2007: Vietnam’s aviation industry will renew itself

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s air carriers will see many changes in 2007: Pacific Airlines will become a budget airline, Vietnam Airlines has asked to raise the ceiling airfare in order to have more flexible operations. Meanwhile, VASCO is seeking foreign partners.

Many changes for domestic flights


A representative of Pacific Airlines said that the e-ticket booking system would be put into operation in February, and allow passengers to book seats, book hotels, buy tours, or lease vehicles globally with simple clicks. Passengers will be able to make payments by credit and debit cards, or make payments in cash at places authorised by the airline. They can still book tickets at booking agents, or ask for ticket delivering services. The application of the super cheap airfares will be implemented in the said e-ticket booking system. The number of tickets at preferential airfares will only account for a small proportion of the total tickets.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is going to submit to the Ministry of Finance the plan on raising the ceiling airfare to VND2mil from the currently applied level of VND1.5mil. In return, Vietnam Airlines will offer low airfares in order to give more choices to customers. Vietnam Airlines is also planning to sell e-tickets beginning in February.

In 2007, Vietnam Airlines will receive many new aircrafts, which will improve its current fleet. The air carrier has also kick-started an investment project on an aircraft repair and maintenance centre, which is expected to be located in HCM City.

Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Airlines, has stated that with the said improvements, Vietnam Airlines will successfully reduce the number of delayed or cancelled flights.

VASCO, the air service provider, is also attempting to attract more passengers by offering more domestic flights, including the HCM City – Con Dao, HCM City – Phu Quoc Island. US-based Cessna said that it had offered to cooperate with VASCO to provide air taxi services in Vietnam.

New faces on international flights

On January 1, 2007, the Aviation Law came into effect. The legal documents guiding the implementation of the law will be enacted in January.

For the first time, the regulations on compensations for delayed and cancelled flights and punishment for violations will be legalised. In addition, the requirements and conditions for establishing air carriers will also be set out.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, in 2007, Vietnam will sign aviation agreements with Qatar and Malaysia and an agreement on bilateral cooperation with Singapore. Vietnam will also continue negotiating with Japan, France and Belgium on aviation cooperation.
President of Air Asia Toney Fernandes has revealed a plan to open an air route from Kuala Lumpur to HCM City. Most recently, Russian Transaero has opened a direct air route from Moscow to HCM City. In the immediate time, it will provide one flight every 10 days; after that, one flight every week, commencing in April.

Vietnam Airlines’ representative has acknowledged that the competition has become fiercer as many rivals like Air France, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines have joined the market. In addition, budget airlines should also be seen as redoubtable rivals.

(Source: VNE)

Leader urges Hanoi Party to build capacity

VietNamNet Bridge – Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh yesterday asked the Party Committee of Hanoi to focus on raising its leadership capacity and fighting spirit, comprehensively renewing and bringing into play the solidarity of the nation.


Manh acknowledged and applauded the achievements of the Ha Noi Party Committee, the Government and the people in the past year.
The past year was a great success for Vietnam, he said, with such milestones as the 10th National Party Congress, accession to the WTO and hosting the APEC summit.
These successes helped raise Vietnam's position in the world and allowed Vietnam to begin the new year with new strength and prestige, he said.
He said the city Party Committee, government and people had strived to contribute to these successes.
However, the Party leader also pointed out shortcomings that Hanoi should overcome, as its growth level was still not suited to the capital city's potential and position. The local economy's competitiveness remained weak and the roles of key industries were not very clear, he said.
The effectiveness of urban management, environmental protection, land use, and building new industrial zones and urban areas was still low, he said.
Development of Party cells and State legal and political systems were not meeting demand, Manh said. Administrative reform remained ineffective, as procedures were still cumbersome. The quality of some Party cells, especially in enterprises, was low, he said.
Manh urged the city to maintain its high economic growth rate of over 12% and its strongly developing high-tech industries which have attached economic growth with sustainable development.
He also urged Hanoi to continue maintaining political Stability, assuring social security and order and emphasised the need for progress in Party building and rectification.
Manh said the city Party committee, government and people must earn their place as the centre for politics, economy, culture and foreign relations for the entire nation and to be a good example for the country in all aspects.
City Party Secretary Pham Quang Nghi and Deputy Party Secretary Nguyen Quoc Trieu reported to Manh that, last year. Hanoi maintained a high economic growth rate of 11.5% and GDP of $1,600 per capita.
Export turnover reached a record level of $3.5bil, 25% higher than in 2005.
On Monday, Manh visited Dong Anh District on the outskirts of Hanoi. He visited Nam Hong Commune, the Thang Long Industrial Zones and the Co Loa historical sites. He visited and presented gifts to some local families.
(Source: Viet Nam News)

