20 day health challenge

Hanoi needs to set example in all fields: top leader

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong has urged Hanoi to make greater efforts in Party building, personnel development and law building, in order to deserve its position as the national centre of politics and culture.

Hanoi must set an example in all fields, the top leader said during a meeting between the Politburo and the city’s Party Committee’s Standing Board on September 19.

Regarding the upcoming 17th Party Congress of Hanoi (2020-2025 term), the Politburo lauded the Hanoi Party Committee’s thorough, serious and scientific preparations in terms of both documents and personnel.

It was reported that during the previous term, Hanoi has completed all of the 16 criteria set at the 16th Party Congress of the city, with its economic growth higher than the national average and showing improved growth quality.

Nhan Dan Newspaper attends L’Humanité Festival 2020

Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper’s booth at the 85th L’Humanité Newspaper Festival.

Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper opened a booth at the 85th L’Humanité Newspaper Festival which opened at La Courneuve Park and several outskirt regions of Paris, France, on September 11-13.

This year, the communist event took place with many of its activities held online due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the three-day festival, more than 40 seminars were organised regarding socio-economic-health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the development trend of the media in France and situations in several regions in the world.

At the event, a documentary film entitled “President Ho Chi Minh at the Tours Congress 1920” produced by Nhan Dan Television was introduced on the website of L’Humanité Newspaper along with other online activities.

Vietnam’s economy remains resilient despite COVID-19 challenges: ADB

Vietnam’s economy is expected to grow by 1.8% in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic and bounce back to 6.3% in 2021, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released on September 15.

The Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 Update says Vietnam’s economy will benefit from the continued diversion of production from China to Vietnam, a recovery in the Chinese economy, and the implementation of the free trade agreement with the European Union. Slower-than-normal growth would keep inflation subdued at 3.3% in 2020 and 3.5% in 2021.

Vietnam’s economic outlook over the medium and long term remains positive. Vietnam’s participation in a large number of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements will help the country’s economy to rebound. Vietnam will also likely benefit from a current shifting of supply chains to low-cost countries.

Vietnamese agricultural products exported to EU under EVFTA

Delegates cut the ribbon to launch the export of the first tonnes of Vietnam-grown passion fruit to the EU under the EVFTA on September 16.

A series of ceremonies to announce the export of Vietnamese agricultural products to the European market under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) were held over the past week.

On September 16, a ceremony to launch Vietnam’s first batch of coffee and passion fruit to the EU under the EVFTA was held in Gia Lai Province. Following this, a ceremony was held in Ben Tre on September 17 to announce the export of fruit to the market.

Earlier, a ceremony was held on September 11 in Ninh Thuan Province to announce the export of the first batch of Vietnamese frozen shrimp to the EU.

Penetrating the European market is expected to open new opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products in other demanding markets.

Vietnam to resume several commercial flights with high level of safety

The Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have decided to resume some commercial flights between Vietnam and six countries and territories – Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), China, Taiwan (China), Laos, and Cambodia.

Passengers eligible to enter Vietnam include Vietnamese citizens, foreigners holding diplomatic and official passports, experts, investors, corporate executives, skilled workers and their relatives, foreign students, and relatives of Vietnamese citizens from abroad.

To fulfil the task with a high level of safety, Vietnamese ministries and agencies have held working sessions with authorities abroad, as directed by the Prime Minister.

People who enter Vietnam that are subject to concentrated quarantine will have to pay for their own quarantine fees following the approval of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Accordingly, the arrivals will pay a cost of VND120,000 (US$5.2) per day, including VND80,000 for food and VND40,000 for daily necessities at concentrated quarantine facilities.

Exhibition highlighting Vietnamese land and people opens in Rumania

At the exhibition (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese Embassy in Romania opened a photo exhibition on the Vietnamese land and people in the capital city Bucharest on September 18.

The more than 60 photos on display feature the history of Vietnam’s development, socio-economic achievements and integration as well as the Vietnamese people, their cultural heritages, landscapes, typical festivals and cuisine.

The exhibition is a meaningful event in 2020 as Vietnam and Romania are celebrating their 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties (1950-2020) whilst Vietnam is holding the ASEAN 2020 Chairmanship as well as being a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.

The exhibition will continue to be held in other locations in Bucharest and other localities in Romania by year-end, with the aim of promoting diplomatic relations, solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries.

Vietnamese train ride listed among world’s top 10 train journeys

The Reunification Express runs the length of the country right down to Ho Chi Minh City in the south (Photo: cntraveller.com)

The train line linking Hanoi and Da Nang, operated by Vietnam’s Reunification Express, has recently been listed among the 10 best train journeys in the world by Conde Nast Traveller – a prestigious travel magazine.

The list was made by British journalist and travel writer Monisha Rajesh based on her book ‘Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure’.

According to the author, starting in Hanoi, the line offers voyeuristic views into the backs of houses as families unwind for the night, before emerging into glorious sunshine the following morning.

Climbing for miles through the jungle, banana leaves flapping against the windows, the train comes within inches of villagers’ walls and gardens, so close that passengers can make eye contact and wave.

FIFA Ranking: Vietnam remain no. 1 in Southeast Asia

Vietnam remains the highest-ranked Southeast Asian team in the latest FIFA world rankings.

FIFA announced the latest world rankings on September 17, with Vietnam remaining the highest-ranked team in Southeast Asia and staying 20 places clear of Thailand.

The latest FIFA rankings saw many changes as a series of international matches at the national team level took place in Europe early this month within the framework of the Nations League.

Given that fact, Asian teams also witnessed a slight change in their world ratings despite having played no games. Accordingly, Thailand dropped one place to 114th in the world, while Park Hang-seo’s Vietnamese side retain their 94th position with 1,258 points.

In Asia, Vietnam stand at no. 14, six above Thailand. Japan continues to lead the continent as world no. 28 (1,500 points), followed by world no. 30 Iran (1,489), world no. 39 Korea Republic (1,464) and world no. 41 Australia (1,457).

* The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for strengthening multilateralism and making it more inclusive as global challenges are “getting bigger and more complex” whereas the responses worldwide remain “fragmented and insufficient.”

* Leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations have pledged full support for Japan to host a “safe and secure” Olympic Games this summer. The postponed 2020 Olympic Games has been rescheduled for July 23-August 8, 2021.

* Severe flooding across several areas in the Indonesian capital forced more than a thousand people to flee their homes on Saturday, with the country’s meteorology agency warning the conditions were set to continue for the next week.

* Russian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Friday held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa on the peace process in Afghanistan. Kabulov arrived in Islamabad on Friday on a day-long visit for talks on Pakistan’s role in the peace process.

* The European Union has contributed a further EUR500 million (US$606.3 million) to the WHO-led COVAX programme for supplying vaccines to developing nations, the European Commission said.

* US President Joe Biden said on Friday in a video message to attendees at the Munich Security Conference, which was held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, that the United States is returning to the transatlantic partnership and will address global challenges like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

* The Chinese mainland reported no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Friday, the National Health Commission said Saturday. The commission said it received reports of eight new imported COVID-19 cases on Friday. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 89,824 by Friday, including 454 patients still receiving treatment, five of whom were in severe conditions.

* Brazil registered 51,050 new COVID-19 infections and 1,308 deaths from the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the national counts to 10,081,676 and 244,765 respectively, the Health Ministry said Friday. Brazil, which has the world’s second-largest COVID-19 death toll after the United States, has seen a daily average of more than 1,000 deaths in the past month.

* The Philippines’ health ministry on Saturday reported 239 new coronavirus deaths, the second-highest daily increase in casualties since the pandemic started, and 2,240 infections. The previous daily high death toll was 259 deaths reported on Sept. 14.

* Germany wants to set up a special task force to help boost investment in vaccine production and build up reserve capacity for the next pandemic, Health Minister Jens Spahn said.

* Pfizer and BioNTech submitted new temperature data to the US health regulator which could allow their vaccine to be stored in pharmacy freezers rather than in ultra-cold storage facilities.

* The Biden administration will pledge US$4 billion to the COVAX vaccination program for poorer countries in hopes of prying loose bigger donations from other governments, US officials said.

* Indian drugmaker Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories said it has begun the process of filing for emergency use authorization of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in India.

* The Czech Republic dropped plans to open all retail shops from next week due to a surge in cases.

* Spain has given a full two-shot course of vaccines to almost all its elderly nursing-home residents, the FED care-home association said.

* Johnson & Johnson has submitted data to the World Health Organization for emergency use listing of its vaccine, which would allow for wider access to the one-dose shot.

