Da Nang and Korea cooperate in investment

  On December 3, 2020, the representative of Da Nang city held an online investment promotion conference called "Investing in Da Nang" for Korean investors and businesses. The conference with the participation of more than 100 Korean investors and businesses has helped investors and businesses have a new view in their investment implementation in Da Nang market.

The conference has promoted and introduced the business environment and cooperation opportunities investment in Da Nang in the fields of high technology, information technology, services, and smart city support. Recently, in the context of investment capital inflows from Korea tends to shift to Southeast Asia due to the influence of the Covid-19 epidemic and the US-China trade war, Vietnam is considered to be a country which meet enough political, economic, labor and technological conditions to make the shifting investment in an easy way.

At the conference, representatives of Da Nang city affirmed that foreign investment is one of the important resources for the socio-economic development of the city. For many years, the city has always set the goal of attracting investment as the top target, in addition, the city has actively improved the investment environment, issued many preferential policies and supported foreign investors who invest in the city.

In 2020, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are still many investment projects of Korean investors making investments in Da Nang. Until November 2020, Korea is the country which has the most number of projects in Da Nang with 232 projects, and ranked 4th in terms of capital, with a total registered investment capital of more than 376 million USD, episode medium in the fields of services, real estate, industrial production and information technology.

In the current period, with the selection of a politically stable investment location, high quality labor, reasonable investment costs and good disease control ability, Vietnam is the top destination for Korean investors to set up company, set up factory, and make investment in Vietnam. Currently, many large enterprises in Korea have signed Memorandum of understanding with Da Nang city as the first step of cooperation and investment development in Da Nang in the coming years.

Vision to develop logistics services in Da Nang

  Da Nang, with its favorable geographical location, lies on the arterial North-South traffic axis in terms of road, rail, sea and air, is an important traffic gateway of the Central - Central Highlands and is the end point on the East-West Economic Corridor running through Vietnam - Laos - Myanmar - Thailand, converging types of transport from air, seaport, railway, expressway, especially with deep water ports. Therefore, Da Nang has a great potential to develop into a maritime transport center, an important logistics hub to countries in the region.

In the economic development orientation and in the Politburo's Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2019 on Da Nang construction and development to 2030, a vision to 2045 defines: Danang will focus on exploiting advantages to soon become a marine economic center, forming logistics service supply chains for the Central and Central Highlands.

To comply with the Resolution, currently, in parallel with the expansion of the port, Da Nang is also actively calling for investment in logistics centers. Of which, 20 hectares in Hoa Vang district, 2 hectares in the north of Da Nang airport, 9.1 hectares in the High-Tech Park. At the same time, promote the early operation of highways Da Nang - Quang Ngai, La Son - Tuy Loan... to awaken potentials, promote trade links, connect industrial zones, economic zones in the region, thereby becoming the driving force to promote the city's logistics services industry.

In addition, Da Nang will build a new Lien Chieu port as a transport port, Tien Sa port will be a tourist port in order to promote the central role of the international seaport city and urban seaport. According to the Department of Planning and Investment of the city, the Lien Chieu port project is currently completing the environmental impact assessment report, submitting for appraisal and approval of the subdivision planning project 1/2,000. City leaders suggested early appraisal of capital sources and capital balancing capabilities, and proposed to allocate central budget capital to support projects. In the next phases, Lien Chieu port will attract investors in logistics items. This is an important premise for Da Nang to promote the role of a key maritime route in the Central region and a logistics center in the region.

With the above orientation, it is expected that in the coming time, the market of transport services and logistics in the city will develop more vibrantly, raising the quality of services not only in the city but in the region.  It is hoped that more companies will invest, set up company and apply for investment certificate in Da Nang in the area of logistics and logistics support.

Why do we have to undertake background check before recruitment?

  Recruitment is the process of screening and recruiting qualified people to meet a job in an organization in general and in particular business. Recruitment plays a very important role in business development. Effective recruitment will provide businesses with a team of skilled, active, creative employees and provide human resources in accordance with the business performance of the business. Only when doing well the recruitment stage can we do well in the next stages. Therefore, businesses need to recruit the right people right the first time as well as arrange them in an important position.

Most of the information that enterprise has is provided by the employee and there is no verification of the information. And if the enterprise only relies on the information provided by the employee, it is likely that the employee is dishonest, or causes mistakes and avoid responsibility. To recruit “right employee, right job”, enterprise needs to check the applicant’s background.

