AmCham Vietnam Weekly E-Newsletter -
5th Week of 2021 - February 7th, 2021
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Update from AmCham Vietnam - Executive Director Mary Tarnowka |
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Dear Colleagues,
We are enjoying all the pre-Tet preparations. We hope you are, too!
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And whether you staying in town or traveling in Vietnam, please see this useful Tet guide from Santa Fe!
https://www.santaferelo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Tet-Survival-Guide-2021_Santa-Fe-Relocation-Services_YearoftheBuffalo_2021.pdf
We are delighted to start the Year of the Ox by sharing with you the results of our Saturday, January 16 Board of Governors Strategy Session, our Values, Vision, and 2021 Goals. These reflected the active participation of all our Board members, including our Chairman Chad Ovel, joining us remotely from Iowa, his midnight-4AM! And many thanks as well to our facilitator, Mekong Capital’s Digital Transformation Director Max-F. Scheichenost.
VALUES:
AmCham Vietnam's RISE values established by our 2021 Board of Governors as the first step of our January Strategy Session. We aim to live them:
- Responsible: We act in an ethical, transparent, balanced constructive, respectful, and responsible manner with our members and stakeholders.
- Impactful: We make a positive impact on the U.S.-Vietnam economic partnership and Vietnam’s business environment by proactively exercising innovative leadership and forming strategic alliances and partnerships to advance shared interests.
- Solidarity: We promote solidarity by being inclusive and diverse in our membership and representing the interests of our members with a unified voice.
- Enduring: We promote sustainable, enduring growth in Vietnam and globally by giving back to our communities, aligning our operations with Environment, Social, and Governance values, and encouraging implementation of ESG values by our members and stakeholders.
VISION:
AmCham Vietnam’s new vision- developed at our Board’s January 16th Strategy Session to reflect our RISE values: Responsible, Impactful, Solidarity, and Enduring. We hope it resonates with you:
The most influential, strategic, and dynamic business association in Vietnam, that drives innovation and sustainable growth, and helps our members succeed.
AmCham is a diverse, inclusive, business association and welcomes American, Vietnamese, and international companies that share our interest in enabling a fair, transparent, and predictable regulatory environment that values innovation.
A community you want to join.
GOALS:
AmCham Vietnam's top three goals for 2021 were established by our Board of Governors at our January 16 Strategy Session. We look forward to achieving them to better serve our members:
1. Advocacy – Establish trusted relationships with key leadership in both the Vietnamese and U.S. Government and lay groundwork for a Free Trade Agreement.
2. Committees and Events – Strengthen strategic focus and impact of committees and offer a targeted menu of events to provide value to our members.
3. Organizational Strength and Governance – Strengthen the capacity of AmCham to grow our membership and expand our operations and influence.
On February 3, we held a Chairman’s Circle event on “2021 U.S. and Vietnamese Leadership Changes and the Impact Capital Markets and the Impact on Your Business”. See insights below under Recent Events and also on our website https://www.amchamvietnam.com.
Financial Services and Capital Markets Committee Chairman and Saigon Asset Management Founder and CEO Louis Nguyen held an interesting discussion February 1st with Do Venture Co-Founder & General Partner Vy Le about the tech startup investment market (we’ll share on social media and our website tomorrow). Our Education and Training Committee held its 2nd committee meeting of 2021 with expanded leadership, including Co-Chairs ISHCMC Head of School Kim Green and Fulbright University Vietnam Dean Ngan Dinh. Its new strategic plan and leadership at https://www.amchamvietnam.com/education-and-training-committee/. Our Environment. Social, and Governance Committee, led by Co-Chair Greg Testerman, also held its meeting with ambitious agenda for 2021, including plans for a March 10 event on Sustainable and Ethical Supply Chains in Vietnam. Many of our other committees are holding leadership core team meetings to refine their 2021 Strategic Plans. We will update our websites to reflect when they are approved. We welcome your participation and look forward to an impactful 2021!
