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Accident on 95 north south carolina today

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 8

April 8, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

WHO highly values Vietnam’s vaccine regulation system

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 8
Employees of the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No 1 work on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Level 3 represents a stable, well-functioning, and integrated regulatory system.

The ministry noted that the NRA assessment was conducted by using the Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) of WHO to ensure the quality, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines.

The NRA of Vietnam was recognised to be well-functioning under the GBT in April 2015.

In 2018, WHO sent a team of international experts to Vietnam to re-assess this system basing on the updated GBT, which requires greater efforts to further complete NRAs, even those already recognised in 2015.

In the latest assessment, the NRA of Vietnam obtained Maturity Level 3 in eight of the nine vaccine regulating functions. Efforts are still being made to improve its maturity in terms of pharmaceuticals and other medical products.

The Health Ministry noted that the Vietnamese NRA has been maintained and developed over the past years to meet domestic vaccine demand, creating a prerequisite for this system to become a prestigious authority and export domestically made vaccines.

Vietnam is now capable of manufacturing 11 vaccines against 11 diseases (tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, typhoid, measles, rubella, polio) for the national expanded immunisation programme, along with many other vaccines such as seasonal influenza, H5N1 and rotavirus.

The country also has four developersof COVID-19 vaccines, and two of them are conducting clinical trials so as to debut their vaccines in 2021./.

Vietnam climb one notch in latest FIFA rankings

The Vietnamese national men’s football team have risen one place up to 92nd position in the world, according to the latest rankings released by football’s global governing body FIFA.

Despite playing no international games over the past year due to COVID-19, Vietnam inched up one notch to 92nd due to some other national teams’ losses in FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers in recent times.

The global rankings show Vietnam top the Southeast Asia rankings and remain the 13th best team in Asia.

Thailand have climbed four places to 106th in the world and finished second in Southeast Asia .

Elsewhere in the region, the Philippines are ranked in 125th, while Myanmar and Malaysia are placed 139th and 153rd, respectively.

Furthermore, Singapore have kept hold of 159th spot, followed by Indonesia and Cambodia who are tied in 173rd and 174th places, Laos in 185th, Brunei in 189th, and Timor-Leste in 196th.

Topping the world rankings are Belgium, France, Brazil, England, and Portugal.

ABC to broadcast series promoting Vietnamese cuisine

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) will broadcast a 10-espisode series on discovering Vietnamese culture and people via its traditional cuisine starting April 11.

Hosted by Vietnamese Australian chef Luke Nguyen, the show will run at 8:30 pm every Sunday, featuring renowned dishes of localities across Vietnam.

Luke Nguyen has attached himself to the culinary career for over 30 years. He is renowned for a chain of restaurants worldwide like Red Lantern, Moi Moi by Luke Nguyen and Vietnam House. He judged the Master Chef Vietnam seasons 1 and 2 and was a special guest of chef Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape programme and Master Chef Australia.

He was once the official food ambassador of Etihad Airways, being responsible for planning menus for the airline’s flights to and from Vietnam./.

No new COVID-19 infections documented on April 8 morning

Vietnam documented no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6:00 am on April 8, making the nation’s tally unchanged at 2,659, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of the total infections, 1,603 were domestically-transmitted cases, including 910 recorded since the latest outbreak hit the northern province of Hai Duong on January 27.

A total 36,971 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 516 at hospitals, 20,830 at other quarantine sites, and 15,625 at home.

Among patients under treatment, 22 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 11 twice, and 17 thrice.

The Treatment Sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reported that Vietnam has seen 2,429 recoveries so far.

The health ministry said that additional 1,198 Vietnamese got COVID-19 shots on April 7. As of 4:00 pm on the day, 55,151 frontline workers in 19 provinces and cities nationwide were vaccinated.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Tat Thanh Cang, Le Van Phuoc expelled from Party

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on April 7 decided to expel Tat Thanh Cang, former member of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, and Le Huu Phuoc, member of Phu Yen province’s Party Committee and Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Commitee of and Chief Justice of the People’s Court of Phu Yen, from the Party.

After considering the proposals of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, the Secretariat found that while performing his role as a member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, Cang committed serious violations of the principle of democratic centralism, working statutes, Party regulations and State laws, causing great damage and loss to the state budget.

Cang had been prosecuted by the city’s Investigation Police Agency for charges of “violating regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”.

Meanwhile, Phuoc, with his responsibility as a member of Phu Yen province’s Party Committee and Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Commitee of and Chief Justice of the People’s Court of Phu Yen, infringed Party regulations as well as the principle of financial management, causing serious consequences. Phuoc was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for “Embezzlement” by the People’s Court of Da Nang city.

The two’s violations are serious, frustrating public opinion and badly affecting the prestige of the Party organisation, said the Secretariat./.

Hanoi turns down proposal on pavement business

The Hanoi Department of Transport has opposed the proposal to allow business activities on the pavements of five major streets in the city centre.

The move followed the proposal by Hoan Kiem District’s authorities on piloting business activities on Hai Ba Trung, Ly Thuong Kiet, Tran Hung Dao, Le Phung Hieu and Phung Hung streets for business activities from 6 am to 2 am of the next day.

According to Hoan Kiem District’s authorities, local streets are being encroached upon by unlicensed business activities. So the pilot of licensing business activities in some streets is aimed to deal with the problem as well as help attract more tourists.

However, in a document sent to the municipal People’s Committee, the Hanoi Department of Transport disagreed with the idea, saying that it was inappropriate based on current regulations, particularly the use of pavements for anything other than traffic purposes.

The streets listed have high traffic density, especially at rush hours. So, business services here are likely to worsen the traffic situation, the department stressed.

Voting of Vietnam’s top 10 ICT businesses 2021 launched

The Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) launched voting for the annual top 10 leading Vietnamese information, communication and technology (ICT) firms in 2021 in a Hanoi event on April 7.

The programme aims to support the government’s goal of having 100,000 digital technology companies by 2030.

This year’s event will select the 10 best ICT companies in 17 categories, including e-government, smart city, logistics solutions, e-commerce, start-ups, information security, artificial intelligence of things (A-IoT), cloud computer services, blockchain, fintech, property technology (PropTech), education technology (EdTech) and medical technology (MedTech).

Candidate enterprises will be evaluated across seven criteria as followed financial indicators; human resources; products and services; technology and R&D capacity; leadership and business management; awards, titles and recognised achievements; and special assessment for each sector.

The evaluation process features three rounds – profile selection, presentation and verification, final voting. Judges will comprise leading experts in technology, finance, corporate governance, e-Commerce, Start-up and media.

Addressing the event, VINASA Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General Nguyen Thi Thu Giang said given that digital transformation is in high demand in today’s context, the selection and introduction of reputable solution suppliers and capable partners will quickly connect firms and facilitate their effective cooperation.

This year, the voting categories are expanded with the honouring of leading companies in new sectors – Fintech, Proptech, EdTech, and MedTech, she said, adding that the move does not only keeps up with the latest trend but also helps seek solutions for real-life problems in certain fields.

The presentation round is scheduled on May 15 – 16. The announcement and award ceremony will take place on July 13, prior to the Vietnam ICT Summit 2021. ICT companies may register to join the programme on the website: top10ict.com.

The Top 10 Vietnam ICT businesses programme was launched in 2014.

The software and technology services industry has posted high growth over the last five years, expanding 26.1 percent in average annually.

Last year, the industry earned 120 billion USD in revenue. Of the figure, more than 6 billion USD was generated by software and digital content, twice as high as that in 2015./.

Vietnam, Malaysia seek to promote defence cooperation

The Defence Ministries of Vietnam and Malaysia should consider setting up suitable dialogue mechanisms, including defence policy dialogue at the deputy minister level and joint working group on defence cooperation, thus creating a foundation for practical collaboration activities, officers have suggested.

At their meeting in Hanoi on April 7, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien and newly-appointed Malaysian Defence Attaché in Vietnam Colonel Ahmad Jais bin Tasliman noted that due to impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides were not able to implement many military-defence cooperation activities in 2020.

They agreed that after the pandemic is controlled, the two nations will conduct cooperation activities in the fields of personnel training, air force, naval, coast guard, while completing and signing a new memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation.

Chien showed his delight at the fruitful cooperation between the armies of Vietnam and Malaysia over the years, especially in the areas of personnel training and navy, and at multilateral forums as well as ASEAN-led mechanisms.

For his part, Ahmad Jais pledged that in the new position, he will work hard to promote defence cooperation between the two countries./.

Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway to be put into commercial operation on Reunification Day

Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway line, invested in by the Ministry of Transport, is expected to be put into commercial operation on the Reunification Day (April 30), a leader from the ministry has said.

Difficulties in the project have been basically dealt with while safety certification has been completed.

The ministry and relevant units previously checked and handed over the project to Hanoi authorities.

A 20-day trial began on December 12, 2020 for inspection purposes.

Vietnam Register granted registration certificates for 13 trains and related works in September last year.

During the first 15 days of operation, passengers can travel free of charge. Tickets will then cost 15,000 VND per trip.

The 13.5-km railway line, running from Cat Linh in Ba Dinh district to the suburban district of Ha Dong, cost approximately 868 million USD, two-thirds of which were loans from China.

It has a main elevated line of more than 13km, 12 stations, and 13 trains. Each train, whose designed speed is 80 km/h, has four carriages capable of carrying over 900 passengers./.

Hai Duong closes last temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment

The temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment No 3 in Hai Duong, the last of its kind in the northern province, was disbanded on April 7 now that the third major resurgence of the coronavirus has been brought under control.

Converted from a vocational training centre at the Sao Do University in Chi Linh city, the hospital began operations on February 26.

It provided treatment to 193 patients and its 21 remaining patients will be transferred to the province’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases for further treatment.

Hai Duong had recorded 726 COVID-19 cases as of April 7, including 685 recoveries and no fatalities.

Some 17,560 people had direct contact with confirmed cases and only four are still under quarantine at concentrated sites, according to the provincial centre for disease control./.

Vietnam’s new leadership makes headlines in Algeria

Algerian media has published extensive coverage of Vietnam’s new leadership as well as the country’s impressive economic achievements amid the adverse impact of COVID-19.

Prestigious newspapers and websites such as El-Moudjahid, Cresus, Reporters, La Patrie-news, Culture-Algerie, Reseau-international, and Algerie360 ran articles saying the newly-elected leaders have high prestige.

They also commended the socio-economic and diplomatic achievements Vietnam recorded during the 2016-2021 period, most notably the successful implementation of the dual goals of containing the pandemic and maintaining economic growth last year.

According to the articles, with his rich experience, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to help the Government overcome the existing difficulties and challenges to fulfil the strategic targets set for the next five years.

They also lauded Vietnam’s rising position in the international arena, especially it assuming the United Nations Security Council Presidency this month, adding that this is the second time the country has held the seat in the 2020-2021 tenure.

It presents a major opportunity for the country to contribute to peace, security, and prosperity in the region and the world in a more active, proactive, and responsible manner, the articles said.

While highlighting the traditional relations and friendship between Vietnam and Algeria, the articles also noted that many fields of endeavour are yet to match potential, especially in economy, trade, and investment.

The authors believe that the new Government in Vietnam will adopt suitable mechanisms and policies to further step up bilateral ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Nguyen Thanh Vinh said the articles contribute to promoting Vietnam’s image and raising understanding among Algerians, particularly young people, about the country as well as the bilateral relationship./.

Investment in transport key to Vietnam’s economic growth: US magazine

Vietnam is at a crossroads in its development and requires investment in its transportation network to sustain and expand its growth, said US-based Borgen Magazine in a recent article.

Per the article, titled “Developing Vietnam’s Transportation Infrastructure” published on April 6, since the 1986 economic reforms launched at the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) sixth national congress, Vietnam has experienced incredible economic growth. However, the country’s transportation infrastructure is still woefully behind many other developed economies.

Regarding the links between infrastructure development and economic activity, the article noted that improving travel networks will have a profound impact on Vietnam’s transportation infrastructure by increasing viable economic activity. It will better connect consumers with producers and decrease the transportation costs for moving products and resources by increasing the efficiency of transporting them.

Additionally, developing Vietnam’s transportation infrastructure directly affects those who suffer from poverty by better connecting areas with little economic opportunity to vital economic centres.

The article said the Vietnamese government has responded to this need by creating a nationwide connectivity project, the North-South Expressway. The 5 billion USD project covers the country at 2,109 kilometers of road, more than doubling the 1,000 Kilometers of current Vietnamese highways.

It added that the coming into effect of the local Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Law will strengthen the Vietnamese legal framework for PPP projects. The law aims at making private and foreign investment in Vietnam’s transportation infrastructure projects simpler, less risky and, therefore, more appealing, said the article./.

Vietnamese students win Your World Competition by British Council

Students from Thanh Xuan secondary school in Hanoi have been recognised for their efforts after producing a short view as part of the Your World Competition launched by the British Council.

This marks the first time Vietnam has participated in the event, with entries sent from 127 countries.

The award-winning entry features five students from Thanh Xuan secondary school who make a short live-action video as part of the Resilient Communities category. Most notably, their entry, titled the “COVID-19 epidemic” is a hot topic for this year’s competition.

The Your World” Competition is a flagship activity which is part of the Partner School Global Network (PSGN) programme.

All students aged between 14 and 17 who take UK qualifications, such as International GCSE and A Level, in PSGN schools were invited to participate in the sixth annual PSGN Your World Video Competition.

The event aims to create greater opportunities for students to make use of their creativity and connect with each other, while also providing a window into their unique lives, environments, and experiences.

The video which wins at country level will subsequently progress to the regional finals where a decision will be made to choose the global winner.

Int’l workshop spotlights Vietnam’s role in Asia-Europe partnership

International experts and scholars highly have valued Vietnam’s role and its contributions to connecting the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with partner countries and regional organisations.

During an international workshop held by the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly (APE) in Moscow, Russia, on April 6, participants also praised Vietnam’s dynamic development and its role in linking projects and development initiatives to further promote the Asia – Europe partnership.

In his speech, APE General Secretary Andrei Belyaninov congratulated newly-elected Vietnamese leaders, noting that the Russian people have always followed Vietnam’s achievements with their sincerity and respect.

Belyaninov said Vietnam has become an “emerging tiger in Asia” with a rapidly growing economy and a large market, expressing his hope that Russia and Vietnam will jointly promote people-to-people diplomacy in the time to come.

Sharing this view, Minister in charge of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission Sergei Glazyev affirmed that Vietnam is actively participating in the regional integration process, and is a pioneer in establishing a free trade area with the Eurasian Economic Union.

He noted with delight that bilateral trade between Russia and Vietnam has been growing despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

For her part, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Nguyen Phuong Nga briefed participants on Vietnam’s goals and visions set in the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

According to Nga, international solidarity and assistance was one of the factors that have helped Vietnam to gain successes in the cause of national construction and protection.

Participants also analysed the possibility to connect development projects and initiatives, as well as ways to further expand partnerships and people’s diplomacy within the Eurasian region.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Russia, Svetlana Smirnova, First Deputy Secretary General – Head of the General Secretariat of the APE, positively evaluated the results of the workshop, stressing that it opened an important direction for the cooperation between the APE and Vietnam.

She revealed that a festival of Eurasian nations will be organised in Vietnam in the coming time, which will cover a series of activities such as sport exchange, Eurasian business forum, and youth cooperation./.

South African newswire highlights Vietnam’s new leadership

“The Diplomatic Society” newswire of South Africa on April 6 carried an article on the newly-elected leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State.

In the article, founder and Editor-in-Chief of the newswire Kirtan Bhana said world leaders, heads of international organisations and regional bodies have congratulated and acknowledged the election of the Vietnamese leaders. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue were confirmed in their leadership roles after the deliberations and consultations of the 13th National Party Congress which wrapped up in February 2021.

The author noted that the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress stated that the country will “focus on measures to basically complete the elements of a socialist-oriented market economy, better handling the relationship between the State, the market and society. Vietnam’s development achievements, recognised prestige and elevated status over the past five years have created circumstances to realise its true potential.”

The election of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the General Secretary of the Party reflected the effectiveness of the preparatory personnel work, which screened out unqualified or undeserving people from the Party Central Committee while including people with morality, talent, and a good reputation.

General Secretary Trong was re-elected to a third term while former PM Phuc was elected as President allowing him to stay among the country’s top leaders, providing a continuity of policy implementation. Hue, former Minister of Finance and former Deputy PM, has been approved as NA Chairman completing the top four roles in the Government.

According to the author, PM Chinh and his Government will prioritise international relations and diplomacy. He cited Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son as saying that Vietnam’s astute and pragmatic international relations and diplomacy has significantly contributed to maintaining a peaceful, stable environment favourable for national development, as well as national security.

The article highlighted that recently, Vietnam has set up comprehensive partnership with five more countries and upgraded relations with two others to a strategic partnership, raising the total number of its strategic partners to 17 and comprehensive partners to 13, including all permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and ASEAN member nations. The conclusion of five free trade agreements (FTA) positions Vietnam at the centre of a network of 16 regional FTAs that will attract significant resources and investment to the country.

Son was quoted as saying that diplomacy has played a significant role in raising the country’s position, as reflected through its hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2017, the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in 2018, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum in 2018, the summit between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2019, its ASEAN and AIPA Chairmanship last year, and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021./.

3,000 athletes to join Ba Den Mountain Marathon

The first-ever version of the Ba Den Mountain Marathon is due to be held in Tay Ninh province from April 24 to April 25, drawing the participation of approximately 3,000 athletes.

Athletes participating in the event will compete for a total of 15 prizes worth VND120 million.

According to Nguyen Manh Hung, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Tay Ninh province is in the process of launching several activities in an effort to stimulate tourism throughout the locality.

Despite facing complicated developments relating to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), last year saw Tay Ninh province welcome over 2.2 million visitors. The majority of travelers went to Ba Den Mountain which is widely considered to be the most attractive destination in the province.

Hand, foot, mouth cases with severe complications on the rise

Hospitals in many localities have recorded a surge in hand, foot and mouth disease cases among children in the past month, with the number of patients in serious conditions increasing and at least one death linked to the disease.

HCM City has recorded a significant increase in the number of infected children.

Nguyễn Thị Kiều Dư, a mother of a three-year-old boy in District 4, said she noticed a rash with blisters on her child’s palms and mouth when she picked him up after school.

Dư thought he might have suffered an allergic reaction, but the child soon had a high fever, lost his appetite and more red, blister-like lesions appeared on his hands. She took the boy to the HCM City’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

“The doctors said my child had hand, foot, mouth disease and required him to be immediately hospitalised for treatment. He is now under special treatment,” she said.

Dr Dư Tuấn Quy, deputy head of the department, said about 25 infected children were being treated at the hospital daily, a figure four times higher than the previous month.

Most of the serious cases are positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a type of virus causing easily transmitted infection and severe complications.

“The rise in the number of infected children should cause alarm, especially as students have gone back to school after the (COVID-19) pandemic,” he said.

The Children’s Hospital No2 has reported treating 40 infected children every day, and a third of them are in a serious condition.

As many as 14 cases are reported in the City Children’s Hospital at present. Notably, three children are in intensive care and on ventilators.

The city’s Centre for Disease Control estimates that as of March 15, more than 2,560 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease have been recorded, up 2.5 times from the same period in 2020.

Between March 8-11, there were 346 cases recorded among patients from all districts in the city.

The same situation has been occurring in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and central Khánh Hoà Province.

Đắk Lắk Province’s Centre of Disease Control reported 250 infections in the first three months of this year, mainly in Buôn Ma Thuột City, Buôn Hồ Town and Buôn Đôn District.

In Bình Định Province, a 19-month old baby died in mid-March with suspected hand, foot and mouth disease, two days after being taken to hospital.

In Khánh Hoà Province, 244 cases have been recorded in the same period in Nha Trang City, Khánh Sơn and Diên Khánh districts.

Dr Nguyễn Đông, director of Khánh Hoà Province’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said most of the patients were under five years old.

Many parents decided to treat their children at home instead of taking them to the hospital as they were concerned about the spread of COVID-19, which meant the children didn’t receive timely treatment, harming their health, he said.

The centres of disease control of the three localities have warned local health centres to work with the educational sector to prevent the outbreak of the disease at pre-schools.

Pre-schools are required to sterilise classrooms and toys regularly and report to local authorities when new hand, foot and mouth cases are found. Parents should be encouraged to take their children to the hospital if the children show symptoms of the disease.

Hand, foot, mouth disease is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the Coxsackie virus (A16) and Enterovirus 71 (EV71). The viral illness commonly afflicts children aged under five and has no vaccine or specific treatment.

Campaign to be held for World Intellectual Property Day

An online campaign will be held to mark World Intellectual Property Day 2021 (April 26) themed “Intellectual property and small businesses: Taking big ideas to market”.

According to the Director of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, the campaign will feature a wide range of activities to connect the community, media, schools, and enterprises, including a writing contest and online conferences and forums to provide information on intellectual property to businesses, artists, inventors, and the community.

Various documents will be promoted to introduce the important role of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy and how they can use their intellectual property rights to become stronger and improve their competitiveness and resilience.

Other activities include the building of a website providing information on intellectual property, affairs, videos, and Q&As on the subject. Social media users are encouraged to use the hashtag #worldipday to promote activities.

A photo contest will also be organised, along with talks introducing products of businesses, artists, and inventors and matters relating to intellectual property rights.

A number of specific events will also be held, targeting different groups, especially students./.

Various activities planned to celebrate 8th Vietnam Book Day

A series of activities will take place across the country to celebrate the eighth Vietnam Book Day.

An opening ceremony will be held on April 18 on Ho Chi Minh City’s book street, while a national online book festival will run from April 17 to May 15 at book365.vn.

HCM City’s book street will also host a symposium on the development of a reading culture amid digital transformation, and the launch of book collections on the implementation of the resolution from the 13th National Party Congress, HCM City, and digital transformation.

Book lovers can also join a fan meeting with prolific author Nguyen Nhat Anh.

Anh is one of only a few authors in the city to write for children, and has penned many contemporary classics, including “Kinh Van Hoa” (Kaleidoscope) and “Thang Quy Nho” (The Mischievous Boy), which are favourites of thousands of children and teenagers around the country.

Participants at the national online book festival will have the chance to discuss the development of a reading culture and gain an insight into digital transformation in the publishing industry, as well as how to access books in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Decision No 284/QD-TTg on February 24, 2014, designating April 21 as Vietnam Book Day, in order to encourage a reading culture among the public./.

Opening ceremony of 2021 National Tourism Year slated for April 20

A highlight of the 2021 National Tourism Year will be the opening ceremony slated for April 20, which is expected to see the participation of about 2,000 guests and 7,600 local people and visitors, heard a press conference on the event held in the northern province of Ninh Binh on April 6.

The ceremony will take place at the national special heritage site of Hoa Lu ancient capital and be broadcast live.

It will promote the province’s cultural and historical values, resources, and tourism products, contributing to the recovery and development of tourism amid the adverse impact of COVID-19.

Speaking at the press conference, Director of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism Bui Van Manh briefed participants of the hosting the 2021 National Tourism Year.

Events will take place throughout the year, with 11 major activities and 27 others hosted by Ninh Binh, while a hundred corresponding activities will be organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism along with 27 cities and provinces nationwide.

Located in the southern reaches of the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh is known for its wondrous natural scenery, with a labyrinth of waterways, mountains, and plains as well as cross-cultural influences from the north to the south and from the mountains to the plains and coastal areas. It is home to 1,821 relic areas, including 81 national relic sites and a world cultural and natural heritage site./.

Localities on full alert as hand-foot-mouth disease breaks out

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued an urgent dispatch detailing prevention and control measures for the hand-foot-mouth disease in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease as case numbers nationwide have increased by four times compared to the same period from last year.

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 17,451 infections have been reported nationwide, in addition to four deaths in the southern provinces of Kien Giang, An Giang and Long An.

The number of infections has quadrupled, warned the MoH adding the surge mainly occurred in the southern region, including Dong Nai, Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City.

It is common for cases of the hand-foot-mouth disease to increase in numbers between April and May and between September and October. Indeed, children can be infected with the disease when their personal hygiene and environmental sanitation conditions are not maintained.

The MoH therefore urged localities to strengthen preventive measures this summer, including encouraging people, especially children, to wash hands with soap and keep the living environment clean.

Healthcare facilities were required to avoid disease cross-transmissions and limit the number of deaths.

Khanh Hoa aims to welcome 5 million tourists

Home to the famous beach city of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province’s tourism sector has set a goal of welcoming 5 million tourists this year, including 1.5 million foreign tourists, and earning over 760 million USD in revenue. With the tourism season now in high gear, the province is ready to reach its targets.

2020 was a turbulent year given the impact of COVID-19, and Khanh Hoa welcomed only 1.4 million tourists, or 19% of the plan, with foreign tourists standing at just 430,000, an 88% decline. This year, however, Khanh Hoa aims to welcome 1.5 million foreign tourists alone.

Khanh Hoa is working to attract both domestic and international tourists, including foreign workers, specialists, and diplomatic officials working in Vietnam. It will also launch promotional campaigns to show that it remains one of the safest destinations in the country./.

First Vietnam hospital awarded Diamond Status for stroke treatment

Ho Chi Minh City-based People’s Hospital 115 has become Vietnam’s first health facility to achieve Diamond Status certification for its stroke treatment, as issued by the World Stroke Organisation (WSO).

Thang said the Cerebrovascular Ward of the hospital has treated approximately 13,000 stroke patients. More importantly, the hospital has also been able to reduce the average length of stay for patients, going from 5.88 days in 2016 to 4.03 days in 2020. This reduction in treatment time for stroke patients has proved the hospital’s effective treatment procedures.

The WSO award is given to stroke centres worldwide which adopt strict requirements in terms of training, equipment, and the treatment of acute strokes, among other issues.

Entities, individuals working in autism come together in alliance

Vietnam Autism Alliance, a strategic partnership between organisations with expertise or interest in autism spectrum disorder in Việt Nam, has been set up to mark Autism Awareness month in April.

By bringing together organisations and individuals who are experts in fields related to autism support such as medicine, therapy, education, care, and technology, VAA hopes to foster awareness so that people with autism and their families can access timely and appropriate support.

Besides, organisations and individuals working in the field have a place to co-ordinate their efforts and collaborate to support people with autism.

The alliance includes Saigon Children’s Charity (saigonchildren), Vietnam Autism Network, Thanh Bùi of Education Embassy, experts from the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, National Special Education Center – Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi National University of Education, HCM City University of Education, Children’s Hospital 1, Gia Khang International Hospital, CMI International Hospital, Simba development team, and Monstar Lab, Đà Nẵng University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, and SENIA Vietnam.

Saigonchildren launched www.tukylagi.com at the event to provide information about autism.

It also launched the 2021 ‘The Steps Challenge’ with the message “Step Up for Autism.”

The challenge calls on the community to take part in an online walking challenge to raise awareness of the autism spectrum disorder, with each registration contributing VNĐ130,000 (US$5.6) to activities supporting children with autism in disadvantaged circumstances including knowledge building for parents, training for practitioners and providing free early intervention therapy for children.

First launched in 2019 The Steps Challenge has gained widespread recognition in the community by encouraging people to be active.

In the last two years it accumulated over three million steps and raised over VNĐ1 billion ($43,360) for autism support and emergency support for children with autism affected by COVID-19.

Damien Roberts, director of saigonchildren, said: “Autism Spectrum Disorder in Việt Nam is still a relatively new issue for the majority of the public.

“With projects supporting children with autism and their families, we found that general support for autism is still quite fragmented, and a single organisation cannot undertake the issue by itself.

“It is essential to convene all of the parties working to improve research, pedagogy, therapy, intervention, and support in the field.” VNS

Rapper may miss concert after suffering injury falling off stage

Popular rapper Karik suffered an injury at a concert this past weekend and may be unable to perform his next gig this Saturday, according to his manager.

On Saturday, while performing at an event in Đà Nẵng, Karik tripped on a loudspeaker and fell from a stage with a height of about 1.6 metres.

In a video of the incident posted to YouTube, the rapper appeared seriously hurt and needed help to get back on stage.

The rapper continued performing the song Đêm nay không ngủ (Sleepless Night). However, he was limping and needed a security guard to support his movements on and off the stage.

The rapper flew to HCM City on Monday, but due to his painful and swollen legs, he was unable to walk on his own and had to sit in a wheelchair. Currently, the coach on the hit TV show Rap Việt is resting and monitoring his injury.

The rapper was seriously hurt after stumbled on a loudspeaker and fell from a stage with a height of about 1.6 metre. Screenshot from Vnews24h video on YouTube.

“Karik can’t walk by himself. This morning, the airport staff provided assistance, including a wheelchair on the plane. We are considering the situation, if today, Karik’s leg is less painful and swollen, we will take him to have an MRI scan,” Karik’s manager told zing.vn on Monday.

“Immediately after the incident, the security and the event crew intended to bring Karik to the hospital for a check-up.

“However, according to the agreement with the show, Karik had to perform two more songs. Because of that, he declined the offer and decided to complete the performance. Backstage, he collapsed in pain,” the manager added.

On the much-anticipated Rap Việt All-Star concert set to take place on Saturday in HCM City, the manager said Karik is undecided if he will perform.

At the airport, Karik shared a photo on his personal Facebook account showing him wearing a leg brace and sat in a wheelchair with the caption: “A new companion”. Many other rappers like Binz, Ricky Star and Only C have sent him good wishes.

Doctors reportedly diagnosed Karik with a ligament injury.

A strong return ahead for domestic beach holidays

Local travel firms have recently launched stimulus schemes to meet the increasing demand among holidaymakers for domestic beach vacations during the peak season this summer.

The majority of coastal localities have devised different plans in order to welcome the return of visitors following a hiatus caused by the emergence of COVID-19. National travel firms and other related businesses have also jointly launched promotional schemes, whilst many are offering additional services and running marketing campaigns.

