Politburo member and HCM City Party Committee Secretary, Nguyen Thien Nhan, said, “Vietjet is a motivation for start-up businesses, while HDBank provides the funding to said businesses” during a visit to Vietjet and HDBank for Tet (the Lunar New Year) when the man in charge of the country’s leading city shared his wise and kind counsel.

On February 21 Nhan, Politburo member and the HCM City Party Committee Secretary along with Party Committee officials and officials from city departments, committees and industries visited and offered their Tet wishes to the bosses and employees of VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company (Vietjet) and HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank).

On the first business day of the lunar year four companies had the honour of welcoming top members of the Politburo, including three banks listed on the stock market. Of the three banks, two were State-owned -- Vietcombank and Vietinbank – while the private one was HDBank and the fourth company was private listed firm Vietjet Air.

The roles of the privately owned Vietjet and HDBank in Viet Nam’s economy are being solidified and receiving the attention of the country’s leaders.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao providing a report to the HCM City Party Committee Secretary.

In his greetings and speech, Nhan expressed his belief in the Vietnamese people’s innovativeness. Throughout Viet Nam’s development after its independence, he said he has witnessed how the Vietnamese and people of HCM City specifically have developed and prospered.

“Viet Nam’s GDP per capita is only US$2,300-2,400, but our ability to operate businesses and build business strategies is on par with, or even surpasses, some developed countries with a GDP of $50,000-60,000,” Nhan said.

The HCM City Party Committee Secretary was friendly and wise as he spoke to thousands of employees.

Nguyen Thien Nhan also congratulated HDBank for its 28th anniversary and Vietjet for its outstanding development. Both businesses are listed on the stock market with a market capitalisation of $2-4 billion and hundreds of foreign investors, bringing added value to shareholders and contributing to the development of the stock market in the last few years.

Vietjet has seen tremendous growth, and is a perfect example of the will and self-reliance of the Vietnamese, who “are willing to ride on a tiger’s back instead of simply running along the ground,” Nhan said.

He also hoped Vietjet would reach even higher standards in airline service and integrate with the international market to help the economy grow, bring more international friends to Viet Nam and raise Viet Nam’s global profile.

“In 1988, after 13 years of the country’s reunification, I visited North Korea for the International Youth Festival, when some people asked me when the American War would end. Back then Viet Nam was not a well-known country. Now which ever country a Vietjet plane lands, Viet Nam’s reputation is known there,” he said.

The HCM City Party Committee Secretary taking a picture with foreign experts and managers

As for HDBank, Nhan expressed hope that the bank named after HCM City would continue to offer quality services and achieve great success.

“Our country will see more wealth if we care more about starting businesses. Their efforts will help our country grow and succeed, but not without your help. Our companies with international standards and the heart of Vietnamese, do your best to help our country grow. The bank named after HCM City has to set the standards for banking quality and offer financial support to start-up firms.”

Nhan also commended the efforts of the board of directors and staff of Vietjet and HDBank, including their foreign experts from over 30 countries. He said he firmly believes that the two companies would continue to contribute to the public good and be even more successful in future.

The man in charge of the city showed his friendliness and wisdom, touching the hearts of thousands of workers that day. The meeting on the first day of the year signals a great start and promise of development for the two companies in 2018.