Festival hoa da lat

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued Decision No. 947/QD-BCT on launching an anti-dumping investigation into some types of welding material products originated from China, Thailand and Malaysi.

The materials subjected to the investigation belong to the following HS codes: 7217.10.10; 7217.30.19; 7217.90.10; 7229.20.00; 7229.90.20; 7229.90.99; 8311.10.10; 8311.10.90; 8311.30.91; 8311.30.99; 8311.90.00.

According to the law, after initiating the investigation, the ministry will send questionnaires to relevant parties to collect information so as to analyse and evaluate the situation. If necessary, based on preliminary investigation results, the ministry may apply temporary anti-dumping measures to prevent losses for domestic production.

Along with information verification, the ministry will organise public consultations so that relevant parties can discuss and provide information and have a voice in the issue before giving out final conclusion.

At the same time, the ministry recommends all organisations and individuals that are importing, exporting, distributing, trading and using the investigated products to register as related parties and provide necessary information for the ministry to protect their legitimate rights and interests.

Besides, the ministry may apply retroactive anti-dumping duty on products subjected to taxation within 90 days before the imposition of temporary anti-dumping duty.

Therefore, the ministry recommended that organisations and individuals in the process of signing contracts for importing, distributing, trading and using goods under investigation should pay attention to the possibility of being subject to temporary anti-dumping and retroactive anti-dumping taxes.

Vietnam ranks 96th on global sustainable tourism list

A Euromonitor International report ranked Vietnam as 96th of 99 countries for sustainable tourism.

The report analysed seven aspects of sustainable tourism, including environmental, social and economic sustainability, country risk, and sustainable tourism demand, transport and lodging.

Globally, Sweden was ranked the most sustainable destination for travel, followed by Finland and Austria. Rounding out the top five were Estonia and Norway.

The research firm predicted there would be growing awareness among consumers, businesses and governments to prioritize the planet alongside people and profit when global tourism resumes following travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

Some popular tourist destinations in Vietnam have been eyeing sustainable tourism development. For instance, Hoi An in central Vietnam is restricting the use of single-use plastic items and plastic bags as it looks to boost sustainable travel growth.

Vietnam becomes 10th largest supplier of wooden furniture to French market

With France moving to increase its wooden furniture imports, Vietnam has become the 10th largest supplier of this product to the fastidious market, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

These statistics show that the European country imported 1.08 million tonnes of wooden furniture worth a total of US$3.75 billion last year, posting a decline of 6.8% in volume and 6.9% in value compared to figures recorded in 2019.

According to the Italian Centre for Industrial Studies, France represents an important part of the furniture sector both in Europe and globally, making up the second largest import market in Europe.

Most notably, France has always been a key Vietnamese trading partner within the EU, with the country making up the Southeast Asian nation’s fourth largest export market in the bloc.

Furthermore, the nation is the 10th largest supplier of wooden furniture to the French market, accounting for only 3.2% of the total import volume, a relatively low figure in comparison to import demand within the fastidious market.

Trade experts have therefore advised Vietnamese firms to seize upon the various opportunities brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in order to boost their export of furniture products to the French market in an effective manner.

At present, China remains the largest supplier of living room and dining room furniture to France, followed by Poland, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Vietnam.

With the country being the fifth largest supplier of wood frame chairs to France, it is trailed by China, Italy, Romania, and Poland. However, the import volume and value of Vietnamese wooden framed chairs endured a downward trajectory last year.

HCM City helping RoK businesses to tackle difficulties

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea (RoK), for the first time organised a dialogue between city leaders and RoK enterprises on March 25 to help them deal with difficulties in investment and business.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong told the dialogue that since diplomatic ties were set up in 1992, Vietnam and the RoK have seen rapid development in bilateral relations, becoming strategic cooperative partners in 2009.

Economic cooperation has always been an important pillar in the bilateral relations, and the RoK has been a key economic partner of Vietnam for many years.

As of the end of 2020, the RoK had over 8,900 valid investment projects in Vietnam totalling 70.65 billion USD, ranking it first among 139 countries and territories investing in the country, in terms of both capital and project numbers.

Last year, the RoK was Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner, with two-way trade hitting 66 billion USD.

For HCM City, the RoK was the fifth-largest export market and third-largest import market, with turnover reaching 1.8 billion USD and 2.8 billion USD, respectively.

In the first two months of 2021, the city and the RoK saw two-way export and import value of 366 million USD and 701 million USD, up 30.3 percent and 47.3 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Addressing the dialogue via videoconference from Hanoi, RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Park Noh-wan said his country’s enterprises always pay attention to and hope to participate in large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the city’s smart city planning and the Long Thanh International Airport project.

Kim Heung Soo, President of the Korean Business Association in Vietnam, proposed simplifying and improving administrative procedures related to foreign investment.

Simplifying administrative procedures can help reduce time and costs for businesses, thus contributing to directly increasing business competitiveness, improving the city’s business and investment environment and attracting more foreign investment, Kim said.

Phong requested local departments and sectors collect ideas and recommendations from RoK for submission to higher levels for settlement./.

Binh Duong holds trade promotion event to attract Thai investors

Authorities in Binh Duong province, in collaboration with Becamex IDC – a leading developer of industrial, urban and transportation infrastructure in Vietnam – held an online conference on March 25 to promote Thai investment in the southern province.

Despite COVID-19, foreign capital poured into the province in the first three months of 2021 exceeded 400 million USD.

Boasting an attractive and open business climate, the accumulated number of FDI projects in Binh Duong as of the end of February neared 4,000 worth close to 38.8 billion USD. As such, the province ranked third nationwide in term of FDI attraction, just behind Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Thailand has so far injected over 647 million USD in 39 projects in Binh Duong, making it the 12th-largest of 65 countries and territories investing in the province. Thai investors have a preference for producing high-quality plastic products and industrial plastics, and for manufacturing and assembling civil electrical products.

Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Council and Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said Binh Duong’s dynamic growth has long been on the radar of the Thai business community.

Nguyen Thanh Truc, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, highlighted that there is tremendous space for investment cooperation between Binh Duong and Thailand to grow, adding that local authorities always create favourable conditions for Thai investors./.

Khanh Hoa promotes cooperation with Indian businesses

The leader of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa called on Indian investors to explore its potential and strengths and the cooperation opportunities available in localities during an online conference to promote cooperation between the two sides on March 25.

Speaking at the event, which was part of activities to realise the Vietnam-India Joint Vision on peace, prosperity, and people, reached by the Prime Ministers of the two countries on December 21, 2020, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan said the province boasts abundant advantages in natural landscapes and resources.

Khanh Hoa lies on a strategic location and is a gateway to the East Sea, he added.

For his part, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma noted that as of last year, India had 294 projects in Vietnam with total investment of 898 million USD, mostly in the fields of energy, natural resources exploration, agricultural product processing, and coffee, sugar, and tea production.

At the same time, Vietnamese businesses had also invested about 29 million USD in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, IT, chemicals, and construction materials in India.

He said these figures should move upwards, adding that the natural landscapes and cultural diversity in Khanh Hoa could appeal to Indian visitors.

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau highlighted India’s strengths that Khanh Hoa businesses could explore further, including infrastructure building, solar energy, IT, water resources management and use, and heritage conservation.

The Indian side underlined the country’s fields of strength, such as aquatic processing, water resources management, and waste management.

Khanh Hoa businesses also introduced cooperation opportunities in local economic, trade, and investment, especially in manufacturing, electronics, construction materials, home appliances, supporting industries, and shipbuilding and repair and warehousing at the Ninh Thuy Industrial Park (IP), one of the large IPs in the Van Phong Economic Zone.

India’s tourism sector and tourism cooperation opportunities were also explored.

Vietnam textile industry combats pandemic with PPE switch: Forbes

A surge in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) from the manufacturing sector in Vietnam due to COVID-19 pandemic, along with the orders that flowed in from around the world helped to buoy the country’s important garment-making industry with many manufacturers rejigging their facilities to produce PPE, said an article on the forbes.com website.

The article cited statistics from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade showing that there are more than 6,000 garment factories and textile mills in the country, and the sector employed some 3 million workers in 2020.

The Vietnamese government had initially restricted the export of goods, such as face masks, to ensure there was an adequate domestic supply to help combat the virus. But once the restrictions were lifted in March of last year, Vietnam’s manufacturers exported almost 1.2 billion masks through to December 2020 to North America, Europe and around Asia, it noted.

The article mentioned as an example Vietnam Goods and Exports (VGE) which turned to making cloth face masks.

It quoted VGE founder Anh Tran as saying that he made the decision to switch in early 2020, and sees an ongoing demand for his product.

“Despite vaccines now rolling out, the [Centers for Disease Control] is still recommending people to wear masks because it is a slow rollout, and there are still many at-risk people you can affect or be affected by,” he said.

“If vaccines are effective, you will probably see a drop-off in the wearing of masks near the end of 2021, but from now until then, it is still a massive industry that just exploded overnight.”

“Vietnam has definitely become a shining star in the global PPE trade in 2020 because prior to that most PPE was manufactured in China or the United States,” he added.

Vietnam, ASEAN countries urged to adopt green manufacturing technologies: conference

Vietnam and ASEAN countries need to adopt green manufacturing technologies to make sustainable new products and services, heard a recent international conference in southern Binh Duong province.

Dr Michael Braun, coordinator of the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument project, told the ‘Cooperating with Europe for Green Manufacturing Technologies’ conference that it is important to promote technological cooperation between the European and Southeast Asian blocs for mutual benefit.

ASEAN countries have emerged as important manufacturing hubs in global supply chains, he said.

“The growing demand for environmentally sound, resource- and energy-efficient products and manufacturing has created a hunger for new green manufacturing technologies.”

With its rich technology and research landscape, innovative enterprises and dedicated green growth strategies, Europe is a major source of such green technologies, he said.

“Green technologies are key to sustainable new products, services and manufacturing processes, and are essential for realising green growth.”

For ASEAN member states, green technologies will help make the best possible use of their natural and energy resources and protect the health and well-being of workers and consumers.

Hans Farnhammer, head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation to Indonesia, Brunei, Darussalam and ASEAN, said: “Green production has become the core of sustainable development.”

Prof TAN, Reginald Beng Hee, of the National University of Singapore, said, “Binh Duong province is set to become the next destination for green technology transfer.”

Nguyen Viet Long, director of the province Department of Science and Technology, said comprehensive transport infrastructure and quality human resources play a major role in attracting foreign investors, especially from Europe, with green manufacturing technologies.

The Government needs to invest in improving infrastructure and offer incentives to promote the triple helix model of university–industry–government cooperation, he said.

Joanna Drake, deputy director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment, said under the European Green Deal, the EU recognises that climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world.

To overcome the challenges, the EU needs a new growth strategy that would transform it into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, and economic growth is decoupled from resource use, she said.