Vung Tau Streetfood Week 2021 is set to be held with a wide selection of options for visitors ranging from high-class restaurants to street food stalls which will introduce numerous types of local cuisine. In addition, local five-star hotels and resorts will be offering huge discounts, with room rates costing from just VND700,000 per day.

The coastal city of Nha Trang is running a campaign titled “Nha Trang – a safe place” which will feature plenty of activities aimed at welcoming travelers. As part of efforts to boost domestic tourism, hotels and airlines have teamed up to provide discounts of between 50% and 70% for room and flight combo deals.

Elsewhere, Phu Quoc Island also represents a popular destination for holidaymakers this summer. Amid increasing demand for beach holidays, local airlines have been increasing flights to the so-called pearl island.

Moreover, Da Nang is planning to develop fresh products in an effort to attract more local visitors and incoming foreign travellers. The central city will also be making use of Bach Dang walking street, along with check-in spots on Nguyen Van Troi bridge, as the city is set to carry out night-time recreational services until 3 a.m. on a pilot basis.

According to the VNAT, the local tourism industry will continue to focus on the domestic market this year,  aiming to attract 80 million visitors.

Mexican newspapers highlight election of top Vietnamese leaders

El Universal and Voces del Periodista e-newspapers of Mexico have recently run an article on the elections of high-ranking leaders in Vietnam.

Newly-elected President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who served as Prime Minister during the 2016-2021 tenure, is a politician with extensive experience, the article said, citing the effective implementation of macro management policies during his term.

Such policies have contributed to spurring the national economic growth, and accelerating Vietnam’s international integration through major multilateral agreements like the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Therefore, Vietnam has been one of the few countries in the world that have posted positive economic growth (2.91 percent), according to the article.

It also lauded achievements recorded by the Government headed by PM Phuc in containing the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring economic development.

Pham Minh Chinh, the new Government leader, had held many important positions and made significant contributions to national economic development, Party building and anti-corruption, the article continued.

The new leaders are expected to adopt sound orientations, decisions and policies in order to create great strides in socio-economic development in the next period, it said.

The article also stressed that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Mexico are set to be further consolidated, enhanced and elevated to a new high./.

Book on Vietnam – US exchanges before 1946 debuts

A book on Vietnam – US exchanges prior to 1946 was introduced to the public at an event held by the Vietnam-US Society (VUS) in Hanoi on April 6.

The 260-page book consists of 45 stories on the relations between the two countries during 170 years from 1776 to 1946. The author is Nguyen Van Huynh, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil for 2002 – 2006 and a current member of the VUS. Huynh is a veteran diplomat with nearly four decades working in external relations, including people-to-people exchanges with the US.

According to Huynh, he accepted the request to compile the book in late 2019 during a year-end meeting of the VUS that discussed activities to mark the 25th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties and 75th founding anniversary of the society in 2020.

Speaking at the book launch, Bui Van Nghi, head of the Americas Department under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, said the book is a valuable supplement to the history of the Vietnam – US ties, particularly their people-to-people exchanges that remain unknown to many.

Nghi, also VUS Secretary General, hailed the publication’s significance at a time when the two countries have just marked the 25th anniversary of normalization of ties and the VUS celebrated its 75th founding anniversary./.

2021 National Environmental Report to focus on air quality

The 2021 National Environmental Report will focus on air quality and solutions to improve it.

The Việt Nam Environment Administration said air quality was selected as the focus for its 2021 report because the administration’s initial assessment showed air pollution in some big cities was at poor levels during 2016-20, impacting people’s health.

Per the assessment, the air quality in many localities nationwide has decreased since 2018, especially in Hà Nội and HCM City.

Air pollution in northern provinces, especially Hà Nội, had received a great deal of public attention, the administration said, adding that air pollution was a common issue in major cities in developing countries.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on March 15 sent a document to the People’s Committee and the Natural Resources and Environment Departments of provinces and cities to ask them to provide information and data related to air quality to serve the compilation of the 2021 national environmental report.

The Natural Resources and Environment Departments of provinces and cities were told to send their air quality data to the ministry before June 31.

The departments were told to report data related to air quality in urban areas, rural areas, craft villages and industrial zones, the ministry said.

The report must show the areas with the most air pollution in each locality, the ministry said.

The report will evaluate the main sources of emissions, including thermal power plants, steel mills, cement plants, incinerators, vehicles and industrial production activities. It will also analyse and identify the causes of air pollution in each locality, the ministry said.

Additionally, the report will point out effective solutions to fix the air quality situation in each locality, the ministry said.

No publication date for the report has been set, though it is usually available a year after the start of the collection of data.

Danang vows to help all disadvantaged children

Danang City authorities targets to provide supports to 100% disadvantaged children in 2021.

This is a part of the Act for Children Programme during the 2021-2030 period. The aims include raising awareness about children protection among local authorities, families, and schools in order to create a better and safer environment for child development.

Many goals have been set up for the period. Including reducing the infant mortality rate to below 5.5%, providing soft skills and defence skills against abusive behaviours against 80% of children and knowledge about child protection to 70% of families with children.

The city has committed itself to helping 100% of disadvantaged children in Danang. The city authorities will also provide support to help disabled children access education and other services more easily. The city authorities vowed to help 100% children who have suffered from natural disasters and reduce the number of abused children.

Danang People’s Committee asked the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to work with other agencies to implement and monitor the programme. They must also report the results back regularly.

The people’s committees of districts and wards in the city were asked to develop a child protection plan in accordance with the situation in each locality.

Hundreds of pine trees poisoned in Dak Nong

Authorities in the central highlands province of Dak Nong are investigating a forest destruction case in which some 400 pine trees have just been poisoned and burned.

According to local authorities, many of the trees planted in 2020 in a forest managed by Quang Son Company in Dak-G’Long District were poisoned by herbicides before being burned down.

The burning of the forest occurred on March 27 which caused damage to about 3,000 square metres of the forest before the company was able to control the fire.

“Maybe someone did that to take forest land for farming,” the authorities said. “We are co-operating with the company to investigate the case.”

Many forest destruction cases have occurred recently in the area. Illegal loggers usually cut down or use chemicals to poison the trees and use petrol to burn them down.

A report from the forest protection agency in Dak Nong Province said that between 2010-2019, the forest area in two communes of Quang Son and Dak Ha reduced by 226 hectares including 32 hectares of pine trees being poisoned.

The agency noted that the situation was caused by lax management by local authorities and the support of some local officials.

Cho Ray Hospital becomes Int’l Society of Nephrology training centre

Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City has been selected as one of 21 regional training centres of the Belgium-based International Society of Nephrology (ISN).

The hospital will become a training centre in nephrology (the study of kidneys) over a five-year period to 2026, and that status will be maintained if it fulfils ISN’s criteria.

Cho Ray will provide in-depth specialised training to improve patient care in Vietnam and other countries in the region in the fields of general nephrology, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and transplants.

Training activities will be in the form of hosting fellows and educational meetings and workshops on regionally relevant topics, and sharing knowledge and expertise via the ISN Educational Ambassadors of Continuing Medical Education programme, among others.

Alongside Cho Ray, other medical establishments selected in Oceania and Southeast Asia include Malaysia’s Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok.

ISN Regional Training Centres play a key role in ISN’s continuing efforts to establish and develop nephrology in developing countries./.

Vietnam attends ADSOM+ Working Group meeting

Lieut. Gen. Vu Chien Thang, Director of the Defence Ministry’s Foreign Relations Department, led a Vietnamese delegation to attend a meeting of the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus Working Group (ADSOM+ WG) via videoconference on April 7.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Permanent Secretary of Policy and Strategy at the Brunei Defence Ministry Haji Adi Ihram Bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, and also attended by heads of ADSOM+ WG of other ASEAN member states and partner countries – Russia, China, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

In his opening remarks, the Bruneian representative emphasised serious impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that several countries are suffering, and highlighted the implementation of COVID-19 vaccinations which, he said, will make countries get closer to recovery in both regional and international levels.

With the main goal of continuing works of the ADSOM+ WG in February, he showed his hope that this meeting will be constructive and successful.

At the event, participants heard reports of ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Working Groups on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, marine security, military medicine, anti-terrorism, peacekeeping, humanitarian mine action and cyber security.

They also exchanged views on a draft joint statement of the eighth ADMM+ and agreed on the dates and agendas of the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus and the eighth ADMM+.

On this occasion, the Bruneian side also provided updates on relevant activities and events within the ADMM+ framework in 2021./.

Vietnam, US see fruitful cooperation in overcoming war aftermaths

The Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) held a ceremony to commemorate 16 victims (nine Vietnamese and seven Americans) of a helicopter accident that happened 20 years ago during activities of searching for US soldiers missing in action in Vietnam.

Addressing the event, Le Chi Dung, head of the Department of American Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director of VNOSMP highlighted that the Vietnamese martyrs’ sacrifice showed the traditional tolerance and humanity of the Vietnamese people.

It contributed to the development of the friendship between the two nations as well as bilateral partnership in surmounting bomb and mine consequences left from war in Vietnam, he said.

Dung also underlined the need to ensure utmost security and safety for all personnel engaging in the search for MIAs of both sides.

For his part, US Defense Attaché in Vietnam Thomas Stevenson showed his respect for Vietnamese martyrs and US soldiers who died in the accident, and extended his sympathy to families of the victims.

He commented that cooperation in MIA searching between Vietnam and the US have been implemented in a safe and effective manner, with new progresses.

He thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their good will and humanitarian policy in seeking American MIAs./.

More congratulations flow in for Vietnamese leaders

Leaders of many countries have sent congratulations to newly-appointed leaders of the State, Government and National Assembly.

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc received messages and letters of congratulations from Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; Indian President Nath Kovind; US President Joe Biden; and UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Congratulations to the State leader also came from Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga; Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra and Vice President Rosario Murillo; and Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received congratulatory messages and letters from Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong; Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha; Indian PM Narendra Modi; and Premier of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Tok Hun.

Congratulations were extended to National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue from Speaker of India’s House of Representatives Om Birla; Speaker of the Senate of Italy Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati; Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar; and Speaker of the Palestinian National Council Saleem Al-Za’anoon./.

Dutch Consulate General holds photo exhibition in HCM City

A special exhibition named “Best of Three Years” was opened by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City on April 7, showcasing a selection of the best World Press Photo Contest winning images from 2018 to 2020.

In the past three years, the Netherlands-based World Press Photo received about 75,000 photos from 125 countries.

The winning photos have been collected and displayed at many places around the world.

Dutch Consul General in HCM City Carel Richter thanked the municipal People’s Committee for its support for the organisation of the exhibition.

This is an activity in celebration of the fine friendship between the Netherlands and Ho Chi Minh City, he stated, adding that several winning photos features cooperation between his country with Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, especially in circular economy water management, food safety and sports.

The exhibition will be open for free until April 16 at Le Van Tam Park on Hai Ba Trung street of District 1./.

Opening round of national billiards and snooker tournament concludes

An awards ceremony for the first round of the one-cushion carom billiards event of the national billiards and snooker tournament was held in Vung Tau city on April 6.

The sporting occasion attracted the participation of 400 athletes from across the country. After four days of competitions, Vo Phuoc Thanh of Ho Chi Minh City and Tran Phu My of Da Nang city progressed to the final round.

Phuoc Thanh easily defeated Phu My 80-13, becoming the winner of the one-cushion carom billiards.

The two third-place prizes were given to Tran Duc Minh of Dong Nai province and Le Quoc Vinh Quang of Ho Chi Minh City.

The winners will now qualify for the final round of the national billiards and snooker tournament which is scheduled to take place in June.

MIA helicopter crash commemorated in Quang Binh

A ceremony was held in the central province of Quang Binh on April 7 to commemorate Vietnamese and US officials who died in a helicopter accident 10 years ago while on a mission to search for US servicemen missing from the war.

A ceremony was held in the central province of Quang Binh on April 7 to commemorate Vietnamese and US officials who died in a helicopter accident 10 years ago while on a mission to search for US servicemen missing from the war.

The ceremony was jointly held by the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP) and the US Joint Prisoners of War (POW), Missing in Actions (MIA) Accounting Command (JPAC).

Present at the ceremony on the Vietnamese side were Deputy Foreign Minister and appointed Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong, VNOSMP Management Board and leaders of Quang Binh province while the US guests included Deputy Assistant Secretary Defence for POW/MIA Robert Newberry and JPAC leaders.

On April 7, 2001, a helicopter of the Northern Service Flight Company carrying two Vietnamese officials of VNOSMP and seven Americans of JPAC was crashed in Thanh Trach commune, Bo Trach district.

All nine passengers and seven crew members were killed in the accident.

Addressing the ceremony, representatives of VNOSMP and JPAC expressed their sympathy to the bereaved, affirming the contributions of the late officials to the joint humanitarian programme conducted by the Vietnamese and US governments.

Representative of the US government thanked the Vietnamese government and people for their goodwill, humanitarian policy and efficient cooperation in helping the US settle the MIA issue.

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

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VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 5

April 5, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Hanoi strives for success despite pandemic

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 5

Hanoi is still determined to boost production and business and develop solutions for socio-economic development.

In the first months of the year, Hà Nội continued to assert itself as one of the leading localities of the country with dramatic growth.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, total products of the city in the first quarter this year were estimated to increase by 5.17 per cent compared to the rate of 4.13 per cent of the same period last year and higher than the general growth rate of the whole country.

The city was interested in developing agriculture, forestry and fisheries, so these sectors were estimated to increase by 2.51 per cent over the same period last year.

In the first months of the year, the weather was favourable for agricultural production, with rice and spring crops growing and developing well.

Cattle and poultry husbandry developed stably, while African swine fever was controlled. The re-herd activities helped the pig herd increase by 18.2 per cent, poultry increased by 5.4 per cent and fishery production increased by 2.9 per cent.

Industry and construction was estimated to increase nearly 8 per cent compared to 5.6 per cent in the first quarter last year, contributing 1.52 percentage points to the general growth.

With the drastic direction of the city, the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled in the community so industrial production gradually regained good growth momentum.

The construction sector gained growth thanks to the city’s drastic implementation of measures to attract investment and accelerate the implementation and disbursement of public investment.

The service sector was estimated to rise by 4.54 per cent, of which a number of industries maintained good growth, including finance, banking and insurance with 7.43 per cent, real estate business by 7.6 per cent, and wholesale and retail with 6.77 per cent.

However, some industries continued to see negative growth such as art and entertainment activities down by more than 15.9 per cent, administration and support services decreased by 7.3 per cent, accommodation and food services down 6.36 per cent, and transportation and warehousing down 2 per cent.

The city reached revenue of VNĐ67.4 trillion (US$2.92 billion), gaining 29.1 per cent of the plan and increasing 2.2 per cent over the same period last year, of which the revenue from import and export activities was VNĐ5.1 trillion (US$2.21 million), reaching 27.3 per cent of the target and increasing by 9 per cent.

However, there were still shortcomings, difficulties and challenges due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to successfully implement the targets of the economic development plan for 2021 – the first year of the 5-year socio-economic development plan in 2021-2025 – the Hà Nội People’s Committee requested all levels and sectors to implement the most important solutions in COVID-19 prevention and control including proactively monitoring and preparing facilities, equipment and vaccine sources.

The city will continue to strongly improve the investment and business environment, accelerate administrative reform, enhance the city’s competitiveness, carry out activities to support production and business, and encourage the application of high technology, supporting industries, digital transformation, agricultural production, processing, and consumption.

The city will focus on promoting the implementation and disbursement of public investment capital, further mobilise private capital for development investment, simplify investment procedures, and speed up licensing and implementing projects.

Ground clearance activities for project implementation, especially key projects of transport infrastructure and industrial parks, will be pushed up.

The agricultural sector was asked to actively watch weather developments and strengthen measures to prevent and control African swine fever, influenza A/H5N6 on poultry, quickly re-herd pigs, further develop cows and poultry, and ensure food hygiene and safety.

The sector must accelerate the crop structure transformation, expand cultivated areas for high yield and quality plants, and restructure large-scale commodity production regions.

The city will also concentrate on developing production and technical infrastructure, calling for businesses and investors to pour money into industrial parks and high-tech zones, paying attention to developing the domestic market in association with the campaign “Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods”, and formulate and implement a plan for consumption promotion programmes.

Hà Nội will build and implement recovery scenarios for its tourism sector by introducing unique tourist products and places attracting tourists to the city.

Besides, all levels and branches needed to further take care of the lives of people with meritorious services to the revolution, job creation and sustainable poverty reduction.

Vietnam has no new COVID-19 cases to report on April 5 morning

Vietnam recorded no new cases of COVID-19 over the past 12 hours to 6am on April 5, keeping the national count at 2,631, including 1,603 domestically-transmitted infections.

The Ministry of Health said 910 COVID-19 cases have been detected since January 27 when the third wave of outbreaks hit the country.

There are 27,487 people who had close contact with confirmed cases or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit areas under medical monitoring at present.

As many as 2,383 patients have recovered from the disease while the number of related fatalities is kept at 35, the treatment sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reported.

Among those still under treatment, 38 have tested negative for the coronavirus once, 15 others twice, and 28 thrice.

The health ministry said 9,158 people were vaccinated against the pandemic last week, raising the number of vaccinated people in 19 cities and provinces to 52,431 as of 4pm on April 4. They are frontline medical workers and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups and the National Steering Committee.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Health ministry, WHO launch campaign on smoke-free restaurants and hotels in Hanoi

The Vietnamese health ministry along with the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Vietnam on April 3 launched a campaign to encourage smoke-free restaurants and hotels in Hanoi.

Addressing the campaign, WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park said every year, 8 million people died from tobacco use around the world.

In Vietnam, 15 million adults smoke while the number of passive smokers is 75 million.

Nearly 40,000 people die each year in the country from tobacco use along with about 6,000 casualties from secondhand smoking, the WHO official said, urging an end to “the deaths of these blameless victims” of passive smoking.

“WHO called upon you to begin this with implementing smoke-free restaurants and hotels, which include simple acts such as placing no smoking signs at visible areas of hotels and restaurants,” the WHO representative told restaurant and hotel owners.

Inspections from law enforcement units would surely result in a higher compliance rate, he added.

Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment and Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, said a smoke-free tourism environment is an effective way to realise people’s right to breathe clean air.

However, smoke-free measures in hotels and restaurants must be carried out more fully, as most owners are not paying due attention to anti-smoking regulations.

According to a 2020 study conducted by the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, the rate of secondhand smoking in these establishments remains high – with 80 percent of customers exposed to smoking in restaurants, and 65 percent in hotels, the Vietnamese health official noted.

About 200 restaurants and hotels in the capital city are expected to join the campaign./.

PM urges drastic measures to develop Mekong Delta

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked ministries, agencies and localities to take drastic measures to boost the development of the Mekong Delta region.

The region accounts for 19 percent of Vietnam’s population and 12 percent of the country’s size is the nation’s biggest agriculture hub.

It contributes half of the national rice production, 95 percent of the rice exports, 65 percent of aquaculture production, 50 percent of fish exports and 70 percent of fruit exports.

The region plays a key role in ensuring the security, political and economic development of Vietnam, so has received a lot of resources to make uses of its advantages and thrive, particularly as it is hard-hit by climate change.

To boost the region’s sustainable development, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been assigned to be a contact point to collect local and international contributions for a new national strategy on sustainable development in the Mekong Delta with climate change-responding measures.

PM Phuc assigned the Ministry of Transport to work with agencies and localities to develop transport infrastructure in the region.

Resources would be given to key works expected to create a driving force for development and regional links, for example, the North-South expressway linking the region with the southeastern region, Chau Doc-Can Tho, Soc Trang route, An Huu-Cao Lanh route, My An-Cao Lanh route, Rach Mieu 2 Bridge, Dai Ngai Bridge, the second phase of the Cho Gao Canal and the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho railway.

Agencies and localities have been urged to speed up preparations to fund investment for Tran De Port and Long An Port and to improve coastal and provincial roads.

The transport ministry has been tasked with defining the river-based economy and making it part of a Government resolution to optimise the region’s dense river/channel networks.

The ministries of education and labour, in cooperation with local authorities, must ensure people can access general education and job training.

Advanced training must also be promoted to help prepare high-quality human resources to increase productivity, income and better manage challenges the region is facing, especially those relating to climate change.

The Ministry of Investment and Planning is responsible for coordinating ministries/agencies and localities to boost links among localities within the region and links between the region and HCM City and southeastern provinces.

PM Phuc also asked for solutions to improve the business climate, administrative reforms and increase the competitiveness of the region.

Agencies and localities must be more flexible in attracting investment, including overseas development assistance and preferential loans.

Investors are encouraged to develop or join projects relating to climate change and adapting to seawater rises.

Localities must arrange funding to respond to climate change’s impacts.

The construction ministry was told to better control urban planning and rearrange residential areas to adapt to rising sea levels.

The environment ministry was told to review and amend land regulations to be compatible with natural changes. Rice growing areas could be shifted to other crops which generate higher economic benefits and are better adapted to climate change.

Agencies were also asked to improve disaster warning capacity and develop climate change response scenarios./.

Directory of agencies supporting survivors of gender-based violence, abuse debuts

A directory listing organisations and agencies offering support for women and child survivors of gender-based violence and abuse in Vietnam, the first of its kind, has been launched.

Tran Thi Bich Loan, deputy head of the Gender Equality Department at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said the launch aims to establish an inter-sectoral network in gender-based violence prevention and combat in the time to come.

The directory is hoped to help victims seek support and protection in times of need, said Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Country Representative of UN Women Vietnam.

The release of the directory is an effort by the MoLISA and UN Women within a joint project to urgently respond to violence against women and children in the context of COVID-19, with sponsorship from the Australian Government and financial and technical assistance from UNFPA and UNICEF.

It was developed with inspiration from the “Directory of Services” initiative for female migrant workers during the pandemic, initiated by UN Women and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), with sponsorship from the EU and within the framework of the “Safe and Fair Migration” project./.

Vietnamese expats join Czech Republic’s efforts to fight COVID-19

Vietnamese expatriates in Ustí nad Labem – Ústecký kraj, the Czech Republic, have present gifts worth nearly 200,000 CZK (over 9,000 USD) to medical workers in Chomutov and Kadaň cities.

The gifts included confectionery, coffee, water and shopping vouchers, among others.

Vice President of the Vietnamese People Chapter in Chomutov city Pham The Quang said that the move aims to express gratitude to medical workers, who have directly confronted risks of COVID-19 infection to aid patients and help to prevent the spread of the pandemic over the past year.

Particularly, they have worked relentlessly to care for the patients, including Vietnamese citizens, he added.

The Vietnamese community has been commended for their contributions to the host nation. At the outset of 2020, the community donated more than 252,000 CZK to support people with disabilities, and upgrade the fire-fighting system at sponsorship centres for people with disabilities in Chomutov, following a fire at a sponsorship centre that killed eight people and injured 30 others.

The community has also joined hands with local authorities to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through sewing face masks and providing food for frontline workers. Besides, it mobilised some 300,000 CZK to buy ventilators for Maysaryk hospital./.

Over 10,000 job vacancies introduced at HCM City’s job fair 2021

More than 10,000 jobs were offered at the job fair 2021 jointly held on April 3 by the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Employment Services (YES) Centre and Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper.

The event attracted the participation of more than 50 enterprises operating in the city and surrounding provinces.

The job offers focus on the fields of business, accounting, marketing, sale, delivery, production, retail and catering services.

Many enterprises also introduced labour cooperation internship programmes abroad in the fields of mechanics, construction, food processing, electronic assembly, packaging and agriculture with an average salary of over 28 million VND (1,216 USD) per month.

Yes Centre Director Nguyen Quang Cuong said that the new feature of this year’s programme is that the centre signed a plan to coordinate with the police force and the Military High Command of the city to offer jobs for demobilized soldiers and public security soldiers who complete their obligations.

The centre also has a programme for workers who have completed their overseas labour contracts (especially workers returning from the Republic of Korea under the ES programme and from Japan under the IM Japan programme) to help them stabilise their lives./.

Four arrested in Dien Bien for illegally taking people abroad

The border guard and police in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien have arrested four people for their attempt to illegally bring Chinese nationals to Laos.

One of the four, Nguyen Van Sinh, born in 1988 and residing in Pom Lot commune, Dien Bien district, was captured on April 1 in Ca Hau hamlet, Na U commune, Dien Bien district, when he was leading a taxi with four Chinese citizens towards the border area.

Sinh said he hired two taxis to transport nine Chinese from Dien Bien Phu city to Na U commune, then Va A Phong, a local resident in the commune, would take them to the border area for illegal immigration into Laos.

From Sinh’s testimony, competent forces arrested Va A Phong, born in 2000 in Con Cang hamlet, Na U commune, while he was taking five Chinese nationals to the border area.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Thinh, born in 1985 and residing in Thanh Hoa hamlet, Thanh Luong commune, Dien Bien district, and Nguyen Van Nhat, born in 1986 and residing in hamlet 4, Pom Lot commune, Dien Bien district, were summoned to clarify their roles in the case.

The Chinese nationals said they had business establishments in Laos, and they were expelled from the nation in 2020. Via social network, they contacted with a person, suspected to be Vietnamese, who said he would pick people from China’ Yunnan province to Vietnam’s northern area where they would cross the border illegally to Laos. Each needed to pay some 250 million VND (10,859 USD) for the transportation.

Further investigation into the case is underway./.

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 5

Dong Thap’s border guards get COVID-19 vaccine injections

The Border Guard Command of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, in collaboration with the Military Hospital 120, on April 3 began COVID-19 vaccinations for its officers and soldiers.

Accordingly, from now until April 6, 351 border guard officers and soldiers will be injected. Their health will be monitored via e-records as the Health Ministry’s regulations.

They are the first border guards to be injected with COVID-19 vaccine in Dong Thap province.

The priority has been given to those on duty along the border and at border gates and pandemic prevention and control stations.

Dong Thap province shares a border line of over 50km with Cambodia./.

Vung Tau city to host cuisine week

The 2021 Vung Tau Taste Week will take place from April 24 to May 2 in the coastal city, featuring a wide range of cuisine, art and entertainment activities, the city People’s Committee has announced.

More than 100 booths will showcase popular dishes and street foods from the southern city and other localities across the country.

Cooking demonstrations and contests, fruit and vegetable carving and bartending exhibitions will also be a highlight of the event.

Music and magic performances with the participation of popular singers and artists will entertain visitors every night.

Hoang Vu Thanh, acting chairman of the city People’s Committee, told a meeting held recently to announce the event that it is part of the city’s efforts to promote beach tourism, a main driver of its development.

The city has entrusted the Ba Rịa-Vung Tau province Tourism Association and Sea Star Sai Gon JSC with organising the event./.

Vietnam’s efforts in international maritime cooperation

International maritime cooperation has been expressed through coordination between countries at different levels – bilaterally, regionally, and globally. It is an indispensable need to protect this important “source of life” through the harmonisation of activities at sea and resolving inherent transboundary problems in seas and oceans, especially environmental issues.

The current situation requires that countries in the East Sea region attach importance to international maritime cooperation, in order to maximise the potential brought about by the sea as well as to resolve and handle the challenges in order to create a peaceful and stable environment in the waterway, serving national construction and development. Like most other coastal countries, Vietnam has increasingly emphasised international maritime cooperation, and has taken the initiative in expanding foreign relations as well as international and regional integration.

As a responsible coastal nation, the resolution to ratify the Law on the Sea from the National Assembly in 1994 affirms the country’s determination to encourage maritime cooperation. Vietnam has advocated the use of regulations on international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to settle disputes in the East Sea.

Regarding the handling and settling of disputes, on the basis of international law, Vietnam successfully resolved problems on the delimitation of the sea in the Gulf of Thailand with Thailand in 1997 and in the Gulf of Tonkin with China in 2000, and the delimitation of the continental shelf with Indonesia in 2003. It is actively negotiating the delimitation of overlapping waters with countries such as China in the area outside of the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin, and with Indonesia in the area overlapping the exclusive economic zone between the two countries in the East Sea.

In specialised maritime fields, Vietnam has established an extensive international cooperation network with countries with strong economic, scientific, and technological potential in the sea, such as Russia, Japan, the US, and China, as well as regional and international organisations.

Over the years, Vietnam has always actively developed relations with other countries in the world, thereby constantly expanding and enhancing international marine cooperation.

Vietnam has also established a maritime dialogue mechanism with countries such as the US, Australia, and India, among others, to promote awareness among related parties of maritime issues, creating a strong foundation for international maritime cooperation.

It can be said that Vietnam’s achievements in international maritime cooperation are both a concrete expression of the Party and State’s foreign policy and the result of implementing this correct policy.

International marine cooperation has made an important contribution to strengthening political trust, relations, and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries, to gradually settle disputes at sea and create a peaceful and stable environment for development while helping to mobilise the necessary resources and knowledge to serve the country’s industrialisation and modernisation./.

Children’s Council model makes children’s voices heard

The Children’s Council model has helped Hanoi authorities and agencies understand aspirations and needs regarding the development of children, heard a recent event to review the Council’s operation in the city in 2017-2020.

The model also has served as an important representative for children of the city over the more than three years since its establishment.

Chairman of the Hanoi Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organisation (HYPO) Ly Duy Xuan stressed that care, education and protection of children are for the sake of the country’s long-term benefit and the State and people must work to create optimal conditions for their comprehensive development.

Under the Prime Minister’s Decision 1235/QD-TTg dated August 3, 2015 on approving a programme on promoting children’s involvement in child-related issues, Hanoi is among five provinces and cities selected for the pilot of the Children’s Council model.

In the reviewed period, the municipal Children’s Council, set up with 41 members, arranged over 300 activities to garner children’s opinions at grassroots level and held five meetings at city level, with focus on tackling learning pressure, school violence, and child abuse in the community and cyber space, among others.

Members of the Council also joined regular training courses to improve soft and social skills so as to better fulfil their role.

Although the model is newly-launched, its members have exerted efforts to hold numerous practical activities. Many children’s opinions have been inscribed in Hanoi’s legal documents./.

