The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) and the Vietnam Television presented the 2009 National Quality Awards to 108 enterprises at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 17.

Eleven businesses received the gold prize and 97 others were given the silver prize at the first ever National Quality Awards, which was organised in line with the Goods Quality Law, following the model of more than 80 countries in the world.

Award winners were selected on seven criteria, which are similar to seven criteria of Malcolm Baldrige Award (MBA), the US ’s National Quality Award.

The 11 gold prize winners included the Nghi Son Joint Stock Company in Thanh Hoa province, the Phu Nhuan Jewellery SJC in Ho Chi Minh City , the Minh Duong Food JSC in Hanoi , the Thua Thien Hue Water Supply and Construction Co., the Civil Engineering Construction No. 4 (CIENCO 4) and the Thanh Hoa Power Construction JSC.

The ceremony also honoured the Vietnam Electric Cable Corporation (CADIVI) and the Materials-Petroleum Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City , which have won the International Asia-Pacific Quality Award./.