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Breakthroughs

In early 2020, nobody thought Vietnamese rice exports would succeed given numerous difficulties. At that time, rice exports to China were heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with many orders cancelled. However, Vietnamese rice exporters quickly sought new markets to make the most of FTAs that Vietnam has signed.

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) estimated that Vietnam’s rice exports in 2020 exceeded US$3 billion, more than 10 percent higher compared with 2019. The export price of five percent broken rice increased to US$500 per tonne, the highest level since December 2011, while prices of other rice varieties, such as ST20 and Jasmine, ranged from US$600-1,000 per tonne.

VFA Vice President Do Ha Nam said 2020 was a successful year for the Vietnamese rice sector. He attributed the success to increased demand for food in many countries due to the Covid-19 impact, and to the shift from white rice to fragrant rice in cultivation which helps enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice. The Philippines, a traditional importer of Vietnamese rice with annual demand for about three million tonnes, promises to be a stable export market for Vietnamese rice.

New-generation FTAs, especially the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), have created major opportunities for Vietnamese rice to penetrate the European market. “Before the EVFTA took effect, Vietnam’s rice exports to the EU were limited in quantity due to tariff barriers. But since the trade deal came into force in August 2020, Vietnam has received large-volume export orders of higher value. The current quota of 80,000 tonnes committed by the EU for Vietnam’s rice exports to this market is expected to pave the way for Vietnamese rice to penetrate other discerning markets,” Do Ha Nam said.

Pham Thai Binh, General Director of the Trung An Hi-Tech Farming Joint Stock Company, said the company exported more than US$20 million worth of rice in 2020, an increase of more than US$2 million compared with 2019, and the export price grew strongly thanks to the EVFTA. Many other rice exporters said that in 2020, along with traditional markets, they achieved satisfactory results in exporting to new markets, such as Chinese Taipei, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and the EU.

2021 prospects

Rice quality should be strictly controlled at all stages from cultivation, processing to distribution

The VFA is forecasting good rice export results for 2021 as major export markets of Vietnamese rice, such as the Philippines and Africa, continue signing purchase contracts. Moreover, many countries have high demand for fragrant and glutinous rice, in which Vietnam has an advantage. There are also opportunities for Vietnamese rice to penetrate markets which have signed FTAs with Vietnam. Signatories of the FTA between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have pledged to provide a tariff quota of 10,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam in 2021 (Republic of Armenia: 400 tonnes; Republic of Belarus: 9,600 tonnes). Under the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), taxes applied to Vietnam’s rice exports to the UK will be reduced to zero percent with no quota limit.

To take advantage of these preferences, major rice companies, such as the Intimex Group Joint Stock Company, Loc Troi Group, VRICE Company Limited, and the Trung An Hi-Tech Farming Joint Stock Company are seeking customers from markets which have signed FTAs with Vietnam, especially the UK.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will provide rice exporters with timely information about market demand as well as regulations and barriers stipulated in FTAs, and carry out trade promotion activities to facilitate access to new markets and customers.

Thuy Duong

China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5 percent this year, the same as in 2017, Premier Li Keqiang said in remarks prepared for delivery at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament on Monday.

he goal was kept unchanged even though the economy grew 6.9 percent last year, exceeding the government’s target, suggesting that Beijing is keeping its focus on reducing risks to the financial system from a rapid build-up in debt.

Sources previously told Reuters that China will maintain its growth target at “around 6.5 percent”.

Economists expect growth momentum to weaken this year as the government reins in corporate debt, leading to higher borrowing costs, while a war on pollution and a cooling property market will slow heavy industries and real estate investment.

Growing trade frictions with the United States have also jumped to the top of the list of risks facing China this year.

President Donald Trump announced last Thursday he would impose hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminium to protect U.S. producers, risking retaliation from major trade partners like China, Europe and neighbouring Canada and sparking fears of a global trade war.

Li said China opposes protectionism and supports the settlement of trade disputes through negotiation, but will “resolutely safeguard” its legitimate rights and interest.

China to step up risk controls, trims deficit target

Li said China will improve supervision over shadow banking, internet finance and financial holding companies, and step up risk controls at financial institutions.

While maintaining a proactive fiscal policy, Li said China cut its budget deficit target to 2.6 percent of gross domestic product from 3 percent in 2017.

The budget deficit target cut was the first in years, suggesting Beijing will be more watchful of fiscal spending as China advances its fight against financial risks.

Most analysts had expected the 2018 target would be largely maintained or come in slightly lower, estimating the government exceeded the 3 percent level last year.

Heavy government infrastructure spending was a major driver behind China’s forecast-beating growth last year, but Beijing has been cracking down in recent months on some rail and road projects launched by local governments as it seeks to curb their massive debts.

Monetary policy neutral

Li also said China will keep its prudent monetary policy neutral, reaffirming authorities’ position.

China will keep monetary policy neither too loose nor too tight, and will maintain reasonably steady liquidity, he said.

Li also said he expects reasonable growth in broad M2 money supply and total social financing this year, without stating a target.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the state planner, said in a separate report that outstanding total social financing (TSF) and M2 growth will grow at a similar pace this year as in 2017.

TSF grew 12 percent last year, in line with the target, but M2 growth slowed to 8.2 percent, below the 12 percent goal. ANZ had expected both targets to be set at 10 percent or lower this year.

China also set its consumer price index at “around 3 percent” compared with 3 percent last year, as widely expected.

Stability will be the watchword this year as President Xi Jinping pursues his vision of turning China into a “modestly prosperous” nation by 2020 and into a “strong power” on the world stage by 2050.

Ahead of the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) this year, authorities have stepped up a crackdown on big-spending conglomerates, after a year of financial deleveraging that has targeted risky shadow financing and curbing corporate debt.

The NPC, which will end on March 20, is expected to approve the restructuring of various government departments and the appointment of several key officials including a vice president, vice premiers and a new central bank governor.

Overall, the programme aims to provide a strong premise for comprehensively developing the labour market; effectively mobilising, distributing, and utilising resources to boost socio-economic growth; shift to a modernised labour structure; and promote links between the domestic labour market and those of the region and the world.

Its objectives are to increase the number of workers with labour market-relevant skills and raise the number of trained workers to 30 percent by 2025 and 30-45 percent by 2030.

Under the programme, Vietnam expects to be among the top 60 countries in the Knowledge Workers sub-pillar of the Global Innovation Index (GII) by 2025 and among the top 55 by 2030. The country also sets having 80 percent of its workforce possess IT skills by 2025 and 90 percent by 2030, while reducing the rate of young adults unemployed or untrained to below 8 percent.

To this end, the country plans to improve the relevant legal framework to bolster the development of the labour market; support the development of labour supply and demand, a labour market database, social welfare and insurance, and a specialised labour market; and promote links between the domestic and foreign labour markets.

It will also develop a set of indicators measuring the development of the labour market compared with the regional and global markets, and evaluate the labour gap between regions./.

PM meets medical workers ahead of Tet festival

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has described doctors and health workers as soldiers who stand at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19.

At a meeting with medical workers on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday on February 9, the PM stressed that the health sector has made direct and very important contribution to the country’s socio-economic achievements in 2020, as part of concerted efforts by the entire political system and people.

The sector has taken drastic actions and coordinated closely with other sectors and agencies during the epidemic combat, he added.

The leader extended thanks and appreciation of the hard work and the sacrifice of all medical workers, especially those who are working in pandemic-hit areas, as well as their families.

The pandemic would develop more complicatedly in 2021 with new variants, he said, calling on the sector to mobilise all resources to contain the epidemic and treat patients.

The health sector must stay ready for any circumstances, and put in place plans for timely supporting localities, building COVID-19 treatment hospitals, and readying medical supplies in case the pandemic spreads on a larger scale, he said.

He required agencies and localities to take practical measures to care for frontline medical workers, especially during the Tet holiday.

The government leader informed that he had signed a decision on allowances for medical workers and others who are engaged in pandemic prevention and control work.

On the occasion, PM Phuc talked online with local officials and medical workers in several pandemic-affected localities and hospitals, giving encouragement and wishing them a happy new year.

From Hai Duong province, Professor Tran Nhu Duong, head of the COVID-19 prevention and control group under the health ministry in Chi Linh town, said as from January 27, Hai Duong has traced 12,000 F1 cases, and collected samples of 75,000 people for testing.

