Trade Practices Law

Piracy and IP infringement is a hot topic here in Vietnam. The local English language paper reports that in Haiphong yesterday 3000 'unhealthy' publications were seized from 105 businesses. Vietnam has a civil law system, under which Decree 54 sets out the rules for 'unfair competition through the use of trade indicators.'

The Law on Competition prohibits the use of 'false indication' which may cause confusion among consumers as to the trade name, slogan, business symbol, packaging, or geographical origin of goods.

Wandering around Hanoi most of the goods for sale appear ostensibly to be inferior copies of established brands. Even here in the university, the students use photocopied texts. The econometrics text they are using is the very same one I used in Australia, copied and bound by a local print shop.

Click here to read more about Decree 54.

Woof Woof

In a previous post I mentioned that the Vietnamese eat dog. There is in fact a dog meat restaurant adjoining the campus. I stopped by there to have a look at what was on the menu, and sent the locals into hysterics with my explanation that we don't eat dog in Australia.

These trays of meat are common outside roadside cafes to show you what is on. As the lady who ran the cafe explained in an elegant charade, I could have had the tail.

The Loans Project

Today I contacted some representatives of the Vietcom Bank, to see if they have a loan product that would suit the students at the university. Their website says they grant loans for improvement of family prosperity, and for serving daily private life. I read this to mean loans for investment and personal loans. I am trying to find someone that I can communicate with in English, which is not easy. So fingers crossed.

The student surveys seem to suggest that they are quite keen to obtain access to loans. Some of the administrative staff who are older frown at this.

Minimum wage laws

A new minimum wage has been set by the Government for Vietnamese labourers working at foreign-invested companies, and international organisations in Viet Nam. the decision comes into effect on 1 February 2006.

Now, the minimum salary will be VND870,000 (US$55) per month for those who work for foreign-invested companies located in inner-city districts in Ha Noi and HCM City.

Workers in the provinces will earn US$44 per month. Consider this is the price of a mid-range hotel room per night in Hanoi.

Don't touch the blackboard

Around Hanoi you will see blackboards in the street, put up by the community leaders to inform the people of public announcements. They remain untarnished by graffiti.

This one gives a reminder to bring the rubbish out on time, the garbo will not wait.

Perfume Pagoda

On Saturday I went to the Perfume Pagoda, which is a complex of Pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into Huong Tich mountain. It is a 60km of out Hanoi. First you take the bus to My Duc. The journey takes about two hours as the roads are poor.



Then you take a boat down the river, which takes about an hour. All of the boats are rowed by women.



Then many steep stairs.....



To see many Pagodas.