We were greeted by a performance of lion dance. It is exactly the same as what we get in Singapore but only this was a more daring performance. They jumped through a ring of fire and one guy even scaled a 30 ft pole.
The exhibition, as the name suggested, is concerned primarily with medicines and healthcare. They displayed many equipment, ranging from surgical tools to pill making machines. Other booths were promoting health supplements.
One disadvantage is that the people at the booths did not speak English, nor did their product literature contain any English. This can be difficult for international trade if both parties cannot communicate effectively, and English is the Lingua Franca of business.
A particular company had to adapt its business to survive in Vietnam. They are dealing with oilments and had to attach a holographic sticker in order to differentiate itself from immitation products.
Next we went to the VSIP, or the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong province. This is a joint venture between the 2 governments. Infrastructure is so well planned that I suddenly thought of home. Buildings, roads, electricity, water, security is all provided. Even the way we were briefed was so Singaporean. Powerpoint slides which were prepared was clear and concise, straight to the point. This is the only industrial park that I know which has its own customs on site, and the highways lead straight to the ports which are nearby. So efficient.
We went around the park and we visited Cassarado, a Singaporean furniture manufacturing company. They briefed us on why they chose Vietnam over China and we learnt that there were many attractive incentives offered by the government. One such incentive is the export lisence. This grants the holder 100% tax free for the first 4 years, and 50% tax for the subsequent 7 years.
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