Vietnamese fashion brands warned: innovate or shut down Many foreign fashion brands have entered the Vietnamese market, creating stiff competition in the market for local brands.  Unlike other businessmen, Le Viet Thanh, CEO of K&K Fashion, doesn’t think foreign fashion brands will ‘choke Vietnamese brands to death’. “The domestic fashion market has different segments with diverse needs. So, foreign fashion brands, though powerful, won’t be able to satisfy all the demands. Vietnamese brands still have their positions in the market if they have distinct products and can find niche markets,” he said, adding that local companies understand Vietnamese taste and can design products that fit Vietnamese. The niche market for Michiko, for example, is high-end fashion for women aged over 30, priced at VND1.5-2.5 million. This group of customers likes special styles and original models.
Luu Nga, CEO of Elisa, commented that Vietnamese fashion industry can satisfy customers’ requirements on design and quality, and that Vietnamese brands can compete with foreigners. Viet Tien Garment has been expanding its retail network with 650 shops, while An Phuoc has 115. Blue Exchange has 200 shops, Elisa 70 and Canifa 100. The brands have seen revenue increasing directly proportional to network expansion. K&K reported a 50 percent growth rate, An Phuoc 15-17 percent and Garment No 10 22-25 percent. Some Vietnamese brands have been succeeding in niche markets with self-designed products targeting middle-class and high income earners such as Cashew, Labella, Kelly Bui, Marc, Dotty, Camellia and Mora. Hoang Thanh Tu, the owner of Mora, said that many Vietnamese fashion brands are now confident enough to join the international market and participate in fashion weeks in the US, South Korea and Japan. Mora’s showrooms in Nha Trang and Da Nang show that it has stable and loyal clients. IVY Moda, which develops high-end fast fashion products, has launched IVY Men and is going to launch IVY Kid in the time to come. Meanwhile, a NEM representative said NEM’s advantage lies in 10 factories and thousands of skilled workers. Doan Bich Ngoc, CEO of Canifa, commented that while foreign brands pay attention to color and pattern, Canifa focuses on developing products with longer life made of good material. Vietnamese brands also have advantages in branding. Elisa tends to fund pageant contests, while Canifa sponsors Project Runway and Vietnam Next Top Model TV shows and Marc supports Fashion In Me competition. Thanh Mai, VNN |
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 1/11 Foreign tourist arrivals hit over 1 million again  International tourist arrivals to Vietnam exceeded 1 million again in October, an increase of 5 percent over September and 24.7 percent from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office. It was the seventh month since the beginning of this year Vietnam has welcomed more than 1 million foreign visitors. The highest growth was seen in travellers from Asia with 29.4 percent, followed by those from Africa (23.6 percent) and Oceania (20.7 percent). More than 10.47 million foreigners have visited the country in the first 10 months of 2017, up 28.1 percent year-on-year with the biggest increase of 32.8 percent reported in Asian visitors. Tourists from the Republic of Korea rose by 53.9 percent, the highest jump during the period while Chinese came second with a surge of 45.6 percent. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has made efforts to boost tourism since early this year. It has held promotion events in Australia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and more over the last three months. It also plans to use the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2017 as an opportunity to promote Vietnam’s beauty to international friends. Vietnam aims for an increase of 30 percent in international tourist arrivals, or 13 million foreigners, in 2017. Vietjet’s pre-tax profit hit 131 million USD in nine months Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company (HOSE code: VJC) posted a pre-tax profit of more than 2.98 trillion VND (131 million USD) in the first nine months of this year, according its preliminary business results which were released last week. In the third quarter, thanks to the expansion of new routes and operational improvements to existing routes, Vietjet’s revenue and profit increased significantly compared to the same period last year, and exceeded the company’s targets. Vietjet’s pre-tax profit stood at over 1 trillion VND in the third quarter, up 35.1 percent year-on-year. Air transport revenue reached 6.14 trillion VND, an increase of 34.4 percent compared to the same period of 2016. As of September 30, Vietjet’s total assets stood at above 26.28 trillion VND (1.15 billion USD), surging 57.4 percent year on year. During the nine-month period, besides adding five additional airplanes, Vietjet launched 13 new routes, increasing the total number of routes to 73, including 38 domestic routes and 35 international ones. Notably, Vietjet’s on-time performance ratio in the nine-month period was 85.4 percent. In the fourth quarter, the company is expected to open six new routes, raising the total number of new routes this year to 19. Based on the current business results, the firm estimated its pre-tax profit in 2017 could exceed the target, approved at the annual shareholder meeting, by 10 percent. VN goods shown at HK fashion fair An increasing number of overseas buyers are sourcing products from Viet Nam as the country is rapidly improving its supply chain for locally made garments and taking part in more free trade agreements. The availability of a young, skilled labour force is also attracting foreign buyers to the country, Pham Thiet Hoa, director of the HCM City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), said during a recent interview with Viet Nam News. Hoa spoke on the occasion of the business-to-business fashion trade show which opened on October 27 in Hong Kong, showcasing quality garments, textiles, and products and services from fashion-related industries. As many as 27 leading Vietnamese manufacturers of garments, textiles, fashion accessories and garment-related industries are showing their products at the Global Sources Fashion Show, which will run until the end of the month. ITPC is supporting most of the Vietnamese pavilions as part of its mission is to help HCM City businesses and attract foreign investment to Viet Nam. “Viet Nam has become a more attractive complementary garment sourcing destination for overseas buyers. We’re seeing an increasing number of multinational firms from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore making not only completed finished clothes, but also buying fabrics, textiles, yarns, plastics, printing and other accessories,” Hoa said. “They’re looking to expand their production capacity in Viet Nam and are shifting their production bases to Viet Nam to enjoy tax incentives and other advantages.” Before the show, ITPC worked with Global Sources, a Hong Kong-based B2B media company, to provide effective B2B export marketing workshops to help increase professionalism and buyer-supplier communication among firms. Vu Ngoc Khiem, chief representative of Global Sources, said: “In collaboration with ITPC, we have created a one-stop shop sourcing platform, for yarns and fabrics to completed clothes, from labels and tags and interlining fabrics to textiles and fashion bags, hats, caps and jewelry, so that buyers can meet businesses offline.” Vietnamese exhibitors have improved their manufacturing capabilities and expanded markets, finding new business buyers and growing exports, according to Khiem. Vietnamese-made garments can be alternatives to Chinese suppliers, he said, adding that competitive price points were also important. “The idea of our show is to help our buyers get in front of Viet Nam’s top-quality export manufacturers at one trade-show floor where decision-makers can meet and negotiate trade possibilities. “We’ve seen a trend where many export orders are shifting to Viet Nam not only because China is heading toward more sophisticated higher-value manufacturing industries but also because Vietnamese makers have stepped up to a new level of FOB export capabilities, and are more ready to compete with rivals via differentiation and excellent services, not just cost advantages anymore,” Khiem told Viet Nam News. Many of Viet Nam’s products will be featured during the fashion parade and at the New Market Pavilion, according to Khiem. Analysy’s Choice, the trusted column viewed and evaluated by top buyers, designers and sourcing professionals, has also taken note of many of these products, he added. Pham Minh Huong, director of the Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said: “This is the third B2B tradeshow that Vinatex has exhibited with Global Sources. Vinatex aims to show buyers our wide range of production scale from small to mass production, and our one-stop sourcing house for buyers, from woven to knit items, with our developing ODM services.” “Our capability of supplying materials in a vertical integrated system impresses buyers,” she said. “Not only is this a good opportunity for us to collaborate with new buyers and see global trends, but it is a chance for buyers to learn about our group and other professional manufacturers from Viet Nam at one convenient offline event. We met several buyers face-to-face before the show and we will meet them again to further our discussion in the pipeline.” The four-day tradeshow will host 1,800 booths of accessories, fabrics and apparel from Viet Nam, China, South Korea, India and the Philippines. The event is expected to welcome more than 12,000 buyers from 150 countries and territories, including the US, the EU, Hong Kong and Japan, among others. The on-site Fashion Parade features many products made in Viet Nam, including totes, bags and jewelry. The show offers a unique one-stop shop theme where buyers can discover Vietnamese manufacturers offering all kinds of garments, textiles, labels, bra cups and fashion accessories. Other highlights include conference programmes, fashion parades and the Trends Forum, presented by Fashion Snoops and Pantone. Global Sources is a B2B media company and a primary facilitator of global trade using its integrated online and offline services. In Viet Nam, Global Sources helps match buyers and suppliers through offline events. City seeks help from private sector to achieve sustainable development goals Startups and private enterprises in the country should work with local authorities on ways to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Pham Hong Quat, director of the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation Development, said on Friday. Speaking at an international Social Innovation Summit, Quat said that in HCM City the private sector could help build a smart, friendly city that would benefit its residents. Do Nam Trung, head of the Division of Technology Management and Markets under the city Department of Science and Technology, said the city had provided incentives such as facilities and capital to startups in innovative, creative industries. “The city has provided funds to develop business incubators, which have services for startups,” Trung added. Caitlin Weisen, country director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Viet Nam, said that in May the Prime Minister signed a National SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Action Plan, which identified a key role for the private sector in achieving the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. “The idea behind SDG Entrepreneurship is for ambitious and creative entrepreneurs to look at the Global Goals as an opportunity to frame your business innovations,” she said. The intention is to create a win-win combination where sustainable businesses generate profits while delivering social and environmental benefits that contribute to achieving the SDG Goals, according to Weisen. Quat said that startups should be innovative in operation and development, contributing to local sustainable growth. Startups with a business model that can help solve public challenges would attract more capital from investment funds, he added. Startups should cooperate to build an ecosystem for sustainable startups, and connect with other enterprises and foreign companies to take part in global value chains, Quat said. Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, chairwoman of Boar, Traceability Solutions and Services Joint-Stock Co, said that enterprises in the country were loosely connected and should strive to work more closely to build brand names and markets so they can compete globally. The summit was held at HATCH!FAIR, the international technology startup exhibition and entrepreneurship conference, in HCM City on October 27-28 by HATCH!PROGRAM, a nonprofit Vietnamese initiative which connects the global startup ecosystem with Viet Nam. At the exhibition, more than 100 businesses from technology and creative industries as well as community builders and support organisations showcased their products and services with the aim of engaging networks of customers, partners and investors. Match-making activities in the HATCH!FAIR act as a bridge to bring business leads to angel and institutional investors and potential early-stage companies. HATCH!FAIR is part of HCM City Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Week (WHISE 2017) held from October 23-28. The aim is to showcase and promote innovation, startups and entrepreneurship throughout the city. WHISE 2017 also featured technology exhibitions and an innovation and startup conference held yesterday by the HCM City People’s Committee in co-operation with the Embassy of Finland in Viet Nam. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Le Thanh Liem, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee, said: “The city’s model of sustainable development is primarily concerned with green growth and the knowledge economy, based on innovation, technology and start-up businesses.” Ten-month FDI grows 37% to $28 billion Some US$28.24 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) was poured into Viet Nam between January and October, representing a year-on-year increase of 37.4 per cent. This was stated by the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Of the figure, $16.3 billion was put into 2,070 new projects (up 32.9 per cent), $7.27 billion (up 35.9 per cent), into 1,001 operational projects that required additional investment capital and $4.67 billion into 4,156 capital contribution and share purchase projects. Foreign investment was concentrated in 19 fields, with the processing and manufacturing industry ranking first with $13.75 billion, accounting for 48.7 per cent of total investment. Electricity production and distribution came second with $5.63 billion, followed by real estate with $2.04 billion. As of October 20, FDI projects disbursed $14.2 billion, 11.8 per cent higher than the same period last year. Exports of FDI firms (including crude oil) reached $125.49 billion, posting an increase of 22.1 per cent from the corresponding period last year and accounting for 7.2 per cent of total export turnover. Their imports rose 29.2 per cent to $107.85 billion, accounting for 62.5 per cent of the country’s total import turnover. In the first 10 months of the year, the FDI sector saw a trade surplus of $17.63 billion including crude oil and $15.24 billion excluding crude oil. With $7.62 billion, South Korea continued to be the largest investor among the 112 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam, making up 27 per cent of total FDI, followed by Japan which invested $6.07 billion, or 21.5 per cent of total FDI, and Singapore with $5.59 billion. Foreign businesses provided capital to 59 provinces and cities nationwide. HCM City took the lead in FDI attraction with $5.03 billion, followed by Bac Ninh at $3.19 billion and Thanh Hoa at $3.16 billion. Some large projects were given investment licences in the January-October period, such as Nghi Son 2 BOT Thermo-power Plant with $2.79 billion investment in Thanh Hoa Province, Samsung Display Viet Nam project in Bac Ninh Province that added $2.5 billion and Nam Dinh 1 BOT Thermo-power Plant with $2.07 billion investment. — VNS Vietnam-China fair – promotion chance for Quang Ninh farm produce The upcoming 2017 Vietnam-China International Trade and Tourism Fair, to be held in Mong Cai city, is believed to be a golden opportunity for agricultural producers of the northern province of Quang Ninh. The fair is scheduled to take place at the square of the communications-culture centre in Hoa Lac ward of Mong Cai city from December 1 to 7. It will feature more than 400 booths, including some 300 booths of organisations, businesses and individuals of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and 120 others of Chinese firms. It will showcase major products such as fruit, agro-forestry-fishery products, machinery, electronic devices, handicrafts, and wood products. Aside from introducing goods that Vietnam and Quang Ninh province have exported to China, the event is a platform to popularise local potential for trade, investment and tourism. A new activity for this year’s event is displaying speciality fruit and agricultural and seafood products of both Vietnam and China. Many booths will also introduce commodities made under the “One village, one product” programme in Vietnam. Along with an investment, trade and tourism promotion conference, a forum will be held to promote the trade of fruit and agricultural products through Vietnam’s Mong Cai and China’s Dongxing border gates, thus connecting Vietnamese and Chinese companies. Other activities will include a street festival in Tran Phu ward and a workshop promoting a free trade area in Vietnam-China border regions. The 2017 Vietnam-China International Trade and Tourism Fair, part of Vietnam’s national trade promotion programme, is the 12th of its kind held annually on a rotational basis between Mong Cai and Dongxing cities. The fairs have helped expand export markets, connectivity and win-win cooperation, contributing to the two countries’ trade, investment and tourism ties. This year’s event follows the inauguration of Bac Luan 2 Bridge, the second bridge linking Mong Cai and Dongxing, on September 13 and the installation of the last segment of a floating bridge connecting these cities in October. The floating bridge is part of the infrastructure of Mong Cai – Dongxing border gates, which were designated as ports of entry for trading fruit, agricultural products, seafood and wood products between the two countries. Earlier, Mong Cai authorities held a trade promotion conference including more than 100 businesses in Nanning city of China’s Quangxi province in September. A similar meeting with the same number of firms took place in Ha Long city of Quang Ninh a month later. Mong Cai city plans to hold two conferences promoting fruit and agricultural and fishery products trade in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on October 30 and the central province of Binh Thuan in November. Quang Ninh is a coastal province in the northeast of Vietnam. It shares a 132.8km land border with Fangcheng district and Dongxing city of China’s Guangxi province. China is currently Vietnam’s top trade partner while Vietnam is China’s biggest partner in ASEAN and the ninth biggest in the world. Vietnam’s statistics showed that bilateral trade reached 71.9 billion USD in 2016, up 7.9 percent over the previous year. The country’s trade deficit with China fell 13.67 percent year on year. By the end of August 2017, trade between the two countries had hit 55.2 billion USD, up 23.59 percent from a year earlier, with Vietnam running a deficit of 17.7 billion USD, down 5.76 percent. Phu Quoc moves towards smart city status The first phase of a project to build a digital network infrastructure that will help Phu Quoc Island become a smart city has been completed, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT) has announced. VNPT General Director Pham Duc Long said the corporation has completed a project upgrading e-government software, installing cameras at designated points to manage security. It has also finished installing wireless broadcasting equipment in tourist sites under the Smart Wifi project, deploying accommodation management software for hotels and guest houses. The e-government system has linked administrations from the commune to the provincial level, helping people and enterprises in the district complete administrative procedures online to get licences or register their businesses. "Soon, each resident have a unique electronic account to deal with governments at all levels," Long said. Four air monitoring stations and one water source observation station have been deployed in the island district. The environment monitoring system will collect, process, analyse and deliver real-time data to alert users on air and water contamination, and provide recommendations on how to respond. The VNPT also has built a safe city solution with many mobile applications that will help people report incidents (accidents, theft, acts of violating urban security) to management agencies and also help the latter respond quickly. To manage and operate the above-mentioned systems, Phu Quoc has built a centralised operation centre tasked with receiving complaints from citizens, visitors and organisations; improving traffic safety, co-ordinating emergency responses and performing other important functions. “I am confident that the operation of centralised centre will make an important contribution to enhancing the district’s management efficiency as well as the quality of service provided to people and businesses. This, in turn, will contribute to delivering convenience, comfort and safety to visitors who come to Phu Quoc,” Long said. Applauding VNPT’s efforts in helping building a smart city, Mai Văn Huynh, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee, called for concerted efforts to ensure that the project is completed in time. The corporation has announced that in the project’s second phase, it would implement highly sophisticated platform systems like the Internet of Things. The 67 billion VND (2.9 million USD) project to make Phu Quoc a smart city by 2020 was approved by the province Kien Giang People’s Committee in April this year. Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island, covering an area of nearly 600 square kilometers with a population of over 100,000 people. Soc Trang to feature macaques as tourist draw The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang aims to preserve 350 long-tailed macaques monkeys living in a mangrove forest and develop eco-tourism as part of its tourism development plan by 2020. Cu Lao Dung district has about 350 long-tailed macaques living in the natural mangrove forest of nearly 1,640 ha in An Thanh Nam commune. Le Minh Duong, Vice Chairman of the district’s People’s Committee, said the plan would not only help protect the macaques and the biodiversity of the forest, but also support for developing ecological tourism in the district. The natural mangrove forest is located on An Thanh Nam Island, which has a diversified biodiversity with thousands of animals and plants giving a great potential for eco-tourism development, he said. The district has tasked the commune authority to collaborate with security guards, ranger forests and relevant agencies to manage and monitor the prevention of illegal hunting of macaques. The district also plans to improve infrastructure and promote some typical local products to attract tourists, according to Duong. According to Tran Minh Ly, Director of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the macaques often climb to the trees in the forest when water levels rise and go down to the ground to find food when the tide recedes. This behavior is a unique feature for tourism development. In addition, the provincial People’s Committee has given approval to the district to develop a 300 ha eco-tourism fruit garden. Luong Minh Quyet, Director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the department had supported providing nutrition foods for the macaques to ensure their health and growth, and help them become friendly with people. The department was wrapping up a plan to build an area for the macaques to develop them into a unique tourism product for the province, he said.- Vietnam earns nearly 210 mln USD in October fruit, vegetable exports Exports of fruits and vegetables in October are estimated to reach 209 million USD, raising total export value of the products to 2.84 billion USD in the first 10 months of this year, up 41.2 percent over the same period of 2016. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), China, Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea were the leading markets of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the highest growth was seen in the Japanese market with 66.1 percent, the UAE was second at 58 percent and growth in China hit 53.1 percent. The ministry also reported that imports of the products were 96 million USD in October and 1.25 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2017, surging 70.8 percent year on year. The ministry said that the fluctuation in vegetable and fruit market was due to complicated weather developments that changed both supply and demand. Notably, heavy rains in the month destroyed a lot of crops, almost doubling vegetable prices. Cooler weather in central and northern regions also lowered fresh coconut prices in Ben Tre province from 80,000 VND per dozen to under 60,000 VND per dozen. A shortage in fruits in the north also led to high prices of longan and dragon fruit, added the MARD. Hoa Sen opens largest plant in central region Hoa Sen Group commenced the second phase of Hoa Sen Nhon Hoi Factory, located in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone in the central province of Binh Dinh’s Quy Nhon city on October 29. The Hoa Sen Nhon Hoi Factory is the group’s 11th plant and largest one in the central region, which was built on an area of 21.3ha with a total investment of 2 trillion VND. The second phase of the plant includes five production lines, namely, a galvanising line with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes per year; a cold rolling line, having a capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year; a pickling line with 800,000 tonnes per year; colour-coated line with 150,000 tonnes per year; and an acid recycling line of 5,000 litres per hour. It is expected that the second phase will be completed by the end of 2018, which will create jobs for 1,000 workers. On the same day, the Hoa Sen Group also inaugurated the first phase of the factory, which has been completed with three main lines — galvanising line with a capacity of 180,000 tonnes per year, colour-coating line with a capacity of 45,000 tonnes per year, and a slitting line with a designed capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year. Hoa Sen Group Chairman Le Phuoc Vu said that Hoa Sen Nhon Hoi would meet the needs of the central and central highlands provinces, as well as export to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Europe and America. Chairman of the provincial Binh Dinh People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung highly appreciated the process and the investment efficiency of the Hoa Sen Group in the province. This is the third project of this group in Binh Dinh. Dung said he hoped the province would receive more investment from the group in the future. The continuous expansion of the Hoa Sen Group’s recent production system has enabled its products to be available in more than 70 countries and territories. In the fiscal year 2016-2017, Hoa Sen sold more than 1.66 million tonnes of products, of which 587,000 tonnes were exported, up 28 percent over the previous year. The total turnover was 26 trillion VND, of which the export revenue was over 420 million USD. For the 2017-2018 fiscal year, Hoa Sen is focusing on developing potential export markets, such as Europe, America and India. Organic produce: Food for thought As the concept of ‘good food, good life’ becomes more commonplace in Vietnam, consumers are paying more attention to what they consume on a daily basis. ORFARM brings organic food to your table - Orfarm is opening its sixth store on November 4, in Syrena Tower at 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho district, Hanoi, www.orfarm.com.vn Choosing well-fed and happily-raised animals as well as properly cultivated vegetables not only improves one’s health, but by eating properly sourced food, one can reduce the impact they have on the environment and preserve the ecosystem for posterity. Roughly 80 kilometres from Hanoi in the mountainous province of Hoa Binh lies an organic farm where pigs, chickens, and pigeons are raised in an ethical and sustainable manner. The farm even has a playground that is designed for the chicken to get their daily exercise. Fresh vegetable gardens are found close by, with a number of seasonal varieties popping up in rows; without the use of harmful herbicides, insecticides, or other pesticides. The farm is specifically developed and run using the Japanese application of effective micro-organism (EM) technology, by the Orfarm (Organic Farm) brand, aimed at creating greener and healthier living standards for both the current and next generations. EM in particular is a way of growing human-friendly and environmentally safe products by the EM Research Organisation, which uses beneficial micro-organisms such as lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria in the agricultural production process. As EM is applied during all phases of the farming process, from the breeding and raising of livestock to the planting and cultivation of vegetables, everything is highly controlled, from input to output. From farm to table, Orfarm products have no adverse effects on humans or the environment. “We’re not creating value for ourselves, what we’re doing with our happy farm and animals is doing a good deed for the general community and the children of the future,” said Bui Bich Lien, president and CEO of Orfarm. “So I have a question for food buyers in general: why aren’t you investing in your health or your quality of life right now, by picking quality food?” she asked. At the end of the day, consumers make the choice. More and more, they are selecting quality organic products that come directly from a trusted farm. As the popularity of organically-sourced food expands, more sustainable farming techniques will surely come into focus. Can Tho builds bonds with firms from Japan With financial strength, state-of-the-art technology, and management expertise, Japan is one of the important business partners capturing special attention from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho for investment co-operation. Huu Phuc reports. From late May until now, Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong has twice visited Japan’s Kansai prefecture for co-operation and investment promotion, accompanied by leaders of city-based state agencies and businesses. The most recent visit came in mid-October, to Okayama and Wakayama provinces. According to director of the Can Tho Investment-Trade Promotion and Exhibition Centre Nguyen Khanh Tung, apart from meeting local government leaders and making field surveys at some Japanese businesses’ production workshops, the Can Tho business mission hosted two seminars for business networking, which attracted about 150 Japanese companies. On this occasion, Can Tho leaders presented opportunities for investment co-operation in the city, and responded to issues the Japanese investors brought forth. In particular, Thong highlighted several social and economic infrastructure projects which promise to be highly