Vietnamese companies join forces to regain laptop market share

VietNamNet Bridge – Nine domestically owned information technology (IT) companies have decided to form an alliance, the Lien Viet Thanh Technology Joint Stock Company, which aims to produce and trade V-Open brand name laptops.


According to Pham Thien Nghe, Chief Representative of the Vietnam Electronics Businesses’ Association, HCM City Branch, Vietnam’s WTO membership will bring about opportunities and challenges to the personal computer and laptop market. Now 90% of personal computers are being assembled by domestic companies, while only 10% of laptops are being made by local companies.

Mr Nghe said that Vietnamese companies had been successful with personal computers because they had been cooperating with each other closely. Mekong Green, for example, now holds the biggest personal computer market share, because it is a product of an enterprise which has been set up by 12 directors of IT companies in the south.

The statistics released by GFK, a market surveyor, showed that the demand for laptops of Vietnamese people is increasingly high and stable. More than 90% of the laptop market share is being held by foreign brand names, like Dell, Acer, Toshiba and HP. In fact, domestic companies have thought of expanding their market share, like CMS, Wiscom and Vibird, but they have not succeeded. This has prompted the founders of Lien Viet Thanh, who are doing IT business themselves, to set up a company powerful enough to raise the competitiveness of Vietnamese brand names.

Lien Viet Thanh’s representative said that the biggest issue of the made-in-Vietnam laptop is the building of a trademark, while assembling technology has become global technology. No company can get involved in the whole production chain. There are only four or five companies in the world which specialise in producing the backbone parts of computers. They account for 60% of parts. Even big laptop producers in the world have to buy separate parts of laptops for assembly.

In order to find a solution to the trademark issue, Lien Viet Thanh said that in the immediate time, the company will offer special post-sales services with preferential conditions. For example, the key parts of laptops will be guaranteed for three years.

Lien Viet Thanh is planning to provide 1,000 laptops a month in 2007, 60% of which will be provided to students and priced at VND9mil/unit ($562.5).

Nguyen Sa

New info on the university/junior college exams

VietNamNet Bridge - Today, January 9th, the conference on 2007 university/junior college recruitment will be simultaneously held in 4 cities all over the country: Hanoi, Da Nang, HCM City and Can Tho.Representatives from universities, junior colleges and Departments of Education and Training will discuss and agree on the guidelines to carry out the 2007 undergraduate recruitment exams. Below is important information students need to know before taking the exams. Multiple choice testing will be delivered in 90 minutes

