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Top 10 expensive dishes in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – In Vietnam, Dong Tao chicken, Anh Vu fish, Emperor crabs or chia voi fish (Proteracanthus sarissophorus), are food for the rich only.1. Dong Tao chicken
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Dong Tao or Dong Cao chicken is an endemic and rare chicken species of Vietnam. The most outstanding feature of species are the biglegs, which create value for the species. The chicken can weigh up to 4,5kg and more.
The prices of Dong Tao chicken are expensive, about VND1-VND1.5 million ($50-$70)per kilo.
2. Nine-spur chicken
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This kind of chicken has been known as a rare breed of Vietnam. According to legend, chickens with nine spurs were only for the king. The nine-spur chicken is also mentioned in the legend about Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh. Theprice of chicken with nine spurs is many times higher than that of normal chicken.
A special feature of this species is not only delicious meat but spiritual meaning. Vietnamese people believe that those who eat nine-spur chicken in the first meal of the new lunar year will have good luck and prosperity in the new year.
Before the lunar New Year or Tet holiday, the prices for nine-spur chicken can be several million dong per kilo. There are only purebred nine-spur chickens. However, some people still accept cross-bred chickens with 5, 6, 7 or 8 spurs.
The price for chickens with 5-6 spurs is VND400,000-VND500,000 ($20-$25) per kilo. It is VND900,000-VND1 million ($40-$50) per kilo for the chickens with 7 spurs, VND2-3 million ($100-$150) per kilo for chickens with 8 spurs and up to VND10 million ($500) for a pair of chickens with 9 spurs.
3. Anh Vu fish (Semilabeo notabilis)
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Anh vu was previously offered for the king for good luck, especially in the New Year. Not as expensive as su vang fish, anh vu fish is also priced several million VND per kilo. Some people choose anh vu fish as a New Year gift.
This species lives in the Central Highlands. People believe that eating anh vu fish can cure diseases and is good for the kidney.
The price for Anh Vu fish is based on the weight.
The fish from 2kg or less is priced VND1.4 million ($70) per kilo and VND1.6 million ($80) per kilo for the fish weighing from 5kg and more.
If the value of the Dong Tao chicken or the nine-spur chicken is based on the legs, the mouth is the decisive factor for the value of Anh Vu fish.
This fish only eat algae and live in pure water so people think that Anh Vu fish symbolize “luxury”.
The best feature of this species is the white and delicious meat, more delicious than any kind of fresh-water fish.
4. Chia voi fish
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The name of the fish chia voi (lime-pot) is based on the shape of its mouth, which looks like a lime-pot.
The fish is as long as a big eel, with red skin.
The adult fish can be 1m long and weigh about 1kg. Currently there is no consistent information on the origin of this species.
However, this species is only found in Nha Be River.
The fish is also used to treat some diseases.
5. Peanut worms (Sipunculus nudus)
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Sipunculus nudus is a species of unsegmented marine worm, also known as peanut worms. The body of the adult worm is around 15 centimetres in length but can reach up to 25 cm in some cases.
The worm is commonly found on subtidal zones of sandy shores to seabeds 900 metres in depth in temperate or tropical waters. The worm hides in sand burrows which it makes by itself during the day and may extend its tentacles out of the burrow to feed at night. Its diet consists of plant or animal tissue fragments and any surrounding sand it may ingest with it.
In Vietnam, Sipunculus nudus is used to cook the Vietnamese well-known pho in stock (made by boiling it or shrimp that is molting and cow bone with some spice: cinnamon, sweet fennel and ginger), S. nudus is also considered nourishing food helping recover one’s health (with good care and nutrition) to serve for royal family in the past.
Previously, the price for 1kg of Sipunculus nudus was equivalent to that of 1/10 tael of gold.
6. Ngan (Austriella corrugate)
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Ngan is a bit like clams but the prices are dozens of times higher than clams, about VND600,000-VND800,000 ($30-$40) per kilo.
Ngan is said to have a high level of nutrition, appropriate to foster health.
Ngan is a specialty of Quang Ninh Province.
7. Eurasian coot
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The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia and parts of Africa.
As the migratory birds from the north and also in the group of specialties for the king, the price of this bird is very high.
Currently, an Eurasian coot of about 500gr, bred at farms, is priced VND900,000 ($45).
If the birds are caught in the wild, the price will be much higher.
8. Clawed lobster
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The clawed lobster has long bodies with muscular tails, and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, which are usually much larger than the others. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.
The price for 1kg of clawed lobster is VND3 million ($150).
9. Shark fins
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King crabs are a super-family of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus.
At supermarkets in Hanoi, an imported King crab weighing about 2kg is sold for VND5 million ($250).
Some restaurants in Hanoi prepare dishes from King crabs, at the price of VND3.5 million ($170) per kilo.
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<td>related news</td>
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<div style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="http://bit.ly/1Se5wah">Four of the most expensive foods in Vietnam</a></div>
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Pha Le
 
