Dear all my coworkers at CMC,

Surely now you are trying hard to organize business activities for the end of financial year 2019. I know that many of you, as well as many subsidiaries of the corporation are working around the clock to complete the 2019 plan. Not only that, we also have to develop a business plan for 2020 with goals and challenges to fulfill the ambition of becoming a billion-dollar global company in 2023. However, we are now facing a force majeure, an unexpected difficulty: the outbreak of COVID-19 - a pandemic that hasn't been seen by humanity in over hundreds of years, whose end remains unknown. It affects everyone in the world, including us. 

To begin with, I would like to send my greetings to the staff of CMC and your family, as well as partners of CMC around the world. I wish you peace, safety and health. Through the reports of leaders of our subsidiaries, I know that up to now, 100% of officers and employees of CMC around the world, including those in South Korea, Japan and Singapore are still safe. That's the luckiest thing, and the most important at the moment. I hope that you and your family stay healthy, so we can win the COVID-19 war together.

Unfortunately, I must inform you that the world economy is in recession, according to the predictions of world's leading research institutions. The pandemic can even lead to serious economic recession on global scale which can last from 6 months to years. SARS-CoV-2 virus has been and will continue to take away thousands of lives, lead many companies to bankruptcy and employees to job loss, and cause serious economic downturn in the world. Vietnam will also suffer from this. The outbreak certainly will affect our company.

But right now, I want the 3,000 of us to unite and be as one. With creative initiatives, intelligence and talent, with the determination to stand side by side with the company, I believe that CMC will weather this storm. We will win the battle against COVID-19!

To all the staff of CMC: first of all, we must stay calm, be cautious but don't be frightened. With the spirit of being creative, let's turn this risk into an opportunity by looking for new chances and new ways to improve and innovate, thus creating useful products and services to help the country and our customers to defeat the pandemic, save costs and improve labor productivity in order to overcome the difficulties together.

In that spirit, I would like to suggest the Corporation to launch an emulation movement for all of us to strive and overcome this hardship. More than ever, right now, if we want to win this war, we need to stand by each other. Let's hold on tight to each other and move forward, hand in hand, to beat the waves and reach further. 

I know that companies under CMC Corporation are developing their 2020 plans with three scenarios: Developing; Cautious; Very Bad according to the forecasts of the economy in the world and in Vietnam. I also know that you all have the spirit of fighters who are brave and will never back down in all three scenarios. I am so proud to have you - my fearless warriors. You have given me confidence in our victory. 

It is at this moment, with the spirit of warriors and the "Can do" mindset, promoting the four core values: Commitment, Creativity, Speed and Customer Orientation will help us to win and succeed. 

The last thing I want to say to all of you and your family is: be careful. Your life and well-being are the most precious, so stay healthy to take care of and protect your family. That's the top priority. All tasks need to be activated in a safe working mode; telecommuting or working from home if it's not necessary to go to the company; limiting the frequency of meetings or direct contact to the maximum; planning scenarios so that the work is uninterrupted despite the circumstances. I heard that our subsidiaries have had many initiatives as well as technology capabilities to solve this problem. We are cooperating with Microsoft to deploy solutions and technologies to help our community and customers to be ready to respond to COVID-19.

Once again, I wish our entire CMC family safety and peace to overcome the epidemic together.

Wish our country and people around the world all the best in the battle against COVID-19! 

Chairman of Board of Directors/CEO of CMC

Nguyen Trung Chinh