Website for overseas Vietnamese launched

HA NOI — A website designed to link overseas Vietnamese throughout the world was launched yesterday.

Jointly launched by the Vietnam News Agency; the Foreign Ministry-supervised State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese; and the Information and Communications Ministry's Foreign Information Service, the website, www.vietkieu.info, is the largest-ever information project specifically designed for overseas Vietnamese.

It provides information about Party and the State's policies and guidelines for overseas Vietnamese, their activities in support of their homeland and outstanding overseas Vietnamese.

It also serves as a detailed database.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who is also Foreign Minister, members of the Party Central Committee's Publicity and Education Commission, representatives of the two ministries and VNA pressed the button to officially link the web site to the internet.

Its mission is titled "Connecting Vietnamese".

Khiem said he was delighted to witness the debut of a web site that was intended to serve the community and link overseas Vietnamese on five continents.

He asked news providers to provide more specialised pages, columns, news and articles to better serve the Party and State's mass mobilisation and foreign affairs.

VNA Director General Tran Mai Huong said as the official voice of the Party and State, the agency had long provided information about overseas Vietnamese.

The agency would increase the dissemination of information in various forms to promote the image of Viet Nam and its major events to help foreigners and Vietnamese communities abroad have an accurate and complete understanding of what happens in the country.

The information would include Party and State policies.

National pages

The web site is divided into national pages so that its readers can quickly learn about the lives of the overseas Vietnamese community in each country.

The Community News column is supplemented with information from reporters, agencies for foreign affairs, overseas Vietnamese trade missions as well as overseas Vietnamese.

Readers can find an overview of each nation and its relations with Viet Nam in the Contents column of each nation.

The web site also provides systematised State documents and policies divided into such categories as nationality, investment-business and verification of Vietnamese origin.

A list of overseas Vietnamese diplomatic agencies, associations, companies, trade centres and restaurants is being updated to facilitate business transactions and personal relations.

The Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank has joined with VNA and the other agencies to build the web site. — VNS

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Viet Kieu investment blocked by late implementation of law

A law that gives overseas Vietnamese benefits enjoyed by Vietnamese citizens has taken too much time to be implemented, and the latter are unable to invest much in the country as a result, officials said at a Friday conference.

The amended Nationality Law took effectIn July 2009, allowing overseas Vietnamese who already have foreign nationality to register to hold Vietnamese nationality as well, so they can enjoy benefits that domestic residents have in Vietnam.

But instructions to implement the law have not been issued, officials said at the conference held in Hanoi to review six years of the implementation of the Party Politburo's resolution on policies relating to Viet Kieu (Overseas Vietnamese).

Luong Bach Van, chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, said many oversease Vietnamese people queued up at Vietnam's embassies all over the world on July 2 and 3, 2009 to register their nationality according to the amended law.

“But all of them were told to wait… Many have been discouraged,” Van said.

Nguyen Thanh Son, deputy head of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry and chairman of the Government Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said at the conference that more than four million Vietnamese are living overseas.

He said 400,000 of these are intellectuals and many of them are working at leading research centers worldwide.

Van also said the delay in implementing the law prevents overseas Vietnamese from registering to get a business license as a local investor.

Her deputy, Pham Khac Lam, said that regulating the affairs of overseas Vietnamese in the country was important. “But it’s more important to make them come back and invest in the country.”

Vuong Thua Phong, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs Commission, said highly-educated overseas Vietnamese can help protect Vietnam’s sovereighty, especially in the East Sea area.

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Viet Kieu investment blocked by late implementation of law

A law that gives overseas Vietnamese benefits enjoyed by Vietnamese citizens has taken too much time to be implemented, and the latter are unable to invest much in the country as a result, officials said at a Friday conference.

The amended Nationality Law took effectIn July 2009, allowing overseas Vietnamese who already have foreign nationality to register to hold Vietnamese nationality as well, so they can enjoy benefits that domestic residents have in Vietnam.

But instructions to implement the law have not been issued, officials said at the conference held in Hanoi to review six years of the implementation of the Party Politburo's resolution on policies relating to Viet Kieu (Overseas Vietnamese).

Luong Bach Van, chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese, said many oversease Vietnamese people queued up at Vietnam's embassies all over the world on July 2 and 3, 2009 to register their nationality according to the amended law.

“But all of them were told to wait… Many have been discouraged,” Van said.

Nguyen Thanh Son, deputy head of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry and chairman of the Government Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said at the conference that more than four million Vietnamese are living overseas.

He said 400,000 of these are intellectuals and many of them are working at leading research centers worldwide.

Van also said the delay in implementing the law prevents overseas Vietnamese from registering to get a business license as a local investor.

Her deputy, Pham Khac Lam, said that regulating the affairs of overseas Vietnamese in the country was important. “But it’s more important to make them come back and invest in the country.”

Vuong Thua Phong, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs Commission, said highly-educated overseas Vietnamese can help protect Vietnam’s sovereighty, especially in the East Sea area.

