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Logistics, considered a backbone of Vietnam’s economy, is among eight sectors prioritised by the national programme for digital transformation until 2025.

According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the sector has grown 14-16 percent annually over recent years. It now gathers together some 3,000 domestic firms and 30 others offering transnational services.  Of those, 89 percent are domestic businesses and 10 percent are joint ventures while the number of foreign-funded companies represents just 1 percent of the total.

The VLA said the cost of logistics in Vietnam as a proportion of GDP is 18 percent, compared to 9-14 percent in developed countries. The high cost is attributable to limited sea port infrastructure and weak cost reduction efforts. Together with fierce competition, the digital economic boom, and pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, these have made digitisation in the sector a must.

Vietnamese logistics companies offer between 2 and 17 services, mostly in transport, warehousing, and fast delivery. About half apply technology in their operations.

Nguyen Tuong, VLA Deputy General Secretary, said investment shortages from the very beginning, difficulties in choosing suitable technological applications, a sense of distrust in technology, and a fear of change are hindering the sector from pressing ahead with digital transformation.

Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said transformation in this core sector would trigger a similar process in other parts of the supply chain.

Experts have said that smart logistics involve master plans and strategies with the involvement of cloud computing technology, adding that it will be conducive to improving customer services, information flows, and automation.

To reduce logistics costs, Nguyen Hoang Long, Deputy General Director of the Viettel Post Joint Stock Corporation, said the engagement of both the Government and enterprises is needed. While the Government should offer planning and assistance for the building of national logistics centres, as well as preferential land and port taxes, enterprises need to invest in better management and boosting connectivity within the sector, he said.

Administration reform and capital support are also necessary for logistics firms undertaking digital transformation, insiders have said./.

US removes anti-dumping duty on Minh Phu frozen shrimp

The Minh Phu Seafood Joint Stock Company announced on February 17 that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cancelled a decision issued on October 13, 2020 on the imposition of anti-dumping tariffs on the company’s frozen shrimp products exported to the US.

Its CEO Le Van Quang said the latest CBP decision allows Minh Phu to continue exporting frozen shrimp to the US without being subject to an anti-dumping duty imposed on shrimp from India or any other anti-dumping duties.

Minh Phu has also been refunded anti-dumping duties it temporarily paid under the October 13 decision, Quang added.

The CBP had applied the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) to conclude that frozen shrimp products exported by Minh Phu to the US should be subject to duties in accordance with the anti-dumping order imposed on shrimp from India. It said the company did not provide sufficient evidence as requested by the CBP to prove that it was not using shrimp originating from India for export to the US.

Minh Phu decided to send an administrative complaint to the CBP’s senior agency, because the decision ignored key evidence that it had an effective traceability system and was not using raw shrimp from India for exports to the US.

In fact, Minh Phu clearly demonstrated its separation and traceability method approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the US Department of Commerce, based on its requirements for the Seafood Import Monitoring Programme.

Minh Phu successfully applied and effectively operated a high-tech shrimp farming model at its two farming areas of Minh Phu Kien Giang on 600 ha and Minh Phu Loc An on 300 ha. It has also been establishing a network of shrimp suppliers across the Mekong Delta and Vietnam’s south that use diverse models of sustainable shrimp farming./.

HCM City sees sharp fall in number of tourists

Ho Chi Minh City recorded 1,800 visitors booking hotel rooms during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday from February 9 to 17, the municipal Department of Tourism reported after summarising figures from 22 of the 124 local 3 to 5-star hotels.

Tourists numbers were down sharply compared to Tet last year, primarily due to the COVID-19 outbreak right before the holiday.

Recognising that many people had decided not to return to their homeland because of the pandemic, many travel companies offered various short tours to nearby safe destinations.

Department Director Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said it coordinated with accommodation providers to manage those coming from pandemic-hit regions while strictly implementing safety standards for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Providers were also asked to ensure guest safety by applying the Ministry of Health’s message featuring 5K (in Vietnamese) Khau trang (facemask)- (Khu khuan) disinfection- (Khoang cach) distance- (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration.

Analysts have forecast that fluctuations will be seen in the number of visitors to local accommodation providers this year, which are posting occupancy of less than 10 percent./.

Hapaco eyes investment in 4-trillion-VND wind power project

The Hapaco Group JSC is planning to invest 4 trillion VND (174.1 million USD) in a wind power project in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

The project is among those to be submitted for approval at the group’s annual shareholders’ meeting, which is slated for March 14.

The meeting will also discuss an investment in building a 23-ha care centre for the elderly in the northern city of Hai Phong’s Thuy Nguyen district as well as Hapaco’s new development orientations in social housing and guest worker services.

Hapaco (stock code HAP) was one of the first listed on Vietnam’s stock market. As of December 31 last year, its total asset exceeded more than 808 billion VND.

Last year, the group reeled in 335 billion VND in revenue, an annual decrease of 11 percent. Its after-tax profit, meanwhile, hit 34.3 billion VND, up 69 percent on-year./.

HCM City: Consumer prices see slight rise after Tet holiday

Consumer prices in Ho Chi Minh City showed slight fluctuations on February 16, or the fifth day of the new lunar year and the last day of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, with most traders in wet markets resuming business.

It is noteworthy that prices of fresh vegetables and fruit increased remarkably compared to before Tet, as consumers tend to buy more of those goods after feasting during the holiday.

Reports of the Thu Duc wholesale market said supplies of vegetable, fruits and flower are abundant at stable prices.

Besides wet markets, most supermarkets, convenience stores and shopping centres in the city are scheduled to re-open on February 17, ensuring supplies of goods when residents return to the city after the holiday.

In the context of unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city and the country, businesses in HCM City have stocked 57.5 million facemasks and 3.39 million bottles of hand sanitizer to meet epidemic prevention demands./.

Brand building – key to add value to business

Vietnam enterprises need greater efforts to build their brand names so as to better competitive edge amidst rapid integration, according to experts.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Trade Promotion Agency, although the number of businesses honoured with the Vietnam National Brand increased throughout years (from 30 in 2008 to 124 in 2020), it lagged behind expectations.

Deputy head of the agency Hoang Minh Chien said the Vietnam National Brand (Vietnam Value) Programme has raised awareness of many local firms and corporations of the important roles of brand name in improving value of their products and the businesses themselves.

It is difficult to develop Vietnam brand for specific products, he said, adding despite being the world’s leading agro-forestry-fisheries exporter, Vietnam lacks in branded products in its shipments.

Up to 80 percent of Vietnamese agricultural exports are yet to have brand name. Many exports in the nation’s “one-billion USD” club such as timber, rubber, pepper and cashew nuts have not their own brand names yet, according to agricultural specialist Hoang Trong Thuy.

Chairwoman of the Ngan Ha Science and Technoloy Company Limited Pham Thi Kim Loan said a good brand is developed from good-quality products as well as fine customer service and marketing strategies.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Advice Council to the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy Nguyen Quoc Thinh stressed that besides financial resources, businesses need dogged determination and in-depth knowledge of brand building.

Chien said the Ministry of Industry and Trade will accompany enterprises to develop and popularise their brand names, adding focus will be sharpened on raising public awareness of brand development, helping businesses to satisfy criteria of the Vietnam National Brand Programme, and introducing the brands to domestic consumers and international partners.

According to the Brand Finance, value of the Vietnam Nation Brand skyrocketed 175 percent from 141 billion USD in 2016 to 319 billion USD in 2020. The country also jumped 17 places from 2016 to 33rd in the list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands compiled by the UK consultancy./.

Ninh Binh strives to host 7 million visitors in 2021

Ninh Binh  has launched promotion activities on social networks, among other activities.It is also working with the provincial tourism association to mobilise travel agencies’ engagement in demand stimulus activities and increase service quality.

Ensuring related security and order, environmental sanitation, and COVID-19 prevention and control are also key tasks, noted the official.

According to statistics from the department, during the recent three-day New Year holiday, the province received more than 32,000 visitors. Most of them went to local renowned destinations like Trang An Landscape Complex – a world cultural and natural heritage site, Cuc Phuong national park, and Van Long submerged natural reserve.

In 2020 the province hosted 2.8 million tourists, equaling to just 37 percent of the 2019 figure. The reduction was largely due to the impact of the pandemic./.

Kien Giang promotes border trade infrastructure connectivity with Cambodia

The southern border province of Kien Giang has facilitated the implementation of a memorandum of understanding on border trade infrastructure development and connectivity between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Ha Tien city and Giang Thanh district have been asked to build a list of border trade infrastructure items, with priority given to connectivity with Cambodian localities, according to the Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chin.

Kien Giang has also supported trade promotion and the attraction of investments in border trade infrastructure construction.

Local competent agencies have taken measures to simplify administrative procedures in order to make it easier for traders and border residents in customs clearance.

The province has effectively implemented cooperation agreements with Cambodian localities and joined hands with the Cambodian side in national defence as well as external affairs in border areas./.

Kien Giang moves to promote marine economic growth

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has planned to further promote sustainable marine aquaculture in line with the “Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Marine Economy by 2030 with a Vision to 2045”.

Local leaders said the province will fully tap its potential and advantages to promote marine aquaculture in a modern manner in connection with tourism development, while ensuring the environment and national defence and security at seas and islands.

The plan aims to contribute to accelerating the restructuring of agriculture, promoting marine economic growth, and improving competitiveness and local incomes.

It aims to have 7,500 farming cages by 2025, including 4,700 traditional fish cages, 1,900 hi-tech fish cages, and 900 cages for breeding other seafood.

The water surface areas for cage farming and mollusc farming are expected to reach 7,000 ha and 24,000 ha, respectively.

The farming yield is to reach 113,530 tonnes and be worth 7.54 trillion VND (327.6 million USD), including 29,870 tonnes from cage farming and 83,660 tonnes from mollusc cultivation. The sector is forecast to employ 18,510 workers.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, farming areas in Phu Quoc city, Kien Hai island district, the island commune of Tien Hai in Ha Tien city, and Son Hai and Hon Nghe in Kien Luong district will focus on farming groupers, cobias, yellow-fin pompanos, and seabass, as well as blue lobster, mantis shrimp, crab, and oysters for pearl farming.

Meanwhile, coastal areas in Ha Tien city and the districts of Kien Luong, Hon Dat, An Minh, and An Bien will develop zones for farming molluscs such as blood cockles, saltwater mussels, green mussels, and oysters.

Local authorities must also fully tap the potential and effectively use the sea for farming, towards promoting agricultural economic restructuring, increasing productivity and output, and ensuring food hygiene and safety.

The locality has worked hard to create more jobs and improve incomes in coastal communities and those on islands, cut inshore fishing activities, preserve the environment, and minimise activities that deplete natural aquatic resources.

It aims to develop marine farming at an industrial-scale using modern technologies that can produce a large volume of products for both export and domestic demand.

The province also attaches special importance to promoting links and cooperation in producing raw materials, processing and consuming aquatic products, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and protecting the environment, contributing to protecting and regenerating aquatic resources and preserving biodiversity.

It has synchronously implemented solutions on land and water surface areas for marine farming, and mechanisms and policies to boost production and attract investors to high-tech aquaculture.

The locality has also paid heed to applying credit and incentive policies to support aquaculture development and high-tech agriculture, as well as to improving the quality of human resources in the sector./.

Lao Cai aims to welcome 5 mln visitors this year

The northern province of Lao Cai, home to the popular holiday town of Sa Pa, has set a target of welcoming 5 million visitors this year and earning more than 696 million USD in tourism revenue.