The Deal aims to make the EU’s economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities, focusing on investments in green technologies, sustainable solutions and innovative businesses, she said.

It also lays out a path for a sustainable transition that is socially fair and ensures ‘no person or place is left behind’, she said.

The EU therefore supports ASEAN and its member states with initiatives related to climate-change resilience and adaptation, environmental protection, including protecting bio-diversity, and disaster preparedness and response, she added.

The two-day conference that began on March 22 was held as part of the 2021 EU Industry Week organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the European Commission./.

Expansion of sugarcane expected to balance sugar market

The government needs to apply customs duties policies that would help increase the purchase price of sugarcane.

The prompt imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on sugar originating from Thailand has encouraged domestic farmers continue to expanding raw material areas. However, local experts suggested that strengthening the link between farmers and businesses is a long-term measure to ensure the sustainable development of the sugar industry.

Since the imposition took effect from this March, the retail price of sugar has increased from VND1,500 (US$0.06)-VND2,000 (US$0.08) per kg compared to the end of 2020. The purchase price of raw sugarcane from local growers also increased by VND50,000 (US$2.1) to VND100,000 (US$4.3) per ton.

The average buying price is currently at about VND950,000 (US$41.2)-VND1 million (US$43.3) per ton, Nguyen Cam Trang, Deputy Director of Import and Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) told the seminar entitled “Opportunities and challenges for the sugar industry” held on March 23 in Hanoi.

Being of the same mind, Chu Thang Trung, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, said that local manufacturers have increased the purchase price of sugarcane materials by 10%-13% compared to the previous crops.

“This helps farmers remove difficulties and encourages them to consider replanting sugarcane and expanding areas of cultivation,” he said.

Nguyen Van Loc, Acting General Secretary of the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA) said that the domestic sugar industry has been badly damaged by massive import of sugar in the past, so the recovery process takes a long time.

“However, the government needs take on a policy on customs duties that would help increase the purchase price of sugarcane,” he said.

The Department of Agricultural Products Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development forecast a shortage of  raw sugarcane supply for factories in this year’s crop.

Currently, only 29 out of 40 sugar factories are still in operation. The total output of sugarcane in Vietnam is only around 5.3 million tons, equivalent to 530,000 tons of sugar.

Vietnam’s domestic sugar price remains the lowest in the region. Local experts said that in order to develop sustainably, it is still necessary to build a close linkages between businesses and farmers, developing quality and sustainable sugarcane material areas, and investing in technology to improve product quality.

Recently, the government has slapped temporary anti-dumping duty of 33.88% and countervailing duty of 44.88% on sugar originating from Thailand.

The decision comes after the MoIT last September initiated an anti-dumping and countervailing investigation on imported sugar from Thailand on the basis of the request of  the VSSA and domestic sugar producers.

VIB eyes over 7.5 trillion VND in pre-tax profit in 2021

The Vietnam International Bank (VIB) targets posting a pre-tax profit of more than 7.5 trillion VND (324.18 million USD) in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 29 percent, the bank’s extraordinary shareholder’s meeting on March 24 heard.

Under its business plan, the bank aims to have more than 300 trillion VND in total assets, up 26 percent against 2020.

With strong financial capacity and a specific business strategy, the bank decided to increase its capital by paying dividends in bonus shares and issuing stocks. With this, its charter capital will increase from over 11 trillion VND to nearly 16 trillion VND, helping it optimise asset growth while ensuring business safety ratios in 2021.

It will continue to develop new financial measures to bring an excellent experiences to customers.

VIB’s total assets increased 33 percent last year to 245 trillion VND. As its pre-tax profit grew 42 percent to more than 5.8 trillion VND, the return on equity (ROE) ratio reached 30 percent, helping VIB retain its top position in the banking sector in terms of business efficiency in the context of bad debts falling under 1.5 percent.

VIB is a pioneer in applying Basel III standards in risk management, after becoming the first bank in Vietnam to complete the three pillars of Basel II.

VIB began trading its stock on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in November 2020. The stock is now fluctuating around 43,800 VND./.

Vinh Long expects to turn tourism into spearhead economic sector

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long has mobilised resources to promote tourism development, with the aim of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector by 2030.

During a conference held on March 24 to review the implementation of a resolution on tourism development in Vinh Long in the 2015-2021 period, participants discussed the province’s potential and advantages for tourism development, as well as measures to fully tap those strengths.

Their discussions specially focused on how to stimulate tourism demand in the province amid complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Bui Van Nghiem said the local authorities have mobilised all resources for tourism development, and encouraged travel businesses and local community to build and popularise Vinh Long’s image to visitors, gradually developing the sector into a key contributor to its economy.

The province will also continue to complete and effectively implement tourism development projects, and consider organising a tourism festival as an annual event to draw more holiday-makers.

Dialogues between the local authorities and businesses will be increased with the aim of removing difficulties facing travel companies.

Vinh Long welcomed over 6.1 million domestic and foreign visitors in the 2015-2019 period, earning nearly 1.7 trillion VND (over 73.6 million USD). The number of tourists and revenue averagely increased 11.6 percent and 25.7 percent per year.

Ba Ria – Vung Tau industrial parks await FDI post-pandemic

Industrial parks in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau are making preparations to attract foreign investments that are expected to surge after the COVID-19 pandemic passes.

The 500ha Dat Do 1 Industrial Park in Dat Do district wants FDI to account for 70 percent of all investment and domestic projects for only 30 percent, with priority given to supporting industries and hi-tech projects.

This year it attracted six local investors but no foreign investment.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, foreign investment had been severely impacted, Nguyen Khac Thanh, general director of Tin Nghia – Phuong Dong Industrial Park JSC, the developer of Dat Do 1 Industrial Park, said.

Many foreign investors have rented land in the park but delayed their projects since it was impossible for them to enter the country due to the travel restrictions and border closure, he said.

But his company had maintained contact with global customers and resorted to online marketing to introduce the opportunities and the procedures they have to complete to invest in the park, he said.

As a result, it managed to sign memorandums of understanding and took deposits for leases from 11 foreign investors, he revealed.

The park had helped foreign investors with investment procedures as part of efforts to attract them, he added.

The 999ha Phu My 3 Specialized Industrial Park in the province’s Phu My town has not attracted a single foreign project for more than a year due to the pandemic.

It has signed lease agreements with 10 foreign customers thanks to webinars and online marketing.

Nguyen Anh Triet, head of the provincial Industrial Park Authority, said there were incentives for industrial parks to attract investment, and administrative and land clearance procedures were being streamlined to develop industrial infrastructure.

Nearly 50 potential investors had signed MoUs and registered to lease more than 1,000 hectares of industrial land, he said.

The province planned to build eight industrial zones with more than 8,000ha by 2030 to meet the huge demand, he added./.

Vietnam targets 10 billion USD from fruit, vegetable exports by 2030

Vietnam expects to gain 8-10 billion USD from shipping fruits and vegetables abroad, with revenue of processed products accounting for at least 30 percent of the total by 2030.

Under a project to develop the fruit and vegetable process sector during 2021-2030 recently approved by the Prime Minister, Vietnam targets to attract investment in 50-60 fruit and vegetable processing establishments, and build several modern groups and enterprises who have good competitive capacity.

With a view to achieving the goals, Vietnam will invest heavily to improve processing ability, give priority to processing key fruits and vegetables which have high values, set up material zones, and develop markets for the products.

The project laid stress on the necessity to build processing and packaging facilities and storage warehouses and install suitable equipment to reduce post-harvest losses.

Besides, it is crucial to attract investment to ensure that all of the production facilities will be well equipped with necessary machines by 2030.

Along with encouraging businesses to invest in food irradiation centres at large-scale fruit and vegetable farming areas so that their products meet international standards, the country will promote intensive processing and diversify processed products.

Additionally, the country will establish specialised fruit and vegetable cultivating areas which are able to provide some 5-6 million tonnes of high-quality products for processing by 2030./.

Strong bonds with South Korean partners for deeper integration

Vietnam and South Korean businesses are expected to enjoy more investment opportunities soon and participate in the global supply chains thanks to new deals enabling them to implement investment promotion programmes.

The members of the supporting projects – Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Innovation Tech Lat, Korea Polytechnic University, and Innovative Technology Lat – will also sign similar deals with authorities and IZs in South Korea.

The agreements will help to reinforce the role of VITASK in investment promotion, along with the task of having a deep and thorough supporting programme.

According to Kyoung-Jin An, deputy director of VITASK, the cooperation will bring benefits for all sides. “We will introduce South Korean to invest in Vietnam, while simultaneously cooperating with departments and IZs to implement investment promotion programmes. Besides that, we will also connect Vietnamese businesses that want to penetrate the South

Korean market with local partners,” he said. “Regarding VITASK, the centre will be more convenient in approaching businesses, which have demand on supporting industries. In addition, it will help to improve the centre’s presence in both Vietnam and South Korea.”

After the first appraisal round of around 40 dossiers, VITASK selected 24 local suppliers to visit manufacturing facilities for the first time. The representatives of centres will visit these suppliers for a second time during the next months to select the final 16 eligible candidates.

“The scheme of this supporting programme was expected to be implemented in March, however, it will be delayed to May due to the impacts of the pandemic,” An explained. “According to the initial plan, we will select 12 candidates for the first phase. However, now the figure increases to 16 with the expectation of supporting more suppliers.”

VITASK currently cooperates with local authorities to work with the business community, which has the demand on technical support, but faces difficulties in approaching them.

“We hope to receive support from the government and relevant authorities to find suitable local suppliers, so that we can effectively implement the project,” An said.

Cooperating with South Korean ministries to establish the VITASK programme is a part of the Vietnamese government’s approach to help local suppliers improve their competitiveness.

The Vietnamese government has issued numerous regulations to promote development of local supporting industries, including Decree No.111/2015/ND-CP on incentive policies for businesses operating in supporting industries; Decision No.68/QD-TTg approving the Supporting Industry Development Programme from 2016 to 2025; the Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises; and Resolution No.115/NQ-CP dated August 2020 on solutions to promote supporting industry development.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has also been working on an international cooperation project in terms of supporting industries, including the cooperation with Samsung to develop vendors, a scheme with South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to train technical engineers, and an additional World Bank project, among others.

Le Huyen Nga, deputy head of the Supporting Industry Division under the MoIT’s Agency for Industrial Development said, “Implementing synchronised solutions to support businesses in supporting industries will contribute to improving their competitiveness, improving the productivity and quality of their products, and leading towards smoother entry into global supply chains.”

Hanoi plans to begin construction of 43 industrial clusters in 2021

The capital city of Hanoi is planning to start construction of 43 industrial clusters in 2021, which were set up during the 2018-2020 period.

Accordingly, the municipal People’s Committee will begin construction of one industrial cluster in Quarter 1, 23 in Quarter 2, 13 in Quarter 3, and six in Quarter 4.

