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Vietnam releases cybersecurity draft decree

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Global tech companies issue warning on impact to innovation.

Vietnam on Friday released a long-waited draft decree on guidelines to implement a cybersecurity law that global technology companies and rights groups have said could undermine development and stifle innovation.

The draft required firms providing a range of services, including email or social media, to set up offices in Vietnam if they collect or analyse data, let their users conduct anti-state actions or cyber attack, and if they fail to remove content deemed anti-state, fake, slandering or inciting violence.

Facebook and Google, both of which are widely used in Vietnam and serve as the main platforms for dissidents, do not have local offices or local data storage facilities and have pushed back on the localisation requirements.

Legislators approved the law in June, overriding strong objections from tech companies, rights groups and Western governments including the United States.

Despite economic reforms and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate dissent.

The technology companies had hoped the draft decree would soften provisions they find most objectionable, including the requirements to set up local offices and store data locally.

The data required to be stored ranged from job titles to contact details, credit card information, biometric data and medical records, according to the draft decree.

The type of data required seemed to have shortened from an earlier version of the draft decree seen by Reuters last month, which also included information on peoples’ ethnicity and political views.

Company officials have privately expressed concerns that the new law would make it easier for the authorities to seize customer data and expose local employees to arrest.

The draft decree is open for public consultation for two months.

“We applaud the Government of Vietnam for launching a public consultation, and hope to work with them to reach an outcome which benefits all stakeholders in Vietnam,” said Alex Botting, director of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation.

“The text of Vietnam’s Law on Cyber Security included some of the most draconian data localisation provisions seen anywhere in the world,” Botting said.

A recent US Chamber survey found that 61 percent of companies surveyed, including non-US companies, will be less likely to invest in Vietnam if the text is implemented as written in the law, he said.

Last week, the security ministry said the cybersecurity law, would protect the country from threats of tens of thousands of cyber attacks that directly cause serious economic losses and threaten security and social order.

People’s information would not be disclosed and firms would only be asked to provide user information for investigations or law enforcement under strict procedures, the ministry said.

According to a report on Reuters

Apple has a problem it doesn’t want to talk about

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The era of rapid iPhone growth ended years ago. Now Apple is making a change to ensure it doesn’t have to talk as much about that problem.

On a conference call Thursday, top Apple executives laid out their plans to stop disclosing the number of iPhones, iPads and Macs it sells each quarter. It’s a move that shocked analysts and only added to jitters around a mixed earnings report.

Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, called the announcement a “jaw dropper” in an investor note Friday morning, particularly because Apple is at a “critical juncture.” He said Apple is trying to make up for slowing unit sales growth by charging more for its lineup of devices.

Sure enough, in the three month period ending in September, Apple sold just shy of 47 million iPhones, representing 0% growth in the number of smartphones sold from the prior year. In future quarters, the number of iPhones Apple sells could decline — but we probably won’t know about it.

Apple’s Mac and iPad unit sales fell by 2% and 6%, respectively, during the quarter compared to a year ago.

Yet Apple’s overall revenue continues to climb from one year to the next. That’s in large part because the company is hiking prices across the board. Apple made $8 billion more dollars selling iPhones than it did a year earlier (when it sold almost the exact same number of iPhones).

Apple now has not one but two smartphones on the market — the XS and XS Max — with price tags that can exceed $1,000. Apple also recently introduced more expensive iPad Pros and MacBook Airs.

On the call with analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook tried to explain the decision to do away with unit sales figures by way of a grocery store analogy.

“If you go to the market and you push your cart up to the cashier and she says, or he says, ‘How many units you have in there?’ It doesn’t matter a lot how many units there are in there in terms of the overall value of what’s in the cart.”

What matters now, in other words, isn’t necessarily how many devices Apple sells from one quarter to the next, but how much it makes from the devices sells. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Wall Street.

“The elimination of reporting unit metrics for iPhone, iPad, and Mac is significant — the Street obsesses over them,” Gene Munster, an analyst with Loup Ventures, wrote in a note Friday.

More than that, the decision once again raises concerns about what the next big driver of growth will be for the world’s largest company. Apple has never disclosed unit sales for the Apple Watch, its most recent new hardware category. And despite years of rumors about an Apple Car, there is still nothing on the horizon.

That leaves its existing slate of hardware products. Investors, and price-conscious consumers alike, will both wonder how much more Apple can charge for future iPhones and iPads to keep sales growth humming along. Will people pay $2,000 for an iPhone?

Instead, Apple continues to try to focus investors on the strong sales growth for supplementary services, including Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. In the most recent quarter, Apple said sales for this category hit nearly $10 billion, an all-time high and larger than most standalone businesses in the world.

“The new reporting methodology is Apple’s attempt to get investors to think of their entire business as a service,” Munster says. But, he admits it could take a year for investors to embrace it.

But even the success of subscription services ultimately depend on getting customers to keep flocking to the Apple devices that support these services, with the iPhone chief among them.

At some point Apple will need to figure out what will replace the iPhone, or its growth engine could stall out.

According to a report on CNN

Vietnam puts high hopes on three business fields to develop in 4.0 era

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Vietnam will gather strength in three production and business fields, considering these the pillars of the national economy in the 4.0 industry revolution era.

Vu Dinh Anh, a respected economist, said the biggest concern for Vietnam’s economy is the impact of the 4.0 industry revolution. Vietnam’s abundant and cheap labor force, its biggest advantage over the last many years, will not have much significance in the future, when machines will replace humans in many jobs.

