Power generation

Gas demand is expected to rise from about 9.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2020 to above 25.3bcm in 2030, while influx of LNG helps to counter the decline in domestic production.

Vietnam’s gas consumption is predicted to accelerate strongly over the coming decade, more than doubling, over the duration of the upcoming Power Development Plan VIII (PDP VIII) [2021-2030].

“The potential of the Vietnamese gas market is strong,” stated the Fitch Solutions in a note, saying in comparison to markets similar in terms the size of the consumer market as measured by population, Vietnam appears undersupplied in gas both in terms of absolute consumption volume and per capita.

The domestic gas network is also found deficient with Vietnam ranking 15th out of 17 Asia-Pacific gas markets as per the CIA Factbook in terms of total gas pipeline length, despite having historically been self-sufficient in gas.

The current gas demand is predicted to be more than double over the next decade, from about 9.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2020 to above 25.3 bcm in 2030. It is also expected that influx of LNG will help counter the decline in domestic production.

However, long-term growth has the potential to far outpace the current forecast, as more projects in the pipeline gain clarity and are brought online, stated Fitch Solutions.

Under the draft PDP VIII, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) outlines ambitious growth targets for power generation from natural gas and renewables.

The share of gas-fired generation capacity is forecast to grow from about 14.9% in 2020 to 21% in 2030 and further to 24% in 2045, while that for renewables is expected to increase from 9.9% in 2020 to 29% in 2030, and to over 40% in 2045.

“These are expected to occur at the expense of coal and hydropower, which are more pollutive and environmentally damaging to produce domestically,” added Fitch Solutions.

The PDP does indicate that coal use in the domestic market would continue even as emphasis shifts to using cleaner forms of energy, although consumption will increasingly become dependent on imports as domestic supply declines.

The share of imported energy is also expected to see marginal growth, so as to minimize the environmental footprint from producing own energy.

Capital inflows into the sector also look set to strengthen over the duration of the PDP. The Plan estimates that an investment of about US$128.3 billion will be needed over the next decade in order to realize the aforementioned growth targets in natural gas and renewables generation.

From the sum, US$95.4 billion is expected to be allocated to the development of power sources with an excess of US$56 billion worth of LNG regasification and LNG-to-power projects already lined up to be commissioned over the next decade.

The current pipeline features 23 different projects and is notable for its strong US presence; of the 23, 11 projects worth a combined US$35.9 billion and 32.6GW in generation capacity, are backed up by pledges of funding from US firms, to be completed over 2023-2030.

In addition, about US$32.9 billion will be set aside for the duration of the PDP for expanding the national grid network.

Petrol prices slightly drop in latest review

The retail prices of petrol dropped from 16:30 on April 12, the ministries of industry and trade and finance announced.

Accordingly, the price of E5RON92 fell 45 VND to 17,806 VND (0.77 USD) per litre at the highest, and that of RON95-III was also 76 VND to 18,970 VND per litre.

Meanwhile, the prices of diesel 0.05S and kerosene are capped at 14,141 VND, and 12,827 VND per litre, down 102 VND and 177 VND per litre, respectively.

Mazut 180CST 3.5S is sold at no more than 13,686 VND per kilogramme, decreasing 70 VND per kilogramme.

This is the first time the petrol prices have been reduced after nine consecutive increases since Tet holiday.

The ministries review fuel prices every 15 days to adjust domestic prices in accordance with fluctuations in the global market.

Demand for petrol has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, settlement of Suez Cannal blockage, and bright prospects on global economic growth, among others.

In order the set these prices, the ministries have used the Price Stabilisation Fund for E5RON92 at 1,800 VND per litre, RON95-III at 950 VND per litre, diesel 0.05S at 250 VND per litre, and kerosene at 300 VND per litre.

Without using the Fund, petrol prices would increase from 123 VND to 1,755 VND per litre/kilogramme as compared to current prices./.

Vietnam salt company’s IPO surpasses plan

The Vietnam Salt One Member Limited Liability Company (Visalco) launched the initial public offering (IPO) on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) on April 12.

With nearly 1.28 million shares put on sale at the auction, the volume of ordered stocks amounted to almost 3.88 million. The highest price was 25,100 VND (1.09 USD) per share while the lowest was 23,500 VND.

The sum of money collected from the IPO was over 30 billion VND, 2.8 billion VND higher than the estimated value calculated based on the asking price of 21,300 VND per share.

Visalco is a State-owned subsidiary of the Northern Food Corporation, one of the most prestigious food suppliers in Vietnam. It produces and sells salt and salt products. Revenue in this field fell sharply from 2018 to 2020 as the company halted supply contracts with several mountainous localities.

After that, it moved to the rice business, with revenue rising from 65.05 billion VND in 2018 to 163.96 billion VND last year.

Under its production and business plan, Visalco forecasts earning 99 billion VND in revenue this year and posting 870 million VND in pre-tax profit. By 2023, revenue is predicted to be more than 110 billion VND, with pre-tax profit to top 1 billion VND./.

Vietnamese family businesses optimism about growth prospects: PwC

The UK-based audit service supplier PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has released its first survey on Vietnamese family businesses, which showed optimism in their future development.

The survey is part of the PwC’s 10th PwC Global Family Business Survey, which unearths the current thinking and future outlook of 2,801 family business leaders across 87 countries and territories, of which 33 were from Vietnam, representing a diverse mix of businesses and industries.

According to the survey, 65 percent of Vietnamese family businesses expect to grow in 2021, and 75 percent expect to grow in 2022

Meanwhile, 33 percent of the businesses think they will experience aggressive growth in 2022 which is higher than both regional and global family businesses surveyed.

Besides, 55 percent of Vietnamese respondents will focus on introducing new products and services, following by increasing use of new technologies (52 percent).

The current operating model among Vietnamese family businesses is concentrated on family and owner managed businesses (52 percent and 36 percent respectively).

However, the survey findings show that in five years, Vietnamese family businesses will shift towards more external involvement in family businesses. In detail, it will transit from owner/family managed businesses to family-owned/ externally-managed or externally-run businesses (increased to 60 percent from 12 percent)./.

Dossiers from Hanoi candidates for 15th NA election counted

The Hanoi Election Committee has handed over 72 dossiers from candidates for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and 188 dossiers from candidates for the election of deputies to the municipal People’s Council in the 2021-2026 tenure to the city’s Fatherland Front Committee.

According to the city’s Fatherland Front Committee, of these, six candidates for the election of deputies to the 15th NA and 11 for the election of deputies to the 16th municipal People’s Council withdrew their candidacy.

Of the 2,060 candidates for district-level People’s Councils, 41 have withdrawn their dossiers. Meanwhile, as many as 121 out of 21,399 people withdrew their candidacy for commune-level People’s Councils.

The city’s Fatherland Front Committee reported that as of April 2, a total of 1,592 conferences for collecting comments and confidence votes from constituents had been held, or 33.24 percent of the plan.

Preparations for the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure have been implemented in accordance with relevant laws and documents.

As planned, the city’s Fatherland Front Committee will hold the third consultation conference from April 14-16 to prepare the lists of qualified candidates for the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and the 16th People’s Council of Hanoi.

Good control of pandemic will accelerate credit growth: Insiders

Credit growth will expand significantly from Quarter 2 and exceed the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s target of 12 percent for the year as a whole if the pandemic is brought under good control and the vaccination campaign proves effective, according to insiders.

Expecting domestic recovery in its strategic investment report for 2021, the VNDirect Securities Corporation forecast that this year credit growth would top 13 percent and interest rates could fall 20-50 percentage points in the context of loose monetary policy and low inflationary pressure.

According to Can Van Luc, BIDV chief economist, 10-15 percent growth is suitable, given that risks await commercial banks in the time ahead despite the economic recovery.

Potential bad debts are on the rise, which will eat into the bank’s profit, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the SBV’s Department of Credit for Economic Sectors forecast strong credit growth from Quarter 2, which could be higher than the SBV’s target of 12 percent, especially in the fields of industrial production, exports, trade and tourism.

Good domestic consumption, rosy exports, strong FDI attraction and disbursement of public investment will drive credit growth, it said.

Head of the department Nguyen Tuan Anh revealed that as of the end of March, credit growth was up by 2.3 percent compared to the end of 2020 and higher than the figure in the same period last year, when credit growth in the economy inched up less than 1 percent.

From the outset of this year, the SBV was prudent in assigning credit growth for commercial banks, Anh said, adding that it outlined three scenarios for credit growth this year, with the maximum reaching 14 percent if COVID-19 was wiped out in Quarter 1, 10-12 percent if the pandemic lasts until June and social distancing measures are put in place, and 7-8 percent if it lasts until the end of the year.

According to economist Nguyen Tri Hieu, it is necessary to stimulate credit demand to achieve effective credit growth. However, banks should be able to control their customers’ sources in covering debts to ensure credit growth criteria and the quality of collateral./.

Decree 148 further restricts land sub-division

Decree No. 148/2020/ND-CP of the Government, which came into force on February 8, 2021, has further restricted the division of land into smaller plots for sale by expanding the areas where the sub-division of land is not allowed.

By expanding the scope and tightening regulations on land sub-division, Decree No. 148, which contains amendments and supplements to several decrees and provides detailed regulations on the implementation of the Law on Land, is aimed at preventing land speculation and unstable urban development.

Doan Thi Thanh My, deputy director of the General Department of Land Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said Article 41 of Decree No. 43 dated July 1, 2014, banned investors from dividing land into smaller plots for sale in the inner districts of the two special-level cities of Hanoi and HCMC only.

Decree No. 148 now regulates that the sub-division of land is prohibited in the inner districts of not only Hanoi and HCMC but also level-one cities including Danang, Haiphong and Can Tho.

Moreover, before a project is implemented, the provincial People’s Committees have to publish areas where the sub-division of land is permitted.

According to Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCMC Real Estate Association, the sub-division of land plots has resulted in land speculation and construction of housing projects and urban areas that are not consistent with urban plans.

Chau said stricter restriction over the sub-division of land plots will ensure benefits for customers and sustainable urban development without adversely affecting the real estate market.

Demand for laptops remains high amid work, study from home

Laptop sales, which began to boom at the beginning of 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak, remain strong as studying and working from home continue.

Nguyễn Thế Kha, senior director of mobility groups, FPT Shop, said the growth last year was 20-30 per cent for retailers.

The high-end laptop segment alone achieved 60 per cent growth, he said.

Many parents said while they were previously content with having one laptop at home to share with their children or let the latter use smartphones, they have now had to buy one for their children’s classes.

Realising the prospects in store, big players like Dell, Asus and HP are all launching new products in many markets, including Việt Nam.

According to Dell Technologies, Asia is a market with a huge demand for gaming laptops, especially in China, Korea and Japan, where e-sport is highly developed.

Việt Nam is a promising market with rapidly growing demand, and so the latest products are launched in the country, it said.

More and more companies are involved in the production of gaming laptops, and so customers have many options in terms of prices, with those costing from VNĐ 16 million to VNĐ25 million (US$700-1,080) selling best.

Many retailers said certain brands are likely to be unavailable often since demand for them is rising and supply is being hampered by Covid.

Some said stocks are down 20-30 per cent, and they are struggling to replenish them.

But despite the surging demand, prices of laptops have remained relatively stable, and many retailers are even offering discounts and free installation of programmes.

FDI inflows surge into industrial real estate market

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in the Vietnamese real estate sector during the first quarter of the year reached over US$600 million through 12 projects, representing a 2.3-fold increase compared to the same period from last year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

In line with the development plan for the project, Panasonic is aiming to build the workshop between January, 2023, and March, 2024, with the project set to come into operation ahead in April, 2024.

