Support the north face

By Thanh Van

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued Decision No. 947/QD-BCT on launching an anti-dumping investigation into some types of welding material products originated from China, Thailand and Malaysi.

The materials subjected to the investigation belong to the following HS codes: 7217.10.10; 7217.30.19; 7217.90.10; 7229.20.00; 7229.90.20; 7229.90.99; 8311.10.10; 8311.10.90; 8311.30.91; 8311.30.99; 8311.90.00.

According to the law, after initiating the investigation, the ministry will send questionnaires to relevant parties to collect information so as to analyse and evaluate the situation. If necessary, based on preliminary investigation results, the ministry may apply temporary anti-dumping measures to prevent losses for domestic production.

Along with information verification, the ministry will organise public consultations so that relevant parties can discuss and provide information and have a voice in the issue before giving out final conclusion.

At the same time, the ministry recommends all organisations and individuals that are importing, exporting, distributing, trading and using the investigated products to register as related parties and provide necessary information for the ministry to protect their legitimate rights and interests.

Besides, the ministry may apply retroactive anti-dumping duty on products subjected to taxation within 90 days before the imposition of temporary anti-dumping duty.

Therefore, the ministry recommended that organisations and individuals in the process of signing contracts for importing, distributing, trading and using goods under investigation should pay attention to the possibility of being subject to temporary anti-dumping and retroactive anti-dumping taxes.

Vietnam ranks 96th on global sustainable tourism list

A Euromonitor International report ranked Vietnam as 96th of 99 countries for sustainable tourism.

The report analysed seven aspects of sustainable tourism, including environmental, social and economic sustainability, country risk, and sustainable tourism demand, transport and lodging.

Globally, Sweden was ranked the most sustainable destination for travel, followed by Finland and Austria. Rounding out the top five were Estonia and Norway.

The research firm predicted there would be growing awareness among consumers, businesses and governments to prioritize the planet alongside people and profit when global tourism resumes following travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

Some popular tourist destinations in Vietnam have been eyeing sustainable tourism development. For instance, Hoi An in central Vietnam is restricting the use of single-use plastic items and plastic bags as it looks to boost sustainable travel growth.

Vietnam becomes 10th largest supplier of wooden furniture to French market

With France moving to increase its wooden furniture imports, Vietnam has become the 10th largest supplier of this product to the fastidious market, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

These statistics show that the European country imported 1.08 million tonnes of wooden furniture worth a total of US$3.75 billion last year, posting a decline of 6.8% in volume and 6.9% in value compared to figures recorded in 2019.

According to the Italian Centre for Industrial Studies, France represents an important part of the furniture sector both in Europe and globally, making up the second largest import market in Europe.

Most notably, France has always been a key Vietnamese trading partner within the EU, with the country making up the Southeast Asian nation’s fourth largest export market in the bloc.

Furthermore, the nation is the 10th largest supplier of wooden furniture to the French market, accounting for only 3.2% of the total import volume, a relatively low figure in comparison to import demand within the fastidious market.

Trade experts have therefore advised Vietnamese firms to seize upon the various opportunities brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in order to boost their export of furniture products to the French market in an effective manner.

At present, China remains the largest supplier of living room and dining room furniture to France, followed by Poland, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Vietnam.

With the country being the fifth largest supplier of wood frame chairs to France, it is trailed by China, Italy, Romania, and Poland. However, the import volume and value of Vietnamese wooden framed chairs endured a downward trajectory last year.

HCM City helping RoK businesses to tackle difficulties

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea (RoK), for the first time organised a dialogue between city leaders and RoK enterprises on March 25 to help them deal with difficulties in investment and business.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong told the dialogue that since diplomatic ties were set up in 1992, Vietnam and the RoK have seen rapid development in bilateral relations, becoming strategic cooperative partners in 2009.

Economic cooperation has always been an important pillar in the bilateral relations, and the RoK has been a key economic partner of Vietnam for many years.

As of the end of 2020, the RoK had over 8,900 valid investment projects in Vietnam totalling 70.65 billion USD, ranking it first among 139 countries and territories investing in the country, in terms of both capital and project numbers.

Last year, the RoK was Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner, with two-way trade hitting 66 billion USD.

For HCM City, the RoK was the fifth-largest export market and third-largest import market, with turnover reaching 1.8 billion USD and 2.8 billion USD, respectively.

In the first two months of 2021, the city and the RoK saw two-way export and import value of 366 million USD and 701 million USD, up 30.3 percent and 47.3 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Addressing the dialogue via videoconference from Hanoi, RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Park Noh-wan said his country’s enterprises always pay attention to and hope to participate in large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the city’s smart city planning and the Long Thanh International Airport project.

Kim Heung Soo, President of the Korean Business Association in Vietnam, proposed simplifying and improving administrative procedures related to foreign investment.

Simplifying administrative procedures can help reduce time and costs for businesses, thus contributing to directly increasing business competitiveness, improving the city’s business and investment environment and attracting more foreign investment, Kim said.

Phong requested local departments and sectors collect ideas and recommendations from RoK for submission to higher levels for settlement./.

Binh Duong holds trade promotion event to attract Thai investors

Authorities in Binh Duong province, in collaboration with Becamex IDC – a leading developer of industrial, urban and transportation infrastructure in Vietnam – held an online conference on March 25 to promote Thai investment in the southern province.

Despite COVID-19, foreign capital poured into the province in the first three months of 2021 exceeded 400 million USD.

Boasting an attractive and open business climate, the accumulated number of FDI projects in Binh Duong as of the end of February neared 4,000 worth close to 38.8 billion USD. As such, the province ranked third nationwide in term of FDI attraction, just behind Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Thailand has so far injected over 647 million USD in 39 projects in Binh Duong, making it the 12th-largest of 65 countries and territories investing in the province. Thai investors have a preference for producing high-quality plastic products and industrial plastics, and for manufacturing and assembling civil electrical products.

Sanan Angubolkul, President of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Council and Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said Binh Duong’s dynamic growth has long been on the radar of the Thai business community.

Nguyen Thanh Truc, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, highlighted that there is tremendous space for investment cooperation between Binh Duong and Thailand to grow, adding that local authorities always create favourable conditions for Thai investors./.

Khanh Hoa promotes cooperation with Indian businesses

The leader of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa called on Indian investors to explore its potential and strengths and the cooperation opportunities available in localities during an online conference to promote cooperation between the two sides on March 25.

Speaking at the event, which was part of activities to realise the Vietnam-India Joint Vision on peace, prosperity, and people, reached by the Prime Ministers of the two countries on December 21, 2020, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee Nguyen Tan Tuan said the province boasts abundant advantages in natural landscapes and resources.

Khanh Hoa lies on a strategic location and is a gateway to the East Sea, he added.

For his part, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma noted that as of last year, India had 294 projects in Vietnam with total investment of 898 million USD, mostly in the fields of energy, natural resources exploration, agricultural product processing, and coffee, sugar, and tea production.

At the same time, Vietnamese businesses had also invested about 29 million USD in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, IT, chemicals, and construction materials in India.

He said these figures should move upwards, adding that the natural landscapes and cultural diversity in Khanh Hoa could appeal to Indian visitors.

Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau highlighted India’s strengths that Khanh Hoa businesses could explore further, including infrastructure building, solar energy, IT, water resources management and use, and heritage conservation.

The Indian side underlined the country’s fields of strength, such as aquatic processing, water resources management, and waste management.

Khanh Hoa businesses also introduced cooperation opportunities in local economic, trade, and investment, especially in manufacturing, electronics, construction materials, home appliances, supporting industries, and shipbuilding and repair and warehousing at the Ninh Thuy Industrial Park (IP), one of the large IPs in the Van Phong Economic Zone.

India’s tourism sector and tourism cooperation opportunities were also explored.

Vietnam textile industry combats pandemic with PPE switch: Forbes

A surge in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) from the manufacturing sector in Vietnam due to COVID-19 pandemic, along with the orders that flowed in from around the world helped to buoy the country’s important garment-making industry with many manufacturers rejigging their facilities to produce PPE, said an article on the forbes.com website.

The article cited statistics from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade showing that there are more than 6,000 garment factories and textile mills in the country, and the sector employed some 3 million workers in 2020.

The Vietnamese government had initially restricted the export of goods, such as face masks, to ensure there was an adequate domestic supply to help combat the virus. But once the restrictions were lifted in March of last year, Vietnam’s manufacturers exported almost 1.2 billion masks through to December 2020 to North America, Europe and around Asia, it noted.

The article mentioned as an example Vietnam Goods and Exports (VGE) which turned to making cloth face masks.

It quoted VGE founder Anh Tran as saying that he made the decision to switch in early 2020, and sees an ongoing demand for his product.

“Despite vaccines now rolling out, the [Centers for Disease Control] is still recommending people to wear masks because it is a slow rollout, and there are still many at-risk people you can affect or be affected by,” he said.

“If vaccines are effective, you will probably see a drop-off in the wearing of masks near the end of 2021, but from now until then, it is still a massive industry that just exploded overnight.”

“Vietnam has definitely become a shining star in the global PPE trade in 2020 because prior to that most PPE was manufactured in China or the United States,” he added.

Vietnam, ASEAN countries urged to adopt green manufacturing technologies: conference

Vietnam and ASEAN countries need to adopt green manufacturing technologies to make sustainable new products and services, heard a recent international conference in southern Binh Duong province.

Dr Michael Braun, coordinator of the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument project, told the ‘Cooperating with Europe for Green Manufacturing Technologies’ conference that it is important to promote technological cooperation between the European and Southeast Asian blocs for mutual benefit.

ASEAN countries have emerged as important manufacturing hubs in global supply chains, he said.

“The growing demand for environmentally sound, resource- and energy-efficient products and manufacturing has created a hunger for new green manufacturing technologies.”

With its rich technology and research landscape, innovative enterprises and dedicated green growth strategies, Europe is a major source of such green technologies, he said.

“Green technologies are key to sustainable new products, services and manufacturing processes, and are essential for realising green growth.”

For ASEAN member states, green technologies will help make the best possible use of their natural and energy resources and protect the health and well-being of workers and consumers.

Hans Farnhammer, head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation to Indonesia, Brunei, Darussalam and ASEAN, said: “Green production has become the core of sustainable development.”

Prof TAN, Reginald Beng Hee, of the National University of Singapore, said, “Binh Duong province is set to become the next destination for green technology transfer.”

Nguyen Viet Long, director of the province Department of Science and Technology, said comprehensive transport infrastructure and quality human resources play a major role in attracting foreign investors, especially from Europe, with green manufacturing technologies.

The Government needs to invest in improving infrastructure and offer incentives to promote the triple helix model of university–industry–government cooperation, he said.

Joanna Drake, deputy director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment, said under the European Green Deal, the EU recognises that climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world.

To overcome the challenges, the EU needs a new growth strategy that would transform it into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, and economic growth is decoupled from resource use, she said.

The Deal aims to make the EU’s economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities, focusing on investments in green technologies, sustainable solutions and innovative businesses, she said.

It also lays out a path for a sustainable transition that is socially fair and ensures ‘no person or place is left behind’, she said.

The EU therefore supports ASEAN and its member states with initiatives related to climate-change resilience and adaptation, environmental protection, including protecting bio-diversity, and disaster preparedness and response, she added.

The two-day conference that began on March 22 was held as part of the 2021 EU Industry Week organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the European Commission./.

Expansion of sugarcane expected to balance sugar market

The government needs to apply customs duties policies that would help increase the purchase price of sugarcane.

The prompt imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on sugar originating from Thailand has encouraged domestic farmers continue to expanding raw material areas. However, local experts suggested that strengthening the link between farmers and businesses is a long-term measure to ensure the sustainable development of the sugar industry.

Since the imposition took effect from this March, the retail price of sugar has increased from VND1,500 (US$0.06)-VND2,000 (US$0.08) per kg compared to the end of 2020. The purchase price of raw sugarcane from local growers also increased by VND50,000 (US$2.1) to VND100,000 (US$4.3) per ton.

The average buying price is currently at about VND950,000 (US$41.2)-VND1 million (US$43.3) per ton, Nguyen Cam Trang, Deputy Director of Import and Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) told the seminar entitled “Opportunities and challenges for the sugar industry” held on March 23 in Hanoi.

Being of the same mind, Chu Thang Trung, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, said that local manufacturers have increased the purchase price of sugarcane materials by 10%-13% compared to the previous crops.

“This helps farmers remove difficulties and encourages them to consider replanting sugarcane and expanding areas of cultivation,” he said.

Nguyen Van Loc, Acting General Secretary of the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association (VSSA) said that the domestic sugar industry has been badly damaged by massive import of sugar in the past, so the recovery process takes a long time.

“However, the government needs take on a policy on customs duties that would help increase the purchase price of sugarcane,” he said.

The Department of Agricultural Products Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development forecast a shortage of  raw sugarcane supply for factories in this year’s crop.

Currently, only 29 out of 40 sugar factories are still in operation. The total output of sugarcane in Vietnam is only around 5.3 million tons, equivalent to 530,000 tons of sugar.

Vietnam’s domestic sugar price remains the lowest in the region. Local experts said that in order to develop sustainably, it is still necessary to build a close linkages between businesses and farmers, developing quality and sustainable sugarcane material areas, and investing in technology to improve product quality.

Recently, the government has slapped temporary anti-dumping duty of 33.88% and countervailing duty of 44.88% on sugar originating from Thailand.

The decision comes after the MoIT last September initiated an anti-dumping and countervailing investigation on imported sugar from Thailand on the basis of the request of  the VSSA and domestic sugar producers.

VIB eyes over 7.5 trillion VND in pre-tax profit in 2021

The Vietnam International Bank (VIB) targets posting a pre-tax profit of more than 7.5 trillion VND (324.18 million USD) in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 29 percent, the bank’s extraordinary shareholder’s meeting on March 24 heard.

Under its business plan, the bank aims to have more than 300 trillion VND in total assets, up 26 percent against 2020.

With strong financial capacity and a specific business strategy, the bank decided to increase its capital by paying dividends in bonus shares and issuing stocks. With this, its charter capital will increase from over 11 trillion VND to nearly 16 trillion VND, helping it optimise asset growth while ensuring business safety ratios in 2021.

It will continue to develop new financial measures to bring an excellent experiences to customers.

VIB’s total assets increased 33 percent last year to 245 trillion VND. As its pre-tax profit grew 42 percent to more than 5.8 trillion VND, the return on equity (ROE) ratio reached 30 percent, helping VIB retain its top position in the banking sector in terms of business efficiency in the context of bad debts falling under 1.5 percent.

VIB is a pioneer in applying Basel III standards in risk management, after becoming the first bank in Vietnam to complete the three pillars of Basel II.

VIB began trading its stock on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in November 2020. The stock is now fluctuating around 43,800 VND./.

Vinh Long expects to turn tourism into spearhead economic sector

The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long has mobilised resources to promote tourism development, with the aim of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector by 2030.

During a conference held on March 24 to review the implementation of a resolution on tourism development in Vinh Long in the 2015-2021 period, participants discussed the province’s potential and advantages for tourism development, as well as measures to fully tap those strengths.

Their discussions specially focused on how to stimulate tourism demand in the province amid complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Bui Van Nghiem said the local authorities have mobilised all resources for tourism development, and encouraged travel businesses and local community to build and popularise Vinh Long’s image to visitors, gradually developing the sector into a key contributor to its economy.

The province will also continue to complete and effectively implement tourism development projects, and consider organising a tourism festival as an annual event to draw more holiday-makers.

Dialogues between the local authorities and businesses will be increased with the aim of removing difficulties facing travel companies.

Vinh Long welcomed over 6.1 million domestic and foreign visitors in the 2015-2019 period, earning nearly 1.7 trillion VND (over 73.6 million USD). The number of tourists and revenue averagely increased 11.6 percent and 25.7 percent per year.

Ba Ria – Vung Tau industrial parks await FDI post-pandemic

Industrial parks in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau are making preparations to attract foreign investments that are expected to surge after the COVID-19 pandemic passes.

The 500ha Dat Do 1 Industrial Park in Dat Do district wants FDI to account for 70 percent of all investment and domestic projects for only 30 percent, with priority given to supporting industries and hi-tech projects.

