ICHAM Newsletter N.3/2014 - ENG

JULY 2014

Newsletter

New Financial Tools For Italian

Vietnamese enterprises (p.3)

Italian Leather

Trends A/W 2015 -

2016 (p.11)

Desk Vietnam

in Emilia-

Romagna

(p.11)

Vietnam Amends

Customs Law (p.15)

N.3 /2014

Italian Prime Minister visits

Vietnam (p.6)

2

From 9th – 12th of May, Education Fair: Italian

Days on Higher Education was held for the first

time in Vietnam. This education fair introduced a

variety of education programs in Italy, from under-

graduate, graduate to exchange and transition ones,

as well as cultural activities, arts and cuisine of

Italy.

The event was organized by the Uni – Italia, the

Embassy of Italy in Vietnam, Vietnam‘s Ministry

of Education, Casa Italia, the University of Social

Sciences and Humanities (USSH), supported by

ICHAM, at Casa Italia in Hanoi and the USSH in

Ho Chi Minh City, with the attendance of more

than 12 Italian universities.

Michele D’Ercole visited the exhibition and congratulated

the photographer

During a period between May 12th and May 22nd,

an exhibition of 20 photos named ‗Nocturnal

Memories. Milano and Roma‘ by the Italian pho-

tographer Paolo Belletti was opened at Casa Italia,

offering an opportunity for visitors to discover the

hidden life of empty urban spaces.

To take his pictures, Belletti had to leave home at

midnight and returned early in the morning – at

4:00PM. ―I want to present how the cities look like

without their daytime bustle. The light of the night

changes magically the structure and shape of

every location and space. Through my photos, I

hope that people who are busy dealing with their

daily concerns and problems can stop for a while

and look around to enjoy familiar places that they

usually ignore,” he said.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION:

ITALIAN NIGHTS, MILANO AND ROMA

ITALIAN DAYS ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

3

EU BUSINESSES AND EU MEMBER

STATES NETWORKING

In the evening of Tuesday May 13th, ICHAM

president - Mr. Michele D‘Ercole attended a net-

working event between EU Business an EU

Member States Heads of Mission and Deputies.

On this occasion, the European Chamber of Com-

merce (EuroCham) also honorably introduced

their new chairwoman - Ms. Nicola Connolly

(photo).

On May 13th, EuroCham and BBGV invited Sir

Thomas Harris, Vice President of Standard

Chartered Bank, to share his thoughts on the

need to continue trade liberalization process,

especially the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agree-

ment.

At this meeting, Sir Thomas Harris provided a

specialized perspective on some of the chal-

lenges which Standard Chartered Bank has been

facing. He also joined with prestigious econo-

mists and policy makers to discuss how Viet-

nam and its enterprises could become a benefi-

NEW FINANCIAL TOOLS FOR DEVELOP-

MENT IN THE ITALIAN SYSTEM

The New Financial Tools for Development in the

Italian System is a fund available for Italian enter-

prises that intend to create a mixed enterprise

BUSINESS BRIEFING WITH SCB‘S

VICE CHAIRMAN FOR ASIA:

―HOW VIETNAM CAN BENEFIT

FROM A CHANGING WORLD‖

(Italian and Vietnamese) operating in one of the

designated fields. It is established aiming at pro-

moting entrepreneurship and transferring knowl-

edge as well as welfare as a means of facilitating

inclusive and sustainable development.

The manager of the fund is the Italian Ministry of

Economy and Finance (MEF) that disburses the

funds through the Directorate General for Devel-

opment Cooperation (DGCS) of the Italian Minis-

try of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

4

Commerce (ICHAM) on Thursday the 29th of

May at Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel.

Enterprise representatives had an opportunity to

meet potential partners, new suppliers and clients

to develop their business. Moreover, they could

also access a large range of innovative products

and services as well as become a part of the cor-

porate social responsibilities initiative by sup-

porting smaller ones. Fivee members of ICHAM

joining this event are: Bonfiglioli, Datalogic,

Piaggio, Generali and Perfetti van Melle.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

LUNCHEON WITH EU AMBASSADOR

The EU Ambassador - Dr. Franz Jessen organ-

ized a meeting between representatives of busi-

ness associations such as ICHAM President,

Eurocham President and some entrepreneurs

with Mr. Andrew Small - his transatlantic fellow

at the German Marshall Fund based in the

United States. During the meeting, Mr. Small

illustrated the crisis situation that has arisen be-

tween Vietnam and China as well as informed

some updates on the crisis in Ukraine and reflec-

tions on Asian markets.