Over 6.4 million poor households access social policy bank loans

As of March, more than 6.4 million poor and near-poor households had won access to loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP).

The bank said its total credit balance stood at 230.55 trillion VND (10.01 billion USD) at the end of last month, up 4.35 trillion VND as compared with the end of 2020.

Up to 169.52 trillion VND or 73.5 percent of the credit balance was used to serve production, business and job generation, and the remainder for improving the livelihood.

The bank’s accumulative credit loans reached 239.2 trillion VND, up 5.77 percent from last year.

Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong, who is also Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the VBSP, said since the beginning of this year, the VBSP has taken prompt actions in disbursement to meet capital demand of poor and near-poor households, and other social policy beneficiaries.

She ordered stepping up the reception of trusted capital from local bank for social policies, as well as the mobilisation of deposits from organisations and individuals, while better retrieving due debts during the second quarter. /.

Autotech & Accessories 2021 to be held both offline, online

The 17th Saigon International Autotech & Accessories Show (Autotech & Accessories 2021) is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from May 20 to 23 with both offline and online activities.

The event, which will feature more than 300 booths, is organised by the Asia Trade Fair and Business Promotion JSC with the support of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam Association for Supporting Industry.

Organisers said as the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting almost all aspects, including business matching and trade promotion activities, they decided to hold the Autotech & Accessories 2021 in both offline and online formats, which will concurrently help enhance cooperation among enterprises, prevent coronavirus transmission, and promote green practices towards sustainable development.

The online show will be held in three phases: from Mary 20 to 23 (at the same time with the offline one), from June 30 to July 2, and from October 27 to 31 at www.virtualautotech.com.vn and www.autotechonline.com.vn.

The virtual exhibition applies modern technologies to simulate businesses’ factories, showrooms, and products and enable visitors to connect with exhibitors, according to organisers./.

Bac Giang tapping biotechnology in socio-economic development

The northern province of Bac Giang will promote the application of biotechnology and new material technologies to serve socio-economic development, according to the director of the Bac Giang Provincial Department of Science and Technology Nguyen Thanh Binh.

Located in the northern key economic zone and adjacent to major centres such as Hanoi, Hai Phong city, and Quang Ninh province, Bac Giang boasts favourable conditions for economic development.

A particular focus of biotechnology and new material technologies is the fields of breeding, preserving, and processing agricultural and forestry products, especially key products such as lychee, Yen The chicken, Yen Dung fragrant rice, Lang Giang mushrooms, Tan Yen peanuts, Hiep Hoa grapefruit, and Son Dong honey; the treatment of waste and wastewater in industrial zones and clusters and trade villages; and health and medical surveillance technology.

The province is also stepping up the application of advanced materials and fuel-saving and environmentally-friendly technologies in production and daily life.

It prioritises developing science and technology, especially biotechnology and new material technologies, supporting the establishment of and improvements to the operational efficiency of science and technology enterprises, innovative enterprises, and start-ups in the fields of information technology, biotechnology, and new material technologies.

Meanwhile, the provincial centre for science and technology application will form an experimental area and conduct research and application and transfer biotechnology and new material technologies.

Over recent years, the strong application of biotechnology has had a positive impact on the province. Its Department of Science and Technology has deployed 91 national and provincial level projects to date in the field of biotechnology, which has been applied to develop high-yield, good-quality crops and animals and contributed to economic restructuring, improving the quality, commercial value, and competitive edge of local agricultural products. By way of example, the breeding and development of new fruit trees such as V2 orange, ODL guava, MC17 and Choquete avocado, late ripe longan, and early thieu litchi have yielded hundreds of billions of VND a year.

Bac Giang has also applied VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards in cultivation at 39 percent of orchards and used QR Codes for tracing product origin, together with the iMetos smart weather station, the VietGAP app, and drip irrigation technology.

The province has recently expanded its VietGAP-standard lychee coverage to 14,300 ha and its GlobalGAP-standard coverage to 258 ha. It also has 218 ha of lychee with cultivation codes granted for export to the US, Australia, and the EU.

Using drip irrigation technology, biological fertilisers, and pesticides, and following VietGAP standards, a tea production model in Yen The district has posted a 20-30 percent increase annually in productivity and revenue. The success of the model helped expand the district’s tea growing area to 530 ha, with a combined output of over 4,300 tonnes a year.

Many local enterprises have applied biotechnology in pollution treatment and environmental pollution recovery. The application of biotechnology in socio-economic development contributed to economic growth in the province averaging 14% per year in the 2015-2020 period. It currently has more than 160 enterprises and household businesses operating in the production of building materials applying new material technologies, including the production of unfired bricks.

Unfired brick production line at Song Cau Ha Bac Joint Stock Company (Source: baobacgiang.com.vn)

In the field of medicine, new material technologies have also made a positive contribution to local medical examinations and treatment, such as the application of nanopolymer in medicine and nanomaterials in biomedicine. Their application has also contributed to medical examinations and treatment of local people.

Bac Giang implemented 74 national and provincial science and technology projects in various fields during the 2015-2020 period, with total funding of over 222 billion VND./.

Quang Tri aims to become first province to be safe from UXOs

The central province of Quang Tri is striving to, by 2025, become the first province in Vietnam to be safe from unexploded ordnances (UXO) left over by the war.

The locality has, starting from 1995, had success in the mobilisation of aid from international and non-governmental organisations to deal with the deadly legacy of war.

It is the most polluted locality in terms of UXOs which are scattered over 81 percent of its land area, and have killed over 3,430 people and injured 5,100 so far during peace-time.

Over the last 26 years, it has mobilised nearly 144 million USD from international and non-governmental organisations to help it mark off more than 446 million sq.m of land contaminated with cluster bombs and treat around 86 million sq.m of this kind of land.

Over 740,700 bombs, mines and other ordnances have been found and detonated, while tens of thousands of locals have received support in livelihoods.

2018 was the first year Quang Tri reported no accidents from bombs and mines.

Since 1995, US non-governmental organisations have assisted Quang Tri in seeking resources for the implementation of relevant programmes and projects, and helped bomb and mine victims with tens of millions of US dollars.

The US’s Peace Trees Vietnam is the first foreign non-governmental organisation licensed by the Vietnamese Government to operate in UXO search and clearance.

Thanks to the support from US non-governmental organisations, Quang Tri has detoxified some 187 million sq.m of land and deactivated hundreds of thousands of shells.

Assistance has also come for the training of technicians of international standard, the application of cutting-edge technologies in bomb and mine clearance, and the creation of jobs for nearly 900 local people.

RENEW is a cooperative programme between Quang Tri and foreign NGOs to restore the environment and address the consequences of war, especially UXOs. The main foreign partner in the programme now is the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

Quang Tri aims to clear about 3,000 ha of contaminated land and mobilise 10 million USD each year for the task during the 2021-2025 period, and announce dangerous areas to the public.

Also each year, up to 60,000 people can access education programmes on bombs and mines, and 1,300-1,500 victims and their families are expected to receive support in healthcare and livelihood development.

By 2025, all local schools will include bomb and mine education in their curricular.

Quang Tri is set to develop its provincial bomb and mine action centre into a regional one with multiple activities, said Nguyen Trieu Thuong, Director of the provincial Department of External Affairs and deputy head of the standing board of the provincial steering committee for the settlement of UXO./.

Hanoi FC coach Nghiem resigns after Da Nang defeat

Hà Nội FC yesterday announced that coach Chu Đình Nghiêm had handed in his resignation, ending his glittering five-year reign.

It’s fair to wonder if the 49-year-old jumped before he was pushed, as a 2-0 defeat away to SHB Đà Nẵng on Friday coming soon after an embarrassing 1-1 draw at home against minnows Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh had left the club in crisis.

Regardless, Hà Nội announced that the club’s leadership had accepted Nghiêm’s resignation on Sunday.

Nghiêm leaves his side in the sixth position in the V.League 1 with 10 points after six matches, a disappointing start to a season in which the club were widely tipped to return to the top of local football.

Last season was also a struggle for Hà Nội as the side finished second after winning the title in 2019.

In his more than five seasons in charge, Nghiêm helped the team win the V.League 1 in 2016, 2018 and 2019; the National Cup in 2019 and 2020: the National Super Cup in 2018, 2019 and 2020; as well as enter the AFC Cup’s ASEAN Zonal finals in 2019.

The team moved quickly to announce a replacement coach before their next match against local rivals Viettel in the Hà Nội derby on Wednesday.

Former Việt Nam national team coach Hoàng Văn Phúc will take charge of the team on a temporary basis, an announcement on the official Hà Nội FC Facebook page said.

Phúc has worked as a youth coach for Hà Nội after many years in charge of Quảng Nam. In addition to the V.League 1 title in 2017 with Quảng Nam, Phúc coached the national team and U23 national team in 2013.

The country’s most successful team in recent years are facing an injury crisis at present, with star midfielder Đỗ Hùng Dũng out for the long-term, while Brazilian forwards Geovane Magno and Bruno Cunha both missed Friday’s match due to injures.

Four arrested in Dien Bien for attempting to smuggle Chinese nationals into Laos

Border guards and police in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên have arrested four people for attempting to illegally bring Chinese nationals to Laos.

One of the four, Nguyễn Văn Sinh, 33, residing in Pom Lót Commune, Điện Biên District, was detained on April 1 in Ca Hâu Hamlet, Na Ư Commune, Điện Biên District, when he was driving a taxi with four Chinese citizens towards the border area.

According to police, Sinh said he hired two taxis to transport nine Chinese nationals from Điện Biên Phủ City to Na Ư Commune, then Và A Phong, a local resident in the commune, would take them to the border area for illegal immigration into Laos.

After detaining Sinh, forces arrested Và A Phong, 21, who lives in Con Cang Hamlet, Na Ư Commune, while he was taking five Chinese nationals to the border area.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Văn Thịnh, 36, residing in Thanh Hòa Hamlet, Thanh Luông Commune, Điện Biên District, and Nguyễn Văn Nhật, 35 and residing in hamlet 4, Pom Lót Commune, Điện Biên District, were summoned to clarify their roles in the case.

The Chinese nationals said they had business establishments in Laos and were expelled from the nation in 2020. Via social networks, they contacted a person, suspected to be Vietnamese, who said he could take people from China’s Yunnan Province to Việt Nam’s northern area where they would cross the border illegally to Laos. Each needed to pay some VNĐ250 million (US$10,859) for the transportation.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Quang Tri Youth Union helps poor kids stay in school

The sight of the blue shirts of Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union members of central Quảng Trị Province has become familiar to the people in Hải Dương Commune, Hải Lăng District.

Their work has helped dozens of children in extremely difficult circumstances stay in school and look forward to a brighter future.

Lê Minh Đức, a second-grade student from Nhiên Khánh Village, lives with his grandparents because his mother died and his father has to work far from home to earn a living.

Every month, Đức receives encouragement and VNĐ300,000 (US$13) from the local Youth Union.

“The youngsters visit my family every month and help me learn. I’m so happy and will try my best to study well,” Đức told Tin Tức (News) online newspaper.

Đức is one of 77 children in an extremely difficult situation that the Youth Union of Quảng Trị Province has supported.

The programme to help poor kids was launched by the Youth Union in 2015 in Vĩnh Hà and Vĩnh Sơn communes, Vĩnh Linh District.

The work has received a positive response from many local unions and a large number of young people and has been replicated across five districts, towns and cities.

Lê Thị Hồng Tươi, a local fourth-grade girl, faces many difficulties. Her mother was paralysed in an accident in 2019 and her dad has to support all five people in her family.

“After class, I help my father to look after my young brother and do housework,” said Tươi.

“I love my father very much. He has to work to have money for my mother’s treatment and our study. Fortunately, the youth union’s help eases the burden on my family.”

In addition to monthly support of VNĐ300,000 to VNĐ1 million, Youth Union members also stay in close contact with the school about the kids’ studies and help them study at home.

The Youth Union’s efforts have helped the children improve their academic results, according to Võ Trung Hiếu, vice chairman of People’s Committee of Hải Dương Commune.

“The programme has motivated the children not to give up their studies and become confident and amiable. It shares the economic burden of poor families and helps the children nurture their dreams,” said Trần Thị Thu, provincial Youth Union secretary.

“It also encourages young people to share their compassion for the poor.”

Innovation contest helps bring student’s engineering products to light

The three winners of this year’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) contest organised by USAID and Dow Vietnam have been announced.

The EPICS programme in Việt Nam was launched in 2018 jointly by the USAID Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) Alliance, Arizona State University, and Dow Vietnam STEM Program.

Students from Lạc Hồng University in Đồng Nai Province, who made an electric wheelchair, won the first prize.

The wheelchair incorporates extra batteries and a motor module into the frame, and has a solar panel.

The second and third prizes went to students from the University of Đà Nẵng – University of Science and Technology and the HCM City University of Technology.

The former made a protective coat for drivers for ride-hailing services, and said motorbike taxis are becoming increasingly popular, and their drivers face growing risks of being robbed.

The coat uses material that cannot be pierced, thus preventing life-threatening dangers even if they are robbed, and it is cooler in summer, they said.

Besides, it would automatically send their location and emergency signals to first responders and family members if the drivers press the SOS button on it, they added.

The students from the HCM City University of Technology made a smart greenhouse dryer designed especially for seafood and aimed at small businesses.

It helps prevent contamination, takes less time to dry and enables users to keep track of quality.

It uses solar energy, reducing energy use by 80 per cent.

The three inventions were chosen out of 34 entries from six universities.

EPICS is an internationally recognised service-learning model where students make engineering prototypes to address social issues. It was the fifth EPICS contest held in Việt Nam.

Students’ innovation and service-learning at Vietnamese universities are supported through Building University-Industry Learning and Development funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Innovation and Technology Alliance with Arizona State University in the US, and Dow Vietnam.

The partner universities in HCM City, Đà Nẵng and Cần Thơ are converting EPICS from an extracurricular activity into an elective course.

The adoption of international engineering programmes helps them train young engineers.

Life largely back to ‘new normal’ in Hai Duong

Normal life has returned to Hải Dương Province after more than two months struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social distancing was officially lifted on Thursday in the northern province, once the biggest COVID-19 cluster in Việt Nam.

Students have returned to schools and workers have returned to factories. Coffee shops and restaurants are reopened and the whole province is getting used to the “new normal”.

Lê Hải Anh, a Hải Dương City resident, reopened his coffee shop on Thursday morning and was glad to see the number of customers was 10 times higher than a day before when only takeaways were allowed.

To attract more customers and compensate for revenue losses after a long time of closure, he has renovated the shop, added more drinks to the menu and offered takeaway discounts.

“The shop pays attention to disinfection and requires staff to wear face masks,” he said.

Returning to school on Thursday after a long time, more than 1,000 students of Thạch Khôi Primary School in Hải Dương City were excited to meet friends and teachers in person.

All classrooms were sterilised before welcoming students back. Students have their body temperatures checked and are required to sterilise their hands before entering school.

Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, the school’s principal, said students learn for half a day and go back home. The school hasn’t run day boarding classes.

In Hưng Đạo Commune, Chí Linh City, which recorded the first COVID-19 community case in Hải Dương’s outbreak in late January, life in the new normal is a dream for everyone after 60 days of fighting non-stop with the pandemic.

Vũ Huy Đăng, chairman of the commune People’s Committee, said local authorities updated COVID-19 new cases twice a day at 9am and 3pm to timely detect new infections and report to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The outbreak in Hải Dương over the past two months recorded a high number of infections among Poyun Vietnam Company workers.

As the pandemic has been contained in the province, on Thursday, more than 1,200 workers of Poyun Vietnam returned to the factory after being tested for the coronavirus twice.

Worker Mừu Văn Trọng said: “We faced a lot of difficulties when production suspended during the pandemic. We all felt excited when the lockdown was lifted and we were able to get back to work.”

Chen Shu Ming, who leads a team of workers at Poyun, said: “We found that the best way to protect ourselves is to wear face masks and keep a distance between each other while eating. The company gives a bottle to each worker for personal use.”

Workers in some sections wear spit-shielding masks. Meal times have been extended to ensure not too many workers eat at the same time.

A representative of Poyun Vietnam said after halting production, the company was facing difficulties due to a lack of labourers. Although the company had taken anti-virus measures, workers were still worried and had not all returned.

The company wants the Government to give permission to vaccinate the workers so more of them feel safe and return to work.

According to Hải Dương authorities, the province has more than 350,000 labourers working at 14,000 businesses. About 95 per cent of local businesses have resumed operation.

Recovering production and preventing the virus are their dual tasks after the resumption.

At businesses that recorded infections, special COVID-19 working teams are still on duty to detect new possible cases.

Local authorities said the province would not neglect prevention methods and would stick to COVID-19 protocols.

Outdoor food stalls and non-essential services such as massage parlours, pubs, karaoke parlours, game centres and movie theatres will be suspended until April 15 across the province.

In Kim Thành Commune, which still has 28 community cases, markets and restaurants are ordered to be closed until April 10.

Local residents said that was a proper decision to completely contain the pandemic in the commune.

HCM City cracks down on clandestine cosmetic surgery clinics

The HCM City Department of Health found 19 unlicensed cosmetic surgery clinics operating clandestinely during a three-week inspection campaign, Dr Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, its chief inspector, said.

They were in luxury apartments, hotels, coffee shops, and houses, and concealed their surgical tools to elude authorities, he said.

Lê Công Vân, head of the HCM City Police Department’s administrative management of social order division, suggested revoking the licences of those who could not furnish the necessary papers during the inspection.

Vân said, “I will look into [it] and report to the city police for appropriate action if the local police had indeed failed to perform their duty.”

The police and Department of Health plan to form a team to crack down on plastic surgery centres that do not have all the requisite licences or offer services they are not licensed for.

Dr Nguyễn Phan Tú Dung, director of JW Korea Plastic Hospital, said his hospital received numerous patients with complications from cosmetic surgeries they get done at dubious clinics because of their low fees. Doctors at these centres mostly did not undergo professional cosmetic surgery training, he said.

Last year the number of such patients at his hospital was five times as in 2019, he added.

The department has launched an app called Tra cứu khám chữa bệnh that carries lists of legal and trustworthy plastic surgery centres and those penalised for lack of licences.

Another app, Y tế trực tuyến, allows people to blow the whistle on illegal centres, and inspectors then carry out raids within 24 hours.

Hanoi asks for special mechanism to renovate apartment buildings

Renovating and rebuilding old apartment buildings in Hà Nội is not only an urgent social issue but also will help improve the city’s urban look and boost its economic development.

That was the message from the city People’s Committee chairman Chu Ngọc Anh, who has asked the Government for a special mechanism to address problems relating to old apartment buildings.

There are about 1,579 old apartment buildings in the city in need of improvement. Most were built between 1960s and 1992 in inner districts of Ba Đình, Hoàn Kiếm, Đống Đa and Hai Bà Trưng.

Of the buildings, 1,273 belong to 76 apartment building zones – 34 zones with areas of more than two hectares each and 42 zones with areas of less than two hectares each. The remaining 306 old buildings are located separately across the four inner districts.

Almost all are in poor condition, degrading for many years. They are now owned or used by organisations or individuals. Many have been illegally enlarged by home owners, threatening the safety of those who live there.

Since early 2000s, Hà Nội began making plans to renovate the old buildings.

However, since 2014, only 18 old buildings in the city were renovated and rebuilt, said mayor Chu Ngọc Anh, adding that difficulties in mechanism hindered the restoration.

House users refusing to move or being not happy with compensations are among major reasons for the delay of restoration projects. Meanwhile, investors are not interested in such projects due to current restrictions imposed on buildings in Hà Nội’s inner districts, for example, height limits.

To speed up the building renovation projects, Hà Nội has asked the Government to allow it to conduct technical examinations of all old apartment buildings in the city and then develop a renovation plan.

Options must match investment modes and the current situation of old buildings to ensure the feasibility of renovation projects, Ngọc Anh said.

In apartment building zones, new buildings will be built on available land, replacing public works. Public works would be constructed after the old apartment buildings are removed. New apartment buildings will be designed with the number of storeys limited and more underground parking areas.

In small-sized zones, once the old buildings are renovated or rebuilt, home owners will be relocated to other buildings in the same wards or districts.

People living in separated old buildings will be relocated into a zone. Land plots at prime locations will be given to commercial works or commercial housing to further attract investors.

Chairman Chu Ngọc Anh said the city expected the Government and National Assembly to issue a resolution with special power given to it to tackle old apartment buildings.

“Hà Nội commits to following planning, ensuring population and housing targets, reducing construction density and properly arrange land for commercial and service works when increasing the height of buildings,” he said.

Legal proceedings launched in mental hospital drugs case in Hanoi

The Investigation Agency for drug-related crimes under the Hà Nội Police has launched legal proceedings against Nguyễn Xuân Quý and other four accomplices on charges of selling, storing and organising the illegal use of drugs.

The other suspects are Nguyễn Văn Ngọc, Nguyễn Trung Nguyên , Nguyễn Công Thương and Lê Hoàng Hải.

Earlier on Wednesday Hà Nội police announced they had busted a drug trafficking ring that was being run out of a hospital.

According to police, a mentally ill man ran the ring from National Psychiatric Hospital No 1.

The ringleader has been identified as Nguyễn Xuân Quý, 38, who resides in Hà Nội’s Thanh Trì District.

Police investigations stated that Quý was sent to the hospital for treatment in November 2018.

He repeatedly left the hospital during treatment. In January this year, Quý was arrested by the police of Hai Bà Trưng District on charges of illegally possessing drugs but was returned to the hospital due to his mental illness.

The investigation revealed that after a long time at the hospital, he formed close relationships with a number of hospital staff and was free to come and go as he pleased.

Quý renovated a treatment room into a soundproof room and installed large speakers and laser lights to use as a place to take and sell drugs.

As well as Quý and his friends, some hospital staff were also offered drugs in the room.

He sold drugs at the hospital by telling his customers to pretend to be caregivers.

To avoid being detected, Quý hired Nguyễn Trung Nguyễn and Nguyễn Công Thường to disguise themselves as delivery drivers and stand at the hospital gate as lookouts. They also delivered drugs to customers.

On March 20 morning, Nguyễn Văn Ngọc, Nguyễn Công Thương and Nguyễn Trung Nguyên were caught red-handed while they were driving a car to deliver drugs to customers. Police seized four plastic packages containing suspected drugs in Ngọc’s pockets and three bags in the back seat next to Thương. Later the contents were determined to be drugs.

The same day, Quý was caught using drugs with seven others at Riverside Hotel in Hà Nội’s Hai Bà Trưng District.

Later that day, the Police Department for Investigation of Drug-related Crimes raided the hospital room and seized more than 6kg of drugs of various kinds, including ecstasy, methamphetamine and ketamine.

Police also initiated legal proceedings against Nguyễn Anh Vũ, a technician from the rehabilitation and traditional medicine at the hospital accused of not denouncing the crime.

All the suspects reportedly admitted their crimes.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police propose prosecuting Mường Thanh Group chairman for deceiving customers

Hanoi police on Friday proposed the prosecution of Le Thanh Than, chairman of the Muong Thanh Group, for customer fraud.

The proposal came after police completed an investigation into alleged customer deception and lack of responsibility causing serious consequences that occurred at the CT6 Kiến Hưng Project, in Kiến Hưng Ward, Hà Đông District.

The police proposed prosecuting seven defendants including Thản, 71, Nguyễn Duy Uyển, 57, chairman of Kiến Hưng Ward People’s Committee, Vương Đăng Quân, 63, former deputy chief construction inspector of Hà Đông District, Mai Quang Bài, an official of the construction management team of Hà Đông District, and three others who are officials of the Kiến Hưng Ward and Hà Đông District People’s Committees.

Thản is suspected of violating the law at the investment project to build the Bemes apartment complex and commercial (CT6) in Kiến Hưng Ward.

Regarding the incident, in May 2018, apartment owners at CT6 apartment submitted an application to Hà Nội authorities to receive their land-use right certificates but discovered the CT6 apartment building was ineligible to issue the certificates, though they had been led to believe it was.

Thản is one of the country’s top real estate tycoons and the head of a large corporation.

Mường Thanh Group operates in many fields such as real estate investment and business, travel services, restaurant and hotel, shopping malls, finance and retail supermarket.

According to Clause 2, Article 198 of the Penal Code, Thản’s could be fined VNĐ100-500 million (US$4,300-21,600) or imprisoned from 1-5 years.

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

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VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS MARCH 19

March 19, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

Animal feed imports soar in first two months

VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS MARCH 19

In the first two months of this year, the total import turnover for animal feed and materials reached $650 million, signifying an increase of 26.2 per cent on-year, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

While Vietnam’s agricultural production and livestock sectors have been growing from strength to strength, it has been largely ignoring securing local material sources to produce animal feed. Thus, about 70-80 per cent of materials are imported from overseas. The import turnover of these goods ranked first among the import goods in the agricultural sector.

The reasons for this are the lack of supply sources and the higher price of domestic materials compared to import goods.

In 2020, Vietnam’s total import turnover of these goods was $3.84 billion, up 3.75 per cent on-year, while export turnover was only $800 million.

The two main import markets of Vietnam are Brazil and Argentina with sweet corn ($584 million)in 2020 and animal feed ($391 million).

The lack of proactivity in meeting the demand for these materials opens the industry up to potential price fluctuations.

In general, animal feed makes up 70 per cent of the production cost of livestock, thus an increase in material prices will push the price of domestic livestock products over imported products.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that Vietnam currently has 265 animal feed manufacturing factories, 85 of which are invested by foreign enterprises.

PM hosts Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association delegation

Representatives from the Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association (VASEAN) have asked for stronger support from the Government and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for the business community to overcome difficulties brought about by COVID-19 pandemic and recover and expand production, during a meeting with the PM in Hanoi on March 18.

They lauded the Government’s efforts in controlling COVID-19, which has helped maintain production and business activities, while showing hope for more favourable conditions in terms of mechanism and policies related to land use and credit, as well as smoother business and investment environment.

Formed in 2008 under the initial name of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Economic Cooperation Development Association, the VASEAN groups Vietnamese businesses, scientists, individuals and organisations operating in areas related to economic, investment, trade and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and ASEAN member countries as well as other partners including Japan, China, the RoK and India.

Over the years, the association has helped its members explore ASEAN market, while contributing opinions to the State’s policy-making.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Phuc said that Vietnam has managed to overcome difficulties in all fields, especially those brought by COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, thus successfully implementing the twin target, posting high growth and integrating deeply into the world.

He noted that Vietnam has signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), opening up a massive space for cooperation. Meanwhile, the country has ensured stable macroeconomic situation and the people’s living conditions, he said, adding that the country’s higher position, stable socio-economic situation and people’s solidarity are good conditions for businesses.

Lauding the achievements of the business community, he underscored that the Party and State have given optimal conditions for people and enterprises to develop, while protecting their legitimate rights.

The PM stressed the significance of promoting ties with ASEAN countries, especially in economy, asserting that this greatly depends on the dynamism of businesses. Last year, Vietnam successfully hosted the ASEAN Summit, he said, adding that cooperation chances with the association remain abundant.

He suggested that Vietnamese businesses carefully explore these markets to design sustainable business strategy.

The PM also showed his hope that VASEAN members will help connect Vietnam and partners in ASEAN region and the rest of the world./.

Adjusted planning of Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone approved

The Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh is set to become a key border gate economic zone of Vietnam under a recently amended overall planning scheme on its development until 2040.

According to the planning scheme, with revisions approved by the Prime Minister on March 16, the zone covers 17 communes and wards of Mong Cai city and Quang Ha town, along with Quang Minh, Quang Thanh, Cai Chien, and Quang Phong communes of Hai Ha district.

It will be built into a national key border gate economic zone as well as an important economic development centre of the northern region, the northern coastal economic belt, and the Kunming (China) – Hanoi – Hai Phong – Mong Cai – Fangcheng (China) economic corridor.

The planning scheme looks to turn this zone into a centre of cross-border trade, industry, seaport, logistics, and general services of Quang Ninh province and the northern key economic region; a national tourism site; a modern and sustainable coastal city; and a zone holding special importance in terms of national defence and security.

By 2030, the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone is expected to have a population of about 310,000 – 320,000 and attract 5 – 6 million tourist arrivals annually. The respective figures are set to reach 460,000 – 470,000 and 8 – 9 million by 2040./.

HCM City to focus on reviving tourism sector

One of HCM City’s top priorities in 2021 will be support for the hard-hit tourism sector, according to Deputy Chairwoman of the city People’s Committee Phan Thị Thắng.

At a recent meeting with the Department of Tourism and travel agencies, Thắng said the sector should develop new signature tourism products this year.

Nguyễn Ánh Hoa, director of the Department of Tourism, said that tourism promotions are encouraging local residents to buy tours at prestigious service providers to avoid low-quality products.

She pointed out that the health of local tourism businesses in the first three months of the year was “very weak”.

Hoa proposed that the Government continue tax payment extensions and tax reductions for value-added tax and corporate income tax. It also said that businesses should try to access preferential loans and restructure their repayment periods.

About 90 per cent of small and medium-sized tourism businesses and inbound travel agencies in the city have temporarily stopped operation because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department said.

Only 40-50 per cent of local tour guides and 10 per cent of foreign tour guides now have jobs. All of them are official staff of the remaining travel agencies, while freelance tour guides have switched to other jobs.

Lại Minh Duy, vice chairman of the HCM City Tourism Association, said he was worried about the small number of tourism agencies in the city.

“Tourists from the central and northern regions have paid a lot of attention to new destinations. So the city should promote attractive destinations in city districts, especially in Thủ Đức City and Cần Giờ District,” he said.

Duy added that the Department of Tourism should also work with the Department of Industry and Trade to launch more shopping promotions linked to destinations.

Nguyễn Đông Hòa, deputy general director of Saigontourist, said the company has conducted a field trip to Thiềng Liềng Island in Cần Giờ District, a new potential tourism site, but has faced difficulties in developing new products.

He asked for financial support from the city while the company waits for Government support.

