Diplomats and expats observe VIR’s 23rd year

Franz Jessen, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam

I have the great pleasure of congratulating VIR – one of Vietnam’s leading economic and investment newspapers – for its milestone 20th anniversary.

We, as a regular foreign reader, are delighted to see that VIR has become a reliable media source with the good quality of news reports on subjects such as trade, economics and investment. The newspaper is also a useful communication forum for business groups to get to know Vietnam’s business environment.

The relationship between Vietnam and the EU has developed vigorously and comprehensively over the last decades. I am pleased to see that the beats of that robust co-operation are well updated in the newspaper, showing the constant interest and support of the EU and its business community in Vietnam.

I hope VIR continues to be strong and prosper and I look forward to further collaboration with the newspaper.

Hugh Borrowman Australian Ambassador to Vietnam

I would like to extend my congratulations to VIR, to Dr Nguyen Anh Tuan, Editor-in-chief and to all the editors and reporters on the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the newspaper.

The Australian embassy is a long-time subscriber to VIR as it is a leading provider of information on developments in the business environment in Vietnam. We welcome VIR’s analysis on government policies and regulations relating to economic reform and the business environment and opportunities for foreign investors. For example, the current re-drafting of two key business laws – the Investment Law 2005 and the Enterprise Law 2006 – is generating considerable interest from the Australian business community both in Vietnam and in Australia, and VIR offers useful insights into the debate on this process. Other topics such as SOE reform and equitisation are also of great interest.

VIR also contributes to our broad understanding of Vietnam’s economic and trade relationships with its partners, for example through its coverage of high level foreign official or business visitors to Vietnam.

I would particularly like to acknowledge VIR’s recognition of Australia and Vietnam celebrating the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2013, and its recent coverage of the announcement by the Australian Foreign Minister, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, about Australia’s economic diplomacy strategy, which is aimed at using our diplomatic relationships to build economic prosperity not just in Australia, but throughout the region.

I commend VIR for its efforts to inform the international community on economic and business developments in Vietnam. Once again, I congratulate the VIR team on 23 years of print, and wish VIR and its readers all the best.

Alain Cany, Chairman of Jardine Matheson Vietnam

I have started my working week when in Vietnam for the past 12 years by reading VIR every Monday morning.

For an investor like us, VIR provides useful information on the Vietnamese economy and the business environment. I also appreciate the regular articles provided by experts or consultants related to new laws or decrees being implemented, or sectoral reviews.

I have witnessed a regular improvement of the quality of the content in the last few years and wish this to continue. As a foreigner doing business in Vietnam it has become the reading reference and I am pleased to scan articles for my business partners or my head office counterparts to support some of our investments and operations.

I wish VIR happy birthday and hope it will continue to inform us and help attract more investors to this great country.

Ng Teck Hean, Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam

I would like to congratulate VIR which will be celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year! VIR is one of the most respected newspapers in Vietnam. My colleagues and I have always enjoyed reading it and we often look forward to the latest edition to get updates on the latest economic developments and business environment here. VIR has been most helpful in improving our understanding of the issues confronting Vietnam’s development. Its regular updates have helped the embassy to better understand new government policies that affect the business environment in Vietnam. It has also enabled us to help our companies navigate through the complex business environment here. Personally, I have found the wide coverage of business news, including developments in the provinces, and the investment updates with the tables giving breakdowns of investments by country, investments in provinces, and investments by sectors, to be particularly useful and informative.

To improve its services, I suggest that VIR could provide more op-ed pieces that give in-depth analysis of the pertinent issues of the day, for example, the key challenges facing Vietnam as it moves from a low-income to a middle-income country, or Vietnam’s competitiveness vis-à-vis the region. It would also be useful for VIR to provide more coverage on the financial sector. A focus on the progress of SOE and banking sector reforms, for example, would give a more comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s economic trajectory.  In addition, VIR could also carry special features that analyse and promote growth in specific industries such as IT, e-commerce and petrochemicals. A “Letters to the editor” section for readers to express their views could also be adopted to make the publication more interactive.It has also been a great pleasure to work with VIR’s open and professional editorial team. We believe that VIR is a must-read for all foreigners interested in the latest investment opportunities and economic developments in the country.

