Restaurants in Vietnam could be facing trouble if a draft tourism law that includes several clauses that have been described as “unreasonable” by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is passed. According to the circular drafted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, restaurants will have to be able to serve at least 50 guests at a time and accept payments by credit card in order to receive a recognized accreditation. The ministry said that accredited restaurants will lift the local service sector and meet the higher demands of visitors. Tourists can obviously choose any restaurant they want, but they would feel more secure in accredited restaurants, argued the ministry. But the VCCI, which represents the country’s business community, said the number of seats in a restaurant has nothing to do with service quality. If the circular is passed, only large restaurants will be able to meet the ministry’s demands, which is unfair, the commerce chamber stated. In some cases, restaurants with fewer seats can offer better services and food as they focus more on their customers, the VCCI said. The new requirements aim to make it easier for groups led by travel agencies, but are still unreasonable because not many companies cater for groups of 50 people. The size of a restaurant should not be used to decide the quality, and details such as English versions of menus, food safety and clean rest rooms should be focused more upon, said the chamber. Regarding credit card payments,… [Read full story]
The Australia-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce on May 19 was inaugurated in Sydney, Australia with a view of assisting Australian businesses seeking opportunities in Vietnam. Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Tran Thanh Tan and Consul General Nguyen The Phiet; Jim Enright, representative of the Australian Commercial Committee, and Paul Wojciechowski, representative of the Australian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, attended the opening ceremony. The chamber will play a key role in voicing businesses viewpoints and concerns to the two governments in the coming period, through visits to Vietnam by Prime Minister John Howard, Minister for Trade Mark Vaile and Treasurer Peter…... [read more]
The Hong Kong-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (HKVCC) chaired Dr. Jonathan Choi officially made its debut at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China Nov 3, Vietnam News Agency reported. The chamber will help businesses of the both sides to seek opportunities to boost trade and economic cooperation, said the chairman. He added that the foundation was an essential step following the establishment of the Hong Kong-Vietnam Business Association. Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Pham Cao Phong noted that after over two decades of reform, Vietnam has become an attractive and safe destination for…... [read more]
The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has asked the Ministry of Finance to change the way tax and customs authorities review and adjust policies to keep businesses better informed of any changes.At a dialogue with the ministry on Monday, the VCCI's vice chairman Doan Duy Khuong said many businesses have complained that the ministry's rapidly changing tax and customs policies have left them in the dark. The ministry's circulars on tax guidance are often issued after changes have already taken effect, costing businesses time and effort to adjust related paperwork and creating opportunities for tax officials to exploit.Businesses…... [read more]
New regulations set on foreign retail network expansion Tran Thu By Tran Thu - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – Foreign retailers will have to do Economic Needs Test (ENT) on the basis of the population density of a district rather than a city or province when they want to open the second outlet onwards. This is one of the new regulations given in Circular 08/2013 on trading activities of foreign-invested enterprises released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in late April. The circular replaces Circular 09/2007 of the Ministry of Trade, precursor of the Ministry of Industry and…... [read more]
No old wine in a new bottle: Vietnam's business law revolution By An Hong  June 28, 2016 | 09:42 am GMT+7 The government is reviewing a series of legal documents so that private businesses will no longer think setting up a business in Vietnam is a major risk. Policymakers are discussing changes to decrees and the legal interpretation of the Business and Investment Law. The aim is to liberate the private sector's potential and facilitate economic and social development, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. “The cabinet has reached an unanimous agreement on the roadmap that Vietnam should adopt to…... [read more]