SME – MNCs SPEED MEETING

SME – MNCs speed meeting was the only Euro-

pean Business Matchmaking event in Vietnam,

organized by the EU – Vietnam Business Net-

work (EVBN) and the Italian Chamber of

5

VCCI MEETING WITH FOREIGN

BUSINESS COMMUNITIES IN

SOUTH VIETNAM

On Friday, May 30th 2014, a meeting was hosted

by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and In-

dustry (VCCI)‘s chairman, together with the at-

tendance of representatives from ministries, lead-

ers of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of for-

eign business associations and FDI enterprises.

During the event, there were discussions on up-

dated information about implementing means un-

der the instructions of Vietnam Prime Minister

after the events on May 13rd &14th, feedbacks of

enterprises and measures to enhance the public

security to assist enterprises as well as investors

overcome difficulties and stabilize their activities

in Vietnam.

ICHAM PRESIDENT ON VTC 10

ICHAM President Michele D'Ercole was invited

as a guest speaker on "Sharing Vietnam" talk show

of VTC10 about the topic: ―Commercial Partner-

ship Achievement of Vietnam-Italy Private Sec-

tor‖.

During the interview, the President shared his view

on how to support the bilateral trade between Italy

and Vietnam and talked about his new assignment

as Representative of Italian Chambers of Com-

merce in Asia as well as the Italian Chamber of

Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM) activities in the

year 2014 to foster cooperation between Italian

and Vietnamese enterprises.

He also congratulated on Vietnam‘s positive im-

provement of investment environment in terms of

law amendment and Open Policies to attract for-

eign investors.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

6

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS VIETNAM

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

On June 9th, Prime Minister of the Re-

public of Italy, H.E. Matteo Renzi,

started his two – day official visit to

Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnam-

ese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung.

Beside institutional meetings, the Prime

Minister also visited Casa Italia (Italian

country promotion center) and had a

meeting with the Italian business com-

munity in Vietnam, the Italian Trade

Agency, the Italian Chamber of Com-

merce in Vietnam and representatives of

the most important Italian enterprises in-

vesting in Vietnam including: Ariston

Thermosanitari, Piaggio, Cae, Intesa San-

paolo, Bonfiglioli, Danieli, Eni, Finmec-

canica, Perfetti Van Melle, Carvico, Stu-

dio Legale De Masi Taddei Vasoli.

7

68TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITALIAN INDE-

PENDENCE DAY

Mr. Le Quang Liem – Vice President of HCMC

People‘s Committee congratulated Italian friends

on occasion of the Independence Day, emphasiz-

ing that the partnership between Vietnam and

Italy is always strengthened in all fields.

To celebrate the 68th anniversary of Italian Inde-

pendence Day (2/6/1946 – 2/6/2014), the Italian

Consulate General in HCMC held a ceremony on

2nd June, with the presence of Vice President of

HCMC People‘s Committee Mr. Le Quang Liem,

representatives of foreign embassies and consu-

lates, and the Italian community in Vietnam.

2nd June, with the presence of Vice President of

HCMC People‘s Committee Mr. Le Quang Liem,

representatives of foreign embassies and consu-

lates, and the Italian community in Vietnam.

Mrs. Carlotta Colli – Italian Consul General gave

a warm welcome to the invitees, sharing socio-

economic achievements of Italy over the past

years and expressing her joy at seeing the devel-

opment in Vietnam-Italy bilateral cooperation.

Mrs. Colli also hoped that in her position she will

contribute to foster the cooperation between the

two countries, helping people in Ho Chi Minh

City know more about Italian cultural values as

well as helping more Italian people know about

Vietnam.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN

VIETNAM FOR PARMESAN COM-

PANIES

ICHAM collaborated with Unioncamere Emilia-

Romagna and Chamber of Commerce of Parma to

organize a mission in Vietnam for a group of 3

companies from Parma. The Italian companies

participated in B2B meetings with potential Viet-

namese partners from 5th to 10th June, in HCMC

and Hanoi. ―Many useful contacts and prospects

for cooperation‖, one Italian enterprise remarked.

