The Vietnam Economic Times on August 25 flagged its ninth Golden Dragon Awards for business excellence from foreign-invested companies in various sectors.

‘This year, the awards will continue to focus on honouring businesses for their increasing efforts to enhance trademarks, as well as to make even greater contributions to economic development’, said Times editor-in-chief Dao Nguyen Cat.

Priority would also be given to other factors, such as sustainable development, creditor worthiness and environmental protection, he said.

The winners will be enterprises dealing with various products such as automobiles, motorbikes, agro-forestry and fisheries, food, beverages, construction, construction materials, real estate, banking, insurance, machines, garments, electronics, information technology and telecommunications, oil and gas and others.

The award winners will receive support from the newspaper to advertise their trademarks and become members of the Golden Dragon Club, an effective forum for awarded enterprises to exchange business experiences.

The club has established a hotline for its members to address their difficulties in doing business, thus the club’s management board would consider submitting these to relevant sectors, said the head of the club, Nguyen Van Hao.

There were plans to organise more workshops and meetings in a move to help members foster mutual understanding, Hao said.

The awards ceremony will be organised in Hanoi in February 2010 with sponsorship form several Government ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Planning and Investment, The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations.

The eighth Golden investment Dragon Awards had been granted to 80 foreign-invested companies for their excellent business performances./.