The province will exert efforts to attract more domestic holidaymakers.

Sa Pa has long been among the country’s leading destinations. Of note, young people accounted for more than 70 percent of tourist arrivals to the town in 2020.

Lao Cai also aims to devise 130 new tourism products to meet demand from tourists and encourage them to return in the future.

Lao Cai’s tourism sector bore the brunt of the ill-effects of the pandemic and welcomed just 2.2 million visitors last year, down by more than half against 2019./.

Opportunities forecast for Vietnam’s economy in 2021: experts

Apart from challenges, many opportunities will be offered to the Vietnamese economy in 2021, experts have said.

Such agreements as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to which Vietnam is a signatory will open up wide doors for the country to further integrate into the world.

Economist Nguyen Minh Phong forecast that Vietnam’s agriculture, industry, export-import, and the domestic financial, stock and real estate markets will grow further in the year.

Notably, with the current growth rate of the local processing sector, Vietnam would join the group of newly-emerging industrialised countries in the coming years.

Pham Dinh Thuy from the General Statistics Office said that the GDP growth target of 6.5 percent set by the Government is feasible in the normal situation. However, this would be a challenge for the country as 2021 is the first year of implementing the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan.

The official pinned hope on the development of such sectors as food, garment-textile, wood processing, metal production, construction and electricity production.

To achieve the set economic targets, it is a must to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, suggesting stepping up economic restructuring, churning out typical products, streamlining administrative procedures, improving the domestic investment environment, and improving the country’s competitiveness.

Thuy also highlighted the significance of trade promotion and foreign investment attraction, which, he said, needs specific plans.

Pham Viet Hoai, Chairman of Kym Viet JSC, said the application of digital technology would bring about positive results to any firm.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong, after the PM adopted the national digital transformation programme, many sectors have reaped significant outcomes, benefiting people and the entire economy.

Digital transformation is vital as it helps enterprises improve their business governance and adapt to the latest changes in technology, market and consumer taste, he said./.

Exports from six ASEAN countries drop only 2.2 pct despite pandemic: JETRO

Exports from six Southeast Asian countries fell 2.2 percent in 2020 from a year earlier to a combined 1.35 trillion USD, a relatively marginal decline despite COVID-19, according to data from the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

Of the six, only Vietnam posted an increase in exports for the year, up 7 percent to 282.66 billion USD, with a 5.2 percent drop to Japan more than offset by a 25.7 percent rise to the US and an 18 percent expansion to China.

Meanwhile, the Philippines logged a 10.1 percent fall in exports last year, followed by a contraction of 6 percent in Thailand, 4.1 percent in Singapore and 2.6 percent each in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The combined trade surplus of the six ASEAN members more than triple to 133.66 billion USD, as easing energy prices and shrinking domestic demand led to steeper declines in imports than exports.

Thailand’s trade surplus surged 144.5 percent, compared with an increase of 83.5 percent for Vietnam, 43.9 percent for Singapore and 25.6 percent for Malaysia.

The Philippines narrowed its trade deficit by 46.3 percent to 21.84 billion USD. Indonesia chalked up a trade surplus of 21.74 billion USD, a turnaround from a deficit of 3.6 billion USD in 2019.

Singapore accounted for 27.4 percent of the six countries’ total trade by value in 2020, followed by Vietnam at 21.3 percent, Thailand at 17.1 percent, Malaysia at 16.5 percent, Indonesia at 11.9 percent and the Philippines at 5.8 percent./.

Central Da Nang city to build duty-free zone

Da Nang’s authorities are building a detailed plan for the city’s first international duty-free zone and smart urban area for investors, with construction set to commence soon as the Import-Export Pan Pacific Group (IPPG) has asked the city to allocate land for the project.

Director of the city’s Investment Promotion Agency Huynh Thi Lien Phuong told Vietnam News that the project had been finalising the city’s first international standard downtown duty-free zone and factory outlet centre.

Lien said the city would offer the best conditions for the investor to start the project.

She said the city also planned a downtown free-duty shop at the coastal crown plaza in Ngu Hanh Son District to seek investment.

In 2019, IPPG proposed the project with an investment of 434 million USD, but an appropriate land area was yet to be offered.

In 2018, chairman of the group, Jonathan Hanh Nguyen, urged the city to build a third terminal to ease congestion and design an international standard duty-free zone and recreational area to funnel tourism towards Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang.

He said Da Nang would be a new location for a luxury shopping centre for future development and investment attraction.

Da Nang has been designing the 1,100ha Hi-Tech Park as Vietnam’s ‘Silicon Valley’ to earn revenue of 1.5 billion USD each year with 25,000 jobs and a satellite city of 100,000 people after 2023.

The US-based aviation firm Universal Alloy Corporation (UAC) put the Sunshine Aerospace Components Factory into operation in the first phase in 2020.

The Republic of Korea’s LG Electronics also debuted its research and development (R&D) centre – the second in Vietnam – at the Da Nang Information Technology Park Tower

CMC Corporation, the second-largest information and communications technology (ICT) group in Vietnam, plans to build the Da Nang-based CMC creative space – a digital hub in the Asia-Pacific region – with an estimated investment of 522 million USD.

To date, Da Nang has 876 foreign direct investment projects worth a total of 3.52 billion USD./.

More trade remedy probes predicted for Vietnamese enterprises this year

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is set to bolster action while Vietnamese enterprises have been recommended to gear up preparations as more trade remedy investigations are expected in 2021.

Vietnam’s participation in 14 free trade agreements (FTAs) has helped fuel its trading activities.

MoIT data shows that export turnover boomed from 15 billion USD in 2001 to nearly 100 billion USD in 2011 and then 281.5 billion USD in 2020. The figure is expected to rise 4-5 percent this year.

Sharing the same upward trend in exports, however, is the number of trade remedy cases instigated against Vietnamese goods.

Vietnamese exports, including major foreign currency earners like shrimp, tra fish, steel, and wooden products, have been subject to nearly 200 trade remedy cases so far.

The country has successfully dealt with about 43 percent of cases, thus ensuring the continued export of basa fish and shrimp to major markets like the US and the EU at zero percent or very low tariffs.

It has also launched 19 trade remedy probes itself into imported goods, including steel, chemicals, plastics, fertiliser, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and sugar.

Chu Thang Trung, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam (TRAV), said trade remedies are appropriate policy tools that the WTO recognises and permits its members to use in international trade.

WTO figures show that more than 4,500 trade remedies have been applied by members since the organisation was established in 1995. Such measures are clearly not an abnormal phenomenon, Trung said.

Vietnam’s membership of many FTAs has sped up the removal of tariff barriers on its exports, giving its goods a greater degree of competitiveness in import markets. It has also put more pressure on producers in importing countries, forcing them to use legal trade policy tools to protect their interests, including trade remedies, the official added.

TRAV Director Le Trieu Dung said trade remedies are increasingly common and are legal measures permitted by the WTO to ensure fair competition between domestically-made goods and imported equivalents.

He pointed out that due to some countries’ trade protection policies and lingering difficulties in the global economy in 2021, the number of trade remedy investigations targeting both Vietnamese exports and imports into the country is predicted to remain high for the foreseeable future.

This will expose domestic manufacturers to new challenges, especially as key FTAs like the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will present fierce competition.

Therefore, he added, TRAV has recommended businesses equip themselves with knowledge on trade remedy regulations, particularly those of Vietnam and its export markets, while gearing up resources to cope with any trade remedies.

Pointing out certain shortcomings, experts have said the capacity of local businesses in regard to trade remedies remains modest, while there are ongoing problems in legal regulations and coordination among related agencies.

MoIT has developed a plan on improving the capacity of Vietnamese enterprises to handle trade defence measures now the country is party to many new-generation FTAs.

Experts also held, however, that enterprises themselves need to change their thinking and turn competitive pressure into momentum for reform, development, and product improvement.

Nguyen Thao Hien, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s European – American Market Department, said that to help reduce trade remedy cases, businesses should promote the manufacturing of goods for which domestic material supplies are at hand, as well as those with high added value and rich growth potential amid the pandemic, such as agricultural products, food, and medical equipment.

They must ensure strict quality control and update processing technology so as to raise the value of their products, she added.

Trade remedy investigations can be initiated by one or just a few foreign companies but they pose risks for entire sectors, analysts said, suggesting that Vietnamese firms stay updated with information and actively work with their business associations and State agencies on an effective response.

TRAV Director Dung said that this year, apart from plans on enhancing trade remedy-related capacity and coordination, the authority will also implement plans on building and operating an early warning system for trade remedies and overhaul rules of origin./.

Tens of wind power projects to be operational in Quang Tri

As many as 22 wind power projects with a combined capacity of 907 MW are set to be put into operation in the central province of Quang Tri by year end.

To meet the deadline, the locality has urged project investors to speed up the construction, while pushing ahead with the maintenance of National Highway 9 and other routes to facilitate project equipment transportation.

The local Department of Industry and Trade has also suggested the provincial People’s Committee instruct relevant agencies and units to swiftly remove bottlenecks to site clearance.

As of January, the Ministry of Industry and Trade had approved 31 wind power projects in Quang Tri to date, with an accumulative capacity of 1,177 MW, of which seven are under construction.

Earlier, Huong Linh 1 and 2 wind power projects in the province came into service, significantly contributing to local budget collection.

Apart from projects that had received the green light of the ministry, Quang Tri has tens of others that are under study with a total capacity exceeding 3,600 MW.

The locality has adopted various solutions to support businesses operating in energy in general and wind power in particular such as providing them with consultations in tax, insurance, contract, land and environment, and building the e-government.

Estimations by the ministry showed Vietnam would face a shortage of 6.6 billion kWh in 2021, 11.8 billion kWh in 2022 and 13 billion kWh in 2023. It would require a total investment of 130 billion USD in new power projects by 2030 to make up for the shortages, equivalent to 12 billion USD annually.

The country’s power demand was forecast to increase by 8.5 percent per year over the next five years and seven percent between 2026 and 2030.

Research showed Vietnam had the potential to develop around 8,000MW hydroelectricity from small plants, 20,000MW of wind power and 3,000MW of biomass power and 35,000MW of solar power by 2030./.

UKVFTA hoped to promote Vietnam’s exports

The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which became effective on January 1, is expected to create a strong motivation pushing Vietnam forwards on the path of economic development and international integration.

According to Kenneth Atkinson, head of the British Business Group in Vietnam (Britcham), the deal will help strengthen trade and support employment, while promoting growth in both countries.

The erasing of 65 percent of the total tariff immediately after the deal takes effects and 99 percent of the tariff in 6-7 years will bring about practical benefits to British exporters of machineries, chemicals, and brandy, he held.

Along with the reduction of legal barriers as well as burden in administrative procedures in the two markets, the official said, highlighting that the UKVFTA will help observe the regulations and commitments that the two Governments and business communities have agreed on.

The deal will also ensure the increase in the trade by more than 3,000 UK businesses engaged in export activities to Vietnam, while meeting the demand for Vietnamese goods of UK customers, he said.

Atkinson asserted that the area of solar and wind power will receive priorities from the business communities and governments of both sides.

Experts held that Vietnamese products account for only 1 percent of the 700 billion USD import revenue of the UK, so Vietnam has high potential to provide more products to the promising market, including telephones, accessories, garment and textile products, footwear, seafood, wood and furniture, computers, cashew, and peppercorn.

The UK is currently the third largest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe.

Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that the UKVFTA not only facilitates the trade of goods and services but also helps promote partnership in many other areas, including green growth and sustainable development.

