Duty free import from vietnam to india

Vietnam is preserving Mekong Delta’s ecosystem.

In Vietnam, multiple efforts have been made to assist in the recovery of degraded and destroyed ecosystems as well as conserve those that are still intact, particularly in the Mekong Delta, one of the world’s deltas most vulnerable to climate change.

The Mekong Delta is in the southern part of Vietnam and includes the centrally-run city of Can Tho and 12 provinces, accounting for 12 percent of the country’s area and nearly 20 percent of its population.

The region is rich in biodiversity. It comprises a vast array of ecosystems, from ocean, rivers, and streams to mangrove forests, islets, and wetlands, and a number of national parks and nature reserves, such as Mui Ca Mau and U Minh Ha National Parks in Ca Mau province, U Minh Thuong and Phu Quoc National Parks in Kien Giang, Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap, the Lang Sen Wetland Reserve in Long An, and the Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve in Hau Giang.

Its ecosystems, however, have reduced in size and become degraded due to the adverse effect of climate change and the overexploitation of natural resources. More attention has therefore been paid to strengthening the conservation of biodiversity and reducing ecosystem degradation to improve local livelihoods and minimise the risk of natural disasters.

In Kien Giang, the provincial People’s Committee has approved a project examining and surveying the current status of biodiversity in the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area. Action is being taken to restore ecosystems that have become degraded or destroyed and to strengthen the monitoring of the environment and natural resources to promptly identify solutions for adaptive management.

The province has ramped up the planting of coastal protection forests and implemented projects on planting trees for salinity control and sea dyke protection on a total area of 85 hectares in response to climate change, said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Nhan. Since the end of 2017, over 540 hectares of mangrove forests have been grown in the province, he noted.

On the island city of Phu Quoc, the first Saturday of each month has been observed as a day for the environment since mid-2019, when all people and organisations are called on to act for a greener, cleaner, and safer “Pearl Island”. Together with Patong in Thailand and Donsol in the Philippines, Phu Quoc Island has made a commitment to eliminating plastic pollution by developing an action plan and trialling innovative solutions as part of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s Plastic Smart Cities initiative.

Many endangered and native animals, for instance Burmese pythons and pangolins, have been released into Ca Mau’s U Minh Ha National Park – a Ramsar site in Vietnam – by authorities, to protect its biodiversity, according to the park’s Director Huynh Minh Nguyen.

Conserving biodiversity and endangered natural resources not only help sustain local livelihoods but also remain key in boosting tourism in the Mekong Delta./.

Vietnam logs 94 COVID-19 cases during June 5 morning

An additional 94 cases of COVID-19 were reported over the past six hours to 12pm June 5, raising the national tally to 8,458, according to the Health Ministry.

Of the number, three are imported cases, while among 91 locally-infected cases, 65 are in Bac Giang, 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, 8 in Bac Ninh, two in Ha Tinh and one in Tien Giang.

The number of cases recorded in the latest wave of outbreaks since April 27 rose to 5,340.

A total 3,242 patients have been given the all-clear, while the death toll rose to 51, most of whom suffering from serious underlying illnesses.

Among active patients, 213 have tested negative for the coronavirus once, 82 twice and 78 thrice.

Over 176,870 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined across the country.

An additional 60,701 people received COVID-19 vaccine shots on June 4 while 32.401 people have received two shots. The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far rose to more than 1.21 million./.

Vietnam reports another COVID-19-related death

The Sub-committee for Treatment under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has announced another death related to COVID-19, the 51st fatality from the disease in the country to date.

The 63-year-old male patient from the northern province of Hai Duong tested positive for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on May 7. He was treated for infection and pneumonia but showed poor response.

He was diagnosised with ankylosing spondylitis and kyphosis for more than ten years, and had a fever lasting for two months before being admitted to the provincial General Hospital of Hai Duong on April 28.

The patient passed away on June 4 early morning with a diagnosis of septic shock and ARDS pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 on the background of ankylosing spondylitis and kyphosis./.

Health Ministry negotiates to buy COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long held an online working session with representatives of Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company on the morning of June 4 to discuss the import of COVID-19 vaccine from the firm into Vietnam.

Minister Long shared that the country is keen on gaining access to vaccines as soon as possible in order to serve the needs of the people. He therefore expressed hope that Johnson & Johnson would arrange to supply COVID-19 vaccine doses and co-operate in outsourcing and technology transfer to establish a local vaccine factory in the near future.

Currently, several major Vietnamese groups aspire to engage in the global vaccine supply chain, Minister Long emphasised, adding that the nation is also one of more than 40 countries that can produce vaccines to serve its own domestic vaccination needs. As a result of this, the vaccine production experience of Vietnamese factories is guaranteed.

“Vietnam’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for vaccines has also been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) after meeting its standards. Therefore, Vietnam highly wants Johnson & Johnson to transfer its technology to help the nation produce vaccines domestically,” Minister Long said.

In terms of Johnson & Johnson’s ability to supply COVID-19 vaccines, the company’s representative stated that it has joined the COVAX mechanism with a commitment to supply 200 million doses by the end of 2021.

Moving forward, they are fully committed to redoubling efforts to speed up the supply of vaccines through the COVAX mechanism, thereby ensuring that the country is able to access Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine as soon as possible.

The company’s representative also said that it plans to apply for a license for a COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam. Simultaneously, the company will study the possibility of transferring vaccine production technology to the nation.

Recently the country has been in the process of urgently licensing three COVID-19 vaccines, including those from AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm.

The Vietnamese COVID-19 vaccine campaign initially started on March 8 using AstraZeneca’s vaccine. To date, more than 1.1 million doses have been administered, with more than 30,000 people receiving two shots of the vaccine.

AI app helps push mask wearing on public transport

An artificial intelligence (AI) app that issues warnings when facemasks are not being worn has been introduced on public transport to raise awareness of seriously observing the Ministry of Health’s “5K message”.

The computer vision app, which was developed by the Binh Anh Electronic Technology Development Co. (BA GPS), warns passengers not wearing masks or improperly wearing them.

The app is connected to surveillance cameras on public transport vehicles and can access image data and then automatically analyse it and send appropriate notifications to the server of the transport company if it detects someone not wearing a mask or wearing one incorrectly.

Chairman of BA GPS Dao Thanh Anh said AI technology not only brings about many benefits to public transport owners but also helps improve safety for passengers.

Other apps developed by BA GPS are to be piloted on public transport soon, he added./.

Vietnamese community in Czech Republic supports COVID-19 fight at home

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic and the Vietnamese community in the European country on June 3 held a fund-raising event to support COVID-19 prevention and control efforts at home, especially the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Thai Xuan Dung said that the event aims to contribute to realising Vietnam’s goal of buying 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, thus helping control the pandemic and maintain socio-economic development in the country.

He called on the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic to promote solidarity to join hands with fellow Vietnamese at home to respond to the call of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front to contribute to the pandemic prevention and control efforts.

The same day, leaders of the Vietnamese Federation in Europe and the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic also met to discuss ways to make donations to the Vietnam COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Hoang Dinh Thang, Chairman of the Vietnamese Federation in Europe, underlined the significance of the fund, pledging to encourage Vietnamese people in Europe and the Czech Republic in particular to contribute to the fund.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duy Nhien, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic, said that the association will set up a committee in charge of raising donations to the vaccine fund among Vietnamese associations and individuals as well as foreign friends./.

High demand for home workout equipment amid pandemic

The closure of gyms during Covid-19 has led to burgeoning sales of home fitness equipment. With more people now choosing to work out at home, shops are finding it hard to keep up with demand.

Handy and portable equipment such as yoga mats, dumbbells and kettlebells, skipping ropes, and treadmills are most popular. More orders have been made compared to the time prior the resurgence of Covid-19.

Regular exercise accompanied by a healthy and balanced diet are essential in maintaining physical and mental health and well-being, especially in the Covid-19 time./.

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha supports COVID-19 fight in hotspots

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, on June 3 presented close to 2 billion VND (86,602 USD) worth of cash and necessities in aid to the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang which are hard hit by the latest resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks.

Accordingly, via the local Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees, each province will receive 500 million VND, 20 tonnes of rice, and 2.5 tonnes of sugar to provide for workers and residents affected by the pandemic.

Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, home to a large number of industrial parks, have borne the brunt of the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, which began in late April.

On June 3, the Health Ministry announced 79 domestic infections and 12 imported cases of COVID-19 that were detected during six hours to 6pm. Among the locally-transmitted cases, 58 are in Bac Giang, 10 in Bac Ninh, and 11 in Ho Chi Minh City./.

Text-to-donate campaign seeks support for COVID-19 fight

A text message campaign for making donations to the fight against COVID-19 and the “vaccines for workers” programme were launched in Hanoi on June 3 as Vietnam exerts every effort to contain its latest outbreak.

The launch, held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, and the Ministry of Information and Communications, saw the presence of Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue.

All donations via text messages sent to the National Humanitarian Portal on 1400 will be transferred to the COVID-19 vaccine fund and used to assist anti-COVID-19 activities, with priority given to the procurement of vaccines for workers and the disadvantaged.

Addressing the event, NA Chairman Hue asked VFF member organisations to increase communications to help people from all social strata understand the purpose of the text campaign.

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Nguyen Dinh Khang also appealed to organisations, individuals, agencies, and enterprises to continue giving material and spiritual support to the COVID-19 fight.

At the launch, Hanoi trade unions presented initial donations of 12 billion VND (nearly 522,000 USD) to the COVID-19 vaccine fund. Other trade unions at ministries and agencies contributed nearly 146 billion VND to the “vaccines for workers” programme.

Photo book on Ho Chi Minh’s journey for nation salvation debuts

A photo book on late President Ho Chi Minh’s journey to seek ways for national salvation has been launched to mark the 110th year of his departure (June 5, 1911 – 2021).

Published in four languages – Vietnamese, English, Russian, and Chinese, the 252-page book features hundreds of valuable documentary photos, documents, and autographs relating to the President’s activities during 1911 – 1945.

Compiled by the Information and Communication Publishing House in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh relic site at the Presidential Palace, the book aims to give insight into his works and contributions to the nation’s revolutionary cause.

On June 1, the Tre (Youth) Publishing House also published a map on the President’s 30-year journey.

In early May, a new book about President Ho Chi Minh compiled by Assoc. Prof. Dr Bui Dinh Phong, a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, came to the public, highlighting President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary career, the close-knit relationship between his aspiration and content of documents adopted in the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

President Ho Chi Minh has become a great source of inspiration for not only Vietnamese authors and artists, but also their foreign counterparts./.

Platform on Asia-Pacific intangible cultural heritage launched

An information sharing platform on intangible cultural heritages (ICH) of Asia-Pacific nations, including Vietnam, has recently been launched.

The ichLinks platform, at (https://www.ichlinks.com), is an initiative of the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP).

It gathers the participation of seven member states – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Fiji.

In June, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism appointed the Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) as the Vietnamese member partner of the platform.

The platform helps ICH researchers and experts easily find and locate information and data by using advanced technological tools.

In addition, the content of the website can be freely used by everyone to serve the purpose of promoting intangible cultural heritage globally./.

Six-month-old boy recovers from COVID-19 in Vietnam

A six-month-old baby who had been infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was discharged from the Lung Hospital in Da Nang on June 3.

The baby’s aunt, who had previously tested positive for COVID-19, was with him throughout his treatment. She said the baby did not show any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a fever or cough.

The discharged patients are now required to self-isolate at home for two weeks and will be placed under the supervision of local medical officials.

Da Nang, the country’s largest COVID-19 hotspot last year, has recorded 158 new cases since the virus recurred in Vietnam in late April. It has so far gone 15 consecutive days without any locally-transmitted cases.

SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads through droplets, air, says health official

Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong on June 3 advised people to wear a face mask in public places to prevent them from getting infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus as its variants are said to spread through both droplets and the air.

Vietnam is battling the fourth COVID-19 wave, with the virus spreading to 38 cities and provinces nationwide. Close to 5,000 cases, including 13 deaths, have been confirmed since the virus recurred in late April.

Most notably, results of genome sequencing show variants B.1.1.7 and B.617.2 first identified in the United Kingdom and India respectively have been found in various localities. Both mutated strains are believed to be highly transmissible than their predecessors.

Regarding vaccine imports and vaccinations in Vietnam, Cuong said the government has encouraged eligible localities and businesses to import vaccines to inoculate their residents and employees. He also said that as the vaccines are imported for emergency use, their negative side-effects are closely being monitored by authorized agencies.

“We have to accept the vaccines that have been approved by manufacturing countries. The solution is ….to purchase them directly, not through intermediaries, for safety reasons,” said the health official.

On vaccination progress, Cuong noted the Ministry of Health has been tasked with securing at least 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to immunize 70% of Vietnamese population, and the target is likely to be achievable.

In fact, Vietnam has reached agreements with AstraZeneca, COVAX Facility, Pfizer/BioNTech and Sputnik V to get more than 130 million doses. The Ministry of Health is seeking deals with other COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna and Johnson&Johnson to diversify sources of supply for domestic use.

Mekong Delta provinces make efforts to preserve ecosystems

Local authorities and environmental organisations in the Mekong Delta are making efforts to preserve and develop ecosystems vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Located in southern Việt Nam, the Mekong Delta has a diverse and unique ecosystem including marine ecosystems, islands, estuaries, wetlands, mangroves, delta islands, along with many biosphere reserves, national parks and nature reserves.

The preservation, development and responsible exploitation of resources from unique ecosystems are vitally important for localities in the region, contributing to environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

According to the People’s Committee of Kiên Giang Province, to enhance the conservation of marine and island ecosystems, the committee has launched a project to investigate and survey the status of biodiversity and adjust the area of ​​subdivisions in the protected area in Phú Quốc marine reserve, Phú Quốc City.

The Phú Quốc Marine Protected Area in Phú Quốc National Park has a water area of ​​​​more than 40,909ha, including coral protection area and seagrass protection area.

The province plans to restore corals and important groups of resources in ecosystems like abalone, sand sea cucumbers, snails, seahorses and encourage environmentally-friendly natural farming methods.

Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn, vice chairman of Kiên Giang Province People’s Committee, said in response to climate change, the province has planted coastal protection forests, run a project to create reclamation sites to plant trees to prevent salinity, and protected sea dykes in An Thái Commune, Nam Biên District and from Bình Giang to Bình Sơn, Hòn Đất District with a total newly planted area of 85ha.

Since the end of 2017, the province has planted more than 540ha of mangrove forests.

Also located in the Mekong Delta, Cà Mau Province is home to a world Ramsar Site, meaning it has been designated to be of international importance.

The U Minh Hạ National Park located in the Ramsar Site, one of the three wetland conservation sites in the Mekong Delta, has a total core area of ​​8,527ha and a buffer zone of 25,000ha.

Many projects have been implemented at the park including planting and restoring native timber forests, building fire forecasting models and ensuring water balance to protect biodiversity.

Huỳnh Minh Nguyên, director of U Minh Hạ National Park, said to preserve forest ecosystems and biodiversity with many species of flora and fauna, the park management board has received and released into the forest area many rare and native animals of U Minh Hạ Forest, such as the golden python – a wild animal named in Việt Nam and the world’s Red Book and belonging to endangered, precious and rare species.

Phạm Duy Khanh, director of Mười Ngọt Eco-tourism Site in the buffer zone of U Minh Hạ Park, said to develop eco-tourism on forest land, he regularly reminds staff to keep the environment clean, grow trees and comply with forest fire prevention and control measures.

The site holds an exploration tour in which visitors can make bees’ nests and harvest honey. Tour guides always have to follow forest protection rules to avoid forest fires and harm to the living environment of animals, he said.

On Phú Quốc Island, a beach cleanup campaign on the first Saturday of every month has run since mid-2019 and has been joined by not only local residents but also tourists.

Hotels and resort owners in Phú Quốc have also helped protect the environment and preserve the marine ecosystem by reducing the use of plastic bottles and straws, as well as giving eco-friendly shopping bags to tourists.

HCM City unveils 2nd COVID financial relief package

HCM City is set to offer a second financial relief package for businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Tourism, transport and small and medium-sized businesses, teachers, laid-off workers, and informal sector workers will be beneficiaries of payments that will be made between this month and December.

Lê Minh Tấn, director of the department, said it was working with authorities in city’s 21 districts and Thủ Đức City to compile a list of affected businesses and laid-off and informal sector workers who are eligible to receive the payments.

The department proposes to pay workers who were laid off for at least a month due to the pandemic monthly relief payments of VNĐ1.8 million (US$78), Tấn said.

The department allocated VNĐ611 billion (US$26.5 million) and VNĐ181 billion ($7.85 million) for businesses and informal sector workers in the first relief package last year.

More than 20,500 lottery ticket sellers received more than VNĐ20 billion ($869.400).

Free food, essential goods

More than 600 workers placed under quarantine at the VINA Kitchen Ware JSC at the Tân Bình Industrial Park in HCM City on June 1 received essential goods and food for free from the Trade Union of the industrial parks and export processing zones.

They are quarantined after coming into close contact with COVID-19 patients.

Huỳnh Văn Tuấn, chairman of the Trade Union, said the workers got minimum wages and other support in quarantine.

Infected workers would get financial assistance of up to VNĐ3 million ($130.000) and others would get VNĐ1.5 million ($65), he said.

A free rice dispensing machine for poor people and those out of work has been installed at a kindergarten in District 12’s Thạnh Lộc Ward, which is under lockdown.

Disadvantaged people could get free rice and essential goods from a store set up next to the machine, Nguyễn Đức Vinh, secretary of the Thạnh Lộc Ward Youth Union, said.

Some three to four tonnes of vegetables transported from Lâm Đồng Province are delivered to people quarantined in the Thạnh Lộc Ward every three or four days.

Cost to advertise during World Cup qualifier broadcasts soars

The cost to advertise during the broadcast of Việt Nam’s upcoming World Cup qualifying fixtures has soared, with Vietnam Television (VTV) charging prices normally only seen during the tournament proper.

A 30-second advert during the three matches will cost firms up to VNĐ600 million (US$26,000), according to zingnews.vn.

TVAd, TV Advertising and the Service Centre of VTV is offering a price of VNĐ240 million ($10,430) for a 10-second advertisement, depending on the broadcast time.

This is a very high increase compared to the average of VNĐ100 million for 10 seconds in the past.

VTV’s previous record bid threshold for the 2018 World Cup finals was VNĐ 250 million for 10 seconds, VNĐ 300 million for 15 seconds and VNĐ 500 million for 30 seconds.

Advertising prices also soared for Việt Nam’s matches during the AFF Cup 2018 and SEA Games 2019.

According to Vietnamese national team media copyright owner Next Media, the last three matches in the second qualifying round will be broadcast live on VTV5 and VTV6.

The national team is leading Group G with 11 points after five matches and has the opportunity to make it to the final qualifying round for the first time in history.

The remaining matches in Group G will see Việt Nam face Indonesia, Malaysia and the UAE – the hosts of the group.

The match against the bottom team Indonesia on June 7 is considered a must-win.

After Indonesia, VIệt Nam will face Malaysia on June 11 and the UAE on June 15.

All the matches will take place at 11.45pm Việt Nam time.

Solutions sought to promote sustainable development of Lý Sơn Island

Experts have called for measures to ensure the sustainable development of Lý Sơn Island in the central province of Quảng Ngãi.

Speaking at a conference about the island, Trần Hữu Vỹ, Director of the GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre, said Lý Sơn has beautiful natural landscapes thanks to the perfect combination of mountain and sea.

The island has strong potential in sea-based economic development, said Vỹ, stressing the need for the island to grow in the direction of sustainability with ensured livelihoods for local residents, preserved cultural identity, suitable use of natural resources and the environment protected.

Mentioning the promotion of marine biodiversity on the island, Dr Nguyễn Văn Long from the Institute of Oceanography under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology said that in recent years, the strong and unplanned growth of a number of economic sectors has harmed the ecological balance, natural landscape and the living environment of many aquatic species.

Over-exploitation of coral sand and aquatic farming activities, along with plastic pollution, are part of the problem, he said, adding that waterway traffic works and the formation of fishing vessel wharves have also caused difficulties in handling maritime violations.

He stressed the need to strengthen communications to raise public awareness of environmental protection, while seeking ways to improve locals’ livelihoods, increasing patrols to handle maritime violations and promoting financial solutions.

Meanwhile, Bùi Thị Thu Hiền from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Việt Nam said in the near future, the engagement of businesses in operating small-scaled natural reserves can be key to protecting the ecosystems of forests, coral reefs, seagrass, and mangrove forests.

At the event, the business circle, scientists and managers discussed issues related to ensuring a balance between economic development and natural preservation, as well as support for enterprises in investing in the field as well as ensuring the legal responsibility of State agencies and businesses.

Experts also gave recommendations for the sustainable development of Lý Sơn Island, including enhancing the efficiency of management and use of software in biodiversity and natural resources preservation, the adjustments of planning, as well as the establishment and operation of aquatic varieties preservation areas, the combination of conservation and eco-tourism, and the development of environmentally-friendly recovery models.

Lý Sơn Island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Việt Nam, has about 21,000 inhabitants, of whom 73 per cent make their living from farming garlic and spring onions, alongside fishing.

In 2018, the central province of Quảng Ngãi allocated VNĐ42 billion (US$1.8 million) to support ecosystem recovery and biodiversity supervision as well as strengthening the protection of the Lý Sơn Marine Protected Area (MPA) for 2018-22.

Viet Nam, South Korea seek to promote trade, industry partnership

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien held a working session with Ambassador of South Korea to Viet Nam Park Noh-wan in Ha Noi on Wednesday to discuss measures to further facilitate cooperation between the two countries in trade, industry, and energy.

Both sides agreed that they boast major potential to further expand their economic and trade ties to match their sound political relations.

Sharing similarities in consumer interests, having a complementary goods structure, and being members of many joint free trade agreements, Viet Nam and South Korea have seen increasingly tight links in the global value chain, they noted.

Believing that COVID-19 is likely to remain a complex issue and create difficulties in bilateral economic and trade ties, Dien and the ambassador sought measures to promote trade, industrial, and energy cooperation between the two sides in the future.

They agreed to continue working closely together and to optimise the efficiency of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms to reach specific goals, including in COVID-19 prevention and control, while implementing action plans to realise the target of US$100 billion in two-way trade by 2023.

Both sides will strengthen links in the Viet Nam-South Korea supply chain while fostering cooperation in energy, strengthening the operations of the Viet Nam-South Korea Centre for Consultation and Technology Solutions, and organising regular dialogues between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Korean enterprises.

Dien shared the difficulties facing Korea-funded projects amid COVID-19, including those related to the entry of experts and high-quality human resources into Viet Nam, especially in projects in Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc and Thai Nguyen provinces.

He underlined that these difficulties are only temporary and that the localities will promptly bring COVID-19 under control.

He asked for support from Korean enterprises for Viet Nam’s measures in COVID-19 prevention and control, to avoid the spread of the virus in the community.

In order to ensure safe and continued production at foreign firms and those from South Korea, Dien asked the ambassador as well as the Samsung Group and the SK Group, which have signed agreements on COVID-19 vaccine production in South Korea with the Moderna and Novanax Groups, to assist Viet Nam in accessing vaccine sources so the country can reach its goal of conducting large-scale vaccinations, especially among workers at companies in industrial parks, including those from South Korea.

Ambassador Park Noh-wan and representatives from Korean firms affirmed that they will try to provide Viet Nam with better access to COVID-19 vaccines, helping the country implement its “dual targets” of protecting people’s health and speeding up socio-economic development and recovery in the “new normal”.

According to figures from the Asian-African Market Department, in the first four months of 2021, two-way trade hit $23.7 billion, up 15 per cent year-on-year, with Viet Nam’s exports of $7.1 billion being a year-on-year increase of 14.3 per cent. Viet Nam posted a trade deficit of about $9.5 billion with South Korea in the period, up 9.3 per cent over the same period last year.

South Korea is Viet Nam’s largest foreign investor, with 9,076 projects and capital of nearly $72 billion as of May 20, 2021.

Vietnam maintains top position in World Cup qualifying group

The Vietnamese national men’s football team remained top of Group G in the Asian region’s second qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup following two group matches being played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 4.

Thailand recorded a 2-2 draw against Indonesia and can consider themselves unlucky not to come away with a win after dominating large spells of the game and going two goals ahead.

However, the Indonesian players showed great heart and skill to come back and manage to level the game in the 90th minute.

Elsewhere, hosts the UAE demonstrated their excellence by trouncing Malaysia 4-0.

This win helped the UAE climb to nine points, level with Thailand and Malaysia, and are in second place in the group as they have a higher goal differences compared to their rivals.

Vietnam are currently top of the group with 11 points, followed by the UAE on nine points.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are in third, fourth, and fifth place in Group G.

The national squad are scheduled to take on Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia on June 11, followed by the UAE on June 15.

ADC believe Vietnamese precision steel pipes were not dumped in Australian market

All Vietnamese exporters of precision steel tubes have not been dumped in the Australian market and have received no subsidies or significant subsidies from the Government, according to the details given by the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam.

This information comes as the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) launched a preliminary antidumping investigation into precision steel pipes and tubes from China and the Republic of Korea (RoK), Taiwan (China), and Vietnam on June 1.

As part of their conclusions in the investigation, the ADC said it was not satisfied as there appears to be sufficient grounds for the publication of a dumping duty notice in relation to goods exported from Taiwan (China), or a dumping duty notice and a countervailing duty notice in respect of goods exported from the Vietnamese market.

The conclusion also stated that ADC is also unaware of any intervention by the Vietnamese Government in terms of affecting the normal value of the product.

With regard to allegations of dumping and subsidies, all Vietnamese enterprises were concluded to have a negative dumping margin and did not receive subsidies or significant subsidies from the Government. Most notably, the dumping margin determined for Vietnamese enterprises is from -12.2% to -6.5%, while the subsidy margin is from 0% to 0.01%.