This year it attracted six local investors but no foreign investment.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, foreign investment had been severely impacted, Nguyen Khac Thanh, general director of Tin Nghia – Phuong Dong Industrial Park JSC, the developer of Dat Do 1 Industrial Park, said.

Many foreign investors have rented land in the park but delayed their projects since it was impossible for them to enter the country due to the travel restrictions and border closure, he said.

But his company had maintained contact with global customers and resorted to online marketing to introduce the opportunities and the procedures they have to complete to invest in the park, he said.

As a result, it managed to sign memorandums of understanding and took deposits for leases from 11 foreign investors, he revealed.

The park had helped foreign investors with investment procedures as part of efforts to attract them, he added.

The 999ha Phu My 3 Specialized Industrial Park in the province’s Phu My town has not attracted a single foreign project for more than a year due to the pandemic.

It has signed lease agreements with 10 foreign customers thanks to webinars and online marketing.

Nguyen Anh Triet, head of the provincial Industrial Park Authority, said there were incentives for industrial parks to attract investment, and administrative and land clearance procedures were being streamlined to develop industrial infrastructure.

Nearly 50 potential investors had signed MoUs and registered to lease more than 1,000 hectares of industrial land, he said.

The province planned to build eight industrial zones with more than 8,000ha by 2030 to meet the huge demand, he added./.

Vietnam targets 10 billion USD from fruit, vegetable exports by 2030

Vietnam expects to gain 8-10 billion USD from shipping fruits and vegetables abroad, with revenue of processed products accounting for at least 30 percent of the total by 2030.

Under a project to develop the fruit and vegetable process sector during 2021-2030 recently approved by the Prime Minister, Vietnam targets to attract investment in 50-60 fruit and vegetable processing establishments, and build several modern groups and enterprises who have good competitive capacity.

With a view to achieving the goals, Vietnam will invest heavily to improve processing ability, give priority to processing key fruits and vegetables which have high values, set up material zones, and develop markets for the products.

The project laid stress on the necessity to build processing and packaging facilities and storage warehouses and install suitable equipment to reduce post-harvest losses.

Besides, it is crucial to attract investment to ensure that all of the production facilities will be well equipped with necessary machines by 2030.

Along with encouraging businesses to invest in food irradiation centres at large-scale fruit and vegetable farming areas so that their products meet international standards, the country will promote intensive processing and diversify processed products.

Additionally, the country will establish specialised fruit and vegetable cultivating areas which are able to provide some 5-6 million tonnes of high-quality products for processing by 2030./.

Strong bonds with South Korean partners for deeper integration

Vietnam and South Korean businesses are expected to enjoy more investment opportunities soon and participate in the global supply chains thanks to new deals enabling them to implement investment promotion programmes.

The members of the supporting projects – Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Innovation Tech Lat, Korea Polytechnic University, and Innovative Technology Lat – will also sign similar deals with authorities and IZs in South Korea.

The agreements will help to reinforce the role of VITASK in investment promotion, along with the task of having a deep and thorough supporting programme.

According to Kyoung-Jin An, deputy director of VITASK, the cooperation will bring benefits for all sides. “We will introduce South Korean to invest in Vietnam, while simultaneously cooperating with departments and IZs to implement investment promotion programmes. Besides that, we will also connect Vietnamese businesses that want to penetrate the South

Korean market with local partners,” he said. “Regarding VITASK, the centre will be more convenient in approaching businesses, which have demand on supporting industries. In addition, it will help to improve the centre’s presence in both Vietnam and South Korea.”

After the first appraisal round of around 40 dossiers, VITASK selected 24 local suppliers to visit manufacturing facilities for the first time. The representatives of centres will visit these suppliers for a second time during the next months to select the final 16 eligible candidates.

“The scheme of this supporting programme was expected to be implemented in March, however, it will be delayed to May due to the impacts of the pandemic,” An explained. “According to the initial plan, we will select 12 candidates for the first phase. However, now the figure increases to 16 with the expectation of supporting more suppliers.”

VITASK currently cooperates with local authorities to work with the business community, which has the demand on technical support, but faces difficulties in approaching them.

“We hope to receive support from the government and relevant authorities to find suitable local suppliers, so that we can effectively implement the project,” An said.

Cooperating with South Korean ministries to establish the VITASK programme is a part of the Vietnamese government’s approach to help local suppliers improve their competitiveness.

The Vietnamese government has issued numerous regulations to promote development of local supporting industries, including Decree No.111/2015/ND-CP on incentive policies for businesses operating in supporting industries; Decision No.68/QD-TTg approving the Supporting Industry Development Programme from 2016 to 2025; the Law on Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises; and Resolution No.115/NQ-CP dated August 2020 on solutions to promote supporting industry development.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has also been working on an international cooperation project in terms of supporting industries, including the cooperation with Samsung to develop vendors, a scheme with South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to train technical engineers, and an additional World Bank project, among others.

Le Huyen Nga, deputy head of the Supporting Industry Division under the MoIT’s Agency for Industrial Development said, “Implementing synchronised solutions to support businesses in supporting industries will contribute to improving their competitiveness, improving the productivity and quality of their products, and leading towards smoother entry into global supply chains.”

Hanoi plans to begin construction of 43 industrial clusters in 2021

The capital city of Hanoi is planning to start construction of 43 industrial clusters in 2021, which were set up during the 2018-2020 period.

Accordingly, the municipal People’s Committee will begin construction of one industrial cluster in Quarter 1, 23 in Quarter 2, 13 in Quarter 3, and six in Quarter 4.

The city is striving to complete technical infrastructure for at least 20 industrial clusters, while attracting investment into 10-15 clusters.

All of the operating industrial clusters will have synchronous technical infrastructure, which will be managed in line with the current regulations. Furthermore, all of the newly-built industrial parks will have standardised sewage treatment stations.

Besides pushing technical infrastructure development, the city will create favourable conditions for investors to shorten investment procedures.

Hanoi has already developed mechanisms to support businesses who land investment in the industrial clusters, and issued regulations on service prices at the clusters.

Due attention will be paid to investment promotion, aiming to reach full occupancy at these industrial clusters. Competent authorities will work to improve its management over the clusters, and keep close watch on land use and illegal construction at the sites.

The city will tighten the examination of the establishment of new industrial clusters in accordance with existing regulations.

Hopes escalating for post-pandemic growth in M&A

Vietnam’s mergers and acquisitions, though rather muted in the beginning months of 2021, are expected to revive on the back of both vaccination programmes and legislative changes.

Vietnam has witnessed only a few merger and acquisition (M&A) deals since the beginning of 2021. Thailand’s SCG acquired 70 per cent stake in Duy Tan Plastics while Danish group BioMar scooped up a majority share in Viet-Uc.

Commenting on this trend, Masataka Sam Yoshida, head of the Cross-border Division of RECOF Corporation, said that this situation is just temporary, and a bright future is expected ahead. For instance, Japanese investors have become more cautious than ever after the latest wave of the pandemic in Japan.

Vietnam has been extremely successful in keeping the pandemic under control, but the strict travel restrictions make it difficult for Japanese companies to arrange short-term business travels, which are fundamental and crucial in considering and proceeding with M&A transactions. “Having said that, the rationale for the investment in Vietnam has not changed. Vietnam has much higher growth potential than Japan where the economy is too mature. We are aware that Japanese companies remain interested in Vietnam, even though they are not active at this moment,” he said.

According to RECOF’s M&A database, the number of outbound transactions from Japan decreased by 33 per cent to 557 transactions in 2020, while the same number in Vietnam declined by 30 per cent to 23. Vietnam ranked sixth as the destination country for Japan among all countries worldwide, and second only to Singapore in Southeast Asia.

Yoshida added, “COVID-19 has been the sole reason for the recent sluggish M&A transactions between Vietnam and Japan, so assuming the COVID-19 will be subdued with the start of vaccinations and the removal of travel restrictions, we are more than confident that the market will recover in the latter half of 2021.”

Meanwhile, Vo Ha Duyen, chairwoman of Vietnam International Law Firm, cited data by the Corporate Investment and Mergers & Acquisitions Center showing that the value of M&A deals in Vietnam in 2020 dropped by about a half from 2019. Various factors may have affected such activities, she said – the pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy and also caused difficulties to dealmaking, while travel bans and lockdowns have hampered M&A due diligences and negotiation meetings.

According to Duyen, the ongoing changes to the laws of Vietnam have also contributed to some uncertainties. Under the new Law on Competition, a substantially higher percentage of M&A deals are subject to merger control filing requirements than under the old laws. Investors initially hoped that the introduction of the 30-day “preliminary review” track to the merger control filing procedure under the new law would help reduce procedural burdens.

Nonetheless, because sub-law regulatory guidance has not been issued, it seems that a majority of filing cases have not seen application of the 30-day preliminary review and have been subject to complex and uncertain evaluations which last for months.

In addition, local departments of planning and investment have had difficulties in applying the new Law on Investment as documents guiding the implementation of the law have not been issued. This could increase cases in which the licensing authorities have to seek opinions from other relevant authorities, which may contribute to delays in the M&A process.

“We hope that new decrees and circulars providing detailed and favourable regulatory guidance will be issued soon to support the competition and investment authorities in dealing efficiently with M&A transactions and to effectively reduce the time gap and uncertainties in the procedures, helping boost the recovery of M&A activities when the pandemic settles down,” Duyen said.

According to Vietnam M&A Forum Research Team, a number of mega deals are expected to be secured in 2021. Foreign investors from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand will continue to dominate the market with the value of deals reaching up to $500 million. At present, Vietnam’s M&A market remains attractive to investors despite the impact of the global health crisis – in particular, in the second and third quarter of 2020 Vietnam witnessed more M&A deals after the country successfully contained the summer wave of infections.

That being said, Vietnam is hopeful about potential for post-pandemic M&A growth. Some experts have forecast that the main sectors that will contribute to the recovery of value in Vietnam are telecommunications, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, education, and e-commerce.

Yoshida from RECOF said that Japanese companies are concerned with stability of global supply chains. Vietnam is not only competitive as a location for manufacturing, but also it stands at the crossroads in terms of free trade agreements with major economic zones and so is well positioned.

“Additionally, more Japanese companies are paying attention to sustainability and technology innovations, and they are eagerly looking for opportunities to apply their expertise, such as in renewable energy, smart cities, AI, and more in Vietnam, where the people are open to new ideas,” he said. “As for the pandemic, we highly evaluate Vietnam’s success in keeping the pandemic under control, and this fact makes the country even more attractive for the Japanese investors.”

Garment sector set for full recovery in second half of next year

The local textile and garment sector is anticipated to bounce back during the third quarter of 2022, according to Le Tien Truong, chairman of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).

Last year witnessed Vietnamese textile and garment exports grow by minus 10.5% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, just raking in US$35 billion, in contrast to regional peers who endured a decline of between 15% and 20%.

This is the first major setback the sector has suffered after 25 years of penetrating the global market says Truong, adding though the global market is showing signs of recovery, the number of orders and prices remain modest.

The executive reveals several local enterprises, including Vinatex, have received orders up until the end of April or even July and August for some commodities such as knitwear and other popular items.

The sector is poised to fully recover from the COVID-19 crisis in the third quarter of 2022 at the earliest possible time, says the CEO.

Truong speaks of disadvantages that the garment sector addresses during the COVID-19 pandemic time, noting garment firms are unlikely to fulfil signed contracts and more importantly the sector’s position in the global supply chain is also threatened.

Experiencing three coronavirus waves, the Vinatex representative therefore advises businesses to strictly take drastic COVID-19 prevention measures at work, with workers from epidemic hit areas being subject to a 21-day quarantine period.

During the course of the year ahead the domestic textile and garment sector is forecast to achieve an export turnover of approximately US$39 billion.

To meet the target, local firms will strive to expand into fresh markets while the implementation of various free trade agreements (FTAs) is anticipated to create a wealth of opportunities which will serve to boost exports.

The Vinatex leader also says as a means of taking full advantage of the tariff reduction and benefits from recently-signed FTAs, local firms are required to prove their origin of production, either in Vietnam or in intra-bloc countries. This is in line with the rule of yarn and fabric set out within both the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Experts consider how Vietnam can attract greater investment from global firms

Vietnam must stay active in inviting multinational corporations and renowned companies to invest locally, especially those from countries with advantages in terms of technology, capital, and management skills, including the United States, the EU, and Japan, according to insiders.

The past five years has seen the foreign-invested sector make significant contributions to Vietnamese socio-economic development.

Furthermore, the country has always represented an attractive investment destination for foreign investors due to Vietnamese FDI attraction increasing from US$24.1 billion in 2015 to US$38 billion in 2019, with the figure being recorded at US$28.53 billion in 2020 despite the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Do Nhat Hoang, director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, attributes investment inflows into the country to a number of recently-signed free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The enforcement of these various FTAs has created a wealth of opportunities for large foreign corporations, especially those in hi-tech fields, to invest domestically as they can maximise the benefits and incentives from these FTAs, Hoang adds.

Furthermore, he underscores the importance of attracting technology projects relating to AI, blochain, fintech, and training high-quality human resources that can meet the requirements for Vietnamese socio-economic development.

Nguyen Hoa Cuong, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), emphasises the need to effectively invest in innovation for businesses whilst helping small firms gain access to funding sources from banks.

He therefore stressed that although the country can be considered vulnerable to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community has highlighted Vietnamese containment efforts and determination to improve the local business environment and turn the country into an ideal destination for investors.

Nakajima Takeo, chief representative of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi, says while other countries are still struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese economy has rapidly recovered, with Vietnam becoming the first nation to enjoy the various advantages of the diversification of the global supply chains.

Moreover, with keen interest from foreign investors, including Japanese investors, the country should strive to improve the local business climate to attract more high-tech investors whilst fine-tuning the legal system and supporting firms to overcome the adverse impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the JETRO representative states.

According to Nguyen Van Toan, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises, it is essential to promote technology transfer and corporate governance for Vietnamese enterprises, while also being proactive in inviting multinational corporations and companies with popular brands to invest in the country.

Economic experts have therefore stated that it is necessary to complete the legal framework regarding anti-transfer pricing, revise regulations on tax management, whilst also increasing fines and penalties for acts of transfer pricing to ensure the strictness of law. This should be done alongside building and perfecting the database system and national information on FDI projects and enterprises.

Thousands of products qualified for OCOP standards

Thousands of products have been rated and qualified for the standards of the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme during the 2018-2020 period, said Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng.

Addressing a national conference reviewing the OCOP programme in the 2018-2020 period in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Dũng said that all 63 provinces and cities across the country have rolled out the programme, in which 59 provinces and cities have verified and rated products.

The trade promotion for OCOP products has been also actively and effectively implemented by provinces, cities and agencies, he said.

A report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that the OCOP programme has 4,469 products with three-star and above ratings in 59 provinces and cities, 1.86 times higher than the target set for 2018-2020.

Localities nationwide have so far organised 66 OCOP fairs.

Retail systems and trade centres have actively participated in consuming OCOP products.

The deputy prime minister emphasised that OCOP is a rural economic development programme, not only contributing to improving the incomes and the lives of people in rural areas, but also actively supporting agricultural restructuring and programmes on new-style rural area building.

The quality and design of the OCOP products improve day by day, bringing economic benefits to people, cooperatives, businesses and localities, he said.

However, the implementation of the programme still revealed several shortcomings, he added.

Several localities faced difficulties in defining their advantages and potential, and many only focused on existing products and did not pay attention to developing new products.

Trade promotion is still fragmented, not synchronous, and has not attracted consumers. Source of capital for OCOP development, the governance capacity of economic organisations and entities in OCOP are still limited.

The deputy prime minister requested ministries, sectors and localities to strengthen management over the implementation of the programme, guide the classification of products in localities, and supplement and complete a set of criteria assessing and rating OCOP products.

He also emphasised the need to absolutely avoid complaisance in assessing and recognising OCOP products, without paying attention to product quality, affecting the effectiveness of the programme.

For proposals and recommendations of ministries, sectors and localities, Deputy PM Dũng asked the MARD to consider thoroughly and continue working with them to build the OCOP programme for 2021-2025.

According to agriculture minister Nguyễn Xuân Cường, after three years of implementing the OCOP programme, business households, cooperatives, and small and medium-sized businesses have developed their production in the direction of professionalism.