8 Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

VIETNAM BUSINESS FORUM 2014: PREPARING FOR NEW TRADE

AGREEMENTS

The 2014 Midterm Vietnam

Business Forum (VBF)

chaired by Vietnamese Prime

Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

took place on June 5th in Ha-

noi with the theme ―Agenda

to Action – Preparing for New

Trade Agreements‖.

The Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) is a structured and ongoing policy dialogue between the Vietnamese

Government and the local and the foreign business community for a favorable business environment that

attracts private sector investment and stimulates sustainable economic growth in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen

Tan Dung and ICHAM President

EuroCham Vice Chairman - Mr. Tomaso Andreatta, on behalf of

EuroCham and EuroCham‘s partner European Business Groups, pre-

sented five main points that he would like Vietnam to focus on: Re-

spect and implementation of WTO commitments prior to signing an

FTA; Distribution licensing for foreign companies; Visa issuance to

facilitate tourism and business visits; Removal of cap for foreign own-

ership, in particular as it relates to banking; and Business to Govern-

ment Dispute Settlement Procedure in the EU – Vietnam FTA.

9

ICHAM BREAKING ITS OWN RECORD OF NETPLUS

Breaking its own record of Netplus, ICHAM‘s

11th edition ―Italian Six Senses: Feel it your

way‖ held on 12th June attracted nearly 400

business guests from prestigious enterprises in

spite of bad weather. The Chamber was also

honored to welcome Italian Consul General

Carlotta Colli.

Guests were entertained with many interesting

activities in an energetic atmosphere at Hard

Rock Café. The event began with a perform-

ance ―Dance of fragrances‖, also the theme for the perfume-making game.

On this occasion ICHAM also held a ceremony to award the ―Golden Q‖- the Ospitalita‘ Italiana label

of Quality certificates to 4 Italian restaurants in Vietnam: La Hostaria, Pendolasco Italian Garden Res-

taurant, Pendolasco Italian Restaurant & Gourmet Shop and Pomodoro. Finally came the most exciting

part of Netplus when the luckiest guests had their business cards picked up and won valuable prizes

from ICHAM sponsors, with the 2 special prizes including 2 round-trip tickets from Etihad Airways.

ICHAM would like to send our sincere thanks to all sponsors for their precious contribution to

the success of the event: Asco Lotus Vietnam, Crystal Spa, Da Loc Wine, Dezan Shira, Etihad Airways,

Intercontinental Nha Trang, Hausbrandt, La Hostaria, La Perla, Nhat Tan, Park Hyatt Hotel, Pandanus

Resort, Robertet, The Drinks Shop, TAS Art & Fashion, Tombolini and Vuvuzela Beer Club.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

10

This was a good opportunity to master the coop-

eration between the ICsCA in order to improve

the service that these organizations provide to the

Italian enterprises which desire to enlarge their

trades in foreign countries. The ICsCA also hoped

that by supporting the Italian firms, they might

contribute to foster the recovery and development

of the Italian industry.

15th MEETING OF THE SECRETARIES GENERAL OF ITALIAN

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ABROAD

The meeting between the Executive Director (ED)

of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad

(ICsCA) took place in Rome from June 15th to

June 18th.

This annual event organized by Assocamerestero

had the aim to improve the ICsCA trade promotion

and marketing activities, further to coordinate and

update the ICsC programs.

During these meetings, the EDs could discuss and

share their ideas or suggestions. Furthermore, they

could enquire and listen to advices from numerous

experts at the meeting.

The representative of ICHAM Mr. Michele D‘Er-

cole and Mr. Hoang Hai joined the event in the

team composed by the Asia, Middle East, and

South Africa EDs.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

11

BRUSSELS LAUNCH OF EU-ASEAN

BUSINESS NETWORKS

Brussels, 25th June - Eurochambres organized in

collaboration with EIBN, EPDN, EVBN and with

the Italian partners of the Consortium including Un-

ioncamere Emilia-Romagna and ICHAM, a seminar

to promote and support the economic activities out-

side EU of SMEs.

This promotion activity has been identified as an

important part of the global competitiveness strat-

egy of EU, communicating for Europe 2020. In or-

der to help SMEs seize global opportunities and to

help increase and diversify their exports and invest-

ment into ASEAN regional markets, EU has co-

funded these new consortia. The consortia cannot

only provide information services for market ac-

cess, but also contribute to policy dialogue on eco-

nomic context and trade relations in their respective

countries. Also, B2B meetings were organized be-

tween companies and representatives of the three

consortia. ICHAM President Michele D'Ercole

joined the event and delivered a speech on behalf of

EVBN, and also as a representative of Unioncamere

Emilia-Romagna. Entrepreneurs have been able to

get information for their possible interest in the

ASEAN markets.