ADC therefore revealed that goods originating from both Vietnam and Taiwan (China) did not cause significant damage to the domestic industry in comparison to those from China and the RoK.

The preliminary anti-dumping tax rate of 6.2% will therefore be applied to manufacturers and exporters from the RoK, while Chinese manufacturers will be subject to anti-dumping duties of between 11.9% and 54.5%.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade moved to affirm that the ADC’s preliminary conclusions have proven the effectiveness of co-ordination among the Government, enterprises, and foreign investigation agencies with regard to trade defence lawsuits.

According to statistics compiled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the export turnover of Vietnamese precision steel pipes to Australia in 2019 reached more than US$15 million.

HCM City authorities call for blood donations

HCM City is facing blood shortages after social distancing rules were applied.

According to HCM City People’s Committee, after social distancing rules were applied, various blood donation programmes have been cancelled or postponed. As a result, the donated blood dropped significantly. As of May 27, there are only 5,000 blood bags left, the lowest in the past nine months.

As the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has continued, there is currently only enough blood supply to cover five days. 130 hospitals in the city need 600-900 blood bags each day.

On June 3, Vice Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc sent an official document about the problem and called for localities authorities and firms to continue blood donation programmes.

The blood donation events can be held in short sessions and the number of donors for each session can be limited to 20-30. People are encouraged to donate blood at the Hospital of Haematology in District 5 and Blood Transfusion and the Humanitarian Blood Donation Centre in Tan Binh District.

HCM City residents encouraged to stay at home

HCM City has encouraged residents including state employees to work from home amid the continuing spread of coronavirus.

Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong signed an urgent document sent to various state agencies on June 3.

State agencies were asked to work from home as much as possible and only maintain half of the usual employees at offices. State employees were encouraged to use technology more in their work and always keep their phones on.

For special units, the leaders must report to the Department of Internal Affairs and HCM City People’s Committee for review. The leaders will take all responsibility if they let an outbreak occurs inside their units. Unnecessary inspections will be halted.

State employees at Covid-19 hotspots must stay home and must be tested negative before they go to the offices.

The outbreak in HCM City is still developing. The city has reported 265 cases linked to the outbreak at the Revival Ekklesia Mission from May 26 until now. The B.1.617.2 variant has been found in seven members of the sect. 40 out of 55 members who went to the meeting have tested positive.

A series of cases have been found afterwards. 50 employees of Thien Tu FN Company and 23 employees of IDS Company were tested positive for the virus and infected their families. One nursery teacher in District 12 was identified as a patient 0 and infected many people at school and other families.

Patients linked to the case have also been found in Bac Lieu, Long An, and Dong Thap provinces.

The city took 4,241 test samples from May 26 to June 2 from people who were in close contact with patient 0s. The results for 4,024 samples have come back negative.

Two quarantine centres were opened for 6,600 people to deal with the outbreak. However, due to the situation, the city authorities are planning to open more quarantine centres. Nine quarantine centres at military bases and one at the dormitory of the Vietnam National University, HCM City are ready to receive up to 30,000 people.

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

An additional 55 COVID-19 cases were detected over the six hours from 12pm to 6pm on June 8, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the new cases, two were imported and 53 were domestic infections, including 21 in Bac Giang, 15 in Bac Ninh, 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, 2 in Hanoi and one in Ha Tinh.

The national tally rose to 9,158, with 6,003 recorded since April 27.

On June 8, 40 patients were given the all-clear, raising the number of recoveries to 3,549. The death toll increased to 55.

Sixteen provinces have passed through 14 days without any new cases.

Among active patients, 218 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 92 twice and 78 thrice.

The same day, the Health Ministry has received medical supplies and essential goods donated by the business community. The DKSH Vietnam and Humasis Vina presented 3,000 rapid test kits worth 600 million VND (26,150 USD), the Wakamono company 100,000 anti-virus masks and the FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City equipment worth 1 billion VND./.

Vietnam reports 54th COVID-related death

A man from northern Hưng Yên Province has died of COVID-19 related complications, the 54th death recorded in Việt Nam, the Ministry of Health confirmed at noon on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old man had a number of underlying health conditions including hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.

On May 4, the patient was admitted to National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District, suffering from a fever, loss of appetite and jaundice. He tested positive for coronavirus on May 9.

Over the next few weeks his condition gradually worsened and he did not respond well to treatment.

On Monday (June 7), he suffered from Hemorrhagic shock and his body began to shut down due to large amounts of blood loss. He died later the same day.

The cause of the death has been recorded as hemorrhagic shock due to gastrointestinal bleeding, cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Nghe An closes non-essential services in five localities near Ha Tinh

Despite reporting no new Covid-19 domestic infections for more than a week, the provincial government of Nghe An decided to suspend non-essential services in five localities that share their border with Ha Tinh Province, which detected a new outbreak last weekend, from June 8 until further notice, said a local official.

Nguyen Duc Trung, chairman of the provincial government of Nghe An, told a Covid-19-related meeting this morning, June 7, that these non-essential services include eateries, restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons and beauty centers located in Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, and the districts of Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen and Nam Dan. Take-away services are allowed.

Speaking at the meeting, Duong Dinh Chinh, director of the provincial Department of Health, said that the coronavirus transmission risk in Nghe An could be extremely high as many localities of Nghe An share their border with Ha Tinh, which reported nine locally-infected cases as of this morning.

A large number of workers from Ha Tinh commute daily to Nghe An to work, trade and receive medical treatment. Therefore, more effective measures need to be adopted to better contain the spread of the virus, Chinh added.

The provincial chairman also asked people returning home from virus-hit provinces to make appropriate health declarations.

Besides this, passenger transport services, contract cars and taxis traveling between Nghe An and Ha Tinh must be suspended. Meanwhile, trucks carrying essential goods are permitted to operate as normal but have to comply with Covid-19 safety measures.

The suspension of these services will also start from tomorrow until further notice.

Since May 27, the north-central province of Nghe An has not reported any new cases of Covid-19 by community transmission in the latest wave.

Local COVID-19 cases surge by 75, 106 patients given severe prognosis

The Health Ministry confirmed the detection of 75 new community transmissions of COVID-19, and one imported infection which was immediately put into isolation upon arrival at midday on June 8.

A total of 55 new cases were recorded in the northern province of Bac Giang  along with 4 in neighbouring Bac Ninh province, all of which are linked to previous outbreaks which have hit industrial parks in both localities, with all cases being quarantined.

The majority of new injections in Ho Chi Minh City are linked to the Revival Ekklesia Mission, while cases in the other localities had previously come into contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients.

At present, the country has so far confirmed 7,520 locally-transmitted cases and 1,583 imported ones. The overall number of domestic case amounted to 5,950 in the last coronavirus wave.

With regard to treatment for the virus, more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients are currently undergoing treatment at 106 medical facilities nationwide.

As of the morning of June 8, the nation has recorded 9,027 COVID-19 patients, of which 3,059 were released from hospital after going on to make a full recovery from the virus. Indeed, approximately 1,703 patients, equal to 33.4%, are asymptomatic, while 3,080 people, equivalent to 60.4%, are suffering from mild symptoms.

According to figures compiled by the Treatment Subcommittee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, out of more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients being treated, 363 cases have since tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus between one and three times.

With regard to the clinical status of the patients, the Subcommittee said that there are 106 cases with severe prognosis, of which 82 have a very severe prognosis, whilst three cases are believed to be fatal.

During the noon time, the Treatment Subcommittee under the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control confirmed the 54th fatality relating to the novel coronavirus.

The latest fatality is a 51-year-old man from the northern province of Hung Yen.

His causes of death was attributed to hemorrhagic shock due to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with septic shock, cirrhosis, and  pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Over 60 percent of COVID-19 patients have mild clinical symptoms

Over 60 percent of the COVID-19 patients still under treatment show mild clinical symptoms while 363 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from once to thrice, said the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

As of June 8 morning, Vietnam had recorded 9,027 infection cases, including 3,509 recoveries and 53 fatalities.

More than 5,400 patients are undergoing treatment at 106 healthcare establishments nationwide. The northern province of Bac Giang is taking care of the largest number of patients, over 3,100, the treatment sub-committee said.

It noted that more than 60 percent of the patients show mild clinical symptoms while 106 are forecast to get critical, including 82 in very critical condition and three with fatality prediction.

There are nine patients living on the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines at present.

The treatment subcommittee said leading experts have frequently held telehealth consultations to give guidelines on the treatment of severe cases, helping save many whose condition was previously forecast to get worse.

Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration and deputy head of the treatment sub-committee, said healthcare establishments need to proactively seek advice on serious cases from experts via the telehealth system, and the ministry is always ready to send experts to help./.

Overseas Vietnamese continue to support COVID-19 fight at home

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony on June 7 to receive 100 million VND (4,350 USD) from Dr Phan Bich Thien, a Vietnamese Hungarian, to support COVID-19 prevention and control activities in Vietnam.

Thien’s mother and sister handed over the money to the committee on her behalf. She is also Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary.

At the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Pham Quang Hieu, said he highly values Thien’s assistance for Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight.

Since the pandemic first broke out in the country, he went on, Vietnamese people from all around the world have donated cash and goods in a show of mutual support.

Responding to a call from the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, overseas Vietnamese have contributed to Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Along with receiving support from overseas Vietnamese, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed policies and directly organised activities to support and raise funds for assisting Vietnamese communities abroad to overcome the difficulties posed by the pandemic.

Relevant agencies have coordinated to arrange 468 flights to safely repatriate 113,000 Vietnamese from more than 59 countries and territories while sending more than 830,000 face masks and medical supplies and necessities to Vietnamese people in over 20 pandemic-hit localities, he noted.

The ministry has also received food and medical supplies from many agencies, localities, and enterprises for the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, which reflects the tradition of solidarity and mutual support among Vietnamese people and the attention of the Party and State to Vietnamese communities abroad in a spirit of not leaving anyone behind.

According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, on May 31, Steve Bui, Chairman of a Japan-based financial consultation and investment group and Chairman of the Steve Bui & Friends Foundation, presented nearly 1,000 bottles of hand sanitiser and 9,000 N5 facemasks worth nearly 300 million VND to medical staff in the two COVID-19 hotspots of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.

On June 1, representatives from the Vietnam-Korea Businessmen & Investment Association (VKBIA) and the Saigon Share charity group visited and presented medical supplies to frontline forces in the COVID-19 fight in HCM City’s Go Vap district.

The Overseas Vietnamese Association in Macau (China) also handed over 131 million VND to the VFF Central Committee to support pandemic prevention and control activities./.

Vietnam, Indonesia step up naval cooperation

Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, on June 8, had phone talks with Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono.

During their discussion, Nghiem highlighted the two nations’ increasingly fortified naval cooperation, saying their bilateral naval consultation mechanism, which is alternately hosted by the two sides, has been highly effective.

He appreciated the participation and practical opinions of the Indonesian Navy delegation delivered at a virtual conference of the Working Group of the ASEAN Navy Training Experience Exchange Programme (ANTEEP), which was held by the Vietnam People’s Navy in April this year.

For his part, Yudo Margono stated the Indonesian Navy is committed to working closely with Vietnam to build and maintain a peaceful and stable border sea area between the two countries, as well as to create favourable conditions for their fishermen to operate without violating their respective waters.

Both officials agreed to promote necessary steps on a joint training standard procedure in order to standardise the process and improve coordination between the two navies for addressing common maritime security challenges./.

Vietnam-India scientific webinar seeks ways to deepen defence ties

The Ministry of National Defence’s Institute for Defence Strategy (IDS) and India’s Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) on June 7 jointly held a webinar to seek ways to deepen the ties between the two countries in the coming time.

The event was co-chaired by IDS Director Maj. Gen. Vu Cuong Quyet and CLAWS Director V.K. Ahluwalia.

The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and highly spoke of the strong and sustainable growth and the effectiveness of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They discussed policies and measures to reinforce the bilateral relations in the future, while emphasising practical moves made by the two countries to show support for each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maj. Gen. Quyet said the Vietnam – India relations have grown constantly despite impacts of COVID-19, with security-defence remaining one of the pillars of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The webinar provides the two sides a chance to find ways to boost the bilateral defence cooperation, taking into account each nation’s situation, he said.

Ahluwalia, for his part, hailed the Government of Vietnam’s measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, with the major contribution from the Vietnam People’s Army. He voiced his belief that the two countries’ defence ties will continue to expand in the coming time./.

Coastal provinces act to remove EC yellow card

In an effort to remove the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC), coastal cities and provinces have adopted drastic measures to fight irregular, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Dang Van Tin, head of Ninh Thuan province’s Fisheries Sub-Department, said the province has adopted solutions to monitor and control the activities of fishing vessels, ensuring they follow State regulations while tracing the origin of aquatic products to prevent any IUU fishing.

Relevant agencies have been assigned to strengthen supervision over fishing vessels, crew members, vessel safety equipment, food hygiene, output control, and fishing records at the Fisheries Control Office at Dong Hai Port in Phan Rang – Thap Cham city and Ca Na Port in Thuan Nam district. Vessels that don’t complete the necessary documents and procedures will not be allowed to leave port.

With the installation of tracking systems on boats, it’s become easier for police to detect violations in offshore fishing. They can therefore prevent boats from operating in foreign waters and provide timely assistance for them if they strike trouble at sea.

Vessels that don’t turn on the system will be reminded and then face strict punishment by agencies if they still fail to do so.

Ninh Thuan province has 708 vessels installed with tracking systems. Those with owners facing financial difficulties, running at a loss, or suffering damage are yet to be equipped with the systems.

In the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, meanwhile, 1,250 vessels have had monitoring systems installed in the three years since they were first introduced.

Of these, 1,200 vessels are of 15-24 metres in length and the remainder more than 24 metres.

According to Nguyen Van Viet, deputy head of Ca Mau province’s Fisheries Sub-department, substantial efforts have been made in promoting relevant legal documents to raise public awareness about IUU fishing.

However, a number of boat owners have not yet taken part in training courses and communications work on the matter.

Ca Mau is home to one of Vietnam’s four major fishing grounds and boasts abundant seafood reserves, thus attracting many fishing boats from other localities.

The province has accelerated its communications work to help local fishermen gain a better legal understanding on preventing and fighting illegal fishing.

In addition to issuing leaflets, the sub-department has coordinated with relevant agencies to prepare reports informing local people about areas where fishing is prohibited as well as providing them with knowledge on regulations and penalties for illegal fishing in foreign waters.

Nguyen Van Thuong, a local fisherman, said that thanks to the information campaign on fighting illegal fishing, his family understands its harmful effect.

It not only impacts the lives and assets of fishermen but also means any illegal fishing is in vain because no country will buy the catch, he said./.

Phase 3 human trials of homegrown Nano Covax vaccine to begin on June 8

More than 6,000 volunteers have registered for the third phase of human trials of homegrown Nano Covax vaccine, which is scheduled to begin on June 8, according to the Military Medical University (MMU) under the Defence Ministry.

A MMU representative said in this phase, the vaccine, developed by Vietnamese Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, will be tested on around 13,000 volunteers aged between 18 and 74, in many localities nationwide.

The third phase, also the final one, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine and each volunteer may only receive one jab of 25 mcg.

Director of the university Prof. Dr. Do Quyet showed his confidence in the safety of Nano Covax vaccine with the positive results obtained from the previous two trial phases.

Navo Covax vaccine started testing on humans on December 17 last year and has completed the second phase.

The first-phase trials showed the vaccine was safe and vaccinated volunteers had antibodies against the UK variant (B117).

The second-phase ones were conducted on 560 volunteers divided into four groups, with 80 people injected with a placebo and three other groups administered with 25mcg, 50mcg, and 75mcg doses. However, only 554 received second shots because six people withdrew from the trial.

All of the vaccinated volunteers have developed antibodies against COVID-19 at different levels.

Regarding the antibody index to neutralise the virus, people injected with 25mcg dose got the highest index with more than 90 percent at 14 days after the second shot and 42 days since the first jabs./.

Vietnam launches first programme on child protection online

Under a Prime Minister’s decision, the first national-level programme aims to protect the privacy of children and prevent and handle acts of abuse.

It focuses on supplying children with age-appropriate knowledge and skills so that children can self-identify and be able to protect themselves when online.

It will also maintain a healthy network environment, develop an ecosystem of Vietnamese applications for children to learn, socialise and express themselves in a safe and creative way.

Websites with the national “.vn” domain and those with IP addresses in Vietnam will be required to self-categorise content suitable for children’s ages.

Network operators and digital platform providers such as Google, Facebook, and Zalo will apply artificial intelligence technology and big data analysis to filter videos and clips with malicious content./.

Lai Chau culture and tourism week slated for November

A culture and tourism week is scheduled to take place in Phong Tho and Tam Duong districts in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau this November, with the event set to feature a wide range of exciting activities, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported.

Local artists will be given the opportunity of participating in a unique street festival where they will dress up in ethnic costumes, perform traditional folk songs and dances, in addition to playing local musical instruments.

A special corner dedicated to food and crafts will also be set up, whilst rituals of ethnic groups will be re-enacted as a means of helping visitors to learn more about local cultural values.

Furthermore, visitors will have the chance to play folk games and experience sampling local specialties throughout the week.

Moreover, Tam Duong district will also host the Putaleng paragliding tourney 2021 and a cycling tournament covering distances such as 15km, 20km, and 25km which will take place in Lai Chau city.

All COVID-19 prevention and control measures will be applied throughout the week to curb the potential spread of the pandemic in the community, according to the organisers./.

Forty-four new COVID-19 cases reported on June 8 morning

Vietnam documented 44 new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6am on June 8, including one imported case, according to the Health Ministry.

The 43 domestically-transmitted cases, including 22 in Bac Giang, six in Bac Ninh and 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, were all detected in quarantined or locked-down areas.

The imported case has been sent to quarantine right upon arrival in the central province of Quang Nam.

To date, Vietnam has found 7,445 domestically-transmitted and 1,582 imported cases. The number of cases detected since April 27 when the fourth wave of the pandemic began in the country is 5,875.

The number of recoveries is 3,509, while the number of fatalities stands at 53.

Among patients undergoing treatment in medical establishments, 216 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 72 twice and 75 thrice.

There are currently 176,398 people who had close contact with confirmed patients and entered the country from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at hospitals, concentrated quarantine facilities or residences.

On June 7, 87,016 additional COVID-19 vaccine shots were injected, raising the total delivered vaccine doses as of 4pm the same day to 1.34 million, with 38,166 people receiving full two shots.

The Health Ministry called on everyone to follow its 5K message, including khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration), and get vaccinated./.

Memories of President Ho Chi Minh among OVs in Thailand

A researcher on his time in Thailand, Dr Truong Thi Hang, a lecturer at a Thai university and co-author of the book “President Ho Chi Minh: The one who laid the foundation for the modern Vietnam-Thailand relations”, said Uncle Ho’s presence in Thailand aroused patriotism among overseas Vietnamese and strengthened their desire for national salvation in the Fatherland.

The overseas Vietnamese community in Thailand has always been aware of preserving the nation’s traditional values, spreading patriotism among young people and helping children understand their heritage.

The patriotic spirit aroused by President Ho Chi Minh during his time in Thailand has been continued to this day by Vietnamese expatriates./

OVs in Switzerland contribute to national COVID-19 prevention and control fund

The Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland held a ceremony on June 7 to raise donations for Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention and control fund in response to the appeals of the State President, the Prime Minister, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Foreign Ministry.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Le Linh Lan emphasised the country’s positive results as well as difficulties and hardships in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic over the past time.

Accordingly, the Government’s top priority is to protect public health and mobilise all social resources to ensure mass vaccination, thus bringing life back to normal, and boosting economic recovery.

She praised the responsibility and solidarity of the embassy’s staff members and their families with a hope to contribute to the country’s combat, and asked them to continue to unite, raise vigilance against the pandemic, fulfill the assigned tasks well, and join hands with the whole country and the overseas Vietnamese community in this fight.

Earlier, the embassy sent a letter calling for individuals, associations and businesses in the Vietnamese community in Switzerland to make voluntary donations to and sponsor Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention and control fund for each person’s health, for the community and for the nation./.

Thousands of people join in virtual race “Run for Vaccine”

A virtual race is underway to raise money for Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund with the message “Steps for Solidarity”, according to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.

Accordingly, each participant will make a contribution of VND 100,000 to the fund.

As of noon June 5, four days after registration started, more than 3,200 people had registered to join the virtual competition.

The registration will be open until July 18, with the race expected to attract about 10,000 runners.

After registration, runners can start running from the next day. The race has four distances – 10 km, 21 km, 42 km, and 100 km – and each runner has 21 days to complete the distance they chose in registration.

There is no limit on the number of runs so long as the runner completes the distance with a speed of 3 to 12 minutes per km.

After completing the challenge, the runner will receive a virtual certificate and a virtual medal to celebrate the meaningful journey.

Launched by the e-newspaper VnExpress on June 2, “Run for Vaccine” aims to join the Government and Ministry of Health’s drive to call for donations to the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Hanoi capital sees air pollution worsen as residents burn straw

The air quality around Hanoi capital plunged to worse levels on June 6 due to a combination of post – rice harvest straw burning and hot temperatures.

According to data released by AirVisual, the air quality index (AQI) of the capital on June 6 was recorded at between 151 and 200. This represents a high level, meaning that the air quality present within the local atmosphere has reached a very unhealthy level for local residents.

Despite spells of rain, the air quality in Hanoi continued to remain at a bad level, reaching between 117 and 170.

Hanoi has become one of the world’s most polluted cities, with its AQI climbing to over 200 at some points, according to Air Visual. Indeed, its AQI in several places has even been recorded at around 220 to 235.

The AQI is a metric used by multiple governmental agencies in order to determine how polluted the air in a specific area is, with the levels ranging  from zero to 500. When there is a high index value it indicates higher levels of air pollution with a higher potential for adverse health effects, meaning that children, senior citizens, and individuals suffering from respiratory and heart diseases should avoid sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises when the AQI level reaches 150 or above.

According to environment experts, this spell of low-quality air is occurring as Hanoi’s suburban districts are entering the rice harvest season. The air quality throughout the capital has therefore worsened due to straw burning and hot temperatures, with smoke badly affecting both the environment and people living locally.

The local authorities have issued a directive aimed at putting an end to straw burning, although so far this plan has proved to be ineffective.

Boy band 365 made their name after YouTube MV hit 500 million views

The HCM City-based boy band 365 made their name in the local industry after their music video (MV), called Bống Bống Bang Bang, has become the first MV to reach 500 million views on YouTube.

The MV is about young men in love, based on a Vietnamese fairy tale. Bống Bống Bang Bang was first written for children by Only C, one of Hà Nội’s leading music producers, but was later remixed and released for adult audiences in June 2016.

On the MV, the four members of 365 perform the modern folk song in traditional costumes, impressing audiences, both young and old.

The song won the Best MV of the Year at the 2017 Cống Hiến (Devotion) Award presented by Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sports & Culture) newspaper, after beating MVs from pop idols Đông Nhi and Hồ Ngọc Hà.

“We wanted to sing in a different way than other young singers. So, we decided to sing Bống Bống Bống Bang, a folk song, instead of a pop or dance number,” said lead singer and head of 365 Issac, at the Cống Hiến Award’s prize presentation ceremony in 2017.

Issac is now a solo singer. His band, 365, broke up in late 2016 after six years together. Other members of the band are working in movies and theatre.

Bống Bống Bang Bang was used in the blockbuster Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể (Tấm Cám-The Untold Story), directed by Ngô Thanh Vân, one of the country’s few female film directors and producers.

The 90-minute film is based on a fairy tale, Tấm Cám, best known as the Vietnamese version of Cinderella.

The story tells the life of an orphan girl named Tấm, who is beautiful and hard-working, and has a kind word for people and animals around her. She lives with her stepmother and half-sister named Cám, who always finds a way to harm her. After facing challenges, Tấm finally marries the King and lives happily.

Producer Vân, who was also the manager of 365, invested more than VNĐ20 billion (nearly U$900,000) in filming.

Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể earned more than VNĐ21 billion ($910,000) in ticket sales in the first three days of its release in 2016. It was released in 37 cinema complexes in Hà Nội, HCM City and provinces, earning more than VNĐ70 billion ($3.1 million) in ticket sales.

Hà Nội free-range chickens thrive on herbal diet

The Hà Nội Agricultural Extension Centre has helped local farmers learn how to best use herbs to feed free-range chickens.

This model helps reduce food costs and antibiotic residue, increase the percentage of clean meat, contribute to environmental protection and create safe products for consumers, agricultural experts agreed at a recent seminar held in the city.

Organised by the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ứng Hòa District People’s Committee, the seminar ‘Use of probiotics and herbs in livestock breeding and aquaculture production’ aimed to encourage the development of biologically safe livestock and aquaculture.

Vũ Thị Hương, Director of the city Agricultural Extension Centre said: “Since 2019, the centre has successfully implemented the model of using herbs in raising free-range chickens, reaching the target of 50,000 chickens per year.”

According to agricultural experts, the model meant free-range chickens are very healthy and their weight increases quickly, while breeders’ working days reduced and profit 10 to 15 per cent higher than in the traditional farming method.

Sixty-one farmer households in Thạch Thất, Quốc Oai, Chương Mỹ and Mỹ Đức districts and Sơn Tây Township developed this chicken-farming model with an investment of nearly VNĐ3 billion (US$130,400) from July to December of 2020.

Bùi Văn Tín, living at Đồng Chằm Village, Đông Xuân Commune, Quốc Oai District said: “By participating in this model, we are supported with a sum of money, and taught livestock care-techniques by the centre’s staff.

“Agricultural extension staff also closely follow the chicken-raising process of these households, and take us to visit typical models in neighbouring localities to learn and exchange experiences.”

Nguyễn Văn Hải, in Hòa Thạch Commune, Quốc Oai District said: “Breeders start using the domestically-made herb, labelled Livotas (a mix of various kinds of herbs), with water when the baby chicken is 15-20 days old.

