Fim hai viet nam

Workers from Vietnam Electricity (EVN) instruct a business owner in Hà Nội’s Thanh Oai District on how to use power economically and efficiently. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The World Bank, acting on behalf of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), has signed a grant worth US$11.3 million with the State Bank of Việt Nam to support the development of a commercial financing market for industrial energy efficiency investments.

The total financing from the GCF also includes a $75 million guarantee.

Out of the grant, $8.3 million will be used to build capacities for the private sector to identify, appraise and execute energy efficiency projects.

It will also provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and authorities to strengthen policy frameworks and regulations and create an enabling environment to accelerate the energy efficiency market in Việt Nam.

The remaining grant funds and the guarantee will be used to establish a risk-sharing facility to provide partial credit guarantees to support local banks who may risk potential defaults on loans for energy efficiency projects.

By reducing lending risks, the facility is expected to mobilise about $250 million of commercial financing to be provided to industrial enterprises and energy service companies at competitive terms and with low collateral requirements.

Carolyn Turk, Country Director for the World Bank in Việt Nam, said: “Scaling up energy efficiency is the single best and lowest cost option to achieve multiple goals at once: meeting energy demand, preventing pollution and reducing greenhouses emission while also increasing industry competitiveness.”

“Against the context of limited public financing for energy, the risk-sharing facility is an innovative financial instrument to crowd in private sector investment financing for a greater uptake of industry-wide energy efficiency measures,” she added.

The grant and guarantee are executed under the ‘Việt Nam Scaling up Energy Efficiency Project’ which aims to support the country in achieving energy efficiency targets in the Green Growth Strategy as well as emission reduction objectives under the National Determined Contributions.

According to the World Bank, as a country whose level of energy intensity and emission intensity is among the highest in the region, Việt Nam is actively embarking on the green energy transition and decarbonisation pathway.

The World Bank’s Low Carbon Study estimates Việt Nam could save up to 11 GW of new generation capacity by 2030 if comprehensive demand-side energy efficiency investments are carried out. The energy efficiency investment need for key industries in Viet Nam has been estimated at around $3.6 billion. — VNS

Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Ireland and 11 member states of the UN Security Council, including Việt Nam, on Monday held a meeting entitled ‘Call to Lead by Example: Ensuring the Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation of Women in UN-led Peace Processes’ on the occasion of the International Women’s Day (March 8).

Addressing representatives of nearly 60 countries and UN agencies, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the UN’s efforts in pursuit of this common objective via the mainstreaming of gender equality in the UN system, noting that women currently account for 54 per cent of the senior leadership of special political missions.

She said the UN mission in Afghanistan has assisted a radio series about women’s participation in peace processes. The UN has also organised an online consultation in Yemen with the presence of more than 500 women and representatives of social organisations. Special envoys of the UN Secretary-General in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also used mechanisms to ensure women-related priorities are included in discussions.

However, DiCarlo added, to promote women’s engagement in peace processes, the UN should have adequate and sustainable financing sources and boost long-term partnerships to enable sustainable outcomes.

Countries present at the meeting agreed that the enhancement of women’s participation in peace processes holds great significance, stressing the importance of the elimination of barriers facing women in the areas of peace and security.

They also shared measures and experience in this regard such as raising awareness, building national action plans, and empowering and increasing development support for women in all stages of peace processes.

In his speech, Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, pointed out both achievements in and challenges to the augmentation of women’s participation in peace processes.

He emphasised the need for improvement of the common awareness of women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes at all levels. Women and girls’ rights, interests, and demand should be promoted to ensure women are equal partners in the earliest stages of peace and political processes.

Countries must guarantee women’s involvement in the building of policies, strategies, and initiatives on peace and security at the national, regional, and international levels, Quý said, noting that women should be equipped with knowledge and skills, politically empowered, and given access to fully and equally take part in the decision and policy-making processes.

To obtain tangible and long-term outcomes, the ambassador said that it is necessary to foster international co-operation, share resources and experience, and call on sponsors to realise the commitment of providing 15 per cent of official development assistance capital for gender equality promotion in conflict-hit nations.

He said Việt Nam always attaches importance to women’s role, underlining the country’s accomplishments in stepping up their role in peace and security issues, including peace processes. — VNS

An Phat High-Tech Industrial Park No. 1, a member of An Phat Holdings (APH), will be the developer of the industrial park.

The leader of Hai Duong Province grants the Prime Minister’s investment approval for An Phat High-Tech Industrial Park No. 1. Photo by APH.

An Phat High-Tech Industrial Park No. 1 will cover 180 hectares of Quoc Tuan, An Binh and An Lam communes, Nam Sach District, northern Hai Duong Province. The project aims to invest in construction and commercial exploitation of the industrial park and attract high-tech and environmentally friendly investors.

“An Phat 1 has many advantages to attract investment such as strategic location, human resources, and prospect to become a promising industrial park of both size and scale,” said an official from Hai Duong.

“I hope An Phat Holdings and Hai Duong Management Board of Industrial Zones will focus on site clearance, infrastructure development, together with attracting investment, building a high-tech industrial park, meeting the demand of high-technology industries, especially supporting industries.”

