent of Coriander in the Republic of Korea. And Phuoc Sang has confidently handed over its distribution tasks to experienced Bily Pictures.

Is it likely that working with Vietnamese and foreign partners is a good way to transform the Vietnamese film industry?

In a visit to Vietnam in November 2006, Gregory Frazier, Vice President of the Motion Picture Association of America, said that with the population of 80 million, long history and rich culture, Vietnam had great potentials for making good movies and that American filmmakers were interested in the Vietnamese film industry.

Indeed, an American film delegation with such names as Tom Pollock, Susannah Grant, Curtis Hanson and William Horberg has recently visited Hanoi and HCM City to attend the American Film Week as well as investigate the current state of the Vietnamese market through meetings with Vietnamese filmmakers.

And in a meeting with Liberation Film, William Horberg, The Quiet American’s producer, said Vietnamese producers might speed up their search for American partners with distinctively Vietnamese scripts reproducing unique Vietnamese sceneries.

Though there is still a long way to go for Vietnamese producers, their recent joint venture film projects have indeed pointed to the potential of working together with partners as a way to help make the Vietnamese film sector a “smokeless industry” as the Korean TV film business has become.

French painter: I’m falling in love with Vietnam

French painter: I’m falling in love with Vietnam
15:20' 12/06/2007 (GMT+7)

The French painter and his 14m-long painting at the 2007 festival
VietNamNet Bridge – Attending Nha Trang Sea Festival 2007, French painter Bouvier Claude said that in the past 2 years he had 4 times been to Nha Trang, whose beautiful sceneries and friendly people he was falling for.

In May 2005, under the invitation of the Soleil des Francophonies association from the French department of Morbihan, which has sworn brotherhood with Khanh Hoa province, Bouvier Claude first came to Vietnam to attend Nha Trang Sea Festival on the occasion of Nha Trang Bay becoming the 29th member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club.

And for the first time, inhabitants and tourists in Nha Trang had a chance to see for themselves Bouvier Claude’s specially-structured paintings, which occupied the most important place at Hon Chong Society on its opening day.

Sensitive to contemporary life and particularly interested in preserving the environment, during his first trip to Vietnam, Bouvier, along with his wife, also joined Nha Trang inhabitants in collecting litter on Nha Trang beaches before the sea festival that year.

Unlike any other painter in the world, Bouvier has his own way of painting. His large pictures are made of thousands of 20 x 20 cm ones. And each of these small paintings captures the painter’s views about particular topics or events in contemporary life ranging from mysterious Oriental arts or primitive working tools of Vietnamese farmers to vibrant Occidental cinema or modern technologies in the developed world.

Since the Nha Trang Sea Festival 2005, Bouvier has been acting as a bridge between Nha Trang and Morbihan. Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Bouvier and his colleagues, 4 painting exhibitions of Vietnamese painters have been organised in cities throughout France.

And through the activities of Morbihan-based Soleil des Francophonies association, of which Bouvier Claude is an active member, many students from Khanh Hoa province have studied in France with Morbihan’s financial support.

Being in Vietnam for the 2007 Nha Trang Sea Festival, Bouvier Claude said he was glad to notice the daily transformation taking place in one of the most bustling tourism cities in Vietnam.

Google this: Who’s the worst invader of privacy?

Google this: Who’s the worst invader of privacy?
08:01' 12/06/2007 (GMT+7)
The company's slogan may be "Don't be Evil", but Internet giant Google has been hit twice in as many weeks with allegations it doesn't respect users' privacy.


The Google booth is seen at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (File Photo)
In a report issued over the weekend, California-based Google, which has thrived on its image of enlightened management, is ranked worst for invading privacy.

The report follows warnings last week that Google's new Street View service, launched on Google maps for San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Denver and Miami, opens up normally private moments to a worldwide audience.

In an analysis of the world's leading Internet companies by British surveillance watchdog Privacy International, released on Saturday, Google finished a clear last; with the group concluding Google is "hostile to privacy".

The other firms analyzed included Microsoft, Apple, eBay and Yahoo. Privacy International placed them along a spectrum ranging from black to yellow, with black signaling the worst invaders of users' privacy and yellow those that showed the most respect.

Marks were awarded according to 20 criteria including how willing companies were to allow customers to delete their accounts, how much information they collected about users and how long they kept it.

None of the companies made it into the yellow category, but only Google ended up in the black.

According to Privacy International, Internet users concerned about prying eyes following their online lives would be dismayed to learn that Google records all search results from its Toolbar search service, and is able to individually identify all users and track their Internet use.

The company is also accused of retaining information about people who use its services, even after they have deleted their accounts.

And Google can acquire additional personal information - including everything from what a user's hobbies are to where he or she works - through its networking service, Orkut. "Throughout our research we have found numerous deficiencies and hostilities in Google's approach to privacy," said Privacy International.

The watchdog's voice will add volume to online complaints about intrusion following Street Views' launch.

The backlash against the service, which provides high-resolution images taken from vans driving along streets, began after Mary Kalin-Casey, from Oakland, California, looked up her address and saw her pet cat, Monty, sitting in her apartment's window.

"I feel like I need to close all my curtains now," she later blogged.

Her worries were joined by many others, including a Miami abortion clinic administrator who feared Google's image of protesters outside the center would discourage women from seeking help.

Despite the attacks, Google has defended its privacy policies.

"We stand by our record for protecting user privacy and offering products that are transparent about what information is collected and empower users to control their personal information," said a spokeswoman.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

Robocon Vietnam 2007 sees new champion

Robocon Vietnam 2007 sees new champion
15:17' 11/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge – The Da Nang University of Technology’s BKDC team became the champion of the Robocon Vietnam 2007 contest last night, June 10, at the Quan Ngua Sports Palace in Hanoi.



The first prize worth VND40 million (US$2,500) was presented to the BKDC team. The second prize worth VND25 million ($1,560) belonged to DT03 team of Hanoi Industrial University and BKBamboo of the Hanoi University of Technology and the MTA-SunPac of the Military Technology Institute took the two third prizes worth VND15 million ($900) each.



The jury also presented six other prizes: the Stylist to BKBamboo of the Hanoi University of Technology, two technology prizes to BKTech of the HCM City University of Technology and HV2l of the Military Technology Institute, the best technological solution prize to the MTA-SunPac of the Military Technology Institute, the Idea prize to BK Dragon of the HCM City University of Technology, and Manual Robot prize to FAM of the Military Technology Institute. Each prize is worth VND10 million ($620).



