Shoemakers target $4.5 billion in exports
Viet Nam expects to earn US$4.5 billion from footwear exports this year, an increase of 15.4 per cent over last year, according to the Viet Nam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso).a
The association said the country’s chief export markets are to the US, the European Union, Japan, Canada and Australia. However, it said there was great potential for Vietnamese footwear products in Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Europe where competition is not so intense and regulations are less stringent.
Nguyen Thi Tong, deputy chairwoman and general secretary of Lefaso, said Viet Nam’s leather and footwear sector competed favourably with other major manufacturing countries for quality. However, she said infrastructure in Viet Nam needed to be improved.
The sector planned to improve the quality of its medium and luxury products to improve their competitiveness, said Tong. Producers also planned to develop their workforces and improve product designs and marketing, she said.
Tong said the sector needed to invest heavily in raw materials and accessories in order to move into full rather than partial production.
Leather and footwear producers should increase imports of raw materials if domestic producers failed to supply the market’s needs, she added.
To ensure an ample supply of materials, Lefaso has asked the Ministry of Finance to cut import tariffs for raw materials and accessories from 3 per cent to 0 per cent.
Lefaso has also recommended that the Government generate policies to attract foreign investment into the leather-tanning sector by building industrial zones for leather and footwear producers.
The sector would also look at enhancing leather and footwear advertising, market research and distribution systems overseas. This would assist in expanding the export market for leather and footwear, Lefaso said.
VNS 20.1

Around 500,000 overseas Vietnamese return home for Tet
A Tet celebration for Vietnamese nationals living abroad will be held on the 24th of lunar December and expects to attract more than 1,000 people. This will be a chance for them to share their feeling for the homeland.
The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) on January 17 held a meeting with the media in the presence of acting COVA Chairman Nguyen Thanh Son.
According to Mr Son, preparations for the meeting have been put in place. On the occasion, overseas Vietnamese will receive the New Year’s greetings from State President Nguyen Minh Triet who will brief them on the socio-economic development over the past year including their contributions to national development.
In 2007, the overseas remittances transferred back to the country reached approximately US$5.6 billion, accounting for two thirds of domestic investment by overseas businesses, up nearly US$1 billion from the last year’s figure.
CPV/VOV  17. 01

Mountain top site marks border with Laos, Cambodia
The governments of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia yesterday inaugurated a border landmark at the point where the three countries converge.
Among those attending the ceremony were Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dao Viet Trung, his Lao and Cambodian counterparts, and leaders of three provinces: Kon Tum of Viet Nam, Attapu Province of Laos and Rattanakiri Province of Cambodia.
The triangular border landmark, with three faces, stands on a mountain, 1,086m above sea level. It is more than 2m high and made of marble.
At the ceremony, representatives of the three governments said they appreciated the landmark, which represents the border identified by agreements signed among the three countries.
They said the landmark symbolises the will, aspiration and determination of the governments and peoples of the three countries in solving territory and border matters. The landmark was also evidence of the belief, understanding and friendship between the three countries, the meeting heard.
Also yesterday, Bo Y bordergate, which links Viet Nam’s Kon Tum Province with Laos’ Attapu Province was officially opened after being upgraded.
Trung and a number of senior officials attended the ceremony.
Viet Nam’s Bo Y and Laos’s Phu Cua bordergates are expected to boost trade between the two countries.
The Vietnamese Government is investing in upgrading infrastructure at Bo Y.
Local authorities have received 34 investment applications worth of VND19.2 billion ($1.2 million), in addition to 15 other ongoing projects worth of VND422 billion ($26.3 million).
A long-term development plan for Bo Y bordergate zone is in the pipeline and is expected to further increase trade, investment, and tourism in the region.
 VNS  19. 01

2008 exports targeted at US$ 58.6 bil.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has set a higher export target for 2008, at US$58.6 billion, up 22.1% on last year’s export revenue.
Speaking at an export conference in Hanoi last week, ministry officials said the higher target was aimed to reduce trade deficit and ensure a GDP growth rate of over 8% in 2008. Apparel is expected to be the top export commodity in 2008, with revenue estimated at US$ 9.5 billion. Crude oil comes second with US$ 9 billion, followed by footwear (US$ 4.5 billion), seafood (US$ 4.2 billion), electronics and computer parts US$ 3.5 billion), woodwork (US$ 3.3 billion) and mechanical products (US$ 3 billion). Other commodities that are expected to top US$1 billion are rice, coffee, rubber, handicrafts, plastics and electric cables.
However, exports of minerals and fuel will be reduced. Besides crude oil, coal export will be reduced by 37% compared to the 2007 volume and the value will be US$700 million as compared with US$ 900 million in 2007.
Japan, China, ASEAN, South Korea, Taiwan, the European Union, the U.S. and Australia will remain the leading export markets for 2008. Exports to the EU are expected to reach US$ 10 billion and the U.S. US$ 13.1 billion. In particular, shipments to Africa and southwestern Asia are forecast to grow around 54% from 2007 to US$ 2.8 billion.
Vietnam’s exports last year reached more than US$ 48 billion, up 20.5% on 2006 and 3% above the year’s target.
The Saigon times Weekly 5.1