The ministry has also sent many experts and officials, as well as equipment to the locality since the pandemic broke out there, he said./.

Universities provide support to students who stay through Tet

Many university students have received support after choosing to stay through the Lunar New Year or Tet Holiday amid the new virus outbreaks.

Nguyen Phong Dien, deputy director of Hanoi University for Science and Technology, said they would organise events to celebrate Tet with 150 international students who are still staying at the university.

Nguyen Viet Thai from Hanoi Trade University said Vietnamese students had returned to their hometowns but they still have 30 students from Laos and Mongolia staying at the dorms. An activity to make traditional Chung cakes was recently held and they will celebrate Tet with the students on the lunar new year’s eve.

At the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 13 students who are from outbreak areas and many international students will celebrate Tet in Hanoi. 159 students are staying at Vietnam National University, HCM City, through Tet, including 81 international students.

HCM City University of Technology and Education said they would give 30 Vietnamese students and 19 international students who stay over Tet VND1m each as lucky money.

The Hue University of Education called for students to stay instead of returning to their hometowns this Tet. Students from Gia Lai Province and international students who stayed were provided with the financial support of VND300,000 per person.

The National Economics University has 10 students from outbreak areas staying and the University of Communications and Transport has 3 students from outbreak areas and 72 international students staying.

Antibacterial substances distributed to aid anti-COVID-19 efforts

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has assigned the Ministry of Health to supply 15 tonnes of Chloramine B and 15 million water purification tablets, free of charge, from the national reserves to certain provinces and ministries to serve the COVID-19 fight.

The beneficiaries are Hai Duong, Gia Lai, and Quang Ninh provinces, which are all in the middle of a COVID-19 outbreak, along with the Border Guard High Command under the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Health.

As of the morning of February 8, Vietnam had recorded 2,005 infections, of which 1,115 are community infections, with 422 detected since this latest outbreak hit the country on January 27.

Some 1,472 patients have recovered while fatalities remain unchanged at 35, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control./.

Over 3.5 billion VND channeled into charity market for Tet

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) channeled more than 3.5 billion VND (153,000 USD) into charity markets opened by its chapters nationwide from January 22 to 31 to support needy people before the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet).

Pham Thi Hoa, a resident in Hanoi, who received assistance from the charity market serving Tet, said her family is poor and gifts from the market helped ease her difficulties.

VNRC Vice President Tran Thi Hong An said these markets for Tet have made a practical support for needy people so that they can enjoy a warm and happy holiday.

Initiated in May last year, the market model is organised on the basis of mobilising resources and supports from the community, in order to serve people in difficult circumstances or severely affected by natural disasters, which hinder them from having enough food and necessities. Due to its high flexibility and practical response, it can run anywhere on a large scale.

The market offers food and household items of good quality and clear origins, with its consumers given coupons worth at least 300,000 VND to shop for their demand.

According to An, in mountainous, border, and island areas with poor transport infrastructure, mobile charity markets have been organised, attracting a large number of participants./.

Lao embassy extends New Year greetings to Vietnamese counterpart in Singapore

Lao Ambassador to Singapore Khonepheng Thammavong on February 8 led a delegation to the Vietnamese Embassy in the country on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

At the reception for the Lao delegation, Ambassador Tao Thi Thanh Huong highlighted the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos, as well as the close ties between the two embassies.

She congratulated Laos on successfully containing the COVID-19 pandemic and organising the 11th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), saying Laos is one of the countries with the lowest COVID-19 death toll.

For his part, Ambassador Khonepheng Thammavong expressed his belief that the Vietnam-Laos relationship will grow stronger in the time ahead.

LPRP leaders are delighted at the re-election of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam, he said./.

Vietnamese embassy in South Africa shows strong performance as APC Chair in 2020

The Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa successfully completed its role as Chair of the ASEAN Pretoria Committee (APC) in 2020, contributing to promoting the partnership between ASEAN and South Africa and Africa in general.

Addressing a ceremony in Pretoria on February 8 to take the role of APC Chair from Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Hoang Van Loi, Indonesian Ambassador Salman Al Farisi lauded the activeness of Vietnam as the APC Chair in 2020.

He said that Ambassador Loi received the role from Thailand when South Africa was experiencing severe impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of life as well as operations of foreign representative offices.

Despite difficulties, the Vietnamese diplomat applied operation methods to adapt to the reality, he noted, adding that Ambassador Loi regularly contacted with APC members and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to exchange information on the situation in South Africa and Africa and share experience in COVID-19 prevention and control as well as promote cooperation among parties and optimise opportunities from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Vietnamese Embassy played the role as a bridge linking the DIRCO and the Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry in preparing for South Africa to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Under the chair of Vietnam – the ASEAN Chair 2020, South Africa, along with Colombia and Cuba, signed the agreement to join the TAC, opening opportunities on broader and deeper cooperation in politics, economy, socio-culture between ASEAN and the countries.

Ambassador Salman Al Farisi hailed the achievements that Vietnam has made as the ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, contributing to strengthening the common voice of ASEAN in the international arena, dealing with challenges of the region in a timely manner, and helping to build a Southeast Asian region of peace, solidarity and prosperity.

Ambassador Loi said that in 2020 when South Africa performed the role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and the President of the African Union, Vietnam and South Africa coordinated closely at regional and international forums for the common interest of the international community, Africa and Asia.

The Vietnamese and Indonesian ambassadors agreed to continue exchanging information and experience to help Indonesia fulfil the APC Chair role in 2021.

Earlier on January 27, ASEAN ambassadors in South Africa had an online meeting to evaluate the performance of the committee in 2020 and sketch out plan for 2021.

Vietnam Social Security launches programme to bring warm Tet to poor patients

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) on February 8 launched a programme to bring a warm Tet (Lunar New Year) festival to poor patients covered by health insurance in central and provincial-level hospital across the country.

At least 1,000 gift packages are set to be presented to the patients with funding raised from VSS staff and donors.

The two-day programme is held in different forms in localities depending on the developments of COVID-19.

Earlier in 2020, the VSS carried out numerous charity activities to support victims of consecutive storms and flooding in the central and Central Highlands regions, including the raising of 1 billion VND for them, along with the provision of electronic health insurance cards for locals in 10 flood-hit provinces.

Last year, the sector collected nearly 11.6 billion VND as donation from its staff and donors to present nearly 73,500 health insurance cards and 940 health insurance record books to the needy./.

Russian official underscores people-to-people diplomacy

Vice Chairwoman of the Russia – Vietnam Friendship Association (RVFA) Regina Budarina has attributed the success of the 13th National Party Congress to the pillars of Party, State, and people-to-people diplomacy.

In a recent interview with Russian news agency Sputnik, Budarina said the results of the congress will contribute to ensuring political stability in Vietnam for the years to come. The Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership, along with people-to-people diplomacy on the back of State support, have found success in various fields.

She described people-to-people diplomacy as an important external policy resource and an equitable partner of the State in dialogue development and international cooperation, which has helped improve mutually-beneficial ties and raising understanding of the culture, tradition, and lifestyles of citizens worldwide.

Regarding Russia-Vietnam ties at present, Budarina said the two countries marked the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties last year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the RVFA still completed important plans, such as holding the fifth junior painting competition and exhibitions on the memory of Vietnamese soldiers in the Great Patriotic War of Russia.

On October 20, the RVFA also held a scientific seminar on the role of people-to-people diplomacy in the development of Russia – Vietnam ties, with 358 Russian and Vietnamese delegates taking part.

It also successfully organised over 60 online trade promotion meetings between Russian and Vietnamese companies seeking partners./.

HCM City leaders pay tribute to fallen soldiers

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen on February 8 led a delegation to lay wreaths and offer incense at the HCM City Martyrs’ Cemeteries at Khong Ten and Lac Canh hills.

This is a traditional activity of the municipal Party Committee, authorities and people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Delegates spent a minute of silence, expressing their deep gratitude to heroes and martyrs who laid down their lives for the national independence and reunification.

Immediately after the visits, the delegation offered incense and Banh Tet (round glutinous rice cake) in tribute to Hung Kings – the legendary founders of Vietnam, and Nguyen Huu Canh, who founded the Saigon – Gia Dinh region (present HCM City) in 1698, at the Hung Kings Memorial Park in Thu Duc city.