After six days of competition, the jury selected the 8 best teams from the 32 teams that had participated in the final round for the final night on June 10, which was dramatic. The newcomer, BKDC of the Da Nang University of Technology, repeatedly overcame senior teams to become the new champion of Vietnam Robocon contest, racking up the highest possible total of points, 35.



The two top teams will participate in the Asia Pacific Robocon 2007 held in Vietnam on August 26.



Vietnam’s teams won the championship of the Asia Pacific Robocon contest in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and the third prize in 2003.



Huyen Ngoc

2008 Olympics: Vietnam joined by Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar

2008 Olympics: Vietnam joined by Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
16:47' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge – According to the draw results for the third qualifying round of Olympics in Beijing in 2008, which has just finished at Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Vietnam’s Olympic team will be in the same group as Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.



This is similar to the draw results of the final round of the Asian Cup 2007: Vietnam is in the same group with Japan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates instead of Saudi Arabia.



According to AFC’s rules, the playing results of national teams are the main foundation for defining the tournament’s seeds and the rank at the drawing ceremony.



Three Asian teams which participated in the Olympic Athens 2004, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Iraq, are defined as the seeds in each group and considered the A-grade teams.



The B-grade teams comprise Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, while the C-grade group is the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, Qatar and Syria. The D-grade group has Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Australia.



Australia is named in the D-grade group since this team has just joined the AFC and hasn’t recorded any triumph in Asia.



In the A group, Iraq will compete with Lebanon, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and Australia. This is considered the ‘group of death’ since all teams are strong.



The B group will see competition among the Republic of Korea, Bahrain, Syria and Uzbekistan.



The third qualifier round of the 2008 Olympics will take place from August 22 to November 21.



The top team from each group will represent Asia at the Olympics, along with the host China.

Stock brokerages told to let banks manage investor accounts

Stock brokerages told to let banks manage investor accounts
15:56' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Early November is the deadline for securities companies to authorize commercial banks to manage finance of stock investors, the Ministry of Finance has ruled.



Currently, stock brokering houses rather than banks take money from investors, so the ministry has issued a new rule forcing these brokerages to transfer this job to the banks.

The rule bans securities firms from receiving money directly from investors, so investors must deposit money at banks designated by securities firms. Most securities firms now take money from investors and only transfer the money to banks at the end of day.

Bui Thi Thanh Huong, head of the securities trading department of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC), told local media that a securities firm's operations included brokering, consulting, and underwriting.

Cash management must be in the hands of credit institutions, she said. The rule aims to secure safety for investors when securities firms face trading problems as well as ensure interest rates and reimbursement.

An executive from Bao Viet Securities JSC said the firm was receiving money directly from investors and send to banks at the end of day but he did not elaborate on how to manage the switch.

Meanwhile, Rubber Securities JSC director Do Khac Thang said that his brokerage was considering setting up a link with a bank.

Some companies like Dai Viet JSC and Viet Dragon JSC are changing methods to manage cash of investors.

Nguyen Mien Tuan, CEO of Viet Dragon JSC (VDSC), said his company was linking with Eximbank to manage investor's cash, so investors were required to come to Eximbank to deposit money which was then transferred to the account of VDSC.

When investors wanted to withdraw money from their securities trading accounts, banks would let them take money out if they got a notice from VDSC, Tuan added. He said this method sounded workable in line with the new rule.

Similar to VDSC, Dai Viet JSC has authorized the Military Bank to receive money from its customers. CEO of the company Bui Van Tuynh said the new method helped the firm save on human resources and money.

Stock brokering arms of commercial banks like ACBS or Sacombank Securities Company have found things easier as they are using the information technology infrastructure developed by their parent organizations.

BMW to come back to Vietnam in July

BMW to come back to Vietnam in July
16:46' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – It is expected that in early July 2007, five BMW 2007 models will appear on the domestic market.



BMW’s cars will be distributed in Vietnam by authorised distributors. The five models will include the luxury sedan 7 series and the multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) X5.

It remains unclear who will be the authorised official distributors of BMW cars in Vietnam. It is said that the distributors still have to complete several other procedures before presenting themselves before the public in July, when they will introduce the imported models manufactured by Germany’s BMW.

In Vietnam, BMW has been one of the two most favourite brand names. However, the German automobile manufacturer was not successful with its plan to assemble cars in Vietnam to sell domestically in the VMC joint venture. VMW decided to withdraw from the joint venture. However, finding Vietnam a market with potential, the automobile manufacturer has decided to come back to Vietnam, but in another way: selling foreign-made cars through a new distributor.

Two days ago, Japanese automobile manufacturer Daihatsu also announced it would withdraw from its joint venture in Vietnam. People think that the Japanese company may seek another Vietnamese partner and set up a new legal entity.

To date, X5 and 7 series models have been imported to Vietnam, but just in small quantities. Analysts said that the domestic car market would see big changes once foreign made BMW cars were imported.

Though being a small car market, the purchasing power in Vietnam is very encouraging. Especially, Vietnamese connoisseurs are now tending to use luxury models. Cadillac, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Maybach cars all have appeared in Vietnam.

Imported cars prove to sell very well in Vietnam. That explains why several automobile manufacturers in Vietnam have decided to import cars to sell domestically together with the models they assemble themselves.

Truong Hai Automobile Company, for example, has reported that it sold 3,500 imported units in May 2007 alone. The manufacturer plans to assemble the Kia Morning to sell on the domestic market as the imported Kia Mornings have sold very well in Vietnam.

In related news, AutoTech 2007, one of the four biggest automobile and motorbike exhibitions in Vietnam, will take place in Hanoi from June 22-25.

AFC transports Asian Cup tickets to Vietnam

AFC transports Asian Cup tickets to Vietnam
16:43' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) transported the first tickets for the final round of Asian Cup 2007 to Hanoi on June 9, announced the Vietnam Football Development JS Company (VFD), the sole distributor of the tickets in Vietnam.



According to the initial agreement, AFC was to transfer the tickets for all eight matches in Vietnam to AFD on June 1, 2007. However, the Vietnamese ticket distributor has just received around 38,000 tickets for all eight matches. The largest number of tickets for a match is over 6,000 and 1,000 is the smallest number.



