Assistance In Setting up Business Venture in Vietnam | ANT Consulting

To help Clients start business in Vietnam, ANT Consulting introduces the service to assist in setting up business venture in Vietnam.

Foreign investors could make direct investment in Vietnam through setting up one hundred per cent (100%) capital of foreign investors, or establishing joint venture between domestic and foreign investors, or investing in the contractual forms of: BCC, BO, BTO, and BT

Types of enterprise for foreign investors to invest in Vietnam are as following:

Limited Liability Company

A limited-liability company may not issue securities to mobilize capital.

Joint Stock Company

The main difference between Joint Stock Company and Limited Liability Company is the Joint Stock Company can raise funds by offering shares or securities. In addition, an enterprise tends to join the Stock exchanges or public company must be a Joint Stock Company. Management system of Joint Stock Company is more complicated than Liability Company.

Partnership

Unlimited liability partners must be individuals who shall be liable for the obligations of the company to the extent of all of their assets. Limited liability partners shall only be liable for the debts of the company to the extent of the amount of capital they have contributed to the company.

Representative Office of Foreign Trader

Representative Office is not allowed to directly conduct profit making activities in Vietnam (i.e: the execution of contracts, direct payment or receipt of funds, sale or purchase of goods, or provision of services)

Branch of Foreign Trader

The Branch is permitted to conduct activities being the purchase and sale of goods and other commercial activities consistent with its license for establishment in accordance with the law of Vietnam and any international treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.

Investing by Signing Contracts

Business co-operation contract (BCC) means the investment form signed between investors in order to co-operate in business and to share profits or products without creating a legal entity.

Build-operate-transfer contract (BOT) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct and operate commercially an infrastructure facility for a fixed duration; and, upon expiry of the duration, the investor shall, without compensation, transfer such facility to the State of Vietnam.

Build-transfer-operate contract (BTO) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct an infrastructure facility; and, upon completion of construction, the investor shall transfer the facility to the State of Vietnam and the Government shall grant the investor the right to operate commercially such facility for a fixed duration in order to recover the invested capital and gain profits.

Build-transfer contract (BT) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct an infrastructure facility; and, upon completion of construction, the investor shall transfer the facility to the State of Vietnam and the Government shall create conditions for the investor to implement another project in order to recover the invested capital and gain profits or to make a payment to the investor in accordance with an agreement in the BT contract.

Foreign investors may sign BOT, BT and BTO contracts with a competent State body to implement infrastructure construction projects in Vietnam. Typically, the contracts are for projects in the fields of transportation, electricity production, water supply, drainage and waste treatment.

Read More

Flourishes in Attracting Investment in Can Tho | ANT Consulting

Can Tho has welcomed many large-scale investment projects from foreign and domestic investors come to set up company in Can Tho.

The city has issued investment policy decisions for 18 domestic projects, with a total registered capital of over 25,046 billion VND and 9 projects with foreign direct investment (FDI) with a total registered capital of 65.28 million USD. Accumulated to date, Can Tho has a total of 103 domestic investment projects, with a registered capital of over 63,324.76 billion VND and 86 FDI projects, with a total registered capital of over 748 million USD.

Business development situation of Can Tho also has positive changes. It is estimated that in 2019, the city issue new business registration certificates to 1,500 enterprises of all types, with a total registered capital of 11,500 billion VND, an increase of 7.37% in the number of businesses and an increase of 46.98% of registered capital compared to 2018, bringing the total number of active businesses to about 10,000; accounting for about 26% of all businesses in the Mekong Delta region.

Over the years, Can Tho has invested strongly in the infrastructure system, especially the transport infrastructure, step by step completed in a synchronous and modern manner, better meeting the needs of socio-economic development and attracting investment not only for Can Tho, but also for the whole Mekong Delta region.

In terms of maritime, the central port of Can Tho including Hoang Dieu and Cai Cui wharves has completed upgrading and basically completed to accommodate such vessels as 10,000 DWT full-load and 20,000 DWT to reduce loading. The shipping channel project for large vessels entering the Hau River has been completed and cleared with technical channels, creating favorable conditions for transporting import and export goods.

Regarding aviation, Can Tho International Airport has strengthened the exploitation of more domestic routes to and from major cities in the country, along with two international routes to Thailand and Malaysia. Especially, from the beginning of 2020, the route of Can Tho – Seoul (Korea) operated by VietJet will officially open with the frequency of 3 flights/week.

Regarding road traffic, as planned, in April 2021, Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway will be put into use. Along with that, the My Thuan – Can Tho expressway deployed to invest will connect smoothly and quickly Can Tho with Ho Chi Minh City – the largest economic center of the country.

Besides, the investment promotion and image promotion of the locality are paid special attention. In 2019, the City has organized many missions to promote domestic and foreign investment cooperation, focusing on potential markets suitable to local investment attraction needs, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Czech Republic, Russia…

Read More

The Middle Class of Vietnam Increased Sharply| ANT Consulting

The top concern of foreign investors seeking to expand their business in Vietnam is the growing middle class, an important part of the Vietnam consumer market.