The delegation also laid wreaths in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, President Ton Duc Thang at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in HCM City.

On the same day, a delegation of the municipal People’s Council, People’s Committee and the Fatherland Front Committee of HCM City burnt incense to commemorate martyrs at Ben Duoc Martyrs Memorial Temple in Cu Chi district./.

Vietnam Red Cross helping people hit by pandemic, disasters

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) spent a total of 4.8 trillion VND (209.6 million USD) on humanitarian activities in 2020, a 10 percent increase compared to 2019.

The funds were mobilised from all resources, from organisations and individuals inside and outside of the country to international friends, said Tran Quoc Hung, Vice President of the VRC Central Committee in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency.

Its humanitarian activities last year primarily targeted those affected by COVID-19 and natural disasters in the central region.

When the pandemic first broke out in Vietnam, the VRC stepped up dissemination efforts to raise awareness about disease prevention and control measures, and mobilised resources to support medical workers and volunteers on the frontlines of the fight as well as people living in locked-down areas.

It also appealed for support for central provinces hit by storms and flooding.

As an active and responsible member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the VRC also provided support for people in China, the US, India, and Cambodia, with over 800,000 medical facemasks worth 176,000 USD and 30,000 USD in cash sent in response to an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ appeal.

The organisation has recently proposed several projects relating to COVID-19 vaccines, through the federation or with partners of member societies.

In 2021, with the pandemic and natural disasters developing in a complex fashion, the VRC commits to effectively organising movements and campaigns and improving external and mobilisation affairs to ensure sufficient resources to carry out its efforts and measures./.

Three ethnic villages in Binh Dinh connected to electricity grid

Three disadvantaged villages in the central province of Binh Dinh have been given access to the national electricity grid as the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday nears.

Cat, Chom, and Ka Bong villages are in Van Canh district’s Canh Lien commune and home to 300 families from the Bana ethnic minority group.

Invested by the People’s Committee of Van Canh district, the power transmission project cost some 15 billion VND (645,700 USD) from the provincial budget.

The power system comprises a 22 kV transmission line measuring 9.5 km and three transformer stations with a capacity of 50 kVA each.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Ho Quoc Dung said the completion of the project bolsters local people’s access to information and enhances production and studies, thereby improving the quality of people’s lives.

On the occasion, a number of electrical appliances were presented to the forest management department and teachers at the Canh Lien kindergarten in the three villages.

Three other villages in Binh Dinh have yet to be connected to the national grid./.

Chinese locality presents medical supplies to Quang Ninh

Representatives from the northern border province of Quang Ninh received medical supplies from Dongxing city and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China at a ceremony held at Bac Luan II Bridge in Mong Cai city on February 8.

The aid included 5,000 personal protective suits, 2,000 pairs of protective glasses, and 1.8 tonnes of disinfectant from Dongxing.

The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, meanwhile, presented 420,000 surgical masks and 992 bottles of sanitiser.

Quang Ninh is one of Vietnam’s new COVID-19 hotpots. As of the morning of February 8, the province had recorded 47 community infections in this latest outbreak, which began on January 27./.

PM makes pre-Tet visit to Hanoi air defence division

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc inspected combat readiness and conveyed New Year wishes to officers and soldiers at Division 361 under the Air Defence-Air Force in Hanoi on February 8.

The PM took the occasion to send his New Year greetings to officers and soldiers on duty in remote and island areas nationwide to safeguard national sovereignty.

He hailed Division 361 for fulfilling the task of firmly safeguarding the air space of Hanoi and consolidating internal solidarity.

The leader asked the whole army, the Air Defence-Air Force in general and Division 361 in particular to stay ready to safeguard border areas, air space, seas and islands of the nation, realise the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress, and the Resolution by the 11th Congress of the Army’s Party Organisation.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the working session with Division 361 (Photo: VNA)

Division 361 must continually improve training quality, maintain close ties with people and well perform mass mobilisation in the new situation.

PM Phuc expressed his belief that on the back of the past achievements, Division 361 will continue overcoming challenges and accomplishing its assigned tasks, thus deserving the trust of the Party, State and people.

Founded on May 19, 1965, Division 361 fought in over 1,800 battles in more than 20 cities and provinces nationwide, shot down 591 enemy aircraft of various kinds, including 35 B52 aircraft. They also contributed to the “Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu on Air” victory in December 1972./.

Cà Mau wants to reduce poverty rate by 0.3 percentage points this year

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Cà Mau targets a 0.3 percentage point reduction in the poverty rate this year, according to its Fatherland Front Committee.

Phan Mộng Thành, deputy chairman of the committee, said poor households would be carefully identified together with socio-political and religious organisations, and specific measures would be taken to help every poor and near-poor household escape poverty.

The measures include helping them carry out small trade, breed animals or grow crops, he said.

The number of poor households had reduced from 9.94 per cent in 2016 to 2.25 per cent at the end of 2019, but they still number more than 10,900.

To help the poor household escape poverty sustainably, the Fatherland Front Committee plans to mobilise resources from society through the Fund for the Poor and the Social Welfare Fund for welfare policies.

Each grassroots level branch of all socio-political and other organisations will help one poor or near-poor household escape poverty, or help prevent a newly escaped one fall back into poverty.

Last year more than 3,000 households escaped poverty, exceeding the target set by the People’s Committee by 11 per cent.

Of the 3,000, 2,400 were assisted by the Fatherland Front Committee and other organisations.

Thành said to achieve this, the families were helped with production or business and obtaining soft loans for the purpose.

The Fatherland Front Committee has mobilised more than VNĐ71 billion (US$3 million) for the fund and used it to build 84 rural bridges, build or repair 1,941 houses belonging to the poor, drill 92 wells, give 26,000 gifts and donate nearly 130 tonnes of rice, and provide health checks and medicines for 12,000 poor people since the beginning

The province’s Fund for Supporting Farmers has provided loans worth more than 42 billion ($1.8 million) to 4,600 farmers, helping many escape poverty.

Trần Thị Quyết, deputy chairwoman of the province Farmers Association, said before the implementation of the projects, many farmers faced difficulties such as lack of resources and access to advanced techniques.

But after the projects began many have achieved excellent results and become model farmers.

The participating farmers have co-operated among themselves and with companies, she said.

Their products include blood cockle, rice straw mushroom, clean vegetables, and shrimp farmed using two – stage method with advanced techniques.

The Fund for Supporting Farmers has provided soft loans worth a total of VNĐ300 million ($13,000) to 15 farmers in Phú Tân District’s Việt Thắng Commune for a project to breed blood cockle.

Through the Fund for Supporting Farmers, the province has established 230 co-operative groups, 17 co-operatives and 519 occupation groups.

Around 77 per cent of the province’s population lives in rural areas and 56.7 per cent of its workforce is in agriculture, according to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Ethnic cultures, national treasures on display at An Giang Museum

The An Giang Museum in the Mekong Delta province of the same name opened an exhibition on February 9 of the Khmer, Cham, and Hoa ethnic minority cultures and a section preserving five national treasures.

The exhibition showcases the groups’ traditional crafts of beading and brocade weaving and their weddings, folk art, and culinary delights, among other cultural features.

The five national treasures are the Brahma Giong Xoai statue, dating from the 6th-7th centuries, two sets of Linga and Yoni from the 5th-7th centuries, a Giong Xoai wooden Buddha statue from the 4th-6th centuries, and a Khanh Binh stone Buddha statue from the 6th-7th centuries.

Ho Thi Hong Thi, deputy director of the museum, said the exhibition aims to create a cultural space for the public on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and attract tourists.

The number of visitors is restricted and COVID-19 prevention and control measures are strictly applied, she said.

Both exhibition spaces are open until February 14./.

Congratulations continue to come for Party General Secretary on re-election

Foreign party and state leaders have sent their warmest congratulations to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election as the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee for the 13th tenure.

The congratulatory messages were cabled by President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, Chairman of the People’s Action Party of Singapore Gan Kim Yong, Chairman of the Mongolian People’s Party Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc Debabrata Biswas, and President of Communist Party of Bangladesh Mujahidul Islam Selim.

