Sun bank national center

State budget collection from import-export activities reached 54.76 trillion VND (2.37 billion USD) in the first two months, or 17.38 percent of the estimate and a year-on-year rise of 7.53 percent, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

In February alone, the collection was 23.66 trillion VND. As Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays fell in the month, the customs department worked together with relevant agencies to combat smuggling and trade frauds while increasing inspections.

The customs force detected 967 cases in total from January 16 to February 15, seizing goods of 258.67 billion VND and contributing 8.6 billion VND to the State budget.

State budget collection was estimated at 220.5 trillion VND in total in the first two months of 2021, equivalent to 16.4 percent of the year’s estimate./.

Risky to invest in forex trading plaforms: Deputy Governor

Forex trading via investment platforms had not been licensed in Viet Nam, posing significant risks to investors, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam Dao Minh Tu warned.

Tu said at the Government’s meeting on Tuesday in Ha Noi that the operation of forex trading platforms was currently illegal, adding that the trading of foreign currencies and derivatives must be provided by credit institutions and commercial banks licensed by the State Bank of Viet Nam.

Until now, no forex trading platforms had been licensed for trading, he stressed, warning about risks when investing via these platforms.

Recently, some organisations like Lion Group called for investments in forex through Fx Trading Markets with attractive interest rates of up to 300 per cent per year and commissions. Lion Group attracted around 40,000 investors nationwide.

Tu urged people to be cautious with these appealing calls, adding that there were signs of in-transparencies and frauds.

“The skyrocketing profits in the current situation are impossible and investors must be cautious before deciding to pour money in forex trading platforms,” Tu said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that the business model of Lion Group or other forex trading platform was not compliant with the established regulations about multi-level marketing businesses.

Relevant management agencies must introduce regulations for the operation of these models.

Regarding payments, Tu said that there were more and more oganisations providing payment services along with the development of technologies, adding that the central bank always focused on ensuring safety and convenience in payment.

He urged attention to be paid to protecting personal data to ensure security in conducting payment transactions.

Tu stressed that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were not legal means of payment in Viet Nam. The trading and use of cryptocurrencies were illegal.

Cryptocurrencies were not electronic currencies, Tu said, adding that the State Bank of Viet Nam, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice were studying the legal framework to manage cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets.

Market edges higher, fertiliser stocks surge

Viet Nam’s stock market ended higher on Wednesday as the VN-Index bounced back in the afternoon session.  The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) reversed course to edge higher in Wednesday’s trade after dropping 0.38 per cent in the morning session. The index rose slightly 0.03 per cent to 1,186.95 points.

The market breadth turned positive at the end of the session with 270 stock rising, while 168 stocks decreased. And 64 stocks stayed unchanged.

While a total of over 628.77 million shared were traded today on the southern market, worth VND15.15 trillion, an overload occurred again on HoSE in the afternoon session.

In a daily report, Bao Viet Securities Co. said that the index might face corrections earlier in the sessions before recovering at the end of the session. And the market needs more time to accumulate to break over 1,200 points level in the near future.

The market received support from the containment of COVID-19 outbreaks and the upward trends of global markets, the company added.

However, strong selling pressure still weighed on the market, with many big stocks falling.

The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, gained 0.07 per cent to finish at 1,195.6 points. The index lost 0.37 per cent in the morning session. Eleven of the 30 large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket rose, while 15 stocks dropped.

Stocks from real estate and banking sectors still influenced the market’s trend.

Top five stocks contributing to the gain of the market were Investment And Industrial Development Corporation (BCM) up 5.35 per cent, Vietinbank (CTG) up 1.58 per cent, VPBank (VPB) up 2.09 per cent, No Va Land Investment Group Corporation (NVL) up 2.65 per cent and Vincom Retail JSC (VRE) up 2.31 per cent.

Fertiliser stocks also recorded big gains today with DAP – VINACHEM JSC (DDV) up 14.75 per cent, Lam Thao Fertilizers And Chemicals JSC (LAS) up 10 per cent, Petro Viet Nam Ca Mau Fertilizer JSC (DCM) up 6.69 per cent and Duc Giang Chemicals Group JSC (DGC) up 6.98 per cent.

Meanwhile, Vingroup JSC (VIC), Vinhomes JSC (VHM) and Vietcombank (VCB) extended their losses and limited the index’s gain.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index posted an increase of 2.48 per cent to end the trading day at 254.1 points. The HNX30-Index recovered from earlier losses, up 0.56 per cent to 375.61 points.

Domestic investors poured nearly VND2 trillion into the northern bourse on Wednesday, equivalent to over 131.1 million shares.

In general, the market’s liquidity was high with a total 821.9 million shared traded, including trading volume on UPCOM, worth nearly VND18.2 trillion.

Meanwhile, foreign investors were still net sellers on HoSE and HNX, with a net value of VND471.95 billion on the southern bourse and a net sell value of VND7.6 billion on the northern market.

HCM City: Two-month foreign investment stands at 337.8 million USD

Ho Chi Minh City recorded 337.8 million USD of foreign investment registered during the first two months of 2021, equivalent to 70.3 percent of the figure in the same period last year.

Real estate attracted most of the sum, 145.1 million USD or 43 percent of the total. It was followed by science – technology (57.5 million USD, 17 percent) and processing – manufacturing industry (41 million USD, 12.1 percent), the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.

The southern economic hub lured only three new foreign investment projects worth 115 million USD in January and February, it said, citing complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world as the reason.

Up to 99.7 percent of the new capital was channeled into real estate, with 29.6 percent from Singapore and 70.1 percent from the Netherlands.

From the year’s beginning to February 20, HCM City saw 22 existing projects have 53.3 million USD added to their registered capital.

Foreign investors also spent 169.5 million USD on capital contributions to or share purchase in local firms during the time, data showed./.

Can Tho waste-to-power plant adds 113 million kWh to national grid

The Can Tho waste-to-power plant in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has treated over 400,000 tonnes of household waste and contributed more than 113 million kWh to the national grid since its operation in December 2018.

Can Tho is now home to four solid waste treatment sites in suburban Co Do and Thoi Lai districts, and urban O Mon and Thot Not districts.

About 70 percent of the city’s daily household waste, or nearly 350 tonnes, are burned using international-standard technology by China Everbright Group.

The plant is operated by Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the investor – the China Everbright Group.

General Director of the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy Co. Ltd Chen Wei said the project is the first in Vietnam invested by the China Everbright Group to receive an environment protection certificate.

The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment reported that as of late 2020, 98 percent of household waste in urban areas were collected, 75 percent of them were classified in households.

Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Chi Kien said the department will continue working with the Can Tho EB Environmental Energy, and the districts of Co Do, Thoi Lai, O Mon and Thot Not to collect, transport and treat wastes. It will also periodically review and update the master plan on household solid waste transportation in the city till 2025 with a vision to 2050.

At a conference to launch the department’s tasks in 2021, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien asked the department to continue inspecting waste treatment plants to raise their sense of responsibility and deal with problems at the O Mon and Co Do landfills./.

Binh Duong secures 301.5 million USD in FDI in two months

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the southern province of Binh Duong during January-February topped 301.5 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 63 percent, the provincial People’s Committee said on March 2.

Thirteen projects were granted investment registration certificates in the period, with total registered capital of 254 million USD. Meanwhile, two projects registered to add 3.5 million USD to their existing operation.

As much as 44 million USD was injected to 21 projects in the locality through capital contribution.

To date, the southern industrial hub has housed 3,948 FDI projects with total capital of 35.8 billion USD.

It is not only one of leading localities in FDI attraction but also an attractive destination for domestic investments. The province lured more than 8.65 trillion VND (377.5 million USD) from domestic investors in the first two months of the year./.

Vietnam’s tourism sales plunge over 40% in February

The latest Covid-19 resurgence put a dampener on the seven-day Tet holiday, which was expected to boost the country’s tourism sales, as it prompted tourists to cancel booked tours, leaving Vietnam’s tourism revenue last month down a whopping 40.8% month-on-month to VND915 billion and 60.8% against 2020, according to the General Statistics Office.

Local residents, too, refrained from travelling and participating in entertainment activities with mass gatherings.

Aside from the fall in tourism revenue, the country’s lodging and catering services last month saw revenue drop by 11.5% month-on-month to VND41.5 trillion and 0.1% compared to last year’s figure.

During the first two months of the year, the sales of lodging and catering services stood at VND88.4 trillion, dipping over 4% versus the same period last year, while that of tourism services contracted over 62% against last year’s figure to VND2.5 trillion.

