Child abduction Essay

Kidnapping is any illegal capture or detention by any strangers for criminal and mischievous purpose. In criminal laws, kidnapping means taking away or asportation of a person against the person’s will. These problems are usually caused by parental child abduction, children abduction for slavery and abduction results from parents to bring up as their own. Now, here are some preventions for these particular circumstance from occur. First of all, parents ought to give guidelines to their children. They should play their very important role to build up a family safety plan. Parents need to educate their kids to think logically, in order to do so, kids must be taught that questioning, reasoning, and criticizing are good requirement to stay safe. They have to stay aware of the surrounding issues and keep alert. For example, teach the kids about stranger and common lures used by kidnapper such as giving sweets to seduce them and many more. Other than that, parents should also listen to their kids’ problem. Ask if they have question, and listen carefully to their answer. Parents have to put themselves into their children’s shoes. Moreover, it is essential to know where the kids are going, who is with them and when they are suppose to return home. Parents can check on the location of their children if they keep a list of acquaintance’s phone numbers. Besides that, an implantable chip touted is another effective solution for child kidnapping. The chip can be surgically planted under a child’s skin, putting it into the fabric of clothes or inserted under the skin by injection. With this chip, parents can easily detect their children’s situation, once they are out of the certain area the special alarms will send out a SOS signal. This is because it has an SOS button, which sends an SMS and position coordinates to a predefined mobile number if the child is in trouble. A parent can call the child back to find out what the problem is. Kidnapping can be controlled if the laws are strong and if you inform your parent or guardian where you are going.

Different Worlds, Same Stories Essay

Cultural Diversity: Different Worlds; Same Stories America is a vast, multicultural land, with many different people and many different ways. But still, we tend to categorize whether something is abnormal or not based on certain cultural standards, i. e. , â€Å"ethnocentrism†. This makes for a large gap in understanding cultures such as that of the Trobrian, a unique tribe living on the island of Kiriwiai. One might be surprised to find that while our two cultures have differences, we also share similarities. We both enjoy our own language, celebrations, religion, politics, etc.. We do, however, go about these customs and social observances in a very different manner. A trait that exists in all cultures in sociology is referred to as a â€Å"cultural universal†. There are many examples of cultural universals throughout the world. For example, all cultures have some form of government. However, while Americans are ruled via a democratic republic based on 3 branches of their government, the Trobrian people are governed based on a paramount chief system. The two cultures both have a system of politics, but they also have a different way of going about it. This difference illustrates what is known as â€Å"cultural particulars†. Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual human’s beliefs and activities should be understood in terms of his or her own culture. The reason for cultural relativism is because of the lack of understanding of cultural particulars. The people of Trobrian are very different from Americans. Their money is in skirts and banana leaves. They roam around half-naked. Their inheritance goes through their mother, and they celebrate things such as harvests and funerals (This celebration is called a â€Å"sigalli†). But the most interesting thing about the Trobrian people is that their power is based on what they can give, not what they can take. Americans would think upon hearing this, that they are an extremely un-advanced, savage people. But that is far from the truth. They recently have adapted fundamentalism and are beginning to question their money source, showing possibilities for advancement. As an American, I feel that it would be unsatisfactory to live with a people such as with the Trobrians, but that is only because of the way I grew up and my own culture. In some ways it makes them stronger; in some ways it makes them weaker. But we should never look down on another people because of the way their culture molded them. We should all have open minds and respect for diversity. People can judge very quickly, but it takes time to understand how a culture truly operates. Ethnocentrism, cultural universals, cultural particulars, and cultural relativism are all basically just fancy ways of saying we are alike in some ways, we are not alike in others, and that we should not judge others based on our own cultural norms.

Identity Thesis Essay

Over the course of history, different theories have been formulated to help explain the complex relationship between the mind and the body. One of the theories elucidating the mind-body relation is dualism—the view that mental states are independent from physical states. Mental states are ones of thinking, feeling, and believing whereas physical states are those outlined by physical and biological sciences. In contrast to dualism, physicalism insists that mental states are somehow physical states. The most straightforward version of physicalism is the identity thesis—the theory that every type of mental state is identical to some type of physical state (Reasons and Responsibility, 285-286). Dualists and physicalists have disputed over the validity of the identity thesis; dualists denying its claim and physicalists defending it. The biggest problem facing physicalists and the identity thesis is the concept of qualia, the phenomenal quality of a mental state (Reasons and Responsibility, 281). Philosopher Frank Jackson offers what he calls the â€Å"Knowledge Argument† for qualia. Jackson’s knowledge argument presents that nonphysical facts can be devised from facts about phenomenal quality. Through the concept of qualia, Jackson’s knowledge argument shows that the identity thesis is false. The identity thesis holds that mental events are simply identical with brain processes—identical in the same manner that sounds are identical with density waves in the air. The thesis bases on the idea that mental states of thought, sensation, and awareness are alike those of physical states (such as those of the brain and central nervous system). An example of identity thesis is that lightning and an electric charge are two of the same thing. In other words, lightning is an electric charge. An advocate of the identity thesis is materialist Peter Carruthers. Carruthers argues that everything (including mental states) exists through physical causes. Carruthers’ argument for the identity thesis can be summarized from the beliefs that some conscious states and events are casually necessary for the occurrence of some physical ones, and that there will be no need to advert to anything other than physical-physical causality in a completed neuro-physiological science. Thus, some conscious states and events are identical with physical brain states and events (Reason and Responsibility, 301-302). However, the concept of qualia refutes the idea of physicalism, and is the foundation of Jackson’s knowledge argument against identity thesis. As a believer of dualism, Jackson uses the concept of qualia to support that the mind and matter are distinct and independent substances capable of existing without the other. Qualia are the subjective, felt qualities of experiences. For example, one may know all the physical properties of the color red and the physics behind why some things are red; however it is qualia that allows one to experience what it is like to actually see red. Jackson constructs his knowledge argument around the ideas of dualism and qualia. To further illustrate Jackson’s argument for qualia (and dualism), the case of Fred and his unique color vision will be presented (Reasons and Responsibility, 298-299). For some reason, Fred has the ability to see two colors where others only see one. His retina is capable of distinguishing between two wavelengths of red in which others familiarizes with only one. He tries to explain the difference between the two reds. However he fails in doing so because others do not comprehend the difference. Therefore it is concluded that Fred can visually see one more color than everyone else. Despite having all the physical information about Fred and his special trait, one cannot know what it actually feels like to see two different types of red. Thus, Jackson believes that the physicalist left something out in the theory of physicalism—the qualia or what it feels like to actually experience something. Consequently, quale explains how dualism is valid and physicalism is incomplete. The existence of knowledge through qualia (mental state) and that of physical facts (physical state) demonstrates the idea of dualism—the view that two fundamental concepts exist. Jackson’s knowledge argument derives mainly from his thought experiment of Mary; the brilliant scientist who has spent her life confined within a black-and-white room and has never seen colors. Mary learns all the physical facts relevant to the mind. She becomes an expert on the neurophysiology of vision and knows all there is to know about color. When Mary is released from her room, she experiences color for the first time. One would think intuitively that her color experiences provide her with knowledge she previously lacked, and that what she learns includes certain facts about what color experiences are like. The facts she learns upon her release cannot be physical facts because she already knew all physical facts before leaving the room. Therefore, the new knowledge comes from the concept of qualia, which indicates that not all facts are physical facts (Reason and Responsibility, 298-299). Thus physicalism is false. Jackson reaches his conclusion that the identity thesis is false by proving that mental states are not physical states. According to the identity thesis, states and processes of the mind are identical to states and processes of the brain. The concept of qualia refutes the validity of the identity thesis by presenting subjective forms of experiences. The knowledge acquired from subjective forms of experiences differs from those of physical knowledge about experiences. Since physicalism requires that all aspects of knowledge are the same, physicalism cannot be sound. Thus the identity thesis must be false. The cases of Fred and Mary show that physicalism doesn’t amount to all knowledge. The summation of Jackson’s knowledge argument can be illustrated by the following: before Mary leaves the room, she knows all the physical facts about color experiences. When Mary leaves the room, she learns new facts about color experiences—facts about what it’s like to see in color. Therefore, there are nonphysical facts about color experiences. Furthermore, the identity thesis is false because Jackson’s knowledge argument reveals that there is something about the experience of color (in Mary’s case) that cannot be captured by the physicalist view. So, physicalism is incomplete. Physicalism lacks the phenomenal quality of the mental state—the ability to experience something regardless of physical knowledge. Qualia and the mental experience can never be achieved from the premises of physicalism and the identity thesis. Thus, the phenomenal quality of experiences cannot be accounted for through physical properties of the brain. In conclusion, the identity thesis is false because nonphysical properties, like phenomenal properties, exist.

Dockside Cranes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dockside Cranes - Research Paper Example The prominent quayside cranes were exceptionally quick and those operating the heavy gears were so skilled enough to timely and efficiently cause the lifting, turning and and luffing in order to expedite the given jobs in a synchronized and corrdinated manner. The responsibilities of those drivers became more important considering the safety concerns of the other workers and laborers involved in crane and cargo operations in the port. Added to that was the fact that goods for shipment then were mostly in sack, packets or boxes and all had to be handled with utmost care to avoid merchandise damage. S & P manufactured all those sophisticated cranes which were designed, in a large part, to All the cranes were made by Stothert & Pitt in Bath. S & P were pioneers of the use of electricity to drive cranes and came to specialise in dockside models like these - at one time, almost every port in the world had S & P cranes. These lifters were generally designed to raise objects weighing two to five tons. One dockside crane had a ten-ton capability. Somnetime in the month of November in the year 1974, the last trader call was served by these machines.1 The goods moved, loaded and unloaded by the dockside cranes in Bristol were varied, from fruits to coffee and cocoa, to nuts and beer and spirits, to tobacco and coal and even included frozen meat and many others. The strengths of the machines differed from one another and there were those with specialized functions. Many of the cranes had been dismantled for junk. The four in the photograph, all electric cranes made by S & P, were built in 1951 and still survive today. These are the last remaining old city dockside cranes in the United Kingdom which fully or partially function.2 There are no available data on the cost of each equipment, meaning the amount of money then needed to complete a dockside crane set. Neither are there information on the safetry mechanisms incorporated in every machine when it was fabricated. Nevertheless, further research and investigative study will surely arrive at those details albeit the process may take some time considering the period that had alread y elapsed. Dockside cranes used for ship repair and other services This is one of the two Stothert & Pitt dockside cranes being used by Harland and Wolff in its facilities in Northern Ireland within the east coast area. The duo consists of (a) one with a capacity of eighty tons and a height of thrity eight meters, and (b) another with a forty-ton capacity which is twenty five meters high. The complex renders ship module design, repair, construction and decommissioning services.3The same observations have to be made that there are no available facts and figures anent safety measures and features established within the cranes and fabrication costs. There is therefore a need for inquiries with Harland and Wolff. Cranes from China A company from the People's Republic of China named Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. advertises availability of gigantic dockside cranes called the Goaliath cranes. It

