Austal CEO Patrick Gregg (Photo: VNA) Sydney (VNA) - Australian businesses will have a great chance to besuccessful with their business in Vietnam once they embrace and respect the localculture, treat Vietnamese workforce with respect, and speak a little slowerthan they do at home, said Austal CEO Patrick Gregg.
Ina recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Sydney onthe shipbuilding group's business in Vietnam and the country’s businessenvironment, he said “My suggestion to any Australian business consideringsetting up in Vietnam would be to do their homework well, reach out to therelevant provincial People’s Committee for support as well as Auscham Vietnamand the Department of ForeignAffairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia”.
They should start with a small but skilled expat base, preferably experiencedwith Vietnamese or Asian cultures and surround them with a key Vietnamesemanagement team that have solid English language skills, both written andspoken, and are well versed in the legislative requirements applicable to theirarea of expertise, he noted.
He also praised Vietnamese workers, saying they are very conscious in regardsto safety and environmental issues but practises do vary widely acrossindustries, and are capable of working to very high standards.
Regarding Austal Vietnam’s operation during the hard year of 2020, PatrickGregg said while some countries have been affected by COVID-19 worse thanothers, in Vietnam, the company enjoyed a relatively uninterrupted year due tosolid Government policy and a disciplined and supportive response from theVietnamese population.
However, it still encountered some problems as a result of travel restrictionsand lack of flight availability once travel restrictions eased, he noted.
About Austal’s plan to develop business in Vietnam after the signing of an MOUbetween Western Australia and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, the CEO said that theMoU signing is another significant step forward in Australian Vietnameserelations and while COVID-19 has dampened global markets across all sectors.
“We look forward to a resurgence of business activity in mid to late 2021. Inthis circumstance we are very hopeful that with the continued support of the BaRia Vung Tau People’s Committee, we will be well placed to capitalise on anyopportunities that may arise,” according to him.
Currently Austal Vietnam has 323 staff at its facility in Dong Xuyen Port ofVung Tau, which is slightly up from the figure of 318 employed in October 2019. During its first two years of operation, it has provided intern opportunitiesfor 24 naval architects from the University of Transportation and Communication- Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang University of Technology, Ba Ria-Vung TauUniversity, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, and Nha TrangUniversity.
In addition, it has also provided shipbuilding training opportunities for 46trainees./.
VNA