On the list are also the Workers Party of Bangladesh’s Chairman Rashed Khan Menon and its Secretary-General Fazle Hossain Badsha, along with Chairperson of the Communist Party of Sweden Povel Johansson, President of the Communist Party of Chile Guillermo Teillier, Secretary General of Mexico’s Popular Socialist Party Jesus Antonio Carlos Hernandez, several ambassadors and leaders of friendship organisations with Vietnam in foreign countries./.

Party official commends National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on good work

Politburo member and standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong has commended staff members of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) for their tireless efforts in COVID-19-related research.

Making a visit to the institute on February 9 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year festival, the Party official affirmed that the NIHE has always fulfilled its tasks in researching and training, especially in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that Vietnam was one of the first four countries in the world successfully in culturing and isolating the SARS-CoV-2, thus contributing to the development of vaccine for COVID-19.

Leaders of the institute are always the first to arrive at pandemic hotspots and the last to leave after the outbreaks are contained, helping enhancing the quality of medical services at the grassroots level, and people’s trust in the control of the pandemic, Thuong said.

He asked relevant agencies, especially the Health Ministry, to provide the best possible support for the institute to fulfill its tasks.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the health sector has done its best in 2020 and has fulfilled the tasks assigned by the Party and the State, contributing to achieving the twin targets of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and maintaining economic development.

The sector will make further efforts in 2021, an important year for reforming the health sector, he promised./.

Embassy updates South African Communist Party on 13th National Party Congress results

The Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa informed the South African Communist Party (SACP) about major outcomes of the recent 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) during an online meeting on February 9.

The meeting aims to enhance mutual understanding, solidarity and cooperation between the two Parties, and further contribute to promoting left-wing, worker and progressive movements in the world.

It was co-chaired by Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Van Loi, and Politburo member and head of the SACP Central Committee’s commission for foreign relations Frans Baleni.

Ambassador Loi thanked the SACP Central Committee for extending congratulations to the 13th National Congress of the CPV, saying nearly 370 congratulatory messages and letters sent by parties, agencies, organisations and individuals from 93 countries to the congress are a great source of encouragement and reflect the confidence of comrades, friends and partners in the Vietnamese Party.

The SACP showed interest in the preparations for the congress, including the collection of feedback on draft documents. It also wanted to know more about the role of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, personnel training and planning in the Party, the enhancement of female Party members’ role at all levels, and Vietnam’s experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, among others.

The South African officials said Vietnam’s valuable experience will be useful for the SACP in organising its 15th congress slated for 2022.

Over the past time, the two Parties have regularly exchanged high-ranking delegations, cooperated in bilateral and multilateral forums, and shared information about their operation.

In July 2019, Politburo member Pham Minh Chinh, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and head of the Committee’s Organisation Commission, paid a visit to South Africa, during which he held talks with SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande to seek ways to boost the bilateral cooperation, friendship and traditional ties./.

Government chief allows enforcement of social distance in major pandemic-hit localities

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has allowed pandemic-hit localities, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hai Phong to deploy drastic COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including social distancing in an effort to effectively slow the spread of COVID-19.

He also welcomed the decision made by HCM City and Ha Noi administrations to cancel fireworks shows on the forthcoming Lunar New Year’s Eve to limit crowds as a way of preventing the virus transmission to the wider community.

PM Phuc consented to the Ministry of Health’s proposal to intensify COVID-19 testing in high-risk areas, while calling on local residents to refrain from travelling during the Lunar New Year holiday in a bid to help prevent spread of the disease.

He also agreed with the ministry’s proposal to purchase COVID-19 vaccine produced by the AstraZeneca Group and begin injections in the first quarter of the year.

The Ministry of Health and its minister are responsible for selecting partners, vaccines, and those to be vaccinated, with funding coming from the State, Phuc stated.

With regard to COVID-19 update, the Ministry of Health confirmed a further 45 new community cases on February 8 afternoon, including  Quang Ninh (3), Hanoi (3), Gia Lai (2), Ho Chi Minh (25 ), and Hai Duong (12).

The majority of fresh cases came into close contact with coronavirus patients from the nation’s COVID-19 hotspots.

Vietnam has documented 2,050 SARS-CoV-2 infections so far. Of the total, 1,160 are locally-transmitted cases, with 467 detected since the latest coronavirus outbreak hit the country on January 27.

Amid complicated developments relating to COVID-19, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has requested that Ho Chi Minh City apply fresh social distancing measures in some areas following the latest detection of new cases linked to the outbreak at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The proposal has come following the southern city recently detecting 25 new cases in the community.

Minister Long said the latest outbreak in the baggage handling area at Tan Son Nhat Airport could have initially occurred a while ago and some people involved may have already been infected and then gone on to recover.

“The outbreak in HCMC was quite complicated and has gone through many cycles of infection; therefore, the source of this outbreak has not yet been determined. This is what makes us very worried,” he said.

The Heath Minister added that even though they did not come into contact with air passengers, the infected airport staff could still have interacted other people in the community. He has therefore asked the municipal administration to take urgent steps aimed at preventing the outbreak from spreading further among the wider community.

Over the past 11 days, the nation has registered 467 domestic cases throughout 12 cities and provinces. Indeed, Hai Duong, and Quang Ninh, top the list of hotspots with 321 and 50 cases, each.

HCM City on full COVID-19 alert, sets up epidemic command centre

As the largest city in the south of the country, Ho Chi Minh City has been requested to establish an epidemic command centre specifically aimed at bringing the metropolis’ latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak under control.

He has therefore assigned the Ministry of Health to work closely alongside the municipal administration to promptly establish the command centre.

The PM also permitted HCM City and Hanoi capital as well to impose social distancing measures at a number of selected places that can be judged to be high-risk locations in terms of spreading the virus.

HCM City is on full alert after dozens of cases closely linked to the southern city’s latest hotspot at Tan Son Nhat International Airport were detected. In addition, a further two suspect cases at the airport were also announced on February 9.

Local authorities moved to ramp up epidemic preventive measures to the highest level at the airport and in other sites throughout the city. All passengers and their relatives were required to strictly abide by health recommendations taken against COVID-19 by the Ministry of Health.

Following the most-recent cases, the southern metropolis scrambled to quickly track down and quarantine all individuals who came into contact with COVID-19 patients and their relatives. The HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) was required to re-test all staff at the airport on a daily basis.

The city has locked down more than 10 residential quarters and blocks of flats across seven districts in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. It decided to suspend all non-essential services, starting from February 9, along with not holding the opening ceremony of the Nguyen Hue Flower Street Festival in the buildup to the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet.

Experts have warned that with the source of infection yet to be identified, Ho Chi Minh City is at high risk of seeing the virus spread among the community. The number of infections is likely to increase considerably over the coming days.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 31 COVID-19 cases since the virus recurred in Vietnam late last month.

Since the latest outbreak, the virus has since spread to 12 cities and provinces nationwide, with 470 cases confirmed so far. At present, the northern province of Hai Duong is still the country’s largest hotpot with 321 cases.

Businesses provide additional support for COVID-19 fight

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) of Hanoi on February 9 received donations from local businesses as part of contributions aimed at helping with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and control efforts in the capital.

The donations include VND1 billion from Sun Group, VND1 billion from Him Lam Land Corporation, and VND750 million from Geleximco Group.

During the ceremony the Hanoi VFF chapter also announced cash deliveries to on-duty workers and needy people in concentrated isolation areas.

Nguyen Lan Huong, chairwoman of the Hanoi VFF chapter, showed sincere thanks to doctors and nurses who are on the front line to fight COVID-19, as well as businesses, soldiers, police officers, and people who have come together in an effort to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR

The Ho Chi Minh City tourism sector this year plans to focus on digitalisation of the industry and promotion of domestic tourism amid a downturn in tourism because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sector will continue its efforts to boost domestic tourism as the main factor driving the recovery of the tourism industry.

The tourism communication and stimulus campaign, ‘Hello Ho Chi Minh City,’ has been implemented to promote the city as a safe, vibrant and friendly destination.

Tourism cooperation and linkages between HCM City and the Northeast, Northwest and the Central regions will also serve to boost domestic travel.

The city aims to receive 33.5 million domestic visitors this year if COVID-19 remains under control in the country./.

Tet sales increase sharply on low prices

With a week to go for Tet (the Lunar New Year) sales of goods bought to celebrate the Lunar New Year have increased by 30-40 percent from normal times, according to market observers.