“Chickens are fed the mix  once a day and continuously during the rearing process.”

After three and a half months old, the chickens weigh from 1.1-1.2 kg per hen and1.5 – 1.7kg per rooster.

“Raising chickens according to this model helps my family reduce the cost of using veterinary drugs and the mortality rate of chickens,” Hải said.

“Chickens are released in the natural environment, so the meat is firm, and the selling price is higher than that of chickens raised by industrial methods.”

“On average, I earn a profit of VNĐ50-60 million/1,000 chickens.”

Many households have successfully developed this model, such as Phùng Văn Tuấn’s family (raising 6,000 – 10,000 chickens) in Kim Sơn Commune and Nguyễn Thị Hương’s family (2,000 – 4,000 chickens) in Trung Sơn Trầm Ward, Sơn Tây Township.

Vũ Thị Hương said: “This model brings remarkable efficiency and opens up new directions in animal husbandry, ensures food safety, limits the abuse of antibiotics in livestock breeding.

“It contributes to environmental protection and creates safe products for consumers.”

The centre has proposed the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development deploy this model throughout the city and urged local authorities to support farmers to build brands and create a chain of sustainable links in livestock production to stabilise consumption.

This would mean farmers can develop poultry farming on a large scale, increase profits and create safe products for consumers.

Public reluctant to go to hospitals because of Covid-19

Many ill people in Danang are arriving at hospital too late due to fears of Covid-19.

Danang Hospital has received many people in critical condition in the past week because they were brought to the hospital too late.

A 66-year-old woman from Lien Chieu District had diabetes and heart failure. She felt tired and had a dull pain but didn’t want to go to the hospital so she treated herself at home. Only when it was hard to breathe that she was admitted to the hospital. But at this point, she was in critical condition and had a heart attack. Despite the doctors’ effort, she died later.

A 57-year-old man was also admitted to Danang Hospital when he had a respiratory arrest. He had diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure but didn’t want to go to the hospital. His family brought him to the hospital when he fainted. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. The doctors tried to save him but it was too late.

Dr Ha Son Binh from Danang Hospital said many patients had chronic illnesses but went to the hospital too late so the doctors couldn’t save them. They were reluctant to go because of the Covid-19 pandemic and would rather treat themselves at home.

“People with chronic diseases must notify their family members and go to the hospital when having abnormal symptoms. They should go for regular check-ups to avoid unwanted complications,” Binh said.

Binh said Danang Hospital regulated patients very carefully to avoid a local outbreak. The patients have to fill in medical declaration forms, have body their temperature checked and asked to keep a distance from other patients. Patients with symptoms are brought to another area immediately for tests.

Before they are admitted, in-patients will be tested for Covid-19 and will be taken care of by the nurses as visits are not allowed. In cases where family members need to take care of the patients, they must also be tested for Covid-19.

Northern region to face heavy rain

The northern region of Vietnam has been forecasted to experience heavy rain until June 11, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

According to the centre, the rain would happen in northern localities, with rainfall of 100-200 mm or even 250 mm in some areas. Strong wind, thunder, lightning and hail would also occur during the rain. Mountainous areas would see flash floods and landslides.

The cool weather would last until the end of June 11 with an average temperature of 31-33 degrees centigrade. From June 13, the northern region would continue facing hot days.

The northern central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An would have rain by late June 8 and then face the hot weather afterwards.

Meanwhile, central localities from Ha Tinh to Binh Thuan would witness the hot weather until the middle of June.

Vietnam attends Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on June 7 led a delegation to attend the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Chongqing city on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations (1991-2021).

This is the first in-person meeting at the foreign ministerial level held by ASEAN since the COVID-19 outbreak.

During the meeting, ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the high commitment of both sides to attaching importance to and making joint efforts to promote the growing strategic partnership between ASEAN and China, on the basis of mutual benefits, respect and understanding, thus contributing to peace, stability and prosperous development in the region and the world.

They acknowledged that through active exchanges and meetings at all levels and effective coordination at regional dialogues and cooperation mechanisms led by ASEAN, political trust is consolidated and neighbourhood relations are nurtured. Economic cooperation has witnessed very dynamic developments. Two-way trade has increased by 80 times in the past three decades, making China and ASEAN the biggest trading partner of each other.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers considered the ASEAN-China partnership as one of the bloc’s most dynamic, substantive and effective relations, and appreciated China’s timely and effective cooperation in difficult and challenging times, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For China, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that ASEAN has always been a high priority in China’s foreign policy. China consistently attaches importance to the friendly neighborliness and win-win cooperation with ASEAN, and wishes to lift the bilateral strategic partnership to a new height, he said, adding that his country also supports ASEAN’s central role in the regional architecture.

The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China shared many important development orientations for the bilateral relationship, in which they agreed to give high priority to promoting cooperation in controlling COVID-19 and promoting post-pandemic recovery.

The Chinese side affirmed that it will continue to speed up the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to ASEAN countries, and support the grouping to improve its vaccine research, development, production and distribution capacity. China will also actively cooperate with ASEAN to boost recovery through the implementation of the ASEAN Overall Recovery Framework, facilitate trade and investment, effectively utilise the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), and soon put the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement into effect. The two sides will continue to expand cooperation for sustainable development in the spirit of their cooperation theme in 2021.

ASEAN and China agreed to closely coordinate in implementing activities to mark 30 years of the bilateral partnership between the two sides, as well as preparing best results for the ASEAN-China commemorative summit later this year.

On regional and international issues of shared concern, the conference affirmed that the maintenance of an environment of peace, security and stability in the region, including in the East Sea, is the common interest and benefit of ASEAN and China. The ministers welcomed the 19th ASEAN-China Senior Official Meeting (SOM) on implementing the Declaration of the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) which took place ahead of the ministerial meeting.

They pledged to continue fully and effectively implement the DOC, resume negotiations on building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

On the Myanmar situation, China welcomed the outcome of the ASEAN leaders’ meeting on April 24, supporting the role of ASEAN in promoting dialogue and mediation and helping Myanmar seek a solution to stabilise the situation.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the achievements obtained over the past 30 years have proved the sustainable, reliable and mutually beneficial partnership between ASEAN and China. He stressed that Vietnam will actively work with ASEAN member countries and China to strengthen political dialogue; improve mutual understanding, trust and respect; and promote comprehensive cooperation, making the bilateral relationship a model of stable and sustainable partnership between neighbouring countries.

Regarding the world and regional situation, the Vietnamese minister emphasised the importance of efforts by ASEAN and China to maintain an environment of peace, security, stability and rule of law in the region, through responsible acts, cooperation with goodwill, self-restraint, and peaceful settlement of disputes and differences. He affirmed that Vietnam will continue to work with ASEAN countries and China to fully and effectively implement the DOC and build an effective and efficient COC in accordance with international law and the UNCLOS 1982.

According to Son, as members of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN countries will continue to support Myanmar to find a long-term solution to stabilise the situation, ensure safety, and normalise people’s lives. He said he hopes that China would actively back this effort of ASEAN./.

Organisations, individuals involved in IUU fishing to be punished strictly

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on June 7 sent a document to the Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities on strictly handling organisations and individuals that let fishing vessels violate foreign waters for illegal fishing.

Provinces and cities have to complete the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on fishing vessels as regulated, and strictly punish vessels that do not equip, or maintain operation of VMSs or disable or remove them during operation at sea. Those supplying low-quality systems will also be handled strictly.

It is necessary to allocate people on duty around the clock to monitor the journey, and timely detect and address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in foreign waters.

The ministry also stressed the importance of disseminating regulations on IUU fishing prevention to ship owners, captains and fishermen.

It said that in the first months of 2021, some Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen still violated foreign waters, affecting the image and reputation of Vietnam, especially the country’s efforts to remove the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card”.

In October 2017, Vietnam received a “yellow card” warning for illegal seafood exploitation by the EC, which has seriously hit seafood exports to the European market.

The EC also said that they will not withdraw the yellow card if Vietnam has not solved the problem of fishing in foreign waters./.

OVs in Russia make donations for vaccine fund at home

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia on June 7 launched a programme to raise funds for Vietnam’s national COVID-19 vaccine fund in response to the call of the President, the Prime Minister, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi briefed participants on the COVID-19 situation in the homeland, affirming that Vietnam is determined to prevent and repel the pandemic as soon as possible in parallel with promoting socio-economic development.

According to the diplomat, Vietnam is applying the principle of “5K plus vaccine”, and prioritising resources to have enough vaccines for people.

He thanked satff of Vietnamese agencies and the Vietnamese community in Russia for their efforts and contributions to the fight against COVID-19 in the homeland, expressing his belief that the fund will receive more donations in the coming time.

According to Do Xuan Hoang, President of the Vietnamese Association in Russia, the organisation will carry out another programme with a website to raise funds./.

Vietnam attends EAS Ambassadors’ virtual meeting

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, attended the East Asia Summit (EAS) Ambassadors’ Meeting in Jakarta (EAMJ) in 2021 which took place virtually on June 7.

This is the first meeting of EAS ambassadors in Brunei’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2021. The meeting aims to assess cooperation within the EAS framework, and discuss global national and regional situation as well as preparation for ministerial-level and high-level EAS meetings in August and October.

The meeting acknowledged positive results of cooperation activities to implement action lines in the Manila Plan of Action in 2018-2022.

Participants from EAS member countries shared experiences and efforts in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic, while affirming their commitment to cooperate, support and promote COVID-19 vaccination worldwide.

Participants discussed and gave assessments of international and regional situations, including the Myanmar situation, the denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula and the East Sea issue.

Representatives of ASEAN’s partner countries affirmed their support for ASEAN and its central role in solving regional issues, contributing to maintaining regional peace, stability and security.

Regarding negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), participants want ASEAN and China to build an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

They also emphasised the importance of self-restraint, non-militarisation, peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

Established in 2005, the EAS comprises 18 member countries, including 10 ASEAN countries and eight ASEAN’s partner countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US). The EAMJ 2021 was carried out on the basis of the EAS Declaration in 2015 with the aim of monitoring and promoting the implementation of decisions of the EAS’s member countries cooperation activities in the framework of the Manila Plan of Action./.

Cai luong artists release MVs praising people involved in COVID-19 fight

Artists from the Ho Chi Minh City-based Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theatre have released two music videos (MV) on YouTube featuring the Vietnamese spirit in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MVs, Niem Tin (Belief) and Chung Con La Chien Si (We’re Fighters), feature songs about the challenges that doctors, nurses, health workers, and soldiers face during the fight.

They include messages to encourage and praise the solidarity and bravery of the people during the pandemic.

“The MVs contain our love and gratitude to the brave people who are working day and night to take care of and protect the community,” said scriptwriter Hoang Song Viet, producer of the two MVs.

The Ho Chi Minh City Artists’ Association is working with cai luong reformed drama) theatres to produce and release a series of MVs targeting the Vietnamese Government, armymen, doctors and people working together during the pandemic.

The MVs will include songs and images about the five measures issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure health and safety.

The ‘5K’ message focuses on Khau trang (face mask) – Khu khuan (disinfection) – Khoang cach (distance) – Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration).

The association will also shoot and release two new cải lương plays praising doctors and nurses in the COVID-19 fight.

The plays feature People’s Artist and theatre director Tran Ngoc Giau and young talents from cai luong troupes in the city.

“Theatre artists have faced difficulties in offering live shows amid the pandemic. However, they will meet and share their art with people on YouTube,” Giau said.

People’s Artist Quoc Hung released the MV Anh Se Ve Nhung Khong Phai Hom Nay (I’ll Return Home, But Not Today), a production about Vietnamese medical workers during the pandemic, on YouTube on May 27.

It has been covered and released by many young singers on YouTube and TikTok.

A cover of the song by Dat G and Du Uyen had nearly 60,000 views on YouTube one day after its release on June 3./.

Flights transporting COVID-19 vaccines given priority

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has sent a document to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), and airlines requesting the facilitation of flights transporting COVID-19 vaccines.

The CAAV said that with the Government’s policy of encouraging the importation of vaccines, the number of flights bringing vaccines to or through Vietnam will increase in the time ahead.

In order to ensure the effective operations of these flights, airlines must adopt signals that help air traffic service operators better identify flights carrying vaccines.

The ACV has been urged to create the most favourable conditions in terms of infrastructure for these flights, while the VATM is required to direct air traffic service facilities to establish landing priority for these flights, to shorten the transportation time and ensure the quality of vaccines./.

Vice President visits anti-pandemic forces in An Giang

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on June 7 visited COVID-19 prevention and control forces in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

The Vice President underlined the need for officers and soldiers engaging in preventing and controlling COVID-19 in border areas in general and the provincial Border Guard in particular to implement drastic measures in order to prevent the disease from entering the locality.

She demanded the provincial Border Guard tighten border management, maintain its readiness in fighting the pandemic, and thoroughly prevent illegal border crossings.

Xuan also asked for the building of an all-people defence posture so that each citizen is a “soldier” in the fight against COVID-19.

She directed border guard posts and border authorities in An Giang to be proactive and flexible in border guard diplomacy, and to work closely with the border guard forces of neighbouring countries to contain the spread of the disease via borders.

The Vice President took the occasion to present An Giang with five ventilators and other medical supplies worth 2 billion VND (87,000 USD). She also gave gifts to 20 policy beneficiary and poor households and 10 students living in difficult circumstances in Tri Ton border district./.

Logo design contest for “Vietnam International Photography Festival” launched

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 7 launched a logo design contest for the “Vietnam International Photography Festival”.

The contest is part of a project to build a brand for Vietnamese photography in the 2020-2030 period, approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2020.

The selected logo will be used in communications efforts to promote the festival, which will be held every two years in the locality hosting the “National Tourism Year”.

The contest is also to promote the development of the photography sector, contributing to introducing Vietnamese culture, landscapes, people, and tourism, and enhancing international exchanges in other fields through photography.

It is open to individuals and organisations inside and outside the country.

Entries must have their own character, creativity, and cultural integration, and be in line with the goal of promoting the photography sector’s national brand in the international market.

Applicants can send a maximum of five entries in A4 size to the photography department at the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition, at 38 Cao Ba Quat Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, until July 31.

An awards ceremony is expected to be held in October./.

Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore raising funds for COVID-19 fight at home

The Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore has called on all of its staff as well as Vietnamese organisations, businesses, and expatriates in the city state to assist COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in Vietnam.

Speaking at a recent fundraising event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Cong Dung said the meaningful donations demonstrate donors’ care and attention towards their home country, contributing to easing the difficulties and driving back the pandemic.

The embassy raised more than 150,000 SGD (113,200 USD) in the first three days after launching the first round of fundraising on June 4.

As of 12pm on June 7, Vietnam recorded 8,883 cases of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health.

The country is projected to need 150 million doses of vaccine to inoculate about 75 million people at an estimated cost of 25.2 trillion VND (1.09 billion USD)./.

PM orders accelerating work towards domestic vaccine production

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged scientists and representatives of vaccine research and production units to step up research and technological transfer for the domestic production of vaccine against COVID-19 as early as possible.

During a working session in Hanoi on June 7 with domestic scientists and representatives of vaccine research and production units, the PM emphasised that Vietnam must have enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate 75 million population this year.

However, access to vaccine supply in the world faces difficulties, hence the strategic importance of domestic production, which must be done, he said.

PM Chinh stressed that sectors and units must consider COVID-19 vaccine a social product rather than a commercial product.

On behalf of Party and State leaders, the PM expressed thanks to people from walks of life, scientists, all-level administrations and sectors for their concerted efforts over the past time contributing to effectively fighting the pandemic and maintaining economic growth, particularly donations to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund.

According to the Health Ministry, two domestic vaccine producers are engaging in the research of COVID-19 vaccine with combined production capacity of 30-40 million doses each year. Two others are negotiating with foreign partners to transfer technology with a capacity of 200-300 million doses annually./.

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

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung on April 27 hosted a reception for Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Kumar Verma, during which he affirmed Vietnam’s solidarity and readiness to stand side by side with the Indian government and people in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dung expressed his sympathy over hardships and damage caused by the second COVID-19 wave in India, voicing his belief that the country will soon overcome this difficult time and challenges.

He also conveyed the sympathies of Vietnamese leaders and people to their Indian counterparts.

In reply, the Indian Ambassador briefed his host on the COVID-19 situation in the South Asian nation and voiced his gratitude for the sentiments and support of the Vietnamese Government and people for India.

He affirmed that the Indian government will create the best conditions and exert efforts to ensure safety for Vietnamese citizens living, working and studying in India./.

Vietnamese nationals must not return home illegally: Vietnamese embassy

The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand has called on Vietnamese nationals to strictly follow COVID-19 prevention measures in the host country in the face of increasing infections recorded in the country over recent days.

In an announcement on April 27, the embassy said it is working with Vietnamese and Thai authorities to arrange repatriation flights for Vietnamese citizens and has asked them not to return to the homeland illegally.

The Thai Government is introducing new restrictions to halt the country’s spiralling outbreak, the embassy said.

Wearing a face mask is now compulsory in Bangkok and 46 other provinces. Those not doing so risk a fine of up to 20,000 THB (640 USD).

Vietnamese nationals are advised to avoid public spaces and travel, and to contact Thai authorities for support if they exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus disease.

They should contact the embassy via its citizen protection hotline on ( 66) 898 966 653 or ( 66) 2650 8979.

The embassy will continue keeping a close watch on COVID-19 developments in the country, and stay in touch with Thai authorities to remain updated.

Thailand reported 15 new fatalities from the pandemic on April 27 – a new record for the third time in four days during a growing third wave of infections.

Some 2,179 new infections were reported on the day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 59,687. Fatalities now stand at 163.

The Thai Government will adopt a single command system to improve the efficiency of the national COVID-19 vaccination drive, with the aim of vaccinating about 30 million people over the next three months and 50 million by the end of the year.

According to a post on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s official Facebook page, he has met with advisers at the Government House to discuss ways to ramp up the distribution of vaccines, which is a top national priority.

The Government will do everything in its power to procure more doses to support the national vaccination drive, with a target of purchasing 10-15 million doses a month from several manufacturers, according to the post./.

Information ministry calls for use of COVID-19 tracing tools

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has issued a document guiding the use of tools to prevent, control, and trace COVID-19 cases in the community, as travel demand is forecast to soar during the April 30 – May 1 holiday.

The set of tools comprise the Bluezone app, which issues alerts on any contact with suspected cases, and the NCOVI app, which manages voluntary health declarations and a COVID-19 tracking map.

According to the MIC’s Authority of Information Technology Application, QR scanning in public places plays an important role in the fight against the pandemic. It should be carried out on Bluezone, NCOVI, and Vietnam Health Declaration.

The ministry affirmed that the widespread use of these tools will help to precisely trace areas with suspected cases.

Vietnam had reported no new COVID-19 infections for 12 hours as of 6am on April 27, with its tally unchanged at 2,852 cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department said that a total 2,516 COVID-19 patients have been given the all clear. The death toll remains at 35./.

CAAV orders tightened aviation security at airports

The aviation security control must be tightened and raised to Level 1 before, during and after the four-day holiday of Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labour Day (May 1), the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has recently requested.

Accordingly, security measures will be enhanced at all units in the sector, including airport authorities, airports, aviation service providers and air traffic service suppliers.

They are asked to increase personnel for aviation security control, examine and supplement necessary equipment, while preparing measures to improve service quality which helps meet travel demand of people.

Under current regulations, when there are high risks to aviation security, security control measures can be tightened in three levels.

Level 1 is applied in case of nationally important socio-political events, or complicated situations of political security and social order.

Level 2 is applied when there is intelligence information about an illegal interference plot in civil aviation activities with places, targets and time undetermined; or in case of serious political insecurity and social disorder in localities.

Meanwhile, level 3 is applied when there is verified information about an illegal interference plot in civil aviation activities with specific places, targets and time; or in case of extremely serious political insecurity and social disorder in localities.

Travel demand during public holiday is expected to increase significantly.

According to a survey conducted by the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board and VnExpress.net in March, of 3,500 respondents, 53.4 percent had plans to travel between May and September while 30.2 percent said they were ready to go on holidays in March and April.

The top 10 getaways are Da Nang, Kien Giang, Lam Dong, Lao Cai, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Ha Giang, and Quang Nam, the survey revealed.

Meanwhile, travel firms said that up to 60 percent of tours have been booked for the four-day holidays. Tourists are booking mostly short-distance trips and brief stays in Sa Pa, Ha Long, Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Da Lat, and Con Dao Island.

Vietravel said that around 60 percent of its vacation packages, which include flights, car rentals, and hotels, have been bought.

Condolences extended to Indonesia over submarine sinking

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has extended condolences to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the recent submarine sinking.

Media in Indonesia reported that KRI Nanggala-402 became untraceable on April 22 during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.

The 40-year-old submarine was found split into three pieces on the sea bed after five days of search efforts. All the vessel’s 53 crew have been confirmed dead.

The same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also cabled a message of condolences to President Joko Widodo over the tragedy./.

Hanoi, Hai Duong reinforce COVID-19 prevention efforts

A woman passes through a “face mask required” sign on downtown Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake

In an official dispatch, the Party Committee of Hanoi ordered the suspension of festivals and pedestrian zones in the city, and restriction of non-essential events with mass gatherings. In case the events are held, preventive measures must be in place.

If COVID-19 infections are detected, contact tracing and quarantine must be promptly rolled out to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Local people are asked to closely follow the 5K message and wear face masks in public places.

Meanwhile, leaders of Hai Duong proivnce requested relevant agencies to bolster communications to raise public awareness.

Hai Duong police will work with departments, sectors, localities and inspection groups in illegal entry prevention and supervision at concentrated quarantine facilities and homes.

People are recommended to refrain from travelling to crowded places and those with high COVID-19 risks, especially as the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day holidays are approaching.

Non-essential services in the province like massage parlors, karaoke, bars and discotheques will continue to be suspended until further notice, while vaccinations are asked to be sped up.

As of 5 pm on April 27, Hai Duong has neither COVID-19 patients under treatment nor people staying in quarantine for having close contact with infected people.

The province reported 726 cases in the resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks that began on January 27./.

VBS requires strict following of COVID-19 prevention measures at places of worship

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) has called for the mandatory wearing of face masks and strict adherence to COVID-19 prevention regulations at pagodas and monasteries nationwide amid the ongoing complex developments of the pandemic.

Vice President and General Secretary of the VBS Executive Council, Venerable Thich Duc Thien, stressed that COVID-19 prevention measures must be enhanced at places of worship around the country.

VBS chapters in all 63 cities and provinces have been asked to strictly implement requirements, he said.

The Ministry of Health’s 5K message – khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfectant), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations) – must be seriously observed, he added.

He also called on people to report any instance of illegal entry, in order to effectively contain the spread of the virus./.

Da Nang tops ICT Index for 12th straight year

The central city of Da Nang has maintained its leading position in terms of readiness for information and communications technology (ICT) development and application, after topping the Vietnam ICT Index rankings for the 12th consecutive year.

In the rankings for 2020, the city led the way with a total score of 0.9238, followed by the neighbouring province of Thua Thien-Hue.

Compiled by the Ministry of Information and Communications since 2005 and based on UN criteria, the Vietnam ICT Index assesses technical infrastructure, IT application, online public services, and the IT industry.

It has secured a prestigious reputation over the years and serves as a foundation for the ministry and local authorities to adopt appropriate decisions and policies to develop the ICT sector and the IT industry./.

Vietnam treasures comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia

Vietnam always attaches importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on April 27.

During his phone talks with the Russian minister, Son affirmed that Russia is among leading important partners in Vietnam’s foreign policy, and congratulated the country on its success in containing COVID-19, especially in vaccine research and production.

Despite the pandemic, Vietnam and Russia have maintained exchanges, with many phone talks held between their high-ranking leaders, contributing to promoting the bilateral cooperation across spheres, Son said.

The ministers discussed Vietnam-Russia collaboration, covering politics-diplomacy, security-national defence, economy-trade, investment, energy-oil and gas, and COVID-19 prevention and control.

They also compared notes on cooperation between the two foreign ministries and coordination between the two countries at multilateral forums, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and ASEAN.

Both expressed their hope to well organise activities during the Vietnam-Russia and Russia-Vietnam Year in 2021.

Minister Son used the occasion to thank Russia for supporting Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, and non-permanent membership of the UNSC for 2020-2021.

Vietnam is willing to closely coordinate with Russia and other ASEAN countries in organising activities marking the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia relations (1996-2021), Son said.

For his part, the Russian minister lauded Vietnam’s performance in external affairs, as well as the country’s increasingly impressive role in regional and international arena.

On this occasion, Lavrov invited Son to visit Russia at a convenient time. The Vietnamese minister accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Religious communities offer support to Cambodia, Laos amid COVID-19 spread

The Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City on April 27 called on followers to make contributions to present 4 million face masks to people in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in a bid to ease their difficulties amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.

Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Deputy Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Chairman of the Executive Council of the HCM City Buddhist Sangha, donated 100 million VND (over 4,300 USD) while a charitable group of the HCM City Buddhist Sangha presented 500 million VND to support disadvantaged Buddhist followers and people hit by COVID-19 in Laos and Cambodia.

Phnom Penh capital of Cambodia has been hardest-hit by COVID-19 in recent weeks, with hundreds of new cases being reported daily.

By the afternoon of April 27, Cambodia had logged 11,063 COVID-19 infections and 82 fatalities.

Meanwhile, a total of 511 COVID-19 cases were reported across 15 out of 18 provinces and cities of Laos./.

Working group heads to Truong Sa island district

A working group headed to Truong Sa (Spratly) island district and DK1 Platform on April 26 from Cam Ranh city in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.

A farewell ceremony for the group, including officers and soldiers of the Naval Zone 4 High Command, representatives departments and agencies, and journalists, was held by the Naval Zone 4 High Command and the provincial People’s Committee.