The city is striving to complete technical infrastructure for at least 20 industrial clusters, while attracting investment into 10-15 clusters.

All of the operating industrial clusters will have synchronous technical infrastructure, which will be managed in line with the current regulations. Furthermore, all of the newly-built industrial parks will have standardised sewage treatment stations.

Besides pushing technical infrastructure development, the city will create favourable conditions for investors to shorten investment procedures.

Hanoi has already developed mechanisms to support businesses who land investment in the industrial clusters, and issued regulations on service prices at the clusters.

Due attention will be paid to investment promotion, aiming to reach full occupancy at these industrial clusters. Competent authorities will work to improve its management over the clusters, and keep close watch on land use and illegal construction at the sites.

The city will tighten the examination of the establishment of new industrial clusters in accordance with existing regulations.

Hopes escalating for post-pandemic growth in M&A

Vietnam’s mergers and acquisitions, though rather muted in the beginning months of 2021, are expected to revive on the back of both vaccination programmes and legislative changes.

Vietnam has witnessed only a few merger and acquisition (M&A) deals since the beginning of 2021. Thailand’s SCG acquired 70 per cent stake in Duy Tan Plastics while Danish group BioMar scooped up a majority share in Viet-Uc.

Commenting on this trend, Masataka Sam Yoshida, head of the Cross-border Division of RECOF Corporation, said that this situation is just temporary, and a bright future is expected ahead. For instance, Japanese investors have become more cautious than ever after the latest wave of the pandemic in Japan.

Vietnam has been extremely successful in keeping the pandemic under control, but the strict travel restrictions make it difficult for Japanese companies to arrange short-term business travels, which are fundamental and crucial in considering and proceeding with M&A transactions. “Having said that, the rationale for the investment in Vietnam has not changed. Vietnam has much higher growth potential than Japan where the economy is too mature. We are aware that Japanese companies remain interested in Vietnam, even though they are not active at this moment,” he said.

According to RECOF’s M&A database, the number of outbound transactions from Japan decreased by 33 per cent to 557 transactions in 2020, while the same number in Vietnam declined by 30 per cent to 23. Vietnam ranked sixth as the destination country for Japan among all countries worldwide, and second only to Singapore in Southeast Asia.

Yoshida added, “COVID-19 has been the sole reason for the recent sluggish M&A transactions between Vietnam and Japan, so assuming the COVID-19 will be subdued with the start of vaccinations and the removal of travel restrictions, we are more than confident that the market will recover in the latter half of 2021.”

Meanwhile, Vo Ha Duyen, chairwoman of Vietnam International Law Firm, cited data by the Corporate Investment and Mergers & Acquisitions Center showing that the value of M&A deals in Vietnam in 2020 dropped by about a half from 2019. Various factors may have affected such activities, she said – the pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy and also caused difficulties to dealmaking, while travel bans and lockdowns have hampered M&A due diligences and negotiation meetings.

According to Duyen, the ongoing changes to the laws of Vietnam have also contributed to some uncertainties. Under the new Law on Competition, a substantially higher percentage of M&A deals are subject to merger control filing requirements than under the old laws. Investors initially hoped that the introduction of the 30-day “preliminary review” track to the merger control filing procedure under the new law would help reduce procedural burdens.

Nonetheless, because sub-law regulatory guidance has not been issued, it seems that a majority of filing cases have not seen application of the 30-day preliminary review and have been subject to complex and uncertain evaluations which last for months.

In addition, local departments of planning and investment have had difficulties in applying the new Law on Investment as documents guiding the implementation of the law have not been issued. This could increase cases in which the licensing authorities have to seek opinions from other relevant authorities, which may contribute to delays in the M&A process.

“We hope that new decrees and circulars providing detailed and favourable regulatory guidance will be issued soon to support the competition and investment authorities in dealing efficiently with M&A transactions and to effectively reduce the time gap and uncertainties in the procedures, helping boost the recovery of M&A activities when the pandemic settles down,” Duyen said.

According to Vietnam M&A Forum Research Team, a number of mega deals are expected to be secured in 2021. Foreign investors from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand will continue to dominate the market with the value of deals reaching up to $500 million. At present, Vietnam’s M&A market remains attractive to investors despite the impact of the global health crisis – in particular, in the second and third quarter of 2020 Vietnam witnessed more M&A deals after the country successfully contained the summer wave of infections.

That being said, Vietnam is hopeful about potential for post-pandemic M&A growth. Some experts have forecast that the main sectors that will contribute to the recovery of value in Vietnam are telecommunications, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, education, and e-commerce.

Yoshida from RECOF said that Japanese companies are concerned with stability of global supply chains. Vietnam is not only competitive as a location for manufacturing, but also it stands at the crossroads in terms of free trade agreements with major economic zones and so is well positioned.

“Additionally, more Japanese companies are paying attention to sustainability and technology innovations, and they are eagerly looking for opportunities to apply their expertise, such as in renewable energy, smart cities, AI, and more in Vietnam, where the people are open to new ideas,” he said. “As for the pandemic, we highly evaluate Vietnam’s success in keeping the pandemic under control, and this fact makes the country even more attractive for the Japanese investors.”

Garment sector set for full recovery in second half of next year

The local textile and garment sector is anticipated to bounce back during the third quarter of 2022, according to Le Tien Truong, chairman of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).

Last year witnessed Vietnamese textile and garment exports grow by minus 10.5% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, just raking in US$35 billion, in contrast to regional peers who endured a decline of between 15% and 20%.

This is the first major setback the sector has suffered after 25 years of penetrating the global market says Truong, adding though the global market is showing signs of recovery, the number of orders and prices remain modest.

The executive reveals several local enterprises, including Vinatex, have received orders up until the end of April or even July and August for some commodities such as knitwear and other popular items.

The sector is poised to fully recover from the COVID-19 crisis in the third quarter of 2022 at the earliest possible time, says the CEO.

Truong speaks of disadvantages that the garment sector addresses during the COVID-19 pandemic time, noting garment firms are unlikely to fulfil signed contracts and more importantly the sector’s position in the global supply chain is also threatened.

Experiencing three coronavirus waves, the Vinatex representative therefore advises businesses to strictly take drastic COVID-19 prevention measures at work, with workers from epidemic hit areas being subject to a 21-day quarantine period.

During the course of the year ahead the domestic textile and garment sector is forecast to achieve an export turnover of approximately US$39 billion.

To meet the target, local firms will strive to expand into fresh markets while the implementation of various free trade agreements (FTAs) is anticipated to create a wealth of opportunities which will serve to boost exports.

The Vinatex leader also says as a means of taking full advantage of the tariff reduction and benefits from recently-signed FTAs, local firms are required to prove their origin of production, either in Vietnam or in intra-bloc countries. This is in line with the rule of yarn and fabric set out within both the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Experts consider how Vietnam can attract greater investment from global firms

Vietnam must stay active in inviting multinational corporations and renowned companies to invest locally, especially those from countries with advantages in terms of technology, capital, and management skills, including the United States, the EU, and Japan, according to insiders.

The past five years has seen the foreign-invested sector make significant contributions to Vietnamese socio-economic development.

Furthermore, the country has always represented an attractive investment destination for foreign investors due to Vietnamese FDI attraction increasing from US$24.1 billion in 2015 to US$38 billion in 2019, with the figure being recorded at US$28.53 billion in 2020 despite the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Do Nhat Hoang, director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, attributes investment inflows into the country to a number of recently-signed free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The enforcement of these various FTAs has created a wealth of opportunities for large foreign corporations, especially those in hi-tech fields, to invest domestically as they can maximise the benefits and incentives from these FTAs, Hoang adds.

Furthermore, he underscores the importance of attracting technology projects relating to AI, blochain, fintech, and training high-quality human resources that can meet the requirements for Vietnamese socio-economic development.

Nguyen Hoa Cuong, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), emphasises the need to effectively invest in innovation for businesses whilst helping small firms gain access to funding sources from banks.

He therefore stressed that although the country can be considered vulnerable to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community has highlighted Vietnamese containment efforts and determination to improve the local business environment and turn the country into an ideal destination for investors.

Nakajima Takeo, chief representative of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi, says while other countries are still struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese economy has rapidly recovered, with Vietnam becoming the first nation to enjoy the various advantages of the diversification of the global supply chains.

Moreover, with keen interest from foreign investors, including Japanese investors, the country should strive to improve the local business climate to attract more high-tech investors whilst fine-tuning the legal system and supporting firms to overcome the adverse impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the JETRO representative states.

According to Nguyen Van Toan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises, it is essential to promote technology transfer and corporate governance for Vietnamese enterprises, while also being proactive in inviting multinational corporations and companies with popular brands to invest in the country.

Economic experts have therefore stated that it is necessary to complete the legal framework regarding anti-transfer pricing, revise regulations on tax management, whilst also increasing fines and penalties for acts of transfer pricing to ensure the strictness of law. This should be done alongside building and perfecting the database system and national information on FDI projects and enterprises.

Thousands of products qualified for OCOP standards

Thousands of products have been rated and qualified for the standards of the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme during the 2018-2020 period, said Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng.

Addressing a national conference reviewing the OCOP programme in the 2018-2020 period in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Dũng said that all 63 provinces and cities across the country have rolled out the programme, in which 59 provinces and cities have verified and rated products.

The trade promotion for OCOP products has been also actively and effectively implemented by provinces, cities and agencies, he said.

A report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that the OCOP programme has 4,469 products with three-star and above ratings in 59 provinces and cities, 1.86 times higher than the target set for 2018-2020.

Localities nationwide have so far organised 66 OCOP fairs.

Retail systems and trade centres have actively participated in consuming OCOP products.

The deputy prime minister emphasised that OCOP is a rural economic development programme, not only contributing to improving the incomes and the lives of people in rural areas, but also actively supporting agricultural restructuring and programmes on new-style rural area building.

The quality and design of the OCOP products improve day by day, bringing economic benefits to people, cooperatives, businesses and localities, he said.

However, the implementation of the programme still revealed several shortcomings, he added.

Several localities faced difficulties in defining their advantages and potential, and many only focused on existing products and did not pay attention to developing new products.

Trade promotion is still fragmented, not synchronous, and has not attracted consumers. Source of capital for OCOP development, the governance capacity of economic organisations and entities in OCOP are still limited.

The deputy prime minister requested ministries, sectors and localities to strengthen management over the implementation of the programme, guide the classification of products in localities, and supplement and complete a set of criteria assessing and rating OCOP products.

He also emphasised the need to absolutely avoid complaisance in assessing and recognising OCOP products, without paying attention to product quality, affecting the effectiveness of the programme.

For proposals and recommendations of ministries, sectors and localities, Deputy PM Dũng asked the MARD to consider thoroughly and continue working with them to build the OCOP programme for 2021-2025.

