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Vietnam Offers Manpower Base
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Vietnam offers a highly resourceful manpower base with skilled workforce that Brunei could tap into, said the Vietnamese Ambassador yesterday.

Speaking to the Weekend Bulletin, Ambassador Mr Ha Hong Han said that over 73,000 Vietnamese workers are currently employed overseas in both skilled and unskilled sectors as well as in professional capacities.

He also revealed that around 60 Vietnamese housemaids were employed in Brunei mainly in Chinese households. These maids were fluent in Mandarin and have had experience in Taiwan, he added. They earned around $300 per month.

Citing the case of several Bruneians mainly Chinese who have opted to marry Vietnamese women, Ambassador Ha Hong Hai said he would not encourage any `brokers' but will leave the choice to individuals. According to him, at least 20 Bruneians working for RBA have married Vietnamese women, while working in that country on aircraft maintenance

The Ambassador said Vietnam has

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provided manpower to markets such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Middle East and so on. Brunei is a new market for Vietnamese labour with more than 600 Vietnamese working here in various areas including domestic helpers.

He also said that prior to coming to Brunei; the Vietnamese workers were trained in language acquisition skills in Malay, English and Chinese.

Brunei has a big demand for domestic helpers and Vietnam could meet part of that demand. In addition, Brunei manpower agencies are more interested in hiring them.

Asked on Vietnamese fishermen encroaching Brunei waters, Mr. Ha said there had been no such cases for the past two years.

They apparently encroached Brunei waters unexpectedly to take shelter from occasional typhoons. Their ignorance, due to the unavailability of navigation equipment, was cited as the main reason they drift.

However, the Ambassador expressed his appreciation at the treatment they received in prisons and for being able to get back their boats ands fishing equipments after they complete their jail terms. "Most of the fishermen are poor people and have to borrow money from the bank to buy the fishing boats," he mentioned.

Asked on how Brunei could take advantage of the robust economic growth of the Vietnamese economy which recorded 8.17% growth last year, Mr. Ha said Vietnam offered a very open and flexible foreign investment policy and called on the Brunei SMEs to take advantage. Trade volume between two countries was very modest and stood around US$3 million in Vietnam's favour.

With the entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and with the normal trade relations with the United States, Vietnam's economy is stronger this year. The two-way trade between Vietnam and United States alone stood at US$9.7 billion last year, where Vietnam's export reached US$8 billion. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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