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AmCham will be closed for the national Tet holidays, Wednesday, February 10-Tuesday, February 16. We have no scheduled committee meetings or events the next two weeks, but look forward to welcoming you back after Tet on Tuesday, February 23 with a bang for our Energy, and VBF and Legal Committee meetings, as well as our AmCham 101 and Connect & Cocktails. On February 24, we hope you will join our webinar with the Pacific Forum on “U.S. and Vietnam Commercial and Business Relations” and on February 25 for our 2021 Real Estate Outlook. And let us know if you are interested in a possible Infrastructure and Real Estate Committee!
We welcome your feedback on how we can improve our services to support you better. Please email us at team@amchamvietnam.com
Check out special offers below from our sponsors for staycations and holidays away! We look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year! Chuc Mung Nam Moi!! Mary
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Message from AmCham Vietnam - Da Nang Vice Chair Chris Vanloon
Greetings from Da Nang and I hope you are all staying safe during your preparations for the lunar new year festivities. I am happy to note that we held our Da Nang Board meeting last week, even though we had to postpone the Connect & Cocktails at the last minute due to government guidelines. At our small meeting we discussed the 3 goals of the Da Nang Chapter for 2021 which are first to increase visibility of AmCham in Da Nang and Central Vietnam so that more companies and individuals can understand the value and importance of joining AmCham. Secondly, to increase our local membership and diversify our members to increase our position for advocacy as well as community assistance. And third to make concrete steps forward working together with the local authorities especially in the immediate fields of increased education for IT production and human resources as well as building a register of supply chain members that will enable current and future members to reduce operating costs as well as grow jobs in the local community.
Hopefully we have contained the recent Covid outbreak and will all be able to enjoy a healthy, safe and prosperous Year of the Buffalo!’
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The Ministry of Science and Technology Office of Intellectual Property welcomed our initial comments regarding the draft IP Law and requested any additional comments by February 22. Thanks to those who already have submitted input. Our Advocacy Panel plans to draft additional input on the IP Law as well as comments on the new e-commerce regulation.
Finally, we decided to wait until March (date TBD) to meet to discuss potential advocacy in response to the container shortage, including possible recommendations for action on the thousands of containers in Vietnamese ports now just parked, with plastic and steel scrap. We will seek to do a joint meeting with Eurocham and possibly other chambers.
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Committee Meetings & Activities (For AmCham Members Only) |
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February 23, 4:30 - 5:30pm
Venue: Sofitel Saigon Plaza, 17 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1
At this new member event, you will learn more from our Executive Director, Mary Tarnowka, about AmCham Vietnam benefits, our mission, and programs to help new members achieve success, and how to get involved in and maximize your investment in AmCham membership. It is also a way to meet other new AmCham Vietnam members. While this event is designed for new members, we welcome other members on a space available basis. If you cannot join this meeting physically, you can still register to join virtually via Zoom.
Who should join?
· New members
· Existing members who want to learn more
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February 23, 6:00 - 8:30pm
Venue: Sofitel Saigon Plaza, 17 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1
AmCham will continue our monthly informal networking event – AmCham Connect and Cocktails! Our AmCham Connect & Cocktails provides an opportunity to meet AmCham members and other professionals in an informal after-work setting over a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail. Please plan to join for a great night of networking and our essential Lucky Draw!!
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SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 24, 2-3:15PM webinar. “Advancing U.S.-Vietnam Business and Economic Relations” a Business Intelligence Event with The Pacific Forum |
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February 25, 8:30 - 10:30am
Venue: New World Hotel Saigon, 76 Le Lai Street, Dist. 1
Join the outlook event with CBRE Vietnam Managing Director Dang Phuong Hang and JLL Vietnam Country Head Paul Fisher and Senior Director Trang Bui to learn the latest trends and predictions for the 2021 Vietnamese Real Estate market. Learn from experts what’s hot and what’s not and how that may affect your business. And let us know if you would be interested in a possible AmCham Infrastructure and Real Estate Committee!