An anonymous source said that VFD might receive the remainder of all 36,000 tickets for each match on June 15.



To deal with scalpers and ‘fever’ for Asian Cup tickets, the distributor has applied some measures, such as booking tickets online at www.aleale.com.vn from May 5, 2007; booking tickets by dispatch for organisations; and selling tickets through agents.



Whatever the method of booking, each person can buy 10 tickets per match at most. Next week Asian Cup 207 tickets will reach the hands of Vietnamese football fans.



Related to the upcoming friendly matches between the Vietnamese national football squad, as of June 12, people can book tickets for the first match between Vietnam and Jamaica, which will take place on June 24, through the website www.aleale.com.vn

What’s On June 11 - 17

What’s On June 11 - 17
15:56' 11/06/2007 (GMT+7)


Festivals in June


Phu Tho

Phu Ninh Buffalo Fighting Festival

Time: 5th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Phu Ninh Commune, Phu Ninh District, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Hung King and his generals, the village's tutelary god.
Characteristics: Buffalo fighting performance to commemorate Hung King. According to the old tale, Hung King went for hunting to pass this area, he already killed two tigers that were fighting.

Vinh Phuc

Bo Sao Village Festival

Time: From the 15th to the 16th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Bo Sao Commune, Vinh Tuong District, Vinh Phuc Province.
Objects of worship: Dong Hai Dai Vuong.
Characteristics: Game of farming performance: villagers play in role of ploughman, raking people, rice seeds sowing people.

Cuu Ap Village Festival

Time: The 10th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Lien Chau Commune, Yen Lac District, Vinh Phuc Province.
Objects of worship: Tam Giang Dai Vuong Tho Lenh.
Characteristics: Custom of vying for silk-worms while racing boat: the racing boats start from Chai Communal House to Xuan Vien Village in the other bank of the river then vying for silk-worms for good luck.

Yen Lap Festival (in the fourth lunar month)

Time: The 21st of the fourth lunar month.
Place: Yen Lap Commune, Vinh Tuong District, Vinh Phuc Province.
Objects of worship: The village's tutelary god.
Characteristics: Banh giay feast, sword dance, buffalo fighting.

Hung Yen

Thanh Sam Festival

Time: The 2nd day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province.
Objects of worship: Tutelary god Huong Thien, Dao Quang (the reign of Hung Due Vuong), who had merit of fighting Thuc troop.
Characteristics: The festival recalls the embodied day of tutelary god.

Hanoi

Vinh Ninh Communal House Festival

Time: 13th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Vinh Quynh Commune, Thanh Tri District, Hanoi.
Objects of worship: Nang Tia, general of Hai Ba Trung.
Characteristics: Worshipping ancestor, traditional procession of god, mock battle performance.

Dong Thap

Dinh Yen Communal House Festival

Time: 16th day of the fourth lunar month.
Place: Lap Vo District, Dong Thap Province.
Objects of worship: Mr. Pham Van An, the first person reclaimed wasteland and set up the village.
Characteristics: The solemn communal house festival with worshipping ceremonies by mounted team, lan binh team, pupil team... to commemorate Mr. Pham Van An.

Long An

Praying for rain Festival

Time: 18th day of the fourth lunar month.
Place: Long An Province.
Characteristics: Traditional sacrifice-offering ceremony, the praying-for-rain ceremony is also presented by ghe races on the rivers and canals. Ghe is made by long and tapering bamboo, contains 20 rowers.

Tra Vinh

My Long Sea Worshipping Festival

Time: From 10th day to the 12th day of the fifth lunar month.
Place: Ba Chua Xu Temple, My Long Town, Cau Ngang District, Tra Vinh Province.
Objects of worship: Ba Chua Xu (the local goddess), Ca Ong (whale).
Characteristics: The festival of the fishermen in the southern coastal areas. The festival includes rites: welcoming the Lord Whale, procession of Ba Chua Xu, sacrifice to the Agriculture genie. Games: bag jumping (jumping in the bag), tug-of-war, fish catching.




Exhibitions

Hanoi



Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Nguyen Van Huyen Rd, Cau Giay Dis, Tel: 04 7562193

- Exhibition: Ha Noi Life under the Subsidy Economy, till June 15.

- Photography exhibition entitled Trento-Vietnam: Development Paths, till June 10.



L'Espace

24 Trang Tien St, Tel: 9362164

- French artist Ange Leccia's art visual exhibition and video projection, till June 22.



Viet Nam National Library

31 Trang Thi St.

- Exhibition of Native American runs until June 16.



Maison Des Arts

31A Van Mieu, Tel: 7478096

- Paintings and sculptures exhibition featuring 18 Hanoian artists, till July 30.



Ho Chi Minh City



Tu Do Art Gallery

53 Ho Tung Mau St., Dist 1. Tel: 8210966

- Contemporary art, daily 9am-7pm, till June 30.



L'en tete Restaurant & Bar

139 Nguyen Thai Binh St, Dist 1, Tel: 8214049

- Nearly 30 oil paintings & lacquer works by two prize winning artists Duong Van Sen & Nguyen Thanh Minh, till July 28.



HCM City Museum

65 Ly Tu T rong St., Dist 1.

- Display on ceramics from HCM City and neighbouring areas, daily 8am-5pm, till Sept 22.



HCM City Fine Art Museum

97A Pho Duc Chinh St., Dist 1.

- Collection of more than 200 oil paintings by Hue-born artist Pham Luc, till June 15.



Performances

Hanoi



Ha Noi Opera House

1 Trang Tien St., Tel: 9330131

- Summer concert From The New World, conductor Shuichi Komiyama, with the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra, at 8pm, June 12.

- Symphony concert of 50th anniversary of Sibalius's death, conductor Graham Sutcliffe, with the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra, at 8pm, June 14.

All ticket available at the Ha Noi Opera House or can book over at www.ticketvn.com or 5651806



Youth Theatre

11 Ngo Thi Nham St.,

- Hip Hop & classical dance based on La Fontaine's fables, with Vietnamese and French dancers, at 8pm, June 13-14.

Free tickets can be collected at the Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet Theatre, at 59 Nui Truc St or L'Espace, at 24 Trang Tien St.