* Brazil intends to buy 30 million doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine to be produced locally and delivered between October and December.

* The African Union’s vaccine task team said Russia had offered it 300 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine along with a financing package for countries wanting to secure the shots.

* Pfizer’s vaccine greatly reduces virus transmission, two Israeli studies have found, shedding light on one of the biggest questions of the global effort to quash the pandemic.

* The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 9,164 to 2,378,883, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 490 to 67,696, the tally showed.

* The vaccination campaign against COVID-19 infection in Argentina, which began in January with health workers, has now moved on to senior citizens.

* Iran believes US sanctions will soon be lifted despite continuing “diplomatic wrangling” over reviving the nuclear deal, a government spokesman said on Saturday, signalling Tehran’s desire to end the impasse while not offering a new position.

* Poland’s Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has not ruled out imposing restrictions at the country’s borders with Slovakia and the Czech Republic due to their rising number of COVID-19 cases.

* Saudi Arabia will invest more than US$20 billion in its domestic military industry over the next decade as part of aggressive plans to boost local military spending, the head of the kingdom’s military industry regulator said on Saturday.

* Ghana is expecting a first delivery of just over 350,000 AstraZeneca vaccine shots by the end of next week.

A medical worker checks the body temperature of a person at the gate of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi

As a result, the number of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam had reached 194 as of 6am of March 30.

Case 189 is a 46-year-old woman who stayed at the same house with two other Truong Sinh employees who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

The five other infected women were born in 1971, 1984, 1997, 1999 and 1978. However, detailed information on those cases is not yet available. The Ministry of Health said it will announce the details later.

Meanwhile, the ministry also corrected information about the 184th and 185th patients, who were confirmed on late March 29.

Accordingly, Case 184 is a 42-year-old woman who works for the Truong Sinh company. She stayed at the same house with two other colleagues previously found positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Case 185 is a 38-year-old man living in Hoai Duc district of Hanoi. He cared for his brother-in-law under treatment at the neurology department of Bach Mai Hospital on March 15-16 and March 18-19.

Case 180 is a 27-year-old female student returning from France. She transited Thailand before arriving at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Flight TG564 on March 20.

Case 181, a 33-year-old man, boarded the same flight to return to Vietnam from Thailand.

The next patient is a 19-year-old female student who headed home from Switzerland. She arrived at Noi Bai airport on Flight VN618 on March 20 after transiting Thailand.

The three are receiving treatment at the General Hospital of Ninh Binh province and in stable health condition.

Case 183 is a 43-year-old woman living in Trung Hoa ward of Hanoi’s Cau Giay district. She is a reporter and had an interview with Case 148 on March 12.

The 184th patient is also a 43-year-old woman who returned from Russia to Vietnam on Flight SU290 and landed at Noi Bai airport on March 25.

Case 185, a 38-year-old man in Hoai Duc district of Hanoi, received treatment at the neurology department of Bach Mai Hospital for eight days. He was discharged from hospital on March 19 but showed cough on March 24, then his specimens were taken for coronavirus testing.

Case 186 is a 52-year-old French woman who is the wife of Case 76. She reached Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 10 on Flight TK162. She travelled to HCM City, Can Tho, Hoi An and Hue from March 10 to 16.

Case 187, a 30-year-old US citizen, arrived at Noi Bai airport on Flight VN0054 on March 13. He made self-quarantine from March 13 to 19 but still had close contact with nine people, including four Vietnamese and five foreigners, living in the same building in Tay Ho district of Hanoi.

The last is a 44-year-old woman living in Hanoi’s My Duc district. She is an employee of the Truong Sinh Company, which provides services for Bach Mai Hospital. She also had close contact with Case 169.

The six abovementioned cases are undergoing treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No. 2 in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district. They are also in stable health condition.

On March 29 afternoon, four patients treated at the COVID-19 hospital in Cu Chi district of HCM City were discharged from hospital. All of them are Vietnamese women who returned from other countries and were kept in quarantine since their arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport.

They have tested negative for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for three to four times and no longer show any symptoms of the disease.

Doctor Tran Nguyen Hoang Tu said after leaving the hospital, they will continue to be quarantined at home for 14 days, adding that three other patients are expected to leave the hospital on March 30.

65 patients negative for SARS-CoV-2

As of March 29 afternoon, 65 out of 188 COVID-19 patients in Vietnam tested negative for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 after treatment, of whom 53 had negative results for two to four times.

According to the sub-department of treating COVID-19 patients under the Ministry of Health, three critically ill cases being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases No. 2 in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district are getting better.

One of them had mechanical ventilation removed on March 28 night. Meanwhile, the British patient is considered to be gradually reduce the use of mechanical ventilation, and the remainder is likely to get out of the Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine soon.

Regarding the COVID-19 prevention and control work, the ministry has warned all patients, their family members and those who came to Bach Mai Hospital from March 12 to 27 to contact health workers for consultations.

The Hanoi-based hospital is considered the biggest and most complex hotbed of COVID-19 in Vietnam at present, after at least 15 confirmed cases are linked with it.

Residents are advised to limit outings, wear face masks when going out and keep social distance, wash hands and clean houses regularly, and complete health declaration forms.

By March 30 morning, Vietnam recorded a total of 194 COVID-19 cases, with 25 fully recovering and discharged from hospital./.

Hanoi, HCM City issue rules for citizens to fight COVID-19

Two of the country’s biggest cities, Hanoi and HCM City, on March 27 issued a number of recommendations on social distancing for its citizens to follow amid growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, effective March 28 until at least April 15.

All meetings or congregations with attendance of over 20 people in a room will be halted, and no gatherings of more than 10 people outside the workplace or schools will be allowed. For those meetings with fewer participants than these limits, measures such as sterilisation, face masks and temperature checks must be implemented.

Face masks will be mandatory and maintaining a distance of two metres between people is recommended in all public places.

Frequent hand washing is also recommended.

The two cities’ authorities have also urged for a “complete halt” to all religious gatherings, cultural or sports and other entertainment activities in public places.

Citizens are told to stay inside and refrain from going outside unless truly necessary.

Hanoi will stop all bus operations until April 15. Taxies will be ordered to lower the windowpanes, while both drivers and passengers must wear face masks at all times, and the vehicles must be sterilised after each trip.

Hanoi will order the closing of all businesses, except for these cases: supermarkets (but not ones that provide entertainment or ones that provide on-site meals), malls, traditional markets (only food, vegetable and fruit stalls), convenience stores, grocery stores, flower and fruit shops, agricultural produce chain stores, pharmacies; health care services centres; banking services, and gas and petrol stations.

Citizens are also urged to conduct their shopping online with delivery at home services.

The same will also apply in HCM City.

Schools and vocational training centres in Hanoi are told to stop until further notice.

HCM City will issue five million pamphlets that list 12 dos and don’ts to all households to “mobilise the whole city” to join in efforts in containing the outbreak within the next two weeks, considered to be the critical golden window that determines the scope of the outbreak in Vietnam.

The southern city even told its citizens to not have contact or do business with those not wearing face masks.

Starting March 28, HCM City will issue fines for anyone who fails to wear masks in public or maintain the two-metre distancing.

High-rise buildings and apartment buildings that are using air conditioners are told to switch to fan and ventilator systems and open the windows as much as possible. If air-conditioning is necessary, the temperature should be set at a minimum of 27 degrees Celsius.

Companies and businesses with offices in high-rise buildings are advised to organise remote working for its workers.

Most of COVID-19 patients in stable condition

Health workers at a medical facility in Vietnam

Most of the 158 COVID-19 cases being treated in 20 health facilities nationwide are in stable condition, according to the sub-department of treating COVID-19 patients under the Ministry of Health.

Three critically ill cases are getting better thanks to the caring efforts of doctors and nurses at the National Hospital Of Tropical Diseases No. 2.

Another good news is that 33 patients have tested negative for the coronavirus for the first time, while 27 other had negative results twice.

Seven patients are expected to be discharged from hospital on March 29-30, then transferred to other facilities for further health monitoring.

As of March 29 morning, Vietnam reported 179 cases positive for SARS-CoV-2, of which 21 have recovered and left hospital.

Regarding the COVID-19 prevention work, the Ministry of Health has asked health departments across the country to seriously implement the directions of the Prime Minister and National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in the spirit of “fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemy.”

The ministry advised residents to limit outings, wear face masks when going out and keep social distance, wash hands and clean houses regularly, and complete health declaration forms.

On March 29, the ministry warned all patients, their family members and those who came to Bach Mai Hospital from March 12 to 27 to contact health workers for consultations. The Hanoi-based hospital is considered the biggest and most complex hotbed of COVID-19 in Vietnam at present, after more than 10 cases linked with it have been recorded./.