This comes following Panasonic initiating plans to shut down a large appliance factory outside of Bangkok in March, whilst seeking to consolidate production to a larger facility in the nation in order to achieve greater efficiency, according to Nikkei newspaper of Japan.

The warehousing industry attracted the majority of foreign capital throughout the reviewed period. Especially, eight out of ten newly-licensed projects are within the industrial real estate segment, with a total investment capital of over US$430 million, equal to 99.7% of the total newly-registered capital.

Singapore became the largest foreign investor within the local real estate market during the three-month period  following Amigos An Phu Holding Pte. Ltd registering to invest in the US$185 million project at New Motion Industrial Co., Ltd in Phu Tan Industrial Park in the southern province of Binh Duong.

The Singaporean investor has also put plans in place to start construction on a warehousing and office building cluster ahead in the second quarter of the year, with the project anticipated to be put into operation on a trial basis during the third quarter of the year.

Furthermore, BW Industrial development JSC of the Netherlands has recently poured a sum of US$80.61 million in investment capital into building a warehouse for rent, whilst providing warehouse and logistics services in Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park in Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City.

This increase in FDI inflows in the domestic industrial real estate sector can be attributed to the optimism of foreign investors regarding investment prospects in the Vietnamese industrial production and logistics industry following a challenging year which involved disruption in the global supply chain caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Vietnam started the year with great potential as it rose to be among the top ten emerging markets in terms of performance in the logistics industry. Boasting substantial infrastructure improvements, low operating costs, and large corporate tax exemptions, the country represents an enticing market for plenty of foreign investment, especially in relation to the industrial manufacturing sector.

John Campbell, industrial services manager of Savills, said the nation features the lowest operating costs based upon analysis done on industrial real estate in 54 markets across 21 countries, which has become one of the key factors to help the country increase its attractiveness to multinational companies.

Farmers in Southeast provinces have bad crop of cashew

Cashew farmers in the Southeast provinces are rushing to enter the harvest season. Due to unusual weather, many cashew plantations have suffered heavy losses, but well-cared-for cashew ones still give high yields.

Binh Phuoc Province is considered as the cashew capital of the country, with about 170,000 hectares and an output of 243,000 tons per year, mainly concentrated in Phu Rieng, Bu Gia Map, Bu Dang, and Dong Phu districts. This place creates jobs for about 50,000 workers in rural areas.

Mr. Dieu Thanh, a farmer in Dak O Commune in Bu Gia Map District, has two hectares of over-20-year-old cashew trees that are developing well and not damaged by cashew stem borer as in previous years. He spent VND10 million for fertilizing and spraying nourishing agents for cashew flowers. His cashew trees were blooming more flowers than the previous year. Unfortunately, after the Lunar New Year, there was a prolonged period of hoar frost, causing cashew flowers to dry, and young cashew fruits to fall a lot. During this time in the previous year, his family collected 2 tons of fresh cashew, but up to now, only about 100 kilograms of fresh cashew have been collected. Many households in the commune also suffered from lean harvest in this crop.

On the contrary, Mr. Nguyen Van Long, a farmer in Tien Hung Commune in Dong Xoai City, has three hectares of cashew trees that are giving high yield. Currently, Mr. Long’s family is entering the second phase of the harvest season, with a yield of 2 tons per hectare. Cashew prices are stable at VND24,000-VND27,000 per kilogram of fresh cashew, after deducting expenses, his family earns more than VND1 billion. Mr. Long said that cashew trees give a good harvest or not, it depends a lot on the weather, fertilization, and care. Right from the beginning of the year, his family pruned branches, removed old cashew trees with low productivity, and spend nearly VND20 million to fertilize and spray plant protection drugs, so the garden is clean and free from pests and diseases.

A survey in many cashew plantations in localities with large cashew areas such as Bu Dang, Dong Phu, and Bu Gia Map districts shows that if the cashew plantations are taken care of well, the trees have fewer pests and diseases and give an average yield of 2 tons per hectare. Many cashew plantations are close to each other, but there is a quite large difference in productivity because the care and cultivation capacity of each household is different.

Because cashew trees give fruits late this year, the 250-hectare organic cashew plantation that meets the European standards of Mr. Dung Quy Dong in Tan Hung Commune of Dong Phu District has just been harvested for half a month this month. According to Mr. Dong, organic cashew cultivation is not affected by weather and pests, so the yield next year is higher than the previous year.

Mr. Dong shared that last year, in the first harvest with nearly 100 hectares, his family collected more than 200 tons of cashew. It is expected that his cashew plantation would produce about 500 tons of cashew this year. With the current price, he would earn more than VND10 billion. However, because of the large harvest area, he was worried about a labor shortage.

Currently, he needs 150-200 workers every day, but he has just been able to hire 100 regular workers at the price of VND250,000 per person per day, higher than the previous year.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Phuoc Province admitted that this year due to the high-temperature difference between day and night, it had negative impacts on the flowering and fruiting of cashew trees, but well-cared-for cashew plantations have fewer harmful pests and diseases and cashew yield is still high. The Department recommended that farmers need to take care of their cashew plantations regularly and should not abuse pesticides. Especially, they should use the right drugs and dosage, choose safe plant protection drugs for the trees, ensure health for people, and reduce care costs.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Statistics Office of Dong Nai Province, said that the whole province has about 36,000 hectares of cashew trees, down nearly 14,000 hectares compared to 2010. Farmers continue to chop down cashew trees to switch to other crops with higher economic efficiency, due to low cashew prices and its dependence on the weather.

According to the agricultural sector of Dong Nai Province, cashew can be grown in sloping areas, especially in ethnic minority areas and remote areas. Cashew is still considered as a crop for hunger eradication and poverty alleviation and key crop. The industry will carry out solutions to remove difficulties for farmers, such as finding and expanding the consumption markets, supporting and encouraging people to apply scientific and technical advances in production to improve productivity, quality, and promote deep processing.

Binh Phuoc Province is facing the situation of selling young cashew in the ethnic minority areas. If there were only 482 households selling young cashew, with a total area of 683.75 hectares for VND28.8 billion in 2017, there were 663 households last year, with a total area of 1,161.13 hectares for more than VND37.5 billion, concentrated in Bu Dang and Bu Gia Map districts. To stop this situation, the provincial People’s Committee has instructed authorities to focus on propaganda about the forms and tricks of the subjects who buy young cashew to raise awareness for farmers to prevent frauds that lead to debts, foreclosure, and loss of cultivation land.

US$491 million to be invested in market stabilization program in 2021-2022

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, six banks and credit institutions are registered in the market stabilization program for the period 2021-2022 with a total of VND11,346 billion (US$491 million) to support businesses to prepare goods for the program.

Enterprises with the demand for bank loans will be connected with credit institutions with long-term interest rates ranging from 6.5 percent to 11.3 percent a year and short-term interest rate of 4.5 percent per year to invest in livestock and production activities, technology renovation and development of distribution systems and goods storage.

The paymen term of loans and interest rates will be based on the agreement between the credit institutions and enterprises under the market stabilization program.

Besides, the Department of Industry and Trade also encouraged businesses to use their capital, strengthen linkage and cooperation between manufacturing enterprises and distributors to be loaned for production, ensure plentiful goods, stable prices and raise the competitiveness of subsidized products.

HCMC’s outlying district calls for investment in 17,000 hectares of land

HCMC’s outlying district of Cu Chi has called on enterprises to invest in 17,000 hectares of agricultural land in the district, according to the district government.

The district also expected investors to develop a port to serve the agriculture sector and three to four ports for urban ecotourism, invest in 2,500 hectares of land in the Tay Bac Urban Area and ecotourist sites along the Saigon River, Thanh Nien Online newspaper reported.

The district government has sought to convert 10 areas along the river into ecotourist sites and increase the population target in the areas to 200,000 people and the construction density to 35%-40% to attract investors.

According to the district, last year, it accomplished 15 of 20 socioeconomic development targets. This year, it will strive to meet 20 socioeconomic development and urban environment protection targets.

It will develop the supporting, healthcare and biology sectors, services serving industries, ecotourism in association with agriculture, logistics and river ports and hi-tech agriculture.

The district will implement planning in a modern manner and develop an underground space to serve 1.2 million residents by 2030.

To execute the socioeconomic development plan for this year, the district government proposed the municipal government and the relevant departments and agencies quickly issue a land use plan for 2021-2030.

The district also urged the completion of adjustments to the planning of the Tay Bac Urban Area.

Vinh Long to have VND3-trillion industrial zone

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long will develop the Dong Binh industrial zone in Binh Minh Town, with total investment of over VND3 trillion.

The Vinh Long government on April 9 made a decision on the establishment of the industrial park covering 350 hectares of land in the Dong Binh and Dong Thanh communes, Phap Luat Online reported.

The industrial zone project, whose investor is TNI Vinh Long Investment JSC, is set to operate within 50 years.

Once in place, the industrial zone project will focus on attracting investments in the agriculture, food, vegetable and fruit processing, seafood processing, consumption industry, chemical industry and medical equipment production fields, among other sectors which cause less environmental pollution.

As of now, Vinh Long Province is home to five industrial zones–Binh Minh, Hoa Phu, An Dinh, Hoa Phu and Co Chien.

Transport Ministry’s proposal to acquire eight toll roads

The National Assembly’s (NA) Economic Committee has rejected the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to use State cash to acquire eight controversial toll roads built or upgraded under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format, saying it is unreasonable and dubious and may lead to lawsuits.

The committee has reported the deployment of policies on the investment and operation of traffic infrastructure projects developed under the BOT format.

The eight BOT roads are Bim Son on a bypass in Thanh Hoa Province of the National Highway 1A project, T2 of a project to upgrade National Highway 91 in Can Tho City, Ninh Xuan of the National Highway 26 upgrade project, Cai Lay of a bypass project in Cai Lay Town, tollgates on National Highway 3 of a project to build the Thai Nguyen-Cho Moi road and upgrade a National Highway 3 section, a section of the Ho Chi Minh Road in Daklak Province, the La Son-Tuy Loan Expressway connecting Thua Thien-Hue Province and Danang City and a section from the La Uyen to the Tan De bridges of National Highway 10 in Thai Binh.

As residents had refused to pay toll fees, causing difficulties for investors, the Ministry of Transport proposed using the State budget for the public investment plan in the 2021-2025 period to make payments to investors, following which the tollgates were dismantled.

However, according to the NA’s Economic Committee, it is unreasonable to use State funding to acquire these BOT projects due to the lack of a legal and practical foundation.

Besides these eight projects, the location of the tollgates of some other projects was also unreasonable, but local residents have stopped opposing these projects as they have been offered fee reductions or exemptions.

Therefore, if the State acquires the eight projects listed above, it may affect other projects.

The acquisition will also put pressure on the State budget and go against the State’s guidelines to mobilize funds from the private sector for infrastructure development.

Last year, 42 of 54 BOT projects reported lower revenues than expected. Therefore, the NA’s Economic Committee proposed the NA Standing Committee review the responsibility of the relevant individuals and agencies and ask the competent agencies to remove obstacles facing tollgates and localities to ensure security, social order and the safety of investors’ assets.

EVN’s power from renewable sources reaches nearly 7.8 billion kWh in Jan-Mar

The State-run utility Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) mobilized approximately 7.8 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of power from renewable energy in the first three months of the year, surging 181% against the 2020 figure. Of this, the amount of electricity from solar energy accounted for over 7.13 billion kWh, according to EVN’s recently-released report.

