asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
asialife HCMC 1 - AsiaLIFE Magazine
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finance<br />
Future World<br />
240 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D3<br />
Authorized reseller of Apple computers<br />
and products, as well as some off-brand<br />
items like headphones. Excellent service<br />
and English-speaking staff. Accepts credit<br />
cards.<br />
Phong Vu Computer<br />
264C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, D1<br />
Tel: 3933 0762<br />
www.vitinhphongvu.com<br />
The biggest and busiest of the PC stores<br />
in town. Known for good, efficient service,<br />
in-house maintenance and after-sales<br />
repair on the second floor.<br />
SYS Vi Tinh Saigon<br />
96C Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1<br />
www.vtsaigon.com<br />
A superb place with an excellent reputation<br />
for after-sales service with competent<br />
English speaking staff and a wide range<br />
of products and services. Freeware and<br />
shareware also available on the store<br />
website.<br />
promotes excellence in business leadership<br />
and management by bringing to<br />
Vietnam proven international executive<br />
education and professional development<br />
programmes.<br />
Phuong Nguyen Consulting<br />
TPC Business Center, 92-96 Nguyen<br />
Hue, D1 Tel: 3829 2391<br />
www.pnp-consulting.com<br />
Specializing in business facilitation,<br />
conferences, education counselling,<br />
market-entry research and IT/business<br />
consulting.<br />
Prism Information Technology<br />
Services<br />
Level 4, YOCO Building, 41 Nguyen Thi<br />
Minh Khai, D1 Tel: 3829 6416<br />
info@prism.com.vn<br />
A foreign-owned information and communications<br />
technology company that<br />
offers value-added IT solutions. Enables<br />
local businesses to attain and maintain<br />
international IT standards to be more<br />
competitive in the marketplace.<br />
Rouse & Co. International<br />
Abacus Tower, 58 Nguyen Dinh Chieu,<br />
D1 Tel: 3823 6770<br />
www.iprights.com<br />
Global intellectual property firm providing<br />
a full range of IP services including patent<br />
and trade mark agency services.<br />
Saigon-Expat Tax Services<br />
23 Phung Khac Khoan, D1<br />
Tel: 0938 220 255<br />
luckyviv8888@yahoo.com<br />
An IRS-enrolled agent specialising in the<br />
preparation of U.S. personal income tax<br />
returns. Also provides Vietnam tax and<br />
business legal consulting.<br />
Star Management Limited<br />
92-96 Nguyen Hue, D1 Tel: 3897 2765<br />
www.starlimited.com<br />
Business advisory services for companies<br />
investing in Vietnam, business<br />
project advancement and a range of<br />
business development services.<br />
TMF Vietnam Company Limited<br />
Unit 501, 5th Floor, Saigon Trade<br />
Center<br />
37 Ton Duc Thang, D1<br />
Tel: 3910 2262 ext. 113<br />
Fax: 3910 0590<br />
www.tmf-group.com<br />
With headquarters in Amsterdam and<br />
Rotterdam, TMF Vietnam specializes in<br />
accounting outsourcing and consulting.<br />
Total Wealth Management<br />
66/11 Pham Ngoc Thach, D3<br />
Tel: 3820 0623<br />
www.t-wm.com<br />
Specialists in selecting and arranging<br />
tax-efficient savings and pension plans<br />
for expatriates. Offers councel on private<br />
banking services, wealth protection in<br />
offshore jurisdictions, currency risks and<br />
hedging strategies.<br />
Towers Watson Vietnam (formerly<br />
Watson Wyatt and SMART HR)<br />
Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue, Suite<br />
808, D1<br />
Tel: 3821 9488<br />
Global HR consulting firm specializing in<br />
executive compensation, talent management,<br />
employee rewards and surveys,<br />
HR effectiveness and technology, data<br />
services and total rewards surveys.<br />
Bye Bye 2010<br />
By Paul McLardie<br />
I was talking to a friend who<br />
runs the Saigon office of one<br />
of the major shipping agents<br />
in Vietnam about the last<br />
year and how our respective<br />
businesses have coped during<br />
2010. One of the things<br />
we agreed on was how it has<br />
not been easy lately for businesses<br />
in Vietnam. With the<br />
change in the dollar price,<br />
the instability of Foreign Direct<br />
Investment (FDI), and the<br />
general conditions of carrying<br />
out business, it's been a bit<br />
rough.<br />
This is not surprising,<br />
and it's not just two mates<br />
talking over a coffee at his<br />
office. The World Bank has<br />
carried out an investigation<br />
into which economies are<br />
the easiest to do business in.<br />
Vietnam came in at number<br />
78, between the Bahamas<br />
and China. Vietnam placed<br />
well above the supposedly<br />