Hong Ha Theatre

51 Duong Thanh St.

- Dance combining footwork, clapping and words by Step Afrika! from the US, at 8pm, June 17.



Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Nguyen Van Huyen Rd, Cau Giay Dis, Tel: 04 7562193

- Ca Tru performance on Sun of the fourth week every month.



Hanoi Daewoo Hotel

360 Kim Ma Rd, Tel: 8315000

Lake View

- Ha Noi panoramic view and large selection of drinks with the popular Trio in town, from 8.30pm-11.30pm every Mon-Sat lively at Sky Lounge.



Guoman Hanoi Hotel



83A Ly Thuong Kiet St. Tel: 8222800

Helmsman Bar

- New Altitude Trio which consists of two Filipino bands from 8pm-12 midnight Mon-Thu and until 1am on Fri, Sat and eves of public holidays, except Sun.

Melia Hanoi Hotel

44B Ly Thuong Kiet St, Tel 9343343

Latino Bar

- Filipino trio 3rd Dimension, daily (except Mon), from 8.30pm onwards.

- Salsa Night, every Sun, from 9pm.

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel



K5 Nghi Tam, Xuan Dieu Road, Tay Ho District, Tel: 04 7199000

Oven D'Or

- Magnum Art-Jazz brunch, Sat and Sun.





Ho Chi Minh City



HCM City's Opera House

Lam Son Square, District 1.

- Dance combining footwork, clapping and words by Step Afrika! from the US, at 8pm, June 12.



Park Hyatt Sai Gon Hotel

2 Lam Son Sq, District 1, Tel: 08 85202329

Park Lounge

- Live performance featuring blues & jazz by Awa Traore, vocalist, pianist, songwriter from Montpellier, France, 8pm till midnight, Tue-Sun.



Sheraton Sai Gon Hotel & Towers

88 Dong Khoi St., Dist 1. Tel: 8272828

The Lounge

- Rhythmically outstanding classical jazz, blues performance by Francisca&Co. Quartet, Tue-Sat, 7pm-11pm, till June 30.

Nightspot-Level 23

- Now open every Monday for DJ Night by DJ Phu Nguyen, from 8.30pm onwards.



L'en tete Restaurant & Gallery

139 Nguyen Thai Binh St, Dist 1, Tel: 8214049

- Dine in Style with piano jazz by American singer Tim Brockett, every Mon, Wed & Sat night.



Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon

309B-311 Nguyen Van Troi St, Tan Binh Dist, Tel: 8424365

Lotus Bar

- Live performance by Filipino singer Jeffey Mendoza, 6pm-8.45pm, Tue-Sun.



Lobby Lounge

- Live music by Vietnamese Cultural band, every Mon.



Caravelle Hotel
19 Lam Son Sq, Dist 1, Tel: 08 8234999



Sai Gon Sai Gon Bar

- Live performance by the Filipino band Sapphire, 8:30pm-late Tue-Sun.

- Latino music by seven-member group La Fiesta, from different nationalities including Britain, Spain & France, every Mon, from 9pm, every Mon.



Rex Hotel

141 Nguyen Hue St, District 1, Tel: 8299084

Rooftop Garden

- Los Lamados Filipino band, nightly from 8pm (except Monday).

Hoa Mai Restaurant

- Daily folk live band & dancers, 7.30pm-9pm.

Cung Dinh Restaurant

- Daily folk music & dance: 12-1pm & 7.30pm-9pm.

Paradise Coffee Lounge

- Daily lyric song performance, 8pm-10pm.

Duxton Hoel Sai Gon

63 Nguyen Hue St, District 1, Tel: 8222999

The Bar

- Piano music, 4-8pm. Happy hours at 5-7pm.



Cinemas

Hanoi

Fansland Cinema

84 Ly Thuong Kiet St, Tel: 9424484


Photo: www.empiremovies.com
- Breakfast At Tifany's (US, DV), at 6pm, June 11.

- Wild Hogs (US, OV), at 8.15pm, June 11.

- Cassablanca (US, DV), at 6.15pm, June 12.

- A Streetcar Named Desire (US, DV), at 6pm, June 14.

MegaStar Cineplex

191 Ba Trieu St, Tel: 9743333

- The Rebel (VN), till June 14.

- Norbit (US, OV).

- Saigon Eclipse (VN).

- Wild Hogs (US, OV).

- Spiderman 3 (US, OV).

- Norbit (US, OV).

- The Marine (US, OV).

- 200 Pounds Beauty (RoK, OV).

- Ice Age 2 (US, OV).

- Mr Bean's Holiday (US,OV)

- Unaccompanied Minors (US, OV)

National Cinema Centre

87 Lang Ha St, Tel: 5141716

- Barnyard (US, DV), till Aug 8.

- Ice Age 2 (US, DV), till Aug 8.

- Spiderman 3 (US, DV), till Aug 8.

- Madagascar (US, DV), till Aug 8.

- Two Crickets (VN), till Aug 8.

- Owl And Woodpecker (VN), till Aug 8.

August Cinema

45 Hang Bai St, Tel: 8253911

- Ice Age 2 (US, DV).

- The Marine (US, DV).

Ho Chi Minh City

Galaxy Nguyen Du Cinema

116 Nguyen Du St, Dist 1, Tel: 08 8235235

- 200 Pounds Beauty (RoK, OV), 8.30am-9.45pm.

- Spiderman 3 (US, OV), 8.40am-9.35pm.

- Ice Age 2 (US, OV), 10.05am-9.05pm, till June 8.

Galaxy Nguyen Trai Cinema

230 Nguyen Trai St, Dist 1, Tel: 9206688

- 200 Pounds Beauty (RoK, OV), 8.30am-9.45pm.

- Spiderman 3 (US, OV), 8.40am-9.35pm.

Dong Da Cinema



890 Tran Hung Dao St., Dist 5. Tel: 9234833

- Spiderman 3 (US, OV).

- Ice Age 2 (US, OV), daily 9am-9pm, till June 15.



Thang Long Cinema



19 Cao Thang St., Dist 3 Tel: 8393993

- Saigon Eclipse (VN).

- Spiderman 3 (US, OV).

- Ice Age 2 (US, OV), daily 9am-9pm, till June 15.