Top 10 expensive dishes in Vietnam Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5wXQ" width="200" />

Top 10 expensive dishes in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – In Vietnam, Dong Tao chicken, Anh Vu fish, Emperor crabs or chia voi fish (Proteracanthus sarissophorus), are food for t...

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More public awareness needed as highway accidents increase

VietNamNet Bridge – Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, recently spoke to the Thoi Bao Kinh Te (the Economic Times) newspaper about vehicle accidents on highways.
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Why do you think the number of traffic accidents on the nation’s highways have been increasing since the beginning of 2016?
A lack of awareness about traffic safety and laws is the first reason for the high number of traffic accidents on highways. For instance, the legal distance between two vehicles is not always followed.
Also, a common reason for accidents is that drivers who travel at low speed have to remain in the right lane, but they do not, causing drivers moving at higher speeds to cross into oncoming traffic. So the risk of traffic accidents is very high. Also, many drivers are not in the habit of driving on highways, and the work conducted to raise the public’s awareness about traffic laws is not adequate.
Another reason is the poor management of the highways. Management agencies need to regularly patrol, detect and quickly report to local authorities in dealing with violations. Sometimes, motorists move barriers from the correct location to another so they might drive on highways, or local residents walk on Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway, while buses and coaches do not always follow regulations when stopping to pick up passengers.
Those officials who patrol highways must be responsible for preventing such violations.
And I want to emphasise that passengers have to use seatbelts on coaches, especially in sleeper cars.
Also, local agencies must carefully supervise highways, which still lack permanent separators.
The moving and destroying separators on the highways has been reported many times by local residents, but it is still happening. What is your solutions to handle these violations?
A camera system will be installed along the entire route to monitor such violations. Better management is the key to improving the situation. The local police and authorities have to carefully monitor the highways and will be responsible for cases of violating traffic regulations on the highways they manage.
Do you have more specific measures to deal with the increase of accidents on the highways?
The National Traffic Safety Committee has asked the media to increase the public’s awareness about traffic regulations on highways. Particularly, bicyclists and those walking are banned from using the highways. Also, drivers must abide by regulated distances and speeds on the highways.
The agencies that manage the use of the highways have to check and quickly complete their works on installing traffic signals.
We also ask management agencies and investors to promptly complete the remaining areas of the highways.
Inspection activities and the handling of violations will also be strengthened.
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VNS
 
More public awareness needed as highway accidents increase Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5vTO" width="200" />

More public awareness needed as highway accidents increase

VietNamNet Bridge – Khuat Viet Hung, vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, recently spoke to the Thoi Bao Kinh Te (the Eco...