As the UK has officially left the EU, which means the preferential policies that Vietnam enjoys thanks to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will not be applied in the UK anymore, the UKVFTA has eased concern of the business community about the interruption of trade with the European country, he added./.

Vietnam targets modernity-oriented agriculture: Minister

Vietnam will continue with the building of a modernity-oriented agriculture sector with complete value chains in 2021, according to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong.

Cuong told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s reporter that such production chains will be developed on the basis of three groups of major products – the club with export revenue of at least 1 billion USD, agricultural products that are of localities’ strength like longan in northern Hung Yen province and lychee in northern Bac Giang province, and “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) goods.

Vietnam has paid attention to product quality during its international economic integration, Cuong said, stressing the significance of organic agriculture.

The sector will also take various solutions to call for the involvement of businesses, while promoting the linkages between them and farmers and cooperatives.

To attract more enterprises, the sector will further provide consultations for the Prime Minister in order to complete mechanisms and policies, as well as administrative reforms, he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will also closely coordinate with localities to facilitate investment, the minister said, adding that greater efforts will be made to step up the formation of new-style cooperatives.

Cuong said the application of digital technology should be intensified in spheres, and the MARD will join hands with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Information and Communications in this regard.

In another interview with the Dien dan Doanh nghiep (Business Forum) newspaper, Cuong said that 2020 was a year full of challenges and difficulties for Vietnam’s economy, including the agriculture sector, due to the COVID-19 crisis. The sector also had to face natural disasters, including unprecedented drought.

The growth and trade targets for the sector last year were also the highest ever, with exports set at over 41 billion USD.

However, Cuong noted, thanks to the efforts of the entire political system, ministries, sectors, localities, and economic elements, the agricultural sector managed to secure growth of about 2.65 percent and post export earnings of 41.25 billion USD, with nine groups of commodities enjoying shipments of over 10 billion USD.

The agriculture sector’s export target of 44 billion USD this year, set by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, is a high but feasible goal. Vietnam earned about 3.49 billion USD from exports of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products in January, up 27.1 percent year-on-year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shows.

Under a plan recently approved by the PM, Vietnam expects the annual figure to reach some 60-62 billion USD by 2030./.

Thanh Hoa looks to develop tourism into spearhead economic sector

The north-central province of Thanh Hoa has set a target of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector by 2030.

Amid the difficulties posed by COVID-19, the province welcomed 7.3 million visitors in 2020, earning 10.394 trillion VND (over 453.6 million USD), representing 65.5 percent and 50.7 percent of targets, respectively.

Thanh Hoa’s tourism sector has posted impressive growth in recent years.

But Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Thi said that its development is still not commensurate with potential.

Thanh Hoa lacks high-quality products to attract and meet the demand of international tourists, while its promotional activities remain ineffective and tourism human resources fail to meet requirements in the context of integration, he said.

According to Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, Thanh Hoa needs to introduce changes to take its tourism industry forward.

It should propose that the Government allow it offer incentives for tourism investment, she said.

Attention should be paid to accelerating the implementation of priority strategies for tourism development and administrative reform, and supporting businesses towards attracting strategic investors in developing infrastructure facilities serving tourism development, especially transport infrastructure.

Thanh Hoa should also focus on enhancing its cooperation with other localities to create new tours, develop high-quality and competitive products, and promote digital transformation and the application of information technologies in tourism activities./.

Kien Giang eyes 60-100 million USD in FDI over next five years

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has set its sights on pulling in 60-100 million USD worth of FDI over the next five years, according to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chin.

It will focus its efforts on fulfilling plans on medium-term public investment and socio-economic development in 2021-2025, striving to attract 40 to 50 FDI projects with registered investment of 60-100 million USD in total, Chin said.

It aims for local social investment to reach 48 trillion VND (2.07 billion USD) this year.

The province has been accelerating communications campaigns on its strengths, potential, and investment incentives to attract both domestic and foreign investors.

Priority is being given to numerous areas, including road infrastructure; river ports; sea ports; electricity; water supply; solid waste treatment; renewable energy; infrastructure development in industrial parks and clusters; fishing, aquaculture and fish processing; intensive farming and industrial agriculture; supporting industries; tourism; services; education; and high-quality healthcare.

It also wants to attract large-scale projects with advanced technologies in high-tech agriculture and food processing.

Cooperation with ministries and government agencies will be stepped up to take part in investment promotion events in major partners such as the Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the US, as well as those who are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The province will also increase dialogue with local businesses and investors to help them tackle any difficulties and create an open and fair business climate.

Kien Giang is calling for investment in 144 projects in priority fields. It has to date granted in-principle approval and investment licenses to 49 projects with total investment of 22.66 trillion VND.

The Mekong Delta province welcomed 206 projects during the 2016-20 period, including 22 foreign projects with nearly 133 trillion VND in total capital./.

Outlook positive for Vietnam’s retail market

Despite a raft of difficulties facing Vietnam’s retail market, economists and insiders are still optimistic about the outlook for the sector in the time ahead, according to the Vietnam Report JSC.

In a recent survey, Vietnam Report found that nearly 42 percent of Vietnamese retail companies have been seriously impacted by COVID-19, while half said the impact has not been too serious and 8 percent experienced only minor effects.

Many people have had to cut their spending after becoming jobless or having their wages reduced due to the pandemic. Retail companies, meanwhile, have had to face a shortage of capital and disrupted supply chains.

However, Vu Dang Vinh, General Director of Vietnam Report, said economists and insiders remain optimistic about the sector’s outlook.

In following COVID-19 prevention and control regulations, many consumers have opted for online shopping, convenience stores, shopping centres, and supermarkets, rather than traditional markets.

Vinh pointed to the increased popularity of multi-channel marketing, both online and in-person, while adding that thanks to quick changes, many retail businesses, including giants like Lotte Mart, have posted online sales growth of 100 to 200 percent, especially in Hanoi and HCM City.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are also expected to boom in Vietnam’s retail market in the time ahead, he said, explaining that more than 60 percent of local retailers are of small and medium-size and have significant demand for capital, so are ready to enter into partnerships.

Analysts also said the mini-supermarket model has proven superior amid the pandemic, as it can limit large gatherings.

Retailers have therefore poured more investment into this model while introducing more changes to better meet customer demand./.

Tra Vinh-based business promotes coconut product export

An enterprise based in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has been stepping up the export of coconut shell activated carbon and other coconut products as a way to benefit the company itself and local farmers.

Between January 1 and February 10, the Tra Bac Joint Stock Corporation (TRABACO) shipped more than 900 tonnes of coconut shell activated carbon to various markets, including the US, the UK, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Peru, Ecuador, Israel, and China.

General Director of the firm Huynh Khac Nhu said his company has inked a number of contracts with both new and existing partners since the year’s beginning, with 2,000 tonnes of coconut shell activated carbon to be delivered between now and June 2021.

TRABACO’s activated carbon, used for air purification, gold refining, electroplating, and odor control in different industries, meets environmental and health safety standards, thus winning over trust from many domestic and foreign businesses and consumers, he noted.

The product has been exported to more than 30 countries and territories in around the world.

Apart from coconut shell activated carbon, the company also produces and exports others made from coconut like coir carpets, dried coconut shreds, and frozen coconut milk.

To improve product quality and ensure stable material supply, it has contracted farmers to develop a 300ha organic coconut farming zone in Tieu Can district and partnered with a local agricultural cooperative in coconut purchase.

Nhu added these are initial steps in the firm’s plan to form a zone of clean material supply, which will help promote TRABACO’s product quality as well as income for farmers in Tra Vinh province./.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR

Agricultural production has been affected by abnormal weather conditions, climate change, and diseases over recent years. Many farms in southern Dong Nai province have applied high-technology in agricultural production in order to cope with the situation, helping increase quality and output.

High-tech production requires massive investment, not just capital but also technology, equipment, and “grey matter”, to adapt to cutting-edge manufacturing methods.

High-tech manufacturing models have been expanded around Dong Nai, especially in animal husbandry and on poultry farms.

Dong Nai has more than 46,000 hectares of crops using water-saving technology and the province has gradually changed to green breeding in accordance with Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practice (VietGAP) standards.

Agriculture accounts for 8.3 percent of Dong Nai’s economic structure and agro-forestry-fisheries value currently stands at nearly 1.8 billion USD. The results reflect the province’s large-scale manufacturing development investment and high-tech application to adapt to unfavourable conditions and meet market demand.

Vietnam’s growth outlook to depend on authorities’ response to new outbreak: WB

Vietnam’s growth prospects will depend on how well and how quickly the authorities will bring the new coronavirus outbreak under control and how quickly international and national vaccinations will proceed, according to the World Bank (WB).

In its Vietnam Macro Monitoring report issued earlier this month, the WB said January’s industrial production index jumped by 24.5 percent year on year, the highest growth rate since the beginning of 2019. Merchandise exports and imports respectively grew 51.8 percent and 41.8 percent from the same period last year.

The preliminary January goods trade surplus is estimated at 1.1 billion USD. Exports to the US and China continued the robust growth of 2020 while those to the EU, ASEAN, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) bounced back strongly. Similarly, imports from the RoK, ASEAN and the US joined those from China, Japan and the EU to stay in expansionary territory.

In the first month of 2021, the Government spent a total of 99.6 trillion VND, which is slightly, 1 percent, higher than a year ago. Public investment reached 15 trillion VND, making the disbursement rate of 3.25 percent.

However, the WB added, while Vietnam’s economy has been extremely resilient to the COVID-19 crisis, preliminary results from the COVID-19 World Bank high frequency household survey of January show that almost half of households still reported lower household income than the year before. About 9 percent of households took loans and 15 percent reduced their consumption.

If persistent, this prudent behaviour will negatively affect aggregate domestic demand in the future, according to the bank.

It held that growth prospects for 2021 will be affected by how well and how quickly the authorities will bring the new outbreak under control and how quickly international and national vaccinations will proceed.

If the crisis lingers, the authorities may consider further monetary and fiscal support. Yet, special attention will have to be given to the fiscal space, the health of the financial sector and possible social effects as lasting loss of income among some households may create new inequalities and tensions, the report noted.

Jacques Morisset, WB Lead Economist for Vietnam, said the WB expects with many positive signs like the considerable progress in vaccine development and gradually resumed trading activities, the country can obtain growth of 6 percent in 2021./.

Binh Duong sees high trade growth

The southern province of Binh Duong achieved impressive growth in exports in January.

They grew 61.7 percent year-on-year to 2.98 billion USD.

Many of its main export items such as computers, electronics and components (75 percent) and wooden products (89 percent) saw high growth.

The textile-garment and footwear sectors, which struggled last year due to COVID-19, picked up pace as businesses began receiving more orders.

Exports to the US, which accounted for 65.2 percent of the province’s total exports in January, grew by 68.9 percent.

Exports to other markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also saw growth.

Notably, Hai Duong province achieved 37 percent growth despite being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Hotel occupancy rates in HCM City at less than 10 per cent

More independent trips, “free & easy” tours and guided small group tours will be high on travellers’ agendas for 2021, the HCM City Department of Tourism has said.

Staycations and luxury leisure vacations have been popular this year, the department said in a report. Short-distance itineraries to the southeastern region and Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, following health and safety protocols, have been favoured by travellers.

Independent trips, including self-drive itineraries located near the city such as Vũng Tàu, Đà Lạt and Phan Thiết, saw a rise in visitors during the Tết holiday.

Lại Minh Duy, general director of TST Tourist, said domestic tours could be customised for each group or family, with socially-distanced and mask-wearing guidelines.

