Atomic energy

The energy transition in Vietnam is tied to the rapid growth of the economy, urbanisation, and industrialisation. We have seen the strong aspiration of the government to speed up the energy transition while meeting the requirements of economic development and the goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045. Energy transition is more seen as a potential engine for employment, and this trend will likely grow, helping to build support for renewables. John Rockhold, head of the Power and Energy Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum Fossil energy sources are gradually being replaced by green and clean energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, while Vietnam is one of the first countries to renew its nationally determined contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2020. The roadmap for the country’s transition process towards green and sustainable development will not only need to ensure … [Read more...] about Displaying readiness for the energy transition in Vietnam

A group of solar power ventures that did not make the 2021 feed-in tariff deadline remain idle and developers want fresh solutions Nearly 40 renewable power investors last week asked the prime minister to consider addressing pricing-related inadequacies in renewables development. The joint letter said that the impact of the pandemic and expiry of the country’s previous feed-in tariffs (FiTs) has resulted in 84 renewable power projects, with total capacity of some 4,600MW, falling behind schedule and failing to achieve commercial operation. Among these, 28 wind farms and six solar farms with the combined capacity of more than 2,000MW, which have cost an estimated $3.6 billion are eligible to connect to the national power grid, are still waiting for a suitable pricing mechanism. Six solar power ventures have been waiting for such a mechanism for over two years. The developers last week expressed concerns that they may go bankrupt as the government’s latest pricing band fix are … [Read more...] about Pricing structure not enough to clinch nation’s energy goals

At the meeting on March 21, the RoK N.A. speaker noted that the relations between Vietnam and the RoK have been developing strongly, highlighting the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022. He stressed that during his meetings with key leaders of the Vietnamese Party, Government and National Assembly during his visit to Vietnam last January, he noticed that both sides have been aware of the great potential of bilateral cooperation. Kim extended an invitation to N.A. Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and legislators of Vietnam to attend a forum for ASEAN and Korean leaders, slated for June in the RoK’s Jeju Island. For his part, Hai affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the relations with the RoK and suggested the two sides maintain all-level delegation exchanges and meetings, saying coordination and sharing of views on the bilateral cooperation as well as the regional and international situation would help deepen relations between their … [Read more...] about N.A. Vice Chairman visits RoK, meets host leaders

Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, shared their experience in green solutions to a circular economy and waste management and policy implications for Vietnam at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday. The seminar was organized by the Embassies in Vietnam of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden and Fulbright University Vietnam to mark the occasion of Nordic Day 2023 (March 23). In his opening remarks at the seminar, Ambassador of Denmark to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz said with a long tradition of working together to find solutions to common challenges, the Nordic countries are proud to share their experience and knowledge with Vietnam. “We believe that sharing experience and best practices with our partners is essential to promoting sustainable development,” Prytz added. Meanwhile, Ambassador of Norway to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken highlighted the role of the private sector in promoting green innovation, saying, "In the Nordic region, we have seen … [Read more...] about Nordic countries share circular economy, waste management solutions with Vienam

A Coca Cola factory in Viet Nam. The beverage giant was among companies joining the mission. — Photo nld.com.vn Senior executives from 52 US companies in the 'biggest-ever' US business mission to Viet Nam are discussing investment and sales opportunities in the country. Chairman of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) Ted Osius said the council was never as busy as it is now. Its services are in high demand because many US companies show great interest in the country. He also said USABC representatives from other countries told him that they must act quickly because they were competing with Viet Nam. That was a way of saying Viet Nam has become a destination for growth and opportunities. Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy at Meta, said the trip was the second time he had been to Viet Nam since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He appreciates the diligence of the Vietnamese workforce and sees a bright prospect for growth in the country. As such, he revealed the … [Read more...] about US companies upbeat on investment opportunities in Viet Nam