appealing to foreign investors. In 2018, more flights are set to launch directly from Can Tho to other domestic and international destinations like Haiphong, Nha Trang, Bangkok, Singapore, and possibly to Japan’s Kansai International Airport. A golf course and an international hospital are also slated for completion in late 2018, while Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho Expressway is slated for completion by 2021. Additionally, the investment proposal of Can Tho International University has been approved, and a high-end apartment project invested by the Can Tho Investment and Development Fund is awaiting investment from Japanese businesses. After the visit, Can Tho and the city of Okayama signed a joint statement to push mutual co-operation in industry, agriculture, and tourism. In the meantime, Can Tho signed memoranda of understanding with four Japan-Vietnam friendship associations, laying the groundwork to deepen bilateral co-operative relations. In an earlier trip to Japan in late May and early June, Can Tho and Japan’s Hyogo province signed a joint statement on co-operation where both sides vowed to facilitate trade development and investment promotion from Hyogo to Can Tho, and strengthen economic co-operation through increased trade, tourism, and human resource training. In the past year, Can Tho has also received a number of Japanese government leaders and business missions searching for investment opportunities in high-tech agriculture, education and training, and environmental sustainability. Infrastructure reforms steer growth in Thai Nguyen To elicit domestic and foreign investment, the northeastern province of Thai Nguyen is expediting a raft of synchronous measures, including infrastructure reform, to grow its economy in a sustainable manner. In recent years, Thai Nguyen has emphasised the development of technical and industrial park (IZ) infrastructure, positioning it as a vital tool to attract investment and drive the province’s urban, social, and economic development. With respect to transport infrastructure, investment capital was put into building major roads with big impacts on provincial development. These projects included building the new National Highway 3 linking Hanoi to Thai Nguyen, upgrading former National Highway 3, the Thai Nguyen-Cho Moi (Bac Kan province) route, and the roads and urban complexes belonging to the Thai Nguyen city urban development project, to name but a few. The projects have helped enhance connectivity between Thai Nguyen and Hanoi as well as other northern locations. As for IZ infrastructure, the province is currently home to six well-planned IZs covering 1,420 hectares, four of which have come into operation, scoring 170 investment projects, including 85 foreign-invested ones valued at more than $7 billion in total committed capital, and 85 domestic investment projects worth over VND12.8 trillion ($582 million). The most eminent projects are run by South Korean tech giant Samsung Group and its satellite businesses. Province-based IZs enjoy a developed transport network and the availability of associated infrastructure, such as power, water supply, wastewater treatment, fire prevention, and security systems. Most of the planned IZs spread along new and former National Highway 3 (Yen Binh, Diem Thuy, Nam Pho Yen, Song Cong I, and Song Cong II IZs), as well as provincial routes, helping to ensure connectivity with technical and social infrastructure systems inside and outside province-based IZs. “As a satellite unit to Samsung, after the tech giant landed their project in Thai Nguyen’s Yen Binh IZ, we studied the possibility of setting a foothold in the province. After the survey, our company has chosen to build a factory in Diem Thuy IZ due to its proximity to Yen Binh IZ and the new National Highway 3,” said Kim Byeong Hun, director of Dongsung Vina Limited based in Diem Thuy IZ in the province’s Phu Binh district. Thai Nguyen has done a smart job ensuring province-based IZs have access to comprehensive infrastructure to facilitate their operations. For instance, an approach road linking Diem Thuy IZ to Yen Binh IZ and the new National Highway 3 was recently put into use, supporting goods transport of businesses based in Diem Thuy IZ to other destinations in the province and in Hanoi. Regarding the energy system, the province has succeeded in attracting investors into building Cao Ngan and An Khanh thermal power plants, as well as large transformer stations at Yen Binh and Diem Thuy IZs to serve businesses and connect to the national power grid. The information communications technology infrastructure has been developed robustly with the presence of thousands of base transceiver stations, while the optic cable network has now reached most residential areas in the province. The 4G network has also reached the province’s major areas. The World Bank-funded Dynamic Cities Integrated Development project is expected to benefit Vietnam’s five cities and provinces, including Thai Nguyen. The project aims to boost the development of stakeholder localities, leveraging the application of urban integrated solutions on infrastructure development and urban management. The project component in Thai Nguyen has a total investment capital sum of $100 million. According to World Bank senior urban development expert Phan Thi Phuong Huyen, “Thai Nguyen is the locality scoring the most confidence with the World Bank in both project implementation and loan repayment capacity.” As scheduled, after the project receives the Vietnamese government’s approval, the World Bank will evaluate the capital scheme in March 2018, paving the way for official implementation from July next year. Huyen from the World Bank has suggested Thai Nguyen to concentrate on developing public transport, producing clean agricultural items, and exert better control over urban water drainage systems. The project’s success will gear the city of Thai Nguyen’s urban infrastructure towards modern and sustainable development, matching the criteria required for a Grade 1 city’s technical infrastructure, while in the meantime propelling economic development through strategic infrastructure investment development. The prime target is to turn the city of Thai Nguyen into the centre of political, cultural, educational, healthcare, tourism, and services of both the province and northern Vietnam’s midland and mountainous region. Navigos introduces first application for IT job seekers topITworks, an online IT recruitment website of the Navigos Group, has just launched the first job search application in Vietnam for the IT community, available on both Android and iOS platforms. The application integrates convenient job search features and at the same time includes information on career orientation for IT job seekers. Up to 60 per cent of users use mobile devices to access the website, according to topITWorks’ latest survey. In order to provide the best experience to users, topITworks officially launched an online job search application on Android and iOS platforms, the first mobile application for the IT community. topITworks has over 1,500 jobs in the IT industry. The new application integrates a search engine and filter based on programming language and salary range. Job alerts are emailed to users based on the “job skills” candidates wish to search for. It has a simplified application interface with a mobile-friendly design, and a jobs bulletin feature appears after accessing the application. In particular, the mobile application is applying “learning machine” technology for the search and filter system. The application not only suggests jobs based on keywords but also studies users’ behaviors based on search history, suggesting the most appropriate jobs and making job searches faster and more convenient. According to the Navigos Group, Vietnamese IT candidates are considered by recruiters to be hard working, smart, and quick learners. But there are also areas in need of improvement, such as a lack of clear career orientation, frequent job hopping, a lack of passion for their job and a lack of engagement with the company, and high requirements compared to capacity. They also tend to lack soft skills such as communication skills, problem solving skills, and English skills etc., which will affect promotions. In order to solve these problems, topITworks is not just an IT job search portal but also develops “knowledge” that covers the experience of IT specialists, career orientation, and advice for IT candidates in interviews, etc. With new articles every day, topITworks is also a place for sharing information among those who wish to learn more about the industry. Vietnamese startups grappling with Industry 4.0 The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is an opportunity for underdeveloped countries to catch up with developed countries but it seems that Vietnamese enterprises, including startups, are largely out of the game, the “Digital Enterprises 2017: Digital Age and Startup country” forum heard. Senior expert Henry Nguyen Huu Thai Hoa, Director of the CTS Center, disagreed with many thoughts that Vietnam will lead in Industry 4.0, because of its weak research and development (R&D). “Vietnamese enterprises talk about mechanisms but don’t know how to apply digital technology at their companies,” he believes. He also emphasized that if enterprise leaders do not change their thinking and apply new technologies, they will not develop. Although Vietnamese enterprises have to cope with various challenges, they still have potential opportunities from Industry 4.0. Over the last five years, Vietnam has led in smartphone growth and internet penetration globally. Industry 4.0 has changed Vietnam’s economy, politics, and society. Dr. Nguyen Van Nam, Director of the Research Institute for Brand and Competition Strategy, expects there will be a number of countries, including Vietnam, that apply digital technology to change their entire socioeconomic landscape. “The leading force in Vietnam is enterprises and they will have to become digital enterprises, but they must reorganize and the government should have practical policies in support,” he said. General Director of iBosses Vietnam, Tang Ngoc Truong An, said that Vietnamese enterprises have two challenges in their early days: programs and confidence. “They must respect global rules and information technology,” he said. “Knowledge is important for startups and Vietnamese need to learn how to start a business.” It can be difficult for enterprises to begin using digital technology based on the experience of developed countries. Although the Vietnamese Government has a decree on digital technology development, success is based on the actions of enterprises. Son La coffee geographical indication announced The northwestern province of Son La has announced Son La coffee as a collective brand and held Mai Son Coffee Festival in Mai Son district, an occasion to promote local coffee products. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, French colonialists began planting coffee in Son La and other northern provinces, turning this region into an important producer of raw Arabica coffee for the French coffee industry of the time. The coffee area in Son La has been expanded, concentrating in Mai Son and Thuan Chau districts and Son La city, especially since 1995 when the provincial People’s Committee approved a project to plant 3,000ha of coffee trees. The province considers Arabica coffee as a key plant for poverty reduction and economic development. At the event on October 27, Chairman of the Mai Son district People’s Committee Tran Dac Thang said Son La is home to more than 12,000ha of coffee trees, 4,200ha or 34 percent of which are in Mai Son. The district harvests some 52,000 tonnes of coffee each year, earning 368 billion VND (16.2 million USD) in revenue. Up to 80 percent of coffee beans made in Son La are exported to the US, Japan and some other countries, he noted, adding that the reputation of Son La’s Arabica coffee has improved, asserting the province as a major Arabica producing hub of Vietnam. The same day, local coffee and agricultural products were introduced at the festival. On this occasion, the construction of a coffee factory named Phuc Sinh Son La in Chieng Mung commune of Mai Son district was launched. It is expected to be complete in eight months at total cost of 48.6 billion VND (2.1 million USD). HCM City to host farm produce fair The Seventh Farm Produce Fair is scheduled to be held at the Go Vap Flower Village Park in Go Vap District from November 2-6. The fair will have 145 booths set up by more than 81 exhibitors from 15 cities and provinces, including 93 booths from HCM City and the rest from Ben Tre, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Binh Thuan. It will have seven areas displaying works created from fruits, orchids, bonsai, processed farm produce, handicrafts and products made in traditional villages. Co-operatives’ products and services, wooden products, and food courses will also be offered. A seminar on the role of farmers’associations in developing clean products and linkages for consumption of products will be held on the sidelines of the fair. Organised by the HCM City Farmers Association and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Department of Industry and Trade, the event offers farmers a chance to promote trade of their products. The fair is also a platform for farmers to exchange experiences, access new information and technologies in the agricultural sector, and develop linkages between farmers and distributors. This year is the first year that the fair is being held twice in one year, with the first fair held in June. HCM City to host international fair for mothers and kids The Viet Nam International Maternity, Baby and Kids Fair (Viet Baby Fair 2017) will return to HCM City from November 2 to 4. To be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, the fifth Viet Baby Fair 2017 will feature 314 booths from 186 exhibitors from 12 countries and territories, including South Korea, Australia and China. A wide range of products and services for mothers and kids such as foods, toys, clothes, household utensils, cosmetics, health products and educational services will be displayed. The fair has attracted well-known brands in nutrition, toys, fashion for mothers and kids, education, spa services and other goods and services, including Unicharm, Baby Plaza, Nestle, Lotte Mart, Viet Tinh Anh, SD Toy, Lullaby, GG Fashion, Albetta, Milky House, Kawaii Spa, Daekyo, Wall Street English, Global Arts and AIS. Prenatal classes as well as seminars on healthcare, nutrition and early childhood education with Japanese style, among other topics, will be held during the fair. The fair will also feature other activities, including games for children and the family, an area for children to read books and paint small statues, promotion programmes, and more than 10,000 entrance gifts to visitors. Organised by Coex Viet Nam, SEGE Fairs Co. Ltd, Me&Con magazine, Webtretho forum and Vinexad, the fair offers consumers high-quality products and services at sharp discounts from famous local and foreign brands, while providing a platform for exhibitors to understand more about the market. It is expected to welcome more than 28,000 visitors HCM City economy remains on track: meeting Foreign and domestic investment in HCM City has significantly increased and industrial production remains robust, a meeting to review the city’s socio-economic development in the first 10 months of this year on October 30 heard. According to a report from the municipal People’s Committee, foreign investment doubled from the same period last year to 5 billion USD, including in some giant projects such as the smart complex (886 million USD) in the Thu Thiem Urban area and KNT Asia (215 million USD). “Domestic investment has increased significantly with new investment and added capital at 3.4 times last year’s figure,” Vo Van Hoan, head of the city’s