VIETNAM DESTINATION FOR

ITALIAN COMPANIES IN

AGROFOOD AND LIFESTYLE

Vietnam is now the sixth largest economy in

South East Asia with a fast-growing market and a

young population (64% in working age). To

provide Italian businesses with an overview of the

Vietnamese market, especially business

opportunities in agrofood and lifestyle industry,

Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna, ICHAM and

EVBN collaborated to organize the web-

conference “Vietnam Destination” on 24th of

June. During the conference, live streaming

between Parma and Ho Chi Minh City, the

opportunities were illustrated to Emilia-Romagna

companies. “On one hand, there can be

companies who want to move part of their

production to Vietnam, which offers low-cost but

qualified labor. On the other hand, there has

always been many companies interested in

exporting their products to this market”, noted

Mr. Michele D’Ercole, ICHAM President.

Furthermore, there were two round tables in

which the representatives of Vietnamese business

associations provided insights and answered the

questions of Italian entrepreneurs.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

12

BUSINESS FORUM ASIA

In 19th and 20th June, PiemontE Foreign Center held

an economic forum to provide Italian enterprises

with an overview of the business opportunities in

Asia, focusing on: Japan, South Korea, Singapore,

Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The ICsCA Executive Directors coordinated the

event in collaboration with representatives of the

Italian prestigious institutions, Simest and Sace.

ICHAM Executive Director, Mr. Hoang Hai joined

the forum as speaker exposing to the Italian firms

the possibilities that Vietnam may offer to them.

Indeed, Vietnam is a perfect market for Italian com-

panies. It offers wide availability of partnerships

and many business opportunities.

The program was followed by B2B section between

ICHAM and the enterprises. Thanks to these meet-

ings, Italian enterprises could receive more insights

on the Vietnamese market.

DESK VIETNAM IN EMILIA-

ROMAGNA

ICHAM collaborated with Emilia-Romagna Re-

gion to organize a series of meetings in the prov-

inces of Bologna, Parma, Ferrara, Rimini, and

Piacenza from 23 to 27 of June. The mission,

within the framework of ―Vietnam Destination‖

project, was conducted by ICHAM Executive Di-

rector Mr. Hoang Hai, aiming at providing useful

information to Italian enterprises to expand their

trade in Vietnam.

―Vietnam Destination‖ fosters the investments and

collaborations between Italian and Vietnam firms.

Vietnam, as an emerging economy, is an ideal des-

tination for Italian companies to enlarge their busi-

ness activity. On one hand, Italian companies can

cooperate with Vietnamese companies in terms of

high technology transfer. On the other hand, Ital-

ian enterprises who face the steady Italian market

can be attracted by Vietnam‘s dynamic economy

as perfect location for the sale of finished prod-

ucts.

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

13

ITALIAN LEATHER FASHION AUTUMN WINTER 2015—2016

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

This was a good opportunity for Vietnamese

designers and enterprises to update latest leather

fashion trends for Autumn Winter 2015-2016

and to learn about application of various leather

types through the presentation made by

Lineapelle. While the morning section was

dedicated to shoe and bag design, in the after-

noon the focus was on design for interior furni-

ture and automotive industry.

The seminar attracted more than 100 Vietnam-

ese designers and enterprises operating in

leather, footwear and interior design sectors.

Italy has long been renowned for high quality

fashion trends, especially leather fashion.

With the aim of promoting cooperation be-

tween Vietnam and Italy in leather sector, the

seminar ―Italian Leather Fashion Autumn

Winter 2015-2016‖ was organized on

11th July in Ho Chi Minh City, as part of

Trends Selection Seminars promoted by

Lineapelle (International Leather Fair Sys-

tem), in collaboration with Promos (Special

Agency of Milan Chamber of Commerce)

and the Italian Chamber of Commerce

(ICHAM).

14

SEMINAR: ‗OPPORTUNITIES & CHAL-

LENGES IN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

VIETNAM – EU‘

To present the opportunities as well as challenges

of the Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement and

introduce the Export Helpdesk, Vietnam Trade Pro-

motion Agency (VIETRADE), with support of the

Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICHAM), organ-

izes a seminar on July 4th.