The middle class is not only an important part of the market, they are becoming the loyal customers of many foreign businesses, operating in all kinds of sectors in Vietnam. According to UPS Vietnam Managing Director, Vietnam’s middle class is buying more and more cross-border goods. This company invests in vehicles to deliver the items that these middle-class customers ordered from US, UK to their houses.

Accordingly, cross-border e-commerce is growing fast. More and more e-commerce companies are sourcing in Vietnam. In contrast, the middle class of Vietnam also shopping online at foreign websites.

According to experts, Vietnamese middle class people have monthly income of 15 million VND (equivalent to about 700 USD) or more. By 2020, the country is expected to have 44 million middle class people. According to the Center for Consumer Studies and Customers of Boston Consulting Group (US), the “middle class and wealthy” of Vietnam are people who earn an average of 714 USD a month or more.

The Brookings Institute studies showed that the growth rate of the Vietnamese middle class in the period from 2005 to 2015 is more than 14% per year. It is estimated that in the period from 2016 to 2020, this number will continue to increase by 4 percentage points, equivalent to over 18% per annum.

Compared with other Southeast Asian countries, the growth rate of the Vietnamese middle class is among the highest. For example, in the period from 2016 to 2020, the middle class in Malaysia and Thailand increased by more than 4%, Indonesia increased by nearly 12%, and Singapore only increased by 3% per year.

By 2015, the total consumption of the global middle class is 34.8 billion USD. Brookings Institute estimates that by 2030, this number will almost double. By 2030, the global middle-class consumption may increase by 29,000 billion USD compared to 2015. The today’s low-income countries such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam will create a market with total consumption increased by 15 trillion USD compared with the current rate.

Not only increasing in number, the change in the money and spending perspectives of the middle class is also an attractive point. This creates a change in many industries, from food to banking.

Vietnamese consumers are changing their lifestyle very fast and they are increasingly willing to spend on large items aimed at improving their lives. According to a Nielsen report, the percentage of people saving money in quarter II/2017 decreased more than 13% from the previous quarter and just behind Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

According to PwC Vietnam, the fast-growing middle class in the country will accelerate the demand for more sophisticated banking services, such as insurance through banking and asset management. Along with that, cashless payments will have the opportunity to grow.

Moving from cash payment to cashless is an indispensable trend. We see many banks in Vietnam are shifting their focus to retail banking thanks to the increased spending of young people. The developing technological infrastructure facilitates the transition from a cash economy to a cashless economy.

Read More

Singapore Investment Imprint in Vietnam Industrial Real Estate | ANT Consulting

With the impact of free trade agreements and capital inflows into Vietnam, Vietnam industrial real estate and logistics are the segments that have grown most rapidly recently.

As a multidisciplinary investment group of Singapore, Sembcorp Development entered Vietnam very early. In 1996, Sembcorp shook hands with Becamex IDC Vietnam Company to establish a joint venture: Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP).

Up to now, VSIP has developed a total of 9 VSIP projects across the country, with a total land fund of more than 8,600 ha, providing production infrastructure for nearly 900 enterprises with a total investment of more than 15 billion USD.

In addition to industrial parks, VSIP is also a pioneer in the construction of urban services and commercial areas, which are planned synchronously along the industrial zones. Currently, VSIP has been developing dozens of such projects to serve the community of experts, employees and local workers as well as industrial zones developed by VSIP.

Also coming from Singapore, Ascendas joint venture with Protrade Company to develop and manage the 500-hectare Protrade International Industrial Park in Binh Duong province and Saigon OneHub Project located in Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (SHTP).

The Protrade International Industrial Park project is built according to international quality standards with a centralized wastewater treatment plant, full facilities, complete infrastructure, providing ready-built and custom-built factories.

Meanwhile, OneHub Saigon is a commercial office complex with an area of 12 hectares, located at the gateway of SHTP.

Designed to meet international green standards, the complex is an ideal choice for companies in information technology, high technology and supporting industries…

Many foreign investors are actively looking for investment opportunities in Vietnam’s industrial real estate market. In particular, many investors chose Binh Duong and Dong Nai to establish manufacturing companies, thanks to the availability of a foundation for production development.

Boustead Projects Limited launched its first ready-built factory project in Nhon Trach 2 Industrial Park in 2018. The factory at phase 1 covers an area of 6 hectares, has been designed and built under the supervision of the team of experts. Currently, this investor is implementing phase 2, with many sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. This phase is expected to complete and welcome tenants in the third quarter of 2021.

In addition, Mapletree Group, another Singaporean investor, owns and manages total assets of more than 1 billion SGD (719.2 million USD) worth of assets in Vietnam, with a section stretches from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Bac Ninh, with 8 real estate and logistics projects.

The wave of shifting and expanding production of foreign investors, including Singaporean investors, is opening great opportunities for Vietnam’s industrial real estate.

In particular, the Covid-19 outbreak caused supply chain disruptions and made international investors more interested in expanding plans, setting up company, branches or production facilities in Southeast Asian countries, in which Vietnam is a reasonable investment destination.

According to Senior Director of Savills Vietnam, Vietnam is always an attractive destination for foreign businesses with a young, more mobile workforce than some other countries in the region, reasonable labor costs.

