"There's no better place to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) than in ourhomeland," an overseas Vietnamese who travels frequently between the USand Vietnam said.
Prof. Ha Ton Vinh, 68, who has studied,worked and taught in more than 90 countries, cannot hide his excitementwhen talking about Tet in Vietnam where he was born and grew up beforehe went abroad to study and work.
He is among the more than 700overseas Vietnamese who gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21 foran annual Tet meeting by the municipal administration. They are fromall parts of the world.
Speaking at the meeting, Le Hoang Quan,Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, wished all Vietnamese andoverseas Vietnamese a prosperous and happy Lunar New Year.
"Overseas Vietnamese are an integral part and a powerful resource forthe country, and play a key role in the country's socio-economicdevelopment and strengthening ties with other countries," he said.
Government Resolution 36 on overseas Vietnamese affairs represented abreakthrough in creating conditions for overseas Vietnamese to make acontribution to the country in the last 10 years, he said.
More and more incentives and policies are being issued to attract them to invest in the country.
Administrative procedures have been cut and simplified, especiallywith regard to customs, immigration, investment registration, taxation,property, birth and marriage certificates, and adoption of children, henoted.
The number of overseas Vietnamese who have returned to thecountry to do business or visit has increased over the years. Last yearsome 1.2 million of them arrived, with 50-60 percent staying in thecity.
Remittances to the locality hit a record 4.8 billion USDlast year, an increase of 21 percent over the previous year andaccounting for nearly half of the total sent to Vietnam.
Inaddition, more and more scientists and experts have returned to Vietnamfor investment, research, and teaching at educational institutions.
They have invested in more than 2,500 businesses with a totalregistered capital of 35 trillion VND (1.66 billion USD). There are 122foreign directed investment (FDI) projects belonging to them with atotal investment of more than 260 million USD, according to the StateCommittee for Overseas Vietnamese.
Vinh told Vietnam News: "I amvery proud to see the rapid changes in the country through the years.Yet there is still a big gap between the rich and the poor and manychallenges still exist, which need more drastic measures andco-operation among all parts of the country to tackle.
"I believethat many overseas Vietnamese have a passion to come back to makecontribution to the country. Thus the country needs to listen to them,consider their ideas and even accept new perspectives."
At theevent, the city gave away the Prime Minister's certificates of merit tothree individuals and its own to 19 individuals and nine companies andorganisations for their contributions to the country's development.
Nguyen Tri Dung, Director of Minh TranManufacturing-Trade-Construction Company, one of the three individualsto get the Prime Minister's certificate of merit, said: "I am among thefew people who have had the opportunity to celebrate Tet in my homecountry 39 times since I left Vietnam to study, live and work in Japan46 years ago.
"I left the country when I was only 19 when many of my friends were still fighting in the war.
"Many of them sacrificed their lives for our country's independence.Therefore I must bear in mind the responsibility to contribute to mycountry in whatever way I can."
More than 4.5 million Vietnameselive in more than 100 nations and territories around the world,according to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.-VNA
Prof. Ha Ton Vinh, 68, who has studied,worked and taught in more than 90 countries, cannot hide his excitementwhen talking about Tet in Vietnam where he was born and grew up beforehe went abroad to study and work.
He is among the more than 700overseas Vietnamese who gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21 foran annual Tet meeting by the municipal administration. They are fromall parts of the world.
Speaking at the meeting, Le Hoang Quan,Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, wished all Vietnamese andoverseas Vietnamese a prosperous and happy Lunar New Year.
"Overseas Vietnamese are an integral part and a powerful resource forthe country, and play a key role in the country's socio-economicdevelopment and strengthening ties with other countries," he said.
Government Resolution 36 on overseas Vietnamese affairs represented abreakthrough in creating conditions for overseas Vietnamese to make acontribution to the country in the last 10 years, he said.
More and more incentives and policies are being issued to attract them to invest in the country.
Administrative procedures have been cut and simplified, especiallywith regard to customs, immigration, investment registration, taxation,property, birth and marriage certificates, and adoption of children, henoted.
The number of overseas Vietnamese who have returned to thecountry to do business or visit has increased over the years. Last yearsome 1.2 million of them arrived, with 50-60 percent staying in thecity.
Remittances to the locality hit a record 4.8 billion USDlast year, an increase of 21 percent over the previous year andaccounting for nearly half of the total sent to Vietnam.
Inaddition, more and more scientists and experts have returned to Vietnamfor investment, research, and teaching at educational institutions.
They have invested in more than 2,500 businesses with a totalregistered capital of 35 trillion VND (1.66 billion USD). There are 122foreign directed investment (FDI) projects belonging to them with atotal investment of more than 260 million USD, according to the StateCommittee for Overseas Vietnamese.
Vinh told Vietnam News: "I amvery proud to see the rapid changes in the country through the years.Yet there is still a big gap between the rich and the poor and manychallenges still exist, which need more drastic measures andco-operation among all parts of the country to tackle.
"I believethat many overseas Vietnamese have a passion to come back to makecontribution to the country. Thus the country needs to listen to them,consider their ideas and even accept new perspectives."
At theevent, the city gave away the Prime Minister's certificates of merit tothree individuals and its own to 19 individuals and nine companies andorganisations for their contributions to the country's development.
Nguyen Tri Dung, Director of Minh TranManufacturing-Trade-Construction Company, one of the three individualsto get the Prime Minister's certificate of merit, said: "I am among thefew people who have had the opportunity to celebrate Tet in my homecountry 39 times since I left Vietnam to study, live and work in Japan46 years ago.
"I left the country when I was only 19 when many of my friends were still fighting in the war.
"Many of them sacrificed their lives for our country's independence.Therefore I must bear in mind the responsibility to contribute to mycountry in whatever way I can."
More than 4.5 million Vietnameselive in more than 100 nations and territories around the world,according to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.-VNA