Checking employee's background is to create trust between enterprise and employee. The background check includes: Verify Identification; Verify at home; Verify qualifications and certificates; Verify employment history at old jobs; Verify criminal records in Vietnam.

Verification of the background helps to know personal information, origin, hometown, criminal status of the employee. Thereby, background check will minimize commercial risks; preventing fraud and internal theft better; increase security of data and documents in the enterprise. In particular, for important positions in the enterprise, the confidentiality of enterprise document information is extremely necessary.

Verifying employment history at past jobs is to understand working process and the reason for job termination; obtain an objective view of the necessary competencies, skills and work experience. From there, enterprise could save time in searching for suitable employees as well as saving labor training costs.

In addition, background check improves business efficiency, developes a team of integrity to meet the business requirements of the enterprise. Because recruiting well means finding out people to perform the job with the capabilities and qualities to complete the assigned work, then effective recruitment helps the enterprise perform well its business goal and improve profitability.

Currently, the situation of fraud, diploma trading, or dishonesty in recruitment, many enterprises cannot control and verify all the information that employees provide. Enterprises need to check applicant's background when recruiting to prevent fraud, internal theft; increasing security of data and documents in enterprises; decrease recruitment time and training costs. Besides, creating trust between businesses and employees; increase employee productivity and product quality as well as increase business profits.  It is suggested to consult with professional background check service company with proven track record in Vietnam to help with the local service.

The cooperation between Da Nang and EU strengthen

  On November 26^th, 2020, representatives of Da Nang city meet and work with the delegation of EU countries to work in the city. The year 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-EU diplomatic relations, which is also an opportunity for Da Nang to promote cooperation with EU partners in the coming time.

In recent years, Da Nang has established relationships with many countries in the EU. Many cooperation programs and projects on socio-economic development of the city are coordinated with localities of many countries in the fields of environment, education, information technology, and tourism. Besides, the implementation of the EVFTA has helped the countries have more opportunities to cooperate, especially in the fields of investment and trade.

In addition, Da Nang city also commits to create the most favorable conditions for European investors to invest in Da Nang to set up company in the fields of environment, tourism, high technology, and building smart city.

The head of the delegation of the European Union said that economic activities towards green approaches and areas that focus on attracting investment in Da Nang such as high technology, digital transformation, responding to climate change etc. are also the areas that the European investors are interested in and prioritize towards. This is a great potential and opportunity for cooperation between the countries. With the advantage of European investors is the use of modern technology, digital transformation into production and business, this is completely suitable for Da Nang's goal of attracting investment in this time.

At the meeting, the representatives of European countries highly appreciated Da Nang's development efforts in recent years. The implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with European countries, as well as many policies to attract European investment as well as administrative reform, helps create an open investment environment and create the best conditions for investors to do business, establish company, obtain investment certificate in Da Nang.

In the coming time, with many policies on investment and economic development cooperation between Europe and Da Nang, Da Nang city hopes that have many European investors will choose the city as their investment destination when expanding their investments in Vietnam.

Market entery into Vietnam market through merger and acquisition

  Over the past 10 years, Vietnam has always been one of the leading M&A destinations in Southeast Asia. Many international investors have chosen Vietnam as their place of business destination to set up company and apply for investment registration certificate under direct investment or acquiring shares or capital contributions through M&A.

M&A activities enable international businesses to take advantage of the existing business platforms of Vietnamese businesses to continue making investments. This helps international investors to timely grasp the changing trend of technology, legal policies, and facilities to do business, instead of rebuilding from scratch, it will take more time and effort.

Recently, the M&A market in Vietnam has been active and attractive to many investors around the world, especially in the retail and financial sectors. Many international investors have undertaken significant M&A deals in Vietnam over the years and achieved significant profits in their business.

There are many reasons for investors to choose Vietnam as a place to do business, but some of the main factors that make Vietnam attractive are political stability and its economic growth, despite the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. In addition, with a population of 100 million people, this is considered a large consumption market, along with an abundant and high-quality labour source.

Currently, with the trend of moving production out of China, many investors have chosen Vietnam as the location of setting up company for manufacturing facilities. Rebuilding factories from scratch also makes investors time consuming and costly, therefore taking advantage of Vietnamese factories will help investors not to interrupt their production, and operate the business in a best way.