Trade Policy of UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trade Policy of UK - Essay Example Secondly, the study also includes the home ownership aspect to the determinants of preferences regarding trade. It indicates that home ownership taken independent of the type of factor has a correlation with trade barrier support in the countries where the manufacturing mix has a concentration in sectors of comparative disadvantage. Here, we see that the preferences have a dependence on the effect of trade policy on the income of factors of production as well as on the economic benefit of the individual. Therefore, the preferences towards trade policy may be as result of not only income of the factors, but also of the ownership of the assets that they possess. However, the assets such as housing do not become a part of the standard theory of trade since it is not employed and nor is it presently produced asset. The study also says that ownership of home is correlated to negative preference for free trade in places having a manufacturing mix that is concentrated in comparative-disadvantage sectors. It is to be noted that when the economy runs on the basis of certain sectors, factors have a direct link in those specific sectors. Hence, it so happens that factors in different sectors show their different preferences i.e. support or negativity. This happens when there is an assumption of immobility of factors between sectors. Here, if the sector is not an exporting one, they prefer protection. However, free trade is the most preferred, if the sector is an exporting one, which means there is negative preference for trade barriers. However, if we assume that factors have mobility, factors who have a higher supply (those factors that are more in number) will have a preference for free trade policy & those which are less in number will have a preference towards protection. The theory on the trade policy indicates that the trade policy is evaluated by individuals in the light of the effect of the same on their incomes. They see whether the effect of the policy is favorable on their income or not and then have a preference towards protection or free trade policy. This does not take into consideration the national welfare. This happens because the income of the factor is affected because of the changes in the relative prices of the products. As seen earlier, we have also taken a view of the mobility of factors of production. The changes in the mobility of factors make an impact on the changes in income and thus influence the decision about trade policy i.e. having a support towards trade barriers or towards free trade. When we talk about the mobility of the factors, we are taking an assumption that the factors can move costlessly amongst sectors. When free trade comes in, not only is product price affected, but there is a change in factor price also. Hence, with the possibility of shifting sectors, the returns rise for the labour. Hence, when this is possible the support towards free trade is higher, since it affects the income positively. This model generally assumes that there is support for protection in the sectors where the factors employed are those which are scarce. The above explanation clearly brings out that the factor type that is abundant will

The relationship between poor European Americans, poor free Essay

The relationship between poor European Americans, poor free whites,African Americans and the Native Americans during the early colonial period - Essay Example The poor European Americans also interacted with Native Americans during that period. With regard to the early colonial period, this paper will discuss the relationship between poor European Americans and both African Americans and Native Americans. Although the first African Americans in Virginia are considered by some historians to have been equal servants with their White indentured counterparts, they were treated and perceived differently. Some African Americans had earlier on been treated in the same manner as European American indentured servants, albeit with limited terms of indentures, but racial differences soon changed the situation. The indentured servant system created disorder, making racial slavery more attractive to slaveholders (Morgan 32). Essentially, these made African Americans a permanent and dependent source of labor, often seen as people set racially apart while European American indentured servants earned freedom after several years. It follows, therefore, that under such circumstances the European American slaves also viewed themselves as superior to African Americans. The slave owners developed crude systems to maintain their hold on the African American slaves because they were thought to have agricul tural skills. In a human society, it was inevitable for the European Americans to develop awareness of racism, which negatively impacted their relationship with the African Americans. The two populations were both slaves, but their relationship was further strained by the fact that African Americans had been isolated from their culture and plunged into a new and strange heritage of family relations, language and customs. Here, personal responsibility can be said to have shaped the relationship between the two populations, as African Americans were weighed down by their new and mostly involuntary statuses. Compared to African Americans, Native Americans were considered stronger. The

Femicide in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Femicide in India - Essay Example In the past, males were primarily responsible for hunting and then the females were supposed to cook and serve the food to the family. The setup was continuing to exist in various forms and shapes over several eras. In the modern world, females are still managing the homes while their male fellows work in different fields of life (Gupta, et al. 2003). The abovementioned scenario is very much true for the developing parts of the world because these areas have failed to incorporate human rights and values into the very fabric of the society. The outdated philosophy of man being a hunter is followed by the masses that are living in the less developed countries of the world. Additionally, it should be kept in mind that the economic pressures that were caused to prevail in developed nations due to Second World War and the Great Depression have played a significant role in the induction of female as a worker. Initially, the woman was considered ideal for subordination and followership. But , with the passage of time, females emerged as ideal leaders (Alston 2005). The scholars are of the view that being a man and woman is just a biological difference and it does not affect the ability of an individual. The propagation of gender equality has impressed the global and international companies to consider gender as a secondary issue and their main focus remains on the core competencies of the candidate. The particular candidate who has the proper experience, personality type and behaviors that are required to do the job then, the management selects him or her without giving a thought to the gender (Brown 1979). Furthermore, the economic pressures and postwar destruction seriously compromised the labor supply at that time and therefore, the males had to transfer knowledge and information to them in order to make the new breed of workers more active and effective part of the workforce. The females are getting more and more prominent in all walks of life. Their ability to be an artist, leader and an employee is matched with that of males and in some cases it exceeded the expectations and anticipations of the supervisors as well. The economic world order is changing and because of this reason, international trade activities are experiencing a boom in all parts of the world. The developed communities are becoming knowledge-based societies and the emergent economies are taking up the role of industrialized centers of the world (Taylor 2005). The trend of outsourcing is growing and the history is repeating itself once more in the Indian society where cultural and societal norms are responding to accommodate new and different economic opportunities (Mehta, et al. 2006). As mentioned earlier that India is transforming into the production center of the world and therefore, it is facing grave labor deficiency presently. The companies are empowering females in order to compensate for the labor shortage. In this way, the female is becoming increasingly powerful i n the society where she was burned with the dead body of the husband. Based on the above discussion, economic needs are far stronger and influencing than cultural norms and values. The human civilization has a tendency to change its norms and values in order to experience economic growth. The Indian nation is doing the same and the nation’

What should we do to help people get jobs Research Paper

What should we do to help people get jobs - Research Paper Example This happens in all parts of the world and more so countries where literacy levels are high, calling for high education and experience in order for one to secure employment. This leaves fresh graduates no chances of employment as people with experience are preferred compared to fresh graduates. Therefore, it is important for human beings to help their fellows secure jobs. From this perspective, it is the role of humans to help others gets employed whether they are employed or not. There are different forms of unemployment. They include the school leavers, redundant, graduates, career breaks and also the disabled workers. School leavers are those people that have not been to university and may have no qualifications, and their level of education is below the degree level. This makes them jobless. Graduates are those who have completed their degree level yet they have not found any job. Career breaks are people who were initially employed but had some time away from their careers but are ready to get back to those careers. Such are also referred to as returning mums or dads. Lastly, the disabled workers are people with disabilities but are capable of doing any job that non-disabled persons can do yet they are not employed (Total jobs, n.p). All the above groups fall under the realm of unemployed persons. Notably, they all can secure themselves jobs at different places in the society. The possibility of them getting employed depends on their attitude towards the jobs. The unemployed can get jobs through personal marketing. McKay tells people that they should search for jobs in a way like the jobs were a marketing campaign. Also, she teaches people that they learn to put together some marketing formulas to help them find their employment. The interview is probably the part of the job search process that makes people the most anxious. That could be because any control you had

Directors responsibility Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Directors responsibility - Coursework Example Another notable aspect is that the board acts as the epicentre of the organization and it links the investors and the individuals responsible for implementing the policies that make their respective organizations tick as well as ensuring accountability. Thus, corporate governance in this case refers to â€Å"rigorous supervision of the management of a company; it means ensuring that business is done competently, with integrity and with due regard for the interests of all stakeholders,† (Institute of Directors, 2014). Simply put, the Institute of Directors (2014) also posits to the effect that corporate governance relates to a combination of the following factors: legislation, non-legislative codes, self-regulation and best practice, structure, culture, and board competency. The operations of various organizations especially in the UK are guided by the legal framework obtaining in that particular country. Such laws are designed to protect the interests of different stakeholders with an interest in a business entity. McGregor (2000) aptly suggests that that corporate governance is practiced at different levels and the law is specifically designed to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved. Duplessis (1999) concurs with this assertion when he states that the law overrides all individual interests. In as far as Company law is concerned in UK, it can be seen that the board of AstraZeneca acted in accordance to the laws. According to Company Law Solutions Limited (n.d), â€Å"the directors have such powers as are conferred on them by the articles of the company which are especially based on the Model Articles (companies registered post 1.10.2009.† This is promulgated by the Company’s Act 2006 which further stipulates that â€Å" the business of the company shall be managed by the directors who may exercise all the powers of the company....†

Crim discus unit4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crim discus unit4 - Essay Example Edwards F.3 d 117 C. A.8 (mo)1998 (McGraw 2011,para 2). The U.S Circuit Appeal Court upholds the conviction and finds that the District Court did not error in finding the accused guilty. I agree with the innocence project comments because the process of the Court of Appeal errors in stating the facts. The court of appeal misstates that the defendants where first prosecutors suspect while the defendants got arrested after eight (8) years. Secondly, the Court admits evidence of past theft from the Construction Company while there is evidence that nothing got stolen from the site. I agree with the opinion of J O’Connor’s in the case of Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S 343 (2003) (Find Law, 3012, par. 4) that Virginia cross-burning statute, is unconstitutional. The statute provides that, the intention of a person to burn or cross other’s property should be to intimidate. J O’Connor held that some cross burnings area political expression. I disagree with the dissent that the Virginia Statute is Constitutional. The First Amendment of the U.S.A constitution prohibits the making of any law that impedes freedom of religion and infringes the freedom of the press. The freedom is not absolute States can ban expression amounting to threats and unlawful expressions such as pornography. The Virginia statute generalizes burning a cross on others property to be evidence of intimidating hence violating the room for political expression. Therefore, for the statute to declare every burning a cross unlawful and by placing the burden to proof on the defendant remains misplaced and

An Ideal Type of Security Investment in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

