Usage of plastic bags

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, said in the first two months, on average the city collected 2.9 trillion VND each day, which was higher than the average daily revenue.

In January, the city collected 40 trillion VND, up 2.9 percent year-on-year, he added.

To date it has collected 74,500 billion VND, accounting for more than 20 percent of the year’s target, up 10.5 percent year-on-year.

The Tax Department aims to collect at least 25 percent of the yearly budget revenue target in the first quarter.

The city’s retail sales of goods and services increased by 4.7 percent, while industrial production went up 6 percent in the first two months.

The city’s exports reached 8 billion USD, a rise of 25 percent year-on-year (three major exports with increased revenues are fertilisers, plastic materials and auto spare parts).

More than 3,800 enterprises resumed operation in the first two months (up 3 percent year-on-year). Some 700 enterprises completed dissolution procedures in the period (down 14.5 percent year-on-year).

However, the service sector, especially tourism and accommodations, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the city’s total budget revenue, has been hit hardest.

Tourism revenues decreased by 70 percent with accommodation services dropping by 14 percent. The outbreak has caused a significant decline in international visitors to the country, according to Hoan.

For pandemic prevention, the city has contained the infection hotspot at Tan Son Nhat international airport with 36 cases recorded since the end of January. The city has gone 20 days without any locally transmitted infections, he said.

Some non-essential services have gradually reopened. Students returned to school on March 1.

The city has ordered individuals and organisations to continue to strictly implement precautions against the virus. “The city is always ready for the worst pandemic scenario,” he said.

Regarding tasks for 2021, the city will continue to complete its dual goal of economic development and protection against the pandemic, according to Hoan.

It plans to develop more solutions to support enterprises and residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its effort to revive business activities.

The city will also promote domestic tourism and strengthen linkages with other provinces.

It will continue to promote e-commerce, online businesses, non-cash payments for a digital economy, start-up creation and technological innovation, and commercialisation of research products.

Source: VNA

The Hanoitimes – The two countries enhance trade ties after upgrading the relations to comprehensive partnership in 2010.

Vietnam is one of Argentina’s important partners in Asia-Pacific and the ties will be developed further, Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez said as he received new Vietnamese ambassador Duong Quoc Thanh who presented the credentials to Buenos Aires on March 2.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Duong Quoc Thanh (left) and Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez on March 2. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

He also hailed Vietnam for its Covid-19 success story.

The ambassador said he will make efforts to boost the bilateral relations, which reflect cooperation in politics, economy, culture, and science and technology.

The bilateral relations, which were set up in 1973, was upgraded to comprehensive partnership in 2010.

The two countries have focused on trade ties with the establishment of the Argentina-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee on Economy and Trade in 2012.

The two-way trade rose to nearly US$3.5 billion in 2019 from US$918 million in 2010.

Argentina is Vietnam’s second largest trade partner in the Latin America and Vietnam is the fifth biggest buyer of Argentina goods.

Within this context, they committed to foster the incorporation of higher value-added products, as well as strengthening cooperation between phytosanitary and zoosanitary control agencies on market access matters, in addition to maintaining cooperation and technical assistance actions. Along those lines, Argentina expresses a strong interest in working together with Vietnam on Agricultural Biotechnology.

Julia Perie, an Argentine parliamentarian at the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur), said that agricultural products account for nearly 90% of Argentinean exports to ASEAN, so the nation prioritizes creating added value for those items, along with expanding cooperation in other spheres such as leather industry, pharmaceutical products and plastics.

Sebastián Molas, Undersecretary of Institutional and Government Relations of the Cabinet of Ministers, said Argentina will seek to enhance trade with ASEAN in the post-Covid-19 and Vietnam is one of key partners in the region.