[Vacets-local-dc] [The price of telecom services in VN]

[Hai Tran]

Kari Alanko, Finish Ambassador to Vietnam talks Vietnamese telecom prices 

Speaking with Vietnamese journalists, the Ambassador Kari Alanko said: I have a little bit of experience on how high Vietnamese telecom prices are. In Finland, price for Internet ADSL service is about U$50 per month, a half cheaper than that in Vietnam.
A telephone call from Finland to Vietnam, for example, does cost about 1.5 euro per minute, two-time expensive than a call from Finland to Thailand. In my opinion, one of reasons made Finland has high development on technology is Finland allows to wide open door for competition; namely any enterprise wanting to involve with investment are encouraged. 

The government does not direct enterprises to invest into this or that, but creates conditions and environment for enterprises to do business. 

It only has high quality services and consumers enjoy benefit when it has an equal playing ground for among enterprises. An equal playing ground means a safe playing ground, he commented. 


On destination for investment, the Ambassador said Finish investment to Vietnam is frankly modest. First of all as Finland is a small country, when making investment abroad, enterprises have to carefully deliberate. 
And after deliberating, they choose China or Thailand because where the business environment is more competitive. For example, Nokia has only chosen China to open its factory-one of a few over the world. 


I think that a clever government is one which understand that it is unable for them to know everything and also to shoulder everything. 
Therefore, Finish government creates maximum conditions for enterprises to develop, particularly the private sector, the Ambassador commented. 


On decisive factor for economic development, he said in the early 1990s, Finland was on economic recession. In a long time, Finland was dependent on market of the former Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Finland’s exports slumped drastically. Finland’s main exports at that time were products of materials as wood and materials for paper. 
Our country stood before a selection; question is that where should Finland make investment from? and what is our target? These are really difficult to give answers. Finally, knowledge - oriented economy was chosen. 

Now, products with high knowledge and technology contents as telecom, electronics accounted great part of GDP, and become main exporting products of Finland, replacing for items exploited from natural resources. Additionally, factor of human is very important. 

Finish people always think they must work hard. Winter weather in Finland is very cold with minus zero C degree; if don’t work hard they will don’t have house and food to survive, he stressed. 

Vietnam Economy
- (12/01/2004)



=====
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.saigon.com/pipermail/vacets-local-dc/attachments/20040112/d0f2a062/attachment.htm