An Ideal Type of Security Investment in Malaysia Essay First of all, we as group have chosen Unit Trust as the best choice in conjunction to the topic of ideal type of security investments according to our understanding and beliefs. According to an article that we have researched, the Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers (FMUTM) defines that unit trust is a form of collective investment which allows investors with similar investment objectives to pool their funds to be invested in a portfolio of securities of other assets. A professional fund manager will then invest the pooled funds in a portfolio. It includes assets classes such as cash, bonds and deposits, shares, property, and commodities. The ownership of the funds is divided into units of entitlement; hence, unit holders do not purchase the securities in the portfolio directly. Consequently, when the funds of the mentioned asset classes’ increases or decreases, then the value of each issued unit increases or decreases accordingly. Besides that, the return on investment (ROI) of unit holders is usually in the form of income distribution and capital appreciation which is derived from the pool of assets supporting the unit trust fund. Unit trust also allows investors to have easy access to a wide range of investments exposures which are not normally available to them. There are a number of other substantial benefits of investing in unit trust. Amongst them are that unit trust are very affordable. Investors are eligible to start with an investment amount as low as RM1000. In addition, rather than concentrating an investment portfolio of one or two investments or share, a portfolio of market securities can be held. Meaning, there is a wider spread of the investments which is also know diversification; hence the investment returns will be less volatile. Through unit trust investment, individual investors have better chances to spread their money to wider asset classes in the same time gaining their particular investment exposure requirements. On top of that, unit trusts have good liquidity which further enhances chances of profits of an investor. Other than that, as mentioned a little earlier on, the people managing unit trusts are approved professionals whom are trained to ensure that decision-making is structured and according to sound investment principles. In the long term, the expertise of a knowledgeable and experienced fund manager usually generates above average investment returns for unit trust investors. Subsequently, with unit trust, the economics of the transaction are more favorable because fund managers invest in larger amounts. Hence, it means that fund managers are able to get access to wholesale fees and products which are impossible for the individual investors to obtain; in return, this action reduces the cost and charges and further enhances the profit for the investment of the investors. Moving on, with the introduction of unit trusts in Malaysia came also the regulations from various regulators, especially the Securities Commission. The entire range of variables relating to the unit trust industry is governed by various legislations in order to protect the interest of the public investors and also a safe investment mechanism to prevent any frauds.

Downfall of Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Downfall of Macbeth Essay The tragedy of â€Å"Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, follows the fall of Macbeth from a man in a position of power with a contented life, to a man with nothing but â€Å"mouth honor† and a corrupted soul. In this essay, I wish to show to what extent Macbeth’s tragedy was his own fault. The downfall of Macbeth begins early on in the play when he and Banquo (a fellow Scottish noble) meet the witches. The witches waylay Macbeth and Banquo whilst they were on their way to meet Duncan, King of Scotland. They decide to listen to the witches, out of sheer curiosity. The three witches greet Macbeth as â€Å"Thane of Glamis†, the title he already holds, and begin to tell the two nobles of things to come, and prophesies that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Scotland. Macbeth asks how they know of his current title, and laughs at the following two prophesies. The witches ignore his questions, and tell Banquo of how he will not be king, but his sons will be kings. Instead of just ignoring the witches, the statement of his current title intrigues Macbeth and he follows the witches to try and get them to tell him more. Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more† says Macbeth, showing that he is indeed interested in what the witches have to say. The witches disappear, and Macbeth dismisses them, and he and Banquo ride off. The witches appearance, and Macbeth becoming intrigued may amount to his downfall, but I believe that they were merely the ‘helping hand’ for Macbeth who’s own weak will and other events where the catalyst for his eventual death. At this point, Macbeth is still a highly respected man, and is about to get more respect from Duncan, for defending Scotland from the invading forces of Norway. The messengers who tell Duncan of Macbeth’s deeds portray him as a man of great courage, who showed no fear in the battles. Duncan sends a messenger to tell Macbeth of his reward for his great deeds. Two messengers to greet Macbeth with the news of Duncan’s reward: he is to be made Thane of Cawdor. â€Å"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes? † asks the startled Macbeth, as the messengers begin to explain how the last Thane of Cawdor was helping the Norwegians invade. Aside, he says, â€Å"Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act†¦Ã¢â‚¬  obviously relating to the first two prophecies the witches made. He now asks Banquo, aside, whether or not he believes the witches now that Macbeth’s second prophecy has come true. Banquo says he is wary and that he really doesn’t want anything to do with these witches, but he will merely sit back and let the prophecies run their course. Macbeth seemingly decides to follow Banquo’s idea, and makes an agreement with himself â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chances may crown me, without my stir†. Macbeth decides to write to his wife and tell her of his new title, a fatal mistake in my opinion, since his wife reacts to the letter in a totally unexpected way. All of a sudden, Lady Macbeth decides to make a push to get her husband to make the effort to fulfil the third prophecy. Meanwhile, Duncan names his son as the next king, and Macbeth becomes bitter, and looks towards the prophecies for his next move; â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Clearly Macbeth has decided that he will now ‘stir’, and make some move to become king. Back with Lady Macbeth at Macbeth’s castle, she is reading Macbeth’s letter. She reads about his new title, and the mentions of the witches’ prophecies. Lady Macbeth first starts off by thinking about how she can get her husband to become a king, and concludes that she’ll have to make some effort to get her husband to do whatever it takes to get him to be king. A messenger, who brings news that Duncan wishes to stay at Macbeth’s castle, interrupts her thoughts. Lady Macbeth decides, almost instantly, that she will persuade her husband to kill Duncan so he can become king. Whilst in the middle of her thoughts, Macbeth returns home. They talk, and Lady Macbeth brings up the subject of getting rid of Duncan so he can be king. Macbeth appears shocked although was secretly thinking the same thing, and tries to dismiss the idea. Underneath, however, he wants to go along with the idea so he can become king. His underlying motives become clear when he decides that he will do the evil thing, and is going to kill Duncan. â€Å"We will speak further,† he says, making his intentions apparent to the audience. Although unsure, he will not totally dismiss the idea, and is even considering it. Lady Macbeth now knows that she has him within her grasp, nd she will now make sure that she wins him completely over. In my opinion, not making his mind up creates a chance for Lady Macbeth. She sees this uncertainty and later exploits his unwillingness to make decisions. A short while later, Duncan arrives, accompanied by all of his Thanes. They all feast, and drink to the success of the battle against Norway. As the night wears on, Macbeth has to time to contemplate the consequences of killing Duncan. Macbeth makes the moral decision not to proceed saying; â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business. He (Duncan) hath honoured me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon†. Macbeth attempts to give excuse for not proceeding, but fails to give any proper reasons for it. The only advantage he sees for not killing Duncan is that he respects him, and by killing him it would be disrespecting him. I believe that this is not a valid reason for committing murder, and shows Macbeth’s underlying ambition to become king. By putting forward pithy excuses Macbeth makes his ambition very clear to the reader. Lady Macbeth is not swayed by his pathetic excuses, and she knows that secretly, Macbeth wants the same things she does. In an attempt to convince Macbeth to continue with the plan, she first insults his manhood â€Å"When you durst do it, you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ and accuses him of being cowardly for not sticking to the plan. She then attacks his ego further by saying â€Å"From this time such I account thy love† and accuses him of not loving her. For Macbeth, this is the final straw, and he gives in. Lady Macbeth plans the murder. When Macbeth goes to murder Duncan, he still doubts himself, and even starts seeing things as he approaches Duncan’s room. Upon committing the murder, Macbeth finds himself in a state. Lady Macbeth attempts to clean him up, and make him appear well, but now Macbeth has lost all control. This murder of Duncan leads to the destruction of Macbeth. Aware of any possible opposition, Macbeth begins spying and murdering people. There are also psychological problems that Macbeth has which lead to his destruction. This is shown by his brief madness after Banquo’s murder when he sees Banquo’s ghost. The tragedy ends when Macbeth is slain by Macduff who, with many others, find out about what horrific things Macbeth has done. Macbeth begins to get paranoid about Banquo, and feels that he should be killed so as to stop him from being exposed. â€Å"So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every moment of his being thrusts against my nearest life;† Macbeth says, aware that the only way to truly silence Banquo is to have him killed. At the banquet scene, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, showing that he has indeed gone mad. Even in insanity, he feels guilty. â€Å"Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! † he says, his conscience acting on him and showing his remorse. Macbeth has finally gone mad, and it was all due to his ambition and want to be king. He goes on to become entirely evil, as he visits the witches again and again, seeking solace for his crimes, and answers to his impending doom. He begins to stop feeling remorse and guilt for his actions, and eventually becomes a cruel, twisted man. His wife falls ill, and he shows no compassion towards her, instead saying everything would be better once she is dead. This is near the end of the play and where Macbeth slowly returns from his evil side, feeling remorse for his actions finally. When the English army and Macduff advance on his castle he becomes the courageous Macbeth once again, and when he finally comes to fight Macduff, he is back to the brave and bold Macbeth at the start of the play. With his wife dead, he feels more able to do what he wants. The main people to blame for Macbeth’s tragedy were his wife, and Macbeth himself, and this is shown all the way through the play (Lady Macbeth willing him to murder, Macbeth being easily convinced etc) there some unfortunate circumstances that contributed to Macbeth’s downfall, such as Duncan making his son king instead of Macbeth, and Duncan putting his trust in Macbeth by coming to his castle, but none were as major a cause as Macbeth’s personality fault and his manipulative wife. To conclude, the blame for Macbeth’s tragedy should be placed on his head and his wife’s, due to his personality defect (ambition and a weak will) and her persuasiveness (pushing him to fulfil his ambition). The combination of these two defects and Duncan staying at Macbeth’s castle caused the entire play and tragedy to unfold.