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Smart farming a bright future for Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – Ready-to-eat tomatoes, and lettuce, grown without soil, and consumed unwashed, are the future in Viet Nam and people will soon have the chance to experience this form of ‘smart agriculture’.
<div id="attachment_1865737" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1Se5wXE"><img alt="Just plain good: Tomatoes are planted at an IT-based agricultural project conducted by Fujitsu Limited and FPT Corporation. The project aims contribute to stable production and higher product quality. Photo hanoimoi.com.vn" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="318" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1Uum18z" width="500" /></a>
Just plain good: Tomatoes are planted at an IT-based agricultural project conducted by Fujitsu Limited and FPT Corporation. The project aims contribute to stable production and higher product quality. Photo hanoimoi.com.vn
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This year, this IT-based agricultural project will experiment on growing high-value-added vegetables including medium-sized tomatoes and low-potassium leaf lettuce that will be the source of clean, ready-to-eat food.
The potassium content in this kind of lettuce is one-fifth as compared with lettuce grown in any ordinary way making it suitable for diabetics and people who are on a diet.
Under the agreement between Fujitsu Limited and FPT Corporation signed in 2014, Fujitsu provided cloud services, equipment, and expertise, and FPT facilitated the spread of information technology in the agricultural sector.
A 400sq.m centre, comprising a greenhouse to cultivate tomatoes and a vegetable factory to grow lettuce, was set up at the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute in Trau Quy Town, Gia Lam District, Ha Noi.
“The showcase environment information and video information about the cultivation area can be monitored, not only onsite, but from Japan as well, enabling remote cultivation guidance,” Truong Gia Binh, CEO of the FPT Corporation, said.
The area is self-contained and yellow electric boards are set up between the beds of vegetables that help control the cultivation and prevent entry of insects.
Environmental information, including temperature, humidity, CO2, sunlight, and rain, in addition to wind direction and speed, is gathered in real time by a variety of sensors installed in the greenhouse, and this information is used to autonomously control the facilities, such as curtains and fans.
This facility is combined with IMEC Film Farming, in which plants are grown on a thin film, using a hydrogel membrane.
Since the film allows only water and nutrients to pass, and keeps out viruses and microbes, the crops grown are safe for consumption. In addition, because plants receive optimal water stress by absorbing nutrients through the hydrogel membrane, they create a higher volume of sugars and amino acids, creating crops with high sugar content and high nutritional value.
That is why one will be able to consume fresh vegetables cut from the branches without washing them.
With this technology, tomatoes are planted with a density of between 4,000 plants and 6,000 plants in 1,000 square metres. And the cultivation can take place all year long, without being dependent on the seasons and the weather.
“In Viet Nam, there are calls to develop agricultural businesses to ensure food safety by promoting innovation in agricultural production technologies and in recognition of the issue of pesticide overuse,” Binh said.
“The aim of this partnership is to support restructuring of Viet Nam’s agricultural sector so as to make the country a world-class agricultural producer based on innovative technologies.”
Accordingly, this innovative food and agriculture will contribute to stable production volumes and higher product quality, which would otherwise depend on the expert judgment of farmers, he added.
High potential
Binh appreciated the high potential of the project, but he also expressed concern at the obstacles while implementing the Japanese technique in Viet Nam.
“Fujitsu and FPT are leading information technology corporations of Japan and Viet Nam, but we faced numerous difficulties in establishing the smart agriculture centre such as the procedure to import technology from abroad,” Binh said.
“We have only borrowed the technology from Japan, and Vietnamese enterprises should now learn to master it,” he cautioned.
He suggested that the enterprises which want to get involved in this form of smart agriculture should meet to study and understand the technology.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat agreed that Viet Nam’s agricultural sector is looking for foreign and domestic investors, especially those using advanced technology. He highlighted the fact that applying advanced technology to farming will help the country set up modern agricultural techniques with highly competitive capacity.
“However, the procedure to import chains and devices to produce takes much more time,” he said. The government policy requires management agencies to streamline procedures such as customs procedures for import of materials and farm produce.”
Phat said at the opening ceremony of the FPT-Fujitsu centre that the centre is considered a good model to boost hi-tech agricultural growth in Viet Nam.
The agriculture ministry has assigned plant protection and husbandry departments to cut by half the time and cost of import procedures.
Phat hoped that many more local and foreign investors will join the sector and support farmers to apply advanced technology to increase yields and turn out quality produce for sale at home and abroad.
Dang Van Dong, vice director of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, indicated that facilities to implement high-tech agriculture are taxed between 15 per cent and 20 per cent. He expected the government to apply new mechanism to create a viable environment for enterprises who want to invest in agriculture like the ones investing in industry.
“The FPT-Fujitsu project has the potential to develop Vietnamese agriculture in such a modern way that the people would only benefit from it,” he said.
“In my opinion, both sides need innovation in implementing the next stage of the project to fit with Vietnamese socio-economic and ecological conditions,” he said.
“The enterprises may face obstacles in the beginning of the project, but, I believe that in the near future they would help Vietnamese agriculture become smarter and more developed.”
Regarding the next stage of the project, Nguyen Lan Anh, media officer of the FPT Corporation, said the technicians have been experimenting with growing soybeans on IMEC film and would try with other plants after the one-year trial project. However, the details and result of the process should be discussed among two partners before being announced.
by Minh Thu – Bich Hong 
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VNS
 
Smart farming a bright future for Vietnam Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Uum18z" width="200" />

Smart farming a bright future for Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – Ready-to-eat tomatoes, and lettuce, grown without soil, and consumed unwashed, are the future in Viet Nam and people wil...