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5,000 Vietnamese workers sent to RoK this year

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) announced that more than 5,000 Vietnamese workers have been hired to work in the Republic of Korea (RoK) since the beginning of the year.

While there are only half as many workers employed in the RoK as there were in 2008, ministry officials believe it is a positive sign that the overseas job market is improving despite the global economic downturn.

Pham Van Minh, director of the Overseas Employment Centre under MoLISA's Overseas Employment Management Department, said that the increasing demand for work in

RoK has prompted the ministry to organise two Korean language tests, instead of one as usual, for candidates this year.

"Only candidates that passed the language exam are qualified to apply for jobs in RoK," said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, head of the Overseas Employment Management Department.

The multiple-choice Korean language test was organised in four cities and provinces including Hanoi , Nghe An, Da Nang and HCM City earlier this month. More than 27,000 candidates were qualified to take the test. Most candidates applied for industrial jobs, construction work and agricultural positions.

Quynh said the test results would be provided by RoK officials in early November.

Jung Ill Sung, head of the RoK's Migrant Workers Management Department, said about 80 percent of the people who passed the exam would be hired by Korean employers.

The Overseas Employment Office reported that since August 2004, 47,533 people have been sent to work in RoK.

While there are only half as many workers employed in the RoK as there were in 2008, ministry officials believe it is a positive sign that the overseas job market is improving despite the global economic downturn.

Pham Van Minh, director of the Overseas Employment Centre under MoLISA's Overseas Employment Management Department, said that the increasing demand for work in

RoK has prompted the ministry to organise two Korean language tests, instead of one as usual, for candidates this year.

"Only candidates that passed the language exam are qualified to apply for jobs in RoK," said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, head of the Overseas Employment Management Department.

The multiple-choice Korean language test was organised in four cities and provinces including Hanoi , Nghe An, Da Nang and HCM City earlier this month. More than 27,000 candidates were qualified to take the test. Most candidates applied for industrial jobs, construction work and agricultural positions.

Quynh said the test results would be provided by RoK officials in early November.

Jung Ill Sung, head of the RoK's Migrant Workers Management Department, said about 80 percent of the people who passed the exam would be hired by Korean employers.

The Overseas Employment Office reported that since August 2004, 47,533 people have been sent to work in RoK./.

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Guest workers snub offers

Workers receive training from the HCM City Vocational Training College beore accepting jobs abroad. — VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Vy

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities and labour-export companies have implemented several measures to help labourers work abroad.

In the first nine months of the year, the city has sent 3,497 guest workers overseas. Most guest workers have been sent to the traditional markets of Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, all of which do not require top skills or foreign languages, according to the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DoLISA).

Le Hong Phuong, who lives in Binh Thanh District and is seeking a job at the city's Employment Service Centre, said jobs as guest workers in other countries were no longer attractive, as in previous years.

Labourers in Viet Nam earn about VND2-3 million (US$105-160) a month as a construction or garment worker, while guest labourers who work in Malaysia or in the Middle East only earn about VND4-5 million a month.

Tran Van Thanh, deputy director of the Labour and Expert Export Company (Suleco), said under Suleco's co-cooperation programme with the city's Steering Committee for Hunger Eradication, Poverty Reduction and Employment, his company had set aside 20 per cent of the company's annual labour export to help poor workers.

However, his company has had difficulty meeting the target because labourers were not considering working abroad.

In addition, many labourers do not have enough money to pay fees to export-labour companies to work overseas and do not have the requisite job skills.

DoLISA has worked with agencies to help labour-export companies recruit workers and create favourable conditions for labourers to work overseas.

DoLISA has given priorities for poor labourers to borrow 100 per cent of total expenses required for going to work overseas. It will also support tuition fees for poor labourers to study job skills and foreign languages.

Poor labourers who want to work overseas can borrow up to VND50 million at the city's Steering Committee for Hunger Eradication, Poverty Reduction and Employment.

If VND50 million is not enough for covering the expenses of going to work overseas, poor labourers can borrow an additional VND30 million at the Bank for Social Policy.

Labour-export companies have also implemented several measures to help poor labourers working overseas, including directly finding overseas employers so that brokerage commission fees could be reduced for guest labourers.

The Chau Hung Trading Joint-Stock Company, for example, has carried out this to help poor labourers work in Malaysia.

Under the programme, the company provides free-interest loans to work abroad for its guest labourers and gives VND1 million to each guest labourer for passports and health check-ups.

There are more than 50 labour-export companies and branches operating in the city, according to DoLISA. — VNS

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Party leader lauds community built by overseas Vietnamese

Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh (first row, fourth left) receives overseas Vietnamese who returned to the country for the Thang Long-Ha Noi millennial celebrations. —VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Xuan Tuan

HA NOI — Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh spoke highly of the development of the Vietnamese community abroad and their valuable contributions to national construction when meeting representatives of overseas Vietnamese who had returned for the Thang Long-Ha Noi millennial celebrations yesterday.

"The Party, State and people greatly appreciate the patriotism and valuable contributions of overseas Vietnamese," he said.

Manh said he believed overseas Vietnamese would continue their patriotism, strengthen their communities, and join forces to build a thriving Viet Nam.

