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Haitian export zones ‘would benefit VN'
Haiti wants Vietnamese enterprises to increase their investment in the country's export processing zones, capitalising on the vast potential for infrastructure development and industrial and consumer goods production.
This message was delivered by Haitian Minister of Industry and Trade Wilson Laleau during a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Vu Huy Hoang in Ha Noi on Monday.
Haiti planned to build 12 small- and medium-d export processing zones in the near future, revealed Wilson, who is also Minister of Economy and Finance. He suggested that investment in these zones would be beneficial for Vietnamese firms, and proposed the building of a centre in Haiti responsible for distributing Vietnamese products in the country and onto Latin American nations.
Haitian companies, meanwhile, had become increasingly aware of successful Vietnamese sectors such as energy and agriculture and industry, he said.
During the meeting, the ministers signed a framework agreement on trade and investment, aiming to create a legal scope for the two sides to further their multifaceted co-operation, including the establishment of an intergovernmental committee.
Under the agreement, they would more effectively implement a memorandum of understanding on rice trading signed in December 2012, under which Haiti would buy 250,000 – 300,000 tonnes of high-quality rice from Viet Nam each year.
In addition, relevant agencies would continue to discuss co-operation in the transfer of food crop technology, particularly rice, based on each country's conditions and capacity. It was also revealed that their partnership would focus on trade, investment, agriculture, animal breeding and garments.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said that Viet Nam was willing to work with Haiti to facilitate co-operation between the two business communities.
Viet Nam was keen to further investigate working with Haiti in other fields, including heavy industries, consumer goods production and training and poverty reduction, Tuan Anh said.
Previously, Viet Nam recorded a trade deficit with Haiti, according the Ministry of Industry and Trade. However, due to increasing effort from leaders and businesses in both countries, Viet Nam's exports to Haiti experienced an enormous yearly increase of 355 per cent to US$20.2 million with rice, machinery, component and mobile phones being the main export items.
In terms of investment, the army-run Viettel telecommunications group partnered with Haiti's Teleco SA to set up NATCOM SA in 2010.
The joint-venture, in which Viettel holds a 60 per cent stake, began operation on September 7, 2011, and within 12 months it possessed 20 per cent of Haiti's mobile phone market.
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