The delegation will present necessities to soldiers and residents in the island district, according to Rear Admiral Phan Tuan Hung, Deputy Commander of the Naval Force.

They are scheduled to visit DK1 Platform and several islands in the Truong Sa archipelago, where they will meet with officers, soldiers, and local people.

On this occasion, the delegation of National Assembly deputies of Khanh Hoa province will also present certificates of merit from the provincial People’s Committee to collectives that performed strongly in fulfilling national defence and security tasks in 2020./.

Photo exhibition marks 46th anniversary of National Reunification Day

Twenty-one prize-winning photos in a contest named “Tu Hao Mot Dai Bien Cuong” (Pride in the frontier strip) are on display at an exhibition launched in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26.

These works vividly reflect daily life and the beauty of distinctive architectural works, festivals and folk arts of ethnic minority people living along the border; and life of on-duty border guard officers who stay ready to defend the country’s sovereignty and border security.

The exhibition will run through May 7./.

Localities intensify COVID-19 prevention measures ahead of holidays

Increased pandemic prevention measures have been noticed in cities and provinces nationwide, as the Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1) holidays approach.

Strict fines are imposed on people without facemasks in public places in Ho Chi Minh City, the local authorities said in an urgent direction issued on April 26.

Accordingly, public-awareness-raising communications on COVID-19 and pandemic prevention and control measures have been ordered, with restrictions in place for mass gatherings. Those involved in organising illegal entries in the city also face strict punishments.

The same day, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung emphasized a high risk of new outbreaks during and after the upcoming holidays at a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on April 26.

He urged the active implementation of pandemic measures that prioritise early detection, quick quarantine, and effective treatment. Wearing facemask is a must in public areas and on public transport vehicles; and events that gather a large number of people are restricted.

The capital will continue its vaccination drive correctly, safely, and efficiently, according to Dung.

Also on April 26, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long had a working session with the Can Tho People’s Committee, asking the Mekong Delta city to soon complete its national-level COVID-19 treatment hospital and prepare for complicated developments of the epidemic in the future.

For the work to be done, he assigned the Can Tho General Hospital to collaborate with localities and the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Can Tho also needs to establish a 400-bed COVID-19 treatment hospital in Phong Dien district that is capable of accommodating up to 800 beds when necessary, the minister underscored./.

Nation to enjoy sunny April 30-May 1 holidays

All regions across the country are expected to see sunny weather on the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

In the northern and north-central region, rains are forecast to reduce on April 29. From April 30, the weather will be good again with cool temperature, according to the centre. However, high temperature is forecast in certain areas such as northwest as well as northern and central mountainous regions.

From April 30 to May 3, the northern region is expected to enjoy sunny weather, but a hot spell is forecast for the northwest region in the daytime and rains at night.

Hanoi is predicted to enjoy sunny weather in the daytime but whirlwinds and rains at night. The central coastal, central and Central Highlands regions are expected to experience the same developments of weather.

Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, the weather will be good with sunlight in the morning and potential rains, thunder and whirlwinds in the afternoon and night./.

Multiple tourism products, services launched in HCMC

HCMC is launching a series of tourism introduction programs between April 25 and August 15 to attract domestic visitors to the city, while many three- to five-star hotels are also lowering room prices by up to 65% during the period.

Apart from many tourist destinations and special eateries, various new check-in points and street food in HCMC will be introduced through these tourism programs, according to the HCMC Department of Tourism.

The city will be offering new tours, including “Throwing back at the history-Silent Footprints-Saigon Army Rangers”, telling visitors about the stories of HCMC, “Can Gio- a different Saigon” and “Back to sacred place”, in which tourists will be taken to Binh Chanh to explore historic fights against French troops.

The “Talking with typical three-generation families of artists in HCMC” program will also bring new experiences to tourists.

In addition, traditional plays of hat boi, a genre of Vietnamese traditional drama, which is over 500 years old, will be performed at the Lang Ong Ba Chieu Temple, where the tombs of Le Van Duyet and his wife lie, or the Saigon Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Aside from reducing room prices, many hotels such as Nikko Saigon, Park Hyatt Saigon and Le Meriden are rolling out staycation packages for the city’s residents.

Report claims right to autonomy and self-determination

Nearly half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to bodily autonomy, said a report released on Thursday.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s 2021 flagship report – State of World Population – was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the HCM Central Youth Union.

For the first time, a UN report focuses on the topic of bodily autonomy, without fear of violence or having someone else decide for you.

The report shows that in countries where data is available, only 55 per cent of women are fully empowered to make choices over healthcare, contraception and sexual relations.

Only 71 per cent of countries guarantee access to overall maternity care.

Only about 56 per cent of countries have laws and policies supporting comprehensive sexuality education.

Addressing the launch, Nguyễn Tường Lâm, Secretary of the Central Youth Union, said: “The theme of this year’s World Population Report “My body is my own” turns the spotlight on bodily autonomy. With the focus on comprehensive sexuality education and gender equality, the report calls for joint efforts in strengthening awareness among young people and rights to ensure that they are equipped with knowledge and skills to make their own decisions about their health.”

Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Việt Nam, said: “A woman who has control over her body is more likely to be empowered in other spheres of her life. She is more likely to thrive, and so is her family, her community and her country.”

Bodily autonomy is measured through two sustainable development goals (SDGs) indicators, including 5.6.1 and 5.6.2. In the report, Việt Nam is cited, among 75 countries which have data, for the measurement of SDG indicator 5.6.2 – the existence of laws, regulations, or policies that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive healthcare, information and education.

Việt Nam has the indicator value of 54 per cent out of 100 per cent achievement, which is higher than Nepal (48 per cent) but lower than Cambodia (98 per cent) and Myanmar (75 per cent).

Việt Nam does not yet have a full data set for SDG indicator 5.6.1 about proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive healthcare, but plans to make it available in the coming years.

The Sate of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shines a light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Job market shows strong signs of recovery

Vietnam’s job market showed strong signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2021, opening up various opportunities for workers, especially highly-skilled workers.

Sectors seeing an increase in hiring demand in the quarter included Engineering and Manufacturing, Energy, IT, E-commerce, Electronics, Semiconductor Design, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Construction.

The combination of global supply chain shifts and the positive impact of free trade agreements will offer new prospects for Vietnam’s economy into the future, leading to a significant increase in employment opportunities and hiring demand, said Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Adecco Hanoi’s Recruitment Manager.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the labour market in Q1 was livelier than in the same period last year, according to the municipal Centre for Human Resources Forecasting and Labour Market Information (FALMI).

Its figures show that there were over 44,000 job vacancies and nearly 19,500 jobseekers in the southern economic hub during the period, increasing local human resources demand by 13.14% year-on-year. The majority of vacancies (70.38%) were in the services sector, followed by industry (29.51%) and agriculture (0.11%).

The centre forecasts that the city will need between 68,600 and 73,500 workers, mostly in the fields of IT, electronics and electricity; mechanics and automation; healthcare and medicine; accounting and auditing; finance, banking and securities; real estate; and tourism, lodging and catering services.

Adecco Hanoi Office Director Nguyen Thu Ha explained three main reasons contributing to the current situation. The first is the Government’s successful efforts in virus prevention and containment, she said. Second, businesses have gradually ramped up their operations and are eager to bounce back after a period of economic stagnation. Third, in terms of psychology, people now are better able to take care their health and cope with coronavirus anxiety.

FALMI said that demand for trained workers in HCM City made up 85.72% of the total, including 22.19% for university graduates or higher.

Commenting on the labour market outlook for 2021, Andree Mangels, General Director, Adecco Vietnam believed that the recovery of the economy and the global trends of digitalisation will open up opportunities for skilled workers.

A recent survey from the Adecco Group on shifts in workplace expectations in the post-pandemic world indicate that 82% of participants appreciate the strict hygiene regulations at work.

Other noticeable expectations among workers are flexibility (80%), adequate facilities for remote working (79%), investment in technology (77%), financial support policies (77%), and regular updates on business plans and performance (75%).

Kien Giang acts to protect Phu Quoc from Covid-19 transmission

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has adopted multiple measures to prevent the Covid-19 transmission from hitting its island city of Phu Quoc, as scores of Vietnamese citizens working in Cambodia and other countries, which share the border with Vietnam, are forecast to return home through the Cambodia-Ha Tien border gate after these neighboring countries lifted Covid-19 lockdown.

At a recent meeting reviewing the efforts to control and prevent Covid-19 infection throughout the province, Lam Minh Thanh, chairman of the provincial government, said that the province will face more difficulties in fighting the disease in the coming time since it shares a long borderline with Cambodia, where the pandemic is at its peak, and has many border crossings.

Therefore, aside from receiving and taking anti-epidemic measures for Vietnamese citizens returning home from Cambodia, Thanh asked local border guard forces to ramp up efforts to monitor vehicles operating in the locality and increase the frequency of patrols at border areas to prevent illegal entry.

The chairman also required the local competent forces to check the compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols in the province and monitor fishermen and those living and trading in border areas in order to promptly detect and prevent illegal immigrants.

Besides this, sea patrol police were asked to team up with the competent forces to direct boats operating at sea to combat Covid-19 and quickly deal with problems arising on the island.

Phu Quoc Island is a popular tourist destination in Vietnam. Recently, many local carriers have launched new air services to this island city to meet the rising travel demand among passengers after the coronavirus outbreak in the country has been brought under control.

Son La receives rice support for between-crop period

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has signed a decision assigning the Ministry of Finance to provide over 59,800 tonnes of rice to the northern mountainous province of Son La during the between-crop period of 2021.

The rice, sourced from the national reserves, aims to support local residents in order to ensure no one suffers from hunger during the period.

The Deputy PM assigned the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to allocate the rice to the locality, while asking the provincial authorities to ensure timely delivery to right beneficiaries in line with regulations.

In case Son La still faces difficulties after receiving the aid, the local authorities are advised to report to the two ministries for further assistance./.

Hai Phong’s Flamboyant Festival to draw tourists

Various cultural, economic, sport and tourism activities will be held in the northern port city of Hai Phong between May 11 and 15 during the annual Flamboyant Festival of the northern port city.

An art show titled Hai Phong – A Successful Destination on May 11 will be a highlight of the programme with a fireworks show.

The event aims to celebrate the anniversary of the Liberation Day of the city from French occupation (May 13, 1955).

Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was not held to spare funding to fight the virus. This year, with the pandemic under control, authorities decided to host the festival at a cost of some 20 billion VND (869,000 USD) contributed by local individuals and enterprises.

Local authorities of all culture, sport, tourism and art sectors in 15 districts in the city will host 66 activities during the festival.

They include photo exhibitions, a virtual contest titled “Check-in Hai Phong, My Beloved City” on Facebook; ca tru (ceremonial singing) performances; a golf tournament; exhibition of Hai Phong’s achievements in socio-economics; a cooking contest; a tourism fair; a singing contest on Hai Phong; an ao dai (traditional long dress) festival; a women’s beach volleyball tournament, and a classic car show.

According to Le Khac Nam, deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, the event will promote the city’s image as a smart developing city, which is friendly to international visitors and also a successful destination for investors.

Hai Phong is 100km to the northeast of Hanoi. Flamboyant trees are planted in many streets in the city, which come into full bloom in summer (May-June), hence the name of the festival./.

Man arrested for illegal deforestation

The investigation police agency at the Police Department of the northern mountainous province of Son La on April 26 decided to arrest a 43-year-old man for his illegal deforestation.

Lo Van Quy, from Co Noi commune, Mai Son district, Son La province, will be arrested for his violation of regulations on exploitation and protection of forests and forest product management in line with Article 232 of the Penal Code.

The decision has been approved by the provincial People’s Procuracy.

Investigators said Quy hired a group of people to illegally exploit forest products and they were caught red handed in a forest in Na Pan hamlet, Chieng Dong commune, Yen Chau district.

The case is under further investigation./.

HCMC Transport Dept proposes restricting vehicles with over 30 seats downtown

The HCMC Department of Transport has proposed restricting vehicles with more than 30 seats in downtown areas, including districts 1, 3, 5 and 10.

The restriction will not be applied to buses that transport students, workers and tourists and vehicles for special purposes.

The department also proposed increasing the number of cameras installed in downtown areas and around the Mien Dong Bus Station in Binh Thanh District as many coaches frequently stop on the streets in these areas to pick up or drop off passengers.

The pickups and drop-offs of passengers have worsened traffic congestion and caused dangers to commuters in these areas. The city will publish the list of locations that allow coaches to pick up or drop off passengers.

Besides that, the HCMC Transport Department proposed that the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam upgrade the data analysis system for dashcams to effectively detect and punish vehicles that violate traffic regulations.

HCMC currently has over 110 stops for coaches to pick up and drop off passengers.

Project launched to protect children in coffee production

A project on enhancing capacity and bolstering the protection of children working in coffee production in Dak Lak was officially launched in the Central Highlands province on April 26.

Implemented from October 2020 to March 2023 at a total cost of nearly 5.7 billion VND (248,000 USD), the project covers the six communes of Ea Tan and Dlie Ya in Krong Nang district, Ea Drong and Ea Tul in Cu M’Gar district, and Cu Bao and Ea Drong in Buon Ho township.

Objectives include improving the living conditions of children in coffee growing and processing areas, to ensure they are protected and their rights are observed.

About 2,000 children are expected to benefit from the project, most of whom are from ethnic minority groups.

According to Vice Director of the Dak Lak Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Phuong, Dak Lak is an agriculture province and nearly 70 percent of its population are farmers.

Coffee is the major crop, he said, adding that the project will contribute to improving awareness among children, parents, businesses, and local authorities about children’s rights, realising targets set regarding their care, especially in preventing them from leaving school during the harvest season.

Along with strengthening communications, the department will support poor children to return to school while assisting local authorities to inspect workplace safety at coffee production facilities, Phuong said.

At the same time, the department will coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to organise contests on technology application in coffee production, with the aim of erasing work involving child labour, while cooperating with the Health Department to prevent children being injured during production.

The capacity of units in the coffee supply chain to protect children will be enhanced, he said, adding that training courses will be held for relevant parties while communications on child protection laws will be strengthened. Businesses will be encouraged to sign agreements on not using child labour and ensuring workplace safety./.

Commune on Phu Quoc Island to hold elections early

The National Election Council recently issued Dispatch No 533/HDBCQG-VP dated April 20, allowing Tho Chau island commune of Phu Quoc city to hold the elections of deputies to the National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure on May 21, two days earlier than the national election day.

This was reported by the Election Committee of the Mekong Delta’s Kien Giang province, to which Phu Quoc belongs.

Covering over 1,395 ha, Tho Chau island commune consists of eight islands and islets: Tho Chu, Hon Tu, Hon Cao Cat, Hon Nhan, Hon Kho, Hon Xanh, Hon Cai Ban, and Hon Da Bac.

Tho Chu is the largest and only inhabited island in the commune.

The elections are being held early due to difficult access and extreme weather conditions here./.

New NA Chairman receives more congratulations

Parliamentary leaders of foreign countries continued to send letters of congratulations to National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on his election as the top leader of the Vietnamese legislature.

NA Chairman Hue received congratulations from President of the Senate of Romania Anca Dana Dragu, President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Eliane Tillieux, and Speaker of the National Assembly of Mozambique Esperanca Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias./.

Japan-funded project to help mitigate COVID-19 impacts on vulnerable populations

The Japanese Government will provide Vietnam with more than 2.8 million USD to finance a project on “Mitigating COVID-19 Impacts on Vulnerable Populations”, which was launched in Hanoi on April 26.

The project aims to aid the Vietnamese Government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations and ensure national progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It plans to intervene in four areas: gender-based violence, improvements to elderly care, sexual and reproductive health care, and support for returning Vietnamese migrants.

The project will be conducted from April 2021 to March 2022 in 14 cities and provinces: Thai Nguyen, Dien Bien, Lao Cai, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Da Nang, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Dak Lak, An Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, and HCM City.

Addressing the launch of the new project, the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam said the COVID-19 pandemic proved the importance of mutual understanding, the sharing of resources, and, above all, solidarity and cooperation between communities, societies, and nations in tackling the unprecedented challenges. The new project also demonstrates the good relationship between Vietnam and Japan, he added.

Though Vietnam responded to COVID-19 better than most countries, the social and economic consequences it has caused are of great concern, the ambassador went on, and vulnerable groups such as women and girls, the elderly, and adolescents have been hit hardest.

Naomi Kitahara, representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, said the challenges facing Vietnamese people, especially vulnerable groups, have become more complex due to COVID-19, which has deepened existing inequalities and exposed social gaps.

For Vietnam to achieve the SDGs, it is necessary to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and ensure that all people are part of the sustainable development process so that no one is left behind. She expects the project will represent a great leap forward for Vietnam in remaining committed to fulfilling the SDGs.

The project plans to establish three one-stop shop service centres, hold 10 creative and innovative campaigns on the prevention of gender-based violence amid COVID-19, and provide training for around 500 men and women on preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Under the project, about 1,000 elderly citizens in selected cities and provinces will be provided with high-quality health care and support services, while some 58,000 others are expected to benefit from telehealth services.

About 5,000 ethnic minority women will benefit from a mobile application offering information and consultation on sexual and reproductive healthcare, while 45 district-level public clinics will receive medical equipment to protect their health workers from COVID-19.

It will also register returning migrant workers for training courses on soft skills and comprehensive gender education, and provide them with counselling in sexual and reproductive health, the prevention of gender-based violence, and future careers./.

Vietnam ready to help Laos respond to COVID-19

Vietnam is ready to provide support within its capability to Laos in overcoming difficulties that Laos faces in COVID-19 prevention and control work, standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong said.

The official made the pledge during a reception in Hanoi on April 27 for Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang.

Thuong expressed his delight at the development of the special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, and affirmed that Vietnam will work together with Laos to protect and foster the ties between the two countries.

He offered sympathy to the Lao Party, State and people over the loss caused by the pandemic, noting his belief that under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the governance of the Lao Government and the solidarity of the entire political system and Lao people, the country will be able to contain the spread of the pandemic in the shortest time possible, thus ensuring the implementation of socio-economic development tasks.

The Party official appreciated the important role of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam and asked the embassy to continue working as a bridge to connect ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries towards more effective bilateral cooperation.

Ambassador Sengphet Houngboungnuang congratulated Vietnam over its great and comprehensive achievements and voiced his belief that the Vietnamese people will continue to reap even greater accomplishments in their Doi Moi (Renewal) cause and successfully realise the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

The ambassador also thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for their whole-hearted and effective help for Laos, and took the occasion to update Thuong on the situation in Laos, especially developments of the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Five COVID-19 cases recorded on April 27

Vietnam recorded five cases of COVID-19 during the past 12 hours to 6pm April 27, raising the national total to 2,857, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the new patients, four are Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad and have been quarantined immediately after arrival. The fifth patient was a staff member at a hotel which is used as a quarantine facility in the northern province of Yen Bai, where several Indian experts are quarantined after arriving in Vietnam. This staff member has also been under medical monitoring since the first day he made contact with the Indian experts.

Meanwhile, 2,516 COVID-19 patients have been given the all clear, and the death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 13 have tested negative for the novel coronavirus once, 15 twice and 20 thrice.

A total 38,266 people are being quarantined across the country./.

Government committee meets foreign religious practitioners in Vietnam

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs held a meeting with foreign religious practitioners on April 27 to inform about legal regulations on beliefs and religions, and the realisation of the right to freedom of belief or religion of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam.

The event was attended by officials of the Government committee, the Ministry of Home Affairs, relevant ministries and agencies, and localities’ committees for religious affairs, along with dignitaries representing 43 places and groups for concentrated religious practices of foreigners.

Vu Chien Thang, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, said Vietnam’s strong integration into the world has attracted a large number of foreign entrepreneurs and businesses. Many of foreigners working, studying, and living in the country have beliefs or religions, thus having the demand for religious practices.

He emphasised Vietnam’s policy of respecting and protecting all people’s right to freedom of belief or religion, noting that the 2013 Constitution recognised the right as one of the fundamental human rights while the Law on Belief and Religion, adopted by the National Assembly on November 18, 2016 and coming into force on January 1, 2018, detailed this right of all people, including foreigners legally residing in Vietnam.

In fact, foreigners legally residing in the country have had their right to freedom of belief or religion ensured in line with legal regulations, Thang went on.

Local authorities have created conditions for tens of foreigners’ places and groups to practice religions at legal sites in Vietnam. Meanwhile, foreign dignitaries are allowed to preach at places or groups of concentrated religious practices. Foreigners are also permitted to bring religious publications and items to serve their practices, according to the official.

He expressed his hope that the dignitaries and representatives of foreigners’ places and groups for religious practices will not only help introduce the land, people, and religious life in Vietnam, but also correctly present the country’s relevant policies and legal regulations to other foreigners.

At the meeting, participants learned about the basic contents of the Law on Belief and Religion, the rules on exit from and entry into Vietnam, and the provision of online public services related to belief and religion.

They also discussed issues relevant to the realisation of foreigners’ right to freedom of belief or religion to help build a healthy religious life in the country./.

Kien Giang readies medical infrastructure in face of COVID-19 risk

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is working to establish a temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment in its border city of Ha Tien amid complex developments of the coronavirus in neighbouring Cambodia and illegal border crossings.

Based at the centre for culture, information, and sports in My Duc ward, the hospital will be capable of handling about 300 patients with mild symptoms in the initial phase, according to Director of the Kien Giang Department of Health Ha Van Phuc.

He noted that if the number of Vietnamese people in Cambodia returning home via the Ha Tien International Border Gate keeps increasing, the province will add 200 beds to the temporary hospital.

Eleven rooms for COVID-19 patients in a critical condition will be set up at the Healthcare Centre of Ha Tien city, while the second storey of this centre will be able to provide treatment for 39 patients in fair condition.

After new infrastructure at the Kien Giang General Hospital opens in early May, the old facilities will serve as another temporary hospital if the COVID-19 situation becomes more complex, Phuc added.

On April 19, a quick response team from the Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City was sent to assist Kien Giang in its COVID-19 response.

Dr Tran Thanh Linh, deputy head of the resuscitation and emergency department at the Cho Ray Hospital, said local authorities have thoroughly prepared pandemic prevention and control plans, including the arrangement of treatment sites, as the border areas of Ha Tien city are facing a high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

As of the morning of April 27, Vietnam had recorded 2,852 cases of COVID-19, including 2,516 recoveries, while fatalities remain at 35, according to the Ministry of Health./.

Vietnam’s largest man-made crystal lagoon to be launched

Final touches are being put on the 6.1-hectare salt-water lagoon in Hanoi’s Vinhomes Ocean Park, which will be launched during the upcoming public holiday this weekend.

Constructed by US-based Crystal Lagoons, the project is holding a national record as Vietnam’s largest salt-water lagoon recognised by the Vietnam Record Association. It is also the sixth largest man-made crystalline lagoon in the world.

Dubbed as a jewel in the city, Vinhomes Ocean Park’s crystal lagoon offers its residents and visitors a unique and exciting beach life experience with beautiful turquoise waters surrounded by 35-metre-wide white sand beach.

The sand has been brought here from Nha Trang whose beach was listed in the top 50 most beautiful white sand beaches in the world.

Once operational, the lagoon is expected to help create a unique living space for Hanoians and realise the dream of enjoying beach life every day right in the hustle and bustle capital city.

Vietnamese people will enjoy four days off during the upcoming public holiday from April 30 to May 2 to celebrate the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1)./.

Da Nang starts legal proceeding against illegal entry organisers

Police in the central city of Da Nang have started legal proceedings and detained 14 suspects involving in a ring of brokering and organising illegal entry to Vietnam for Chinese people.

According to Major General Vu Xuan Vien, Director of the Da Nang Department of Public Security, the suspects reside in different northern localities such as Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, Hoa Binh, Hanoi and Hung Yen.

He highlighted the joint efforts of the police of Da Nang and other localities in raiding the ring, saying this is important amid the current COVID-19 situation.

In December 2020, the police of Da Nang discovered four illegal Chinese immigrants in a seven-seat car driven by Dinh Xuan Hien, a resident of Thai Binh province. Expanding investigation into the case, the police arrested additional 14 suspects.

The investigation results showed that from December 21-29, the ring managed to bring 49 Chinese people to Vietnam and then to Cambodia for 28-30 million VND for each person.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, which shares sea border with Cambodia, are tightening control over illegal entry to Vietnam, especially during the upcoming April 30- May 1 holidays and the upcoming general elections as part of efforts to prevent COVID-19 pandemic to enter Vietnam.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Doan Dinh Tranh, Vice Political Commissar of the provincial Border Guard High Command said that Kien Giang has set up 30 posts, eight mobile teams and 11 checkpoints in Phu Quoc Island to prevent COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 23-24, local forces discovered four illegal immigration cases with 23 illegal immigrants to Phu Quoc./.

16 teams progress to next round of Bamboo Airways National Cup 2021

A total of 16 teams have made it into the round of 16 of the Bamboo Airways National Cup 2021, which is scheduled to take place in July.

The results were announced following the conclusion of two final matches as part of the national cup’s qualifying round on April 25.

Phu Dong FC and Khanh Hoa FC became the final two football clubs to have their progress to the round of 16 confirmed after recording a 1-0 win over Hue FC and a 2-0 victory over Phu Tho FC, respectively.

The most notable match in the next round of the competition will be between Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC and SHB Da Nang FC, with both teams being placed in first and second positions in the current V.League 1 table.

Hanoi FC, the current National Cup champions, are exempt from competing in the qualifying round, therefore they will face Pho Hien FC in their first match in the following round.

As V.League 1 champions of the 2020 season, Viettel FC will play Hai Phong FC in their first match of the competition.

The tournament’s next round is set to get underway in July, with the winner being granted a sum of VND1 billion, equivalent to US$43,000, in prize money, whilst also earning a place in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup 2022.

The first and second runners-up will be given VND500 million, equal to US$21,500, and VND200 million, equivalent to US$8,600, respectively.