According to agriculture minister Nguyễn Xuân Cường, after three years of implementing the OCOP programme, business households, cooperatives, and small and medium-sized businesses have developed their production in the direction of professionalism.

The programme has promoted the potentials and strengths of localities in specialty products, production conditions as well as raw material areas with more than 145 OCOP products that have effectively exploited the local raw material areas, said agriculture deputy minister Trần Thanh Nam.

Vietnam looks to boost economic, trade ties with Russian localities

Vietnam attaches great importance to economic, trade and investment cooperation with Russian localities, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh has said.

The Vietnamese diplomat made the statement during his meetings with governors of the southwestern Kursk and Bryansk regions of Russia on the occasion of his visits to these localities on March 23-24, as part of activities to further strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in general and their localities in particular.

Manh and Governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoit, in their meeting, expressed their joy at the increasing development of Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in recent times.

Starovoit called on Vietnamese businesses to increase their investment in promising sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

In 2020, trade turnover between Kursk and Vietnam hit 30 million USD, he said.

Meanwhile, Governor of the Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz briefed Manh on the locality’s socio-economic development, noting that the Russian locality still maintained positive growth despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He thanked the Vietnamese diplomat and relevant agencies for their efforts to promote cooperation between businesses of the two countries, especially in agriculture.

For his part, Manh said he is pleased with the Kursk region’s cooperation agreement with its sister Ninh Thuan province of Vietnam.

He thanked the two local governments for supporting the Vietnamese community to lead a stable life in Russia, thus contributing to the development of the Russian localities and their homeland.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, trade value between Vietnam and Russia still increased 8 percent to 5 billion USD. Notably, in the first two months of this year, it surged by over 30 percent, hitting nearly 800 million USD. Vietnam is the largest market of Russia’s meat products, accounting for nearly 45 percent of its total meat exports.

On the occasion, Ambassador Manh and his entourage visited food processing establishments, livestock and poultry production complexes of Miratorg Group in Kursk and Bryansk./.

Thua Thien Hue strives to develop tourism in new normal

The central province of Thua Thien Hue has put in a great deal of effort to restore the local tourism industry as the world moves into a new normal in the post-COVID-19 period.

The province has therefore taken a range of solutions aimed at stimulating domestic tourism demand through  diversifying its tourism products and services, creating entertainment spots at night, providing guests with exciting experiences at cultural heritage sites, and developing different types of tourism, including eco-tourism, beach holidays, and resort tourism.

In an effort to attract more guests to the ancient capital, travel firms are currently offering discounts of up to 50% on entrance fees to heritage sites between March 1 and August 31.

Furthermore, the province will also put on a wide range of festivals each month, including a traditional craft festival, the Lotus Festival, a food festival, the Hue Dragon Dance Festival, and the Hue Ao Dai Festival, in a bid to stimulate tourism.

Duong Thi Cong Ly, director of the Hue branch of the Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company, said the firm has paid close attention to the quality of its tourism products as it offers a fresh experience for visitors through unique products, including check-in tours around the Huong river and cycling tours which take guests throughout the city.

Tran Trong Kien, chairman of the National Tourism Advisory Council, emphasized the need to focus on digital transformation and development of the city’s brand so it is renowned for being green, clean, and safe.

Le Huu Minh, acting director of Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism, said to turn Thua Thien Hue into a safe, friendly, and attractive destination, localities have been advised to strengthen connectivity by launching special tours, such as the Thua Thien Hue-Da Nang-Quang Nam tour which has proved popular in recent years.

Foreign brokerages rack up agreements

Several international banks, particularly from Taiwan, are boosting their financing offers to Vietnam’s brokerages, betting on the tremendous growth of the financial market.

The negotiations began at the end of 2020 and were completed after three months, despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions. The syndicated loan facilities are expected to fund the brokerage’s future operations and business expansion plans in the fast-growing equity market of Vietnam.

Ho Thi Thu Hien, chairwoman of the board at VietinBank Securities said, “The access to foreign capital could give the company an upper hand in taking advantage of lower interest rates, compared to other foreign brokerages which are backed by their foreign parent banks.”

The expansion of foreign loan limits, Hien added, would continue to add fuel to VietinBank Securities’ synergy to provide best customer-centric and diverse services. This deal is slated to pave the way for the company to boost its activities related to international loan advisory and financing arrangements.

Last December, Vietnam’s largest brokerage Saigon Securities Incorporation (SSI) was ahead of the curve when it signed a mortgage loan agreement of $85 million with a group of nine foreign banks, also led by Taipei-headquartered Union Bank of Taiwan.

Earlier in 2019, SSI also entered into a syndicated loan of $55 million from a group of financial institutions led by SinoPac Bank and became the first securities company in the country to be granted such large-scale credit in the form of an unsecured loan.

An SSI representative told VIR that the expansion of foreign loans with high value and low cost of capital laid a firm foundation for the company to boost its competitiveness through the provision of more cheap capital, especially for margin loans to investors.

Although the representative did not disclose specific rates or loan costs, SSI has an ace up its sleeve due to preferential interest rates thanks to its good risk management capacity, large-scale assets, and extensive network nationwide.

Up to now, only a few of Vietnam’s top securities firms are able to obtain sizable unsecured loans from foreign banks. Specifically, SinoPac, one of the leading Taiwanese lenders, has continuously displayed its eagerness to latch onto Vietnam’s lucrative equity market by cooperating with local prominent brokerages.

Ho Chi Minh City Securities Company also inked an agreement to receive a $50 million unsecured loan from 10 foreign financial institutions, also led by SinoPac, in 2019.

On the same track, SinoPac arranged a $40 million unsecured syndicated loan, together with other foreign banks, to lend to Viet Capital Securities Company in May 2020.

Local securities companies are not the only beneficiaries of unsecured syndicated loans from international funds. Last year, the $500 million syndicated term loan of Techcombank was named the second-largest in Southeast Asia, and the largest ever in Vietnam.

The loan facility was arranged by United Overseas Bank as coordinator and facility agent, and ANZ, CTBC Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Taishin Bank as mandated lead arrangers, underwriters, and bookrunners.

HDBank has also entered a $71-million syndicated loan led by a consortium of eight Taiwanese banks and an Indian bank arranged by Mega International Commercial Bank.

Market experts believed access to relatively cheap financing sources is one of the pivotal elements to help securities companies grow and stay competitive, especially in comparison with other foreign-backed brokerages such as Mirae Asset Securities, KB Securities, and KIS.

Regarding abundant capital to support margin loans, some foreign banks operating in Vietnam such as Wooribank, CTBC, Indovinabank, and Shinhan Bank Vietnam have actively backed securities firms to bolster margin lending.

For instance, Wooribank provided more than VND2.81 trillion ($121 million) to major brokerages, including KIS, MBS, ACBS, while KBSV. Indovinabank has also issued loans to securities firms such as MBS, KBSV, and TCBS.

Mekong Delta drives attractiveness to foreign investors

Foreign investors from Thailand, South Korea, and Japan are eyeing investment opportunities in garment and textiles, construction, solar power, manufacturing, and retail in the Mekong Delta.

“Central Group is looking for newly-built trade centres from 4,000-20,000 hectares. In the next 1-2 years we hope to develop two centres and a series of convenience shops in An Giang province,” Le said.

The dialogue was held between An Giang People’s Committee and foreign investors on March 23 in Ho Chi Minh City by the Investment Promotion Centre-South Vietnam (IPCSV) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

JS Construction from Korea, meanwhile, is looking for a minimum of 1,000ha for agricultural planting. Kim Jong Seong, director of JS Construction said that this land site needs clean land and infrastructure, especially water for irrigation.

Thai investors, meanwhile, expressed interest in the development of the border gate economy and industrial parks.

Audsitti Sroithong, minister counsellor from Office of the Board of Investment, shared that in the establishment of the border gate economy, the most important factor was the infrastructure system which must facilitate logistics.

According to Tran Thi Hai Yen, director of the IPCS, the investment promotion activities so far have not been effective enough as each province was working alone.

Many provinces are offering similar incentives while they need a unique offering that suits their natural resources and geographical position, as well the investment directions of the central government.

“Although the investment demand in the Mekong Delta provinces is great, investment promotion activities have remained ineffective,” Yen said at another meeting held on the same day where regional promotion centres shared experiences and discussed solutions to improve investment promotion in the region.

Yen added that the IPCS has received many diplomatic delegations (both online and offline) as well as large corporations that are very interested in investing in the southern region, especially the Mekong Delta.

The unit has also been tasked by the Ministry of Planning and Investmentwith promoting cooperation with provinces, enhancing investment promotion, and preparing steps to welcome and support the shift of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the coming time.

Regarding regional investment promotion links, Nguyen Thi Huyen Ngoc, deputy head of IPCS Investment Promotion Department, said there is an overlap in investment promotion activities run by many agencies.

In addition, these agencies are uncoordinated, partly due to the weakness of local investment promotion agency in reporting, exchanging information and promoting activities.

That is why Ngoc claimed regional linkages are essential to be set up, to reduce costs, better harness resources, and promote common interests while creating a common brand and a unifying driving force in investment promotion.

It is known that the Ministry of Planning and Investment has just assigned IPCS to set up a national electronic portal and the official launching ceremony is scheduled to be held in April 2021.

This will be a platform for all local authorities of the 13 cities and provinces of the Mekong Delta where the foreign business community can share and request information on opportunities in this region.

The IPCS has also been working with the consulates general of many countries in Ho Chi Minh City which are sending articles covering information on investment opportunities and investment needs of foreign enterprises through the industry associations in their country in this portal.

The Mekong Delta accounts for 12 per cent of the country’s area and 19 per cent of its population (about 17 million people). It is often referred to as the “rice bowl” of the country as it accounts for half of its total rice output and 95 per cent of its export rice output.

According to the World Bank, this region accounts for 20 per cent of the global rice trade.

Fishery production is also the region’s strength, accounting for 65 per cent of Vietnam’s production volume.

However, for many years, the Mekong Delta has been overlooked by foreign investors, receiving only 8 per cent of the total FDI capital pouring into the country each year on average.

This rate has increased significantly last year, when FDI in the Mekong Delta region reached $6.08 billion, accounting for 21.3 per cent of the total. Outstanding projects included the $4 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) thermal power plant in Bac Lieu invested by Delta Offshore Energy (Singapore), the O Mon II thermal power plant project with the total investment of $1.3 billion from Marubeni (Japan) and Vietnam Investment Construction and Trading Joint Stock Corporation (Constrexim Holding), and especially the $3 billion LNG-to-power project invested by VinaCapital GS Energy, a joint venture between South Korean GS Energy and VinaCapital which received the investment certificate on March 21.

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

A photo of Hai Phong City.

Hai Phong Party Committee has asked Hai Phong People’s Committee to speed up the process to complete procedures and disburse funds to build 67 parks during the 2021-2022 period.

