Next year, Viet Nam will begin to realise its WTO commitments. How do you evaluate the role of Viet kieu (overseas Vietnamese), especially Viet kieu investors, in implementing these commitments?
Viet kieu around the world are an integral part of the Vietnamese community. To realise the WTO commitments, Viet Nam needs experts in all fields. At present however we are seriously lacking these needed experts and professionals. It will take years to train enough people to reach these expected international standards. A major component of global integration is a qualified human resource.
Many Viet kieu are experts in various fields, who can help Viet Nam in this regard. They are generally internationally trained and have the knowledge and capabilities to aid the country in fulfilling its WTO commitments. Viet kieu are not only a highly-qualified human resource to utilise but are also proficient in advanced technologies.
An example of this is the WTO commitment to opening up the agricultural markets. Imported goods will flood into the country, therefore, Viet kieu can help improve the competitiveness for Vietnamese agricultural produces through providing advanced bio-technologies to increase productivity.
One Viet kieu expert I know of has recently delivered new farming techniques to farmers from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, he has helped them in increasing productivity and the quality of their production.
Another important area where we can be of help is acting as a bridge between Viet Nam and foreign investors from around the world. For instance, investment from Intel from the US and Japan’s Renessas Group were facilitated to a large degree by members of the Viet kieu community.
In short, overseas Vietnamese are an indispensable force in realising the WTO commitments of Viet Nam.
What areas are expatriate investors keen on investing in when Viet Nam becomes a full member of WTO?
When becoming a WTO member, Viet Nam will open up for both foreign and Viet kieu investors. There is an increasing trend of Viet kieu operating businesses in their homeland. 2006 saw Viet Nam attract many projects which were primarily invested in by Viet kieu.
According to figures released by the HCM City Planning and Investment Department, as of late November, 380 Viet kieu-owned companies had been licensed, which amounted to a total capital investment of VND3,210 billion, basically doubling last years investments by overseas Vietnamese.
I have met members of the Viet kieu who are extremely keen on the idea of the country becoming a WTO member. For quite some time they were reluctant to invest in the country due to a lack of clear and proper policies.
I am adamant that investment by the expatriate community will considerably increase in the coming years thanks to WTO membership and more open policies and administrative reforms.
Could you explain how pilot programmes on attracting the expatriate community to the city have been put in place?
Recently, the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has suggested five pilot programmes on setting policies for overseas people which relate to procedures on immigration, land, housing use and education. The programmes will basically be a one-stop-shop in policy and are expected to be implemented this year.
To attract the expatriate community to contribute to our homeland’s development we really need to eliminate the prejudice that sometimes occurs. At present, thousands of overseas Vietnamese are working in information technology (IT) fields in places like Silicon Valley in the US.
We should use India as an example which has been aggressive in attracting highly skilled US Indians to come home from Silicon Valley and back to India. It proved to be an engine in the IT development of India, which has become a world leader in this field.
We have also decided to organise a workshop on Viet kieu investment in January. The workshop aims at encouraging investment and introducing and explaining our 5 pilot programmes.
Source: Vietnam News