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Foreigners prepare for major Y2K crash in Vietnam

By David Legard 9 August, 1999

SINGAPORE - Foreign companies in Vietnam expect major disruptions to their operations due to the year 2000 problem and are making urgent contingency plans to protect their assets over the 'millennium' period, executives said last week. The precautions come despite an order from Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai recently that year 2000 remedial work "must accord with plans and schedules set by the Supervisory Committee for Y2K Prevention and all tests to ensure the defeat of the bug must be done by Wednesday, October 20". One US industrial company said its year 2000 plans range from contracting off-site stockpiles of fresh water and petrol to setting up emergency teams ready to fend off potential looters who might take advantage of blackouts, law enforcement overloads or communications breakdowns. The company, which declined to be identified, said it will double the security over the Y2K period around its Ho Chi Minh city office. The office will be closed until January 15, according to the company's locally based general manager. All client debts will be called in before the end of December and no new business spanning the date changeover will be allowed to take place. On January 1, a specially contracted Vietnamese-Australian emergency team will be the only ones to arrive at company offices, the general manager said. The team will assess the situation and provide ongoing reports to a regional office in Australia via already-secured communications links, independent of Vietnam's power grid and telecomms networks, the manager added. Foreign companies have also been taking year 2000 work into their own hands. One company is vetting its entire local supply chain, with Hong Kong bank HSBC providing assessments of the local banking system's year 2000 readiness and Telstra and Alcatel SA doing the same for telecommunications systems, an executive said. A recent report prepared by Vietnam's Year 2000 Steering Committee estimated that less than 10 per cent of non-year 2000-compliant equipment countrywide has been repaired or replaced. In addition, more than 50 per cent of government agencies, cities and provinces are yet to map out year 2000 implementation plans. However, several key sectors such as posts and telecommunications and petroleum have finished 85 per cent of their year 2000 work, the report said. The aviation and banking industries have completed 60 per cent, according to the report.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), August 09, 1999

Answers

Good Morning, Vietnam. Er, actually, Goodbye Vietnam.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), August 09, 1999.

Wars will re-ignite.

-- My lie not over (jungle@out.there), August 09, 1999.