In the first quarter, the volume of electricity produced in the country and imported from overseas reached some 60 billion kWh, up 4.1% compared to the same period last year. Of the amount, EVN and its subsidiaries generated 29.22 billion kWh, or 49%, while non-EVN businesses were in charge of the remaining volume.

While the amount of power from renewable energy soared sharply, that generated from traditional sources saw a decline.

Among the traditional power sources, more electricity from hydropower plants was supplied to the national power grid, at nearly 14 billion kWh. The volume of electricity generated from coal-fired and gas-fired power plants contracted 12-21% year-on-year at 29.75 billion kWh and 7.44 billion kWh, respectively. Further, imported electricity also plunged 58% versus last year’s figure to 405 million kWh.

The soaring supplies of renewable power have prompted EVN to face a number of obstacles in mobilizing various sources of power. For instance, hydropower generators had to change their capacity flexibly to offset the changes in the volume of renewable power, thus leaving an impact on the power supply at the end of the dry season. Besides, if the capacity of power generators at coal- and gas-fired power plants is activated or changed numerous times, it could lead to possible incidents.

As the volume of electricity from renewable sources now accounts for an increasing proportion and the second quarter will be in the peak dry season, the local power sector will adopt measures to ensure the safe operations of the national power system and local power market, including cutting down on renewable power supplies, EVN said.

Vietnamese overseas enterprises desire to further connect with Lam Dong Province

The Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs has recently held a meeting between overseas Vietnamese enterprises and leaders of the People’s Committee of Lam Dong Province and Lac Duong District to create conditions for overseas businesses to exchange and work with the provincial leaders as well as seek potential markets, promote trade connectivity and investment cooperation in the upcoming time.

Through Lam Dong Province Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Center, the enterprises had an opportunity to learn about some projects which are being implemented as well as calling for investment in the Central Highlands province such as Prenn Waterfall Project, Lien Khuong- Prenn Urban Area Project, Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Site Project, etc.

On the occasion, the enterprises desired to not only further cooperate with the Central Highlands province in the fields of high-tech agriculture, human resource training, service and tourists, real estate, etc but also bring local agricultural products to foreign markets. Especially, they were very interested in local agricultural products such as tomatoes, avocado and chili.

Additionally, some overseas businesses also wanted to cooperate with the province in the cold storage and transportation service, laboratory system establishment for researching new varieties under modern techniques and high-quality human resources training to serve for the locality and connect Lam Dong Province with several cities of foreign countries.

Besides, the delegation of overseas enterprises also worked with Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lac Duong District Mr. Su Thanh Hoai and the local authorities related to current investment projects in the fields of high-tech agricultural production and tourism.

In addition to the proposals about investment and export connectivity for local high-tech agricultural products, President of Japanese- Vietnamese Cuisine Association Mr. Matsuo Tomoyuki proposed to become a bridge between Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province and some localities of Japan, contributing to enhancing the mutual friendship, cultural cooperation and development.

Investment policy for infrastructure in Hoa Lu Industrial Park approved

The People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province informed that the Prime Minister has just signed Decision No.550/QD-TTg on approving the investment policy of the project of building and trading infrastructure in Hoa Lu Border-Gate Industrial Park.

Hoa Lu Border-Gate Industrial Park covers an area of 348.32 hectares in Loc Tan and Loc Thanh communes in Loc Ninh District, with an investment of nearly VND1.12 trillion. Of which, the capital contribution of the investor is VND170 billion, with the goal of building and trading infrastructure of the industrial park invested by Hoa Lu Binh Phuoc Investment Joint Stock Company.

The People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province will conduct statistics and land inventory, map the current land use status, and recommend the implementation of the project without public assets. During the implementation process, if public assets are detected in the project, the provincial People’s Committee will be responsible for retrieving, handling, and submitting to the competent authority to cancel the investment policy decision issued to the project.

The People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province will also be in charge of proposing the selection of investors, who meet the conditions of investment, bidding, land, real estate trading, checking, and determining the satisfaction of land lease conditions at the time the project is carried out.

State budget collection reaches US$17.52 billion in Q1

Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of US$2.67 billion during the period.

Vietnam’s state budget collection in the first quarter of this year stood at VND403.7 trillion (US$17.52 billion), up 0.3% year-on-year and equivalent to 30.1% of the yearly estimate, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Upon breaking down, domestic revenue made up a lion’s share of the total at VND340.2 trillion (US$14.7 billion), up 1.2% year-on-year or 30% of the estimate. The MoF noted 57 out of 63 provinces/cities fulfilled tax collection targets as scheduled, or over 25% of the estimate.

Meanwhile, state budget expenditures during the January – March period hit VND342 trillion (US$14.84 billion), representing a slight increase of 0.2% year-on-year, or 20.3% of the estimate.

This resulted in the budget surplus of VND61.7 trillion (US$2.67 billion) during the period.

In 2021, the MoF estimated the budget revenue around VND1,343 trillion (US$58 billion) and expenditure VND1,687 trillion (US$72.78 billion).

Fitch Solutions, a subsidiary of Fitch Group, however expected the country’s fiscal deficit to be narrowed to 3.7% of the GDP.

Such forecast “factors in both a stronger revenue and expenditure outlook against the government’s projections supported by more robust economic activity in 2021 against 2020,” stated Fitch Solutions.

According to Fitch Solution, Vietnam’s budget revenue could rise to VND1,580 trillion (US$68.6 billion), thanks to a continued recovery in economic activity, while expenditure is set to hit VND1,840 trillion (US$79.88 billion).

“A recovery in revenue collection will facilitate looser spending by the government. Capital expenditure disbursement is likely to be quicker in 2021,” Fitch Solutions noted.

Rising livestock exports of Laos creates opportunity for Vietnamese businesses

Animal husbandry makes up the sector which provides one of the top 20 export commodities of Laos, with China and Thailand joining Vietnam currently being the largest markets for Lao exports.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese market must also import between 300,000 and 400,000 buffaloes and cows from numerous foreign sources as at present Laos is unable to meet this demand.

With huge potential due to being home to large land areas, the Lao livestock industry is expected to grow and thrive in the near future providing that greater investments are poured into it.

Laos is therefore calling on foreign businesses to make investments in the agricultural sector in order to exploit the full potential of land in both Northern and Southern regions to boost large-scale farming and husbandry in order to serve domestic consumption and exports.

When serving as Prime Minister, Party General Secretary and State President of Laos Thongloun Sisulith expressed a strong desire to work closer with the leaders of the Vietnamese Government during meetings between both nations’ Intergovernmental Committee. He added that he expects competent agencies to work harder to remove difficulties and promote stronger bilateral co-operation in the agricultural sector, especially in terms of high-tech agriculture.

This can be considered a positive investment co-operation opportunity for Vietnamese businesses in the context that leaders have always paid close attention to reinforcing the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Laos.

Da Nang ready to welcome foreign tourists with vaccine passports

Da Nang City’s Department of Tourism has selected a total of 10 travel agencies who can receive international arrivals in the near future, providing that the Government gives the go ahead to welcome travelers who have vaccine passports.

Local authorities have also chosen a variety of tourist destinations within Da Nang which can run suitable tours.

Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the central city’s Department of Tourism, says welcoming the return of foreign travelers is one of many measures being implemented in an effort to revive the local tourism industry, with safety being the leading top during the world’s ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving forward, the municipal administration is set to receive delegations from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Vietnam Tourism Association who will conduct a thorough survey to detail the capacity of local travel operators when vaccine passports are brought into use.

In line with this, local authorities have initiated plans to hold a webinar aimed at promoting Vietnamese tourism to potential travelers worldwide, with a strong desire to connect Da Nang with various countries which have successfully brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control, Binh notes.

Due to the damaging impact of the coronavirus pandemic last year, Da Nang welcomed a total of 881,000 foreign arrivals, a drop of by 70% compared to figures from 2019.

Unchecked golf development raises concerns

Experts have expressed concerns over the licensing of too many golf projects in Vietnam.

According to Pham Thanh Tri, vice chairman of Vietnam Golf Tourism Association, Vietnam now has 75 golf courses, three-quarters of which are owned by Vietnamese investors with the rest are owned by South Korean investors.

“One new golf course project is given a permit every two weeks in Vietnam. At this rate, Vietnam will have 50-100 new golf projects every year. Vinh Phuc authorities have given permits to 10 golf courses and Quang Nam has also planned for 10 new golf courses,” he said. “Even though the number of golf courses in Vietnam is still lower compared to the world’s average but such mass development in at the same time is worrying.”

Too many golf courses may lead to loss of cultivated lands, terrain and underground water changes. In some cases, the golf course is only a highlight of an urban area project. Recently, the government inspectorate has accused Hoa Binh authorities of violating the national golf planning after Hoa Binh authorities reclaimed 61ha out of 140ha reforestation land and assigned Vietnam Forest Corporation to build a golf course.

Former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Hung Vo acknowledged that golf is a way to boost tourism. However, many investors have used golf projects as a way to do real estate businesses. He went on to say that golf projects are only a part of tourism development planning and the investors do not own the land-use rights.

“Yet many investors avoided the law and earned money by using 10% of the land of the golf projects to build hotels and villas and condo hotels illegally,” Vo said. “Why have many golf projects suffered losses but investors still plan on building more and expanding?”

He suggested tightening the regulations so that only 10% of the land will be allowed for golf-related businesses. If necessary, the government should collect taxes at the rate as if the land has been leased to a hotel or urban area projects to avoid budget losses.

Over 100 educational institutions join enrolment and career counselling festival

The 2021 enrolment and career counselling festival officially opened at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology on April 11.

This is an annual activity organised by Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, attracting 170 counselling booths of universities, colleges, vocational schools, and foreign language centres.

The event drew the participation of experts from the Ministry of Education and Training, universities, academies, representatives of the Military Admission Committee under the Ministry of Defence, etc.

At the festival, students and parents were provided with the latest information on high school graduation exams and university and college admission exams in 2021; experience on exam review; how to select the right career and school; as well as enrolment methods of universities, colleges and schools, among others.

Students also had a chance access to forecasting information of the needs of human resources of fields and industries in the future, changes in career structure in the context of strong digitalisation.

Kumho to invest over US$300 million in its Vietnam plant

South Korean tiremaker Kumho Tires has announced that it will invest an additional US$305 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Vietnam, enabling the tiremaker to double the facility’s production capacity.

The expansion project will be implemented in two years, starting from the third quarter of this year to the first quarter of 2023.

The plant, which is located in My Phuoc 3 Industrial Park in Binh Duong Province and has been operational for a decade, will be expanded by building more facilities on the vacant lot inside the plant’s compound.

Once complete, the expanded plant is expected to churn out at least 9.3 million tires per year.

Over the past years, Kumko Tire products manufactured in Binh Duong have been shipped to many parts of the world.

Kumho Tires is currently operating a number of tire manufacturing plants globally, but Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian country where the tiremaker has its facility. Aside from its plants in South Korea, Kumho Tires has also set up plants in China and the United States.

With an abundant amount of natural rubber, the surging demand for vehicles, low-cost labor, stable investment environment and other factors, Vietnam has been attracting major tiremakers to set up and expand their businesses.

Early this year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency, a Chinese-invested tire factory project in Tay Ninh Province had its investment adjusted upward by over US$312 million. Other large tire manufacturers such as Bridgestone, Yokohama Tyre, Maxxis and Sailun had entered the Vietnamese market, investing in large-scale projects.