However, to be able to perform M&A activities in Vietnam, foreign businesses need to understand the Vietnamese market and partners before performing M&A. This will help investors understand the partners' strengths and weaknesses, and outline a suitable business path after implementing M&A. In addition, to avoid unnecessary risks relating to the transaction and to the business itself, investors need to find a reputable and experienced professional consulting company that could help with market research, background check, management criminal record check, business certificate verification, corporate and individual reputation to build up confidence in doing M&A deal in Vietnam.

UKVFTA- the cooperation between Vietnam and UK

  On December 29^th, 2020, representatives of Vietnam and the United Kingdom signed the free trade agreement negotiation between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UKVFTA) in London, United Kingdom. It would open up opportunities for flow of goods and that investors from UK to make investment in Vietnam through setting up company, and manufacturing facilities.

After December 31^st, 2020, the Vietnam - EU free trade agreement (EVFTA) will no longer apply to the UK due to Brexit, so the implementation of the signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries is essential to sustaining and developing economic cooperation. The UKVFTA is expected to help reduce import duties on goods from the UK to Vietnam and vice versa. In addition, the commitments in the Agreement will help develop trade and investment between the two countries in the coming time.

In recent years, the UK is a major trading partner of Vietnam in Europe, the import-export turnover between the two countries has increased significantly, especially products of seafood, garments, wood products, agricultural products etc. Besides opportunities to promote exports, improve business investment environment, expand commodity supply, the UKVFTA also poses certain challenges in meeting the quality of goods to qualify for pressure tax incentives in the Agreement.

In order to make the most of the economic effects from the UKVFTA, there are UK investors to invest and produce products that meet the quality and demand conditions for the UK market is essential for Vietnam. Besides, in addition, the advantages of British investors such as finance, pharmaceuticals, chemicals…will benefit Vietnam. Investing in Vietnam in this industries will enable investors to take advantage of highly skilled labor, perfect facilities as well as investment attraction policies in Vietnam to bring the best benefits for investors. On that basis, Vietnam also learn the operations, management and experience from British investors, thereby helping to develop the domestic market. In addition, Vietnam also needs to import raw materials for UK manufacturing industries such as textile materials and leather to ensure compliance with the rules of origin in order to make the best use of incentives from the Agreement.

With the negotiation of the Agreement, this is a new beginning for the economic relationship between the two countries Vietnam and the UK during a period of many difficulties due to epidemics and economic crisis. In addition, this is a step towards further developing the diplomatic, cultural and educational relationship between the two countries in the future.

Vietnam's advantage of attracting FDI after Covid-19

  In the period of many countries in the world and in the region competing for attracting FDI, especially when the wave of diversification of supply chains after the Covid-19 epidemic is growing sharply, Vietnam is considered to be one of the countries with the most FDI attraction in Southeast Asia for investors to set up company.

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country with a fast-growing economy, stable politics, young population, abundant labor costs and competitive costs compared to other countries in the region. Besides other names such as Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, each country has a different advantage to attract FDI enterprises from Japan, Korea, EU, USA, etc. However, Vietnam is still the expected destination of many investors.

As a landlocked nation with an extensive international port system throughout the country, Vietnam has a superior position in trading and exchanging goods with other countries. With the investment in infrastructure, the development of international seaports and airports, Vietnam is gradually becoming a destination for international investors. In addition, Vietnam's infrastructure develops relatively evenly across regions, not so different between regions, so investors can freely choose the right investment location for themselves.

Vietnam is a country with a young population in Southeast Asia, a country with the lowest labor costs in Southeast Asia, the labor force in Vietnam is fully trained in many different fields. Not only that, workers in Vietnam are gradually improving their foreign language skills, so that they can meet the needs of international investors, which will make it easier for investors to find the suitable human resources. The human resources in Vietnam not only help businesses invest in Vietnam but also qualified to implement projects of investors in many other countries.

In addition, Vietnam is a politically stable country in the region and investors can be assured of making investments in Vietnam. Along with that, Vietnamese culture has many similarities with Japan and Korea, many investors can make investments without worrying about the cultural differences that will affect the project implementation.

At a time when the cost of doing business in other countries in the region is increasing, the demand for investment movement out of China of international investors is growing strongly, Vietnam needs to seize opportunities, improve infrastructure, create policy clearance, helping investors to attract maximum quality FDI investors to invest, set up company, obtain investment registration certificate and business certificate, transfer in investment capital, hire local people helping create the economic recovery process and business development in Vietnam.