This is part of a project to improve the urban area landscape and boost the new village model.

The city authorities have asked related parties to research and have detailed planning for the project. If necessary, the administrative boundaries can be adjusted or the park premise can be expanded to 10,000 square metres, set up resettlement and rearrange the residential areas.

Hai Phong will continue replacing and improving the pavements in the city centre and put all the power lines and cable lines underground. An urban embellishment management board was set up to help manage projects and call for funds from the private sector.

In regards to the project to build Dong Khe 2 Road, Hai Phong Party Committee said this was a key project for the city and they hoped to be able to finish the first phase of the Dong Khe 2 Road Project by December 31. Compensation would be paid and resettlement issues settled in April.

Foreign parliament leaders congratulate new NA Chairman

Leaders of the parliaments of Laos, China and Japan on March 31 sent congratulatory letters to newly-elected Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Election Council (NEC) Vuong Dinh Hue.

In his letter, Chairman of the Lao NA Saysomphone Phomvihane expressed his belief that with his capability and rich working experience, Hue will lead the NA, the highest organ of State power of Vietnam, to successfully perform its important legislative right and contribute to the cause of national defence and construction, raising Vietnam’s role and position at regional and international forums.

“I hope that the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples of Laos and Vietnam in general, and between the two legislative bodies in particular, will be further deepened and continuously reap fruitful results,” the Lao NA leader wrote.

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu said in his message that he stands ready to work with the new Vietnamese NA Chairman to make the implementation of the common political perception obtained by senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries as the orientation to bolster exchange and cooperation between the two legislative bodies and promote the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership.

The same day, President of the House of Councillors of Japan Santo Akiko and Speaker of the House of Representatives Oshima Tadamori also cabled messages of congratulations to the newly-elected NA Chairman of Vietnam.

On March 31 morning, Vuong Dinh Hue, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, was elected as Chairman of the National Assembly and the National Election Council.

No new COVID-19 infections reported on April 1 morning

Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6am on April 1, keeping the total number of infections in the country at 2,603, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Of the total, 1,603 are domestically-transmitted cases, including 910 infections since the third wave of outbreaks hit the country on January 27.

The MoH’s Medical Service Administration reported that as many as 2,359 have been given the all-clear from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 so far.

The death toll from the disease was still kept at 35, the administration said.

Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments across the country, 18 tested negative for the virus once, 15 twice and 37 thrice.

A total of 37,008 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are being quarantined nationwide, including 506 in hospitals, 19,093 at concentrated facilities and 17,409 at their residences.

According to the National Expanded Immunisation Programme, an additional 1,487 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots on March 31, bringing the total number of vaccinated people to 49,743.

To live safely with the pandemic, the MoH advised people to remain proactive in pandemic prevention and control by continuing to wear face masks when going out, disinfecting frequently, maintaining a safe distance, refraining from mass gatherings, and making medical declarations./.

Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties marked in HCM City

The Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on March 31 held a ceremony to celebrate the 48th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Australia.

In her speech, Australian Consul General Julianne Cowley said the event offers a chance for the two sides to review and further strengthen the bilateral partnership, which plays an increasingly important role in the current world context.

Cowley highlighted the Australia-Vietnam cooperation over the past 48 years, saying that the relationship is built on the foundation of mutual respect and trust, with common interests and close cohesion, demonstrated through the effective cooperation between the two countries in politics, economy, defence – security, education, and people-to-people diplomacy, and especially in supporting each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Affirming the important role and position of Ho Chi Minh City in the relationship with Australia, Cowley emphasised that the two countries have a lot of potential and opportunities to make their bilateral ties more successful and prosperous.

Tran Phuoc Anh, acting director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the flourishing development of the Vietnam – Australia relations across various fields, saying that the bilateral relationship was built on the basis of sincerity, trust and for the goal of bringing prosperity to the two countries’ people, as well as contributing to promoting peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

In 2020, the Australian government helped Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of floods, and accessing vaccines against COVID-19 through the Indo-Pacific Health Security and Vaccine Initiative, he said, adding Australia also promoted the Aus4Innovation Partnership between the two countries towards post-pandemic economic recovery solutions.

Anh said there is room for HCM City and Australia to expand their cooperation in such fields as trade, smart city development, education-training, finance –banking, and sustainable urban development.

Dynamic development in the relationship between the city and Australia will contribute to realising the action programme implementing the Vietnam – Australia Strategic Partnership in the period 2020-2023, he added./.

Experts seek measures to promote Mekong Delta’s sustainable growth

Vietnamese and foreign experts and scientists gathered at a conference in Can Tho city on March 31 to seek solutions to boost sustainable development in the Mekong Delta region amid climate change.

Participants agreed that the Mekong Delta is vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which are developing faster than previously forecast.

The exploitation of the Mekong River’s upstream water resources, especially the building of hydropower dams, has caused changes in flow and reductions of alluvium deposits, harming fisheries resources and worsening saltwater intrusion. The over-exploitation of mud and sand has also increased the risk of erosion.

Meanwhile, experts pointed out that resources for investment development have remained limited, while high-quality human resources are moving to other localities.

They held that it is necessary to ensure greater investment in science and technology development and application to boost sustainable development and maintain the cultural identity of the region.

Associate Professor Nguyen Ly Binh, from Can Tho University, proposed the formation of ecological areas for agricultural development, along with agricultural expansion in association with the development of economic sub-regions and the switching of rice fields to fruit orchards and breeding farms.

Meanwhile, according to Professor Ishimatsu Atsushi, Academic Advisor at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), it is necessary to conduct a detailed assessment of climate change in the future, thus seeking suitable models for the changing conditions in a spirit of following the will of nature.

He also underlined the need to evaluate the socio-economic efficiency and environmental impact of land-use models, while designing policies to adapt to climate change and technology development.

Professor Tran Ngoc Hai from the Can Tho University, said it is crucial to build a more suitable agricultural structure, ensuring the connectivity of production chains and deeper participation in global value chains, while focusing more on processing and agricultural supporting industries./.

22nd Vietnam Film Festival slated for Sept. in Thua Thien-Hue

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival will take place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue from September 12-16, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced.

The festival will promote the creativity of the cinematic art and its professionalism and humanitarian values towards developing the film market amid global integration.

Major events during the festival include the screening of films, a seminar, and the opening, closing, and awards ceremonies.

Sideline events include a film week in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City celebrating the festival, an exchange programme, an exhibition entitled “Thua Thien-Hue – Destination of Filmmakers”, and outdoor film screenings in combination with an “ao dai” (traditional dress) show and an exchange with artists.

The biennial event is also to honour movies and artists during the development of the film industry.

It also provides a chance for artists and industry players to promote the trademark “Vietnam Film Festival” in 2021-2030./.

Vietnam well positioned to play more energetic role on global stage: The Diplomat

After its COVID-19 successes, Vietnam is well positioned to play a more energetic role on the global stage, according to the international online news magazine The Diplomat.

In an article published on March 30, The Diplomat said as an emergent and rising power in international affairs, Vietnam is potentially well positioned to help rebuild the global governance system that has been paralysed by increasing superpower tensions and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is imperative that Vietnam play a stronger role in global governance in the years to come, for several reasons, it stated.

Engaging in global governance activities dovetails with Vietnam’s avowed foreign policy goals, it said, noting that the political report presented at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in January asserts that Vietnam will remain a responsible and proactive member of the international community, as well as a trustworthy partner for other countries.

According to the article, Vietnam stands to gain from being more proactive in global governance.

The existing global governance system has deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing strategic tension between China and the US, and this offers Vietnam a chance to contribute to the reform of the international system.

The article said thanks to its impressive response to the pandemic, Vietnam ranked second among 98 countries in terms of performance in managing COVID-19. More importantly, the country has also witnessed a relatively high growth rate compared to its neighbours, and is forecast to recover quickly from the pandemic. To this extent, Vietnam has become the role model in terms of governance.

These achievements have laid a solid foundation for Vietnam to contribute more to the governance of the post-pandemic world, and if the country takes this chance, it will be able to both enhance its international image and play a more active role in world affairs, the article said.

Being proactive in global governance will also help Vietnam soften the impact of key global challenges, including human security, water security, climate change, and future pandemics.

On December 27 last year, Vietnam proposed an International Day of Epidemic Preparedness during its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council. This is a good example of how the country can gradually contribute to the revival of global governance, turning it into a “responsible member” of the international community, as it desires to become.

Vietnam’s proliferation of free-trade agreements (FTAs) that the country has signed in recent years testifies to its desire to integrate itself further into the global economy. To fully reap the benefits from these FTAs, it is crucial for Vietnam to be more proactive on governance issues, both domestic and global, the article said.

It noted that in recent years, Vietnam has performed well in a number of international and regional organisations, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the UN, thus consolidating its international position. The country’s active engagement with the UN, especially in the realm of peacekeeping, is also evident for Vietnam’s emergence.

If Vietnam can foster its recent successes, it will be more institutionally capable, paving the way for the country to contribute more substantively to global governance.

Given what its government has achieved so far, Vietnam has the potential to become a more confident and respected actor on the world stage, the article stressed./.

Three foreigners entering Vietnam illegally quarantined

Three foreigners who entered Vietnam illegally were brought to a concentrated quarantine facility in Moc Chau district of the northern border province of Son La, the provincial Department of Public Security announced on March 31.

Accordingly, on March 25, while patrolling in Phat hamlet, Long Sap commune of Moc Chau district, a working team of Long Sap Border Guard Post, the provincial Department of Public Security’s Entry-Exit Management Desk, and Moc Chau district’s police detected three foreigners entering Vietnam illegally.

During the investigation, the trio, residing in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China, failed to show sufficient documents as regulated.

Then they were brought to the quarantine facility. All are currently in stable health conditions./.

Rabies deaths a concern for Dak Lak residents

Two people have died in the last three weeks in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk after being bitten by rabid dogs.

On March 22, N.Đ.H, 20, living in Ea Wy Commune, Ea H’leo District was admitted to the Central Highlands General Hospital after suffering fatigue, poor appetite and fear of wind, water and lights after being bitten by a neighbour’s dog.

A family member said he was bitten by a dog on the right finger about a month ago. Two days later, the dog died, but N.Đ.H did not get vaccinated against rabies.

Doctors diagnosed him with rabies and he died on March 23 while on the way to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCM City.

The other victim was a 39-year-old man, from Cư Êbur Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City, who was admitted to the hospital with dog bite injuries on March 11.

“The patient was hospitalised in a state of fatigue, fear of wind, water and light, and diagnosed with rabies by doctors,” a representative from the hospital said. He died a day later.

Neither victim received a rabies vaccination after the bites as they didn’t take the danger seriously.

In 2019 and 2020, the province recorded 12 rabies deaths, all people who were not vaccinated and were bitten by dogs.