At the seminar, there were attendances of Ms. Bui

Hoang Yen (Deputy Director of Vietrade HCMC),

Mr. Tran Ngoc Quan (Deputy Director General of

EU Department—MOIT), Mr. Le Ky Anh

(Economic & Trade Officer—Delegation of EU),

Mr. Michele D‘Ercole (ICHAM President) and rep-

resentatives of Italian companies who shared their

views from professional perspectives. The seminar

attracted more than 100 participants from both

WEB CONFERENCE BETWEEN ANCONA

(ITALY) AND HO CHI MINH CITY

(VIETNAM)

Newsletter N.3/2014

NEWS

On July 29th, a video conference was held by

Marchet, the Special Agency of the Chamber of

Ancona in collaboration with ICHAM, Union-

camere Emilia - Romagna and EVBN. The

seminar was aimed at introducing cooperating

opportunities with Vietnamese enterprises in the

field of Wood Industry and Interior Production

to Ancona enterprises.

Speakers in Vietnam were Mr. Michele D‘Er-

cole (ICHAM President), representatives of

HAWA, TTT Corporation, IFC Company and

EVBN. In Italy, meanwhile, there were atten-

dances of the President of Marchet, representa-

tive of Unioncamere Emilia Romagna and 20

Italian enterprises who are interested in the

Vietnamese market.

15

THE STATE BANK OF VIETNAM SAYS

TO INTERVENE IN GOLD MARKET

T he Customs Law (revised) will come into

force on January 1, 2015 and to enforce it,

the Vietnamese government will have to issue

five Decrees, one Decision and 15 Circulars.

The key objective of the law‘s revision is to en-

sure that the sector has a comprehensive system

in place to respond to international integration

and import – export activities. The proposed re-

vised law also includes major principles on the

establishment of the General Department of Cus-

toms which has been received public support in

the context of socioeconomic development.

VIETNAM AMENDS CUSTOMS LAW

T he State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has

enough gold bullions that can be sold on a

large scale to intervene in the local gold market to

ensure its stability. If there are more fluctuations

in the gold market, SBV will jump in to stabilize

it, said SBV Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu in a

press release on Sunday afternoon.

The strong measures of SBV since late 2013 suc-

cessfully fixed the disorder of the local gold mar-

ket, which included insignificant price differences

between domestic and world gold prices and the

Decision makers warned the public to carefully

consider market trends before buying or selling

gold so as to avoid unnecessary losses.

impact of speculative activities.

Decision makers warned the public to carefully

consider market trends before buying or selling

gold so as to avoid unnecessary losses.

VIETNAM PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES

FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN WEF BLOG

POST

I n his ―Why Foreign Investment in Vietnam is

Booming‖ blog post, the Vietnamese premier

stated that attracting foreign direct investment

(FDI) has always been a key part of Vietnam‘s

external economic affairs and the country is

―working hard to become even more appealing to

foreign investors.‖

According to the Prime Minister, there were more

than 16,300 active FDI projects, which have col-

lectively pulled in a total of US$238 billion, in

Vietnam in the year to May. These investors came

from 100 countries and territories, and many of

them are some of the world‘s leading multina-

tional corporations.

In conclusion, he stated Vietnam is confident that

it will continue to find success in attracting FDI

inflows as international forecasts have suggested

that FDI flows are returning to dynamic econo-

mies as the world economy recovers.

Newsletter N.3/2014

MARKET

16

V ietnam‘s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

has approved more international airports and

seaports to open counters for value-added tax

(VAT) refunds for the goods foreign passport

holders buy in Vietnam and bring along with them

when exiting the country from July 1.

According to Document 806/TTg-KTTH, the VAT

refund counters would be allowed at Da Nang and

Cam Ranh international airports and Da Nang and

Nha Trang international ports in central Vietnam

as well as Khanh Hoi International Wharf in Ho

Chi Minh city.

MORE AIRPORTS ALLOWED TO OPEN

VAT REFUND COUNTERS FOR FOREIGN-

ERS

A s of July 1, all people flying to Vietnam

from countries affected by the Middle East

Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona virus

(MERS-CoV) are required to fill out health decla-

ration forms before entering the Southeast Asian

country.