Vietnam attracts clean energy investment

  On the morning of July 22^nd, 2020, the High-Level Forum on National Energy Development 2020 took place at the same time many investment signing activities among leading energy enterprises in Vietnam, the region and in the world, open up a strong and sustainable period of clean energy development in Vietnam.

At the forum, the signed projects include: gas power plant project in Ca Na - Ninh Thuan province, LNG Chan May gas power plant project in Chan May Economic Zone - Thua Thien Hue province, project wind power off La Gan - Binh Thuan province.

The most outstanding of which is the wind farm project off the coast of La Gan in Binh Thuan province with a total investment of up to 10 billion USD. Accordingly, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of New Market Fund I, with Asiapetro and Novasia Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province on the development of the offshore wind power project La Gan, Binh Thuan province. With a capital up to USD 10 billion, the pharmaceutical project is expected to create significant sources of income and employment for Binh Thuan and Vietnam, promoting the potential of developing wind energy in Vietnam.

For the LNG Chan May gas power plant project (in Thua Thien-Hue province) with a total investment of about USD 6 billion, cooperation between the US and Vietnam. When operating, every year, the plant will provide an average power output of 24 to 25kWh. Accompanying with the project are the US Government's support programs for private investment projects of US citizens abroad, along with the world's leading partners in finance, technology, operation and gas supply (source guaranteed from the United States) and corporate governance: US Development Finance Corporation, USAsia EDGE, World Bank, US EXIM Bank, GE Gas Power ... help contribute to the growth of trade relations between Vietnam and America.

Besides foreign investors, domestic investors are also interested in developing clean energy such as gas power project in Ca Na and Phu My solar power development project in Binh Dinh with investment capital more than 6,000 billion.

With the development of clean energy projects, Vietnam expects many domestic and international investors to invest in the field of clean energy, set up company, obtain investment licenses, or acquire other company through merger and acquisition, bring in fresh capital in order to fully realize Vietnam's capabilities in this field and bring great economic benefits to investors and contribute to environmental protection, sustainable clean energy development in the future.

Signs of possible corporate frauds to notice and avoid

  Vietnam has signed many Free Trade Agreements with many countries and regions around the world, which makes international economic exchange easier. However, the expansion of international trade also makes many businesses at risk when they encounter fraudulent customers in their business.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2020, the Trade and Embassy of Vietnam in the a number of countries continuously received invitations to sell, buy goods and sign commercial transaction contracts which have signs of fraud and scams.

Despite many warnings and notices, but due to subjective psychology, high profits, limited foreign trade operations, lack of understanding of customers, difficulties due to epidemics, many businesses cannot directly meeting, checking goods,... using online transactions, which causes businesses to take advantage of fraudulent acts.

Some ways of commercial fraud activities such as: Unpaid delivery; Forging documents even bank papers to get goods; Set the person to get export documents; Using hackers to infiltrate the email addresses of two parties that are having transactions, track the progress of the negotiation, when the buyer prepares to transfer money to buy goods, hack the mailbox (or create an email account with the exact same address as the seller's email) to send fraudulent account information. After the buyer transfers money to the fraudulent account, they will immediately withdraw the money and disappear; Using advantage of carelessness and unprofessionalism of domestic enterprises such as not asking a reputable inspection organization to check the goods before delivery, not verifying information about partner enterprises... to transfer goods with no value, not in accordance with the contract, or to notify the damaged or poor quality goods to pressure the price, deduct the debt or claim compensation ...

Some signs of identifying fraudulent businesses which one should pay attention are: the price negotiation, the contract takes place easily, quickly, less bargaining, accepting high prices; Deposit to receive investment money; Do not provide or provide documents of many different legal entities; Opening L/C at a non-reputable bank in a third country; Business license is about to expire ...

In order to avoid working with fraudulent partners, businesses need to improve their professional expertise, legal knowledge, and thoroughly understand their partners before making transactions, especially the new partner is dealing for the first time.

The current commodity prices could be updated through market information or on international commodity websites. Therefore, when there is a request for goods to be paid too high, or too low compared to the prices in the market, the enterprises need to pay close attention and carefully check their reliability.

It is also possible to reduce the risks through the professional service of local risks management in Vietnam for conducting of business due diligence, business license record checking, site visit survey, shareholders or directorship checking, criminal record certificate checking, business reputation verification, public reputation search, research for records of enterprises, research for the reputation of the company, …

Da Nang Hi-Tech Park - Investment Attraction in 2021

  On February 5^th, 2021, Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority granted the Investment Registration Certificate to a Japanese corporation to invest in the Research Center project, Development and Production with total investment capital of 35 million USD.