Reports from international organizations all predict that Vietnam is one of the countries to suffer most from the 4.0 revolution because of the low quality of the labor force, with technically trained workers just accounting for 20 percent of the labor force, and productivity lower than many other ASEAN countries.

Meanwhile, The Readiness for the Future of Production Report 2018 WEF affirmed that Vietnam is among the countries still not ready for the 4.0 revolution.

Only 25 countries in Europe, North America and North Asia, which generate three-quarters of the global production value, will benefit from the revolution.

About 70 percent of revenue of the robot market will fall be in China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and the US. Of these, Germany, Japan and the US will be leading in making high-value robots.

Meanwhile, 90 percent of countries in Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia, including Vietnam, are listed among the countries with immature development.

Vietnam is in a low position in most rankings. It ranks 90th out of 100 countries in technology & innovation, 92nd in technology platform, 77th in creative capability and 70th in human resources.

In general, Vietnam gets 4.9 out of 10 points in readiness for the 4.0 revolution.

Anh stressed that, Vietnam, with limited financial resources, must choose the right fields to invest in, which will determine its success.

Vietnam needs to make heavy investment in many sectors, from information infrastructure, transport and logistics to science & technology and education.

According to Anh, the three key fields that Vietnam needs to focus on are agriculture tourism and information technology. The development of the three sectors will help boost other business fields.

The goals for the immediate and long term include 1) developing science & technology 2) stepping up administrative reform procedures, with the state becoming the midwife for science & technology inventions 3) setting up a science & technology market, and 4) figuring out development strategies in the 4.0 era.

According to a report on Vietnamnet

Vietnam Nutraceuticals Market Outlook to 2022

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Elevating Demand for Probiotics in the country owing to Easy Availability and High Consumption to Foster Future Growth of Nutraceuticals Market in Vietnam: Ken Research

• Amway is observed to dominate Vietnam dietary supplements market in 2016.
• By distribution channel, independent small grocers dominated the Vietnam nutraceuticals market in year 2017.
• Health benefit segment dominated the functional food and beverages market segment in Vietnam.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids are expected to drive the dietary supplements market in Vietnam.

Probiotic supplements for longer period of time have been considered as OTC (over the counter) medicine, thus leading to ease of availability among the Vietnamese population without a prescription. In Vietnam, probiotic treatment is gaining importance through well recommendations from doctors and medical professionals for curing acute watery diarrhea in children. Additionally they are also prescribed in the form of powder, ampoules or capsules for people with digestive disorder, indigestion or those who have to consume antibiotics in large amount. DSM’s latti range of probiotics which is dedicated to improve digestion and those which help in managing diarrhea have recorded huge growth in the market.

Ken Research in its latest study, Vietnam Nutraceuticals Market Outlook to 2022 suggested herbal supplements in dietary supplements segment will continue to dominate the market during the forecast period. The consumers believe that herbal or traditional products have fewer or no side effects in comparison with standard products constituting natural ingredients. Ginseng was the most popular herbal dietary supplement used in Vietnam. These supplements are expected to be used maximum in products developed for beauty and personal care.

The report provided information on market size for Vietnam nutraceuticals market, Vietnam nutraceuticals market segmentations on the bases of dietary supplements, functional food & beverages and distribution channels, regulatory landscape, import and export scenario, trends and developments and competitive landscape.
Word of mouth advertising is another major reason for growing popularity of probiotic supplements in Vietnam. Furthermore, it has been witnessed that the Vietnamese population use probiotic supplements in Vietnam for digesting street food. Highest consumption is observed among the tourists visiting the country. Looking at the high demand of probiotics, one of the global probiotic drink companies, Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd. opened its second manufacturing center in the country to complete the demand for the product in Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi. Yakult was available in about 1,200 stores and there were 80 Yakult Ladies in Vietnam as of the end of April 2011, clearly advocating the high demand for probiotics in the market.

Companies Covered:- Amway Corp, Forever Living Products International LLC, Tiens Group Co Ltd, Korea United Pharmaceutical Inc, Maspex Wadowice Grupa, Khanh Hoa Pharmaceutical JSC, Sanofi, International Medical Consulting Co Ltd (IMC), United Laboratories Inc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Traphaco JSC, Herbalife Ltd, Bayer AG, SPM Corp, KT&G Corp, Union Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Oriflame Cosmetics SA, OPC Pharmaceutical JSC, Pan Laboratories Pty Ltd, Laboratoire Innotech International, URGO group, National Day Pharmaceutical JSC, Haugiang Pharmaceutical JSC, Pierre Fabre SA, Laboratoires, Dajung Co Ltd, Mega Lifesciences Pty Ltd, Ahn Gook Pharm Co Ltd, Vietnam Dairy Products JSC, Royal FrieslandCampina NV, Abbott Laboratories Inc, Nutifood Nutrition Food JSC, International Dairy Products JSC (IDP), Mondelez International Inc, Huu Nghi Food JSC, Danone Groupe, Fonterra CoN.A.operative Group Ltd, Lotte Group, Associated British Foods Plc, Perfetti Van Melle Group, Meiji Holdings Co Ltd, Yakult Honsha Co Ltd, Hanoi Milk JSC, Murray Goulburn CoN.A.operative Co Ltd, TH Food Chain JSC, Namyang Dairy Products Co Ltd, Kellogg Co, Cereal Partners Worldwide SA , Vietnam Dairy Products JSC, Royal FrieslandCampina NV, Abbott Laboratories Inc, Nestlé SA, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co, International Dairy Products JSC (IDP), Mondelez International Inc, Huu Nghi Food JSC, Danone Groupe, Fonterra CoN.A.operative Group Ltd, Lotte Group, Associated British Foods Plc, Perfetti Van Melle Group, Meiji Holdings Co Ltd, Yakult Honsha Co Ltd, Hanoi Milk JSC, Murray Goulburn CoN.A.operative Co Ltd, Namyang Dairy Products Co Ltd, Mars Inc, Cereal Partners Worldwide SA

