Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, as assigned by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and U.N. Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis, signed the document. The Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation 2022 - 2026 guides and steers the Government of Vietnam and the U.N.’s collaboration on accelerating progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the joint commitment to deliver sustainable development for all. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dung said that the CF will be implemented at a time when Vietnam has strengthened its post-pandemic economic recovery, responded to climate change and transitioned to a green, circular economy. The Government has also been making efforts to improve institutions and policies in order to mobilize resources from all economic sectors to develop the country. “Together with other development partners, the U.N. plays an important role in supporting Vietnam in its … [Read more...] about Vietnam, U.N. sign strategic framework for sustainable development cooperation
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Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel
Foreign tourists visit the Independence Palace in HCM City on August 8. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Strict visa policies and a shortage of human resources and infrastructure in the tourism sector have stymied recovery of the travel industry, and the target of five million international arrivals this year could be out of reach, industry players have warned. Domestic travel has seen a strong rebound whereas international tourism, with a target of five million arrivals this year, remains in a slump, said Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association. Domestic visitor numbers topped 71.1 million in just the first seven months of this year against a full-year target of 60 million, he said. In the same period there were only 733,000 international visitors, or 8% of pre-pandemic numbers, he told a two-day programme titled ‘Lien Ket Suc Manh Du Lich Vietnam Nam 2022’ (Power of Vietnam Tourism Linkages) that ended in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9. Though … [Read more...] about Vietnam mulls ways to boost inbound travel
Universities increase school fees despite MoET’s proposal
Some students might not be able to attend their dream university due to increases in tuition fees. (Photo: nld.com.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Sudden increases in university school fees have brought challenges to both parents and students. Even though the Ministry of Education and Training ( MoET ) has written a proposal to keep the tuition fee unchanged between the 2021 and 2022 school years, many universities have announced multiple price hikes. HCM City University of Law is one of the schools with the highest tuition fees next school year. According to the school's announcement, the lowest tuition fee for Course 47 applied from the academic year 2022-23 to 2025-26 for general programmes of law, international commercial law and business administration is 151 million VND (6,455 USD). The tuition fee for remaining general majors range from 179 million VND to 205 million VND per course. For high-quality programmes of administration and law, a student would have to spend … [Read more...] about Universities increase school fees despite MoET’s proposal
Myanmar has two new protected public forest areas
Hanoi (VNA) - Myanmar has recently designated two new public forest areas in the western state of Chin's Paletwa Township and in the west-central region of Magway's Gangaw Township. According to Xinhua news agency, the Southeast Asian nation’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation announced they consist of the 4,988 acres Paletwa and the 8,400 acres Pawle-Watchipa forest in Gangaw. The designation of the protected areas aims at conserving watershed areas, mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity, ensuring soil conservation and fulfilling the needs of local residents, the ministry said. A total of 11 protected forest areas have been designated across the country so far this year, according to Maung Maung Kyaw, a director of the Forest Department. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Myanmar had a total of 67,559.66 square miles of reserved forest and protected public forest areas , or about 25% of the country's national territory, … [Read more...] about Myanmar has two new protected public forest areas
Cheaper, changing and crucial: the rise of solar power
Generating power from sunlight bouncing off the ground, working at night, even helping to grow strawberries: solar panel technology is evolving fast as costs plummet for a key segment of the world's energy transition. The International Energy Agency says solar will have to scale up significantly this decade to meet the Paris climate target of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The good news is that costs have fallen dramatically. In a report on solutions earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said solar unit costs had dropped 85 percent between 2010 and 2019, while wind fell 55 percent. "There's some claim that it's the cheapest way humans have ever been able to make electricity at scale," said Gregory Nemet, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a lead author on that report. Experts hope the high fossil fuel prices and fears over energy security caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine will … [Read more...] about Cheaper, changing and crucial: the rise of solar power
Kredivo and VietCredit provide “Buy Now Pay Later” service on Sendo
Kredivo, one of the most valuable fintech unicorn in Southeast Asia, has been established in Vietnam since August 2021 through the partnership with VietCredit JSC. Sendo is one of the leading e-commerce platforms of Vietnam, serving millions of customers and sellers in Vietnam every month. This partnership takes Kredivo to the next level in its business journey in Vietnam. With the simplicity of just 2-clicks, Sendo’s customers will be able to seamlessly checkout via Kredivo while allowing these customers to repay in 30 days at 0% or over 3, 6 and 12 months. During the registration process, customers can sign up through the mobile application, and get approval by VietCredit for a credit limit of up to 25 million VND in nearly real-time. Krishnadas, SVP Business Development of Kredivo, said, “Kredivo aims at solving customers' needs to access fast and affordable credit, while also supporting merchants in driving higher Gross Merchandise Value. We are delighted to partner … [Read more...] about Kredivo and VietCredit provide “Buy Now Pay Later” service on Sendo