Short Story Example | In The Year 2050

Short Story Example | In The Year 2050 As a little kid I was taught, There is nothing new under the sun, and I believed that until yesterday. Yesterday was like any other day, except the fact that I was on midterm break. This meant no work, all sleep and all play! As I basked into the freedom of having my midterm break, my stomach started to growl, which meant it was lunch time. As I went into the kitchen to fix lunch, I heard a funny noise. The noise sounded like a thousand bubble gums popping at once. So I went out to the backyard to see if it was some of the rowdy boys from around the corner, playing a prank on me. And to my surprise there was no one there, so I followed the noise to see where it was coming from, and it was coming from my neighbors backyard. As I stood there with my neighbor called Mario, I was astonished to see he had a flux capacitor. He told me he had built a time machine and to my surprise it looked like one Ive seen on a movie. So I asked, Mario does it really work? He replied with excitement, Yip, Ive been to the year 2050, a lot has changed because they live underwater, and I saw your great granddaughter, shes doing fine! I stopped him and looked at him like he was crazy. So he replied and said You dont believe me huh? Come with me and Ill show it to you! So he turned on the flux thing and a hole appeared with some purple foam coming out of it. I was scared so he told me to count backwards from 5, as he held my hand; we stepped into the time machine. 5à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦4à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦3 Were here! he said. The machine had stopped and automatically I felt the atmosphere had changed. Mario said Welcome to 2050! This is our back yard! Honestly, it wasnt a pretty sight; the place where we lived looked like an empty street on the Boulevard of Broken dreams. The sky was bleak, smoke and fog filled the atmosphere. It was as though everyone had moved away 20 years ago and a category four hurricane had resigned their ever since. So I turned to Mario and asked him, Where is everyone? He replied like I said, they live underwater. as he turned around and showed me everything, he said This is why there down there. So I asked, How is it that theyre living down there? He explained to me that the Chinese had built huge see-through domes for each country as gifts, because land had become too dangerous for humans to live on. So I started asking Mario so many questions like, What do they eat? How do they dress? How do they live? How do they travel? He laughed at me and said Ill just take you down there so you can ease up on all the questions. Okay, I said, as we entered the time machine again. In the split of a second we were there. I was prepared to drown because I cant swim and I was also prepared to not being able to breathe, because we were going under water. But to my surprise I was breathing the freshest air I had ever breathed, and this was the most beautiful place my eyes had ever seen. The grass was green and pretty, there were coco plum trees everywhere, and the streets were paved with the pink part of the conch shell. It was like being on a up to date family island. As the sleek cars zoomed pass Mario and I. I turned to Mario puzzled and confused, and told him I thought by 2050 cars would be flying. He replied No not as yet, that happens in the year 3000. But these cars are better than the cars we have at home. I asked him Why do you think that? He said Because these cars runoff water. My mouth dropped. He laughed and said Pick up your lip! I need to show you something, its almost time to go back home. As we hurried, we passed really tall sky scrapers with extra big green domes that were rotating; they looked like they could be homes. So I asked Mario, Are these homes? He said No, these are farms! So I replied, If these are farms, what do their houses look like? He replied Well, they have smart homes, so however they want their house to look, thats exactly how the house will fix itself. Then he said Look!!! as he pointed to a lady, This is what I wanted you to see!! Look at that lady, what do you think shes doing? I replied Walking. He said Nope, look at her again. So I looked. The only thing I saw was a lady that was walking and she had futuristic clothes, pretty bands on her hands and shades. He said She is either surfing the net, on a phone call or checking her messages. So I asked him, How? He explained to me that, the band that she has on her hands is connected to her phone which is at home and she can see her messages anytime as long as shes looking into glass. Her shades are actually her computer. I looked at him funny and then looked at the lady and I said No that cant be, because she isnt moving her hands to select anything. He said She doesnt have to, because her eyes will do all the selecting. Also with her shades she can travel. So I replied, Duh I know that, because at home we can travel with are shades too, you forget we usually is have them in our bag or on our face aye? He laughed and said No, in 2050 their shades can teleport them to where ever they want to go, she just have to select the place with her eyes. Oh! I replied. He then said I have to carry you home before our parents come. But we can come back next week so you can see where your great granddaughter lives. I smiled because I was so excited. So as we stepped into the time machine, and I told him I truly enjoyed my day in the year 2050.

How Much Land Does A Man Need Essay -- essays research papers

The story, â€Å"How Much Land Does a Man Need?†, by Leo Tolstoy is a story about Americans taking advantage of the Indians. Although it is set in Russia, it is about the greed that many people had at the time and the outcome of that greed. The opening scene represents the Europeans coming over to America. During that time, the mid-1800’s, the Europeans were rich and their relatives in America were poor. The younger sister in the story represents the Americans and the older sister represents the Europeans. The poor Americans, like the younger sister in the story, did not mind having to work hard all the time. They enjoyed their freedom and security. Even though they were content, it wasn’t complete. In the story, Pahom agrees with his peasant wife but wishes they had more land to work with. â€Å"Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself!† (p 212) The devil here is greed itself. It is here that we see the greed begin to manifest, as it did in Americans over a hundred years ago. The story goes on and we see Pahom becoming agitated the he has to pay fines all the time because of his animals wandering. This represents the American people having to pay fines, such as taxes and tariffs, to the government in the mid-1800’s. Pahom lives in a commune and some of the people have begun to buy their own tracts of land. He sees this and decides that it would be a good idea if he did the same thing. He was worried that if he didn...

Essay --

David Kim Physics Lab 1 02/11/14 Section: A1 Introduction In Experiment 1, the objective was to weigh 150 pennies and find the best estimate value and the uncertainties for the weight of the pennies. Instrument uncertainty is the least value that can be read from the measuring device. It is always less than or equal to the least count. The least count is the smallest division that can be marked or shown from a certain instrument. The instrument uncertainty is equal to the least count in this experiment. Random errors are simply mistakes that are made due to the instrument being used or the measured object being poorly defined. The total uncertainty of a measurement is calculated by using the instrument uncertainty and the uncertainty due to fluctuation. Uncertainty due to fluctuation is dependent on the average and the total amount of times there was a measurement. This average is found when:  ¯x= 1/N (x_1+x_2+ †¦+ x_n ) N is the total number of measurements, x1 is the first measurement, x2 is the second measurement, and xn is the last measurement. The uncertainty due to fluctuation is found by: ∆x_fl= ÏÆ'_x/√N ÏÆ'_x is the standard deviation of the mean and N is the total number of measurements. Standard deviation can be found by: ÏÆ'_x= √((d_1^2+ d_2^2+ †¦+ d_N^2)/(N-1)) Where d_n(the derivative) is found by: d_n=x_n- x Ì… This in words is: the measurement of the nth term subtracted by the mean. Total uncertainty is found by: ∆x= √(∆x_ins^2+ ∆x_fl^2 ) Where ∆x_ins is the instrument uncertainty and ∆x_fl is the uncertainty due to fluctuation. Initial Data Part A1: Instrument Uncertainty Quiz Student has passed the test The following answers were entered for the digital device # 2: Units g Least count 0.1000 I... ...ould have to take around 300 measurements so that the results would be accurate and precise to the expected value of 100. In part B of the experiment, the standard mass of the penny between 1941 and 1982 was 3.100 g; and between 1983 and 2011, the standard mass was 2.500 g. The standard mass of the penny changed between 1982 and 1983. The mass was decreased by .600 g. Pennies lose or gain weight in circulation because most of the pennies were not 2.5 or 3.1 grams on the dot. The possible rust or erosion from the time it was in circulation helps to describe the range that the mass of the pennies had. In general, most of the measurements were accurate compared to the expected value. The measurements on the most part were accurate. However for the outliers, the rust and the erosion to the penny can describe the mass being significantly higher or lower.

Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve :: Music Bitter Sweet Verve Essays

Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve A contemporary song must be carefully chosen to be put in the UTD time capsule. The song must cover the many characteristics assembled in this class as well as the many characteristics of our generation. à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® by the Verve is the perfect song to combine these positive and negative aspects. It will fairly portray to the future the many colors of the students of UTD. à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® should be chosen by the class, because it is the ideal song to accomplish getting our message to the future accurately. It is important for the complexities of our generation to be shown through the song our class chooses. à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® accomplishes expressing the differences in our lives and how we see and react to the world around us. The youth of this generation lives many different lives with different wants and ambitions driving us and a different life style and past to withhold us. One thing we have in common is we have all experienced joy and sorrow, some more than others and some to a greater extent. à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® combines crucial elements of lyrics and music to represent our generationà ­s complexities. Through its poetry, the song combines thoughts of good times and the remembrance of the bad. Using the symphony to illustrate oneà ­s past and naturalness was a brilliant move. This correlation of lyrics and music is like no other and à ¬makes all attempts from this day on to create à «rock classicsà ­ utterly redundantà ® (Time Out). Taking the simple fact that à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® combines elements of todayà ­s youth leads to another idea. In portraying the characteristics of each one of us, it will equally represent us all. In expressing the bitter and sweet sides of a personà ­s life, the song accurately captures the importance of each individual, specifically each individual in this generation. For each person in this class, on this campus, and of this generation there is an aspect of à ¬Bitter Sweet Symphonyà ® that will reflect them. The reality of life is what the song reflects, and reality is something everyone can relate to. The song combines critical characteristics of reality to equally represent each youth of today.

