Line designed and created by:

SWISS STATE SECRETARIAT FOR ECONOMICS AFFAIRS - seco: www.seco.admin.ch
The Swiss State Secretariat For Economics Affairs -seco- is responsible for the internal economy as well as for the trade and the external economic affairs of Switzerland. One of its tasks is to define the development of the economic and commercial cooperation in priority selected countries. An innovative initiative is to create and support Cleaner Production Centers in those countries. During the last years, seco has supported the establishment of several of these Centers, among them the Colombian center.

Technical counterpart in Vietnam

VIETNAM CLEANER PRODUCTION CENTRE - VNCPC: www.vncpc.org
The Viet Nam Cleaner Production Centre (VNCPC) was founded in April 1998 at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Technology, as a centre of excellence and advocacy in the field of cleaner production (CP). It aims at contributing to sustainable development in Viet Nam through the promotion and implementation of eco-efficient industrial production. Its staff of 20 highly skilled professionals deliver high quality services such as cleaner production assessments, financial engineering, technology advice, training, information and policy advice. The main target groups of the Centre are industries and service providers. It is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 since February 2002.

Over the years, the VNCPC has helped create public awareness for greener production through seminars in 19 cities and provinces, attended by a total of over 2,000 participants; it has delivered more than 6,000 person-days of training, introduced CP in the curriculum of twelve national and private universities, and coached over 100 future consultants in sector-specific CP assessment; and it has placed CP on the policy-making agenda with seminal contributions to the National Environment Strategy 2000-2010 and the CP National Action Plan 2000-2005. The VNCPC also hosted the secretariat of the 7th Asia-Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production that was succesfully held in Hanoi in April 2007.

VNCPC also works directly with the industry. It conducted in-plant assessments in over 120 companies in various sectors, including textile, pulp and paper, metal finishing, constructino materials, food and beverage, and others. By now, the participating enterprises have invested between them US$ 2.5 million in the implementation of CP recommendations. This outlay has helped the firms cut their combined yearly costs by an estimated US$ 7.5 million (that is, an average payback time of CP investment of less than four months) and reduce their annual water consumption by 7.3 million m3, chemicals use by 4,500 tons, and energy consumption by 57,000 MWh.

Financial intermediaries in Vietnam
The following institutions establish the conditions of the credit, handle the lendings and transfer the possible partial reimbursements for the investment to the borrower:

ASIA COMMERCIAL BANK - ACB: www.acb.com.vn


Asia Commercial Joint-stock Bank (ACB) is currently taking the lead among commercial joint-stock banks in Vietnam. ACB is the first joint-stock bank that innovate the technology and pioneer in applying new technology to products banking and services banking satisfy the customers’ diversified and abundant requirements. ACB is now the bank with the large network operating all over the main point economic area in Vietnam, ACB has the high growth from 2-2.5 times compared with the average growth rate among the industry and ACB is holding a market share of 57% in terms of international credit card and issuance, a market share of 55% in the Western Union money and a market share of over 8% of deposits of the country. ACB, which is providing its customers with over 200 basic products, equivalent to 600 benefit ones, has been known as a bank with most diversified products and services among commercial joint-stock banks in Vietnam. During the last 14 years, ACB has always affirmed its lead in mobilized funds, assets and pre-tax profit and been highly evaluated by both local and international financiers. ACB was the first and only joint-stock bank in 2006 to receive the three major awards of the global Finance – Banking industry: “Best Bank in Vietnam" by The Banker, “Best Retail Bank in Vietnam” by The Asian Banker and “Best Bank in Vietnam” by Euromoney. On March, Mr. Ly Xuan Hai, ACB’s President, was honorably awarded with “The Best Leader 2006 for Viet Nam” by the Asian Banker. With this award, Mr. Hai is the only Vietnamese to be ranked as one of the 15 best leaders in the banking and finance sector in the Asia Pacific region. ACB today is running a network of 90 branches and sub-branches and over 3,600 staff base nationwide, in which, having under-graduated academic standard and post-graduated academic standard make up more than 90%. Training and development has been one of the priorities at ACB. Its training policy aims at building up and fostering a professional work force, technically proficient, ethical, and devoted in customer service. ACB creates opportunity for employees to join in financed internal and overseas training course. In its Plan to 2010 and 2015 Vision, because ACB targets at becoming the leading multi-functional financial corporation in Vietnam, ACB intensively penetrates deep into non-banking services such as fund management, financial leasing, property trading, securities brokerage, gold and precious gem trading. ACB strives to occupy 10% market share in mobilized funds and 5% in lending of the Vietnamese banking industry, reaching USD12billion of total assets, the equivalent operational scale with other banks in the region.

TECHCOMBANK: www.techcombank.com.vn
Techcombank isone of the largest and fastest growing full service joint-stock banks in Vietnam. Headquartered in Hanoi, we have opened 73 branches and transaction offices in 16 provinces and cities throughout Vietnam after 13 years of operation, aiming to reach the target of 200 branches countrywide by 2010.

As of 24th September 2006, Techcombank had registered capital of VND 1,500 billion, total assets of nearly VND 15,759 billion, and a total staff of over 1,300. In terms of total assets and revenue, our annual growth rate has been in excess of 30% over the last three years. Within the next three to five years Techcombank plans to become one of the largest joint-stock Banks in Vietnam with registered capital in excess of VND 1,500 billion and total assets of over VND 22,500 billion.

Techcombank is providing its comprehensive range of services to over 10,000 Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) throughout Vietnam, which represent about 65% of the Bank’s total loan portolio and 90% of its non-credit revenues. The services include accounts, term deposits, loan facilities including working capital and fixed asset financing, factoring, financial and operating leases, trade finance and cash management services. We also provide businesses with competitive treasury and derivative instruments, as well as financial assistance schemes in cooperation with international service providers.

VIETNAM INTERNATIONAL BANK - VIB: www.vib.com.vn/news
Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank – abbreviated as the VIB Bank (known in international transactions as Vietnam International Bank) was established in accordance with the Decision No. 22/QD/NH5 dated 25 January 1996 by the Governor of Vietnam State Bank.

VIB Bank inaugurated its operations in September 18, 1996 with its initial paid-up capital of 50 billion VNDs and operation term of 99 years. At the beginning of 2005, VIB Bank’s chartered capital had been mounted to 325 billion VNDs. Founders of VIB Bank include Vietcombank, Vietnam Bank for Rural and Agricultural Development and individuals and businessmen with business success gained in the domestic well as foreign markets.

VIB Bank after its 8 years in operation has gained significant achievements as follows:

• VIB Bank has been awarded A grade for many successive years in accordance with such criteria of capital, asset management, liquidity, profitability and administration capacity as regulated by the Governor of Vietnam State Bank.
• The domestic network has been extended. Apart from the Head Office in Hanoi, the network of VIB Bank, up to date includes 17 branches in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong city and Danang City.