For more information, click on the link below:
https://www.kenresearch.com/healthcare/pharmaceuticals/vietnam-nutritional-supplements-market/123936-91.html

https://www.kenresearch.com/healthcare/pharmaceuticals/china-nutritional-supplements-market/123729-91.html

https://www.kenresearch.com/healthcare/pharmaceuticals/australia-nutraceuticals-market-report/121465-91.html

Contact:
Ken Research
Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications
Sales@kenresearch.com | +91-9015378249

What can Vietnamese entrepreneurs learn from Philippines’ Kumu

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By Marga Canon

A study led by the University of California San Diego calculated the average person’s digital diet: We consume 34 gigabytes per day, or what amounts to more than 100,500 words. As this study was conducted using American subjects, we can only imagine that countries like Vietnam and the Philippines in Southeast Asia – which have leapfrogged the desktop generation and proceeded straight to mobile – consume even more data.

What’s scary about this kind of scale is that we have little control over what type of media we consume. The situation is particularly worrisome on the internet. The algorithm for Facebook’s NewsFeed is designed to keep us engaged, sparing us (outside of the company’s occasional experiments) of content that might challenge or offend us. Google is no different: Our search results are largely influenced by what we have searched for before. We exist, in short, in an online echo chamber. We may think we are reaching out across a sea of information, but we’re actually just moving in circles in our own small pond.

The idea that our mass media – particularly the internet – is slowly becoming an echo chamber is a growing global concern, and it’s one that Southeast Asians should take seriously. For the region to continue its rise as an international economic power, we must continually expose ourselves to new ideas, challenge our existing ones, and reach out to people we know to be vastly different from ourselves. Great ideas, after all, do not emerge from the status quo, but in its rebuttal.

Addressing the echo chamber that runs our online world may only be possible through other more open digital platforms. One example from the Philippines is the recently launched Kumu, a content and livestreaming app founded by Roland Ros, Rexy Dorado, Andrew Pineda, and Clare Ros. While Kumu is targeted toward Filipinos around the world – it allows anyone to broadcast to an audience of fellow Kumu users whenever and wherever they wish – it may serve as a case study for Vietnamese entrepreneurs and business leaders who similarly want to broaden the country’s digital horizons.

The idea that everyone can be a content creator is common in other countries, but it’s still transformative in the Philippines. Like other Southeast Asians, Filipinos are still used to the idea of creative artists polished by studio talent development programs, or their digital equivalents. But when anyone can livestream, it democratizes the creative process, and in so doing, surfaces more unique ideas and talents to a wider audience.

As a platform, Kumu unearths many possibilities: A Filipino psychologist can discuss via their livestream the oft-ignored issue of mental health in the Philippines; a Filipino family in one of the far-flung provinces can give a real tour of their hometown, one that goes off-the-beaten path from the usual tourist spots; a Filipino entrepreneur can give unconventional business advice that he would not want published for posterity. Even traditional industries – singing, dancing, and hosting – can be upended by introducing indie talents who may not work for traditional studio executives but would be welcomed by an audience starved off new creatives.

Ultimately, the new talents and topics will be enjoyed by Filipino audiences as a respite from the fare that they are typically served, and provides an interesting case for founders and business leaders in Vietnam. Where so many apps are content with providing convenience, Kumu may herald a growing minority of content platforms in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia that are equally designed to provoke deeper thought. Like with Kumu, the greatest impact of these platforms will occur long after the website or app has closed. Users will walk away with new ideas, beliefs, and skills that may very well change the course of their own endeavors or inspire them to pursue new ones.

The benefits of exposing ourselves to new media – such as Kumu for Filipinos or other platforms yet to arise in Vietnam – will only begin when we admit that what we choose to expose ourselves to has a profound effect on who we are. Vietnamese entrepreneurs and business leaders need to acknowledge that our digital diet has the same impact as our food – you are what you eat. The question then boils down to: What do we want to be? In the next generation of Vietnamese content-based apps, platforms, and marketplaces we will find our answer.

How Northern Vietnamese Cuisine Differs From Southern

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The delicious cuisine of Vietnam changes from region to region and the differences are rather noticeable. Here is how the cuisine of the north differs from that of the south.

A tale of two Phở

Northern Vietnam is the birthplace of many Vietnamese favorites such as phở, banh cuon and bun cha; the first two are breakfast staples and the latter is a lunchtime go-to. Phở is Vietnam’s national dish and the most well-known outside of Vietnam. It’s your typical noodle soup dish, made of three components: a flavorful broth, some kind of meat and delicious silky rice noodles. You can add in extra flavoring according to your taste — usually you get the dish served with additional ingredients and condiments such as fish sauce, chilies, lime and other greens. Some people even add sugar. It’s up to the consumer.