Localities such as Hai Duong, Thua Thien-Hue, HCMC, Danang and Hanoi recorded a sharp decline in tourism sales. Of them, Hai Duong, which is one of the two provinces that reported the first Covid-19 community case during the latest coronavirus wave and is now the country’s biggest coronavirus hotbed, saw its revenue declining more than 89%. The central province of Thua Thien-Hue also recorded a 73.3% decrease.

Data from HCMC, the largest tourism hub in Vietnam, showed that eateries, hotels and travel businesses continued to be hit hard by the virus.

The southern city earned some VND6 trillion in the sales of catering and lodging services in February, declining over 27% against that of the previous month, and a mere VND501 billion in tourism sales, down nearly 30% month-on-month and over 67% versus the 2020 figure.

Loship secures investment from Skype co-founder

Loship, Vietnam’s fast-growing one-hour-delivery e-commerce startup, has announced its latest investment from Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn.

Tallinn participated in Loship’s Series C funding through his investment vehicle MetaPlanet Holdings.

This capital injection marks Loship as the first portfolio company of MetaPlanet in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The investment comes four months after the startup secured capital in a bridge round led by Vulpes Investment Management.

According to Loship CEO Nguyen Hoang Trung, the fresh capital will be spent on expanding the firm’s delivery network, human resources, technology and market.

“A huge portion of the funding will be poured into upgrading our app and developing technologies in Loship,” Trung said, adding that they will also ramp up their marketing strategies to cement Loship’s presence in the domestic market.

“It didn’t take me very long to realize Loship was on to something,” Loship quoted Tallinn as saying in its announcement.

“MetaPlanet is planning to pay more attention to the rapidly growing economies in Southeast Asia. So I’m delighted to be off to a strong start in Vietnam by adding Loship as our first portfolio company there.”

Founded in 2017, Loship traces its roots back to Lozi, a review app allowing users to find food, beverage, and coffee shops, before transitioning into a one-hour-delivery services platform.

Loship has closed its series A and B rounds from investors such as the Republic of Korea’s Smilegate Investment, Hana Financial Group, DTNI, and Golden Gate Ventures./.

Vinh Long presses ahead with sustainable production, consumption

The Vinh Long Provincial People’s Committee in the Mekong Delta has issued a plan to implement the national action programme on sustainable production and consumption for 2021-2030.

By 2030, 90 percent of industrial parks in the province are set to apply clean and environmentally-friendly technologies.

All supermarkets and shopping centres are to use eco-packaging instead of single-use plastics, and the use of slowly-degrading packaging at wet markets will be cut by 80 percent.

The province also hopes to have 100 percent of its enterprises joining production and distribution chains for safe farm produce and it also targets the widespread use of QR codes for product origin tracing.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Liet said local authorities will assist businesses in boosting their production capacity and product quality, and in reducing costs to engage in a network of sustainable production and consumption.

The provincial Department of Science and Technology has been tasked with planning and launching programmes assisting companies and localities in the innovation process.

Vietnam making every effort to fight IUU fishing

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has urged localities to adopt drastic measures to fight irregular, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

All Vietnamese fishermen, businesses, and local authorities must consider this an important and urgent task to affirm the prestige of Vietnam’s fisheries sector in the world and among countries it shares territorial waters with, and be resolved to meet the standards set by the European Commission (EC).

Since the EC gave a “yellow card” warning to Vietnam’s fisheries and seafood in the European market in October 2017, the entire sector has suffered marked losses.

Tran Dinh Luan, head of the ministry’s Directorate of Fisheries, said it is necessary to prevent, deter, and eliminate IUU fishing in order to remove the “yellow card” warning, develop fisheries responsibly, and integrate into the world.

This is also the guideline of the Party and State, as reflected through the Law on Fisheries.

Since the imposition of the EC warning, Vietnam’s fishery export value to Europe has fallen by between 6 and 10 percent annually.

From being the second-largest importer of Vietnam’s seafood, with value representing 17-20 percent of Vietnam’s total export revenue, the EU now ranks fifth, after Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and ASEAN.

The Government and the National Steering Committee on IUU Fishing Prevention have issued a range of documents instructing ministries, agencies, and People’s Committees in 28 coastal cities and provinces to drastically take preventive measures. The MARD has conducted regular inspections in localities.

The EC has highly valued Vietnam’s political determination to implement its recommendations in this regard.

Vietnam has openly and transparently announced the results of inspections of seafood exports to the EU and has completed a legal framework that serves as a foundation to materialise relevant tasks, including the enforcement of the Law on Fisheries, two decrees adopted by the Government, a decision by the Prime Minister, and a circular from the MARD.

The country has joined and realised the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Agreement on Port State Measures, whose main objective is to prevent, deter, and eliminate IUU fishing, and also the UN Fish Stocks Agreement.

The EC has lauded Vietnam’s efforts in installing fishing vessel monitoring equipment and enhancing the management of seafood exploitation.

One of 28 coastal localities in Vietnam, the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang has posted significant achievements in fighting IUU fishing.

With 366 fishing vessels of 15 metres in length or more operating at sea, the province has stepped up communications work so that captains, sailors, and ship-owners seriously observe relevant regulations.

According to Duong Tan Truong, head of the provincial Department of Fisheries, Soc Trang has developed a plan to conduct tasks in fighting IUU fishing and established a working group to lead the fight.

It carried out 10 patrols at sea last year and inspected 146 fishing vessels inside and outside of the province.

Soc Trang also granted 381 seafood certificates to 11 processing and export firms in the locality during 2020, with more than 6,000 tonnes of seafood, according to Truong.

Southernmost Ca Mau province, meanwhile, has also made substantial efforts in disseminating relevant legal documents to raise public awareness about IUU fishing, and enhancing coordination between relevant agencies.

The province will work harder in the time ahead to prevent fishing vessels that deliberately operate in foreign waters./.

Ministry helps businesses tackle trade remedies

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will continue to support domestic enterprises, especially small and medium-sized firms, to improve their awareness of trade remedies.

It will provide practical lessons on handling trade defence lawsuits for local enterprises.

The ministry will also focus on training State officials, commodity associations and industries on trade remedies, especially for commodities that are regularly investigated by foreign countries such as steel, fisheries, wood and chemicals.

According to the ministry’s Trade Remedies Authority of Viet Nam (TRAV), local export products have faced more anti-dumping investigations and tax evasion cases in foreign countries in recent years. Vietnamese businesses have become aware of trade remedies.

Many Vietnamese enterprises have been adapting to trade defence cases. Some have legal departments that specialise in dealing with trade remedies at foreign markets, especially in sectors producing key export products such as steel, seafood and garments.

However, according to the authority, there are still some firms, especially smaller companies, that are unaware of the importance of trade remedies and how they would affect their production and business activities.

It said in the results of trade lawsuits, local enterprises that work with foreign investigative authorities by providing information enjoy low tax rates. If local enterprises do not co-operate, they will face a high tax rate due to foreign investigative authorities using available data only, creating a disadvantage for them.

Therefore, the level of co-operation can be considered a prerequisite for achieving a positive result in trade remedies cases, according to the TRAV.

In the case of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of utility-scale wind towers from Canada, Indonesia, South Korea (AD only), and Viet Nam to the US, Viet Nam received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 2.84 per cent while Indonesia received a rate of 5.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, in the case of the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into corrosion-resistant steel sheets imported from several countries, including Viet Nam, Canada concluded Viet Nam does not subsidise enterprises producing and exporting the steel, based on information provided by the Government of Viet Nam.

According to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s announcement on February 11, 2021, there is a lack of evidence to conclude Minh Phu Corporation has illegally evaded anti-dumping duties levied on Indian shrimps.

Therefore, CBP will consider the conclusion issued on October 13, 2020, to not apply anti-dumping tax on exported shrimp of Minh Phu Seafood.

The MoIT also said that the US’s conclusion on dumping and subsidies for car tyres from Viet Nam and some other economies, which was released on December 30, declared tyre exporters of Viet Nam free from anti-dumping measures.

Other countries and territories were alleged to have dumped in the market and face tariffs of 14.24 per cent to 38.07 per cent for South Korea, 52.42 per cent to 98.44 per cent for Taiwan (China) and from 13.25 per cent to 22.21 per cent for Thailand.

It is a very positive result for Viet Nam’s tyre manufacturing and exporting enterprises, said TRAV director Le Trieu Dung. However, this is only a preliminary result, the ministry and the Vietnamese manufacturing and export enterprises will continue to work with the US towards a positive final conclusion.

Processing and manufacturing industry needs better way to develop: experts

Viet Nam’s capacity for the processing and manufacturing industry remains limited and heavily relies on foreign supply chains for imported components and accessories, leading to difficulties for local businesses, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trinh Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the Institute of Industry and Trade Policy and Strategy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said last year countries with leading manufacturing and processing industries faced many difficulties, while Viet Nam was a bright spot with positive economic growth.

