“Support,” Not “Save”
	Tuesday,  May 15,2012,13:59 (GMT+7) Business-focused policies are taking shape in the currently embattled economy. The Saigon Times talks with Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, vice director of the Central Institute of Economic Management, on this issue.

150 SOEs must be equitized every year

Thursday,  May 10,2012,22:39 (GMT+7) In the first four months of 2012, only four State-owned enterprises (SOEs) were equitized, said a report of the Steering Committee for Enterprise Reform and Development. This is a slow progress given an urgent need for SOEs equitization. The Saigon Times Daily talked to Pham Viet Muon, deputy chief of the steering committee, who also serves as vice chairman of the Government Office, on this issue. Excerpts:

The greatest risk is the risk of delay
	Saturday,  May 5,2012,05:51 (GMT+7) Vietnam is doing the economic restructuring to improve efficiency and to address macro-economic woes that have pushed thousands of enterprises to the verge of bankruptcy. The Saigon Times Daily talked with Deepak Mishra, chief economist of the World Bank in Vietnam, on issues related to the restructuring program. Excerpts:

Land management is the worst performing area

Thursday,  May 3,2012,21:04 (GMT+7) A seminar will be held in Hanoi City on Thursday to announce Vietnam’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Index (PAPI) following a recent survey jointly conducted by the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the National Assembly’s People Aspiration Committee. Jairo Acuna Alfaro, UNDP Policy Advisor on Public Administration Reform and Anticorruption, talks with the Daily about key findings in the new survey. Following are excerpts.

Macroeconomic Stability Key To Policy Success
	Monday,  April 30,2012,16:04 (GMT+7) The economy is clearly in trouble, with 12,000 enterprises shutting down in the first quarter of 2012. Is a reduction in interest rates justified? What else can be done? Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh from the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program shares his view with the Saigon Times.

We welcome competition
	Thursday,  April 26,2012,22:30 (GMT+7) Nguyen Duy Binh, senior manager for FedEx in Indochina and chief representative of FedEx in Vietnam, discusses the company’s business operations in Vietnam. Excerpts:

Hong Kong is the better gateway for Vietnam to enter China

Wednesday,  April 25,2012,22:52 (GMT+7) John C Tsang, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (China), has just paid a two-day visit to Vietnam to bolster bilateral economic cooperation. In a talk with The Saigon Times Daily, he highlights the opportunities for Vietnamese companies to further tap the huge market of China via Hong Kong under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) signed in 2003 between the territory and mainland China. CEPA is in fact a free trade agreement that breaks down trade barriers for goods entering China.

VietJetAir aims to break even in three years

Tuesday,  April 24,2012,21:14 (GMT+7) Local airlines are facing fierce competition, but VietJetAir’s deputy general director Pritam Singh assures competition is in every business, not just in aviation industry, and this is good for end-users. Singh told the Daily that VietJetAir still keeps attached to flight expansion to further explore the potential of Vietnam’s aviation market and what this carrier will do to make this plan a reality. Excerpts:

Private sector should be economic driver

Thursday,  April 19,2012,22:47 (GMT+7) Macroeconomic uncertainty is among the biggest problems the country is facing. Efforts are being made to restructure the economy so as to achieve stability. The Saigon Times Daily talked with Pham Do Chi, senior economist of the Star Plus program, former expert at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on the fundamental issues of Vietnam’s economy. Excerpts:

KDB is expanding its presence in Asian market

Wednesday,  April 18,2012,21:15 (GMT+7) Korea Development Bank, a top corporate investment bank in Korea, has established its representative office in HCMC in a long-term endeavor to reinforce its business in Asia and to better serve its clients in this emerging market. The Saigon Times Daily talks with Mr. Roh Yung-Gi, Executive Director, Head of International Banking Division at the Korea Development Bank, about the bank’s business vision in Vietnam in the long term and its specific goals in the near term. Excerpts follow.