This is a project to carry out scientific research and technology development in the fields of science, engineering and technology for the next generation of robots, unmanned aircraft, Hydro energy equipment, Nano equipment, technology. artificial intelligence (AI), water purification systems, wireless power transmission systems and new material development. The project also researches and develops in the fields of information technology, medical equipment, prototype production (testing), and manufacture of unmanned devices, robots, and medical devices for product commercial purposes and technology after research and development.

From the beginning of 2021 up to now, Da Nang High-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority has attracted USD 145 million of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital, increasing the total registered FDI investment capital into the Da Nang hi-tech Park reached USD 536.1 million. Until now, Da Nang Hi-Tech Park has attracted 24 projects, including 12 domestic projects and 12 FDI projects.

In addition, on February 16^th, 2021, the Prime Minister agreed to add an industrial zone supporting Da Nang high-tech park with an area of ​​58,531 hectares. This will help the Hi-Tech Park expand the area, helping investors to easily implement the project.

Besides, Da Nang city has a number of policies to attract investment in high-tech zones such as reducing company income tax, land rental, import tax, support to find suitable labor sources, etc. these are great advantage for investors to be able to do business during the investment process.

Currently, Da Nang is attracting investment for science and high-tech projects, so the investment by high-tech investors in Da Nang will be facilitated by the government to supporting investment procedures to set up company, manufacturing facility in Da Nang. With its efforts, Da Nang hopes that Da Nang Hi-Tech Park is expected to become a "Silicon Valley" in the near future.

Da Nang - Boras (Sweden) cooperates in the field of science education

  On the afternoon of January 15th, 2021, the People's Committee of Da Nang City in collaboration with the city government of Boras (Sweden) organized an online seminar on the UN's sustainable development goals to 2030, within the framework of the project "Scientific education for sustainable development in Da Nang” cooperation between Da Nang and Boras.

Based on the UN's sustainable development goals up to 2030, in which education, environment, science, and technology development are the goals that Da Nang cares for and develops. The city seeks to ensure quality, open and equitable education and increase lifelong learning opportunities for all the citizens, ensure availability and sustainable management of water resources of the city, build solid infrastructure, promote open and sustainable industrialization, and encourage innovation. The city takes urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts, conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, protection, regeneration, and promotion encourage the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forest resources sustainably, combat desertification, prevent soil erosion and loss of biodiversity.

For the Boras city -Sweden, with the goal of sustainable development, Boras city focuses on implementing a number of contents such as improving the institutional system, policies, strengthen information and communication, promote the role and participation of the parties, arrange, mobilize and strengthen financial resources, and strengthen international cooperation.

Da Nang hopes that science education project for sustainable development in Da Nang, which is cooperated between Da Nang and Boras, will have specific activities, contributing to improving the capacity of science education, promoting innovation associated with sustainable development goals in the city.

Da Nang and Boras have cooperated for many years, with many policies to attract and support Swedish investors.  Many Swedish investors and enterprises have chosen Da Nang as the investment destination in Vietnam to set up company, establish factory, apply for investment registration certificate. In the coming time, Da Nang-Boras hopes that more investors from Sweden will invest in the city in wastewater and solid waste treatment projects to further strengthen cooperation in investment, education, and science between the two cities.

Transport market in Vietnam - Investment opportunities for foreign investors

  Currently, Vietnam is considered to have a stable economy and politics, and is gradually becoming an investment destination for many investors in the world. In addition, with the goal of becoming a part of the global supply chain, the transport market in Vietnam is in strong demand to meet the demand for freight transportation of businesses.

As a country with bordering the sea, Vietnam is considered a trading place of Southeast Asia, Asian countries and other countries in the world. The modes of transport include: road, rail, water, air, and pipeline. According to the Strategy of the Government, until 2030, transport enterprises in Vietnam will be developed with the orientation of applying an advanced management model, high business efficiency, competitiveness, and ownership of the domestic transport market, occupying the role of plays an important role in the transport of goods import and export, step by step reaching out to invest and business effectively in the international transport market, the details as follow:

1.To complete the restructuring of state-owned transport enterprises in the direction of accelerating the equitization, reducing the number and proportion of state ownership in transport enterprises, except for the case in transportation business units to ensure national security and social security.

2.To separate the business of railway infrastructure from the transport business into independent enterprises, urgently equitizing the transport enterprises and providing railway transport support services.