The programme has promoted the potentials and strengths of localities in specialty products, production conditions as well as raw material areas with more than 145 OCOP products that have effectively exploited the local raw material areas, said agriculture deputy minister Trần Thanh Nam.

Vietnam looks to boost economic, trade ties with Russian localities

Vietnam attaches great importance to economic, trade and investment cooperation with Russian localities, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh has said.

The Vietnamese diplomat made the statement during his meetings with governors of the southwestern Kursk and Bryansk regions of Russia on the occasion of his visits to these localities on March 23-24, as part of activities to further strengthen cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in general and their localities in particular.

Manh and Governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoit, in their meeting, expressed their joy at the increasing development of Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in recent times.

Starovoit called on Vietnamese businesses to increase their investment in promising sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

In 2020, trade turnover between Kursk and Vietnam hit 30 million USD, he said.

Meanwhile, Governor of the Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz briefed Manh on the locality’s socio-economic development, noting that the Russian locality still maintained positive growth despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He thanked the Vietnamese diplomat and relevant agencies for their efforts to promote cooperation between businesses of the two countries, especially in agriculture.

For his part, Manh said he is pleased with the Kursk region’s cooperation agreement with its sister Ninh Thuan province of Vietnam.

He thanked the two local governments for supporting the Vietnamese community to lead a stable life in Russia, thus contributing to the development of the Russian localities and their homeland.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, trade value between Vietnam and Russia still increased 8 percent to 5 billion USD. Notably, in the first two months of this year, it surged by over 30 percent, hitting nearly 800 million USD. Vietnam is the largest market of Russia’s meat products, accounting for nearly 45 percent of its total meat exports.

On the occasion, Ambassador Manh and his entourage visited food processing establishments, livestock and poultry production complexes of Miratorg Group in Kursk and Bryansk./.

Thua Thien Hue strives to develop tourism in new normal

The central province of Thua Thien Hue has put in a great deal of effort to restore the local tourism industry as the world moves into a new normal in the post-COVID-19 period.

The province has therefore taken a range of solutions aimed at stimulating domestic tourism demand through  diversifying its tourism products and services, creating entertainment spots at night, providing guests with exciting experiences at cultural heritage sites, and developing different types of tourism, including eco-tourism, beach holidays, and resort tourism.

In an effort to attract more guests to the ancient capital, travel firms are currently offering discounts of up to 50% on entrance fees to heritage sites between March 1 and August 31.

Furthermore, the province will also put on a wide range of festivals each month, including a traditional craft festival, the Lotus Festival, a food festival, the Hue Dragon Dance Festival, and the Hue Ao Dai Festival, in a bid to stimulate tourism.

Duong Thi Cong Ly, director of the Hue branch of the Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company, said the firm has paid close attention to the quality of its tourism products as it offers a fresh experience for visitors through unique products, including check-in tours around the Huong river and cycling tours which take guests throughout the city.

Tran Trong Kien, chairman of the National Tourism Advisory Council, emphasized the need to focus on digital transformation and development of the city’s brand so it is renowned for being green, clean, and safe.

Le Huu Minh, acting director of Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism, said to turn Thua Thien Hue into a safe, friendly, and attractive destination, localities have been advised to strengthen connectivity by launching special tours, such as the Thua Thien Hue-Da Nang-Quang Nam tour which has proved popular in recent years.

Foreign brokerages rack up agreements

Several international banks, particularly from Taiwan, are boosting their financing offers to Vietnam’s brokerages, betting on the tremendous growth of the financial market.

The negotiations began at the end of 2020 and were completed after three months, despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions. The syndicated loan facilities are expected to fund the brokerage’s future operations and business expansion plans in the fast-growing equity market of Vietnam.

Ho Thi Thu Hien, chairwoman of the board at VietinBank Securities said, “The access to foreign capital could give the company an upper hand in taking advantage of lower interest rates, compared to other foreign brokerages which are backed by their foreign parent banks.”

The expansion of foreign loan limits, Hien added, would continue to add fuel to VietinBank Securities’ synergy to provide best customer-centric and diverse services. This deal is slated to pave the way for the company to boost its activities related to international loan advisory and financing arrangements.

Last December, Vietnam’s largest brokerage Saigon Securities Incorporation (SSI) was ahead of the curve when it signed a mortgage loan agreement of $85 million with a group of nine foreign banks, also led by Taipei-headquartered Union Bank of Taiwan.

Earlier in 2019, SSI also entered into a syndicated loan of $55 million from a group of financial institutions led by SinoPac Bank and became the first securities company in the country to be granted such large-scale credit in the form of an unsecured loan.

An SSI representative told VIR that the expansion of foreign loans with high value and low cost of capital laid a firm foundation for the company to boost its competitiveness through the provision of more cheap capital, especially for margin loans to investors.

Although the representative did not disclose specific rates or loan costs, SSI has an ace up its sleeve due to preferential interest rates thanks to its good risk management capacity, large-scale assets, and extensive network nationwide.

Up to now, only a few of Vietnam’s top securities firms are able to obtain sizable unsecured loans from foreign banks. Specifically, SinoPac, one of the leading Taiwanese lenders, has continuously displayed its eagerness to latch onto Vietnam’s lucrative equity market by cooperating with local prominent brokerages.

Ho Chi Minh City Securities Company also inked an agreement to receive a $50 million unsecured loan from 10 foreign financial institutions, also led by SinoPac, in 2019.

On the same track, SinoPac arranged a $40 million unsecured syndicated loan, together with other foreign banks, to lend to Viet Capital Securities Company in May 2020.

Local securities companies are not the only beneficiaries of unsecured syndicated loans from international funds. Last year, the $500 million syndicated term loan of Techcombank was named the second-largest in Southeast Asia, and the largest ever in Vietnam.

The loan facility was arranged by United Overseas Bank as coordinator and facility agent, and ANZ, CTBC Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Taishin Bank as mandated lead arrangers, underwriters, and bookrunners.

HDBank has also entered a $71-million syndicated loan led by a consortium of eight Taiwanese banks and an Indian bank arranged by Mega International Commercial Bank.

Market experts believed access to relatively cheap financing sources is one of the pivotal elements to help securities companies grow and stay competitive, especially in comparison with other foreign-backed brokerages such as Mirae Asset Securities, KB Securities, and KIS.

Regarding abundant capital to support margin loans, some foreign banks operating in Vietnam such as Wooribank, CTBC, Indovinabank, and Shinhan Bank Vietnam have actively backed securities firms to bolster margin lending.

For instance, Wooribank provided more than VND2.81 trillion ($121 million) to major brokerages, including KIS, MBS, ACBS, while KBSV. Indovinabank has also issued loans to securities firms such as MBS, KBSV, and TCBS.

Mekong Delta drives attractiveness to foreign investors

Foreign investors from Thailand, South Korea, and Japan are eyeing investment opportunities in garment and textiles, construction, solar power, manufacturing, and retail in the Mekong Delta.

“Central Group is looking for newly-built trade centres from 4,000-20,000 hectares. In the next 1-2 years we hope to develop two centres and a series of convenience shops in An Giang province,” Le said.

The dialogue was held between An Giang People’s Committee and foreign investors on March 23 in Ho Chi Minh City by the Investment Promotion Centre-South Vietnam (IPCSV) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

JS Construction from Korea, meanwhile, is looking for a minimum of 1,000ha for agricultural planting. Kim Jong Seong, director of JS Construction said that this land site needs clean land and infrastructure, especially water for irrigation.

Thai investors, meanwhile, expressed interest in the development of the border gate economy and industrial parks.

Audsitti Sroithong, minister counsellor from Office of the Board of Investment, shared that in the establishment of the border gate economy, the most important factor was the infrastructure system which must facilitate logistics.

According to Tran Thi Hai Yen, director of the IPCS, the investment promotion activities so far have not been effective enough as each province was working alone.

Many provinces are offering similar incentives while they need a unique offering that suits their natural resources and geographical position, as well the investment directions of the central government.

“Although the investment demand in the Mekong Delta provinces is great, investment promotion activities have remained ineffective,” Yen said at another meeting held on the same day where regional promotion centres shared experiences and discussed solutions to improve investment promotion in the region.

Yen added that the IPCS has received many diplomatic delegations (both online and offline) as well as large corporations that are very interested in investing in the southern region, especially the Mekong Delta.

The unit has also been tasked by the Ministry of Planning and Investmentwith promoting cooperation with provinces, enhancing investment promotion, and preparing steps to welcome and support the shift of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the coming time.

Regarding regional investment promotion links, Nguyen Thi Huyen Ngoc, deputy head of IPCS Investment Promotion Department, said there is an overlap in investment promotion activities run by many agencies.

In addition, these agencies are uncoordinated, partly due to the weakness of local investment promotion agency in reporting, exchanging information and promoting activities.

That is why Ngoc claimed regional linkages are essential to be set up, to reduce costs, better harness resources, and promote common interests while creating a common brand and a unifying driving force in investment promotion.

It is known that the Ministry of Planning and Investment has just assigned IPCS to set up a national electronic portal and the official launching ceremony is scheduled to be held in April 2021.

This will be a platform for all local authorities of the 13 cities and provinces of the Mekong Delta where the foreign business community can share and request information on opportunities in this region.

The IPCS has also been working with the consulates general of many countries in Ho Chi Minh City which are sending articles covering information on investment opportunities and investment needs of foreign enterprises through the industry associations in their country in this portal.

The Mekong Delta accounts for 12 per cent of the country’s area and 19 per cent of its population (about 17 million people). It is often referred to as the “rice bowl” of the country as it accounts for half of its total rice output and 95 per cent of its export rice output.

According to the World Bank, this region accounts for 20 per cent of the global rice trade.

Fishery production is also the region’s strength, accounting for 65 per cent of Vietnam’s production volume.

However, for many years, the Mekong Delta has been overlooked by foreign investors, receiving only 8 per cent of the total FDI capital pouring into the country each year on average.

This rate has increased significantly last year, when FDI in the Mekong Delta region reached $6.08 billion, accounting for 21.3 per cent of the total. Outstanding projects included the $4 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) thermal power plant in Bac Lieu invested by Delta Offshore Energy (Singapore), the O Mon II thermal power plant project with the total investment of $1.3 billion from Marubeni (Japan) and Vietnam Investment Construction and Trading Joint Stock Corporation (Constrexim Holding), and especially the $3 billion LNG-to-power project invested by VinaCapital GS Energy, a joint venture between South Korean GS Energy and VinaCapital which received the investment certificate on March 21.

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

In the first two months of this year, the total import turnover for animal feed and materials reached $650 million, signifying an increase of 26.2 per cent on-year, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

While Vietnam’s agricultural production and livestock sectors have been growing from strength to strength, it has been largely ignoring securing local material sources to produce animal feed. Thus, about 70-80 per cent of materials are imported from overseas. The import turnover of these goods ranked first among the import goods in the agricultural sector.

The reasons for this are the lack of supply sources and the higher price of domestic materials compared to import goods.

In 2020, Vietnam’s total import turnover of these goods was $3.84 billion, up 3.75 per cent on-year, while export turnover was only $800 million.

The two main import markets of Vietnam are Brazil and Argentina with sweet corn ($584 million)in 2020 and animal feed ($391 million).

The lack of proactivity in meeting the demand for these materials opens the industry up to potential price fluctuations.

In general, animal feed makes up 70 per cent of the production cost of livestock, thus an increase in material prices will push the price of domestic livestock products over imported products.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that Vietnam currently has 265 animal feed manufacturing factories, 85 of which are invested by foreign enterprises.

PM hosts Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association delegation

Representatives from the Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association (VASEAN) have asked for stronger support from the Government and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for the business community to overcome difficulties brought about by COVID-19 pandemic and recover and expand production, during a meeting with the PM in Hanoi on March 18.

They lauded the Government’s efforts in controlling COVID-19, which has helped maintain production and business activities, while showing hope for more favourable conditions in terms of mechanism and policies related to land use and credit, as well as smoother business and investment environment.

Formed in 2008 under the initial name of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Economic Cooperation Development Association, the VASEAN groups Vietnamese businesses, scientists, individuals and organisations operating in areas related to economic, investment, trade and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and ASEAN member countries as well as other partners including Japan, China, the RoK and India.

Over the years, the association has helped its members explore ASEAN market, while contributing opinions to the State’s policy-making.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Phuc said that Vietnam has managed to overcome difficulties in all fields, especially those brought by COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, thus successfully implementing the twin target, posting high growth and integrating deeply into the world.

He noted that Vietnam has signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), opening up a massive space for cooperation. Meanwhile, the country has ensured stable macroeconomic situation and the people’s living conditions, he said, adding that the country’s higher position, stable socio-economic situation and people’s solidarity are good conditions for businesses.

Lauding the achievements of the business community, he underscored that the Party and State have given optimal conditions for people and enterprises to develop, while protecting their legitimate rights.

The PM stressed the significance of promoting ties with ASEAN countries, especially in economy, asserting that this greatly depends on the dynamism of businesses. Last year, Vietnam successfully hosted the ASEAN Summit, he said, adding that cooperation chances with the association remain abundant.

He suggested that Vietnamese businesses carefully explore these markets to design sustainable business strategy.

The PM also showed his hope that VASEAN members will help connect Vietnam and partners in ASEAN region and the rest of the world./.

Adjusted planning of Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone approved

The Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh is set to become a key border gate economic zone of Vietnam under a recently amended overall planning scheme on its development until 2040.

According to the planning scheme, with revisions approved by the Prime Minister on March 16, the zone covers 17 communes and wards of Mong Cai city and Quang Ha town, along with Quang Minh, Quang Thanh, Cai Chien, and Quang Phong communes of Hai Ha district.

It will be built into a national key border gate economic zone as well as an important economic development centre of the northern region, the northern coastal economic belt, and the Kunming (China) – Hanoi – Hai Phong – Mong Cai – Fangcheng (China) economic corridor.

The planning scheme looks to turn this zone into a centre of cross-border trade, industry, seaport, logistics, and general services of Quang Ninh province and the northern key economic region; a national tourism site; a modern and sustainable coastal city; and a zone holding special importance in terms of national defence and security.

By 2030, the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone is expected to have a population of about 310,000 – 320,000 and attract 5 – 6 million tourist arrivals annually. The respective figures are set to reach 460,000 – 470,000 and 8 – 9 million by 2040./.

HCM City to focus on reviving tourism sector

One of HCM City’s top priorities in 2021 will be support for the hard-hit tourism sector, according to Deputy Chairwoman of the city People’s Committee Phan Thị Thắng.

At a recent meeting with the Department of Tourism and travel agencies, Thắng said the sector should develop new signature tourism products this year.

Nguyễn Ánh Hoa, director of the Department of Tourism, said that tourism promotions are encouraging local residents to buy tours at prestigious service providers to avoid low-quality products.

She pointed out that the health of local tourism businesses in the first three months of the year was “very weak”.

Hoa proposed that the Government continue tax payment extensions and tax reductions for value-added tax and corporate income tax. It also said that businesses should try to access preferential loans and restructure their repayment periods.

About 90 per cent of small and medium-sized tourism businesses and inbound travel agencies in the city have temporarily stopped operation because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department said.

Only 40-50 per cent of local tour guides and 10 per cent of foreign tour guides now have jobs. All of them are official staff of the remaining travel agencies, while freelance tour guides have switched to other jobs.

Lại Minh Duy, vice chairman of the HCM City Tourism Association, said he was worried about the small number of tourism agencies in the city.

“Tourists from the central and northern regions have paid a lot of attention to new destinations. So the city should promote attractive destinations in city districts, especially in Thủ Đức City and Cần Giờ District,” he said.

Duy added that the Department of Tourism should also work with the Department of Industry and Trade to launch more shopping promotions linked to destinations.

Nguyễn Đông Hòa, deputy general director of Saigontourist, said the company has conducted a field trip to Thiềng Liềng Island in Cần Giờ District, a new potential tourism site, but has faced difficulties in developing new products.

He asked for financial support from the city while the company waits for Government support.

Thắng said that the city had conducted many field trips to local heritage sites, but noted that they were not set up to serve tourists.

“It’s necessary to do research and develop signature products as a way to help businesses lure more tourists,” she said.

Thắng asked the department to arrange tourism and cultural events during a safe period. “If the tourism sector organises activities well, other fields will be better as well.”

