Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Regional broadcaster Channel NewsAsia announced on May 22 that it intends to open a new bureau in Vietnam. This will be the channel’s 14th bureau in Asia, following the launch of the Yangon bureau in January in Myanmar. The bureau will increase Channel NewsAsia’s ability to cover the region’s developments more comprehensively, reporting from the ground with credibility and authenticity.
Debra Soon, Managing Director of Channel NewsAsia says, “Vietnam, particularly Ho Chi Minh City, is a fast growing and vibrant business hub. Having a ground presence there will allow us to uncover business opportunities, look at companies and developments, and beyond business, report on how a new generation of Vietnamese see themselves and the rest of Asia. We have been covering South East Asia well for the past 15 years, it’s time to go even further and beef up our ability to cover the IndoChina region even better, a mass of over 220 million people in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.”
Soon made the announcement at Channel NewsAsia’s Vietnam Business Insights in Ho Chi Minh City on May 22.
The channel’s premier regional business forum gathered expert speakers and international corporate leaders to discuss the new growth model for sustainable development in Vietnam. Delegates shared views on “Redefining Sustainable Business Growth for Vietnam”, with a look at how the transformation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector need to drive growth in the country.
Panel speaker and CEO of Ho Chi Minh Securities, Johan Nyvene, said “Vietnam has re-emerged from global economic challenges and has rewarded savvy investors with good opportunities. Channel NewsAsia’s Vietnam Business Insights provides an excellent ’insider’s look’ at local issues.”
Vietnamese economist, Dr Le Dang Doanh, noted the strong economic outlook for the country, with international financial institutions forecasting a stable annual GDP growth rate at 5.6 – 5.7% in the coming years. But he said there remain other challenges.
CEO of KPMG Vietnam and Cambodia, Warrick Cleine, said “Sustainable growth will not occur without a robust corporate sector. There’s a real need for local companies to step up their service levels to be competitive.”
The panel discussion was facilitated by the channel’s award-winning business journalist and presenter, Lin Xue Ling.
About Vietnam Business Insights
Business Insights is a regional series of Channel NewsAsia’s CEO leadership seminars, aimed at establishing linkages across Asia by promoting the understanding of the business climate and practices in the host country.
Hosted in Ho Chi Minh City over two days on May 21 and 22, the event kicked-off with a corporate golf challenge at Long Thanh Golf Club, attended by more than 100 participants.
Highlights of Vietnam Business Insights – Redefining Sustainable Business Growth for Vietnam will be broadcast on Channel NewsAsia on June 5.
The Business Insights series has been hosted in Jakarta, Bangkok, Yangon, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. It will next travel to Kuala Lumpur in September 2014.