Nicola Connolly, EuroCham Chairwoman and Head of Adecco Vietnam

Amongst the few English newspapers in Vietnam, VIR has a broad content of investment, society and economy etc. This format makes the publication able to  provide up-to-date information. As a business leader, I appreciate that VIR is also using comments from other business leaders and is not afraid to ask the hard questions. 

I find the information relevant to business and cover a range of topics ! Well done and happy birthday!

Lisa Bess Wishman, Press Officer at US Embassy in Hanoi

VIR articles are well written and informative. The staff at the US Embassy are able to obtain the latest news on VIR’s website. They like seeing multiple stories on subjects like gaming and the equitisation of state-owned enterprises. Embassy staff trust the information in the news articles, and use the articles to both stay informed and focus attention on certain important and relevant issues.

Embassy staff believe that the content of VIR is useful, but the site needs to be better organised and more focused. By better organisation, embassy staff suggest that while the stories are informative, it is frustrating to dig through the site to find them. They say there are too many links on the navigation bar. Staff also asks why contact information is at the bottom of a long list of website links.

They suggest that the banner should scroll across the entire top of the page.  They also believe that the your consultant tab is buried too far down to be useful.

Regarding the better focus, embassy staff suggest that if VIR is geared towards corporations and high ranking diplomats, it needs to focus on economics and eliminate the travel, leisure, society, and sports pages.

Cheong Ho Kuan, General Director of Gamuda Land Vietnam

As one foreign enterprise running our business in Vietnam, we understand the importance of communication in acting as a bridge between organisations and the public.

Among that, the press as one of the most effective communication tools, plays a vital role in helping convey our message.

Hence, we highly appreciate publications, particularly VIR, which endlessly do their utmost to serve their key missions in promoting two-way dialogues between government agencies, business communities and international organisations.

Thanks to VIR, readers have developed a favourable impression of our brand which helps to boost customer confidence in our project and properties.

Moreover, VIR is able to provide foreign investors with the latest information in terms of the legal system, foreign investment policies and a wide range of market updates. This information is vital to the success of our business activities.

I most prefer VIR’s property and investing sections which provide an array of information on the dynamic business environment in Vietnam as a whole.

The property section was recently reduced to just a page and I think this is too limited in a weekly publication.

I hope that issues related to foreign investment are addressed by government officials and answered directly via the newspaper.

David Lim, Managing Partner of  Zico Law

VIR has been one of the leading newspapers in Vietnam to answer its readership, from how is the current stock market doing in Vietnam? Is now the right time to start investing? Which company is going for an IPO? Has a company been taken over or is potentially for sale? Can a foreigner do business and buy properties in Vietnam? What are the latest government policy changes?

A quick read of VIR will mean you have your finger on the pulse of what is going on in Vietnam.

VIR contains top-notch content which includes news, stories, interviews, analysis and public policy discussions.

The discussion on public policy encompasses its effects on the economy, business and technology trends, and corporation developments with its effect on an investment portfolio. Such information is incredibly valuable to its readers. 

There are articles from a very diverse group of subjects, including but not limited to stocks, bonds, the economy, international markets and commodities.

VIR does a great job of integrating business and economics with other aspects of Vietnamese society, thus presenting a well-rounded view of the environment. The writers have vast knowledge and sharp insight, without losing focus on what is important – the investors for whom they write.

VIR’s articles are easy to read and they are not only suitable for serious investors but are generally for anyone who has an interest in what is happening in Vietnam.

Phua Koon Kee, CEO of Aquarius Vietnam

I have been a reader of VIR since early 1992. It has provided me and other readers with well-considered, independent, and sometimes opinionated information over all these years, helping us make informed decisions for our business.

