(ĐN)- Though there have been many strikes involving workers in foreign-invested factories in Dong Nai over the past time, foreign-invested companies including Taiwanese-owned and Japanese-owned firms are continuing to expand investment in the province.
(ĐN)- Though there have been many strikes involving workers in foreign-invested factories in Dong Nai over the past time, foreign-invested companies including Taiwanese-owned and Japanese-owned firms are continuing to expand investment in the province. Foreign investors operating in Dong Nai studied benefit by drawing more experience from settlement of disputes or disagreements between employees and managers to fully understand their employees and take care more of the spiritual and material needs of their workers.
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| VMEP factory |
Typical example is VMEP with an ambition of entering the Asian market. After 14 years of operation in Vietnam, Vietnam Manufacturing and Export Processing Ltd. (VMEP) under Taiwan’s Sanyang Motor Group has sold more than 1 million motorbikes, the more popular brands such as Attila and Angel. Presently, VMEP is planning to enter the Asian market. Accordingly, it has just started construction of its Motorbike Research and Development Centre (RDC) in Ho Nai Industrial Zone with invested capital of the first phase of US$15 million. The 54.7-hectare center comprises a designing area, an office building, a model creation area and an area for test-running motorbikes. RDC is estimated to be operational in 2010. It will be a place to research, develop and design products suitable to the market and consumer preferences in Southeast Asia, hence quickly responding to market demand.
Chen Pan Hsiung, director of VMEP, said the company would strive to make the center a motorbike R&D hub for the ASEAN. Accordingly, VMEP would recruit talented employees in the domestic and foreign country, provide them good working environment and benefit. The professional training courses would be also held aiming to enhance research capacity for Vietnamese employees and provide the company with stable human resources. Beginning from May 2006, initial shipments of 20,000 motorbikes named “Excel II” will be delivered to customers in Italia, Greek, and Turkey. This proved that VMEP’s motorbike has been recognized in foreign for its quality and design.
In 2005, VMEP reached turnover of US$181 million, contributed to the State budget US$22.4 million. Until now, SYM has invested US$ 77.4 million in Viet Nam and the figure is estimated to rise to US$100 million in the near future. The company targets to export 500,000 motorbikes to foreign countries by 2010.
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| Workers are checking product at Nec Tokin VN |
Another example is the launch of new
facility in Loteco Industrial Park by NEC TOKIN Electronics (Vietnam) Co., Ltd., a wholly Japanese owned company. This is Nec Tokin VN’s second facility in Dong Nai province. General Director of Nec Tokin VN Sato Shoichi said the company has to date raised its investment capital up to US$ 20.8 million from US$ 6 million in 1997. He also told that the company employs about 4,000 people and register annual export turnover of over US$ 30 million in coming years. Mr. Sato Shoichi said that his company is committed to improving communication for both management and workers or trade union representatives, to ensure that there is full understanding between managers and employees. At present, Nec Tokin VN is focusing on stabilizing its production quality and is planning to set up its third facility.
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| Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ao Van Thinh (second, right) is receiving Australian Consul General in HCM City Mal Skelly |
In the other hand, foreign diplomats in Vietnam such as Australian Consul General in HCM City Mal Skelly and
the new consul general of Korea Min Young-woo… have recently paid a courtesy call on the provincial leaders to study investment opportunities in Dong Nai.
Australian Consul General Mal Skelly said Australian investors are very interested in Vietnam’s market because of Vietnam’s efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO); therefore, his visit’s aim was to find more information about investment possibilities in Dong Nai and provide the information to Australian potential investors.
The new consul general of Korea Min Young-woo said that Republic of Korea is now ranked fourth among foreign investors in Viet Nam but his country expects to expand investment in Vietnam in order to become Vietnam’s largest foreign investor in upcoming years. He also added that though there were many strikes involving workers in foreign-invested companies over the past time, Korean investors still want to put their capital and confidence in Vietnam.
Foreign investors now eye Dong Nai province as the most attractive destination for investment.
Kim Loan