People’s Committee Office, told the meeting. Nearly 34,000 new companies with a combined capital of 717.6 trillion VND (32 billion USD) have been licensed. The city’s revenues in the first 10 months increased by 11.1 percent to 278.5 trillion VND (12.4 billion USD), or 80 percent of the full-year target. Job creation, vocational training and support for poor people have been done efficiently to ensure social welfare. The number of jobs created rose marginally to 273,225, or 98 percent of the target. Services and retail sales grew by 11.6 percent to 767 trillion VND (34.1 billion USD) and industrial output expanded by 7.75 percent. The city’s four key industries -- engineering and automation; electronics; chemicals, rubber, plastics; and food processing -- continued to perform strongly, expanding markets, investing in technology and improving quality and competitiveness, growing at 12.7 percent. Electricity supply grew by 4.9 percent to 19 billion kWh. The rate of electricity loss fell by 0.34 percentage points to 4.12 percent. Exports were worth around 29.15 billion USD, an increase of 13.3 percent. Exports to some markets grew significantly, including to Singapore (86.3 percent), Myanmar (65.6 percent), India (35.5 percent), Malaysia (34.9 percent), Thailand (34 percent), and China (22.6 percent). Exports of rubber increased by 32.6 percent and of computers and electronics, by 29.6 percent. Imports cost 35.17 billion USD, an increase of 15.4 percent. “Authorities have paid close attention to the environment, flooding and the traffic situation,” Hoan said. “However, poor management and cumbersome administrative procedures are still very common in many areas. “The city is working with relevant authorities to improve State management in all fields from now to the end of this year.” The city’s economy had grown by 8 percent in the first three quarters of this year. Canada initiates anti-dumping investigation into Vietnamese copper pipe fittings The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced that it will initiate anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into copper pipe fittings imported from Vietnam. The investigation was conducted following a complaint lodged by Cello Products based in Cambridge, Ontario. The investigation period is from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017. December 4 will be the deadline for Vietnamese exporters and Government to send their answers to CBSA questions to the address: Canada Border Services Agency -Trade and Anti-dumping Programs Directorate SIMA Registry and Disclosure Unit 100 Metcalfe Street, 11th Floor Ottawa, Ontario, Canada-K1A 0L8-Tel. (for courier reference only): 613-948-4605-Fax: 613-948 4844-E-mail at: simaregistry-depotlmsi@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca). CBSA will announce its preliminary conclusion on dumping prices and receiving subsidy on January 25 2018 and issue the final decision on April 25, 2018. Relevant agencies should send their arguments before the afternoon of March 19, 2018. Vietnamese accelerator helps launch 11 startups The second batch of startups from the Vietnam Innovative Startup Accelerator (VIISA) graduated on October 25 after three months of mentorship under prominent venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from the region. The graduation ceremony for 11 startups was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, and attended by more than 100 investors, corporate partners and mentors. Over the last three months, the startups have worked hard to create products that fit market demands and prove that they have scalable, repeatable business models. The teams got to work closely with investors such as Spiral Ventures (Japan), and join office hours mentorship with the Startup Ecosystem team from Amazon Web Services and the CFO of Microsoft Vietnam, among others. Dr Le Hoang Anh, chairman of VIISA and managing partner of Dragon Capital, said that VIISA had become surprisingly well-known in the region in a short space of time. He said the launch of the different startups was a “testament” to the hard work and support from VIISA, government officials and corporate partners. “I am excited for the journey ahead.” The 11 startups range from sales and advertisement platforms, food and delivery services to training a platform for jobseekers and an AI tool that reads emotions to convert texts into stickers. The teams are from Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea and Ukraine. Mr Sangyeop KANG, investment officer at Hanwha Investment, said the diversity of the new startups means the foreign teams have been able to expand their businesses in Vietnam while offering global insight to the Vietnamese companies. VIISA has invested US$30,000 into each company and provided technical resources, office accommodation and access to more than 100 world class mentors and investors. Promising teams also get up to US$200,000 in follow-up funding. Two startups from batch 1 secured funding on the same day. Wisepass raised US$400,000 in seed funding led by Expara Ventures, followed by $100,000 from VIISA, while Wefit raised a round of US$150,000 from ESP Capital and VIISA. Mr Tran Huu Duc, CEO of VIISA, and Head of FPT Ventures, said that the second batch of startups has continued the momentum started by founding partners FPT, Dragon Capital and Hanwha, and batch three is highly anticipated. Batch three will start their mentorship in January 2018 and interested entrepreneurs can start applying now. VIISA will invest up to US$6 million into building global startups from Vietnam. It is a partnership of Dragon Capital, Hanoi-based telecommunications firm FPT and Hanwha Investment, together with commercial partners Asia Counsel, BIDV, Tam An Tax and CirCo Co-working Space. Viettel construction subsidiary to list on UpCOM Viettel Construction JSC, a subsidiary of Viettel Group, received permission to list 47.1 million shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UpCOM), according to newswire Cafef. The first transaction day will be October 31, 2017, with the reference price of VND26,000 ($1.14). In April 2010, the company put 6.15 million shares on sale at its initial public offering (IPO) with the initial price of VND10,000 ($0.44) apiece. The entire share volume on offer was sold at the average price of VND14,484 ($0.65). The company started operations under the JSC model in June 2010 with the initial chartered capital of VND238 billion ($10.4 million), 72 per cent of which was owned by Viettel Group. After five years, the company’s chartered capital increased to VND471 billion ($20.6 million). As of September 7, 2017, Viettel held a 73.2 per cent stake in the company. Viettel Construction JSChas constructed the telecommunication infrastructure of Viettel Group with about 50,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) and about 140,000 kilometres of optical fiber in Vietnam, and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Haiti, Peru, Mozambique, Cameroon, Burundi, and Tanzania, among others. In recent years, the company reported consecutive increases in its revenue. Notably, it earned VND1.53 trillion in revenue and VND110 billion ($4.8 million) in after-tax profit in 2015 and the figures hit VND1.68 trillion ($73.7 million) and nearly VND100 billion ($4.4 million) in after-tax profit in 2016. In the first half of this year alone, it earned VND1.27 trillion ($55.7 million) in revenue and VND48.2 billion ($2.1 million) in after-tax profit. As of late June, the company had total assets of VND1.96 trillion ($85.9 million) and VND634 billion ($28.2 million) of equity capital. Leading Vietnamese real estate developer offers 311.2 million at IPO Becamex IDC Corporation—one of Vietnam’s leading property developers—plans to put 311.2 million shares, equaling 23.6 per cent of its chartered capital, on sale at its initial public offering (IPO), which is expected to be organised on December 1. The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange has announced Becamex IDC’s plan to conduct its IPO. Accordingly, Becamex IDC will offer 311.2 million shares at the initial price of VND31,000 ($1.36) apiece. The company expects to acquire VND9.65 trillion ($423.1 million) from the deal. Along with the IPO, the company will also offer 329.25 million shares to strategic shareholders. Afterwards, the state-owned holding will decrease to 51 per cent stake. In recent time, the auctions of real estate developers’ share holdings have been luring in numerous investors, especially from overseas. Notably, two outstanding deals include Viglacera Corporation JSC and Vietnam Urban and Industrial Zone Development Investment Corporation (Idico). In late July, Viglacera conducted an auction of 30 million shares. 19 organisations and individuals joined the auction with the total registered shares numbering at 82.33 million, doubling the volume on offer. Foreign investors purchased 15.49 million shares, equaling 52 per cent of the offered shares. At Idico’s IPO, the corporation put 55.3 million shares on sale. The event attracted the participation of 582 domestic individuals, 25 domestic organisations, 40 international organisations, and nine foreign individuals, with the total registered share volume of 269.82 million, five times as much as the offered volume. Foreign investors succeeded in acquiring 41.35 million out of the 55.3 million offered shares, equaling 74.8 per cent. IDICO earned VND1.32 trillion ($57.98 million) from the IPO, selling 55.3 million shares at the average buying price of VND23,940 ($1.05) apiece. The lowest winning bid was VND23,200 ($1.02) and the highest VND28,600 ($1.26). According to the latest move, on October 31, Thanh Le General Import-Export Trading Corporation will conduct the public auction of 11.8 million shares, with the initial price of VND10,600 ($0.47) apiece. As of now, the registered shares are five times higher than the offered shares. Back to Becamex IDC, it is known as a leading name in the development of industrial, residential, urban, and transportation infrastructure in Vietnam. It currently has 28 subsidiaries and joint ventures in the areas of securities, finance, insurance, banking, construction, trading, real estate, services, telecommunication-information technology, concrete production, construction materials, mining, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and education with a chartered capital of approximately VND5.5 trillion ($242.1 million). Vietcombank divestment from Saigonbank and CFC greenlighted The State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) has licensed Vietcombank to sell its shares at Saigon Bank for Industry and Trade (Saigonbank) and Cement Finance Company (CFC) in order to comply with central bank regulations. The bank will auction 13.2 million shares (4.3 per cent stake) in Saigonbank at the initial price of VND12,550 ($0.55) and 6.6 million shares (10.91 per cent stake) in CFC at the initial price of VND11,549 ($0.51). The bank’s spokesperson announced that the auctions will be held in November. With these initial prices, the bank is forecast to collect VND165.66 billion ($7.29 million) from Saigonbank and VND76.22 billion ($3.35 million) from CFC. Up to December 31, 2016, these two investments amounted to VND123.45 billion ($5.43 million) and VND70.95 billion ($3.12 million).The divestment scheme was part of the bank’s proposals at the annual general shareholders' meeting (AGM) in April 2017. In the AGM, Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Vietcombank’s chairman of the board of directors, asserted that the low bidding price hindered the bank to carry out the disinvestment scheme at Saigonbank, CFC, and Oriental Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB). Thanh also added that the bank is still in possession of stakes in five other credit institutions, in three of which Vietcombank’s stakes exceed the stipulated holding amount of 5 per cent. Another issue brought up at the AGM was that a financial institution is not allowed to possess stakes in more than two credit institutions, which is the reason behind the divestment in Saigonbank and CFC. As a follow-up of the disinvestment in Saigonbank and CFC, Vietcombank handed over a proposal to divest from Eximbank. If successful, the proceeds from the divestment could reach VND700 billion ($30.814 million). According to the latest financial report of Saigonbank, the bank witnessed a remarkable growth in financial performance in recent years. In the first two quarters in 2017, the bank’s net profit reached VND128 billion ($5.63 million), and its chartered capital of VND3.080 trillion ($135.58 million). CFC has a total chartered capital of VND650 billion ($28.613 million), with Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (VICEM) being the largest stakeholder (39 per cent). In the first two quarters of 2017 the bank earned an accumulated net profit of VND5 billion. At the moment, Vietcombank holds 8.19 per cent of the stakes in Eximbank, 7.16 per cent in MBB, and 5.07 per cent in OCB. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNEVET |
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Social News 1/11 Central Highlands urged to ensure absolute safety during APEC 2017  Minister of Public Security To Lam. Localities and units in the Central Highlands need to jointly take measures to ensure maximum security and safety for the upcoming APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week slated for November 6-11 in the central city of Da Nang, said Minister of Public Security To Lam. Addressing a conference to review the region’s crackdowns on criminals and armed gangs on October 30, Minister Lam highly valued the achievements made by the police of the five Central Highlands provinces. He noted that the provincial Police Department should give advice to local authorities on measures to promote the combined strength of the entire political system in combating crimes, particularly the organised ones, forest land disputes and encroachment, homicide, and child abuse. Police force needs to continue cooperating with relevant bodies in preventing and fighting drug smuggling in the Vietnam – Laos – Cambodia border areas, he said, adding that focus should be put on building the Party and police force while honouring individuals and units for outstanding efforts in the fight against crimes. Over the past years, the Central Highlands has faced numerous serious social problems, such as murder, child abuse, robbery and gambling. With the joint efforts of local authorities, relevant bodies and communities, the regional police forces have completed and surpassed their targets, particularly in reducing the number of criminal cases and detecting more economic, environmental and drug-related violations. On the occasion, 12 units and 12 individuals were honoured for their outstanding contributions to the anti-crime fight. Vietnamese officers, nurses update about first aid The Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre has coordinated with Military Hospital 175 and partners from Australia and the US to open a training course on first aid by air and trauma care for officers and nurses at the second-level field hospital. Australian experts shared experience in first aid by air of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and instructed trainees to practise a flight to improve their capacity in the field. Meanwhile, US specialists will provide guidance on trauma care. After completing the course from October 30-November 5, the trainees will take an exam to get the International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) certificate and prepare for joining the UN peacekeeping mission. Vietnam’s first field hospital model is set to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in 2018. Vietnam has been actively participating in the UN peacekeeping operations in recent years. Since 2014, the country has sent 19 officers to the UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. RMIT