Vietnam is rollingout the red carpet for multinationals with a flourish.Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet recently- relaxed his houses like Ford and Toyota.4-month-old ban on build- He approved of a request -ing factories in rice fields, to put forward by the Hanoithe delight of industrial city authorities - to setaside 6310 ha (15,585 acres)of farmland around the cityfor large investment projects,infrastructural developmentand high-tech industry.
The Ford and Toyotaauthorities had, earlier thisyear, applied for joint venture manufacturing licensesand proposed building assembly lines in the Hanoiarea. But Kiet was unwillingto sacrifice the rice fields.The relaxation of the bannow has changed the situation.