J-V factory being built in Vietnam

VINA-BAT, a joint venture between the Viet Nam Tobacco Corporation and British American Tobacco has begun construction of a tobacco plant in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kien Giang, according to a bizhub.vn story.

The VND160 billion facility will sell its products both on the domestic and export markets when it begins production in 2017.

Annually, the plant will consume about 175 tons of leaf tobacco, paving the way for increases in the volume and quality of domestic leaf production.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Peter Henriques, general manager of BAT East Asia, said the new plant would help Kien Giang Province, and especially Chau Thanh District where it was being built.

It would “usher in new production values”, he said, restructure the economy, and contribute to local revenues.

“Apart from providing jobs to local workers, we will carry out training programs to help employees acquire professional skills and knowledge to run the plant efficiently and make products of international quality,” Henriques said. “The plant will also benefit from BAT Group’s world-class business management in creating a well-trained local workforce.”

The establishment of the plant marks an important milestone for the joint venture. “At BAT, we believe that the successful co-operation between BAT and Vinataba over the past two decades is an outstanding symbol of sustainable and bonding relationship between foreign-invested enterprises and Vietnamese companies since Vietnam opened her doors to foreign investment,” Henriques was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Vu Van Cuong, chairman of Vinataba, said: “We believe VINA-BAT’s factory in Kien Giang Province with its high-quality products will effectively contribute to the fight against illicit tobacco and to the local budget.

“More importantly, this will help Viet Nam’s tobacco industry gradually integrate with the tobacco global chain as well as the global economy.”