Thu, 61, is a housewife and completely dependent on her husband. He is 66 and works as a construction worker. They struggle to make ends meet and their healthcare expenses take up much of their income. Thu says: "My daughter has no problem giving us money, but her husband does not seem too pleased to support us. So I don’t feel happy taking it. Sometimes my son-in-law asks my daughter behind our back why we keep borrowing money from them." In order not to bother their daughter and her family, the old couple ask other people in their circle. But who can lend them money constantly? Growing up during the war, Thu used to be a farmer and then ran a small business. Neither she nor her husband has pensions, and their savings are not enough for retirement. "When I was in my 30s, I saved hundreds of millions of dong. But suddenly I became sick and my situation became serious. I spent most of my savings at that time. Now I have less than 20 million left. Our life is so unstable now." … [Read more...] about Seniors’ struggle to cope without pension or savings
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SHB to increase its charter capital
SHB targets to be among the three largest private commercial banks in Vietnam This confirms that SHB has completely fulfilled its commitment to shareholders and investors on improving financial capacity in accordance with the plan to increase charter capital in 2021 – as approved by the annual general shareholders' meeting (AGM) – and lays the groundwork for the implementation of the next capital increase plan. In addition, SHB also aims to further enhance its charter capital to $1.59 billion by the end of 2022 under a decision made at its AGM. The hike will likely place it among the three largest private joint stock banks by charter capital. The bank’s reputation among domestic and foreign investors and international credit rating agencies has been solidified and improved in large due to the firm's consistent efforts to strengthen its operations over the last several years. SHB continues to grow its operating size and business development, accelerate financial … [Read more...] about SHB to increase its charter capital
Pandemic pushed millions more into poverty in the Philippines: govt
MANILA -- About 2.3 million people in the Philippines were pushed into poverty between 2018 and 2021, largely due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the statistics agency said on Monday. The number of people living in poverty in 2021 rose to a total of almost 20 million or 18.1% of the population from 16.7% in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, overshooting the government's target of 15.5%-17.5%. Recently inaugurated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr aims to slash the poverty rate to 9% by the end of his single six-year term in 2028 - a target that remains achievable despite soaring inflation, according to Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. He said the government's strategy will focus on fully reopening the economy, investing in human capital and social protection, and transforming production sectors to generate more and quality jobs and competitive products. "We can reduce poverty incidence by 5 percentage points at midterm, and … [Read more...] about Pandemic pushed millions more into poverty in the Philippines: govt
AEON Vietnam honoured as best workplace in Asia for 4th consecutive year
Representatives of AEON Vietnam received the award "Best Workplace in Asia 2022" by HR Asia Magazine. — Photo courtesy of the company AEON Vietnam was honoured as "The Best Places to Work in Asia 2022" by the HR Asia Magazine for the fourth consecutive year for its comprehensive human resource training and development strategy and mental and physical health policies. HR Asia Magazine announced the list of "The Best Places to Work in Asia 2022" based on the overall and complete evaluation criteria of employee satisfaction through the T.E.A.M model, including three groups of indicators: corporate culture (Core), level of cohesion (Self) and team spirit (Group). The evaluation results of AEON Vietnam have consistently scored higher than the industry average in all three groups of survey criteria. Specifically, on the Core indicator, AEON Vietnam scored 4.15 points compared to the industry average of 3.73. In the groups Self and Group, AEON Vietnam achieved 4.28 and 4.48 points, … [Read more...] about AEON Vietnam honoured as best workplace in Asia for 4th consecutive year
Return of cash flow lifts investor sentiment
Customers at BIDV's trading office. The bank's shares climbed 4.59 per cent on Monday, leading the rally. —Photo courtesy of BIDV The market ended mixed on Monday, with benchmark indices gaining points on the return of cash flow improving general sentiment. The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) added 11.84 points, or 0.94 per cent, to 1,274.2 points. The index opened the new week on a positive note as risk asset demand was higher. The market’s breadth was positive with more stocks increasing, while liquidity also rose over the previous session. Accordingly, matching value on HoSE jumped 15 per cent to nearly VND14 trillion (US$596.8 million), equivalent to a matching volume of 586 million shares. The market benchmark rallied for the second straight session, boosted by the uptrend of large-cap stocks. The 30 biggest stocks tracker VN30-Index closed the trading day at 1,293.79 points, up 2.83 points, or 3.1 per cent. Twenty-two stocks of the VN30 basket inched … [Read more...] about Return of cash flow lifts investor sentiment
Hanoi’s students to begin new academic year on September 5
The school opening day is set at the appointed time after the Covid-19 pandemic has been controlled. The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has decided that the academic year of 2022-23 will start on September 5 as usual, according to a decision issued by Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Chu Xuan Dung. The decision will be applied to educational facilities from kindergarten to high schools, as well as centers for continuing education. Ceremonies to kick off the school year city-wide are scheduled for September 5, with the first and second semesters planned to be completed before January 16 and May 25, respectively. “The school opening day is set at the appointed time after the Covid-19 pandemic has been controlled. However, educational institutions will have to strictly implement measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 disease in accordance with the protocols as the pandemic threat remains,” Dung said. He noted that inaugural ceremonies held for … [Read more...] about Hanoi’s students to begin new academic year on September 5