The southern version of phở is often preferred over the northern version, but you must try this dish at least once while you’re in Hanoi because the most authentic version of the dish is served here. Head to Phở Gia Truyen, located at 49 Bat Dan Street for a nice big bowl. It may be a small restaurant, but it has a lot of personality. During meal times, you will find queues stretching across the street, as half of Hanoi are, as the kids say, “down to phở.” As seats are hard to come by during meal times, we recommend you go there on your motorbike which serves as an impromptu dining car.

A taste of the north: pork, pepper, and stir-fry

Another northern favorite is bún chả — a meat heavy noodle dish. Bún chả is served with separate components: heavy sweet and sour broth with a fish sauce, sugar and vinegar, vermicelli noodles and lastly, charcoal grilled pork patties and pork neck. Unlike the other broths, you cannot drink this one. On the side comes a basket of veggies and herbs that you can add to your meal, if you prefer. When President Barack Obama visited Vietnam on his state visit, American chef Anthony Bourdain treated him to a hearty meal of bún chả at Bun Cha Huong Lien, and since then, the table has been left uncleaned. It has actually been turned into a shrine. Check it out at 24 Le Van Huu.

Other dishes that originated in Hanoi are bun rieu (crab noodle soup), banh cuon(steamed rice rolls), xoi (sticky rice), bun thang (fermented fish paste noodles), and bun dau mam tom (fermented shrimp noodles). After trying some northern Vietnamese cuisine for a while, it becomes evident that the food is heavily influenced by China — there is a lot of stir-frying and noodle-based dishes, with the regular use of soy sauce, as well as sticky rice.

Another common trend is that the food does not get served spicy. Chilies aren’t often used as ingredients and in their stead, black pepper is added. This is because the colder climate in the north is not suitable for growing certain ingredients such as chilies and other spices, which affects their availability.

Overall, the northern flavors are rather harmonious, and one taste does not overpower the other. The flavors are light and balanced.

A taste of the south: sweeter, spicier flavours

If you try the same dishes from the north in the south, the differences will be readily apparent. Things are much, much sweeter in the south and some go as far as to say this trend reflects the people down there. The sweetness is thanks to the use of sugar and coconut milk in dishes — tips taken from neighboring countries like Cambodia and Thailand. The food is also spicier; however, the spiciest is in central Vietnam.

A good way to learn about the differences in northern and southern Vietnamese cuisine is to try pho in both regions. Pho in the south comes with a lot more herbs and garnishes, making the soup murkier which is much different to the clear broth you get served in the north. It’s also a lot more flavorful and your tongue will be able to identify the different types.

Other dishes to try in the south are banh mi op la (a sandwich with an omelette) and hu tieu nam vang (noodle soup). Banh mi op la is a fusion dish. Since Ho Chi Minh City is very international, foreign influence is readily apparent and you will find a lot of these dishes. Banh mi is the famous Vietnamese baguette sandwich, with the bread introduced by the French. Since then, the Vietnamese have added whatever ingredient they could think of, making the sandwich entirely their own. In banh mi op la, however, the baguette is plain, and you get eggs served sunny-side up, often supplemented with cucumber, caramelized onions and peppers, and some beef. It’s similar to a western breakfast, not only when it comes to the ingredients, but also, methods of preparation.

The warmer climate of the south is also ideal for growing a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, and livestock. Most noodle soups in the south come with a large helping of herbs and vegetables, such as hu tieu nam vang, a Chinese and Cambodian influenced pork-based noodle dish. Like this, other noodle soups are vibrant and flavorful, with liberal use of a variety of ingredients. As mentioned earlier, the soups can often be sweet, thanks to the use of sugar and coconut milk.

Other dishes you must try in the south are com tam (broken rice with pork), banh tam bi (coconut cream noodles), and goi cuon (summer rolls). Goi cuon is a wrap and roll dish where you lay out a bunch of ingredients on rice paper and roll it up yourself, before dipping it in fish sauce and taking a bite. You will find a lot of these because the Mekong Delta is the largest producer of rice paper, and of course, rice. Com tam is made with broken rice, a byproduct of rice production that farmers made use of, rather than letting it go to waste. It’s now a favorite lunchtime meal.

Since fish sauce is also widely produced in the coastal areas of the south, such as Nha Trang, Mui Ne, and Phu Quoc, you will almost always get a small bowl of this along with your meal, whereas in the north, soy sauce is more common.

Source: The Culture Trip

Two killed in traffic accident in Ha Noi

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Two people were killed when a four-seater car crashed off the Chương Dương Bridge in Hà Nội into the Red River on Saturday.

The Mercedes-Benz vehicle hit the handrail and fell into the river early evening as it was crossing the bridge to get to the city’s centre from Long Biên District.

Authorities said the car’s front was crushed and its airbag had exploded when it was taken out of the water early yesterday.

The two victims were identified as Nguyễn Thị Thu Hương, 29, from Hà Đông District, and Bùi Kim Chi, 21, a resident of Thanh Xuân District.

Hương, the car’s owner, was sitting in the back seat when she was killed.

The crash is under investigation – Vietnamnews reported

42 million Vietnamese people use Facebook daily

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Up to around 42 million people in Vietnam use Facebook every day, one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia.

The information was given by Noudhy Valdryno, a representative from Facebook’s Asia-Pacific division at a seminar on the role of social networks in enhancing dialogue between administration and businesses held in the northern province of Quang Ninh on November 2.

