A customs official checks goods at Ben Luc Customs Sub-Department in the southern province of Long An. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung Simplified tax and customs procedures would attract more foreign investors to Viet Nam, said South Korean Ambassador Kim Do-huyn at a conference in Ha Noi on September 17. Ambassador Kim said Viet Nam needed to create a more transparent and fairer tax environment for businesses. South Korea is the largest direct investment partner in Viet Nam. According to statistics, South Korea has 6,760 projects with total registered capital of US$59 billion. Speaking at the meeting, which was held by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Finance and the South Korean Embassy in Viet Nam, Deputy Minister of Finance Vu Thi Mai said that administrative procedures, tax policies and customs were always a top concern. “The finance ministry is ready to listen to comments from enterprises to solve difficulties related to administrative procedures, tax and customs policies, … [Read more...] about VN and South Korea discuss tax policies
Discuss business environment
Vietnam making progress in improving competitiveness
Although Việt Nam has made strides in enhancing the business environment and competitiveness capacity, there’s still room for improvement, heard participants at a meeting held in Hà Nội on Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam The meeting, organised by the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement, aimed at reviewing the implementation of the government’s efforts on the issues from 2019 and assign tasks for next year. Đậu Anh Tuấn, head of the Legal Department of Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said results of surveys on administrative procedure and tax procedure reform and business environment improvement in 63 provinces and cities showed the proportion of enterprises with positive assessment continued to increase for the third consecutive year. Việt Nam was placed 67th out of the 141 countries in the Global Competitiveness Report 2019, up 10 places compared … [Read more...] about Vietnam making progress in improving competitiveness
Aromatherapy offers stress relief
By Công Thành Essential oils are used in aromatherapy, combined with meditation, to ease stress. VNS Photo Công Thành Essential oils have been widely used as air fresheners and in cosmetic production, but now they are also being promoted for a combined aromatherapy-yoga-meditation-herbal therapy in Hội An. The therapy has attracted tourists interested in exploring natural essential oils and their various functions in a space outside of the ancient town's busy Old Quarter. Essensian Natural Health & Beauty shop on Phan Bội Châu Street offers a rendezvous point for people to discuss aromatic essential oils and their contributions to health and beauty care. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh, known as Anh Nguyễn, who founded an aromatherapy-yoga-meditation-herbal medicine workshop in Hội An in 2016, reserves the space for stressed out visitors seeking a positive solution to escape the headaches … [Read more...] about Aromatherapy offers stress relief
Old bus becomes a bustling cafe
DRINKERS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND: Customers enjoy drinks in the cafe. Photo vietnammoi.vn One way to break the mould is an eye-catching design, and what's more eye-catching than a big yellow bus? That must have been what Nguyễn Đứa Sâm and his friends thought when they opened Hanoi Bus Cafe. Located on the grounds in front of a future Hà Đông metro station on Tô Hiệu Road, the cafe is inside a stationary bus which has been redesigned. Sâm said he came up with the idea for the cafe during a trip to Vĩnh Phúc Province north of the capital when he saw many damaged buses that had been abandoned and were going to waste. “A sudden idea came to my mind, why don't we use such a bus to open a coffee shop? My friends agreed and we bought a bus, but at first we faced many difficulties on how to turn it into a cafe as we didn't have any model to follow,” Sâm … [Read more...] about Old bus becomes a bustling cafe
Cycling for fun in Seoul
By Lê Hương It's a cool autumn Sunday morning, and 24-year-old Kim Sun-il is looking forward to enjoying his free time with friends at a bookshop. But instead of taking the fast subway, he's going to rent a bicycle for a more relaxing journey. He quickly searches for availability at a nearby bike station on bikeseoul.com site using his mobile. It's simple to access the bikes in Seoul. VNS Photos Đoàn Tùng He smiles to see there are a few bikes available. “I used the service more when I was a student because it's cheap and convenient,” he tells Việt Nam News. “Now I work further away so I have to take the subway, but I still prefer riding a bike at the weekend for short distances.” Kim says he appreciates the city’s bike sharing initiative as it encourages more people to ride, keeping the environment cleaner. Kim is among 1.6 … [Read more...] about Cycling for fun in Seoul