US$491 million to be invested in market stabilization program in 2021-2022

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, six banks and credit institutions are registered in the market stabilization program for the period 2021-2022 with a total of VND11,346 billion (US$491 million) to support businesses to prepare goods for the program.

Enterprises with the demand for bank loans will be connected with credit institutions with long-term interest rates ranging from 6.5 percent to 11.3 percent a year and short-term interest rate of 4.5 percent per year to invest in livestock and production activities, technology renovation and development of distribution systems and goods storage.

The paymen term of loans and interest rates will be based on the agreement between the credit institutions and enterprises under the market stabilization program.

Besides, the Department of Industry and Trade also encouraged businesses to use their capital, strengthen linkage and cooperation between manufacturing enterprises and distributors to be loaned for production, ensure plentiful goods, stable prices and raise the competitiveness of subsidized products.

Khau Vai Love Market to open in May

The Khau Vai Love Market 2021, a unique cultural practice of local residents in Khau Vai commune in Meo Vac district of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, is scheduled to be held from May 6-8.

The love market, which is located about 200km far from the province’s centre, has been held once every year on the 27th day of the third lunar month, attracting thousands of visitors.

Under the theme “The love songs fair”, this year’s festival will feature an array of activities showcasing the most typical cultural features of local ethnic minority people.

There will be a beauty contest, an incense offering ceremony at Ong Temple, rituals to pray for peace, along with folk games, among others.

Organisers said the market offers a chance to promote local tourism, notably Dong Van Karst Plateau – a UNESCO Global Geopark.

The Khau Vai Love Market is a popular attraction in Ha Giang. On the 27th day of the third lunar month, local ethnic women and men put on their best traditional costumes and go to the market where they are free to meet their former lovers in public.

Husbands and wives arrive at the market together and start looking for their past partners among the crowd. Spouses do not get angry or jealous because the meeting at the market is supposed to be a temporary moment and does not affect their daily lives or relationship.

According to folklore, a man and a woman were deeply in love but were forbidden to be together because they were from different ethnic groups. A violent conflict later took place between the two tribes, resulting in bloodshed for both. To stop the fierce fight, the couple decided to part ways with broken hearts. They, however, promised to meet once every year in the market in Khau Vai commune on the day.

Ha Giang has been an attractive destination among visitors for its stunning landscapes and diverse cultural values.

Among popular tourism destinations are the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark, Lung Cu Flag Pole, Ma Pi Leng Peak and Dong Van Town Old Quarter.

Hanoi: Additional 23.7 billion VND raised for sea, island fund

As much as 23.7 billion VND (over 1 million USD) was donated by 119 organisations and agencies in Hanoi for the Fund for Vietnam’s Sea and Islands on April 12.

The donations were collected at the launching ceremony for this year’s second donation drive to raise money for the Fund, held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) committee of Hanoi.

From February 3, the city’s VFF committee has received more than 35.7 billion VND from 162 organisations and agencies for the Fund.

Chairwoman of the committee Nguyen Lan Huong said that warm response to the drive was a vivid illustration for Hanoians’ love for soldiers and officers in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

She expressed his hope that the Fund will receive widely support from local citizens and organisations.

A working group from the city, led by Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong, will visit Truong Sa archipelago and DK1 Platform from April 12 to 20.

Earlier, more than 12 billion VND was mobilised for the Fund by 73 organisations in the city in the first donation drive.

The money will be used to build a cultural house on Thuyen Chai A island in Truong Sa archipelago, and organise a number of “For Vietnam’s sea and islands” activities.

Publication on historic outer space journey debuts

The Vietnamese version of the archival publication “Chuyến du hành vũ trụ lịch sử” (Historic outer space journey) debuted in Hanoi on April 12, marking the 40th anniversary of the first Vietnamese astronaut Pham Tuan’s flight to space and the 60th anniversary of Yu.A.Gagarin’s spaceflight.

Speaking at the event, Director of the State Records and Archives Department Dang Thanh Tung said following the establishment of diplomatic ties, Vietnam and former Soviet signed a number of cooperation agreements, treaties and conventions in the fields of economy, trade, culture, education, science-technology and army, including aviation and astronautics.

The 130-page publication is a joint effort between the State Records and Archives Department and the Federal Archival Agency of Russia. It features outstanding documents and photos chosen by the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, the State Records And Archives Management Department’s National Archives Centre III, Vietnam News Agency and astronaut Pham Tuan.

Its Russian version was published last year.

Role of female NA deputies discussed

To raise the rate of female deputies to the National Assembly (NA) and all-level People’s Councils requires strong, synchronous, and effective solutions as well as political resolve and efforts from female candidates, a meeting in central Da Nang city on April 12 heard.

According to Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs and Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Female NA Deputy Group, legal regulations require that women must account for at least 35 percent of the total number of female candidates for deputy to the NA and all-level People’s Councils.

Although the rate of female deputies to the 14th NA and all-level People’s Councils for 2016-2021 was higher than in the previous tenure, it failed to reach the targeted 30 percent.

The world average rate is currently 25.5 percent, and Vietnam ranked 60th globally in this regard during the 14th tenure and fifth in Southeast Asia, after Timor Leste, Singapore, the Philippines, and Laos, she said.

Anh stressed that Vietnam attaches importance to promoting gender equality and women’s engagement in politics, noting that the country’s constitution, policies, and laws on the matter have created a legal framework for women to play a role in political activities.

Le Thi Nguyet, Vice Chairwoman of the Committee, lauded the contributions of female deputies to the country’s development, especially on issues regarding women, children, gender equality, and social welfare.

During the 14th tenure, they actively contributed opinions on draft laws, thematic supervision reports, and Q&A sessions, she added.

A focus of the meeting was how to improve female candidates’ election campaign skills, towards the goal of having more women representatives in elected bodies.

Ninh Thuan cooperatives link up with firms to sell farm produce

Agriculture cooperatives in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan have linked up with companies to increase product value and guarantee outlets, the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has said.

Up to 24 of the province’s 63 agriculture cooperatives have linkages with companies to develop value chains for their products like rice, corn, grapes, asparagus and organic cashew nuts.

The 24 cooperatives produce agricultural products on large-scale fields that use advanced farming techniques.

Many products of the cooperatives have been granted international standard certificates from the EU and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP).

The Tuan Tu General Service Cooperative in Ninh Phuoc district’s An Hai commune grows asparagus on a large-scale field to VietGAP standards and has a farm contract with Tien Tien Organic Agriculture Farm to guarantee outlets for its members.

Hung Ky, director of the Tuan Tu General Service Cooperative, said: “The cooperative supplies loans and fertilisers to its members to grow asparagus and teaches them techniques to produce safe, quality products.”

The agriculture cooperatives’ products have been included in the country’s “one commune – one product” (OCOP) programme in the province.

OCOP products are commercial products and services such as food and beverages, handicrafts and rural tourism services. They are classified at five levels, with a five – star being the highest level.

Dang Kim Cuong, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and deputy chairman of the appraisal board for the province’s OCOP programme, said that seven cooperatives participated in the province’s OCOP programme last year.

The cooperative’s products like red onion, fresh jujube, dried jujube and asparagus are rated three or four-star OCOP products.

The province is promoting OCOP products in combination with tourism services via cooperatives, companies and households.

The Thai An General Agriculture Service Cooperative in Ninh Hai district’s Vinh Hai commune had its NH01 – 152 grape recognised as a four-star OCOP product last year, and its NH01 – 152 grape growing area has become a tourism destination.

Nguyen Khac Phong, director of Thai An, said the province had assigned the co-operative to expand the cultivation of its NH01 – 152 grape to serve tourism services.

Besides its NH01 – 152 grape, Thai An has other seven products, including dried jujube, dried grape, and fresh red grape and grape wine, granted as three-star OCOP products.

“The co-operative’s OCOP products have created motivation for the co-operative to promote production and expand its market,” he said.

With their effective operation, the provinces’ agriculture cooperatives had an average revenue of 2.1 billion VND (90,000 USD) and average profit of 250 million VND (10,800 USD) last year, up 9.4 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively, against 2019, according to the province’s Co-operative Alliance.

Collective economy

Ninh Thuan targets that its collective economy will contribute 8.8 – 9 percent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) this year, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The province aims to establish 10 – 12 new cooperatives and 10 – 15 new co-operative groups, with a total of 200 – 300 members, this year.

Its goal is to have average revenue of 2.2 – 2.25 billion VND (95,000 – 97,200 USD) this year for cooperatives and an average revenue of 260 – 270 million VND for cooperative groups.

It also plans to have 50 – 60 percent of cooperatives operating effectively by 2025, and for the collective economy to contribute 10 – 11 percent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2025.

The province will encourage the development of cooperatives in agriculture, small industry, commerce and services, and promote effective new-style cooperatives, and cooperatives that link up with companies to produce agricultural products on large-scale fields with value chains.

Tran Quoc Nam, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said: “The province will help cooperatives to access the central and local governments’ preferential policies on land, loans, infrastructure, human resource training, and advanced techniques for production.”

It will also arrange trade promotions at home and abroad to expand markets for products of cooperatives.

Ninh Thuan, which has the least rainfall in the country, has developed 12 specifically identified products, including grape, jujube, asparagus, sheep, goat, Ca Na fish sauce, My Nghiep brocade products and Bau Truc pottery products./.

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

Do Van Chien, President of the VFF Central Committee for the ninth tenure, speaks at the meeting in Hanoi on April 12

Do Van Chien, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Party Delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), has been assigned as President of the VFF Central Committee for the ninth tenure (2019-2024).

The VFF Central Committee held a meeting in Hanoi on April 12 to discuss the appointment of its President and additional members to its Presidium.

All in attendance agreed to assign Chien as a member of the VFF Central Committee and its Presidium, and President of the VFF Central Committee for the ninth tenure.

His predecessor, Politburo member Tran Thanh Man, was recently elected Vice Chairman of the 14th National Assembly (NA).

In his inauguration address, Chien said the VFF should push ahead with performing its duties in the election of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 term.

He called on people from all social strata nationwide and overseas Vietnamese to continue upholding the tradition of great solidarity, actively support patriotic emulation movements launched by the VFF, and capitalise on opportunities and advantages to weather the challenges and join the entire Party, people, and army in developing a strong and prosperous Vietnam and helping all people enjoy a prosperous and happy life.

Born on November 10, 1962, Chien is from the San Diu ethnic minority group. He has served as Secretary of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Party Delegation of the VFF in the 2019-2024 tenure since March 31 this year.

All participants at the meeting also agreed to add eight people to the VFF Central Committee for the ninth tenure.

Programme honours Vietnam’s Ao dai in Hanoi

An Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) performance event named “Ao Dai Cua Chung Ta” (Our Ao dai) was held in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (The Temple of Literature) in Hanoi recently, aiming at honouring and promoting Vietnamese traditional costumes.

The event, co-organised by the Thang Long Institute for Cultural Research and Tinh hoa Dat Viet Magazine, also features the participations of more than 400 models, actors, and guests, including wives of ambassadors of Italy, India, Laos and Belarus.

Ao dai has long been a traditional costume and a typical cultural feature of Vietnam. Through ups and downs with constant changes, ao dai still honours the gracefulness and elegance of Vietnamese women.

The event “Ao Dai Cua Chung Ta” contributes to the continued promotion of community awareness and responsibility in preserving and protecting traditional Ao dai, and honouring and promoting Vietnamese traditional costumes; while, at the same time, promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and other countries around the world.

