October 25, 2002	Friday	Sha’aban 18,1423

HANOI, Oct 24: Yamaha Motor Company is the second foreign-invested motorbike assembler to suspend operations at its Vietnam manufacturing plant after running out of parts, according to company officials.

Yamaha Motor Vietnam, a Malaysian and Vietnamese joint venture, shut its plant on the outskirts of Hanoi late last week.

Rival assembler Honda was forced to shut up shop last month, with officials saying the production line in the northwest province of Vinhphuc has ground to a halt.

Most of Yamaha’s 800 workers have been temporarily laid off on 70 per cent of their salaries, while Honda has laid off workers at 75 per cent of their salaries.

Suzuki has also warned it will follow suit by the end of this month unless the government grants a reprieve on import quotas.

The stand-off between the assemblers and the government began last month when the ministry of trade announced it was slashing the number of part sets that motorbike assemblers could import, from 2.5 million to 1.5 million.—VNS/Asian News Network