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HCM City still looking for flood-prevention solutions

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Anti-flood Program’s Management Board plans to buy 63 specific vehicles to pump water in floods, but scientists say the solution is ‘anti-scientific’ and not feasible.
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The management board on March 17 confirmed that it has asked the city’s authorities to approve the budget of VND1.4 trillion to buy 63 anti-flood vehicles.
The price of one such vehicle is high enough to buy one super car Rolls Royce Phantom, nearly VND20 billion.
Commenting about the solution, Pham Xuan Mai from the HCM City University of Technology said: “I must say that it is not feasible to fight against flood with mobile pump machines in HCM City.”
He said water pump vehicles will not be useful, while in order to protect against flooding, it is necessary to have good water drainage systems and fixed pump stations with high capacity.
HCM City has been flooded because the pipelines for water drainage have a small diameter. “This is the mistake made by designers who could not estimate the real drainage capacity,” he commented.
Besides, HCM City is usually attacked by high tides. Most of the canals in the city are flooded because of the high tide and heavy rains. Meanwhile, many natural canals have been paved over and encroached on by real estate projects.
As such, even if mobile pumps are used, the pipeline needs to be large enough to fit the water drainage capacity of 20-30 cubic meters per second. In principle, there must be pipes from water pump vehicles to the discharge sites. If so, pipes will be put across streets, which will hinder traffic.
A reader, when hearing about the water pump vehicles, has warned that the vehicles may do more harm than good.
“Floods will lead to traffic congestion. How will the large water pump vehicles go into the flood-stricken areas?” he wrote.
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<td>The HCM City Anti-flood Program’s Management Board plans to buy 63 specific vehicles to pump water in floods, but scientists say the solution is ‘anti-scientific’ and not feasible.</td>
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Mai also said he disagrees with the solution suggested by the HCM City Anti-flood Program’s Management Board, saying that the city should expand the pipeline’s capacity and remove unreasonable real estate projects which encroach on lakes and canals.
“Mobile pump machines must not be the solution for the long term,” he said.
The estimated price of the vehicles has become another hot topic of discussion among the public.
“I don’t know any specialized vehicle which is valued at $1 million,” he said.
“A first-class mobile pump vehicle, as far as I know, is priced at several hundreds of thousands of dollars, or VND1-2 billion. Other products must be cheaper,” he said.
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Dat Viet
 
HCM City still looking for flood-prevention solutions Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5wHm" width="200" />

HCM City still looking for flood-prevention solutions

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Anti-flood Program’s Management Board plans to buy 63 specific vehicles to pump water in floods, but scient...

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Universities lure learners with attractive scholarships

VietNamNet Bridge – Both State-owned and private schools are trying to attract students with scholarships.
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The students, who pass the exam to the International School of the HCM City National University, will have opportunities to win full 4-year or 1-2 year and partial scholarships.
To obtain full scholarships in business administration and finance & banking majors, students have to have 25.5 scores for 3 exam subjects. They need to get 24.5 scores for partial scholarship.
The tuitions set by the school are sky high for the majority of students. They have to pay VND42 million a year to follow the training program and get degree from the International School.
As for joint training programs, the tuition for the first phase of training is VND56 million a year.
Meanwhile, the tuition for the second and subsequent years will depend on the policies of the partner schools.
Therefore, the students with scanty budgets who still want to study at the school only have one choice – obtaining the school’s scholarship. Even if they can get partial scholarship, they will still have to pay high for tuitions.
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<td>Both State-owned and private schools are trying to attract students with scholarships.</td>
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In general, the tuition set by international schools, joint training programs and people-founded schools are much higher than that of state-owned schools. It is estimated that state-owned schools’ students have to pay VND16-18 million a year only.
The privately run Hoa Sen University has announced the scholarship program worth VND8 billion for the new academic year.
According to Hoang Duc Binh from the school’s enrollment division, the scholarship could be up to VND200 million.
The tuition set by the school is also high. The students following training programs have to pay VND43-46 million a year if they study in Vietnamese language, and VND48-51 million if they study in English.
The FPT University has launched 200 scholarships for excellent students who have won medals at international and national competitions and high scores from the national high school finals.
However, an analyst commented that except for scholarships equal to 140 percent and 100 percent of tuition, the other scholarship packages are small compared with the high tuition.
Linguistics students, for example, have to pay VND18.9 million for every semester. At FPT University, every semester lasts four months, while a training course comprises nine semesters.
Meanwhile, students following other training majors have to pay VND25.3 million on average.
While the tuition offered by schools prove to be very attractive, educators have warned that students may fall into ‘traps’.
“Some schools promise full scholarships. However, students are required to pay many other items which are very costly,” said Nguyen Duc Nghia, deputy director of the HCM City National University.
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Tien Phong
 
Universities lure learners with attractive scholarships Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5vTA" width="200" />

Universities lure learners with attractive scholarships

VietNamNet Bridge – Both State-owned and private schools are trying to attract students with scholarships. The students, who pass the exam...