Embassy supports Vietnamese stranded in Singapore due to COVID-19

The Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore has liaised with relevant agencies of the host country to ask for help in visa extension and residence procedures for Vietnamese citizens who have been stranded in the country and wish to return home.

The embassy noted that as of the end of March 27, about 130 Vietnamese citizens, including mostly short-term labourers, aside from students and some coming to Singapore for medical treatment, had contacted the embassy to express their aspirations to return to the home country.

The embassy said it has been reporting the citizens’ aspirations to Vietnamese authorities and updating information about airlines’ flight cancellation, adding that it will notify the citizens of solutions as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Singaporean side has affirmed that its Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will assist the consideration of extending short-term visas for the Vietnamese nationals.

The embassy also called on the citizens to sympathise with domestic efforts in the fight against COVID-19, noting concentrated quarantine facilities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have become overloaded.

It also asked the Vietnamese in Singapore to stay calm, refrain from travelling, stay away from crowded places, practice personal hygiene, and comply with the host country’s regulations on epidemic prevention and control.

In efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, since March 23, the Singaporean Government has banned short-term visitors from entering or transiting this nation and cancelled a number of flights to countries that had issued similar entry bans.

The embassy has also informed Vietnamese people about Singapore’s tightening of such disease control measures so that they can make preparations./.

COVID-19: Samsung experts finish 14-day quarantine in Bac Ninh with no positive cases

The Health Department of northern Bac Ninh province announced on March 28 that 172 experts of Samsung Display, who flew into Vietnam from the Republic of Korea on March 13, have completed their 14-day quarantine period and all have tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 for the second time.

Four medical workers and six policemen involved in the experts’ quarantine process and 53 staff members at the hotel where they were quarantined also tested negative for the coronavirus.

After the experts on March 27 moved out to other accommodations, the hotel was disinfected before welcoming other experts of the Samsung Display.

As schedule, 179 more experts of Samsung will travel to Vietnam to work on March 28. After receiving them at Quang Ninh province’s Van Don airport, Vietnam’s relevant agencies will update their personal information and travel history during the 14 days before their arrival, and check the SARS-CoV-2 test document given by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. The experts will then be taken to the hotel in Bac Ninh’s Yen Phong district for concentrated quarantine.

As of March 28 morning, Vietnam recorded 169 confirmed infections and no fatality.

Health condition of 42 COVID-19 patients in HCM City sees improvement

The health condition of 42 COVID-19 patients under treatment in Ho Chi Minh City has showed positive progress, Director of the municipal Health Department Nguyen Tan Binh told a press conference on March 28.

He said among them, seven have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 twice and could be discharged from hospitals in coming days, and two were negative once, adding that no patient is on ventilator.

Binh also refuted online rumor about one death from the disease.

The official said on March 28 morning, a new infection case was found in the city, raising the total number of patients to 42. The patients are being treated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the Cu Chi Hospital for acute respiratory disease, and the Can Gio Hospital.

According to Binh, investigations showed about 100,000 people from abroad have entered the city since March 8. On March 27, 1,000 of them were tested with one positive case.

Nearly 9,700 people in the city are currently under quarantine in designated facilities or at homes and accommodations.

The city is preparing more facilities to accommodate about 5,000.

The health department also plans to recommend scenarios to the municipal People’s Committee to respond to situations when there are 50-100, or even 500 infection cases, he said.

Vietnam to deal with COVID-19 pandemic effectively: Russian expert

A Russian expert has expressed his belief that Vietnam will deal with the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, thereby helping fulfill its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman of the Expert Council of the Foundation for Support of Scientific Research “Workshop of Eurasian Ideas”, said the COVID-19 prevention and control efforts by Vietnam recently have proved relatively fruitful, noting that the country can share its experience with other nations.

He described Vietnam as a surprising example when many patients have been cured, and it has publicised adequate statistics about the cases that have been infected, recovered or need medical monitoring.

He applauded the country’s viewpoint in this regard, its readiness to share experience in health care in general and the fight against COVID-19 in particular, with the world, and its participation in security ensuring and epidemic prevention and control, through which Vietnam is performing its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council well.

Trofimchuk, who has spent many years on studying Vietnam, said he believes the country will once again overcome the COVID-19 pandemic since its people have weathered a number of challenges over the past decades.

Talking about the post-pandemic recovery prospect in Asia, the expert also voiced his belief that with enough economic, financial and material resources, Asia will remain a growth engine of the world.

He also recommended Asian countries build strategic orientations for economic development in the future while working to combat COVID-19./.

Vietnamese in Algeria urged to strictly follow anti-pandemic regulations

The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria has asked all Vietnamese citizens to strictly abide by regulations on COVID-19 prevention in the host country since the situation is developing complicatedly.

By March 28 afternoon, Algeria recorded 45 more infection cases and three deaths, raising the nationwide tallies to 454 and 29, respectively.

The embassy requested Vietnamese citizens to refrain from going out but stay at home as much as possible, avoid gatherings of more than two people, and especially obey the curfew issued on March 23 in Algiers capital from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am until there is further notice.

Vietnamese expatriates were advised to proactively take preventive measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands regularly and avoiding close contact to protect themselves and their family members, and update their health status to the embassy for timely support.

The embassy also informed the overseas Vietnamese community and foreigners in Algeria about the Government’s new decision on entry into Vietnam, including the suspension of entry to all foreigners, excluding those entering for diplomatic and official purposes or for participation in major diplomatic events, experts, business managers or highly skilled workers.

However, those allowed to enter Vietnam will be subject to medical checks and mandatory 14-day quarantine.

From 12:00 on March 23, Vietnam has suspended the validity of all visa exemption certificates issued for Vietnamese residing overseas and their spouses and children.

The embassy also suggested Vietnamese citizens not return home at this time since many countries have imposed strict travel restrictions and many transit flights have been cancelled, leaving passengers stranded at airports. There is also a high risk of infection on planes, the embassy explained.

In case of necessity, Vietnamese citizens could contact the embassy via hotlines 213.23485470 and 213.557863076/ 213.553222812.

Prime Minister praises public security, miliary forces in COVID-19 fight

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc especially praises those who are on the frontlines of the battle, adding that the images of military officers and soldiers sleeping outdoors at night and having quick meals to fight COVID-19 have proved the beautiful tradition of the heroic People’s Army of Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised the military and public security forces for their great efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

In his letters sent to the forces on March 28, the Prime Minister wrote that the pandemic is developing complicatedly and unpredictedly in the country and the world, affecting seriously the national socio-economic development and public health.

With the spirit of “fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemy”, the Party, Government and National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have worked out a number of measures to mobilise the whole political system, agencies at all levels, sectors and people to drastically fight against the pandemic.

Realising the Government’s directions, the Ministry of National Defence has been increasing check-points at a number of trails; establishing emergency hospitals and concentrated quarantine areas; spraying disinfectant; receiving, caring and implementing medical quarantine for people entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit countries and territories, he said.

The PM especially praised those who are on the frontlines of the battle, adding that the images of military officers and soldiers sleeping outdoors at night and having quick meals to fight COVID-19 have proved the beautiful tradition of the heroic People’s Army of Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security has taken a raft of preventive measures such as tightening the control of entry-exit and management of foreigners to limit the coronavirus infections in the country; ensuring order and safety at concentrated quarantine areas; strictly handling those spreading false information about COVID-19; and actively preventing pandemic-related frauds.

The two forces have actively coordinated with medical workers to promptly detect infection cases and suspected ones to prevent the spread of the virus in the army and community, Phuc said.

As Vietnam is in critical time to prevent community transmissions, the PM called on the forces to continue heightening vigilance and determination to soon repel the pandemic in the country.

Vietnam Embassy in US supports citizens

The Vietnamese Embassy in the US is taking measures to support Vietnamese citizens amid concern about complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic in the US and new regulations of many countries, including Vietnam, regarding entry-exit and aviation transport.

The embassy has coordinated with the general consulates in Houston and San Francisco to help nearly 40 students who were stuck at Dallas airport (Texas) after their flights were cancelled.

The embassy has posted on its website guidance on COVID-19 with regularly updated information on the disease and new pandemic-related policies and rules of Vietnam and the host country, along with warning against possible risks.

The embassy has coordinated with associations of Vietnamese youth and students in the US to help Vietnamese students seek new accommodations when their schools close down, and raise support for the students.

At the same time, the embassy on March 25 published an electronic form for those who want to return to Vietnam to collect information on the need to report to the home country for consideration.