Over 34 billion VND for COVID-19 vaccine purchase in HCM City

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City on April 12 received over 34 billion VND (1.47 million USD) from businesses, local residents and overseas Vietnamese to buy COVID-19 vaccines.

The programme was held by the Ho Chi Minh Television in the first stage from February 25 to March 31, said Chairwoman of the committee To Thi Bich Chau.

Earlier on March 15, Chau received 1 billion VND from the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s HCM City chapter in support of the effort.

Before April 12, the city’s COVID-19 prevention and control fund received more than 269.7 billion VND, including supplies and equipment worth over 90.5 billion VND from individuals and organisations at home and abroad.

The fund distributed supplies, equipment and cash valued at more than 179.6 billion VND to forces directly involved in the pandemic prevention and control at hospitals, medical stations, quarantine facilities, and the poor hit hard by the pandemic.

Congratulations to newly-elected Vietnamese leaders

Leaders of foreign countries have sent messages of congratulations to newly-elected Vietnamese leaders.

In a message sent to State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed his wish to further enhance bilateral ties on the basis of unconditional support, mutual political trust and symbolic solidarity.

On the occasion, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Deputy Emir of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman, President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi also congratulated the Vietnamese President.

Congratulating Pham Minh Chinh on being elected as Prime Minister, his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero Cruz wished to strengthen the bilateral relationship and develop future projects in all fields of shared interest.

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar Sheikh Khalid Bin Khalifa Bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babis, President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi also cabled congratulatory messages to Chinh.

In his message sent to National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez expressed his belief that the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two legislatures and nations will further grow in the near future.

Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia Valentina Matviyenko, for her part, thanked Hue for supporting the development of bilateral ties. She believed that the cooperation between the two legislatures over the past years will lay a solid foundation for bilateral relationship as well as coordination at international forums, contributing to consolidating stability and security in Asia-Pacific.

Work on Quang Tri airport to begin in early September

The construction for the airport requires an investment of over VND8 trillion (US$346.8 million).

Work will kick off on Quang Tri Airport in the central province of Quang Tri in September, according to local authorities.

The construction is designed to have an investment of over VND8 trillion (US$346.8 million). Funding of the airport project will involve private resources, in line with the government’s plan to summon private investors to support the development of the country’s transportation infrastructure.

The airport is expected to be operational by 2030 with a capacity of one million passengers and 3,100 tons of cargo per year.

Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Hung asked the consultants, including T&T Group JSC, to soon complete design plans for the airport project and other relevant procedures to carry out the construction as scheduled.

Speaking at the meeting on April 9 in Dong Ha city, Chairman and General Director of T&T Group Do Quang Hien said that the company will coordinate well with the provincial authorities to complete the prescribed procedures, and expected to start the construction on September 2.

Hung asked the consultants to plan the airport taking into account the main thoroughfares of the province and the central region to make the airport a regional hub for air transport region.

Earlier, the province finished the demarcation of an area of 594-ha for the construction of Quang Tri airport in the Gio Linh district’s communes of Gio Mai and Gio Quang.

The provincial proposal to conduct pre-feasibility study of the airport was approved by the government, which asked Quang Tri authorities to implement it after consulting with relevant ministries.

Khmer people in Soc Trang ready for Chol Chnam Thmay

The Khmer people in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang will celebrate their traditional New Year festival, Chol Chnam Thmay, from April 14-16.

Buddhist followers will gather at pagodas to perform traditional rituals throughout the festival.

Most Venerable Lam Suong, head of the Ompuyear Pagoda in Thanh Phu commune, My Xuyen district, said the pagoda has raised public awareness about COVID-19 prevention and control efforts during the festival, as recommended by the health sector and provincial authorities.

Head of the provincial ethnic minority committee Lam Sach said that over 30 percent of the local population are Khmer people. In recent years, the provincial Party Committee, authorities, and people have joined hands to complete political and socio-economic tasks, contributing to giving ethnic rural areas a facelift.

As of late 2020, the total number of local poor households was down to just over 8,600, or 2.66 percent. Of these, 4,140 were Khmer people, or 4.13 percent./.

Six volunteers receive second jab of second local COVID-19 vaccine

A total of six volunteers on April 12 were given their second shot of the domestically-produced novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine known as COVIVAC, which is being developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC).

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Van Anh, director of Centre of Clinical Pharmacology at Hanoi Medical University, 96 volunteers have now received a dose of the experimental vaccine as part of the first phase of trials.

Dr. Anh states that the majority of subjects remain in a stable condition following the vaccination, with only a few recording symptoms such as a mild headache and mild pain around the injection site.

Following the administering of the first dose, the remaining 120 volunteers will be injected before April 18.

COVIVAC has so far proved to be effective against the new SARS-CoV strain which has been detected in both the UK and South Africa. The vaccine is expected to be formally launched later this year after passing through three separate phases of human trials.

Saltwater intrusion in Mekong Delta to be problematic until late April

Saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta will remain an issue between now and late April, an official from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has forecast.

The situation will become less severe in May.

Phung Tien Dung, head of the centre’s hydro-meteorological forecasting office for the central, Central Highlands and southern regions, said that from April 12-15, localities should limit watering plants, especially fruit trees with high economic value.

From April 12-20, rainfall with thunderstorms will hit the upper reaches of the Mekong River and the southern region./.

Passenger vehicles without camera to be fined up to US$518

According to Decree No.10/2020 on auto transport business and conditions for auto transport business, passenger automobiles with at least nine seats, containers and tractors without cameras will be fined up to VND12 million (US$518) from July 2.

With the requirement, the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam just requested the Departments of Transport of Provinces and Cities nationwide to speed up the camera installation process for business vehicles.

The local Departments of Transport recommended auto transport businesses should use cameras equipped 4G or 5G cellular networks instead of 2G to ultimately transmit data and to avoid time waste as telecommunication network operators will soon terminate 2G cellular network following to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ schedule.

HCMC to have only one administrative level from July 1

The HCMC People’s Committee will be the only administrative level of the city’s 16 districts and Thu Duc City from July 1, 2021, in line with Resolution No. 131/2020/QH14 on the organization of the HCMC urban administration.

Other provinces and cities in the country still have three administrative levels, including the provincial/municipal People’s Committee, the district-level People’s Committees and the commune-level People’s Committees.

In HCMC, the district-level People’s Committees and commune-level People’s Committees will become administrative agencies of the city in the districts and communes.

Chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the district-level People’s Committees and commune-level People’s Committees will be appointed or relieved by the chairperson of the HCMC People’s Committee instead of the People’s Councils of the same level.

Original copies and signatures of administrative documents will be certified by civil and judicial officers instead of chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the district-level People’s Committees and commune-level People’s Committees to cut down on the number of administrative procedures for citizens.

Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said the city will not organize the People’s Council of 16 districts and 249 communes. However, the representative right, democracy right and information access right of the people will still be ensured and maintained at a high level.

These movements are aimed at simplifying the urban administration from the municipal to the district and commune levels, improving the efficiency of administrative agencies and shortening administrative procedures.

Eight cities, provinces complete first phase of Covid-19 vaccination

Vietnam saw eight provinces and cities— Tay Ninh, Long An, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa, Danang, Gia Lai, Hoa Binh and Ha Giang—complete the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination as of April 10, according to the Ministry of Health.

Over 1,670 more people in seven provinces and cities got shots of the Covid-19 vaccine on April 9.

As of April 9, as many as 19 provinces and cities in Vietnam rolled out the Covid-19 vaccine, with a total of 58,037 medical frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, VietnamPlus news site reported.

To ensure safety amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Health advised residents to follow anti-Covid-19 measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands, keeping a safe physical distance, avoiding mass gatherings and making health declarations.

Up to date, some 37,940 people who came back from pandemic-hit countries or had close contact with Covid-19 patients are being monitored and quarantined at hospitals, quarantine centers or at home.

Among the total 2,683 Covid-19 cases reported in Vietnam, as many as 2,429 patients have made a full recovery, while 35 others have died of the virus.

HCMC announces one-day break on Hung Kings’ death anniversary

According to the announcement of the People’s Committee of HCMC, officials of political and administrative of State agencies, departments and organizations will enjoy a day-break on the Hung King’s Commemoration Day on April 21 (the 10th day of the third lunar month).

Local agencies, organizations, schools, hospitals, military units, businesses and households across the city are required to fly national flags on the death anniversary of the Hung Kings.

The municipal government has authorized to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with relevant units to keep streets and public places throughout the city clean during the upcoming holiday.

The Hung Kings Memorial Day, which falls on the 10th of the third lunar month, is one of the public holidays of Vietnam. It is for worshipping and paying gratitude to Hung Kings, the legendary founders of the nation. The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

Candidates of graduation examination must be given good conditions: Deputy PM

The education sector must create good conditions for candidates of the national high school graduation examination so that they can continue the pursuit of higher education, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

Mr. Dam made the statement while chairing a meeting on preparation for the national high school graduation examination yesterday in Hanoi.

Mentioning the preparation of the national examination, a representative from the Ministry of Education and Training said that the ministry has completed all steps for the upcoming examination.

Participants at the meeting voiced their opinions that local authorities should be given accountability; yet, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Education Minister will take on the overall responsibility of the examination. Moreover, the Ministry will publicize students’ academic reports and compose tests.

Newly-elected Education Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that inspectors from the Ministry will directly work with sub-divisions upon preparations for the examination to ensure the best result.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that after 6 years of implementation, the education sector has completed the roadmap for the high school graduation exam. The most obvious outcome of the exam is that it has had an impact on holistic education with the consideration of streamlining of students.

Opportunities for students to choose universities basing on their own abilities and aspirations are much better than before.

Deputy PM Dam ordered the Ministry to assume the overall responsibility for the examination transparently and fairly. Additionally, the Ministry must have an analysis and assessment of mark gaps between cities and provinces to discover illegal adjustment of students’ marks.

Last but not least, local administration and leaders of cities and provinces in which the examination takes place will be held accountable for organizing the examination and adopting preventive measures agaisnt Covid-19.

HCMC to survey 9th, 11th graders’ foreign language learning quality

The Ho Chi Minh City education sector will survey the foreign language learning quality of ninth and eleventh graders.

In its document to heads of education divisions in Thu Duc City, districts and principals of junior and senior high schools, the Department of Education and Training has guided how to conduct a survey on foreign language learning quality of ninth and eleventh graders.

This is one of the activities to re-assess the implementation of the quality of the project “Compulsorily learning a new language and improving high schoolers’ English in HCMC for the 2011-2020 period” issued by the municipal People’s Committee in 2012.

Survey respondents are ninth and eleventh graders in public and non-public schools in the city. Each student will sit for a multiple-choice test of English including listening, reading and writing in 90 minutes.

Ninth graders will do the survey from April 19 to 21 and eleventh students will do it from April 22 to 24.

HCMC police handling case of money appropriation from company in Dubai

Accordingly, on May 6 of 2020, Ngo To Lap – representative of Viet Phong Thinh Co. Ltd – signed a glove sales contract with Mac World Middle East FZE.

After receiving US$150,000 from the contract partner, Viet Phong Thinh Co. Ltd. did not observe the conditions laid out in that contract, leading to a contract cancelation and an agreement that this company must return the deposit to Mac World Middle East FZE.

However, Viet Phong Thinh Co. Ltd. only sent $30,000 and then moved to another location without notice.