University Vietnam presents 111 scholarships RMIT University Vietnam recently awarded 111 scholarships worth more than VND33 billion ($1.4 million) to prospective students at its Saigon South and Hanoi campuses. Allocated in nine categories and covering 100, 50 or 25 per cent of tuition fees, the scholarships have been offered to students in a variety of study fields, including business, communications, fashion, design, and technology. RMIT Vietnam President Professor Gael McDonald emphasized that the scholarship program was a way of giving back to Vietnam. “Our scholarship program is to ensure that talented Vietnamese students have the opportunity to excel through an international standard of higher education,” she said. “As well as receiving partial or full tuition, successful recipients benefit from the expertise and global experience of our academic staff, our high-quality facilities and infrastructure, as well as our industry-informed curriculum and strong industry connections.” “Alongside their formal academic studies, students can also enjoy many extracurricular activities organized by clubs and societies, opportunities to develop soft skills through our Personal Edge program, and overseas study opportunities at one of our nearly 200 partner universities all over the world,” she added. At a ceremony held to present the scholarships, nine students received the President’s Scholars award, including one award from the RMIT Vietnam - Vietcombank Fund. The award is the University’s most prestigious scholarship and is given to outstanding high school students who have achieved exemplary academic grades and demonstrated outstanding community engagement and leadership potential. For the first time the University also presented scholarships to women enrolling in its PhD program and to students joining the Bachelor of Engineering (Robotics and Mechatronics) and Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering) programs. The two PhD scholarship recipients are both lecturers from well-known universities in the country. “These two PhD scholarships are specifically for women as we want to see more women in research, especially in fields like engineering, where women’s participation in the labor force is low, and in business, where senior leadership is led predominantly by men,” Professor McDonald said. Over the past 16 years, RMIT Vietnam has awarded 1,000 scholarships worth more than VND238 billion ($10.4 million) to young people from all over Vietnam and around the world. Exhibition spotlights Vietnam-Laos special solidarity An exhibition highlighting the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos opened on at Kaysone Phomvihane Museum in Vientiane, Laos, on October 30.  The event, co-organised by the offices of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, is part of the activities of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017 and 72 years of the military alliance between the two countries. Opening the exhibition, Khampha Phimasone, deputy chief of the LPRP Central Committee’s Office, said that more than 400 exhibited photos, documents and items introduce major events and partnership between the two Parties and States, as well as outstanding achievements of each country. Historical turning points and important events of Vietnam and Laos during national defence and construction are also spotlighted. The exhibition also shows main foundations for the development of the special ties and fighting alliance between Vietnam and Laos, along with the role of Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane and Souphanouvong as well as leaders of the two parties and generations of Vietnamese and Lao people in growth of the ties. Khampha Phimasone said that the event is a chance for people of the two countries to get deeper understanding on the special relations between the two countries, thus working together to nurture and develop the ties. The exhibition stays open until the end of this year. Tunnel completed ahead of APEC The central city of Đà Nẵng rushed to complete a traffic-easing tunnel project at one of the city’s busiest roundabouts before the APEC Summit begins on November 5. Work on the tunnel at the junction of Điện Biên Phủ, Nguyễn Tri Phương and Lê Độ streets began 11 months ago, according to the city’s managing board of Priority Infrastructure Projects. The VNĐ220 billion (US$9.77 million) road tunnel project, part of the city’s World Bank-funded sustainable development project, will replace the current ground-level intersection with a system of 160m-long open air tunnels and 80m underground tunnels. It is now technically complete, though not yet open to traffic. There will be two lanes for Bus Rapid Transit along with another two lanes for other vehicles. It’s the city’s second such road project after a tunnel at the West Hàn River bank traffic intersection commenced construction last October, and one of the key projects in the city’s strategy to promote public transport and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, deputy general director of Thuận An construction and trading joint-stock company, a contractor of the project, said the tunnel’s opening was timed to coincide with the APEC Summit, which the city is hosting for the first time. “We have completed the technical inspection before opening for traffic. We revved up the construction schedule to complete the project in time before the APEC Summit,” Tuấn said. “We had some items delays, but labourers worked through the nights to finish the tunnel early,” Tuấn said. The city also plans to build a metro, tramway, and underground and sky train between 2020 and 2030. With a population of one million, Đà Nẵng’s current public transit system is not meeting the needs of local residents. Only 1 per cent of the 2.5 million daily journeys in the city are made by public transport. Đà Nẵng, the third largest city in Việt Nam, has invested in urban development to become the largest city in the central region and a green city by 2025, with funds from the World Bank. In 2013, the World Bank agreed to provide $202 million for a $272 million sustainable development project to help build the city’s Bus Rapid Transit Network, lay new roads and revamp the drainage system. The bank also funded a five-year priority infrastructure project for the city, by covering 70 per cent of the total cost of $218.4 million. Photos highlight Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic ties A photo exhibition highlighting the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Algeria over the past 55 years were showcased in Hanoi on October 30. The event was jointly held by the Embassy of Algeria in Vietnam, the Vietnam-Algeria Friendship Association, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohamed Berrah said the two countries established diplomatic ties in October 1962. After Algeria gained independence in 1962, Vietnam opened its embassy in Alger capital. Over the past half century, the bilateral relations have been developing across the board, including politics. The two nations share a common vision on international relations built on peace, stability and security while settling disputes via peaceful means without intervening internal affairs and using forces in addition to respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity and supporting national self-determination, he added. He noted that the two sides have cooperative relations in various fields. The economic partnership has a lot of prospects, notably the joint oil and gas mining projects in Algeria. The Ambassador said he was impressed by Vietnam’s achievements and efforts in diversifying the economy, attracting foreign investment, and integrating into global trade. Vietnam’s integration will continue to be reinforced given increasing free trade agreements, he added. The event also screened the “Lotus” movie – a joint product of Vietnam and Algeria. Women’s museum celebrates 30 years An exhibition reviewing the development of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum over its 30 years of existence opened in Hà Nội on Saturday.  Themed ‘Three Decades of Devotions and Dreams’, the exhibition showcases photos, documents and objects used to exhibit and restore works at the museum. The museum was founded by Nguyễn Thị Định (1920-92), a leading figure in the Vietnamese struggle against the French colonial government and in the American war, when she was a chairwoman of the Women’s Union. The museum and its exhibition pay tribute to the role Vietnamese women in history and today, said Lê Khánh Hải, deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “After four years closed for renovation, the museum hosted many exhibitions in a scientific and eye-catching way with modern equipment,” he said. “The museum provides precious information on traditional culture and issues of contemporary society, especially women’s issues.” The exhibition will run during three months at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, 36 Lý Thường Kiệt Street, Hà Nội. Young man engineers a herbal farming success Lê Huệ was born in poverty-stricken An Xá Village in Quảng Trị Province. He studied well at school, and was able to get admitted to the Đà Nẵng University. After he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering, he found work with the Institute of Research and Handicraft Development. He had done well for himself. However, about three years of working, he quit his job and returned to his native place to engage in farming. His mother, relatives and friends opposed the decision, arguing that giving up a stable job would not be good for his career, but Huệ was determined. It was not a naive decision. While working at the research institute (2013- 2015) he had joined foreign-invested hi-tech agriculture projects carried out in ethnic minority areas of ĐaKrong (Quảng Trị Province) and Tây Giang (Quảng Nam Province) districts. The projects, funded by the Netherlands, Germany, and China, helped about 1,000 ethnic minority women earn more money and improve their lives. On a working visit to the northern provinces of Ninh Bình, Lào Cai and Nghệ An, he found local farmers reaping handsome gains by growing herbs. It made him wonder if this success could be replicated back home in Quảng Trị, where there was a lot of land but harsh climatic conditions. "I only thought that what other people can do, my villagers can do, too. So I learnt the techniques of growing lemongrass and making essential oils.” To make sure he learned the right things, he spoke directly to agricultural experts. He was motivated and encouraged by them to cultivate herbs, especially lemongrass. Lemongrass is a valuable herb with many uses. It is used in cooking, and its essential oil is used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. It was also a product with high export potential. However, when Huệ spoke about cultivating this herb, he met opposition from his family, especially his mother, who felt it was best that he persisted with good job and stable salary of several million đồng. No one in the province had done anything like that, she pointed out. However, Huệ’s mind was made up. Towards the end of 2015, he resigned from the research institute and borrowed VNĐ200 million from family, relatives and friends to rent a 5ha plot in Cam Lộ Town to grow lemongrass. He signed a product consumption agreement with a co-operative in Ninh Bình Province, collected and purchased stalks from local households. "When I began planting the stalks, many local people shook their heads and worried about my job. Sometimes, someone would call and ask: “Are the shrubs still alive?’ Alongside growing the herb, he had to raise more money to buy two distilleries costing VNĐ150 milion each. But the care he took of the shrubs ensured that they had high oil content, and would earn a stable income. In 2016 alone, he harvested four crops and distilled 1,500 liters of oil, earning VNĐ400 million. “On average, I can earn a profit of VNĐ80 million from a hectare of lemongrass,” he said. He also began intercropping, planting hundreds of guava, mango and lemon trees, and the fruit trees yielded an extra income of VNĐ40 million per year. There was another added benefit. "Lemongrass keeps harmful insects away, so the fruit grower doesn’t need to spray insecticides," Huệ said. Huệ visited many areas in the country growing herbs as he looked for consumption markets, and he was able to get several export orders for a thousand litres of essential oils per month. He invited villagers to his farm so that they could see the whole process, from growing lemongrass to making the oil. He also assisted many households with fertilizers and stalks, guided them on cultivation and processing, and signed contracts to purchase products. Huệ said the best time to grow lemongrass was September. At an average of 40,000 shrubs per hectare. Each hectare yields up to 100 tonnes of raw material per year, which can be turned into 300 liters of essential oil worth VNĐ180 million. In Đakrong District, farmers have planted more than 25ha of lemongrass while Gio Linh District has dedicated 30ha to the herb. Today many ethnic minority women from the Vân Kiều and Pa Ko communities living in the mountainous commune of Hải Phúc in Đakrông District, about 50km from Đông Hà City, are growing cây xả (lemongrass) under Lê Huệ’s guidance. One woman said that in the past, the Vân Kiều and Pa Kô suffered great poverty, but cultivating herbs like lemongrass has improved their living standards now. Huệ has expanded his business, producing 2,500 litres of tea tree (cây tràm) oil last year, earning VNĐ1.5 billion. . His farm has created permanent jobs for 50 people and provides seasonal work to 100 others. Huệ plans to process aromatherapy oils from other herbs and set up a website to introduce his products. — Seminar reviews October Revolution’s significance to socialism A seminar, themed “Great October: achievements, lessons and looking towards the future”, took place in Moscow on October 31 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Great October Revolution of Russia. Speaking at the event, President of the Ruso socialism council Ivan Nikitchuk underscored the significance of the October Revolution to socialism, national liberation and global workers’ movements, adding that the Soviet Union successfully built the first socialism in the world which put an end to slavery. The State founded by V.I. Lenin defeated fascism and militarism, saving human race from genocide regime. First Secretary of the Political Office of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia Le Thi Thanh Ly highlighted historic significance of the October Revolution to Vietnam, saying that Vietnam’s road to socialism has been ever bright. From being under embargo, Vietnam has normalised and established diplomatic ties with 178 countries and leading international organisations, diversified ties with foreign partners in the spirit of being a friend and trustworthy partner. The country also actively joins regional and global cooperation process, she said. Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents, Vice President of the Communist Party of Russia Dmitry Novikov lauded the prospects of socialism and thanked Vietnam and its Communist Party for consistently following socialism thoughts. The event attracted Marxism scientists from Russia, Vietnam, Venezuela, Ukraine and Argentina. Argentinean media applauds Vietnam’s economic achievements Argentina’s Equilibrium Global has recently published online an article lauding economic achievements Vietnam has recorded after more than 30 years of reform. The article, by Prof. Dr. Julio Sevares from the University of Buenos Aires, said thanks to the reform policy, Vietnam’s economy grew more than 6.5 percent annually in the last 15 years, and its average GDP per capita expanded nine fold to nearly 2,200 USD in 2016. Julio Sevares cited the World Bank (WB)’s statistics as saying that up to 94.3 percent of Vietnamese people can read and write, with life expectancy at 72 years and unemployment rate at 3.7 percent. The country’s poverty rate dropped from 58 percent in 2003 to 12 percent last year, he said, adding that within two decades, 25 million Vietnamese escaped from poverty. According to the United Nations (UN), Vietnam is one of the most successful countries in economic development, and one of the very few nations that have fulfilled the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of schedule set by the UN, the article said. The country aims to raise its per capita income to 3,200-3,500 USD during 2016-2020. Vietnam’s economic development model focuses on export and investment, mainly the export of raw materials and the development of labour-intensive industries. At the same time, the country targets high value-added sectors like software. The article said Vietnam’s export revenue tripled during 1995-2017 and the country is now the world’s 47th largest exporter with annual growth rate at 16 percent. The Vietnamese Government is making every effort to push reform of laws relating to tax, customs and investment aiming to encourage private investment, it noted. Julio Sevares also commented on trade ties between Vietnam and Argentina, which have developed rapidly over the recent years. Vietnam is the fourth largest export market of Argentina, after Brazil, China and the US, he said, citing a report released by Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses showing that Argentina’s export to Vietnam in 2016 hit 2.54 billion USD, making up 4 percent of the South American country’s total export value. Corn and soybean account for 70 percent of the Argentinean shipments to Vietnam. Export values of Argentina’s non-traditional items to Vietnam like biological and pharmaceutical products and optimal devices increased sharply in recent years. Meanwhile, Argentina’s import from Vietnam stood at 350 USD, mainly electronic products, footwear and clothing. Argentinean experts said that with a population of more than 90 million, Vietnam remains a promising market for Argentina’s beef, poultry meat, wine, milk and fruit. Argentina can cooperate with Vietnam in aquaculture in which the Southeast Asian nation has experience, the article said.- HCM City: Book Street to spotlight Russian publications A Russian book event will run at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street from November 1 to 8, aiming to celebrate the October Revolution. It will feature two talk-shows on books about the revolution and Russian literature, scheduled for November 1 and 5. In the morning of November 4, the children's fantastic novel Doctor Aybolit by Korney Chukovsky will take stage. The play will be performed by primary pupils from District 1. The morning of November 6 is earmarked for the introduction and performance of Russian songs by renowned musician The Hien. Throughout the course of the event, there will be an exhibition featuring 200 Russian books, many of them have been familiar with Vietnamese readers in the 1970s – 1980s. Photos highlight Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic ties A photo exhibition highlighting the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Algeria over the past 55 years were showcased in Hanoi on October 30. The event was jointly held by the Embassy of Algeria in Vietnam, the Vietnam-Algeria Friendship Association, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Algerian Ambassador to Vietnam Mohamed Berrah said the two countries established diplomatic ties in October 1962. After Algeria gained independence in 1962, Vietnam opened its embassy in Alger capital. Over the past half century, the bilateral relations have been developing across the board, including politics. The two nations share a common vision on international relations built on peace, stability and security while settling disputes via peaceful means without intervening internal affairs and using forces in addition to respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity and supporting national self-determination, he added. He noted that the two sides have cooperative relations in various fields. The economic partnership has a lot of prospects, notably the joint oil and gas mining projects in Algeria. The Ambassador said he was impressed by Vietnam’s achievements and efforts in diversifying the economy, attracting foreign investment, and integrating into global trade. Vietnam’s integration will continue to be reinforced given increasing free trade agreements, he added. The event also screened the “Lotus” movie – a joint product of Vietnam and Algeria. Embankments in Yên Bái need urgent repair Nearly 10,900 metres of flood-prevention embankments damaged by the historic floods this month in the mountainous province of Yên Bái need to be repaired, said local authorities. The damaged embankments are mostly located along streams with nearly 30 landslide areas. Nghĩa Lộ Town has 6,630 metres of damaged embankments, while Văn Chấn District has nearly 3,000 metres and Trạm Tấu District has 950 metres. The Hà Thị Khuyên family, residing in Phai Lò Village, Hạnh Sơn Commune, Văn Chấn District, is one of the nine households in the village isolated by land erosion. A 200-metre embankment and a concrete road in the village were washed away after the floods. “We had to move our property and cattle to a safe place and only come back home after the water receded. I hope the State will support us in rebuilding the road or help us move to a new residential area,” Khuyên said. Phai Lò embankment also suffered damage after the floods in 2016. In the two major floods in 2016 and 2017, 1.2km of the embankment was damaged. Hundreds of metres of the concrete road running along Thia stream were washed away. Lò Văn Hó, chairman of Hạnh Sơn Commune’s People’s Committee, said that seven houses in the commune were washed away after the floods. Nearly 4,000sq.m of rice paddy fields, 9ha of corn fields and 1,200 metres of canals were destroyed. If the infrastructure is not rebuilt, hundreds of households in Hạnh Sơn Commune, Văn Chấn District, and Nghĩa An Commune, Nghĩa Lộ Town, will be prone to risks during floods, he said. Lò Thị Huân, secretary of Nghĩa Lộ Town’s Party Committee, said, “The devastation caused by the floods this month was substantial. The province is willing to receive a budget to repair the damaged embankments to ensure the safety of locals and agricultural land area along the streams.” Trần Thế Hùng, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the provincial budget on repairing damaged embankments is limited, proposing that the Ggovernment support the province with funds. Vietnamese Buddhism introduced in Africa The Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee has recently held a grand ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique, to make public the Việt Nam Buddhist Association (VBA) and launch the plan to establish a Vietnamese Buddhist Centre in Mozambique, also the first of its kind in Africa. Addressing the event, Most Venerable Thích Đức Thiện, General Secretary of the VBS Executive Council, spoke highly of Mozambique’s licensing of the VBA and expressed his hope that the association will contribute to strengthening solidarity among the Vietnamese community in the country, and consolidating friendship between the two nations. He said the VBS will build a Vietnamese Cultural Centre covering more than four hectares in Mozambique, with a pagoda in the centre. Arao Litsuri, a representative from the Mozambican Government, expressed his hope that Vietnamese Buddhist followers will introduce Vietnamese culture to local people and contribute to charity activities and poverty reduction in the country. On this occasion, the VBS presented 300 schoolbags to poor students in Mozambique’s mountainous province of Tete via the Mozambican Ministry of Education and Culture. Coal-carrying vessel’s crew members rescued in Nghệ An All 12 crew members onboard a sinking, coal-carrying vessel were rescued by Nghệ An Province functional forces on Monday. The Hồng Anh 69 vessel, owned by Quảng Ninh Province-based Hồng Gia Trading and Service JSC, was carrying 4,600 tonnes of coal to Nghệ An Province’s Cửa Lò Port. As the vessel was two nautical miles away from the port, water overflowed into its cargo holds. The captain immediately signaled for help, but because of the enormous waves, the vessel overturned and 12 crew members fell into the sea. Receiving the SOS, Việt Nam Marinetime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (VMSRCC) sent its marinetime rescue vessel, SAR 273, to the area. Simultaneously, Nghệ An Province Borderslands Security, Cửa Lò Port Border Guards, Cửa Lò Port Administration and other ships collaborated in the search and rescue operations. After a few hours, on Monday afternoon, the SAR 273 rescued all the members of the crew. The same day, a squid fishing vessel sank when attempting to shelter from bad weather near Song Tử Tây Island of the Trường Sa (Spratly) archipelago. One fisherman died and one remains missing. Phạm Văn Châu, vice chairman of Tam Giang Commune’s People’s Committee of Núi Thành District in Quảng Nam Province, said there were 36 aboard the vessel when the accident happened. Lương Tấn Sỹ, the owner of the vessel, is currently missing. Another crew member was pronounced dead when brought to land. The border guard force of Song Tử Tây Island was able to rescue the other 34 people. Clam shells, glass found in compost Clam shells and glass pieces were found in 34 tonnes of compost sold to farmers in Đắk R’Lấp District, Đắk Nông Province. The information was revealed by the Inspectorate of Đắk Nông Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The 34 tonnes of compost, reported to contain clam shells and glass pieces, were tested by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development twice. The department initially concluded the compost’s ingredients do not meet quality standards as registered on the product’s packaging. However, the second test revealed that the products met the standard. The department then concluded that the compost, coded BM001 manufactured by Vietstar, is qualified in terms of ingredients stated on the packaging. “The compost was produced from unclassified domestic garbage of HCM City. The impurities cannot be totally eliminated in spite of several processes such as classifying, crushing and selecting,” the department said. In June 2017, farmer Nguyễn Thế Vinh bought 20 packages of compost branded BM001, with each package containing 50kg, manufactured by Vietstar Joint Stock Company, based in HCM City, and distributed by Nam Long Company, based in Vĩnh Long City. After using the compost to fertilise 800 pepper trees, Vinh found clam shells, broken glass pieces and other abnormally large impurities in the compost content. The compost was also sold to two other local farmers. Vietstar blamed the clam shells and glass pieces on technical failures due to holes in the impurity filter nets. The three farmers who bought the compost have been compensated 50 per cent of the product value. The department asked Vietstar to carefully inspect its manufacturing process and technology to eliminate most impurities in the compost before selling in the market to avoid a similar incident. A leading official of the department said there is no regulation on how to fine companies manufacturing compost containing impurities, therefore no penalty was imposed on Vietstar. According to the investigation, plants fertilised with this compost grow normally. There is no evidence to conclude the impact of compost on the trees. Health insurance abuse becomes common Việt Nam Social Security recorded some 13,100 patients undergoing check-ups more than 50 times, with the total cost of VNĐ645 billion (US$28.3 million) paid by its health insurance fund, in the first 10 months of 2017. Besides some special cases, the data showed abnormal signs in health insurance participation. Dương Đức Tuấn, director of the Northern Centre for Health Insurance and Multidisciplinary Payment, said health insurance abuse by undergoing several check-ups at different hospitals was getting popular, increasing the medical service cost and create negative consequences for the health insurance fund. He cited the example of 53-year-old M.B.N. from HCM City’s District 12. From January to October 23, 2017, the patient underwent 231 medical examinations at more than 10 different hospitals, with the cost of VNĐ129 million ($5,680) covered by the health insurance fund. “She went to hospital almost everyday. On some days, she had 2-3 check-ups at different hospitals,” Tuấn added. M.B.N’s medical expenses are fully funded by social security. However, she is not the sole case as the inspection system found several other patients undergoing up to 200 check-ups in 10 months. “Some people consider undergoing check-ups paid by the health insurance fund their “job.” We are conducting investigations into these cases,” Tuấn said. In September, a patient in HCM City had to pay back VNĐ9 million ($400) to HCM City Social Security for abusing the health insurance fund. Nearly VND2.8 billion scholarships for impoverished students The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) and Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd have held a ceremony in Hanoi to present scholarships to underprivileged students and pupils who have kept excellent academic records for the 2017-2018 school year. Each scholarship for students is VND24 million, and for pupils is VND16.2 million. Recipients of the scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year can continue to receive funding for the following years if they maintain a good level of study. This is the fourth year such scholarships have been granted to outstanding students and pupils. Nearly VND2.8 billion worth of grants has been presented to 61 university students and 43 pupils so far. After the selection council chose 10 outstanding pupils and 21 students to receive scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year, representatives from the HCMYU, Canon Vietnam, and the Ministry of Education and Training made fact-finding tours of Hai Duong, Ben Tre, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City, where they met the scholarship recipients to check their progress and encourage them in their studies. Long Van accompanies DevFest 2017 in Danang Long Van Solutions System JSC became the golden sponsor for DevFest 2017, which will be organised by Google Developer Group Mien Trung (GDG Mien Trung) in Danang on November 17-19, 2017. “By barticipating in the community activities at DevFest, Long Van wants to stimulate more young people to select science and technology to study and consider it as a basis to develop their careers, contributing to Vietnam's strong growth in the future,” said Nguyen Huu Ru, general director of Long Van. DevFest is the festival for the developer community, featuring numerous highly-anticipated events, such as a conference, training programmes, condelabs or Hackathon. DevFest events cover multiple product areas such as android, firebase, Google cloud platform, Google assistant, flutter, machine learning with tensor flow, and mobile web. In 2017, GDG Mien Trung will host DevFest under the Hackathon form in Danang. According to the plan, the Hackathon competition to be organised on November 17, is expected to attract 100-120 developers. Accordingly, individuals and representatives of groups will present their products within 60 seconds and then receive votes form the remaining members. 20 outstanding ideals will be selected to establish teams to implement their products within 24 hours from November 18-19. Then between 10-12 best teams will be selected to present their products for the board of examiners and the 600-strong panel of technology lovers on the Demoday. Moreover, many experts will come and share their experiences in the field of technology. According to Nguyen Thi Phuong Nhi, founder of GDG Mien Trung and representative of the board of organisers of GDG DevFest Mien Trung 2017, Hackathon is an ideal competition for developers and information technology students to train their team working skill, multi-dimensional thinking ability, and ability to provide objective feedback and to communicate with customers. “The GDG DevFest Hackathon is not just a technology playground, but we also hope that the event will help younger people to improve their innovative thinking skills as well as the spirit of active connection, learning, and sharing,” Nhi added. Partner to the world’s leading IT groups, namely VMware, NetApp, Cisco, Long Van specialises in developing IT infrastructure applications for cloud computing platforms. Long Van currently has more than 10,000 customers and it expects that the figure will be doubled within the next two years. The company currently supplies a variety of services, including private cloud, cloud datacenter, cloud server, cloud desktop, and cloud backup, for its close partners that include University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, ILA Educational Organisation, Apollo Education Organisation, HANET Electronics Vietnam Co., Ltd., and Anova Pharma JSC, among others. VNN |