Many Tết tours had been delayed until the Reunification Day holiday on April 30, when COVID-19 outbreaks were expected to be contained by that time, Duy said.

Travellers scrambled to cancel trips and get refunds for tours during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday due to COVID-19 outbreaks in late January, just a few days ahead of Tết.

Around 500 customers cancelled Tết tours worth a total of VNĐ 6 billion (US$260,400) at leading travel firms in the city. Most of them required full refunds and refused to delay trips, firms said.

Travel demand during Tết was nearly at a standstill. During the holiday, popular tourist and entertainment sites in the city such as Đầm Sen Park, Suối Tiên Theme Park, Văn Thánh and Bình Quới tourist sites were closed to contain the spread of the virus.

Hotels in HCM City are now operating at occupancy rates of less than 10 per cent, according to the department. Many hotels prepared special F&B programmes and offered promotions to meet rising demand during the Tết season but were then affected by the new outbreaks.

As many as 29 hotels with a total of 2,053 rooms have been approved to serve as hotel quarantine areas, and four more, with a total of more than 440 rooms, are waiting for approval from city authorities.

Investor begins building ICT service chain in Đà Nẵng

Trung Nam Group has started construction of five factories at the Information Technology and Communication (ICT) Service Zone in Đà Nẵng to host the moves of global supply chains.

The general director of Trung Nam Group, Nguyễn Tâm Tiến said the factory chain would be built on 9.3ha at Đà Nẵng Information Technology Park with an investment of VNĐ1.5 trillion (US$65.2 million).

The group would also develop an apartment and villa zone for expert and engineers and an eco-park project on 26ha with a total of VNĐ2.1 trillion ($91.3 million) for accommodation facilities for investors and their families in the near future, he said.

Tiến said the group planned to build 23 more ICT factories and R&D zones to meet increasing demand from global partners

“We debuted the first surface-mount technology (SMT) factory with a capacity of 6.2 million electronic products per year at the Đà Nẵng Hi-tech Park last year after three months of research,” he said.

He said the operation of the SMT factories chain will be a key step in building the Đà Nẵng IT Park as central Việt Nam’s ‘Silicon Valley’, and call for investors from Silicon Valley and the US to invest in high-tech industries, artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation.

Trung Nam completed the first investment phase on 131ha at Đà Nẵng IT Park with an investment of $47 million. It plans to develop the second phase on another 210ha with estimated funds of $74 million.

Universal Alloy Corporation – a leading global manufacturer of aircraft components for aerospace companies – from the US launched its factory for aircraft components worth $170 million, at the city’s Hi-Tech Park last March.

Alton Industry from the US also plans to build a robot manufacturing project in the city’s Hi-tech Park.

In 2019, two of the first Silicon Valley-based businesses – Meritronics AMT Inc and Ai20X Silicon Valley – agreed with Trung Nam Group to develop the Đà Nẵng IT Park.

Last year, South Korea’s LG Electronics and Trung Nam Land JSC inked an agreement with a vision to transform Đà Nẵng into the centre of technology and R&D in Việt Nam.

Kien Giang expands lucrative shrimp-breeding models

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang plans to expand its brackish-water shrimp farming areas this year in an aim to increase farmers’ incomes and adjust to soil, water and climatic conditions.

Quảng Trọng Thao, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that intensive industrial shrimp breeding with advanced techniques would be done in areas that have sufficient infrastructure and investment capacity, primarily in the Long Xuyên Quadrangle.

The province will also review and turn unproductive rice fields into rice – shrimp farming fields that rotate the cultivation of shrimp and rice on the same fields, he added.

The province is encouraging farmers to breed shrimp using advanced two-stage and three-stage industrial farming models, and apply Vietnamese good agricultural practice (VietGAP) standards and other international farming standards to meet export requirements.

The province is developing rice – shrimp farming areas in the districts An Biên, An Minh, Vĩnh Thuận, U Minh Thượng, Gò Quao, Hòn Đất, Kiên Lương and Giang Thành.

Kiên Giang, which is the country’s largest rice producing province, has turned thousands of hectares of unproductive rice fields in coastal areas into rice-and-shrimp rotation models in recent years.

With a coastline of more than 200 kilometres, the province has advantages to develop rice – shrimp farming models in coastal areas.

Hòn Đất District alone has conditions to develop its rice – shrimp farming area to 20,000ha. The district plans to expand the area to 16,000ha by 2030.

Under the rice – shrimp farming model, farmers rotate growing rice in the rainy season and breeding shrimp in the dry season in the same fields, or intercrop breeding shrimp in ditches around rice fields and growing rice at the same time.

The rice – shrimp farming model offers farmers an average profit of VNĐ70 – 100 million (US$3,000 – 4,400) per hectare a year, two to three times higher than only rice cultivation, according to farmers.

Farmer Huỳnh Văn Bạc has intercropped cultivating mùa rice and giant river prawn on 3ha in Châu Thành District’s Vĩnh Hòa Phú Commune since 2017.

He has earned an average profit of more than VNĐ160 million ($7,000) a crop.

Mùa rice is planted only in the rainy season and lasts about six months each crop.

“The cultivation of mùa rice helps farmers reduce production costs and get high prices. I also earn additional income from harvesting giant river prawn,” Bạc said.

He said that farmers need help from local agencies to access soft loans and advanced farming techniques.

Since early this year, farmers have received high prices for shrimp varieties because of high export demand.

The price of white-legged shrimp, for instance, increased to VNĐ150,000 – 198,000 ($6.5 – 8.6) a kilogramme early this year, up VNĐ10,000 – 15,000 against the end of last year.

Farmers who breed giant river prawn had a bumper harvest of shrimp before and after Tết (Lunar New Year). Traders are buying giant river prawn at a high price of VNĐ130,000 – 180,000 ($5.7 – 7.8) a kilogramme, depending on their size.

The brackish-water shrimp farming area will be expanded to 136,000 ha with an annual output of 98,000 tonnes this year, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of the figure, industrial and semi-industrial farming models will cover 4,000ha, shrimp – rice farming 104,500ha, and advanced extensive farming 27,500ha.

Last year, the province bred 134,235ha of brackish-water shrimp with an annual output of 92,490 tonnes.

HCM City to fill 30,000 job vacancies after Tet

There will be some 30,000 job vacancies in Ho Chi Minh City after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, according to the city’s Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information (Falmi) Centre.

Most recruitment will be in business-trade, services, garment-leather footwear, food processing, chemical-plastic-rubber, customer service, transport-warehouse-port services, IT, and tourism-restaurant-hostels.

Falmi Centre Vice Director Do Thanh Van said that 85.8 percent of the total vacancies are for trained and skilled employees.

According to head of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority Hua Quoc Hung, businesses at local export processing and industrial parks need to employ some 12,000 workers to satisfy their production plans, 2,540 of whom must hold university degrees and 4,700 secondary education certificates or college degrees.

Vacancies are seen in the garment and leather footwear sector and from enterprises at Tan Binh, Linh Trung 1 and 2, and Tan Tao processing and industrial zones, to cover for workers who left their jobs last year.

The Falmi Centre said that the city will have around 70,000-75,000 job vacancies in the first quarter, mostly in business-trade, services, garment-leather footwear, food processing, chemical-plastic-rubber, customer service, and IT, among others./.

Vietcombank offers interest reduction on COVID-19-affected customers

The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) – one of the major banks in Vietnam – on February 22 announced that it will reduce the interest rate on all existing loans for three months until May 22.

The decision is part of the bank’s effort to support its customers amid impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, Vietcombank will lower interest rate for COVID-19-hit enterprises by 10 percent, and 5 percent for remaining customer groups that suffer negative impacts from the pandemic.

For individual customers, Vietnambank will reduce interest rate by 0.2 percent per year for those who take loans for production and business.

According to the bank, 105,000 customers will benefit from the programme with total credit of 350 trillion VND (15.18 billion USD), accounting for 40 percent of the total outstanding debt balance of the bank.

In 2020, Vietcombank offered five interest reduction programmes to support enterprises and people affected by COVID-19 and flooding, becoming the credit institution to offer largest reduction in many years, and bringing the loan interest to the lowest level in the banking system.

The total amount of loans covered by interest reduction programmes was 441.7 trillion VND, while the total value of interest reduction in 2020 was nearly 4 trillion VND.

Alongside, Vietnambank has restructured the payment date and maintained the debt group classification on over 5.15 trillion VND worth of loans.

Sustainability the goal for agricultural goods

The consumption of agricultural products will move towards diversity and sustainability, according to a newly-approved plan.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved a plan to change agricultural product consumption in 2021 – 2025, with a vision to 2030.

The plan, designed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, aims to reorganise agricultural production on a large scale in accordance with the planning and requirements of the market, accelerating the use of science and technology, and applying traceability of agricultural products.

Along with that, trade and services cooperatives will be consolidated and developed as a necessary intermediary between farmers, businesses and banks to organise consumption for farmers.

The plan will build a binding mechanism linking the main parties in the agricultural product consumption channel and supportive policies to encourage all parties to link organically from material supply, production to the consumption of agricultural products.

The plan is also set to promote communication and raise awareness of organisations and individuals about innovating methods of trading and consuming agricultural products.

In addition, the management of safe production processes and product quality control will be strictly enhanced before selling to the market, ensuring agro-products meet not only domestic standards but also standards of importing countries.

The plan states the modernisation of production and business will focus on trade promotion, agricultural branding activities gradually, domestic and international market expansion to limit dependence on certain markets to reduce risks and improve the values of agricultural products; research, and science and technology application enhancement./.

Public investment disbursement must be sped up: minister

Speeding up the disbursement of public investment from the start of this year was an important solution to accelerate economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung has said.

The global economy was expected to embark on the recovery process after a deep downturn in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, the recovery would be different from country to country, depending on the developments of the pandemic and efforts to contain the virus.

“It is necessary to drastically implement measures to accelerate the disbursement of public investment in 2021, right from the first months of the year to create the impetus for economic growth to meet and even exceed targets,” the minister said.

Accountability must be enhanced, he stressed.

To make public investment a pillar for economic growth, the finance ministry is developing a programme with a focus on removing legal bottlenecks to disbursement of public investment.

Inspections would also be enhanced to ensure the allocation and use of public investment to follow National Assembly and Government plans while close watch would be kept on the process to tackle problems.

Regarding the disbursement of public investment from foreign loans, Dung said the progress remained stagnant, partly due to the pandemic.

There were also subjective reasons for the stagnation, including slow site clearance, a lack of accountability and poor preparation which required adjustments and slowed disbursement, he said.

He said that to fulfil the public investment plan for 2021-25, it was important to enhance the accountability of all parties relevant to the use of public investment in all stages, from preparation to implementation and settlement.

Projects which failed to meet planned progress should have their capital revoked, he stressed.

Statistics of the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed the disbursement of public investment was estimated at 398 trillion VND (17.3 billion USD) as of the end of December, meeting 82.8 percent of the Government’s plan – the highest rate in the 2016-20, thanks to the Government’s determination to speed up the disbursement of public investment as a major driver for economic growth.

According to the General Statistics Office, every increase by 1 percent in public investment disbursement would push GDP by 0.06 percentage points.

The Vietnamese economy expanded at 2.91 percent in 2020, the lowest rate in the past decade but this was considered a big success in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Binh Duong sees high export and import growth in January

Binh Duong Province achieved impressive growth in exports in January to rank third in the country behind only HCM City and Bac Ninh Province.

They grew 61.7 per cent year-on-year to US$2.98 billion.