Regarding to reports that a number of crew members on the US’s aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for SARS-CoV- 2 after the vessel visited Vietnam, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc said when the carrier docked at Da Nang port and during the visit, both the Vietnamese and US sides had worked together to implement disease preventive measures. The visit was a success, contributing to deepening the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership and maintaining peace, stability and stability in the region.

The ambassador made clear that during and after the Vietnam visit, the US carrier received many flights of US military, therefore the process of investigation is still underway with no conclusion yet on the cause and source of infection of the COVID-19 cases on the carrier.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told the press that he thinks it would be difficult to tie down these active cases to the Da Nang port visit. “We’ve had aircraft flying to and from the ship, and so we just don’t want to say it was that particular port visit. We took great precautions when that crew came back from that shore period to do enhanced medical screening of the crew,” Gilday told reporters last week./.

COVID-19 patient No.33 discharged from hospital in Thua Thien-Hue

Official of Hue Central Hospital presents test result to patient No.33

Vietnam’s COVID-19 patient No 33, a UK man, was discharged from Hue Central Hospital, the second branch in Phong Dien district, the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, on March 28 after full recovery.

The 58-year-old patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the central province of Quang Nam on March 10. He previously boarded the same flight from the UK to Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi as patient No 17.

This is the first fully recovered COVID-19 case in the hospital.

After being discharged from hospital, he will continue to be put under medical monitoring in line with regulations.

The hospital is still treating three other COVID-19 cases – the 30th, 31st and 49th patients, all are UK citizens.

The 49th patient, husband of the 30th, has tested negative once after being treated since March 7.

As of 5pm on March 27, up to 2,044 Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad were put under concentrated quarantine in the province.

The locality is preparing facilities to be able to receive additional 8,000 – 10,000 people.

As of 06:30 am on March 28, Vietnam recorded 169 infection cases. Until February 26, only 16 cases were reported and all the patients recovered and discharged from hospital. Since the detection of the 17th case on March 6 to present, five more patients have fully recovered./.

Newly issued stamps call for unity in fight against COVID-19

The Vietnam Stamps Company is set to release a new collection of stamps on March 31 based around the theme of joining together in the battle to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

The collection has been created by painter Pham Trung Ha in response to calls issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications for citizens to take action in order to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19.

The stamps have been created with the aim of sending clear messages of solidarity among all forces, including medical workers and those in the military, in addition to local people, that the COVID-19 epidemic can be pushed back.

Other stamps in the collection feature scientists, physicians, and doctors as they put their best efforts into researching vaccines, preventive medicines, and medical treatment needed to fight the dangerous virus.

The collection comes in two new models, at a cost of VND4,000 and VND15,000.

The stamps will be used in post offices nationwide between March 31 and December 31, 2021.

Vietnam confident of success

Vietnam is fighting some new enemies, who are invisible, elusive, and dangerous. The new virus SARS-CoV-2 and its allies, fear and uncertainty, are making people anxious and mistrustful. But whoever the enemies may be, the Vietnamese people are confident they will ultimately defeat them.

Hanoi is in a fierce fight right now against COVID-19, but it’s confident of winning the battle because the capital city has never been permanently defeated by any enemy.

Strange, difficult days

A world that had been rapidly changing with globalization and the 4th Industrial Revolution has suddenly slowed. Humankind, seemingly capable of conquering anything, now seems small and weak against a microscopic virus.

Vietnam has been able to contain the epidemic better than many richer countries have. Vietnam stands now as a beacon of hope: hope for overseas Vietnamese returning to the safety of home, hope for foreigners who have adopted Vietnam as their second homeland, and hope for humankind that there exists a stronghold against their common enemy.

The people of Vietnam, after an initial instinctive anxiety, have shown the same resilience they have shown for thousands of years. They have responded bravely to the call of their leaders to look after each other’s health and protect each other’s lives and not allow anyone to be left behind. Sneering cynicism has fallen mute before Vietnamese people’s humaneness and kindness.

Patriotism is stirred by seeing their leaders’ tired faces after sleepless nights spent directing the fight against the virus and persuading the public to make people’s lives and health their top priority.

From this fierce fight, stories of good deeds keep emerging: 95-year-old heroic mother Ngo Thi Quyt making facemasks to contribute her small part to the national effort, children donating their lucky money to the fight against COVID-19.

Moving stories shared on social networks recall stories of the last wartime, when students volunteered for combat and aging war veterans said they were ready to return to the front.

This fight is difficult but it carries the benefit of giving humankind a pause to think about their behavior toward nature and toward one another. It is testing every country’s resilience, social cohesion, and the adequacy of its political regime.

It is motivating every person to examine his or her lifestyle. In Vietnam it is recalling a tradition of solidarity in the face of an enemy and a tradition of helping one another in difficult times.

Love and faith

The pandemic is an alert for humankind and a challenge. The Vietnamese people need to remain unified and resilient, because every challenge is always followed by another, and the path to victory is always through danger and difficulty.

Now is the time for every Vietnamese person, family, organization, and business to prepare for the challenges that are coming.

The fight will be long and difficult. National and individual resources are limited. But Vietnamese can feel confident that Vietnam, led by a political regime which always puts the people first, will ultimately win this new war.

The Japan Trade Promotion Organisation (JETRO) will host an online scheme on March 3 in Hanoi aimed at connecting Japanese businesses in the field of manufacturing and production, known as Monozukuri in Japanese term to facilitate co-operation amid the negative impacts caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a representative from the JETRO, the business matching programme will see the participation of 40 Japanese companies for the purpose of accelerating the development of the country’s supporting industry.

At present, the scheme has received registration for 50 negotiations from enterprises from Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan (China), whilst it is still receiving registration from businesses wishing to purchase and seek Japanese suppliers in the Monozukuri field until March 1.

A recent survey conducted by the JETRO unveiled that Japanese businesses remain keen on the Vietnamese market as the country is viewed as an alternative investment destinations for Japanese enterprises looking to move away from China due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey indicates that approximately half of Japanese enterprises in the nation plan to expand their production activities, while roughly 70% of them seek opportunities to increase revenue in the local market.

Most notably, 46.8% of Japanese enterprises unveiled that they have initiated plans to expand their business in the nation over the course of the next two years, with the expansion rate ranking fourth, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Japanese enterprises have therefore attributed their expansion to an increase in revenue in the domestic market and high growth potential.

Furthermore, Japanese firms are also considering re-establishing some supply chains which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Vietnam able to capture the attention of suppliers and buyers of materials globally.

VN-Index finishes lower as selling pressure weighs

Viet Nam’s stock market ended mixed on Thursday as the VN-Index continued its downward trend in the afternoon session while the HNX-Index reversed its morning course.

The market benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) finished at 1,168.52 points, down 1.55 per cent. The index posted a loss of 26.52 points, equivalent to 2.23 per cent, in the morning session.

Today’s result ended the index’s current movements that fell in the morning but still finished higher at the end of the session.

The market breadth stayed negative till the end of the session with 362 stocks falling, while 95 stocks climbed. And the market’s liquidity was high as VND16.8 billion was poured into the southern bourse, equivalent to a trading volume of over 673.4 million shares.

Rising selling pressure and trading issues made many big stocks across all sectors fall sharply today, with the VN30-Index, which tracks the performance of the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, down 1.78 per cent to 1,174.29 points.

Besides Vingroup JSC (VIC) ending flat, the rest of the VN30 basket posted poor performance. In the morning session, VIC was the only stock in the basket to witness a gain.

Top five stocks dominating the market’s trend were in real estate, banking and materials sectors, including Vinhome JSC (VHM), down 1.48 per cent, Techcombank (TCB), down 3.22 per cent, JSC Bank For Investment And Development of Viet Nam (BID), down 2.4 per cent, Vietcombank (VCB), down 1.12 per cent and Vietnam Rubber Group – JSC (GVR), down 2.87 per cent.

Meanwhile, gains in stocks from materials, gas and oil, and fertiliser sectors helped limit the losses. Pomina Steel Corporation (POM) climbed 6.02 per cent, PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PVD) rose 2.76 per cent, Duc Giang Chemicals Group JSC (DGC) rose 2.61 per cent, and Petro Viet Nam Ca Mau Fertiliser JSC (DCM) rose 2.51 per cent.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index reversed the morning’s course, up 0.66 per cent to 255.77 points. Finishing the morning session, the HNX-Index dropped 0.48 per cent. The HNX30-Index also climbed 0.22 per cent to 376.42 points.

Nearly 176.1 million shares were traded on the northern market during the session, worth over VND2.79 trillion.