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

Vietnam’s fruit exports reached about 1 billion USD in the first quarter of this year, up 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Of the figure, exports to the US – Vietnam’s 4cond-largest fruit and vegetable market – accounted for 30 percent. The market’s potential is expected to grow in the time to come.

Growth is expected to continue in the future due to increasing market demand.

The US is Vietnam’s second-largest fruit market, after China. It imports about 150 million USD worth of fruit each year. While the figure is rather modest, it is still significant in creating a driving force for fruit growers to improve the quality to meet the requirements of other demanding markets.

Greater profit margins will create fiercer competition in the market. The price of Vietnamese fruit, meanwhile, is always higher than in countries such as Thailand.

Prices are expected to fall in the time to come, though, as more enterprises invest in post-production facilities and irradiation areas. This will be a foundation for enterprises to cooperate more strongly to sustainably exploit markets./.

SMEDF expects to directly provide loans for SMEs from this year

The Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (SMEDF) expects to deploy direct lending for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) from this year.

This will help SMEs access the Government’s preferential capital through many different forms, according to the ministry.

At present, this fund has often provided loans through the entrusted banks and financial supports for SMEs.

The SMEs enjoying those loans including start-ups, and enterprises in industrial clusters and value chains will take loans via five entrusted banks by the fund.

These five commercial banks are Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV); Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB); Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB); HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HD Bank) and Bac A Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Bac A Bank), reported the Vietnam News Agency.

The lending rate of those loans in April 2021 was 2.16 per cent per year for short-term loans and 4 per cent per year for medium and long-term loans to overcome difficulties in production and business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the duties of receiving, managing and using financial sources, domestic and foreign entrusted capital to create capital to support the development of SMEs, the fund has more capital for SMEs.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, early this month, the SMEDF had a meeting with those banks to evaluate the implementation of indirect lending in 2020. They have also set this year’s disbursement target for loans providing for eligible SMEs.

The fund has also organised activities to improve operation ability of SMEs, such as seminars, training, consultancy and investment promotion.

Up to now, the capital from the SMEDF’s lending programme has been used effectively. The enterprises with the loans are operating well with many production and business expansion projects being implemented as planned, so the enterprises have repaid principal and interest.

Tax watchdog eyes further reforms in the next ten-year period

The tax watchdog was eyeing further reforms in the 2021-30 period with focus on simplifying tax procedures and applying information technology in management to contribute to improving the business climate and bringing Viet Nam to the top 30 in the world in terms of the ease of doing business.

Director of the General Department of Taxation Cao Anh Tuan said that the tax reform strategy in the 2021-30 period aimed at two goals, improving and synchronising tax policies to implement socio-economic development goals and developing a modern and streamlined tax system that operates efficiently.

Tuan said that reforms must ensure the stability, sustainability and transparency of the tax collection revenue while seting up a competitive economic environment appropriate to the country’s integration and development process.

The highest goal of reforms was to promote production and increase the competitiveness and encourage Vietnamese enterprises to participate in global value chains to create high added value.

Accordingly, the corporate income tax would be kept stable at 20 per cent as currently to the end of 2025 and adjustments could be put under consideration from 2026 depending on the Vietnamese economy’s situation and the global context.

Regarding value added tax, it was necessary to narrow down the subjects for tax exemption to expand the tax base, from 20 categories of goods and services in 2025 to 12 in 2030.

He added that the efforts would be made to speed up the development of an e-government towards a digital government by 2030 and bring Viet Nam to the top 50 countries in the world and third in ASEAN in terms of e-government and digital economy.

The Ministry of Finance recently asked the General Department of Taxation to continue to strengthen the application of information technology in tax management. Specifically, priority would be placed on expanding the application of electronic invoices, electronic tax payment, registration fee payment and individual tax payment.

By 2022, the tax watchdog targeted that all administrative tax procedures would be conduct electronically with connection to the national public service portal at level 4.

Phi Van Tuan, Deputy Director of the General Department of Taxation, said that it was important to keep a close watch on the compilation of tax policies to ensure that the administrative reforms really create a more favourable environment for taxpayers and there would be no new procedures.

Currently, the tax watchdog was developing circulars and decrees to guide the implementation of the Law on Tax Management No 38, Tuan said, adding that close watch was being placed on the process to ensure that no new procedures arise in the new circulars.

The General Department of Taxation’s report showed that electronic tax declaration was implemented in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide. The tax watchdog also cooperated with 50 commercial banks to facilitate electronic tax payment and refund.

Gov’t affirms FDI’s important role in Vietnamese economy

The foreign direct investment (FDI) sector continues to be an important economic driver, contributing to making Viet Nam more prosperous, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said.

At the connections for development forum 2021 with the theme ‘Presenting opportunities and challenges from the movement of FDI flows in the new context’ co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and newspaper Vietnam Economic Times on Monday in Ha Noi, Minh said since 1987, along with the process of renewing and opening up the country’s economy, the Law on Foreign Investment had been enacted. The country had seen three FDI waves, which had made the FDI sector present in many important industries and contribute significantly to the overall socio-economic development of the country.

As of December 2020, over 33 years of developing and attracting FDI, Viet Nam has 33,070 FDI projects with registered capital of more than US$384 billion, of which about $231.86 billion has been disbursed.

In order to successfully attract FDI in the new context, the Deputy PM said the Government would focus on solving four issues.

Firstly, Viet Nam would be determined to maintain a stable socio-political environment, considering it a competitive advantage of the country in the context that the world has many unpredictable uncertainties and it is difficult to forecast the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second, the country would focus on improving the quality of institutions and legal policies towards enhancing transparency, soundness, safety and efficiency as well as improving the governance and macroeconomic management of the State to attract high-quality FDI inflows and enhance the competitiveness of the economy.

In addition, the Government would encourage and support domestic enterprises to enter into joint ventures, contribute capital and purchase shares of FDI enterprises in projects using high and new technologies and supporting industries to master technology, manage and develop national products.

Third, the Government would prioritise investment in infrastructure development to create smart and efficient connections to help reduce transaction costs and enhance the competitiveness of businesses, investors and the entire economy.

In particular, the Government would encourage investment in education and science and technology, considering it an engine of growth for the country in the coming decades.

Finally, together with investment attraction, provinces and cities would organise and support investors to build their projects effectively and promptly through reforming the business environment and administrative procedures, especially in land clearance.

Minh expected the measures would help reduce investment costs for investors and strengthen their confidence besides supporting domestic enterprises to develop and participate more deeply in the global production and distribution chains.

Vietnam not impacted by ban on importing 13 types of Algerian fruit

The Algerian Ministry of Trade has recently informed the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance about the updated list of suspended fruit imports into Algeria during the harvest time, according to the Vietnam Trade Office based in Algeria.

In total, there are 13 types of fruit, including oranges, tangerines, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, grapes, pears, apples, almonds, figs, pomegranates, camellia, and quince, which are subject to the list.

The decision has been made with the aim of protecting domestic production, along with intensifying control over imported fruit as part of efforts to avoid billing over real value, whilst simultaneously ensuring food safety quality for the health of consumers.

Due to the nation not exporting these types of fruit to the North African country, there will no effect for Vietnamese farmers. In fact, this ban was initially introduced and applied by Algeria back in July, 2020, whilst they are among one the few countries globally not to be a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

COVID-19 crisis may be opportunity for Vietnam’s agricultural trade: Experts

The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the global economy and created unprecedented trade uncertainty and challenges for all sectors, but from the crisis may come opportunity for Vietnam’s agricultural trade, experts have said.

At a workshop held by the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) and the Australia – Vietnam Economic Reform Programme (Aus4Reform Programme), Do Lien Huong from IPSARD said that although the agricultural sector suffered a decline in agricultural trade last year, it maintained a trade surplus of 10 billion USD.

There are challenges for Vietnam’s agriculture since the country has no particular support policies for the sector while demand in traditional trade partners such as China and the US are falling.

“The pandemic highlighted shortcomings in the agricultural sector and imposed stringent requirements on uniform policies as well as production and cultivation methods,” Huong said.

She stressed that the agricultural sector could find new markets if changes are made in a timely manner.

According to Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Hoai Nam, the shipment of seafood in 2020 fell 1.9 percent year-on-year due to increasing input costs and labour shortages.

In the first quarter of 2021, however, seafood exports inched up 6.9 percent from the same time last year.

Nam said that Vietnamese firms may have opportunities to promote exports and gain greater market share in the time to come as large markets such as the US, Japan, and China are increasing imports while competitors like India and Thailand are struggling with spiralling pandemic outbreaks.

Regarding the production and trade of fruits and vegetables, Chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association Nguyen Thanh Binh said production and shipments have fallen since 2019 as a result of the US – China trade war and COVID-19, but he believed they will bounce back this year.

It is necessary to promote production links and form a sustainable value chain to improve food safety, quarantine, and origin traceability, he suggested, adding that localities and businesses should focus on large-scale production and the application of advanced technologies and good practice standards such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP.

Other experts held that State agencies should provide businesses with full market information and raise awareness about import-export activities.

In addition to expanding markets and adjusting the export market structure, the State should also outline measures to stimulate the economy and support companies in production and business.

According to Director of the Legal Department at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dau Anh Tuan, Vietnamese enterprises expect support from the State, including exemptions from corporate income taxes, extensions on tax payments, and reductions or extensions on social security payments, among others./.

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Workplace productivity improvements needed for economic competitiveness: Expert

Vietnam must look to improve national workplace productivity if it wants to promote its economic competitiveness and growth, according to Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc.

Loc made the statement at a workshop held by the VCCI and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Hanoi on April 28, part of activities launched by VCCI to improve workplace productivity at businesses.

According to Loc, Vietnam’s workplace productivity has improved remarkably in recent years, posting a rise of 5.8 percent each year in the 2016-2020 period and exceeding the target by 0.8 percent.

The country’s growth model has gradually reduced a dependence on the exploitation of natural resources, raw material exports, low-cost labour, and credit expansion, and begun relying on the application of science, technology, and innovation, he said.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Vietnam’s workplace productivity in the 2011-2020 period rose 5.11 percent, 2 percent higher than the average in ASEAN.

Its productivity has improved significantly but is still low compared to countries such as China and India, it noted.

Kenichi Ohno from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies of Japan said with the support of international organisations such as the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), a number of productivity improvement programmes have been implemented in Vietnam over recent years, contributing significantly to boosting workplace productivity.

Vietnam should learn from Japan’s experience and tools as well as those of other Asian countries to improve its workplace productivity.

The Japanese Government and business community are willing to cooperate and support Vietnam in effectively improving productivity, he said.

Participants at the workshop also highlighted the important contribution of the digital economy to productivity and efficiency in the economy, saying that this is a new driver of rapid improvements./.

Measures to bring Vietnamese goods to the world sought

Ways to facilitate Vietnam’s development of cross-border e-commerce were discussed at a workshop on exporting Vietnamese products to the world with Amazon on April 28 in Hanoi.

The workshop was held jointly by the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, and Amazon Global Selling.

Lai Viet Anh, deputy head of the agency, said Vietnam has the fastest cross-border e-commerce growth rate in the world.

Cross-border e-commerce continues to be an effective way for Vietnamese businesses to open their doors to global supply chains and minimise risks when traditional supply chains are disrupted or stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.

Last year, despite the impact of the pandemic, Vietnam’s business-to-consumer e-commerce sales grew by 18 percent to 11.8 billion USD, accounting for 5.5 percent of the country’s total retail sales and service revenue. It is eyeing annual growth of 25 percent during 2021-2025, to hit 35 billion USD.

To help Vietnamese goods connect effectively with the global market, Anh stressed the need for enterprises to engage in and adapt to the trend, besides measures carried out by competent agencies.

Assessing cross-border e-commerce as an effective export channel, acting director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade Tran Thi Phuong Lan said that sales via e-commerce platforms are also one of the fastest ways for businesses, especially those of small and medium size, to build their own brands for bringing goods to the world.

Gijae Seong, Vietnam Country Manager at Amazon Global Selling, said his company hopes to contribute more to the development of cross-border e-commerce in Vietnam.

Joining hands with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in helping Vietnamese businesses develop cross-border e-commerce, Amazon Global Selling officially launched a programme aimed at enhancing support for Vietnamese sellers on their journey to the world by providing them with cross-border e-commerce knowledge, helping them set up and operate stores on Amazon, and improve their competitiveness./.

Vietnam Grand Sale 2021 to offer discounts up to 100 percent

The Vietnam Grand Sale 2021 will take place nationwide from July 1 to 31, with discounts of up to 100 percent, heard a press conference in Hanoi on April 28.

Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu said merchants can register to introduce products and services in line with regulations.

Apart from exhibitions, they can also join traditional festivals in localities to develop tourism and e-commerce and encourage cashless payments.

Last year, over 27,450 promotional programmes were held in response to the event, nearly 1,000 of which offered discounts of 80-100 percent, 1,100 60-79 percent, and some 2,500 50-69 percent.

Discounts were mostly on apparel, consumer goods, electronics, and telecommunications via supermarkets, retail networks, and electronic transaction floors.

According to the General Statistics Office, the total retail of goods and services reached 431.9 trillion VND last July, up 3.3 percent against June and 4.3 percent year-on-year.

Experts said the event will help raise public awareness about Vietnamese goods and services and provide a means for suggesting support policies for participating firms./.

Measures sought to expand export markets for farm produce

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan asked agencies within the ministry, local authorities and departments of agriculture and rural development of localities to focus on measures to seek new export markets for Vietnamese farm produce, stressing that this is a decisive factor in the country’s agricultural economic development.

Addressing a national conference in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 28, the minister underlined the need to pay special heed to building orientations for domestic and international market development for agricultural products.

Jointly held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the municipal People’s Committee, the conference aimed to identify measures to effectively implement plans to restructure the agricultural sector in the 2021-2025 period.

Hoan said it provided a venue for ministries, localities, and businesses to share their experience and discuss ways to improve the value chain of Vietnamese farm produce in the time to come.

According to the minister, Vietnam is ranked 17th in agro-forestry-aquaculture exports in the world, with turnover hitting 41.2 billion USD in 2020, accounting for 1.95 percent of the global total. Therefore, there is major space for Vietnam to boost such exports.

Relevant ministries, sectors, localities and business associations were urged to work hard on addressing bottlenecks so as to develop agricultural product markets in the time to come. They were asked to continue negotiations to remove technical and trade barriers in key markets such as the US and the EU, while promoting negotiations to facilitate the export of fresh fruit and vegetables, aquatic products, birds’ nests, and meat to China, as well as expanding exports to Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the Eurasian Economic Union, Africa, and ASEAN, and for the Halal market.

Attention should also be paid to planning domestic production to create agricultural products that meet the requirements of fastidious countries, participants said.

They emphasised the need to strengthen trade promotion activities, bolster the application of technology in agricultural development, raise the quality of farm produce for export, while share experience, global market trends and issues relating to brand building and protection, and geographical indications with businesses operating in agriculture./.

Deputy PM lauds contributions of Japan’s financial, credit organisations

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on April 28 hosted a reception for Masahiro Yoshimura, General Manager of Business Development Department at Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), who is also in charge of managing Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

At the meeting, Minh said the Vietnam-Japan relationship is developing fruitfully across spheres, and Japan is now Vietnam’s largest ODA supplier with about 27 billion USD.

Japan is also Vietnam’s second foreign investor with accumulated investment amounting to 60.3 billion USD, making up 15.7 percent of total foreign investment in the country.

Japan is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam, with bilateral trade reaching 60 billion USD last year, the official added.

Minh attributed the achievements to contributions in terms of both finance and operational experience of Japanese financial and credit organisations over the past time, including SMFG.

The Vietnamese government appreciates the role of SMBC that has operated in Vietnam over the past nearly two decades, providing financial and banking services, as well as support for many major energy and infrastructure projects in the country with combined funding of about 20 billion USD.

Minh expressed his hope that SMFG and SMBC in particular will develop further and expand its investment and business in Vietnam, while continuing to work as a bridge for Japanese firms in the Southeast Asian nation.

The Vietnamese government also encourages the participation of credit organisations with financial potential, experience and capacity to help local credit organisations, the Deputy PM said, adding that he welcomed SMBC’s investment in FE Credit – a consumer finance division of VPBank, and noted his belief that the cooperation will be a success.

For his part, Yoshimura pledged that SMFG will continue to prioritise its efforts and resources to business development in Vietnam, saying he believes that the group will contribute to the growth of relations between the two countries.

He said SMBC’s investment in FE Credit is the biggest foreign invested project in the banking sector in Vietnam, which has demonstrated SMFG’s commitments to contributing to the country’s development as well as the bilateral ties for a long run.

Currently, Japan ranks third in terms of its presence in Vietnam’s banking sector, with six branches, two financial companies and 10 representative offices./.

Room for Vietnam – US post-pandemic cooperation considerable: Experts

Vietnam and the US have huge potential to boost cooperation in trade and supply chains after COVID-19 is brought under control, experts said at a conference held by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) on April 28.

According to ITPC Director Nguyen Huu Tin, Vietnam and the US have enjoyed impressive strides forward in economic cooperative ties, with the US being Vietnam’s largest export market and Vietnam being the US’s 6th-largest importer.

The US has shifted to purchasing products from emerging countries, including Vietnam.

Vietnam has affirmed its position as an important trade partner of the world’s largest economy, Tin said.

For the first time in 26 years of relations, the US is Vietnam’s largest export market, he said, adding that two-way trade in the first quarter topped 25.9 billion USD, up 33.5 percent year-on-year, with Vietnam’s exports estimated at 22.2 billion USD.

The two governments and business communities have made efforts in the past to bolster cooperation in a practical fashion and based on the complementary nature of the two economies.

Vietnam is stepping up its economic reform and international integration while enhancing win-win cooperation with the US. Meanwhile, the US has attached much importance to ties with Vietnam and encouraged its companies to set up value chains with the country and expand investment.

Thanks to the good control of COVID-19 in Vietnam, Vietnamese firms have a huge advantage over foreign rivals struggling to fight the pandemic, Tin stressed, while suggesting that improving business and production capacity and capitalising on the US market will provide opportunities for Vietnam’s economy to develop further in the time to come.

Evaluating the cooperative potential between Vietnam and the US, Alexander Tatsis, Economic Officer at the US Consulate General in HCM City, said they have witnessed advancements in their trade and foreign relations over more than two decades.

He highlighted that the US’s demand for high-quality Vietnamese products has been increasing due to changes in the global supply chain, and US firms sees Vietnam as a potential, safe investment destination post-pandemic.

Meanwhile, AmCham Vietnam Executive Director Mary Tarnowka said that Vietnamese staples like tropical fruit, rice, and fish sauce are now popular in the US.

Pointing to the complementary nature of the two economies, she underscored that Vietnam has good production capacity in the fields of agriculture, seafood, and wood processing, among others, while the US is the world’s leading materials supplier and has the strongest purchasing power.

Vietnam is an important link in the global supply chain, and the country’s development has positive impacts on the US market, she said.

Ken D. Duong, Director of the TDL International Law Firm, suggested Vietnamese firms select suitable measures to effectively access the US market, adding that small businesses should export products via popular e-commerce platforms in the US, as this helps them cut costs at a time when the number of online shoppers is increasing amid COVID-19.

Medium and large-scale firms should establish representative offices or find distributors in the US, he said.

It is also necessary for enterprises to protect their trademarks by registering them not only in the US but also in target markets, he recommended./.

Vietnam’s economic growth likely to expand 6.7 pct in 2021: ADB

Vietnam’s economic growth is expected to rebound to 6.7 percent this year despite the recent resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in nearby countries, and rise to 7 percent in 2022, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021 released on April 28, the ADB said Vietnam’s economic growth will be boosted by export-oriented manufacturing, increased investment, and expanding trade.

The growth momentum is expected to continue, thanks to ongoing reforms to improve the business environment and Vietnam’s participation in multiple free trade agreements (FTAs) involving almost all advanced economies.

Rising international oil prices and increased domestic consumption is expected to push inflation up to 3.8 percent this year and 4.0 percent in 2022, the report said, adding that faster-than-expected recovery in China and the US would significantly expand Vietnam’s trade and growth prospects.

The report said Vietnam can maintain inclusive growth by softening the pandemic’s impact on poverty and incomes.

The ADB also raised its 2021 economic growth projection for developing countries in Asia amid ongoing COVID-19 vaccine campaigns and the sharply increasing export demand in the world market.

The developing region in Asia, comprising 45 countries in Asia Pacific, is forecast to grow 7.3 percent by 2021, and 5.3 percent in 2022.

Meanwhile, the growth rate forecasted for the Southeast Asian region is 4.4 percent, down from the earlier projection of 5.5 percent due to the instability in Myanmar. The Philippines, the slowest economy in Southeast Asia last year with a 9.6-percent contraction, is forecast to grow 4.1 percent this year./.

Bamboo Airways opens three new domestic routes to Quy Nhon

Bamboo Airways officially announced on April 28 its opening of new routes from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Da Lat city in the Central Highlands’ province of Lam Dong, and Thanh Hoa city in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa to Quy Nhon city in the south-central province of Binh Dinh.

There will be five flights weekly on the Can Tho – Quy Nhon route, four on Da Lat – Quy Nhon, and three on Thanh Hoa – Quy Nhon.

Quy Nhon’s Phu Cat Airport now hosts a total of seven routes, catering to 60 flights on a daily basis.

Vice Chairman of the Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee Lam Hai Giang said the opening of the new routes marks a new stage of development in provincial air passenger transport and tourism, toward its goal of welcoming 4 million arrivals by air in 2021 and 8 million by 2025.

Quy Nhon hosts more than 5 million tourists annually. Most local hotels are already fully booked for the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holiday./.

Vietnam racks up nearly 1.9 billion USD in trade surplus in four months

Vietnam posted a trade surplus of nearly 1.9 billion USD in the first four months of the year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency.

The foreign-invested sector enjoyed 14.4 billion USD in trade surplus while domestic firms reported a trade deficit of 12.5 billion USD.

In the first four months to April 20, foreign investors pumped 12.25 billion USD in Vietnam, equal to 99.3 percent of the amount recorded in the same period last year.

Of the amount, nearly 8.5 billion USD was poured into 451 new projects, up 24.7 percent in value and down 54.2 percent in project numbers year-on-year.

Meanwhile, more than 2.7 billion USD was added to 263 existing projects, down 10.6 percent and 21.5 percent, respectively.

The remaining investment capital, over 1 billion USD, was used for capital contribution and share purchases in a total 1,151 transactions.

Foreign investors landed investment in 17 sectors, with processing and manufacturing absorbing the largest amount of capital (5.2 billion USD), followed by power generation and distribution (5.1 billion USD), real estate (778 million USD), and whole sale and retail sale (464 million USD).

Among 67 countries and territories having investment in Vietnam in the period, Singapore took lead with 4.8 billion USD, Japan came second with more than 2.5 billion USD, and the RoK was the third largest investor with 1.5 billion USD.

Localities that attracted the most FDI were Long An (3.3 billion USD), Can Tho (over 1.3 billion USD), and Ho Chi Minh City (1.1 billion USD).

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the ministry will work to complete mechanisms with a view to improving business climate for foreign investors, and set up preferential mechanisms to attract investment into the fields of high technologies and source technologies./.

Quang Nam province develops sustainable marine tourism

The central province of Quang Nam has been paid due attention to the development of tourism infrastructure as the locality is looking to develop sustainable sea and island tourism products.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Hong, Quang Nam is working to create strong “brand” names for its sea and island eco-tourism models.

Quang Nam is home to renowned Hoi An ancient city, a UNESCO cultural heritage site. Over the years, Hoi An has been a top global travel destination and considered as a living museum of history and architecture.

Besides, it houses Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island) which was recognised as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in May 2009 thanks to its diverse eco-system and ancient cultural and historical sites.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Hoi An city Tran Anh said sustainable sea and island tourism development has been an inevitable choice of the ancient city.

The city successfully restore local coral reefs to serve scuba diving of visitors, particularly foreigners, he said, adding with support of advanced technologies, locals in Tan Hiep commune assisted marine reserves to recover more than 6,000 coral reefs./.

Cat Linh – Ha Dong metro line to begin commercial operation from May 1

Hanoi’s first metro service running from Cat Linh to Ha Dong will start commercial operation from May 1 as directed by the Prime Minister.

Safety problems in the project have been removed, according to a report from the Ministry of Transport, adding ACT – French safety consultants – which is hired to oversee the final stages of the metro project – is expected to complete safety certification for the railway on April 28.

Travel on the Cat Linh – Ha Dong Urban Railway will be free for the first 15 days of operation.

After that, a one-way ticket will cost 15,000 VND (0.65 USD). Then, the operation unit will notify passengers of the price of monthly and quarterly tickets soon.

The Cat Linh – Ha Dong Urban Railway project started in 2008 with a total investment of 18 trillion VND (782.6 million USD) and was initially expected to be completed in 2016. However, it has missed its completion deadline several times.

The Cat Linh – Ha Dong line runs 13.5km with 12 stations, encompassing Cat Linh, La Thanh, Thai Ha, Lang, Thuong Dinh, Ring Road 3, Phung Khoang, Van Quan, Ha Dong, La Khe, Van Khe and Yen Nghia.

Meanwhile, Management Authority for Urban Railways Ho Chi Minh City said that two three-car trains and four six-car trains for the first metro line (Metro Line 1) in the southern hub are expected to arrive in the city between May and July.

The two three-car trains will be shipped from Japan on May 1 and reach Ho Chi Minh City in nine days. The remainders will be delivered to the city in June and July.

The trains will be on trial run from Quarter 4 this year. Within the same time, other tasks like operations, training, technology transfer, and examination will be in progress.

Metro Line 1, which is 20 kilometres long with 3 sub-stations and 11 stations, is 83 percent complete and is expected to officially open for use in 2022. It is built at the total cost of more than 43.7 trillion VND./.

CPI in April records decline of 0.04%

The General Statistics Office (GSO) unveiled on April 29 that the consumer price index (CPI) in April slipped by 0.04% compared to the previous month but rose by 1.27% from the figure recorded last December.