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Vietnam police poised to investigate Khaisilk’s ‘Made in China’ scandal
An inspection group including police, customs, and tax officers will also be formed to carry out a comprehensive examination of Khaisilk products  The Khaisilk outlet on Hang Gai Street in Hanoi has been closed since October 26, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre Police are set to step in to probe a scandal that has rocked the Vietnamese silk industry as the owner of a premier silk brand had admitted that half of its high-end ‘Made in Vietnam’ scarf stock comes from China. Following a closed-door meeting on Monday, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced on its official website that it had ordered the transfer of the scandal’s documents to the criminal police division under the Hanoi Department of Police. All documents have been sent to the police ever since. Tag removal? Khaisilk, a premier Vietnamese silk brand, made headlines last week when one of the company’s scarves was found bearing both a ‘Made in China’ label and a ‘Made in Vietnam’ one, giving rise to suspicion of trade fraud. A Facebook user, Dang Nhu Quynh, had reported that the scarf was part of a 60-item order his brother had placed with a Khaisilk store in Hanoi at VND644,000 (US$28) apiece. In his status update, Quynh said that some of the remaining 59 ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ scarves displayed signs that a ‘Made in China’ tag had been cut off. The brand owner, Hoang Khai, later confessed that 50 percent of his silk scarves were sourced from China and sold under the guise of Vietnamese products. On Sunday, a Hanoi market surveillance agency stated in a report that it was employees of the Khaisilk outlet who had changed the tags without anyone else’s knowledge, as their supply of silk scarves had fallen short of demand. Located at 113 Hang Gai in Hoan Kiem District, the store is registered under the name of Nguyen Thi Thu Nga and has a business license granted by the Hoan Kiem administration. The Hanoi store has been closed while two Khaisilk shops in Ho Chi Minh City have also been shut down since last weekend. Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh has asked Hanoi police to look into the violations of Nga’s business. He urged the establishment of an inspection group including police, customs, and tax officers to carry out a comprehensive examination of Khaisilk products.
Minister Anh requested the People’s Committees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to direct close investigations into the activities of the firm in each locality. According to Chu Xuan Kien, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Nga is the representative of Khai at the 113 Hang Gai store. An official from the Hanoi market watchdog said that its report only showed initial results, as competent agencies would continue their probe to reach a final conclusion. Incredible report V.A., business manager of the Ho Chi Minh City-based LP Textile Company, asserted that the report of the market surveillance agency is unreliable and unacceptable. In accordance with protocol, all products and revenues at outlets must be reported back to the company on a daily basis, A. stated. In case of a hike in demand, store managers always inform their firm to source additional products and check the origin of all merchandise. A former Khaisilk partner said that Khai, as the brand owner, has to supervise every step in the operations of his outlets, which makes it difficult for any manipulation by any employee to take place. This could be a way to mitigate the firm’s wrongdoing, the former business partner remarked. Tran Huu Huynh, chairman of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center, added that a business owner must take responsibility for all his merchandise under any circumstance. Founded in the late 1990s, Khaisilk scarves are considered a premium product, popular amongst local luxury consumers and international tourists. Khaisilk also trades wallets, bags, ties, and other items of clothing. Tuoi Tre News |
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Vietnam to ‘pull down wall which hinders business development’ Under the Investment Law, there are seven prohibited business fields and 243 conditional business fields. However, according to the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), it found 4,284 business conditions set by ministries and branches as of August 10, 2017.  The economics institute believes that this is not the final figure, because business conditions and licenses are ‘born’ every day and in different forms. Business conditions include requirements on the number of workers, production capacity, the way workshops are located or financial capability. The requirements on businesses’ capacity account for the largest proportion (1,336), followed by requirements on workforce (1,100). According to CIEM head Nguyen Dinh Cung, the requirements create unreasonable barriers that prevent businesses from joining the market, and restrict the number of investors registering their business and discourage operational enterprises.
He pointed out that many potential investors give up their business plans after learning about the requirements, because they don’t have large production premises, facilities and production lines, or degrees and experience as required. CIEM, in the latest move, has asked the government to remove nearly 3,000 business conditions, including 302 on financial conditions, 1,400 on locations and 1,336 on production capacity. The proposal by CIEM, according to Dau Anh Tuan, head of VCCI’s (Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry) legal department, is a ‘daring move’. “This is a reasonable approach way, though it is a bit too ambitious. 3,000 would be a shocking figure, but this would be a great opportunity to check business conditions,” Tuan commented. “I look forward to the discussions about the proposal,” he said. MOIT (Ministry of Industry and Trade) has strong support from the public on the removal of 675 business conditions under its control. The number accounts for 55.5 percent of the existing conditions (1,216). If MOIT fulfills its commitments, this would be a ‘record high number of licenses to be cut in the industry and trade sector’s history’. Tran Dinh Thien, head of the Vietnam Economics Institute, said that the removal of such a high number of licenses by MOIT shows that the system of licenses in Vietnam is intricate. VCCI has suggested that it is necessary to set up a mechanism to supervise the process of removing licenses. Ministries and branches must be punished if they don’t remove the business conditions that the government requires. Currently, ministries and branches have been asked to check business conditions themselves and report the number of licenses to remove. However, there is no independent body which supervises the process. “Independent agencies such as National Assembly committees and associations need to get more actively involved in the process of checking and removing business conditions,” Tuan said. M. Ha, VNN |
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Vietnam sugar industry begs to delay import tariff cuts Many sugar companies in Vietnam have been unable to sell sugar over the past two weeks although prices have reached a record low. According to Pham Quoc Doanh, chairman of the Vietnam Sugar and Sugarcane Association (VSSA), a kilo of sugar is currently priced at VND12,000 (USD54.5 cent), the lowest level so far. However, lower sugar firms have seen slow sales or been unable to sell the product at all as their customers are waiting for lower sugar import tax.  Many sugar companies in Vietnam have been unable to sell sugar over the past two weeks although prices have reached a record low. Under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, many duties on goods imported from ASEAN countries have been cut to 0% from 2018, including sugar imports. This is likely to put a lot more pressure on the already suffering domestic sugar sector. At present, the Vietnamese sugar industry is facing a flood of illegally-imported sugar, Doanh said. So, the situation will be more difficult due to the lower import tax. To help ease the difficulties, VSSA has proposed to the prime minister to delay the implementation of the trade agreement with ASEAN to 2020 at the earliest. The association has also recommended the Ministry of Finance to continue slapping a 5% tax on sugar imports from ASEAN countries after 2018 to help make domestically-refined sugar products competitive. The prime minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance to consider the VSSA’s proposal and report to the government before October 30. However, the report has not yet been completed due to different opinions on the implementation of the ASEAN goods agreement. VASA reported that currently, Vietnam has 41 sugar plants with a total capacity of 150,000 tonnes per day, up 12.7 times against 1995. If ASEAN goods agreement takes effect from early 2018, small-scale plants with out-dated technology will turn to importing raw sugar for refining and stop buying sugarcane from farmers. The agreed timetable for the implementation of the ASEAN trade agreement may see the domestic sector lose out to Thailand, while sugarcane farmers will be hardest hit. Sugarcane is currently grown across on 300,000 hectares and employs 1.5 million workers. dtinews.vn |
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Vietnam performs world’s first stem cell transplant in treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia The Hanoi-based Vinmec healthcare system has become the first medical facility in the world to successfully carry out bone marrow mononuclear cells transplantation to treat established bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BDP).  Prof., Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem and his team perform the stem cell transplant on the patient. (Photo courtesy to Vinmec) The US prestigious medical magazine American Journal of Case Reports, in its latest volume for October, announced the world’s first case study of a successful stem cell transplant for incurable BDP, carried out by a group of scientists from the Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cells and Gene Technology, led by its Head, Prof., Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem. The study reports the successful treatment of a 30-week-old neonate, weighing 1.5kg. In May 2016, the patient was admitted to Vinmec International Hospital at four months old, suffering from infections due to prolonged mechanical ventilation. The male newborn was at risk of fatality from recurrent infections and increasing pulmonary arterial pressure as traditional treatments did not work. After a period of intensive care, in September last year, he underwent stem cell transplantation at Vinmec Hospital to improve his respiratory function. Four weeks later, the child could breathe normally and was completely removed from oxygen support. At present, the baby is 22 months old and growing to the equivalent of full-term babies. “The world of medicine has not recognised the traditional methods of treating BDP in preterm infants. Meanwhile, stem cell transplants can be effective because of the ability to block and reduce lung fibrosis, whilst being able to differentiate into new alveoli to improve lung structure and function. Thanks to this, the patient can breathe without needing to rely on machinery," Prof., Dr. Liem said. After this first case, Vinmec successfully applied stem cell transplant to treat BDP in two other preterm births at week 26 and 31. The breakthrough achievement by Vinmec marks a great turning point in the field of the nursing and care of premature babies. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health, every year Vietnam has approximately 100,000 preterm newborns that require special care. Of these, 30-80% of preterm infants at 26-28 weeks are at risk of death in their first two years of life, due to BDP, infection, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. This figure increases to 80-90% at 24-25 weeks. In particular, 50% of resuscitated preterm babies are hospitalised over five times per year due to pneumonia. The American Journal of Case Reports is the world's most prestigious medical journal that publishes innovative new treatments and diagnostics or issues in first-time disease detection. Reports published in the journal will also be included in PubMed - the US electronic medical library - which publishes valuable research in the field of medicine that the global science community can investigate and refer to. Being included in the American journal has affirmed the reputation of Vinmec's stem cell research within the global medical community. The facility also hosted the first international seminar on stem cells and gene technology yesterday with the participation of leading experts from around the world. After five years of operation, Vinmec has invested strongly in research and the application of stem cells - gene technology. In addition to successful stem cell transplants for cerebral palsy and BPD, Vinmec is applying stem cells treatment to treat other complicated diseases, such as spinal cord injury, knee degeneration, myocardial infarction, congenital biliary atresia, cirrhosis, autism and diabetes, with encouraging results initially. The study of stem cell transplantation for successful BPD treatment is the 70th paper published in prestigious international medical journals by Prof., Dr. Liem. In particular, there are many works that have attracted special attention, such as the technique for treatment of biliary atresia by laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic biliary cystic surgery, which has also been included in the pediatric textbook. Nhan Dan |
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Article 6
Vietnam receives strong foreign portfolio investment flow More than VND33.5 trillion ($1.4 billion) worth of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in both stocks and bonds were poured into Vietnam in the last three quarters of the year.  This has increased the dollar supply and helped the State Bank improve forex reserves. Analysts said the Vietnamese stock market in the third quarter had two major development stages. In the first stage, which ended in mid-August, the VN Index fluctuated with alternate up/down trading sessions. In the second stage, the upward trend bounced back to the new peak of over 800 points thanks to a group of shares with high capitalization value such as SAB, VIC, MSN and GAS. The VN Index increased by 3.6 percent, but the trading value decreased in Q3.
