Labour productivity

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s footwear sector is now beginning to see positive signs after export revenue for footwear and handbags fell 11 percent year-on-year to 19.5 billion USD in 2020, making it one of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19. Vietnamese companies have proved their capacity in research and development (R&D) and design, according to Chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) Nguyen Duc Thuan. Signs show that Vietnam is further penetrating into the leather-footwear supply chain, he said, as the design and R&D processes rake in high added value for products. The domestic supply of materials for the sector now represents 60 percent. Local businesses can take the initiative in producing soles and moulds, as well as packaging and labelling. This is attributable to their activeness in manufacturing materials locally, Thuan added. In particular, the Gia Dinh Footwear JSC has set up industrial clusters to attract investment in … [Read more...] about Footwear sector further penetrates global supply chain

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on January 27 that the country is in need of investments that could generate jobs and competitive products in the global market, and it will prioritise environmentally friendly projects to create enduring values. As Indonesia possesses abundant natural resources, and has opportunities to develop industries such as processing and production, the nation should have a good response to the green economy – an evitable trend in the future which helps reduce environmental risks, and improve the efficiency of the use of natural resources. According to the leader, green products and low-carbon emission economy will be the main resources for the country’s development. Currently, Indonesia is joining the global value chain for the development of a green economy. He noted that the COVID-19 has promoted the green and digital transitions of the global economy, holding developing green economy helps countries worldwide … [Read more...] about Indonesia prioritises environmentally friendly projects

HCM City (VNA) - Intel had poured an additional 475 million USD into Intel Products Vietnam (IPV), its single-largest assembly and test plant within the Intel Assembly and Test (ATM) network, IPV Chief Financial Officer Alan Danner said on January 27. He made the announcement during a meeting with businesses hosted by Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) in Ho Chi Minh City. This is a new investment following a sum of 1.04 billion USD invested to build a chip assembly and test manufacturing facility at SHTP in 2006, bringing the semiconductor company’s investment in Vietnam to 1.5 billion USD in total. The additional capital was channelled into IPV between June 2019 and December 2020 to bolster the production of Intel’s 5G products, Intel Core processors with Intel Hybrid Technology, and the 10th Gen Intel Core. IPV is an important part of Intel’s production chain across the world, Danner said, adding that the firm will further diversify and improve its activities in … [Read more...] about Intel channels additional 475 million USD into Vietnam

Singapore (VNA) – Singapore's manufacturing sector was the silver lining of 2020, with the sector posting growth for the full year, according to data released by the Economic Development Board (EDB) on January 26. The sector expanded 14.3 percent year on year last month. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 19.8 percent. Overall, manufacturing output increased 7.3 percent last year, compared with 2019. The chemicals cluster grew by 12.3 percent year on year last month, with all segments except petroleum recording output growth. But for the whole of last year, the chemicals cluster's output dipped by 1 percent compared with 2019. The precision engineering cluster picked up 11 percent in December, with the machinery and systems segment growing 12.6 percent on the back of higher output of semiconductor equipment and measuring devices. Precision engineering output increased 10.6 percent for the year. General manufacturing output also grew, by 5.9 percent, with … [Read more...] about Singapore: Manufacturing sector silver lining of 2020

Vietnam, which ranks seventh globally in tea production, has 257 producers and an output of 5,200 tons a day. It has 125,000 hectares under tea, but the area is declining. In the Central Highlands Lam Dong Province, one of the country’s biggest tea producing areas, the area shrank by 43 percent since 2016 to 11,500 hectares last year as farmers switched to more profitable crops. … [Read more...] about Traditional tea losing flavor for young Vietnamese