They attribute it to prices remaining steady and people’s increasing income at the end of the year.

Saigon Co.op’s supermarket chains have managed to meet market demand thanks to early preparation of goods, accurate forecast of demand and discounts, Nguyen Anh Duc, its permanent deputy general director, said.

In January sales increased by 37 percent compared to the same period in the previous month, with growth of fresh and processed foods, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, and garments being high, he said.

There have been no shortages of goods, especially pork, and no price hikes, he said.

Dinh Quang Khoi, head of marketing and customer care at MM Mega Market Vietnam, said customers have bought Tet goods earlier than usual, and retail sales increased by more than 10 percent compare with same periods of last year, while the increase is 5 -6 percent if the wholesale segment is included.

Shopping malls in Ho Chi Minh City like Vincom Central Dong Khoi, Takashimaya and Aeon Celadon Tan Phu are crowded, especially at weekends.

Sales of processed foods are expected to go up by more than 20 percent.

People are switching more and more to poultry meat and eggs instead of pork because the pork price is rising to the delight of companies like San Ha, Ba Huan and Vinh Thanh Dat.

According to experts, the prices of many items have never been so stable as this year as the Covid-19 pandemic caused global demand to shrink.

Many products could not be exported, and so producers and distributors switched their focus to the domestic market, increasing supply.

To sustain demand in this scenario enterprises have had to improve quality and keep prices competitive./.

HCM City in top six most preferred markets for investment: CBRE

There was an increase in interest in Ho Chi Minh City which ranked sixth among Asia Pacific investors’ most preferred property markets for investors, according to a survey by market research firm CBRE polling more than 490 Asia Pacific-based investors in November and December 2020.

With the diversification of supply chains encouraging more manufacturing investment in the city, industrial and logistics assets are keenly sought after, said the CBRE’s 2021 Asia Pacific Investor Intentions Survey.

“HCM City has already been on the radar of investors in recent years, especially those who are looking to invest in Southeast Asia, as the city is viewed as having the potential for greater appreciation in property values and higher yields,” said Dang Phuong Hang, CBRE Vietnam Managing Director.

The survey outlines top 10 Preferred cities for cross-border investment, with Tokyo (Japan) in the first place, followed by Singapore, Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Shanghai and Beijing (China), HCM City, Shenzhen (China), Sydney (Australia), Osaka (Japan) and Melbourne (Australia).

Investors who expressed interest in investing in Southeast Asia indicated that they are willing to pay more for real estate purchase. 39.4 percent of these investors are comfortable to pay more than 10 percent higher this year than what they are willing to pay in 2020, while 19.7 percent are willing to paying up to 10 percent higher.

In the search for returns, investors looking at Southeast Asia are turning to value-added and core assets, even though there are some who are starting to look at distressed assets. Industrial/logistics and office remain their preferred sectors, while the hospitality sector is gaining favour.

Henry Chin, CBRE’s Global Head of Investor Thought Leadership and Head of Research, Asia Pacific, said: “stronger interest in core investment reflects investors’ greater emphasis on tenant credit and stable cash flows.”

“Assets with a solid rent roll of three years or longer typically attract far more bidders than those lacking this type of security,” he added.

Logistics was the most popular sector for investment as the pandemic-driven acceleration of e-commerce consumption boosted demand for this asset class. While interest in the office sector weakened, investors retain an optimistic view towards this sector, expecting a contraction in office purchasing activity of no more than 10 percent over the next three years./.

January sees largest capital injection into stock market since early 2020: SSI

January saw the largest amount of investment capital poured into Vietnam’s stock market since the beginning of 2020 on the back of strong exchange traded fund (ETF) inflows, according to a report by SSI Securities Corporation.

Vietnam is Asia’s only stock market with non-stop capital injection over the last four week as it attracted more than 100 million USD last month thanks to massive ETF inflows, outweighing the net capital withdrawal of around 23.5 million USD, said SSI’s February strategic stock market report entitled “Co hoi trong bien dong” (Opportunity in volatility).

ETFs have also raked in about 129 million USD, or two third of the total inflows in 2020, mostly into VFM Diamond ETF (1.31 trillion VND or 57.15 million USD) and VFM VN30 ETF (860 billion VND).

The market also experienced strong foreign buying in the last three days of the month, raising foreign players’ net purchases of shares in January to about 127 billion VND.

SSI stated that Vietnam has become a quite attractive market largely owing to the country’s successful containment of COVID-19, positive economic growth and the fact that it remains a destination of the ongoing global production shift.

Though the pandemic has been a key contributor to the market volatility during this period of time, capital injection from ETFs into Vietnam remains a positive driver of the stock market, SSI said, adding that this also means increasing level of volatility.

According to the report, more than 81 billion USD was poured into stocks in both developed and emerging markets across the worrld last month, also with the domination of the ETFs./.

Vietnam increases pork imports to cool off rising domestic prices

Vietnam imported more than 141,000 tonnes of pork worth 334.4 million USD in 2020, representing a rise of 382 percent and 500 percent over the previous year, respectively, customs statistics showed.

The increase in imports was to make up for the shortage in pork supply caused by African swine fever which pushed up domestic prices in the first months of 2020.

The pork was mainly imported from Brazil, Russia, Poland, the US and Canada. Brazil was the largest exporter of pork to Vietnam last year, accounting for 24.5 percent of the import volume.

The average pork import price was 2.2 USD per kilo.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam approved 25 countries to export livestock and poultry meat to Vietnam, including more than 800 enterprises from 19 countries allowed to export pork to Vietnam.

Vietnam imported more than 43,300 pigs for breeding, mainly from Thailand, Canada, the US, Denmark and Taiwan (China).

Live hog prices tended to increase in many provinces across the country from early January due to increases in consumption demand ahead of Tet (Lunar New Year) to around 80,000 – 84,000 VND (4 USD) per kilo, around 5,000 VND higher than the end of December.

However, in recent days, pork prices decreased by around 1,000-5,000 VND per kilo.

Nguyen Van Trong, Deputy Director of the ministry’s Department of Livestock Production, said pork prices dropped in recent days because processing companies reduced their purchases as they had enough goods for consumption during Tet.

The enhanced prevention against smuggling of pork to China together with the increase in supply also helped lower pork prices.

Now Vietnam had 27.3 million pigs, an increase of 21 percent over a year ago and equivalent to 88.7 percent of the time before the disease occurred.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that early preparations were made to ensure enough supply of pork for Tet with many enterprises launching price stabilisation programmes./.

Australian expert highlights Southeast Asia’s trade prospects

Richard Maude, Senior Fellow at Australia’s Asia Society Policy Institute, has spoken highly of trade prospects of Southeast Asian nations against the backdrop of COVID-19.

In an article, he said that global trends in trade, foreign investment and production offer a mix of peril and opportunity for the Southeast Asian governments as they try to steer their damaged economies towards recovery.

“Beset by lockdowns, disrupted supply chains and travel restrictions, world trade volumes fell by historically steep levels in the first half of 2020. Southeast Asia was no exception – the region’s economies rely heavily on external demand and many play increasingly significant roles in East Asian supply chains,” he continued.

In the second quarter of 2020, for example, the value of goods exported from the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fell by 15 percent on a year-on-year basis and imports fell by 27 percent.

Foreign direct investment flows to Southeast Asia also declined sharply early in 2020.

The vertiginous plunge in world goods trade, at least, may now be bottoming out, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) remains decidedly gloomy about prospects for a trade-led recovery in Asia.

Even so, amid all the uncertainty and downside risk, Southeast Asia may yet find itself better placed than other regions to trade itself out of trouble, the expert said, citing that East Asian economic regionalism will strengthen as one of the reasons.

Most major East Asian economies – China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan – have managed to re-open their economies. China’s giant economy in particular is once again growing and helping keep Southeast Asian trade afloat.

Domestic consumption in Southeast Asia could double to 4 trillion USD over the next ten years.

Within the region, there are also signs the deep economic slump of the first half of 2020 is easing, at least in those parts of the region where the pandemic has been tamed. The decline in ASEAN global goods exports and imports, for example, slowed in the third quarter of 2020 on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

Vietnam, one of the best performing ASEAN economies, managed to eke out a small increase in economic growth in 2020, he cited.

