Meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Dutch enterprises want to invest an additional 100 million USD in shipbuilding

On the afternoon of December 11 (local time), during his official visit to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a discussion with a number of leaders of leading Dutch businesses and corporations.

Vietnam wants to become an international logistics and freight transit center.

Mr. Bas van Bemmelen, leader of Boskalis Group - the world's leading maritime and logistics group, expressed interest in Vietnam's goal of reducing net zero emissions.

"We heard Vietnam talk about some goals and expressed its will to become the world's leading maritime center, producing goods for global supply. We and some Vietnamese partners can establish a legal framework for sustainable sand mining at sea," he raised the issue with the Prime Minister.

Mr. Arnout Damen - CEO of Damen Shipyards Gorinchem said that he plans to invest an additional 100 million USD in the shipbuilding sector in Vietnam and wishes to support Vietnam in developing a transport system that reduces carbon emissions...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh answers questions from Dutch businesses. Photo: Nhat Bac

In response, the Prime Minister said that with a coastline of 3,260 km, Vietnam wishes to cooperate with the Netherlands in building seaports, contributing to the goal of turning Vietnam into an international logistics and freight transit center.

With a large volume of goods passing through international maritime routes in the East Sea, Vietnam consistently maintains the viewpoint of ensuring security, safety, freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, and resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister noted that the exploitation of sand and marine resources must ensure sustainable development. If it negatively affects sustainable development, it must not be done; if it positively affects sustainable development, it must be encouraged.

Vietnam is acting like a country with income of 50,000 - 60,000 USD

Mr. Dolf van den Brink - General Director of Heineken Global said that recently, Vietnam has made strong commitments to respond to climate change, achieving the goal of zero emissions by 2050. Expressing his desire to actively contribute in this field, he suggested that Vietnam promote the direct electricity trading mechanism, propose some contents related to solar power...

Responding to this proposal, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, it is necessary to simultaneously implement measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, methane gas in agriculture, promoting afforestation, converting energy from fossil fuels to clean energy such as solar, wind, etc.

"Vietnam is a developing country, with an economy in transition, but it has to do the same work as developed countries. We are a country with an average income per capita of 4,000 USD but have to do the same work as the Netherlands, a country with an income of 50,000 - 60,000 USD. Therefore, Vietnam calls for a fair and just approach, with the support of developed countries," the Prime Minister analyzed.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation took a souvenir photo with Dutch businesses. Photo: Nhat Bac

Therefore, the head of the Vietnamese Government suggested that in developing renewable energy, Vietnam needs support from the international community in terms of capital, technology, human resource training, governance, and institutional building and improvement.

In addition, electricity development must take into account all five factors: power source, power load, distribution, use and appropriate electricity price. The Prime Minister proposed that international partners lend Vietnam capital to develop renewable energy at preferential interest rates, supporting Vietnam in building a clean energy industry.

"We are confident that we can do it, because this is an inevitable and objective requirement. If you can help, we can do it faster," the Prime Minister asked.

The Prime Minister said that Vietnam welcomes the direct electricity trading mechanism in the spirit of harmonizing interests and sharing risks among parties. The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to promote this mechanism, encouraging investors to develop rooftop solar power.

Regarding questions about human resources, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam is making efforts to improve people's knowledge, train human resources, and foster talents with specific policies. Dutch enterprises investing in Vietnam can "place orders" with Vietnamese universities about human resource training.

On the same afternoon, the Prime Minister received Mr. Dolf van den Brink - General Director of Heineken Global - a company that has invested 1 billion USD in Vietnam and plans to invest another 500 million USD in the next 10 years.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam encourages businesses to develop green, reduce water and energy consumption; promote waste recycling and requested Heineken to continue using modern, advanced and sustainable technologies in its investment and business activities, and continue to contribute to social security and environmental protection in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Government is committed to accompanying and supporting Heineken in expanding its investment and business activities.

The Prime Minister said he would direct agencies to study and consider Heineken's proposal on tax policy and affirmed that Vietnam will continue to improve tax policy in the spirit of "harmonizing benefits and sharing risks" between the State, investors and people, while regulating investment capital into areas suitable to socio-economic development requirements.

At a meeting with the President of the Dutch Employers' Federation in the afternoon of the same day, the Prime Minister asked this agency to continue to be a bridge to promote Dutch enterprises to invest in Vietnam, especially in the fields of high technology, innovation, digital transformation, green and clean energy, sustainable agriculture, infrastructure, and logistics.

At the same time, the Prime Minister hopes that the Netherlands will help Vietnamese enterprises participate in regional and global supply chains. These are also areas in which the Vietnamese Government encourages investment.