Initial investigation reveals that Ngo To Lap (born in 1988) does not stay at his permanent address of Ward 7 in District 5 of HCMC. PIA asks that Lap immediate report to Police Officer Pham Anh Tuan (mobile phone number 0902620666) from the Office of Economy Police at the address of 674 Ba Thang Hai Street in District 10 for further investigation on the case.

In related news, PIA is working on the case of Nguyen Thi Kim Hang (born in 1984 and living in Binh Chanh District of HCMC), who was reported by Nguyen Thi Thai Ngoc – Director of Quoc Nhan Co. Ltd. – about violation of the contract to help Quoc Nhan Co. Ltd. receive the humanitarian aid of gloves for sale later on.

After receiving VND2 billion (approx. $86,800) from Ms. Ngoc, Hang ran away. PIA requests that Ms. Hang contact Police Officer Pham Minh Tam (mobile phone number 0693187680) of PC01 at the address of 268 Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1 for further investigation.

Obstetrician nabbed for involving in illegal surrogacy ring in Hanoi

Criminal investigators in Hanoi have decided to take legal proceedings against a doctor and two women involving in an illegal surrogacy ring.

Police have apprehended 59-year-old Nguyen Danh Hoa in Dong Da District in Hanoi, 40-year-old Pham Ngoc Thao in Ho Chi Minh City and 29-year-old Nguyen Anh Thu from the Southern Province of Vinh Long for running illicit surrogacy service.

Nguyen Danh Hoa was identified to be an obstetrician who worked for different hospitals in Hanoi. He has a private medical practice facility at home without operation permit.

According to police’s investigation, Thao met obstetrician Hoa during her in vitro fertilization process while Thao accidentally made friend with Thu when she participated in groups of those who suffered from infertility and offered them surrogacy services via social media.

Thao and Thu later wanted to earn money; therefore, they acted as intermediary by posting an information of seeking people for surrogate parents and those seeking a surrogate to have their own child.

They cooperated with obstetrician Hoa to form the unlawful surrogacy ring.

The three will legalize all document to help those who are not eligible for surrogacy service. Doctor Hoa performed all of the relevant procedures to get those in need surrogates pregnant.

Police continued furthering the investigation.

80-year-old teacher runs free classes for poor children in Bình Phước

Though he may be 80 years old, Ngô Tùng Bích is far from retired.

The man in Tân Hòa Village, southern Bình Phước Province, teaches poor children in his area for free.

Tân Hòa, Tân Tiến Commune has a border with Cambodia where people from several ethnic groups live.

Their life remains unstable and depends largely on farming.

After seeing children at school age who were still illiterate or had dropped out of school, Bích opened free classes to teach children from grade one to grade five in 2009.

“On the first days when classes had just opened, I taught them in a hut with a roof made from leaves and some old furniture for five to seven children to sit on,” he told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper.

Bích had to teach children in five grades at the same time. One group learned maths, one studied writing, another practised reading.

Word of the classes spread in the area and more and more students signed up. During the summer holidays, the class receives up to 30 children.

Bích helps the children review old knowledge and teaches them new things to keep up with the school curriculum.

Bích said he taught children not only maths and literature but also moral lessons to help them become good people.

After learning of Bích’s charity work, many people have donated desks, chairs, books and boards.

Đàm Văn Hàn lives in Tân Hòa Village and his son attends Bích’s class.

“My son’s academic performance was only average because of the family’s economic difficulties and lacking care from parents. Since my son studied with teacher Bích, he has become more diligent, focused on his studies and gradually improved his performance at school,” he said.

Hàn, the father, used to be Bích’s student when Bích opened the first classes ten years ago.

“I want my children and grandchildren in my family to continue studying with teacher Bích. He has taught two generations of my family, but has never taken tuition.”

Bích has even taught disabled children and five years ago, he admitted a 15-year-old boy who had problems with moving his arms and legs.

The boy’s parents trusted Bích to teach him because no school agreed to receive the disabled boy.

“Teaching the disabled boy was such a challenging time because I had to spend hours talking to him, telling him sentences and asking him to repeat to practise speaking. Half a year later, the boy could speak and is now proficient in four basic calculations,” Bích said.

Bích runs the classes for free but his own family is classified as a poor household in the area.

He and his wife live on the financial support of their children who work far from home.

Despite his difficult life, he said: “As long as I am in a good state of health, I will keep teaching. The children’s success is the highest reward for my teaching career.”

French musical ‘Les Misérables’ tours across Vietnam

The famed historical French musical ‘Les Misérables’ by Victor Hugo is set to be shown at numerous venues nationwide during a tour which will take place between mid-April and June.

The show will be staged at the Hanoi Opera House from April 16 to April 18. It will then be performed in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak as part of the National Dance and Music Festival in May.

To conclude the tour, artists will give a final three-day showing of the musical in Ho Chi Minh City in early June.

The show is due to feature an array of local artists from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Theatre , foreign artists from Hanoi Voices Choir, along with director Nguyen Trieu Duong and choreographer Linh An.

M&A deal between PGBank and HDBank falls through

The alleged mergers and acquisitions deal between HDBank and PGBank has turned sour, as confirmed by representatives from both sides.

The bank said that although the deal received the in-principle approval from the SBV in October 2018, the tie-up deal between the two banks has not been officially approved due to unspecified reasons.

Previously, PGBank almost sold stakes to VietinBank and MSB. However, MSB also confirmed that the deal did not go through eventually. Nguyen Quang Dinh, chairman of PGBank’s Board said that after six years of pursuing the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) plan, the bank could not fulfil its dreams.

PGBank shareholders also approved the termination of the M&A plan with HDBank at the annual general meeting of shareholders on March 30.

By the end of 2020, PGBank had a total of VND626 billion ($27.2 million) of internal non-performing loans, down 16.3 per cent since the beginning of the year.

The bank also approved the 2021 pre-tax profit plan of VND310 billion($13.48 million), an increase of 46 per cent compared to 2020 on the assumption that total income will not increase, administrative expenses will increase 9 per cent, and risk management expenses plummeted 44 per cent.

LG Electronics looking for buyer for smartphone plants

South Korean technology giant LG Electronics is shutting down all smartphone plants and is beginning to look for buyers.

After announcing to withdraw from the smartphone business, LG Electronics is closing down production plants in Haiphong (Vietnam), Taubate (Brazil), and Qingdao (China) after failing to effect a breakthrough, according to Business Korea.

Of these, the Haiphong plant, which is the largest among LG Electronics’ smartphone plants with an annual capacity of about 10 million smartphones, equaling about half of LG’s total smartphone output, has been announced to find a buyer at the selling price of KRW100 billion ($90 million). Realising the difficulties of finding a local buyer, which is going to manufacture almost 10 million smartphones per year, LG Electronics is considering selling the plant site only, without the production lines.

The Taubate and Qingdao plants are facing the same difficulties. They have a total capacity of about 8-9 million smartphones a year. After a rumour about the sale of the Taubate plant caught wind at the end of February, executives and employees at the plant have been staging a strike since March 26 due to concerns over their job security.

Last month, LG Electronics attempted to sell its smartphone factories to local conglomerate Vingroup, without success.

“LG negotiated with Vingroup to sell its smartphone factories in Vietnam and Brazil. However, the recent negotiations failed mainly due to price disagreements,” the Korea Times today quoted a senior industry official who understood the deal.

Some 12,000 candidates enter Violympic national final round

Roughly 12,000 students from 50 cities and provinces nationwide yesterday entered the national final round of the 2020-2021 Violympic, the online math and physics competition organized by FPT Corporation.

Some 8,000 fifth, ninth, and twelfth graders took Mathematics Violympic (Vietnamese version), approximately 2,500 fourth and eighth graders sat for Mathematics Violympic (English version), and over 1,000 learners in grades 9 and 12 took Physics.

To enter the final round, students had to complete nine prior rounds meeting the qualifying scores and criteria set in each examination location.

Students who win the national Violympic competition this year will be awarded certificates of merit and Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals for each subject and grade. The top 20 candidates will receive their rewards in kind, which is worth over VND400 million (US$ 17,350) in total.

The competition’s organization board revealed that the national round is scheduled to be expanded for other grades in the next years.

The 2020-2021 academic year is the thirteenth consecutive year that Violympic has been organized for high school students nationwide proving to be a prestigious online playground. It has been welcomed by teachers, students and parents.

So far, the Violympic System has reached 33.7 million subscribers after 13 years of development. The competition currently has a total of 10 rounds, minimizing pressure on students and teachers. In the competition, six self-training rounds closely adhere to textbooks with interesting formats, combining Mathematics, Physics, Foreign Languages and Information Technology to help students to actively brush up on their pre-existing knowledge and self-assess their own knowledge.

The goal of the competition is to help students in all corners of the country to have access to education 4.0 as well as assist teachers and schools to enhance the information technology application for innovative teaching approaches, improved teaching-learning quality and management quality.

WUS President highlights Vietnam’s increasing role

President of the World University Service (WUS) Kambiz Ghawami has highlighted Vietnam’s increasing role in the world as well as cooperation between Vietnam and Germany during a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Germany.

He stressed that the international community has strong belief in Vietnam’s policies, highlighting successful cooperation between Vietnam and Germany within the framework of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the two nations’ rotating Chairmanship of the regional organisations, as well as their collaboration in various international initiatives.

Thanks to the nation’s good control of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam could achieve 6.5 percent GDP growth in 2021, and even 7.2 percent in 2022, as projected by the World Bank (WB).

According to Ghawami, the forecasts are encouraging, particularly when the country combines sustainable economic development with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Vietnam and Germany have various resolutions to realise the SDGs, he said, adding both sides could work together on an international-level research on infectious diseases in animals, as well as kick off related initiatives at the UN and within the UNSC framework.

Besides, Ghawami said that the Vietnamese people in Germany have contributed their efforts to the fight against COVID-19 through presenting meals and face masks to German frontline workers.

Both nations also have cooperated in various projects, he said, noting Hessen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thüringen states, and the association of friends of the Vietnamese-German University (VGU), comprising many German firms like Messer AG, EDAG, Dussmann, HDI, TRUMPF, Dorsch AG) and VietinBank branch in Germany, presented over 300 scholarships worth more than 170,000 EUR to support VGU students who face difficulties due to COVID.

He underscored that the Vietnam-Germany relations have been built on political trust as well as close ties between the two peoples.

Lack of human resources hindering hi-tech firms

Human resources, especially high-quality personnel, have always been a critical element in determining the success of an enterprise, especially high-tech enterprises. Most enterprises, however, face a lack of high-quality workers.

As one of the leading hi-tech companies in Vietnam, about 90 per cent of FPT Software’s staff are highly-skilled. But only 60 percent satisfy job demands.

Unskilled workers at many Vietnamese enterprises have become redundant while high-quality human resources don’t meet demand. This has forced businesses to find their own way of attracting and improving their workforce.

Vietnam currently holds many advantages in training high-quality human resources, such as a young population that are creative, adaptative, and learn quickly. But these advantages have not been fully promoted, resulting in a shortage of high-quality workers that directly affects the development of enterprises in particular and the economy in general.

Insufficient high-quality human resources will reduce the ability of enterprises to adapt to new business conditions, market requirements, and cutting-edge technologies, among other things. Therefore, resolving this shortage will be a key issue for businesses in creating a breakthrough in the current context.

Vietnam records two more imported COVID-19 cases

Vietnam recorded two more imported COVID-19 cases, all Vietnamese citizens, in the past 12 hours to 6am on April 12, who were put under quarantine after their arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.

The two patients are currently quarantined and treated at Cu Chi COVID-19 treatment hospital.

So far, Vietnam has reported 2,707 positive cases, while the death toll related to the disease remained at 35.