The total number of international visitors to the city in 2020 was 1.3 million, down 84.8 per cent year on year, while the number of domestic travelers was 15.8 million, a decrease of 48.45 per cent year on year.

Total tourism revenue was estimated at VNĐ84.5 trillion (US$3.66 billion), down 39.66 per cent compared to 2019.

The city targets having 33 million tourists this year.

Covid-19 wipes out nearly VND1 trillion in Halong Bay’s entrance fee revenue

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the revenue earned from entrance fees to visit Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province in 2020 plunged nearly VND1 trillion against that of 2019 to reach only some VND230 billion.

The bay is suffering from the worst revenue on record in the past 20 years, as it saw its revenue reaching a mere VND1.8 billion since the beginning of the year to date, reported Thanh Nien newspaper.

Though the pandemic remains complicated, the management board of the bay has been tasked with earning VND600 billion in revenue from entrance fees this year, said Pham Dinh Huynh, deputy head of the management board.

After Quang Ninh allowed tourism activities to resume from March 2, several days later, Halong Bay still failed to welcome tourists as locals were worried about the coronavirus. On March 8, visitors were offered free entry to the bay and it was also the busiest day so far when it served nearly 100 guests, he said.

Meanwhile, this world heritage site would see up to VND6 billion in daily revenue from entrance fees on peak days before Covid-19, with around 30,000 visitors per day.

To attract more tourists to Halong Bay and other tourist hotspots in Quang Ninh when the coronavirus outbreak in this northern province has been brought under control, the province has introduced many tourism stimulus programs, targetting visitors from the Central, Central Highlands and Southern regions.

VNR plans new railway stations to increase connectivity

State-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways is planning to build new railway stations, warehouses, and logistics areas to increase connectivity with industrial parks and other means of transport.

The Nghe An provincial People’s Committee last week worked with the working group of Vietnam Railways (VNR) led by chairman Vu Anh Minh to discover possibilities of increasing connectivity of railways with key production areas, import-export areas, and other means of transport.

The North-South railway network runs through 52 wards in Hoang Mai, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, and Vinh city of Nghe An with a total length of 95.5km long.

At present, the rail has 1m gauge which means its capacity is limited, while the stations and the tracks were built decades ago. Worse still, railway stations do not have a goods yard or big warehouses to meet the growing demand for transportation, unloading and loading, and storage.

Specifically, in Vinh city, there are no railway stations featuring large enough goods yards for container loading and unloading. Meanwhile, based on statistics from Nghe An province, in 2020, 99,654 tonnes of cargo and 116,994 passengers were transported via railway in the province, with revenue of VND48.171 billion($2.1 million), equal to 51.1 per cent of the figure from 2019.

In order to improve the situation, VNR and Nghe An authorities studied the areas where goods yards, warehouses, and logistics areas could be constructed so as to increase connectivity with local industrial parks and economic hubs, as well as with other transport infrastructure like roads and ports.

The two sides made fact-finding trips to Sy, My Ly, and Vinh railway stations, as well as Nam Cam Industrial Park. They also visited the areas that were put forth to build Do Dao and Nghi Long railway stations under the project on upgrading the Hanoi-Vinh railway line.

After the meeting, VNR will work with Nghe An People’s Committee on completing the procedures related to the scheme on the management and operation of state-funded railway infrastructure before submitting it to the prime minister for approval.

SMEs supported in accelerating digital transformation

The Digital Transformation Alliance for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (DTS) and the MCV Group signed a cooperation agreement on March 16 on supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote digital transformation.

A digital transformation department to support SMEs in the fields of communications and TV has now been established.

DTS and the MCV Group also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) to begin a chain of activities this year.

The first cooperation programme will be a reality TV show to promote online business and e-commerce, which will be consulted on by DTS and VECOM and produced by the MCV Group. It is scheduled to debut at the end of the second quarter.

Chairman of the MCV Group Pham Tu Liem said cooperation to support digital transformation in SMEs is an important step for all parties in their upcoming operational strategies.

Based on building a sustainable relationship, the three sides will jointly coordinate to promote the development of a diverse range of solutions in the field of complete digital transformation for the TV industry and SMEs in Vietnam, he said.

According to DTS Chairman Leon Truong, the internet and social networks are thriving and TV digitalisation is key for businesses operating in the field.

DTS therefore wants to promote its strengths as a collector of digital transformation ecosystems to support Vietnamese businesses, helping them improve their competitiveness in domestic and international markets.

VECOM Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dung said the cooperation between VECOM, DTS, and MCV will complement each other’s strengths.

DTS will provide technology platforms, VECOM will provide supply chains and online-offline support ecosystems, while the MCV Group, with its digital TV, will create visual images, thus improving consumer confidence in products and promoting purchasing decisions, he added./.

Covid-19 leaves business suffering at HCMC’s busiest backpacker street

Bui Vien walking street, the most popular hub of entertainment for foreign backpackers in District 1 HCMC, is still largely deserted despite the pandemic being relatively contained within the region, leaving local business owners and small traders on the verge of bankruptcy.

Bui Vien walking street, or “Westerner street” as the locals call it, at its best used to see some 2,000-5,000 visitors each night. Now there are at most 7 people on the side of the street on a regular weekend.

Having mostly provided services to foreign visitors, restaurant and hotel owners at Bui Vien were left hanging by a thread as the epidemic limited travel across the world.

Talking to Vo Quoc Thanh, the owner of 3 bars and restaurants in the area, SGGP reporters learned that many establishments like his tried to switch professions, offering breakfast and lunch and other street food that might be more appealing to regular folks.

“It’s not been really effective though; this area has been associated with foreigners and tourists that are willing to spend, so people assume our current prices are also inflated”, Thanh remarked.

Phuong, the owner of a nearby pub, lamented: “Before 2020 we usually had to take up one-third of the street just to set up tables, and still there were not enough seats. Now all of our stuff is stacked in a corner collecting dust”.

Of the establishments to go out of business, the most surprising one according to the locals is Cong Coffee, a regular on must-visit lists across domestic social media which have also succumbed to profit loss as Covid-19 raged on.

On the other hand, most business owners at Bui Vien said they had to shut down mostly because of high rent. Monthly rents could reach US$5,000 per unit, and though there are landlords who lowered the fee by 20% to 50% a month, not everyone can afford to keep their place open.

Not only the street-facing buildings, establishments across 600 meters of small alleys along Bui Vien street itself were major contributors to the area’s economics and have also taken a tumble. They offer everything from affordable street food and performance to body massage and homestay experiences.

Ha, who sells grilled ribs and chicken at the entrance to one of the alleys, told of the days she earned around VND 1.5-1.7 million every night (US$65-$73.6), enough to feed herself and her 4 children. “Now I make at most VND300,000 ($12.9) on an extremely good day”, she sighed.

There are 40 out of the 90 restaurants at Bui Vien currently out of commission due to mandatory lockdowns aimed at non-essential services, of which 10 have posted leasing ads at the time of this article. According to District 1 People’s Committee, of the 20 newly established businesses in the area, 8 shut down within the same year.

Vietnam trade ministry to select outstanding exporters in 2020

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

Given the significant contribution of Vietnamese exporters to a successful year of Vietnam trade in 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) along with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and other business associations have launched the annual selection process for “Credible exporters in 2020”.

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

The list of candidates for the title of Credible exporters in 2020 should be submitted to the MoIT for evaluation on April 20, 2021 at the latest.

Applicants having issue with tax authorities or violate environmental laws are not eligible for the selection.

Enterprises violating local laws and regulations, currently operating at a loss, in the dissolution process, or receiving warning from import countries would be excluded from the list of “Credible exporters” and ruled out for next year’s selection process.

Despite severe economic consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam continued to post positive trading performance in 2020 with a trade turnover of over US$500 billion for a second consecutive year. Of the figure, Vietnam exports rose by 6.5% year-on-year to US$281.5 billion, and was among economies with the highest export growth during the pandemic.

Vietnam granted permission to export edible insects to EU

Vietnam has become the fifth country in the world to be given permission by competent authorities of the EU to export insect-based food to the lucrative but demanding market, according to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Vietnamese Trade Office in the EU, Belgium, and Luxembourg, said that following a long period during which many documents were submitted to the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the country now meets the EU market access requirements and is allowed to export edible insects to the bloc.

The EU decision took effect on February 15, 2021.

Alongside Vietnam, Canada, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand have been approved by the EU to ship their similar products to the bloc.

Many nutritionists have stated their belief that insects will become the food reserve of the future, adding that the EU giving approval to Vietnam will create a breakthrough within the European food industry.

Agriculture, aquaculture businesses focus on growing their own raw materials

More and more agriculture and aquaculture businesses are setting up their own farms rather than rely on imports for raw materials.

TH Group has for instance been building a hi-tech dairy cow farm and milk processing plant in An Giang Province since the end of February. When completed, it will be the largest closed-loop dairy cow farming project in the Mekong delta with around 10,000 cows.

Other dairy companies too have been investing in farms, boosting raw milk production by 12.9 per cent last year to 1.1 million tonnes.

TH is also developing a hi-tech co-operative model to work with dairy farming households in An Giang.

Fruit processing businesses are working with farmers to ensure regular supply and satisfy foreign markets’ requirements with respect to origin. Farmers have their fruits bought at high prices. Vina T&T, for instance, is buying star apples at VND40,000 (US$1.73) per kilogramme, doubling the market price.

Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC is working with farmers in Kien Giang and Can Tho to grow 1,400 hectares of organic rice, guaranteeing them much higher prices than the market.

Pham Thai Binh, general director of the company, told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourers) newspaper that the most important factor for successful co-operation is guaranteeing farmers’ incomes.

Pham Ngoc Hoang, general director of Hoang Ha Commerce and Production Company Ltd, said small farming households account for a large part of Viet Nam’s agriculture, but export markets demand consistent quality and absence of chemical residues.

Businesses need to work with farmers to buy raw materials, but there should be policies to ensure certain crops are not overly farmed, which will keep output under control and ensure businesses collaborate with farmers, he added.

The first two months of 2021 saw exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture products rise by 16.6 per cent year-on-year to US$6.17 billion.

Exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture last year were worth $41.2 billion, partly due to the development of specialised farming areas that allow large-scale production and traceability of origin.

HCM City industry-trade department to focus on revival of businesses in 2021

Helping businesses revive production and trading is one of the important tasks that HCM City’s industry and trade authorities will focus on in 2021.

According to the city Department of Industry and Trade, the city’s index of industrial production (IIP) grew by 6 per cent in the first two months of the year, despite a fall of 24.6 per cent in February as business establishments closed for the Lunar New Year.

The recovery in industrial production, retail sales and import-export activities has been due to the Government’s effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic and programmes to revive the economy, said Bui Ta Hoang Vu, the department’s director.

The department has also implemented programmes to support enterprises, stimulate consumption, connect producers and distributors, stabilise the market, and ensure consumer demand is fully met, he said.

To ensure the revival continues, the department will organise more trade promotion programmes, make efforts to connect suppliers and distributors of goods and enhance supply chain linkages in supporting industries.

It will continue a programme that connects businesses with banks and enables them to get preferential loans.

It will recommend measures to support firms involved in the city’s key industrial products in 2021-25 and those whose products have won the HCM City Gold Brand Awards.

Implementing the annual market stabilisation programme and trade promotions to help businesses expand their share of the domestic market is also in the department’s plans this year, as is working closely with business groups to promptly mitigate difficulties faced by their members.

This month the department organised a meeting between businesses and the city administration to discuss the former’s problems and solutions.

It is implementing a programme to promote rapid growth of the city’s key economic sectors that have high added-value, supporting industries and four key industrial sectors in 2021-25.

The programme also seeks to help develop the city into the country and region’s main shopping hub, and improve its services infrastructure to ensure it retains its position as the main centre for port operations, logistics and export services in the south.

It has urged the People’s Committee to help expand a centre for displaying the city’s major supporting industrial products so that small and medium-sized enterprises can introduce their products and production capacity to local and foreign partners.

It said the expansion of the centre would facilitate regular interaction between sellers and buyers of supporting industry products, making it easier for foreign investors to access the Vietnamese supply chain, helping promote the country’s supporting industries.

It also urged the People’s Committee to seek approval from the People’s Council and pass regulations on loan interest support for the investment stimulus programme.

Businesses are very keen to participate in the city’s investment stimulus programme, especially those in the supporting sectors, according to the department.

Tourism reform possible for Danang

The bartering away of hotels and tourism residences in the central city of Danang is still lingering, triggering the need for tourism residences to optimise efficiency.

“Since mid-2020, I have received many orders for hotels and condotels but there have not been any transactions finalised yet. Currently, investors show an appetite for land plots and apartments, but are not so keen on hotel investments,” Tien said.

Tran Thien Thanh, the owner of a small hotel in the city’s Son Tra district, shared that in 2017 he and his sister splashed out nearly VND90 billion ($3.9 million) into building the 50-room facility.

Booming tourism growth at that time had led to an investment fever resulting in the building of many tourism residences in the city. During 2017-2019, the city’s room occupancy often surpassed 90 per cent at peak times and exceeded 50 per cent during off-peak periods. The tourism sector’s revenue during the period could not only ensure stable hotel operations but also sufficiently cover bank interest and more.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, due to a sharp plunge in the number of visitors as well as revenue streams, Thanh is seeking a business partner to transfer his hotel.

“Previously, each day we received 20-25 visitors on average. From last year up to now, our hotel only has a few customers, so that we had to temporarily close the hotel and save costs. But the pressure to pay back loans is huge,” said Thanh, adding that long-term closures might result in a quick depreciation of the material base, making it even harder to find a buyer.

A new wave of selling out hotels and tourism accommodations commenced from mid-June in Danang when the health crisis broke out again in the country. On-sale residences were mostly hotels below the 3-star grade, concentrated along coastal ring roads like Ha Bong, Duong Dinh Nghe, Phan Ton, and An Thuong which were built during the 2017-2018 tourism boom in Danang.

According to Le Dung, business director at the privately-held Thien Thai Hotel and Tourism JSC, most hotels on sale were built amid the coastal real estate boom, resulting in inflated costs.

“The initial cost of hotels below the 3-star rating built during 2017-2018 was very high due to inflated land values at that time. Lost business efficiency due to the current health crisis has exacerbated investor difficulties,” said Dung.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director at Bac My An Resort JSC assumed that the pandemic, on one hand, has cast adverse impacts on market development. On the other hand, it brings the opportunity to restructure the scale of tourism residences, making them more professional and diversified.

Echoing this mindset, Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association, said that now is the perfect time to screen and restructure the segment of tourism residences.

Dung recommends the owners of tourism accommodations to change the function of residences or transfer their property to new owners with financial wealth who have a specific customer base to diversify customer groups, as well as improve service quality and corporate governance.

“The government is striving to carry out vaccinations for all people in the forthcoming time. This is a good sign for the local tourism industry as a rebound of travel demand would facilitate hotel business revival,” Dung said.

According to a recent report by Danang People’s Committee, more than 250,000 visitor arrivals used tourism residences in the city in January 2021, down 65.6 per cent on-year.

Electronics fuelled Vietnam’s expanding exports

Over the past few years, deep international integration has enabled Vietnam to expand its exports, with electronics taking the lead in the structure of export goods, especially amid the health crisis.

Ho highly values the province’s geographical and traffic conditions in addition to an improved business climate. He said that Samsung will help Thanh Hoa attract further investment.

In last December, Ho also worked with authorities of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh towards the same purpose.

At present, Samsung is pouring its investments in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City, with total investment capital of over US$17.5 billion, employing more than 160,000 local workers. The group is also now constructing a US$230 million research and development centre in Hanoi.

Ho also visited the Dong Mai Industrial Park in Quang Ninh, which covers 168 hectares and currently boasts 18 investment projects registered at more than US$350 million.

It is expected that if Samsung expands investments in Vietnam, it will continue to increase its exports to foreign markets, further contributing to Vietnam’s export picture.

Last year, the total export turnover of Samsung Vietnam hit about $57 billion – or 20.2 per cent of Vietnam’s total export turnover. This was an important milestone for the company as one of its most important branches, Samsung Electronics, aims to become the largest chip manufacturer in the industry, targeting a value of around $400 billion in the global market.