In the coming university/junior college entrance exams on July 2007, the Ministry of Education and Training will use multiple-choice testing for all the 4 foreign languages (English, Russian, French and Chinese), biology, physics and chemistry. The time limit for each multiple-choice test will be 90 minutes, half as much as what students will have to do an essay-question test. Students will write their answers on printed answer sheets prepared by the Ministry. Their answer sheets will be graded by specialised grading machines. A printed multiple–choice question sheet will be handed out to each student. Each question will have 4 possible answers marked A, B, C, D, and only one of them will be the correct answer. As for the essay-question tests, they will be designed to test students’ creativity and practice skills. The Ministry has also decided to add different questions for different high school programmes. In both the multiple-choice and essay-question tests, there will be 2 parts. All students will have to do the first part. The second part will be divided into two different sets of questions: one for specialised students at particular departments in high school, and one for general education students. Each kind of student will be allowed to do only one set of questions of the second part. Junior college entrance exams will be delivered on the same daysAll junior college entrance exams will be held on July 15th and 16th instead of being delivered over a several-day period as in previous years. Beside delivering their exams on the same days, junior colleges will also use multiple choice testing for foreign languages, biology, physics and chemistry. The Ministry will design multiple choice tests for the junior college entrance exams. Junior colleges will design essay-question tests themselves. As of 2008, all subjects except literature will be tested on multiple-choice formats. Award-wining students will have to take entrance examsAccording to the new excellent student regulations, students who win prizes at the national excellent high school student competition will have to take the undergraduate entrance exams. If they score above the floor grades, and none of the subjects is 0, they will be prioritised in the admission process. Students who win prizes at international Olympic contests will still be exempted from the entrance exams or awarded extra points. Universities will announce their own requirements for award-winning students. Universities will pay particular attention to students who win prizes for the same subjects they take in the entrance exams, or for the subjects related to their available training programmes.

Hanoi: 32 streets to get named

VietNamNet Bridge – After conducting a public poll, the Hanoi’s People’s Committee has decided to give names to 32 streets and roads across the city.

According, 10 streets will be called after the name of national heroes while the other 22 streets will be named following the permanent residential addresses which have long come into the minds of local inhabitants.

Specifically, some inner districts will have more newly named streets such as Phu Gia street in Tay Ho district; Nguyen Hien street in Hai Ba Trung district; Nguy Nhu Kon Tum, Nguyen Thi Thap, Hoang Ngan and Le Van Thien streets in Thanh Xuan district; Tran Quy Kien and Pham Tan Tai streets in Cau Giay district; Nam Du, Khuyen Luong, Yen So, Nguyen Chinh, Nguyen Huu Tho, Nguyen Duy Trinh and Thanh Dam streets in Hoang Mai district. Long Bien, the most newly set-up district, will also have new streets named Phu Vien, Mai Phuc, O Cach, Tan Thuy and Ngoc Thuy.

Per decision No 01/2007/QĐ-UBND recently promulgated by the Hanoi People’s Committee, the Hanoi Department of Transport and Public Works will work with relevant districts’ People’s Committees to conduct the naming of those streets at an early date.

In addition, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Information will be responsible for carrying out an intensive and extensive information campaign on those streets with the background information of national heroes such as date of birth, place of birth and substantial merits for local residents.

A copyright battle between VTV and VTC

VietNamNet Bridge - There are only 2 more days before the opening ceremony of AFF Cup. But VTV is sitting on fire right now since it hasn’t succeeded in buying the right to broadcast the Cup live from VTC, which in turn has bought the copyright from AFF’s marketing partner, World Sport.