In addition, there are advantages such as infrastructure, seaports, upgraded transportation system, political stability…

According to the latest report of JLL Real Estate Consulting Company (Vietnam), the total leased land area of ​​the southern provinces is at 25,045 ha in the second quarter of 2020. Supply is filling up rapidly due to soaring demand. Land rent in industrial zones averaged 106 USD / m2 / rental cycle, up 9.7% over the same period last year. The rental price of the ready-built factory is stable at 3.5 – 5 USD / m2 / month.

While the pandemic remains a threat, rental negotiations and new requirements are expected to continue to stall until the end of 2020. However, experts say, the market will quickly recover. right after the situation is under control. A strong industrial development base coupled with an ongoing diversified sourcing trend promises to help bring Vietnam to a new level in the industrial property development market.

Read More

Why Japanese Are Interested in Da Nang? | ANT Consulting

There are many advantages in geographical location, low labor costs, open investment environment… have made Da Nang becoming more and more attractive to Japanese investors. The cooperative relation between Da Nang and Japan has already had a solid foundation and are in the best development stage…

Previously, many Japanese investors are often interested in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) but recently they have been paying much attention to Da Nang – the city by the Han River. Besides the natural advantages, the Da Nang Government has also actively support and creates favorable conditions for investors, including Japan.

Recently, Da Nang and Japanese localities have also actively expanded their friendly cooperative relations in various fields. Da Nang has officially signed the Memorandum and deploy the friendship cooperation with Kawasaki, Sakai Yokohamam, Mitsuke and is taking steps to promote expanded cooperation, towards the signing of the Memorandum with Nagasaki, Kobe, Yaizu, Fukuoka, Otawara, Nemuro, Kushiro, Matsusaka. Da Nang is Vietnam’s pioneering province of Vietnam that has representative office in Tokyo…

Up to now, there are more than 120 enterprises and representative offices of the company from Japan have been active in Da Nang, with total investment of about 500 million USD, creating more than 30 thousand jobs for local workers. Annually, Da Nang also welcomed about 200 Japanese delegations came to survey and seek opportunities for cooperation and investment.

There are many projects in Da Nang that are constructed using ODA capital from Japan such as Hai Van Tunnel, the project to upgrade Tien Sa port, Da Nang Hospital…

Da Nang has a favorable geographical location as international gateway when lying on the East – West economic corridor, linking the countries in the ASEAN region. In addition, Da Nang has open investment environment with the liberal policies, implemented by the Government, transparent and facilitate administrative transactions…Moreover, Da Nang also has the advantage of cheap labor costs. Labor cost here is only 1/3 the salary paid to Chinese workers, an important factor in deciding to investment…

To welcoming the wave of Japanese investors, Da Nang has applied teaching Japanese language at secondary and high schools. Until now, Da Nang is province with the highest the number of students who study Japanese language in the central of Vietnam.

Read More

Korean Investors Interested in Vietnam Stock Market | ANT Consulting

Came to Vietnam this time, the Korea Financial Investment Association included CEOs of many securities companies, fund management companies with managed capital flows of about 350 billion USD.

At the workshop named “Capital market and prospects for investment cooperation between Vietnam – Korea”, organized by Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) and the Korea Financial Investment Association, many investors expressed their interest in Vietnam’s exchange traded funds (ETF), the obstacles that these funds may be encountered when listed on the Korean stock market, or the opportunities to invest in state owned enterprises (SOE) that are about to be equitized and divested.

According to the Chairman of HOSE, as of the beginning of December 2015, Vietnam financial market has 34 legal entities which are branches and offices of Korean companies that are operating, supplying a variety of services, create excitement and enhance the value added to the market.

In recent years, the authorities have taken many ways to attract foreign investors such as loosening room, promoting the equitization of SOE, launched new products, efforts to improve the market… thereby creating attractiveness and long-term potential for Vietnam stock market, which opens up attractive investment opportunities for these investors.

The workshop is expected to provide more information, introduce potential areas with different views for Korean investors.

According to the President of the Korea Financial Investment Association, annually, the Association often organizes visits to financial agencies in many different countries to learn about investment demand. This year, the delegation come to Vietnam are all the CEOs of the securities companies, fund management companies with managed capital flows of about 350 billion VND.

The reasons for choosing Vietnam of the Association to be the destination to explore investment opportunities because Vietnam is getting more attention from international investors, especially when TPP was signed and Vietnam is also member of Asean Economic Community.

In addition, the Government of Vietnam is making efforts to improve the investment environment, this is the foundation for Vietnam’s economy to develop and become an attractive destination.

Korean investors at the workshop expressed their interest in Vietnam stock market, especially investor structure, the number of listed companies, the number of fund management companies, establishing pension fund, listing the ETF Vietnam on the Korea stock market and investment opportunities to invest in SOE that are about to equitized and divested.

Read More

Why is it important to undertake background check before hiring? | ANT Consulting

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.

Read More

Why should you invest in Da Nang High-Tech Park? | ANT Consulting

Da Nang Hi-tech Park is the only high-tech park in the Central and Highlands of Vietnam. The Da Nang high-tech Park has gradually attracted foreign investors to invest and set up company, factory in Da Nang, especially in the area of high-tech because of its advantages in location, environment, government policy, and local resources.