As of April 13 morning, 2,445 patients had given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Among patients under treatment, 16 tested negative to the virus once, 18 others twice and 18 thrice.

At present, as many as 36,234 people nationwide are under quarantine, including 519 in hospitals, 120,409 at concentrated facilities and 15,306 at home.

Also according to the Health Ministry, additional 831 people were vaccinated on April 12, including 247 in Quang Ninh, 75 in Hai Phong, 311 in Bac Ninh and 198 in HCM City.

The same day, 311 people in Bac Ninh received vaccinations in the second stage.

Nine out of 19 cities and provinces have to date finished the first vaccination stage, including Tay Ninh, Long An, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Gia Lai, Hoa Binh, Ha Giang and Bac Ninh.

As of 4pm on April 12, 59,259 medical staff involved in pandemic combat and members of the steering committees on pandemic prevention and control in 19 cities and provinces were vaccinated.

Election preparations in Truong Sa inspected

Preparations for the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure in Truong Sa district, the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, have been carried out in line with regulations.

A delegation of Khanh Hoa province and the Naval Region 4 High Command led by Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan, and Colonel Nguyen Dinh Hung, Commander of the Naval Region 4, inspected election preparations in Truong Sa township of the district on April 12.

The delegation asked the district election committee to continue observing relevant documents and guidelines to ensure the progress of the work, pay attention to collecting opinions of people and soldiers in the locality, and step up communications activities.

Military units and authorities in Truong Sa township should check material facilities ahead of the elections, given a range of difficulties facing the islands, they said.

Apart from election preparations, such units need to stand ready for combat and closely coordinate with local authorities to ensure safety during the elections, Hung said./.

NA Chairman chairs National Election Council’s fifth session

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, who is also Chairman of the National Election Council (NEC), chaired the council’s fifth session on April 12 – the first after several positions of the council were filled.

Speaking at the event, Hue said that along with efforts to successfully organize the NA’s 11th session – the last of the 14th tenure, preparations for the elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and all-level People’s Councils in the 2021-2026 tenure have been actively made since the NEC’s 4th session.

Offices in charge of the elections have been set up, documents guiding the elections issued, personnel work preparations stepped up, and dissemination works intensified, he stated.

At the session, the council listened to reports on the implementation of tasks since its 4th session, the establishment and deployment of supervision groups, the preparations for the third consultative conference, and adjustments to the assignment of tasks to NEC members.

After that, the council approved a resolution on the assignment of tasks to its members./.

Vietnam raises awareness about Thalassemia

Vietnam is marking International Thalassemia Day on May 8 with a message calling on people to conduct pre-marriage counselling and health check-ups for their own happiness and the country’s prosperity, the General Office for Population and Family Planning said on April 12.

This year’s International Thalassemia Day, themed “Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassemia Community”, is devoted to raising public awareness about Thalassemia and one of the major causes in the spread of the disease – cousin marriages, as well as the importance of pre-marriage and pre-pregnancy counselling and screenings to early detect the disease.

Data shows that there are about 8,000 new-borns carrying the Thalassemia gene every year, around 2,000 of which will suffer from severe symptoms.

Some 13 million Vietnamese, or 13 percent of the population, carry the gene. About 20-40 percent of the Thalassemia gene carriers are mountainous ethnic minority people, mainly due to inbreeding.

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, despite many efforts, treatment can only help improve patients’ quality of life and does not completely cure the disease.

A report shows that since 2001, up to 20 percent of children born with Thalassemia died at the age of 6-7 and most people with severe symptoms cannot find a spouse.

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough haemoglobin – an important part of red blood cells. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anaemia.

People with severe symptoms may suffer from bone problems and liver and heart failure, and the condition can be fatal.

A child can inherit Thalassemia if one or both of his or her parents carry the mutant gene. The risk is higher if both parents have it.

Most married Vietnamese couples do not have any tests or consultancy on inherited disorders. People who carry such genes show no abnormal signs so do not undergo examinations or screening before giving birth.

Huge investment in medicine and regular blood transfusions make Thalassemia a costly disease, placing a financial burden on families and society as a whole.

It is estimated that 2 trillion VND (85.1 million USD) and 500,000 blood units are needed each year to treat Thalassemia patients in Vietnam. The average treatment cost for a severe case from birth to the age of 30 is about 3 billion VND (130,000 USD)./.

Quang Nam, Laos’ southern localities promote cooperation

Secretary of the Party Committee of the central province of Quang Nam Phan Viet Cuong received Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang on April 12, during which they hoped to enhance collaboration between the Vietnamese locality and Laos’ southern provinces.

At the event, Cuong informed his guest of Quang Nam’s socio-economic development in the past time, the Quang Nam – Sekong cooperative ties, and the two localities’ collaboration across border security, entry-exit management, and COVID-19 prevention and combat, among others.

He expressed his hope that Quang Nam, which shares 157 kilometres of borderline with Laos, will branch out intensive cooperation with the neighbouring country’s southern localities.

He wished both sides will develop more effective cooperative models in various fields.

Cuong and the Lao diplomat believed that the bilateral cooperative ties will bring in practical benefits.

Sengphet Houngboungnuang congratulated Quang Nam for its recent achievements, speaking highly of the locality’s support for twining Sekong and several Lao localities in the fight against COVID-19, infrastructure development, and training for Lao officials and students.

Besides hoping to receive socio-economic development projects from Quang Nam investors, the ambassador wished the Vietnamese locality will continue support for Sekong in building essential infrastructure, and using the Dac Ta Oc- Nam Giang international border gates effectively, helping promoting trade exchange between Vietnamese central provinces and Laos’ southern localities.

Additionally, he wants Quang Nam to back Laos’ recommendation to construct a highway connecting the two nations with a view to concretising the East-West Economic Corridor strategy.

Earlier, Sengphet Houngboungnuang had a meeting with Lao students who are pursuing study at universities and colleges in Quang Nam province./.

Teleconference informs outcomes of 13th CPV Congress to Chinese party

A teleconference was held on April 12 to inform the results of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) to the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The event was co-chaired by head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung and head of the CPC’s International Liaison Department Song Tao.

Trung thanked the CPC’s Central Committee, Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders, agencies and organisations for sending congratulations on the success of the Congress and the re-election of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

He briefed on the results of the 13th National CPV Congress and major contents of its documents regarding socio-economic development, Party and political system building, Vietnam’s foreign policy and future orientations.

Hailing the significance of the Congress amid the complicated developments in the world, Trung said it set the goal of developing the country till 2020 with a vision to 2045, with the 100th anniversary of the CPV and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the country as two major milestones.

About the foreign policy, Trung stressed that Vietnam will continue pursuing its consistent policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, active and proactive global integration, maintenance of an environment of peace and stability, thus improving Vietnam’s prestige and stature on the international arena.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people consistently treasure the maintenance and development of its friendly, stable and sustainable cooperation with their Chinese counterparts, which is a strategic choice and a top priority in the country’s foreign policy.

Song, for his part, once again congratulated the success of the Congress, saying that the CPC Central Committee sent a message of congratulations to the Congress while Chinese Party chief and President Xi also held phone talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Trong following the Congress, reflecting the Chinese Party, State and people’s appreciation for Vietnam – China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

He informed that on the occasion of its 100th founding anniversary, the CPC will hold a series of activities, including study on its history and long-standing friendship between the CPC and the CPV.

Song expressed his belief that under the leadership of the CPV led by Trong, the Vietnamese people will continue reaping greater achievements in national reform and socialism building as well as successfully realise the Resolution adopted by the Congress.

As the year 2021 starts the tenure of the 13th National CPV Congress and marks China’s implementation of the 14th five-year planning and the 100th anniversary of the CPC, both sides affirmed their determination to work closely together to control differences, promote exchanges and cooperation in various areas, thus carrying forward the friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, countries and peoples.

HCM City leaders pay New Year visit to Lao Consulate General

A delegation from Ho Chi Minh City led by Standing Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tran Luu Quang paid a visit to the Lao Consulate General in the city on the occasion of Bunpimay – Laos’ traditional New Year Festival.

While extending his New Year wishes to the staff at the Consulate General and all Lao people, Quang expressed his delight at the development of the special friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between HCM City and Laos in general and Lao localities in particular, thus contributing to deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.

Lao Consul General Phimpha Keomixay thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their support for Laos’ national building and development cause, most recently in the construction of the Lao National Assembly House.

She also expressed her gratitude for the assistance from HCM City to the Consulate General and her hope of continuing to receive support in the time to come.

The Lao Government and people hope that Vietnam, including HCM City, will maintain cooperative activities to consolidate and develop traditional relations so as to further develop both countries.

The Bunpimay festival is observed from April 14-16 annually to pray for good weather, health, abundant harvests, and prosperity./.

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

JOURNALIST: – Sir, the GDP in the first quarter is estimated to increase by 4.48%, higher than growth rate of 3.68% in the first quarter of 2020. What do you think about this growth compared to expectations?

Dr. TRAN DU LICH: – First of all, it must be said that GDP growth in the first quarter has not met expectations as a result of the negative influence of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which effect was felt the most by the service sector. However, if compared with the increase of 3.68% in the first quarter of 2020, the increase in the first quarter of this year is better. In the growth rate of the first quarter, there are also some highlights that need to be looked into. The first is the manufacturing and processing industry which showed an increase of 9.45%, and the mining industry was negative at 8.24%. Thus, it can be said that the driving force behind the first quarter economic growth was mainly the manufacturing and processing industry.

In addition, the Government had a dual mission to fight the pandemic and also promote growth based on the three main pillars of public investment, increasing exports and exploiting the domestic market. In particular, exports saw a bright spot, when the export of goods increased by 22%, although in general, exports only increased by 17.01% due to the decrease in service exports; at the same time, we still had a trade surplus of US$ 2.03 bn. In terms of purchasing power, total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 5.1% over the same period last year, and social investment capital increased by 6.3%. These figures show that although there were many difficulties in the first quarter due to the third wave of Covid-19, we still achieved the double target.

However, there are also many new difficulties, such as affected exports due to lack of containers, rising transport prices, and not being able to exploit the domestic tourism market as planned. Notably, according to the survey, the operating situation of the business is generally good, but in the first three months of the year, the number of newly established businesses were less than 30,000, and the number of temporarily suspended operations were more than 40,000 enterprises. Therefore, the problem is to calculate how to continue supporting businesses.

– Sir, the average CPI in the first quarter increased by 0.29%, and the average basic inflation increased by 0.67% over the same period last year, but many people worry that the target of keeping inflation at below 4% this year will not be easy. What is your view on this?

– The greatest concern now is that the world raw material prices in many areas have increased sharply, some up to 30% to 40%. However, our economy is one that imports raw materials, which will certainly affect production costs and export costs. Thus, the risk of import impact on inflation is actual, but in the first quarter, this problem is still not clear. Therefore, the most worrisome is how to prevent cost-push inflation.

In the first quarter, the average CPI increased only 0.29% over the same period, and basic inflation increased only 0.67%. Basic inflation is the point related to the monetary factor. I think the basic inflation rate at 0.67% is a good reassuring point, because basic inflation at 2% to 2.5% is acceptable under current conditions.

So what problems needs to be calculated in the near future? In my opinion, the target of controlling the CPI below 4% in 2021 can be achieved if we maintain the monetary and fiscal policies and take precautions to import inflation from external factors. We must look out for the risk of inflation, but we cannot withdraw policies related to stimulating the economy because we are afraid of it. These policies must be consistently implemented in accordance with Resolution 01 of the Government.