Foreign investors continue to net sell on HoSE and HNX. While the investors withdrew VND229.65 billion out of the southern market, they net sold a net value of VND13.51 billion on HNX.

Work on 15-million-USD textile factory underway in Tay Ninh

The Happytex Joint Stock Company began construction on March 4 of a 15-million-USD textile factory at the Trang Bang Industrial Park in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

Covering an area of 25,000 sq m, the factory is designed to produce 20 million sq m of woven fabric, or 2,000 tonnes, each year for export. Construction is scheduled for completion in six months.

Ha Van Cung, head of the Management Board of Economic Zones of Tay Ninh, said that since the beginning of this year local industrial parks and economic zones have attracted four projects, including three foreign-invested projects worth 373.12 million USD.

As of February, the province had attracted 364 investment projects, including 265 FDI and 99 domestically-invested projects with combined capital of over 8.3 billion USD, creating jobs for nearly 34,000 workers, according to Cung./.

Bamboo Airways resumes flights to Van Don Airport

Bamboo Airways has resumed flights linking HCM City with Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, according to a representative from the hybrid carrier.

The route will see four round trips a week, which may increase depending on demand.

It earlier suspended flights to and from Van Don following the airport’s temporary closure to apply COVID-19 preventive measures.

A member of the airport’s security staff tested positive for the coronavirus in January.

Bamboo Airways will further expand its flight network, with new ones connecting the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho with Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh province.

The additions bring the number of routes to Can Tho to six.

It also plans to increase flight numbers to meet demand.

The carrier is offering various promotions to mark the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8, with discounts for groups of at least two passengers booking tickets to Con Dao Island before March 7.

Passengers are asked to closely follow COVID-19 preventive measures./.

HCM City: Two-month foreign investment stands at 337.8 million USD

Ho Chi Minh City recorded 337.8 million USD of foreign investment registered during the first two months of 2021, equivalent to 70.3 percent of the figure in the same period last year.

Real estate attracted most of the sum, 145.1 million USD or 43 percent of the total. It was followed by science – technology (57.5 million USD, 17 percent) and processing – manufacturing industry (41 million USD, 12.1 percent), the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.

The southern economic hub lured only three new foreign investment projects worth 115 million USD in January and February, it said, citing complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world as the reason.

Up to 99.7 percent of the new capital was channeled into real estate, with 29.6 percent from Singapore and 70.1 percent from the Netherlands.

From the year’s beginning to February 20, HCM City saw 22 existing projects have 53.3 million USD added to their registered capital.

Foreign investors also spent 169.5 million USD on capital contributions to or share purchase in local firms during the time, data showed./.

HCM City to meet yearly budget revenue targets

Ho Chi Minh City is likely to meet the year’s target for budget revenue of 365 trillion VND (15.86 billion USD) assigned by the central government, a city official said at a recent online Government meeting.

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, said in the first two months, on average the city collected 2.9 trillion VND each day, which was higher than the average daily revenue.

In January, the city collected 40 trillion VND, up 2.9 percent year-on-year, he added.

To date it has collected 74,500 billion VND, accounting for more than 20 percent of the year’s target, up 10.5 percent year-on-year.

The Tax Department aims to collect at least 25 percent of the yearly budget revenue target in the first quarter.

The city’s retail sales of goods and services increased by 4.7 percent, while industrial production went up 6 percent in the first two months.

The city’s exports reached 8 billion USD, a rise of 25 percent year-on-year (three major exports with increased revenues are fertilisers, plastic materials and auto spare parts).

More than 3,800 enterprises resumed operation in the first two months (up 3 percent year-on-year). Some 700 enterprises completed dissolution procedures in the period (down 14.5 percent year-on-year).

However, the service sector, especially tourism and accommodations, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the city’s total budget revenue, has been hit hardest.

Tourism revenues decreased by 70 percent with accommodation services dropping by 14 percent. The outbreak has caused a significant decline in international visitors to the country, according to Hoan.

For pandemic prevention, the city has contained the infection hotspot at Tan Son Nhat international airport with 36 cases recorded since the end of January. The city has gone 20 days without any locally transmitted infections, he said.

Some non-essential services have gradually reopened. Students returned to school on March 1.

The city has ordered individuals and organisations to continue to strictly implement precautions against the virus. “The city is always ready for the worst pandemic scenario,” he said.

Regarding tasks for 2021, the city will continue to complete its dual goal of economic development and protection against the pandemic, according to Hoan.

It plans to develop more solutions to support enterprises and residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its effort to revive business activities.

The city will also promote domestic tourism and strengthen linkages with other provinces.

It will continue to promote e-commerce, online businesses, non-cash payments for a digital economy, start-up creation and technological innovation, and commercialisation of research products./.

FPT Digital established

FPT Corporation recently established FPT Digital, specialising in providing digital transformation consulting services to businesses.

This is the ninth member company of FPT Corporation and was established with the aim of perfecting the digital transformation service ecosystem for corporate customers.

Its digital transformation consulting service covers three areas including comprehensive digital transformation consulting, digital human resource development consulting and information technology system development consulting.

Hoang Viet Anh, FPT’s deputy general director, will be chairman of FPT Digital and Tran Huy Bao Giang, FPT director on digital transformation, will be its general director.

FPT expects the establishment of FPT Digital to boost revenue in digital transformation consulting, create momentum for the development of technology consulting services.

Ninh Binh tourism ensuring pandemic prevention

The number of tourists visiting Ninh Binh were again down sharply at the beginning of this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure a safe tourism environment for tourists and local people, the province has thoroughly implemented measures to prevent and control any spread of the disease.

Other accommodation establishments, resorts, and tourist attractions in Ninh Binh have also raised the level of vigilance, strictly implementing pandemic prevention and control measures.

The Ninh Binh Department of Tourism has also asked tourism businesses to suspend tours to and from pandemic-hit areas, to ensure the safety of tourists and local people, and to proactively monitor and update developments of the disease so that appropriate prevention and control measures are taken.

The number of tourists to Ninh Binh last year fell about 80% compared to 2019 and difficulties persist for the tourism industry as a whole./.

Viet Nam’s automobile imports slow in January

Viet Nam spent US$213 million importing cars in January, a 34.3 per cent drop compared to the previous month, reports the General Department of Customs.

The main markets are Thailand with 4,341 units, China (1,463 units) and Indonesia (1,437 units), accounting for 87 per cent of the country’s total imported cars.

Nine-seater passenger vehicles or passenger cars of under nine seats are 5,203 units worth nearly $102 million, accounting for 62.4 per cent.

The number of vehicles with less than nine seats imported dropped by 27.4 per cent in January or a decrease of 1,965 units compared to December 2020.

For transport vehicles, the import volume stood at 2,230 units worth $60.6 million, down 48.6 per cent in volume and 40.9 per cent in value compared to December. January also saw an import volume of 907 special use vehicles valued at $50 million. Of this figure, 736 units were imported from China via the northern border gate of Lang Son of Viet Nam, accounting for 81 per cent of the total number of this type imported into the country.

For auto components and spare parts, the report said value reached $385 million, a $142 million drop compared to $527 million in December last year.

The main markets supplying auto components for Viet Nam are South Korea, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Germany,and Malaysia. In which, imports from South Korea reached $114 million; China ($73.3 million), Thailand ($59.4 million) , Japan ($58 million), India ($23.3 million) and Indonesia ( $15 million).

Auto parts and spare parts imports reached $344 million, accounting for 89 per cent of the total import value of auto parts and spare parts of the country in the past month.

Viet Nam’s localisation rate for passenger cars of under nine seats is 7–10 per cent, much lower than the target of 35–45 per cent set for the car industry 20 years ago.

Viet Nam’s automobile market currently ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in sales volume and domestic production capacity, according to ASEAN Automotive Federation (AAF).

With nearly 300,000 cars sold in 2020, Viet Nam overtook the Philippines to become the fourth largest automobile market in Southeast Asia.

The AAF complied the data provided by automobile associations from countries in the region, except for Timor Leste, Laos and Cambodia.

In 2020, the region posted a combined sales volume of new vehicles at 2,453,808, down 29 per cent year-on-year due to impacts of COVID-19.

Brunei became the only ASEAN member country to post an increase in car sales from January to November last year.

It said economic activities across the region were severely disrupted by business and social lockdowns imposed to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The automobile industry was one of the worst-affected markets in the region last year.

Motor vehicles sold in ASEAN declined 29 per cent to 2.45 million units from January till November 2020 from 3.46 million units in the previous year.

Tourism picks up in HCM City

Travel firms in HCM City have reported an increasing number of people starting to book tours again.

