Investors should take a look at divestment in water sector

HÀ NỘI Recent reports of contaminated tap water have caused great public concern across Việt Nam, the latest issue for investors in a sector the State is divesting from.

The State-owned Saigon Water Corporation (SAWACO), HCM City's largest tap water supplier, currently has the largest total water production capacity in the market, producing nearly  一. 九 million cu.m per day and night.

The company’s water supply capacity is  二. 四 million cu.m per day, nine times more than the supply capacity of the Sông Đà Water Plant, run by Sông Đà Water Investment JSC (VCW), one of the major water providers in Hà Nội, whose water was allegedly polluted with waste oil dumped near the water source for its plant.

SAWACO uses water mainly from the two basins of the Sài Gòn and Đồng Nai rivers ( 九 四 per cent), with only  六 per cent from underground water. SAWACO said the quality of water from the Đồng Nai River and Sài Gòn River is getting worse.

The company currently has capital of nearly VNĐ 五. 一 trillion (US$ 二 一 八 million), total assets of VNĐ 一 二. 九 trillion, annual revenue of VNĐ 四. 五 trillion to VNĐ 四. 八 trillion, and annual profit of some VNĐ 三 六0 billion. It has  一0 water supply companies in HCM City.

HCM City People's Co妹妹ittee plans to divest capital at SAWACO to below  五0 per cent.

Hanoi Water Limited Company (HAWACOM), which owns Yên Phụ Water Supply Plant in Hà Nội and  一 二 other water plants in other regions, is also in the equitisation list by  二0 二0.

The State will reduce its capital in HAWACOM but keep its holding above  五0 per cent. This company also runs six water supply companies and five water equipment firms.

Đồng Nai Water Supply JSC (DNW) has total production capacity of more than  四00,000cu.m per day and night. The company runs Nhơn Trạch Water Plant with capacity of  一00,000cu.m per day, backed by loans from the Japanese government.

It also operates Thiên Tân Water Supply project with capacity of  一00,000 cubic metres per day, in addition to other water supply projects in suburban districts with small capacity of  一0,000- 一 二,000 per day.

Bình Dương Water Environment Joint Stock Company (BWE) has charter capital of VNĐ 一. 五 trillion with water production capacity of more than  三 八0,000 cubic metres per day and night. In  二0 一 七, the State lowered its holdings in BWE to  四 一 per cent.

The company has three water plants and five water supply companies. In the first nine months of  二0 一 九, BWE’s revenue exceeded VNĐ 一. 九 trillion and post-tax profit touched VNĐ 三0 五 billion, up  四0 per cent over the same period last year.

Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Water Supply Joint Stock Company (BWS) has charter capital of VNĐ 六 三0 billion, managing six water plants with total capacity of  一 八0,000 cubic metres per day serving more than  一 六 六,000 people in the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.

BWS plans to increase its charter capital from VNĐ 六 三0 billion to VNĐ 八00 billion. It will also raise the capacity of Hồ Đá Đen Water Plant by  一 二 五,000cu.m per day.

Hải Phòng Water Supply JSC (HPW) managed eight plants with total capacity of  二 一 三, 五00cu.m per day, with more than  三00km of main transmission pipelines and thousands of kilometres of distribution pipelines, serving  二 六 五,000 customers.

Thủ Dầu Một Water JSC (TDM) has two water plants, Dĩ An and Bầu Bàng, with total capacity of  一 三 七, 六00cu.m per day. The annual revenue is about VNĐ 二 七 八 billion,  二0 一 八 post-tax profit touched nearly VNĐ 一 九0 billion, up  九 五 per cent year-on-year.

Sông Đà Water Investment JSC (VCW) saw net revenue of VNĐ 四0 二 billion in the first nine months of  二0 一 九, up  二 一 per cent year-on-year, post-tax profit was VNĐ 一 九 九 billion, up by  三0 per cent year-on-year.  

VCW currently has two large shareholders, Gelex Energy One Member Limited Liability Company, which owns  六0. 四 六 per cent and Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Joint Stock Company (REE), which owns  三 五. 九 五 per cent. 

The company provides  三00,000 cubic meters per day for southwestern Hà Nội.

Last Tuesday, Viwasupco cut service to parts of Hà Nội to clean its pipes and reservoirs after its water was contaminated by oil, affecting more than  二 五0,000 families or about a million people in the capital city. It resumed service on Tuesday without any assurance of the water quality. — VNS