In terms of geographical location, the High-Tech Park is planned in Da Nang, a key economic region of the Central and Highlands region, where there is a modern, synchronized technical infrastructure system, and a fiber optic cable station on SE- ME-WE that are three connects telecommunication lines with international and human resource training system is abundant and diverse. In addition, the High-Tech Park has a convenient location on the air route to Da Nang International Airport – one of Vietnam’s international airports. About waterways, Da Nang is a coastal city of Vietnam, with large seaport systems such as Tien Sa and Lien Chieu ports to help trade goods with many countries in the region and around the world. In addition, Da Nang High-Tech Park is located on the arterial traffic route of Vietnam, convenient for connecting with surrounding industrial parks and urban areas.

In addition, the High-Tech Park is located in a rich natural landscape area, clean natural environment, close to resorts and eco-tourism such as Da Nang, this is the ideal environment for the formation of an eco-hi-tech urban area, giving investors, scientists and workers a convenient and comfortable living and working environment.

In addition, the Hi-Tech Park is located in Da Nang City, which has a strategic location, transparent and open investment environment, modern infrastructure, friendly living environment and human resources is abundant, the political stability, these are considered to be prerequisites for investors to be able to invest in the safely and effectively way.

Moreover, in recent years, Da Nang has continuously had effective policies to attract investment, attract FDI in the high-tech sector towards building a smart city, so the case many investors are investing in the Hi-Tech Park will help the city accomplish its development goals soon. Therefore, Da Nang always has the highest preferential policy in the country in attracting investment in high-tech parks and low investment costs, in addition, Da Nang’s management agencies have always implemented reforms the administrative procedure, shorten time for investors when investing in here.

With the advantages of geographical location as well as supporting policies, attracting investment, Da Nang High-Tech Park is gradually becoming an investment destination of investors in the future, for setting up business in Vietnam.

Read More

Nothing Can Stop Investors Coming to Vietnam | ANT Consulting

Many foreign investors have once again affirmed the attractiveness of Vietnam as an investment destination.

It is no coincidence that the Vietnam Intensive Online Conference, recently held within the framework of Standard Chartered Bank’s ASEAN-focused investment attraction series, took the theme “Vietnam – Rising star”.

A survey showed that 38% of enterprises surveyed said that they would consider expanding their supply chain in Vietnam. This is the highest rate among ASEAN countries.

With strong fundamentals such as a young, dynamic and tech-savvy population, a growing domestic market, a growing middle class and an open economy, Vietnam continues to deliver attractive investment opportunities. However, it is equally important to manage risk especially in understanding business partners through corporate intelligence investigation, background studying, adverse media search.

Many multinational corporations have been interested in establishing business investments in Vietnam in order to take advantage of the close geographical distance and the ability to connect with ASEAN to promote business activities.

According to data provided by the Japan Trade Promotion Organization (JETRO), more than 40% of the total of 3,500 Japanese enterprises surveyed said they were considering expanding operations in Vietnam, to set up company within the next three years.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has just been signed between the Foreign Investment Agency (Ministry of Planning and Investment) and JETRO. The agreement was awarded in the witness of Vietnam Prime Minister on September 7th 2020, confirming the great efforts of both the Foreign Investment Agency and JETRO in implementing measures to promote Japanese investment in Vietnam.

Read More

Foreigners Rushing to Buy Real Estate in Vietnam

Hundreds of millions of dollars are waiting to pour into Vietnam real estate market in most segments. The real estate market attracts a lot of foreign investors, mainly through M&A activities.

According to the newly announced report from Savills Vietnam, in quarter 2 of 2017, housing development projects received strong attention. China Fortune Land Development Group has bought shares in VinaCapital’s Lotus Dai Phuoc project for 65.3 million USD. Dai Phuoc Lotus is a residential area project with a total area of 198.5 million hectares in Dong Nai province, bordering Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, VinaCapital’s Times Square project (Hanoi) worth 41 million USD is also transferred to Elite Capital Resources Limited.

Japanese investors are also active in the market. Nishi Nippon and Hankyu cooperate with Nam Long to build a 26 hectares Mizuki Park residential project in Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City with total investment capital of 351 million USD.

In addition, Aeon Mall – the famous Japanese retailer has officially co-operated with BIM Group to develop the second shopping center of Aeon in Hanoi with an area of 16.7 ha, the estimated investment capital is 200 million USD.

In the field of industrial real estate, Hemaraj Land & Development (Thailand) and Cienco 4 (Vietnam) have officially confirmed the joint venture to establish 1 billion USD industrial park on 3,200 hectares of land in Nghe An province.

In recent years, the real estate market of Vietnam has witnessed the strategic moves of investors, including mergers – acquisitions and development – cooperation. Some typical deals include Gaw Capital’s acquisition of a series of high-value commercial properties from Indochina Land, Gamuda Land’s acquisition of stake of local investors in the Celadon City project.

At the same time, the M&A market happened on a large scale in all different segments, such as the joint venture between Chau Tai Phuc and Suncity Group into the large resort and casino project in Nam Hoi An with total investment of up to 4 billion USD or the deal that Lotte acquired Diamond Plaza.