Many of its main export items such as computers, electronics and components (75 per cent) and wooden products (89 per cent) saw high growth.

The textile-garment and footwear sectors, which struggled last year due to COVID-19, picked up pace as businesses began receiving more orders.

Exports to the US, which accounted for 65.2 per cent of the province’s total exports in January, grew by 68.9 per cent.

Exports to other markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also saw growth.

HCM City led the country with exports of $8.9 billion, and Bac Ninh followed with $7.7 billion.

Notably, Hai Duong Province achieved 37 per cent growth despite being severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sustainability the goal for agricultural product consumption

The consumption of agricultural products will move towards diversity and sustainability, according to a newly-approved plan.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently approved a plan to change agricultural product consumption in 2021 – 2025, with a vision to 2030.

The plan, designed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, aims to reorganise agricultural production on a large scale in accordance with the planning and requirements of the market, accelerating the use of science and technology, and applying traceability of agricultural products.

Along with that, trade and services co-operatives will be consolidated and developed as a necessary intermediary between farmers, businesses and banks to organise consumption for farmers.

The plan will build a binding mechanism linking the main parties in the agricultural product consumption channel and supportive policies to encourage all parties to link organically from material supply, production to the consumption of agricultural products.

The plan is also set to promote communication and raise awareness of organisations and individuals about innovating methods of trading and consuming agricultural products.

In addition, the management of safe production processes and product quality control will be strictly enhanced before selling to the market, ensuring agro-products meet not only domestic standards but also standards of importing countries.

The plan states the modernisation of production and business will focus on trade promotion, agricultural branding activities gradually, domestic and international market expansion to limit dependence on certain markets to reduce risks and improve the values of agricultural products; research, and science and technology application enhancement.

HCM City developers move to provinces on cheaper prices, improving transport infrastructure

While the HCM City housing market has gone quiet after the renewed outbreak of COVID-19, the market in neighbouring provinces like Dong Nai, Long An and Binh Duong has seen robust growth this year, experts said.

Distance is no longer a problem for developers in and around HCM City thanks to improved transport infrastructure, and they are increasingly looking at neighbouring provinces where prices are more reasonable and have potential for property development.

A recent report by the Viet Nam Association of Realtors (VARS) said the development of Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai and Thu Duc City and the construction of new roads and bridges connecting the south-eastern region with HCM City have led to increased activity in the real estate market.

This is creating a wave of investment in emerging markets while traditional markets are reaching saturation point, general director of real estate services firm DKRA Viet Nam, Pham Lam, said.

In Binh Duong Province, land in areas adjacent to HCM City which have potential for economic development, such as Thuan An and Di An cities, have become ideal for affordable apartment projects, a product the city lacks.

VARS said apartment prices in Binh Duong increased sharply last year despite Covid-19 — from VND25-30 million (US$1,080-1,300) per square meter to VND30-35 million (US$1,300-1,500) — but remain much lower than in the city.

In Dong Nai, land prices in areas close to the eastern part of HCM City have also increased, especially thanks to the construction of the airport in Long Thanh.

In 2019 the average land price was VND12-14 million per square metre, and rose to VND22 million last year. In Long Thanh Town, the price has surged to VND100 million in some areas.

The real estate market in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province is also hot since it is adjacent to HCM City and has great potential for tourism development.

Investors also are keen on Long An Province, which too borders HCM City. Some projects with high potential go for VND21-26 million per square metre while in other areas is VND13-15 million.

No land is available in recent projects at less than VND15 million.

Covid-19 causes insolvency of real estate enterprises

The real estate industry has accounted for about 4.42% of Vietnam’s total gross domestic product in 2020.

Nearly 1,000 real estate enterprises have completed dissolution procedures in 2020 in Vietnam due to the impact of Covid-19, according to the Ministry of Construction.

A number of real estate enterprises had to go bankrupt due to Covid-19 in 2020. Photo: Doan Thanh

Last year, many real estate enterprises had to improve their capacity and increase adaptability to the pandemic. The number of the newly-established enterprises in the sector in 2020 was 6,694, down 15.5% compared to 2019.

In the last quarter of 2020, the sector slightly expanded compared to growth in the first quarter mainly thanks to the rapid recovery of the housing and industrial segments. This led to a positive growth for the whole year of 2020.

According to the Ministry of Construction, the real estate credit kept expanding in the whole year of 2020, except for the first quarter because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

In addition to bank credit, which was the main source of capital, the real estate market lured inflows from other sources such as individuals, remittances and capital from the issuance of stocks, bonds of listed companies and foreign-invested enterprises.

Bình Dương sees high export and import growth in January

Bình Dương Province achieved impressive growth in exports in January to rank third in the country behind only HCM City and Bắc Ninh Province.

They grew 61.7 per cent year-on-year to US$2.98 billion.

Many of its main export items such as computers, electronics and components (75 per cent) and wooden products (89 per cent) saw high growth.

The textile-garment and footwear sectors, which struggled last year due to COVID-19, picked up pace as businesses began receiving more orders.

Exports to the US, which accounted for 65.2 per cent of the province’s total exports in January, grew by 68.9 per cent.

Exports to other markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also saw growth.

HCM City led the country with exports of $8.9 billion, and Bắc Ninh followed with $7.7 billion.

Notably, Hải Dương Province achieved 37 per cent growth despite being severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

HCM City developers move to provinces on cheaper prices, improving transport infrastructure

While the HCM City housing market has gone quiet after the renewed outbreak of Covid-19, the market in neighbouring provinces like Đồng Nai, Long An and Bình Dương has seen robust growth this year, experts said.

Distance is no longer a problem for developers in and around HCM City thanks to improved transport infrastructure, and they are increasingly looking at neighbouring provinces where prices are more reasonable and have potential for property development.

A recent report by the Việt Nam Association of Realtors (VARS) said the development of Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai and Thủ Đức City and the construction of new roads and bridges connecting the south-eastern region with HCM City have led to increased activity in the real estate market.

This is creating a wave of investment in emerging markets while traditional markets are reaching saturation point, general director of real estate services firm DKRA Việt Nam, Phạm Lâm, said.

In Bình Dương Province, land in areas adjacent to HCM City which have potential for economic development, such as Thuận An and Dĩ An cities, have become ideal for affordable apartment projects, a product the city lacks.

VARS said apartment prices in Bình Dương increased sharply last year despite Covid-19 — from VNĐ25-30 million (US$1,080-1,300) per square meter to VNĐ30-35 million (US$1,300-1,500) — but remain much lower than in the city.

In Đồng Nai, land prices in areas close to the eastern part of HCM City have also increased, especially thanks to the construction of the airport in Long Thành.

In 2019 the average land price was VNĐ12-14 million per square metre, and rose to VNĐ22 million last year. In Long Thành Town, the price has surged to VNĐ100 million in some areas.

The real estate market in Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province is also hot since it is adjacent to HCM City and has great potential for tourism development.

Investors also are keen on Long An Province, which too borders HCM City. Some projects with high potential go for VNĐ21-26 million per square metre while in other areas is VNĐ13-15 million.

No land is available in recent projects at less than VNĐ15 million.

Enhancing added value for rice industry

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has just approved a project on restructuring the Vietnam’s rice industry until 2025 with a vision to 2030.

Accordingly, Vietnam will continue to restructure the rice industry in the direction of improving efficiency and sustainable development towards the objectives of fully meeting domestic consumption demand, being the core in ensuring national food security, and enhancing the efficiency of the rice value chain.

Under the project, Vietnam also expects to adapt to climate change and mitigate the impacts of climate change, make efficient use of natural resources and protect the ecological environment, and increase income for farmers and benefits for consumers, in addition to exporting high quality and high value rice.

The country also plans to keep its rice area at 3.6 to 3.7 million hectares by 2025, with rice production of 40 to 41 million tonnes per year.

The rice industry also aims at exporting 5 million tonnes of rice each year by 2025, including 40% fragrant rice, specialty rice and japonica rice, 20% sticky rice, 20% high quality rice, 15% medium and low-grade rice, and 5% products processed from rice. The percentage of branded rice exports is over 20%.

The country sets the target of exporting 4 million tonnes of rice by 2030, including 45% fragrant rice, specialty rice and japonica rice, 20% sticky rice, 15% high quality rice, 10% medium and low-grade rice, and 10% products processed from rice, with over 40% branded rice exports.

A notable aspect of the project is that the rice export volume has decreased gradually in each period, but the criteria for specialty rice, high quality rice, processed products from rice, and percentage of branded rice exports sees increases year by year.

This shows that the future direction of the rice industry is to reduce the area and output for export towards a focus on improving rice quality and selling prices.

This is the right target which is suitable to the current situation of rice production and export, particularly in the context that Vietnam has signed many free trade agreements (FTAs) with international partners, such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

To make the best use of the advantages from FTAs, the rice industry has to constantly improve product quality to meet the increasingly strict requirements of importing countries.

Rice is a strategic commodity of our country, not only contributing to the economic development but also playing an important role in ensuring national food security. Therefore, promoting the restructuring of this industry is essential to better boost the achieved results while igniting untapped potential.

The solution for the coming time is to develop concentrated rice production areas with identified varieties and the links between production, consumption and export. It is also important to strictly control the production process, obey the limit of pesticide residue, and ensure traceability.

The rice industry also needs to apply advanced technology in terms of post-harvest preservation and processing to reduce losses, ensure uniform quality of rice products, and fully satisfy food hygiene and safety regulations.

EVN gets nod to develop major thermal power plant in Quang Binh

The estimated investment for the project, which was designed to have a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, will include EVN’s equity of more than VND9.6 trillion and loans of over VND38.5 trillion, the local media reported.

The first generator of the plant is expected to be put into commercial operation in 2028 and the second generator in the following year.

The prime minister has urged the government of Quang Binh Province to accelerate the issuance of the investment registration certificate, the handover of land for EVN and the conversion of the land use purpose as well as to supervise the execution of the project. The Government leader has also asked the province to coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and EVN to assess the possible impacts of the project on the environment.

Meanwhile, EVN must be responsible for capital mobilization solutions of the project. It must also ensure the effectiveness of the State capital poured into the project.

Vietnam urged to increase added value for rice industry

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has granted approval to a project aimed at restructuring the Vietnamese rice sector by 2025 and 2030, with a primary focus on improving the sector’s added value.

Under the scheme, the local rice sector will boost restructuring, meet domestic consumption demand, constantly ensure national food security, improve the quality and nutritional value of products, and establish.

Furthermore, restructuring operations will aim to adapt to and mitigate climate change, whilst making use of natural resources in an effective manner, protecting the environment, increasing farmer income, and exporting high-quality rice.

With regards to rice exports, the sector has set the aim of exporting five million tonnes of rice by 2025 and four million tonnes by 2030, of which fragrant, specialty and japonica rice will account for the largest proportion with 40% and 45%, respectively.

Most notably, despite the rice export volume enduring a downward trajectory, the quality and price of rice has significantly improved in recent times.

According to experts, to take full advantage of free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the UK-Vietnam FTA (UKVFTA), the rice sector will be required to improve product quality to meet the stringent requirements of importers.

They also emphasised the necessity of developing rice farming areas that grow high-quality rice varieties, with a specific focus on boosting connectivity among production, consumption, and export, whilst strictly controlling the maximum limit of pesticide residue and origin traceability.

The sector has been advised to apply preservation and processing technologies in the post-harvest period to churn out high-quality products that are in line with food hygiene and safety regulations.

