1-     Viettel expands its operation in Cambodia

On February 19, Viettel Cambodia Pte. (VTC)  made the debut of its Metfone network in Phnom Penh and inaugurated 23 branches in Cambodia.

Licensed in June 2007, VTC has built a complete Metfone network with more than 1,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) and a 5,000-km optical cable transmission system.

Metfone provides Cambodian peoples with various service packages at cheap prices, helping them save 25% of costs.

After three months of pilot operation, Metfone have conquered 500,000 users.  

At the inauguration ceremony, VTC announced to provide free internet services to schools in Cambodia. Around US $5 million will be spent in the next five years to assist 1,000 schools.

In 2009, Metfone will be expanded to have 3,000 BTS and 10,000 km of optical cable in order to meet the demand.

Viettel is the first Vietnamese telecommunications enterprise to do investment in foreign country, with Viettel Cambodia Pte Ltd as a subsidiary.

(website Chinhphu.vn)

2 - Russia reopens markets to Vietnam’s tra catfish

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Russia will reopen its markets to tra catfish from Vietnam; this was resulted from a recent working visit to Russia by the Ministry’s leaders.

Accordingly, Russia resumes the licensing of exports for ten Vietnamese enterprises, including Hùng Vương, Vĩnh Hoàn, Mekong Fish and Bến Tre Seafood Import-Export.

In 2008, Vietnam earned more than US $200 million from exporting tra catfish to Russia. However, a temporary halt was imposed on Vietnamese seafood in December.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) has stressed the need to re-survey aquaculture areas to design proper plans on their acreage and quality of breeds. It is also necessary to enquire into enterprises’ production, processing and sales.

In the near future, Việt Nam’s fisheries sector will survey other markets in the world and try to win more contracts and settle unsolved difficulties faced by both exporters and importers. 

(website Chinhphu.vn)

3        - Foxconn gets license to make cell phones, parts

A subsidiary of Foxconn, the world’s leading producer of electronic products, received on February 18^th a license for its US$200 million facility to produce cell phones and spare parts in northern Vietnam.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) website, the factory of Effinville International Co. Ltd will have a capacity of 89 million units a year.
The plant would be located in the Binh Xuyen II Urban Industrial Zone.

The firm’s latest move comes as part of the group’s investment plan to inject $5 billion into hi-tech projects across Vietnam.

Taiwan’s Foxconn said it would produce Nokia phones, iPods, PlayStations and Sony laptops.

Earlier in 2007, Foxconn opened a plant in Que Vo, Bac Ninh Province to make camera modules, main boards and connectors.

It plans to invest around $1 billion in Ho Chi Minh City to make high-tech products and set up a high-tech commercial service center in the new Thu Thiem urban area.

In the interview by Thanh Nien Daily Wednesday, the head of the FIA, Phan Huu Thang said that Vinh Phuc Province has received total foreign direct investment (FDI) of around $2 billion.

The FDI sector in the province achieved the highest growth of 33 percent last year and accounted for 44.7 percent of the province’s output of goods and services.

                                                                                         (website cpv.org.vn)