Tan Son Nhat Cinema

186 Nguyen Van Troi St, Tan Binh Dist, Tel: 8421613

- Knot (Hong Kong, OV), 9.05am-9.35pm, till June 15.



Dining Out

Hanoi

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

K5 Nghi Tam, Xuan Dieu Rd, Tay Ho Dist, Tel: 7199000

Oven D'Or

- Weekend magnum brunch thru June, 11.30am-3pm. Buffet: $19.50++/person. Beverage: $9.50++/person.

Hemisphere

- Sapa trout, a la carte menu.

- Vietnamese BBQ dinner, Fri & Sat. Buffet: $20.00++/person.

Hanoi Hotel

8D Giang Vo St, Tel: 8452270

Dragon Chinese Restaurant

- Daily dim sum lunch buffet.

- Saturday hot pot dinner buffet.

Green Wave Restaurant

- Lunch buffet, Mon-Sat.

Nikko Hanoi Hotel

84 Tran Nhan Tong St, Tel: 8223535

Benkay

- Father's Day set menu, lunch & dinner, $30.00++/person, June 17.

- Noodles galore, lunch & dinner, till June 30, $30.00++/person.

Tao-Li

- Rice dumpling specials, lunch & dinner, till June 19.

- Chinese Dim sum launch buffet & dumpling special, June 17, $18.00++/person, including free flow of draught beer & soft drinks.

La Brasserie

- International Seafood Lunch Buffet, June 17, $18.00++/person, including free flow of draught beer & soft drinks.

Guoman Hanoi Hotel



83A Ly Thuong Kiet St. Tel: 8222800

The Gallery

- Traditional Vietnamese dinner buffet, from 6.00pm-10pm daily, $15.90++/person inclusive 1 drought beer or soft drink.

Helmsman Bar

- Happy Hours, from 5pm-7pm daily: a pint of drought beer at $1.50.

Living Room

- Lemon drizzle cake.

Melia Hanoi

44B Ly Thuong Kiet St, Tel: 9343343

El Patio

- Sunday buffet launch on Father's Day June 17, $26.00++ per person, door gift to the father.

- Australian Beef Promotion, $26.80++ per person.

- Cava & coctails brunch, every Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm. Priced at $22.00++ per person.

- "Around the World" lunch & dinner buffet, $18.00++ per person.

El Oriental Restaurant

- Vietnamese seafood buffet dinner, $26.00++ per person, on Father's Day, June 16.

- Express lunch daily.

- Weekend Deal, $25.00++ on Suns.

- Vietnamese, Chinese & Thai a la carte menu.

Verticale Restaurant

19 Ngo Van So, Tel: 9446317

- French cuisine with Vietnamese touch.

- Launch set, $12++. Dinner set, $24++/person.

- Summer promotion till June 30.

Sofitel Plaza Hanoi

1 Thanh Nien Road - Tel: 8238888

Song Hong Bar

- Oyster Night on every Thursday, 5pm - 8pm, $2.50++ per oyster, $25++ per dozen.

Brasserie Westlake

- International Delights: Mon-Thu & Sun. Lunch buffet, $18.8++ per person. Buffet dinner: $22.8++ per person.

- Sea Food Delicacies: Fri & Sat. Dinner buffet. $24.8++ per person. Free Carlsberg draught beer every day.

Summit Lounge

- Happy Hour, everyday from 5pm-7pm. $8++ per hour - free flow of draught Carlberg beer.

- New Panoramic Grill on every Wed, from 6pm-9pm, $9.5++/per person.

Ming Palace

- Flavours of Hanoi on every Sat & Sun evening. $17++/per person.

Ho Chi Minh City

Sheraton Sai Gon Hotel & Towers

88 Dong Khoi St, Dist 1. Tel: 8272828

Li Bai Chinese Restaurant

- Dim sum specialities and rice & noodle dishes for daily lunch & dinner, till June 30.

- Sunday Chinese buffet with Cantonese & Shanghainese specialities, 6.30pm-10pm, thru June.

Saigon Cafe

- Spectacular international buffet with succulent fresh seafood & meals cooked fresh to order, 6am-10pm, daily till June 30.

- Sunday brunch with seafood & Bombay Sapphire cocktails, 11.30am-3pm, thru June.

Signature Restaurant

- Fine steak & seafood specialities, Tue-Sun, 6pm-10pm, till June 30.

Park Hyatt Sai Gon Hotel

2 Lam Son Sq, District 1, Tel: 08 8241234



Square One Restaurant

- Australian food & wines promotion by award-winning chef Mike Tale from Australia, June 16-24.

- Western steak and Vietnamese seafood in Vietnamese & Western styles for daily lunch & dinner.



Opera Restaurant

- Enjoy exquisite pasta dishes by chef Michele Gulizzi and his culinary team, till June 16.



Park Lounge

- Afternoon tea with inspired savories and French inspired pasties, 2.30pm, Mon-Sun.

Nam Phan Restaurant

64 Le Thanh Ton St, Dist 1, Tel: 8292757

- Garoupa fiesta promotion with the world's fine wines, till June 30.

- Lunch in style featuring gourmet selection of lunch menus, Mon-Fri, till June 30.

Renaissance Riverside Hotel Sai Gon

8-15 Ton Duc Thang St, Dist 1, Tel: 8220033

Riverside Cafe

- Seafood extravaganza with freshest seafood in town, daily 6pm-10pm, till June 30.

- Luncheon buffet with local & international items including Japanese cuisines, 12 noon-2.30pm, Mon-Sat.

- Sunday brunch featuring a feast of Western & Asian treats, every Sun at 12noon-3pm.

Kabin Chinese Restaurant

- A feast of Shanghai delicacies for lunch & dinner, June 21-July 3.

- New a la carte menu by Lai Xiao Bo from China & Ly Vi Cham, till June 30.

- A selection of 40 kinds of dim sums & soups, daily 12 noon-2.30pm, till June 30.

Poolside Terrace

- Gill Nights with selection of grilled lobster, tiger prawns, reef fish and lots more, 6pm-10pm, Fri & Sat Night.

Dollar price hits highest peak in six months

Dollar price hits highest peak in six months
13:58' 05/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Bank for Foreign Trade (Vietcombank) on June 4 announced the exchange rate at VND16,096/US$1, the highest peak in the last six months. Experts said that the rate would see further adjustment as the demand is increasing.