3.To establish a number of large-scale multimodal transport enterprises, capable of carrying out complete transport chains by road - rail - sea or road - waterway - sea, road - airline; strengthen connection of transport services between modes through the connection of service distribution, especially giving priority to the development of the intermodal ticket sale model between modes of passenger transport.

Regarding the implementation of investment in the transport sector for foreign investors, according to the provisions of the WTO and EVFTA services, foreign shipping companies can establish 100% foreign- capital enterprises. Foreign-invested enterprises are allowed to carry out activities including: (i) Marketing and sales maritime transport services through direct contact with customers, from quotation to invoicing; (ii) Acting on behalf of the cargo owners; (iii) Provision of required business information; (iv) Preparation of documentation concerning transport documents including customs documents, or other documents related to the origin and character of the goods transported; and (v) Provision of maritime transport services including cabotage services by Vietnamese flagged vessels for the supply of integrated transport services; (vi) Acting on behalf of the company, organizing the call of the ship or taking over cargoes when required; (vii) Negotiate and sign contracts for road, rail, inland waterways transportation related to cargoes transported by the company.

With the strategy of developing and opening up to attract foreign investors, Vietnam hopes to have more international transport investors to invest, set up company, apply for investment registration certificate for conducting business, to not only develop the transport market in Vietnam, but also bring economic benefits to international investors.

 

The advantages of attracting FDI to Vietnam in 2021

  In 2020, due to the impact of the covid-19 epidemic, the global supply chain will be seriously affected. Besides, the effects of the US-China trade war, the shift of production out of China took place quickly. In which, there are four areas that corporations tend to shift to Vietnam to set up company and make investment are information technology and high technology, electronic equipment, e-commerce and logistics, consumer goods, and retail.

Some big global corporations have started recruiting, searching for supply chains, and Vietnam is one of the destinations in the transition to other countries in the region such as Indonesia, Thailand, or Malaysia.

Vietnam, with the advantage of being close to China, is favorable for the movement of investment and machinery. Besides, having policies to attract FDI from Vietnam will make it easier for international investors to transfer investment.

At the same time, Vietnam also participates in many Free Trade Agreements such as CPTPP, EVFTA, etc. that facilitate trade relations with many countries and regions in the world, which will make cooperation more favorable. In addition, the stability in the value of Vietnam currency is also a strong point in attracting international investment.

As the report of a famous industrial real estate brokerage firm, data comparing occupancy rates and rental rates of industrial zones in Southeast Asian countries in the first quarter shows that Vietnam has an average rental rate of 45-50% lower than in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. According to a report in 2019, Vietnam's labor costs are also lower than that of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, in addition, the labor force in Vietnam is increasingly abundant and the quality of labor is increasing.

Regarding electricity prices, according to EVN, comparing electricity prices in 2019 of Vietnam compared to other countries in the region, according to statistics, shows that electricity prices in Vietnam reach 80% compared to electricity prices of Indonesia; 42.1% of the electricity price of the Philippines and 66.7% of the electricity price of Cambodia.

In addition, with the application of supportive policies such as reduction of corporate income tax, import and export tax, land rental assistance, labor supply, and administrative procedures, Vietnam deserves to become be best investment destination in the world, for international companies to make investment, establish company and obtain investment registration certificate.

Da Nang Ranks First in Information Technology Application Index

  At the end of April 2021, the Ministry of Information and Communications announced the ranking of the readiness index for the application and development of Vietnam's information technology (Vietnam ICT Index) 2020, in which Da Nang was ranked first in 12 consecutive years of this ranking.

After 16 years of evaluation and ranking, Da Nang city has been rated the highest in the provinces and cities for 12 consecutive years (from 2009 up to now), demonstrating the effective application and development of information technology. The results above also create a hope for the next phase of the city - the stage of upgrading to a comprehensive digital transformation under the guidelines of the City and Government.

In addition, Da Nang is also ranked 5th nationally on the Information Technology Industry Index, after Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen.

The results of evaluation and ranking of Vietnam ICT Index are considered the most prestigious, quality and complete assessment in the country, serving as a basis for the Ministry of Information and Communications and local authorities to make appropriate decisions. select investment priority areas, promote the development of the information technology industry and the information technology industry in the country.

The Vietnam ICT Index is divided into groups of indexes on: technical infrastructure, human infrastructure, information technology application, online public services and assessment of the local information technology industry; with more than 100 indicators and conducted independent investigation, statistics and evaluation.