Once it enters into force, the newly signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal will give intra-Asian trading another boost. It is an incentive for large corporations to locate as much of their supply chains as possible within the bloc.

“ASEAN is also well placed to benefit from supply chain diversification within East Asia. Some manufacturing was already shifting to Southeast Asia before the pandemic.”

The pandemic has now reinforced interest from companies from around the world in regionalisation and supply chain diversification. Some governments, Japan, for example, is offering financial incentives to some of its companies to build production sites in Southeast Asia.

Like the rest of the world, the region faces headwinds and uncertainties, Maude noted, putting forth some suggestions for regional countries to use trade to help drive economic recovery./.

Tet sales increase sharply on low prices

With a week to go for Tet (the Lunar New Year) sales of goods bought to celebrate the Lunar New Year have increased by 30-40 per from normal times, according to market observers.

They attribute it to prices remaining steady and people’s increasing income at the end of the year.

Saigon Co.op’s supermarket chains have managed to meet market demand thanks to early preparation of goods, accurate forecast of demand and discounts, Nguyen Anh Duc, its permanent deputy general director, said.

In January sales increased by 37 per cent compared to the same period in the previous month, with growth of fresh and processed foods, cosmetics, kitchen appliances, and garments being high, he said.

There has been no shortages of goods, especially pork, and no price hikes, he said.

Dinh Quang Khoi, head of marketing and customer care at MM Mega Market Viet Nam, said customers have bought Tet goods earlier than usual, and retail sales increased by more than 10 per cent compare with same periods of last year, while the increase is 5 -6 per cent if the wholesale segment is included.

Shopping malls in HCM City like Vincom Central Dong Khoi, Takashimaya and Aeon Celadon Tan Phu are crowded, especially at weekends.

Sales of processed foods are expected to go up by more than 20 per cent.

People are switching more and more to poultry meat and eggs instead of pork because the pork price is rising to the delight of companies like San Ha, Ba Huan and Vinh Thanh Dat.

According to experts, the prices of many items have never been so stable as this year as the Covid-19 pandemic caused global demand to shrink.

Many products could not be exported, and so producers and distributors switched their focus to the domestic market, increasing supply.

To sustain demand in this scenario enterprises have had to improve quality and keep prices competitive.

One Commune One Product attracts Tet shoppers

Many products made under a programme called ‘One Commune One Product’ have become a big hit with consumers seeking to buy gift hampers for Tet (Lunar New Year).

Sticky rice grown by the Khau Nua Lech Thuong Quan Rice Cooperative in Bac Kan Province’s Ngan Son District is one such.

The co-operative has had to mobilise a lot of manpower to fulfil the mountain of orders it got.

Its rice is renowned for its plasticity and aroma, and is well known to consumers across the country.

According to a co-operative spokesperson, 100 additional workers were hired for packaging and delivery but demand still not be met.

In the last month or so it supplied more than 10 tonnes of rice to markets such as HCM City and Ha Noi.

Phan Thanh Hieu, director of the Phuong Nam Food Joint Stock Company, said this year, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, businesses had prepared for low demand, but two high-end products, organic ST 25 and ST 25 rice varieties, grown together with shrimp in Soc Trang Province, are out of stock.

“We have had to turn down many orders or deliver less than the ordered quantity though the rice prices are four to five times higher than that of other rice. ST 25 grown together with shrimp has a price of VND285,000(US$12.4) for 5kg, VND15,000 higher than ST 25.”

Le Kieu Phuong, director of Phuc Thinh Production and Commerce Co. Ltd, said her company recently got a One Commune One Product (OCOP) certificate for its three prawn cracker production lines in Ca Mau Province.

It is now working on selling the products to major supermarket chains before Lunar New Year with the aid of the certificate, she said.

In Dong Nai Province, where more and more people are becoming interested in regional specialties, seven OCOP producers have signed contracts with Central Retail Viet Nam to sell 21 items.

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, media director of Central, said the two supermarkets would design their display shelves to ensure OCOP products easily catch the eye of shoppers as part of a commitment to support them.

MM Mega Market is also selling 56 OCOP confectionery and jam products for Tet at discounts of up to 50 per cent to introduce them to customers.

Do Quoc Huy, marketing director of Saigon Co.op, said the company is helping develop OCOP goods, but their limited production means they could only be sold locally and not across its retail chains.

The two-year-old OCOP programme has helped a number of localities develop a wide variety of agricultural and non-agricultural products, providing steady incomes to many locals.

COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage travel industry

A resurgence of Covid-19 just before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday has hugely impacted travelling, again demonstrating its impact on the tourism industry.

“There has been an immediate impact on the hospitality business with several cancellations across the country, not only in the affected destinations but anywhere with access via an airport,” Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said.

“Prior to these local transmissions, the industry was anticipating increased travel demand during and after the Tet holiday, which would have been a good start to the year,” Gasparotti said.

Travel interest is diminishing amid a mist of uncertainty with air travel demand dropping 15 per cent immediately after the news release.

Online flight search demand to Da Nang and HCM City during this peak period of the year dropped 35 per cent and 34 per cent week-on-week respectively, according to OTA Insight.

Some companies immediately enforced travel restrictions, with requests to limit attending events and large gatherings.

This has directly affected MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) business in city hotels, where several conferences have been put on hold or delayed.

Drive-to destinations have also been affected by weekend cancellations.

Last year international arrivals to the country numbered just 3.8 million, a 78 per cent decline from 2019.

Domestic traveller numbers fell 34 per cent to 56 million.

Hotels and resorts suffered badly, with many being forced into temporary closure.

Last year occupancy and average daily rates (ADR) both dropped, while revenues fell 70 per cent.

In Ha Noi, the average occupancy was 32 per cent compared to 80 per cent in 2019 while it dropped to 23 percent in HCM City from 72 per cent.

The national average of 62 per cent in 2019 plummeted to just 24 per cent last year.

January started on a positive note, with hotels in key destinations seeing increased MICE and event bookings while at some resorts corporate bookings started to return, Gasparotti said.

“The market in 2021 is expected to be broadly similar to most of 2020, at least until borders reopen to leisure and business trade. Hotels have adapted by considerably reducing operating costs to establish lower breakeven points.

“The good news is that several destinations are still performing at acceptable levels.”

The performance in December and January was positive for destinations like Phu Quoc and Vung Tau, which appeal to both local leisure travellers and year-end company trips.

Some hotels have used promotions, such as ‘staycation’ packages and F&B deals to nurture local demand, which have propped up their numbers.

Fruit and vegetable exports decline by 7.6% in January

Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports in January endured a drop of 7.6% to US$260 million compared to the same period from last year, largely due to unpredictable developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The MARD’s Agro-Processing and Market Development Authority stated that China was the leading importer of local fruit and vegetables last year, making up 56.3% of the total market share, although fruit and vegetable exports to this market fell by 25.7% to US$1.84 billion compared to 2019.

Elsewhere, the United States market ranked second with US$168.8 million, followed by Thailand with US$157.2 million, the Republic of Korea with US$143 million, and Japan with US$127.7 million.

Furthermore, January saw the country’s import value of fruit and vegetables enjoy an annual increase of 22.3% to US$140 million, with China, the US, and Australia representing the three largest suppliers to the Vietnamese market.

Moreover, the import value of fruit and vegetables from China in 2020 decreased by 21% compared to 2019’s figures, while imports from the US and Australia witnessed respective increases of 2.3% and 1%.

Due to complicated developments relating to COVID-19, the nation’s fruit and vegetable export activities have been significantly impacted as consumers have changed their shopping habits with several countries also moving to tighten import procedures as a way of securing their borders.

Experts have therefore advised local firms to strive to strengthen their supervision over product quality to avoid violating quarantine regulations, and ensure that food and safety rules are followed as a means of facilitating relevant customs clearance processes.

Acceleration opportunity for Vietnamese AI startups

The AI Accelerator Challenge 2021, organised by VSV Foundation under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Technology and funded by the Australian Embassy, is officially open for registration.

The AI Accelerator Challenge 2021(AAC 2021) is an acceleration programme specifically designed for Vietnamese AI startups with innovative ideas and products that address the practical needs of the market.

