The statement ending The general meeting on June 30th, 2007
Traditionally, I would say thank you and declare the meeting to have come to an end. But considering all thousands of shareholders who are present here today, I hope that all of you give allow me a few minutes to tell you about the past of Tan Tao and individuals who formed the success that is Tan Tao today.
About ten years ago, Tan Tao was mostly a mangrove and marsh land all-year round. The income of the farmers was about VND 1.2 million per hectare per year. Why did we decide to invest in Tan Tao even when experienced foreign investors has decided not to? Because there were a number of people who desired to see their region developed and the lives of the local citizens bettered. These people were Ms. Vo Thi Hiep, former Chairwoman of Binh Chanh District and Mr. Truong Vu Bao (Tam Bao), the former District Party Committee Secretary. This area was also the revolutionary homeland that had protected comrades such as Truong Tan Sang, Le Thanh Hai as well as other leading comrades.
At that time we were only advisers working for foreign groups. We had nothing but our enthusiasm, our hearts and our souls all thirsting for work and the ability to assert our own capabilities. Our chance came in the person of Professor-Ex-Minister Do Quoc Sam. In fact, Tan Tao would not be the success if is today if there were not such comrades who had strongly put their trust in us. We always keep the comrades’ great merits and hearts in mind during every step forward experienced by Tan Tao.
It would be an error to talk about Tan Tao without having first spoken of the first Chief Executive Officer of Tan Tao, Mr. Dang Thanh Tam. Tan Tao has become our flesh and blood. With all his heart and soul, Mr. Dang Thanh Tam has used his ingenuity to make Tan Tao the success it is today. Mr. Tam and the corporation’s staff, especially Mr. Thai Van Men, who was his side-by-side colleague from the very beginning. These two men very intelligently piloted Tan Tao over its initial difficulties. Today, Tan Tao Industrial Park is comprised of hundreds of factories, employs tens of thousands of workers and annually contributes hundreds of billions of VND to the nation’s budget. In the earliest days Tan Tao had such difficulties paying its staff that managers were asked to received a delayed salary whilst Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau even dipped into her own savings to help the Corporation pay the staff.
Without the hearts, souls and will of the management board executives who refused to surrender, and without luck smiling upon us – for as the proverb says “Man proposes GOD disposes” - there would not be Tan Tao today.
At the first general meeting, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all leaders and staffs of ITA Group.
Tan Tao has reached a new stage which presents us with many new challenges. We hope that our shareholders and investors keep on believing in us, continue to act in wisdom and to provide us with opportunity. We promise to try our best to carry out successfully the decisions of the general meeting with which we have been entrusted today.
Once again, thank you to the Guest of Honour as well as to all of our shareholders and investors. Finally, thank you to my parents who are present here today, who taught and brought me up, taught me how to work and to devote my life to work and those I work with.
Good luck to all of you. I hope you have had a successful general meeting.
Yours truly,
Chairwoman
Dang Thi Hoang Yen
By: ItaExpress
Translator: Ngoc Tran