“The country’s positive growth is based on key manufacturing sectors, particularly those with high technology content and value such as electronics, electronic components, computers, and components for the automobile industry. Furthermore, agricultural processing and garment sectors have also obtained remarkable results,” Thuy said.

Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Industry Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said in 2016-19 domestic industries made a contribution of 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the largest contribution to State coffers.

Notably, the proportion of processing and manufacturing industries had increased rapidly without relying much on the mining industry.

In recent years, many industries have seen rapid development, such as electronics, textiles, and footwear with high export value.

Tuan Anh said the processing and manufacturing industry contributed the highest to GDP in terms of added value, creating a foundation for industrial development and modernisation of the country. The growth rate of the industry’s added value was much higher than the GDP growth in the last five years.

Policies needed

Despite some success, experts have said that the Vietnamese processing and manufacturing industry has failed to meet its potential.

Thuy said the most difficult problem was the lack of raw materials. Domestic manufacturers still rely greatly on foreign markets, particularly raw materials imported from China and South Korea. Thuy noted that business process outsourcing has been common in Viet Nam depending much on foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises.

Tuan Anh said the problem was the development of strategies and policy planning were not suitable for economic development. Credit policies for businesses failed to meet their needs.

He noted that FDI enterprises in Viet Nam had been offered much preferential treatment from foreign credit institutions and parent companies with low interest rates. Meanwhile, loan interest rates offered by local banks were high, putting local firms at a disadvantage.

In addition, Viet Nam faces a lack of large-scale conglomerates to push the country’s economic development.

Tuan Anh added that the industrial sector needed a large amount of capital and a long period for investment capital retrieval. Therefore, it was urgent to call on domestic businesses to participate in the industrial sector.

To promote processing and manufacturing businesses to participate in the global supply chain, the department had worked with corporations such as Samsung and Toyota to create opportunities for local companies to work with foreign companies, said Tuan Anh.

ETFs net attracts $130 million so far this year

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Viet Nam’s stock market have attracted a net total of US$130 million so far this year.

Capital inflows into ETFs from the beginning of the year have made an important contribution to help offset the net selling from foreign investors, valued at more than VND2.7 trillion ($117.1 million).

Among the ETFs, VFMVN Diamond ETF attracted the largest capital since the beginning of the year with $113.7 million. With a current portfolio size of nearly VND9 trillion, VFMVN Diamond ETF has surpassed VFMVN30 ETF to become the largest domestic fund in the market.

Besides VFMVN Diamond ETF, the pair of foreign ETF funds VNM ETF and FTSE Vietnam ETF also attracted a total net value of about $30 million.

On the other side, KIM Kindex VN30 ETF saw a strong net recession of nearly $52 million, equivalent to VND1.2 trillion and was the only ETF witnessing net withdrawal in the first two months of the year.

In the last trading week of February, ETFs on Viet Nam’s stock market saw strong net withdrawal.

VFMVN30 ETF was the fund seeing the strongest withdrawal, with VND345 billion.

Another ETF that also saw withdrawal was KIM Kindex VN30 ETF, with a value of $4.53 million in the past week.

In the opposite direction, VFMVN Diamond ETF net attracted VND112 billion in the past week. Besides, SSIAM VNFinLead ETF also net attracted VND7.6 billion, S&P Select Frontier ETF net attracted nearly $1 million.

Digital strategies to the fore as e-commerce assumes increasing importance: experts

Companies are expected to implement digital strategies to continue to reach customers, experts said while alluding to trends in the e-commerce market this year.

Shopee, a leading e-commerce player in the country, in a note predicting trends this year, said: “The pandemic pushed businesses, from premium brands to micro-entrepreneurs, to quickly adopt digital strategies if they sought to reach customers amidst the lockdowns.”

As online selling becomes a growing revenue channel for brands and sellers, e-commerce platforms need to work with them to help engage their customers in a differentiated manner and grow their online presence, it said.

It cited its own example of working with POND’s to integrate its AI-powered beauty tech solution, Skin Advisor Live into the online shopping experience, offering shoppers free personalised skincare analysis online to help them make a more informed buying decision.

POND’s was also able to tap into Shopee’s engagement tools such as livestreaming to interact with its target audience.

There are more than 20,000 global and local brands on Shopee Mall, offering a wide selection of products ranging from everyday to premium items.

The company works closely with these brands to create new and unique shopping experiences.

The e-commerce market is expected to see more changes this year as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a broad, deep and irreversible shift to online for businesses and consumers.

Tran Tuan Anh, managing director, Shopee Vietnam, said: “2020 was an especially transformative year for e-commerce. As consumers adhered to social distancing measures and stayed home, they turned to online platforms not just for their daily needs but also for entertainment and interaction.

“This led to online shopping evolving from a purely transactional experience to a more social experience, with e-commerce platforms integrating more interactive elements such as games and livestreaming to engage users. With advancements in technology, increasing internet penetration and a fast-growing population of young, tech-savvy youths and middle-income families, we expect e-commerce to play an integral role in the way we live, connect and do business.”

This year adoption of digital payments is expected to increase.

Digital payment is the preferred mode online, and as more people become accustomed to e-commerce, it will also drive the offline cashless movement.

While local governments’ have been moving towards a cashless society, the pandemic has greatly accelerated this need in a region where the majority of consumer transactions are made in cash. In line with movement restrictions and continued social distancing efforts, consumers and businesses have increasingly embraced digital payments for greater convenience and security.

For example, in addition to greater usage of AirPay in-app, the number of offline merchants in Viet Nam using AirPay also doubled in 2020, including like 7-Eleven, MyKingdom and Guardian.

The logistics sector is also expected to see changes.

Shopee predicted logistics would become even more important as consumers increasingly rely on e-commerce and have greater expectation of efficient delivery.

The increase in demand is particularly significant in the case of daily necessities and household essentials.

In Viet Nam, Shopee, which operates in several countries, saw a two-fold increase in food, health and home-related items shipped from the warehouse.

Brands and sellers need to make use of technology to ensure that parcels are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and one way to achieve this could be to tap into the extensive and integrated networks of e-commerce platforms.

Shopee said it saw more brands tapping its logistics infrastructure with the result that the branded items shipped from its warehouses tripled last year.

Export prices of Vietnamese bananas to EU market sees upturn

The export prices of Vietnamese bananas to the EU market last year witnessed a sharp increase in comparison to those from other supply sources, according to data compiled by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).

According to Eurostat’s figures, the EU’s imports of bananas during the opening 11 months of last year reached 7.7 million tonnes with a value of EUR5.26 billion, representing an increase of 3% in volume and 1.3% in value compared to the same period from 2019. However, the EU’s average import price saw an annual fall of 1.6% to EUR683 per tonne.

Despite making up a modest share in the export proportion of bananas in the EU market, the export price of Vietnamese bananas skyrocketed throughout the reviewed period at an average of EUR3,192.9 per tonne, representing a rise of 16.4% against the same period from 2019, far higher than other importers such as Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Although export prices have witnessed an upturn, the export volume of Vietnamese bananas to the EU market suffered a decline of 26.7% to only 14 tonnes compared to the same period from the year before.

By recording such a small export volume, the country ranked only 55th among dominant suppliers of fresh bananas to the EU.

Experts believe that there remains plenty of room for the export of Vietnamese bananas to the EU to grow in the time ahead due to the items being a popular fruit among EU consumers and typically imported into the market at a huge volume each year.

In addition, the enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in August 2020 is poised to offer a wealth of opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to increase the export of their fruits, including banana, to the EU market.

Local supermarket chain Big C changes name to Tops Market

First three Big C supermarkets in Vietnam officially changed their names to Tops Market on March 1 as part of Central Retail Group’s efforts to popularize its new brand in the country.

All four Big C supermarkets in Hanoi are anticipated to convert and upgrade to Tops Market during the course of the third quarter of the year, the group’s representative stated.

Tops Market is also a major retail brand that falls under the Central Retail Group and has dozens of supermarket branches throughout Thailand.

In relation to the Vietnamese market, a fan page on Facebook called Tops Market has officially been launched to run alongside Big C’s Vietnamese fan page.

Alongside the Tops Market brand, Big C supermarkets located in shopping malls in Nha Trang, Di An, Can Tho, Ha Long, and Vinh Phuc cities were all renamed GO! supermarkets between the end of December 2020, and early January of this year.

Last year witnessed Central Retail, a sub-unit of Thailand-based conglomerate Central Group, also built new GO! supermarkets at shopping centres in the cities of My Tho, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Buon Ma Thuot, and Quang Ngai.

A number of other Big C hypermarkets are poised to be renamed GO! supermarkets this year, a representative of Central Retail Vietnam revealed.