Enforce punishment

According to the provincial Centre for Disease Control’s officials, the main cause of deaths from rabies was dogs and cats being allowed to roam residential areas freely.

In addition, a majority of dogs have not been vaccinated against rabies.

Statistics from the provincial authorities indicate the province has more than 400,000 dogs, but an average of only 50,000 doses of vaccine are injected every year.

The provincial Centre for Disease Control reported there are about 4,000 dog bites recorded each year where the victims come for a rabies shot.

Despite the regulation being in place for four years, no fines for failure to muzzle dogs in public have been levied in the province.

Decree 90 issued in 2017 stipulated fines from VNĐ600,000 to VNĐ800,000 for not muzzling a dog in public.

Nguyễn Trọng Văn in Cư Êbur Commune, Buôn Ma Thuột City said: “Although the Government has imposed punishment against owners of dogs without muzzles, for a long time, no cases have been reported.”

“Therefore, in order to limit the risk of dog bites, I suggest that it should be strictly forbidden to let dogs out in public without leashes and muzzles,” said Văn.

“Every year, the local veterinary sector needs to have a plan to vaccinate dogs.”

After the two rabies deaths, the provincial Department of Health directed local medical centres to step up rabies prevention and control work.

Family dogs should be vaccinated and all districts, towns and cities will soon widely vaccinate, an official from the provincial Centre for Disease Control said.

Hanoi, St Petersburg look to bolster cooperation

Hanoi’s Department of External Affairs and the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg held an online meeting on March 31 to discuss ways to enhance their cooperation.

He also took the occasion to mention favourable conditions and preferential treatments that St Petersburg offers to foreign investors.

The Hanoi side suggested organizing a Hanoi Cultural Day in St Petersburg and a St Petersburg Cultural Day in Hanoi, and showed interest in boosting collaboration in tourism, infrastructure, health care, clean water supply, information technology smart city building and cyber security.

Hanoi also wants to learn from the Russian city’s experience in urban management, planning and development, and cultural heritage conservation.

The Russian city proposed organizing an IT form at the end of April, fostering partnerships between the two cities’ universities and medical establishments, and participating in the 4th Russia-Vietnam Youth forum to be held in St Petersburg.

11th International Photo Contest in Vietnam launched

Domestic and foreign photographers will compete at 11th International Photo Contest in Vietnam (VN-21) that was launched in Hanoi on March 31.

The event is conducted by the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), under the sponsorship of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), the Image Sans Frontiere (ISF) and Photographic Society of America (PSA).

It features the four sections of open colour, open monochrome, travel and portrait, the organisers said.

Each entrant may participate in any one or all sections, and can submit a maximum of four photos per section and a total 16 photos for all sections.

Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally.

There will be 97 awards, including one FIAP/PSA/ISF/VAPA gold medals, one FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA silver medals, one FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA bronze medals and three FIAP/PSA/ ISF/VAPA honourable mentions.

Entries should be sent to the organisers by the end of July 31, at www.contestvn.com.

A ceremony to award winners and open an exhibition showcasing the winning photos is slated for October./.

HCM City district doctors perform difficult surgeries thanks to training by elite public hospitals

Doctors at many district-level hospitals in HCM City have begun to perform complex surgeries thanks to training they are receiving from counterparts in top public hospitals.

Doctors from the trauma and orthopaedics department at Gia Định People’s Hospital and Gò Vấp District Hospital, for instance, successfully performed a hip replacement surgery on March 24 for a 53-year-old patient who had osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

After the one-hour surgery, the patient was expected to walk with a walker after just one day.

His mobility is likely to be nearly 90 per cent restored.

He had been suffering from hip pain for a year, and doctors at the Gò Vấp District Hospital prescribed the surgery.

In the past they would send such patients to higher-level hospitals since they could not perform such surgeries.

Dr Vũ Hoàng Hà, the hospital’s deputy head, said 30 patients requiring hip replacement used to come every month and be sent to larger hospitals.

Such patients would no longer be sent elsewhere, and this would help reduce the crowding at the apex hospitals, he said.

According to Dr Nguyễn Việt Trung, head of the department of trauma and orthopaedics at Gia Định People’s Hospital, said hip replacement is a difficult surgery that requires “professional” anaesthetists and well-trained and experienced surgeons.

“If the surgery is not performed well, there will be complications such as bleeding and infection which will affect the patient’s mobility and even life.”

Doctors from Gia Định will continue to go to the Gò Vấp District Hospital to perform hip replacement surgeries until it can do without them.

This is a part of the city Department of Health’s programme for improving the skills of doctors at many district-level hospitals that are categorised as second level. Gia Định and several other major public hospitals are categorised as level one.

Chợ Rẫy Hospital is a central-run facility that is categorised as ‘special.’

Bình Chánh District Hospital, District 7 Hospital and others are also assisted by Gia Định, People’s Hospital 115, Lê Văn Thịnh General Hospital, and Thủ Đức City Hospital.

This had improved the skills of the doctors in those hospitals, earning the trust of patients, the department said.

In July last year doctors at the District 7 Hospital admitted a nine-year-old patient who had been pierced by a sharp object and whose heart had stopped beating.

Doctors persisted with tracheal intubation and resuscitated him, and, along with their counterparts from Children’s Hospital 2, managed to save the boy.

Thanh Hoa records rapid rise in lumpy skin disease cases

As of March 28 more than 1,337 cows and buffaloes across 11 districts in Thanh Hoa province have contracted lumpy skin disease (LSD), according to the provincial Department of Livestock And Animal Health on March 30.

To slow the spread of LSD, the locality has been forced to destroy a total of 21 infected animals, whilst warning that infection risk is likely to be widely spread in the near future.

LSD is a double-stranded DNA virus that is a member of the capripoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family, although it is not transmissible to humans. It is therefore believed that arthropod vectors, direct contact, contaminated feed or water, along with iatrogenic means, such as the repeated use of needles on different animals, is likely to cause the spread of the disease.

Local farmers and traders have been asked not to sell, trade, or slaughter any cattle that shows any symptoms of the illness. Indeed, suspected cases should be swiftly reported to the authorities as the locality battles to get to grips with the rise in case numbers.

Ho Chi Minh City to host Miss Charm International 2021

The Miss Charm 2021 beauty pageant is scheduled to be held on October 11 in Ho Chi Minh City following several previous cancellations.

Beauty Quynh Nga will represent Vietnam at the competition.

The 26-year-old girl stands at a height of 1.67 metres tall and measures 77-61-94.

She has plenty of previous experience competing in numerous beauty pageants, most notably finishing as the runner-up in Miss Student 2017 and securing a Top 10 finish during Miss World Vietnam 2019.

Nga will join the pageant’s other beauties in competing in categories such as traditional costumes, swimsuits, question-and-answer sessions, and the evening gown segment.

Competitors will also take part in further competitions to show their various talents and charity work.

The pageant aims to honour the beauty of the soul, intelligence, talent, as well as the physical beauty of women worldwide. The event marks a chance for contestants to popularise their land, people, cuisine, and promote tourism among international friends through the range of activities which will take place throughout the duration of the competition.

International terminal at Noi Bai Airport set for expansion

The international terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport is set to be upgraded to meet passengers’ increasing travel demand in the coming years.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) is due to submit plans for the expansion project to the Ministry of Transport for approval in August, said a CAAV representative.

Under the proposal, Terminal T2 is able to accommodate 15 million passengers each year as opposed to 10 million at present.

The authorities are also keen on widening the airport apron by adding an additional 12 places to the current 24 places.

Terminal T2 was first put into operation in 2015 and has a designed capacity of 10 million passengers per year.

2019 witnessed the number of foreign arrivals to Terminal T2 exceed 11.4 million, meaning that the site was running over capacity.

The CAAV and ADPi Company of France signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Hanoi in 2019 detailing plans to expand Noi Bai Airport. Under the MoU, the airport, the biggest of its kind in northern Vietnam, will be upgraded to serve between 80 – 100 million domestic and international passengers by 2050.

Vietnamese silk embroideries stun international media

Foreign website Oddity Central has published an article which showcases a range of amazing hand-made silk embroidery items which are a long-standing tradition of Vietnam.

The website also gives their impressions on XQ Dalat which was founded by Hoang Le Xuan, a talented local artisan who inherited embroidery techniques from her family, along with her husband, painter Vo Van Quan. The couple devised the concept of embroidered paintings and came up with fresh techniques in order to make it a reality.

Most notably, the unprecedented level of realism and detail which is on display throughout the embroidered masterpieces of XQ Dalat have served to bring international success to the small family business. At present the Vietnamese company employs over 3,000 talented embroiders whilst catering for orders from clients globally.

Since its establishment in 1996, XQ Dalat has been dedicated to taking traditional Vietnamese silk embroidery to a higher level whilst simultaneously bringing it to new audiences, the website describes.

Whether customers are keen on traditional flower motifs, picturesque landscapes, or portraits which are highly detailed, XQ’s artisans are able to bring them to life by making use of silk thread, along with plenty of patience for the craft.

These days XQ faces lots of competition from other Vietnamese embroidery studios, although the majority are simply imitators, meaning that the business remains the premiere embroidery studio in the country. Indeed, it is not uncommon for artisans from all over the world to come to Vietnam in order to learn the various secrets and techniques which can create painting-like results with the use of thread and a needle.

The website concludes that the only way to truly appreciate the exquisite embroidery produced by the artisans of XQ Dalat is to view their stunning work.

Quang Tri to kick off sea-island tourism programme in April

As local tourism starts to get busier thanks to COVID-19 being largely brought under control and warmer temperatures arriving, the central province of Quang Tri is planning to begin its season of sea-island tourism with a festival starting on April 30.

Taking place at the Cua Viet tourism site and Gio Hai Beach, the six-day festival will feature myriad enticing activities, including an arts programme, a conference on tourism cooperation promotion, a display of local specialties, and a food fair.

Local tourist destinations welcomed higher numbers of visitors in the closing days of March, with motorboats beginning to ferry passengers to Con Co Island and the food street on Cua Viet Beach in Gio Linh district opening to visitors.

Authorities are now rushing to improve related infrastructure and environmental sanitation standards, as well as promote local tourist destinations.

Most recently, the provincial People’s Committee directed the development of transport infrastructure for tourism activities at Ba Voi Waterfall in Dak Rong district and Ta Puong Waterfall in Huong Hoa district. People must currently walk along forest trails and cross streams to reach the two destinations.

National Chess Championships crowns latest winners

Tran Tuan Minh and Pham Le Thao Nguyen emerged as the newest winners of the National Chess Championships after the tournament recently concluded in Ho Chi Minh City.

He was followed by Nguyen Duc Hoa of the Military team and Hoang Canh Huan of Da Nang team who both finished on 6.5 points each.

In terms of the women’s version of the competition, number one seed Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Can Tho city came first in the standard chess category, during which she obtained 7.5 points after playing nine games unbeaten.

