Swiss foreign ministry

Relief measures seek to help businesses resume operations. Photo: Le Toan The latest wave of the pandemic is jeopardising the survival of some French small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country that are failing to cope with the economic slump because they have no legal or financial ties to France. Adam Koulaksezian, executive director of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, told VIR, “The Vietnamese government has provided a number of relief measures to support businesses during the pandemic. We applaud this initiative and we invite French companies to try to benefit as much as possible from these mechanisms. However, we must underline that there are sometimes operational difficulties that complicate access to these measures.” The chamber’s latest survey of 63 French companies in Vietnam shows that some additional measures are necessary in order to preserve many businesses. It includes reducing/suppressing social security contributions and …

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The HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs presents aid donated by a humanitarian fund of Vietnamese women in Europe to the Cho Ray Hospital on September 15 (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The battle against COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City has received more support from the Lao people, overseas Vietnamese, along with agencies, businesses, and religious followers from nationwide. On September 15, the administration of the Lao province of Xiengkhouang handed over aid to HCM City via Vietnam’s State-owned Company of Economic Cooperation (COECCO). The aid is worth nearly 200 million LAK (21,000 USD) in total donated by Xiengkhouang agencies, organisations and people, as well as the Vietnamese community in the province. It consists of 93 million LAK in cash and over 20 tonnes of food. The assistance will be delivered to HCM City by the COECCO, which is operating in Laos, in the next few days. The HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs also …

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Co-hosted by the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA) and the Australia Water Association (AWA), the event focused on policies to promote and encourage water safety practices. Accordingly, priority will be given to enhancing coordination in developing plans for water resource management in both rural and urban areas for the fields of finance, planning, agriculture, energy, tourism, industry, education and health. At the event, experts of the two countries presented reports focusing challenges and policy orientations for rural water supply security and safety, managing risks amid impacts of climate change and solutions to ensure safe water supply in urban areas. According to Tran Thi Thu Hang from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Water Resource Management Department, the institutional building work in water resources management has been basically completed, gradually meeting management requirements. However, she noted that a number of policies …

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The Australian Government has announced a grant of nearly 1.4 million AUD (around 1 million USD) for four Vietnamese high-tech application projects in the field of digital transformation, through the Aus4Innovation Programme. Four Vietnamese digital transformation projects receive Australian funding (Source: vneconomy.vn) The funding is made within the framework of the Innovation Partnership Grants under the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Aus4Innovation Programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam. The projects were selected from nearly 70 initiatives in the third round of the Aus4Innovation Partnership Grants, which is themed “Enhancing Digital Transformation”. They are projects of augmented reality to improve access to healthcare in remote areas; Smart Eye to improve sugar industry productivity; AI/IoT Technology to enhance search and rescue capacity; and AI-powered dashboard for environment …

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Farmers gather coffee beans before processing in Buon Ma Thuot city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi – Vietnam’s coffee exports to the Republic of Korea (RoK) are forecast to grow in the near future as the RoK’s demand for the product has been on the rise, according to experts. Although the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections is still complicated in the RoK, the country's coffee consumption demand has not been affected by the pandemic, they said. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised the RoK's economic growth outlook to 4.3 percent this year and 3.4 percent in the following year which is higher than the 3.6 percent and 2.8 percent estimated in April this year, in spite of concerns about the pandemic’s impact. According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2020 and the first months of this year, the RoK's coffee imports have increased due to a rise in demand for coffee at home under the …

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Agriculture is the main factor for Vietnam’s economy to pursue rapid and sustainable growth. The agricultural sector through the digitalization process could become a key fundamental for Vietnam’s economy in the coming time. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son gave the remarks at the Vietnam Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021, themed “Keeping up with market trends, promoting the pivotal role in supporting the economy during and after the Covid-19 pandemic”, held today [September 16]. Overview of the online forum. The forum, jointly held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA), and VnExpress e-newspaper,  drew the participation of more than 1,300 Vietnamese and international delegates from many countries around the world. “The large attendance at the event demonstrates the huge attention of the society for agricultural digitalization in Vietnam,” said Son. According to the …

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Vietnam Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021 is an activity within the framework of Vietnam International Agricultural Exhibition 2021 which is held via livestreaming and video teleconference. (Photo: vnexpress.net) Hanoi (VNA) – To achieve its ambition to become a modernity-oriented industrialised nation by 2030 and a developed country with high income by 2045, Vietnam must succeed in the digital transformation process, in which agriculture is one of the priority areas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said on September 16. Vietnam Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021 which was co-organised via videoconference by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA), and e-newspaper VnExpress under the theme “Keeping up with market trends, ensuring the pivotal role of the economy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.” agriculture until 2035” with the presentation of 20 speakers …

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The two cities are speeding up the second shots for about 12.7 million people aged above 18. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the two major cities of Vietnam, on September 16 finished inoculating the first jabs for local residents, including foreigners living and working here. The two cities are speeding up the second shots for about 12.7 million people aged above 18, including 5.7 million in Hanoi and 7 million in HCMC. Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, at a meeting on Sept 16. Photo: HCMC Press Center On the day, Vietnam saw 10,489 new coronavirus infections. So far, two-third of its 656,000 cases have recovered. As of September 16, about 32.37 million shots had been administered nationwide. Ho Chi Minh City HCMC reported 160 deaths, the lowest number in the past three weeks, Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the city’s Covid-19 prevention and control committee, said at a press conference today. In responding to …

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Thanks to the EVFTA, more European goods can find themselves on store shelves in Vietnam now. Photo Le Toan The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is helping businesses in member countries to enjoy many tariff benefits. Alain Cany, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), on August 28 said that 65 per cent of EU exports to Vietnam and 71 per cent of the latter’s exports to the EU are duty-free since last August, when the EVFTA came into effect. Cany believed that a decade from now, this number will grow to nearly 99 per cent, which will make Vietnam a more attractive destination for European investors. The possibility of the EU signing an FTA with another country in the region, besides Vietnam and Singapore, is also becoming likely. Nevertheless, Vietnam is holding the first-mover advantage to assert itself against competitors in the European market. By signing the EVFTA, Vietnam hopes to boost trade with its Western partners and also import …

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At the 24th ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting under the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting last week, an investment facilitation framework (AIFF) was announced based on initiatives and implementation of regional members in mobilising foreign direct investment (FDI) as a key priority for the post-pandemic period. The AIFF points out some practical recommendations for ASEAN country members. In the opinion of Secretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi, improving investment facilitation processes and procedures is the most important target, which includes improving transparency and predictability of investment measures, streaming and speeding up administrative procedures and requirements, and strengthening coordination and cooperation, especially on cross-border issues. “The movement of people and capital should be focused on enhancing talent mobility within the region and from outside the region, as well as providing necessary regulations/ framework for movement of people and …

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