The market is expected to continue to be active in 2017 with a series of acquisitions and mergers.

According to JLL Vietnam, in the first half of 2017, Vietnam has attracted about 19.2 billion USD of foreign investment capital, increase by 54.8% over the same period last year. This shows that Vietnam is still one of the potential markets for investment in Southeast Asia.

There are hundreds of millions of dollars waiting to be poured into the domestic market in most segments, including housing, offices, retail, hotels and industrial parks, according to JLL. Investors come from different countries like Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the growth of investor groups from China.

Joint ventures are becoming more popular among foreign investors – with strong financial strength and experiences, they will work with local corporations – investors who holding land in the market and also has close relationships with local authorities.

The hotel segment has always attracted the attention in the recent time with a lot of foreign capital poured into Vietnam. Forecasting this trend will continue to grow, while other markets such as industrial park and education are also growing constantly. The affordable housing market is seen as attracting much investment capital, largely due to the rise of the middle class.

Lastly, according to Savills Vietnam, M&A will continue to be the form that the vast majority of investors will use to enter the Vietnamese market in order to realize their goals.

Read More

Startup in Ho Chi Minh City Will Be as Convenient as in Singapore

A series of specific commitments has been confirmed by HCMC’s Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan to help startup environment in HCMC becoming as favorable as in Singapore.

The city is committed to preparing an industrial park reserved for newly startup and innovative businesses. Secondly, the procedure for setting up company in Ho Chi Minh City will be as good as in Singapore. Third, in addition to private investment, the city will also, on a case-by-case basis, pilot public-private partnerships in support of innovative entrepreneurship.

In addition to the above 3 commitments, according to Mr Nguyen Thien Nhan, HCMC will have a general information page to reflect the creative start-up activities in the area. At the same time, he decided to meet face-to-face with the startup community twice a year to listen to their mind and remove difficulties in time.

In general, in the past year, HCMC has had very specific and significant results in comparison with other provinces in terms of start-up activities. According to director of the Department of Science and Technology of HCMC, this agency has set up 5 spaces to support innovative start-ups and links with 24 business incubators with a total floor area of over 22,000 square meters. Of which, 50% capital is from socialization.

In addition, The SpeedUp 2017 program has provided financial support tools from the budget for innovative startup projects through enterprise incubators. In the past 8 months, this program has received and processed 112 innovative startup project applications. The number of selected projects was 14/112 (12.5%), which is quite high compared to the current selection rate of many investment funds (VIISA reaches 5%, VSVA reaches 8%).

This year, the HCMC Department of Science and Technology has also set up 4 Steering Committee for Innovative Ecosystems for 4 key areas of the city, including mechanics, food processing, plastic – rubber – chemistry and information technology.

With a network of 145 consultants and innovative start-up advisors from many different disciplines, up to now, 938 start-up projects have been connected to help develop business ideas. There are 3,200 individuals and start-up groups connected to investors, experts and consultancy organizations. Moreover, over 300 startup products are promoted to the community.

However, a general assessment from the Department of Science and Technology of the City, most startups in Vietnam are newly invested at the seed stage with small scale and the possibility of breakthrough growth is not high. This is a matter of concern.

Read More

Mavin Pledged to Invest 80 Million USD in Nghe An | ANT Consulting

Mavin Group (Australia) has operated in Vietnam for a long time and now they do not hide their ambition to expand investment and set up business in Vietnam.

In February 2017, Mavin Group inaugurated an animal feed production factory in Nghe An. This plant has a total investment of 15 million USD, which is built on an area of 3.6 ha and has a capacity of 300,000 tons per year.

Mavin Group has invested in Vietnam for more than 12 years and now has production facilities in 7 provinces and branches, warehouses in 19 different provinces in the country. However, up to date, Nghe An is the only province that Mavin plans to invest in 4 separate projects with a total investment of 80 million USD.

In addition to the inaugural animal feed factory, Mavin Group plans to deploy 3 more projects in Nghe An.

In April 2017, Mavin Group was granted a license to invest in a 18 million USD hi-tech pig farm, built on an area of ​​100 hectares. Subsequently, the Mavin Group plans to invest in a Veterinary Research Center. At the same time, conducting a feasibility study to invest in a food processing plant that may be launched by 2018. The project has a total investment of 25 million USD, built on an area of ​​5 hectares, capacity of 200,000 tons/year. This factory will produce products made from meat, sausage, ham and other traditional meats… serving the domestic market and exporting to Laos and Cambodia.

According to the Chairman of the group, Mavin Group before making investment decision always consider 6 issues that are: human resources; market; geographic factors; political issues (attention, government support, security…); incentive policy and transparency.

In addition, representatives of the Mavin Group expressed their satisfaction when investing in Nghe An. Moreover, they also suggested that investors should choose to invest in Nghe An not only because of favorable geographic location, synchronous facilities, great source of human resources but also highly supported from province leaders with great investment incentives.

According to the representative of Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in the Central and South regions, recently many local and foreign investors have come to Nghe An seeking investment opportunities.

