VNA Government seeks ways to attract foreign investment The Government held its regular meeting in Hanoi on March 28-29 chaired by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his deputies Nguyen Manh Cam, Nguyen Cong Tan and Pham Gia Khiem. The government heard a report delivered by Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia on foreign direct investment during the 1996-2000 period and measures to boost investment from now to 2005. Over the past five years (1996-2000), 1,648 more foreign invested projects with a total registered of US $20.8 billion were licensed. Except for expired and terminated projects, at the moment, there are 2,628 projects with the total registered capital of US $36.3 billion. The implemented capital of the projects was valued at US $12.8 billion, an increase of 80% over the last five year period. Export from the sector earned US $11.8 billion and contributed to the State's budget nearly US $1.8 billion. The foreign investment has helped enhance the efficiency of production and trading of sectors in many fields such as oil and gas, post and telecomunication, electronic industry, chemicals, textiles, garment, footwear, service The Government affirmed that Vietnam's policy to attract foreign direct investment was correct and timely and said it had gained encouraging results. However, there are still obstacles in attracting foreign investment. The government also discussed measures to attract more foreign investors and increase the efficiency of foreign investment by devising a strategy; improving the quality of attracting foreign investment and perfecting the legal system. Other government measures are: "renovating and effectively implementing mechanisms and policies; increasing the effectiveness of the State apparatus and management; developing human resources; removing difficulties; creating a favourable environment for projects and gaining the trust of foreign investors. **** NA delegation visits New ZealandMember of Vietnam's National Assembly's Standing Committee Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu paid a six-day working visit to New Zealand from March 21. During the visit, Ms Thu paid a courtesy visit to the New Zealand's Parliament Speaker Jonathan Hunt. She was briefed about the organisation and operations of the New Zealand Parliament's special committee and observed a session of the parliament's committee for ethnic affairs and other activities of the parliament. Ms Thu also held working sessions with the Parliament's inspection agency and studied its organisation and operations in solving citizens' complaints, and visited the Parliament headquarters. In Auckland, Ms Thu worked with officials of the Vietnam sub-committee of New Zealand's Commercial Council with Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries. While in New Zealand, Ms Thu held a talk with students at Victoria University where many Vietnamese students are studying. (VNA) **** Ukraine military delegation visitsA military delegation of Ukraine led by Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General T V Vasylevich, who is also Commander of the Ukraine Air Force, paid an official visit to Vietnam from March 26-29. The visit was made at the invitation of Vietnam's Air Defence-Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Soat. The delegation held talks with Vietnam's Air Defence-Air Force Command about issues of common concern with a view to strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the air forces of the two countries. This was received by Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Truong Khanh Chau. The delegation paid floral attribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and visited air defence unit B61. (VNA) **** Da Nang's 26th liberation day celebratedA grand meeting was held in the central city of Da Nang on March 29, to celebrate the 26th anniversary of its liberation day. Politburo member of the Vietnam Communist Party Central Committee and Secretary of the city's Party Committee Phan Dien, representatives of the Consulates General of Laos and Russia, revolutionary veterans and more than 1,200 delegates attended. Deputy secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of Da Nang People's Committee, Nguyen Ba Thanh, reviewed the history and growth of the local army and people, including the general offensive to liberate the city on March 29, 1975, as well as the achievements over the past 26 years, particularly since the city was put under the Central government four years ago. The city has registered an average yearly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of more than 10%, an average yearly industrial value increase of 19%, an agriculture and fisheries rise of four percent and an export turnover growth of 18%, over the past four years. It aims to obtain a yearly GDP growth rate of between 13 and 14% from now to 2005. (VNA) **** Seven countries sign sea environment protection dealAn agreement on environmental protection in East Sea and the Gulf of Thailand was signed in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 28 by representatives of Vietnam, Thailand, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This is the first agreement signed by such regional countries to improve the sea environment. The region is a home for a 270 million people with population estimated to double in the next 30 years. This could bring about many environmental problems such as pollution and over exploitation of natural resources. The United Nations Environmental Protection Agency has given the seven countries US $32 million to carry out a five-year proprogramme to clean the East Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. (VNA) **** Vietnam attends Asia-Latin America forumA delegation of Vietnam led by Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Van Nganh attended the first Eastern Asia-Latin America forum in Santiago, Chile, on March 28 and 29. At the forum, foreign ministers from 27 eastern Asian and Latin American countries discussed co-operation programmes in seven areas: social issues and social programmes; trade, investment and inter-regional co-operation; new development strategy; exchange, co-operation and mutual understanding; environmental protection; education, science and technology; local and international management. The participants considered proposals on setting up eastern Asia-Latin America working groups, an Eastern Asia-Latin America fund and a consultants' system. (VNA) **** Land-use shift toward industrialisation discussed The setting up of a uniform legal and policy system as a basis for land-use shifting towards an industrialisation orientation has been set as a task of the land administration sector in 2001. Such change must be suitable to the economic structure of each region, forest environment protection and sea economic development. This was revealed at a sector's conference on March 28 and 29 in Dong Nai southern province. A report delivered at the conference emphasised that last year, the sector had made a full inventory of land throughout the country under a prime ministerial decree. The granting of certificates of agricultural land use rights has been basically completed. The General Department of Land Administration, in co-ordination with ministries, sectors and localities concerned, settled complaints in 18 provinces and cities at the government¹s request. Participants at the conference frankly pointed out the sector¹s weaknesses, particularly problems concerning the State management of land and map survey which failed to catch up with changes in the economic management mechanism and the reality of development. The lack of important legal documents to control the planning of land use, land registration and price fixing for land as well as the slowness in supervision of the implementation of the planning of land use are also outstanding problems of the sector. The sector will strive to complete the amended Land Bill, strengthen the inspection work and investigation of the implementation of law and policies on land. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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