Central Group originally purchased Big C from France’s Casino Group in 2016 at a cost of US$1.05 billion. In addition, it also owns a large stake in electronics retail chain Nguyen Kim.

VinFast plans to build electric car factory in US

Vietnamese electric-vehicle startup VinFast has initiated plans to open a factory in the United States after setting up a 50-member San Francisco research office in preparation for putting its vehicles on sale in the California market ahead in 2022, according to the US newswire Bloomberg.

The company therefore plans to establish an automobile factory in the US, according to Thai Thanh Hai, chief executive officer of VinFast, declining to provide additional details regarding timing or possible factory locations.

Hai went on to reveal that the company is also planning sales in both Canada and Europe next year, adding that VinFast’s vision is to become a global smart electric car company, with the US market set to be the firm’s first international market. Indeed, priority will be given to developing high-end models for use in the US during the initial stage.

VinFast sold approximately 30,000 vehicles throughout last year, with the company forecasting sales of more than 45,000 units in the year ahead. In line with its own schedule, it will begin delivery of electric vehicle (EVs) produced at its factory in the northern port city of Hai Phong to domestic customers by December.

Hai noted that VinFast believes that it can win over the US and other overseas customers who are cautious about buying an automobile from a Vietnamese company they know little or nothing about by offering top-quality vehicles featuring high-safety standards and advanced technology.

VinFast, which also produces electric motorbikes and electric buses, has started plans to open 35 California showrooms and service centres this year, Hai said.

California regulators have granted VinFast a license in order to test autonomous vehicles on public streets, with the local company aiming to deliver its first electric vehicles to US customers next year.

At present, Hai is unsure over how much money the company will invest in the US market. VinFast still expects to be profitable after five years of operation, though the global pandemic has “made things more difficult,” she added.

Rising demand of international market sends new manufacturing orders up

A report released by IHS Markit on March 1 indicated that Vietnam’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51.6 in February from 51.3 in January, indicating an improvement in business conditions. The health of the manufacturing sector has been strong for three straight months.

The number of new orders has risen for the sixth consecutive month as a result of the expansion and improvement in the export business, according to the report.

Due to higher new orders and output requirements, manufacturers have increased their staffing levels and the rate of job creation rose for the second time in three months.

Purchasing activity continued rising in February, while backlogs of inputs reduced as they were used for production. Difficulties in purchasing material such as the lack of containers and supply capacity also contributed to the reduction in backlogs.

The imbalance sent the cost of inputs up in February, forcing manufacturers to revise up the prices of products. However, this was a mild increase in prices.

The report also showed that the business confidence continued to decrease to the lowest level since August last year due to fears over the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Andrew Harker, economics director at IHS Markit, said that if Vietnam successfully brings the coronavirus outbreak of this wave under control, the country’s manufacturing sector will grow.

IHS Markit also forecasts that Vietnam’s industrial production will rise 6.8% this year.

Domestic plastics sector set to capitalise on opportunities from EVFTA

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has created a wealth of opportunities that the local plastics industry can make use of to expand export markets and attract additional foreign investment, according to insiders.

Statistics compiled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs indicate that plastic export turnover has consistently recorded increases in recent years, with the average growth rate reaching between 14% and 15% annually. Indeed, the EU market accounts for approximately 18.2% of the nation’s overall plastic export turnover.

Vietnamese plastic products also have a presence in over 150 markets globally. According to the International Trade Center, the country’s plastic packaging products in the EU market now enjoy a competitive advantage compared to that of regional peers such as Thailand and China due to not being subject to anti-dumping duties of between 4% and 30%.

According to the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the majority of plastic products that have been subject to a basic tax rate of 6.5% have been slashed to 0% immediately after the EVFTA came into effect, with no quotas being applied.

Experts therefore believe that the EVFTA has implemented flexible regulations regarding the rule of origin for plastic products. This will serve to create competitive advantages for Vietnamese enterprises as they are largely dependent on imports of raw material sources.

As a means of meeting the demand for both domestic and export markets, the nation’s plastic industry is forced to import millions of tonnes of raw materials each year, with domestic capacity only meeting between 15% and 35% of the demand for raw materials.

Furthermore, experts also note that the trend of switching to use eco-friendly and self-destructing plastic packaging made from polyethylene terephthalate (P.E.T) has become increasingly popular within the EU. This therefore poses challenges to the local plastics industry due to traditional packaging products still making up a large proportion.

Economists have stated that a number of firms have actively turned to producing P.E.T materials and exporting to several major markets around the world, including the EU.

Moving forward, there will be bright prospects for the plastics sector providing that Vietnamese enterprises meet the high technical standards set by the fastidious market.

Upbeat export prospects for 2021

Vietnam has posted impressive export-import performance despite the health crisis, with Ho Chi Minh City, the northern province of Thai Nguyen, and the southern province of Binh Duong heralded as the top performers thanks to the inputs of both local and foreign businesses.

Mobile phones and spare parts held the first position ($7.84 billion) in the group of key export items of Vietnam, followed by computers, other electronic products, and components ($5.5 billion), and machinery and equipment ($4.4 billion). The export turnover of industrial products is mainly brought by well-known groups such as Samsung, Panasonic, and Formosa.

Ho Chi Minh City still claimed the top position of the list of the 10 localities with the highest export and import values. Meanwhile, thanks to the heavy investment of Samsung, Thai Nguyen province ranked the second, followed by Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces, an industrial hub in southern Vietnam as the third and fourth position.

All well-performing provinces reported that although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a number of industries, the industrial production value in February was still high compared to the same period last year. Some main industrial products have seen high output over the same period such as computers, electronic products, and components, packaging, clinker consumption, animal feed, apparel, and frozen seafood

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Vietnam has risen to become one of the leading countries with high global competitiveness. The country has formed a number of key industries for the economy in the form of oil and gas exploitation and processing; electronics, telecommunications, and IT; metallurgy, iron and steel; and textiles, garments, and footwear, which have created an important foundation for long-term growth, as well as promote the modernisation and industrialisation of the country.

Meanwhile, the country’s export of agro-forestry-fishery products has also encouraged bright spots despite the pandemic.

Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the MoIT’s Agency of Foreign Trade, said that achieving good export results in the context of COVID-19 has been possible partly because of free trade agreements (FTAs) and businesses making good use of them.

For instance, in 2020, the number of preferential C/O sets granted saw an increase of 9 per cent on-year, showing that enterprises and exported goods from Vietnam are gradually improving the rate of using preferential tariffs in markets with FTAs.

According to Hai, Vietnamese exports to some traditional markets have faced inevitable difficulties, but exports still maintain positive growth due to enterprises have taken advantage of the opportunity to boost exports to alternative markets.

The key solution deployed to promote import and export in 2021 typically gives priority to export promotion activities and export markets that are recovering as well as expanding export markets, according to Hai. Other strategies include making the most of the FTAs, and grasping market information and early warning signs of arising problems affecting Vietnam’s exports such as changes in policies of importing countries, technical barriers, and payment risks.

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

A video clip comprising a series of paintings by children on doctors, who are called intimately as white blouse warriors during the COVID-19 fight, has been published recently by the Ministry of Health.

The paintings by child artists are part of a campaign initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

They depict doctors as white-blouse soldiers who have relentlessly fought against the pandemic, through which children’s gratitude toward health workers is expressed.

The video also conveys a message of solidarity in the fight against COVID-19./.

110 foreign experts to be isolated for COVID-19 combat

The administration of Quang Ngai province, central Vietnam, has outlined plans to put a total of 110 foreign experts into isolation in concentrated places in an effort to prevent the potential spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The foreign experts are scheduled to pass though Huu Nghi international border gate in the northern province of Lang Son and then travel to Quang Ngai to work for Hoa Phat Dung Quat Iron and Steel Integrated Complex.

The provincial administration requested relevant agencies to create favourable condition for the experts during their travel and quarantine back in Quang Ngai.

At present, Quang Ngai is yet to record any positive COVID-19 cases this year, although local authorities have advised relevant agencies to closely control people entering from COVID-19 hotspots in the fight against the virus.

Cases that violate the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 prevention and control measures will be punished, whilst local medical workers will take samples for testing of relevant cases, especially foreigners currently working in Quang Ngai.

Daily Mail hails Vietnamese driver as hero after saving life of local girl

The Daily Mail newspaper of the UK has posted an article hailing the bravery of a local delivery driver who saved the life of a little girl falling from the balcony of an apartment complex in Hanoi.

According to the Daily Mail, Nguyen Ngoc Manh, 31, was sitting in his truck waiting to deliver a package in Hanoi on February 28 when he saw the toddler hanging from the balcony of a high-rise building and clinging to the edge with just one hand.