Under the new rule, visitors from nine Middle East

countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United

Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon,

Jordan and Iran must make health declarations as a

procedure for their entry. The new regulation will

first be applied at three international airports: Noi

Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City,

and Da Nang in central Da Nang City.

VIETNAM ASKS VISITORS FROM MERS –

COV AREA TO FILL HEALTH DECLARA-

TION

V ietnam is quickly becoming a prime market

for foreign investment in e-commerce ac-

tivities. The country‘s rapidly growing economy

and middle class are, in turn, spawning a strong

consumer culture and increasing levels of dispos-

able income. Electronic retail is fast becoming the

preferred method of shopping—particularly among

the country‘s youth.

According to the market analysis firm EuroMoni-

tor, by 2016, internet penetration in Vietnam will

reach 43 million people – 40-45 percent of the to-

tal population. This percentage is thought to be the

―golden proportion‖ at which investors will pour

into the e-commerce market.(Source: Dezan Shira)

VIETNAM‘S E-COMMERCE ACTIVITIES

I nternet penetration in the country is expected to

rapidly increase – this will in-turn drive strong

growth throughout the e-commerce market. As a

result of this growth, it will become more and

more crucial to create reliable and easy to use pay-

ment systems.

While growth has been strong across the board in

Vietnam‘s e-commerce market, there are still hur-

dles for businesses to overcome. Key among these

are the lack of trust that many consumers feel

about the products they order online – they prefer

to physically touch and evaluate products before

making a purchasing decision. (Source: Dezan

Shira)

LOCAL COMPETITION HEATS UP

Newsletter N.3/2014

MARKET

17

Members & Friends

Newsletter N.3/2014

Interview Mr. Mario Viarengo, Southeast Asian Development Di-

rector of Shell Lubricants

This interview cannot be completed without the precious collaboration of Massimiliano Bertollo.

1. Mario, how did your ‗adventure‘ to Vietnam

start?

In June 2014, I went to work in Bangkok and

Kuala Lumpur: it was my first time coming to

Asia and I am a European who struggled (and

still struggles) to start again. I was so fascinated

by the dynamics of these markets and the general

sense of optimism. When returning back to Lon-

don, I talked to my colleagues and my boss

about the excitement, after several consecutive

years working in Europe; I was willing to have

professional experience in Asia. My boss, at that

time, was surprised. ―Be aware of what you are

wishing as it may become true‖, he said. Some

weeks later, I was offered this job in Vietnam.

2. Can you share something about your family?

I got married with Alexandra - a Venezuelan.

We have an 8 - year – old daughter and a 2 –

year – old son who are accompanying us on this

adventure in Asia.

3. Recently, Angelia Jolie gave her lover – Brad

Pitt – an island in the shape of a heart. This

called Petra, 50 miles away from New York City

and cost 15 million Euros. On her next birthday,

what will you give to your wife Alexandra as a

present?

island is called Petra, 50 miles away from New

York City and cost 15 million Euros. On her next

birthday, what will you give to your wife Alexan-

dra as a present?

The heart shape is a bit cheesy so I do not think I

will take inspiration from Angelina‘s gift. How-

ever, the island is a good idea: maybe we‘ll make a

trip to one of the Asian islands that we would like

to visit.

4. How do you feel as being one of the top seniors

of a non-Italian company? That‘s true meritoc-

racy. Tell me about your role in the Shell Vietnam.

After 7 years in Belgium, Luxembourg and the

Netherlands, I came back to Italy working for

Shell in 2004. At this company, I held various po-

sitions, including Marketing and Sales, on both

national and international scales (before coming to

Vietnam, I lived in London). At Shell Vietnam, I

follow development activities of our Lubricants

Division sales network for Southeast Asia. Other

than main activities, together with our team, we

select retailers and the optimal structure of our

sales force.

18

Members & Friends

Newsletter N.3/2014

5. Recently, 830 distributors of Shell were trans-

ferred to Q8. Can you share some brief comments

with the readers?

The transaction is in line with the strategy aimed at

concentrating Shell‘s global Downstream business

activities in a more limited number of assets and

markets, where they can be more competitive.

The Upstream, Gas & Power and Lubricants busi-

ness in Italy are not involved in this operation and

Italy still remains an important country for Shell.

For example, Shell is one of the largest investors

in hydrocarbons exploration and production in It-

aly - a country which has a strong presence and a

development strategy with fast growth prospects.

