AEC Feed

  International arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 4.7 million in the first half of 2016, a year-on-year increase of 21.3 per cent.
The figure for June was 700,446, down 7.5 per cent from the previous month but up 29.8 per cent from one year ago.
Foreign arrivals by air reached over 3.92 million, up 26 per cent year-on-year while arrivals by road saw a yearly rise of 31.3 per cent to 710,000. However, arrivals by sea declined 27.8 per cent to 75,000.
The number of tourists visiting Vietnam from several Asian countries and territories saw strong growth: mainland China, up 48 per cent; Thailand, up 35 per cent; South Korea, up 34 per cent; Hong Kong, up 28 per cent and Laos, up 21 per cent.
Growth was also recorded in the number of tourists from Italy, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, as well as Russia, Germany and France.
According to the General Statistics Office, the local tourism sector also served some 32.4 million domestic travellers in the six-month period. Total revenue for the period was estimated at 200.3 trillion dong ($9.1 billion), up 22.1 per cent year-on-year. This year, Vietnam has set a goal of 8.5 million foreign and 60 million domestic travellers, which is expected to bring in 370 trillion dong for the sector. Vietnam is considered one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Southeast Asia, driven by the entrance of international hoteliers, an improved visa policy and investment in key infrastructure. – Viet Nam News
 

New policies designed to help HCMC businesses thrive
  All enterprises should have equal access to city resources, regardless of size, type or industry, the deputy chairman of HCM City's People's Committee said.
Nguyen Thanh Phong spoke at a conference in HCM City on Wednesday. He said the city will create favourable conditions and develop a sound investment environment by amending or creating policies to help businesses overcome challenges and take advantage of new opportunities.
At the conference which discussed local companies' competitiveness, Phong said startup activity and improvement of competitiveness |will be strongly supported by |the city.
“Enterprises and investors have made huge contributions to the country's development and modernisation. In HCM City, we don't just consider businesses something to manage. They need support and conditions to develop. Their growth corresponds to the city's development,” Phong said.
He said ideas from enterprises and investors are welcome, as “this will help the city and its departments solve social and economic issues.”
At the conference, companies in different sectors spoke about ways to help the business community.
Vu Duc Giang, chairman of the Vietnam Garment and Textile Association, said the city lacks skilled textile and dye workers, creating challenges for the industry.
The shortage of raw material suppliers in the city is another obstacle. – Viet Nam News
 

Tony Fernandes joins Amnesty's Global Council
  Amnesty International welcomed AirAsia chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes into its Global Council of influential people helping in its goal of preventing and ending grave abuses of human rights.
The luminaries included entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, Japanese artist Yoko Ono, social activist Hadeel Ibrahim and businessman Bassim Haidar.
“It is an honour to welcome Tony Fernandes and his entrepreneurial spirit and creativity to our Global Council.
“Having such a notable business figure from Asia on the council will boost the visibility of Amnesty International and the human rights issues we focus on in Asia and around the world,” said Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty.
The council was established in 2013 to help raise public support and the financial resources to fuel the organisation’s expansion in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
However, Fernandes has been involved in the organisation for much longer.
“I joined Amnesty International when I was 13. Being a member taught me the importance of human rights to human dignity.
“I am therefore honoured to be able to give back to Amnesty International as part of its Global Council, and I look forward to creating awareness and driving engagement in Asia, particularly among Asean youth," said Fernandes. – The Star
 

Indonesia losing logistics battle
  The price of broiler eggs in Sumatra and Java ranges from 14,000 ringgit ($1.06 ) to 20,000 ringgit per kilogram, but in Papua, they cost almost double at 32,000 ringgit per kg, recent data shows.
High logistics costs have been blamed for the lack of competitiveness of local products as a result of the cost of transportation between islands. Frequently imported products can be much cheaper. “ The challenges in distributing goods in Indonesia are infrastructure bottlenecks and security issues,” said Nur Rahman, corporate communications general manager of major retail chain Alfamart, which distributes to 11,000 outlets from its 32 warehouses across the country.
Initially, the company handled distribution by itself, but challenging conditions on the ground led the company to outsource its distribution to a logistics company. Now, distribution costs account for more than 15 percent of total operating costs, which are passed on to consumers. Overall, Indonesia’s logistics costs account for 26 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), double those of Singapore and Malaysia.
Logistics have long been high on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s agenda, having launched many policies to tackle the problem, from streamlining export-import permits, incentivising bonded logistics centres and easing the domestic flow of goods through scheduled freightliners. The president himself has sunk his teeth into making sure Indonesia fares much better in global competitiveness and dwell times, the wait time for goods at seaports. –The Jakarta Post