This latest decline in the CPI can largely be attributed to a plentiful supply of goods coupled with a low consumption demand for electricity and water.

CPI in April climbed by 2.7% against the same period from last year, while the average CPI during the initial four months of the year saw an increase of 0.89%, the lowest rise since 2016, with core inflation increasing by 0.74%.

Among the 11 main groups of consumer goods and services throughout April, a CPI decline was recorded in four categories, including restaurant and food services (down 0.13%), housing and construction materials (down 0.43%), post and telecommunications (down 0.2%), and cultural, entertainment, and tourism services (down 0.11%).

Elsewhere, the surge in the CPI could be seen in six groups, including transportation (up 0.87%), beverage and tobacco (up 0.14%), and household appliances (up 0.11%), while prices remained stable in other groups, such as garment and footwear.

According to the GSO, there are a number of other factors behind the CPI increase during four-month period, including rising rice prices and the increasing consumption demand for sticky rice and other forms of delicious non-glutinous rice during the Lunar New Year festival, known locally as Tet.

These moves have served to make rice prices during the reviewed period climb by 7.76% against the same period from last year. Experts also attributed the CPI hike to rises in the prices of food, oil and gas, and educational services.

Along with reasons for the CPI increase, experts said the slight CPI decline was also affected by the Government’s deployment of support packages for residents and businesses negatively impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In addition, railways, airlines, and travel firms have also offered attractive discounts to stimulate tourism demand, causing travelling ticket prices to decline.

April witnessed local gold prices move in tandem with global gold prices, while the US dollar in the global market rose amid a tightening control of interest rates in the United States, along with improved prospects relating to the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Europe.

Workshop examines export opportunities for farm produce post COVID-19

Localities and businesses must focus on developing large-scale production by applying advanced technology and organic farming practices in order to generate high-quality products for processing and export, experts have said.

Do Lien Huong, deputy head of the Department of Market Research and Commodity Development, revealed that rice exports have significantly increased in recent times due to the rising global demand. In contrast, seafood and fruit exports have endured a downward trajectory due to disruption occurring in supply chains and high transportation costs.

Huong noted that despite agricultural trade witnessing a decline, it should not be considered a concern as food items remain essential goods amid the ongoing impact caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Nguyen Hoai Nam, vice secretary general of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that seafood exports last year faced falls of 1.9% compared to 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 impact.

The most influential factors include the high input costs and a serious shortage of workforce caused by social distancing measures which have ultimately led to a sharp decrease in production capacity, Nam confided.

Despite these drops, local seafood exports during the first quarter of 2021 recorded signs of recovery, securing a growth rate of 6.9% compared to the same period from last year. This recovery can largely be attributed to a sharp increase in export turnover in most products and major markets.

Nam predicted that while Asian countries such as India and Thailand are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States, Japan, and China are poised to increase imports in the coming months, offering Vietnam plenty of opportunities to boost production and exports. Yet, he also noted seafood exports would be affected by high transport and input costs.

For fruit and vegetables, Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, revealed that the import-export turnover of the products has suffered a decline since 2019, due to the dual impact of both trade wars and COVID-19.

Vietnamese production and consumption of fruit and vegetables is expected to rebound and enjoy strong growth momentum moving forward, Binh stated.

He went on to underline the need to promote regional connectivity as it forms a sustainable and highly-effective production value chain, whilst also applying high technology and Good Agricultural Practice, such as VietGAP and Global GAP in farming.

The State should provide timely market information and launch economic stimulus measures to support enterprises in order to help them weather the COVID-19 crisis, Binh noted.

The workshop was co-hosted by the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) in conjunction with the Australia supports Vietnam’s economic reform program (Aus4Reform).

HCM City needs a push to become a global financial centre: conference

With a favourable business environment and rapid and steady economic growth, HCM City meets all essential conditions to become a global financial centre, a conference heard in the city on Tuesday.

The city contributes around 22.3 per cent to the country’s GDP and 27 per cent to the national budget, and attracts 34 per cent of the country’s FDI.

It has excellent financial infrastructure with numerous banks, financial intermediaries, investment funds, and financial firms that play a vital role in attracting and distributing capital.

Dr Tran Du Lich, member of the Government Advisory Group, said the city is a gateway to major financial centres and capitals in Southeast Asia, and the idea of turning it into a regional and international financial centre is not new.

However, the growth of the financial sector, especially HCM City’s, has not been consistent and the dependence on the banking system for capital has been significantly distorting the financial markets, he explained.

Key characteristics of international financial centres include a deep, liquid and sophisticated capital market, and competitive tax and regulatory regimes designed to attract foreign investment in financial services.

HCM City must become a development locomotive for the country and the key economic regions in the south, and drive the development of the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands.

It needs to strengthen its competitiveness in terms of institutions, human resources and infrastructure.

It should continue to aim for sustainable growth by improving its competitiveness and growth quality through healthy economic restructuring, and ensure a favourable business environment for enterprises and encourage start-ups, innovation and smart-city measures.

Lich said the plan to make HCM City a regional and international financial hub should be stated clearly in the national strategic economy to ensure the National Assembly and Government could develop policies and specific mechanisms.

To turn HCM City into a financial centre requires three phases, with the first phase from now until 2025 used to complete all the necessary infrastructure for the financial centre, he said.

In the second phase until 2035 the key mission would be to complete its institutional, human resources and urban infrastructure requirements, he said.

The third phase from 2035 should develop an international financial market, he added.

Experts said with strong support from the Government and local authorities, HCM City would graduate from being a national financial centre to a regional and then international centre in future years.

Viet Nam-US trade has new opportunities post-pandemic

Viet Nam plans to further enhance trade and investment cooperation with the US, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, said a city official.

Speaking at a seminar on Wednesday Viet Nam – US Trade, Nguyen Huu Tin, director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre in HCM City (ITPC), said: “US-Viet Nam trade has made impressive progress in recent years, with the US currently being Viet Nam’s largest export market.”

Last year, Viet Nam ranked sixth in the world and third in Asia in exports to the US, after China and Japan, he said.

The US is shifting from imports of goods from traditional exporters to other emerging countries, including Viet Nam. “Viet Nam is gradually asserting its position as the leading partner of the world’s largest economy,” he said.

Tin attributed the achievement to “an open, dynamic and practical cooperation” of the two countries’ governments and business communities.

The US has encouraged American enterprises to establish production and value chains between the two countries.

Viet Nam can benefit from its control of COVID-19 by enhancing trade with its partners, Tin said. Vietnamese businesses should grasp the “golden opportunity” to innovate and improve production and business capacity to exploit the US market, he added.

FDA registration

Nguyen Ba Thien Thu, chief representative of Registrar Corp, an FDA consulting firm, explained that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food, beverages, drugs, medical devices and cosmetic products available for commercial distribution in the US.

“Local businesses need to understand the FDA standards for exporting goods to the US market,” she said.

The FDA regulations include safety and sanitary requirements for products exported to the US. To export food to the US, businesses are required to register wirh the FDA, while complying with the new labeling regulations and the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) by FDA.

Some local businesses are facing problems reaching required standards and quality, especially on completing procedures for FDA certification.

In the future, local enterprises must have FDA certificates for their products to be exported to the US.

To reach FDA standards, Vietnamese enterprises must have input materials that meet those standards. The US market has high technical and high product quality requirements.

Experts said Viet Nam should complete its system of standards and regulations to improve the quality of exports to the US. This will promote the competitiveness of Vietnamese products in the global market.

The event was organised by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre in HCM City.

Experts impressed by Vietnam’s renewable energy adoption

The UK’s Financial Times on April 26 ran an article highlighting that the expansion of Vietnam’s wind and solar farms is proving crucial to powering its economic growth.

According to data from Irena, an inter-governmental renewable energy organisation, Vietnam’s production from solar and wind increased 237 percent and 60 percent, respectively in 2020, raising the share of these sources to a quarter — almost a decade ahead of schedule, it wrote.

With an average speed of more than 10 metres a second, Vietnam’s territorial waters rank in the top 10 percent of the windiest places on the planet.

The seas off the provinces of Binh Thuan and Soc Trang where developers plan to build multibillion-dollar offshore wind farms are also relatively shallow, with depths of 20 metres to 50 metres.

The author quoted Thu Vu, an energy finance analyst at the Ohio-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis as saying that Vietnam’s renewable energy adoption is impressive. The higher cost of offshore units relative to onshore or nearshore wind, the expert noted.

Ian Hatton, Chair of Enterprize Energy, a UK-renewable energy company, said in order to reduce cost, Vietnam must improve its infrastructure, build substations, and lay cables along the seabed for offshore production, or finding alternative solutions. Enterprize is experimenting with converting wind energy and seawater to hydrogen.

He also noted an example of the dilemma facing low- and middle-income nations such as Vietnam. Accordingly, if they produce enough energy to meet demand without improving transmission infrastructure, additional capacity could be squandered.

But William Gaillard, Vice President of wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, believed that Vietnam has “shown a path for others to follow, adding that the combination of an attractive feed-in-tariff with ambitious installation targets and a transparent permitting process has been a critical factor in unlocking this market./.

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

Vietnam recorded 45 cases of COVID-19 in the past 12 hours to 6pm April 29, with 39 detected among people being quarantined after arrival, one case who had completed quarantine after arrival and five connected cases, according to the Health Ministry.

Patient 2899 returned from Japan on April 7 and was released from a concentrated quarantine site in Da Nang on April 22 after completing two weeks in quarantine and testing negative for the coronavirus three times. After returning to his home in the northern province of Ha Nam, he showed symptoms of coughing, fever and sore throat, and turned out to be positive on April 24. Four others in his family also contracted the virus.

Another case detected in Ho Chi Minh City was also connected to Patient 2899.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 2,910, with 2,516 having recovered. The death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 13 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 15 twice and 20 thrice.

Meanwhile, 38,513 people are being quarantined nationwide.

Ha Nam authorities have taken urgent measures to track people who had made contact with Patient 2899. The village where he lives has been put under lockdown./.

Vietnam stands side by side with India in COVID-19 fight: leaders

Vietnam always stands side by side with India in the fight against COVID-19, the Vietnamese leaders affirmed on April 28.

In their messages of sympathy sent to their Indian counterparts Ram Nath Kovind and Narendra Modi, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said they share difficulties faced by the Indian people in the fierce battle against COVID-19 in the context that the pandemic is developing complicatedly around the world.

They expressed his belief that India will uphold its great internal strength to soon bring the country out of this difficulty, for the peaceful, happy and prosperous life of the residents.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son cabled his sympathy to his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Culture ministry calls for COVID-19 vigilance during national holiday

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has asked provincial and local authorities in the field of culture, sports and tourism to enforce preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the upcoming four-day national holiday.

In an official circular issued by the ministry and sent to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities on Monday, the ministry said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop in the world with the number of new cases and deaths still increasing in many countries.

Notably, the pandemic is booming on a large scale in a number of countries that share a border with Việt Nam, it said.

“Although it has been well controlled domestically, the risk of returning outbreaks is always permanent, especially from sources of official entries and illegal immigration,” the ministry said in its circular.

The ministry warned that some people have been negligent in pandemic prevention.

To maintain control of the pandemic, the ministry urged People’s Committees of provinces and cities to strictly follow the directions of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on strengthening COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, with continued vigilance against the risk of a new outbreak.

It is necessary to ensure absolute safety for residents and tourists, according to the ministry.

The ministry also asked provinces and cities to limit the organising of unnecessary events and activities that gather crowds of people and direct local tourist service units and agencies to register and self-assess their COVID-19 safety measures.

Provincial and city authorities should inspect pandemic prevention and control measures to promptly detect violations and issue strict punishments if necessary.

The ministry has requested provinces and cities to report on the results of the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention and control programme not later than May 10.

Highland market to be recreated in Hanoi

People of Hanoi capital and tourists will have a chance to watch unique cultural performances and sample specialties of ethnic people in the highland region when a highland market is recreated in the capital city.

Such a market is scheduled to be held at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Son Tay town on the outskirts of Hanoi between April 29 and May 3 as part of activities to celebrate National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1).

The highlight of the event is set to be an array of booths which will display a range of agricultural and forestry products, along with handicraft items and traditional food native to Hoang Su Phi district in Ha Giang province.

A photo and book exhibition is due to be held in order to introduce the culture and tourism products of the northwestern region to visitors.

Brocades of ethnic groups such as the Mong, the Thai, and the Dao will be put on sale, while their folk games are anticipated to attract plenty of participants.

Most notably, “Keo Vo”, wife snatching, a ritual of the Mong ethnic group, will be recreated daily between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., along with 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., from April 30 to May 3.

Plenty of art performances will also be held at fixed times such as from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., each day from April 29 to May 3.

HCM City prepares to host Vietnam Junior Fashion Week 2021

The 14th version of Vietnam Junior Fashion Week is set to get underway in Ho Chi Minh City from May 1 to May 2, with the occasion due to feature the participation of many famous local fashion designers.

For the first time ever, child patients of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital will perform alongside other professional child models, with the aim to encourage them to overcome their difficulties and help make their dreams come true.

During the course of the two-day event, a total of 14 fashion designers and brands, including Domark Kid, An ST, Vicky Princess, Lala Babe, and Cindy For Kids, will introduce their latest collections to excited viewers.

Vietnam Junior Fashion Week was first held in 2016 and has been held annually since in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Famous Vietnamese model Xuan Lan is the founder of the event.

No new COVID-19 cases logged over 12 hours, vaccination effort ramping up

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases during the past 12 hours to 6:00am on April 29, keeping the national count at 2,865, according to the Ministry of Health.

As many as 38,513 people having close contact with COVID-19 patients or entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined across the country.

The ministry’s Medical Service Administration reported that a total of 2,516 patients have been given the all-clear from COVID-19 so far, while the death toll related to the disease remains at 35.

Among active patients undergoing treatment, 13 tested negative to the coronavirus once, 15 twice and 20 thrice.

Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccination effort is ramping up with 92,445 people vaccinated on April 28, the highest number of doses administered daily to date. A total of 425,638 people have been vaccinated against the virus in Vietnam so far, most of who are frontline medical workers and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups and steering committees for COVID-19 prevention and control in localities.

The Health Ministry continuously warns about the high risk of the pandemic to spread to Vietnam, and urges people to remain proactive in pandemic prevention and control by continuing to wear face masks when going out, disinfecting frequently, maintaining a safe distance, refraining from mass gatherings, and making medical declarations./.

Vietnam, Russia promote AI cooperation

The Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg on April 28 organised a teleconference on cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in artificial intelligence (AI).

This is the first online conference between the two countries in the field which is developing rapidly and holding both development potential and challenges.

It received the support from the Vietnam Software & IT services (VINASA), Russoft – an association of software developing companies in Russia, the Technological Sovereignty Exports Association, and the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Russia.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg Vyacheslav Kalganov said that the theme of this teleconference is a topical issue because the current technology development makes the demand for control and automation systems increase.

Experts and speakers exchanged views on the high technology situations in the two countries as well as potential cooperative fields.

They highlighted priorities for cooperation between the two countries in information technology and digital transformation and made interactive proposals in the AI field./.

State leader chairs meeting on building key legal training institutions

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, chaired a meeting discussing the building of several key legal training institutions on April 28.

The meeting assessed the results of implementing the Prime Minister’s Decisions on a project to build the Hanoi Law University and Ho Chi Minh City Law University into key educational institutions for training legal officers and a project to turn the Academy of Justice into a major training centre for judicial positions.

Addressing the event, President Phuc stressed that public units, including schools and hospitals, play an extremely important role in national developments.

He spoke highly of efforts made by the universities and academy to carry out the two projects, reflected through the improvement in their training scale and quality.

Phuc emphasised the need to continue increasing the training quality to meet higher requirements, especially in the context of international integration and the occurrence of international lawsuits and conflicts.

He affirmed that the State always pays attention to supporting the units, and require localities to help them in issues related to the ground and resources.

In order to become the country’s key units in training legal officers and judicial positions, the institutions must exert more efforts with a greater determination and the spirit of daring to think and daring to do and proactively proposing necessary mechanisms, policies and measures, he added./.

Saudi Arabia lends helping hand to disadvantaged Vietnamese

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRSC) on April 28 received aid worth over 166,000 USD from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (Ksrelief) in support of poor Vietnamese households.

Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam Saud F.M. Alsuwelim handed over the aid to Vice Chairman of the VRSC Central Committee Tran Quoc Hung.

The ambassador affirmed that the Government of Saudi Arabia wants to develop ties with Vietnam in all areas. In the near future, it will deliver a batch of medical supplies worth 500,000 USD.

Hung, for his part, said the aid will be used to assist 6,890 families hard hit by disasters and the pandemic in An Giang, Binh Thuan, and Ninh Thuan provinces via the humanitarian market model, which offers food, necessities, and other goods of clear origin and good quality.

Each beneficiary household will receive a voucher worth 500,000 VND (21.7 USD) for shopping at the market, he said.

He also expressed his hope that ties between the two will become increasingly close.

In December 2009, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam handed over 200 tonnes of goods valued at 100,000 USD to the VRSC in support of people hit by typhoons./.

Vietnam, RoK beef up diplomatic collaboration

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Republic of Korea counterpart Chung Eui-yong held their first phone talks on April 28, during which they agreed to maintain all-level exchanges, especially high-level ones, through flexible forms.

FM Chung congratulated Son on his election as Vietnamese FM, affirming to coordinate closely with him to lift the strategic cooperative partnership between the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam to a new height.

He appreciated Vietnam’s efforts to well control the COVID-19 pandemic. Affirming Vietnam is a key partner in the RoK’s New Southern Policy, he showed his belief that Vietnam will achieve its targets set out in its 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy.

Son, for his part, expressed his delight at the rapid development of bilateral ties in all fields, affirming that Vietnam always considers the RoK one of its leading partners and wishes to further boost its relations with the country.

Both sides reached a consensus on stepping up close cooperation between the two foreign ministries, including in implementing activities in celebration of the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2022, working to achieve a goal of 100 billion USD in two-way trade, promoting the relationship between the two countries’ localities and businesses, as well as in citizen protection.

They agreed to support and coordinate closely with each other within the regional and international cooperation frameworks such as the United Nations and ASEAN-RoK.

They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea and Korean Peninsula issues. Regarding the Myanmar situation, the two ministers agreed to work closely at regional and international forums to call for relevant parties to exercise restraint, avoid the use of violence and conduct peaceful dialogue.

They took the occasion to invite each other to visit their respective country at an appropriate time./.

Top legislator holds working session with NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue held a working session with the standing board of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment in Hanoi on April 28.

Speaking at the event, Hue said there remains room to continue improving the operational efficiency of the legislature, such as raising the quality of discussions in groups about issues with mixed opinions.

About lawmaking, he said the legislature and NA agencies should play a more active and guiding role and offer all possible support to lawmakers to carry out legislation initiatives.

He agreed with the committee’s proposal to increase monitoring of the implementation of documents guiding legal enforcement, as well as presentation activities at the NA Ethnic Council and NA committees.

Hue hailed the committee’s proposal to pilot digital transformation in several activities, and hoped that the committee will offer consultations to the legislature in building the e-legislature.

He also suggested the committee present reports on digital transformation, digital and circular economy in the NA’s upcoming meeting./.

Vietnamese, Malaysian senior officials convene strategic dialogue

The second Vietnam-Malaysia Senior Officials’ Strategic Dialogue took place virtually on April 28 under the chair of Assistant to the Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Deputy Secretary General at the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amran Bin Mohamed Zin.

At the event, the Malaysian official lauded Vietnam’s success in COVID-19 prevention and control, socio-economic development, and external relations, particularly in its positions as Chair of ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

Stressing that Vietnam is the only strategic partner of Malaysia in Southeast Asia, he affirmed that Malaysia always attaches importance to and wants to foster its cooperation with Vietnam so that the relations will be more extensive and effective.

For his part, Hieu expressed his belief that Malaysia will soon overcome the pandemic and recover its economy.

Taking the occasion to thank the Malaysian side for facilitating flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens in the past time, the diplomat requested that Malaysia continue to support Vietnamese businesses and citizens living in the country as well as give humanitarian treatment to Vietnamese fishermen detained in Malaysian waters.

He stated Vietnam will continue creating favourable conditions for Malaysian investors, experts, managers, and skilled workers to enter Vietnam in line with health and pandemic control requirements.

The officials noted the robust growth of the Vietnam – Malaysia strategic partnership over the past years, and discussed specific collaboration orientations across fields to implement outcomes of a meeting between the two countries’ Prime Ministers on the sidelines of the recent ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in Indonesia.

The two sides pledged to work closely to hold high-level and all-level delegation exchanges when conditions allow and to soon implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as joint committee and joint trade committee.

The officials noted they will also speed up the building of an action programme on implementing the nations’ strategic partnership for 2021 – 2025 so that the document can be approved by the 6th meeting of the countries’ joint committee for cooperating in economy and science-technology. The meeting is scheduled to take place in the last half of this year.

The sides also discussed regional and international matters of common concern and vowed to continue with mutual support and collaboration at multilateral organisations and forums, including ASEAN and the UN.

Regarding the East Sea issue, they emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and maritime and aviation safety in the waters; resolving disputes by peaceful measures in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); and facilitating the negotiation on a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the waters (COC)./.

Vietnam promotes gender mainstreaming in climate change policies

Gender mainstreaming in climate change policies is crucial to promoting gender equality in Vietnam, according to Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) Nguyen Trung Thang.

At a workshop held in Hanoi on April 28, Thang said that ISPONRE carried out research on the state of gender equality in climate change policies in Vietnam, with focus sharpened on the four sectors of renewable energy, agriculture, water resources management, and garbage management.

The research showed that Vietnam has made efforts to complete policies on gender equality and climate change response but pointed out that women’s participation in policy making and management is limited.

Additionally, a lack of information and data on climate change’s impacts has affected the building and implementation of climate change policies with gender mainstreaming, he said.

The Vietnamese Government integrated gender equality and social inclusion in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution, which was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in September 2020.

Vietnam is among six countries hardest hit by extreme weather that killed 286 people and resulted in economic losses of 2 billion USD each year over the last two decades.

In a bid to cope with future challenges, Vietnam should adopt more ambitious targets to evaluate the state of gender mainstreaming in climate change policies, according to Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Anne Mawe.

Experts at the workshop suggested promoting the application of technical instruction on gender mainstreaming in climate change policies in combination with the implementation of other development plans./.

Private sector important to public health emergency response: Workshop

A workshop held in Hanoi on April 28 highlighted the important role of the private sector and digital technology in public health emergency response and monitoring.

After global disease outbreaks in the past, 196 countries, including Vietnam, agreed to comply with the International Health Regulations 2005 to develop the capacity of collecting and analysing health information so as to make early warnings and response to public health events.

Event-based surveillance (EBS), one of two methods for monitoring communicable diseases, aims to quickly detect any public health events that run the risk of causing disease transmission and outbreaks or affecting public health, and to issue a timely and appropriate response, thus minimising any negative impact on the public.

EBS is conducted by collecting information from three main sources: the community, healthcare establishments or testing labs, and the media (press, social networks).

Nguyen Thi Huong, an official from the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, pointed out the low participation of private health establishments in public health surveillance and reporting, even though the sector is potentially a major source of input information for EBS.

Since 2020, based on the success of involving the private healthcare system in screening and reporting non-communicable diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, Population Services International (PSI) Vietnam has applied chatbots, via which private healthcare facilities report suspected COVID-19 cases and infectious diseases that may turn into outbreaks.

The application has received financial support from the UK Department for International Development, the Unilever group, and the World Health Organisation in Vietnam.

PSI Vietnam has carried out a project on engaging the private sector in public health emergency response in Hanoi and the provinces of Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Ha Nam, and Quang Binh. The project has applied technological solutions to optimise efficiency and increase the timeliness of the EBS system.

After six months, it has provided training on the system to nearly 3,100 pharmacies and clinics. More than 81,900 cases with suspected symptoms have been reported via the system, becoming a source of supplementary data for the early detection and zoning of disease hotspots.

Underlining the importance of engaging the private healthcare sector in EBS, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said close cooperation between the Government, international organisations, and private healthcare establishments can help boost the application of scientific initiatives so as to secure the public’s health and safety and sustainable development./.

Experts seek solutions to fluorocarbon management

Vietnamese and foreign scientists and experts gathered at a conference in Hanoi on April 28 to share information on current regulations relating to the control of fluorocarbons and to exchange experience in the management of the ozone-depleting substances.

Tang The Cuong, Director of the Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that the agency has been assigned to compile documents guiding the implementation of the revised Environment Protection Law, which was adopted by the National Assembly in November 2020 and will take effect on January 1, 2022.

He said he hopes that participants will contribute to the creation of regulations on the management of fluorocarbons in Vietnam.

Nguyen Dang Thu Cuc, National Ozone Coordinator at the Department of Climate Change, said that Vietnam was one of the first countries to join the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, in 1994.

In implementing the Montreal Protocol, it has completely excluded a number of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halon, and carbon tetrachloride (CTC), while controlling the import and export of Methyl Bromide and implementing a roadmap to eliminate hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

With the adopted roadmap, Vietnam will end the consumption and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are mostly used in the production of refrigeration, air conditioner, insulating foam, and aerosol propellants, from 2024. In 2045, HFC use is expected to be cut by 80 percent compared to baseline consumption, Cuc said.

She noted that, in 2019, the Government issued a resolution approving the amended and supplemented Kigali version.

Figures show that HCF consumption in Vietnam stood at more than 3,700 tonnes in 2019 and more than 6,000 tonnes in 2020.

Experts at the conference pointed to challenges facing countries in managing fluorocarbons. A Japanese representative shared information about a project to manage fluorocarbons’ lifecycle.

They also proposed a number of measures and solutions to manage HCFCs and HFCs, including the formation of a specialised agency to manage facilities using fluorocarbons./.