We should not change any issues and should have a new support package related to credit and fiscal. For example, the support policies under Decree 41 of the Government, which will be applied from April 2020, need to be continued to implement tax extension and reduction.

– Sir, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, to reach the GDP growth target of 6.5%, the economy must increase at 7.19% in the second quarter, 6.78% in the third quarter and 7.16% in the fourth quarter. What management solutions can you propose so that we can achieve both target of growth and keep inflation below 4% this year?

– In my opinion, if we are persistent, some problems can still achieve their goal. First, we should not be subjective, but must continue the second enterprise support package, especially in helping businesses in difficulty. Second, we should continue to deal with problems in public investment. Third, we have to promote solutions to stimulate the domestic market. Especially, if the pandemic can be controlled, the solution we can focus on is to stimulate domestic tourism demand in the summer, and also increase domestic purchasing power.

The important thing for 2021 is not only the growth target of 6.5%, but also to lay the foundation for more sustainable and stable growth from 2022 in the context of exploiting the new generation bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. In addition, we should take advantage of the country’s good pandemic control methods to make Vietnam a destination for investment, especially investment in the new generation. These plans must be prepared from this year on. We also need to build institutions and policies to have a more stable development growth from next year and in the following years.

– Sir, what is the room to expand fiscal and monetary policies this year to stimulate economic growth?

– Regarding fiscal policy, the National Assembly has approved the budget deficit, but the problem is how to implement planned projects, especially disbursement for the North-South Expressway and some key projects to stimulate growth. In terms of credit, with the increase in the first quarter, if this year the goal of increasing credit is by two times the rate of GDP increase, there will be huge room left. As I said, there is no risk of monetary inflation, but if the economy warms again, we also cannot expect much further lowering of interest rates, or keeping the current interest rate level as well.

– Thank you very much.

Yen Lam

By Dat Bike

While domestic travel has kept tourism buoyant amid the pandemic, the industry has barely survived without foreign tourists. Experts have recommended that it reinvent itself while waiting for global travel to resume. Bồ Xuân Hiệp reports.

For Thiện Nguyễn, a travel blogger who has visited more than 70 countries across five continents, the memory of lounging on a beach in Phuket, Thailand or trekking on the Zanskar mountain range in the Indian union territory of Ladakh seems a distant memory.

“I was born to travel,” he said. “I will travel anywhere whenever I can, because life is short and time flies.”

Thiện, 40, a native of Đà Nẵng, a popular beach hotspot in central Việt Nam, said that due to travel restrictions, he had not been able to travel overseas since March last year when the country closed its borders. Instead, he had opted to travel domestically.

Since Việt Nam has been able to contain the coronavirus well, local holidaymakers are now looking to explore the country’s scenic landscapes and healthy cuisine, and take advantage of its hospitality and affordability.

Henri Hubert, ambassador for Global Wellness Day Vietnam, said that people in Việt Nam are fortunate as they can travel domestically at a time when COVID-19 is still active in many countries.

“I think the pandemic has given us an opportunity to reinvent what a vacation or travel really means,” he said. “It’s a good idea, for example, to look for a healing holiday at a resort that offers wellness activities.”

“With more than 3,000 kilometres of coastline, white sandy beaches, dynamic growing cities, mountainous regions and various cultural and historical sites, Việt Nam continues to be among the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world,” Hubert noted.

Việt Nam is also well positioned to leverage the adventure-travel trend, according to Hubert.

“Today we are talking about micro-adventure, and it is really an opportunity to test it for real, with the idea that there is no need to go far nor have the enormous skills of an adventurer to live extraordinary moments with relatively few means,” Hubert said.

“Going on vacation for me was first of all changing the routine to travel far away. Then it was about going and discovering something new,” he said. “Today we must consider close to home, so we have to be creative. This is a good opportunity to rethink our idea of ‘elsewhere’.”

With the pandemic under control, the country would continue to attract more tourists.

“Việt Nam can pride itself on having everything you need for dreamy and captivating destinations such as Côn Đảo, Mekong Delta, Ba Bể Lake, Hà Giang Province, and others.”

As for ecotourism, which started about 40 years ago when environmental protection was at the heart of all debates, it would be important to raise awareness about social and environmental issues among all stakeholders, he said.

For example, hiking in a park accompanied by a local guide would be a kind of ecotourism because it generates significant income for the host community, he added.

According to the report “Reimagining Tourism: How Vietnam can Accelerate Travel Recovery” by McKinsey & Company, a US global management consulting firm, demand for domestic travel in Việt Nam will continue to grow and recover relatively quickly, thanks to increased domestic spending.

Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, general director of the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism, said: “The local tourism market is shifting from international tours to domestic tours. Tourism service firms should focus on emerging destinations and ensure high-quality products and experiences at reasonable prices.”

Philippe Le Bourhis, general manager of the Movenpick Resort Waverly Phú Quốc, said the resort would focus on the domestic market this year.

“Tourist businesses targeting foreigners will be in trouble for a long time,” he said. “This challenge can be turned into an opportunity if we seek ways to focus on the local market.”

Recovery by 2024

With the implementation of a “zero-case first approach” and Việt Nam’s extensive government campaigns, the tourism sector could fully recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, according to the McKinsey & Company report.

The country’s international tourists are mostly from Asia, especially mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, which account for around 80 per cent of Việt Nam’s foreign tourism spending.

Việt Nam’s close economic connections with those countries could speed up the recovery, compared with other major tourist destinations in Europe and North America.

To optimise these ties, Việt Nam has been implementing a so-called zero-case first strategy since the pandemic broke out last year.

The strategy is associated with markets in which transmission rates are low and traveller confidence, at least on a domestic level, is relatively high.

Shifts in tourism behaviour could result in high-end domestic trips. With borders remaining closed for outbound travel, a rise in domestic luxury trips could occur as travelers reallocate their budgets, the report says.

Experts have recommended that Việt Nam invest in domestic tourism, new tourism products, high-quality human  resources, infrastructure, and digital transformation efforts to boost the sector both locally and internationally.

Lê  Trương Hiền  Hòa, director of the HCM City Tourism Promotion Centre, said that promoting domestic tourism and building smart tourism were the major objectives this year.

“Joint programmes with key economic zones and provinces, as well as the travel industry, are a main focus this year. The aim is to create new products and services to promote domestic tourism.”

“Our tourism database is playing a key role in ensuring successful smart travel projects that involve many industries and fields in standardising data collection systems and digitising travel services,” he said.

Trần Thị Thùy Trang, deputy manager of Vietravel  Inbound Department, said that Việt Nam should continue to promote itself as a safe and attractive destination during and after the pandemic.

According to the McKinsey & Company report, rebuilding demand and volume through discounts and presales are key tactics during the early stages of recovery, especially for high-end operators unable to tap into international demand for some time.

The government can also experiment with new and sustainable financing options, such as hotel revenue pooling in which a subset of hotels with higher occupancy rates would share revenue with others.

This would allow hotels to optimise variable costs and reduce the need for government stimulus plans, the report says.

In the mid-term, government-backed digital and analytic transformation is necessary, especially to level the playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises, which made up more than 50 per cent of travel suppliers in 2018.

Helping local operators adjust to demand for online travel services is also critical to staying competitive, according to the report.

The Government can also play a vital role as a matchmaker by connecting suppliers to distributors and intermediaries, thereby creating packages attractive to a specific segment of tourists, and then use tourist engagement to provide analytical insights to travel intermediaries.

Mai Thị Thơm, owner of a three-star hotel in Hà Nội’s Old Quarter, said: “Actually, the hotel industry in Hà Nội ‘died’ last year when the country began shutting its borders. We ended up focusing on domestic tourists to keep the business afloat.”

However, the spending power of domestic tourists was weaker than that of foreign visitors, so this type of travel could not completely fill the gap created by the lack of international travellers, she said.

“We cut prices by up to 70 per cent in order to maintain operations, such as paying for electricity and salaries for staff. The situation is even worse for those who rent property for running a hotel, because rent can be as high as US$40,000 a month.”

Many travel firms have offered discounts over the last year, resulting in lower hotel and resort prices, which may not be a sustainable strategy for the long term, according to Thơm.

In 2019, a year in which the tourism industry accounted for 12 per cent of the national GDP, international travellers made up only 17 per cent of overall tourists in Việt Nam but accounted for more than half of all tourism spending, averaging $673 per traveller compared with $61 spent on average by Vietnamese travellers, the McKinsey & Company report said.

‘Vaccine passport’

Việt Nam is also considering a COVID-19 “vaccine passport”, which is now under discussion in many countries.

Trương Quốc Cường, deputy health minister, said the ministry was working with agencies to research the issue and would report to the Government.

“It is important to devise suitable quarantine procedures for entrants who have received the full doses of the vaccine,” he said. “Related options must be considered thoroughly, so as to balance the benefits and risks. The benefits here are economic development from the reopening, but there is still the risk of spreading the virus in the community.”

In general, experts have recommended that international “travel bubbles” be explored with great caution.

A vaccine passport is a certificate that shows the holder has received two vaccine doses, eliminating the need for the holder to be under centralised quarantine upon arrival.

Lương Hoài Nam, a member of the Việt Nam Tourism Advisory Council, said that vaccinations would be the only way for the world to overcome the pandemic. The number of vaccinated people was growing fairly quickly, especially in developed countries.

Many foreigners who had been fully vaccinated were beginning to think about tourism destinations, which would present opportunities for Việt Nam’s tourism and aviation sectors, he said, adding that the country should prepare to re-open its tourism market for foreign visitors.

Vũ Thế Bình, vice president of the Việt Nam Tourism Association, said the opening of the tourism market for foreigners might face opposition from many people, but the plan should be ready by the third or fourth quarter of the year.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand has announced it will reopen its tourism market for foreign visitors in July, while Singapore is welcoming international visitors who have certificates showing negative tests, and Indonesia is expected to open its doors to Bali in July.

The European Union is considering a vaccine passport, but plans have not been finalised.

Nguyễn Ngọc Toàn, director of Images Travel Company, which specialises in European visitors to Việt Nam, said that initially Việt Nam could open up to business travellers from countries and territories in the region where it has close trade relations such as Japan, South Korea or Singapore.

“People who have been vaccinated should be allowed to enter Việt Nam without being quarantined,” Toàn said.

However, many Vietnamese health experts have expressed opposition to this idea, saying foreign passengers holding vaccine passports should still be under a 14-day quarantine in the absence of information on the potential risk of infection following a two-dose inoculation.

Last year, most countries experienced a drop of between 35 and 48 per cent in tourism expenditures compared with 2019. Việt Nam, with its 10-month international border closure, was no exception, according to the McKinsey & Company report.

Last year, Việt Nam saw a 79 per cent decline year-on-year in the number of foreign visitors due to travel restrictions amid the pandemic, as the country received 3.83 million foreign tourists against a record 18 million in 2019.

The tourism sector, which depends greatly on international travel, suffered significantly as international flights fell by 80 per cent in October 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019. Hotels and resorts were able to fill only 30 per cent of their room capacity last year.

Thiện, the blogger who loves to travel and write about his experiences, said it would be difficult for the country’s tourism sector to recover until international tourism resumes. “Foreign tourists bring foreign currencies to Việt Nam. And domestic spending is far lower than foreign spending.”

“For now, I’m not that crazy about travelling abroad. I feel blessed to live and travel within Việt Nam. We shouldn’t travel abroad until the world achieves sufficient herd immunity.” — VNS