HCM City: Korean bank proposes investment study for Metro Line No. 5

The Export-Import Bank of the Republic of Korea (KEXIM) has asked Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities for permission to conduct an investment study for Phase 2 of Metro Line No. 5, set to be carried out in the public-private partnership (PPP) format.

In its letter sent to the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee and the city’s Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), KEXIM said it will soon provide funding for the update of the project’s pre-feasibility study, which covers technical, financial, and legal aspects, according to the MAUR.

The bank noted that members of the research group and participating investors have experience in building and operating urban railway routes, including Metro Line No. 9 of the RoK’s Seoul capital, in the PPP format.

The MAUR said it had a working session on January 19 with some investors and consultancies from the RoK to discuss the study and related orientations for the project.

The Korean side, including KEXIM and some businesses and consultancies, presented the plan to update the pre-feasibility study, whose final version is expected to be submitted by the end of 2021.

The pre-feasibility study for Phase 2 of Metro Line No. 5 was previously financed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). However, due to certain objective reasons, the project was unable to be funded through official development assistance (ODA) loans, but the PPP format.

The 23.39km-long Metro Line No. 5 is developed in two phases.

The first one, from the Bay Hien intersection to Sai Gon Bridge, is about 8.8km long and invested with around 1.66 billion USD. It is funded with ODA capital from the Spanish Government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the German development bank KfW.

Meanwhile, Phase 2 is about 14.5km long./.

Aquatic product exports forecast to reach 9.4 billion USD in 2021

Vietnam’s aquatic product exports are expected to rake in 9.4 billion USD this year, a surge from 8.5 billion USD in 2020, driven by a strong rebound in demand of export markets and the support of free trade agreements, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Producers and Exporters (VASEP).

Analysts of FPT Securities JSC (FPTS) predicted Vietnam to continue increasing shrimp output in 2021, reaching 730,000 tonnes, up 4 percent year-on-year.

Stable supply will be an advantage for Vietnamese shrimp exporters to expand their market shares in export markets.

The prices of exported shrimps are also forecast to rise slightly by 5 percent to an average of 9.6 USD per kg, according to an FPTS report.

Meanwhile, experts from BIDV Securities Company said that it is difficult for Vietnam’s shrimp sector to enjoy high export growth in 2021, as the production of competitive countries such as India and Ecuador begin strong recovery, especially when the two countries’ shrimp prices are 10-15 percent lower than that of Vietnam.

However, the shipment of shrimps to the EU, which accounts for 21 percent of Vietnam’s total shrimp export turnover, is expected to be supported by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The tariffs imposed on frozen shrimps were slashed to zero percent immediately after the EVFTA became effective on August 1, 2020, while those on processed shrimps will reduce to zero percent from January 1, 2027.

The output of Vietnam’s tra fish is also forecast to maintain uptrend this year.

FPTS expects that the export will bounce back thanks to increasing demand of Vietnam’s main importers such as China, the US, and the EU.

Vietnamese businesses’ efforts to focus on value added processed products which meet all requirements on food safety and origin traceability of products will be paid off, with the export value of processed tra fish to surge in 2021./.

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

A Japanese expert who died in Hanoi on February 13 has been infected with a new variant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, said Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

Long announced the results of the expert’s genome sequencing at a meeting of permanent Cabinet members in Hanoi on February 24.

He did not reveal specifically but said this was the first time the new strain has been detected in Vietnam.

The strain, he said, has circulated mainly in the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), and India.

According to the minister, Japan, the deceased expert’s home country, has yet to record this strain.

To scientists, the strain it not highly transmissible, but the extent of its aggravation is not clear, said Long.

Epidemiologists stated that the new strain is not linked to the fresh coronavirus hotspot in Hai Duong province where a variant strain originating from the United States was recorded.

The Japanese expert entered Vietnam on January 17 through Tan Son Nhat International Airport. He was placed in quarantine in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Binh District from January 17-31 upon his arrival.

He left the quarantine facility and flew to Hanoi on February 1 after testing negative twice, on January 17 and 31.

The man stayed at Somerset West Point Hanoi hotel in Quang An ward, Tay Ho district, and travelled back and forth between the hotel and his company Mitsui Vietnam.

He was found dead in his hotel room on February 13. Subsequent tests showed he had carried the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Sailors infected with COVID-19 aboard Indonesian vessel off southern coast

Five sailors aboard Ocean Amazing, an Indonesian-flagged cargo vessel off the southern coast of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a report released by the provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Healthcare workers have already collected nasal swabs from the sailors in order to conduct a second test on the crew, with the exception of the deceased one, according to the Ba Ria – Vung Tau CDC on February 23.

While waiting for the results of the tests to be processed, the provincial CDC transferred  the sailors’ samples to the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute for genome sequencing.

A representative of the provincial CDC has stated that in the event that positive tests are confirmed, the vessel will be forced to make a U-turn and return to Indonesia in order to undergo a personnel change and chemical disinfection. Once this is done, the ship may then return to Vietnam to complete its cargo unloading.

The provincial CDC made a report to the Ministry of Health, awaiting further instructions.

Ocean Amazing originally left Indonesia on February 20 and had been scheduled to dock in Vietnam during its voyage in order to unload its goods.

At present, a total of 80 SARS-CoV-2 virus carriers have been recorded in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, all of whom have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease.

More 43 COVID-19 patients given all-clear over last 12 hours

Two more new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the last 12 hours, from 6:00pm on February 23 to 6:00am on February 24, taking the national count to 2,403.

The new cases are in the northern province of Hai Duong, the country’s current largest hotspot. Both are close contacts (F1) of COVID-19 patients linked to the outbreak in POYUN Electronics Co., Ltd. in Chi Linh city who have been quarantined in centralised centres.

They are being treated at the COVID-19 Hospital No.1 in Chi Linh.

There have been 1,504 community infections so far, of which 811 have been reported in the COVID-19 resurgence since January 27.

Additional 43 COVID-19 patients have been given the all-clear, raising the total recoveries to 1,760. Death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 87 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, 39 twice and 60 thrice.

A total of 88,583 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined across the country.

Students in 52 provinces, cities come back to school

Kindergarten children maintain 1m distance with friends (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Education and Training has requested local departments of education and training and educational institutions nationwide to strictly implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures, especially when students come back to school.

Schools are urged to stay vigilant against the pandemic, and proactively carry out prevention and control measures to ensure safety for students, with the focus on disinfecting classes, teaching and learning tools and toys.

Schools are also requested to coordinate with parents to keep a close watch on students’ health while they are at home and at school.

The Ministry of Education and Training also asked schools to actively build study plans for students to ensure the quality of their study after a long holiday./.

Vietnam to consider reopening up economy

Permanent Cabinet members are evaluating localities’ proposals to come up with important decisions, including reopening up the national economy, when the latest coronavirus outbreak is showing signs of abating.

The new wave has made a negative impact on business and production plans, as well as people’s daily life.

Thanks to drastic measures in place, including social distancing imposed on coronavirus hit localities, the fresh outbreak has basically been brought under control, though several cases are reported sporadically on a daily basis.

“We have to continue with the dual goal of epidemic prevention and economic recovery at the same time,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told permanent Cabinet members at a meeting in Hanoi on February 24.

According to the PM, it is essential to boost business and production alongside keeping the epidemic in check, or the national economy will encounter difficulty.

Vietnam achieved a GDP growth rate of 2.91% last year and it aims to secure a 6.5% rate this year.

Man dies after showing signs of COVID-19

A man who showed symptoms of coronavirus has died at a hospital in the northern province of Thanh Hóa.

Although the cause of death is yet to be determined, health officials say he had earlier tested negative for COVID-19. Results of a second test are pending.

The 38-year-old had returned to his wife’s hometown in Yên Giang Village, Hoạt Giang Commune, Hà Trung District on February 5 to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year).

He began suffering breathing difficulties and coughing. He bought medicine at a pharmacy and was treated at the Hoạt Giang Commune Health Centre.

Over the following few days, his condition worsened and he was admitted to Bỉm Sơn Town’s General Hospital on February 21 where he was immediately isolated in their infectious disease ward.

The man, who had previously suffered from liver and kidney failure, and also had type 2 diabetes, died two days later.

Following his death, the hospital was locked down and sprayed with disinfectant. Check points were also set up at the commune where he was staying.

No location remains locked down in HCM City as new COVID wave begins to ease

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC) said with no new COVID-19 cases diagnosed since February 11 all lockdown locations in the city have been taken down.

The last lockdown location is block F at the Carillon apartment building at 1 Trần Văn Danh Street in Tân Bình District was took down on Wednesday.

Eighteen areas were locked down on February 8 alone after 29 people were diagnosed with COVID-19, all related to the infection cluster at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport.

On Monday the HCDC announced that for 11 days since February 11 there had been no local transmission.

But it continues to obtain medical declarations from and conduct test on people coming from provinces with social distancing.

It also encourages people to stay alert not be neglectful, and make honest medical declarations.

Health authorities in Bình Thạnh District have begun randomly testing customers and employees at restaurants and drinking places in Ward A.

On Monday night 32 people were asked to give samples and make medical declarations.

Nguyễn Việt Tường, a customer at a restaurant on Phan Văn Trị Street, told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that being tested like this makes him feel secure since COVID-19 remains a threat.

Nguyễn Bảo Quốc, People’s Committee chairman of Bình Thạnh District’s Ward 3, said this random testing could help authorities detect infections early and promptly take measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

They plan to carry on random testing in 20 wards in Bình Thạnh until the end of March.

HCM City has had 36 cases since January 28, when the Ministry of Health confirmed the start of a new wave of infections after almost two months without local transmission.

HCM City Dept of Health develops emergency plan for COVID-19

The HCM City Department of Health has developed an emergency plan for COVID-19 outbreaks under three scenarios of fewer than 100, 200 and 500 positive cases.

The plan is being made because of pandemic developments including new variants and outbreaks globally.

The department will continue to use available personnel and facilities at designated hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

These hospitals include Củ Chi Field Hospital with 300 beds, Cần Giờ COVID-19 Treatment Hospital with 600 beds, HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases with 40 beds at its Department for Transmissible Diseases D, and City Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital 2.

These hospitals will be ready to increase the number of beds to admit COVID-19 patients and others suspected of having COVID-19 if an outbreak occurs.

If the hospitals become overloaded, the department will use Phạm Ngọc Thạch Hospital’s 464 beds to admit COVID-19 patients.

The department has instructed hospitals in the city to prepare doctors and nurses to be available for examination and treatment of COVID-19 patients if necessary.

These doctors and nurses will have to receive training in professional knowledge on treatment and control of infections, and ensure safety for medical staff as well as patients.

Last year, Củ Chi Field Hospital and Cần Giờ COVID-19 Treatment Hospital were the two main health facilities isolating and treating COVID-19 patients and suspected cases. This was done to help reduce pressure and risk of transmission at city hospitals.

The hospitals’ doctors and nurses came from other hospitals in the city and worked on a rotation system.

The department has also instructed the 115 Emergency Centre to continue carrying out its task of transporting COVID-19 patients to designated hospitals for treatment.

Hospitals have helped the city Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) to take samples for testing at Tân Sơn Nhất airport, and bus and railway stations.

Besides Pasteur Institute and the CDC, tests are conducted by the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Children’s Hospital 1, City Children’s Hospital, and Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Nguyễn Tri Phương, District 2, Thủ Đức, FV, Gia An 115 and Hoàn Mỹ Sài Gòn hospitals, as well as several hospitals owned by the Ministry of Health and other agencies.

This year, more hospitals in the city will be assessed for their capacity to conduct COVID-19 tests.

