Nguyen Bich Lam The growth in Vietnam’s labour productivity has taken the lead in the region over recent years. Where does the country actually stand when it comes to this area compared to its regional peers? Labour productivity based on 2018 prices is estimated at VND102 million ($4,435) per labourer, up VND8.8 million ($380) per labourer against 2017. Compared to the 2010 comparative price, the labour productivity of the whole economy last year inched up 5.93 per cent on-year, showing a remarkable increase. Vietnam has witnessed a fairly high growth pace in labour productivity among ASEAN member countries. Between 2008 and 2017, the rate on purchasing power parity (PPP) based on the 2011 constant grew an average of 4 per cent annually, high compared to Singapore’s 0.9 per cent of average annual growth, Malaysia’s 1.1 per cent, Thailand’s 2.6 per cent, the Philippines’ 3.3 per cent, and Indonesia’s 3.4 per cent of average annual growth. However, … [Read more...] about Intra industry productivity rise essential to boost efficiency
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Law revision may impede business
Many business associations deem the proposal to the Labour Code unreasonable Having been working in Vietnam for more than 20 years, Hong Sun, vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (KorCham), has seen massive improvements in the country’s business climate. However, these days, not only KorCham, but also many other business associations in Vietnam are like a cat on a hot tin roof due to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ (MoLISA) proposed amendments to the Labour Code to reduce working time. Earlier this month, seven business associations sent petitions to state agencies, the National Assembly, and the government, asking them not to agree to the proposal as it could drive firms into difficulties. “How was the proposal made? What is the foundation for the MoLISA to coin this proposal? We need clear and persuasive explanations,” Sun told VIR. According to Article 107 of the latest draft amendments to the … [Read more...] about Law revision may impede business
Greene King’s foreign takeover: which British stocks are next?
Greene King has been bought by Hong Kong’s richest man but the FTSE 250 brewer may not be the last British giant to fall prey to international rivals, according to experts. A weaker currency has meant British stocks are significantly cheaper for foreign companies to buy out. Tobacco stock Imperial Brands, shopping centre owner Intu and broadcaster ITV could all be candidates as long as the pound remains at depressed levels. The pound has fallen 5pc against the dollar in 2019, mostly in the past month, and was cited as a huge factor in Green King being bought out by CK Asset, a part of CK Hutchison, and controlled by 91-year-old billionaire Li Ka-shing. It made an offer of 850p per share deal,... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per … [Read more...] about Greene King’s foreign takeover: which British stocks are next?
Bright future prospects for Singaporean investment in Vietnam
Singaporean investment in Vietnam has kept on a steady growth momentum over the past years. Phan Huu Thang, former head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency, discussed with VIR the movements in Singaporean investment and the future prospects ahead. What main trends affected Singaporean investment in Vietnam over the past years? Looking back on the 30-year foreign investment journey in Vietnam, Singapore has been among the largest foreign investors in Vietnam with a number of large-scale projects such as the Vietnam-Singapore shipping joint venture GEMATRANS, Hoang Gia Hotel, and others. At the time, they had an important role in luring other foreign-invested projects in industrial park development, real estate, and shipping in Vietnam. Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) is a prime example of the meaning and influence of these first projects. VSIP is now present in many cities and provinces, including Bac Ninh, and Haiphong. Singaporean … [Read more...] about Bright future prospects for Singaporean investment in Vietnam
Terry Smith or Mark Mobius: which star manager should you buy?
Investment trusts run by star managers have had a bad run in recent years. The most high-profile case is under-fire manager Neil Woodford and his struggling Patient Capital trust, but he is far from alone. The £96.5m Mobius investment trust, headed by emerging market veteran Mark Mobius, and Fundsmith Emerging Equities Trust, from the eponymous fund group of Terry Smith, have both disappointed investors. Like Mr Woodford, it was the manager's brand and reputation that convinced investors to hand over their money, but they haven't covered themselves in glory. So the question needs to be asked: should investors buy Mr Mobius, Mr Smith, or neither? The Mobius trust launched in October 2018, and... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for … [Read more...] about Terry Smith or Mark Mobius: which star manager should you buy?