Previously, in September 2015, VSIP Nghe An was officially started construction with a total area of 750 hectares. After more than a year of land handover, up to now, VSIP Nghe An has now leveled and built complete infrastructure for about 100 hectares of industrial land area in phase 1A. The wastewater treatment system, clean water supply, power supply, fire prevention and protection have been completed and ready to serve investors in production.

More than 90 companies from many countries and territories have come to find out information and investment opportunities at VSIP Nghe An and 10 companies have signed investment commitments with total investment capital of over 400 billion VND. By the beginning of September 2017, some companies have received land handover and started plant construction. In which, the first factory was officially put into operation. It is expected that by the fourth quarter of 2017, two more companies will come into operation, attracting about 1,000 workers.

It is known that VSIP Nghe An is the 7th project that VSIP deployed in Vietnam. Previously, in addition to 2 VSIP projects in Binh Duong, there are projects in Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Quang Ngai and Hai Duong. Currently, VSIP’s projects attract a total of 720 investors from 30 countries and territories with total domestic and foreign investment of 9.2 billion USD, creating jobs for about 180,000 workers.

Read More

Why the Investors to Choose a Reputation Enterprise for Cooperation? | ANT Consulting

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.

Read More

Vietnam attracts Japanese Investors | ANT Consulting

During the volatility of the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision to invest in Vietnam became more and more interested by Japanese investors.

Since 10 years ago, many Japanese enterprises have considered Vietnam as a promising foreign investment market after China. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 has left serious consequences for the Chinese economy, when a series of the world’s no.1 supply chains in this country were broken. Many foreign investors have chosen ASEAN, including Vietnam to invest, where there is a safe political system and a stable health system, and a favorable legal corridor.

According to the report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of mid-June this year, the total foreign investment capital in Vietnam reached 15.67 billion USD. Japan ranks 4th among countries with total registered capital to invest in Vietnam market. In the investment scenarios in Vietnam, finding local businesses becomes a short but effective step. Foreign investors choose potential businesses to invest in or buy back businesses. In which, Saizo is a typical example.

Saizo Japan is a prestigious brand in Japan, famous for its comprehensive range of health care products. During the scientific cooperation at the Center for Scientific Research of Vietnam, realizing the potential for development from products of natural origin, Saizo Japan planned to invest in chain technology, as well as the application of the Japanese biological science and technology background.

Saizo Japan is a prestigious brand in the country of the sun, famous for its comprehensive range of health care products. During the scientific cooperation at the Center for Scientific Research of Vietnam with Master of Science Nguyen Xuan Phu, realizing the potential for development from products of natural origin, Saizo Japan planned to invest in chain technology, as well as the application of the Japanese biological science and technology.

Read More

Establishing Distribution Company In Danang | ANT Consulting

Da Nang is a city in the Central of Vietnam, with the advantage of being a trading place of many countries in the world. Danang has a large seaport in the top 10 large seaports of Vietnam, facilitating trading activities with many countries around the world.

At the present, Da Nang is promoting foreign investment into Da Nang, and many investors have chosen Da Nang to do business in the distribution business line. For this business line, Vietnam has committed to open up to attract 100% foreign investment. As committed, foreign-invested companies in the distribution sector will be allowed to provide commission agents, wholesalers and retailers of all products manufactured in Vietnam and legally imported products into Vietnam. Therefore, the investors can import or produce goods, then they distribute the goods in accordance with regulations.

In addition, with the increasing in the number of tourists coming to Da Nang in recent years, the demand for consumer products, fashion and other items for tourists has increased. This triggers demand that many companies to provide essential goods for tourists, and this is a great investment opportunity for investors both domestically and abroad. The investors could explore this opportunity to set up company in Da Nang and fill the market’s demand.

In addition, with many policies to support enterprises in administrative procedures, as well as management, investors can easily carry out procedures as well as manage and control their business better. Enterprises investing in Da Nang are now very satisfied with the way public services are handled in the city’s administrative procedures, therefore more and more investors are choosing Da Nang as a destination for investment when targeting in Vietnam.

Read More

Set-up Limited Liability Company in Vietnam |ANT Consulting

Limited Liability Company is a form of enterprise which is established by contributing of members. A member shall be liable for the debts and other property obligations of the enterprise within the amount of capital that he/she has undertaken to contribute to the company.

Limited liability companies are regulated by two types:

One member Limited Liability Company is an enterprise owned by one organization or individual;

Limited Liability Company with two or more members is an enterprise owned by organizations or individuals, in which the number of members shall not less than two members and not exceed fifty.

Organizational and management structure of Limited Liability Company normally comprise of a Member’s Council, General Director or Director.

A limited-liability company established by foreign investors may take the form of either:

100% foreign-owned enterprise (where all members are foreign investors); or;

Foreign-invested joint-venture enterprise between foreign investors and at least one domestic investor.

Read More

Samsung Invests Aggressively in Bac Ninh | ANT Consulting

With the favorable and open business environment, Vietnam has committed to be the attractive investment destination for multinational enterprises to come and set up business in Vietnam.

Samsung wants to raise the total investment in Bac Ninh to 6.5 billion USD and transferred the model from high-tech project to large-scale project…

Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Committee has just sent an official letter to the Prime Minister on supporting Samsung Display Co., Ltd Vietnam (SDV) in the process of project expansion in Bac Ninh province.