Thắng said that the city had conducted many field trips to local heritage sites, but noted that they were not set up to serve tourists.

“It’s necessary to do research and develop signature products as a way to help businesses lure more tourists,” she said.

Thắng asked the department to arrange tourism and cultural events during a safe period. “If the tourism sector organises activities well, other fields will be better as well.”

The total number of international visitors to the city in 2020 was 1.3 million, down 84.8 per cent year on year, while the number of domestic travelers was 15.8 million, a decrease of 48.45 per cent year on year.

Total tourism revenue was estimated at VNĐ84.5 trillion (US$3.66 billion), down 39.66 per cent compared to 2019.

The city targets having 33 million tourists this year.

Covid-19 wipes out nearly VND1 trillion in Halong Bay’s entrance fee revenue

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the revenue earned from entrance fees to visit Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province in 2020 plunged nearly VND1 trillion against that of 2019 to reach only some VND230 billion.

The bay is suffering from the worst revenue on record in the past 20 years, as it saw its revenue reaching a mere VND1.8 billion since the beginning of the year to date, reported Thanh Nien newspaper.

Though the pandemic remains complicated, the management board of the bay has been tasked with earning VND600 billion in revenue from entrance fees this year, said Pham Dinh Huynh, deputy head of the management board.

After Quang Ninh allowed tourism activities to resume from March 2, several days later, Halong Bay still failed to welcome tourists as locals were worried about the coronavirus. On March 8, visitors were offered free entry to the bay and it was also the busiest day so far when it served nearly 100 guests, he said.

Meanwhile, this world heritage site would see up to VND6 billion in daily revenue from entrance fees on peak days before Covid-19, with around 30,000 visitors per day.

To attract more tourists to Halong Bay and other tourist hotspots in Quang Ninh when the coronavirus outbreak in this northern province has been brought under control, the province has introduced many tourism stimulus programs, targetting visitors from the Central, Central Highlands and Southern regions.

VNR plans new railway stations to increase connectivity

State-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways is planning to build new railway stations, warehouses, and logistics areas to increase connectivity with industrial parks and other means of transport.

The Nghe An provincial People’s Committee last week worked with the working group of Vietnam Railways (VNR) led by chairman Vu Anh Minh to discover possibilities of increasing connectivity of railways with key production areas, import-export areas, and other means of transport.

The North-South railway network runs through 52 wards in Hoang Mai, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, and Vinh city of Nghe An with a total length of 95.5km long.

At present, the rail has 1m gauge which means its capacity is limited, while the stations and the tracks were built decades ago. Worse still, railway stations do not have a goods yard or big warehouses to meet the growing demand for transportation, unloading and loading, and storage.

Specifically, in Vinh city, there are no railway stations featuring large enough goods yards for container loading and unloading. Meanwhile, based on statistics from Nghe An province, in 2020, 99,654 tonnes of cargo and 116,994 passengers were transported via railway in the province, with revenue of VND48.171 billion($2.1 million), equal to 51.1 per cent of the figure from 2019.

In order to improve the situation, VNR and Nghe An authorities studied the areas where goods yards, warehouses, and logistics areas could be constructed so as to increase connectivity with local industrial parks and economic hubs, as well as with other transport infrastructure like roads and ports.

The two sides made fact-finding trips to Sy, My Ly, and Vinh railway stations, as well as Nam Cam Industrial Park. They also visited the areas that were put forth to build Do Dao and Nghi Long railway stations under the project on upgrading the Hanoi-Vinh railway line.

After the meeting, VNR will work with Nghe An People’s Committee on completing the procedures related to the scheme on the management and operation of state-funded railway infrastructure before submitting it to the prime minister for approval.

SMEs supported in accelerating digital transformation

The Digital Transformation Alliance for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (DTS) and the MCV Group signed a cooperation agreement on March 16 on supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote digital transformation.

A digital transformation department to support SMEs in the fields of communications and TV has now been established.

DTS and the MCV Group also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) to begin a chain of activities this year.

The first cooperation programme will be a reality TV show to promote online business and e-commerce, which will be consulted on by DTS and VECOM and produced by the MCV Group. It is scheduled to debut at the end of the second quarter.

Chairman of the MCV Group Pham Tu Liem said cooperation to support digital transformation in SMEs is an important step for all parties in their upcoming operational strategies.

Based on building a sustainable relationship, the three sides will jointly coordinate to promote the development of a diverse range of solutions in the field of complete digital transformation for the TV industry and SMEs in Vietnam, he said.

According to DTS Chairman Leon Truong, the internet and social networks are thriving and TV digitalisation is key for businesses operating in the field.

DTS therefore wants to promote its strengths as a collector of digital transformation ecosystems to support Vietnamese businesses, helping them improve their competitiveness in domestic and international markets.

VECOM Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dung said the cooperation between VECOM, DTS, and MCV will complement each other’s strengths.

DTS will provide technology platforms, VECOM will provide supply chains and online-offline support ecosystems, while the MCV Group, with its digital TV, will create visual images, thus improving consumer confidence in products and promoting purchasing decisions, he added./.

Covid-19 leaves business suffering at HCMC’s busiest backpacker street

Bui Vien walking street, the most popular hub of entertainment for foreign backpackers in District 1 HCMC, is still largely deserted despite the pandemic being relatively contained within the region, leaving local business owners and small traders on the verge of bankruptcy.

Bui Vien walking street, or “Westerner street” as the locals call it, at its best used to see some 2,000-5,000 visitors each night. Now there are at most 7 people on the side of the street on a regular weekend.

Having mostly provided services to foreign visitors, restaurant and hotel owners at Bui Vien were left hanging by a thread as the epidemic limited travel across the world.

Talking to Vo Quoc Thanh, the owner of 3 bars and restaurants in the area, SGGP reporters learned that many establishments like his tried to switch professions, offering breakfast and lunch and other street food that might be more appealing to regular folks.

“It’s not been really effective though; this area has been associated with foreigners and tourists that are willing to spend, so people assume our current prices are also inflated”, Thanh remarked.

Phuong, the owner of a nearby pub, lamented: “Before 2020 we usually had to take up one-third of the street just to set up tables, and still there were not enough seats. Now all of our stuff is stacked in a corner collecting dust”.

Of the establishments to go out of business, the most surprising one according to the locals is Cong Coffee, a regular on must-visit lists across domestic social media which have also succumbed to profit loss as Covid-19 raged on.

On the other hand, most business owners at Bui Vien said they had to shut down mostly because of high rent. Monthly rents could reach US$5,000 per unit, and though there are landlords who lowered the fee by 20% to 50% a month, not everyone can afford to keep their place open.

Not only the street-facing buildings, establishments across 600 meters of small alleys along Bui Vien street itself were major contributors to the area’s economics and have also taken a tumble. They offer everything from affordable street food and performance to body massage and homestay experiences.

Ha, who sells grilled ribs and chicken at the entrance to one of the alleys, told of the days she earned around VND 1.5-1.7 million every night (US$65-$73.6), enough to feed herself and her 4 children. “Now I make at most VND300,000 ($12.9) on an extremely good day”, she sighed.

There are 40 out of the 90 restaurants at Bui Vien currently out of commission due to mandatory lockdowns aimed at non-essential services, of which 10 have posted leasing ads at the time of this article. According to District 1 People’s Committee, of the 20 newly established businesses in the area, 8 shut down within the same year.

Vietnam trade ministry to select outstanding exporters in 2020

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

Given the significant contribution of Vietnamese exporters to a successful year of Vietnam trade in 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) along with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and other business associations have launched the annual selection process for “Credible exporters in 2020”.

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

The list of candidates for the title of Credible exporters in 2020 should be submitted to the MoIT for evaluation on April 20, 2021 at the latest.

Applicants having issue with tax authorities or violate environmental laws are not eligible for the selection.

Enterprises violating local laws and regulations, currently operating at a loss, in the dissolution process, or receiving warning from import countries would be excluded from the list of “Credible exporters” and ruled out for next year’s selection process.

Despite severe economic consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam continued to post positive trading performance in 2020 with a trade turnover of over US$500 billion for a second consecutive year. Of the figure, Vietnam exports rose by 6.5% year-on-year to US$281.5 billion, and was among economies with the highest export growth during the pandemic.

Vietnam granted permission to export edible insects to EU

Vietnam has become the fifth country in the world to be given permission by competent authorities of the EU to export insect-based food to the lucrative but demanding market, according to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Vietnamese Trade Office in the EU, Belgium, and Luxembourg, said that following a long period during which many documents were submitted to the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the country now meets the EU market access requirements and is allowed to export edible insects to the bloc.

The EU decision took effect on February 15, 2021.

Alongside Vietnam, Canada, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand have been approved by the EU to ship their similar products to the bloc.

Many nutritionists have stated their belief that insects will become the food reserve of the future, adding that the EU giving approval to Vietnam will create a breakthrough within the European food industry.

Agriculture, aquaculture businesses focus on growing their own raw materials

More and more agriculture and aquaculture businesses are setting up their own farms rather than rely on imports for raw materials.

TH Group has for instance been building a hi-tech dairy cow farm and milk processing plant in An Giang Province since the end of February. When completed, it will be the largest closed-loop dairy cow farming project in the Mekong delta with around 10,000 cows.

Other dairy companies too have been investing in farms, boosting raw milk production by 12.9 per cent last year to 1.1 million tonnes.

TH is also developing a hi-tech co-operative model to work with dairy farming households in An Giang.

Fruit processing businesses are working with farmers to ensure regular supply and satisfy foreign markets’ requirements with respect to origin. Farmers have their fruits bought at high prices. Vina T&T, for instance, is buying star apples at VND40,000 (US$1.73) per kilogramme, doubling the market price.

Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC is working with farmers in Kien Giang and Can Tho to grow 1,400 hectares of organic rice, guaranteeing them much higher prices than the market.

Pham Thai Binh, general director of the company, told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourers) newspaper that the most important factor for successful co-operation is guaranteeing farmers’ incomes.

Pham Ngoc Hoang, general director of Hoang Ha Commerce and Production Company Ltd, said small farming households account for a large part of Viet Nam’s agriculture, but export markets demand consistent quality and absence of chemical residues.

Businesses need to work with farmers to buy raw materials, but there should be policies to ensure certain crops are not overly farmed, which will keep output under control and ensure businesses collaborate with farmers, he added.

The first two months of 2021 saw exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture products rise by 16.6 per cent year-on-year to US$6.17 billion.

Exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture last year were worth $41.2 billion, partly due to the development of specialised farming areas that allow large-scale production and traceability of origin.

HCM City industry-trade department to focus on revival of businesses in 2021

Helping businesses revive production and trading is one of the important tasks that HCM City’s industry and trade authorities will focus on in 2021.

According to the city Department of Industry and Trade, the city’s index of industrial production (IIP) grew by 6 per cent in the first two months of the year, despite a fall of 24.6 per cent in February as business establishments closed for the Lunar New Year.

The recovery in industrial production, retail sales and import-export activities has been due to the Government’s effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic and programmes to revive the economy, said Bui Ta Hoang Vu, the department’s director.

The department has also implemented programmes to support enterprises, stimulate consumption, connect producers and distributors, stabilise the market, and ensure consumer demand is fully met, he said.

To ensure the revival continues, the department will organise more trade promotion programmes, make efforts to connect suppliers and distributors of goods and enhance supply chain linkages in supporting industries.

It will continue a programme that connects businesses with banks and enables them to get preferential loans.

It will recommend measures to support firms involved in the city’s key industrial products in 2021-25 and those whose products have won the HCM City Gold Brand Awards.

Implementing the annual market stabilisation programme and trade promotions to help businesses expand their share of the domestic market is also in the department’s plans this year, as is working closely with business groups to promptly mitigate difficulties faced by their members.

This month the department organised a meeting between businesses and the city administration to discuss the former’s problems and solutions.

It is implementing a programme to promote rapid growth of the city’s key economic sectors that have high added-value, supporting industries and four key industrial sectors in 2021-25.

The programme also seeks to help develop the city into the country and region’s main shopping hub, and improve its services infrastructure to ensure it retains its position as the main centre for port operations, logistics and export services in the south.

It has urged the People’s Committee to help expand a centre for displaying the city’s major supporting industrial products so that small and medium-sized enterprises can introduce their products and production capacity to local and foreign partners.

It said the expansion of the centre would facilitate regular interaction between sellers and buyers of supporting industry products, making it easier for foreign investors to access the Vietnamese supply chain, helping promote the country’s supporting industries.

It also urged the People’s Committee to seek approval from the People’s Council and pass regulations on loan interest support for the investment stimulus programme.

Businesses are very keen to participate in the city’s investment stimulus programme, especially those in the supporting sectors, according to the department.

Tourism reform possible for Danang

The bartering away of hotels and tourism residences in the central city of Danang is still lingering, triggering the need for tourism residences to optimise efficiency.

“Since mid-2020, I have received many orders for hotels and condotels but there have not been any transactions finalised yet. Currently, investors show an appetite for land plots and apartments, but are not so keen on hotel investments,” Tien said.

Tran Thien Thanh, the owner of a small hotel in the city’s Son Tra district, shared that in 2017 he and his sister splashed out nearly VND90 billion ($3.9 million) into building the 50-room facility.

Booming tourism growth at that time had led to an investment fever resulting in the building of many tourism residences in the city. During 2017-2019, the city’s room occupancy often surpassed 90 per cent at peak times and exceeded 50 per cent during off-peak periods. The tourism sector’s revenue during the period could not only ensure stable hotel operations but also sufficiently cover bank interest and more.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, due to a sharp plunge in the number of visitors as well as revenue streams, Thanh is seeking a business partner to transfer his hotel.

“Previously, each day we received 20-25 visitors on average. From last year up to now, our hotel only has a few customers, so that we had to temporarily close the hotel and save costs. But the pressure to pay back loans is huge,” said Thanh, adding that long-term closures might result in a quick depreciation of the material base, making it even harder to find a buyer.

A new wave of selling out hotels and tourism accommodations commenced from mid-June in Danang when the health crisis broke out again in the country. On-sale residences were mostly hotels below the 3-star grade, concentrated along coastal ring roads like Ha Bong, Duong Dinh Nghe, Phan Ton, and An Thuong which were built during the 2017-2018 tourism boom in Danang.

According to Le Dung, business director at the privately-held Thien Thai Hotel and Tourism JSC, most hotels on sale were built amid the coastal real estate boom, resulting in inflated costs.

“The initial cost of hotels below the 3-star rating built during 2017-2018 was very high due to inflated land values at that time. Lost business efficiency due to the current health crisis has exacerbated investor difficulties,” said Dung.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director at Bac My An Resort JSC assumed that the pandemic, on one hand, has cast adverse impacts on market development. On the other hand, it brings the opportunity to restructure the scale of tourism residences, making them more professional and diversified.

Echoing this mindset, Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association, said that now is the perfect time to screen and restructure the segment of tourism residences.

Dung recommends the owners of tourism accommodations to change the function of residences or transfer their property to new owners with financial wealth who have a specific customer base to diversify customer groups, as well as improve service quality and corporate governance.

“The government is striving to carry out vaccinations for all people in the forthcoming time. This is a good sign for the local tourism industry as a rebound of travel demand would facilitate hotel business revival,” Dung said.

According to a recent report by Danang People’s Committee, more than 250,000 visitor arrivals used tourism residences in the city in January 2021, down 65.6 per cent on-year.

Electronics fuelled Vietnam’s expanding exports

Over the past few years, deep international integration has enabled Vietnam to expand its exports, with electronics taking the lead in the structure of export goods, especially amid the health crisis.

Ho highly values the province’s geographical and traffic conditions in addition to an improved business climate. He said that Samsung will help Thanh Hoa attract further investment.

In last December, Ho also worked with authorities of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh towards the same purpose.

At present, Samsung is pouring its investments in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City, with total investment capital of over US$17.5 billion, employing more than 160,000 local workers. The group is also now constructing a US$230 million research and development centre in Hanoi.

Ho also visited the Dong Mai Industrial Park in Quang Ninh, which covers 168 hectares and currently boasts 18 investment projects registered at more than US$350 million.

It is expected that if Samsung expands investments in Vietnam, it will continue to increase its exports to foreign markets, further contributing to Vietnam’s export picture.

Last year, the total export turnover of Samsung Vietnam hit about $57 billion – or 20.2 per cent of Vietnam’s total export turnover. This was an important milestone for the company as one of its most important branches, Samsung Electronics, aims to become the largest chip manufacturer in the industry, targeting a value of around $400 billion in the global market.

Samsung Electronics, one of the largest conglomerates of South Korea, along with many other economic groups, has been raising its investment in Vietnam for many years, driven mostly by low taxes, cheap labour, and good land incentives.

With the contributions of Samsung, Vietnam’s export picture is now being dominated by foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) which accounts for 69 per cent of the country’s total export turnover, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

This has contributed to bringing Vietnam into the group of the few countries still achieving positive economic growth during the first year of the pandemic, as well as maintaining a trade surplus of nearly US$1.29 billion in the first two months of 2021.

Implementing the proactive policy about international economic integration of the Party and the state, Vietnam has expanded and deepened its relations with many nations step-by-step. It has also actively and responsibly partaken in international forums and organisations.

Notably, in recent years Vietnam has boosted the negotiations and inking of some free trade agreements (FTAs). To date, the country has joined 17 FTAs including seven inked as a member of ASEAN (CEPT/AFTA – which is the existing ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, and FTAs between ASEAN with China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand, and Hong Kong); eight FTAs signed bilaterally with Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan); the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); and two FTAs currently under negotiations including the FTA with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the Vietnam-Israel FTA.

These trade deals have and will greatly benefit Vietnam’s economy in general and exports in particular. For example, The EVFTA has a scale accounting for 30% of global GDP, while the RCEP is similar with 2.2 billion consumers, taking up more than 30% of global GDP.

Only accumulating these two regions, Vietnam has penetrated the economic sector with GDP accounting for 60% of global GDP with extensive and continuous tariff reductions with commitments to open markets for Vietnamese products, services and goods in the direction of transparency, openness and convenience with open commitments in all areas. Not to mention, the signing of FTAs also contains reforms of the economy.

According to updated figures from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) recently reported to the government, since 2011, Vietnam’s export turnover soared from US$93.6 billion in 2011 to US$263.5 billion in 2019.

Last year, despite massive difficulties caused by COVID-19 in the whole global market, the figure hit US$282.65 billion, in which Vietnamese firms earned US$78.2 billion – accounting for 27.8% of the economy’s total export turnover, with foreign-invested enterprises having raked in US$204.45 billion including crude oil exports – taking up 72.2% of the country’s total export value.

“Vietnam has been boosting its international economic integration in all levels, and gradually participating in the global production network and supply chains,” said an MPI report. “A rapid rise in export turnover has become an important driving force for the country’s economic growth over the past many years.”

In the entire 2011-2020 period, the export turnover has increased by 3.01 times, helping improve Vietnam’s export rank in the world’s export-import map. Specifically, the rank was 50th in 2007 before climbing to 27th in 2017.

According to experts, Vietnam’s exports have shifted from relying on crude oil to focusing on electronics. However, the fact that this sector lies mainly in the hands of FIEs has a large impact on the country’s export growth.

While in 2010, exports of phones and spare parts thereof only accounted for 3.2% of the total export turnover, by 2020, this sector ranked first among six commodity groups with a turnover of more than US$10 billion. The export value of this group in the first two months of this year was already estimated at around US$9.3 billion, accounting for 19.2% of the total export value, representing a 22.8% rise compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s import turnover soared from US$105.8 billion in 2011 to US$253.5 billion in 2019 and US$262.7 billion in 2020, focusing on the commodities in service of production and exports, as well as investment projects in the sectors of energy and electronics. The MPI said that imports of this group of commodities always account for more than 90% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

For example, in order to earn such a big export turnover of $57 billion last year, Samsung also spent dozens of billions of US dollars importing materials and equipment into Vietnam for its production.

These achievements have created an improvement in the trade balance, from a deficit of US$9.8 billion in 2011 to a big surplus of US$9.94 billion in 2019 and US$19.95 billion last year.

“Such a big trade surplus has enabled Vietnam to have a bigger foreign exchange reserve, facilitating the State Bank of Vietnam to perform it activities to stabilise the market, and making an important contribution to maintaining the stability of the economy’s macro-economic indexes,” the MPI report said.

In the first two months of this year, with many developed countries still struggling with the pandemic, Vietnam has maintained a trade surplus of close to US$1.29 billion, in which Vietnamese businesses suffered from a trade deficit of US$4.14 billion and FIEs earned a trade surplus of US$5.43 billion including crude oil exports.

Vietnam looks forward dynamic and effective collective economy

The Prime Minister has recently approved the Collective and Cooperative Economy Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period with the aim of promoting a dynamic, efficient and sustainable collective economy.

Vietnam strives to have approximately 140,000 cooperative groups with 2 million members, 45,000 cooperatives with 8 million members, and 340 cooperative unions with 1,700 member cooperatives by 2030.

Of which, 60-70% of the cooperatives are anticipated to operate effectively.

Vietnam will also promote the application of high technology in agriculture and try to have over 5,000 cooperatives and 500 cooperative groups applying high technology in the production and consumption of agricultural products.

About 50% of cooperatives are expected to link with businesses through value chains.

The Strategy also encourages the development of collective economy in all industries and areas with the association with main products of localities and One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods.

Expectations from “Dialogue 2045”

“Dialogue 2045” was officially initiated with the first conference chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Thong Nhat Conference Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6. The event will be held annually for Party and State leaders to listen to the opinions of entrepreneurs and intellectuals regardingbuilding Vietnam into a developed and high-income country by 2045.

This year’s dialogue discussed major issues in the country, including people and technology, digital transformation, institutional reform, facilitation of production and business, human resource development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and others.

The discussions covered new issues arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as technology and digital transformation. The remaining issues were not new, but need to be handled in accordance with the new position of Vietnam, a country with a growing scale and enhanced role in the global arena.

Currently, the scale of Vietnam’s economy is about US$343 billion, ranking it in the top of 40 largest economies in the world and fourth in ASEAN while per capita income is just over US$3,500.

To become a developed and high-income country by 2045, Vietnam must continuously maintain high growth over the next 20 years with per capita income soon exceeding US$12,000 per year.

This is a challenging target because as income gets higher, it will be more difficult to attain additional growth. However, Vietnam has the resources and the basis to turn its aspirations into reality.

It is important that the business community, the pillar of the country, must be oriented for development at new heights while not merely seeking profit but creatingnew values ​​for society towards the sustainable development and common prosperity of the country. Enterprises and entrepreneurs must truly become a national resource.

Today, enterprises and business people have a special position, making significant contributions to national economic development.

The nation has more than 800,000 active enterprises. Ofthese, the private sector contributes about 42% of GDP and creates more than 50% of jobs in society.

Private enterprises not only invest in labour-intensiveindustries but they have also competed vigorously on the international market in industries that require large investment and resources such as software, aviation, and tourism. Vietnam also has business people listed in the world’s top dollar billionaires.

To realise the nation’s aspirations, it is necessary to further promote the role of the private economy, making it truly become a powerful driving force for development.

At the same time, it is necessary to adjust mechanisms and policies to improve production and business efficiency and promote large resources that State enterprises are holding. Only when enterprises are strong, will the nation become prosperous.

A quarter of a century is long enough for Vietnam to create tremendous growth and the miracle of becoming a developed country on the occasion of the100th anniversary of the National Day and “Dialogue 2045” is an important forum aimed at contributing to that miracle.

Vietnam posts US$1.64 billion in trade surplus in Jan-Feb

Vietnam reported a trade surplus of US$1.64 billion between January and February, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The country’s exports amounted to US$48.74 billion, while it spent US$47.1 billion on importing goods in the first two months of the year, the local media reported.

From February 16 to 28, Vietnam shipped goods worth some US$10.2 billion, up 2.9% against the first half of the month. The country’s key export products comprised phones and phone parts, steel, computers and electronic items.

In the second half of February, the country’s imports totaled US$11.4 billion, up 23% from the first half of the month. The import of machines, equipment and tools rose by 22.9%, while the purchase of plastic materials soared by 61.7% against the figure seen in the first half of February.

In the January-February period, the country’s total import and export revenue grew by 24% year-on-year at US$95.85 billion. The foreign direct investment (FDI) sector remained the key player.

FDI enterprises shipped products worth US$37 billion, representing 75.9% of the country’s total export revenue. Meanwhile, they imported US$31.5 billion, accounting for some 67% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

Binh Duong attracts nearly US$400 million in FDI in January-February

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Binh Duong Province still ranked among the top localities in the country in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in the first two months of the year, as it saw nearly US$400 million in FDI, reaching 28% of its yearly target, according to the provincial government.

The southern province attracted 15 newly registered FDI projects with a total capital of US$257 million, six projects with their capital revised up by US$15 million and 26 projects with capital contributions worth over US$124 million, reported Bnews.

Up to now, foreign investors have invested in 17 sectors, with the majority of capital being injected into the manufacturing and processing industries, said Mai Ba Truoc, director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

Although the pandemic has upended all aspects of socio-economic life, the provincial authorities have actively held online investment promotion events, enabling businesses to boost investment cooperation, Truoc added.

Also, through these events, the department collected feedback and suggestions from businesses, reviewed the land bank in the province and mapped out plans to attract investors for major projects as well as supported investors in facilitating investment procedures. Local competent agencies also made efforts to remove the obstacles facing investors.

To date, Binh Duong has attracted more than 3,900 FDI projects with total pledged capital of US$35.8 billion from 65 countries and territories. Of the total amount of capital, Japan took the lead with over US$5.7 billion in investment, accounting for 16%.

Vietnam’s exports of fishery products expected to soar by US$7 bn next decade

The local fishery sector is set to earn an additional US$7 billion in export revenue by 2030 compared to the figure of US$8.6 billion recorded in 2020, according to the sector’s strategic development plan until 2030 with a vision toward 2045.

Under the plan, which has just been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the country’s total output of fishery products is expected to reach 9.8 million tons during the period, including seven million tons of farming output and 2.8 million tons of fishing output.

Besides this, the sector is looking to offer jobs to over 3.5 million people as of 2030, with the average income of employees in fishery enterprises being on par with that of others nationwide.

Also, the fishery sector will be developed into one of the most important economic sectors in the country and in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. Further, the sector is positioned to become a modern commercial economic sector and a fishery product deep processing center.

The Government also launched a program prioritizing the implementation of the plan. Specifically, during the 2021-2030 period, the infrastructure and logistics system for the sector will be upgraded.

At the same time, multiple national programs will be rolled out to preserve, protect and renew fishery resources, with an aim to restore fisheries with economic and research values.

Banks about to raise deposit interest rates

From the beginning of March this year, many commercial banks have started to raise their deposit interest rates, generally at 0.1-0.2 percentage points per annum. Of which, there are terms with an increase of up to 0.8 percentage points per annum.

Particularly, Techcombank increased by 0.2-0.5 percentage points of the interest rate at all terms from one to eight months. The interest rate of the 36-month term also soared sharply from 4.8 percent per annum to 5.2 percent per annum.

Similarly, the deposit interest rate of ACB for the two-month term inched up by 0.1 percentage point per annum. VPBank also uplifted the deposit interest rates for terms from two to five months by 0.2 percentage points for customers with savings from over VND300 million to below VND10 billion.

The deposit interest rates for savings from VND3 billion to below VND10 billion increased by 0.15 percent per annum for the two-month term and 0.1 percent per annum for the three to five-month terms. With the deposits of VND50 billion or more, the interest rates for the two to five-month terms also surged by 0.05-0.2 percent per annum, depending on each term.

However, the market record showed that this wave of the interest-rate hike has not spread widely because many lenders said that in the first few months of the year, credit demand is usually not high, and liquidity is still quite abundant, so many banks have not embarked in the race to increase interest rates to attract capital yet.

However, experts assessed that in the coming time, other commercial banks would also increase deposit interest rates to keep customers under the pressure of increasing interest rates of the market.

Along with that, in the context that the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, and the consumer price index in February rose sharply, the deposit interest rate will likely climb again shortly.

Prices of black pepper suddenly climb

In the past few weeks, the price of black pepper in the Southeast provinces had suddenly increased continuously and hit a record high.

Mr. Truong Dinh Ba, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Lam San Commune in Cam My District of Dong Nai Province, said that the current price of black pepper purchased by traders at the plantation ranges from VND70,000 to VND71,000 per kilogram, up nearly VND20,000 per kilogram compared to that at the beginning of the harvest season more than one month ago and VND34,000 per kilogram compared to the same period last year.

Dong Nai Province currently has a relatively large growing area of black pepper with 12,000 hectares. This province has determined that in the coming time it would support black pepper growers to build chains from clean production to consumption under the VietGAP standards for export.

Meanwhile, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the price of black pepper surged to VND73,500 per kilogram. It is the locality with the highest black pepper price in the country. The price of black pepper climbed by VND20,000 per kilogram in comparison with a month ago and VND35,500 per kilogram year-on-year.

In Binh Phuoc Province, the price of black pepper was at VND72,500 per kilogram, up VND20,000 per kilogram over the previous month, and VND35,500 per kilogram over the same period last year.

The price of this agricultural product rose strongly because the supply of black pepper dropped sharply. After three consecutive years of selling prices below production cost, farmers simultaneously chopped down pepper plants, reducing the growing area of black pepper. In addition, this year, unusual weather caused crop failure, reducing yield. It is forecasted that with the current market situation, in the coming time, black pepper prices will possibly continue to rise.

IMF: VN Successfully Navigating The Pandemic

The pandemic hit Viet Nam’s economy hard, but the nation has taken decisive steps to limit both the health and economic fallout, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest annual assessment of Viet Nam’s economy.

Swift introduction of containment measures, combined with aggressive contact tracing, targeted testing, and isolation of suspected COVID-19 cases, helped keep recorded infections and death rates notably low on a per capita basis, the IMF highlighted.