NA Chairman commends Economic Committee’s law-making performance

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue met with the standing board of the legislature’s Committee for Economic Affairs on April 28.

The top legislator highlighted the committee’s performance in law-making during the 14th tenure, as seen in its chairing of the verification and submission of 13 draft laws, including eight amended and supplemented laws and five new laws, to the NA for consideration and approval.

Among them, the law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on Credit Institutions, and the NA’s Resolution No 42/2017/QH14 on piloting the settlement of non-performing loans at credit institutions were milestones in legislative activities during the 14th tenure as they have been swiftly enforced in reality, he noted.

Meanwhile, he went on, the legal system on investment and business has been increasingly reformed and perfected, with the issuance of the Law on Investment, the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Investment in the form of Public-Private Partnerships, and the Law on Securities.

The committee’s verification reports have also been of higher quality and more persuasive, Hue said, asking that it continue working on a plan to reform and improve its activities.

The chairman requested the committee provide early and timely advice to the NA and the NA Standing Committee about major issues such as the five-year socio-economic development plan, the public investment plan, and the five-year financial plan.

It should thoroughly consult with experts about nationally important projects, he demanded.

The Committee for Economic Affairs also needs to assist the NA, the NA Standing Committee, and the Government in overhauling any overlaps and problems in legal regulations on investment and business, according to Hue./.

Exhibition highlights President Ho Chi Minh’s role in past general elections

An exhibition was opened at the Museum of Military Region 9 in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 28, giving visitors an insight into late President Ho Chi Minh’s role in the elections of the National Assembly (NA) and all-level People’s Councils in history.

The display is an activity celebrating 46 years since the South Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975), the 131st birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, and the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure that are slated for May 23.

It features more than 200 photos, documents, and objects showing the late leader’s role in the preparation for and organisation of the first general elections and the following ones.

Maj. Gen. Nguyen Thanh Hai, Deputy Chief of the Staff of Military Region 9, said the tradition of solidarity and working for the sake of the people and the country in the first NA, whose foundation was laid by President Ho Chi Minh, is one of the important prerequisites for the legislature in the 14th term, as well as in future tenures, to outstandingly perform the duties of the supreme organ of State power, helping to develop a Vietnam of prosperity and happiness.

The event will also help raise the community’s awareness of their role in selecting moral, capable, and prestigious persons representing the people’s aspirations and right to mastery for the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils, he added.

The exhibition will last through this May./.

President attends ceremony marking International Labour Day

The Vietnamese Party and State always give special attention and care to the working class, labourers and trade unions, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on April 28.

Addressing a ceremony held in Hanoi to celebrate the 135th anniversary of International Labour Day (May 1), the President said workers and labourers have continued to play an important role after 30 years of reform, noting they are the driving force in the process of national industrialisation and modernisation.

President Phuc hailed initiatives raised by trade union members and employees nationwide for the development of their businesses, agencies, units and the nation as a whole.

Pointing out difficulties facing workers and labourers in general, notably those working in the informal sector, as Vietnam and the world are combating COVID-19, the leader stressed that the Party and the State have adopted effective measures to fight the pandemic and recover the national economy.

Incomes of labourers are expected to increase again and new jobs would be created in the time ahead, helping to boost the rapid, sustainable economic growth of the country, the President said.

In that spirit, he emphasised the need for the Vietnamese trade union to soon draw up an action plan in order to realise the Resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, saying the plan must carry forward the core, pioneer role of workers and labourers nationwide.

At the same time, trade union organisations at all levels should revamp their operational methods to better care and protect legitimate rights and interests of workers, he said.

Nguyen Dinh Khang, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), highlighted great contributions of the working class to the development of the Vietnamese revolution.

The VGCL has chosen the theme of “Solidarity, Creativity, Overcoming Difficulties, Development” for 2021, he said, adding that up to 245,000 initiatives were raised by workers and labourers across the country under a programme launched by the confederation.

On this occasion, the VGCL launched the Workers’ Month and the Month for Labour Safety and Hygiene./.

HCM City asked to support southwestern provinces in COVID-19 fight

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked Ho Chi Minh City to maintain a high level of vigilance against COVID-19, improve its quarantine capacity, and be ready to support other localities, including southwestern border provinces.

At a working session with HCM City’s leaders on April 28, Binh said the city should review its COVID-19 prevention and control from the highest to the grassroots levels.

Along with strengthening the inspection of pandemic prevention activities, especially at hospitals, schools, supermarkets, and places of worship, it should strictly punish those who fail to abide by prevention and control regulations as well as those facilitating illegal entry into Vietnam and illegal immigrants, he said.

Amid the complex developments in the region and the world, localities around the country must strictly implement the directions from the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister, especially during the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays and the upcoming general elections, the Deputy PM stressed.

At the working session, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Son said that, since the beginning of April, the public security force has held four working sessions in southern localities on COVID-19 prevention while directing the force in HCM City to strengthen its engagement in the task.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that HCM City is facing a high risk of another COVID-19 outbreak, stressing the need for it to work harder to prevent that from happening. Together with cancelling mass gatherings, the city should also prepare more medical equipment for fighting the pandemic, he said.

The minister hoped the city will help Mekong Delta localities in COVID-19 prevention and control.

According to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, the city has discovered 108 illegal immigrants since the beginning of April.

Although it has gone 73 days without any cases of domestic transmission, it has remained vigilant. Since April 27, it has strictly punished those not wearing a face mask in public places, while designing specific plans to ensure safety during the upcoming general elections, he said.

Nguyen Tan Binh, Director of the city’s Department of Health, said the southern hub has recorded 254 COVID-19 cases to date, including 68 domestically-transmitted infections.

Since the beginning of the year, it has sent 66 illegal immigrants to quarantine and is encouraging local people to make health declarations and strictly implement the “5K message”./.

Can Tho to take part in WWF’s One Planet City Challenge this year

The Mekong Delta’s Can Tho city will take part in the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) this year, with the aim of transforming itself into a clean and green city, a recent meeting heard.

The statement was made by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Tan Hien during a meeting with WWF representatives in the city on April 28.

The OPCC was initiated by the WWF to mobilise action and support from cities in the global transition towards a climate-friendly future and to promote measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

It first began in Sweden in 2011 and expanded globally in 2013, according to Tran Anh Tuan, technical advisor with the OPCC. Since 2017, it has been held twice a year on an increasingly larger scale, and more than 320 cities from 20 countries have joined in to date.

Via the challenge, he said, cities share smart, efficient solutions for low-carbon and climate-resilient urban development and drive the global transition towards a 100-percent renewable energy future.

More than half of the world’s population live in cities that are seeing rapid urbanisation, Tuan continued. They generate over 80 percent of global GDP but also contribute 70 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As political and business hubs, cities should play a decisive role in mitigating climate change, he said.

A number of central cities in Vietnam have participated in the OPCC since 2015, including Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Dong Ha, Dong Hoi, and Vinh. In 2020-2021, two more – Can Tho and Soc Trang – are expected to join.

As a first-class municipality, Can Tho faces many of the same problems other cities are confronting in their development process, Hien said. It has taken part in several programmes and networks, such as The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, in an effort to minimise the negative impacts of climate change in each area.

He pledged that Can Tho will fulfil all of its commitments and adopt effective measures to make itself a greener and more modern city when joining the OPCC.

In 2018, Da Nang was awarded the title National Capital of the OPCC, making it the only city in Vietnam to join a list of 21 winning cities around the world./.

Aviation sector tightens pandemic prevention for upcoming holiday

Increasing COVID-19 prevention and control measures have been noticed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City over the last few days as the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holiday approaches.

A representative from Noi Bai said the airport has worked with carriers and ground units to seek agreement on measures to control health declarations and deploy human resources for the task. In waiting areas, internet-connected computers and support teams are in place to help passengers complete their declarations.

At Tan Son Nhat, more security scanners have been added to handle any overcrowding.

On April 24, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan signed a dispatch for the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) and carriers Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airway on enhancing pandemic prevention measures at airports.

It strictly ordered the implementation of the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfectant), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations).

Travel demand over the public holiday is expected to increase significantly, with travel companies saying that up to 60 percent of tours have been booked for the four-day holiday. Tourists are mostly taking short-distance trips and making brief stays in Sa Pa, Ha Long Bay, Phu Quoc Island, Da Nang, Da Lat, and Con Dao Island./.

Dong Thap aims to cut down poverty ratio by 0.5 percent in 2021

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is striving to reduce the ratio of poor households by 0.5 percent in the end of 2021, according to a plan released by the provincial People’s Committee on the implementation of the National Target Programme on sustainable poverty reduction and social welfare.

In recent years, Dong Thap has seen a dramatic drop in the ratio to 1.86 percent in 2020 from 2.73 percent in 2019.

Various support policies have been applied, including providing credit for poor and near-poor households as well as those just escaped from poverty, and poor students. Last year, more than 443 billion VND was provided to more than 13,000 households.

Meanwhile, more than 124,800 health insurance cards have been handed over to poor locals, while more than 26,000 students have received learning support, and nearly 1,400 houses have been built for poor households.

As part of efforts to implement Resolution 42/NQ-CP issued by the Prime Minister dated April 9, 2020 on measures to assist COVID-19-impacted people, Dong Thap has provided more than 180 billion VND to more than 183,400 needy people to help them ease difficulties and stablise their life.

At the same time, the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee and member orgaisations have mobilised more than 300 billion VND from the society and over 84 scholarships worth 51 billion VND for the poor.

Doan Tan Buu, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap People’s Committee said that in order to complete the target of reducing the poverty ratio by 0.5 percent by the end of this year, the province will focus on associating the implementation of sustainable poverty reduction with the building of new-style rural areas.

Along with providing favourable conditions for locals, especially those in rural areas to access basic social welfare, the locality will conduct vocational training to rural labourers and increase labour export, he said./.

USAID launches environmental conservation projects in Việt Nam

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching two new projects to facilitate Việt Nam to contribute climate-positive actions to helping address the global climate crisis, according to a recent announcement from the US Embassy in Việt Nam.

These new projects will help conserve more than 950,000ha of forested area across 12 provinces in the country.

“Healthier, fuller forests, coupled with strong biodiversity, is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” the statement reads.

The Sustainable Forest Management project, implemented by DAI Global, will reduce carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and poor timber plantation management in seven provinces.

The project is expected to strengthen Vietnamese law enforcement’s ability to combat forest crimes such as illegal logging, improve the livelihoods of 60,000 people in forest-dwelling communities, and strengthen the management of more than 250,000ha of forest.

The Biodiversity Conservation project, implemented by The World Wildlife Fund, will protect critical ecosystems to build resilience against the impacts of climate change, maintain and increase forest quality, and protect and stabilise wildlife populations.

The project is set to improve the ability of community patrol teams to detect and deter wildlife trafficking, improve economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities, and strengthen the management of 700,000ha of forest.

These activities build upon more than a decade of USAID’s partnership with the Vietnamese Government, the private sector, and other partners to protect forests and biodiversity, counter wildlife trafficking, and curb environmental pollution to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Belgium, Vietnam see growing multifaceted cooperation: Belgian politician

Vietnam is a priority partner of Belgium in many fields and bilateral cooperation has recorded fruitful developments, matching the demand and strengths of the two countries, a Belgian politician has said.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Belgium on April 28, Anne Lambelin, Vice President of the Belgian Socialist Party, said the successful organisation of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the perfection of key leadership by the Vietnamese National Assembly will offer the two countries opportunities to expand their multifaceted cooperation.

The increasing presence of young deputies in the next Vietnamese legislature is hoped to create favourable conditions for the two sides to further strengthen future cooperation, she said.

Referring to the prospect of multilateral cooperation, Lambelin emphasised that the European Union (EU) – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which has come into effect for eight months, is benefiting European countries and Vietnam in import and export fields.

As a country that attaches great importance to international trade and looks toward economic diplomacy through FTAs, Belgium considers the EVFTA an opportunity to promote its collaboration with Vietnam.

Cooperation in culture and education will also be a highlight in the bilateral relationship, while economic, cultural, and judicial connections will be paid more attention in the relations between the EU and Vietnam, she noted.

Regarding the East Sea issue, she emphasised the need to respect the self-determination of the people in each country on natural resources and national integrity, expressing her hope that there would be no escalation of tensions in the waters in the future and people in the region would not become victims of aggressive acts./.

Medical workers quarantined after contact with illegal entrants from Cambodia

As many as 40 medical workers from Tu Du Hospital have been put into quarantine and tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after coming into contact with two illegal entrants from Cambodia.

Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said during a virtual meeting on April 28 held to discuss COVID-19 prevention and control in the city that the risk of transmission occurring in border areas remains high. This is largely due to the huge number of people who travel back and forth, both legally and illegally.

He also stressed that hospitals in Cambodia are currently overloaded due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Therefore, many Vietnamese citizens there are attempting to find ways to return to home, including individuals who have contracted COVID-19. This represents a new threat to localities in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

The southern city’s Department of Health immediately directed hospitals to implement prevention measures and requested that local people wear face masks in public areas, as well as declaring information honesty when filling in their health form.

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

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has decided to continue imposing anti-dumping duties on certain aluminium products originating from China with a tax rate from 4.39 per cent to 35.58 per cent after carrying out the first review.

On September 28 last year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a decision to impose anti-dumping duties on some aluminium products originating from China with a rate from 2.49 per cent to 35.58 per cent.

The ministry initiated the investigation into the anti-dumping case in January 2019. The investigation found injuries to the domestic aluminium industry. Specifically, most domestic producers suffered losses, many production lines had to stop operating and a large number of workers lost jobs.

The major cause was found to be the dumping of aluminium products originating from China at margins of 2.49 per cent to 35.58 per cent.

In mid-2020, the ministry received an inquiry to conduct the first review on anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium products.

After the review, the ministry issued a decision on April 20 this year which took effect five days later to continue levying anti-dumping duty on some aluminium products originating from China.

On the same day, the ministry also issued a decision after carrying out the first review about the imposition of anti-dumping duty on some painted flat-rolled alloy and non-alloy steel products originating from China and the Republic of Korea. Accordingly, the anti-dumping duties of 2.56 per cent to 34.27 per cent were imposed.

April industrial production expands 24.1 per cent

Viet Nam’s index of industrial production (IIP) in April rose by 24.1 per cent year-on-year, driven by the positive impact of free trade agreements (FTA), according to the General Statistics Office.

The IIP in the first four months of 2021 enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, boosted by the growth of manufacturing and processing (12.7 per cent), electricity production and supply (6.6 per cent), and water supply and waste and wastewater treatment (7.5 per cent).

Key industries that recorded high increases include metal production (37.9 per cent), motorised vehicle production (32.9 per cent), and furniture production (17.6 per cent).

On the contrary, the mining sector posted a decrease of 5.7 per cent against the same period last year.

The number of labourers working in industries as of April 1 rose by 1.5 per cent month-on-month, and 1.8 per cent year-on-year.

To address inventory and promote production in the future, the Ministry of Planning and Investment proposes localities continue reforming administrative procedures, simplifying specialised inspection procedures, and implement the Prime Minister’s Decision approving the Action Plan on improving competitiveness and developing logistics services.

Sectors are advised to focus on supporting the development of the domestic markets, studying consumption stimulus policies for locally-made products, and developing supporting industries.

Vietnam could lead SE in renewable energy development: German newspaper

Vietnam will soon lead Southeast Asia in renewable energy development, Germany’s Energiezukunft highlighted in its latest article, describing the country’s energy transition as very impressive.

Vietnam is experiencing a solar boom, with 11.6 GW of power of this kind added to the national grid last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Only 105 MW of solar electricity was installed in the country in 2018, and the figure rose to 5 GW in only a year later, and even to 16.5GW in 2020, the article said, adding this is a considerable increase as compared to other nations at the same time.

As demand for energy in this Southeast Asian country is forecast to shoot up dramatically in the coming time, big players in the field have invested heavily in solar energy plants. Last summer, a 45 MW plant was put into operation in the central province of Ninh Thuan by Sharp Energy Solutions Corporation, contributing some 76 MWh per year. The firm is carrying out another five 245 MW plants in the country.

The successful solar energy story in Vietnam was sparked by a special market mechanism, which drew much interest from investors. Under the purchasing power at fixed prices, investors would sell the renewable energy they create to the grid at a fixed price – one that would more than cover the cost of investing in renewable energy facilities.

Vietnam could carry out more bidding mechanisms for solar projects, in which all renewable energy projects which are not subject to the fixed price mechanism are able to join.

The Vietnamese Government is planning to double the power capacity in the next 10 years. Accordingly, 29 percent of the nation’s electricity will come from renewable energy source by 2030, and 18 percent from hydropower.

Capacity of renewable energy is envisioned at 45 GW, much higher than the previous plan of 27 GW – the level which is achievable within 2021 or next year as the latest.

Although the energy transition is taking place rapidly, coal-generated electricity accounted for 28 percent of the nation’s total power. However, renewable energy will take the lion’s share by 2045./.

Ca Mau develops high-quality rice farming

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau will step up the application of advanced technology to expand high-quality rice material farming, according to Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Thanh Trieu.

Under the province’s planning, local farmers will cultivate rice on an area of some 110,000 ha, with an average yield of 4.7 tonnes per ha by 2025. Ca Mau will strive for a rice output of 520,000 tonnes by 2025, which is expected to then remain stable until 2030.

Trieu said the focus will be sharpened to develop organic rice materials that meet both domestic and international standards as well as promote the value chain of the food.

In the meantime, the shrimp – rice rotary cultivation model will be developed with a view to increasing the amount of certified organic shrimp, he added.

Farmers are encouraged to shift to growing high-quality rice varieties that are resilient against disease.

Figures from the department show that the local rice growing area increased to 117,390 ha in 2020 from 112,534 in 2017. The yield surged by an average of 0.64 tonnes per ha to 4.54 tonnes in 2020.

The department turned 50,000 ha of ineffective fields into cultivating high-yield rice that is resilient to climate change. In particular, it has successfully planted the grain under international organic standards./.

Bac Giang moving towards digital transformation

The northern province of Bac Giang is striving to develop information technology infrastructure for digital transformation and also the development of smart urban areas.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Son, Bac Giang targets its digital infrastructure being able to provide an average of 14 GB of data each month per broadband subscriber by 2025, with the figure to increase to 27 GB by 2030.

It also envisages that each 100 local people will be connected to 75-100 IoT devices by 2025 and 150-200 by 2030. Consideration is also being given to the construction of an information technology industrial park.

Son said that priority will be given to building and upgrading local fibre optic lines to serve the development of broadband services and smart urban areas.

The province is striving to expand its broadband infrastructure to all villages while having more than 80 percent of households connected to cable internet by 2025.

Half of the local population are to have e-payment accounts within the next four years and all residential areas will have 5G coverage.

By 2025, the locality will prioritise digitalisation in key sectors such as education, health care, transportation, agriculture, and the environment, and develop the provincial capital Bac Giang city into a smart and modern urban area.

According to Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Duong Van Thai, as digitalisation is an inexorable trend, the local Party Committee is working to issue a resolution on digital transformation right this month, having asked local authorities at all levels to join in the process.

Bac Giang province is home to 1,422 base transceiver stations (BTS), with 3G and 4G services covering the entire province. There are more than 1.77 million mobile phone subscriptions and over 1.25 million internet subscribers.

Total telecommunications revenue in 2020 topped 1.9 trillion VND (82.17 million USD). There are 658 IT and telecommunications enterprises in the province who earned over 153 trillion VND in revenue last year./.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau expanding IPs to welcome investment

New waves of investment coming to the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau will push up demand for land rentals at local industrial parks (IPs), which in turn will need to be expanded.

According to the provincial IPs management board, the province is home to 16 IPs covering a total area of 9,054 ha.

Together they house 469 valid projects worth more than 20.09 billion USD, with occupancy rates standing at 52.35 percent.

Nguyen Anh Triet, head of the board, noted that the upcoming expansion of local IPs is in line with a Government decree as well as State regulations on the management and planning of IPs and economic zones.

The board proposed the addition of eight more IPs on more than 8,120 ha in the 2021-2025 period.

In response, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tho asked relevant departments and sectors to tightly monitor the establishment and expansion of local IPs, taking into consideration their investment effectiveness and impact on the environment and social welfare.

Nguyen Khac Thanh, General Director of Tin Nghia – Phuong Dong Industrial Park Joint Stock Company, said an immediate expansion is necessary to meet investors’ demand./.

Kien Giang province eyes 12.7 percent export growth in Q2

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is aiming at 218 million USD in export revenue in Quarter 2, a year-on-year surge of 12.7 percent.

With this figure, total earnings from exports in the first half will likely top more than 355 million USD, accounting for 47.3 percent of the annual plan and up 2.3 percent year-on-year.

According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the locality pocketed more than 136 million USD from exports in Quarter 1, down 15.5 percent year-on-year.

Of the total, rice brought home 42 million USD, seafood over 45 million USD, leather shoes 27 million USD, fruit and vegetables 5.66 million USD, and other products 15.17 million USD.

COVID-19 made it difficult for local firms to ship products to traditional markets, and processors also faced a shortage of raw materials due to climate change and diseases, the department said.

However, with sound business strategies, many companies were successful in fulfilling contracts and were able to ship products to markets on the road to recovery.

Local companies also received legal documents on the application of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of WTO member states, which could affect the shipment of Vietnamese agricultural products.

The department also provided support and worked to remove bottlenecks in capital, materials, workers, trade promotion, and market development for local producers./.

HCM City lures $1.14 billion in FDI in four months

HCM City reported a foreign direct investment (FDI) influx of USD1.14 billion in the first four months of 2021, a year-on-year decline of 12.92 per cent.

Approximately $360 million was channelled into 100 new projects, primarily in commerce ($225.1 million ) and real estate ($125.8 million).

Meanwhile, $403 million was added to 30 existing projects and another $377.6 million was used for capital contribution and share purchases in a total 547 transactions.

Foreign investors pumped most of the capital in processing and manufacturing with $322 million, making up 28.2 per cent, followed by commerce with $321.2 million, real estate ($196.3 million), science and technology activities ($175.4 million), and education-training ($30.3 million).

Among 55 countries and territories investing in the city during the period, Japan took the lead with $494.4 million, Singapore second with $281.6 million, and the Republic of Korea was third with $97.7 million.

Hua Quoc Hung, head of the management board of industrial and export processing zones of HCM City, said the southern hub’s processing and industrial zones had lured $237 million as of late April, an increase of 26 per cent against the same period last year.

The municipal People’s Committee has devised a plan to meet with FDI businesses in a bid to improve investment climate and support the firms, as well as introduce major projects and the city’s investment plans for the next five years.

Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Finance Group acquires 49% stake in FE Credit

VPBank on Wednesday signed an agreement to sell a 49 per cent stake in FE Credit to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Finance Group (SMFG) in a transaction that values the non-bank lender at US$2.8 billion.

SMBC Consumer Finance Company (SMBCCF), a subsidiary of SMFG, bought the stake.

Through this transaction, FE Credit is expected to receive support in capital resources, management capacity and experience in the consumer finance sector in Asia from SMBC Group, especially SMBCCF – a leading consumer finance company in the Japanese market. At the same time, this transaction will add a large amount of capital to VPBank, contributing to enhancing the bank’s financial potential to capture new investment opportunities in the market.

For SMBC Group, the investment in FE Credit is part of the group’s mid-term strategy to expand its business base in Asia. SMBC Group expected that this investment would create synergy in both sharing and acquiring business know-how of its partners.

FE Credit is currently the leading consumer finance company in Viet Nam with approximately 50 per cent market share, 20,000 service referrals nationwide, and over 13,000 employees. During the development process, FE Credit has consistently carried out the mission of “meeting the need to access official credit capital of all classes of the population in order to improve the quality of life”. With small loans, FE Credit is especially focused on serving middle and low income earners – a segment which has not yet been served by banks – to help reverse their dependence on “black credit”. FE Credit has served nearly 11 million Vietnamese people through its unsecured loan products and services so far.

SMBC is one of the three largest financial and banking groups in Japan, with total assets of over $2.1 trillion as of December 31, 2020. The group operates globally in retail banking, corporate banking, and investment banking, with a presence in more than 40 countries. SMBCCF is the leading consumer finance company in the Japanese market with more than 900 branches nationwide. In the Asia region, SMBCCF has established subsidiaries in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and China.

M&A expected to soar in second half

Despite a drop in mergers and acquisitions during the pandemic, a breakthrough is expected in the second half of the year thanks to some billion-dollar deals in the making.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) in the first four months showed significant decreases in capital contributions and share purchases, with 1,151 instances (down 64.1 per cent) and a total investment of $1 billion (down 57.8 billion).

This can be explained by the fact that the economy and investment activities in the country were not yet impacted by COVID-19 in the first few months of 2020, so FDI and M&A activities were still quite dynamic during that time. Specifically, $827.3 million was poured into the economy through capital contribution and share purchases in the first two months of 2020, and the figure surged quickly to $2 billion in the first quarter and $2.48 billion in the first four months.

However, after one year hit by the pandemic, the FDI mobilisation and M&A deals’ value in the first four months of 2021 has reflected the worry of foreign investors.

“Amid the economic and financial instabilities during the past year, it is understandable that investors are holding their money and think a lot more before making any large investment decisions,” Nguyen Viet Cuong, an FIA senior expert, explained, but saying that FDI mobilisation in the first four months of 2021 was acceptable, compared to other countries.

“While there was a decline in the number of deals and M&A deal value in the first four months, the value of capital contributions and share purchases has soared by 10-30 per cent on-year,” added Cuong.

The average value of capital contributions and share purchases in the first quarter and four months of this year was estimated at $1,1 million and $870,000, respectively, while they were $793,000 and $772,000 last year.

According to the FIA, between January and April, industries like processing and manufacturing; real estate; wholesale, retail, vehicle repair; science and technology and professional activities have seen hundreds of M&A deals with hundreds of millions of dollars in value.