The department has instructed hospitals to prepare medicine, chemicals and protective clothes as well as equipment for their medical staff when they are called for emergencies.

It has also required all hospitals and health facilities to review and assess safety criteria in COVID-19 prevention and control. They have been ordered to ask their patients to fill out online health declarations.

Since February 5, when online health declarations began at hospitals and health centres in the city, 127 private and public healthcare facilities have used the department’s health declaration application.

By March 8, all hospital and health centre in the city will have to use the application.

According to the department, hospitals should offer training courses for their doctors and nurses in screening, isolating and taking samples for tests, and treatment guidelines related to COVID-19 issued by the Ministry of Health.

Hospitals have also been instructed to take samples for testing all of their staff by March 10.

Following the Ministry of Health’s requirement, the department is collaborating with Chợ Rẫy Hospital to set up an expert team specialising in COVID-19 treatment to assist other hospitals that admit severely ill COVID-19 patients who need emergency treatment.

HCM City businesses offer to pay for COVID-19 tests for staff

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC) has asked city authorities to allow businesses to pay for COVID-19 testing of their staff who have returned to HCM City after the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

People returning from COVID-19 hotspots are required to take a COVID-19 test and be under surveillance for a certain period of time. People returning from non-affected localities are only required to complete health declarations.

As of February 19, a total of 186 people returning to HCM City from COVID-19 hotspots had been put under mandatory quarantine, according to HCDC Director Nguyễn Trí Dũng.

The HCDC has conducted 1,000 daily tests at gas stations, bus stations and the airport since February 16.

Many companies want to pay for testing costs to ensure safety for their employees and customers, Dũng said at a meeting with city authorities last Friday (Feb 19). “This will help the HCDC expand COVID-19 surveillance and testing in the city.”

Dương Anh Đức, deputy chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said the city would offer assistance to companies to screen employees for infection.

Health facilities approved by the Ministry of Health to provide testing and test results for COVID-19 should be widely published, Đức said.

City authorities will also offer favourable conditions for investment in the preventive health system, including equipment, human resources and financial support, he said.

Dũng, director of the HCDC, said that it was vital to invest in state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to meet the strong demand for testing.

District-level health centres and health stations in wards and communes as part of the preventive health system must have enough personnel and equipment, he said.

More than 450 staff at the HCDC cancelled their plans for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday and stayed at their workplaces to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

Woman prosecuted for spreading virus

Police of Hải Dương City in the northern province of the same name on Monday started legal proceedings against a woman for “spreading a contagious disease to others”.

According to initial investigations, from February 1-15, a 52-year-old woman, residing at No.15 Trần Sùng Dĩnh, Hải Tân Ward, Hải Dương City, was suspected of contracting COVID-19 but did not follow prevention regulations and make a medical declaration, resulting in three other infections at the same address.

Earlier, the woman visited Hải Dương city’s Blind Association and had close contact with another woman who was later confirmed as a COVID-19 patient.

She showed symptoms of cough, fever and tiredness from February 3 and was announced to be suspected of contracting COVID-19 on February 11. She then tested positive for the coronavirus on February 15.

However, after working with the investigation police agency many times, she did not declare that she had gone to Hải Dương city’s Blind Association and contacted the confirmed COVID-19 patient.

She only admitted she had been there on February 17 when the data on her phone calls was collected.

The woman did not declare enough information related to her epidemiological history, so prompt prevention and control measures could not be taken, thus making three family members infected with the coronavirus.

Her act also made her residential area put under lockdown, causing economic losses for the locality.

NA Standing Committee concludes 53rd session

The 53rd session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee concluded on February 23 after giving opinions on preparations for the upcoming 11th NA session which is slated to open on March 24.

As scheduled, the 11th session of the 14th NA will last 11 days, with two and a half days spent to discuss reports on the NA performance in the 2016-2021 period.

According to NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the NA Standing Committee agreed with the NA General Secretary’s report on the preparations for the 11th session of the 14th NA.

The NA Chairwoman also asked the National Election Council to deliver a report at the NA on its operation over the past one year.

During the 11th plenary session, NA deputies will listen to reports of the NA, Government, the State President and judicial agencies on their performance during the tenure, and the session will be broadcast live on national television and radio.

At the session, deputies will spend much time to work on a number of positions in the State apparatus.

No voter meetings will be organised following the 11th NA session. However, NA deputies will report the outcomes of the session to voters in other flexible forms.

The NA leader asked leaders of NA committees and agencies to make thorough preparations for smooth handover of work to the 15th NA.

NA leader praises government’s performance over last tenure

It has been a very successful tenure of the government, said National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan during the ongoing 53rd session of the NA Standing Committee on February 23.

Briefing participants on an overview report of the government’s performance in the 2016 – 2020 tenure, Minister and Chairman of the Government’s Office Mai Tien Dung said the government has stuck to its commitment of building a public-serving and constructive government of integrity and action since the beginning of its term.

The government has without delay issued programmes and plans to translate the resolutions of the Party and NA into reality and implemented the 2011 – 2020 socio-economic development strategy, Dung said.

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the government has demonstrated consistency in fulfilling the dual goals of containing the novel coronavirus, with a motto “fighting the pandemic is like fighting an enemy,” and recovering and developing the economy, he stated.

This year, the government will continue focusing on fulfilling the twin goals, he noted, adding that it will keep guard up against the disease, seize all opportunity to recover and develop the economy in the “new normal,” and create solid foundation for the successful achievement of the next-five-year socio-economic goals.

Nguyen Van Giau, Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations said the government has accomplished Vietnam’s international mission over the last five years, reflected by the successful hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017, the 2019 US – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Summit and the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. The country is also undertaking the role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and has signed a number of new-generation free trade agreements, expected to set the scene for its sustainable development, Giau said.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also praised the government’s effort to firmly guide the country to success despite multiple challenges. The government has showed its dynamism, proactiveness, and innovation in its governance and listened to opinions of every NA deputy, she said.

She also highly spoke of the government’s performance in diplomacy over the last five years./.

More congratulations flow in for Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong

Leaders of countries, parties and international friends over recent days continued to send in congratulations to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong over his re-election as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee in the 13th tenure.

Messages of congratulations came from French President Emmanuel Macron; Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; Vice President of the Cambodian People’s Party and President of the Cambodian Senate Samdech Say Chchum; Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Park Byeong-Seug; and chairman of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi.

There were also greetings from Chairman of the Nur Otan party of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev; Executive Committee Chairman of the Japanese Communist Party Shii Kazuo; chairman of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Edano Yukio; chairman of the Party of National Change and Transformation (Partido Cambio y Tranformacion Nacional) of the Dominican Republic Domingo Amparo; First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Mexico Paven Blanco Cabrena; First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) Pauline Easton; a number of foreign ambassadors to Vietnam; friendship parliamentarians’ organisations and individuals in many countries in the world./.

Ministry vows to provide safest COVID-19 vaccine: Expert

The Preventive Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health (MoH) is cooperating with other ministry agencies to license COVID-19 vaccines and build plans for distribution, together with monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the vaccine, a health expert has said.

Addressing an online meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control with representatives from the Hai Duong Provincial People’s Committee on February 23, Tran Dac Phu, vice chairman of the advisory council for the granting of drug and medicinal ingredient circulation certificates at the MoH, affirmed that COVID-19 vaccinations will not be conducted on a mass basis prior to full inspections, to ensure that people are provided the safest vaccine possible.

Experts said the Astra Zeneca vaccine is being delivered to Vietnam and has been prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It can be used as soon as it is shipped to Vietnam.

The MoH also said that it only buys safe, highly-protective vaccines pre-assessed by WHO, approved by a stringent regulatory authority (SRA), and with a good price.

Phu also said that despite the COVID-19 vaccine, people still need to strictly follow disease prevention and control measures, in particular wearing masks when outdoors.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is spread by droplets, so wearing a mask is always the most effective measure to prevent its spread, he explained.

The vaccination will not immediately create immunity, he said, adding that it is also necessary to prevent a new strain of the virus from appearing.

Members of the Steering Committee affirmed that the Government is directing the acceleration of the production of a domestic COVID-19 vaccine, while ensuring safety and effectiveness.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said the ministry is developing a master plan for vaccinations.

With a plan to vaccinate millions of people in a short time, Tuyen said responding to and handling any complications that may occur after vaccination is entirely within the capability of the health sector.

A list of those enjoying free vaccines will follow the principle of giving priority to frontline forces and pandemic-hit localities.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, affirmed that Vietnam is making every effort to quickly have a COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccines, both sourced from abroad and produced domestically, will be provided free, like the Quinvaxem vaccine in the national expanded immunisation programme, in the time to come, he noted./.

Hai Duong asked to speed up COVID-19 testing, trace for possible contacts

The northern province of Hai Duong – Vietnam’s biggest COVID-19 epicentre at present – should continue speeding up testing and tracing all possible contacts with confirmed cases, while carrying out flexible screening tests at high-risk areas.

The recommendation was made by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, during a virtual meeting with the provincial People’s Committee on February 23.

Dam lauded efforts exerted by the locality and the Health Ministry’s support forces in pandemic prevention and control.

Experience learned from the fight in Hai Duong can be valuable lessons for other localities nationwide, he stressed, adding that even when the pandemic is over, Hai Duong needs to stay alert like other localities.

The Deputy PM also asked Hai Duong to encourage its people who do not live in disease-hit areas to wear cloth masks, and strictly punish those making false health declarations.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Luong Van Cau affirmed that Hai Duong is capable of conducting COVID-19 testing. He added the province will conduct extensive testing in the next six days.

Regarding the testing, Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen emphasized that extensive testing need to follow health authorities’ directions, and asked the province to strengthen prevention and control measures at concentrated quarantine areas./.

Ministry steps up scientific research for COVID-19 prevention

The Ministry of Science and Technology has said it is intensifying studies serving COVID-19 prevention and control, particularly those on vaccine production.

It will prioritise cooperation with competent agencies in Vietnam and international partnerships in the import, research and production of COVID-19 vaccines, it noted.

The body said it is also working with relevant units in offering information on the pandemic developments.

Since the first outbreak detected in Vietnam, the ministry has joined scientists to conduct studies on epidemiology, virology, treatment regimens, especially the production of the virus test kits. Such work laid the basis for current mass production of the kits.

Vietnam logged three more COVID-19 cases on February 23 morning, raising the country’s total community infections to 1,496, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Vietnam is one of the 40 countries that have conducted human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine. The nation expects to have 80 percent of its population vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the current supply allows the country to inject only 20 percent of the population in 2021-2022, targeting 95 percent of those vulnerable to virus infection./.

Tree planting festival: Individual trees make a forest

The tree planting festival initiated by President Ho Chi Minh has beeen a tradition in Vietnam for more than 60 years, encouraging afforestation and forest protection and greatly contributing to national development.

Since the first tree planting festival was held in the spring of 1960, following the late leader’s teachings, authorities and sectors from the central to grassroots levels, along with people nationwide, have joined hands in planting trees whenever a new year arrives.

To uphold this tradition and cope with global climate change, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 31, 2020, issued Directive No 45/CT-TTg on organising a tree planting festival and stepping up forest protection and development at the beginning of 2021.

Accordingly, Vietnam is to plant 1 billion trees from now to 2025, including about 182 million this year./.

Work begins on Vietnam – RoK Friendship Village

Work started on the Vietnam – Republic of Korea Friendship Village in the mountainous district of Bac Ai, the south-central province of Ninh Thuan on February 23.