“The father-of one reacted instinctively and raced out of his car and climbed onto a tile roof at the bottom level of the building to get into a better position to be able to catch the girl”, the news outlines states.

“In a heart-stopping moment, video footage shows the two-year-old lose her grip before plunging to the ground from 164 feet – but somehow Manh was able to reach for the girl, who fell onto his lap”.

The Daily Mail added that Manh’s life has since been “turned upside down” after saving the toddler and he has received thousands of positive messages on various social media platforms.

Manh’s inspirational story has greatly impressed readers who offer their compliments and describe him as a “wonderful man”, a “real hero”, and a “great man”.

Quang Ninh opens local tourism

With the new wave of COVID-19 outbreak contained, the northern province of Quang Ninh officially reopened its tourism activities from 0:00 on March 2, starting with local tourists.

Travel firms and tourist sites are asked to ensure safety for visitors, and strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message of khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration).

Quang Ninh has put in place suitable measures to control those who come from pandemic-hit areas. It encourages all people coming to the locality to fill in health declarations.

The province creates favourable conditions for migrant workers to return the locality to work in the tourism and service sectors; however, they must follow the provincial Party Committee’s regulations on health declaration, quarantine, and testing, among others.

Ha Long, Uong Bi, Dong Trieu, Cam Pha and Quang Yen should apply necessary measures to ensure efficiency in COVID-19 prevention in the “new situation”.

As Van Don International Airport will resume operation on March 3, Quang Ninh province is outlining its new COVID-19 prevention process to ensure safety for the airport, its staff and the community.

About the reopening of bars and karaoke parlours, the local police are assigned to study and recommend the local People’s Committee on the time for the service resumption./.

VFF leaders nominated as candidates for NA election

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee has agreed to nominate Politburo member and President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man and member of the Party Central Committee and Vice President cum Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee Hau A Lenh as candidates for the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly.

During a conference held in Hanoi on March 2, voters of the VFF Central Committee agreed that the two officials are qualified and meet the requirements of the Party’s regulations and the State’s law.

Earlier, on February 25, the VFF’s Party Delegation convened a meeting where participants also consented to the nominations.

Lenh pledged to, if elected, fulfill assigned tasks in line with Party and State’s regulations and uphold a sense of responsibility in building laws and policies, contributing to national development in line with the resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress.

He hoped to continue receiving support from voters to accomplish tasks in his capacity as a Party official./.

Another recovered COVID-19 patient in Hanoi test positive again

A COVID-19 patient in Hanoi has tested positive for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 again after being given the all-clear, it was reported on March 2.

Patient 1,958 was discharged from hospital on February 27 but after two days of home quarantine she tested positive for the virus on March 1.

This is the second such case in Hanoi, with the first being reported on February 25.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh, Hanoi recorded no new local transmissions from February 16 to March 2.

The city’s authorities continue to collect samples from people arriving in the capital and those returning from pandemic-hit areas./.

HCM City’s police request prosecution of flight attendant for spreading COVID-19

The People’s Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City on March 2 said it has received an investigation conclusion and other documents linked to a case of “spreading contagious disease to others” involving a 29-year-old flight attendant, who is Patient 1,342.

The Investigation Security Agency under the municipal Department of Public Security has requested the prosecution of Duong Tan Hau for spreading a dangerous contagious disease to others, under Article 240 of the 2015 Criminal Code.

Per the conclusion, on November 14, 2020, Hau and a Vietnam Airlines flight crew were tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in Vietnam from Japan and put under quarantine. With two negative test results, he was placed under quarantine at a rented apartment in HCM City’s Tan Binh district until November 28, 2020.

However, during this time, Hau left the apartment to meet two other flight attendants, who later tested positive for the virus.

Hau also left to meet a friend and take an English test at Hutech University. He tested positive on November 28, while his friend tested positive two days later.

The Investigation Security Agency said Hau’s activities caused both material and non-material damage. The material losses have been estimated to exceed 4.47 billion VND (193,800 USD), with the related quarantine affecting the lives of over 2,000 people in the city.

The agency has also sent a dispatch to competent agencies requesting the handling of Vietnam Airlines’ violations in quarantine organisation./.

Factories in Hải Dương Province to conduct routine COVID-19 testing for employees and managers

The Hải Dương Province management board of industrial zones (IZs) has asked enterprises in the locality to routinely test their employees and managers for COVID-19.

This is one of the requests set for the enterprises regarding production plans when the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control.

According to the management board, factories at IZs in Kim Thành District can resume work but they must follow the Ministry of Health’s regulations on COVID-19 prevention.

Specifically, test results for all employees at the enterprises must show that they are negative. Enterprises must also regularly clean the environment, disinfect the workplace and dormitories (if any).

All staff must follow the Health Ministry’s 5K message: Khẩu trang (face mask) – Khử khuẩn (disinfection) – Khoảng cách (distance) – Không tụ tập (no gathering) – Khai báo y tế (health declaration).

It is necessary for enterprises to organise the supervision of compliance with pandemic prevention rules.

The enterprises are urged to set up a focus point to contact the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Kim Thành District when epidemiological factors emerge to coordinate, even when in doubt.

Owners of factories are responsible for COVID-19 prevention and control work at their establishments and take responsibility before the law for the emergence of the pandemic due to subjective factors.

For enterprises with employees who test positive for COVID-19, they are requested to urgently take samples from those who haven’t been tested.

It’s a must for enterprises to make a business plan associated with the prevention and control of the pandemic. Coordination with local authorities to review and thoroughly handle the disease risk factors in businesses or from employees is also included in the plan. They should submit a report to the provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control for approval before resuming operation.

Employees are ordered to sign documents with the local authorities affirming their commitment to COVID-19 safety.

Businesses involved in the trading of infrastructure at industrial zones are responsible for coordinating with relevant agencies to monitor enterprises in IZs to comply with the regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

After 15 days of stringent province-wide lockdown measures, the northern province of Hải Dương will lift some restrictions in certain areas on Wednesday (March 3) as the COVID-19 outbreaks are gradually being brought under control.

It will shift to a new status, both drastically fighting the coronavirus and taking action to carry out socio-economic development tasks, according to a decision made by the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee at a meeting on Monday.

Sine the coronavirus broke out in Hải Dương province on January 27, the province has recorded 684 COVID-19 local infections, becoming the largest outbreak in the country.

Hải Dương authorities agreed to divide the localities in the province into two groups under different restrictions depending on the COVID-19 risks.

Four high-risk localities, including Hải Dương City, Kinh Môn township, Cẩm Giàng District and Kim Thành, will be placed under the Government’s Directive 15, the highest level of social distancing first introduced in March last year when the country entered nationwide lockdown. The remaining eight localities in the province will follow the less restrictive Government’s Directive 19 on social distancing norms.

Hải Dương will continue to halt festivals, religious rituals, sporting events and other unimportant events that require large gatherings in public.

Service venues – retail/wholesale trading shops, shopping malls, markets, supermarkets, hotels, accommodation facilities, etc. – can resume operations, but must observe COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Phạm Xuân Thăng said that, from March 3, Hải Dương would carry out 10 groups of anti-COVID-19 solutions and five groups of socio-economic development solutions.

As the outbreak may return, the entire local political system would not lower its guard and will remain on alert and be stringent in the fight, he stated.

Youth committee urges integration of youth affairs into policy making

Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam (NCYV), Nguyen Anh Tuan, urged ministries and governmental agencies to integrate youth affairs into policy making during the committee’s 32nd meeting in Hanoi on March 2.

The NCYV closely coordinated in the drafting of the revised Youth Law, which received approval from the National Assembly last year. It also completed the implementation of the 2011-2020 strategy for Vietnamese youth development and has developed a strategy for the next 10 years.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said youth affairs have played an important part in the activities of governmental organisations. Most ministries and governmental agencies have launched programmes for youth, including a cultural ambassador programme as well as conferences and seminars on startups and innovation.

As Chair of ASEAN 2020, Vietnam advocated the inclusion of youth-related content in the Chairman’s Statement of the 37th ASEAN Summit, he said.

Tuan said the committee will continue coordinating with relevant bodies to develop and propose youth-related policies, and will supervise the enforcement of the revised Youth Law and the 2020-2030 strategy for youth development.

He also called for an increase in information exchange between the committee and other organisations regarding youth affairs./.

Task of designing science-technology organisation network planning approved

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has signed a decision approving the task of making planning for the science-technology organisation network in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050.

The major objectives of the planning include concretising the Party and State’s policies and laws on science and technology development and innovation, and connecting relevant sectors and regions in line with the national master planning.