According to Valdryno, roughly 242 million people in Southeast Asia use Facebook daily, including 42 million in Vietnam. Meanwhile, a large number of Vietnamese people also use other social networks such as Instagram.

He added that up to 91% of governments use Facebook as their official dialogue channel with people and enterprises. This trend has started to increase in Vietnam.

Chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long said that realising the importance of IT in institutional reform and the steering of socio-economic activities, the province set up the Facebook fan page DDCI Quang Ninh in order to interact with the public and businesses. The fan page has attracted more than 5,500 followers and over 100,000 likes and interactions since its creation just over a year ago.

Over the last three years, Quang Ninh has sustained fourth place among the 63 provinces and cities on the Vietnam ICT Index, greatly helping to improve its business climate and competitiveness.

Long partly attributed Quang Ninh’s top position in the country’s Provincial Competitiveness Index in 2017 to the opening of the page, which has facilitated dialogue between the provincial administration and the public.

Valdryno also highlighted the importance of selecting information for posting on Facebook to attract followers. He cited a survey conducted by Facebook as saying that video tended to attract more viewers than other information.

The Facebook representative noted that globally, there are about 2.2 billion users active on a monthly basis and 1.4 billion daily users on Facebook.

Source: Dtinews

Foreigners employed in Vietnam are required to pay social insurance

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The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Vietnam Social Security (VSS) have been working with other countries on bilateral agreements to ensure the benefits to foreign workers employed in Vietnam who are required to pay social insurance.

Under a newly-issued decree which will take effect from December 1st 2018 stipulating compulsory social insurance for foreign employees in Vietnam, foreigners with a work permit, practice certificate, or practice license granted by local authorities and under non-fixed-term labour contracts or contracts with a term of one full year and above shall be subject to compulsory social insurance. Said Dao Viet Anh, VSS deputy general director yesterday at a media briefing

They will be entitled to the following social insurance regimes – sickness, maternity, workplace accident, occupational disease, retirement, and survivor benefits. From December 1 this year until December 31, 2021, employers are obliged to contribute amounts equal to 3 per cent of the employee’s monthly salary to the sickness and maternity funds and 0.5 per cent into occupational accidents and hazards.

Employers will have to contribute 14 per cent of the employee’s monthly salary into the retirement and survivor benefits fund and the employee’s contribution to the retirement and survivor benefits fund is set at 8 per cent of their monthly salary, equivalent to the amount Vietnamese workers have to contribute. The new regulation will be applied from January 1, 2022.

“There would be differing opinions towards the new decree from foreign employees and Vietnamese employers”, Dao Viet Anh added.

The VSS has completed the fourth round of negotiations on the agreement with the Republic of Korea – one of the countries with the biggest number of people employed in Vietnam and is working with Japan and Germany, Anh said, adding that VSS aims to sign bilateral agreements with all nations with large numbers of employees in Vietnam.

“The bilateral agreements will fully support foreign employers in Vietnam who are entitled to the compulsory social insurance scheme,” he said.

To help employers adapt to the new regulations, the compulsory social insurance payment for long-term retirement and survivor benefits fund will not be compulsory until 2022, he said.

According to statistics by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the number of foreign employees in the country increased from 63,557 in 2011 to 83,046 in 2016. Most of them came from Asian countries, such as China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, accounting for 73% of the total, followed by European nations (21.6 %), and North America (2.4%).

Read full article on VNS

VDSC Weekly Market Recap: Coverage List, Webinar Invite, PPC, PAC, PXS, CVT, NLG, STK

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For the week, the VNIndex managed to increase 2.7% to 924.86. Investors’ confidence returned thanks to a potential Trump-Xiao dialogue (China A-shares went up by 2.7% on Friday while the Hang Seng rose 4.2%) and the fact the CPTPP trade agreement has been submitted to the National Congress for signing. Liquidity on the HOSE remained relatively weak at around VND2,700bn (~USD117mn), well below October’s average value of VND3,680bn (~USD160mn).

October’s price performance was truly dreadful. For the whole month, the VNIndex lost 10%. This makes it the worst October since 2008, and puts the month among the top 20 biggest declines since the VNIndex’ inception. Yet despite the drop, and perhaps because of it, foreigners bought heavily into Vietnamese equities injecting VND9,272bn (~USD400mn) vs. only VND474bn (USD20mn) the month before.

In last week’s recap, I said that Vietnam is trading at a premium to historic valuations. In fact, the VNIndex is among a handful of markets globally trading above their 5-year and 10-year average. And for Vietnam particularly, average valuations may be skewed by some very large caps that are trading at 20x earnings and above.

What I find particularly interesting is that Mid Cap stocks, which have underperformed the broader market YTD, are now trading at about 20% below their historical average. I believe current depressed valuations should provide good entry points into Mid Cap stocks. You want to look at opportunities in the 36 companies we cover that are within the small and mid-cap space. (see our Coverage List attached)

54 out of 58 stocks under our coverage announced their business results for the first 9 months of 2018. 28 stocks (51%) were in-line with our forecasts, while 13 companies published better-than-expected results, and another 13 stocks had worse-than-expected results. Steel firms performed much worse than our analyst forecasted, especially in cases of NKG and VGS. Other stocks for which we had been mistakenly optimistic, and which came in below our forecasts, included CTI, BFC, HAX and DPM. Our analysts are reviewing and updating their forecasts on those stocks. Furthermore, our analysts reduced their target price for TCM, VGC and BFC. For the detailed rationale, please contact me and we’ll set up a call with the analysts.

