Asian development bank member countries

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia’s Health Ministry announced 13,632 COVID-19 cases on January 22, bringing the total to 965,283, with the death toll adding by 250 to 27,453. According to the ministry, 8,357 more people were discharged from hospitals on the day, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 781,147. The Indonesian government, therefore, decided to extend the current period of public activity restrictions (PPKM) for another two weeks in Java and Bali, from January 26 to February 8, as the country’s ever-increasing COVID-19 infection rate is expected to exceed the 1 million-mark in the coming days. The country’s Health Ministry has also asked hospitals nationwide to convert 40 percent of their health service capacity for COVID-19 treatment. It also asked all hospitals to convert 25 percent of ICU room capacity to provide ICU services to COVID-19 inpatients. On January 22, the Philippine Department of Health reported 2,178 new cases, raising the … [Read more...] about COVID-19 continues developing complicatedly in Southeast Asian nations

HCM City (VNA) - Promoting consumer finance and simplifying procedures for loan applications would be a priority for commercial banks, financial companies and microfinance institutions as part of efforts to limit black credit, a conference heard in Ho Chi Minh City on January 20. Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Dao Minh Tu considered abolishing black credit as one of the important tasks that has been continuously implemented across the whole credit institution system in Vietnam. In recent years, the SBV and credit institutions in localities have been cocoordinating with the Ministry of Public Security and local authorities in implementing drastic measures to limit black credit. In the future, the SBV will continue improving the awareness of local people about credit policies, loan packages and procedures for loan applications so that local people could easily access bank loans. Meanwhile, the State Bank will study and soon complete legal documents … [Read more...] about Promoting consumer finance to fight black credit: experts

HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Many universities in Vietnam are developing free massive open online courses (MOOCs) in an aim to contribute to a learning society available to everyone in the community. Ho Chi Minh City Open University, for instance, last weekend launched Vietnam’s massive open online courses platform, called VMOOC, with more than 40 free courses in fields such as business administration, finance-banking, law, foreign languages and others. The university is co-operating with Hanoi Open University to develop further VMOOCs. Dr Phan Thi Ngoc Thanh, director of the ELearning Center at the HCM City Open University, said that courses last for four to six weeks and are open to anyone. Course participants only need a computer with an internet connection, or a smartphone or other mobile devices, to take part in these courses anywhere and at any time. Integrated lessons between theory and practice are offered. The courses … [Read more...] about Universities offer free online courses for everyone

The value of the agriculture sector was around VND23.481 billion, surging by 2.07 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Of these, planting went up by 0.82 percent while the livestock and the fishery sector increased by 2.2 percent and 2.51 percent against the same period in 2019. … [Read more...] about HCMS’s ornamental fish export revenue surpasses US$17.26 million

Baristas from Quest Coffee instruct a participant (second right) to make coffee at the Vietnamese Coffee Fair: Tet Edition in Ho Chi Minh City in January 2021. Photo: Linh To / Tuoi Tre News Event-goer Fabio Fasolo, an Italian expat who recently launched a coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City, felt the fair was a great way to learn more about the local coffee scene. … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City coffee fair offers fresh look at fine Vietnamese robusta