Earlier last week, the rates announced by Vietcombank were VND16,065/US$1 (purchasing) and VND16,075/US$1 (selling). One day later, the figures rose to VND16,055 and VND16,080 respectively. On June 4, the greenback was sold at VND16,096/IUS$1, the highest peak over the last six months.

Experts said that the greenback has been revaluating, though very slowly. On the black market, one dollar is now exchanged for VND16,020.

The situation proves to be quite different from what was seen late last year. After reaching the VND16,100/US$1 level on November 17, the greenback devaluated gradually, bottoming at VND16,000/US$1 on February 9, 2007. However, the greenback price has bounced back again on March 2, when the exchange rate reached VND16,001/US$1 and the greenback value has been continuously increasing since then. In the last week alone, a dollar increased by VND20 in value.

Hoang Danh Chinh, the owner of the Kim Dung Gold Shop on Le Loi street in district 1, HCM City, said that though the dollar price increases, the demand for dollar does not increase accordingly. He said that every day, his shop exchanges several thousand dollars for clients. Eximbank has also reported the same situation: some $400-500 are exchanged every day.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Phuoc Thanh, Director of Vietcombank HCM City Branch has attributed the dollar price increase to the sharp increase in the demand. As the gold price in the domestic market keeps rising, gold importers try to collect more dollars to import gold. He said that the demand for dollars reaches $10mil some day.

“The supply of dollars has become more tight when the State Bank of Vietnam decides to buy dollars in for the national reserve fund, which has made the demand for dollars increase dramatically,” said Mr Thanh.

Vu Duc Hai from Eximbank said that the continued increase of the dollar value is the periodic recovery of the currency. Importers need more dollars at this moment, while foreign funds tend to sell shares to get dollars back. These factors all have led to the scarcity of the greenbacks.

Experts said that it is very likely to see the greenback value increase further as Vietnam needs to encourage exports, especially when it has joined WTO.

Mr Thanh from Vietcombank has forecast that the dollar supply and demand will balance in the coming time. The investors, who find it unprofitable to keep dollars, will sell dollars. The greenback will revaluate, but there would not be big changes and dramatic increases as the exchange rate is being put under the control of the central bank

448 medals up for grabs at Games

448 medals up for grabs at Games
10:15' 05/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The 24th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games in Thailand this December will be the largest in its history with 43 events and 488 sets of medals to be won.


Crouching tiger: Wushu athlete Vu Tra My earned 9.55 points in the jianshu (sword performance) discipline at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar last December. Vietnam expects to take home a number of medals in Wushu from the 24th SEA Games this December.
This decision was approved at the SEA Sport Council's meeting, which finished in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday.

Bodybuilding, polo, and squash have been added to the roster along with more medal categories in the wushu, gymnastics and shooting competitions.

The latest decision of the SEA Sport Council will help Vietnam finish in the top three and garner around 70 gold medals at the event, said Hoang Vinh Giang, general secretary of the Viet Nam Olympics Committee.

Two years ago, Vietnam came in third place with 71 golds at the SEA Games in the Philippines. It even topped the tally with 158 gold medals as the host of the event in 2003.

Vietnamese athletes will likely win gold medals again in wushu, karate, springboard, gymnastics, billiards, snooker and canoeing if they continue to improve on their training and fitness, Giang added.

Vietnam will compete in between 35 and 37 of the sporting events.

The games are scheduled to begin on December 6 and end on December 15. The men's and women's football matches will be played earlier in the year.

Vovinam to get its own federation

Vovinam to get its own federation
15:45' 03/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam plans to set up a national federation for the Vietnamese martial art Vovinam this summer.

The Vietnam Vovinam Federation (VVF) will be established mid-July, just ahead of the third World Vovinam Championship in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20-22.

The martial art has also been admitted into the Asian Indoor Games, which next take place in Vietnam in 2009.

The martial art is developing rapidly in Vietnam and Ha Noi set up the country’s first local Vovinam federation last month. The sport is also popular abroad and is now practiced in 35 countries around the world.

Vovinam, created by Master Nguyen Loc in 1938, is performed with or without weapons for self defence, health and personal development. It is based on the principle of harmony between hard and soft and capitalises on an opponent’s movements.

Duong takes triple gold in Singapore

Duong takes triple gold in Singapore
10:21' 05/06/2007 (GMT+7)


VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam's Vu Thuy Duong won a hatrick of gold medals in the breaststroke at the 2007 Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championship in Singapore over the weekend.

Duong got off to a flying start last Friday in the girls under-17 50m breaststroke, defeating rivals from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Duong later went on to win gold medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

In the boys' U-12 1500m freestyle, Tran Le Quoc Tuan won a bronze medal.

Vietnam, which entered 14 swimmers in this year, finished the competition in fourth place.

The 31st championship attracted 224 girls and boys from six countries, competing at U-12, U-14, and U-17 level.

Last year, Vietnam won three gold medals, three silvers, and five bronze medals to also finish fourth.

State management authorities not ready for Euro 2 yet

State management authorities not ready for Euro 2 yet
13:53' 05/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – From July 1, 2007, all the vehicles circulating on roads must meet the Euro 2 standard on exhaust fumes. However, involved parties seem not to be not ready for this yet.



The Decision No 249 by the Government on the application of exhaust gas standards was enacted two years ago. Under the decision, from July 1, 2007, all the vehicles circulating on roads must meet the Euro 2 standard. As for the vehicles which have been certified as meeting the requirements on technical safety and environment, but have not been assembled, the deadline for the Euro 2 standard implementation will be extended to July 1, 2008.

The circulating vehicles in four big cities, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho will have to meet the Euro 2 standard as of July 1, 2007, while the deadline will be one year later, July 1, 2008, for the vehicles in other localities.

It is quite surprising that while vehicle manufacturers said they are ready for the Euro 2 standards, state management authorities and petrol importers said they still have many things to do.

The Vietnam Registration Administration (VRA) has not promulgated the documents guiding the implementation of the Euro 2 standard yet. Do Huu Duc, Deputy Head of VRA said that as there remain arguments on some issues, the document will only be enacted in mid June at the earliest.

Mr Duc said that the exhaust fumes of domestically manufactured vehicles will be examined by VRA. As for the imports, the state management authority will check the certificate on exhaust fumes of foreign manufacturers. Only the vehicles sourced from the countries which apply the higher standards on exhaust fumes will be accepted.