Bernard Lapointe, our Head of Research prepared a short video commentary sharing his views on global markets in general and Vietnam in particular. Please follow this link to view the video: https://goo.gl/V98HWB

Top Picks

Pha Lai Thermal Power (HSX: PPC)

Price : VND17,900
52w High : VND24,700
52w Low : VND16,600
Avg 30day Volume : 388,708
P/E : 5.8x
P/B : 0.97x

Catalysts:

Significant improvement in average selling price (ASP) due to favorable momentum in the competitive generation market (CMG) in the third quarter, boost 5% of selling average price growth for PPC.
Lower risk for PPC in capex plans due to no requirement for gas treatment systems by government since it costs EVN about USD1bn and their benefit is unmeasurable. The company expects to replace these projects by Pha Lai 3, however, the project is uncertain and too early to factor in PPC’s earning forecast.
VND125bn of reversal from FX differences in 2016 is expected to be recognized in 4Q2018.
Maintaining stable cash dividend of VND2,500/share, corresponding to a 14.7% dividend yield at current market price.

Valuation:

For 2018, we expect NPAT reaches VND1093bn, rise 28% YoY due to a large one-off income from the reversal of the expense from FX differences. Therefore, 2018 EPS of PPC is projected to be VND3,317/share
From 2019-2023, EPS would be stable at about 2,700 VND/share.
Our target price for PPC is VND 23,000/share, upside 28.5%, we recommend to BUY stock on PPC

Risk:

Low liquidity, only about VND6.5 bn/day

Webinar Invitation

Our Research Department is about to publish their November Strategy Report. And, on the back of this report we are organizing our Monthly Strategy Webinar on Tue, Nov 6, 2018 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM WIB.

Mr. Bernard Lapointe, Head of Research at Rong Viet Securities, will present the Equity Research Team’s most up-to-date views on Vietnam’s stock market, present some of their favourite stocks and answer investors’ questions.

Join the event to receive our top investment ideas and to learn how our strategy will help your investment decisions.

Registration URL: https://goo.gl/1W7ztX

(if the link doesn’t work, copy & past it in your browser)

Rong Viet Securities Equity Research Summary

Company Report

Dry Cell And Storage Battery JSC (HoSE: PAC ) – (UPDATE, REDUCE, VND38,000, DOWNSIDE 7%)

· 9M18 net revenue and NPAT reached VND2.297Tn (+11% YoY) and VND107bn (+7%), respectively.

· Due to relocation of machinery from Tan Tao factory to the Nhon Trach factory and fierce competition with FDI companies, sales volume in 9M 2018 decreased by 1% YoY

· Sales volume and gross revenue in 4Q18 is forecasted to decrease because GS, the direct competitor of the company, is launching attractive promotions

· We forecast that 4Q 2018 NPAT will grow by 40% to VND38bn YoY while gross revenues and NPAT will reach VND2.942tn (+13% YoY) and VND147bn (+14% YoY), respectively.

· The stock is trading at 44.x current EPS of VND3,037. Furthermore, at its current price, it is trading at ~3.x P/B. Cash dividend is expected at VND2,500.

Analyst Pinboard

Solar Energy in Ninh Thuan – At Rush Hour

· Solar energy increases its importance in Government’s official agenda

· The Government has given attractive incentives for renewable energy development, including solar power.

· Why Ninh Thuan?: Ninh Thuan province has favorable natural conditions for developing solar energy project.

· Project owners who have signed Power Purchase Agreement with EVN will be the most beneficiaries

· The buyer (EVN) is responsible to purchase all the electricity generated from the grid-connected solar power projects under the 20-year PPA with a price of 2,086 VND/kWh at the electricity delivery point. This price should be adjusted based on the exchange rate fluctuation of VND/USD.

Petroleum Equipment Assembly & Metal Structure (HoSE: PXS ) – Low earnings in 2018 is a chance to buy

· The bottom line continues to post a loss in 3Q18 with revenues down 5.7x to VND132 bn in 9M.

· Despite low earnings in 9M2018, we see some “positives” to support the company in 3Q18.

· Oil & Gas projects: After getting a USD 110 mn contract for Long Son Petrochemical Complex, PXS is bidding for another contract for Block B.

· DK project: PXS will build another DK in 2019 with a total value of VND 300 bn and it will take four months to complete.

· Windfarm: The windfarm in Taiwan will be delayed to 2020 while the windfarm in Ke Ga is asking for building permission.

· Vessel maintenance: PXS has just signed a contract to set up a JV with another two partners for vessel maintenance. PXS will contribute 35% to this JVs.

· Hyosung: PXS is bidding USD 20 mn for a tank farm. Hyosung has already delivered USD 2 mn in contracts to PXS.

CMC JSC (HoSE: CVT ) – Awaiting for new high-end tiles to perform

· 9M’s revenue and NPAT were recorded at VND987Bn (+15% YoY) and VND114bn (-12% YoY), respectively. 3Q NPAT came in at VND41bn (-21% YoY).

· There is a high possibility that sales cannot reach 1,000,000 sqm as planned.

· Regarding these two high-end products, we are concerned about how CVT will push its selling activities given the high price level of the new products.

· These high-end products are heading to alternate hind-end imported tiles from China, which costed around VND 0.7 – 2 million per sqm.