A network of science and technology organisations will be formed in an open and flexible manner with suitable scale and structure to meet the goal of comprehensively and synchronously promoting the cause of national reform, industrialisation and modernisation.

Meanwhile, the planning will serve as a foundation for the building of a middle-term public investment plan across the nation in the field of science and technology as well as the mobilisation of resources from the community in developing the network, towards the complete autonomy of State-owned science and technology organisations.

Under the decision, the natural conditions, resources and situation of the science and technology organisation network nationwide will be analysed and evaluated, along with connectivity of sectors and regions in the development of the network.

At the same time, opportunities and challenges in building the planning will be defined, together with the list of important projects for investment priority./.

Photos call on ethnic minority people to take action against COVID-19

The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have called on people to take action to prevent COVID-19 pandemic for sustainable economic development through a photo series about the lives of ethnic minority traders in the northern mountain province of Ha Giang.

The photo series is part of a project on strengthening communication about COVID-19 prevention in the new normal for small businesses run by ethnic minorities in the province.

The project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, UNDP in Vietnam and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam with an aim of implementing sustainable development goals towards fairness and equality in healthcare among ethnic groups in the country. It includes a series of communication activities that aim to enhance knowledge, understanding and changes in action and habits of people to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among ethnic minorities.

The project’s activities have approached a large number of local officials, health workers, trade unions and small traders in four districts of Meo Vac, Dong Van, Quan Ba and Yen Minh, and Ha Giang city.

The project helped local authorities have more essential resources to conduct disease prevention and control and provide local people, especially ethnic traders, with access to healthcare services and knowledge about disease prevention methods.

This will help to reduce the negative effects of COVID-19, so that people can continue to develop economically and sustainably, stabilise their lives and overcome difficulties such as farmland shortages, lack of domestic water and harsh natural conditions.

The series of photos was taken in late 2020 and early 2021 in four highlands districts: Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh and Quang Ba, which are the poorest localities and the most inhabited by Mong ethnic people. The series displays the daily work of traders, especially when they have taken preventive measures for protecting the health and safety of each individual and the community.

As part of the project, ethnic minorities of Dong Van district were given knowledge and provided with practical guidance on pandemic prevention and control.

With the support of local health workers, people have started disease prevention activities, such as wearing masks, washing hands with antiseptic, sanitising their homes and ensuring personal hygiene in work and daily life.

The photo series also showed local people in tourism development associated with preserving and promoting national cultural values./.

Kien Giang hoping to soon put Cai Lon – Cai Be irrigation system into operation

Extra efforts are being made to quickly complete the first phase of the Cai Lon – Cai Be irrigation system in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang to better serve local life and production.

Connecting the Cai Lon River to the Cai Be River, the project is expected to improve agriculture and aquaculture production, control salinity, fight the effects of climate change, and provide freshwater for An Minh and An Bien districts during periods of low rainfall.

Construction of the first phase of the project, scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, is taking place in Chau Thanh district on 54.5 ha, with funding of 3.3 trillion VND (143.3 million USD).

According to deputy head of the Irrigation Work Investment and Construction Management Board No 10, Ha Duc Hanh, the Cai Be sewer was put into operation on February 5, several months ahead of schedule, thus helping control saltwater intrusion on over 20,000 ha of agricultural land.

The sewer helps the province save on the cost of building over 150 temporary dams and contributes to reducing environmental pollution caused by the building of such dams.

Ninety-five percent of work is completed, with the remainder to be done by June.

Meanwhile, 75 percent of work on Cai Lon sewer and 40 percent of work on Xeo Ro sewer are completed. Construction is to fully finish in September and October, respectively./.

Population database: Turning point in building e-gov’t

The national population database launched recently is the most important of six national databases helping to form an e-government, a digital society, and a digital economy. The introduction of the database reflects the Government’s determination to shift from paper-based to electronic document management.

After a year of implementation, the national database on population now integrates national citizen IDs, birth registrations, death confirmations, and household registration book systems, removing unnecessary administrative procedures.

The Ministry of Public Security has basically completed the collection of national population information and moving data from the old system to the new system. All information gathered serves the production, issuance, and management of citizen’s ID cards.

The Ministry of Public Security aims at completing the national database on population and ID card issuance and management by July 1./.

Vietnamese audiences get chance to view seven French movies

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has granted permission for the screening of French movies throughout the country.

The films will be screened in 10 cities and provinces nationwide, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Lao Cai, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Can Tho.

The Ministry also noted that screenings will only take place once the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has fully been brought under control in localities. In addition, relevant preventive measures must also be observed.

Activities held nationwide for Youth Month 2021

A wide variety of practical activities have been held across the country in response to Youth Month 2021 and in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26).

The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union launched a volunteer programme in order to ensure safety and hygiene in the context of the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the Central Agencies Bloc in coordination with the Thai Nguyen Provincial Youth Union launched a tree planting festival in Dai Tu District, Thai Nguyen Province, on February 28.

On the occasion, the two units also presented gifts worth a total of over VND200 million to policy beneficiary families and disadvantaged students in the district.

A volunteer programme has been launched by the municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to educate young people about the revolutionary tradition.

The Hanoi Municipal Youth Union launched a tree planting festival in Soc Son District, Hanoi.

At the festival, the organising board donated 6,000 green trees worth nearly VND300 million, along with a social house worth VND50 million to a policy beneficiary family in the district.

The Bac Giang Provincial Youth Union began the construction of Ben Mong Bridge in Luc Nam District. The bridge has a total cost of about VND2 billion. Once completed, the bridge is expected to help local people travel quickly and safely.

A number of similar meaning events were also held byyouth unions in the central city of Da Nang, the northernmountainous province of Lai Chau and the southern province of Dong Nai, as part of the activities to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Localities host assorted cultural activities throughout March

A wide range of cultural activities are being held through March in localities across the country, in accordance with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

From March 1-3, the Vietnam Women’s Union Central Committee is hosting an Ao Dai Week, encouraging the union’s members, particularly those who are officials, civil servants and businesswomen, to wear the traditional long dress at workplaces or while attending events.

* A programme entitled ‘A Little Spring’ is taking place at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in the Dong Mo tourism area of Son Tay town, Hanoi from March 1 to 31, featuring the participation of nearly 100 people from 14 ethnic groups in 12 cities and provinces nationwide.

The programme features art performances, cuisine events, a singing contest, exhibitions and the screening of documentaries on the country’s seas and islands.

The scale of the activities is dependent on the COVID-19 pandemic situation. If the pandemic breaks out in the locality during March or in Hanoi, activities will be restricted such as limiting the concentration of people, ensuring safety and taking other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Under the second plan, if the pandemic is completely under control in March, the programme will be fully implemented and all activities will go ahead as scheduled in order to attract tourists to the village.

* The History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City has decided to introduce to the public its collections of valuable objects through an online exhibition on the museum’s official website at www.baotanglichsutphcm.com.vn.

By clicking the link, viewers can access images of antiques with detailed information on each.

* The Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies in coordination with the British Council recently announced a series of 12 art and cultural events taking place from March 5 to 21 in many locations across Vietnam.

The events include a visual art exhibition in Da Nang city, a multisensory puppet show in Ninh Binh province, a series of workshops on art for children in Dak Lak province and Ho Chi Minh City, film screenings and arts projects in Hanoi, and a week of culture and creativity in Hai Phong city.

Tourism campaign clip hits a million views

A fortnight after being posted on YouTube on February 11, a tourism promotion clip entitled “Vietnam – Destination of culture and cuisine” (Vietnam – Điểm đến Văn hóa và Ẩm thực”) has received more than a million views. The campaign was launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism in partnership with Google and VinPearl.

It also brings a warm and touching atmosphere of reunion during the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, featuring traditional cultural activities such as calligraphy, flower orchards in full bloom, and bustling markets.

The growing interest shows the appeal of YouTube in promoting the beauty of Vietnam.

It is also consistent with the tourism sector’s orientation towards increasing the promotion of Vietnamese tourism on digital platforms, thereby inspiring tourists in the context of tourism activities being seriously hit by COVID-19./.

Yen Bai has first model new-style rural commune

Tuy Loc commune in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai is now a recognised model new-style rural area, making it the first commune in the northern province to obtain the accreditation.

After meeting the new style rural standard in 2014, Tuy Loc had worked on getting the advanced title. To date, it has effectively implemented 48 economic development projects, with its per capita income reaching 56 million VND in 2020, 1.5 times higher than that set by the new-style rural standard for the year. Currently, there is no poor household in the commune.

Chairman of the Tuy Loc People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Tuan said key tasks for the time to come include restructuring agriculture in association with building new-style rural building, as well as promoting technological application and green technologies.