Hepatitis C Virus

With the WHO goal of HCV elimination seeming more achievable with the new DAA therapy, nurses are uniquely positioned to be the final and vital spoke to get the machine running efficiently. History has shown that nurse led programs in HIV treatment were successful and many developed and developing countries have adopted nurse led models in the fight against HIV. Nurses have the education to be a useful ammunition in the fight against HCV infection. Nurse led programs can be a cost effective alternative and also help to decentralize HCV care and improve access. Certainly, progress in HCV care has been appreciable. Nurses have been integrated into the system in novel ways and numerous studies have shown that the effect is an improved rate of recognition of the infection, treatment uptake and adherence and achievement of sustained virologic response (SVR). Nurse are currently supporting physicians in treating HCV patients. Yet, this is not enough in bringing about any observable change in the epidemic of HCV. With the shortage of physicians and specialists, it is imperative to bring about policy changes that will allow nurses to treat HCV. What is lacking is the involvement of nurse practitioners (NPs). This is the age of DAA and no time has been better than today in involving NPs in the fight against HCV by giving them prescribing authority for DAA. Study conducted in United States (US) showed similar treatment outcomes for HCV infected patients with care by NPs, PCPs and specialists (Sarah et al, 2017) concluding that HCV treatment provided by NPs was as safe as that provided by specialists. An Australian study (Lloyd et al, 2013) conducted between 2009 to 2010 utilizing a nurse led program in prisons with specialist supervision via telemedicine also showed safe and effective HCV treatment outcomes. The newer regimens of DAA which have lesser adverse effects can be easily prescribed by nurse practitioners who have the relevant education and experience. NPs in Australia have already been given the authority to prescribe DAA (Gastroenterology Society, 2017), and US and Canada can take important lessons from the success of this policy change. Nurse practitioners working in nurse led models in prisons, rural areas, and with hard to reach groups like PWID can bridge the gap due to non-availability of specialists.Expanding the scope of practice of NPs is especially relevant today in order to improve uptake of high risk groups into treatment. PWID have a high prevalence of HCV (systematic review 60 – 80% of IDUs in 25 countries had anti HCV while >80% IDUs had anti HCV in 12 countries https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673611610970 ) and are the core group of transmitters. Treatment uptake is low in this group and yet the success of HCV programs is not going to be substantial if issues of HCV detection and treatment in PWID are not addressed effectively. PWID have many barriers to accessing health care, including but not limited to criminalization, poverty, mental health issues, addiction related issues, stigma and marginalization. But they are more likely to be engaged with community level health care providers like primary care physicians and nurses (Milne et al, 2015) in low threshold settings where they do not have fear of stigma or criminalization. Expanding the role of NPs to improve capacity to provide HCV care in these settings will lead to shorter wait times, improve information sharing with patients, advance engagement with the health care team and deliver better treatment outcomes. Prison environments have a huge concentration of HCV infected inmates. 24% of federal prisoners and 23% of provincial prisoners were positive for HCV antibody (Trubnikov 2011). Prisoners are at high risk of passing on the infection due to sharing of drug paraphernalia and are able to spread the infection once out in the community. Rural and remote areas also have disproportionate allocation of health services putting those living in these areas in the demographic of marginalized. Patients are less likely to travel large distances to start and complete treatment. Nurse led models in these two settings are urgently needed to improve HCV care. Nurse led model: a protocol based treatment program can be developed and tailored to cater to the needs of specific populations in community care clinics, OST centers, prisons, rural/ remote areas. The protocol can include relevant history taking, clinical assessment, investigations including the nurse performing transient elastography and triaging patients to determine the risk of each patient. Based on this the nurse would either start treatment, do a one on one consultation with the physician or refer the patient to consult with the physician using telemedicine. Follow up assessments should be conducted and referred for any adverse effects. In prison environments, patients who are released before the end of treatment should be referred to the community center and appropriate continuation of care must be in place. With shorter DAA regimens and better tolerated drugs, more number of prisoners may be offered HCV treatment and more number of inmates may be motivated to complete treatment upon release. Future research should focus on impact of nurses in protocol driven treatment of HCV, nurses dong fibro scan as compared to physicians, efficacy of DOTs therapy in HCV for those populations with adherence issues. Increased funding for specialty education for nurses in viral hepatitis to improve HCV care would definitely improve capacity in the fight against HCV. Lack of treatment for the marginalized is unfair and inexcusable. Nurse led programs in HIV care provided improved outcomes in all indicators and is evidence that they will be crucial in the war against HCV. Nurse practitioners need to rise to the challenge and advocate for better patient care among those affected with HCV by demanding prescribing authority for DAAs. Nurse led model in HCV care is an effective strategy to attain the WHO goal of elimination of HCV by 2030.

Reflection Paper for Philosophy of Religion Essay

Religion has been as part of society as far as its beginnings. All ancient human civilization had some sort of belief in a God or the transcendent. Beliefs have always been an issue within any human society. The belief of the transcendent gives humans a chance or hope for eternal happiness for people who abide their beliefs. But through out history, different religions and beliefs emerged which gives rise to the inconsistency. There are numerous differences between religions: one versus many gods, personal versus impersonal gods, personal survival of believers versus no survival of believers, moral codes, religious life, etc. As observable in human history, though religions often offer some sort heaven it often paradoxically entails conflicts and controversies. And despite the fact that religions supposedly gives people a sense of what’s right or wrong, atrocities have been committed in the name of religion; the hundred years war, the inquisition, jihad, ethnical cleansings etc†¦ And amidst the variety of beliefs that populate contemporary society, one cannot help to think how to take in hand the overabundance of truths that sometimes overlaps, dissent, and eventually oppose each other. There are three stances one can take. First is to (1) treat all religions as valid and true (pluralism). Another way is to (2) view beliefs in way that some are right and some are wrong (exclusivism). Finally, one can also (3) think about all religions as false (atheism). Let me take into consideration the third stance first. By arguing that all religious beliefs are false, it also means arguing that God or any form of the transcendent does not exist. And by arguing this, means rejecting all of the theistic theses that were formulated in the history of man. And this is the part where the catholic philosopher’s shear my head off, as countless theologians in history were also philosophers. With atheism in hand, the question God’s Being is also raised. Paul Tillich argues that God is Being, where â€Å"Being† represented the ultimate reality that underlies all existence, whether natural or supernatural. In fact, Being doesn’t necessarily pertain to a personal God at all. Tillich wanted  to make Being stand for the ultimate concern of all humans, conceived in the broadest sense. Furthermore, any attempt to define what Being is, by giving it the name of a particular God, fails to capture the true Being. Tillich thinks that all particular conceptions of Being that we are familiar with in the West constitute idolatry. When we give religious symbols too much importance, then we have fallen into mere idolatry. It might be plausibly argued that a religion must possess religious symbols and rituals to qualify as a religion-but, if this is true, then all religions must in a way be idolatrous. This is quite a strong and ridiculous thing to claim. But on the other hand it can also be claimed that atheism is really theism because it possesses infinite concern. The unknowable â€Å"God behind God† symbols mediate our relationship with God. God is beyond existence and non-existence. This leads us to the more theistic approach on the variety of human belief. First is the idea of pluralism which is spearheaded by John Hick. Hick’s theory holds that all religions are expressions of the same ultimate reality. However, how is it possible for all religions to be true images of the same ultimate reality? They can’t all be correct because this would be a violation of the law of non-contradiction (the thesis that something cannot possess a property and lack it at the same time and in the same way). For example, to argue that God is personal from my religion’s perspective and not personal from another religion’s perspective and thus avoid the violation of the law of non-contradiction is to say that God is not ultimately personal. Since it has just been accepted that some other religion has an equally valid view of God which contradicts my own religion’s view, this conclusion once again dents the justification for believing in the specifi c theories of God by my particular religion (in fact, many religions will reject this compromise for this very reason; namely, because the religion’s views are not really believed to be entirely true). At one point, Hick argues that the ultimate reality of God has no properties or attributes by itself, but only in relation to believers. So the properties we attribute to God are relational properties, which don’t exist or pertain to God if we don’t exist to assign those properties to God. Yet, this theory still implies that each religion’s view of that ultimate reality is not completely true since there exist other, contradictory and  equally correct relative views of God. And this undermines the importance of that particular religion’s beliefs. Also, a being that has no properties or attributes in itself seems incoherent, because, once again, the law of non-contradiction does not seem to apply to that being in the absence of any believers. Besides, a being that has no properties is almost identical to nothing. On the other hand, one can also take the path of an Exclusivist. Exclusivism states that one’s own religion is true, all the other are false. Which yet again sets it in conflict with every other thought out there: Which religion is the true religion? For the exclusivist, salvation comes from faith in that one true religion. But, there are exceptions that present several problems. Examples of these are people who didn’t hear the religion’s message. Also there are those virtuous and good people who did hear the religion’s message but rejected it. One way to solve these problems is to accept a view that still accepts that there is one true religion (and all the others are false), but who is included in that religion is increased to include all of the people covered in the aforementioned examples (â€Å"Inclusivism†). In addition, the same difficulty mentioned above, of determining which religion is the one true religion, this theory also suffers in that it seems to undermine the importance of being one of the people who essentially hears and follows the message of that one religion. Since merely being a virtuous person is enough to get into heaven, it no longer seems to be all that important to hear any religion’s message, and this weakens the motivation for following that religion. Another way is to deal with the variety of belief is to treat them as some are more right than others. Although all beliefs may hold some truth in them as what a pluralist might say, there is also the notion of some beliefs holding more sensible, plausible, and appealing aspects than others. Treating beliefs that some are more right than others will impose some sort of hierarchy among them. Being so, there is no sense to take what is less that the optimal path or any belief other than the belief on the top of the ladder. This might be attributed to a sense of rationality or a mental faculty for deciding what people should hold is true or a sense of epistemic  duty. Since belief holds such importance in a person’s personal and social life as was mentioned earlier, it cannot be helped to seek verification of what is true and what is not. Then again, an argument can arise from here asking what basis of rightness or wrongness of a certain belief is in the aforementioned hierarchy. Certainly, we cannot take an objective perspective here due to nature of the subject as argued in numerable articles about belief (belief cannot be grounded empirically). This then leaves me with no means to measure the rightness or wrongness of a certain belief. If this is so, it can be said then that the matter of belief can be left to the personal opinions and values of the believer, or simply put, belief is completely subjective. Just like understanding any other major term in philosophy of religion, completely understanding the existence of variety of human beliefs in this case would be as hard as pinning gelatin to a wall. Just as one thinks one has held the whole thing in one point, the rest of it slips away and falls apart. And in the end we are back to ground zero, stuck in a standstill conflict of being either an atheist, pluralist or an exclusivist; a sort of conflict between two extremes of anarchy and tyranny. Pluralism in its purest form can lead to anarchy of beliefs due to the equal treatments of all beliefs as in way true and valid. Exclusivism taken to the extreme may is tyranny in sense that only one or some beliefs are the plausible ones to take. And the supposedly safe answer of atheism which every other theistic argument rebukes. Alluding to the idea of the other that cannot be consumed by the I in Hegelian manner of the thesis and the anti-thesis having a compromise in the form of the synthesis, religions can neither be equalized by a common denominator nor taken separately and treated with bias. Hick, Plantinga, and Tillich tried nobly to create stable grounds by creating bases for beliefs by conceptualizing the whole idea of religions and beliefs. Yet with the contradictions to every argument presented, loose or dead ends appear due to the infinitely vast reality (and paradoxically ambiguous) of religious beliefs, thus one cannot firmly hold his belief in every ground. Therefore, it can be said that there is no safe answer. A risk then of making a mistake is not avoidable just as every evil is inevitable in the world. And just as uncertain the issue of human belief is as every  philosophical paradox goes, it is left in the riddle of choice.