· In 2018, CVT’s production may reach about 16,000,000 sqm, including 7,500,000 sqm of ceramics (which is now 85% completed).

· High dividend yield will remain from VND3,000 to VND3,500/sh.

Nam Long Investment Corporation (HoSE: NLG ) – Profit in line with expectations

· NLG recorded total revenues and NPAT-MI in 9M18 of VND2.74tn (+67.4% YoY) and VND635bn (+80.4% YoY) in line with our recent estimations.

· Earning guidance in 2018 is guaranteed, remaining positive at VND861bn (+60.9% YoY), bringing PAT to VND300bn.

· Launch of Akari City has been delayed. We suppose that the delay of the project implementation will not affect NLG’s revenue and profit in 2018 and 2019, only the cash flow.

· NLG issued more shares and completed the conversion of Keppel Land’s convertible bond into equity shares.

· In our opinion, we think NLG still has a long-term advantage of a clean and available land bank.

Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation (HoSE: STK ) – 9M 2018 Business Results

· In 9M18, revenue reached VND1.780tn (+24.4% YoY) and NPAT was VND131.4bn (+96.5% YoY).

· In 3Q 2018, STK expanded its new customer base by more than 15 coming from Korea, the US, Pakistan, Hong Kong and the domestic market.

· In the remaining three months of 2018, STK estimates to reach its sales target and surpass its NPAT by 10-20%.

Outlook for 2019

· STK intends to increase the proportion of recycled yarn to revenue from 10% (AGM’s plan) to 14% in 2018 due to the increase in customer demand for recycled orders.

· STK plans to implement new product development plans

· STK expects Trang Bang 5 project to come into operation in 1Q19. Until then, the company may increase its capacity by 5% for DTY and recycled yarn.

· We forecast its revenue and NPAT at VND2.362tn (+18.7% YoY) and VND160bn (+60.6% YoY) in 2018.

Saigon hotel catches fire, foreign guests panic

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Foreign guests panicked after a fire broke out Saturday at a District 1 Saigon hotel, but no casualty was reported.

Locals first heard an explosion coming from the higher floors of the 4-star A&Em Hotel on Thu Khoa Huan Street, District 1, and soon saw flames and smoke emanate from the building.

“I was working in a construction site opposite to the hotel and I saw a lot of fire and smoke coming out after the explosion,” said Xuan, a worker near the scene.

The fire caused dozens of foreigners ran outside in panic. The hotel’s staff tried to put out the fire using mini extinguishers and led the guests outside safely.

Firefighters later came to the scene and put out the fire in minutes.

The fire might have been started by welding sparks created by three welders hired by the hotel to make an iron door on its higher floors. The sparks might have set nearby objects on fire and triggered the blaze, said Doan Ngoc Hai, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1.

“The three welders have been requested to go to the local police station for further investigation,” he said.

No casualty was reported.

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest metropolis in Vietnam, reported more than 1,000 fires last year, which killed 26 people and caused damage worth around $4 million.

Source: Vnexpress

Vietjet inks $6.5 bn deal with Airbus for 50 planes

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Vietnam’s fast-growing budget carrier VietJet famed for its bikini-clad air hostesses signed a deal with France’s Airbus on Friday for 50 planes worth $6.5 billion, according to a copy of the deal.

Airbus signed “a commercial contract with Vietjet Air for the delivery of 50 A321neo” planes, read a document of the deal from the office of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who attended the signing ceremony in Hanoi during an official visit.

The pact was part of a raft of agreements signed between Vietnam and France, one of Hanoi’s top European trading partners that is eager to boost investments in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietjet also inked a Memorandum of Understanding worth $5 billion with France’s Safran group for engines and equipment maintenance, the document said.

Vietnamese airlines have been eagerly growing fleets to serve burgeoning passenger numbers, where domestic travel has soared in recent years and international air travel is on the rise.

Vietjet stormed into Vietnam’s airline sector in 2011 when much of the market was dominated by the national carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The country’s first budget carrier, owned by Vietnam’s only female billionaire Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, has raised eyebrows with its racy marketing campaigns featuring nearly-naked models and by staffing inaugural flights with air hostesses wearing bikinis.

In just five years Vietjet quickly caught up with Vietnam Airlines to capture 42 percent of the domestic market in 2016, and 27 percent of the total market, according to data from the CAPA Centre for Aviation.

Over the past two years it has turned its attention to adding more international routes to its roster, including to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, as it seeks to serve Vietnam’s growing middle class with a thirst — and budget — for travel.

The number of passengers travelling internationally jumped to 30 million in 2017 from 23 million the year before, according to official Vietnam aviation data.

From foes to friends

The French premier is in Vietnam for a three-day visit largely aimed at drumming up business deals with one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, which clocked 6.8 percent GDP growth last year.

Both sides signed deals worth a total of nearly $12 billion, including in the energy and IT sectors.

Trade between the former colonial foes has boomed in recent years, and France is now Vietnam’s third leading European trading partner after Germany and Italy, with two-way trade hitting $7.6 billion last year, according to the French Prime Minister’s office.

Vietnam, an export-driven manufacturing hub with a population of 93 million people, has eagerly courted trading partners in Europe after the United States pulled out of the sprawling Trans-Pacific trade pact that Hanoi stood to gain enormously from.

