Mr Hoang Van Dung, Chairman of ABAC 2006 and VCCI Vice President has a talk with Vietnam Business Forum reporter Nguyen Thoa after the second ABAC meeting in Montreal, Canada on May 9-12, 2006.
ABAC Technology Working Group has discussed and recommended on the development of new energy resources, how could it be applied in Vietnam ?
At present, Vietnam has not used efficiently the existing energy resources. Instead of refining crude oil, Vietnam is exporting crude oil and importing refined products. We sell coal to China and buy back electricity. We should produce them at home and plan for the development of wind, sea wave and solar power. The technology is already available and can be applied favourably in Vietnam. We should also develop atomic power. Korea has developed atomic power. They have no energy problem and the price is very low. Thailand, too, has developed energy sector 20 years ago, mostly in thermal and hydro power and maintained stable price in oil crisis.
In Vietnam, the high price of electricity has increased the production cost and reduced the competitiveness. The electricity consumption increases 15-20% a year but the State has only limited investment for the sector. I believe, if Vietnam mobilise the resources from the population and foreign countries to invest in the sector, the problem will be solved.
ABAC Finance Working Group has discussed on SME access to capital, how could be the assistance ?
Finance is an important issue in the agenda. APEC has 6 industrialised countries of high growth rates, accounting for 70% of the regional trade. They have great potentials in capital, market and technology. For developing countries, potentials are not capital but natural and human resources. If the two groups join their efforts in production and consumption, they both have benefit.
What will ABAC submit to APEC Ministerial Meeting ?
The second meeting makes recommendations to SOM 2 to be held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 22-23, 2006. The third meeting will complete recommendations to APEC Ministerial Meeting in November. We would not submit too many recommendations. Each group should make a recommendation that they feel most pressing. Our objective is to complete Doha round, assist SMEs and increase business competitiveness.
What will be the role of business community at the coming APEC Ministerial Meeting in Ho Chi Minh City ?
In the framework of the meeting, we will organise dialogue between businesses and governments on favourisation of trade with the participation of some 300 businesses. They will submit specific recommendations to the ministers on trade liberalisation, barrier reduction, unified customs procedures, commercial standards, etc.
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