Pham Phu Quy, director of Kiwi Travel, said they had prepared to relaunch several tours for small groups of tourists to nearby provinces and cities like Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

“We have seen the return of small groups of friends, family members and co-workers. HCM City have controlled the outbreak well and many localities no longer ban people who are from HCM City,” he said.

TST Tourist have organised a tour to Phu Quoc for the first group of tourists since the Tet Holiday ended.

The Vietnam Tourism Trends in 2021 Report by Outbox Consulting Company showed that small group tours will be the new trends to cope with safe distancing rules in various places in the context of Covid-19. A regular group often consisted of 20-30 tourists. However, tour firms have organised tours for groups of less than 10 people and tours for people who want to drive their own cars to localities that are adjacent to HCM City.

Firms will have to be more creative with small groups. Firms can organise tours to more remote locations, bike tours or mountain climbing tours. Ensuring social distancing will be the top priority for many firms when they design new tours to attract customers. People will want to travel somewhere closer to their homes and not too crowded.

According to Outbox Consulting, firms must have detailed planning and diverse plans to meet new customer demands.

Vietnam sees rising vegetables and fruit exports to Thailand

Vietnam agricultural products exported to Thailand have increased sharply in the first months of 2021.

Statistics from the Department of Agro-Processing and Market Development show that total fruit and vegetable export revenue in January was USD260m, a decrease of 7.6% compared to the same period last year.

China continues to be the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetable with USD147m worth of products. The US is in second place with USD16.3m, Japan and South Korea followed with USD10.5m and USD9.2m, respectively.

More notably, the total export revenue to Thailand has been on the rise. Vietnam often had an import surplus of fruit and vegetables from Thailand but the situation changed in 2020 when Vietnam exported USD157m worth of vegetables and fruits to Thailand, an increase of 209.7% compared to 2019.

Vietnam imported USD78m worth of vegetables and fruits from Thailand in 2020, a huge decrease from 2019’s USD487m worth of products. In December 2020, Vietnam imported USD8.5m and exported USD8.2m worth of products from Thailand.

In January, Vietnam imported USD7.2m worth of products from Thailand and exported USD16.2m worth of products. The majority of the products exported to Thailand are dragon fruits, mango, longan and litchi.

Businesses urged to change mindset to overcome COVID-19 challenges

Amid complicated developments by the COVID-19 pandemic, local textile and apparel firms have been forced to change their business mindset, boost connectivity, expand into new markets, and maximise the benefits from free trade agreements (FTAs) to meet this year’s export target of US$39 billion, according to insiders.

Despite challenges caused by COVID-19, Vietnam raked in approximately US$2.6 billion from garment and textile exports  in January, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, with some products recording high growth rates of between 9.3% and 35.6%.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of the Board of Directors of Hung Yen Garment Corporation (Hugaco), said that domestic textile businesses are anticipated to encounter numerous difficulties moving forward due to a shortage of export orders and cash flow, thereby making it tough to maintain production activities whilst ensuring the jobs of workers.

Le Tien Truong, chairman of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said that outsourcing costs will decrease significantly due to the trend of simple goods being replaced by fashion products this year, adding that firms should be flexible in altering their business strategies in order to adapt to market fluctuations and seize upon new opportunities.

Than Duc Viet, general director of Garment Corporation 10, revealed that the cancellation of export orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made the company draw up a number of fresh strategies aimed at increasing its competitive advantages.

In line with this, the business has turned to export fabric and medical masks, protective suits, knitwear, as well as small orders that have a high value and short production period.

Viet stated that the group will focus on surveying the market, whilst selecting suitable export products, enhancing workers’ skills, and increasing labour productivity in an effort to boost exports in the near future.

Tran Nhu Tung, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC, said the company has received a sufficient amount of orders until the end of the first quarter, with the prospect of new orders ahead during the year’s second quarter.

Tung also revealed that the company has initiated plans to begin construction of another factory in Hoa Phu Industrial Park in the southern province of Vinh Long with an estimated capacity of 12 million products annually, with estimated revenue from the EU market set to see a double-digit increase.

With a complete production procedure from yarn, weaving, dyeing, and sewing, the group is anticipated to enjoy preferential tariffs in line with the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) regulations.

Udmurtia keen on boosting bilateral trade with Vietnam

He noted that Udmurtia is running a trade surplus with Vietnam, with its exports accounting for up to 70% of the total value, mostly metal and forestry products, cellulose and papers. Meanwhile, Vietnam has mainly shipped consumer goods to Udmurtia.

While expressing his interest in Vietnamese coffee, Suntsov said Udmurtia’s Tasty Coffee company accounts for about one-third of Russia’s coffee market share.

According to the official, Udmurtia already exported military technical products, metal and wooden products and medical equipment to Vietnam, and plans to ship more farm produce, light chemical industry products and IT services.

At an online trade promotion forum held in late 2020, Udmurtia introduced unmanned aerial vehicles, medical equipment, food colouring products, bleaches used in agriculture and farm produce to Vietnamese partners.

Mentioning important points in the Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, he said the two nations already signed a free trade agreement, thereby raising two-way trade to US$6 billion in 2018.

He also praised Vietnam for its natural, art and cultural beauty which he felt during his visits to Hanoi, Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay in 2015.

On its capacity as rotating ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam well performed its role in assisting other regional member states in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, Suntsov said.

In his opinion, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, signed in 2020, will become a bridge between Russia and Southeast Asia.

As Vietnam is really a bridge between Russia and ASEAN, Udmurtia will also take advantage of that, he said.

Udmurtia is a federal subject of the Russian Federation within the Volga Federal District. Industry now accounts for over 45% of Udmurtia’s economic structure. Its enterprises also manufacture equipment for nuclear power plants, medical and oil-gas equipment, metal and plastic products. Agriculture is also an important priority of its development.

Vietnam manufacturing returns to growth in February

February data pointed to an overall improvement in the health of the Vietnamese manufacturing sector, according to latest survey by IHS Markit.

The Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) ticked up to 51.6 in February from 51.3 in January, signalling a modest improvement in business conditions. The health of the sector has now strengthened in three successive months.

Sustained growth of new orders was recorded, helping to drive the improvement in overall business conditions. New work has now increased in six successive months. Total new orders were supported by a return to growth of new export business amid some signs of improving international demand.

Rising new orders was the main factor behind a return to growth of manufacturing production. The slight increase was also partly attributed to efforts to build stocks of finished goods. These efforts were successful in bringing an end to a four-month sequence of falling post-production inventories.

Employment increased for the second time in three months as firms responded to rises in demand and production requirements. This enhanced capacity meant that firms were able to keep on top of workloads and reduced outstanding business again. A renewed expansion of buying activity was also recorded, but stocks of purchases continued to fall amid the use of inputs to support production.

Problems securing raw materials also contributed to falling stocks of purchases. Suppliers’ delivery times lengthened sharply again. Difficulties sourcing goods from abroad due to a lack of shipping containers and global demand for materials outpacing supply continued to cause longer lead times.

These imbalances led to a further sharp increase in input costs in February. Although the rate of inflation eased to a three-month low, the rise in input prices was still faster than the average seen across the 10-year survey so far.

Manufacturers responded to higher input costs by raising their own selling prices accordingly. That said, the rate of inflation was modest and the slowest since last November.

Business confidence continued to wane in February, dropping for the third month running to the lowest since August 2020. Sentiment was hit by concerns over the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, firms remained optimistic on balance, with hopes that the pandemic will be brought under control over the coming year supporting confidence.

Commenting on the latest survey results, Andrew Harker, economics director at IHS Markit, said that, “The latest IHS Markit Vietnam Manufacturing PMI signalled that the sector made further modest progress in February. Renewed increases in output, employment, and purchasing activity are all welcome signs, but a recent increase in COVID-19 cases sounds a note of caution. In fact, confidence among firms slumped to the lowest since August 2020, the last time a significant outbreak of the pandemic was seen.”

“Previously, Vietnam has proved successful in quickly suppressing the virus, and should this be the case again, we will hopefully see the manufacturing sector remain in growth territory. IHS Markit currently forecasts a rise in industrial production of 6.8 per cent this year,” he added.

Dong Nai needs 40,000 laborers

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in the Southern Province of Dong Nai has just announced businesses in the province need around 40,000 laborers after Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year).

Amongst businesses needing 40,000 employees, Prowell Vietnam Company in Long Khanh Industrial Park with available 5,000 laborers needs to recruit more than 3,000 workers as it planned to expand production meanwhile Kowide Outdoor in Suoi Tre Industrial Park needs additional 300 unskilled and skilled workers.