Samsung Electronics, one of the largest conglomerates of South Korea, along with many other economic groups, has been raising its investment in Vietnam for many years, driven mostly by low taxes, cheap labour, and good land incentives.

With the contributions of Samsung, Vietnam’s export picture is now being dominated by foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) which accounts for 69 per cent of the country’s total export turnover, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

This has contributed to bringing Vietnam into the group of the few countries still achieving positive economic growth during the first year of the pandemic, as well as maintaining a trade surplus of nearly US$1.29 billion in the first two months of 2021.

Implementing the proactive policy about international economic integration of the Party and the state, Vietnam has expanded and deepened its relations with many nations step-by-step. It has also actively and responsibly partaken in international forums and organisations.

Notably, in recent years Vietnam has boosted the negotiations and inking of some free trade agreements (FTAs). To date, the country has joined 17 FTAs including seven inked as a member of ASEAN (CEPT/AFTA – which is the existing ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, and FTAs between ASEAN with China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand, and Hong Kong); eight FTAs signed bilaterally with Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan); the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); and two FTAs currently under negotiations including the FTA with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the Vietnam-Israel FTA.

These trade deals have and will greatly benefit Vietnam’s economy in general and exports in particular. For example, The EVFTA has a scale accounting for 30% of global GDP, while the RCEP is similar with 2.2 billion consumers, taking up more than 30% of global GDP.

Only accumulating these two regions, Vietnam has penetrated the economic sector with GDP accounting for 60% of global GDP with extensive and continuous tariff reductions with commitments to open markets for Vietnamese products, services and goods in the direction of transparency, openness and convenience with open commitments in all areas. Not to mention, the signing of FTAs also contains reforms of the economy.

According to updated figures from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) recently reported to the government, since 2011, Vietnam’s export turnover soared from US$93.6 billion in 2011 to US$263.5 billion in 2019.

Last year, despite massive difficulties caused by COVID-19 in the whole global market, the figure hit US$282.65 billion, in which Vietnamese firms earned US$78.2 billion – accounting for 27.8% of the economy’s total export turnover, with foreign-invested enterprises having raked in US$204.45 billion including crude oil exports – taking up 72.2% of the country’s total export value.

“Vietnam has been boosting its international economic integration in all levels, and gradually participating in the global production network and supply chains,” said an MPI report. “A rapid rise in export turnover has become an important driving force for the country’s economic growth over the past many years.”

In the entire 2011-2020 period, the export turnover has increased by 3.01 times, helping improve Vietnam’s export rank in the world’s export-import map. Specifically, the rank was 50th in 2007 before climbing to 27th in 2017.

According to experts, Vietnam’s exports have shifted from relying on crude oil to focusing on electronics. However, the fact that this sector lies mainly in the hands of FIEs has a large impact on the country’s export growth.

While in 2010, exports of phones and spare parts thereof only accounted for 3.2% of the total export turnover, by 2020, this sector ranked first among six commodity groups with a turnover of more than US$10 billion. The export value of this group in the first two months of this year was already estimated at around US$9.3 billion, accounting for 19.2% of the total export value, representing a 22.8% rise compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s import turnover soared from US$105.8 billion in 2011 to US$253.5 billion in 2019 and US$262.7 billion in 2020, focusing on the commodities in service of production and exports, as well as investment projects in the sectors of energy and electronics. The MPI said that imports of this group of commodities always account for more than 90% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

For example, in order to earn such a big export turnover of $57 billion last year, Samsung also spent dozens of billions of US dollars importing materials and equipment into Vietnam for its production.

These achievements have created an improvement in the trade balance, from a deficit of US$9.8 billion in 2011 to a big surplus of US$9.94 billion in 2019 and US$19.95 billion last year.

“Such a big trade surplus has enabled Vietnam to have a bigger foreign exchange reserve, facilitating the State Bank of Vietnam to perform it activities to stabilise the market, and making an important contribution to maintaining the stability of the economy’s macro-economic indexes,” the MPI report said.

In the first two months of this year, with many developed countries still struggling with the pandemic, Vietnam has maintained a trade surplus of close to US$1.29 billion, in which Vietnamese businesses suffered from a trade deficit of US$4.14 billion and FIEs earned a trade surplus of US$5.43 billion including crude oil exports.

Vietnam looks forward dynamic and effective collective economy

The Prime Minister has recently approved the Collective and Cooperative Economy Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period with the aim of promoting a dynamic, efficient and sustainable collective economy.

Vietnam strives to have approximately 140,000 cooperative groups with 2 million members, 45,000 cooperatives with 8 million members, and 340 cooperative unions with 1,700 member cooperatives by 2030.

Of which, 60-70% of the cooperatives are anticipated to operate effectively.

Vietnam will also promote the application of high technology in agriculture and try to have over 5,000 cooperatives and 500 cooperative groups applying high technology in the production and consumption of agricultural products.

About 50% of cooperatives are expected to link with businesses through value chains.

The Strategy also encourages the development of collective economy in all industries and areas with the association with main products of localities and One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods.

Expectations from “Dialogue 2045”

“Dialogue 2045” was officially initiated with the first conference chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Thong Nhat Conference Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6. The event will be held annually for Party and State leaders to listen to the opinions of entrepreneurs and intellectuals regardingbuilding Vietnam into a developed and high-income country by 2045.

This year’s dialogue discussed major issues in the country, including people and technology, digital transformation, institutional reform, facilitation of production and business, human resource development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and others.

The discussions covered new issues arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as technology and digital transformation. The remaining issues were not new, but need to be handled in accordance with the new position of Vietnam, a country with a growing scale and enhanced role in the global arena.

Currently, the scale of Vietnam’s economy is about US$343 billion, ranking it in the top of 40 largest economies in the world and fourth in ASEAN while per capita income is just over US$3,500.

To become a developed and high-income country by 2045, Vietnam must continuously maintain high growth over the next 20 years with per capita income soon exceeding US$12,000 per year.

This is a challenging target because as income gets higher, it will be more difficult to attain additional growth. However, Vietnam has the resources and the basis to turn its aspirations into reality.

It is important that the business community, the pillar of the country, must be oriented for development at new heights while not merely seeking profit but creatingnew values ​​for society towards the sustainable development and common prosperity of the country. Enterprises and entrepreneurs must truly become a national resource.

Today, enterprises and business people have a special position, making significant contributions to national economic development.

The nation has more than 800,000 active enterprises. Ofthese, the private sector contributes about 42% of GDP and creates more than 50% of jobs in society.

Private enterprises not only invest in labour-intensiveindustries but they have also competed vigorously on the international market in industries that require large investment and resources such as software, aviation, and tourism. Vietnam also has business people listed in the world’s top dollar billionaires.

To realise the nation’s aspirations, it is necessary to further promote the role of the private economy, making it truly become a powerful driving force for development.

At the same time, it is necessary to adjust mechanisms and policies to improve production and business efficiency and promote large resources that State enterprises are holding. Only when enterprises are strong, will the nation become prosperous.

A quarter of a century is long enough for Vietnam to create tremendous growth and the miracle of becoming a developed country on the occasion of the100th anniversary of the National Day and “Dialogue 2045” is an important forum aimed at contributing to that miracle.

Vietnam posts US$1.64 billion in trade surplus in Jan-Feb

Vietnam reported a trade surplus of US$1.64 billion between January and February, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The country’s exports amounted to US$48.74 billion, while it spent US$47.1 billion on importing goods in the first two months of the year, the local media reported.

From February 16 to 28, Vietnam shipped goods worth some US$10.2 billion, up 2.9% against the first half of the month. The country’s key export products comprised phones and phone parts, steel, computers and electronic items.

In the second half of February, the country’s imports totaled US$11.4 billion, up 23% from the first half of the month. The import of machines, equipment and tools rose by 22.9%, while the purchase of plastic materials soared by 61.7% against the figure seen in the first half of February.

In the January-February period, the country’s total import and export revenue grew by 24% year-on-year at US$95.85 billion. The foreign direct investment (FDI) sector remained the key player.

FDI enterprises shipped products worth US$37 billion, representing 75.9% of the country’s total export revenue. Meanwhile, they imported US$31.5 billion, accounting for some 67% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

Binh Duong attracts nearly US$400 million in FDI in January-February

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Binh Duong Province still ranked among the top localities in the country in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in the first two months of the year, as it saw nearly US$400 million in FDI, reaching 28% of its yearly target, according to the provincial government.

The southern province attracted 15 newly registered FDI projects with a total capital of US$257 million, six projects with their capital revised up by US$15 million and 26 projects with capital contributions worth over US$124 million, reported Bnews.

Up to now, foreign investors have invested in 17 sectors, with the majority of capital being injected into the manufacturing and processing industries, said Mai Ba Truoc, director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

Although the pandemic has upended all aspects of socio-economic life, the provincial authorities have actively held online investment promotion events, enabling businesses to boost investment cooperation, Truoc added.

Also, through these events, the department collected feedback and suggestions from businesses, reviewed the land bank in the province and mapped out plans to attract investors for major projects as well as supported investors in facilitating investment procedures. Local competent agencies also made efforts to remove the obstacles facing investors.

To date, Binh Duong has attracted more than 3,900 FDI projects with total pledged capital of US$35.8 billion from 65 countries and territories. Of the total amount of capital, Japan took the lead with over US$5.7 billion in investment, accounting for 16%.

Vietnam’s exports of fishery products expected to soar by US$7 bn next decade

The local fishery sector is set to earn an additional US$7 billion in export revenue by 2030 compared to the figure of US$8.6 billion recorded in 2020, according to the sector’s strategic development plan until 2030 with a vision toward 2045.

Under the plan, which has just been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the country’s total output of fishery products is expected to reach 9.8 million tons during the period, including seven million tons of farming output and 2.8 million tons of fishing output.

Besides this, the sector is looking to offer jobs to over 3.5 million people as of 2030, with the average income of employees in fishery enterprises being on par with that of others nationwide.

Also, the fishery sector will be developed into one of the most important economic sectors in the country and in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. Further, the sector is positioned to become a modern commercial economic sector and a fishery product deep processing center.

The Government also launched a program prioritizing the implementation of the plan. Specifically, during the 2021-2030 period, the infrastructure and logistics system for the sector will be upgraded.

At the same time, multiple national programs will be rolled out to preserve, protect and renew fishery resources, with an aim to restore fisheries with economic and research values.

Banks about to raise deposit interest rates

From the beginning of March this year, many commercial banks have started to raise their deposit interest rates, generally at 0.1-0.2 percentage points per annum. Of which, there are terms with an increase of up to 0.8 percentage points per annum.

Particularly, Techcombank increased by 0.2-0.5 percentage points of the interest rate at all terms from one to eight months. The interest rate of the 36-month term also soared sharply from 4.8 percent per annum to 5.2 percent per annum.

Similarly, the deposit interest rate of ACB for the two-month term inched up by 0.1 percentage point per annum. VPBank also uplifted the deposit interest rates for terms from two to five months by 0.2 percentage points for customers with savings from over VND300 million to below VND10 billion.

The deposit interest rates for savings from VND3 billion to below VND10 billion increased by 0.15 percent per annum for the two-month term and 0.1 percent per annum for the three to five-month terms. With the deposits of VND50 billion or more, the interest rates for the two to five-month terms also surged by 0.05-0.2 percent per annum, depending on each term.

However, the market record showed that this wave of the interest-rate hike has not spread widely because many lenders said that in the first few months of the year, credit demand is usually not high, and liquidity is still quite abundant, so many banks have not embarked in the race to increase interest rates to attract capital yet.

However, experts assessed that in the coming time, other commercial banks would also increase deposit interest rates to keep customers under the pressure of increasing interest rates of the market.

Along with that, in the context that the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, and the consumer price index in February rose sharply, the deposit interest rate will likely climb again shortly.

Prices of black pepper suddenly climb

In the past few weeks, the price of black pepper in the Southeast provinces had suddenly increased continuously and hit a record high.

Mr. Truong Dinh Ba, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Lam San Commune in Cam My District of Dong Nai Province, said that the current price of black pepper purchased by traders at the plantation ranges from VND70,000 to VND71,000 per kilogram, up nearly VND20,000 per kilogram compared to that at the beginning of the harvest season more than one month ago and VND34,000 per kilogram compared to the same period last year.

Dong Nai Province currently has a relatively large growing area of black pepper with 12,000 hectares. This province has determined that in the coming time it would support black pepper growers to build chains from clean production to consumption under the VietGAP standards for export.

Meanwhile, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the price of black pepper surged to VND73,500 per kilogram. It is the locality with the highest black pepper price in the country. The price of black pepper climbed by VND20,000 per kilogram in comparison with a month ago and VND35,500 per kilogram year-on-year.

In Binh Phuoc Province, the price of black pepper was at VND72,500 per kilogram, up VND20,000 per kilogram over the previous month, and VND35,500 per kilogram over the same period last year.

The price of this agricultural product rose strongly because the supply of black pepper dropped sharply. After three consecutive years of selling prices below production cost, farmers simultaneously chopped down pepper plants, reducing the growing area of black pepper. In addition, this year, unusual weather caused crop failure, reducing yield. It is forecasted that with the current market situation, in the coming time, black pepper prices will possibly continue to rise.

IMF: VN Successfully Navigating The Pandemic

The pandemic hit Viet Nam’s economy hard, but the nation has taken decisive steps to limit both the health and economic fallout, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest annual assessment of Viet Nam’s economy.

Swift introduction of containment measures, combined with aggressive contact tracing, targeted testing, and isolation of suspected COVID-19 cases, helped keep recorded infections and death rates notably low on a per capita basis, the IMF highlighted.

Viet Nam entered the pandemic with solid economic fundamentals and policy buffers, although some structural challenges remain to be addressed, the IMF’s annual assessment referred, adding that he country made considerable progress in consolidating public finances prior to COVID-19. The build-up of these fiscal, external, and financial buffers prior to the pandemic made Viet Nam more resilient to the shock.

The IMF suggested macroeconomic policies need to remain supportive in 2021 to ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery and policies should aim at reducing labor informality by improving labor skills and lowering hiring/firing costs for formal workers, and encouraging firm formalization.

A sustained recovery also hinges on safeguarding financial stability, the annual assessment stressed, adding that continued strong supervision, together with timely efforts to address problem loans and strengthen regulatory and supervisory frameworks, will help address financial system risks.

More decisive reforms are needed to make the most of Viet Nam’s considerable growth potential, the IMF recommended.

Meanwhile, priority should be given to improving the business environment and ensuring a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises, with reforms geared towards reducing regulatory burden faced by firms, improving their access to resources, enhancing governance and access to technology and innovation, and reducing skills mismatches.

Listed firms allowed to change their exchange

The new agreement will help cut short processing time for listed firms and prevent disruption to trading activities.

Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) and the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) have agreed on procedures to change market from HOSE To HNX.

The move was revealed during an online meeting held on March 16 among the three stock exchange authorities in a bid to ease the overload issue on the HOSE.

Under the plan, all parties would set up a single procedure to process information, transfer data and optimize system operation, aiming to cut short of processing time and preventing any disruption to stocks transaction activities on the stock market.

On the same day, the HNX informed of receiving requests from public firms to leave HOSE, including Vietnam National Seed Group (HOSE: NSC), Bibica Corporation (HOSE: BBC) and Southern Seed Corporation (HOSE: SSC).

These three are the first to change their listings to the HNX under the instruction of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) and the country’s stock market watchdog, which aims to address the issue of surging orders on HOSE that forced the stock exchange to halt market trading.

The overload occurred multiple times on HOSE whenever liquidity in a trading session hit around VND14-17 trillion (US$608-738 million).

An option to move to the HNX would not apply for stocks under the VN30 Index, comprised of the 30 largest stocks on the HOSE.

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

A road section is cleared to make room for HCMC’s second metro line project. Work on the project is expected to start next year – PHOTO: NLDO

In a report on the project’s progress sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Binh stated that the site clearance work for the project would be completed in the first months of this year, while the relocation of technical infrastructure facilities would start in August, the local media reported.

The Management Authority for Urban Railways of HCMC is completing procedures to invite tenders for the project this year.

According to the municipal government, the project is facing some obstacles, such as reappraising loan conditions, extending a loan contract with the German development bank KfW that expired on December 31, 2020, and signing an appendix with the consulting firm of the project, Implementation Consultant, which stopped work on the project in October 2018.