According to the Provincial People’s Committee of Bac Ninh, so far SDV has raised investment capital to 4 billion USD. Reportedly, SDV’s total revenue in 2015 was 2.7 billion USD, in which exports reached 2.5 billion USD. Accumulated to October 2016, SDV has revenue of 5.9 billion USD.

Project disbursement schedule of Samsung by the end of 2016 is estimated at 2.5 billion USD. Expected in 2017, Samsung will disburse the registered capital of 4 billion USD in Bac Ninh.

Bac Ninh confirmed that SDV has done on schedule and as planned when the entire Module 3 project when come into operation will be a prerequisite to attract more companies to serve SDV.

Notably, SDV has expressed their desire to invest an additional of 2.5 billion USD, disbursed in 5 years since 2018. Thereby, raising the total investment in Bac Ninh to 6.5 billion USD.

Recently, according to Mr. Hyun Woo Bang – Deputy General Director of Samsung Vietnam, in 2016, although the Company has to face with the problem of Samsung Galaxy Note 7, thanks to the support of the Government and Ministries in Vietnam, Samsung has overcome difficult period. In 2016, revenue of Samsung Vietnam reached 46.3 billion USD; exports reached 39.9 billion USD, increased by 9.9% compared to 2015.

Samsung accounted for 22.7% of export turnover nationwide, a slight increase compared to the rate of 20% of the previous year.

Reportedly, Bac Ninh is the province that attracting a lot of foreign investment projects in Vietnam. Moreover, Bac Ninh is the investment destination of 30 countries and territories around the world. Accumulated up to the present time, in the Industrial Zones in Bac Ninh province, 1,050 projects are licensed with a total investment of 13.1 billion USD. FDI sector has created 231,000 jobs.

Read More

Vietnam Technology Startup Attracts Foreign Enterprises | ANT Consulting

Technology startup in Vietnam is increasingly attractive. Many foreign enterprises are interested in this area and showing their desire to set up business in Vietnam.

According to Mr Mitchell Pham, president of the New Zealand Technology Association (NZTech) – who is known to be the 1st native of Vietnam elected to become the chairman of NZTech, representing for over 400 technology enterprises New Zealand: “All trip participants were impressed with the development of science and technology in Vietnam. We are looking for specific opportunities for cooperation with Vietnam-tech enterprise”.

More information about the members of the delegation, Mr Mitchell Pham said that back to Vietnam this time, accompanied him are 6 young leaders of technology enterprises in New Zealand with a desire to learn and exchange with technology businesses in Vietnam, in order to create connection for long-term investment goals.

In terms of the favorable conditions, according to Mr Mitchell Pham, trade relations between New Zealand and Vietnam have the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia with 120% in the period 2010 – 2015. Two-way trade of the two countries in 2015 has reached 1 billion USD.

Moreover, Vietnam is known as the country with the booming information technology market and the government is also trying to create more incentives for this sector. Meanwhile, technology businesses in New Zealand have experiences and large operating network, certainly the cooperation and investment in Vietnam will be intensified in the coming period.

According Chicilon Media, Vietnam technology market, especially Ho Chi Minh City is developing extremely powerful. Consumers is having trend to access to communication products and services via smartphones instead of traditional media such as TV, poster… Hence, this Company has strengthened their strategy focusing on channels to access information over the phone and access to a diverse range of partners such as the startup.

In parallel, the growth of mobile devices will continue in the coming years. Therefore, the approach to the users of mobile devices – who are moving to the final stage of the shopping journey and going to buy the product – becomes extremely important. Currently, marketing on mobile devices is evaluated as a simple marketing channels, rapid deployment and easy to access to customers.

Read More

Information research in Vietnam | ANT Consulting

At ANT Consulting, we assist clients with search and information research in Vietnam as required.

In particular, we do assist client to survey, interview, locate, check, investigate, verify information.

The report we provide would help clients make better decision in investment, business transaction, employment or Intellectual Property matters.

Let ANT Consulting help your business in Vietnam.

ANT Consulting is here to assist you from the outset; providing intelligence, information, management or support and administrative services that assist market entrance, and ensure efficient business start-up operation. Our services are as following:

· Market Entry

· Tax Advice

· Legal Advice

· Outsourcing Services

We strive to save your cost by guiding you towards economical solutions that comply with local legislation and procedures. We support you through early logistic solutions and carry you through as your business grows. We aim to bridge the gap between international best practices and local cultures and assist foreign companies and organizations entering Vietnam market to overcome commercial and regulatory issues.

Read More

Set-up business in Vietnam | ANT Consulting

Foreign investors could make direct investment in Vietnam through setting up one hundred per cent (100%) capital of foreign investors, or establishing joint venture between domestic and foreign investors, or investing in the contractual forms of: BCC, BO, BTO, and BT.

Types of enterprise for foreign investors to invest in Vietnam are as following:

a) Set-up Limited Liability Company in Vietnam

Limited Liability Company is a form of enterprise which is established by contributing of members. A member shall be liable for the debts and other property obligations of the enterprise within the amount of capital that it has undertaken to contribute to the enterprise.