AAC 2021, themed “AI in pandemic – Adapting to the new normal”, has been organised with the goal of identifying, incubating, promoting, and developing potential AI-powered applications in numerous fields such as finance, commerce, electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, transportation, and smart city development. Participants will have the opportunity to undertake a 4-week online training course, after which the top five teams will be awarded prizes including a service support package worth VND500 million($21,740), a business promotion and mentoring course worth VND200 million ($8,700) and up to VND200 million in seed investment with no equity required.

The programme will assist Vietnam’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as help to foster the development of a vibrant AI startup environment. “Vietnam should be very proud of its successes in tackling COVID-19,” said Andrew Barnes, Australian Chargé d’Affaires to Vietnam. “Through sponsoring programmes to promote innovative applications using AI, Australia is demonstrating its strong commitment to assisting Vietnam in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting economic recovery, and strengthening its innovation system.”

“The government is trying to implement many activities to cope with disruptions caused by COVID-19, in which innovation and the application of advanced science and technology have been defined as the key to increase the resilience of businesses and the recovery of the economy. AI is one of the core technologies that promise to revolutionise many of Vietnam’s key socioeconomic sectors such as health, education, business, commerce, finance, and agriculture,” Deputy Minister Bui The Duy from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) added.

“We are proud to be a part of this programme,” said Thach Le Anh, founder of VSV Foundation. “AAC 2021 will not only allow Vietnamese AI startups to receive mentoring from top AI technology experts but also support them with business development and fund-raising, including by raising capital from angel investors and leading domestic and foreign venture capital funds. The startups will be able to raise up to VND2 billion ($86,960) after the programme ends.”

This programme is funded by Australia’s flagship Aus4Innovation programme which will disburse AUD11 million ($8.44 million) over four years (2018-2022) to strengthen the Vietnamese innovation system and prepare for Vietnam’s economic and digital future. It is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and managed by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in strategic collaboration with the MoST.

Investors give EVN Genco 2 cold shoulder at IPO

Despite Power Generation Corporation 2 (EVN Genco 2) owning substantial interests in several thermal and hydropower plants, 99.97 per cent of the stake it offered at its initial public offering (IPO) was unmarketable.

The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX) has published the results of the auction registration for the stake of EVN Genco 2.

The company offered 580 million shares or 48.9 per cent of its charter capital to investors with the initial price of VND24,520 ($1.06) per share and expected to acquire VND14.225 trillion ($618.5 million) from the sale.

However, only 14 investors registered to join the auction, registering 262,500 shares, including 200,000 shares from a single foreign investor, 10,500 shares by five Vietnamese people, and 52,000 shares by eight domestic investors.

At present, EVN Genco 2 owns a 100 per cent stake in Trung Son Hydropower One Member LLC, which operates Trung Son hydropower plant with the designed capacity of 1 billion kWh per year.

It also owns a series of thermal power companies including Pha Lai, Haiphong, and Thac Mo, among others.

According to its financial statement, the company generated 17.8 million kWh, equaling 97 per cent of its plan for the whole year and 7 per cent of the power coursing through the whole national power grid.

The unmarketable IPOs of EVN Genco had precedent because they own too many member companies and subsidiaries. Buying stakes in the plants one by one will help investors limit risks.

Previously, EVN Genco 3 failed in its IPO in February 2018 when only 2.8 per cent of the offered shares was sold.

Vietnam targets 60 – 62 bln USD from agro-forestry-fisheries export by 2030

Vietnam has set a goal of earning around 60-62 billion USD from agro-forestry-fisheries export by 2030 under a project recently approved by the Prime Minister.

The project looks to fully and sustainably join the global supply chain of agro-forestry-fisheries, improve the quality and value of their export to meet regulations of importers, and develop their trademarks in international markets.

Of the figure, 25 billion USD will be from major farm produce, 16-17 billion USD from forestry products, 15 billion USD from aquatic products, 3-4 billion USD from animal husbandry products, and nearly 2 billion USD from others.

Agro-forestry-fisheries export is expected to grow by some 6-8 percent annually. About 40 percent of export will be national brands, 70 percent have their origins traced, and around 60 percent of exports are processed and deeply processed ones.

To such end, the project targets fine-tuning mechanisms and policies to ensure food safety and develop support industry, assisting firms in protecting intellectual property right in export markets, popularising trademarks on domestic and foreign media./.

Central localities seek new development routes amid COVID-19

Central provinces must adjust their socio-economic development goals and strategies to minimise the adverse effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters in 2020, officials have said.

Nguyen Tan Tuan, Chairman of the People Committee of Khanh Hoa province, said while the province’s tourism industry was hit especially hard, growth in the industrial sector managed to stay positive.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have made it our highest priority to keep the virus in check. Our effort has allowed us to attract a number of foreign investors as they moved from regions hard-hit by COVID-19,” Tuan said.

He said the province has been making use of the downtime to upgrade and invest in its tourism infrastructure, waiting for international tourists to return. In the meantime, Khanh Hoa has started several promotion campaigns to attract domestic travellers.

Meanwhile, Quang Nam made significant gains in developing modern agriculture in 2020 despite being one of the central provinces severely hit by natural disasters last year.

“Agriculture has always been a key priority in our province’s development scheme. During the pandemic, it has become Quang Nam’s economic driver,” said Le Van Dung, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee.

Dung said with tourism and commerce disrupted because of the pandemic and natural disasters Quang Nam chose to make large investments in industrial projects to mitigate the economic damage to the province in the long run.

Quang Ngai, a traditionally strong economic performer in the region thanks to being home to the country’s largest oil complex the Dung Quat Refinery, has been looking for ways to become less reliant on the oil industry.

Dang Van Minh, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province has been working with its partners to set up numerous large-scale industrial parks.

“We want to become one of the country’s best destinations for investments and industrial development. The province aims to build a transparent and healthy business environment to win over potential investors,” said Minh.

Meanwhile, Da Nang, the central region’s main economic hub and the city most affected by the pandemic with nearly 200,000 jobs lost during 2020, said it has set a new course to push for greater digitalisation of commerce, smart city technologies and star ups culture.

“The city aims to diversify its economy. While we still identify tourism and services as major industries we want to see strong development on the fronts of information technology and digitalisation in the near future,” said Nguyen Dinh Vinh, head of the municiapal Party Committee’s Board for Information and Education./.

Cambodia to resume farmed fish import from Vietnam

The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on February 8 issued a press release on the resumption of the import of aquatic products, including farmed fish, from neighbouring countries, including Vietnam.

The import suspension was announced by the Cambodian side one month ago.

On January 19, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh sent a letter to Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, saying Vietnam’s shipments of farmed fish failed to pass through customs and were returned.

The import ban showed signs of running counter to the trade liberalisation spirit of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Economic Community, of which both countries are members, he said.

In the press release, the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it will continue to collect feedback from the Cambodian Aquaculture Association, importers and exporters, and concerned agencies that are Cambodia’s trade partners to build and recognise technical standards.

Le Bien Cuong, head of the Vietnamese trade affairs office in Cambodia, told the Vietnam News Agency on February 8 that the Cambodian side has shown its goodwill and active response.

Cambodia would consider imposing additional non-tariff technical measures in farmed fish import, including certificates of product origin and quality, he said.

According to the Vietnamese ministry, in recent years, Vietnam has exported about 60 million USD worth of aquatic products to Cambodia annually. Although Cambodia is not a major market of Vietnamese aquatic products, its stable import demand has contributed significantly to cross-border trade development, as well as job creation and income generation for local residents./.

VinFast acquires licence to test self-driving electric vehicles in California

VinFast has just become the 57th automaker to receive a licence to test self-driving electric vehicles in California, the US.

The company said its three SUV models VF31, VF32 and VF33 met the highest global safety standards including five-star ratings from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the European New Car Assessment Programme.

VinFast has just become the 57th automaker to receive a licence to test self-driving electric vehicles in California, the US.

Automakers, including big names such as Apple, Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen according to California’s Department of Motor Vehicles website, have also secured their licences to test run their vehicles in the Golden State, the world’s largest technology and innovation hub.

All three of the company’s models are to be equipped with level 2-3 autonomous features, which include 30 smart features divided into seven groups: intelligent steering assist system, lane control system, active journey control system, multi-point collision warning system, comprehensive collision mitigation system, intelligent automated parking system and driver monitoring system.

Models VF32 and VF33 will be sold in the US, Canada and Europe markets from 2022. The launch of high-tech electric vehicles, including electric scooters, electric buses and personal electric cars, is part of VinFast’s pre-defined roadmap since entering the automotive market three years ago.

