As a leading food and beverage producer, URC’s operations are bound to be heavily reliant on materials and produce waste. What initiatives have you launched to tackle this? Putting sustainability at the core of our business, we are fully aware of our responsibility to care for the environment and society while growing our business. For several years now, we have been implementing initiatives to improve the efficiency of water, energy, and waste management. All URC factories have reverse osmosis systems and reuse the water cleaned by it, as well as utilise clean energy such as compressed natural gas and biomass energy to protect the environment. Besides that, industrial waste is treated by contractors for recycling and is used as raw materials to produce pavement bricks and fertiliser, among others. Our facilities are certified with ISO 14001:2015 – an industry-leading accreditation for environmental management systems. … [Read more...] about URC Vietnam accelerates green turn
Japanese health ministry e cigs
Private sector development to enhance FDI efficiency
Vietnam must have really strong local enterprises to have a self-reliant economy. This poses an urgent need, that is the attraction and use of FDI in the next phase must bring about qualitative efficiency, meaning that the value of the production chain in Vietnam must belong to Vietnamese enterprises. Meanwhile, the private sector currently has a dominant presence in the economy, with some 800,000 enterprises operational as of October 2020, but over 95% of them are micro, small and medium busiensses. Therefore, the concentration of all resources available (capital, including land, high-quality manpower, incentives and so on) to develop the private sector economy is an urgent need for FDI attraction in the next phase. If private enterprises remain micro, small and medium, lack capital and technology, and still face administrative troubles, Vietnam will not have sufficient enterprises big and strong enough to be able to ally and partner with foreign enterprises so as to master each area … [Read more...] about Private sector development to enhance FDI efficiency
Life and times of a Dong Ho artist
First created in the 16th-17th centuries in a small village in Bac Ninh’s Thuan Thanh District, Dong Ho paintings are one of the most famous art genres in Việt Nam, combining cultural beauty and values that represent the country’s national heritage. … [Read more...] about Life and times of a Dong Ho artist
An overseas Vietnamese: Covid-19 infected, in lockdown and the desire to fly back home
This time, both UK residents and overseas Vietnamese were somewhat indifferent, we began to be familiar with the pandemic and didn’t care about it much. Schools were not shut down. The students isolate themselves at home if they are found being infected. Once an infection was confirmed among the students, the whole grade would remain isolated at home while students of other grades keep going to school as usual. … [Read more...] about An overseas Vietnamese: Covid-19 infected, in lockdown and the desire to fly back home
Supermarket coalition expected to help cut use of plastic bags
Hanoi (VNA) – An initiative to form a supermarket coalition is being developed with the support of the EU and the German Government, aiming to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags and protect the environment. According to Fanny Quertamp from Expertise France, the project is a chance for Vietnam to take specific action to cut plastic waste, and she expressed her hope that the project will receive the active engagement of supermarkets around the country. As part of efforts to implement the initiative, Hanoi is working with relevant agencies towards the formation of the coalition. The city has received support from local supermarkets. A representative from Lotte Mart Ba Dinh said that foreign customers strongly support the scheme and are willing to pay for environmentally-friendly shopping bags. Many Vietnamese customers, however, are not happy, so stronger communication campaigns are needed to raise public awareness. A BigC representative said the scheme should be introduced … [Read more...] about Supermarket coalition expected to help cut use of plastic bags