Ho Chi Minh City will need more than 410.2 trillion VND to implement a transport development plan until 2020.

The construction of the bridge will start at the end of this year and is expected to complete in 2010.

The Private Equity New Markets (PENM), a fund owned by Denmark’s investment group BankInvest, yesterday signed a strategic partnership contract with Vietnam Fan Joint Stock Co. to acquire a 25% stake in the local manufacturer.

Under the deal signed at the New World Hotel Saigon, the fund after acquiring the stake in the local company will support the latter in business development in the coming years.

PENM will utilize its broad management experience, gained from long careers in industry and as investment managers, to support the company in strategy planning for the next 5 to 10 years, said Hans Christian Jacobsen, managing partner of the PENM.

Read more Vietnamese business news here…

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung signed a development cooperation accord in Dublin on Monday, a joint statement said.

Ireland has pledged over 87 million euros (133 million dollars) in overseas development aid to Vietnam in the period 2007-2010.

It has designated Vietnam as one of its priority countries for aid, with the focus on poverty reduction and improvement of health services.

Read more here…

Singapore’s Keppel Corp (KPLM.SI: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it has won a $205 million contract to build a jackup rig for PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services PVD.HM.The rig, with a drilling depth of 30,000 feet, is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009, Keppel said in a statement.

Read more here…

Vietnam says it will launch its first space satellite, hoping to improve the country’s telecommunications to keep pace with ts rapid economic development.

Nguyen Ba Thuoc, vice director of Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corp., told reporters Wednesday that Vinasat No. 1 satellite is scheduled to be launched on April 12 and will be ready for use a month later.

Read more here…

Vietnamese Prime Minister Mar 7 witnessed signing of US$2.4 billion deals between Vietnamese and German companies and groups at the Vietnam-Germany Business Forum.

The deals included a deal between Vietnam Airlines, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Petro Construction Corporation and German Bitgevin company to build a $1.5 billion urban center of Xuan Phuong, a $400 million contract between Vinashin and StA Holing Management to buy ships, an advising deal to issue $500-million bonds between Vietnam Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) and Deutsche Bank, the Vietnam News Agency said.

Read more here…