Viet Nam entered the pandemic with solid economic fundamentals and policy buffers, although some structural challenges remain to be addressed, the IMF’s annual assessment referred, adding that he country made considerable progress in consolidating public finances prior to COVID-19. The build-up of these fiscal, external, and financial buffers prior to the pandemic made Viet Nam more resilient to the shock.

The IMF suggested macroeconomic policies need to remain supportive in 2021 to ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery and policies should aim at reducing labor informality by improving labor skills and lowering hiring/firing costs for formal workers, and encouraging firm formalization.

A sustained recovery also hinges on safeguarding financial stability, the annual assessment stressed, adding that continued strong supervision, together with timely efforts to address problem loans and strengthen regulatory and supervisory frameworks, will help address financial system risks.

More decisive reforms are needed to make the most of Viet Nam’s considerable growth potential, the IMF recommended.

Meanwhile, priority should be given to improving the business environment and ensuring a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises, with reforms geared towards reducing regulatory burden faced by firms, improving their access to resources, enhancing governance and access to technology and innovation, and reducing skills mismatches.

Listed firms allowed to change their exchange

The new agreement will help cut short processing time for listed firms and prevent disruption to trading activities.

Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) and the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) have agreed on procedures to change market from HOSE To HNX.

The move was revealed during an online meeting held on March 16 among the three stock exchange authorities in a bid to ease the overload issue on the HOSE.

Under the plan, all parties would set up a single procedure to process information, transfer data and optimize system operation, aiming to cut short of processing time and preventing any disruption to stocks transaction activities on the stock market.

On the same day, the HNX informed of receiving requests from public firms to leave HOSE, including Vietnam National Seed Group (HOSE: NSC), Bibica Corporation (HOSE: BBC) and Southern Seed Corporation (HOSE: SSC).

These three are the first to change their listings to the HNX under the instruction of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) and the country’s stock market watchdog, which aims to address the issue of surging orders on HOSE that forced the stock exchange to halt market trading.

The overload occurred multiple times on HOSE whenever liquidity in a trading session hit around VND14-17 trillion (US$608-738 million).

An option to move to the HNX would not apply for stocks under the VN30 Index, comprised of the 30 largest stocks on the HOSE.

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

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VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 16

April 16, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

HCMC increases supervision over students’ online learning for cyber safety

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 16
VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES APRIL 16

The Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City has asked school leaders to increase students’ knowledge about cybercrimes to ensure digital learning is conducted in a safe and responsible manner.

According to the Department’s document, heads of education divisions in Thu Duc City and 21 districts, principals of high schools and vocational training institutions must support students to engage with digital technology in a safe and responsible way.

Students should be instructed to exploit data stores, digital data, digital platforms and video clips to support psychology, study skills, and use social networks safely.

School managers should increase supervision to instruct students against cyberbullying, cybercrime and child sexual abuse so that children can learn to successfully avoid these risks and to take advantage of the Internet’s many opportunities.

Additionally, schools should report violations in online teaching and learning activities.

Teachers, high schoolers and university students are encouraged to make videos to share their experience in teaching and learning in internet and rules of internet etiquette.

Beforehand, the Ministry of Education and Training had issued guidelines about safe use of digital technology for preschoolers, high schoolers and university students.

Currently, the education authority allowed schools to use online teaching because of unexpected incidents.

Petrolimex Long An head arrested for involvement in substandard fuel ring

Dong Nai Province police arrested Luong Dinh Tien, director of Petrolimex Long An, this morning, April 15, for his alleged involvement in producing and trading in 2.7 million liters of substandard fuel.

The Dong Nai Province police also collaborated with the Long An Province police and Criminal Police Department to raid the headquarters of Petrolimex Long An at No. 10, Tra Quy Binh Street, Ward 2, Tan An City, Long An Province.

Tien was appointed as director of Petrolimex Long An on October 1, 2020.

The substandard-fuel ring was co-led by Phan Thanh Huu, residing in HCMC, and Nguyen Huu Tu, residing in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, both aged 64.

Up to now, the Dong Nai Police Department has filed charges against more than 40 people involved in the ring and seized 10 vessels, six tank trucks, 2.7 million liters of substandard fuel, VND120 billion in cash and many other valuable assets.

On February 6, the department cooperated with the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security to dispatch more than 500 police officers to inspect the storehouses, gas stations, workplaces and houses of those allegedly involved in the ring in Dong Nai, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Long An, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and HCMC.

According to the initial results of the investigation, the ring provided an average of over one million liters of substandard fuel a day to the market. Since August 2020, more than 200 million liters of substandard fuel had been sold.

Former director of VEAM auto plant arrested

The Ministry of Public Security’s investigators have detained Pham Vu Hai, former director of Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery (VEAM) Corporation’s VEAM Motor Factory, to probe into his alleged violations over regulations in the management and use of State assets that caused losses for the State.

The investigators today, April 15, issued a decision to prosecute and arrest Hai after collecting an adequate amount of evidence and documents.

Early last year, the investigators had pressed charges in an embezzlement case linked to the VEAM auto plant. In the case, they decided to prosecute and detain Nguyen Duc Toan, deputy director of the factory, and Tran Thi Thanh Tam, an executive at the factory, for their alleged embezzlement.

The investigators recently also released their conclusions over the investigation into the mismanagement and misuse of State assets that caused losses for the State at VEAM, Vetranco and a number of related businesses.

Specifically, the conclusions indicated that the violations of Tran Ngoc Ha, former chairman and former general director of VEAM, caused losses of over VND135 billion for the State.

Also, from its own capital and bank loans as well as VEAM’s borrowed funds, Vetranco had falsified contracts for trading goods and transferring money to other companies illegally, causing losses of nearly VND183 billion to the State.

Man jailed for abusing freedom, democracy rights

The People’s Court of Tan Phu district in Ho Chi Minh City on April 15 handed down a jail term of four and a half years to a former city official for “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate the interests of the State, and the rights and legitimate interests of organisations and individuals” under Article 331 of the 2015 Penal Code.

According to the indictment, Quach Duy, a former official at the municipal People’s Committee, posted many articles and photos on his Facebook account, of which three had content defaming the honour and prestige of former Party and State leaders and city leaders. He was placed into temporary detention on September 18, 2020.

During search, the Tan Phu police investigation agency found many documents, including some deemed “secret”, and passed them on to relevant forces for further investigation.

The judge said Duy’s actions were serious, harming security and social order and safety.

He confessed at the trial that he had compiled and published the articles on Facebook./.

Da Nang pushes ahead with serious reception of overseas Vietnamese

Chinh also told competent agencies to continue receiving and quarantining foreign experts and diplomatic and official passport holders in line with regulations.

Passengers from foreign destinations arriving at Da Nang International Airport must undergo quarantine at local military-managed facilities or quarantine sites in other provinces and cities.

After May 31, if there are more than two flights from foreign destinations per week, the Health Department will propose quarantine plans to the municipal People’s Committee, according to the city mayor.

As of April 15 morning, the COVID-19 infection tally in Vietnam stood at 2,737, including 2,445 recoveries and 35 deaths. A total 38,743 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from foreign pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined across the country, according to the Ministry of Health.

Danang suspends rapid transit bus plan

The central city of Danang has decided to suspend a plan to build a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system due to concerns about its ineffective operation.

The move was approved by local authorities on Monday.

The BRT system is part of the city’s World Bank-funded sustainable development project. To date, only 33% of the plan work has been carried out. Initially, the city wanted to pilot the system to link Hoi An City and the Ba Na Hill area. Approved in 2013, the pilot system was expected to enter operation in 2018.

However, following careful consideration by the municipal authorities, the trial run of the system would be wasteful due to the forecast of the low passenger numbers.

Therefore, the city has halted the BRT investment to turn into focusing on improving the quality of 12 subsidised bus routes. This has also received the agreement from the World Bank.

The decision was supported by some people in Danang who cited experience from localities in the country as examples about the ineffective BRT investment.

Danang’s sustainable development project involves some other areas, including water drainage and main urban roads. So far, roughly 84% of the project’s total work has been finished.

Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro route to receive disbursement soon

The value of ODA loans for the No. 1 metro route through Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien is soon to be determined by the HCMC People’s Committee at the request of The Government Office on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on April 14, 2021.

According to the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), the No. 1 Metro Route is over 82 percent completed. However, disbursement of the capital plan has not been approved since the issuing currency of ODA loans is not yet agreed upon.

Accordingly, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh at a meeting on July 20, 2020 with government leaders on promoting public investment projects requested central agencies and the HCMC People’s Committee to work on related agreed plans.

At the meeting on July 20, 2020, the Prime Minister asked the HCMC People’s Committee to determine the value of ODA loans to be issued from the central budget. On that basis, the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to consider if the amount is adequate.

The expected budget is equivalent to over 17, 8 billion Japanese yen granted in VND.

Previously in 2020, the project was allocated VND2,185 billion but the amount was not disbursed due to lack of basis.

Many packages of North-South Expressway project behind schedule

Nine of 11 packages of the Cam Lo-La Son subproject and another package of the My Thuan 2 Bridge subproject of the North-South Expressway project have fallen behind schedule, according to the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau under the Ministry of Transport.

Among the 11 subprojects of the North-South Expressway project in the 2017-2020 period, six subprojects are under construction, while work on two others will start in the coming periods. In addition, contracts for three subprojects executed under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model are being negotiated, the local media reported.

Specifically, work on the Cam Lo-La Son section began in September 2019 and 99.5% of the cleared site has been handed over for the subproject. Its workload has reached some 36.4%.

The slow execution of the nine packages of the subproject was attributed to storms in the central region last year.

If the investor fails to work out solutions, the subproject may not be completed this year. Therefore, the Ministry of Transport asked the Ho Chi Minh Road Project Management Board to come up with solutions to accelerate the execution of the subproject, a representative of the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau said.

As for the My Thuan 2 Bridge subproject which kicked off in February 2020 and was expected to be completed in 2023, the contractor has started work on four packages. The contractor for the CW3B package is being chosen.

Of the four packages under construction, three have met progress targets, but the XL3A package is only 6.9% complete and its progress may be delayed by three months.

The Ministry of Transport required the Project Management Board No. 7 to direct the contractors, especially of the XL3A package, to speed up the progress by sufficiently mobilizing machines, equipment, human resources and materials and maintaining the approved construction line and working on backup plans to promptly deal with incidents and complete the subproject by December 31 this year as committed earlier.

As for the Cao Bo-Mai Son subproject which kicked off in December 2019, the construction site has been handed over and the subproject is some 60% complete, so it can be completed this year.

The three subprojects whose work started on September 30 last year, comprising the Mai Son-National Highway 45, Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay, are expected to be completed in 2022.

Regarding the two subprojects which were transferred from the PPP model to the public investment model, including National Highway 45-Nghi Son and Nghi Son-Dien Chau, the first packages of the two subprojects will be executed in June this year and completed in 2023.

Work on the three subprojects executed under the PPP model, comprising Dien Chau-Bai Vot, Nha Trang-Cam Lam and Cam Lam-Vinh Hao, are planned to start next quarter.

HCMC told to choose optimal solution to build An Phu Intersection

The Ministry of Transport has asked the HCMC government to study and choose the most optimal solution to develop the An Phu Intersection in Thu Duc City that costs over VND5.1 trillion.

On April 7, the ministry worked with the city and the consulting firm of the project to discuss the preliminary design solution and scale of the project.

As for the construction, the ministry asked the city to direct the investor and the consulting firm to ensure safety as there will be two railways passing through the intersection in the future.

The ministry also required the city to build a railway bridge under the projected flyover and plan branches of the flyover to ensure traffic safety.

During the construction process, the municipal government must come up with an optimal solution to ensure the economic and technical factors and organize traffic smoothly at the construction site.

The prime minister in late 2020 asked the HCMC government to complete investment procedures before May 31 this year and submit the project to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The HCMC government has assigned the municipal Department of Transport to prepare for the execution of the project and is completing procedures to submit the project to the municipal People’s Council for approval at its meeting on April 23.

In October last year, the city proposed the Ministry of Planning and Investment review and allocate VND3.3 trillion from the State budget in the 2021-2025 period for the project. The remainder will be sourced from the city’s budget.

The intersection, when completed, will be a three-level structure, accommodating overpasses and a tunnel. It is the starting point of the approach road to the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway and the end point of Luong Dinh Cua Street, and often sees heavy traffic jams.

Local residents to benefit from clean water project

Thousands of residents in the central provinces of Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế will be able to get clean water from a project mitigating water shortages in the dry season that has started in the central region.

Local brand Huda company said in a statement that an expansion of the long-term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme has been scheduled from April on the basis of positive achievements in the first two years in the five provinces.

Huda said it decided to fund five additional projects in the central provinces with the aim of significantly improving local water facilities, and the implementation schedule will start later in April.

It also said these projects are expected to help alleviate local water shortages which often peak during summer months and the flood season, contributing to a healthier, more stable way of life.

This year will mark the third consecutive year of the fresh water programme that the company has provided for local people in the five provinces.

Nathaniel Moxom, Managing Director of Carlsberg Việt Nam, said: “Giving back to society has always been a part of our DNA. It’s what motivates us to run our business with a sustainability mindset imprinted in every of our decisions.”

“This programme is no exception. It will contribute to a better community through a relentless drive towards sustainable development.”

Andrzej Bialasiewicz, VP Marketing Carlsberg Việt Nam, added: “The project has had proven social as well as economic impact and has become part of the long-term journey Huda endeavours to carry on, come what may. In 2021, we are headed for a new programme milestone, sharing the daily burden with significantly more local families.”

Over the past two years, the programme has included seven projects, providing reliable access to clean water for more than 20,000 people, and this despite the global pandemic, periods of extreme flooding and hot weather.

Apart from the campaign to improve local water access, Huda’s community-centric efforts have included support in the form of 6,000 care packages for residents of central Việt Nam during 2020’s extreme flooding and more recently, 9,000 care packages distributed directly to underprivileged families at Tết (Lunar New Year).

Pedestrian street to be piloted at Ninh Kieu Wharf

A pedestrian street will be piloted at Ninh Kieu Wharf in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The plan was approved by Nguyen Ngoc Anh, vice chairman of Ninh Kieu District People’s Committee.

The pedestrian street in the Hai Ba Trung Street area, runs along the wharf, and is divided into three areas. The first will specialise in shopping and cuisine activities as well as the performance of Don Ca Tai Tu, a genre of chamber music from the southern region of Vietnam. The second area is for incense offering ceremonies for Late President Ho Chi Minh on special occasions and holidays. While the third is for music and folk games activities.

The street is scheduled to become operational on the coming occasion of Reunification Day (30/4) and May Day (1/5).

According to Anh, during the trial run period, the street will be open every Saturday, from 6 to 10 pm.

Tan An Ward authorities have been assigned to arrange a parking lot for people on the pedestrian street. Vehicles are kept free of charge during the operational time of the street.

The district then will review the pilot phase for further investment so that the pedestrian area would be put into use officially.

Quang Binh to launch a series of new tourism products

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience some new tourism products, in the second quarter of 2021, according to the Quang Binh provincial Department of Tourism.

Of which, the highlight is surely the tour “Son Doong – virtual space, real experience” by Mix Reality technology.

In the first quarter of 2021, the number of tourists to Quang Binh province was estimated at 202,970, a decrease of 59% compared to the same period in 2020.

In the second quarter of this year, the Quang Binh provincial Department of Tourism strives to welcome 470,000 visitors, up 13% over the same period in 2020, mostly focusing on the domestic market. In order to achieve this goal, the province is making great efforts to develop new tourism products, improve service quality and promote tourism.

A series of new tourism products, such as “Son Doong – virtual space, real experience” by Mix Reality technology, Dong Hoi city tour, adventure travel products, and hot spring ecotourism resort, will be launched in the second quarter.

Earlier, in the first quarter of 2021, Quang Binh province also launched some tourism products, such as “Exploring nature and learning about the Van Kieu ethnic people’s community culture in Quang Ninh and Le Thuy districts” or “Experiencing nature and learning about Ruc ethnic people’s community culture in Thuong Hoa Commune, Minh Hoa District”.

In addition, Quang Binh tourism is focusing on promoting on digital platforms; while at the same time upgrading the Quang Binh tourism website in both English and Vietnamese, and continuously updating information on social networking sites.

Some upcoming events, such as the Dong Hoi Culture and Tourism Week; the Culture, the Sports and Tourism Week; and the Quang Binh Discovery Marathon, are expected to become a good opportunity to promote and attract visitors to Quang Binh.

Especially, although the COVID-19 pandemic remains complicated, Quang Binh tourism always maintains its connection with the international tourism market. Recently, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park topped the list of “Most Hospitable Destinations” in Vietnam via the annual Traveller Review Awards 2020 as announced by Booking.com. TripAdvisor readers also chose Phong Nha-Ke Bang in the central province of Quang Binh as one of the world’s 25 best national parks. Son Doong cave was chosen by CNN as one of the seven best Vietnam cave experiences.

70 percent of Vietnamese adults infected with H. Pylori: doctor

The rate of H.Pylori infection in Vietnamese adults accounts for more than 70 percent, said Dr. Bui Huu Hoang, head of the Ho Chi Minh City-based University Medical Center’s Department of Gastroenterology.

H. pylori is a common type of bacteria that grows in the digestive tract. It can cause inflammation and irritation of the stomach lining and ulcers. It has also been linked to duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer.

Helicobacter pylori infection can be spread through kissing, oral sex, and contaminated food or drinking water or through gastrointestinal techniques such as gastrointestinal endoscopy and nasopharyngoscopy.

In fact, only a few people infected with H. pylori have clinical symptoms.

Some patients often worry about H. pylori much because of lack of full understanding of the disease. On the contrary, others show their apparent indifference to the disease and even ignore the treatment.

Poor body, food, and water sanitation in non-industrialized countries may be contributing to the increased rate of the bacteria.

Therefore, if a patient is aware of the bacterium avoiding the risk factors and taking certain preventative measures, he/ she may be able to lower their risk of contracting a H. Pylori bacterial infection.

Tra Vinh expands forest coverage

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh plans to grow new forests from now to 2025, increasing the province’s total forest area to 10,000ha and reaching a forest coverage rate of 4.2 per cent.

To meet the targets, the province is providing funds to individuals, households and organisations responsible for growing new mangrove forests and protecting existing forests.

Individuals, households and organisations who grow new forests on an area of more than 0.3ha will receive no more than VNĐ37 million (US$1,600) per hectare to buy seedlings.

This is 4.5 times more than the financial assistance given previously.

Individuals and households responsible for protecting forests will be given VNĐ500,000 ($21) per hectare a year. The money will be provided for up to 15ha to individuals and 30ha to households.

Phạm Minh Truyền, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the support policies aim to protect the environment and protect against the impact of high tides, rising sea levels, and erosion along the province’s 65km coastline.

These support activities have helped to create livelihoods for households, especially shrimp – forest farms, that have provided sustainable incomes in coastal areas.

The province has more than 9,160ha of forests, mostly mangrove forests, and a forest coverage rate of 3.63 per cent, according to the department.

Of the total forest area, more than 4,000ha are planted by households in the coastal districts of Duyên Hải, Cầu Ngang, Châu Thành, and Duyên Hải Town.

The households also breed black-tiger shrimp or other aquatic species in the 4,000ha of mangrove forests.

The shrimp – forest farming model requires low investment cost, has a low risk of disease, is environmentally friendly, and is sustainably efficient.

Households that breed shrimp or other aquatic species in mangrove forests earn an average income of VNĐ70 million ($3,000) per hectare a year, according to the department.

Last year, the province turned nearly 3,800ha of protective forests into commercial forests to improve incomes for households who protect and exploit forest resources.

The move was done to improve the management and protection of forests.

The province has sought donations at home and abroad to grow forests and train human resources for forest management and protection.

It has also encouraged the use of advanced techniques, including the use of digital forest data at all management levels.

In 2015 – 20, the province’s coastal districts of Duyên Hải, Cầu Ngang, Châu Thành, and Duyên Hải Town planted a total 625ha of new forests.

The province’s People’s Committee has zoned a total area of 23,984ha for forest development.

Quqng Nam Province praised for improved breastfeeding statistics

Half of all childbirths in Quảng Nam Province now take place in ‘Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding’, ensuring thousands of newborns and their mothers have access to quality newborn care and breastfeeding support.

A survey from the Alive & Thrive initiative showed there were 23,600 newborns in Quảng Nam Province in 2020, of which 12,500 babies were delivered at Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding.

The statistics were revealed at a workshop on Tuesday to discuss efforts in the province to build a network of universal family-friendly health services, which also provides more equitable access to newborn care and breastfeeding support for ethnic minorities and families with special needs.

Supported by Irish Aid through the Alive & Thrive initiative, the Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding model in Việt Nam aims to improve quality of maternal and newborn care and promote the implementation of the ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’ in health facilities.

“We are delighted to know that up to one in four babies will be born in a Center of Excellence for Breastfeeding in Việt Nam by 2022 if all 58 enrolled hospitals from 12 provinces become accredited. Today, we are more confident about this vision after hearing Quảng Nam’s mission to have five out of seven hospitals designated as Centers of Excellence,” said Lisa Doherty, Deputy Head of Development, Embassy of Ireland in Việt Nam.

Quảng Nam has more Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding than any other provinces in the country, with a percentage of early and exclusive breastfeeding of 95. Just two years after the initiative was launched in Quảng Nam, the rate of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth has sharply increased from 53 per cent to 86 per cent for vaginal births and 46 per cent to 96 per cent for caesarian births.

“Quảng Nam, which was a pandemic hotbed and natural hit area, received nearly 350 pregnant women from COVID-19 high-risk countries. Two mothers confirmed with COVID-19 were supported to practise prolonged skin-to-skin contact and direct breastfeeding and were also enabled to bring a birth companion of choice despite strict COVID-19 infection control measures. I am impressed with the resilience of the health services and health workers in Quảng Nam, and you are an exemplar to follow to maintain service provision for mothers and newborns during pandemics and disasters,” said Roger Mathisen, Southeast Asia Director for Alive & Thrive.

“We are proud of the comprehensive support package to ensure equitable access to breast milk for all newborns, including at-risk infants,” said Dr Mai Văn Mười, Director of Quảng Nam Department of Health.

“Each year in the province, there are more than 2,000 pre-term, low-birth weight and sick infants who cannot directly breastfeed for a period of time. Therefore, a Human Milk Bank Service Network was set up at Quảng Nam General Hospital, a Center of Excellence for Breastfeeding, to provide pasteurised donor human milk for these babies,” added Mười.

The Human Milk Bank in Quảng Nam was launched in July 2020 in connection with the Đà Nẵng Human Milk Bank and has already provided 54 litres of pasteurised human milk from donating mothers to 80 at-risk infants.

On April 14, three more hospitals will be recognised as the Centers of Excellence designation, including Vĩnh Đức General Hospital and Quế Sơn General Hospital in Quảng Nam, and Hải Châu General Hospital in Đà Nẵng, increasing the total number of Centers of Excellence in Việt Nam to 21.

Candidates begin to apply for national high school graduation examination

The Ministry of Education and Training has issued a registration form for the high school graduation examination in 2021, candidates begin to register from April 27. The Department of Education and Training decides the test registration venues to facilitate candidates.

The Ministry of Education and Training April 12 held a training conference for the 2021 high school graduation examination at Vietnam Maritime University in the Northern City of Hai Phong. Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do chaired the conference.

The 2021 high school graduation examination will basically maintain as 2020. The main goal of the examination is to evaluate the student’s learning results according to the educational objectives of the high school education program.

Students’ academic results will be qualified for high school graduation as well as it will be basis for assessment of teaching and learning quality of high schools. Colleges, universities and vocational training institutions can use the high school graduation examination results for admission.

The examination is scheduled to take place on July 7 and 8. The examinations will be Math, Literature, Foreign Language and two combined tests comprising Natural Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and Social Science (History, Geography, lessons for citizenship education; or History, Geography for candidates studying in continuing education centers).

The examination content is mostly taken from the high school program, mainly grade 12. In terms of form, except for Literature examination essay, other subjects are given in the form of objective tests. Time to do Literature lesson is 120 minutes; Math 90 minutes; Foreign language 60 minutes; 50 minutes for each component examination of the Natural Science and Social Science composite examination.

At the training conference, the Internal Political Security Department under the Ministry of Public Security carefully instructed security tasks and safety tasks in the examination meanwhile the Department of Higher Education announced some contents about enrollment activities in 2021. During the training course, teachers discussed issues relating to regulations, guidance and safety problems in the 2021 high school graduation examination.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do affirmed the importance of the 2021 High School Graduation Examination which will be used for high school graduation and as a basis for university admission; therefore, to ensure safety, accuracy, and transparency during the significant examination, the Ministry of Education and Training and related ministries and local administrations in 63 cities and provinces must work carefully.

This is an annual high school graduation examination, with the participation of the entire machinery of state under the close supervision of the Ministry of Public Security, the Government Inspector, the whole education sector. This proves the high determination towards an important examination in accordance with regulations.

However, in order for the examination to take place well, the Ministry of Education and Training said that local authorities and those in charge of the examination must well prepare for facilities and hypothetical situations.

According to the instructions of the High School Graduation Examination, candidates start to register for the examination from April 27. The Ministry of Education and Training has issued a registration form for the high school graduation examination in 2021. The Department of Education and Training will decide the registration venues to facilitate candidates.

Noticeably, candidates who take the examination for high school graduation recognition are only allowed to take one combined test (Natural Science or Social Science). Candidates who have a high school diploma and an intermediate diploma take the examination to use the results as the basis to register for admission only to register to take the component test.

In regard to Foreign Language test, candidates are allowed to take part in one of the 7 languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese, German, Japanese and Korean. Candidates are eligible for sitting a test of a foreign language which is not the foreign language they are studying in high school. Candidates from continuous education institutions are allowed to register for the foreign language examination to get admission results into universities and colleges.

Hospital reports rising hand-foot-mouth cases

Vietnam National Children’s Hospital has reported a sharp rise in the number of children with hand-foot-mouth disease.

Since early 2021, the Hanoi-based hospital has received 125 hand-foot-mouth cases, six times higher than the same period last year.

Nguyen Van Lam, the hospital’s director, said, “We receive five to six patients a day with high fever and they need to stay at the hospital. Most of the children are under five years old. The symptoms show up after five or seven days.”

A 13-month-old child was admitted to the hospital on April 13 after vomiting and having a fever. When the child was admitted, the rash had already appeared on his limbs.

According to Lam, it’s best to bring the children to hospitals if there are a fever and rash. If a child’s fever does not go down with antipyretics, they should be monitored at medical facilities.

“Parents should clean their children’s toys and clothes frequently as hand-foot-mouth disease is spread by direct contact with saliva, mucus, and fluid from blisters,” the doctor said. “Children should have a healthy diet to boost their immune system.”

Severe complications of hand, foot and mouth disease include encephalitis, cardiovascular disease, and acute pulmonary edema.

“When the fever does not go down even though the children already use antipyretics, parents should not attempt to use a different brand or type of medicine or else it will lead to paracetamol poisoning,” he stressed.

Thu Duc City, four districts to have water supply cut for pipeline repair

Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) will cut the water supply in some areas of Thu Duc City and four districts in HCMC between Saturday evening and Sunday evening to repair the D1500 Binh Thai-Binh Loi water pipeline.

According to Sawaco general director Tran Quang Minh, the maintenance will take place on the section of Sawaco’s water supply network located some 200 meters from Nguyen Van Ba Street in Truong Tho Ward, Thu Duc City. The maintenance will force the Thu Duc 3 Water Plant to stop pumping water into the network.

From 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, until 9 p.m. the following day, Sawaco will cut the water supply in the wards of Hiep Binh Chanh, Hiep Binh Phuoc, Linh Dong, Linh Tay, Tam Binh, Tam Phu and Binh Chieu in Thu Duc City and the wards 11, 12, 13 and 28 in Binh Thanh District. Thanh Loc Ward in District 12, Ward 1 in Go Vap District and Ward 2 in Tan Binh District will also be affected by the water supply cut.

The water supply cut will affect dozens of thousands of households in these areas. Minh said households in some areas may experience low-pressure water shortly after the water supply is resumed.

Built at a cost of more than VND1.27 trillion, the Thu Duc 3 Water Plant is capable of treating 300,000 cubic meters of water from the Dong Nai River a day to provide clean water for the city.

This is the second time in one month that Sawaco has had to cut the water supply in some areas of HCMC to repair the D1500 Binh Thai-Binh Loi water pipeline.

Singer Dong Lan nominated at Berlin Music Video Awards

Singer Dong Lan is the first Vietnamese representative to receive the “Best Song” nomination at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2021.

The nomination chart also brings together many of the world’s top music names such as Selena Gomez, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa and Cardi B, among others.

The Berlin Music Video Awards recently announced a series of nominations for this year’s awards. Dong Lan’s song entitled “Dung Yeu Mot Minh” (Don’t love alone) is the first and only representative from Vietnam in the “Best Song” category.

Dong Lan said Director of the MV – La Zung silently submitted her MV to the awards, adding she only became known after the MV reached the top 40 and was very surprised when the song was nominated for “Best Song”.

Many precious books to be introduced at “book market”

Many precious books will be introduced at a “book market” programme themed “A cultural identity of Hanoi” that will take place in the capital city of Hanoi from April 16-18.

The event will be held at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) as part of activities in response to Vietnam Book Day (April 21).

During the programme, various cultural and art activities will introduce readers and collectors to many precious books, including those made with traditional do paper.

The organising board will focus on beautiful scholar, heritage and children’s books that were translated from Russian.

The event will contribute to connecting publishers and book-makers with the community while featuring traditional cultural values of the thousand-year-old city.

Visitors to the event will also have the chance to join various activities such as making do paper and com as well as enjoy traditional art performances and join folk games.

More rain forecast to hit southern region

The southern region will see more rain, coupled with thunderstorms and strong winds, from now until April 23, according to the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center.

Convective clouds developed, leading to rain in many parts of the southern region, including Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Long An and HCMC from last night until early this morning, April 15.

