The Viet Nam-Singapore Business Forum (VSBF) 2013.— Photo vccinews

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — The Viet Nam-Singapore Business Forum (VSBF) 2014 opened on June 4 in HCM City with the featured theme of Strategic Partners – Grabbing Opportunities.

Hosted by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the three-day event has attracted more than 250 representatives from ministries, trade and investment promotion organisations, local provinces and leading corporations from Viet Nam and Singapore.

At the event, Vietnamese and Singapore businesses can learn about Viet Nam's latest economic outlook, investment environment and the commitments of Government and local authorities in maintaining benefits and a stable investment environment.

Participants can also explore business opportunities through dialogue with representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment and various economic experts.

Edlyn Khoo, centre director (HCM City), Southeast Asia Group, International Enterprise Singapore, said: "Viet Nam is a country with strong economic fundamentals such as a growing young working population, and rich endowment of resources. Singapore companies are good potential partners, with services and expertise that can complement Viet Nam's strength."

"At the same time, a safe and stable business environment continues to be critical to investment decisions. Closer collaboration on both sides will benefit not just businesses but also positively impact the local community through job creation and knowledge transfer."

At the press conference before the official opening ceremony of the forum, the president of Singapore Business Group in HCM City, Norman Lim, said that the damage after riots that occurred in some industrial zones in the southern region had not affected relations between Viet Nam and Singapore.

He said that Singapore businesspeople in Viet Nam still feel confident when investing in Viet Nam.

At the event on June 5, investment opportunities will be explored during discussions on four main topics, including financial services co-operation, tourism and hospitality, agriculture and aquaculture production, and real estate investment.

Doan Duy Khuong, vice president of VCCI, said that bilateral trade turnover last year was US$13 billion, an increase of 10.7 per cent.

He said he believed the event would continue to connect businesses of the two countries and provide an excellent platform to explore new opportunities, especially under the new Strategic Partnership as well as in the context of moving towards the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

VSBF is an annual event which was organised in 2005 to develop trade relations and connect businesses between the two countries. — VNS