6. Speaking of meritocracy and professionalism,

what do you think and would you say to young

people who enroll in universities? Go to Albania to

graduate more easily? I remember that the son of a

prominent Senator graduated in Albania without

ever having set foot in the Land of the Eagles

(which means Albany) (verified by the Judiciary

of Milan). This person, after that, had a position in

the Board of the Lombardy Region and, among

other things, still confusing Austria with Australia.

And, I‘ll stop!

Back to us, Marino, I promise that no one will

know: you graduated in Albany and pursued MBA

in Burundi, didn‘t you?

http://www.corriere.it/scuola/13_ottobre_11/piano

-b-aspiranti-medici-bocciati-italia-provano-albania

-d102907e-3238-11e3-b846- b6f7405b68a1.shtml

The problem here is not that the son of that boss

went to Albany as hundreds of students enroll in

universities with dubious academic quality or at-

tempt to finish national examinations at easier

schools just to get the title. At least in the environ-

ment of multinational companies, these tricks can-

not be used because the selection is made on the

quality of academic training and experiences. The

same amount of time and money should be better

invested to have better opportunities and get into a

well-qualified university, maybe even abroad. As

for me, I graduated in Business Economics at Boc-

coni and obtained my Master in International Man-

agement at CEMS (Community of European Man-

agement Schools) after having studied in Belgium.

In fact, it was the opportunity to study abroad that

I then started my international career.

7. When talking about the ‗signs‘, what do you

think?

I think that all the streets in Ho Chi Minh City

should have a little more but in fact, few people

would follow them.

8. As far as I know, the types of crude oil are dif-

ferent in every country. For example, the North

Sea crude oil is far better than one of Arab nations;

therefore, the price and the quality are much

higher. Is it true?

According to some of my friends working in geol-

ogy, oil is like wine: there are different types and

depending on where it is produced, it will owns

technical features, price and yield typical for that

location.

http://www.corriere.it/scuola/13_ottobre_11/piano-b-aspiranti-medici-bocciati-italia-provano-albania-d102907e-3238-11e3-b846-b6f7405b68a1.shtml



19

Members & Friends

Newsletter N.3/2014

9. Will recently – discovered deposits of ‗black

gold‘ be sufficient for consumption in the coming

years? And as human discover more deposits of

fossil fuels (including gas, also called blue gold),

the world continues to depend inexorably on the

political adventures of a few countries, including

Venezuela, Ukraine (35% of Russian gas to the

EU passing Ukraine). Please give some of your

opinions.

The world is now in its period of unprecedented

progress and prosperity. The average wealth,

health and life expectancy are increasing. Higher

standard of living, for example, allows greater ac-

cess to hospitals, electricity and transportation. By

2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet

compared to 7 billion of today. This is equivalent

to adding the population of China and India to-

gether.

It is estimated that global energy demand will

grow by 15 – 20% by 2020, with nearly all the

growth coming from non-OECD countries such as

Vietnam. A 20% growth in demand is like adding

another China in less than a decade. During the

first half of this century, global energy demand

could double to 200 million Boe (equivalent to a

barrel of oil) per day in 2000 to approximately 400

million BOE per day by 2050. To meet energy

needs of the whole world in coming years and dec-

ades, we will need to mobilize all forms of energy.

The growth in electricity demand will outpace

overall demand for energy. By the year of 2020, it

is expected that electricity consumption will in-

crease between 25% and 35%, in comparison with

the figure of 2012. Just like electricity, natural gas

has a significantly lower impact in terms of CO2

(carbon dioxide) and a water footprint less than

coal. We are confident about the possibilities of

long-term supply. Throughout the world, there are

extensive gas reserves sufficient to last 250 years

at the current level of consumption.

10. Chiquita Brands International - an American

group that brought the bananas with blue seal

around the world blends with the historic Irish

competitor Fyffes to give birth to the global giant

banana company, with a turnover of 32.3 billion

euro.

14 billion euro is a huge amount of money which

was paid out by Mark Zuckerberg to buy

WhatsApp – a popular messaging application that

has 450 users.

