Digitalisation

Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland and Estonia Dang Thi Hai Tam (L) presents her letter of credence to Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid on September 22 (Photo: baoquocte.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Finland and Estonia Dang Thi Hai Tam presented her letter of credence to Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid in Parnu city on September 22. Receiving the diplomat following the presentation ceremony, President Kaljulaid thanked Vietnam for supporting her country to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, affirming that the two countries will continue their effective coordination at this organisation to promote regional and global security issues. She welcomed the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)’s entry into force and considered this deal as an important driving force for bolstering bilateral trade. The host leader also said she believes the two countries’ friendship will be further enhanced in the time ahead, … [Read more...] about Estonian President believes in stronger friendship with Vietnam

Each artefact from the Hương River for Dr Thái Kim Lan has a cultural and historical trait. Photo Phan Thanh Hải A museum of ancient pottery will open at the end of this year in the central province of Thừa Thiên Huế. The museum will be filled with pieces collected by Vietnamese-born German Thái Kim Lan. Over the past 30 years, Lan, Ph.D, has gone out of her way to collect more than 7,000 artefacts fished out of the Hương (Perfume) River, with the dream of setting up a museum to display the items. “These artefacts reflect the history of the land," said Lan. "They will tell stories enabling us to better understand the cultural and historical value of the land.” The Hương River Museum is being set up at Lan's ancestral temple on Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên Street, Hương Long Ward. Lan had the idea for the museum three years ago. She decided to set up the museum at the ancestral temple, turning this place into a cultural space that tells the story of the Hương River. … [Read more...] about Huế to have new museum about the Hương River

Warrick Cleine, chairman and CEO of KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia The past year has revolved almost entirely around the COVID-19 pandemic. What would you say were the most important impacts for KPMG and the market in general? The biggest change in my book has been the acceleration of agility through the adoption of technology and new mindsets. We are now confident in our ability to work from remote locations and are aware that we do not have to be physically in front of the client to serve them. For us at KPMG, the pandemic had the potential to be very negative – but it was far from that. The negative impacts were mainly felt as a business interruption from the lockdowns and the lack of coherence among our people. However, our people are very young and tech-savvy and proved extremely flexible, willing to just pick up where they left work at the office and continue online. In a way, the disruption has shown us that we can maintain operations even in the most difficult … [Read more...] about Digital foundations for increased SME agility

MFast is aiming to meet the needs of the unbanked Vietnamese population for financial services While financial services are widely offered in urban areas, 70 per cent of Vietnam's population has limited or no access to banking and related credit services. The narrow coverage of service delivery points in remote areas is one of the main barriers. MFast is tackling this pain point by leveraging technology and a nationwide financial advisors network. The mobile app connects the underserved populations with financial and insurance institutions to ensure that everyone has access to basic financial services, thereby helping people improve their livelihood opportunities, manage risks, and sustainably increase life quality. After three years of operations in Vietnam, MFast – developed by the fintech company DigiPay – has helped nearly 600,000 Vietnamese access financial and insurance services from reputable institutions. The amount disbursed to its financial partners has climbed to … [Read more...] about Vietnamese fintech startup MFast raises $1.5 million in pre-Series A round

Lazada has been supporting Vietnamese businesses via various means With the pandemic continuing to cause havoc, this digitalisation will in turn help build sustainable local communities, especially in more rural parts of the country that have been hardest-hit economically. As a leading e-commerce platform in the region, Lazada has remained strong with the long-standing mission to make it easy to do business everywhere, as well as enhancing the shopping experience for users. In the current pandemic situation in Vietnam, Lazada has activated initiatives to support small- and medium-sized enterprises and farmers, including offering their popular lychee products on the platform. Last month, the platform collaborated with the Vietnamese government and partners to enable the sale of Hai Duong and Bac Giang lychees on Lazada. This initiative is part of Lazada Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to support local businesses and farmers in Vietnamese provinces, and to help them continue their … [Read more...] about E-commerce platforms come to aid of communities