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EU imports most phones and electronics from Vietnam

The EU was the largest phone and accessories importer from Vietnam in the first two months of the year, according to Vietnam Customs.
<a href="http://bit.ly/1Se5vDk"><img alt="1865730-20160323104351-1" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="300" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5vDk" width="480" /></a>
It imported $1.51 billion worth of such goods, a 10.8 per cent increase year-on-year and accounting for 32.1 per cent of export turnover in phones and accessories. The UAE was the second largest importer, with $639 million, or 5.1 per cent lower year-on year.
The US imported nearly $295 million, an increase of 1.92-fold year-on-year, while South Korea imported nearly $295 million, a 5.86-fold increase.
Total phone and electronic product export turnover in February was $2.44 billion, 7.6 per cent higher than in January.
Imported phones and accessories in Vietnam during February totaled $764 million, up 2.6 per cent over January. Total import turnover for such goods in the first two months was $1.5 billion, a 6.6 per cent decrease compared to the same period of 2014.
South Korea continued to be the largest supplier of phones and accessories to Vietnam in the first two months, with import value of $966 million, a 22 per cent decline year-on-year. China was second, with $462 million, a 59.9 per cent increase year-on-year.
Import turnover from the two countries accounted for about 95 per cent of total import turnover in phones and accessories.
Export turnover of computers, electronic products and accessories in February was $1.05 billion, down 16.4 per cent compared to January. Total export turnover from such goods in the first two month was $2.31 billion, a 4.4 per cent increase year-on-year.
In two first months the EU was still the largest importer of such goods, with $608 million. China followed, with import turnover of $338 million, then the US, with $329 million.
VN Economic Times
 
EU imports most phones and electronics from Vietnam Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5vDk" width="200" />

EU imports most phones and electronics from Vietnam

The EU was the largest phone and accessories importer from Vietnam in the first two months of the year, according to Vietnam Customs. It i...

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Vietnam’s textile & garment industry feared to fall into foreign hands

VietNamNet Bridge – Textile & garment companies reject the opinion that textiles & garments would be the biggest beneficiary of the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) Agreement.
<a href="http://bit.ly/1Se5vDe"><img alt="1865728-20160321095107-garment" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="331" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1Se5vDe" width="500" /></a>
“Many textile & garment companies are leaving the market because of the state’s unstable policies,” said Truong Van Cam, deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) at a workshop held by the World Bank (WB) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).
“A garment company wanted to import a printer to make products for export and it took the company’s owner six months to obtain the import license,” he said, citing an example to show how current policies cause difficulties for enterprises.
“This was because the Decree 60 stipulated that business owners must have junior college’s degree to be able to import printers,” he said on Thoi Bao Kinh Te Saigon.
A business in Nam Dinh province, which employs 2,000 workers, said it has to pay VND40-50 billion additionally every month because of the required higher minimum wage and trade union fee.
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<td>Textile & garment companies reject the opinion that textiles & garments would be the biggest beneficiary of the TPP</td>
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“The State’s policies need to be designed in a way to encourage investors to do business and stay in the market,” he commented.
An analyst said that the government seems to be too optimistic about opportunities to be brought to the textile and garment sector by TPP.
He said in 2015, Vietnam exported $27 billion worth of textile and garment products, 60 percent of which went to TPP member countries. However, foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) pocketed most of the money.
He went on to say that with the TPP’s strict requirements on origin of products, Vietnam would not be able to get benefits from TPP.
“Vietnam imports 10 percent of yarn and 5.3 percent of cloth from TPP countries. This means that it imports most of materials needed from non-TPP countries. Meanwhile, the products with non-TPP origin won’t be able to enjoy preferential tariffs,” he explained.
Pham Xuan Hong, chair of the HCMC Textile, Garment, Knitting and Embroidery Association, also said on Nguoi Lao Dong that the profits earned by Vietnamese enterprises are modest because they mostly do outsourcing for foreign partners, while 60-70 percent of materials needed are imports, mostly from China.
A report showed that Vietnam now has 6,000 textile & garment companies, of which garment companies account for 70 percent. Of the number, only 17 percent are textile enterprises, 6 percent spinning, 4 percent dying enterprises and 3 percent makers of input materials and accessories.
Seventy percent of enterprises now make products under the mode of cutting – assembling – trimming. This means that Vietnamese are proficient in the last phases of the production chain, but less so in dyeing and weaving.
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Thanh Mai
 
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Vietnam’s textile & garment industry feared to fall into foreign hands

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