What I find particularly useful in the earlier issues of VIR was the information and statistics provided by investlink, investment update, and bidding notices sections. It seems that they have been removed from recent issues of VIR or temporarily become unavailable, and I hope the editorial board will consider reintroducing them. 

Moving forward, I would like to see VIR allocate more content to small and medium-sized enterprises, as they will be the engine of growth for Vietnam’s economy in the long-term. And with Vietnam being the gateway to other markets in Indochina, I believe readers will find it useful to have a section dedicated to those markets. I would also like to see VIR introduce regular columns on specific subjects or topics of interest, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Enterprise Law, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, investment tips, green business, or even local business etiquette.  As for circulation, I am sure most readers would love to read the VIR on in-bound and out-bound flights when travelling in or out of Vietnam.

If there is one particular area that I would love to see VIR improve on, it would be the user-friendliness of its online news portal. I also hope VIR will develop a mobile app for accessing its news through smartphones. After more than 20 years, VIR continues to provide me a positive head-start to my new week with insightful articles, interviews and business analysis. I’m sure other readers of VIR have also similarly benefited from its analytical and reliable information.

Haris Abdullah, Chief Representative of Jaks Hai Duong Power Company

It has becoming a norm for me on every Monday to receive VIR at the office and spend about 20 minutes going through the articles that was printed in it. If there are any significant articles on energy, finance and investments, I would scan the articles and send the information back to my head office in Malaysia for their review and follow up.

Having lived in Hanoi for the past seven years, I found that VIR is instrumental in providing information on government policy and business activities of both foreign and local enterprises. It also publishes new decrees and decisions by the government for readers. Besides that, VIR highlights the current issues being faced by enterprises and actions that have been taken to address the issues. Not forgetting the international events that took place in Vietnam.

Vietnam is growing at a faster pace with attention on the construction of infrastructure and developing the economy that will entice foreign enterprises here. It is also a good platform for provinces to invite investors.

As an avid reader of VIR, I would like to see more articles on investments carried out by foreign enterprises and perhaps to include problems that investors faced during the development period or pre-implementation phase. We have seen that the most pressing issues are land matters in which many investors are faced with different opinions from the central government and provincial government. I also would like VIR to publish articles on companies that violated environmental laws and actions that have been taken by authorities.

I would like to suggest VIR include classified advertisements, such as car rental, house to let, and job vacancies as other newspapers only publish these advertisements in Vietnamese. VIR could also generate revenue from this advertising. VIR circulation is also limited and should be more widespread as I know some Malaysian companies are not aware of the existence of VIR.

Lastly, my best wishes to VIR and keep the news going.

Chris Elkin, Managing Director of Red Brand Builders

Originally from Northern Ireland, I’ve had the good fortune of living in Vietnam for nine years, leading a branding consultancy and marketing agency called Red Brand Builders. A clear understanding of what’s driving Vietnam’s market trends and consumer behaviour is critical in helping my team and I advise our international and local clients on how to create and build brands that are distinctive, relevant and impactful in the ‘digital age’ across Vietnam. I feel we gain the most from the insights, opinions and trends provided by industry experts that VIR regularly invites to share their deep understanding of what’s really going on in Vietnam and across the region.

For me, caring is sharing, so I get a lot of karma and interesting business connections out of collating and re-sharing timely news content online that I think will be of value to my clients and peers in their branding and marketing efforts.

In the future, I would recommend VIR focus on finding new ways to connect with their audiences online too. 

For example, perhaps VIR could create an online community that empowers their readers to connect with each other and re-share the great content VIR creates everyday?  VIR could also share key content on popular social media sites or forums where their readers are, like via Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook. As so many of us are on the move and read and share a lot of our news via our mobile and tablet, I would also recommend that VIR re-design their website with an eye for the ‘mobile screen’ first.