They were unseasonal rains, said Le Dinh Quyet, deputy head of the center, adding that HCMC and the southern region have yet to experience the rainy season, the local media reported.

The rainy season will be in late April and early May, he said.

In the next few days, especially after April 19, many parts of the southern region, including HCMC, will continue seeing more downpours, thunderstorms and strong winds in the afternoons and at nights, Quyet said.

Book festival to open at Vietnam National Library

The Book Festival 2021 with the theme “Book – Mission to Develop Reading Culture ” will take place at the National Library of Vietnam in Hanoi from April 16 to 21, as part of the activities to mark Vietnam Book Day (April 21) and World Book and Copyright Day (April 23).

Many activities and programmes to promote reading and towards the development of reading culture will be organisedwithin the framework of Book Festival 2021.

In particular, the highlight of the event will be an exhibition with the theme “Books – Mission to develop reading culture”,including four contents: Books – Path to knowledge; Books – Gifts nourishing the soul; Reading skills and methods; and Enjoying reading passion, with about 800 books on display and introduction.

In addition, a seminar titled “Youth with reading culture” will be organised with the participation of many experts and representatives of publishing units.

As in previous book festivals, this year’s festival will also provide the children with a drawing corner through a drawing contest by book, and a reading corner for children. Young readers can also explore reading through technology with the activity “Explore Digital Library – Let’s Read” includes over 2,000 titles in more than 20 languages.

In addition, within the framework of the book festival, there are indispensable bookstores introducing thousands of book titles with rich content, many attractive promotions and gifts.

The 5th IT Festival promotes smart education in Hanoi

The festival’s focus is the exhibition of products and activities for solutions that have been successfully applied in schools across Hanoi city.

The 5th Information Technology (IT) Festival opened on April 14 is expected to accelerate smart education in Hanoi schools.

With the theme “Digitalization in education sector – building smart education”, the IT Festival has profound implications for enhancing IT application in management, teaching and learning as it would raise awareness on the process and open up opportunities to access new technologies in education and training.

The festival’s focus is an exhibition of products and activities for IT application and IT solutions that have been successfully applied in schools across the city.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training Pham Van Dai emphasized that the 5th IT Festival will create a breakthrough for IT application in teaching and learning activities, the management of each educational unit, with a view to improving the quality of teaching and learning in the city, equipping students with knowledge and skills on digital transformation to become a global citizen.

The highlight of the festival are conferences and seminars on IT, which are a city-level conference on “orientation of digital transformation in Hanoi’s education and training sector – building smart education” and the symposium “Digital transformation in the capital city’s education and training sector”.

With expected participation of some 2,000 visitors, the festival will contribute to encouraging and education workers to make more efforts and fulfill their tasks.

Late American peace activist Rennie Davis commemorated

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on April 15 held a ceremony to commemorate and posthumously present the “For peace and friendship among nations” insignia to Rennie Davis, an American peace activist and a loyal friend of Vietnam.

Born on March 23, 1940 in Michigan’s Langsing city, Rennie was one of the leaders of the anti-war movement in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1960s, he was one of the founders and leaders of the Students for a Democratic Society and a coordinator and director of the National Mobilization Committee to End War in Vietnam.

He visited the north of Vietnam during the war. In particular, in 1969, as a representative of the peace and students’ movement of America, he arrived in Paris to meet Foreign Minister Nguyen Thi Binh, head of the negotiation delegation of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam at the Paris Conference on Vietnam, to introduce an initiative from American students on a Peace Treaty between Vietnam and the American people, which was then signed in late 1970 and announced in January 1971.

He made significant contributions to the friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese and American people. He passed away on February 2, 2021, at the age of 80.

Addressing the ceremony, Bui Van Nghi, head of the America Department of the VUFO and Secretary General of the Vietnam-US Society, highlighted the imprint that Rennie has left in the minds of people in Vietnam and around the world.

Through the Vietnam-US Society, former Vice President Binh, who could not attend the commemorative ceremony for health reasons, conveyed her sympathies to Rennie’s family. She described him as an excellent leader and organiser of American peace and anti-war movements and a great, loyal, and close friend of the Vietnamese people.

“The sentiments and heritage left by Rennie Davis will be an eternal flame enlightening the trust in the friendly relationship and mutual understanding and respect for peace, cooperation, and development between the people of Vietnam and the US in the present and future,” Binh wrote in a letter sent to the ceremony.

Workshop talks ways to promote participation of disabled persons in political life

A workshop on opportunities, challenges and solutions to promote the participation of people with disabilities in politics was held in Hanoi on April 15.

Co-organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam and the Centre for Education Promotion and Empowerment of Women (CEPEW), the event aimed at enhancing the right to political engagement of people with disabilities in Vietnam where is home to more than 6 million disabled persons.

Speaking at the workshop, Diana Torres, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Vietnam, said there will be a political gap between non-disabled and disabled people unless the community joins hands to promote equality and empower people with disabilities on political platforms.

Without their voices in agencies under the National Assembly and People’s Councils, the people with disabilities will find it difficult to really integrate into society, she added.

Le Ngoc Hoan, a member of the Blind Association of Lang Son province, who is a self-nominated candidate for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly, said people with disabilities need representative voices in the law-making body so that their legitimate aspirations and needs will be heard.

According to a quick assessment of the group’s readiness for political involvement as candidates in the elections of deputies to the National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils, 92 percent of people surveyed hoped to have disabled deputies and 63 percent said they are ready for self-nomination to the elections in the next five years.

The assessment, jointly conducted by the UNDP Vietnam and the Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, was released as part of the workshop.

It showed three challenges facing the group in elections – feeling unconfident in the possibility of success, lacking knowledge on self-nomination and campaigning, and distrusting that the community will vote for people with disabilities.

Jan Wilhelm Grythe, Chargé d’affaires at the Norwegian Embassy, said the Norwegian Government is willing to share information on the political participation process of Tove Linnea Brandvik, a physically disabled Norwegian who served as deputy to the parliament for two terms from 2005 to 2013.

Norway is also willing to organise conversations to inspire Vietnamese people with disabilities, said the diplomat./.

State President hosts outgoing Russian Ambassador

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 15 received Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vnukov who came to bid his farewell at the end of his tenure in Vietnam.

At the reception, Phuc congratulated the diplomat on the successful completion of his mission in Vietnam and his being awarded the Vietnamese State’s Friendship Order for his contributions to the Vietnam – Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

Expressing his delight at robust growth of the partnership between the two countries, the President stated that Vietnam always attaches importance to its traditional friendship with Russia. He said he welcomes the maintenance of regular bilateral exchanges at all levels, particularly at the high level.

He also praised the outcomes of the recent phone talk between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying they have contributed significantly to boosting the countries’ comprehensive cooperation.

Affirming Russia’s important role to stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in the world, Phuc said Vietnam wants to increase its collaboration and mutual understanding with Russia at international forums and organisations, including the UN and ASEAN.

For his part, Vnukov underscored his gratitude toward the assistance he and the Russian embassy received from Vietnam’s Party, State, ministries and competent agencies during his tenure.

He pledged that in any position, he will make all-out efforts to promote the fruitful friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Russia.

Experts discuss post-COVID-19 global major trends, recommendations for Vietnam

The Foreign Ministry and the United Nations in Vietnam jointly held an international talk in Hanoi on April 15 to discuss major global trends in the post-COVID-19 era, international experience and policy implications for Vietnam.

Addressing the event, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son noted that after 35 years of renewal, Vietnam now has a great ambition of becoming a developed country with high income in 2045.

The official asked participants to identify global trends that may generate opportunities for Vietnam to make development breakthroughs, while sharing international experience and lessons in optimising post-pandemic trends for economic recovery, and proposing suitable policies for Vietnam.

UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra mentioned rising concern about the three major crises to the globe which are climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution, which threaten the achievements and development prospects in the future.

The US-China geo-political tensions and the inequality in COVID-19 vaccine distribution may also harm multilateral cooperation, he said, expressing his impression at the fast movement in world to catch up with new and pioneering technologies, thus supporting the maintenance of essential services and economic activities.

According to Malhotra, the increasing inequality inside each country and among countries has become a big and worrying trend. Therefore, the reduction of inequality and the pursuing of green and resilient recovery policies are the highest targets of the UN.

He said he hopes the talk will help seek new ideas for the recovery process.

In the framework of the event, three discussion sessions were held on digital transformation, the transition of growth model towards inclusive, self-reliant and sustainable and green recovery orientations.

They also gave a number of policy recommendations to help Vietnam tap opportunities from major global trends, thus combining outside resources with internal strengths to make breakthroughs towards realising the goals set at the 13th National Party Congress./.

More congratulations come in from abroad

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has sent a congratulatory message Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as the State President of Vietnam.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received a message of congratulations from his Mongolian counterpart Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received congratulations from Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic Radek Vondrácek; Speaker of Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) of Malaysia Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun; Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Tan Chuan-jin; Secretary General of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Nguyen Tuong Van; Speaker of the Lok Sabh (lower house) of the Indian Parliament Om Birla; President of the Italian Senate Maria Elisabetta Casellati; Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razmkov; Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova; Speaker of the Mazhilis (House of Representatives) of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin; Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar; Speaker of the Palestine National Council Saleem Al – Za’anoon; Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco Habib El Malki; President of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina Sergio T.Massa; and President of Germany’s Hessen State Parliament Boris Rhein./.

Workshop talks ways to promote participation of disabled persons in political life

A workshop on opportunities, challenges and solutions to promote the participation of people with disabilities in politics was held in Hanoi on April 15.

Co-organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam and the Centre for Education Promotion and Empowerment of Women (CEPEW), the event aimed at enhancing the right to political engagement of people with disabilities in Vietnam where is home to more than 6 million disabled persons.

Speaking at the workshop, Diana Torres, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative in Vietnam, said there will be a political gap between non-disabled and disabled people unless the community joins hands to promote equality and empower people with disabilities on political platforms.

Without their voices in agencies under the National Assembly and People’s Councils, the people with disabilities will find it difficult to really integrate into society, she added.

Le Ngoc Hoan, a member of the Blind Association of Lang Son province, who is a self-nominated candidate for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly, said people with disabilities need representative voices in the law-making body so that their legitimate aspirations and needs will be heard.

According to a quick assessment of the group’s readiness for political involvement as candidates in the elections of deputies to the National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils, 92 percent of people surveyed hoped to have disabled deputies and 63 percent said they are ready for self-nomination to the elections in the next five years.

The assessment, jointly conducted by the UNDP Vietnam and the Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, was released as part of the workshop.

It showed three challenges facing the group in elections – feeling unconfident in the possibility of success, lacking knowledge on self-nomination and campaigning, and distrusting that the community will vote for people with disabilities.

Jan Wilhelm Grythe, Chargé d’affaires at the Norwegian Embassy, said the Norwegian Government is willing to share information on the political participation process of Tove Linnea Brandvik, a physically disabled Norwegian who served as deputy to the parliament for two terms from 2005 to 2013.

Norway is also willing to organise conversations to inspire Vietnamese people with disabilities, said the diplomat./.

Ensuring fairness among all candidates: VFF official

Besides meetings with voters, campaigning on the mass media is an important way to ensuring fairness among all candidates, said Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Ngo Sach Thuc.

Thuc said that after conducting inspections of election preparations in 16 cities and provinces, working groups of the VFF have identified certain problems and proposed solutions to address them.

The results of the first and second rounds of consultation conferences reflected the democracy in the introduction of candidates and self-nominated candidates, he said.

Regarding scenarios on organising the elections in the case of another outbreak of COVID-19, Thuc said that plans to respond to unexpected situations have been prepared to give guidance to localities, including the holding of elections in quarantine facilities and the use of mobile polling boxes, thus creating the best conditions for voters to cast their votes.

In the second phase of inspections, the VFF will focus on the publishing of lists of candidates and lists of voters in an open manner so that people from all walks of life can access them, ensuring the observation of citizens’ rights.

Thuc underlined the need to strict implement cybersecurity regulations to prevent the spread of wrongful information on candidates, while strengthening training for election workers to make sure election proceedings are implemented in line with the regulations.

Underlining that voting is the right and duty of each citizen, the VFF Vice President stressed the need for stronger communication campaigns so that voters are aware of their rights and duties and actively join the elections, thus turning the election day into a real festival of the whole nation.

NA Vice Chairman examines election preparations in Yen Bai

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Duc Hai held a working session on April 15 with authorities in the northern province of Yen Bai concerning local preparations for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and members of all-level People’s Councils for 2021-2026.

Hai, who is also Chairman of the NA’s Finance and Budget Committee and a member of the National Election Council (NEC), asked the province to continue its communications efforts, particularly in remote and ethnic minority-inhabited areas.

Priority should be given to increasing IT application and training personnel for the task, intensifying inspections, and encouraging people to vote, he added.

Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Huy Tuan said that as of April 12, Yen Bai had organised a total of 1,306 conferences to collect feedback from constituents on candidates for the elections in their constituencies.

Also head of the provincial election committee, Tuan said Yen Bai has nearly 600,000 constituents.

The province has held its third political consultative conference, agreeing on a list of eight and 97 candidates for election as deputies to the 15th NA and members of all-level People’s Councils for 2021-2026, respectively./.

Five provinces, cities told to strictly follow anti-Covid-19 measures

The national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control has written to the governments of Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Tay Ninh, Hanoi and HCMC asking them to enhance Covid-19 safety protocols.

Due to the ongoing global health crisis, the provinces and cities should continue to direct competent agencies to strictly adopt anti-Covid-19 measures and call on residents not to be negligent about the disease, according to the national steering committee.

The competent agencies were told to regularly assess anti-Covid-19 activities, while the leaders of the localities should proactively decide appropriate Covid-19 safety measures and assume responsibility for Covid-19 prevention and control.

Besides, the localities were told not to practice social distancing on a large scale and carefully consider safety measures to avoid affecting the socioeconomic development and residents’ daily activities.

Apart from this, the competent agencies were also asked to impose harsh sanctions on those who violate Covid-19 infection prevention and control regulations, VietnamPlus news site reported.

It is necessary to prepare well to reopen international air routes to promote trade with foreign partners and ensure safety amid the pandemic in line with the prime minister’s directive.

In addition, the localities were also told to improve their Covid-19 testing capacity at healthcare facilities, prepare sufficient medical equipment and offer training courses on quarantine, testing and monitoring work to medical workers.

The Ministry of Health also warned the localities to be on the lookout for illegal entry and asked them to adopt drastic measures to prevent the potential spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Vietnam enters tough race as Covid-19 vaccines outpacing world’s supplies

With demand for Covid-19 vaccines outpacing the world’s supplies, Vietnam has been entering a tough race against the clock to have Covid-19 vaccine soon.

The National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control on  April 14 convened a meeting about the purchase plan of Covid-19 vaccine and trial progress of home-made Covid-19 vaccines chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

A representative of the Ministry of Health affirmed vaccine AstraZeneca is still safe; therefore, the country will speed up immunization for priority groups according to the government’s decree 21/NQ-CP on the usage of the vaccine.

Noticeably, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long announced that demand for Covid-19 vaccines in 2021 will far exceed supply; thus, Vietnam are racing against the clock to have the vaccine as soon as possible while there has been simultaneously new barriers in negotiations with vaccine manufacturers even risks.

In regard to clinical trial of locally-made Covid-19 vaccine, Lieutenant-General Do Quyet, Director of the Ministry of Defense’s Military Medical University, said the human trial’s second phase of Nano Covax vaccine developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Company will end on April 15 at the Military Medical Academy and in a medical facility in the Mekong Delta province of Long An’s Ben Luc District with the participation of Pasteur Institute.

Mr. Quyet said that 554 volunteers exhibited symptoms such as pain at the injection point, light fever, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue, but did not require medical intervention. They are in stable condition.

Highly appreciating the vaccine’s clinical trial, the steering board announced to accelerate clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine as well as create favorable conditions for domestic functional units during the process. Moreover, the country has planned to pour investment in manufacturing the vaccine once the test is successful.

The steering board requested all ministries, sectors and local administrations to direct medical facilities, schools, factories, supermarkets, traditional markets, and bus stations to raise their awareness of the disease and adopt preventative measures.

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

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VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS MARCH 21

March 21, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

US increases imports of Vietnamese mangoes

With Vietnam emerging as the 14th largest supplier of mangoes to the United States in 2020, the import of its mangoes into the US is predicted to continue to rise this year.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Import and Export Department, the US imported a total of 2,100 tonnes of mangoes worth 4.61 million USD from Vietnam last year, representing an increase of 66% in volume and 70.1% in value in comparison to 2019. These figures indicate that Vietnam has become the 14th largest mango supplier to the US market.

Alongside fresh mangoes, the US also imported 1,150 tonnes of frozen mangoes Vietnam last year, representing an increase of 38.16% compared to 2019.

Vietnamese mangoes were licensed to enter the US, one of the demanding markets in the world, last year. Many businesses have so far shipped mangoes to the US but their exports remain modest.

Experts say that the US’s mango imports are anticipated to increase by 3% annually from now till 2025, opening up a chance for Vietnamese businesses to expand their shares in this market.

Bac Lieu develops tourism products, services

The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu is taking various measures, especially diversifying tourism products and services, to attract more tourists.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Cao Xuan Thu Van said that the province has invested in creating new tourism products, and increasing the quality and bringing into full play key products, and in completing infrastructure at main tourist sites.

In addition, the locality has coordinated with investors in developing tourism in coastal areas, speeding up construction on eco-tourism and entertainment tourist sites, and reviewing and re-assessing natural resources for tourism development, so as to build strategies in a concerted and oriented manner to avoid overlapping between localities in the Mekong Delta.

According to Van, local authorities are developing typical products of the trade villages such as salt production, fishing net knitting, seafood processing, and vegetable cultivation, while encouraging locals to take part in tourism, towards building community-based tourism models.

The province has also been investing in restoring and promoting the values of historical and cultural relic sites and ancient architectures, she added.

In 2021, Bac Lieu strives to welcome 3.2 million tourists and earn about 3.2 trillion VND (139.5 million USD) from tourism services, up 40 percent and 65 percent year-on-year respectively. It has also set a target of having 1.5 million visitors staying overnight, an increase of 53 percent compared to the figure of 2020./.

Shrimp businesses invest in long-term development

Having posted double-digit growth last year despite COVID-19 and with opportunities stemming from new-generation free trade agreements, many shrimp enterprises have been investing in building processing facilities and raw material areas for their long-term development.

Expanding processing plants

Major players such as the Thuan Phuoc Seafood & Trading Corp., the Minh Phu Seafood Corp., and the Nha Trang Seafood Company have kicked off expansion efforts since the beginning of the year, all in the Mekong Delta.

Thuan Phuoc has opened its 400 billion VND (17.45 million USD) An An shrimp processing plant in Tien Giang province, with a capacity of some 50 tonnes of finished shrimp products a day.

Minh Phu, meanwhile, is preparing to begin the construction of two large-scale processing plants, costing close to 1 trillion VND and with a combined annual capacity nearing 50,000 tonnes, in Hau Giang and Ca Mau provinces. The corporation is also eyeing the construction of another factory in nearby Kien Giang province.

Nha Trang Seafood is completing the final steps to put a processing plant into operation in Bac Lieu province, which will be capable of producing 10,000 tonnes of products annually.

Last year, Sao Ta Foods JSC invested nearly 400 billion VND in simultaneously building two shrimp processing plants in Soc Trang province’s An Nghiep Industrial Park. The two boast a capacity of 20,000 tonnes a year.

Ho Quoc Luc, Chairman of the Sao Ta Board of Directors, said the shrimp sector’s expansion in Soc Trang has seen the engagement of not only large enterprises but also new players.

If the sector maintains its current growth momentum, it will take the lead globally in a couple of years, he added.

Developing sustainable material areas

A draft fisheries development strategy to 2030 and vision to 2045, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, targets the sector contributing 28-30 percent of national GDP by 2030. Total aquatic output is to reach 10 million tonnes, of which aquaculture output is to account for 70-75 percent. This will be a driving force for businesses to invest in expanding raw material farming areas.

At the “Dialogue 2045” programme chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on March 6, director general of Minh Phu Seafood Le Van Quang said that to ensure sustainable material sources, his corporation has devised a plan on smart and green value chain development that consists of different shrimp farming models suitable to different localities. It has also developed an AI- and blockchain-based mobile phone app to manage shrimp farms.

With the development of sustainable shrimp production models, he went on, Vietnam will be capable of becoming the world’s No. 1 shrimp production and processing powerhouse, holding a market share of 25 percent globally and producing nearly 4 million tonnes of raw shrimp by 2045.

Thuan Phuoc, meanwhile, is developing a 200-ha shrimp farming area in Ben Tre province.

Chairman of its Board of Directors Tran Van Linh said it aims to expand its investment in farming and processing to the north of the Hau River, turning it into a key material area and proactively controlling food safety standards to meet its sustainable development goals./.

Vietnam’s dairy industry reaches out to the world

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on all sectors, Vietnam’s dairy industry has made efforts to win over customers and solidified its foothold in the domestic market while reaching out to global markets.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said Vietnam shipped 302.7 million USD worth of dairy products in 2020, a 10.5 percent increase against 2019. This was the first time the country’s dairy export revenue has exceeded 300 million USD.

According to the Vietnam Dairy Association (VDA), many enterprises have spent heavily on advanced technologies and developed cattle farms under Global GAP, VietGAP, and organic standards to improve productivity and food safety and to diversify products.

After showing their capacity to supply foreign markets with quality products, Vietnamese enterprises have enjoyed strong sales in the recent time. Despite the pandemic, Vinamilk and Vinasoy exported products to major markets such as China, the Middle East, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

Vinamilk signed a deal worth 20 million USD with a distributor in Dubai last year to supply dairy products, and also shipped its nut milk and milk tea to the Republic of Korea. Meanwhile, Vinasoy’s products have been sold on 11 e-commerce platforms and at six supermarket chains in China.

The VDA said the dairy sector earned more than 113.71 trillion VND (4.95 billion USD) in revenue in 2020, or 5 percent higher than in 2019, thanks to an abundance of raw materials, high demand, and solid maintenance of distribution channels.

Securities firms expect that the dairy sector will grow some 7 percent in 2021 on the back of an increasing need for high-value products.

Exports exhibited robust signs in the first two months of the year, with ten containers of Vinamilk’s nut milk and five containers of sweetened condensed milk shipped to China.

Meanwhile, the Chinese General Administration of Customs (GAC) recently announced the granting of transaction codes to two Vietnamese companies to ship dairy products to the country, the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Asia-Africa Markets has said.

Accordingly, the FrieslandCampina Hanam Company Limited is allowed to ship pasteurised and fermented milk, while the FrieslandCampina Vietnam Company Limited can export pasteurised and fermented milk, sweetened condensed milk, and other dairy products.

China has so far granted transaction codes to nine Vietnamese companies and plants. Others include TH True Milk, with sterilised and modified milk, Hanoimilk, with fermented milk, Bel Vietnam, with cheese, Nutifood, with sterilised, modified, and flavoured fermented milk, Vinamilk’s three plants, with condensed milk, flavoured fermented milk, sterilised and modified milk, and sweetened condensed milk, and many other kinds of condensed milk products.

Besides China, Vietnam’s dairy products have also won over customers in the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Middle East.

Dairy producers said they have paid due regard to improving product quality and packaging design, to better meet customer requirements.

TH True Milk, Vinasoy, and Moc Chau Milk are all making investment in material zones, plants, and state-of-the-art technologies to produce international-standard products.

According to Vinamilk International Business Director Vo Trung Hieu, together with strong markets like the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the US, it is also promoting exports to markets of potential such as the Republic of Korea and several countries in Africa.

Entering into fastidious markets has affirmed the position of Vietnamese enterprises in the world’s dairy industry, he added./.

Hanoi seeks ways to lure more visitors

Experts and businesses contributed various measures and solutions for the tourism sector of Hanoi to design tourism products to lure more visitors during a conference in the capital city on March 18.

Yet to receive foreign visitors due to COVID-19 impacts, the city is focusing on encouraging local residents to explore various destinations in the city such as high-end hotels, ancient architecture works, eco-tourism sites, trade villages and ancient villages.

Nguyen Le Huong, Deputy General Director of Vietravel held that in the current situation, the tourism sector should pay greater attention to the programme to encourage Vietnamese to travel Vietnam, and Hanoians to tour Hanoi.

She said the tourism potential of the capital city remains under-exploited, such as the beauty of outskirt districts and trade villages.

Agreeing with Huong, Truong Quoc Hung, President of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club said that the area of Ba Vi and Soc Son boast great potential for ecotourism as well as cultural, resort and sport tourism, which is suitable to families and groups of tourists. The city should also exploit its strength in spiritual tourism as well, he said.

Many experts asserted that Hanoi has yet to optimise its rich cultural tradition, advising the city to design more new, unique and typical tourism products of this type.

Phung Quang Thang, Director of Hanoi Tourist and President of the Hanoi Travel Association said that travel businesses should review and restructure their products to create more attractive tours.

Thang said that the firms should work more closely with local authorised agencies to focus on developing night tourism, citing statistics showing that 70 percent of people engaging in night tourism activities enjoy food, 20 percent often drink and 10 percent engage in entertainment activities. In his opinion, with its advantages in night tourism such as the two pedestrian areas of the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem Lake and Trinh Cong Son Street near West Lake, Hanoi’s culinary tourism will help travel firms thrive.

Meanwhile, Chu Ngoc Quan, Vice Director of the Ba Vi National Park said that in February alone, the site saw a 170 percent rise year on year in the number of visitors. The park and nearby Suoi Hai lake can become a great cultural tourism site, he said.

Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang showed the hope that travel firms will foster connectivity to design attractive tourism products with high quality.

The department has hired a communication consultant agency to help with tourism promotion in different markets, she said, adding that the city plans to organise large-scale events to attract more visitors./.

Long Thanh airport – Magnet for real estate investment in HCM City’s east

The prospect of busy urban areas being created around Long Thanh International Airport in southern Dong Nai province has attracted investment in the eastern reaches of neighbouring Ho Chi Minh City, most notably  Aqua City ecological urban area, which has become appealing thanks to its connectivity, standardised planning, convenience, and ideal geographical location.

The first phase of the Long Thanh airport project began early this year. It is scheduled to be put into service no later than 2025, with an initial annual capacity of 25 million passengers, which will eventually rise to 100 million.

Centennial growth momentum

Designed to meet the 4F level, the highest of its kind set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Long Thanh is projected to serve as an aviation hub, both regionally and globally.

Once operational, it will deal with existing airport congestion, pave the way for investment and tourism, and contribute 3-5 percent of the country’s GDP.

Major infrastructure projects such as airports have always helped give a facelift to urban areas. They also facilitate production and business, and trade and tourism, while forming a busy residential community. The central city of Da Nang and the island district of Phu Quoc in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang are examples in this regard.

Many airport-based urban models have been created globally, contributing to local economic, trade, and tourism development, with Amsterdam Schiphol in the Netherlands an outstanding example.

The Long Thanh International Airport is connected with urban areas and economic zones, so is expected to drive investment and economic development in the southern region.

The project will also give a boost to component projects like warehouses, transport infrastructure, services, and satellite urban areas, thus leading to an increase in land demand.

Real estate consultancy Savills said the southern province of Dong Nai should reach a new level of development, with a more international focus instead of relying on industry and services, as has long been the case.

It suggested the province develop a closed-loop industrial chain, from production to logistics, and warehouses and transportation to deep-water ports.

The establishment of Thu Duc city in 2021 has also given a facelift to the local area and increased housing supply in HCM City’s eastern area. Moreover, the scarcity of real estate supply in the city has prompted investment in adjacent provinces such as Dong Nai and Binh Duong, which will spur the market this year.

“The recent positive signs from key infrastructure projects like the construction of the Long Thanh International Airport and the establishment of Thu Duc city will create momentum to restart the market,” said Duong Thuy Dung, Senior Director of CBRE Vietnam.

Anticipating investment waves

To optimise such opportunities and complete the infrastructure network connected with Long Thanh, Dong Nai authorities have begun the construction of transport projects such as Huong Lo 2 and the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway.

The province has also proposed building two routes leading to the airport: a 3.8-km route running from National Highway No 51 to the airport, and another, measuring 3.5 km, from the HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway to the first route, running in parallel with National Highway No 51. The total funding for the two routes has been estimated at more than 4.8 trillion VND (209.46 million USD).

Located within the open urban-economic area in the southern part of Bien Hoa city, Aqua City, invested by Novaland, has found favour among both buyers and investors thanks to its ideal geographic location and scientific planning.

Covering 1,000 ha, it lies on Huong Lo 2, linking National Highway No. 51 and the HCM City-Long Thanh- Dau Giay Expressway.

It takes only half an hour by waterway from the project to the centre of HCM City and five minutes by car to a high-tech industrial park in District 9. Once transport infrastructure is completed, it will take only 20 minutes by car to get to HCM City or the Long Thanh International Airport.

Located within Aqua City, the urban island of Phuong Hoang opened late last year and has proven its attractiveness thanks to its natural surroundings.

The urban island of Phuong Hoang boasts an ideal geographic location and a vast ecological area.

The DKRA Vietnam JSC said street houses and villas are moving towards areas adjacent to HCM City that boast abundant land funds and convenient infrastructure.

As such, Dong Nai expects to continue making up a large share of supply this year. Major projects on hundreds of hectares each and with scientific planning, like Aqua City, will further catch the attention of customers thanks to their potential for high growth values./.

Forbes spotlights Vietnamese hospitality sector’s creativity amid pandemic

US business magazine Forbes has recently published an article highlighting the Vietnamese hospitality sector’s creativity to survive the COVID-19 blow.

According to the article, titled “Vietnam’s hotels get creative to survive the pandemic” by Brett Davis, COVID-19 forced some in the industry to rethink their approach to how to cater to guests and innovate their offerings.

It said one such innovation was developed at Alma Resort on the shores of Cam Ranh Bay in southern Vietnam, which built its own in-house app to create a safe, contactless way of delivering key information to guests.

