At an international seminar on Viet Nam’s energy development planning and strategies, held recently in Ha Noi, Hao said that in the near future, national energy policies would focus on synchronously developing an energy system, including electricity, coal, oil and gas and new and renewable energy sources. Energy development strategies would be implemented with international co-operation policies on energy imports and exports, the development of energy technology, especially for new and renewable sources, forming a competitive energy market and boosting the economical and effective use of energy, he added. Chairman of the Viet Nam Energy Association Tran Viet Ngai said that the energy sector, including electricity, had not yet attracted investors, especially those from foreign countries, because commercial electricity prices did not properly reflect production costs. Ta Van Huong, head of the MIT’s Energy Department, said that Viet Nam would expand co-operation with other regional and worldwide countries in mining coal, oil and other energy sources in foreign countries to supplement domestic energy sources. To lure investments in the energy sector, besides policies to encourage investments and solve difficulties, the Government should apply common electricity prices for both domestic and foreign businesses, they suggested, adding that power purchase negotiation procedures should be simplified to help investors save time and costs. read more

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