In order to implement the Euro 2 standard, the Government has assigned the Ministry of Transport to build a vehicle exhaust gas testing centre. The centre has the total investment capital of VND280bil which will be located in Thanh Tri district in the suburb of Hanoi. However, the project just exists on paper, and the exhaust fume tests will surely be unable to be carried out here as of July 2007.

Meanwhile, VRA has not given concrete answers on where to test vehicle exhaust fumes. An official from VRA said that the equipments VRA now has cannot give exact results if testing Euro 2 and Euro 3.

While state management authorities have to deal with a lot of problems, petrol importers complain that they cannot find the suitable supplies of petrol to import. Under the Decision 50 enacted in 2006, the petrol to be imported as of July 1, 2007 must meet TCVN 6776-2005 standard.

Petrolimex said that the corporation has contacted 53 petrol suppliers, and only 12 of which have agreed to provide petrol that can meet the new requirements. However, even these 12 suppliers cannot meet all the requirements set by TCVN 677-2005. Meanwhile, the few suppliers that can meet TCVN 2005 just can provide petrol in a small quantity.

Petrolimex has proposed to extend the deadline for TCVN 2005 implementation to July 1, 2007, while it should have implemented the TCVN 2005 six months before to pave the way for the implementation of Euro 2 standards.

However, as reported by the Ministry of Trade, petrol importers remain technically incapable to meet the new standard. Enterprises will have to import two kinds of diesel, 0.25% S and 0.05% S, while the current depots cannot contain these two kinds at the same time.

According to Cao Xuan Vinh, Head of the Environment Division under VRA, the petrol and diesel products available on the market cannot meet the Euro 2 standards. The sulphur content in petrol being used in Vietnam is 3-5 times higher than the allowed level.

Web site Promotion

Web site Promotion
Online promotion uses communication via the Internet itself to raise awareness about a site and drive traffic to it. This promotion may take the form of links from other sites, banner advertising or targeted e-mail messages.



Online Advertising

Advertising on the World Wide Web is generally acknowledged to take place when an advertiser pays to place advertising content on another web site.



Some important concepts of online promotion

Banner Advertisement:

A rectangular graphic displayed on a web page for the purposes of advertising. It is normally possible to perform a clickthrough to access further information. Banner many static or animated.



Page and ad impressions and reach

One page impression occurs when a member of the audience views a web page. One ad impression occurs when a person views an advertisement placed on the web page. Reach define the number of unique individuals who view an advertisement.



Effective frequency

The number of exposures of ad impressions (frequency) required for an advertisement to become effective.



Clickthrough and clickthrough rate

A clickthrough (or an advertisement click) occurs each time a user clicks on a banner advertisement with the mouse to direct him or her to a web page that contains further information.

The clickthrough rate is expressed as a percentage of total ad impressions, and refers to the proportion of users viewing an advertisement who click on it. It is calculated as the number of clickthroughs divided by the number of ad impressions.



Banner Advertising

Objective

Cartellieri et al (1997) identify the following objectives of banner advertising:

§ Delivering content

§ Enabling transaction

§ Shaping attitudes

§ Soliciting response

§ Encourage retention



Location for banner advertising

1. Portals

2. Generalized news services

3. Specialzed interest site



Paying for banner advertising

§ CPM and run-of-site: Cost per 1000 ad impressions. CPM is usually her for run-of-site advertisement where advertisements occur on all pages of the site.

§ Web site auditor: Auditors accurately measure usage of different sites in terms of the number of ad impressions and clickthrough rates.

§ Per exposure: typically through ad impressions or possibly through the length of time the user views an advertisement

§ Per response: payment only occurs according to the number of clickthroughs that occur

§ Per action: payment according to a marketing outcome such as downloading a product factsheet, a new sales lead received when the user fills in an online form giving his or her name and address, or an actual purchase placed online.



Making Banner advertising work:

1. Appropriate incentives are needed to achieve clickthrough

2. Creative design needs to be tested extensively

3. Appropriate keywords are needed

4. Placement of advertisement and timing need to be considered carefully

5. Consider the clickthrough quality, not just the quantity

6. Build the infrastructure to deal with the response



Other online promotion methods

Promotion in search engines and directories

One important aspect of traffic building is maximizing the number of users who find a web site when searching using keywords, in a search engine, directory or a portal. This promotion technique is particularly important in view of the number of web users who use such facilities for finding information. Achieving good search rating listings is a skilled job, which is often dependent on a webmaster who is familiar with the techniques for achieving good listings in search engines.



Links from other sites: co-branding and sponsorship

The growth of Internet-based sponsorship has been compared to the transition between radio and television advertising. Sponsorship as well as taking the form of a promoter sponsoring a site can make use of opportunities for involving individual personalities in sponsorships.

Co-branding is an arrangement between two or more companies where they agree to jointly display content and to conduct joint promotions using brand logos or banner advertisements.



Using e-mail for advertising

Email is used to communicating and building long-term relationships with customers, and inform customers of new product or market information relevant to them. Email can also used for paid-for advertising. For example, it is possible to buy space for an advertisement within an email newsletter.



Recommended Book

Dave Chaffey, Internet Marketing

Online Marketing Effectiveness Measurement

Online Marketing Effectiveness Measurement
Three Levels of Measurement

Chaffey (2003) suggests three main levels of measuring internet marketing effectiveness.

Level 1: Business effectiveness measures

§ Direct online distribution to revenue (in percentage terms and absolute monetary amounts)

§ Indirect online contribution to revenue (in percentage terms and absolute monetary amounts

§ Profitability of website (the direct revenue of the web site minus the operational cost of the web site)

§ Return on investment (ROI). This is a measurement over a longer period that calculates the return (amount of revenue) compared with initial investment and operational costs.

§ Operational cost reductions.