To attract laborers, companies proposed bonus policies and fee support policies. For instance, Hyosung Vietnam in Nhon Trach Industrial Park 1 proposed to offer VND2.4 million (US$104.6) to new employees for the first year of working in the company.

Moreover, the company will give VND800,000 as bonus to those who take their relatives to work in the company. Additionally, workers will have a saving account of VND15.8 million after working for the company in three consecutive years.

Presently, businesses have been bumping into difficulties in recruiting employees; therefore, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has opened employment fairs to help connect laborers with businesses.

Hanoi industrial production expands 7.5% in Jan-Feb

Manufacturing and processing, which accounts for 96.5% of total production value in the industry sector, expanded 7.8% year-on-year between January and February.

Hanoi’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in the first two months of 2021 expanded by 7.5% year-on-year, according to the municipal Statistics Office.

Upon breaking down, the mining industry’s output decreased by 9.8% year-on-year in the January-February period, but posed little impact to the overall growth due to its modest contribution to the economy. The manufacturing and processing industry, accounting for 96.5% of total production value in the industry sector, expanded 7.8%.

Production and distribution of electricity rose 5.8% year-on-year while water supply, sewage treatment and water collection went up 5.7%.

Subsectors that increased sharply due to growing demand during the period include computers and electronic products (up 37.7% year-on-year); transportation vehicles (17.5%); electricity equipment (16.5%); and beverage (14.3%).

According to the report, the employment at industrial companies decreased by 0.6% year-on-year during the two-month period. That of state-run sector was down by 1%; that of the private sector contracted 4.8%, while jobs in the foreign-invested sector rose by 2.8%.

In terms of economic sectors, the employment in manufacturing and processing sector slightly rose 0.1% year-on-year; followed by electricity production and distribution (-0.1%); water supply, sewage treatment and water collection (-0.6%); and mining (-47.7%).

In the January – February period, Hanoi’s exports slightly rose by 12.7% year-on-year to US$2.34 billion, and imports surged 25.7% to US$5.4 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of US$3.06 billion.

Export items that recorded strong growth in the first two months were computers, electronic products and parts with US$409 million, up 39.4% year-on-year; machinery and equipment with US$341 million (33.3%); wood and wooden products with US$116 million (42.9%).

The city’s state budget revenue dwindled 3.4% year-on-year to VND51.4 trillion (US$2.22 billion), or 20.4% of the year’s estimate.

Meanwhile, Hanoi spent VND9.04 trillion (US$390.7 million) during the period, or 8.3% of the estimate and up 1.5% year-on-year.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments to Hanoi in the year to February 23 hit US$58.9 million. The investors registered to pour US$14 million into 28 fresh projects, and an additional US$4.1 million into nine existing projects. They have also injected US$40.8 million to acquire stakes or contribute capital in local companies.

Around 3,400 enterprises were established during the two-month period with registered capital of VND36.6 trillion (US$1.58 billion), down 8% in the number of enterprises and 54% in capital year-on-year. The number of enterprises temporarily suspending operations during the period rose sharply by 22% year-on-year to 4,300, while 3,400 resumed operations, up 101%.

The consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, climbed 1.8% month-on-month in February and 1.75% versus last December. This resulted in an average decline of 0.5% year-on-year in the first two months of this year.

While the Covid-19 outbreak in northern provinces and cities near the Tet holiday has caused negative impacts on consumer spending nationwide, total retail sales of consumer goods and services in Hanoi in the two-month period remained positive with a 5% year-on-year growth to VND100 trillion (US$4.32 billion).

Bilateral trade between UK and Vietnam enhanced thanks to UKVFTA

The initial results of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement promise to continue creating new impetus for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.

Since the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) took effect on January 1, the bilateral trade turnover between the two countries has recorded a spectacular rise in the context of exports disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in January, the total trade turnover between Vietnam and the UK reached US$657.3 million, up 78.6% over the same period last year.

Vietnam’s exports to the UK reached US$598 million worth of goods, up 84.6% compared to last January and 56.5% to last December.

Among Vietnam’s exports to the UK,  farm produce attained stable and positive growth in January, with seafood reaching US$19.7 million, representing a rise of 18.1% over the same period last year, and vegetables and fruits with US$1 million, increasing 148.6%.

Vietnamese shipments to the UK get opportunities to rise drastically and expand market share thanks to many tariff preferential treatment under the agreement, according to the MoIT.

Under the trade deal, more than 94% of the total 547 tariff lines of vegetable and fruit will be reduced to zero. Many Vietnamese key products such as litchi, longan, rambutan, dragon fruit, pineapple and melon will have more market access advantages over tropical fruits originating from rivals such as Brazil, Thailand and Malaysia, the countries that have not signed an FTA with the UK.

Shipments of the group of processing and manufacturing industries to the UK achieved an impressive growth in January such as phones and components (up 371.6% over the same period last year), followed by machinery, equipment and spare parts (109.9%), computers and electronic components (91%); iron and steel of all kinds (11%).

In 2020, the bilateral trade reached US$5.64 billion in value, in which Vietnam exported goods worth US$4.95 billion to the UK and enjoyed a trade surplus of US$4.27 billion. The UK continued to be the third largest trading partner of Vietnam in Europe, behind Germany and the Netherlands.

Local businesses face risks of disruption under Covid-19 outbreak

Many businesses are in shortage of workforce after a long-break Tet holiday, as travel remains restricted between different localities.

A prolonged Covid-19 in a number of provinces and cities is putting local businesses under serious stress to avoid disruption of operations.

The Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV) revealed the information following its quick survey with 12 business associations from February 19-22.

In the survey, the majority of respondents said they forecast the Covid-19 pandemic to stay in long-term and have adjusted their operations to better cope with the situation.

However, businesses are facing some common problems, including shortage of workers after a long-break Tet holiday as travel remains restricted between different localities.

The Covid-19 pandemic also causes severe impacts on the transportation sector, in which many transport companies are operating at 20-30% of their capacity.

In recent days, movements of goods from and out of Hai Duong province, the country’s pandemic hotspot, to other localities have been stalled, impacting supply and production chains of various industrial parks.

This came at the fact that drivers from Hai Duong are not allowed to leave the province, while those from outside do not want to enter on fear of Covid-19, or some Covid-19 checkpoints stop drivers from Hai Duong to go through.

Strict anti-Covid-19 measures adopted by Hai Duong’s neighboring cities/provinces, especially in Hai Phong, have led to a stagnation of sale and distribution of farm produce from Hai Duong, including the transportation of such products to Hai Phong port for exports.

A report from Hai Duong Automobile Transportation Association noted in case hurdles for transportation of Hai Duong farm produce are not removed until early March 2021, the financial damage would be around VND400 billion (US$17.3 million).

“Transportation firms not allowed to enter Hai Phong are forced to seek different routes and thus it incurs additional costs, making it harder for enterprises as they are still struggling with Covid-19 impacts,” noted the Board IV.

Chairman of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform Truong Gia Binh said while social distancing and other safety measures have affected demand for farm produce, the lack of empty containers for exports remain the biggest concern for local traders.

“The business community seeks greater support from local authorities in working with shipping  firms to resolve the situation and prevent unreasonable surge of container shipping rates,” Binh added.

To resolves these issues, Board IV cited recommendations from business associations calling for authorities in Hai Phong and Hai Duong to set up a “buffer zone” to apply safety measures for drivers, trucks and goods; change truck drivers upon entering certain province/city.

“Regarding the transportation of goods from Hai Duong to Hai Phong port, the government could set up a specialized transport corridor to avoid disruption of supply chains,” Board IV stated.

According to Board IV, the government could consider lowering transportation fees on expressways as transport firms are forced to change their routes.

Tan Son Nhat airport to serve 50 million passengers a year by 2030

The Ministry of Transport has approved the addition of a weather surveillance radar station to the detailed plan to expand HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport to both the north and south to serve 50 million passengers per year by 2030.

Under the adjusted plan, the Doppler Weather Radar station will be built on an area of 1,600 square metres to the north of the airport. A multi-storey car park will also be built, which will be connected to a new passenger terminal to be built soon.

Under the plan, the airport will cover a total area of 791ha, an increase of 250ha compared to the existing airport area of 545ha.

About 19ha of military defence land has been handed over for building aircraft parking aprons.

The additional land of 250ha includes 18ha of additional national defence land, 35ha of land in the southern area, and 171ha of land in the northern area of the airport.

An additional eight taxiways will be built to expedite aircraft take-offs and landings.

At least 56 aprons will be added in front of the new passenger terminal T3 and in the southwest area of the airport, increasing the total number of aprons to 106.

