The World Bank (WB) has provided US$180 million in loans to help Vietnam build the Vietnam-Germany University (VGU) in Ho Chi Minh City.

The province’s credit sector made positive changes in the first half of 2010. Particularly, the total capital mobilized from province-based credit organizations reached VND34.470trillion, up 8.26% compared to early this year. The sector’s total outstanding loans also reached VND38.911trillion, up 9% compared to early this year.

Early July 9, Tan Uyen district’s Party Executive Committee held the 21st conference to approve the local socio-economic performance in the first half of 2010 and design orientations and tasks for the rest of the year.

Hoa Sen Group and Pho Dong Company have announced to sell 119 out of 210 apartments of the Pho Dong-Hoa Sen apartment building project at the sale price of VND13.3mln/sq m.

In the past few months, real estate market in Binh Duong comes back into life with more projects launched in My Phuoc, Ben Cat. The prices are 40-50% lower than peak in 2007 have prompted customers from contiguous areas to invest into ancillary housing.

In the afternoon of July 7th, provincial People’s Chairman Nguyen Hoang Son hosted a meeting to approve funding drive for the upcoming festival of pottery. Beyond budget, the province confirms its needs of support from business community to broadcast brand names and products and promote pottery industry through silver and gold sponsorships.

Binh Duong Water, Sewerage, and Environment Company (BIWASE) has just reported to People’s Committee its land leasing contract with An Dien Sustainable Development Co. Ltd. The land lot of 2,000 m2 will be used for factory that processes hazardous waste from Nam Binh Duong Complex’s solid waste treatment plant which covers 75ha and has been operating since 2004.

In the morning of July 6th, Office of province’s Party Committee held a ceremony to inaugurate its 3-star guest house locating on Bach Dang Street, Thu Dau Mot town. The upgrade construction, which costs over VND 37 billion for 6-storey guest house of 48 rooms, 6 VIP apartments, one 700-guest restaurant, and two meeting halls, is meaningful to celebrate the 9th province’s Party Congress.

 Electronic customs brings interests for businesses.After 6 months of launching e-customs, Binh Duong Customs just held a preliminary conference of e-customs launch and collect feedback ideas from enterprises. Most of the businesses said that e-customs should be extended to offer favorable conditions for businesses’ import and export.

About 330 businesses from 23 countries and territories around the world are showcasing their latest products and modern technologies at the 7th Vietnam International Precision Engineering, Machine Tools and Metalworking Exhibition & Conference (MTA Vietnam 2010).

In the first half of 2010, Dau Tieng district’s total production value was estimated at VND711.3bln, up 22.6% compared to the corresponding period of last year, or 40% of this year’s plan. Of the total figure, industrial production value increased by 37%, trade-services by 26% and agricultural production value by 7.5%.

After nearly 10 years of development, Vinatex-mart chain has established 56 outlets in 24 provinces and cities nationwide with more than 60,000 commodities on sales and the annual average turnover increasing by 40%.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended a ground-breaking ceremony for the Nghi Son 1 thermal power plant in Thanh Hoa province on July 3.

 Although textiles and garments have experienced constant growth, there are still serious problems facing the sector such as a labour shortage and reliance on imported materials.

The Ministry of Transport confirmed on July 2 that the Government has intervened to stabilize the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin), which encountered repayment problems during the global financial crisis and lost the confidence of lending institutitons.