Limited liability companies are regulated by two types:

– One member Limited Liability Company is an enterprise owned by one organization or individual;

– Limited Liability Company with two or more members is an enterprise owned by organizations or individuals, in which the number of members shall not less than two members and not exceed fifty.

Organizational and management structure of Limited Liability Company normally comprise of a Member’s Council, General Director or Director.

b) Set-up Joint Stock Company in Vietnam

Joint Stock Company is an enterprise which has charter capital divided into equal portions called shares. The minimum number of shareholders shall be three and there shall be no restriction on the maximum number.

Shareholders shall be liable for the debts and other property obligations of the enterprise only within the amount of capital contributed to the enterprise.

Joint Stock Companies may issue all types of securities to raise funds. Founding shareholders must together register to subscribe at least twenty per cent (20%) of the number of ordinary shares which may be offered for sale.

The main difference between Joint Stock Company and Limited Liability Company is the Joint Stock Company can raise funds by offering shares or securities. In addition, an enterprise tends to join the Stock exchanges or public company must be a Joint Stock Company. Management system of Joint Stock Company is more complicated than Liability Company.

c) Set-up Partnership in Vietnam

A partnership is an enterprise which must be at least two members being co-owners of the company jointly conducting business under one common name. In addition to unlimited liability partners, there may be limited liability partners.

Unlimited liability partners must be individuals who shall be liable for the obligations of the company to the extent of all of their assets. Limited liability partners shall only be liable for the debts of the company to the extent of the amount of capital they have contributed to the company.

d) Set-up Representative Office of Foreign Trader in Vietnam

A foreign business entity or a foreign trader is allowed to establish Representative Office in Vietnam.

Representative office of a foreign business entity in Vietnam (referred as “Representative Office”) means a subsidiary unit of the foreign business entity, established in accordance with the law of Vietnam in order to survey markets and to undertake a number of commercial enhancement activities permitted by the law of Vietnam.

Representative Office will need to apply and obtain the establishment license; and have a seal bearing the name of the representative office.

Representative Office is not allowed to directly conduct profit making activities in Vietnam (i.e: the execution of contracts, direct payment or receipt of funds, sale or purchase of goods, or provision of services), but the representative Office is permitted to

· To operate strictly in accordance with the purposes, scope and duration stated in the license for establishment of such representative office;

· To rent offices and to lease or purchase the equipment and facilities necessary for the operation of the Representative Office;

· To recruit Vietnamese and foreign employees to work for the Representative Office in accordance with the law of Vietnam;

· To open accounts in foreign currency and in Vietnamese Dong sourced from foreign currency at banks which are licensed to operate in Vietnam, and to use such accounts solely for the operation of the Representative Office.

e) Set-up Branch of Foreign Trader in Vietnam

The Branch of a foreign business entity in Vietnam (referred as “The Branch”) means a subsidiary unit of the foreign business entity, established in accordance with the law of Vietnam in order to enter into contracts in Vietnam and conduct activities being the purchase and sale of goods and other commercial activities consistent with its license for establishment in accordance with the law of Vietnam and any international treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.

The Branch will need to apply and obtain the establishment license; and have a seal bearing the name of the Branch.

The Branch is permitted to conduct activities being the purchase and sale of goods and other commercial activities consistent with its license for establishment in accordance with the law of Vietnam and any international treaty to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.

f) Investment by Signing Contracts in Vietnam

Business co-operation contract (BCC) means the investment form signed between investors in order to co-operate in business and to share profits or products without creating a legal entity.

Build-operate-transfer contract (BOT) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct and operate commercially an infrastructure facility for a fixed duration; and, upon expiry of the duration, the investor shall, without compensation, transfer such facility to the State of Vietnam.

Build-transfer-operate contract (BTO) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct an infrastructure facility; and, upon completion of construction, the investor shall transfer the facility to the State of Vietnam and the Government shall grant the investor the right to operate commercially such facility for a fixed duration in order to recover the invested capital and gain profits.

Build-transfer contract (BT) means the investment form signed by a competent State body and an investor in order to construct an infrastructure facility; and, upon completion of construction, the investor shall transfer the facility to the State of Vietnam and the Government shall create conditions for the investor to implement another project in order to recover the invested capital and gain profits or to make a payment to the investor in accordance with an agreement in the BT contract.

Foreign investors may sign BOT, BT and BTO contracts with a competent State body to implement infrastructure construction projects in Vietnam. Typically, the contracts are for projects in the fields of transportation, electricity production, water supply, drainage and waste treatment.

The rights and obligations of the foreign investor will be regulated by the signed BOT, BT and BTO contract. The Government encourages both public- and private-sector investors to participate in BOT, BTO and BT in the following sectors:

(i) Construction, operation and management of brand-new infrastructure facilities; and

(ii) Renovation, expansion, modernization, operation and management of the existing infrastructure facilities such as:

• Roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferry landings;

• Railway bridges and railway tunnels;

• Airports, seaports and river ports;

• Clean water supply systems; sewage systems;

• Wastewater, waste collecting and handling systems;

• Power plants and power transmission lines;

• Infrastructure works of health service, education, training, career training, culture, sport and offices of State agencies; and

• Other projects as may be determined by the Prime Minister

Read More