In the northern area of the airport, a reservoir with an advanced pumping station to prevent flooding will also be built.

In addition, roads connecting to the airport will be built as soon as possible under the city’s transport plan.

To ensure the progress of the expansion plan, priority will be given to the construction of a new international terminal T3.

According to a proposal by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the third passenger terminal with a total investment of more than 11.43 trillion VND (494.4 million USD) will be built in the south of the airport. ACV will invest in building the new terminal, using 100 percent of its corporate capital.

The existing passenger terminals T1 and T2 will be expanded to accommodate an additional 30 million passengers per year by 2030.

The new terminal capable of handling 20 million passengers per year will take 43 months to build, according to ACV.

In total, the airport is expected to have a total capacity of up to 50 million passengers per year by 2030.

Tan Son Nhat, the country’s busiest airport, has been seriously overloaded, both on the ground and in the air for years, forcing many flights to wait in the air to land.

In a related issue, work began early this year on the Long Thanh International Airport in the neighbouring province of Dong Nai, expected to ultimately handle 60-70 million passengers per year. It’s expected to ease the overloading at Tan Son Nhat airport.

However, the huge airport will not be completed until at least 2025 because of “a lack of capital and slow compensation progress,” experts have warned.

Tan Son Nhat will remain the main airport hub in the southern region even after Long Thanh airport becomes operational./.

State budget collection tops nearly 9.57 billion USD in first two months

State budget collection was estimated at 220.5 trillion VND (nearly 9.57 billion USD) in the first two months, equivalent to 16.4 percent of the year’s estimate, according to the General Statistics Office.

Collection from domestic revenue reached 194.1 trillion VND, or 17.1 percent of the estimate, while that from crude oil 3.2 trillion VND, equivalent to 13.8 percent.

Budget balance stood at 22.7 trillion VND in the period, hitting 12.7 percent of the estimate.

Collection from State-owned enterprises was 23.3 trillion VND, or 15.7 percent of the estimate, while 41 trillion VND came from the private sector, excluding crude oil firms.

Collection from industrial and trade charges and services fees contributed 55.2 trillion VND, or 23.2 percent of the estimate.

Meanwhile, budget expenditure was estimated at 148.4 trillion VND in the two months, equivalent to 8.8 percent of the year’s estimate. Of the figure, regular spending valued at 103 trillion VND while investment at nearly 27 trillion VND.

More than 1.48 quadrillion VND was collected for the State budget in 2020, or 98 percent of the target, according to the Ministry of Finance./.

Trade surplus from agro-forestry-fisheries hit 1.37 mln USD in two months

Import-export value of agro-forestry-fisheries products hit nearly 11 billion USD in the first two months of 2021, resulting in 1.37 million USD in trade surplus, up 28.4 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The ministry reported that a year-on-year rise was recorded in the export value of many products such as rubber, tea, cashew, vegetables and fruit and forestry products.

In the first two months of this year, the US remained the largest market of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fisheries products with 2.04 billion USD, up 57.3 percent year on year and accounting for 33.05 percent of the market share. It was followed by China, ASEAN, the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The export value of aquatic products reached 405 million USD in February, pushing the figure in the first two months of 2021 to over 1 billion USD, up 2.2 percent over the same period last year, reported the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

According to the association, exports of tra fish saw positive signals since the beginning of this year after consecutive drops in 2020, with a 1.7 percent rise in the first two months of 2021 to 214 million USD.

In January, excepting for China and the EU, upturn was seen in the majority of markets of Vietnamese tra fish, including the US with 51 percent, Mexico 73 percent, Australia 45 percent and Canada 42 percent. Other markets such as Brazil, Colombia, the UK and Russia also experienced an increase of 37-129 percent.

Meanwhile, shrimp export in February was estimated at 160 million USD, down 18 percent year on year, resulting in over 380 million USD in the first two months of 2021, a slight annual fall of 0.8 percent.

At the same time, seafood exports rose 31.4 percent to 264 million USD in January but dropped 21 percent to 156 million USD in February, resulting in the two-month export value of 420 million USD, up 5.5 percent.

The VASEP said that in the first two months of this year, exports of Vietnamese aquatic products were affected by demands of markets amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

The association forecast that aquatic export value in March will reach about 640 million USD, up 1.5 percent over the same period last year thanks to high demand in the US, EU and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)./.

Can Tho waste-to-power plant adds 113 million kWh to national grid

The Can Tho waste-to-power plant in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has treated over 400,000 tonnes of household waste and contributed more than 113 million kWh to the national grid since its operation in December 2018.

Can Tho is now home to four solid waste treatment sites in suburban Co Do and Thoi Lai districts, and urban O Mon and Thot Not districts.

About 70 percent of the city’s daily household waste, or nearly 350 tonnes, are burned using international-standard technology by China Everbright Group.

The plant is operated by Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the investor – the China Everbright Group.

General Director of the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd Chen Wei said the project is the first in Vietnam invested by the China Everbright Group to receive an environment protection certificate.

The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment reported that as of late 2020, 98 percent of household waste in urban areas were collected, 75 percent of them were classified in households.

Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Chi Kien said the department will continue working with the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy, and the districts of Co Do, Thoi Lai, O Mon and Thot Not to collect, transport and treat wastes. It will also periodically review and update the master plan on household solid waste transportation in the city till 2025 with a vision to 2050.

At a conference to launch the department’s tasks in 2021, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien asked the department to continue inspecting waste treatment plants to raise their sense of responsibility and deal with problems at the O Mon and Co Do landfills./.

Binh Duong secures 301.5 million USD in FDI in two months

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the southern province of Binh Duong during January-February topped 301.5 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 63 percent, the provincial People’s Committee said on March 2.

Thirteen projects were granted investment registration certificates in the period, with total registered capital of 254 million USD. Meanwhile, two projects registered to add 3.5 million USD to their existing operation.

As much as 44 million USD was injected to 21 projects in the locality through capital contribution.

To date, the southern industrial hub has housed 3,948 FDI projects with total capital of 35.8 billion USD.

It is not only one of leading localities in FDI attraction but also an attractive destination for domestic investments. The province lured more than 8.65 trillion VND (377.5 million USD) from domestic investors in the first two months of the year./.

Volume of containers through Ba Ria-Vung Tau seaports up 21 percent

Seaports in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau handled nearly 766,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first two months of 2021, rising 21 percent from the same time last year.

According to the Maritime Administration of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, the total volume of goods through local seaports reached more than 11.9 million tonnes in the period, a year-on-year surge of 4 percent.

Head of the provincial Customs Department Tran Van Danh said that the province gained over 1.7 billion USD in import-export turnover during January-February, up 32.7 percent year-on-year, describing this a robust achievement of the province in carrying out the dual tasks of pandemic prevention and economic development at the local seaports.

Realising the significance of the local seaports to the economic development in the province and the southern region as a whole, competent authorities such as customs, border guard, healthcare, transport and maritime administration joined hands to put the COVID-19 outbreak under control, while creating the best conditions for ships to load and unload cargo.

In 2020, the volume of container cargo through the seaports topped 4.3 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent. The local seaports handled a total 107.6 million tonnes of goods in the year.

The province is now housing 69 seaport projects, which were zoned off on a total area of 2,528 hectares. Of the total, 48 projects are operating, with a designed capacity of handling 141.5 million tonnes of goods per year./.

Only one Vietnamese remains in Sabeco’s management board

The Saigon Beer-Alcohol- Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) has relieved Hoang Dao Hiep from the post of deputy general director of the firm, which means Sabeco now has only one Vietnamese leader–Lam Du An, deputy general director in charge of techniques and production–in its management board.

Besides An, the firm’s management board currently has three foreign members comprising general director Neo Gim Siong Bennett and deputy general directors Teo Hong Keng and Ng Kuan Ngee Melvyn. All of them are linked to the Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev).

ThaiBev spent US$5 billion acquiring a 53.59% stake in Sabeco through the Vietnam Beverage Co., Ltd in 2017.

Since then, the senior executives of ThaiBev have been nominated to the management boards of Sabeco and its subsidiaries. For example, Neo Gim Siong Bennett, in addition to holding the post of Sabeco general director, is now chairman of Saigon Beer Western JSC and a member of the board of Chuong Duong Beverages JSC.

As for Sabeco’s performance in 2020, its revenue plunged 26% over 2019 to VND28.1 trillion due to the Government’s Decree 100 strictly banning drink-driving and the Covid-19 pandemic. However, its after-tax profit reached VND4.9 trillion, exceeding its target by over 50%.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes