Google, Facebook executives meet Vietnam PM, offer to help digitize economy
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Google and Facebook have been among the tech giants discussing cooperation with Vietnam on the sidelines of the WEF on ASEAN 2018 in Hanoi.
At a meeting Wednesday with Google’s Asia-Pacific president Karim Temsamani, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that Vietnam, with a population of nearly 100 million, has great potential in information technology, which is also spearheading the country’s industrialization and modernization.
He urged Google, which has a very large user base in Vietnam, to pay more attention to helping maintain and promote Vietnam’s cultural identity.
The PM expressed hope that the tech giant would collaborate with his country to foster the development of start-ups, train human resources and invest in research and development for growing its technology ecosystem.
Temsamani emphasized the importance of digitizing the economy, a key global trend, saying Google is willing to help Vietnam achieve it.
Through its Vietnam Digital 4.0 program, Google aims to provide free training in digital skills to 500,000 owners of small and medium businesses in the country by 2020 to help them improve their competitiveness, he said.
Temsamani also promised it would help Vietnam build a technology ecosystem and come up with initiatives to help farmers digitize agriculture and promote their products more effectively through YouTube.
“Temsamani emphasized the importance of digitizing the economy, a key global trend, saying Google is willing to help Vietnam achieve it.”
Facebook’s vice-president of public policy for the Asia-Pacific, Simon Milner, also met with Phuc Wednesday. He said his company is committed to maintaining a long-term presence in Vietnam and expressed interest in joining the government’s effort to create a digital nation.
It would take part in the programs of digital citizen, digital economy, digital government and digital connectivity, and assist and collaborate with small and medium businesses and start-ups, he said.
Phuc also received Cees’t Hart, CEO of beer company Carlsberg Group, and Alex Dimitrief, president and CEO of General Electric Company’s (GE) Global Growth Organization.
He told them Vietnam is speeding up equitization and divestment of the government’s stakes in enterprises based on the principles of transparency and openness, which offers opportunities to foreign investors like Carlsberg.
Speaking about plans to divest stakes in Hanoi Beer, Alcohol and Beverage JSC (Habeco), he said Carlsberg and Habeco should soon resolve any remaining issues so that they can go ahead with purchase of stakes and strategic cooperation.
Hart said Carlsberg, which has been Habeco’s strategic investor since 2008, is looking to buy a bigger stake in the Vietnamese brewer and has been working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and other agencies to speed up the process.
Dimitrief of GE said his firm plans to expand its investment in the power sector in Vietnam.
Phuc told him his government attaches great importance to investors and is working to improve the business environment so that investors can do business effectively.
Questions & Answers
Q.What specific assistance has Google offered to small and medium businesses in Vietnam?
What specific assistance has Google offered to small and medium businesses in Vietnam?
Google aims to provide free digital skills training to 500,000 owners of small and medium businesses by 2020 through its Vietnam Digital 4.0 program. This initiative is designed to help improve their competitiveness.
Q.How will Facebook contribute to Vietnam's digital development efforts?
How will Facebook contribute to Vietnam's digital development efforts?
Facebook plans to participate in programs related to digital citizens, the digital economy, digital government, and digital connectivity. It will also assist and collaborate with small and medium businesses and start-ups.
Q.What are the current plans for Carlsberg's investment in Hanoi Beer, Alcohol and Beverage JSC (Habeco)?
What are the current plans for Carlsberg's investment in Hanoi Beer, Alcohol and Beverage JSC (Habeco)?
Carlsberg, an existing strategic investor in Habeco since 2008, is looking to buy a bigger stake in the Vietnamese brewer. The Prime Minister urged them to resolve any remaining issues to proceed with the purchase and strategic cooperation.
Q.What is GE's investment focus in Vietnam?
What is GE's investment focus in Vietnam?
GE plans to expand its investment specifically within the power sector in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government stated its commitment to improving the business environment for investors like GE.
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