Da Nang is a city that prioritizes the development of information technology and high technology, always applying information technology in operation and management. Information technology is also a priority industry, developed in Da Nang next to the industries supporting tourism. There have been many domestic and foreign investors in the field of information technology making investments in Da Nang and achieving high achievements. In addition, the city is also actively building an information technology infrastructure system to help investors easily make investments in the city, and establish company in Da Nang.

With 12 consecutive years of leading the country in the Vietnam ICT index, Da Nang is confident to bring information technology investors the best investment environment, efficiency and long term benefits.

Why the Investors to Choose a Reputable Enterprise for Cooperation?

 Profitable investment is the legitimate aim of every investor. However, to be able to make an overall assessment of an enterprise that investors can trust is really a difficult choice. Especially for foreign investors who do not have much experience in the Vietnam market whom wish to enter Vietnam market for making investment through M&A.  It is very important for the foreign investors to undertake the research for the reputation of the company and each shareholders being corporate or individual, obtain public information of the company, and key personnel under take brief due diligence to access potential risks for cooperation.

According to the data reported as of March 20, 2021 by the Foreign Investment Department (Ministry of Planning and Investment), the total foreign investment capital registered for new, adjusted and contributed capital, purchased shares of investors foreign investment amounted to 10.13 billion USD, an increase of 18.5% over the same period in 2020. This data shows that the demand of foreign investors to invest in Vietnam is still gradually increasing. So, how can foreign investors choose businesses to invest with peace of mind?

In addition to choosing an enterprise with an appropriate industry and intended investment capital, the fact that that enterprise has reputable name, capability, and experience in the market in the business field is a criterion that investors should consider and can be trusted. Moreover, investors should take the time to learn information from official sources by looking up the company's name, grasping basic information such as: owner's name, representative, capital status, influential individual being shareholders,... and compare such to the company's website to know if the company provides full information, images, updates on the company's operations regularly, accurately or are not.

Many cases of "virtual" businesses taking advantage of investment needs and the lack of information about the Vietnam market have taken advantage of and defrauded foreign investors. On the other hand, the enterprise will be the one to make decisions that directly affect the investment results of the investor; therefore, the foreign investors should understand, consider and choose a reputable and safe enterprise entirely to invest capital.

In addition, what is the name and influence of that enterprise in the investment field? What is experience and enterprise performance in recent years? It is also the actual evidence that proves the capability of that enterprise. An important note for investors is that in addition to information about enterprise achievements, negative information about the company such as violations in business practice, errors in service provision, etc. causing disputes, compensation with customers is less public information and difficult to find.

In many cases, investors do not have a thorough understanding of their partners, but only decide based on virtual commitments, the display of capability beyond the capabilities of the business. From there, putting your investment capital on a risky way lead to potential unnecessary disputes with the target enterprise.

Furthermore, understanding the Vietnamese legal regulations on rights and obligations for foreign investors, although not related to the selection of enterprises to invest in, is also necessary information for investors to have projection of the problems that may arise during the process of participating in investing in the business.

After all, what investors are looking for are "clean" enterprises that have the capability to grow quickly but at the same time must be able to maintain stability and develop sustainably. However, every business environment has certain potential risks and it is the job of foreign investors to always be alert and learn exactly the information of enterprises to minimize risks potential.

Why is it important to undertake background check before hiring?

  Every business in order to be able to operate stably and develop must first have an effective resource. In addition to material, technological, and machine resources, human resources are considered as an important resource that determines the success of an enterprise.  It is important to conduct background check before hiring to confirm the information given by the employee reflects the truth.

Human resources are people who are directly involved in working for the business in different positions with the aim of creating values ​​and profits for the business, contributing to the development of the business. Thus, in order for businesses to be able to recruit capable and qualified individuals suitable for the position that the business is looking for, the business needs to have research and selection. Below is the necessary information that businesses can refer to be able to choose a suitable candidate.

Professional competence and skills are concerns that every business wants in its candidate. With high professional ability and good problem-solving skills, it will be a factor to help businesses develop well, satisfy customers, increase competitiveness with competitors... contribute to creating profits and improving location of the business. To find out this information, businesses can look in the information about the education and experience that the candidate provides or contact the previous company to confirm the accuracy of this information.

Besides, professionalism is also a necessary requirement that businesses should look for in candidates. It is shown in punctuality, polite manners, proper manners, responsibility for work, seriousness and respect for work, respect for colleagues and superiors, responsibility for work results, admit faults and get solution.