Philippe visited Dien Bien Phu on Saturday, the site of the epic battle between France and Vietnam in 1954 that would spell the end of France’s colonial empire in Indochina and pave the way for Vietnamese independence.

The French premier’s trip also includes a stopover in the bustling economic hub Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday where he will inaugurate a French medical centre and host a business forum with French tech entrepreneurs before heading to New Caledonia.

Source: AFP & Tuoitrenews

Vinfast launches electric motorcycle

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This morning, Vinfast launched its first electric motorcycle model in Haiphong on the occasion of the opening ceremony of its electric motorcycle manufacturing factory after more than one year of construction.

The first model is named Klara and will be offered in two formats. Vinfast expects to start marketing these products on November 17. The firm expects to issue seven electric motorcycle models next year.

The factory has a capacity of 250,000 units per year in the first phase and will be expanded to produce 500,000 units in the second phase. Besides, Vinfast plans to increase the total capacity of the factory to 1 million units per year.

The vehicles can cover 80 kilometres on a full charge at an average 30 kilometres per hour. Their maximum speed will be around 50 kilometres per hour.

Vinfast is looking for distributors across the country. Besides, Vinfast and PV Oil signed a business co-operation agreement between the two companies. This cooperation aims to increase efficiency and develop the market share of petroleum and non-petroleum services, especially to catch up with the trend of electric cars in the coming time, by working together and utilising each other’s respective strengths.

Accordingly, the two sides will deploy charging points for electric vehicles at PV Oil’s petroleum stations and authorised agents of PVOIL; invest in building, expanding, and trading non-petroleum services (convenience stores and automobile repair stations, among others) at PV Oil’s petroleum stations; co-operate in building and trading petroleum stations in Vingroup’s urban centres and industrial parks; as well as prioritise the use of products and services of each party (PV Oil Easy, PV Oil Mobile, VinMec, VinSchool, VinHomes).

Besides, Vinfast is looking for other partners to expand its network of electric vehicle charging points.

Previously in October 2017, the representatives of Vingroup and Bosch Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), marking an important milestone between the two parties, according to information published on Vingroup’s website.

According to the MoU, Bosch Vietnam will supply parts and components to Vinfast’s automobiles. Besides, it will advise and support Vinfast to implement software for motorcycles and automobiles as well as business management.

Ha Vy report on VIR

National agreements on foreign workers’ social insurance negotiated

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Vietnam negotiates bilateral agreements over implementation of social insurance policies for foreign workers.

Deputy General Director of Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Dao Viet Anh was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) as telling a VSS conference in Hanoi on November 2 that bilateral agreements for a new generation of social insurance policies have been negotiated to support foreign workers engaging in Vietnam’s social insurance scheme.

Under Decree No. 143/2018/ND-CP detailing the Law on Social Insurance and the Law on Labor Safety and Hygiene, foreigners working in Vietnam with a work permit, practice certificate, or practice license granted by competent Vietnamese authorities and under indefinite-term labor contracts or contracts with a term of one full year or more shall be subject to compulsory social insurance.

Those temporarily transferred from parent companies abroad to subsidiaries in Vietnam or reaching the retirement age shall not be subject to the compulsory social insurance scheme.

Deputy Head of VSS’s Department of Social Insurance Policy Implementation Dinh Thi Hien was as quoted by VNA as saying that, currently, foreigners are yet to join social insurance in Vietnam, so from December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, they are not subject to compulsory insurance.

From January 1, 2022, foreign workers subject to the compulsory social insurance scheme must pay 8 percent of the salary stated in their contract to the retirement and survivor fund, as their Vietnamese peers do.

From December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, employers must pay insurance for employees to the fund for sickness, maternity, workplace accident, and occupational disease. From January 1, 2022, employers must pay an additional 14 per cent of their employees’ monthly salary fund to retirement and survivor insurances.

According to figures from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the number of foreign workers in Vietnam increased from 63,557 in 2011 to 83,046 in 2016. They mostly come from Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, which account for 73 per cent of the total, followed by European countries (21.6 per cent) and North American countries (2.4 per cent).

Those with employment contracts of under one year only make up 4.4 per cent, which is in response to local demand for and sustainability of foreign workers in the country.

Mr. Anh said that VSS has finished the fourth round of negotiations with South Korea, one of Vietnam’s biggest bilateral overseas labor partners.

VSS has also been implementing necessary negotiation processes with Japan and Germany, as well as all countries with overseas workers in Vietnam.

He added that the bilateral deals will support foreign workers in Vietnam in joining social insurance.

Source: Vneconomictimes

Python supposedly kills man in southern Vietnam

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A Vietnamese man who was hired by a snake farm owner died Saturday allegedly after being constricted by a python kept at the facility.

On Saturday evening, residents in Trang Bom District of Dong Nai Province, located next to Ho Chi Minh City, killed a large python after they discovered it slithering freely on the ground.

A member of the local family keeping snakes suspected the reptile was the animal they were raising, and ran home only to find a young man lying immobile near a snake cage.

On arrival the police determined that the man, 20-year-old Nguyen Ba Linh, was already dead.

The victim worked as a laborer at the family’s farm, the law enforcement said.

Neighbors said the python, weighing over 20 kilograms, had been kept at the snake farm for around seven years.

The farm owner was in hospital at the time of the incident, locals said.

The deceased man’s body was taken later on the same day to his hometown in the south-central province of Binh Thuan for burial.

The case is still under investigation.

Thai Xuan report on Tuoitrenews