Customers can start ordering the cars in May this year in Vietnam and in November in the US, Canada and the EU.

In Vietnam, Vietnamese automakers also started to install electric vehicle charging stations at commercial centres at Vinhomes Ocean Park, Vincom Long Bien in Hanoi to serve the first electric cars produced, expected to be available this year.

VinFast sold 31,500 cars in Vietnam last year, with its VinFast sedan and SUV models among the bestsellers in their respective segments./.

Agricultural, forestry, fisheries exports up sharply in January

Vietnam’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products grew 27.1 percent year-on-year to 3.49 billion USD in January.

Rubber was the best performer in the opening month of the year, following on from its uptrend last year and totalling 200,000 tonnes worth 321 million USD, increases of 2.2-fold and 2.4-fold, respectively, year-on-year.

Shipments of key forestry products totalled 1.33 billion USD, up 47.8 percent year-on-year. Exports of wood and timber products alone reached 1.25 billion USD, up 48.4 percent.

Fisheries exports rose 19.6 percent to about 600 million USD, following repeated declines last year, especially after the outset of COVID-19.

Prawn exports experienced the highest growth last year among all fisheries items, up 11 percent to 3.7 billion USD.

Several major export earners, meanwhile, declined in January, including rice, fruit and vegetables, coffee, and pepper.

The country exported around 280,000 tonnes of rice for 154 million USD in the month, down 29.5 percent and 20.2 percent, respectively, from a year earlier.

A similar trend was seen in fruit and vegetables, with shipments reaching just 260 million USD, a year-on-year decline of 7.6 percent./.

Da Nang developing supporting industries

The central city of Da Nang has set a goal of developing supporting industries in tandem with high-tech industry to create products with high added value for export.

Under action programme No 01-Ctr/TU issued by the municipal Party Committee on December 10, 2020, the industry-construction sector is to grow by 11-11.5 percent annually between 2020 and 2025.

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade has reported that several large-scale projects in supporting industries have gradually joined the global supply chain.

Since 2016, Da Nang has attracted 24 new supporting industry projects worth over 9 trillion VND, two of which are foreign-invested, with 240 million USD, specialising in manufacturing aviation and automobile spare parts.

Da Nang is now home to around 110 supporting industry firms, accounting for 6.3 percent of all industrial enterprises in the city.

However, the number of domestic companies in the field remains limited, and most are of small scale with average technological capabilities. Meanwhile, foreign firms mostly process and assemble imported materials because the rate of domestically-made items remains low. Links between foreign and domestic businesses, meanwhile, are still less than needed.

General Director of the Long Hau Company, Tran Hong Son, said a number of local companies have yet to meet requirements for being recognised as supporting industry enterprises or manufacturers under Vietnam’s regulations.

He suggested quickly completing planning for an area devoted to supporting industry enterprises inside the Da Nang Hi-tech Park (DHTP) and putting it into operation to attract capable investors.

Head of the management board of the DHTP and industrial parks in Da Nang, Pham Truong Son, said the municipal People’s Committee has completed the planning for a supporting industrial park in the DHTP, which has been submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

Once approved, Da Nang will outline a list of sectors in need of investment and then set up the park, the first of its kind in supporting industries in the city. Investors in the park would work with those at DHTP to create an industrial ecosystem.

If Da Nang develops supporting industries, investment will also pour into nearby localities, he said.

Under Politburo Resolution No 43/NQ-TW, Da Nang is to be a nucleus of the central key economic region and will develop hi-tech industries and information technology. To this end, Son suggested making the best use of its geographical location, infrastructure, human resources, and supporting industry.

Under the pending plan, the supporting industrial park is to cover an area of over 102 ha in Hoa Vang district, adjacent to the DHTP and the city’s information technology park.

In line with Resolution No 01-NQ/TU from the standing board of the municipal Party Committee, supporting industry enterprises will increase in number by 2030 and be capable of producing highly-competitive products, focusing on spare parts, software, and key services in support of priority industries. The city will also attract multi-national groups to guide and facilitate technology transfer.

By 2025, the city expects to have over 150 supporting enterprises, with at least 10 percent of domestic supporting enterprises being able to supply products to manufacturers. The value of the supporting industry will make up around 30 percent of added valued in the manufacturing and processing sector. At least one multi-national group or company is to invest in manufacturing end products.

Of the more than 300 supporting enterprises to be in business by 2030, at least 15 percent are to be able to directly supply products to manufacturers and assemblers. The value of the supporting industry will account for nearly 40 percent of added value in the manufacturing and processing sector and at least one multi-national group or company will invest in manufacturing end products./.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR

Hoa Phat Group said that it had just exported a shipment of more than 12,000 tons of steel, mainly cold-coated steel sheet products to the Americas. Before that, in January, it exported about 10,000 tons of galvanized steel sheets to Europe for partners from Belgium and Spain. The export activities of the company started to be boosted from August last year. Since then, it has continuously received many orders from trading partners for galvanized sheets to export to many major markets around the world. From 2021, the group aims to produce 300,000-400,000 tons of products per year and maintain an export ratio of 30-40 percent.

Similarly, Hoa Sen Group opened a new year with many high-value galvanized steel sheet shipments exported to the US, Mexico, Europe, and Southeast Asia, from the port clusters of Phu My, Quy Nhon, and Nghi Son. It is an optimistic sign in the first days of 2021, promising a prosperous new year for Hoa Sen Group and the domestic steel industry. Export is one of the two main sales channels, contributing greatly to the group’s profit. The US dollar revenue from export activities helps it to have a reciprocal source of foreign currency to borrow US dollars at an interest rate lower than that of the Vietnamese dong to pay for imported raw material shipments. The group’s export volume has now exceeded 100,000 tons of products per month.

According to Vice Chairman of Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) Trinh Khoi Nguyen, with positive results in production and business in 2020, the steel industry sets the growth for this year at about 5-6 percent to meet the needs of the country’s economy.

However, Mr. Nguyen also assessed that with the current pandemic situation, steel enterprises would have to strive very hard. According to VSA, the motivation for the growth of the steel industry this year mainly relies on the public investment in infrastructure that continues to be boosted. Moreover, steel demand will possibly continue to increase due to the recovery of the real estate market, and the foreign direct investment flow has been pouring heavily into Vietnam.

As for export, the global steel demand is expected to increase by 4.1 percent in 2021, thanks to the recovery in developed markets. To grasp opportunities, VSA recommends steel enterprises to prepare better to improve their competitiveness, expand, and exploit effectively markets. In addition, Vietnamese steel enterprises also need to promote links to ensure the transparency of the origin of goods, thereby helping their products to penetrate deeper into fastidious but potential markets with high standards, such as the EU, the US, and Japan.

Need to know the international game rules

Despite many advantages in the first months of this year, domestic steel products have continuously been caught in the trade remedy matrix in export markets, with relatively high import tariffs. For example, in mid-February, the Komite Anti Dumping Indonesia (KADI) announced the final conclusion of the anti-dumping investigation against Aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheets originating from Vietnam and China. KADI said that imported Aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheets from Vietnam and China were being dumped, causing significant damage to its domestic manufacturing.

Therefore, this agency decided to apply anti-dumping taxes ranging from 3.01 percent to 49.2 percent for Vietnamese Aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheets. The decision to impose anti-dumping duty on Aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheets imported from Vietnam into Indonesia will take effect for five years, starting from February 17, 2021. Previously, when Malaysia concluded the anti-dumping investigation on aluminum and zinc-coated steel, only one Vietnamese enterprise escaped tax levy. Vietnamese cold-rolled stainless steel is temporarily subject to an anti-dumping tax of up to 34.82 percent in Malaysia. Or the US had made a preliminary conclusion on the anti-dumping investigation on copper pipes imported from Vietnam. Canada temporarily imposes anti-dumping tariffs of 3.7 percent to 15.4 percent on Vietnamese concrete reinforcing bars.

Amid this development, the Trade Remedy Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade continuously issued a notice recommending steel enterprises to promote strategies to diversify markets, avoid focusing export on a single market. Because, when the export turnover has a sudden increase, the steel enterprises will fall into the sights of the importing countries.

By Lac Phong – Translated by Thuy Doan