Respectively, on December 9, December 28 and January 2, VTV sent three dispatches to VTC, asking the latter to share the broadcasting copyright of AFF Cup 2007 with VTV. In the third dispatch, VTV requested VTC to name a price and suggested a meeting between the two sides for negotiation. The time of the meeting was to be decided by VTC. After the last letter, VTV had to wait for 2 days before it received an official answer from VTC. When asked about the delay, VTC explained, “We did seem to receive the dispatches. But we won’t discuss this subject until our meeting. At any rate, the possibility of sharing the copyright with VTV is low.” In response to this statement, VTV’s vice director, Mr. Tran Dang Tuan, said that VTV was dealing with what VTC itself had to face when it approached VTV for the right to broadcast World Cup 2006 and ASIAD 15. The meeting did take place, and VTC officially answered No to VTV’s proposal. The unit responsible for all copyright matters at VTC sent a letter to VTV which read: “We’re very sorry that we won’t sell the copyright to VTV for subjective as well as objective reasons.” Also in this letter, VTC informed VTV that “in order to serve football fans all over the country, the centre of advertisement and TV services at VTC has permitted local radios and TVs to broadcast all programmes of AFF Cup 2007. 20 radios and TVs have registered."Yesterday (January 9), VTV sent another dispatch to ask for the copyright again. VTV wrote that though VTC had agreed to let local radios and TVs broadcast the Cup free of charge, “with VTC’s current broadcasting area, only people in the cities would have a chance to watch the matches at AFF Cup". Thus, VTV fervently asked VTC "to reconsider sharing the copyright with VTV and to inform VTV of its decision as soon as possible since there are only a few more days before the Cup starts." According to VTV, "if VTC says yes to VTV’s request, most TV viewers from cities, villages, and towns to faraway regions and islands, will be able to watch the whole programme of that football event.” AFF Cup 2007 will start on January 12 in Thailand (Group A), and one day after, the Vietnamese team (Group B) will play its first match against Singapore (also in Group B). P.V

Lost in a historical forest

VietNamNet Bridge – The area is tranquil but al-ways echoes the world-shocking victory of Dien Bien Phu Campaign. It's the Command Post of Dien Bien Phu Campaign in a 200-hectare primitive forest in Muong Phang Commune.

A small concrete path leads to different historical relics in the old revolutionary base, starting from the guard station, to the shelters of Commander-in-Chief Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap and Chief-of-Staff Hoang Van Thai.
In front of the two huts are large thatch-roofed houses where meetings of the campaign command took place. It was where the general met and discussed with officers and leaders of military units that were fighting in the battlefield, gave orders to them.
The two shelters are linked by a tunnel, which is two meters high and one meter wide and winds through the Phu Ca Mountain in Dien Bien District, which is located upstream the Nam Rom River and about more than 30 kilometers east of Dien Bien Phu City.
Other attractions in the command post are the area for Chinese consultants, and other huts for information and military operation discussion.
Actually, the historical area was the third command post of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Atop the mountain, General Vo Nguyen Giap had a watchtower built to get a panoramic view of Muong Thanh Field through binoculars.
Historical documents say Major General Hoang Van Thai and other officers left Viet Bac for Tay Bac on December 6, 1953 to make preparations for the Tay Bac Campaign in winter-spring 1953-1954.
A month later, General Vo Nguyen Giap and head of the Chinese consultants’ group left for Tay Bac for their first stop at Tham Pua Cave, a command post set up in late 1953. There, in mid-January 1954, the general assigned the tactical tasks to different divisions, following the guideline of "sweep attack, sweep victory."
However, the command post was moved to the area beside Huoi He Stream in Na Tau Commune on January 17, 1954, where he decided to change the military tactic from "strike swiftly, win swiftly" to "strike surely, win surely."
The command post was moved again to its current location in Muong Phang Commune on the night of the 30th and early on the 31st day of January 1954. Also in this place, the victory parade took place with the participation of the military units that participated in the campaign.
Coming to the command post today, tourists will learn about historical combats between the Vietnamese People Army and the French corps. After 55 days and nights of a heroic struggle, the Vietnamese people finally declared victory on May 7, 1954.
Visitors will have a chance to immerse themselves in the tranquility of the historical forest. Nearby are the picturesque green hills, mountains and terraced fields. Ethnic groups including Thai and Mong also live in the vicinity of the area.
On the way to the command post, tourists pass Pa Khoang tourist complex, which comprises a beautiful lake that is home to many species of fish and plants, and various kinds of orchids are in blossom.
Pa Khoang Lake lies amidst mountains so it is often covered by mist in winter and spring. The summer is a good time for tourists to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake or rowing a boat for sightseeing.
(Source: SGT)