Developed by the resort’s IT team and available for download on Android, Apple, Windows and Amazon devices, the ‘Alma Resort’ app provides COVID-19 health and safety tips, menus for the property’s restaurants, activity schedules and promotions as well as live stream broadcasts and information about events.

The resort’s general manager, Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, said he believed it would soon be incumbent for five-star resorts across Vietnam to offer the same technology.

The author went on to note that thanks the Government’s drastic measures, Vietnam was one of the world’s leading countries in controlling the spread of the pandemic.

It said domestic tourism, and the steadily growing purchasing power of Vietnamese consumers, came to be viewed as a lifeline for the local tourism industry, provided it could change its strategy in some key areas. One such example was in the food and beverage offerings.

Looking forward, Herbert Laubichler-Pichler predicted there would be a strong rebound in the Vietnamese tourism sector because of the pent-up demand for travel after a year spent in various forms of isolation./.

Tien Giang to expand aquatic farming area to over 10,500 ha

The districts of Go Cong Dong and Tan Phu Dong, which form key saline and brackish water aquaculture areas in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, are targeting to have more than 10,500 ha of water surface area serving aquatic farming, mostly shrimp, this year.

Located in the downstream area of the Tien River, the two localities aim to produce over 50,000 tonnes of aquatic products for domestic consumption and export.

Head of the Go Cong Dong office for agriculture and rural development Nguyen Van Qui said the district is endowed with a 20-km coastline and so boasts great potential for salty and brackish water aquaculture. It has so far established two concentrated farming areas.

The district is now working to diversify its farming methods to meet market demand and lessen the risks facing farmers.

Meanwhile, coastal communes in Tan Phu Dong district like Phu Dong and Phu Tan are being developed around aquatic farming to stabilise local lives, meet new-style rural standards, and adapt to climate change. Various shrimp models have been applied to create more jobs.

Phu Tan commune’s improved extensive shrimp farming area now totals 2,500 ha and is an important raw material area serving the local seafood processing industry for export.

To boost agricultural production restructuring efforts and to capitalise on potential in local land and labour, particularly for salty and brackish water aquaculture, the locality has developed high-tech shrimp farming for export in Phu Thanh and Phu Dong communes, while building a shrimp-rice farming area in Phu Tan, according to Nguyen Van Hai, head of the district’s office for agriculture and rural development.

Go Cong Dong and Tan Phu Dong produced more than 46,000 tonnes of aquatic products last year./.

Disbursement of public investment for agriculture likely to reach 11.4 percent in Q1

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is likely to fulfil 11.4 percent of its yearly plan of public capital disbursement at the end of the first quarter of this year.

Of the total, the disbursement of capital from Government bonds is likely to reach 13.9 percent, while those of official development assistance (ODA) is 7.6 percent and the State budget is 10.2 percent.

According to the ministry, in order to speed up public investment disbursement, right from the beginning of the year, the ministry has held a number of online meetings with its agencies to remove difficulties and obstacles in the field.

Along with the implementation of comprehensive measures, in the first months of 2021, the ministry has prioritised the disbursement of capital left from 2020, and directing the settlement of obstacles facing major projects.

The ministry has strengthen the inspection and supervision of the progress of each projects, especially large ones with complicated conditions and huge investment, thus exploring obstacles facing the projects and investors and give timely solutions, especially in ground clearance.

In 2021, the MARD is allocated with over 9.84 trillion VND (425.32 million USD) of public investment capital, including 7 trillion VND from domestic sources and 2.84 trillion from ODA sources.

Last year, the ministry received 13.97 trillion VND, of which 12.07 trillion VND was disbursed, equivalent to 86.4 percent of the yearly target./.

Proposals released on investment in North-South high-speed railway’s two sections

The consultancy agency of the North-South high-speed railway project has released proposals on investment in Hanoi – Vinh (Nghe An) and Ho Chi Minh City – Nha Trang sections with a total length of 615 km, according to a representative from the Ministry of Transport.

Under the proposal, the two sections are to be built and become operational before 2032 at a total cost of 375.87 trillion VND (15.7 billion USD), or before 2030 with total investment of 561.59 trillion VND (23.3 billion USD).

The transport sector plans to build seven new railway routes in the 2021-2030 period and upgrade a number of old lines./.

HCM City receives record 6.1 billion USD remittances in 2020 despite pandemic

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseas remittances to Ho Chi Minh City reached a record high of 6.1 billion USD last year, up more than 15 percent from 2019, a city leader told a meeting on March 18.

Duong Anh Duc, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, hailed the contributions made by overseas Vietnamese businesses to the country’s socio-economic development, saying, “Remittances to Vietnam have been worth more than 170 billion USD since 1990.”

He called on young overseas Vietnamese who have returned to live in Vietnam to establish a diaspora network in the country to better exploit its socio-economic potential.

Vo Thanh Chat, Vice Chairman of the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, said last year more than 1,450 overseas Vietnamese were interested in learning about policies related to investment in the city.

It also received donations from overseas Vietnamese such as masks, disinfectants and other equipment in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and almost 10,000 books worth more than 1.1 million USD meant for local universities.

Overseas Vietnamese have been providing inputs to the city Department of Science and Technology on a draft law for attracting experts in various fields, he said.

The committee would continue to help them maintain their culture abroad, he said.

More than 5.3 million ethnic Vietnamese live in 130 countries and territories.

According to Luong Thanh Nghi, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, some 600,000 work and study in developed countries, a huge resource for the country, while 500 return to Vietnam every year to invest in various sectors, he added.

In recent years many overseas Vietnamese have returned to start businesses since they see great economic potential in the country.

Many had very successful careers in other countries, Nghi added./.

Domestic travel bouncing back quickly

Many travel companies said domestic tourism is recovering quickly, and even a number of tours for the South Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and the May Day holidays have been fully booked.

The Dau tu (Vietnam Investment Review) newspaper reported that travel firms have continually offered new tours and combos with attractive prices and services.

Thanks to the containment of the latest COVID-19 outbreak that began in late January, the number of domestic travellers booking tours and combos has been growing strongly.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Deputy Director of the marketing division at Vietravel, said since early March, her company has carried out a new programme in which clients booking four- or five-star resort rooms for two or three nights for trips in March and April will be offered round-trip tickets priced from only 990,000 VND (nearly 43 USD) for certain routes of Vietravel Airlines.

This enterprise reported that the number of visitors rose five-fold during March 1-7, and most of them selected destinations in the Central Highlands, the central region, and Phu Quoc Island for their holidays.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, head of the communications division at Saigontourist, noted that for travel businesses, the domestic market is still their lifesaver in 2021.

Tour prices at present are “very good” compared to the pre-outbreak period as hotels and restaurants are offering the best prices while service quality is still maintained, she said, adding that Saigontourist has also seen a large number of clients asking for information or booking tours and combos for the coming national holidays in late April.

Besides, flight tickets have also been discounted to the lowest possible level, according to Dau tu.

Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines has sold tickets for the domestic flights conducted between February 19 and December 31 this year, except for some peak times, for only 88,000 VND, or 567,000 VND including tax and fees. Passengers can change tickets for unlimited times before the flight date, with the change free of 500,000 VND per ticket.

Apart from travel companies and airlines, many localities have also been launching a wide range of activities to attract visitors this summer.

Da Nang city, a tourist magnet in the central region, is set to organise the Danang By Night programme on April 30 featuring numerous events like artistic lighting on the Han River and its banks, bridges, and some skycrapers; night-time travel activities at the An Thuong tourism zone; and music shows at many places of interest.

Hanoi capital is scheduled to hold a travel stimulus and culinary festival on April 14-16 at the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Meanwhile, businesses in Ho Chi Minh City has also recorded positive signs when the number of people with travel demand is recovering, Chairwoman of the city’s Tourism Association Nguyen Thi Khanh said, adding that many of the association’s member companies have inked contracts with hundreds or even thousands of clients for trips through April.

She noted that residents in HCM City love travelling, so a demand rebound is inevitable after a long period of staying at home due to the coronavirus outbreak./.

Vietnam, UAE enjoy surge in two-way trade

Total two-way trade between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached 809 million USD in the first two months of this year, up 58 percent from the same period last year.

The UAE is one of Vietnam’s 10 largest export partners in the world and is the largest export partner of Vietnam in the Middle East and Africa, which has seen a surge in demand for imported goods in the time of COVID-19. Experts believe that there are plenty of opportunities for Vietnam to gain a stronger foothold in this market in the time ahead.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has enjoyed high trade surplus with the UAE for years, posting 737 million USD worth of exports to UAE in January-February, up nearly 60 percent year-on-year while imports valuing 72 million USD, up 44 percent.

Phones and accessories were Vietnam’s key export earner from the UAE, bringing home 551 million USD, up about 108 percent from a year earlier and accounting for two thirds of the total exports to the Middle Eastern country.

A number of agricultural products also witnessed high growth. Specifically, exports of cashew nuts increased six-fold year-on-year to 10.3 million USD, while shipments of fishery products, fruit and vegetables, and pepper grew 18 percent, 12 percent, and 17 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, due to impacts of COVID-19, shipments of footwear and textile-garment declined 23 percent and 11 percent, respectively, to 14 million USD and 11 million USD.

Among imported goods from the UAE, plastic materials valued the highest, 41.8 million USD, up 66 percent year-on-year. Vietnam also spent 8.7 million USD on importing cattle feed and materials, up 9 percent./.

Bac Giang develops IT infrastructure, digital economy

The northern province of Bac Giang has strengthened information technology (IT), digital infrastructure, and digital transformation to build e-government and a digital socio-economy, said Director of the provincial Information Communications Department Tran Minh Chieu.

Accordingly, it continues to effectively implement Politburo guidelines and policies on taking the initiative in joining the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The province has also issued smart urban development plans and programmes to successfully build electronic and digital government.

Focus has been given to building telecommunications and information, communications, and technology infrastructure to transmit, connect, deploy, and effectively operate e-government and smart urban areas while increasing the provision of online public services at level 3 and 4 in order to increase satisfaction among citizens and businesses.

Bac Giang has also paid attention to implementing digital government from the grassroots level, especially at the commune level, aiming for each household to have access to 4G and developing 5G infrastructure at industrial zones to support smart manufacturing in order to welcome new waves of investment.

The province will also focus on building new data platforms and technologies to deploy comprehensive smart urban area planning to improve the quality of life of local people, building an open database (Open Data), and connecting data at all levels and all organisations into a shared provincial database, ensuring network safety and security while maximizing the use of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to develop an integrated and modern digital economy, expand e-commerce, and improve management and administration efficiency in all areas of socio-economic life.

Bac Giang will spend at least one percent of its provincial budget annually on IT and invest in building a digital technology platform and mobilise resources to prioritise e-government development, and promulgate mechanisms to attract high-quality human resources to participate in building and developing its e-government, towards creating a digital socio-economy and ensuring national defence and security in the locality.

In 2021, Bac Giang will promote the application of IT in the activities of government-owned agencies, and have all dossiers at the district level sent via electronic form unless otherwise prescribed by law.

The province will also strive to reach a target of 90 percent of all paperwork at the provincial level, 80 percent at the district level, and 60 percent at the commune level processed on the internet. Forty percent of people and enterprises in the province are to join in the e-government information system, and 80 percent of administrative procedures are to meet the requirements for deploying online public services at level 3 and 4. Satisfaction among local people and businesses with the settlement of administrative procedures is to reach 90 percent, while all public services are to be supported in answering questions from people and businesses.

Bac Giang previously paid attention to speeding up the application of IT and administrative reform, creating a foundation for building an e-government towards digital government in the province. Its data integration centre, WAN network, and data transmission network have gradually met requirements to operate shared applications of provincial e-government. The province has also developed a provincial data sharing and integration (LGSP) platform to facilitate digital transformation tasks.

It has formed a unified electronic document management system from the central to local level, allowing for automated recognition of paperwork processing among bodies, with all documents secured with information security and digital signatures.

The province has successfully installed traffic surveillance and security cameras, especially along key roads, while agricultural production models are applying high technology.

By the end of 2020, the province had 440 IT, electronics, and telecommunications enterprises. The revenue of these enterprises hit over 124.5 trillion VND in 2019 and they contributed over 830 billion VND to the State budget./.

Supporting industry firms anticipate high 2021 growth

Supporting industry enterprises are witnessing huge opportunities from Vietnam joining free trade agreements and more capital flowing into the country.

According to the Government’s master plan on the development of supporting industries to 2020 and vision to 2030, Vietnam will develop three key areas: spare parts, supporting industries for leather, footwear, and apparel, and high-tech industry.

Resolution No 115/NQ-CP on supporting industry development measures contains a goal that, by 2030, the local supporting industry will meet 70 percent of demand in domestic production and consumption and account for around 14 percent of industrial production value. Some 2,000 firms will be capable of directly supplying items to assembly enterprises and multinational groups in the country.

To meet the goal, the Government has set out seven measures to develop supporting industries, including fine-tuning mechanisms and policies, ensuring and effectively pooling resources for supporting industries, financial and credit solutions, developing domestic value chains and markets, improving the capacity of supporting industry enterprises, and building statistics and data.

As Vietnam has joined the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and other free trade agreements, demand for production and trade as well as links between domestic and foreign firms are substantial.

Chairman of the Hanoi Supporting Industries Business Association Nguyen Hoang said that, over recent years, many supporting industry enterprises have supplied items to major multinational groups and foreign businesses in Vietnam such as Canon, Samsung, Toyota, and Honda, and also exported to partners worldwide.

General Director of the Hikari Vietnam Production and Trading Company Ltd, Nguyen Duc Cuong, said most firms have faced difficulties, both directly and indirectly, due to COVID-19. These may continue this year but positive signs remain as Vietnam’s economy is growing, thus making it easier for the country to attract foreign investment and offer opportunities to domestic companies.

If domestic supporting industry enterprises can seize the opportunities, they could quickly join global supply chains, he said.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation said orders from manufacturers in the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan (China), and the US, as well as foreign companies in Vietnam, have increased since last year thanks to disrupted supply chains in China caused by COVID-19.

Cuong believes that only enterprises with long-term business plans, good governance, and strong links will prosper./.

Tuyên Quang focuses on forestry economic development

The northern mountainous province of Tuyên Quang has gained achievements in forestry economic development thanks to introducing proper policies and mechanism.

Tuyên Quang has used many solutions, striving to become a model locality for the development of the forestry economy.

After many years of planting fruit trees such as dragon fruit, lemon and oranges without much success, the province instructed local farmers to change to other plants.

In 2010, Vương Từ Phìn’s family in Tân Tiến Commune of Yên Sơn District converted their entire farm from fruit trees to acacia trees, which brought his family a stable income of VNĐ50-60 million (US$2,100-2,600) per ha per growing cycle of seven years.

The stable income from the forest plantation has helped Phìn’s family escape poverty.

“In the past, many households in the village mainly planted fruit trees, vegetables and short-term crops, but they were ineffective,” said Phìn.

“Since shifting to the planting of acacia, we have earned more,” he said.

“After seven years, each hectare of the forest could bring VNĐ100 million (US$4,300), of which we could earn a profit of VNĐ50-60 million per ha,” he said.

Thanks to afforestation, local people have developed economically.

Because the topography is divided by hills, mountains, and small and fragmented fields, for years, Tân Tiến Commune has focused on forestry trees.

As of late last year, the commune had more than 4,000ha of forest, reaching a forest coverage rate of 75 per cent.

Thanks to afforestation, many families in the commune have escaped poverty, contributing to helping the commune fulfil the criteria for building a new countryside.

According to Lý Minh Hiếu, the commune chairman, in recent years, the main income in the commune came from afforestation.

“People’s lives had been improved and per capita income reached nearly VNĐ42 million (US$1,800) per year,” Hiếu said.

“Basically, people in Tân Tiến Commune eradicated hunger and reduced poverty through afforestation,” the chairman said.

The development of the forestry economy is seen as a breakthrough for Tuyên Quang to become a developed province.

Therefore, provincial authorities have issued many policies and mechanisms to create favourable conditions for people and businesses to invest in afforestation such as supporting high-quality seedlings for people, providing afforestation techniques and promoting co-operation between enterprises and afforestation farmers to expand raw material areas and develop wood processing.

Currently, the province has eight wood, paper and pulp processing factories kike An Hoà Pulp and Paper Factory with a capacity of 1.3 million cu.m per year and Woodland Tuyên Quang Wood Processing Factory with a capacity of 680,000 cu.m annually.

Tuyên Quang’s wood products have been exported to countries such as India, the US, Singapore, China and European nations.

Nguyễn Văn Anh, general director of An Hoà Paper Company, said that to create a sustainable material supply chain for the factory, the company annually provided more than 2 million seedlings for free to local people and also explained planting techniques.

The company would continue to look for new varieties and provide free support to people and commit to ensuring timber purchasing for the people, Anh said.

In five years of implementing the Programme on Sustainable Forestry Development of 2016-2020, Tuyên Quang planted more than 55,400 hectares of forest and created ​​132,000 hectares of forest for paper materials and nearly 69,900 hectares of forest for timbers.

More than 35,800ha of forest were granted sustainable forest management certificates.

Logging output reached 4.2 million cu.m equivalent to 844,000 cu.m year, which ranked first in northern mountainous provinces in terms of the output of wood of the planted forest.

The forestry production value was raised to VNĐ1.3 trillion ($56.4 million) in 2019 from VNĐ911 billion ($39.5 million) in 2015.

The province’s plantation wood processing capacity, planted forest area certified for sustainable forest management and forest coverage rate are among the best in the country.

To improve economic efficiency from planted forests, the province has been encouraging investment in forestry production.

According to Triệu Đăng Khoa, deputy head of the provincial forest ranger department, the province has started the implementation of a sustainable forestry economic development programme.

Under the programme, the province will plant 10,000ha of forest every year, exploit 9,000cu.m of timbers, effectively implement management and protection of more than 422,000 hectares of the existing forests, and provide enough raw materials for large processors to produce and export aiming at increasing incomes for forest growers and foreign currency revenue for the province, said Khoa.

Agro-fishery exports to China face challenges due to COVID-19

Vietnamese agricultural and fishery exports to China have encountered numerous difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the customs clearance capacity of goods at border gates yet to be operating at full capacity, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Furthermore, China has also intensified the enforcement of laws and border trade policies imposed on agricultural and fisheries imports at border areas through a range of measures, including origin traceability, packaging specifications, food hygiene, and safety.

Moreover, a number of traders have transported their farm produce on mass to the border despite being yet to sign official contracts with Chinese partners, leading to heavy congestion at border gates.

Last year witnessed export and import turnover passing through Lao Cai border gate reach US$3.2 billion, representing a decline of 15.2% compared to 2019 due to the impact of COVID-19 epidemic.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh stated the MoIT will enter discussions with the Chinese side in an effort to speed up the completion of legal procedures in order to open the market for Vietnamese farm produce and aquatic products.

Simultaneously, the MoIT will mobilise the Chinese side to consider opening additional border gates and railway transport routes to facilitate greater imports in the time ahead and better meet the needs of each side.

Most notably, the country will closely co-operate with the northern neighbour to disseminate information on how to take advantage of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement and how to make use of e-commerce to promote exports and focus on medium and long-term trade promotion schemes whilst strengthening trade exchange via online platforms.

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

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VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS APRIL 9

April 9, 2021 by vietnamnet.vn

CPTPP gives boost to Vietnamese exports

VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS APRIL 9
Vietnamese wood processing firms have huge opportunities to ship their products to Canada under CPTPP.

The trade pact was clinched in March 2018 by 11 countries, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. It came into effect Vietnam in January 2019.

Participant heard that Vietnam’s exports to all members of the trade deal have been on the rise, with an accumulated value amounting to 34.3 billion USD in 2019 and about 34 billion USD in 2020, when the COVID-19 took its toll in the world.

The value of shipments to the countries under the trade pact accounted for 12.02 percent of Vietnam’s total export value in 2018. The proportion rose to 13 percent in 2019 before returning back to 12.02 percent in 2020.

Footwear, garment-textile, wood and woodwork products recorded good growth over the reviewed years.

However, the rate of taking advantage from CPTPP-related preferential tariff treatment stayed at 1.67 percent in 2019, well below Vietnam’s average rate of 37.2 percent posted in the year./.

IMF forecasts 6.5% GDP for Vietnam this year

Vietnam’s GDP growth rate is forecast to rise by 6.5% this year, a figure which is higher than the global average of 6%, before climbing to 7.2% in 2022, according to data released in the latest World Economic Outlook report compiled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

This projection was made during the opening session of the 2021 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank group.

The country’s positive growth rate can largely be attributed to drastic measures implemented by the Government in terms of economics and health care.

The IMF recommended that macroeconomic policies be maintained throughout the year in an effort to ensure a sustainable and comprehensive recovery is achieved.

The international financial institution also forecast that the GDP of five countries in the ASEAN bloc, namely Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, will expand by 4.9% in 2021 and 6.1% in 2022.

World economic growth is expected to reach 6% this year, higher than the 5.5% projection made in January.

The news comes as a number of major international financial institutions have made positive assessments on the future outlook of the Vietnamese economy.

The country’s economic growth rate is forecast to reach 7.1% and 6.6% this year by the United Oversea Bank and HSBC.

An article recently published by news publication borgenmagazine.com of the United States highlights Vietnam’s incredible economic growth since the implementation of a series of economic reforms in 1986 during the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) sixth national congress.

Despite these positives, the article states that the country’s transportation infrastructure remains woefully behind many other developed economies.

At present, Vietnam is at a crossroads in terms of its development and requires further investment in its transportation network in order to sustain and expand its growth, according to the piece.

The article concludes by outlining how the country has run into trouble financing the North-South Expressway, although the implementation of the Public-Private Partnership Law (PPP) is expected to fix this problem by making PPPs in infrastructure projects simpler and more attractive.

EVN’s power from renewable sources reaches nearly 7.8 billion kWh in Jan-Mar

The State-run utility Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) mobilized approximately 7.8 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of power from renewable energy in the first three months of the year, surging 181% against the 2020 figure. Of this, the amount of electricity from solar energy accounted for over 7.13 billion kWh, according to EVN’s recently-released report.

In the first quarter, the volume of electricity produced in the country and imported from overseas reached some 60 billion kWh, up 4.1% compared to the same period last year. Of the amount, EVN and its subsidiaries generated 29.22 billion kWh, or 49%, while non-EVN businesses were in charge of the remaining volume.

While the amount of power from renewable energy soared sharply, that generated from traditional sources saw a decline.

Among the traditional power sources, more electricity from hydropower plants was supplied to the national power grid, at nearly 14 billion kWh. The volume of electricity generated from coal-fired and gas-fired power plants contracted 12-21% year-on-year at 29.75 billion kWh and 7.44 billion kWh, respectively. Further, imported electricity also plunged 58% versus last year’s figure to 405 million kWh.

The soaring supplies of renewable power have prompted EVN to face a number of obstacles in mobilizing various sources of power. For instance, hydropower generators had to change their capacity flexibly to offset the changes in the volume of renewable power, thus leaving an impact on the power supply at the end of the dry season. Besides, if the capacity of power generators at coal- and gas-fired power plants is activated or changed numerous times, it could lead to possible incidents.

As the volume of electricity from renewable sources now accounts for an increasing proportion and the second quarter will be in the peak dry season, the local power sector will adopt measures to ensure the safe operations of the national power system and local power market, including cutting down on renewable power supplies, EVN said.

Competitive capacity key to gaining benefits from CPTPP and FTAs: experts

Poor competitive capacity will hinder businesses from gaining benefits from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This statement was made at a workshop held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The workshop aimed to evaluate issues in the implementation of this agreement and conduct recommendations for the Government and business.

Two years since the CPTPP came into effect, Viet Nam had seen strong growth in exports to some CPTPP member countries, but not all.

Speaking at the workshop, Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of VCCI, said that many businesses affirmed that their poor competitiveness was hindering them from gaining opportunities from the CPTPP and new agreements.

Five years ago, the obstacles remain the managerial skills of State agencies, such as a lack of information about commitments, delays, and inflexibility in implementing the CPTPP and other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

The impact of some technical factors also had negative effects on businesses, such as rules of origin, and unfavourable commitments of FTAs, according to Loc.

He attributed the major problem to the competitive capacity of businesses themselves.

According to a report compiled by VCCI, three quarters of businesses said they were planning to revive their business plans to take advantage of the CPTPP and FTAs.

The plans aim to consolidate and improve the competitiveness of businesses. The second step is to calculate how to take full use of opportunities from the CPTPP and FTAs. Finally, they have to set up plans in preparation for long-range opportunities.

However, in a VCCI survey of 8,600 local enterprises, up to 70 per cent of them had little knowledge of the CPTPP. And 25 per cent of the enterprises had some knowledge of the CPTPP.

This survey has also pointed out that 84 per cent of the enterprises lacked information about the commitments in the free trade agreement.

The survey shows that with complicated FTAs and CPTPP, it is necessary to provide more in-depth, detailed and useful information for businesses.

Phan Huu Minh, General Secretary of Thai Nguyen Business Association, said participating in the CPTPP, enterprises should strictly comply with general regulations, and study market information and rules of origin with a view to preparing their production plans and enhancing capacity.

Vu Tien Loc said that programmes and activities to support businesses should focus on enhancing the competitive capacity of local products, and trade promotion.

He added businesses needed to be more proactive in seeking opportunities, studying commitments under the CPTPP as well as improving competitiveness of their products. These factors were key to taking advantage of opportunities from global integration.

Nguyen Thu Trang, director of the VCCI’s centre for WTO and economic integration, said: “There is a lot of information about the CPTPP, and answers on the VCCI’s website. If businesses need information, we can share it freely, however, only a small number of businesses want to find out about it. They are ignoring the impacts of the CPTPP and FTAs.”

Nguyen Cam Trang, an expert from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said local businesses had tried to improve quality of agricultural produce. However, local businesses still faced difficulties due to their small-scale production.

Joining the CPTPP will help businesses improve and enhance exports, forcing them to raise product quality and competitive capacity.

To take advantage of the CPTPP, the Government needed to review relevant legal regulations and improve the business climate, as well as provide more information in terms of markets and business plans.

Fado becomes first ecommerce platform in Vietnam to stop trading H&M products

Ecommerce platform Fado.vn has stopped trading all H&M products starting today, April 7, for an indefinite period as the Swedish fashion retailer featured a map with the illegal nine-dash line on its website, said Dat Pham, CEO of Fado Vietnam JSC, making it the first ecommerce platform in the country to suspend the sale of H&M products.

“The Fado team includes Vietnamese citizens; thus, we refuse to cooperate with any brand that does not respect the sovereignty of Vietnam,” Dat stressed in a press release.

Three days ago, a Facebook group was formed to call for a boycott of H&M and the hashtag “TaychayHM” (BoycottHM) was the top trending topic on Twitter in Vietnam on April 3. Vietnamese public opinion asserted that Vietnam’s sovereign rights over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are in line with international law and H&M showed no respect for and harmed the sovereignty of Vietnam for the sake of its own commercial benefit.

In Vietnam, H&M opened its first store in HCMC in September 2017 and the second one in Hanoi two months later. As of now, the Swedish shoes and clothing brand operates 12 stores in Vietnam, with five stores in Hanoi, four in HCMC and three others in Can Tho, Danang and Ha Long.

As for Fado, which was established in 2014, it remains among the top five ecommerce platforms in Vietnam, according to data of the Iprice Group. It functions as a cross-border ecommerce platform, enabling local traders and enterprises to connect with their overseas business partners through the platform more easily.

Robust growth trends projected for investment in healthcare

Vietnam’s healthcare and pharmacy chains are increasingly getting new funds to expand their operations in local market, thereby securing access and availability of medical supplies and drugs for locals. However, concerns over adequate human resources in the sector dampen the bright prospects and could cause supply issues.

Kim Dental, Vietnam’s largest private dental care platform, has recently raised $24 million in a series B round. The investment was led by ABC World Asia, a private equity fund dedicated to investing across Asia, seeded by Temasek. Proceeds from the round, which saw the participation from existing backer Aura Private Equity, will support Kim Dental in expanding the delivery of affordable and reliable oral health services across Vietnam.

Kim Dental owns and operates a fast-growing network of 19 dental clinics across four cities. The clinics provide dental check-ups and treatments as well as more advanced orthodontics, prosthodontics, oral surgery, and implants. Kim Dental employs 120 dentists and dental surgeons, as well as over 600 clinical and operational staff serving over 23,000 patients per month. Kim Dental also operates a dental laboratory to support its clinic network with in-house production of crowns, dentures, and bridges.

Huynh Minh Viet, CFO of Kim Dental said, “With this successful round, we’re now well-positioned to expand our delivery of international quality dental care to the fast-growing communities across the country, thus improving community access and helping to elevate the standards of oral healthcare in Vietnam, so that we achieve more positive overall healthcare outcomes in our country.”

Meanwhile, SK Group is said to be mulling over an investment in Vietnam’s largest pharmacy retail chain, Pharmacity, with an expected value of up to $90 million, according to Dealstreetasia.

Phamarcity is Vietnam’s largest pharmacy retailer with approximately 500 drugstores. The company has a plan to open its 1,000th store this year.

If the deal is concluded, it would make up SK Group’s second investment in Vietnam’s pharmacy and healthcare market. Last May, SK Investment III, a subsidiary of South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate SK Group, received 12.32 million shares of Imexpharm Corporation, equivalent to 24.9 per cent.

Michael Han, head of SK Group’s Representative Office in Vietnam told VIR, “There are dozens of industries and companies that we are trying to get to know better here, and healthcare happens to be one of them. It does not necessarily mean that an investment is imminent though.”

However, Han remains upbeat about Vietnam’s healthcare and pharmacy market. Historically, this sector’s growth has been backed by people’s growing concerns about the wellbeing of their family members, environmental factors, rising household income, and the high urbanisation rate – which leads to changes in lifestyles and a higher demand in personal healthcare.