Investment in Vietnam

GUIDEBOOK ON BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN VIETNAM BERLIN, 2011 FOREWORD Over the past two decades, Viet Nam’s economy has bee n developing rapidly owing to its â€Å"Doi moi† (Renovation) policy and activeness to integrate itself into the global economy. W ith its enormous efforts and determination, and effective cooperation with international partners and friends worldwide, Viet Nam is taking firm steps towards industrialization and modernization.With a stable political environment and great economic potentials, Viet Nam is an attractive destination for doing business and investment. The Government of Viet Nam has been ceaselessly endeavoring to improve the investment climate with the aim at creating an increasingly business-friendly environment in Viet Nam. Germany is the biggest economic partner of Viet Nam in Europe. The economic cooperation between the two countries has been fruitfully burgeoning.In an effort to further strengthen the economic cooperation between Vie t Nam and Germany, t he Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in coordination with the relevant ministries of Viet Nam to publish the Guidebook on Business and Investment of Viet Nam, which is expected to provide German businesses with an overview of the Viet Nam’s economy and its business and investment climate.We are confident that German businesses can find helpful information and guidelines on investment and doing business in Viet Nam from the Guidebook, and thereby have a deeper understanding of the Viet Nam’s economy, a dynamically emerging and reliable destination for international investment flows. We deeply thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam for their kind support and assistance. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr.Andreas Stoffers, Board Member of German Business Association Vietnam and Member Executive Committee Euroean Chamber of Commerce Vietman for reviewing this book. W e al so heartedly thank Marktforschung und Kommunikation GmbH for her great cooperation and excellent coordination in publishing the Guidebook. Dr. Do Hoa Binh Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the S. R. Viet Nam to the Federal Republic of Germany 2 ABBREVIATION ASEAN BCC BOM BOT BT BTO CEPT CIT CPC DOLISA DPI EIAR EL EPC EPZ EU EZ FIC FOB GDP HTZ IL IZ JVC LTT LUR LURC MFN MOIT MOLISA MONRE MOST MPI NOIP ODA PCT PIT PPP RO SBV TTC USD VAT VCAD VNDW TO Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business co-operation contract Board of Management of IZs, EPZs, HTZs and EZs Build-operate-transfer (including its derivative forms, BTO and BT) Build-transfer Build-transfer-operate Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme Corporate income tax Civil Proceedings Code Provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Provincial Department of Planning and Investment Environmental impact assessment report Enterprise Law Environment protection commitment Export processing zone European Union Economic zone Foreign-invested company Free on board Gross Domestic ProductHigh-tech zone Investment Law Industrial zone Joint venture company Law on Technology Transfer Land use rights Certificate of land use rights Most Favoured Nation Ministry of Industry and Trade Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Planning and Investment National Office of Intellectual Property Official development assistance Patent Cooperation Treaty Personal income tax Public Private Partnership Representative Office State Bank of Vietnam Technology transfer contract United States of America dollarValue-added tax Vietnam Competition Administration Department Vietnamese Dong W orld Trade Organisation 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 VIETNAM AT A GLANCE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 I: KEY FACTS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 II: POLITICAL SYSTEM †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ III: ECONOMY †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 IV: INFRASTRUCTURE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 V: VIETNAM- GERMANY ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 21 LEGAL GUIDE FOR INVESTING AND DOING BUSINESS IN VIETNAM †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 24 I: INVESTMENT REGULATIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 24 II:TRADE REGULATIONS â € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 30 III: TAXATION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 35 IV: CUSTOMS REGULATIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 42 V: LAND LAW †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 44 VI: FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND LOANS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 VII: EMPLOYMENT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 52 VIII: COMPETITION LAW †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 58 IX: ENVIRONMENT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 62 X: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 64 XI: TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 XII: DISPUTE RESOLUTION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 73 BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO VIETNAM †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 77 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: LIST OF SECTORS ENT ITLED TO INVESTMENT INCENTIVES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 80 APPENDIX 2: LIST OF GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS OF INVESTMENT INCENTIVES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 84 APPENDIX 3: USEFUL CONTACTS AND ADDRESSES IN VIETNAM †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 87 4 VIETNAM AT A GLANCE I: KEY FACTS ? Official name: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Capital: Hanoi. ? Largest city: Ho Chi Minh City. ? Administrative subdivisions: 58 provinces and 5 municipalities (Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho). ? Official language: Vietnamese. ? Location: In the center of Southeast Asia, neighboring on China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea and Pacific Ocean to the East and South. ? Area: 331,690 km2. ? Coast line: 3,260 km. ? Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-Octobe r to mid-March). Population (2010): 86. 9 million, by area (urban: 30% and rural: 70%) and by age (less than 15 years old: 24. 7%, 15 -64 years old: 68. 5% and more than 65 years old: 6. 8%). ? Population density: 262 people/km2. ? Literacy: 93. 7%. ? Natural resource: Energy resources (oil, gas, coal, hydropower and wind power); minerals (bauxite, iron ore, lead, gold, precious stones, tin, chromate, anthracite, construction materials, granite, marble, clay, white sand and graphite); sea and tropical forestry resources and agricultural potential. ?Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND). ? Exchange rate (April 2011): 1 USD = 20,725 VND. ? GDP (2010): 104. 7 billion USD. ? GDP per capita (2010): 1,204 USD. ? GDP real growth rate (2010): 6. 78%. ? GDP by sector (2010): Agriculture (20. 6%), Industry (41. 1%) and Service (38. 3%). ? Exports: Crude oil, garments, shoes, marine products, electronic products and components, funitures, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper. ? Major export markets: US A, Japan, China, Australia, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Netherland. ?Imports: Machinery & equipment, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, fertilizer, steel products, metal, textile, garment and shoe inputs, vehicles. 5 ? II: Major import markets: China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Malaysia, India, Germany. POLITICAL SYSTEM The current Constitution was adopted in 1992 and amended in 2001. It clearly indicates that the State is â€Å"of the people, by the people and for the people†. The people access the State power through the National Assembly and People's Councils, which are composed of elected representatives who represent the people's will and aspirations.The Constitution endows all citizens, men and women alike, with equal rights in all political, economic, cultural and social spheres as well as in family affairs, the right to and freedom of belief and religion and the right to choose and practice a religion, the r ight to and freedom of movement and residence in Vietnam, and the right to go abroad and return home as stipulated by laws. The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the people, endowed with the highest State power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.It governs constitutional and legislative rights, decides fundamental domestic and foreign policies, socioeconomic tasks, and national defence and security issues, etc. It exercises the right to supreme supervision of all activities of the State. The State President is the Head of State, elected by the National Assembly from among its deputies to represent the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in domestic and foreign affairs. The term of office of the President is the same as that of the Chairman of the National Assembly.The Government is the executive body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It has the same term of office as the National Assembly and administers the implementation of State affairs in the fields of poli tics, economics, culture, society, national defence and security and foreign relations. The government is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and other government members. The Supreme People's Court is the judicial body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.It supervises and directs the judicial work of local People's Courts, Military Tribunals, Special Tribunals and other tribunals, unless otherwise prescribed by the National Assembly at the establishment of such Tribunals. The Supreme People's Procuracy oversees the enforcement of the law and exercises the right to prosecution, and ensures serious and uniform implementation of the law. III: ECONOMY Since the Doi moi (reforms) were introduced in the mid-1980s, Vietnamese economy has changed rapidly.Replacing the old centrally-planned economy, Vietnam has shifted to a new economic structure namely a socialist-oriented market economy, and has gained significant success. Today the aim of Vietnam is to become a basically industrialized country by 2020. 6 Overall achievements Vietnam embarked on Doi moi in 1986 and the country has seen many dramatic changes since. Over the last decade it has recorded an average GDP growth rate of 7. 3 percent per annum, ranking it second in the region after China. Its economy suffered from the 2008-09 economic crisis but recovered rapidly, with GDP growth rate of 6. 78 percent in 2010.ADB forecasts that the economy of Vietnam will increase by 6. 1 and 6. 7 percent in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Vietnam already became a lower middle income country with its GDP per capita of 1,204 USD in 2010. To a large extent, Vietnam has successfully transformed from a centrally-planned economy with heavy bureaucracy and subsidies to a socialist -oriented market economy characterized by strong dynamism and rapidly growing entrepreneurship. The country's economy has integrated deeply into the global and regional economies, bringing about a sharp rise in trad e volumes as well as an influx of foreign investment.The economy is well on the way to being a multi-sector model operating according to market mechanisms. The private sector has enjoyed very favourable conditions created by the Enterprise Law of 2000, which institutionalizes the freedom of all individuals to conduct business in areas not prohibited by law and removes a large number of administrative obstacles that hampered enterprises. With a view to raising the efficiency of the state -owned sector, the government has adopted assertive policy measures to reorganize the sector through equitization.As a result, more than 3,970 state-owned enterprises were equitized by the end of 2010. GDP of Vietnam, 2000-2010 120 9. 0 8. 0 7. 0 80 6. 0 5. 0 60 4. 0 40 3. 0 2. 0 20 1. 0 0 0. 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year GDP GDP growth rate Source: General Statistics Office 7 GDP growth rate (%) GDP (billion USD) 100 Progress in particular sectors As Vietnam's GDP con tinuously increases the country's economic structure has also seen notable changes. From 1990 to 2010 the share of the agriculture sector reduced from 38. 7 percent to 20. percent, while that of industry and construction increased from 22. 7 percent in 1990 to 41. 1 percent in 2010. The service sector remained relatively constant: 38. 6 percent in 1990 and 38. 3 percent in 2010. Agriculture still plays a critical role in Vietnam's socio-economic life since it generates about 57 percent of total employment and makes important contribution to the expansion of the country's foreign trade. Vietnam are among the leading countries in terms of agricultural exports such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts and aqua-products, etc.Industry continues to grow rapidly in terms of gross output, at an average rate of 10-15 percent per annum. Besides state enterprises, foreign-invested and the private enterprises play an increasingly important role in industrial development and exports. Services are growin g at an average rate of 7-8 percent. In 2010 the value added of service sector grew 7. 