The southern girl also won a gold medal competing in the rapid chess category.

Elsewhere, Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Ho Chi Minh City and Le Thanh Tu of Hanoi shared second place after both finishing with 6.5 points.

The fifth version of the tournament was sponsored by LienVietPostBank and featured three categories, including standard chess, blitz, and rapid chess.

Moving forward, the Vietnam Chess Federation will select the best players to participate in the national team via the tournament as they compete in international tournaments, including the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, set to take place in Vietnam later this year.

65 prizes to be presented at National Press Awards on Party Building 2021

A total of 65 prizes will be presented at the sixth National Press Awards on Party Building, called “Bua Liem Vang” (Golden Hammer & Sickle), as announced by the organisers.

According to the awards’ steering committee, one special prize, six A prizes, 12 B prizes, 16 C prizes, and 30 consolation prizes will be granted to most outstanding entries across all forms of media, including newspapers, radio, TV, and multimedia.

Open to Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad, the annual awards aim to popularise information and promote public understanding of the Party’s policies and Party building.

Awards will also be given to best entries on specific topics, including the implementation of the Party’s resolutions; the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure; and exemplary models in studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle; among others.

In addition, prizes for senior citizens, young participants, and overseas Vietnamese will be added together with 15 collective prizes for 15 outstanding organisations.

The entries for the awards must be submitted prior to November 10, 2021.

Over 10,000 train tickets discounted by 50% in two months

The Sai Gon Railway Passenger Transport Company has announced discounts of 50% on over 10,000 tickets applied in April and May this yearin a bid to stimulate travel demand.

Trains with discounted tickets must have departure time from April 5 to 28 and from May 4-26. Discounted tickets can be purchased between 8:00am on April 1 and the end of May 23 and should be bought at least three days before the departure date.

According to Sai Gon Railway Passenger Transport Company, soft seats and air-conditioned sleepers (6-berth) are subject to discounted tickets.

Passengers can buy discounted fares on trains coded SE3/SE4 and SE7/SE8 running on weekends with a distance from 500km, SE7/SE8 running at the beginning of the week, and SE21/SE22 with a distance from 400km.

Trains coded SNT1/SNT2 with a distance from 250km and SPT1/SPT2 with a distance from 150km are also offering discounted fares.

If passengers wish to change or return the discounted tickets they have bought, they will be charged 50% of the price printed on the ticket. People can buy tickets at the electronic train ticket system at dsvn.vn or at railway stations and railway agents.

Upcoming financial center in Danang to attract billions of dollars in investment

Johnathan Hanh Nguyen, founder of Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG), signed a memorandum of understanding to support Danang City with implementing a research project to develop a regional financial center in the central city, at a function held on March 29 on Danang City’s Liberation Day.

Previously, the Prime Minister had agreed in principle for the city to study the master plan to build a regional financial center in Danang City.

The city was assigned to cooperate with other relevant ministries and agencies to gather ideas as well as map out the agenda to undertake the project efficiently.

In his speech at the function, Nguyen said a thriving city cannot do without strong financial resources. He has worked with his partners around the world, including the United States, to carry out a survey, research and content outlines, paving the way to advise the Government of Vietnam to implement the financial hub in Vietnam, including an international financial center in HCMC and a regional financial center in Danang City.

At a press conference on the afternoon of March 29 on the master zoning plan of Danang City, he said, “Whether Danang will have a regional financial center depends on the financial policy openness of the Government.” He added that IPPG and its partners can support the city to develop a financial center in the future.

According to him, the regional financial center is not only about banks and financial institutions establishing their headquarters, but it is about being able to attract the giants of the world.

VND1.98 trillion proposed for flooding control at TSN airport

The HCMC Management Board of Urban Infrastructure Construction and Investment has proposed spending VND1.98 trillion sourced from the city’s budget to upgrade the Hy Vong Canal to reduce flooding at  Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The management board said in its dispatch recently sent to the HCMC Department of Construction that if the canal in Tan Binh District’s Ward 15 is not upgraded, the Tan Son Nhat airport area would continue to suffer from serious flooding, affecting flight safety.

Besides, the upgrade is expected to reduce environmental pollution and help improve the quality of life of residents living along the canal.

The 1.1-kilometer section of the canal in need of the upgrade will start at Pham Van Bach Street and end at the Tham Luong Canal.

The management board proposed developing the project in the 2021-2025 period. Of the total investment, site clearance compensation will cost over VND1.59 trillion. Over 21,209 square meters of land for the project, which will comprise nine sluice gates, two culverts and light systems, will be cleared.

In May 2016, the municipal government approved a project funded by an official development assistance loan from the World Bank to control flooding in the city, including a subproject to upgrade the Hy Vong Canal.

However, in June 2017, the HCMC government announced the end of the investment for flood control in the city sourced from loans from the World Bank, resulting in the proposal.

There are three canals responsible for rainwater drainage in the Tan Son Nhat airport area— the Hy Vong –Tham Luong Canal in Tan Binh District north of the airport, the A41 Canal in the south and the Nhat Ban Canal from the airport fence to Gia Dinh Park in the southeast.

Polluted space turned into community space in Hanoi

The Embassy of Denmark is supporting the For A Livable Hanoi Coalition to transform a polluted space into a nicely decorated multi-functional space for the local community in Hanoi City.

The community space in Phuc Tan Ward, Hoan Kiem District, a neighborhood near the Red River bank, opened last weekend, attracting many local residents.

The women, many of them migrant workers, and the children in this local community are particularly delighted with the new community space as they now have a clean area for outdoor activities for the first time.

This activity is part of the Danish-supported project, “Inclusive city: making Hanoi livable for the most marginalized groups of migrant workers”, carried out by the Center for Community Empowerment in collaboration with a number of organizations and individuals who have voluntarily contributed to making Hanoi a more livable city.

This is not the first time that a polluted area in Phuc Tan Ward has been transformed into a public space.

Last year, a 500-meter-long waste dumpsite stretching along the Red River bank in the ward was transformed into a beautiful art space. The garbage has been replaced by 16 creative and environmentally friendly artworks, which were made from recycled materials such as tires, cans and barrels.

App-based taxi drivers likely to pay personal income tax

Income that drivers receive from business cooperation contracts with app-based taxi services will be subject to personal income tax with the tax rate of 1.5 percent, according to a draft circular from the Ministry of Finance.

In particular, in case the drivers are rewarded for service quality that was previously subject to 10 percent tax, they are now paid only 1.5 percent.

Accordingly, the ministry has been collecting comments about the draft circular guiding the implementation of several articles of Tax Administration Law and Decree 126/2020/ND-CP detailing some articles of the Law on Tax Administration.

Tan Son Nhat airport to perform automatic management system for warehouses

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch will carry out automatic aviation management and monitoring system for warehouses including warehouse services of Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Company Limited (TCS) and Sai Gon Cargo Service Corporation (SCSC) from April 1.

Accordingly, leaders of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch will directly instruct and give their opinions about building policies on coordination and problem-solving process.

Besides, they will also work with representatives of Tan Son Nhat Cargo Services Company Limited and Sai Gon Cargo Service Corporation to adopt the plan of management and monitoring.

This information was announced by Mr. Bui Le Hung, Head of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch.

HCMC proposes policy to pilot electric bus project

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has just proposed the Prime Minister for consideration and approval of the policy to pilot electric bus exploitation in the city within two years.

Additionally, the Municipal People’s Committee would like to apply economic-technical norms and promulgation of unit cost, for buses using compressed natural gas (CNG) in Ho Chi Minh City, on electric buses providing public passenger transport services.

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is responsible for directing relevant agencies and units to order electric buses according to the above norms and costs.

Once the technical and economic norms are available and the official unit costs are granted, competent agencies will perform the bidding process or order.

The Prime Minister has assigned the Municipal People’s Committee to build a set of economic and technical norms and the unit cost for electric buses towards the approval and application according to regulation.

HCMC facing overloaded traffic gateways

In the last few years, HCMC has continuously pour capital into construction project to improve traffic facilities at its four main gateways. Road expansion, new overpasses and tunnels have been introduced in hope of easing the gridlocks; however, congestions still happen, particularly at weekends and on national holidays.

Each day, thousands of vehicles use the overpass on Nguyen Van Linh Street to either enter National Way No.1 or HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway heading to the Mekong Delta. Due to the small surface area, the street is not able to fulfill its duty, and traffic jams have become a familiar picture to the local here.

Sharing a similar fate is Truong Chinh Street and National Way No.22 to link between HCMC’s downtown and the Northwest urban area, the neighboring provinces of Tay Ninh, Long An, and Binh Duong. As this is the key route, the traffic volume each day is especially high.

Thanks to the recent introduction of 3-level An Suong Intersection (tunnel – regular street – overpass), traffic seem better. Yet the 200-meter core area still faces congestions.

Traffic jams at the eastern gateway have been liken to a specialty of the area, forcing HCMC to request expansion work for HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway. Major routes leading to Cat Lai Port like Hanoi Highway, Mai Chi Tho Street, Dong Van Cong Street, Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, and Ring Road No.2 are always full of vehicles.

The situation is so severe and tiresome that it takes a few hours for cargo trucks from Amata Industrial Park (in Bien Hoa City of Dong Nai Province) to reach HCMC, which is only 20kilometers away.

The case is not at all better for vehicles from HCMC to Binh Duong Province via National Way No.13, passing so many bottlenecks due to narrow roads.

According to the HCMC Department of Transport, traffic congestions at the city’s main gateways occur because the land reserve for traffic infrastructure is too low compared to the so fast-paced urbanization here.

Therefore, this department have initialized several traffic projects from now until 2030 at all 4 gateways. The city will prioritize any projects at traffic hot spots and on streets with high traffic volume to alleviate congestions, said Deputy Director of the HCMC Transport Department Phan Cong Bang.

In the western gateway, road expansion will take place in National Way No.1 while Nguyen Van Linh Street will be upgraded to accommodate more vehicles heading to HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway. Another focused project is the expansion of National Way No.50 from HCMC to the provinces of Long An and Tien Giang.

In the northwest gateway, the project to build HCMC – Moc Bai Expressway has been proposed to erase traffic jams from the city to Tay Ninh Province.

In the eastern gateway (Thu Duc City), detailed plans to build Cat Lai Bridge and a new connection road between Long Phuoc Street to HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway are prepared. Road expansion will be done on Hanoi Highway, Luong Dinh Cua Street, Dong Van Cong Street. New construction works will begin to prolong Ring Road No.2 (from Pham Van Dong Street to Go Dua Intersection), to create My Thuy Intersection, An Phu Intersection, Tang Long Bridge, Nam Ly Bridge.

Obviously, the building workload to improve traffic infrastructure in HCMC is extremely enormous. Most of these projects need doing urgently and synchronously.