After a ceremony to announce the recognition on March 1, work began on the construction of a road connecting Tuy Loc’s dyke to its centre. The project costs 14.5 billion VND and is scheduled to be fully operational in October.

The national target programme on building new-styled rural areas was initiated by the Government in 2010 with the aim of developing rural regions. The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacity, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values./.

V.League 1 set to restart on March 13

The 2021 V.League 1 season is scheduled to see the return of matches on March 13, providing that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stays under control nationwide.

According to the updated fixture list, the remaining five matches from the third round of games will be held on March 13 and March 14, as set out by the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF).

The season will see all teams play at least 10 games before April 18. They will then take a temporary break to allow time for the Vietnamese national football team to meet ahead of Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Elsewhere, the V.League 2 season will begin on March 19, with the first match set to be between hosts Can Tho FC and the People’s Public Security FC.

The 13 rounds of the opening half of the V.League 2 season are scheduled to last until July 24.

The “connection” between traditional and modern music

In recent years, Vietnamese music lovers have witnessed the birth of many works combining traditional and modern music.

The video “Xam Hanoi”, which shows young singer Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha (Ha Myo)’s love for the capital city through Xam (ballads sung by wandering blind musicians), was one outstanding example. This is the first time the traditional Xam art of song was perfectly combined with rap and electronic music and modern choreography, creating a new music product bearing the charm and beauty of folk culture while featuring the freshness of the modern arts. The video “Xam Hanoi” has rapidly received a warm response from a large number of young music listeners after arrived in the digital environment. This is on example highlighting the “connection” between modern and traditional music.

Young artist Ngo Hong Quang is also a remarkable face possessesing many works that exploit the rich traditions of music from around the country. He has finished an album entitled “Tinh dan” featuring many indigenous music styles of Vietnam. Earlier, singers such as Hoang Thuy Linh and Bich Phuong also made their marks with pop songs imbued with folk music or inspired by traditional culture. It can be seen that this feature of traditional music in composition has become a trend for many young artists over recent years, contributing to a new wind affecting contemporary musical life. This composition trend is considered a rope connecting modern music lovers with traditional music. It has not only brought about a new style but also highlighted Vietnamese identities in contemporary music.

On the contrary, many traditional art works now feature modern musical elements to conquer young audiences. One highlight is the Cai Luong (reformed opera) and circus play entitled “Cay gay than” (Magic stick) by the Vietnam Cai Luong Theatre and Vietnam Circus Federation. The play was an audacious experience as the familiar Cai Luong ancient songs were added to a background of jazz music and featured the appearance of rap music in some scenes. All have created an interesting “opening” for Cai Luong that is not only admired young people but has also surprised veteran artists.

The newly released play “Son Hau – Beyond The Mountain” by young directors Nguyen Quoc Hoang Anh and Ha Nguyen Long has also rejuvenated the ancient art of Tuong (classical drama) through attractive performances of hip hop dance on a background of electronic sounds. This exploitation of modern music is a way to bring traditional arts and music closer to young audiences as well as preserving and promoting traditional music values that are at risk of degradation over times.

Obviously, the reciprocal combination of modern and traditional elements in music has not only made both art forms newer and more impressive but also opened potential trends for the future, towards a new world of contemporary arts imbued with national identities. This is also a way for Vietnamese music to define itself among international friends. This mission belongs to both traditional and modern artists. However, it is not an easy “path” for artists who have a great passion for the arts and who also dare to deviate. Because, in fact, not any old combination creates the right “fit”. An inappropriate mix of modern and traditional elements can make art works rude and objectionable. The unreasonable exploitation of ancient materials can also easily cause distortions of tradition. Creators must thus have a deep understanding of each art form so that they will not blur one another. The successes of various art works using this combination in recent years was in part due to the participation of experts having strengths in each form. With an in-depth understanding of each field, they support and adjust together, helping the works avoid crossing the delicate line between creativity and objection. Thereby, they will enhance the value of the country’s music in particular and the arts in general.

Binh Duong deports 11 Chinese nationals for illegal entry

The law enforcement agencies of Binh Duong Province today, March 1, extradited 11 Chinese nationals who had entered Vietnam illegally to the northern province of Lang Son to deport them in line with prevailing regulations.

The 11 Chinese nationals were quarantined for 14 days and have tested negative for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the provincial law enforcement agencies.

On February 8, the police of Di An City in Binh Duong Province discovered 13 Chinese nationals disembarking from a passenger coach in Binh Thang Ward, Thanh Nien Online reported.

The 13 people were identified as entering the country illegally as they failed to show their entry papers. They were sent to the general clinic in An Binh Ward for quarantine.

During their quarantine period, two of the 13 Chinese nationals escaped from the clinic.

HCMC allocates over US$1 million preferential loans for social house buyers

Ho Chi Minh City authorities decided to allocate VND25 billion (US$1,086,220) preferential loans for buyers of social houses.

Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan has just signed a decision to allocate money for the preferential loan program for buying and renting social houses of this year.

The program is also for those who ask for loans for repairing their own houses according to the government’s decree 100/2015.

Directors of branches of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies in districts and Thu Duc City submitted their credit plan as per the decision for further implementation.

Additionally, Directors of Vietnam Bank for Social Policies branches will be responsible for allocation and supervision of implementation procedure to ensure the money is used effectively.

New schedule unveiled for domestic leagues and National Cup

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF) have agreed to resume the V.League 1 season in March and April, whilst both the V.League 2 and National Cup will also start after being delayed for the COVID-19 fight.

The V.League 1 season will return on either March 13 or March 19 before concluding on September 19.

Furthermore, the V.League 2 will kick off on March 20 and finish on September 18. At the end of the season, a play-off match will be held between the second-place team of the V.League 2 and the bottom team in the V.League 1, with the loser playing in the V.League 2 in the 2022 season.

The National Cup will also launch its qualifying round on April 23. With the tournament scheduled to end on September 30, this will allow the national U22 team plenty of time to prepare for qualifiers for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship and the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. In addition, the senior team will be preparing for qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in the Asian region and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup.

The national team will therefore participate in a one-week training camp from May 22 to May 29 before going on to compete in the remaining qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

It is also possible that the Vietnamese team will hold an additional training camp between April 21 and May 7 due to a break in the V.League 1 season to allow Viettel FC to compete in the group stages of the AFC Champions League.

At present, Vietnam are currently leading Group G with 11 points, followed by Malaysia with nine points, Thailand with eight points, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with six points, and Indonesia who are bottom with zero points.

The national team are scheduled to compete in three matches as part of the current qualifying process, with ties against Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia on June 11, and the UAE on June 15.

Students in Dong Thap Province’s border districts continue taking a week off

In the midst of the current complicated Covid-19 pandemic situation in the border area of Dong Thap Province, the People’s Committee of Dong Thap Province this morning decided to allow students of kindergartens, high schools and vocational training schools in the border districts of Hong Ngu, Tan Hong and Hong Ngu City to stay at home one more week from March 1 to March 6.

Currently, all suspected cases are strictly conducting quarantine requirements in Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City.

Dong Thap province authorities have been urgently searching for two remaining F1 cases related to patient No.2424; and tracing F2 cases being isolated at home according to regulations.

Previously, a 24-year-old woman from Can Tho City working in a casino in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh and another woman illegally immigrated to Vietnam through the border gate in Tan Hong District of Dong Thap Province on February 23. They were seen at a hostel at Sa Rai Town, Tan Hong District and were promptly sent to a quarantine ward for SARS-CoV-2 testing on the same day.

Two days later, the former woman became the patient No. 2424 with SARS-CoV-2 positive result from HCMC-based Pasteur Institute and the rest one was negative for SARS-CoV-2.

VIWASE proposes one more water plant for Hanoi’s water supply

It is necessary to soon approve the adjustment for water supply planning in Hanoi, which will contribute to completing the target that all people in the city’s rural areas will be able to use clean water by 2025.

The Vietnam Water, Sanitation and Environment Joint Stock Company (VIWASE) has proposed to build Xuan Mai water plant in the northern province of Hoa Binh.

The project, expected to be listed in the city’s water supply planning, will supply water for Hoa Binh and Hanoi’s southern districts.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Construction Hoang Cao Thang, the project is one of the VIWASE’s proposals sent to his department to adjust water supply planning in order to improve water access to people in Hanoi.

It is necessary to soon approve the adjustment for water supply planning in Hanoi, which will contribute to completing the target that all people in the city’s rural areas will be able to use clean water by 2025, said an expert in water supply.

Le Van Du, deputy head of Technical Infrastructure under the Hanoi Department of Construction, said that currently the total capacity of safe water sources in the city is 1,520,000 cubic meters per day, which is still short of 210,000m3 per day in accordance with the city’s water supply planning to 2030, with a vision to 2050.