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“2021 U.S. - Vietnam Leadership Changes and the Impact on Your Business” was the focus of our first Chairman’s Circle reception for 2021 on Wednesday, February 3. The exclusive event offered senior AmCham business leaders an opportunity to obtain critical business intelligence and exchange views with a top panel of Vietnamese, regional, and U.S. economic and political experts about the likely focus of the Biden/Harris Administration and new Vietnamese Government leadership just two weeks after the U.S. inauguration and two days after conclusion of Vietnam’s 13th National Party Congress. Please visit our website to learn more about AmCham Chairman’s Circle events and speakers at this event (https://www.amchamvietnam.com/chairmans-circle/) or a short readout with the key takeaways from this event (https://www.amchamvietnam.com/). Photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmU7c2zM
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COVID-19 Update from Healthcare Provider Subcommittee Chair Dr. Mason Cobb and Andrew Meadows |
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Vietnam continues to battle the 4th outbreak of COVID-19. Like a video game, each level gets harder. This outbreak is with the UK and possibly South African mutations which are 70x more contagious than the original virus. Since January 28, 402 community-based cases have been identified.
Authorities have done their usual thorough job of testing and tracking contacts, with tens of thousands of people currently quarantined. The positive cases are localized as are the lockdowns and restrictions. Cases in the South have been few and contained, although the case of a Tas Son Nhat airport employee is troubling. Increased caution is recommended and large group gatherings, although discouraged, are not banned. With Tet coming, the authorities are splitting the difference between the boosting of spirits and commercial interests and the risks for the pandemic spreading here.
Although seemingly contained mainly in a few areas, there are still several cases a day being found. With Tet coming and the porous borders perhaps bringing more infected people in illegally, it is a fraught situation. The danger at the border is especially concerning since there are increasing rates of infection in other SE Asian countries and more desire to enter Vietnam.
The new variants are bringing added worry about containment. The asymptomatic but infectious period may be prolonged, and it is possible that up to 10% of previously infected cases may still spread it. As the vaccines become available, some vaccinated may also continue to be contagious.
The glass half-empty view is that a return to “normal” may take 3-5 years – according to a Singaporean health official. This is due to rapid spread of the variants and fatigue at protective measures, contributing to higher spread rates. Further, new variants may be less susceptible to the vaccines, as may be the case with the South African variant.
The glass half-full view is that the AstraZeneca (AZ) and perhaps other vaccines limit the spread of the virus. Those who have had the disease may have super-immunity and vaccines against variants for them may only require one injection. The UK has found that one injection provides an adequate level of immunity, meaning that delaying the second dose is not a problem. Widely distributing the 1st injection is paramount. All vaccines, including the newer ones, drastically decrease the risk of death, the most important function of any vaccine.
This week an agreement was signed with AZ for 30,000,000 doses during the 1st half of 2021. Health care workers, the vulnerable and diplomats are first in line. Where expats fit is not known. Which clinics and hospitals can administer it also is not yet known.
Although the South remains relatively safe, this is no time to let our guard down. The most important factor in COVID-19 is proximity. Keeping a 2-meter distance should be a goal, especially in enclosed restaurants. Chiefly when traveling by air, keep your mask on; double masking or an N-95 mask is advised. Avoid large gatherings as well!
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (nhưng vẫn an toàn)!
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If you have already renewed for 2021, you should be receiving your membership card shortly. If you haven’t yet renewed or settled your payment, please do so soonest so you can keep enjoying the benefits of AmCham membership! |
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AmCham’s Member Discount Program supports local businesses that contribute to our quality of life, and also offers benefits to you, our members. Let’s support local businesses! If you have any questions regarding our program, please contact Membership Services Assistant Ruby Nguyen at membership@amchamvietnam.com
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The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
New World Hotel Suite 323
76 Le Lai Street, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84 28 3824 3562
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