more developed countries<br />
such as the Russian Federation<br />
and Italy, but well behind<br />
the local competition such as<br />
Thailand (19) and Singapore<br />
(1). The good news is that<br />
where Vietnam competes<br />
for attention to gain FDI, its<br />
neighbours are lagging well<br />
behind: Cambodia (147),<br />
Laos (171), Indonesia (121),<br />
Philippines (148).<br />
While Vietnam lags behind<br />
in the ease of setting up and<br />
starting a business, it has<br />
recently made good strides in<br />
areas such as getting credit<br />
and trading across borders.<br />
My friend and I agreed that<br />
the new year will be easier<br />
than 2010. The fluctuations<br />
in the price difference<br />
between the dong and dollar<br />
should lessen and with the<br />
government looking at the<br />
possibility of opening up<br />
the local gold market to<br />
imports, this should lessen<br />
the requirements of the black<br />
market.<br />
Banks in Vietnam are<br />
required to hold U.S. dollars.<br />
At present, we all know that<br />
the dong is not a transposable<br />
currency on the world<br />
markets so there is a reliance<br />
on U.S. dollars. The more<br />
people use the banks (and<br />
black market less), even if it<br />
is just for exchanging dollars,<br />
the less panic and runs on<br />
gold the economy will have.<br />
Support the Vietnamese<br />
economy by using banks that<br />
you feel you can trust. Not<br />
only will it be safer for you,<br />
but it will also help alleviate<br />
the crippling inflation that has<br />
been a large part of the problems<br />
in 2010. It helps the<br />
economy and hopefully will<br />
leave you with a few more<br />
dong left in your pocket after<br />
your trip to the supermarket.<br />
Paul McLardie is a partner<br />
at Total Wealth Management.<br />
Contact him at Paul.<br />
mclardie@t-wm.com<br />
CONSULTING<br />
Concetti<br />
33 Dinh Tien Hoang, D1 Tel: 3911 1480<br />
www.concetti-vn.com<br />
Consulting and research company for<br />
technology transfer and investment.<br />
Embers-Asia Ltd.<br />
Level 9, Nam Giao Building, 80-8 Phan<br />
Xich Long, Phu Nhuan Tel: 3995 9163<br />
www.embers-asia.com<br />
With a focus on experiential learning,<br />
Embers-Asia has been creating and<br />
delivering high-performance training and<br />
development solutions for<br />
corporations, embassies, international<br />
schools and NGOs throughout Southeast<br />
Asia since 2002.<br />
Ernst & Young<br />
Saigon Riverside Office Center, 2A-4A<br />
Ton Duc Thang, D1 Tel: 3824 5252<br />
www.ey.com<br />
Professional service firm specializing in<br />
advisory, assurance, tax, transactions and<br />
strategic growth markets.<br />
Flamingo Corporate Services<br />
Tel: 2217 1662<br />
Email: info@flamingovn.com<br />
www.flamingovn.com<br />
Specializes in business immigration,<br />
providing services like visas, work and<br />
resident permits, police clearance, APEC<br />
cards, authentication and legalization of<br />
work experience certificates and degrees<br />
in Vietnam and abroad.<br />
Grant Thornton<br />
Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc<br />
Thang, D1 Tel: 3910 9100<br />
www.gt.com.vn<br />
International business advisors specializing<br />
in auditing, management consulting,<br />
corporate finance, risk management and<br />
information technology.<br />
IF Consulting<br />
IBC Building, 3rd Floor<br />
1A Me Linh Square, D1<br />
4th Floor, 5 Ba Trieu<br />
Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi<br />
Tel: 3827 7362 Fax: 3827 7361<br />
Email: pascal@insuranceinvietnam.com<br />
Private insurance and finance.<br />
Indochine Councel<br />
Han Nam Building, 65 Nguyen Du, D1<br />
Tel: 3823 9640<br />
www.indochinecounsel.com<br />
Business law firm specializing in legal<br />
services to corporate clients in relation<br />
to their business and investment in<br />
Vietnam.<br />
International Management Initiative<br />
for Vietnam (IMIV)<br />
info@imiv.org<br />
www.imiv.org<br />
The International Management Initiative<br />
for Vietnam (IMIV), a non-profit initiative<br />
within VinaCapital Foundation that<br />
DECOR<br />
Antique Street<br />
Le Cong Kieu Street, D1 between<br />
Nguyen Thai Binh and Pho Duc Chinh<br />
A variety of antiques and faux antiques<br />
from Thailand, China and Vietnam<br />
including silverware, compasses, lighters,<br />
brass knockers, urns, vases, abacuses,<br />
religious and pagan statues, candlestick<br />
holders, furniture and watches.<br />
Asian Fish<br />
34 Mac Thi Buoi, D1<br />
Boutique-style arts and crafts store sell-<br />
86 <strong>asialife</strong> <strong>HCMC</strong>
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