Singapore and South Korea were the biggest M&A investors with $265 million and $258 million these months, followed by Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan.

PDP8 expected to be tabled for government approval in June

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been asked to revise and adjust the Power Development Plan 8 to submit to the government in June.

At the meeting between ministries and relevant authorities, which was hosted by Le Van Thanh, Deputy Prime Minister cum head of the National Steering Committee for Power Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) was asked to review the draft Power Development Plan 8 (PDP8).

This masterplan was not approved in late March under the 2016-2020 government term as expected, though the MoIT on behalf of the Appraisal Council presented the report on the assessment of the draft PDP8 for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045. Accordingly, the Appraisal Council reached a conclusion that the draft PDP8 met the conditions to be submitted to the government for approval.

Previously, on March 18, the Appraisal Council organised the second meeting to vote to approve the appraisal report and the content of the masterplan. Four members agreed with the appraisal report and the master plan in full, while 22 others said they would approve the report and the masterplan if the latter was adjusted.

The report on assessment also mentioned that although the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment approved the environmental impact report of the master plan, however, it is still necessary to adjust other contents of the master plan.

EVN, PetroVietnam and National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) have also expressed concerns about the content of the draft PDP8. Notably, the masterplan does not evaluate primary energy (energy sources found in nature that have not been subjected to any human engineered conversion process) or the proportion of local and imported primary energy in order to ensure national energy security as well as problems relating to imported materials namely liquefied natural gas (LNG) and imported coal, among others.

In addition, according to the above groups, the designed power transmission system has a large capacity to accommodate the registered renewable energy generation capacity and future potential. However, there will be problems if renewable energy and power transmission projects are not implemented synchronously, which will cause waste for both the investors and the state. Thus, EVN, PetroVietnam, and EVNNPT requested further adjustments to the draft to better suit current realities

Furthermore, numerous power grid projects were named without deciding on an actual location, which may impact the land clearance process and prolong the time for land clearance compared to the timelines stipulated in the draft PDP8.

Ninh Binh proposes to build airport and remove thermal power plant

Ninh Binh People’s Committee has proposed building an airport to support tourism development and simultaneously removing a thermal power plant.

In a report submitted to the prime minister, the province requested adding its own airport to the national airport planning in 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050.

According to the proposal, the airport would be constructed in 2021-2025 from private capital, with state investment only needed to construct infrastructure connecting to the airport.

The province has highlighted two potential locations for the project, in Kim Son and Yen Khanh districts.

The airport in Ninh Binh would be able to handle planes the size of A320 and A321 models to welcome tourists. According to the province, Ninh Binh has great potential to develop its tourism sector with a diverse landscape including Trang An Landscape Complex and Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, among others.

The province forecast that by 2025, it would welcome 8-9 million passengers, including 2.5 million foreigners.

The province has submitted a similar proposal early this year to the Ministry of Transport.

According to the draft master plan on the development of the national airport network to 2030 with a vision to 2050, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has proposed to have 26 airports by 2030, 14 of which will be international airports. The number could reach 30 by 2050.

At present, Vietnam has 22 airports in operation, nine of which are international and 13 domestic. Seven airports are located in the north, while seven others are in the central region. The remaining eight ones are located in the south.

Along with the airport, the province is seeking the prime minister’s approval to stop the operation of the 100MW Ninh Binh Thermal Power Plant and remove the 220kV substation from the province. The thermal power plant has been operating since 1974.

Singaporean startup pours $15 million into Vietnam’s cashback market

E-commerce cashback platform ShopBack has injected around $15 million into Vietnam with a view to creating a new shopping habit for local shoppers.

Truc Nguyen, country manager of ShopBack Vietnam said that the startup unveiled its beta launch in Vietnam in late 2019 and made an official debut last August. It has continuosly improved the app and invested $15 million in the local market. To date, VND22 billion($956,520) in cashback has been given out to ShopBack users in Vietnam.

“Depending on the market conditions, user demand, and readiness of our technical and product partners, we will expand our offerings and raise more investment to make cashback a new shopping habit in Vietnam,” she said.

ShopBack is backed by e-commerce group Rakuten Group Inc., one of the better-known companies that dole out cash-back rewards for online purchases. Other investors into the startup are EV Growth, Temasek Holdings, and Credit Saison, among others. ShopBack has raised a total funding of $134 million since 2014.

The increasing number of internet users, rising internet penetration, and steady increase of the e-commerce share of total retail sales in Vietnam makes it a core and high-potential market for ShopBack. Vietnam presents a tremendous opportunity for the startup to grow and succeed in the digital space, with large marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, and Sendo – all of whom are its merchant partners – experiencing record-breaking growth in the past years.

The country manager said that it will focus on increasing the number of partners and clients in the next 2-3 years. With the current growth trajectory, ShopBack is likely to reach 2 million users in Vietnam.

In line of booming e-commerce demand, Vietnam has welcomed more online cashback platforms such as Finhay, Cashbag, Catback, and ShopBack. However, there are aslo some fraud cashback scams that customers need to be aware like consumer rewards app MyAladdinz. There is a key difference between legitimate players from fraudulent ones, which are operated like multi-level platforms. They require shoppers to submit money to the apps to receive rewards, after a short time they will shut down and steal all users’ money.

Proactively welcoming the fourth FDI wave

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the global economic structure, breaking production and circulation chains, promoting new technology development and “rectifying” investment flows. In that context, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam also needs to be adjusted to suit the new situation.

Entering its 33rd year of implementing the open-door policy to attract foreign capital, up to now, FDI inflows have become one of the important drivers of Vietnam’s economic growth with a significant increase in theircontribution to GDP.

By the end of 2020, the whole country has 33,070 valid FDI projects with total registered capital of over US$384 billion, the implemented capital having reached US$231.86 billion, equalling more than 60% of the total registered. FDI is present in all 63 localities in the country and is invested in 19 out of 21 industries in the national economic sub-sector. The FDI sector accounts for a large proportion of total industrial production value and the total export value of Vietnam, and revenues to the State budget have steadily increased over the years.

However, along with the positive contributions, the limitations of foreign capital flows have also been clearly revealed. Of which, the biggest limitation is the low level of connection and spread of the FDI sector to the domestic investment sector; the attraction and transfer of technology from the FDI sector to the domestic investment sector not meeting expectations, and limitations in attracting FDI in a number of priority industries and sectors and from multinational corporations. In addition, there has been a phenomenon ofsome enterprises not strictly following the law on investment or regulations on environmental protection.

According to some economic experts, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity for Vietnam to actively attract new generation FDI in a more selective manner, with quality, efficiency, technology and environmental protection as the main evaluation criteria. In order to catch up with the flow of the fourth wave of FDI taking place globally, Vietnam needs to be more adaptive, proactive and creative.

At the macro level, the Government will focus on solving a number of major issues. These are to maintain the stability of the macroeconomic, socio-political environment, a competitive advantage of Vietnam in attracting FDI; focus on improving the quality of institutions, policies and laws in order to implement the policy of foreign investment cooperation with priority and selection associated with the goal of improving competitiveness, building an independent economy and prioritising investment in infrastructural development.

At local level, it is necessary to organise and support effectively and promptly investors to build projects with the fastest speeds, the shortest times and the highest levelsof effectiveness through the reform of business and administrative procedures, especially procedures for land and land clearance, and so on.

Enhancing tourism development in the new normal state

The complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic has left both types of international tourism, inbound and outbound, almost paralysed; therefore, domestic tourism has been identified as the salvation to gradually restore the country’s smoke-free industry.

The importance of domestic tourism

According to travel experts, the COVID-19 epidemic has caused the tourism sector to be full of hardships but also offered an opportunity for the sector to look back and learn lessons from the crisis. One of the most important lessons is to re-realise the importance of domestic tourism in order to balance development policies among different types. Vu The Binh, Standing Vice Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association said that previously, domestic tourism was not considered a key branch, so did not received proper attention. The demand, preferences, trends, favourite products of Vietnamese tourists or tourism services serving Vietnamese people have not been clearly shaped. The relevant agencies should develop a strong domestic travel market even after the pandemic is controlled completely.

The statistics of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism showed that the number of domestic tourists was only 30 million in 2011 but increased to 85 million (nearly tripling) in 2019, equal to an average growth rate of about 15% per year. Trip time as well as spending of domestic tourists is increasing by an average of 3.7 days and VND1-1.6 million. In 2015, the domestic tourists only contributed VND158 trillion to the total revenue of the sector and VND334 trillion in 2019, with an average increase of about 20.5% per year. This showed that during 2011-2019, before the pandemic appeared, domestic travel saw positive growth. Currently, Vietnam is controlling the epidemic quite well and a series of companies and travel service providers are offering promotions to stimulate demand, so the purchase of domestic tours and products has increased sharply. Airlines must continuously increase supply capacity and open more domestic routes. Many accommodation establishments in “favourite” tourist destinations have to announce “out of rooms” during the upcoming holidays. These are proof that domestic tourism is a potential market. If effective exploitation policies are implemented, this market will ensure the sustainable development of the whole sector.

In response to urgent requirements about the need to have a specific strategy to promote domestic tourism, towards increasing the resistance of Vietnamese tourism, Vietnam Tourism Association, in collaboration with the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Tourism and Tourism Association, held the 2021 National Domestic Tourism Forum themed “Domestic tourism – The driving force to restore Vietnam tourism in the new normal state”. The event featured the participation of leaders from travel management agencies and nearly 500 enterprises around the country. At the forum, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that in recent years, Vietnamese tourism sector has taken the number of visitors and revenue from the international market as a measure of the tourism development’s effectiveness. This is about to change. The tourism sector needs to go firmly on both international and domestic feet.

Linking and diversifying products

According to the tourism sector’s leader, four groups of measures should be implemented to develop domestic tourism. Firstly, travel businesses should soon restructure themselves and recalculate important and key aspects of domestic travel business. Secondly, it is essential to re-study the domestic tourism market. Thirdly, the linkages should be strengthened on the basis of developing unique tourism products and contributing to spreading their values. Lastly, relevant agencies should focus on gradually forming culture in destinations.

It is a fact that with international travel businesses having also shifted their attention to domestic tourism, the competition in this “territory” has become even more fierce. That situation requires tourism service providers to enhance their linkages and coordination to share benefits while finding ways to self-position their travel brands through the development of diversified but unique tourism products. According to Director of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Quy Phuong, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the needs and tastes of tourists regarding safety, experiences of nature and the ecosystem, small groups, short time, and technology applications. Therefore, the localities and enterprises should proactively innovate, create and develop new products in line with the customers’ demand.

In recent times, several units have built new tourism products that have attracted a large number of visitors such as tours to the Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh hot springs, Ha Long Bay by seaplane, Hoa Lo Prison at night, and air balloon experiences in Hanoi’s Ba Vi District. The introduction of these new products has contributed to creating an exciting atmosphere for the domestic tourism market, bringing more options to travellers. To promote domestic tourism in Vietnam, tourism development orientations must ensure security, safety and principles of respect for the environment, harmony with nature, respect for local culture and identity, proactive adaptation to the epidemic and sustainable development.

In addition, the experts noted that the Government, ministries and agencies should make policies and solutions to remove difficulties for the enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, in facing COVID-19 outbreaks. The direct assistance includes financial support, tax exemptions and concessional loans. The indirect supports are human resources training, the promotion of common destinations. The joint efforts from all tourism service providers, management agencies and relevant ministries will create a positive ecosystem for boosting domestic tourism development, thus ensuring the operation and growth of the tourism sector in the new normal state.

Hanoi works to ‘refresh’ tourism image to lure visitors

As one of the country’s tourism markets, Hanoi is rolling every effort to ‘refresh’ the image of tourism to lure domestic visitors, with a focus on creating new experiences and strengthening connection with other localities to develop more attractive tourist products.

A night tour at the Hoa Lo Prison historical site was launched to provide visitors with a unique experience with a combination of sounds and lights which change as they walk through different rooms inside the prison-turned-museum.

Visitors will be filled with a range of special emotions, from sympathy for prisoners in the gruesome conditions of a colonialist prison to respect for their resolute resilience and fighting spirit for national independence.

According to head of the site’s management board Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, Hoa Lo Prison welcomes hundreds of visitors every year. The site has also chosen as a venue for extracurricular activities of many schools to educate their students about the country’s revolutionary tradition and patriotism.

The management board has coordinated with travel agencies to launch two night programmes at the site, which have received much appreciation from visitors.

In addition to the night tour at Hoa Lo Prison, many other new tourist products have also been launched to welcome back visitors to the capital city, including tours to explore Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Indochinese styled buildings in Hanoi, and places of interest along Red River such as Chem and Soc temples, Bo De Pagoda, Bat Trang pottery village, and Me Linh flower village.

Of which, the tour to Indochinese-styled buildings, which is designed by travel company Hanoitourist, helps visitors to gain a closer insight into typical buildings constructed in Hanoi in early 20th century, namely the Sofitel Metropole Legend, the Hanoi Opera House, the National Historical Museum, and the Government Guest House.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi Tourism Department in coordination with tourism departments of Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Sa La, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City recently debuted the ‘Hanoi+’ tours, which connects Hanoi with tourist attractions in the neighbouring localities.

In order to provide travellers with high-quality tourist products at affordable prices, Hanoi’s tourism sector has actively worked with, airlines, railway sector, travel associations, hotels, restaurants and management boards of tourist attractions in implementing programmes on restructuring the hospitality sector and stimulating domestic travel demand.

Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said that after more than a year facing numerous many difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, travel businesses want to grasp opportunities for recovery.

Therefore, the department receives enthusiastic cooperation from those operating in the tourism sector, she stated, adding that airlines have launched generous discounts for passengers, particularly for travel agents who buy tickets in bulk.

The active participation from the businesses has contributed to the building of tourism products at attractive prices while ensuring quality.

The recent Hanoi Tourism and Cuisine Festival 2021 brought together travel agents and transport businesses from 12 localities which have strong advantages of tourism, including Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Binh, and Ha Giang, among others. Around 1,000 tour packages were on sale at the event with prices seeing discounts of up to 25%.

However, after a year of falling in “hibernation” and facing great losses due to COVID-19, thousands of travel businesses and accommodation establishments have remained closed. Many of them have hesitated to “restart” because of worries that the risks may return.

Since then, as stated by Director of Flamingo Redtours Company Nguyen Cong Hoan, travel businesses are seeking for the State’s support, particularly in terms of tax and land lease payment extensions so that they are able to return to the market.

Vietnamese tourists pay stronger attention to sustainable tourism

According to a survey by Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel companies, nearly 100% of Vietnamese tourists want to stay in eco-friendly accommodations at least once.

The survey was conducted with 29,349 participants from 30 travel markets found that 81% of global travellers aspire to stay in eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable accommodations at least once. Accordingly, almost 1,005 Vietnamese tourists aged 18 years and over who participated in the survey expressed their desire for these kinds of accommodations. Meanwhile, the figure is 98% in Thailand, 90% in Singapore and 81% in the Republic of Korea.

Previously, an online survey conducted by Booking.com in July 2020, with the participation of 20,934 people from 28 countries and territories around the world, showed that over 53% of global visitors, including 59% from Vietnam, 68% from Thailand and 60% from Chinese Taipei, admitted that they pay more attention to sustainable tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Anthony Lu, Country & Mekong Region Head (China) at Booking.com, its study proved many restrictions enacted globally have inspired 59% of Vietnamese travellers to prioritise sustainable travel in the future. This is a positive sign that travellers will be more considerate before they make decisions about their future travels, while also being aware that any sustainable actions they take will help correct their impact on the environment. No matter how small or simple, Vietnamese visitors are believed to have a great impact on the environment and the tourism sector.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made global residents to re-evaluate their effects on their surroundings, towards sustainable travel in the future after travel restrictions are removed.

In fact, Vietnam is an advantageous country for sustainable tourism development. The country possesses nine world biosphere reserves recognised by UNESCO and over 30 national parks, including six ASEAN heritage parks that maintain their ecosystems, diversity and values of population. Notably, Vietnam owns 400 hot water resources, ranks 27th out of 156 nations with seas in the world with 125 beaches, most of which are beautiful. It is also among the 12 countries with the most beautiful bays (Ha Long and Nha Trang).

Over the years, tourism activities in Vietnam have been held towards sustainable tourism, with many resorts receiving international green certificates such as EarthCheck and Green Growth 2050, including Banyan Tree Lang Co in Hue City, Caravelle Saigon, Angsana Lang Co, Avani Quy Nhon, Anantara Mui Ne Resort and Spa, Harbour View Hai Phong and Anantara Hoi An Resort.

Long An wants companies to invest in Ring Road 3

The Long An government has proposed allowing companies to invest in a section of the Ring Road No. 3 project that will run through the Mekong Delta province aimed at speeding up the construction of the key traffic route, according to the provincial government.

The section will be 6.65 kilometers long, have six lanes and cost VND4.63 trillion. Of the total investment, site clearance will cost VND1.6 trillion, Thanh Nien Online reported.

The provincial government had earlier passed a plan allowing the Investment and Industrial Development Corporation (Becamex IDC Corp.) and Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park Joint Venture Co. to study and map out a 1/2,000 master plan for the Becamex-VSIP Service-Industrial and Urban Area project in Ben Luc District. The project is set to cover some 2,300 hectares, with some 4.7 kilometers of the Ring Road No. 3 cutting through.

As such, the investors proposed allowing them to implement the site clearance works for the 4.7-kilometer section and invest in two parallel lines in line with the master plan.

The solution was appropriate, said the Long An government, proposing the Ministry of Transport ask the Government and relevant ministries and departments for opinions so that Long An Province can hold tenders and choose investors to speed up the project.

Due to its limited budget, the province also proposed the Ministry of Transport use the capital from the central budget to develop the remaining 1.95 kilometers of the section of the Ring Road No. 3.

The Ring Road No. 3 project was approved by the prime minister in 2011. The 89.3-kilometer-long Ring Road 3 will pass through Dong Nai, HCMC, Binh Duong and Long An. As planned, the ring road would be completed by 2020, but a mere 16.3 kilometers of the road running through Binh Duong Province has been completed, accounting for 17.9% of the total length.

Number of newly-established firms in Jan-Apr hits new record

In the first four months of 2021, nearly 44,200 new enterprises were established, up 17% over the same period last year and the highest-ever recorded for the period, according to the Business Registration Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The result was positive as the number of newly-established enterprises fell over 13% in the same period last year due to the pandemic, news site VnExpress reported.

The retail, wholesale and auto and motorbike repair sectors saw the highest number of newly-established enterprises at nearly 14,700, followed by the construction sector with 5,700 companies and the processing and manufacturing sector with 5,600 firms.

However, the real estate, healthcare, social welfare, service, education and logistics sectors reported the highest growth in the number of new enterprises.

New firms registered total capital of nearly VND628 trillion, also an all-time high for the period.

According to the Business Registration Department, the increase in newly-established firms highlighted the recovery of the economy and enterprises’ confidence in the country’s economic development prospects in the coming periods.

However, the number of enterprises withdrawing from the market in the first four months of the year also increased to some 51,500, mainly the small ones. Of the total, 28,350 businesses temporarily stopped operations for a certain period and 16,400 others completed procedures for disbandment.

Firms withdrawing from the market were mainly those in the healthcare, education, mining, property and agriculture sectors. More than 91% of enterprises suspending their operations and 89% of dissolved firms had charter capital of less than VND10 billion and operated for less than five years.

According to the Business Registration Department, they were vulnerable to the pandemic. Many enterprises have chosen to suspend operations to review the development of the market, seek new business plans or wait for the Government’s support policies.

HCMC plans to borrow US$100 million from WB for eight programs

The HCMC government has proposed borrowing US$100 million from the World Bank (WB) to provide capital for its eight policy programs as the city’s budget is not enough for its development demand.

The municipal government has asked the standing board of the municipal Party Committee for its opinion on the second development policy operation program (DPO-2). This program includes eight policy sub-programs relating to the standardization of the shared database, announcement of vector-based zoning plans, increase of wastewater drainage and treatment service prices and organization of tenders for State-owned commercial housing assets for production and business purposes, among others.

According to the municipal government, the Government approved over VND42.2 trillion for the city this year, including VND14.8 trillion in official development assistance loans and VND27.4 trillion from the city’s reciprocal capital, Thanh Nien Online newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, the capital needed is over VND47.8 trillion. Thus, the city will face a shortage of over VND20.4 trillion.

In April 2020, the Ministry of Finance disbursed loans for the DPO-1 program and VND2.86 trillion was provided for 153 projects.

Vietnam’s outward investment in Jan-Apr soars 7.9 times

Vietnam’s outward investment in the first four months of 2021 reached nearly US$546 million, surging by 7.9 times compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Specifically, 18 projects worth US$142.8 million received investment licenses and nine projects got additional capital of US$403.2 million.

Data of the ministry showed that Vietnamese companies invested in 10 sectors in foreign countries between January and April. The science and technology sector attracted the largest investment with US$279.8 million, accounting for 49.6% of the total.

Retail ranked second with US$147.8 million, accounting for 27.1%, followed by agriculture-forestry-aquaculture and supporting services.

Vietnamese companies invested in 15 countries and territories, with the United States absorbing US$302.3 million of the registered capital (accounting for 55.4%), followed by Cambodia with US$89.1 million (16.3%), France, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.

As of April 20, Vietnam had 1,417 valid outward investment projects worth US$21.8 billion. The biggest investment was poured into mineral exploitation, accounting for 36% of the total, followed by the agriculture-forestry-aquaculture sector with 15.4%.

Laos was the biggest recipient of Vietnamese investment to date, accounting for 23.1% of the registered capital, followed by Cambodia with 13% and Russia with 12.7%.

Vietnam’s outward investment in 2020 was more than US$590 million, increasing 16.1% year-on-year.

It needs objective remarks for rice export decline

There are different remarks over the good harvest and export prices of rice in the Mekong Delta but the strong decline in rice export volume. In all, subjectively, businesses have been paying more attention to improving rice quality to meet the strict standards of many markets; while objectively, the global demand for food reserves has been increasing and the prices of Thai and Indian rice have made record highs in recent years. In this context, Vietnam can “leisurely” wait for positive rice export results in the upcoming months. However, the real scenario is not quite so.

The scenario may not unfold as expected because of the following reasons.

First, it’s not known what the basis for the remark “The high global demand for food reserves has pushed up the world’s rice price”(1) is but two most prestigious agencies for global rice, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have quite different remarks.

According to the latest forecast by the USDA, the global rice reserves early this year were large, at nearly 178 million tons. Though the volume grew insignificantly against the year-earlier period, it increased by more than 14 million tons from the same period in 2019 and was enough to meet the consumption demand over 129-130 days. Obviously, this is a scenario contrary to the period when the global rice reserves were thin, only enough to meet the consumption demand over half the time above (64-68 days in 2006-2009). For the consumption demand for up to 80 days, the time the reserves can meet this demand is equivalent to seven years (2005-2011), which was the period of the global rice price fever.

Further, the USDA also argued that the global rice growing area this year has increased quite strongly, resulting in an increase of 10 million tons of rice, not standing “the same” as in 2020.

In this situation, the global rice imports this year are forecast at only 43.7 million tons, up 1.33 million tons from 2020, while imports in 2020 were 1.65 million tons lower than 2019. As a result, the global rice imports have been on a downward trend against the record imports of 47.2 million tons in 2018.

The statistics and the forecast of FAO, albeit somewhat different, also show a similar trend in general.

Therefore, one cannot refer to certain particular phenomena to assess the global rice supply and demand as mentioned above. This is also the unpersuasive point mentioned in the scandal over rice export quotas in Vietnam early last year.

Second, the price increase by Thai rice exporters is true, but possibly because of force majeure causes, while the information about the increase of Indian rice price “past the records in recent years”(1) needs verification.

India’s rice exports in the first two months of this year increased exponentially, certainly because of the strongest price decline since the end of the global rice price fever.

According to official statistics of India, the country’s rice exports in the first two months reached 3.63 million tons, surging 84.2% year-on-year, but the average price was only US$460 per ton, the lowest since 2008.

Notably, while exports of fragrant rice fell, exports of non Basmati rice surged 162.1%. The average price of Basmati rice in the first two months was US$855 per ton, the lowest since 2017, and white rice US$353 per ton, a record low since 2008.

Meanwhile, the increase in the price of Thai rice since 2020 is due to reasons beyond the imagination of Thai rice traders, in addition to other reasons similar to those of Vietnam. They are the heavy crop losses in early 2020 due to record droughts in decades, floods which have pushed up production costs, the Thai Government’s diverse rice supports to stabilize prices and the appreciation of the baht. The synergy of these factors slumped rice exports and increased rice storage strongly in 2020. The storage is forecast to continue at a very high level this year.

This situation in Thailand, coupled with the strong price rise of Vietnamese rice, may force some customers to turn their back on Vietnamese rice and switch to the abundant supply of Indian rice with soft prices, especially white rice.

Third, the increase in the price of Vietnamese rice due to the improvement of the rice quality or Vietnamese rice exporters’ increased attention to rice quality improvement and traceability to meet strict standards of export markets like the EU, the U.S. and South Korea is certainly something true and worth cheering in terms of quantity, but it may be doubtful in terms of quality.

Statistics of the USDA show that five years ago, the fastidious markets of Europe, America and Australia accounted for 11.3% of the total of 50.8% of Vietnamese white rice exports and only 2% of the total of 44.6% of Vietnamese fragrant and glutinous rice exports (the total rice exports is 100%). However, in 2020, the share of white rice exports to these markets plunged drastically to 6.9% while the share of glutinous and fragrant rice exports increased to only 2.7%.

Nevertheless, this statement is not meant to completely negate the efforts of the rice industry, but on the contrary, it needs recognition for enterprises which have developed rice material areas and sustainable rice value chains to build a brand for rice. Still, with the possibly vast remaining rice area, it’s too optimistic to say that more and more attention is being paid to the rice quality, and so it may not be sound to say that this is the reason for the rice price increase.

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