Therefore, the city proposed the Ministry of Planning and Investment support the removal of these obstacles, so that the project can be completed as scheduled.

The second metro line project in HCMC, which requires an estimated investment of more than VND47.8 trillion, was designed to be over 11 kilometers long, including a 9.2-kilometer underground section, an elevated section and an approaching road section to the Tham Luong Depot. The metro line will include nine underground stations and an elevated station.

The cleared sites have been handed over for four stations—S9-Ba Queo in Tan Binh District, S10-Pham Van Bach, S11-Tan Binh and S5-Le Thi Rieng. In addition, the office building and auxiliary facilities at the Tham Luong Depot have been built.

As planned, the route will be constructed for four years and put into operation in 2026. Once in place, it will connect the first metro line at the Ben Thanh Station in District 1 and metro lines No. 5, 3b, 4 and 6.

HCM City searching for foreigner who fled quarantine centre

Relevant agencies in Ho Chi Minh City are searching for a foreigner who failed to observe quarantine regulations after entering Vietnam illegally, the city’s Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) announced on March 18.

Police in Cu Chi district announced the search for Yang Gui Bin, a Chinese national born in 1986, who had previously been quarantined at the Cu Chi Hospital for COVID-19 Treatment after being caught by police for illegal entry.

Yang tested negative twice for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on March 6 and 11, and then fled on March 15.

According to the HCDC, 824 health workers at the city’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases had received shots against COVID-19 as of March 16.

Some of those vaccinated displayed predicted symptoms such as pain at the site of injection, muscle pain, headache and fever, but all are now in a stable condition.

The municipal Department of Health has asked the HCDC to hold training courses at vaccination sites on the implementation of the COVID-19 inoculation drive./.

15th NA election: Presidium of VFF Central Committee holds second consultative conference

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee held the second consultative conference on March 18 to reach agreement on a preliminary list of candidates nominated by central agencies for the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly.

In opening the conference, Tran Thanh Man, President of the VFF Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Election Council, noted that according to election regulations, consultative conferences will be held three times to select worthy candidates for the election in a democratic manner.

The Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee held the first consultative conference on February 4, and the third one will be completed before 5pm April 19.

After the first consultative conference, agencies, organisations and units held meetings to nominate candidates for the NA election, and to collect voters’ opinions on their nominees.

According to Man, by March 17 the VFF had received dossiers of 205 nominated candidates, and preparations for the election are going according to schedule and in compliance with regulations.

At the conference, 100 percent of delegates approved the preliminary list of 205 candidates nominate by central agencies, organisations and units.

As of March 17, the number of nominated candidates nationwide stood at 1,161, which is 2.3 times the number of deputies to be elected to the NA.

It is noteworthy that 24 provinces and cities reported 77 self-nominated candidates, including 30 in Hanoi, and 16 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The elections of deputies to the 15th-tenure National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure are scheduled to take place on May 23.

Critically ill infected patient recovers in biggest coronavirus hotspot

A critically ill infected patient has been discharged from hospital in Hai Duong province, the epicenter of Vietnam’s latest coronavirus outbreak, after making a full recovery from the virus.

The man was admitted to field hospital No. 2 on February 17, suffering from severe respiratory failure, rapid shallow breathing, and extremely low oxygen levels in the blood. CT scan results show his lungs were seriously damaged.

His deteriorating health forced doctors to put him on a ventilator and a dialysis machine the following morning.

After 3 days of receiving intensive care and treatment, the patient displayed signs of recovery. He did not need an ECMO intervention – a therapy that is used to support critically ill patients.

The patient was able to breathe himself on February 23 and walk with support from medical workers the following day.

“I am very happy to be released for home. I would like to thank doctors for saving my life,” the man said after receiving intensive care and treatment for nearly a month in the hospital.

Field hospital No2 has been established after the virus recurred in Hai Duong in late January 2021. It has since given treatment to 376 patients, of whom 234 have recovered and have been discharged from hospital.

Scholarships for Vietnamese students in India announced

The Embassy of Vietnam in India, with support from the Centre for Indian Studies at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Centre for Vietnamese Studies in New Delhi, held a ceremony on March 17 to announce the Ambassador Scholarships for Vietnamese Students in 2021.

Some 113 scholarships will be granted to Vietnamese students in undergraduate and postgraduate studies at four Indian institutions: the Integral University in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh; the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar, Odisha; Rishihood University in Haryana; and Sharda University in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Priority will be given to disadvantaged students from ethnic minority and vulnerable groups. Recommended majors include medical and pharmaceutical technology, engineering, and management, among others.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau expressed his hope that, through the scholarships, more Vietnamese students will study in India and experience the local culture. They will also help promote India as an educational destination of potential, he added./.

Vietnam listed among countries with cheapest Internet service in Asia

The average monthly cost of broadband Internet in Vietnam was US$12.4, much cheaper than in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Vietnam is among the countries with the cheapest internet service in the world, accornding to a report by Cable.co.uk, a private company researching cable television services, Internet and telecommunications of the UK.

Cable.co.uk collects data from 3,288 fixed network service providers in 211 countries in the world, from October to December 2020. The average amount that users in the world have to spend a month on Internet connection is US$78.14.

Accordingly, Vietnam ranks 12th in the world, 6th in Asia and 1st in Southeast Asia in terms of low internet service rates. Average users in Vietnam spend US$11.27 (equivalent to VND260,000) for a month on Internet connection.

The average monthly cost of broadband Internet in Vietnam was US$12.4, much cheaper than in Thailand (US$25.9), Indonesia (US$32.5), Malaysia (US$34.9), and the Philippines (US$51.1).

Around 64 million Vietnamese, or over half the country’s population, are online.

In contrast, African countries with poor telecommunications infrastructure, lack of competition among service providers and low average income are the ones with the highest internet cost in the world.

Particularly, Internet users in Eritrea have to spend an average of US$2,666 per month. The next one is Mauritania, with US$ 712.46 for a month of internet connection.

Ukraine is the country with the cheapest internet rates in the world, with an average price of only US$6.41 per month. It is followed by Syria, with an average Internet rate of US$6.49 per month.

Mekong Delta needs to urgently protect underground water resource

Water supply companies in Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang, An Giang and Hau Giang provinces expressed their concern over exploited water reserve and the quality of groundwater water source through a seminar titled “Protecting and efficiently exploiting underground water resources in the South of Hau River” on March 17.

Similarly, General Director of Kien Giang Water Supply and Sewerage Limited Company (Kiwaco) Mr. Au Van Tam shared that Kiwaco put 80 to 110- meter deep wells into operation at Ca Mau Peninsula with a capacity of 50 meters cubic per hour; however, the high salinity and iron concentrations significantly impact on quality of water resource.

Speaking at the seminar, a representative of Ca Mau Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Cawaco) said that Cawaco has a water supply factory in Ca Mau City and seven branches in districts in addition to 63 wells in a depth of 180 to 240 meters. Last year, Ca Mau Province had reports about the reserve depletion as well as abnormal water quality.

General Director of Soc Trang Water Supply Joint Stock Company Mr. Dang Van Ngo also worried about outdated wells affecting underground water quality.

Dr. Anke Steinel, who is geoscientist and hydrologist of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, said that the Mekong Delta is facing with challenges for underground water resource under the impact of climate change, sea level rise and water resource exploitation. As this reason, the Mekong Delta needs to urgently have solutions for protecting and managing underground water resources.

Sport tournament marks ties between Vietnamese, Lao public security forces

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s representative agency in Laos, together with the Embassy of Vietnam and the Lao Ministry of Public Security, held a friendly sport tournament in Vientiane on March 17.

The event was part of activities to commemorate 60 years since the first group of public security experts from Vietnam was sent to Laos on March 22, 1961 to assist the Lao public security force at the request of the Parties and Governments of the two countries, marking the start of official cooperation between the two forces.

It was also aimed to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the Lao public security force on April 5.

Addressing the opening ceremony, head of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s representative agency in Laos Maj. Gen. Hoang Quang Huong affirmed that the cooperation between the two public security forces has played a key role in the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in the past six decades.

The sport tournament, taking place from March 12-17, was to express gratefulness to officers and soldiers of the public security forces and offered chances for staff of the countries’ agencies to enhance understanding and further strengthen solidarity and friendship. It saw 18 teams playing in men’s football and badminton.

At the closing ceremony later on the same day, Lao Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieut. Gen. Kongthong Phongvichith spoke highly of the role and significant contributions by Vietnamese public security experts to the development of the Lao public security force over the years, thereby contributing to the achievements and successes of the Lao revolution and maintain order and stability in the country during its national construction process./.

Four trains for first metro line to arrive in HCMC before July

The next four trains for the first metro line project in HCMC are expected to be transported from Japan to Vietnam between April and July this year if the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control, said Huynh Hong Thanh, deputy head of the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) of HCMC.

During an inspection by a team led by HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on March 16 into the construction site of the Ba Son underground station, part of the first metro line project, Thanh said two trains were scheduled arrive in Vietnam in April or May. Two months later, the next two trains would be handed over to Vietnam, news site VnExpress reported.

After arriving in HCMC, the four trains, together with the first one which was transported to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City in October last year, will be operated on a trial basis.

MAUR had earlier planned to run the trains on a trial basis in the last quarter of this year. They will run on an elevated section from Binh Thai Intersection to Long Binh Depot before the entire system is put into trial operation.

At the same time, other works serving the metro line’s operation will also be conducted, such as training laborers, transferring technology, checking and handing over the project.

The first metro line in HCMC was designed to have 17 three-carriage trains. Each train is capable of carrying 930 passengers and can move at a maximum speed of 110 kilometers an hour on elevated sections and 80 kilometers an hour on underground sections.

The average distance between every two stations is over one kilometer, so trains will run at a speed of some 40 kilometers per hour.

According to Thanh, the project is facing some obstacles. However, the progress of some packages has been ensured, such as the CP1b package to build an underground section from the Opera House station to the Ba Son station, which is expected to be 99% complete by the middle of this year.

He added that the project was still expected to be completed by the end of this year as planned. Due to the pandemic, MAUR will come up with another detailed plan on the project’s progress, assess the impact of Covid-19 on its execution and propose new solutions.

HCMC Chairman Phong said the city had directed MAUR to determine when the project would be put into commercial operation, which will be a foundation to work out difficulties.

The first metro line project requires an investment of VND43.7 trillion. It was designed to be nearly 20 kilometers long with three underground stations and 11 elevated stations.

The project is some 83% complete and is expected to be put into operation next year.

NA Chairwoman works with An Giang on election preparations

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on March 18 asked the Mekong Delta province of An Giang to pay more heed to safeguarding security and order as well as COVID-19 prevention and control at border areas, thus ensuring the safety of elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, which are slated for May 23.

At a working session with the provincial steering committee for elections, Ngan, who is also head of the National Election Council, urged An Giang to continue with information and communications tasks to raise public awareness about the elections.

Channels seeking public opinions on the elections should be set up, she said, adding that conferences collecting constituents’ votes of confidence on candidates need to be held as scheduled.

The Chairwoman called for the training of personnel in charge of election work, especially members of election groups.

Lauding An Giang’s preparations, the top legislator said it has seriously observed guidelines on reducing both constituencies and deputies.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and head of the steering committee for elections of An Giang, said the province will elect nine deputies to the 15th NA and 62 others to the provincial People’s Council.

As of 5pm on March 14, the steering committee had received dossiers from 125 candidates, including 15 for candidacy for the NA, he said.

District-level steering committees for elections have also announced lists of constituencies and the number of deputies to be elected in each constituency, as scheduled, according to Binh./.

Belgium’s Ixelles mayor appreciates contribution of Vietnamese to local COVID-19 response

Christos Doulkeridis, Mayor of Ixelles, a district of the Belgian capital Brussels, expressed his sincere appreciation on March 17 of the Vietnamese community’s contribution to the local COVID-19 response.

Vietnamese people are truly part of the local community, Doulkeridis said when accepting 1,200 face masks donated to the district by the Vietnamese Association in Belgium.

Everyone must engage in the fight against this deadly pandemic, he continued, and the symbolic gesture made by the Vietnamese community shows that everyone can play a part in the fight with a very important tool, face masks, being an expression of mutual protection.

He also spoke highly of the sense of responsibility among Vietnamese people in Belgium, saying they have fully integrated into the local community.

President of the Vietnamese Association in Belgium, Huynh Cong My, who handed over the donated face masks, said Vietnamese people appreciate how the administrations of Ixelles and Brussels at large have supported their integration efforts.

Data from 2019 indicates that about 14,000 Vietnamese were living in Belgium at that time./.

Campaign to promote public exercise, sport activities

A campaign “All people take exercises following the example of great Uncle Ho” in 2021-2030 will be launched at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on March 28, according to the Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

An annual Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2021 will take place on the same day, the VSA said.

The VSA set to lift the total of people participating in regular exercise and sport activities to over 38 percent by 2025 and over 42 percent by 2030. Meanwhile, the rate of families joining sport activities is expected to reach over 28 percent, and 32 percent in 2025 and 2030, respectively.

The department also aims to have all communes and wards nationwide having grassroots cultural and sports establishments meeting the standards prescribed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Up to 98 percent of communes and wards, and 100 percent of districts, provinces and central-run cities are expected to organise sport festivals at all levels, the VSA said./.

Ministry eyes over 9,000 km of expressway by 2050

The Ministry of Transport is striving to have 5,000 km of expressway by 2030 and over 9,000 km by 2050, according to Minister Nguyen Van The.

According to the ministry’s statistics released at a working session on road infrastructure planning on March 17, Vietnam is currently operating1,046 km of expressways and building an additional 900 km, equal to 90 percent of the planning scheme.

Experts said that the linkage between the national road system and other means of transportation has yet to meet requirements. Several seaports, railways and airports, for example, do not connect with expressways yet.

Speaking at the event, The emphasised the policy of reducing the market share of road transportation, and increasing the market shares of waterway, railway, aviation and seaway transportation.

Accordingly, he requested reducing public investments in roads and increasing in public investments in other means of transportation.

The minister also stressed the need to look back on shortcomings that make the ministry fail to reach 2,500km of expressways by 2020, including slow public investment disbursement and slow site clearance.

To achieve the goal of 5,000 km of expressways by 2030, it is necessary to have breakthrough policies to develop expressway infrastructure and gain the Prime Minister’s allowance to complete all site clearance before building investment projects./.

Group exhibitions open at Galerie Quynh

A group exhibition featuring works of Vietnamese and French artists has opened at Galerie Quynh.

The exhibition showcases paintings, installation works and video installations by French artist Nadège David, Vietnamese-American multi-disciplinary artist Trọng Gia Nguyên, and the Đà Nẵng-based visual and multimedia artist Xuân Hạ.

Through the works, the artists reflect bodily experiences in mediating and expressing perception, memory and culture.

The exhibition will be on view until April 10. The gallery is at 118 Nguyễn Văn Thủ Street in District 1.

HCM City accelerates completion of urban planning project

Ho Chi Minh City is eyeing to become a centrally- run special urban area, the nation’s biggest economic hub of tourism, industrial services, industry and high-tech agriculture.

To this end, it is working to complete a series of urban planning projects, including an overall urban planning scheme by 2040 and a planning scheme of Thu Duc city.

For the overall planning scheme with a vision to 2060, the city will cover a total of 2,123.7 sq. km, including 28.7 sq. km of Can Gio sea encroachment urban area.

Its urban development is associated with orientations to adapt to climate change and sea-level rise as well as a multipolar structure.

It will have new urban areas, with key locations including Thu Duc city – a creative high-interactive urban model, Hiep Phuoc port urban area, Tay Bac urban area, Binh Quoi-Thanh Da urban area, and Can Gio sea encroachment urban area.

Notably, HCM City will build Thu Duc into a city of a knowledge-based economy and artificial intelligence, serving as a driving force behind the growth toward the 4th Industrial Revolution of HCM City and the region.

The planning of Thu Duc is the central task in the southern economic hub’s overall planning.

As the eastern gateway of HCM City, Thu Duc city is set to span 21,156.9 ha and be developed into a centre of innovation and connectivity to assist the growth of other urban areas in the HCM City metropolitan area, which consists of HCM City and seven key economic hubs in the South./.

