Government officials last week reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to obligation under the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement.

HANOI, June 23 Asia Pulse - The boom in supermarket shopping coupled with its negative impact on traditional markets, has led Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Trade to draft a project to develop the network of markets, supermarkets and trading centres across the city to better serve local people.

HANOI, June 20 Asia Pulse - Ho Chi Minh City's investment incentives are paying off as new foreign direct investment into the country's largest economic hub had by May's end almost doubled last year's same period to over US$195 million.

HANOI, June 26 Asia Pulse - The domestic industrial sector needs to begin making plans to protect itself from increased competition from regional rivals once the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) deadline hits, according to Deputy Industry Minister Bui Xuan Khu.

HANOI (AFP) - Business leaders and donor representatives said Vietnam needs to make a "quantum leap" in regulatory and market reforms to meet its target of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 2005.

HANOI - Vietnam will accelerate efforts both to join the World Trade Organization and its market reform programme to sustain its high growth rate, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan says.