Funded by the Korean Cultural Centre, the project has a total investment of 1.3 billion VND (56,407 USD).

Located in Ma Lam village, Phuoc Tan commune, the project will comprise 21 houses, 36 sqm each, with a porch and an indoor toilet.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Ko Jae Seung, the project’s director, said the friendship village is funded by the RoK’s non-refundable aid. Each house will cost about 63 million VND, of which 53 million VND will come from the aid while the remainder will be sourced from soft loans provided the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and financial assistance from local authorities.

The project is the first funded by the Korean Cultural Centre in Bac Ai and Ninh Thuan.

Once completed, the project will not only accommodate poor people in the area but also promote Vietnamese and Korean cultures in the province./.

Tuyen Quang advised to pay greater attention to forest economy

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has lauded Tuyen Quang’s achievements in recording highest forest coverage ratio among localities nationwide at 65 percent, suggesting the province to consider forestry as a major economic development orientation to escape from poverty.

The PM had a working session with key leaders of Tuyen Quang on February 23 after attending the launching of the tree-planting festival in the northern mountainous province.

He stressed that Tuyen Quang should become an important hub of wood industry of Vietnam and the region, asking the locality to mobilise all resources for the goal.

At the same time, Tuyen Quang should expand a number of other agricultural sectors, he said, suggesting that the province increase the area of sugar canes for export and call on investors to invest more in agriculture and forestry.

The PM reminded Tuyen Quang, the province to pay greater attention to preserving and promoting unique cultural identities of ethnic minority groups in the locality, thus boosting the development of tourism and service sectors.

PM Phuc expressed delight at dramatic changes that the province has made in the past 10 years in both urban and rural areas.

However, he noted that the province has still faced many difficulties in socio-economic development and investment attraction, keeping it a poor province.

On the occasion, PM Phuc visited the Tan Trao special national relic site in Son Duong district, which comprises 183 smaller relic sites having close relations with the national liberation cause in the middle of the 20th century.

He also visited and presented gifts to Cao Thi Co, a Heroic Vietnamese Mother in Tan Quang ward of Tuyen Quang city and Nguyen Dinh Phung, a former revolutionary official in An Tuong ward./.

Vietnam, Jordan look to step up trade and investment

Vietnam and Jordan are looking to step up investment as well as trade in areas of potential such as tourism and Halal food production, a meeting in Singapore heard.

The meeting between Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong and Jordanian Ambassador to Singapore and Vietnam Mahmoud Hmoud was held at the Vietnamese Embassy on February 23 to discuss ways to boost bilateral relations.

Huong briefed her guest on the results of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which concluded earlier this month, and the country’s success in maintaining positive economic growth and responding to COVID-19 last year.

Hmoud, for his part, said he expects Jordan and Vietnam will continue fostering bilateral cooperation in trade and investment. Jordan has introduced a number of incentives for foreign investors at industrial parks, he said, adding that the country has also signed free trade agreements with various Middle East and African countries, paving the way for enterprises from foreign countries to access these markets via Jordan.

He also noted that Jordanian firms show a high level of interest in Vietnam as a major market with an open economy.

The two ambassadors agreed that bilateral ties in trade and investment have fallen short of potential and that the two sides should accelerate partnerships via discussions on agreements regarding double taxation avoidance and business visas.

Both agreed that Vietnam and Jordan need to increase the exchange of business and official delegations. Once COVID-19 has been fully brought under control, high-level visits will help intensify economic cooperation between the two sides. In the short term, online meetings between businesses from both countries are perfectly feasible, they said.

Huong reaffirmed that the embassy will made all possible effort to work with the Jordanian Embassy to strengthen bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation./.

Festive activities excluded from upcoming Hung Kings Temple Festival

Only ritual ceremonies will be held at the Hung Kings Temple Festival in the northern province of Phu Tho this year due to COVID-19, heard a meeting of local authorities on February 23.

Incense and flower offering ceremonies are scheduled to take place at the Hung Kings Temple relic site in Viet Tri city on April 17 and 21 (the 6th and 10th days of the third lunar month).

The strict implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures was ordered at the meeting, along with traffic safety and social security.

Normally including myriad festive activities, the festival was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. It welcomed over 7 million visitors in 2019.

Legend has it that the eldest son of Lac Long Quan (son of Kinh Duong Vuong) and Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai) was made king. He named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city), beginning the 18 dynasties of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to the rice and sun deities to pray for healthy crops.

To honour their substantial contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to the kings was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012./.

New deal promises green solutions for HCM City

A memorandum of understanding on green development cooperation for 2021-2025 was signed between the Urban Environment Limited Company (CITENCO) and the Finance and Investment State-owned Company (HFIC) from Ho Chi Minh City on February 23.

The pact highlights investments in green solutions to improve the effectiveness of environmental projects implemented in the southern economic hub, which generates nearly 9,000 tonnes of domestic solid waste daily. According to CITENCO Director Huynh Minh Nhut, of that total, only 2,000 tonnes are recycled, while nearly 75 percent of the remainder is buried.

Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the HFIC Members’ Council, said the deal reflected the common orientations of the two companies in launching urban environmental projects together, particularly those on recycling solid waste.

Projects include the building of a landfill at the Phuoc Hiep – Cu Chi waste treatment complex and a plant for recycling and treating solid waste classified at the source, as well as moving a hazardous waste treatment plant from Dong Thanh to Phuoc Hiep commune.

The HFIC has committed to supporting CITENCO in paperwork and granting it preferential loans for project implementation.

The two also agreed to introduce cooperative opportunities to each other and invite the engagement of a third party when necessary./.

RoK aids Quang Tri in alleviating flooding aftermath

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has offered the central province of Quang Tri over 6.9 billion VND (over 300,000 USD) in non-refundable aid to help it handle the damage caused by consecutive storms and flooding in October last year.

The funding will be used to repair basic infrastructure and facilities in seven communes, including Cam Thuy, Phong Binh, Hien Thanh, Hai Thuong, Triecu Trach, Thuan and Mo O, as well as at the Quang Tri technical college.

According to a document approved by local authorities on February 23, repairs are set to run until July 31.

Central Vietnam was struck by four storms, three floods, and a series of landslides last October. The seven communes bore the brunt of the disaster, with schools, bridges, roads, water supply systems, housing, and other buildings swept away or destroyed.

KOICA provided non-refundable aid of more than 9.6 million USD to Quang Tri in the 2013-2017 period, to help the province conduct a programme on increasing living standards in rural areas./.

Prime Minister launches tree planting campaign in Tuyen Quang province

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 23 launched a tree planting campaign in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang which is a former revolutionary base.

In his remarks, PM Phuc highlighted Tuyen Quang’s advantages for forestry development, saying over the past years, the province has made outstanding performance in forestation, forest protection and forestry-based economic development in tandem with new-style rural area building.

Environmental protection is the responsibility of all people, he said, adding that tree planting and preservation is one of the practical activities to ensure sustainable development.

The Government has joined hands with localities nationwide in this regard, aiming to maintain forest coverage at 42 percent, and raise the export revenue of timber and forestry products to at least 14 billion USD this year, and over 20 billion USD in 2025, the PM continued.

He called on administrations at all levels, departments, agencies and ethnic groups in Tuyen Quang province to respond to the tree planting festival initiated by President Ho Chi Minh in the spring of 1960.

PM Phuc assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to assist the province in implementing relevant programmes and projects, and suggested Tuyen Quang combine forestation and forest preservation with eco-tourism.

The same day, the PM attended a ceremony announcing Tuyen Quang city as a second-tier urban area, a subordinate administrative unit of Tuyen Quang province.

Speaking at the event, PM Phuc said Tuyen Quang city plays a significant role as a political and socio-economic centre of the province, and a hub of transport and infrastructure of the northeastern and northwestern regions.

He asked the city to spur socio-economic development, while ensuring national defence and security and environmental protection.

Tuyen Quang city needs to make greater efforts in order to win the status of first-tier city in 2030, the government leader said./.

Striker Anh Đức comes out of retirement to join Long An

Former top national team striker Nguyễn Anh Đức has inked a one-year contract with V.League 2 club Long An.

The 35-year-old has joined Long An as a player and a member of the coaching staff.

The former player of Bình Dương is about to complete the A coaching class held by the Việt Nam Football Federation, so the contract signed between Long An and Đức has a provision for him to become an assistant coach.

“Đức joined Long An to continue to maintain his passion for football. In addition to being a player, he is also able to pass on his experience to young players on the pitch as well as in real life. So the team decided to create conditions for Đức to assume the role of assistant,” said Võ Thành Nhiệm, chairman of Long An Football Club.

Đức is hoped to greatly improve Long An’s attack in an effort to win promotion to the V.League 1 for the 2023 season.

According to the club’s technical director Ngô Quang Sang, Đức’s experience is extremely valuable, which can help young players improve for the goal of winning promotion in the 2022 season.

“Long An want to be back in the V.League 1 in 2023. Particularly for the 2021 season to start, we only aim to get the best results possible. To complete that goal, Long An need to invest a lot in human factors.

“Đức is an experienced player with many years of playing for Bình Dương and the Vietnamese national team. His presence means a lot for the future of Long An club,” said Sang.

Đức played for Bình Dương in the national top-flight from 2006 to 2019, scoring 116 goals in 335 matches. He won four V.League 1 titles, four National Super Cups and two National Cups.

He was a key part of the national team that won the AFF Cup 2018 and in the Asian Games 2019.

After leaving Bình Dương, he played for Hoàng Anh Gia Lai in the V.League 1 last season but didn’t score any goals.

HCM City hospital collects blood from employees

HCM City’s Thống Nhất Hospital organised a Day of Voluntary Blood Donation for its staff on February 23 to address a shortage of blood amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its 202 employees donated 60.2 litres, equivalent to 240.4 units of blood.

It was followed by the HCM City Hospital of Haematology and Blood Transfusion and National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion calling on people to donate blood.

According to the institute, with the return of the pandemic before Tết, voluntary blood donation programmes had to be cancelled, leading to a shortage of blood.

Its stocks are also falling, it said.

The institute estimates it needs nearly 50,000 units for this month and next.

Red Cross launches campaign to support farmers in COVID-19-hit Hải Dương

The Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) launched a campaign to help COVID-19-hit Hải Dương’s farmers sell their agricultural products on Tuesday.

The campaign, entitled ‘Together with people to consume agricultural products’, aims to support farmers and overcome difficulties in virus-hit parts of Hải Dương Province.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, VNRC President Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu said the campaign would run from now until mid-March with the peak period from February 24 to March 5 with support from the Hà Nội City Red Cross Society and the Mùa Thu và những người bạn (Autumn and Friends) volunteer group.

“Agricultural produce trading activities will be held in conditions to ensure safety against the COVID-19 pandemic. All of these goods are strictly quarantined and sterilised before they reach consumers,” said Thu.

Đỗ Minh Quân from Ciputra Urban Area in Bắc Từ Liêm District, Hà Nội, said he went to buy some farm produce to help farmers in pandemic-hit Hải Dương, which has seen more than 600 locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections in almost a month.

On the first day of the campaign, VNRC and Autumn and Friends helped sell 11 tonnes of farm produce, including kohlrabi, cabbage, guava, eggs, carrots and tomatoes from virus-hit Hải Dương.

More than 11 tonnes of agricultural products were sold on the first days of the campaign. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải

The programme aims to help farmers in COVID-19 pandemic-hit areas sell their agricultural products and overcome the difficulties of the pandemic by buying and organising sales points for their produce.

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