Pham Van Tuan, Acting Deputy CEO of APH and General Director of An Phat 1, introduces the industrial park. Photo by APH

Pham Van Tuan, Acting Deputy CEO and General Director of An Phat High-Tech Industrial Park No. 1 JSC, said: “We will strive to develop An Phat 1 into a leading high-tech, environmentally friendly industrial park in the North, a destination attracting domestic and international investment and contribute to economic and social development, promoting industrial development in Hai Duong Province.”

Since 2017, An Phat Holdings has expanded into the industrial real estate sector. An Phat Complex Industrial Park was listed among the top 10 most profitable industrial real estate companies in Vietnam in 2019 after just over a year in operation.

“Continuing the success of An Phat Complex Industrial Park, An Phat 1 Industrial Park is expected to bring great success to An Phat Holdings in this field,” the Group’s representative said.

The industrial real estate segment is expected to bring an average revenue of VND600-700 billion ($26 million) per year, and an average after tax profit of VND180 billion ($7.8 million) a year.

The project implementation schedule for An Phat 1 Industrial Park is required not to exceed 36 months from the date of land allocation. The operation duration of the project is 50 years starting Feb. 17, 2021.

A customer carries out a transaction at a branch of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) in Hà Nội. ACB lost 2 per cent on Monday. Photo courtesy of ACB

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese shares trimmed early gains on Monday with the VN-Index closing lower as banking stocks came under selling pressure towards the final minutes of trading.

The benchmark VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange edged down 0.04 per cent to close at 1,168.27 points.

It had risen 0.02 per cent last week.

More than 652.7 million shares were traded on the southern bourse, worth VNĐ15.6 trillion (US$673.9 million).

Market breadth was positive with 274 gaining stocks and 183 losers.

After the lunch break, the market fluctuated in a quite negative direction as many banking stocks dropped sharply and pushed the VN-Index down to the reference level.

Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) fell 2 per cent to VNĐ31,800 per share, VPBank (VPB) lost by 1.1 per cent to VNĐ41,350 per share, Vietcombank (VCB) declined by 1.5 per cent to VNĐ95,200 per share and Techcombank (TCB) dropped by 0.9 per cent to VNĐ38,850 per share.

On the opposite side, the oil and gas sector increased, becoming one of the best-performing sectors in Việt Nam on Monday, data on vietstock.vn showed.

Vietnamese oil and gas stocks grew well, including PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS), Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (PLX), PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PVD), PetroVietnam Power Corp (POW), and PetroVietnam Technical Services (PVS).

“The market was moving sideways around 1,168 points. Liquidity increased slightly from the previous session and market breadth was positive, showing that investment cash flow is spreading,” said BIDV Securities Co.

“Foreigners were net sellers on both HoSE and HNX. The VN-Index is likely to consolidate in the range of 1,160-1,200 points in the coming sessions,” said the company.

Foreign investors net sold VNĐ1.25 trillion on HOSE, including PVPower (POW) (VNĐ212.8 billion), Vinamilk (VNM) (VNĐ203.9 billion) and Hòa Phát Group (HPG) (VNĐ171.5 billion). Foreigners were net sellers on the HNX to the tune of VNĐ9.56 billion.

The large-cap tracker VN30-Index gained 0.33 per cent to stay at 1,170 points.

Seventeen of the 30 large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket decreased while 12 climbed.

In the VN-30 basket, Masan Group (MSN) was the biggest decliner with a 2 per cent drop, Vinhomes (VHM), Vietcombank (VCB), VPBank (VPB), Mobile World Group (MWG) and Khang Điền House (KDH) all lost more than 1 per cent.

In contrast, PVPower (POW) maintained its uptrend momentum of a more than 5 per cent increase, PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS) advanced 2 per cent, while Novaland (NVL) and The Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) both climbed 1 per cent.

On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index rallied 1.39 per cent to end Monday at 263.42 points.

More than 144.7 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth VNĐ2.1 trillion. — VNS

Residents in Block 112, Dư Hàng Worker’s Residential Area, Lê Chân District celebrate after the lockdown is lifted. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HẢI PHÒNG — Hải Phòng City has removed the 14-day lockdown for the last two locations of Hamlet 4 of Lôi Động Village, Thủy Nguyên District and Block 112 of Dư Hàng Worker’s Residential Area, Dư Hàng Ward, Lê Chân District from midnight on Tuesday.

Previously, a 26-year-old female nurse, who worked at the city’s Transport Hospital was found positive for SARS-CoV-2 after the city conducted tests for medical staff on February 21. The nurse lives in Hamlet 4 of Lôi Động Village.

Also the same day, the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre took samples of a male nurse, 28, who worked at the city’s Transport Hospital, which were positive for SARS-CoV-2. He lives in Block 112, Dư Hàng Ward, Lê Chân District.

Therefore, the areas, where the two patients live, were locked down for 14 days.

According to a report by the city’s health department, the two patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and have been under active treatment now.

A total of 2,557 samples of people, who directly contacted the two patients, already tested negative three times, the report said.

On Monday afternoon, the city administration also removed the lockdown of the city’s Transport Hospital, where the two patients worked.

Speaking at the announcement of the end of the lockdown, Trần Việt Tuấn, Lê Chân District’s Party Committee Secretary, said people in the area would return to normal life after the lockdown ended.

However, local people were told to seriously implement the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: Khẩu trang (face mask) – Khử khuẩn (disinfection) – Khoảng cách (distance) – Không tụ tập (no gathering) – Khai báo y tế (health declaration), he said. — VNS