Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
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Hybrid working grows in popularity in Asia
A picutre of District 7 in HCM City where located many office buildings. The hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is accelerating. — Photo Courtesy Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam The popularity of hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is likely to accelerate as Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – accounts for a larger percentage of the working-age population, experts said. Gen Z, which will reach one billion by 2030, is the first generation of digital natives. They expect a seamless connection between the physical and the digital, which is also what allows hybrid working to flourish. A report by Cushman & Wakefield titled “Asia Pacific Office of the Future Revisited” revealed that the majority of office workers in Asia Pacific, including Viet Nam, want to be more flexible in the way they work. Hybrid working is not a new concept, but it was relatively foreign to the masses before the COVID-19 virus hit. A hybrid office is … [Read more...] about Hybrid working grows in popularity in Asia
Hanoi International Film Festival to return in Q4
Vietnamese and international viewers will enjoy the unique works of worldwide cinema industries. The sixth Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) will make a comeback and is scheduled to take place in Hanoi between November 8 and 12, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After a two-year hiatus due to the Covíd-19 outbreak, the new context of safe and flexible adaptation to the pandemic makes its 6th edition this year a special one, the ministry said, authorizing the Vietnam Cinematography Department and relevant agencies to organize the event. The biennial festival aims to honor outstanding international and Vietnamese film works with high artistic value, rich in humanism and creativity. Foreign filmmakers at the fifth HANIFF held in Hanoi. Photo: Lai Tan The film festival also aims to encourage new talents in the movie industry in Vietnam and worldwide while promoting cooperation among filmmakers for the development of cinema. … [Read more...] about Hanoi International Film Festival to return in Q4
SIHUB – EXPARA Accelerator batch 4 – 2022 started
The startup accelerator program, SIHUB - EXPARA Accelerator batch 4 - 2022, has officially been launched. (Photo: SGGP) At this event, SIHUB and EXPARA officially introduced the sixth investment fund, Expara Southeast Asia Ventures, with a scale of up to US$450 million. Of which, one-third of the fund is for the Vietnamese market. When attending SIHUB - EXPARA Accelerator batch 4 - 2022, startups will have the opportunity to expand their network of partners, seek investors, learn from the experience sharing of CEOs, advisors, and guests, and have a chance to receive funding of up to $150,000. Investment enterprises that receive data from startups with growth potential can consider investing in and expanding that model. In addition, large enterprises can look for profitable investment opportunities through Expara Southeast Asia Ventures. Expara Southeast Asia Ventures is an early-stage (seed stage) venture capital fund that primarily invests in next-generation technology … [Read more...] about SIHUB – EXPARA Accelerator batch 4 – 2022 started
From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite
From five grams of toothpaste to 10 millilitres of cooking oil, many Nigerians struggling with soaring prices now buy their basic necessities in small quantities packed in tiny plastic bags to be consumed on the same day. Consumer brands behind this "sachetisation of the economy" see it as a creative innovation, allowing consumption for all Nigerians, the majority of whom live on less than $2 a day. But critics see the development as an economic and ecological aberration, even as Africa's largest economy struggles with the inflationary fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. In the streets of Lagos, the vibrant economic capital of Africa's most populous country, small sachets are now part of the decor: they colour its streets, packing the wood and tin shops found on the corner of most streets. Sitting on a stool, Ibrahim Atahire has been running his small grocery store for 30 years in a busy area of Obalende, a popular district of the megalopolis. "At my place, you can buy … [Read more...] about From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite
Thailand’s Kasikornbank opens first branch in HCM City
The bank has served Vietnamese customers via its two representative offices in Hanoi and HCM City since 2015. Speaking at the opening ceremony held on August 5, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura said that Thailand is currently the 9th largest foreign investor in Vietnam and also the largest trading partner of the country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The opening of a branch by KBank in HCM City is an important milestone reflecting the bank’s strategic vision in strengthening economic ties between Thailand and Vietnam, he said. Nguyen Van Dung, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam, HCM City branch said putting into operation of KBank branch in the city will raise the number of foreign bank branches in the city to 32, contributing to diversifying the activities of the credit institutions in the locality. Sharing about the potential of the Vietnamese market, Kattiya Indaravijaya, CEO of KBank said that Vietnam is a rising star … [Read more...] about Thailand’s Kasikornbank opens first branch in HCM City