Level 2: Marketing effectiveness measures

§ Customer acquisition or new leads generated by the web site

§ Sales generated directly and indirectly by the web site

§ Impact on market penetration and demand

§ Customer satisfaction and retention rates of clients who use the Internet, compared with those who do not

§ Incremental or cross-sales achieved through the Internet

§ Impact of Internet on customer satisfaction, loyalty and brand

Internet sales will be expressed as:

§ Internet sales as a proportion of all sales made by company compared with sales by all companies operating in market (the Internet contribution)

§ Internet sales as a proportion of all Internet sales for company (the Internet market penetration)

Marketing costs that could be measured include:

§ Reduction in cost of promotional material (lower printing costs)

§ Cost of acquiring a new customer

§ Cost of developing/supporting an existing customer relationship through time

Marketing effectiveness also includes less tangible benefits, beneficial elements, such as:

§ Corporate image and brand enhancement

§ Building long-term client relationships and reducing ‘churn’ of customers.

Level 3: Internet marketing effectiveness

§ Capture – how effective are we in attracting customers to a site using online and offline promotion methods? Does the site use banner advertisements, offline advertisements with specific URL? Does it use search engine meta-tags? How well do this work?

§ Content – how well are customers supported with information and ease of use through the content and design of the site? Is the online proposition clear? (What are the unique offers/value of the site?)

§ Customer orientation – does the content suit its target audience: that is, in job-specific, industry specific, or country-specific terms? Is it easy for a particular audience to find information? Is it relevant, accurate, up to date? How well are there for clients to the site at each stage?

§ Community and interactivity – how well are the customer’s needs as an individual met by providing community facilities and establishing an interactive dialogue?



Any other criteria for measurement? Berthon et al (1998) points out five criteria for measuring the effectiveness of a web site aiming at selling products in term of drawing the customer through different stages of the buying decision.

§ Awareness efficiency – target web-users/all web-users

§ Locatability/attractability efficiency – number of individual visits/number of seekers

§ Contact efficiency – number of active visitors/number of visits

§ Conversion efficiency – number of purchase/number of active visits

§ Retention efficiency – number of repurchases/number of purchases



Online measurement methods:

§ Online web metric and server log files: online measures are those that are collected automatically on the web server, often in a server log file.

§ Hits and page impressions (view): a hit is recorded for each graphic or block of text requested from a web server. It is not a reliable measure of the number of people viewing a page. A page impression is a reliable measure, denoting one person viewing one page.

§ Site visits (user sessions): one site visit records one customer visiting the site

§ Website auditors: auditors accurately measure the usage of a site as the number of page impressions and visitors.

§ Referring site and exit pages: a log file may indicate which site a user visited immediately before visiting a particular site. Exit pages give a summary of the main pages from which users left a site.



Recommended Book

Dave Chaffey, Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing Research

Internet Marketing Research
Alongside the constant monitoring of an organization’s marketing environment, there must also be research into customer’s needs and wants and the monitoring of the effectiveness of marketing activity. The Internet provides a vehicle by which the marketer can gain rapid and often extensive access to secondary market and data.



The internet can be used to understand an organization’s macro and micro marketing environment. By monitoring information available on the Internet, organization can attain more accuracy in their assessment of the competitive situation and the identification of potential market opportunities.



The Internet is well suited to secondary research since many of the traditional sources of information such as company reports, government reports, economic data and surveys from market research organizations have now migrated online. Some data are provided free of charge, but other data must be paid for and accessed via an extranet. Accuracy of searching information source via the Internet depends on the methods of collecting data and the sample size. The two most popular online research methods are online questionnaires and focus group.



Recommended Book

Dave Chaffey, Internet Marketing

The Internet Marketing Plan

The Internet Marketing Plan

Internet marketing plan is an operational plan to achieve an Internet marketing strategy through implementation of a new version of a web site and associated marketing communications. Chaffey et al. (2003) suggests that eight important decisions should be taken to formulate the Internet marketing plan:



· Decision point 1: Who are the potential audience?

· Decision point 2: Integrating ‘the nets’

· Decision point 3: Defining the scope of Internet marketing communications

· Decision point 4: How do we ‘migrate’ our brands on to the Internet

· Decision point 5: Strategy partnerships

· Decision point 6: Organizational structure

· Decision point 7: Setting the budget

· Decision point 8: The schedule



A suggested Internet marketing investment plan



1. Objectives statement

§ Corporate objectives of online marketing (mission statement)

§ Detailed objectives: tangible and intangible benefits, specific critical success factors

§ Contribution of Internet to promotional and sales activities

§ Value proposition of website to customer

2. Strategic positioning

§ Impact of Internet on existing sales and promotion channels

§ Impact of Internet on market structure and representation needed

§ Strategic positioning in response to perceived impact

3. Assessment of current position

(a) Internal audits

§ Internet marketing audit (business, marketing and Internet marketing effectiveness)

§ Audience composition and characteristics

§ Web site contribution to sales and profitability

(b) External audits

§ Business and economic environment

§ The market and customer activity

§ Competition – threats from new services and new companies?

4. Assess opportunities and threats

§ Market and product positioning

§ Methods of creating digital value and detailed statement of customer value proposition

§ Marketplace positioning (buyer, seller and neutral marketplaces)

§ Scope of marketing functions.

5. Partnering arrangement

§ Promotion

§ Distribution

§ Development

6. Integrating the ‘nets’

Assessing the role and plans for integrating:

§ Internet

§ Extranet

§ Intranet

7. Channel choices

(a) Use of:

§ Seller-controlled sites

§ Buyer-controlled sites

§ Neutral site

(b) Channel choices: split of sales between manufactures and resellers.

8. Promotional and communication activities

Specifying online and offline promotion methods and costs such as advertising and PR. How will existing promotional activities be represented on the web site? Role of one-to-one marketing.

9. New media branding

Options and risks assessments for brand:

§ Migrate traditional brand online.

§ Extend traditional brand: variant.

§ Partner with existing digital brand

§ Create a new digital brand.

10. Measuring site effectiveness

Identify a measurement process and metrics covering:

§ Business contribution

§ Marketing effectiveness (offline measures, e.g. leads, sales, brand enhancement)

§ Internet marketing effectiveness (online measures, e.g. page impressions, visitors, repeat visits, registrations).

11. Resource requirements:

§ Budget including costs for development, promotion and maintenance

§ Time-scale

§ Staff

§ Outsourcing

12. Implementation

§ Project management.

§ Team organization and responsibilities

§ Risk assessment (identifying risks, measures to counter risks).

§ Legal issues.

§ Development and maintenance process.

(Source: Chaffey et al. (2003), Internet Marketing




Recommended Book

Dave Chaffey, Internet Marketing