He stressed that there were both opportunities and challenges facing the country at present so all Vietnamese people, both at home and abroad, must do their utmost for the common cause.

After affirming that overseas Vietnamese are integral to the nation's growth, Manh urged them to make recommendations for the draft documents to be submitted to the 11th National Party Congress as a way to contribute to the goal of fostering a rich people, a strong nation and a democratic, fair and civilised society.

The Party leaders expressed his pleasure that many overseas Vietnamese had successfully invested and done business in Viet Nam, and that a number of artists had organised exhibitions bringing attention to the country.

Representatives said they were delighted to witness Viet Nam's enormous achievements in the doi moi (renewal) process and national construction, citing the ongoing celebrations as evidence.

They thanked the Party and State for their support and promised to contribute more to the development of their home country. — VNS

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Overseas Vietnamese given new property rights

Overseas Vietnamese living abroad who have maintained their Vietnamese citizenship are permitted to own unlimited property, according to the latest decree on implementation of the Land and Housing Law.

Deputy Minister of construction Nguyen Tran Nam said that this is a change from the previous decree, which has been in force since 2001, which stipulated that only selected groups of people of the Vietnamese origin could own unlimited property.

The new decree stipulates that overseas Vietnamese eligible to buy houses in Vietnam may also enjoy other privileges, such as the transfer of land-use rights when selling; using credit organisations to mortgage their land-use rights; or leasing out the property.

This change promotes further equality between overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese citizens when it came to property ownership in Vietnam, said Truong Thi Hoa, a lawyer from the HCM City Bar Association.

Nam said this decree also provides specific guidance about the papers overseas Vietnamese are required to present to prove their eligibility to buy real estate.

"All the requirements are more concrete and transparent than before, which will hopefully pave the way for better implementation of the law at local levels," he said.

One of the major hurdles for overseas Vietnamese that hinders them from purchasing property in Vietnam is the procedure to prove their origin, Luong Bach Van, chairwoman of the Overseas Vietnamese Committee in HCM City, said.

"If they lose relevant papers, which is often the case for people who have lived abroad for a long time, the whole process may come to a standstill. For those who have already prepared the necessary certificates, it still takes at least three months to verify them," she said.

Chairman of the Overseas Vietnamese Businessmen Club Nguyen Ngoc My said that many overseas Vietnamese commonly get around the red-tape procedures by putting their real estate transactions under the name of a Vietnamese citizen.

Nguyen Thi Thu Van, who owns an auto dealership in San Francisco and divides her time between Vietnam and the US , said she has bought several houses in Vietnam but asked her relatives to register for ownership.

"This is much quicker, but I am luckier than other overseas Vietnamese who may not have trustees in Vietnam . The new decree is a good signal for all of us, but I am a little bit concerned about its implementation in practice," she said.

My, a Vietnamese Australian, said he bought a house at the beginning of this year but is still waiting for his property ownership certificate.

"I hope the changes in relevant legal documents will help procedures go more smoothly, which will in turn make it easier for overseas Vietnamese to take part in Vietnam's property market," he said.

Deputy Minister Nam said the new regulations will provide incentives for overseas Vietnamese to return to the country to buy houses, which would help boost the real estate market in Vietnam .

He also refuted the concern that overseas Vietnamese could utilise the loosened regulations to find their way into real estate speculation, potentially leading to a housing market bubble.

"In fact, property prices in Vietnam are comparatively high and the housing market is not that attractive," he said.

Nguyen Quang Tuyen, head of Hanoi Law University 's Land Law Department, said the new regulations may create more demand in the housing market but not enough to create a boom because the relevant administrative procedures are still not working very well.

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HCM City reviews overseas Vietnamese work

The Party Political Bureau’s resolution 36 on Overseas Vietnamese work has created an essential and strong change in the public awareness that “Overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part and resource of the Vietnamese community”.

This was said by Luong Bach Van, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter at a conference in the city on August 25 to review six years’ implementation of resolution 36.

The biggest achievement of the Overseas Vietnamese work in Vietnam ’s largest economic hub was to gain the support of the administrations and mass organisations at all levels for the work, the HCM City chapter said.

As home to the country’s largest number of Overseas Vietnamese and big projects invested by Vietnamese expats, HCM City has considered the Overseas Vietnamese work as a responsibility of its entire political system and local people.

Since the Overseas Vietnamese Liaison Association was established in September 2006, it has to date set up its branches in the city’s 24 inner and outlying districts and even communes and wards.

HCM City has published a monthly bulletin called, “The fatherland with Overseas Vietnamese” with 1,000 copies and a handbook for overseas Vietnamese.

It has also launched the website: www.alov-hcmc.org.vn to provide updated information on the state’s policies related to the Overseas Vietnamese work and recently put into operation a centre to provide support for young expats and students studying abroad on their return to the homeland.

While noting what HCM City has done for Overseas Vietnamese, Van also pointed out that the city remains passive in its Overseas Vietnamese work as it has not yet taken the initiative in inviting talented expats to come back to take part in building the city during the international integration process./.

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