Bilateral tensions have risen recently over naval disputes in contested areas of the South China Sea and the increasing U.S. military presence in the Philippines. "Both sides reaffirmed the importance of properly managing differences through friendly consultations, as well as maintaining the general direction of Sino-Philippine friendship," Beijing's ministry said in a statement. It came after Chinese Vice Foreign Minister began a three-day visit to Manila by meeting with Philippines counterpart Theresa Lazaro. The talks also touched on aspects where both sides could work more closely, it said, yielding an agreement to deepen cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy and culture. Lazaro said in a statement that almost four years had passed since the last high-level diplomatic consultations between Beijing and Manila and that they should be held more often. The Philippines earlier this week announced four new military bases under a defense agreement with the United … [Read more...] about China, Philippines should properly manage differences: Beijing

The second annual report on foreign investment in Vietnam for 2022 released earlier in March by the Vietnam’s Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises noted that the United States has decreased corporate income tax from 25 to 21 per cent, while also reforming investment licensing procedures. In addition, the US government is applying higher taxes on imported products to increase the competitiveness of several industrial sectors, such as energy, automobiles, steel, and aluminium. Vietnam may need to come up with new tactics to retain foreign investors, photo Le Toan Besides that, the US is also promoting a “prosperous economic network” that connects allied countries to build supply chains of products such as semiconductors and 5G-related technology. In Europe, some countries such as Germany and Italy have also unveiled policies to limit investment in overseas markets, while France is encouraging its enterprises to expand their operation in high-value sectors, such as … [Read more...] about Gains feasible through large-scale FDI

As part of the draft national Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), Vietnam plans to generate 7GW offshore wind capacity by 2030, but the lack of an official strategy is hindering progress. At a conference organised by the Central Economic Committee last week, Mark Hutchinson, chairman of the Southeast Asia Task Force, said, “7GW of offshore wind is crucial for Vietnam for its net-zero goal and for the country’s long-term energy security. Our message has been the same for years – a clearly defined route to the market is needed.” He said that offshore wind deployment was in its early stages and the deployment of the country’s 4GW of offshore wind was not driven by a direct auction mechanism but instead arranged at a time when clear policy measures were not in place. Thus, he called for accelerating a large-scale pilot or mechanism that covers a certain volume of the target, to bypass obstacles and fast track wind power. “There are now two main options: an accelerating mechanism such … [Read more...] about No time to waste in building the offshore wind industry

In December, the EU officially approved a directive for companies to pay a minimum tax rate of 15 per cent from 2024. Our neighbouring markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong are heading towards the official application of GMT policy from 2024 or 2025. Thomas McClelland - Country tax leader Deloitte Vietnam Countries with foreign investment in Vietnam, like South Korea and Japan, will implement new tax policies or announce a draft tax reform, moving towards the application of the GMT from the fiscal year 2024. The impact of the policy on Vietnam is clear and urgent, and requires the authorities to take timely action before it is too late. Firstly, to protect tax collection, Vietnam could consider the immediate solution of implementing a qualified domestic minimum top-up tax to gain the right to collect the top-up tax rather than the tax going to another country. This mechanism can simply be understood as a domestic mechanism in which the calculation of … [Read more...] about Vietnam must revisit policies to develop implementation of global minimum tax

We are facing a challenging business environment on a global scale. How do you evaluate the support the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) has and the wider Vietnamese business community? Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of ASEAN BAC 2023 In our country we have something called Indonesia Incorporated, where the government and the private sector work together. This is very important and, at the ASEAN level, we should have an ASEAN Incorporated, where the governments and the business community work together. This is because there are multiple challenges. For instance, we have 280 million people in ASEAN. If we didn’t have the public and the private sectors working together, we would not have been able to solve issues like carrying out mass vaccinations during the pandemic. If we work together on ASEAN connectivity, on energy for example, we can maintain our security with this synergy. We are a $3.2 trillion economy. However, with more efforts towards ASEAN … [Read more...] about Vietnam can enhance its role further within ASEAN