President Nguyen Minh Triet yesterday, Feb 8, visited two HCM City-based banks,
Asia Commercial Bank and Eximbank Vietnam, as they opened again after the lunar
new year.

President Nguyen Minh Triet greets staff at the Sai Gon Union of Trading Co-operatives yesterday, Feb 8. (Photo: VNS)

Speaking at Asia
Commercial Bank (ACB) headquarters, he praised the bank for its efforts to
achieve its targets, but said it has to work not only for its own development
but also to enable the growth of businesses which are now facing financial
difficulties.

Apart from expanding
within the country, ACB should also expand its operations to other countries
like Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, pointing out that an early presence will
enable greater success.

ACB chairman Tran Xuan
Gia promised to expand both at home and abroad.

ACB, with assets of
VND204 trillion (US$10 billion), is Viet Nam’s fifth largest bank and Gia hoped
it would rise to fourth place in the next five years.

Eximbank general
director Truong Van Phuoc said his bank had assets of more than VND131 trillion,
39 branches and 145 transaction offices, deposits of almost VND71 trillion and
outstanding loans of more than VND62 trillion.

Last year it earned a
net profit of around VND2 trillion.

Also yesterday
President Triet visited the State-owned SJC, the largest gold trading company,
which recorded a turnover of $5 billion last year, and retail chain Saigon
Co-op.

Speaking at Saigon
Co-op’s office, he said it should also open smaller outlets in rural remote
areas.

On the same day, Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung paid visits
and sent their greetings to agencies in Ha Noi.

During a visit to the
Government Office, Prime Minister Dung sent his best wishes to the Office’s
officials, asking them to promote their solidarity and determination to complete
their tasks, which would contribute to the country’s success in implementing
socio-economic development plans.

Minister cum Chairman
of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc promised that the officials would
accomplish their missions.

Deputy Prime Minister
Nguyen Sinh Hung sent his greetings to officials at the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, the Viet Nam Social Insurance and the Bank for Investment
and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV). Hung highly appreciated the contributions
made by the agricultural sector with respect to the country’s socio-economic
development.

He wished the sector
to continue developing and help to create new, high-quality agricultural
products which would be able to satisfy the increasing demand from import
markets. Hung asked the ministry to continue to create measures that would
ensure social security and improve living conditions for people in rural areas.

On behalf of the
officials working in the sector, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Cao Duc Phat expressed their determination to fulfil tasks set for 2011
including achieving a growth rate of 3.5 per cent, a rice output of 39 million
tonnes and an export volume of 6 million tonnes of rice. Hung highly valued the
achievements attained by the BIDV and the Viet Nam Social Insurance programme.
He expressed his hope that the two organisations would be effective assistants
to the State.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News