52 percent with good performances being recorded in the trade, finance, and hotels and restaurant sub-sectors as consumption and tourism remained buoyant. Industry and services continue to increase their sha re in the economy.This reflects market oriented reforms, a gradual reduction in barriers to competition and to private sector development, and improvements in physical infrastructure. Greater diversification in industrial production and services lays the foundation for further sustained growth in output and employment. VA growth rate by sector of Vietnam, 2000-2010 12. 0 10. 0 Percent 8. 0 6. 0 4. 0 2. 0 0. 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year Agriculture Industry Source: General Statistics Office 8 Service International economic integrationVietnam has made major steps forward in its commitments to regional and international economic integration. Following the introduc tion of Doi moi it signed an economic and trade cooperation agreement with the EU in 1995, joined ASEAN in 1995, adhered to CEPT/AFTA in 1996 and became an APEC member in 1998. The Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States was signed in 2000, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the trade volume between the two countries. Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization on January 11, 2007.Vietnam's commitments in the WTO increase market access for exports of goods and services of WTO's members and establish greater transparency in regulatory trade practices as well as a more level playing field between Vietnamese and foreign companies. Vietnam undertook commitments on goods (tariffs, quotas and ceilings on agricultural subsidies) and services (provisions of access to foreign service providers and related conditions), and to implement agreements on intellectual property (TRIPS), investment measures (TRIMS), customs valuation, technical barriers to tra de, sanitary nd phytosanitary measures, import licensing provisions, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, and rules of origin. At present, Viet Nam has established diplomatic relations with 172 countries and signed 55 bilateral investment agreements and 58 double taxation agreements with countries and territories including Germany. It has economic and trading relations with about 165 countries and territories. Vietnam holds membership in 63 international organizations and over 650 non-governmental organizations.The policy of â€Å"multi-lateralization and diversification† in international relations has helped Vietnam to integrate more deeply into the global and regional economies and increase trade and investment ties with nations all over the world. More importantly, Vietnam has improved its enable business friendly environment over time. World Bank recognized that Vietnam is one of the 10 most-improved economies in ease of doing business in 2010. Currently, its ranking is 78 and even higher than other Asia countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, China, India. Vietnam’s rankings according to various indices Index 2011-2010 rank 2010-2009 rankWorld Bank’s Ease of doing business 78/183 88/183 World Economic Forum's Global competitiveness index 59/139 75/133 12/top 20 12/top 25 (*) ATKEARNEY' FDI confidence index Note (*) data for 2007 9 International trade Total export volume of Vietnam increased by 18 percent per year on average in the last decade and its import volume also did so by 19. 2 percent per year. In 2010 its total trade volume reached $155. 6 billion ($71. 6 billion of export and $84 billion of import), equal to 149 percent of its GDP. Both the composition and quality of exports have improved significantly. The proportion of industrial products has risen considerably.The five biggest export items include oil, textiles, footwear, seafood and wood products. Vietnam is in the early stage of the industrialisation and modernis ation process and receives a large inflow of FDI therefore it relies largely on the imp orted equipment and materials. Trade relations with foreign countries, especially other countries in the region, have expanded over time. The biggest trading partners of Viet Nam include China, America, ASEAN, EU, Japan and South Korea. International trade of Vietnam, 2000-2010 160 70 140 60 120 50 100 40 80 30 60 20 40 10 20 0 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Year Export Import Trade in goods as % GDP Source: General Statistics Office 10 Trade in goods as % GDP (percent) 180 80 Trade (billion US$) 90 Top 10 export and import items of Vietnam, 2010 Garment Machinery & equipment Footwear Steel products Seafood Petroleum products Crude oil Fabric Electronic products Electronic products Furniture Vehicles Rice Platics Machinery & equipment Garment and shoe inputs Precious stone & metals Metals Rubber Animal feed 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 Import volume (billio n USD) Export volume (billion USD) Export item Import item Source: General Statistics OfficeForeign direct investment Since the introduction of the Law on Foreign Investment in 1987, by the end of 2010, 12,236 foreign investment projects were licensed with total registered capital of $193. 4 billion and total disbursed capital of over $61 billion. The investors from 92 countries and territories have committed investments in Viet Nam. Most of them are from Asia, Europe and America. Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia and are the top five countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The next five countries and territories are British Virgin Islands, America, Hongkong, Cayman Islands and Thailand.These â€Å"top ten† countries and territories account for over three quarters of the total licensed projects and foreign registered capital in Viet Nam. Since 1996 there has been a tendency towards investment in producing goods for export, infrastructure constru ction, producing import substitutes and in labour intensive industries. There are more than 8,327 projects in the manufacturing and processing, real estate and construction industries with a total capital of about US$153,5 billion, accounting for nearly 80% of the registered capital.While there are foreign invested projects in all provinces and cities in Viet Nam, most investment has been in the key economic areas in the South including Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria, Vung Tau, and in the North including Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh. The foreign invested sector has increased rapidly, gradually asserting itself as a dynamic component of the economy, and has made an important contribution to enhancing the competitiveness and efficiency of the economy. In 20 10, the foreign invested sector has accounted for 21. 5% of the country's total investment, contributed 18. percent to GDP, 54. 2 percent to export volume (crude oil included), 44. 4 percent to industr ial gross output and employed 1. 6 million persons. 11 FDI Inflow of Vietnam, 2000-2010 Project number Registered capital Service, 10. 7% Telecom. & transportation 4. 1% Service, 19. 2% Processing & manufacturing 48. 7% Agriculture, 1. 6% Processing & manufacturing 59. 8% Agriculture 3. 9% Telecom. & transportation 7. 7% Real estate & construction 30. 8% Power, water, gas, 2. 5% Mining, 1. 5% Real estate & construction 8. 4% Power, water, gas, 0. 5% Mining, 0. 6% Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment FDI of Vietnam by sector, 2010 600 60 1400 1200 50 1000 40 800 30 600 20 400 10 200 0 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year Disbursement Total investment Note: Accumulated inflow of FDI by the end of 2010 Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment 12 No. of project 1800 70 FDI inflow (billion US$) 80 Top 10 destinations and investors of Vietnam, 2010 Top 10 FDI receiving provinces Top 10 investing countries and territories Ho Chi Minh City Chinese Taipei B a Ria – Vung Tau Korea Republic Ha Noi Singapore Dong Nai Japan Binh Duong Malaysia Ha Tinh British Virgin Islands Phu Yen America Thanh Hoa Hong Kong Hai Phong Cayman IslandsQuang Nam Thailand 0. 0 10. 0 20. 0 30. 0 Total registered investment (billion USD) 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 20. 0 25. 0 Total registered investment (billion USD) Note: Accumulated inflow of FDI by the end of 2010 Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment IV: INFRASTRUCTURE ? Road network: – ? 171,392 km country-wide. 2 North-South pivot routes: (i) the 1A National Highway of 2,260km in length from Lang Son to Ca Mau and (ii) the Ho Chi Minh Highway of 3,167km in length from Cao Bang to Ca Mau. Railway network: – ? Total length of 2,632 km. 278 stations country-wide. Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line: 1,726 km (it takes 29. hours for express train). – Linked to China railways in two directions, one from Lao Cai province to Yunnan province and one from Lang Son province to Kwangsi p rovince of China. – Planned to construct the railway lines connecting with Laos and Cambodia. Inland waterway: – More than 2,300 rivers and canals with total length of 198,000 km. – Inland waterway system of 35,386 km. 13 ? Sea ports: – – ? Vietnam has 3,260km coastline, a strategic position close to international shipping routes and favored natural conditions of foundation, sea depth, current, tidal, sedimentation and channels for developing seaport business. 7 national level sea ports, 23 provincial level sea ports and 9 offshore oil and gas sea ports. Current major important ports include Cai Lan and Hai Phong in the North, Da Nang and Quy Nhon in the Centre and Sai Gon and Cai Mep in the South. Airports: – ? 8 international airports: Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), Cat Bi (Hai Phong), Da Nang (Da Nang), Lien Khuong (Lam Dong), Noi Bai (Ha Noi), Phu Bai (Hue), Tra Noc (Can Tho), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City). In 2010, Tan Son Nhat Airport receive d 15. 5 million passergers and Noi Bai airport did 9. 5 million passengers. 14 domestic airports: Buon Ma Thuot (Dac Lac), Ca Mau (Ca Mau), Chu Lai (Quang Nam), Co Ong (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), Dien Bien Phu (Dien Bien Phu), Dong Tac (Phu Yen), Dong Hoi (Quang Binh), Gia Lam (Ha Noi), Na San (Son La), Pleiku (Gia Lai), Phu Cat (Binh Dinh), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Rach Gia (Kien Giang), Vinh (Nghe An). Business development zones: – ? 3 high-tech zones (Hoa Lac, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City) with total area of 3,509 ha of land. ? 260 industrial zones and export processing zones with total area of 71,394 ha of land. 15 economic zones located along sea coast with total area of 638,633 ha of land.Energy: – Electricity output reached 92. 7 billion kWh. – Crude oil and gas exploited 23 million ton. – Coal exploited 44 million ton. Telecommunication: – 26. 8 million Internet users. – 153. 7 million mobile subscriptions. – 16. 4 million fixed phone subscriptions. 14 15 Vietnam rail network 16 National seaports of Vietnam No. Seaport Province Current capacity of ship (DWT) 1 Cam Pha Quang Ninh 50,000 2 Hon Gai Quang Ninh 40,000 3 Hai Phong Hai Phong 20,000 4 Nghi Son Thanh Hoa 20,000 5 Cua Lo Nghe An 10,000 6 Vung Ang Ha Tinh 30,000 7 Chan May Thua Thien Hue 30,000 8 Da Nang Da Nang 30,000 9 Dung Quat Quang Ngai 0,000 10 Quy Nhon Binh Dinh 30,000 11 Van Phong Khanh Hoa 50,000 12 Nha Trang Khanh Hoa 20,000 13 Ba Ngoi Khanh Hoa 30,000 14 Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City 30,000 15 Vung Tau Ba Ria – Vung Tau 50,000 16 Dong Nai Dong Nai 20,000 17 Can Tho Can Tho 10,000 Source: Decision 2190/QD-TTg dated 24/12/2009 17 Number and size of IPs and EPZs in Vietnam 300 71,394 70,000 60,000 40,000 150 26,971 260 100 183 11,830 50 50,000 43,687 200 300 1 2,370 12 30,000 20,000 130 10,000 65 0 1991 1995 2000 2005 2007 Year Number of IPs Size (ha) Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment 18 2010 Size of IPs (ha) Number of IP s 250Economic zones of Vietnam 19 SWOT Analysis of Vietnam Strengths Weaknesses ? One of fastest growing economies ? Few skilled professionals in Asia with average GDP growth of available; 7. 2% per year over the last decade; ? High bureaucratic barriers; ? Stable political and social security; ? Weak infrastructure (power, ? Abundance of human resources transportation); (labour force of 46. 2 million people; ? Underdeveloped supporting young, motivated and educated industries. workforce; 60% of population under 35 years old); ? Competitive business and production costs (cost labor, industrial land rent, energy cost, elephone cost, marine transportation, taxation); ? Available mineral and natural resources (coal, oil & gas, iron ore, bauxite, rare earth,.. ); ? Central location in South East Asia, long distance coast. Opportunities Threats ? Global integration (ASEAN, APEC, WTO membership); one of the world’s most open economies; ? High inflation; ? High trade deficit; ? Deva luation of VND; ? Higher demand for consumer goods and capital goods with better ? Banking and finance sector in infant stage; quality because of being a lower middle income country, aiming at ? Low national reserves. an industrialized country and ncreasing urban population; ? Export oriented and labour intensive industries; ? Infrastruture (road, railway, seaport, airport, power) projects funded by international donors or foreign investors. 