Craig Thomas Gallery presents new works by Vietnamese artists

Craig Thomas Gallery is displaying new works by contemporary Vietnamese artists this month.

The showcase includes a preview of paintings and sculptures from artists Phạm Thanh Toàn, Nguyễn Trọng Minh, Lim Khim Katy and Phạm Đinh Tiến. These works will be displayed at exhibitions this year and in 2022.

The artists, most of whom are graduates from the HCM City Fine Arts University, have had works displayed at the Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum, the HCM City Fine Arts Museum, and galleries in the city and Hà Nội.

The gallery is open for visitors from 1-6pm between Tuesday and Saturday. The venue is located at 27i Trần Nhật Duật Street in District 1.

Opening ceremony and festivities of Hoa Lư Festival to be halted

The annual festival of Hoa Lư in the northern province of Ninh Bình will be held without festivities this year, according to the Provincial People’s Committee.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will be celebrated on a small scale but its respectful spirit will still be retained to ensure both locals and tourists’ safety, the organisers said.

Instead of holding the opening ceremony of Hoa Lư Festival as usual, Ninh Bình Province will exclude its opening ceremony and all other festivities.

Only some traditional ceremonies will be organised by Hoa Lư District People’s Committee and the Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Bình Province, such as the temple-opening ceremony, water procession, the ceremony of Buddha bathing and the thanksgiving ceremony.

The Department of Culture and Sports of Ninh Bình Province will preside over the incense offering ceremony.

Earlier, Ninh Bình Provincial People’s Committee drew up a plan for the organisation of Hoa Lư Festival 2021 in November 2020.

The annual festival is one of 100 national intangible cultural heritages. Together with the ancient capital of Hoa Lư, the Hoa Lư Festival is an important part of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site of Tràng An scenic complex. It aims to commemorate the national heroes Lê Đại Hành and King Đinh Tiên Hoàng who built and protected the country.

Over the years, the traditional festival has had almost all of its traditional rituals restored, honouring the cultural values of the Đinh-Tiền Lê dynasty (968-1010).

Held from the 9th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 20-22 this year, Hoa Lư Festival typically attracts thousands of attendees.

Quang Ninh Province announces plans to resume classes for students affected by pandemic

The Department of Education of Training in the northern province of Quảng Ninh has proposed two options for students from pandemic-stricken areas to resume classes.

The proposal, which was submitted to the provincial People’s Committee for approval, aims to bring them back to school as soon as possible.

According to the department, as many as 534 high school students weren’t able to return to school due to the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 13. Of which, 94 students were isolated in Quảng Ninh Province while the rest were quarantined in Hải Dương and other provinces.

In the first option, the students would return to Quảng Ninh Province and undergo safety requirements. Specifically, those from locked down areas or those under social distancing in Hải Dương Province will be quarantined at centralised quarantine centres.

Students who live in Hải Dương Province but are not in locked down areas or those with social distancing requirements will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 and self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

Regarding students who live in other provinces and cities, if they are under quarantine, they will return to school after completing the mandatory period, the department said.

Those who aren’t in quarantine can return to school but they will have to make a health declaration to local health authorities.

Students who are under quarantine in Quảng Ninh Province will resume classes after the quarantine period ends and they test negative for the novel coronavirus.

In the second option, the province will isolate students who are subject to quarantine at centralised quarantine zones before returning to school.

Hạ Long City plans to waive all costs for quarantine and COVID-19 tests for students and their relatives when they return to the city to study.

To ensure the quality of education, the provincial Department of Education and Training also directed educational establishments to maintain online learning and other forms of learning to consolidate knowledge for students who have not yet returned to school as they are in quarantine.

Hanoi’s ten most outstanding young faces of 2020 announced

Ten outstanding young Hanoians will be honoured at a ceremony to be held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Hanoi chapter on March 20.

The outstanding individuals include Nguyen Manh Quan (born in 2003, 12th grader from the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted; Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Chien Thang (born in 1987, lecturer in the Faculty of Chemistry, Hanoi University of Natural Sciences under the Vietnam National University); Dr. Luu The Loi (born in 1991, CEO and co-founder of Kyber Network), Nguyen Thi Thu (born in 1988, Director of Tam An Cooperative in Thuong Tin District, Hanoi; Lieutenant Vu Ngoc Hoang (born in 1992, Dong Da District Police); football player Do Hung Dung (born in 1993);

Other excellent young people are Master, Doctor Pham Van Phuc (born in 1990, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases); Master, Doctor Tran Anh Duc (born in 1989, Department of Obstetrics, Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital); Engineer Tran Trung Hieu (born in 1992, Founder and Executive Director of TopCV Joint Stock Company); Master, Researcher Ung Thi Hong Trang (born in 1987, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology).

The youngs people are being acknowledged for their marked achievements in such areas as study, scientific research, economic development, national defence-security, culture, arts, sports and voluntary activities.

Air ticket prices on Reunification Day-May Day holiday increase

Prices of air tickets on Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day holiday have increased, particularly for beach tours.

The pandemic has been basically controlled in Vietnam, so many people have flocked to book tours.

Budget carrier VietJet Air’s cheapest one-way air ticket on Hanoi-Nha Trang route on April 30 is VND1.7 million (USD73.91), including surcharges. Meanwhile, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines’ return tickets on the route is VND5.36 million.

Hanoi-Phu Quoc flights have the highest prices with VND2.9 million for Vietnam Airlines’ one-way ticket, including surcharges. For Bamboo Airways, the ticket is VND2-3.1 million.

VietJet Air’s one-way tickets for flights from Hanoi to Quy Nhon and Danang is less than VND1 million, excluding surcharges. For Vietnam Airlines, the tickets range between VND1.5-2.5 million, including surcharges.

Air tickets on HCM City-Phu Quoc route are also on the rise, ranging from VND1.7-3.5 million; while the tickets for flights from Hanoi, HCM City to other tourist sites on the Renunciation Day and May Day occasion have considerably increased.

According to travel companies, the number of customers who book air tickets and hotel rooms for their tours on the occasion has increased.

HCMC tourism sector to digitalize tourist attractions

The tourism sector in Ho Chi Minh City is planning to implement digitalization on tourist attractions in the city this year, said Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa yesterday.

The city tourism sector is facing severe economic hardship in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Digital technologies, such as immersive, virtual and augmented reality and 3D, are an increasingly important factor for success when it comes to attracting tourists to a destination.

The city will digitalize tourist destinations with 360° photo platform, virtual 3D pictures, flycam, and virtual reality technology and implement QR Codes to provide area information of 100 tourist attractions, museums and cultural heritage sites.

Presently, the Department of Tourism is preparing for a program “100 interesting tourist attractions in HCMC” which will be for promoting domestic and international tourism. The sector will focus on applying online media as well as other approaches to identify the city’s designed tourism brand name.

Moreover, the sector will also make short movies about the city’s culture, cuisine and lifestyle as well as multimedia “ Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City” to increase brand awareness and lure visitors.

Vietnam to tighten cyber security for digital transformation, e-government

In the last 5 years, both the central Government, the local authorities, and the community have wholeheartedly supported the establishment of an e-government in Vietnam, leading to such impressive success in only 2 years adopting Resolution No. 17/NQ-CP.

The only unfulfilled targets are those related to online public service use of citizens and digital identification, authentication.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung shared that the Vietnamese digital government will be officially launched in 2025, letting it enter the global Top-50.

At that time, all governmental services will be automatically offered 24/7 with customizable features. New public services will be developed based on the existing open databases, which is the cooperation between the Government, businesses, IT experts, and the community.

Along with the digital economy and society, this digital government is the key in the national digital transformation process. Considered as the leader, the digital government is the top priority for development at the moment.

The transformation from an e-government to a digital one, or from online public services to digital ones, is the foundation. In that process, there will be a shift from IT systems to digital platforms, from service access to database access, and from the participation of governmental agencies to contribution of both the Government, citizens, and related businesses.

If the challenge in the e-government is inter-connection, the trial in the digital government is change management.

In 2020, certain critical national-leveled databases in the fields of business, social welfare, healthcare, education, and civil status were completed. They have significantly reduced paperwork in administrative procedures.

Praising the above results, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc insisted that it is vital to ensure cyber security and protect the national sovereign on the cyber space while carrying out the digital transformation process.

He added that the national databases must be more effectively exploited to create a sustainable digital government, economy, and society.

At the moment, the suitable legal environment for the development of an e-government in Vietnam is still not perfect, and certain necessary decrees regarding personal data as well as identity protection have not been released yet.

Therefore, in the upcoming time, the Government and related state agencies must prepare these legal documents as soon as possible so that the establishment of an electronic and then digital government can be further facilitated.

Over VND21.5 trillion to be poured into six traffic projects linking HCMC, Long An

The HCMC Department of Transport has written to the municipal government proposing prioritizing six traffic projects with total investment of over VND21.5 trillion connecting HCMC with the Mekong Delta province of Long An from now until 2025.

As many as 23 roads connecting HCMC with Long An Province need investment, with 12 existing roads in dire need of expansion, nine road projects having been approved and the remaining two needing to be added to the general plan, according to the municipal department.

The six projects proposed for the 2021-2025 period include building the Tay Bac road project with a length of some 19.8 kilometers that will start at National Highway 1A in Binh Tan District and end at Ring Road 4 near Hau Nghia Town in Long An Province, and investing in Nguyen Van Bua Street linking Hoc Mon District and Long An Province’s Duc Hoa District.

The municipal department also proposed expanding the Vo Van Kiet Avenue in HCMC’s outlying district of Binh Chanh to connect the city with the Hai Son-Tan Do industrial park in Duc Hoa District in the Mekong Delta province. The projected road that will start at Ring Road 3 is set to cost VND3.3 trillion.

Besides, National Highway 50 running through Binh Chanh District and Long An Province’s Can Giuoc District needs upgrading and expanding with total investment of VND2.15 trillion, the local media reported.

Another traffic project comprises building a 3-kilometer-long road and the 409-meter-long Rach Doi bridge to connect Le Van Khuong Street in the city’s outlying district of Nha Be with Provincial Road 826C in Can Giuoc District.

The sixth project is to build a road running parallel to National Highway 50 in Binh Chanh District to connect it to Can Giuoc District that had been approved by the prime minister. The project is set to require VND4.3 trillion.

PM fixes deadline for submission of new regulations on environmental protection

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to draft a new Decree on administrative sanctions against violations in the field of environmental protection.

This is part of the Government’s plan which figures out measures to implement the revised Law on Environmental Protection adopted by the National Assembly in November last year.

The administrative sanctions includes application of sanction forms, remedial measures with respect to individuals, organizations committing acts of administrative violations according to provisions of law on administrative sanctions which are implemented by the competent persons.

At present, administrative sanctions for violations in environmental protection are specified in the Government’s Decree No. 55/2016/ND-CP dated November 18, 2016.

The Government chief also tasked the ministry to develop a decision on a list of domains and establishments subject to greenhouse gas emission inventory and another decision approving a plan for environmental improvement and restoration of areas where pollution of soil environment is especially serious in accordance with Point C, Clause 1, Article 19 of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.

It will also be responsible for drafting a decision prescribing criteria for environmental protection in the field of construction and rural development.

The aforesaid draft documents shall be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration in the first half of 2021./.

Hanoi, HCM City named top places for local delicacies

Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been voted as the leading destinations to enjoy traditional cuisine or street food, as well as being top places for food shopping among local travelers, according to a survey conducted by renowned travel website Booking.com.

Hanoi tops the list in terms of best destinations for traditional Vietnamese food, with Booking.com stating that the top dishes in Hanoi are typically inexpensive. Despite their cheapness, an array of tasty treats can be found within the Old Quarter’s narrow alleyways and the bustling street markets situated throughout the capital.

“This is where you can find the familiar and world renowned ‘pho’ noodles served with bagel twists or the original ‘bun cha’ that was once enjoyed by President Obama during his 2016 visit in Vietnam. ‘Bun dau mam tom’, a stinky yet tasty and crispy delicacy originated in Hanoi, is a definite must for daredevils undisturbed by the idea of pungent shrimp paste,” the website explains.

Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City was named as best city for street food. The survey states that the southern metropolis is the city that never sleeps and appeals to the taste buds of travelers due to its countless food stalls and markets that are open around the clock.

“A city trip to Saigon is incomplete without indulging in all-time favourites such as bot chien fried in a large flat pan with whipped eggs, the legendary Vietnamese pizza or quesadilla grilled on the coal stove, duck embryo in tamarind sauce and beef offal steamed in coconut milk served with local banh mi,” the website highlights.

“With all the finger-licking and creative dishes the city has to offer, it is no surprise that travellers have pinned Ho Chi Minh City as one of the top endorsed destinations for street food on Booking.com.”

Van Quyet among 10 outstanding young Vietnamese faces of 2020

Famous footballer Nguyen Van Quyet of Hanoi FC has been listed among the outstanding young Vietnamese faces of 2020, with the annual national award held to honour young local people who have excelled in their respective fields.

The 30-year-old striker first rose to prominence after captaining the Vietnamese U19 men’s football team which went on to record a victory over Thailand’s U21 side to win the International U21 Thanh Nien (Youth) Newspaper Cup in 2010.

Last year saw the forward make a number of great contributions to Hanoi FC as they lifted the National Cup and went on to finish as runners-up in the V.League 1.

As captain of Hanoi FC, Van Quyet also won both the Golden Ball Award and claimed the title of outstanding athlete in the same year.

The award to honour outstanding young Vietnamese faces is a highly-esteemed event organised by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Central Committee with the purpose of recognizing the various achievements of people aged under 35 from across the nation.

This year the awards ceremony is set to get underway on March 21 in Hanoi.

Tourism sector seeks solution to stimulate tourism demand

The Vietnam Tourism Association and Hanoi Department of Tourism are set to co-ordinate efforts to organise the national tourism forum in April which will be held in Hanoi in an effort to seek solutions and attract greater tourist numbers in the near future.

Vu The Binh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said during the ongoing wait for borders to open for international tourism, the local tourism industry should primarily focus on developing domestic tourism and organising a diverse range of activities that can stimulate tourism demand.

Binh noted that the upcoming event is anticipated to offer an ideal venue for travel firms and localities nationwide  to strengthen connectivity for the purpose of domestic tourism development.

Following the national tourism forum, the Vietnam Tourism Association and other agencies in the tourism sector are expected to host the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM 2021) which is scheduled to take place between May 5 and May 8.

Furthermore, Hanoi tourism firms have recently organised a number of affiliate schemes aimed at creating new domestic tourism products that can meet the needs of customers, such as the VGreen Caravan tourism programme which will encourage travelers to visit northwest localities.

Former heroin user helps others fight drug addiction

Nguyễn Minh Hiếu’s life used to be spent in and out of rehab centres in HCM City to fight his drug addiction. After seven times in rehab, he finally kicked his addiction.

As well as rebuilding his own life, Hiếu has set up a volunteer group to help local drug addicts get back to normal life.

“I set up the Nụ Cười (Smile) Group to help those who have lost their way just like I did get rid of drugs and become a good person,” he told the online newspaper baochinhphu.vn.

Located in an apartment in HCM City’s District 8, the group focuses on helping intravenous drug users as these people face a high risk of HIV transmission. These addicts are given new needles and HIV tests, as well as support to access methadone maintenance therapy and antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.

Several times per week, the group goes to hotspots for drug addicts to collect used needles to help curb the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Hiếu and the group have been doing this job for eight years. Seeing and talking to hundreds of drug addicts, Hiếu said what they needed most was positive energy to get close to drug users.

“Drug addicts have only one goal: how to get money to satisfy their addiction. What I need to do is to let them trust me, but not by giving them money,” he said.

“They might not understand our good intentions, but they will later on,” he said.

Hiếu said some people in his group were drug addicts and still under methadone treatment and were in the group to try and give up their drug habit and help others, too.

When asked about his family, Hiếu said proudly that they had supported everything he had done.

“My family used to lose faith in me after many broken promises to give up drugs. They were desperate about me being an addict father, husband and son. Whenever I rushed out of the house, they were hopeless,” he said.

“But now they care and support me, even when I’m out all day. How proud!” he said.

Soc Trang border guards use loudspeakers in COVID-19 communication campaign

Over the last year, people living in border areas of the southern province of Sóc Trăng have gotten used to seeing border guards carry a loudspeaker on their motorbikes telling them how to protect themselves from COVID-19.