Microsoft has owned Nokia at the price of 5.44

billion USD. Google completed acquisition of

Nest and invested 3.2 billion for thermostats

manufacture. I usually ask myself whether these

mergers or acquisitions in other cases will lead to

the final consumer welfare or not. What‘s your

opinion?

http://food24.ilsole24ore.com/2014/03/chiquita-si

-allea-con-il-concorrente-irlandese-nasce-il-

colosso-mondiale-delle-banane/

I think that today consumers have much more

choices than in the past. Taking messaging appli-

cations as example, WhatsApp has replaced BBM

(Blackberry Messenger) and if you cannot keep

up with the competition, the consumers will leave

http://food24.ilsole24ore.com/2014/03/chiquita-si-allea-con-il-concorrente-irlandese-nasce-il-colosso-mondiale-delle-banane/



20

Members & Friends

Newsletter N.3/2014

for Viber, Line or maybe an alternative that has

not existed yet. Perhaps the real question is if these

operations make sense from an industrial point of

view and if ultimately be able to remain competi-

tive.

11. What do you think of the judges who take the

path of politics?

I‘ll speak from my personal perspective. Article 49

of our Constitution states that: ‗All citizens have

the right to freely associate in parties to contribute

to democratic processes and to determine national

policy‘. I think that some professions such as mag-

istrate and journalist need precautions to avoid the

doubt that judgments or opinions expressed in

their first career have been influenced by political

guidelines and as such are not impartial. If I re-

member correctly, a career in judiciary already

provides that the resignation may not be canceled.

It may be assumed a break at the end of a magis-

trate and therefore, they possibly enter politics.

Now we come to the tricky part of the interview

12. Why does Devil always wear Prada? In your

opinion, is Prada his sponsor?

Perhaps because the historic location of Milan

(Via Turati) is very close to the first Prada store

( in Galleria, also in Milan).

13. On Feb 11 1929, Lateran pact was signed at St.

Giovanni Laterano. It was leaders of Rome and

Lazio‘s supporters who signed this pact. Accord-

ing to the pact, every year at the end of each cham-

pionship, there will be a break on gentle shores of

Lake Bracciano for 10 days (just like Decam-

eron). These young people spend their time at

banquets, dancing and playing games, and to

pleasantly occupy the hottest hours, they decided

to tell a story every day. For example, ‗What

should be a gift for a referee?‘Ham at Christmas.

Or scarves or gloves, but ham is still the best one.

‗When done eating, there is no evidence remain-

ing‘ (Massimo Moratti). Mario, when playing

football, basketballs or any other sports, have you

ever given a gift to a referee?

I‘ve never played football such at that high level

to think of gifts every Christmas. But on a profes-

sional level, I consider inappropriate to give gifts

to referees. Working many years in Northern

Europe, I saw that gifts in Italy (or other countries

like Vietnam) are a normal practice. In fact, it is

likely to be less appropriate for both the giver and

the receiver.

14. Have you read Rosso (Red), Captial or other

books of political philosophy?

I am an avid reader but I have never been at-

tracted by classical politics, neither right nor

left...maybe I can find the passion here, in the So-

cialist Republic of Vietnam.

15. In daily life and workplace, can people deal

with everything or are there things that are non-

negotiable?

I do not think that it is necessary to have two dif-

ferent measures for personal life and workplace,

and there are principles which cannot be negoti-

ated. This, in reality, can simplify problems

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Members & Friends

Newsletter N.3/2014

because it can take away the doubt of having to

evaluate situations from time to time.

16. Both of us are married and you have definitely

experienced those ‗not-so-good moments‘; I am

finishing the convalescence after the ‗trauma‘! Tell

me one thing to do before wedding.

Forget that the perfect marriage is between a blind

woman and a deaf man…

17. It is still early to mention this but to whom will

you give the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize?

There are no distinguished personalities in these

first months that come to my mind right now.

Maybe the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize will be

awarded to organizations who have been overcom-

ing great difficulties to bring aid to people in-

volved in military conflicts. Médecins Sans Fron-

tières won the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize and after 15

years, it may be Save the Children or Emergency‘s

turn.

Thank you, Mario and wish you a good day.

w

w

w

.

i

c

h

a

m

.

o

r

Quote of the month: <<We can face the future by

nurturing a faith, any faith…>> S. Jobs.

Van Tinh – TRAN LE

Councilor – The Italian Chamber of Commerce in

Vietnam

Email: [email protected] -

[email protected]

http://www.icham.org/













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ICHAM Newsletter N.3/2014 - ENG

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