20 V: VIETNAM- GERMANY ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP Trade Germany is the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe. In 2010, despite the global economic downturn, bilateral trade reached nearly USD 6 billion, a substantial increase over the previous year. Total export value of Vietnam to Germany reached nearly USD 4 billion, accounting for 19% of total Vietnam’s export to the EU while its import value from German amounted to USD 2 billion.Vietnam’s main export items to Germany are garments, footwear, coffees, furnitures, see foods, leath er and leather apparel, office machinery, iron, metal products, articles of plastics, ceramic products, crude rubber. Germany is the second-largest market worldwide for robusta coffee and black pepper of Vietnam. Main import items from Germany to Vietnam include: machines (in mining, construction and civil engineering, textile, food and beverage,†¦), aircraft, units for electricity generation nd distribution, passenger cars, chemical products, pharmaceutical products, measurement, control and regulation technology products, industrial plants, plastics, lifting and handling equipment, medical equipment and orthopedic appliances, engines, iron, metal products, elec tronic components†¦ After WTO accession, Vietnam is becoming an emerging and lucrative market in Asia. As Vietnam is accelerating its industrialization process to become an â€Å"industrialized country† by 2020, the trend towards sophisticated production facilities is evident and it is likely to result in i ncreased demand for hi -tech machinery made in Germany.Investment There have been over 230 German companies operating and investing in Vietnam, including many Germany’s leading groups such as Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes, Metro, Bosch etc. By the end of April 2011, German companies have invested in 163 projects with registered capital of USD 825 million in Vietnam. Three fourths of total investment projects and two thirds of investment capital of Germany mainly concentrate in manufacturing, processing, technique services, information and communication technology, banking and finance services.Although German investment projects have been located in 26 locatio ns in Vietnam, most of them have been implemented in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. In the upcoming time, the active implementation of mega infrastructure development and energy projects partially funded by German ODA such as the metro line No. 2 Ben Thanh – An Suong in Ho Chi Minh City (with length of 11 km and total investment capital of USD 1. 25 billion), O Mon IV thermo power, Phu Lac wind power, Vietnamese Green Line,†¦ will have positive impacts on promoting German investment flow into Vietnam.German foreign trade and investment promotion is well positioned in Viet Nam. German companies and investors can access to supports and advices from AHK Vietnam, German Business Association (GBA), a correspondent of Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) in Vietnam. 21 Development cooperation Vietnam is an important partner of Germany in development cooperation. As one of the biggest donors among the EU members, Germany has provided Vietnam with more than EUR 1 billion in ODA since 1990. During 2011 – 2012, Germany committed nearly EUR 300 million for Vietnam. This is a clear evidence for strong support by Germany to the development of Vietnam.German-Vietnamese development cooperation focuses on the three priority areas: (i) Sustainable economic development and vocatio nal training; (ii) Environmental policy, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources; (iii) Health. German development cooperation has been utilizing effectively and contributing positively to socio-economic development of Vietnam, especially in vocational training, human resource development, infrastructure, clean energy source. During the visit of German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel to Viet Nam in October 2011, Hanoi Declaration was signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Chancellor Dr.Angela Merkel. It is the start of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany. Export and import between Vietnam and Germany, 2007-2010 4000 3500 Value (USD million) 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2007 2008 Export from Vietnam to Germany 2009 2010 Year Import to Vietnam from Germany Source: German Federal Statistical Office 22 Gernam investment flow into Vietnam by sector, 2010 Registered capital Service, 10. 5 Agriculture, Telecom. & 5. 4 transportation 0. 4 Real estate & c onstruction 1. 0 Project number Processing & manufacturing 53. 6 Processing & manufacturing 46. 7 Service, 34. 2 Agriculture 2. 0 Power, water & gas, 29. Telecom. & Mining, 0. 7 transportation Real estate & 10. 5 construction Power, water & gas, 2. 0 3. 9 Mining, 0. 0 Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment 23 LEGAL GUIDE FOR INVESTING AND DOING BUSINESS IN VIETNAM I: INVESTMENT REGULATIONS On 1 July 2006, the investment regime comprised of a unified Enterprise Law (â€Å"EL†), which regulates corporations, and a common Investment Law (â€Å" IL†), which regulates investment, came into effect. The promulgation of these two important legislations is considered a significant watershed for improvement of the legal environment on investment activities and corporate governance in Vietnam. . Overview To do business under the IL and EL, foreign investors are required to obtain investment certificates from an appropriate Licensing Authority. Under the IL, investors may inv est in all sectors not prohibited by law. prohibited by law include: Areas ? Investment projects detrimental to national defence, security, and the public interest; ? Investment projects detrimental to historical and cultural traditions and the ethics or customs of Vietnam; ? Investment projects harming people’s health or destroying natural resources and the environment; and ?Investment projects treating toxic waste imported to Vietnam and investment projects manufacturing toxic chemicals banned by international law. 2. Licensing Investors shall follow the licensing and registration steps depending on the size and the sector of the investment project. Investment Certification Process 24 Conditional sectors: Investment projects in conditional sectors shall satisfy certain conditions in order to be licensed. Conditional sectors include: ? Broadcasting and television; ? Production, publishing and distribution of cultural products; ?Exploration and exploitation of minerals; ? Est ablishment of infrastructure for telecommunications network, transmission and provision of internet and telecommunications services; ? Establishment of public postal network and provision of postal services and express services; ? Construction and operation of river ports, sea ports, terminals and airports; ? Transportation of goods and passengers by railway, airway, roadway and sea and inland waterways; ? Catching of aquaculture; ? Production of tobacco; ? Real estate business; ? Import, export and distribution business; Education and training; ? Hospitals and clinics; and ? Other investment sectors in international treaties of which Vietnam is a member and which restrict the opening of the market to foreign investors. Investment Registration: Foreign investment projects with a total invested capital of less than VND 300 billion (US$ 15 million) and not falling in a conditional sector are subject to â€Å"investment registration† and foreign investors of such projects shall carry out the procedures for investment registration in order to be granted an investment certificate.The investment certificate also serves as the business registration of the corporate entity. Enterprises can subsequently register additional investment projects without the need to create a separate entity. The investor should submit application documents for investment registration to the Licensing Authority. The Licensing Authority shall check the documents and issue the investment certificate to the investors within 15 workin g days of receiving the valid application.Investment Evaluation: Any investment project with a total invested capital of VND 300 billion (US$ 15 million) or more or investment projects falling in conditional sectors shall undergo â€Å"an investment evaluation† by the Licensing Authority and other relevant authorities. There are two different types of evaluation: ? evaluation for investment projects regardless of total invested capital falling into c onditional sectors; and ? evaluation for investment projects with total invested capital of VND300 billion or more that do not fall into conditional sectors.For the evaluation of investment projects with total invested capital of VND 300 billion or more, along with the application documents, the applicant must also submit an â€Å"economic – technical explanation† of the investment project to the Licensing Authority. This covers the economic – technical explanatory statement, 25 objectives, scale, location, investment capital, implementation schedule, land use needs, and technological and environmental solutions of the investment project.For the evaluation of investment projects falling in conditional sectors, in addition to the application documents, the investor shall also demonstrate compliance with requirements specific to that conditional sector. When assessing the application documents, the Licensing Authority may liaise with other relevant Ministries and authorities in evaluating the proposed investment project. Items to be evaluated shall comprise: ? compliance with master planning/zoning for technical infrastructure, master planning/zoning for land use, master planning for construction, master planning for utilization of minerals and other natural resources; land use requirements; ? project implementation schedule; ? environmental solutions. The time-limit for evaluation of investment shall not exceed thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid file. In necessary cases, the above time -limit may be extended, but not beyond forty five (45) days. Applying for Construction License Filing for Investment Certificate Applying for the approval of Report on environment effects evaluation Agreement on land/building/office renting Evaluating preliminary technical design Environmental protection ommitment Land/building/office renting contract 26 Projects subject to Projects subject to environmental protection constructi on license commitment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Investment Certificate Projects subject to Report on environmental effects evaluation To-Do List for Investors 3. Licensing Authority Licensing Authority 3. 1 The Board of Management (â€Å"BOM†) of industrial zones (â€Å"IZs†), export processing zones (â€Å"EPZs†), high-tech zones (â€Å"HTZs†), and economic zones (â€Å"EZs†) are responsible for licensing foreign investments within their zones. 3 . 2National important BOT projects and PPP projects are licensed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (â€Å"MPI†). Oil and gas projects, credit institutions, insurance projects and law firms are licensed by Ministry of Trade and Industry, State Bank of Vietnam, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice respectively. 3 . 3 The Provincial People’s Committee is the authority responsible for all other foreign investments. Licensing applications shall be su bmitted to these bodies, who will consult with other relevant governmental authorities (where so required) before issuing final approval. . 4 The Prime Minister will approve the following investment projects (unless they are not included in the approved master plan): (a) The following investment projects, irrespective of the source of investment capital and scale of investment: – construction and commercial operation of airports; air transportation; – construction and commercial operation of national sea ports; – exploration, mining and processing of petroleum; exploration and mining of minerals; – radio and television broadcasting; – commercial operation of casinos; – production of cigarettes; – stablishment of university training establishments; and 27 – establishment of IZs, EPZs, HTZs and EZs. (b) The following investment projects, irrespective of the source of investment capital but with a total invested capital of VND 1,5 00 billion or more in the following sectors: – business in electricity, processing of minerals, metallurgy; – construction of railway, road and internal waterway infrastructure; and – production and business of alcohol, beer; (c) The following projects with foreign-invested capital in the following sectors: – commercial operation of sea transportation; – onstruction of networks for and supply of postal and delivery, telecommunications and internet services, construction of wave transmission networks; – printing and distributing newspapers and printed matter, publishing; and – establishment of independent scientific research establishments. 4. Forms of Investment and Enterprise Under the â€Å"Law on Investment† and the â€Å"Law on Enterprises† foreign investors may choose the following forms of investment in Viet Nam: Investment forms: – Invest in business development; – Establish economic organizations (1 00% capital of foreign investors or joint venture); Purchase shares or contribute capital to participate in management of investment activities; – Invest in contractual forms of BBC, BO, BTO, BT, PPP; and – M of enterprises. While foreign investors are allowed to buy shares in many domestic companies without limitation, there are ownership limitations for certain companies listed on the Vietnam stock exchange and financial sectors. Foreign ownership cannot exceed 49 percent of listed companies and 30 percent of listed companies in the financial sector. Forms of enterprises: – Limited liability company (with one member or more than one member);