However, owing to a serious lack of land reserve as well as finance resources, experts in the field suggest that the municipal authorities must first try to finish the land clearance and compensation task before commencing any real construction, minimizing overhead cost.

The HCMC Transport Department has just proposed to HCMC People’s Committee to assign the department to adjust investment policies for any projects that are carried out as the total investment and land compensation amounts have increased.

In the absence of the Prime Minister’s announcement on middle-term capital plan from 2021-2025, the department suggested allowing investors to research and then propose projects to run under the Public – Private Partnership (PPP model according to regulations.

Vietnam enhances safety measures in Covid-19 vaccination drive

Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long yesterday required the enhancement of safety measures in the Covid-19 vaccination drive by issuing the instruction No. 05.

According to the Minister’s direction, more people will receive the Covid-19 vaccine in the coming time. Therefore, Health Minister Long required departments of health in cities and provinces to review and update the list of priority groups to receive the vaccine under the Government’s Resolution No. 21/NQ-CP issued on February 26, 2021 on purchasing and using Covid-19 vaccine.

Additionally, the Health Minister called for the participation of local health centers and medical staff in the Covid-19 immunization drive.

The Ministry of Health’s sub-divisions, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Pasteur Institute and health centers nationwide were assigned to carry out the Covid-19 vaccination plan in the period of 2021-2022. These above-mentioned divisions, institutes and centers must ensure the quality of vaccine as well as carry out safe vaccination; provide timely treatment of post-vaccination allergic reactions and complications.

On the same day, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Professor Dang Duc Anh said that the first shipment including 811,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by Covax Facility will arrive in Vietnam in April. The vaccine will be preserved by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology before it is distributed.

According to the plan, the Covax Facility will supply 4,8 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam in 2021.

The National Steering Board for Covid-19 Prevention and Control said that Vietnam reported no new Covid-19 cases on the day. The number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam is still 2,594.

An additional 51 Covid-19 patients also recovered bringing a total number of recoveries to 2,359. An additional 1,276 people were vaccinated the day before yesterday. Therefore, 46,416 people have been inoculated.

Reading Culture Ambassador Contest launched to nurture reading culture

For years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been launching the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest, aiming to spread reading movement aims to bring books to people especially student as well as promote cultural values.

Reading Culture Ambassadors Contest has reached initial achievements when receiving advocacy from localities, departments, and students.

In 2021, the Ministry continued to launch the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest as it wishes to seek “reading ambassadors” , book lovers and to inspire the community. However, it is not simple to make reading movement to develop and sustain a reading culture in our society as well as become a good habit.

Sharing about this issue, the Editorial Director of Phu Nu Publishing House Khuc Thi Hoa Phuong said that presently, people take more heed of reading books but they don’t really go into the essence of the matter. Each person must consider reading book as having daily meals. reading habits should be inculcated in children at an early age. Parents and children can spend time every night reading a book at home and teachers also instruct them to read good ones at schools. It takes a long time to acquire the habit of reading, said the Editorial Director Hoa Phuong.

For years, the average number of books a Vietnamese reads a year is much lower than that in other countries in the world though many books have been published. The culprit of this is that many schools do not have reading sessions and reading is just an extracurricular activity. Worse, university students are lazy at reading books and research materials gradually losing interest in reading.

Additionally, parents don’t really pay much attention to encouraging their children’s to read book by purchasing books. Instead, they choose an easier way by letting their children use smartphones and tablets. Cultivation of book reading habit is not merely a slogan but it takes a lot of persistent efforts to improve awareness of families and the society.

In related news, the Library Department this month issued documents about administrative formalities of private library establishment to satisfy the community’s demand in a bid to promote reading culture. Currently, as some local authorities do not fully comprehend administrative formalities; as a result, they created barriers for the establishment and operation of private libraries and public libraries.

Encouraging measures are needed for the development of private libraries which will also positively contribute to promotion of reading culture.

Vietnamese film industry looking to make its own cinematic universe

Cinematic Universe, also known as Fictional shared Universe has been developed a long time ago in Hollywood whose name is synonymous with the American film industry. The term “Cinematic Universe” is currently forming as an oriented strategy in the country, presenting the professionalization of the Vietnamese movie industry.

Fictional shared Universe or shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, characters, or world of the overall project. Works set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. A fictional universe can be contained in a single work or in serialized fiction.

Beside long-standing cinematic universes, such as a series of American superhero films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, there is also the DC Cinematic Universe that is well-known for movies, including Batman v Superman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam, Joker, Wonder Woman 1984.

The list also includes the Conjuring film series, MonsterVerse – a series of monster films featuring Godzilla and King Kong of Warner Bros.

In Vietnam, the chick-flick series called Gai Gia Lam Chieu (The Tricky Ladies) by director Bao Nhan and Namcito is regarded as the first pioneer in creating the idea of a cinematic universe.

Gai Gia Lam Chieu (The Tricky Ladies) with the fifth edition titled Nhung Cuoc Doi Vuong Gia (Luxurious Lives) debut nationwide in the beginning of March focuses on the women’s empowerment.

Director Namcito believed that many cinematic universes will be created in coming time if the strategy for the development and production of shared-world anthologies is built methodically. A film series that share the same fictional universe must present the joint development of the storyline and characters.

The local movie producers have ability to build a strong brand identity for their businesses, establish the position in the market and win the hearts of the audience, he said.

The Vietnamese movie industry has started to capture the term of Fictional shared universe. It means that production units and directors have set their own development paths. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting will help movie lovers understand the storyline, characters, and world of the overall project as well as make audience to await for the next editions, said director Tran Huu Tan who is nursing a shared horror movie universe.

Meanwhile producer and actress Ngo Thanh Van released her ambition to create the magical universe of Vietnamese traditional tales.

None movies that have extended editions are called cinematic universe. The remarkable consistency and creativity of the storyline and characters throughout the entire project are most important factors to attract filmgoers, said director Namcito.

Director Ly Hai also agreed with Namcito’s opinion. He said that his action comedy movie series, Lat Mat (Face off) is not a cinematic universe because the its sequels featuring new contents and characters are not the continuation of the previous parts.

The shared fictional universe centers on requiring an enormous investment of time and energy to write a script to expand the storyline and characters in the continuations. Therefore, the first edition of the series must have its own specific elements to attract audience and make fans eagerly awaited the sequel, added director Tran Huu Tan.

Police detect nearly 10,000 drivers violating blood alcohol, drug content

Traffic police in coordination with local functional forces detected and handled around 9,648 drivers for blood alcohol and drug content violations during two recent weeks since a nationwide intensive campaign for handling drug and alcohol concentration violations has begun.

The Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security informed that around 9,534 drivers out of 9,648 violated alcohol levels exceeding the permitted level and 114 cases were positive for the drug. The violators were fined up to VND32 billion (US$1.4 million).

The police forces seized more than 9,000 vehicles and revoked more than 5,000 driver’s licenses for traffic violations.

During the upcoming holidays of the 46th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975-2021) and May Day (May 1), traffic police nationwide will mobilize their forces to strictly handle the traffic violations, especially overloaded vehicles, to ensure traffic order and safety.

Danang to pilot new model of urban administration

Danang’s master plan to 2030, with a vision to 2045 aims to build the central city into one of the major socio-economic centers in the country and in Southeast Asia.

A master plan was set to make the central city of Danang to become a global center of finance, tourism and supply chain network of Vietnam and the region.

The information was released by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung at a meeting celebrating the 46th anniversary of Danang’s Liberation Day on March 29, in which a set of legal documents has been issued to build up the central city’s urban administration, creating premises and drivers for the central city to mobilize resources at home and abroad for its development.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung believes that Danang will have a big growth spurt. Photo: Nhat Bac

He said Danang will play roles of a hub for start-ups, innovation, tourism, commerce, finance, logistics, high-tech, information technology, and supporting industries. “It will also become a national center of culture – sport, education – training, high-quality healthcare, science and technology able to host major regional and international events.”

The master plan projects the administrative boundary of Danang city with a total area of ​​about 129,000 ha, and a population of about 1.79 million people by 2030, and 2.56 million people by 2045.

“Especially, it contemplates Danang to become a regional financial center, being able to attract domestic and foreign capital flows and become a new important driving force to promote economic growth and attract investment to the whole central region of Vietnam,” said the deputy prime minister.

He requested Danang’s authorities to give priority to complete the city’s infrastructure, building it into a civilized and modern city, maintaining the leading role of the region and a new driving force for Vietnam’s development.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of Danang city People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh pledged that the city’s government would strive to make Danang a destination for investors.

Particularly, in the time ahead, the Danang city’s authorities will immediately undertake the upgrading project of Lien Chieu seaport, Chinh said, adding that the key work is expected to meet cargo transport and socio-economic development demand in the city and the central region as per requirement by the prime minister.

The seaport, with the total investment of VND3.43 trillion (US$149.13 million), would become a multimodal distribution hub serving as an international gateway in the central region, the chairman affirmed.

COVID-19: nine imported cases reported on March 31

Nine new cases of COVID-19, all Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad, were detected in the past 12 hours to 6pm March 31, according to the Health Minister.

Among the new cases, three entered the country via the Moc Bai international border gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh. They tested positive while in quarantine.

Three others were among passengers on a flight from the Philippines that landed in Can Tho airport, while the remaining three returned from Japan on a flight landing in Da Nang.

The national count now reaches 2,603, with 1,603 domestic infections.

The number of recovered patients is 2,359, while the death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 18 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 15 twice and 37 thrice.

A total 37,008 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 506 at hospitals, 19,093 in concentrated facilities and 17,409 at their accommodation./.

Can Tho University looks to be among top regional, global education establishments

Can Tho University (CTU) is expected to be among top universities in Asia and the world in some fields by 2025, and become a local pioneer in innovation, training, scientific research and technology transfer, according to Rector of the university Prof. Ha Thanh Toan.

Toan made the statement at a ceremony to mark the 55th anniversary of the university on March 31.

Toan noted that trends in higher education have been focusing on training quality, internationalisation in training, scientific research and technology transfer cooperation, community development, and digitalisation.

He highlighted the CTU’s connection with the socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta over the past 50 years and strength on international cooperation as one of the university’s advantages to realise this orientation.

Can Tho University, for many years, has been among in the group of five best universities in Vietnam under the Webometrics rankings, and the top 500 in Asia under the QS Asia University Rankings by the British education company Quacquarelli Symonds.

In particular, in 2020, for the first time in terms of agriculture, the university was ranked in the 251-300 group of the QS World University Rankings by Subject by the Quacquarelli Symonds. This is also the highest place in the field for Vietnamese universities.

Can Tho University has been cooperating with over 130 institutes, education institutions and organisations across the world. It has implemented a number of foreign-funded projects.

Founded on March 31, 1966, the CTU now is an education establishment with many areas of training and research in the Mekong Delta./.

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