The total capacity of clean water sources is only enough to serve people in Hanoi’s downtown and surrounding areas. Only about 10-35% of people in rural areas have access to tap water which is mainly supplied by rural concentrated clean water purifiers.

Hanoi strives to supply clean water for 100% of population living downtown, in satellite urban areas and rural districts by 2030.

Besides, Hanoi will ensure safe and sustainable water supply to adapt to climate change, so that water supplied to urban and rural areas meets the Ministry of Health’s standards on drinkable water.

Promote tourism through the book “Explore Vietnam”

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has recently introduced a travel guide book entitled “Kham pha Vietnam” (Explore Vietnam).

The “Kham pha Vietnam” book is copyrighted by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and printed by Thanh Nien (Youth) Publishing House.

This 165-page book is divided into 12 main content sections, introducing famous tourist destinations and renown sightseeing within Vietnam, including: the Hanoi capital, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue city (Thua Thien – Hue province),. Sa Pa Town (Lao Cai province), the Dong Van rock plateau (Ha Giang province), Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh province), Ninh Binh city (Ninh Binh province), Hoi An ancient town (Quang Nam province), Da Lat city (Lam Dong province), coastal city of Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province), Vung Tau city (Ba Ria – Vung Tau province), Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang province) and the beauty landscapes surrounding these destinations.

Each part of the book not only introduces readers the beautiful natural landscape, unique culture and rich cuisine, but also depicts the friendly and peaceful lifestyle of local residents.

In addition to useful information, the book also attracts readers with vividly beautiful images that are captured by professional photographers.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism expects this useful and well-prepared publication will help travelers to map out their itineraries when visiting Vietnam.

March will be eventful month with loads of cultural activities

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8 and International Day of Happiness on March 20, Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism will run a series of activities themed “Little Spring” for the whole month.

The cultural activities will draw the participation of nearly 100 non-professional artists and people from 14 ethnic groups in 12 provinces and cities throughout the nation such as Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Ha Giang, Son La, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Thua Thien – Hue, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Ninh Thuan, Dak Lak and Soc Trang.

The event themed “the Spring in the Muong Village” features an artistic show of Muong ethnic dances and songs; an ethnic gastronomic demonstration with dishes prepared from Ban Flower (Bauhinia) and a photo exhibition of beautiful girls from Thai ethnic group with Ban flowers.

At the exhibition “Our homeland’s islands”, visitors will watch photos, documentary films and artifacts related to the sea and islands of Vietnam, especially the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa (Paracel & Spratly) islands while at the music show titled  “Love Songs from the Sea”, they will be told about the lives of the marines, their bravery and willing to sacrifice for Vietnam’s territorial water protection.

On weekends, there will be a cultural event called “The Central Highlands in March – I’m the P’lang flower”, including songs and dances on the spring, which praise the beauty of nature, culture and people of the Central Highlands.

In addition, spring festivals,  homestay travel programs, culinary experiences, and folk games will also be held on weekdays and weekends to introduce the culture and customs of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam.

These cultural activities are aimed at promoting cultural exchange among ethnic groups in Vietnam as well as attracting more tourists to the National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.

Hanoi urges to accelerate zoning plan for Red river

Developments along the Red river will play an important role in driving Hanoi’s future.

Hanoi needs to remove obstacles to accelerate the zoning plan of the riparian areas on both sides of the Red river that runs through the city, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue said at a meeting last week.

Hue said that Hanoi needs to complete the zoning plans, including the plan on both sides of the Red river and making full use of the land resources in the riparian areas along the river banks.

As the zoning plan has not been devised, land resources in Hanoi have not been made full use of. No one wants to make long-term investments in the riparian areas as winning bidders are only entitled to the land usufruct for five years.

Hue emphasized that planning the Red river will make resources in terms of land, landscape and environment to become fulcrum for the capital city’s development.

“The riparian areas in Dan Phuong and Hoai Duc districts are immense but left fallow. There is a large riparian area in Hoan Kiem district which has been left unused because of the lack of a zoning plan,” Hue said.

Under the futuristic zoning plan, the riparian areas will become ecological urban areas. About 900,000 local residents along both sides of the river will be able to make a living when the plan is carried out.

In order to remove obstacles for the zoning plan, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue had a working session with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on July, 2020.

Currently, the city is actively working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to map out the anti-flood plan and submit it to the National Assembly and the prime minister.

In recent years, Hanoi has prepared infrastructure for the eventual urban development in the riparian areas by building bridges crossing the Red river.

Most recently, the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture has made public the architecture plan of Tu Lien bridge, connecting Dong Anh district and Tay Ho district.

The municipal government is also considering two options of either to build Tran Hung Dao bridge or a tunnel crossing the Red river to link Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts.

According to Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan, the Red River planning project is built based the study of the section of about 40 kilometers along the river, from Hong Ha bridge to Me So bridge. The plan will cover an area of about 11,000 hectares in 13 districts.

Tuan stressed that the completion of the 1:2000 scale zoning plan of the riparian areas on both sides of the Red river the section running through the city is a great progress after a long time of suspension pending.

Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2021 launched

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issues a guidance for the organization of the 2021 Reading Culture Ambassador Contest.

Focusing on pupils and students, the contest aimed to inspire the passion for reading among youth, thereby, help fostering the reading culture within the community.

The contest is conducted with two rounds, in which the preliminary round is launched in provinces and cities, higher educational institutions and the Vietnam Education Publishing House from February 2021 to July 31, 2021.

For the final round, entries will be submitted to the Organizing Board before August 5, 2021. The awarding ceremony to honor the Ambassador of Reading Culture will be held by the end of October 2021.

The Vietnam Blind Association is in charge of organizing the preliminary round among the visually impaired people.

In recent years, under the government’s project of “Fostering a reading culture within community, with an orientation to 2030” a wide range of activities for spreading and developing the reading culture have been held in nationwide.

The Reading Culture Ambassador Contest has become an annual cultural activity, attracting wide appreciation and interest from the community and gaining positive outcomes.

It not only honors the reading culture, contributes to the creation of a ‘learning society’, but also serves as an opportunity for people to improve their understanding of the rich national culture.

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

According to the comprehensive plan to develop the IT human resources, Vietnam needed 1 million workers in the IT field in 2020. Yet the reality shows that there are only 600,000 IT students being trained in 400 higher educational institutes and 8 key IT training centers nationwide.

Statistics from the Institute of Information Technology Strategy (under the Ministry of Information & Communications) show that 72 percent of IT students lack practical experience, while 42 percent are weak at team work. Only 15 percent of IT graduates satisfy the demands of employers.

Vietnam now has over 700 IT companies working in key fields of the IT industry, including 220 foreign ones. They mostly locate in major cities or software parks.

Notably, despite a high job potential, the AI field still attracts little attention from both learners and trainers. There is no formal university department or school to specifically provide tertiary education in this field. Most curriculum focus on software developing, which is a rather old trend of the previous decade. This calls for a serious curriculum redesign to answer the current needs of IT companies, both domestic and international.

There should be an establishment of AI departments in universities or the development of such majors as computer vision, natural language processing, Big Data, robotics. Tertiary educational institutes should cooperate with IT businesses for internship programs, career guiding fairs, academic challenges, and training equipment provision (like server clusters, computing clusters, GPU, robots, IoT devices).

Experts voiced that in order for HCMC to own sufficient core AI human resources, the municipal authorities must first identify the market needs and the ability to apply research result in reality. They then have to actively link the development of smart city, innovative urban areas with the growth of talented AI employees.

These actions will gradually form a complete AI ecosystem so that HCMC can transform into a database center of the whole Southeast Asian region in 2030, and of the world in the far future.

There must be clear short-term as well as long-term strategies to turn HCMC into a smart city, including the three key points of research and training, technology mastering, and innovation promotion.

Regarding the first key point, more investment should be pour into the AI field via supporting funds, collaboration with national and international partners to take advantage of all possible strengths.

A kind of ‘shared university’ for AI training could be formed, where educational facilities are located in one place, and the teaching staff or research teams come to perform their tasks. This model does need specific policies to regulate particular responsibilities and rights of each partner, as well as the role of the municipal authorities in the project.

Director of Vietnam National University – HCMC Vu Hai Quan stated that the potential of key AI research teams directly shape the training direction for new AI workers. They are the model for the young generations to look up to.

Therefore, the AI human resources training project should consist of financial aid for major AI research teams to expand their study in various fields, the construction of AI labs, the organization of academic contests about AI to tackle existing problems in the community.

These actions will no doubt increase the position of Vietnam in the global AI top list and the awareness of AI importance in the society.

By Thanh Hung – Translated by Thanh Tam