Viet Kieu still discriminated against
Overseas Vietnamese (Viet Kieu) still complain they face many
obstacles in returning to their homeland to do business, saying that
many of the government's pledges to give them more favorable
conditions are only words.
In fact the government has not given Viet Kieu such treatment in
recent years, said Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, former Deputy Head of the
National Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (NCON). They have met many
difficulties in completing administrative procedures to invest in the
home country. So many feel unwilling to pour their investment in to
Vietnam, Ha said. Nguyen Viet Thuan, NCON's Deputy Head, said that the
government's policies calling on Viet Kieu to bring knowledge and
technology to the country are not strong enough.
The implementation of policies for Viet Kieu are still cover many
areas and are cumbersome, making them feel discouraged. The government
now only focuses on the "broker" role of Viet Kieu instead of their
knowledge and advanced technology, he said.
The Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity) newspaper, the mouthpiece of the
Vietnam Fatherland Front, the widest social organization gathering all
communities in Vietnam, claimed that local authorities still
discriminate against Viet Kieu, such as making it difficult for them
to receive residency permits.
It called on the Party and State to consider the Viet Kieu community
as an integral part of the Vietnamese people, which is the greatest
wish of Vietnamese people living abroad.
Though the government has recently applied progressive policies to
clear the gap between home and overseas Vietnamese residents, they are
only short steps forward, Dr. Ngoc Ha said.
It is time for the State to apply a clearer policy to wipe out the gap
between home and overseas Vietnamese and to offer Viet Kieu more
favorable conditions. This must be done immediately, otherwise it will
be late and the young generation of overseas Vietnamese will not have
any connection to their home country. This will also make those who
still have an image of the homeland in their minds broken hearted,
said Hoang Ngoc Phan.
Nguyen Lan Huong, a Viet Kieu in Canada, said that although overseas
Vietnamese are exempted from paying import tax on their cars, they
still have to pay a so-called Special Consumption Tax.
"We are very much afraid of customs officials in the country," said
Nguyen Dac Tri, an overseas Vietnamese in France.
Duong Dien Tan from Taiwan said he was brutally asked by a customs
official to bribe him $ 100 when found bringing in a camera, which was
not registered. Situations like this make many Viet Kieu reluctant to
come to Vietnam, he said.
Overseas Vietnamese Chau Ngoc My said he had to wait over one year and
seven inspections to obtain licenses to build a company in Vietnam.
Earlier this year, former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam
affirmed that calling upon overseas Vietnamese to bring knowledge and
technology to Vietnam would be the new focus of the State's policy
toward the community.
He also said that the government would soon publicize policies to
support Viet Kieu working in the knowledge sectors in the country,
including providing them with convenient working facilities and
allowing them to hold important posts. In trade, Viet Kieu would be
encouraged to act as overseas agents for domestic enterprises.
Progress, however, seems slow.
There are nearly three million Viet Kieu, mainly in the US, France,
Canada and Australia. Economists estimate that around $ 30 billion of
their savings are yet to be put into business. They send about $ 2.5
billion to Vietnam in remittances each year.
Last year they sent $ 1.7 billion to the country. The figure was $ 1.1
billion in the first half of this year. Viet Kieu are also operating
730 companies with total capital of around $ 84 million.
Nearly 190,000 Viet Kieu visited the country in the fist seven months
of the year, up 18% against the same period last year, according to
Huynh Ngoc An, head of the NCON.
The Financial Times - September 03, 2002.
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