“We believe that the robust growth will continue into the foreseeable future. We have seen a similar trend in South Korea over the last 20 years or so. In terms of market size, Vietnam is still at the emerging stage, with estimated total value of $7 billion in 2019, growing at a robust pace of 8 per cent from 2019-2024,” he said.

Meanwhile, a consortium led by Singapore’s state investor GIC Pte. Ltd. has agreed with Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup to buy a stake in its medical unit, Vinmec, for over $200 million. However, Vingroup will remain the controlling shareholder of the unit after the deal, Vingroup said in statement last December.

Other funds like Vinacapital and Mekong Capital have seen the prospects of the market and decided to cash in on local healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Last August, VinaCapital invested in Thu Cuc International General Hospital by purchasing a 30-per-cent stake for $26.7 million. In 2019, Mekong Capital also financed pharmacy chain Pharmacity out of its Mekong Enterprise Fund III.

Private equity investments in healthcare are on the rise. Nguyen Thi Vinh Ha, head of advisory at Grant Thornton Vietnam, cited the firm’s survey showing that healthcare is among the most attractive industries for investors, with its growth prospects coming from higher healthcare spending per capita.

“However, the shortage of qualified personnel and inadequate healthcare infrastructure results in a huge supply gap, and the increasing ageing speed of the Vietnamese population will further boost the healthcare demand,” Ha added.

Biotechnology contributes to higher productivity and increased incomes

The adoption of biotechnology in corn production in Việt Nam had resulted in higher productivity, increased income and environmental improvement, attendees heard at a workshop held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

The workshop was organised by the Việt Nam Seed Trade Association (VSTA), Việt Nam Farmers’ Union (VFU) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

Speaking at the workshop, Trần Xuân Định, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Việt Nam Seed Trade Association, said that many plant varieties created using biotechnology are present in Việt Nam, facilitating plant and livestock restructuring and increased incomes thanks to better productivity and reduced pesticide costs.

In Việt Nam, biotech crops were officially approved for commercial corn farming from 2014-2015.

Corn is also one of the main crops in Việt Nam’s agricultural production structure and the country is among the largest corn producers in the world.

“The introduction of biotech varieties with improved traits into production at that time was considered one of the key tools to further increase production yield and quality, add value, and bring more profit to corn farmers, thereby strengthening Việt Nam’s capability in supplying raw materials to the domestic food and feed supply chain,” Định said.

A study conducted in 2019-2020 by VSTA and the United Kingdom’s PG Economics on the impact of biotech corn after five years of cultivation showed that biotech corn with insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits delivered between 15.2 and 30 per higher yields compared to conventional hybrid corn varieties. Farmers’ incomes increased by VNĐ4.5-7.6 million (US$196-330) per hectare.

Biotech corn cultivation also resulted in a significant decrease in pesticide use, with an average reduction of 26 per cent for herbicides and 78 per cent for insecticides (average amounts applied per hectare), corresponding to a reduction in the associated environmental impact, as measured by the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) indicator of 36 and 77 per cent, respectively.

However, Định said, the biotech corn adoption rate has not met expectations.

By 2019, the total acreage of biotech corn was about 92,000 hectares, accounting for approximately 10 per cent of the country’s total corn acreage.

Despite the increasing demand for corn in the livestock industry, the domestic corn acreage showed a downward trend over the past five years, he said.

“Domestic corn production is in fierce competition with imported corn in terms of price and quality; farmers in many regions have changed to plant other crops when profits from corn cultivation were not high, especially when the domestic purchasing prices plummeted.”

Participants at the workshop exchanged information on the status of agricultural biotechnology adoption in the world as well as in Việt Nam. They discussed the socio-economic impacts of biotech corn after five years of being approved for farming in Việt Nam.

Analysing the effects of biotech crops on a global scale, Graham Brookes of PG Economics cited the data in the latest study released in 2020: “In 2018, the total extra income for farmers cultivating biotech crops was US$19 billion – for each extra US dollar invested in biotech crop seeds, farmers could make an extra profit of US$4.42.”

In addition, had biotech crops not been grown in 2018, an additional 23 billion kilos of carbon dioxide would have been emitted into the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of adding 15.3 million cars to the roads.

According to Brookes, farmers, especially small-hold farmers in developing countries, are those who benefit the most from biotech crops, not only from increased crop yields (from 10 to 16.5 per cent, depending on crop type) and higher profits (approximately US$103 per ha on average) but also from the change in farming habits to become more environmentally friendly when the amount of pesticides could be reduced.

Định said that in accordance with the Agricultural Biotechnology Development Project to 2023, one of the goals to be achieved by Việt Nam by 2030 is to master a number of new generation biotechnologies, create industrial-scale products for application to production practice, and increase the number of biotechnology enterprises in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector by at least 30 per cent compared to the 2021-2025 period.

It meant that agricultural biotechnology development and adoption is a general development orientation of the country and Việt Nam needs to catch up with the world trend in applying new generation plant varieties towards sustainable and modern agriculture development.

In order to promote the development of biotechnology in agriculture, it was necessary to have a transparent direction and policy, with key investments of the State for units and enterprises which are pioneers in the application of biotechnology in the sector, Định said.

Labor market recovers, demand for personnel increases

Since the beginning of the year, the local labor market has gradually recovered, with the number of jobs in March soaring by 40% against January, according to human resource service firm Adecco Vietnam.

The labor market also saw the number of job applications rise by 26% in March, Phap Luat Online reported.

The first quarter of the year saw high demand for personnel in multiple fields, including processing and manufacturing, energy, information technology, e-commerce, electronics, semiconductor design and construction.

Nguyen Thu Ha, director of Adecco Hanoi Office, attributed the recovery of the labor market to the Government’s efforts to bring Covid-19 under control and the firms’ enhanced business operations.

Meanwhile, Le Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, director of Adecco HCMC Office, said that the coronavirus pandemic had changed the behavior of job applicants. They seem to be more hesitant to job-hop and are focusing more on financial stability, according to Thanh.

A recruitment expert at Adecco said that the recruitment demand had expanded in some fields such as analog integrated circuit design, digital design, design for testing, quality management, sales and marketing management and technical management.

In the coming months, positive effects from free trade pacts, coupled with the production and investment shift from China, will bring many advantages to Vietnam’s economy, thus creating more jobs and a rising demand for personnel.

General director of Adecco Vietnam Andree Mangels said that the labor market, driven by the recovery of the economy and digitalization trend, would see a high demand for highly-qualified workers in 2021.

Viet Nam to apply temporary anti-dumping measures on Malaysian steel products

Viet Nam will apply temporary anti-dumping measures on some H-shaped steel products originating from Malaysia.

The Trade Remedies Authority of Viet Nam said the Ministry of Industry and Trade recently issued Decision No.1162/QD-BCT to apply temporary anti-dumping measures on some H-shaped steel products from Malaysia.

The temporary anti-dumping tax rate applied to Malaysian exporters is 10.2 per cent.

The Trade Remedies Authority of Viet Nam launched the investigation in August last year based on the appraisal results of the petition requesting anti-dumping measures from representatives of the domestic manufacturing industry filed in July last year.

After eight months of preliminary investigation, the results showed the import volume of H-shaped steel from Malaysia increased sharply during the investigation period, causing considerable damage to the domestic H-shaped steel manufacturing industry.

The dumping put considerable pressure on the domestic manufacturing industry, reflected in criteria such as production output, sales volume, revenue, profit, market share, and inventories which fluctuated heavily during the investigation period. These indicators all show a clear downward trend.

To make a final conclusion about the case, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue working with related parties to identify products with special factors that need to be excluded and exempt, and at the same time, assess the impact of the cases on stakeholders, including end consumers.

The case is expected to conclude in the second quarter of this year.

Banks make huge profits in Q1

Many commercial banks in Vietnam have reported a surge in pre-tax profit in the first quarter of 2021, as the economy is recovering and credit growth is positive.

At the 2021 annual shareholder meeting of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) on April 6, Do Minh Toan, general director of the bank, said that it achieved a pre-tax profit of an estimated VND3.1 trillion in the first quarter of the year, surging 61% year-on-year and meeting 29.2% of its full-year target.

In 2021, ACB has set targets of raising capital mobilization by 9% and credit by 9.5% and earning pre-tax profit of over VND10.6 trillion, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported.

At its meeting, ACB shareholders approved a plan to allocate profits, including spending some VND5.4 trillion on dividend payments with shares.

On the same day, Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB) said that the bank recorded VND4.6 trillion in consolidated profit between January and March, up 50% year-on-year.

One of the factors driving up its revenue was digital banking. In the year to March 31, current account savings accounts deposits rose by 1.5-fold against the growth seen at the end of last year.

This year, MB booked a pre-tax profit of over VND14.6 trillion, up some 20%-30% from the 2020 figure.

Other major banks such as the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) also posted hefty profits in the first quarter of the year.

Vietcombank reaped a pre-tax profit of some VND7 trillion during the three-month period, meeting 28% of its full-year target, while VietinBank’s before-tax profit was an estimated VND7-8 trillion.

Lower-than-expected growth needs more room for private firms

With the economy growing 4.48% in the first quarter of 2021, the expected rate in economic growth of 6.5% for the whole year may be far from reach if more efforts to create a level playing field for private enterprises fail to be made, especially in the context of COVID-19 showing no signals of stoppage across the globe.

Since early this year, thanks to the Vietnamese government’s efforts to enact policies to facilitate business and production activities, and to gradually implement an anti-COVID-19 inoculation drive, the country’s economic growth has bounced back to 4.48%, higher than the 3.8% rise in the first quarter of last year.

The year-on-year growth rate was for the agro-forestry-fishery sector, 6.3% for the construction and industrial sector, and 3.34% for the service sector.

Although lower than the target of 5.12% set in the government’s Resolution No.01/NQ-CP on key tasks for implementation of the socioeconomic development plan and state budget estimates for 2021, a 4.48% growth rate remains a positive sign especially amidst COVID-19 raging the global market. The key momentum for such growth has largely been the manufacturing and processing sector which create 80% Vietnam’s industrial growth – the key growth pillar of the economy.

Good performers

According to state-run Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), its total revenue in the first quarter of 2021 is estimated to be more than VND113 trillion (US$4.91 billion), a 6% decrease year-on-year. Nevertheless, PetroVietnam’s revenue from industrial activities climbed 2%, and that from the service activities fell 21% year-on-year.

Several of PetroVietnam’s products saw a year-on-year ascension in consumption in the first three months, such as fertiliser (7%), liquefied petroleum gas or LPG (29%), Condensate (12%), and assorted petrol (5%).

Though there has been a reduction of US$446.5 million or 18% in export turnover, the group’s total import turnover in the period reached US$198.9 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 17% – in which LNG imports ascended by 296,700 tonnes, up 6%.

With external demand going down because of negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, these figures from PetroVietnam have demonstrated that the group’s industrial activities are gradually recovering.

The situation can be seen clearer at state-owned Vietnam Electricity (EVN), which has also reported that all the group’s activities have been going up year-on-year during the first three months of this year.

Specifically, EVN’s total gross industrial output is estimated to be around VND52.83 trillion (US$2.3 billion), up 3.18% against the same period last year. The produced and purchased electricity volume is about 55.45 million kilowatt hours, a 1.16% increase year-on-year. EVN’s commercial electricity totalled 50.79 million kWh, up 3.18%. In which, electricity for agro-forestry-fishery accounted for 3.97% of total electricity consumed, while the rate was 56.01% for construction and industrial activities, 31.46% for households – all was up against in the same period last year.

Notably, this group’s total revenue from power sales is estimated to stand at more than VND94 trillion (over US$4 billion), a 4.11% climb over the corresponding period of 2020.

In Vietnam, petrol and electricity are vital inputs for production activities, especially manufacturing and processing activities.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), in the first quarter of this year, despite massive difficulties and challenges, the Vietnamese economy’s production and distribution of electricity went up by 4.5% year-on-year. What’s more, the manufacturing and processing industry increased 9.45% year-on-year, higher than the year-on-year ascension of 7.12% in the corresponding period of 2020.

“All of these figures have demonstrated the fact that the economy has been strongly recovering with the gradual popularity of anti-COVID-19 vaccination,” said Mai Tien Dung, Minister, Chairman of the Government Office at last week’s cabinet meeting, also the last one in the 2016-2020 tenure of the government. “The confidence of businesses has continued going up, with them gradually resuming their normal performances.”

As of March 23, total registered foreign investment reached US$10.13 billion, a year-on-year rise of 18.5%. Total disbursement in the first three months of 2020 is estimated at US$4.1 billion, up 6.5% over the same period last year.

Dung cited former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated at the meeting, “Vietnam has become a safe destination for investment. Many international organisations have praised the economy’s big potential and outlook for this year, including HSBC (7%), International Monetary Fund (6.5%), International Finance Corporation (6.5% in the 2021-2026 period), and Moody’s (changed Vietnam’s economic outlook from negative to positive).”

Making bigger room for private firms

According to experts, because the growth in the first quarter remains lower than expectation, one of the sturdy solutions now is to make bigger room for private enterprises to conduct production and business activities in the country, amid a rise in foreign investment shift to Vietnam.

Under the resolution of the recent 13th National Party Congress, the Party has specified a number of strategic breakthroughs for the country to drive forwards with higher economic growth.

One of the first strategic breakthrough will be “creating a good system of laws, mechanisms, and policies, while establishing a favourable, healthy, and fair investment and business climate for all economic sectors, with the promotion of innovation and the mobilisation, management, and effective use of all resources for development – especially land, finance, and public-private partnership.”

This breakthrough would mean the Vietnamese private sector will have opportunities to perform in a more transparent and equal investment and business climate.

“All obstructions and prejudice must be removed, while all favourable conditions must be created for the private sector to develop. The sector must be supported in innovation, technological modernisation, human resources development, and labour productivity improvement,” this report read. “Major economic groups with strength and regional and international competitiveness are encouraged for development. Efforts are to be made to see at least two million operational enterprises which can create 60-65% of GDP.”

In Vietnam, the private sector creates up to 40% of GDP, more than 50% of economic growth, 30% of the state budget revenue, and 85% of the labour force.

Vietnam currently has nearly 800,000 operational businesses, about 98 per cent of which are of small or medium size. According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), in 2020, there were nearly 135,000 newly established firms, with total registered capital of more than VND2.23 quadrillion (US$97 billion), employing more than a million labourers. This was down 2.3% in the number of registered businesses, but up 29.25% in registered capital.

The country also has some big private enterprises such as Mobile World Co. Ltd, Truong Hai Auto Corporation, VietJet Air, Vingroup, Masan Consumer, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, TH Group, and Him Lam Corporation, among others.

The entrepreneurial spirit has spread widely in society and the robust development of the private economy in some industries such as construction, processing, manufacturing, automobile, air transport, and finance and banking has shaped powerful and potential national brands for Vietnam.

Nguyen Minh Cuong, principal country economist from the ADB, once told Nhan Dan Online that removing obstructions for the private sector will enable it to grow further and facilitate Vietnam to well accomplish the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period.

He said that despite of recent improvement of regulatory framework, the main problem is still policy enforcement, notably in taxes, market access, and access to land. High corporate tax income discourages small- and medium-sized enterprises to scale up their production. Procedures to file taxes also remain burdensome.

According to his calculation, an enterprise must file 14 payments a year, taking 498 hours and amounting to 38.1% of total profits. Payment of value-added tax is onerous, taking around 219 hours, or 44% of the total time required to file tax.

Additional four industrial parks established in Binh Phuoc

The People’s Committee in the Southern Province of Binh Phuoc yesterday said that additional four industrial parks will be established in the province in the period of 2020-2030.

Four new industrial parks include 438-hectare Ledana facility, 300-hectare V.com park and 348-hectare Hoa Lu in the Hoa Lu border-gate economic zone in Loc Ninh border district and 6,317-hectare Dong Phu park in Dong Phuc District.

Additionally, the province authority will expand three industrial parks 577.63-hectare Minh Hung III in Chon Thanh District, 317-hectare Bac Dong Phu and 480-hectare Nam Dong Phu in Dong Phu District. Industrial parks are eligible for enjoying exemption of enterprise income tax, import duty for machinery.

The local administrations will support companies in the industrial parks by building connection paths to main roads, waste treatment and the supply of water and power.

Currently, 11 industrial parks are located in Binh Phuoc Province attracting 334 secondary projects including 232 foreign-invested projects and 102 locally-invested projects. Some 171 enterprises have been operating creating 66,200 jobs for local laborers.

New stock trading accounts hit record high in March

Securities companies registered 113,875 new domestic trading accounts during March, breaking the record set in January of 86,107, according to the Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD).

As of the end of March, there were more than 3 million trading accounts in the stock market, including over 2.98 million opened by individual investors and 11,630 by organisational players.

The stock market saw nearly 258,000 new trading accounts opened in the first quarter, accounting for 65 percent of the figure recorded in 2020 as a whole.

SSI Securities Corporation said Vietnam’s stock market experienced a special quarter, reaching the 1,200-point threshold three times.

The market suffered its sharpest decline in history on January 28 as a result of panic selling after new community transmissions of the coronavirus were reported. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) fell 73.23 points, or 6.67 percent, to close at 1,023.94 points. It quickly recovered to 1,191.44 points by the end of the March 31 trading session, increasing 7.93 percent from the beginning of the year./.

PetroVietnam’s Q1 State budget contributions surpass plan by 18 percent

The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) contributed more than 19.02 trillion VND (823.7 million USD) to the State budget in the first three months of 2021, a 3 percent increase against the same period last year and 18 percent higher than its quarterly plan.

Seventeen of its 22 subsidiaries posted profits, 12 of which recorded growth thanks to efforts to promote cost savings totalling over 2.83 trillion VND.

Uncertainties remain for the remaining months of the year, PetroVietnam Chairman Hoang Quoc Vuong said, with a high risk of geopolitical issues and trade tensions and the unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged all subsidiaries to keep a close watch on the global oil price and production and continue restructuring, cutting costs, and improving operational efficiency.

In the first two months of the year, the State-owned group exploited 3.07 million tonnes of oil equivalent and produced 2.9 billion kWh of electricity, 272,700 tonnes of nitrogenous fertiliser, and 1.1 million tonnes of oil and petrol.

Its turnover stood at 94.5 trillion VND (nearly 4.1 billion USD) while budget contributions were estimated at 11.44 trillion VND, surpassing the targets by 1 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

Mini Thailand Week underway in Hai Phong

A trade fair for Thai products called Mini Thailand Week 2021 was launched at the Hai Phong International Exhibition Centre in the northern city of Hai Phong on April 8, with 60 booths.

The booths belong to 35 importers of Thai products to Vietnam and showcase a wide range of products, from food to fashion, beauty, and personal care.

The fair will also feature traditional Thai dance performances, demonstrations of cooking Thai dishes, Do-It-Yourself (D.I.Y) activities, and games.

It provides a good opportunity for investors and enterprises in the city to exchange experience, expand partnerships, and boost two-way trade between the two countries, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Tho.

Thailand is currently Vietnam’s largest trade partner in ASEAN while Vietnam is Thailand’s third-largest. Bilateral trade last year totalled nearly 16 billion USD, accounting for 30 percent of Vietnam’s trade with ASEAN member states.

Economic activities in Vietnam have returned to normalcy thanks to the Government’s success in containing COVID-19, according to Morakot Janemathukorn from the Embassy of Thailand. The embassy has cooperated with the local Government and enterprises to organise many events to foster cooperation in various areas, and the fair aims to bolster ties, she added.

Mini Thailand Week 2021 will run through April 11.

First VinGroup smart e-buses hit the streets

The Vinbus Ecology Transport Services Limited Liability Company (VinBus), a member of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate VinGroup, launched the first smart e-bus service in the country on April 8.

The buses will run in the Vinhomes Ocean Park urban area in Gia Lam district, Hanoi, while awaiting the completion of procedures to connect with the city’s public transport network, according to Vinbus Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Thanh.

Vinbus is an electric bus model manufactured and assembled by VinFast at its Automobile Production Complex in Hai Phong city.

Each bus is equipped with an automated system able to control driving behaviour and give warnings about unsafe situations, an on-board public address system, free wifi, USB charging ports, and security cameras, among others.

With a battery capacity of 281 kWh, the bus can travel between 220 and 260 kilometres on a single charge. It can fully recharge in just two hours at VinBus’s 150 kW charging station network.

VinBus is scheduled to provide public transport services in five major cities in Vietnam: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho.

The company operates under a non-profit model, aiming to develop a modern public transportation network that reduces air and noise pollution in Vietnam’s major cities.

Kien Giang making every effort to fight IUU fishing

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has completed 98.6 percent of its plan to equip fishing vessels with cruise control devices as part of measures to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

According to the provincial steering committee for IUU fishing prevention, local authorities will continue to introduce synchronous measures to fight such activities towards an early removal of the “yellow card” warning issued by the European Commission (EC) to Vietnam’s fisheries sector.

Authorised agencies have stepped up communications work so that ship-owners, fishermen, organisations, and individuals closely observe relevant regulations.

Local authorities have strictly handled cases of illegally exploiting marine products in foreign waters.

Provincial police have been tasked with monitoring, investigating, and verifying cases in which local individuals or organisations linked with those in foreign countries to arrange for fishing vessels or fishermen to exploit marine products in foreign waters, or to return arrested fishermen to Vietnam by unofficial means in order to avoid fines imposed under Vietnamese law.

Meanwhile, the provincial Border Guard Command is responsible for investigating, verifying, and handling fishing vessels that violate foreign waters, especially those detected by the navy and coast guard.

Nguyen Van Dung, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and also deputy head of the provincial steering committee for IUU fishing prevention, said local authorities have paid attention to inspecting and controlling the implementation of measures to prevent IUU fishing by vessels in international waters.

The province’s fisheries sub-department will work to complete the installation of cruise control devices on all vessels.

In the first quarter, local authorities fined five fishing vessel owners for removing or not operating cruise control devices. The locality strictly complied with EC recommendations on IUU and fined vessels violating regulations.

Vietnam, Argentina look towards balanced trade

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is ready to work with Argentine Ambassador to Vietnam Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino to boost economic, trade, and investment ties between the two nations, Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai has said.

During a working session with the ambassador who has just started his tenure in Vietnam, Hai expressed his delight at the stable growth in two-way trade over recent years, which reached 3.95 billion USD last year, up 4.3 percent compared to 2019 despite COVID-19.

As Argentina is now Vietnam’s third-largest trade partner in Latin America, behind Brazil and Mexico, he hoped that the ambassador and the Argentine embassy will continue working to facilitate trade exchange between the two countries’ business communities, towards gradually achieving a more balanced trade landscape.

The ambassador, for his part, expressed a belief that with improving business climates in both nations, businesses will be well-positioned to prosper.

He pledged to do his best to tackle problems in two-way trade as well as facilitate multi-sector exchanges between the two countries.

Both sides also agreed to hold the seventh meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation this year.

Figures show that Vietnam’s exports to the Latin American country hit 567 million USD last year, up 2.34 percent, while imports rose 4.64 percent to 3.38 billion USD.

Vietnam’s exports were mostly mobile phones and spare parts, computers, electronics and accessories, footwear, machinery, equipment and other supporting tools, apparel, and footwear materials. The country imported animal feed, corn, cotton, soya, and vegetable oils from Argentina.

According to MoIT, two-way trade hit 440 million USD this year as of late February, down 3.22 percent year-on-year. Of this, 174 million USD was Vietnam’s exports to Argentina, up 164.52 percent year-on-year, while imports were down 31.61 percent.

VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS APRIL 9

Hanoi’s property market predicted to rebound strongly

Strong construction activities in many different types of property and areas in Hanoi signal the strong recovery of the capital’s real estate market from this year onwards, according to CBRE Hanoi Branch Director Nguyen Hoai An.

At a recent press conference looking back on the Hanoi market in the first quarter, An noted that not only residential real estate but also commercial real estate will welcome many new projects with the participation of foreign investors and domestic developers from the southern region.

A CBRE Vietnam survey showed that approximately 4,400 apartments were launched in Hanoi in Q1, down 39 percent quarter-on-quarter due to the hiatus caused by the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday and the resurgence of COVID-19, but still up 270 percent year-on-year.

This indicates a strong recovery in the local property market compared to Q1 of 2020, when COVID-19 first broke out in Vietnam.

Do Van Anh, manager of the research and consulting division at CBRE Vietnam, said most of the new apartment supply in Q1 came from 14 projects already opened for sale, while only three projects were newly launched.

She said apartments in the mid-end segment were still the most popular in the market, accounting for up to 80 percent of total new supply in Q1. The eastern and western areas of the city were home to most new projects, with 77 percent of new supply.

The positive market sentiment in recent times has also helped bridge the gap between the number of newly-launched apartments and those already sold.

A total of 4,200 apartments were sold in Q1. In the mid-end segment, the number of sold apartments was higher than newly-launched apartments.

Anh forecast that new supply and sales in Hanoi this year will be around 24,000-26,000 apartments. Many residential real estate projects will be launched for sale in different parts of the city, both inner and outlying districts, in coming quarters, helping the market become more vibrant.

Growth indicators to ensure an optimistic scenario

Striving to achieve a GDP growth rate of 6.5 per cent by the end of 2021 is both a goal and a pressure for Vietnam, the outcome of which strongly depends on a further recovery of domestic purchasing power and international trade and travel.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said, “The growth rate of the first quarter at 4.48 per cent was low, from the point of view of the ministry.” However, there is still need for an objective view for this growth, because the 5.2 per cent growth scenario for the first quarter is placed in a state of a “new normal”, but the recent outbreak in the northern province of Hai Duong and some others has pulled economic growth down again down.

“GDP in the following quarters must be increased to reach the National Assembly’s 6.5-per-cent target for 2021,” argued Phuong, who has added that “to outbalance the Q1 growth, in the remaining quarters, there must be a quarter of over 7 per cent.”

Nevertheless, the outcome of the economic growth figures remains unpredictable as COVID-19 could hit again anytime as the latest cases show. Nguyen Thu Oanh, director of the Price Statistics Department under the General Statistics Office, noticed that although the average consumer price index (CPI) in Q1 increased by only 0.29 per cent on-year – the lowest first-quarter increase in the past 20 years – keeping the inflation below 4 per cent this year will not be easy.

Global crude oil prices have been increasing sharply after the United States and other countries in the region launched economic stimulus packages. According to calculations, if the average crude oil price is about $60 per barrel, the CPI in 2021 will increase by 0.9 per cent.

As long as COVID-19 remains a topic, industrial production activities cannot recover as quickly as before, and other sectors like accommodation, catering, transportation, and tourism services are continuing to be affected as well.

However, the economic picture in the first three months also showed many bright spots. Retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 5.1 per cent in Q1 over the same period last year, showing that consumer demand has increased again. Import-export activities also strongly recovered, and trade balance generated an export surplus of $2.03 billion.

Besides this, the number of newly-registered enterprises in Q1 decreased by 1.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, but the total registered capital increased by 27.5 per cent due to the increase in the number of enterprises with registered capital of over VND100 billion ($4.35 million) and a decrease in those enterprises with than VND10 billion (435,000). These factors will be the impetus for the next quarter to accelerate Vietnam’s economic growth, especially when vaccines are further distributed.

According to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Group, the good news in the first quarter is that all major economies are on their way to recover. Given this optimistic scenario, Thanh sees that while major markets rely on vaccinations to reboot their economies, they also still operate under monetary and fiscal policies towards loosening interest rates, in combination with expanded stimulus packages. In Vietnam, the economy can also follow an optimistic scenario with five basic growth drivers.

First is macro stability, according to Thanh. The expectation of reaching a GDP growth of 6.5 per cent is based on a weak inflationary pressure, so that the government can operate both monetary and fiscal policies in the direction of supporting growth.

Secondly, private investments need to recover, combined with further public investments in infrastructure. Maintaining a low interest rate level and further reducing lending interest rates will be the driving force for businesses’ investments.

Third is the resumption of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to take place after the pandemic. The trend of supply chain shifts will maintain an attractive position for FDI inflows for Vietnam, but will also create challenges for the monetary and exchange rate regulators to ensure that the country’s economy can still absorb these inputs.

Next involves restoring the purchasing power in the domestic market, Thanh explained. One of the biggest concerns of businesses is that they cannot prosper if the purchasing power of the domestic market remains weak.

The digital transformation has been a huge driver and has led to new types of shopping. Monetary and fiscal policy must also be in a state of supportive growth to restore purchasing power in the domestic market.

Labour market data last year showed that after falling by 2.4 million people in Q2 over the previous quarter, the market recovered with an increase by 1.5 million in the third quarter and 600,000 more in Q4. This is the basis for the recovery of purchasing power in the domestic market this year.

Singaporean investor to operate large ecotourism project in Vietnam

Singapore’s Pegasus Investment and Consultancy JSC and Banyan Tree Holdings Limited on April 7 signed an agreement in which the former will operate Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam, an eco-resort in the central province of Binh Dinh, upon its completion.

The project, which was expected to be completed in 2023, is part of the Pegasus Education Tourism Development area, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper reported.

With an estimated investment of 100 million Singaporean dollars (US$74.6 million), Dhawa Quy Nhon Vietnam is the second phase of Pegasus Education Tourism Development. Its first phase kicked off with the opening of Outward Bound Vietnam in 2016, while eco-residences will be developed in the third phase.

Pegasus Chairman Ricky Tan said, “Pegasus Education Tourism Development entrenches our long-term commitment and investments in Vietnam. As a Singapore enterprise, our latest investment signals our strong confidence in Vietnam’s economic development and growth prospects.”

Pegasus will provide services at the resort, which is Banyan Tree’s second Dhawa resort signed in Vietnam.

Both Pegasus and Banyan Tree have been confident about Vietnam’s economic recovery, Covid-19 control and growth prospects, while Covid-19 vaccination programs are being accelerated.

Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree, said the strategic partnership highlights the like-minded collaboration and entrepreneurship of two homegrown brands with strong overseas footprints.

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

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