In addition, businesses should learn the personality of the candidate to know if the candidate is a good fit for their corporate culture. Because corporate culture is an "implicit" rule common to everyone in the business. Candidates who do not fit the corporate culture find it difficult to get along with everyone in the process of working together. Businesses can find this information in a candidate's interests or activities section, or through candidate sources from a previous workplace.

Honesty, integrity, ethics are essential qualities of a good employee. That is the basis for businesses to trust and work long-term with candidates. Therefore, when choosing employees to work, businesses should consider this factor because candidates with these qualities will bring many benefits and be the basis long-term commitment. However, it is difficult for businesses to find out if a candidate is honest and integrity through just one interview. For important positions, businesses should carefully learn this information from the previous company or through the personal information channels of the candidate.

Moreover, there is a method that businesses can apply when selecting candidates that is taking a test. Through the test results, businesses can know about a lot of general information such as: attitude, skills of handling situations, reasoning and calculation ability of candidates when facing a problem and also in terms of cognitive ability, achievements, work experience, interests... From there, enterprises also assess the candidate's ability to integrate and adapt.

In addition, the candidate's resume, background check, personal reference are also a reliable basis for businesses to know about their working history, reputation of employee in previous assignment, work, previous criminal records or not, etc. There is evaluation and consideration when selecting suitable candidates.

These are the reasons why businesses need to find out information about candidates before hiring. Knowing what skills and characteristics to look for in current employees as well as when recruiting new employees ensures the quality of your human resources and leads to an efficient business.  Hence, background screening has been increasingly important before hiring as part of risk management and risk prevention in Vietnam.

Why Market Research and Risk Evaluation Are Important for Foreign Investment?

  Market research and risks assessment before investing or having any business cooperation, especially in the period of integration, trade between countries, have become very popular. When entering Vietnam, the new market with different cultures, market mechanism, the first and indispensable step is to do market research, evaluate the risks to know the strengths, weaknesses of business, in order to bring the best profit on investment.

Market research and risk evaluation require a high level of expertise and a deep knowledge of a particular market. The team of research and risk evaluation services are also people with professional capacity, good research, analysis and judgment ability. Consulting service companies have also been established with an increasing number and quality are also specialized and professionalized to meet the high requirements of foreign investors.

There are many areas to look into for market research and risk evaluation, i.e. general market research services, customer research services, buying behaviour, supply and demand rend, reputation of company being buyer or seller, reputation of the individual managing the company, reputation of key employee for hiring, work records of employee, criminal record of individual stakeholders. These diverse research fields have solved the obstacles of foreign investors and become an effective channel to exploit information in a reputable, fast and accurate way.

Today, with the development of information technology, a foreign investor can access information and data of a market, of an enterprise or information of a business or production field which are not too difficult. However, it is not easy to use data and link information together to make an accurate assessment for investors’ purposes. Many investors have decided to do their own research. However, participating in a completely strange field and market is a risky decision. Accordingly, in addition to the information collected, foreign individuals and organizations need to have realistic analysis reports, in-depth research enough to grasp the potential and risks of that market before choosing to invest in.

Besides the cost, the research and risk evaluation service of professional consultant have helped investors to know the information of the market and the expected business field without having to spend time and money to go in person to the country in other to research. Moreover, the research and risk service can provide results from the measurement that make an assessment of the prospects, potential, and suitability of the investment orientation thanks to the understanding of the characteristics and business practices… It will therefore be possible to give useful and reliable advice on investment opportunities.

Research and risk evaluation services also help investors narrow the vision and effective investment scope to avoid risks. From there, investors can work towards a specific goal and plan the next steps. As a consulting channel, the research and evaluation service also provides useful information such as the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, the risks they have encountered, and the trends they are deploying so the investors can consult and note. Based on that information to create for a suitable strategy such as a unique promotion tactic, a special, impressive product, hiring strategy…

Research and risk evaluation services also help analyze the legal matters that have significant impact that investors gain more legal knowledge in the expected field and have the most general picture of the field. On the other hand, it helps investors when implementing launch programs and entering the market to comply with the provisions of the law, as well as in accordance with the local culture.

It can be seen that in today’s investment market, research and risk evaluation services are not only useful, but it is an initial factor to determine the possibility of success. Therefore, foreign investors do not forget to choose for themselves a reputable and experienced research and risk evaluation service provider to successfully implement investment projects together in Vietnam.