Colonel Lê Văn Anh, head of the Province Border Guard Command’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee, said that during the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic, local border guards strengthened preventive measures, especially communication.

Many initiatives had been launched and proved effective, Anh said, noting that using loudspeakers in communication campaigns was most effective and economical.

During the pandemic, public communication events to attract crowds were not allowed, but the loudspeaker systems of communes and wards were unable to reach remote areas, Anh said.

With a portable loudspeaker, a USB with recorded information and a motorbike, a border guard could access people in all corners of the province, he said.

Major Lê Văn Băng of An Thạnh Ba Border Station in Cù Lao Dung District said they also drew posters and slogans on COVID-19 prevention and control and stuck them on the loudspeakers.

In the morning and the afternoon, border guards drove motorbikes with loudspeakers turned on, Băng said.

“When reaching busy areas, we slow down or park there so people can hear the information clearly,” Băng said.

During the pandemic, they have explained the Ministry of Health’s 5 K message: Khẩu trang (face mask) – Khử khuẩn (disinfection) – Khoảng cách (distance) – Không tụ tập (no gathering) – Khai báo y tế (health declaration), and called on people to install the Bluezone contact tracing application.

Ngô Châu, head of Âu Thọ A Residential Group in Vĩnh Hải Commune, Vĩnh Châu District, said border guards and their loudspeakers helped people learn a lot about COVID-19 prevention and control.

“Knowing and understanding the Government’s policies and recommendations on disease prevention and control, local people strictly implement preventive measures,” Châu said.

As the commune is home to many people of the ethnic Khmer group, border guards also used the Khmer language, Châu said.

Border guards also visited residents’ houses to advise them on personal hygiene and food safety.

“The border guards told us to sanitise hands, use cooked foods and boiled water, keep away from wild animals and wear face masks,” Châu said.

According to the province’s Border Guard Command, in the last year, border guards gave people in border areas about 18,000 medical face masks, more than 500 bottles of hand sanitiser and some 10,000 leaflets with disease prevention and control information.

Student research projects focus on pollution, waste reduction solutions

Six projects by university students that were displayed today at the eProjects Innovation Showcase contest at the Cao Thắng Technical College in HCM City mostly focused on environmental pollution and waste management solutions.

A team from the HCM City University of Technology and Education presented a solution for discarded chewing gum while students from Lạc Hồng University in Đồng Nai Province had one for packaging in the e-commerce industry.

Sorting plastic was the focus of students from Cần Thơ University, while a team from the Đà Nẵng University of Technology had a platform for plastic waste management.

Students from the HCM City University of Technology, who showed how to reuse construction materials, won the prize for the most effective solution.

Students from the Industrial University of HCM City displayed technology to modernise Dow Vietnam Company’s customer order and tracking systems.

The team from the HCM City University of Technology and Education won the prize for the best presentation and the Đà Nẵng University of Technology won for teamwork.

The event enabled students to demonstrate their industry-mentored prototypes to peers and professionals from across the country.

Over the last semester, eProjects teams developed their prototypes through regular consultation with professional mentors, who set out a vision for each project, shared their technical expertise and regularly met with the students.

Since September the teams worked online, on campus and even at Dow’s plant to build and test their prototypes.

The showcase was a part of USAID BUILD-IT and the Dow Vietnam Stem Programme which has been carried out for four years.

Speaking to showcase attendees, USAID Vietnam’s acting mission director, Bradley Bessire, said: “These applied  projects demonstrate  how  the  BUILD-IT  Alliance  links  industry  expertise with universities’ teaching capacity to give students experiences that develop both the technical and soft skills they’ll need to succeed in Việt Nam’s ever more advanced workforce.”

USAID sponsors BUILD-IT Project which is carried out by Arizona State University.

Concert features works by 20th-century’s lesser-known composers

A concert introducing works from composers that have not been performed much in Việt Nam will take place at Goethe Institut next Monday.

The concert, the first of the ’20th Century Music Concert Series’, will present a repertoire featuring works by composers from Japan to Eastern and Western Europe and America, including Benjamin Britten, György Ligeti, Toru Takemitsu, Nikolai Kapustin, Friedrich Gulda, and Frederic Rzewski.

Artists and lecturers of Inspirito School of Music, including oboist Hoàng Mạnh Lâm, trumpeter Yuki Urushihara, pianists Ngô Phương Vi, Lưu Đức Anh, Dương Hồng Thạch, and Phó Đức Hoàng, will perform in the concert.

The concert will start at 7pm. The Goethe Institut is at 56-58-60 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. Recommended donation: VNĐ100,000.

Thousands of counterfeit fashion products seized in Nam Dinh

Market management authorities have seized thousands of Chanel, LV, and Hermes counterfeit products in Nam Dinh Province.

On March 17, Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance worked with the Department of Market Surveillance and the police in Nam Dinh to raid a 500-square-metre warehouse in Dai Lai Village, Vu Ban District and found a large number of counterfeit products. The owner was unable to provide any necessary papers.

Nguyen Ky Minh from the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance said the sellers advertised and sold their products via social media. They created various accounts with different names and used them alternatively to avoid attention from the authorities.

An empty shop on Ho Tung Mau Street in Hanoi was used as a decoy to promote their products. Minh said it had caused some difficulties during the investigation.

It is estimated that 20,000-30,000 products were kept at the warehouse worth about VND6bn (USD259,000).

A representative of Hermes said Tam Son International Company is their sole distributor in Vietnam. There are also only two Hermes stores in Vietnam besides the products sold at Lotte shopping centres and some duty-free shops.

Private investment proposed for HCMC-Can Tho express railway project

The Southern Institute of Science and Technology has proposed executing the HCMC-Can Tho high-speed railway project under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model, and the total required investment of some US$10 billion will be sourced from private enterprises.

Under the proposal sent to the Ministry of Transport, the institute also mentioned the adjustment of the railway’s direction and the development of nine stations in satellite urban areas, Dan Tri news site reported.

The main route from HCMC to Can Tho will need an estimated investment of more than US$4.4 billion, while a branch from the Thanh Phu station in Long An Province to the Hiep Phuoc Port in HCMC will require US$791.35 million. The remaining US$4.6 billion will be spent on stations and other facilities.

The express railway will have a total length of 134.9 kilometers, passing through five localities, comprising HCMC, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Can Tho. The railway will stop at nine stations, beginning at Tan Kien Station in HCMC and ending at Can Tho Station in Can Tho City.

In addition, the Thanh Phu-Hiep Phuoc branch will be 44 kilometers long, running through HCMC and Long An.

The Southern Institute of Science and Technology has also proposed adjusting the direction of the railway to the right of the HCMC-Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway, completely different from the previous plan.

According to the institute, with the adjustment, the railway will share a corridor with the expressway, reducing the separation between residential areas and industrial parks. Moreover, the land bank for the satellite urban area development will be larger.

The adjustment will also help shorten the length of the railway by five kilometers, saving nearly US$200 million.

A leader of the Vietnam Railway Authority said the HCMC-Can Tho express railway is an important traffic route which will help ease the traffic on roads.

The authority assigned the project’s management board to choose a consulting firm to conduct a prefeasibility report for the project using the State budget.

As for the financial plan proposed by the Southern Institute of Science and Technology, the authority asked the institute to make it more specific. The institute should clarify the investment method and financial plan in case foreign investors want to get involved in the project.

HCMC set to rename hospitals in Thu Duc City

District 2 Hospital, District 9 Hospital and Thu Duc District Hospital will be renamed as Le Van Thinh Hospital, Le Van Viet General Hospital and Thu Duc City Hospital, respectively.

The HCMC government has approved a plan to re-organize ward- or district-level healthcare centers and hospitals under the HCMC Department of Health after the rearrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels of Thu Duc City.

Among the three renamed hospitals, Le Van Thinh Hospital, located at 130 Le Van Thinh Street in Thu Duc City’s Binh Trung Tay Ward, is a Grade-1 non-business unit and has a capacity of 500 in-patient beds, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported.

Le Van Viet General Hospital, headquartered at 387 Le Van Viet Street in Tang Nhon Phu A Ward, is a Grade-2 health non-business unit, with a capacity of 100 beds, while Thu Duc City Hospital at 29 Phu Chau Street in Tam Phu Ward is a Grade-1 health non-business unit and has a capacity of 800 beds.

Besides, the city also re-organized the District 2 Healthcare Center, the District 9 Healthcare Center and the Thu Duc District Healthcare Center into the Thu Duc City Healthcare Center under the HCMC Department of Health.

Construction process of nationwide expressway system reaches 90 percent

The Ministry of Transport informed that the 1,046-kilometer expressway system nationwide has been put into operation so far and currently there are more than 900 kilometers being under construction, reaching over 90 percent as planned.

Accordingly, the North-South Expressway to the East, the Eastern Expressway of Ho Chi Minh Road, Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, Expressway connecting to Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son Province and Ring Roads of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have not been implemented.

According to Minister of Transport Mr. Nguyen Van The, the delay was due to the slow site clearance progress.

Based on the actual situation, the transport sector set the target up to 2030 concentrating on construction of inter-regional expressway projects connecting to sea ports, air-ports, striving to complete 5,000 kilometers of expressway in 2030 and more than 9,000 kilometers in 2050.

To speed up the progress, Minister Nguyen Van The said that there should be a breakthrough mechanism for expressway infrastructure development in the coming time, a breakthrough in the way of implementing, selecting a portfolio, and submitting to the Government for approval of the whole site clearance to form the entire investment project of 5,000 kilometers of the expressway.

EVNHCMC’s youth launches energy-saving activities to respond Earth Hour 2021

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of HCMC, Thu Duc City and the Electricity Corporation of HCMC (EVNHCMC) have co-organized many activities in response to the 2021 Youth Month program and Earth Hour 2021 campaign.

Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of EVNHCMC and Thu Duc City have kicked of the “Joining hands to build Thu Duc New City” program.

In March, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Unions of EVNHCMC has implemented a series of activities to mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the 45th anniversary of the founding of EVNHCMC, such as installing safe electrical systems in three alleys and 50 households, implementing the programs of “Civilized, safe and clean apartment” and “Using electricity safely and economically in school”.

HCMC asks for ODA loan for Water Environment Improvement Project

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have asked for an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan from Japanese government for its Water Environment Improvement Project.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has proposed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to value the Water Environment Improvement Project and have official document on provision of the loan to improve water environment in Ben Nghe- Tau Hu – Doi – Te canals for the third phase, said the office of the committee yesterday.

Presently, the city has been implementing the anti-flooding project and the wastewater treatment project for the 2020 – 2045 period as well as for the 2020 – 2030 period including the Water Environment Improvement Project in Ben Nghe- Tau Hu – Doi – Te canals.

The project includes dredging and building a complete canal system with total length of 13.5 kilometers as well as building a wastewater collection system Nam Sai Gon comprising 43-km culvert system and one wastewater treatment plant with capacity of 100,000 cubic meters a day for the first phase and 170,000 cubic meters a day for the second phase.

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

However, after the publication of the plan’s third draft, several local institutions have criticised the set focus and have warned about entailing risks.

PDP8 priorities and risks addressed. Illustration photo

The third draft of the National Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8) for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade is the result of the third consultation of ministries, sectors, and businesses operating in the sector.

According to the most recent calculations, the forecast commercial electricity mentioned in the PDP8 will be lower than the adjusted PDP7, by about 15 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030. As another new element, the electricity demand will shift from the south to the north.

The new plan will give priority to the exploitation of renewable energy sources for electricity generation. However, due to the exhaustion of natural gas resources, as well as the uncertainties linked to the exploitation of new gas fields, Vietnam will have to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) on a large scale to supply LNG-fired power plants and ensure energy security.

Along with that, the development of gas-related infrastructures such as warehouse and port systems are necessary.

Besides imported gas, it may be also necessary to promote the import of coal in large volumes to ensure a stable fuel supply for the current and planned coal-fired thermal power plants.

Nevertheless, there is a much stronger focus on exploiting renewable energy sources than before, especially offshore wind, solar, and biomass power sources, along with other renewables. The selected scheme satisfies the power supply and international commitments to reduce environmental pollution in the generation process with low production costs and harmonising benefits for the state, investors, and end-users.

Moreover, the PDP8 meets the criteria set out in Politburo’s Resolution No.55/NQ-TW on the orientation of the National Energy Development Strategy of Vietnam to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The PDP8 can give high priority to the development of renewable energy sources and promoting the development of projects for LNG power and the gradual reduction of coal-fired plants.

The plan is currently divided into six major areas and 19 sub-regions to analyse and build a strong transmission grid between the regions. Before 2030, all mentioned regions are planned to be linked by many 500kV lines. After 2030, there will be more one-way power transmission lines to release the capacity of clusters of large offshore wind power sources to the central units.

The scheme needs about $128.3 billion, of which about $95.4 billion are reserved for power sources and the remaining $32.9 billion for the grid. In the 15 years after that, another $192.3 billion will be required to be split into $140.2 billion for power generation and $52.1 billion for the transmission network.

Furthermore, the plan proposes three groups of mechanisms for its implementation, including investments in electricity development, capital attraction and mobilisation, and for ensuring the electricity system’s operation under market conditions, including the integration of renewable energy sources.

In addition, 13 solutions related to the revision of legal documents, capital solutions, electricity prices, environmental protection, science and technology, human resources development, and organisation are also mentioned in this scheme.

Important source

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who is also part of the National Power Development Plan Appraisal Council said, “In this master plan, solar and wind energy sources should continue to be prioritised for development as they are both natural resources that are especially abundant in Vietnam. However, it is necessary to form and maintain a stable supply for the whole system.”

The deputy PM noted that the development of renewable energies should consider power reserves while ensuring operational safety for the whole system and source capacities.

According to the PDP8, the coal power structure will be decreasing in total capacity. However, this is currently a particularly important source of energy and serves as the backup for the entire system. Regarding the implementation of the plan, Deputy PM Dung said that appropriately allocated capital sources should be considered, including the list of projects that can be exploited soon.

He also believed the PDP8 will create an important innovation step and serve as the foundation for mobilising resources for the development of the power industry, thereby meeting the socioeconomic needs of the nation.

Coal power still preferred

The draft shows a gradual decrease in coal power development and a gradual increase in renewable energy development, separated into phases.

However in the next decade, coal-fired power will still have a high priority due to the addition of about 17GW of new coal power plants to the system.

The Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance, the Vietnam Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Alliance, and the Vietnam Rivers Network have recommended considering the suitability, feasibility, and consequences of the new coal power development plan in five aspects.

Firstly, without learning from the implementation of the PDP7, shortcomings will continue to exist, leading to risks of further delays of coal power projects. Their development between 2016 and 2020 faced many difficulties in both capital mobilisation and lack of support from residents and local authorities, resulting in a mere 57.6-per-cent fulfilment of the PDP7. In the past five years, only about 7GW of coal power plants were put into operation, of which only one unit (0.6 GW) was put into operation by 2020.

Secondly, there is a strong dependence on external supplies as 86 per cent of new coal plants must use imported material, while the ability to import from the sources identified in the draft forecasts face many difficulties, possibly affecting national energy security.

Thirdly, new high-tech coal-fired power plants do solve the environmental problem, and at the same time make it more expensive than developing renewable energy sources.

Also, continuing to develop new coal power projects will guide Vietnam in the opposite direction of the global world and contradicts the efforts to implement the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to close all coal power plants globally by 2040. However, the plants in the current draft are meant to operate at least until 2050, possibly even until 2070.

Lastly, according to the scenario in the current draft of the master plan, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions will increase continuously from 9,500 tonnes last year to over 42,000 tonnes by around 2035, which poses a high risk of further air pollution and impacts the environment and public health.

The reports by the three agencies added that the total capacity of renewable energies that is meant to be mobilised is very low compared to the potential and makes up only about 4-5 per cent by 2030, and 13-16 per cent by 2045. Some renewable options that have the advantage of decreasing costs and offering effective solutions may not be sufficiently mobilised within the next 10 years.

According to the draft, solar power takes a minor role with only about 2GW put into operation. Moreover, solar power in combination with agriculture has not been considered and there is no mechanism to encourage this development. Meanwhile, offshore wind power, hydropower, and battery storage for these systems have not been included in this period.

VIR