A report from Bao Viet Securities showed that the highest growth rate belonged to shares of brewery companies (+28.8 percent), SAB of Sabeco and BHN of Habeco. They both saw sharp increases in prices thanks to good business performance and the government’s divestment of its stake. The shares of the companies which have invested in many business fields saw the second strongest growth (+23 percent), thanks to MSN, the share with the highest capitalization value in its field. The other shares in the same field did not see considerable improvement. Similarly, the high growth rates of tourism shares (+18.5 percent) and infrastructure shares (+15.5 percent) were obtained mainly thanks to the surge in leading shares such as HPG, VJC and ROS. Meanwhile, the shares of rubber companies have dropped dramatically by 24.5 percent because of unsatisfactory business results of DRC, CSM and SRC and stiff competition in the industry. The net purchase by foreign investors also helped the Vietnamese stock market grow rapidly in the first nine months of the year. Following the net purchase in the first two quarters, foreign investors continued to be net buyers in the third quarter. On HSX, they bought VND28.6 trillion worth of stocks and sold VND23.8 trillion which meant the net purchase value of VND4.8 trillion. FPI flow supports exchange rate Since June 2017, the State Bank has pumped a huge amount of dong, roughly VND68 trillion, to buy $3 billion. The latest updated report showed that Vietnam’s forex reserves have reached $45 billion, or $6 billion higher than the end of 2016. This is the biggest level ever reported so far. State Bank’s Deputy Governor Nguyen Thi Hong, when answering Bloomberg, said the dong/dollar exchange rate would be stable towards the end of the year thanks to plentiful reserves. She said with improved forex reserves, the central bank will have better resources to intervene in the market if necessary. Thanh Mai, VNN |
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Article 5
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 2/11 Vietnam attends meetings of Int’l Association of Deposit Insurers The Deposit Insurance of Vietnam (DIV) group attended the 16th annual meeting of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) and an annual conference hosted by the IADI and the Autorité des marchés financiers in Quebec, Canada, in early October. The conference was themed “Deposit Insurance for All – Adapting the Core Principles to Different Structures, Mandates and Types of Institutions.” Speakers from deposit insurance organisations and financial service agencies of the UK, Canada, Germany, Jamaica and the World Bank discussed the functions, tasks and structures of deposit insurance organisations, and the alignment of these bodies’ operations with international practices. Participants underscored the importance of financial inclusion in developing a financial system serving all people and providing services at reasonable prices, thus contributing to sustainable development. They also stressed the role of deposit insurance organisations in helping the finance-banking sector obtain financial inclusion targets. At the IADI’s 16th meeting, the DIV and other participants approved administrative documents and were updated on the IADI’s activities. They also elected the IADI President, the Chair of the IADI Executive Council, the finance director and members of the executive council. Import-export revenue hit nearly 38 billion USD in October  Vietnam’s total import-export revenue is expected to reach 37.9 billion USD in October, a rise of 0.8 percent from the previous month, reported the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Of the total, Vietnam’s exports hit 19.4 billion USD, up 0.3 percent, while imports were 18.5 billion USD, an increase of 1.4 percent. The results raised the country’s total trade so far this year to 346.22 billion USD, a surge of 21.3 percent over the same period in 2016, with exports reaching 173.72 billion USD and imports of 172.49 billion USD, up 20.7 percent and 22 percent respectively. In October, Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 900 million USD, pushing the total surplus in the first 10 months to 1.23 billion USD. At the same time, State budget collection as of October 25 was 232.785 trillion VND (1.02 billion USD), 81.7 percent of total estimate and a 10.36 percent rise over 2016. Based on the results, total income of the country in hit 23 trillion VND (100 million USD) in October and 237 trillion VND (1.04 billion USD) in the January-October period. Mitsubishi recalls over 2,500 cars over failed airbags Mitsubishi Vietnam will recall more than 2,500 Pajero cars imported into Vietnam from 2007 to 2016 nationwide starting from November 1. The cars will be recalled for checking and replacement of failed airbags. They will be recalled until October 31, 2019, with repair time taking between 30 and 108 minutes per vehicle. The recall is attributed to the possibility that catalyst inside the airbag’s fuse could degenerate due to temperature change after a long period of use, causing the fuse’s cover to break when the airbag is activated. The Vietnam Register has recommended clients of Mitsubishi Vietnam bring their cars in for checks to ensure safety. Ho Chi Minh City: October’s CPI up 0.63 percent Ho Chi Minh City’s consumer price index (CPI) in October increased 0.63 percent compared to that of September and 4.13 percent year on year. According to the municipal Statistics Office, eight out of the 11 commodity groups enjoyed rises, with the highest growth of 12.04 percent seen in medicines and health care services. It was followed by culture, entertainment and tourism (0.66 percent), transport (0.64 percent), housing and construction materials (0.44 percent), food and catering services (0.18 percent), equipment and home appliances (0.16 percent), goods and other services (0.1 percent), and garment, headwear and footwear (0.06 percent). In the contrary, the price of beverage and tobacco dropped by 0.01 percent. Meanwhile, the prices of telecommunications and education remained unchanged. In October, the gold price fell by 0.03 percent, while that of US dollar down 0.01 percent month-on-month. HCM City’s FDI attraction doubles in Jan-Oct Ho Chi Minh City, the southern economic hub, attracted 5.04 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first 10 months of 2017, a two-fold increase year on year. According to the municipal Department of Planning and Investment, in the period, there were 681 newly-registered projects totalling 1.89 billion USD, while 703.4 million USD was added to 184 existing projects. About 1840 foreign investors were licensed to pour 2.43 billion USD into buying stakes and contributing charter capital to existing companies. Among sectors, real estate attracted the most FDI with 1.01 billion USD, three times higher than that of the same period last year. It was followed by the manufacturing and processing sector with over 473 million USD or a year-on-year 5.7-fold rise. The Republic of Korea remained the biggest investor in Ho Chi Minh City with 1.03 billion USD, followed by the US (255 million USD), Singapore (137 million USD) and Japan (121 million USD). During January-October, the city had 33,839 newly-established enterprises with a total registered capital of over 457 trillion VND (20.1 billion USD), up 13.2 percent in number and 88.7 percent in capital compared with the same period last year. The city has made efforts to encourage business households to turn into businesses. To date, 1,629 business households have switched to enterprises. Vinamilk tops list of prestigious food – beverage firms in 2017 The Vietnam Dairy Products Company (Vinamilk) tops the list of 10 Vietnam’s food and beverage firms with best reputation in 2017, according to the Vietnam Report. This is the first time that the Vietnam Report has publicised the rankings of food – beverage firms with best reputation in Vietnam. Those companies were evaluated under three main factors, including their financial abilities based on financial reports in the most recent year (accounts for 30 percent) and their media reputation, which was accessed by the Media Coding method (30 percent). Online survey on customers’ recognition and satisfaction and the others on experts’ assessment of their position, capital, growth, profits and operation plans in 2017 accounted for 40 percent. According to the Vietnam Report, Vinamilk was also chosen by questioned consumers and experts as the firm with the highest brand recognition, as well as biggest information coverage and media influence. From 2014 to 2016, Vinamilk’s sales grew 14.8 percent, while its return on equity and earnings per share increased 34.5 and 82 percent respectively. In May 2017, the Kantar Worldpanel Brand Footprint Ranking listed the company as the most popular fast-moving consumer goods brand in Vietnam. Vinamilk was included in the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world’s biggest public companies. It also ranked eight among the best 300 companies in Asia selected by Nikkei Young scientists seek ways to boost firms’ competitiveness Domestic and international young researchers gathered at a conference in the central city of Da Nang on October 30 to discuss policies to help Vietnamese enterprises enhance their competitiveness. The Conference for Young Researchers in Economics and Business (ICYREB 2017), themed “Vietnamese enterprises with the fourth industrial revolution,” offered domestic and international researchers, aged below 40, an opportunity to share their experience and studies in economics, management and business administration. Participants presented 130 reports focusing on economics, finance, banking, accounting, business administration, marketing, tourism, human resources management, trade, international business and law. Among them are Eric D. Ramstetter from the Asia Development Institute, Editor-in-chief of the Asian Economic Journal; Professor Nguyen Duc Khuong, Deputy Director of the France-based IPAG Business School; and Dr Sushil Sharma from the US-based Ball State University, Editor-in-chief of the International Journal Of E-Adoption. ICYREB 2017 was jointly organised by ten economic and business universities nationwide. Aquatic exports estimated at 6.73 billion USD Aquatic product exports in the past ten months rose 17.6 percent to 6.73 billion USD, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the US were largest importers, occupying 55.3 percent of total export value. Strong growth in export revenue was seen in China (65.8 percent), the Netherlands (42.9 percent) and the UK (29.7 percent). In the ten-month period, the country splashed out 1.14 billion USD on aquatic imports, up 29.8 percent from the same time last year. The European Commission (EC)’s recent decision to issue a “yellow card” warning to Vietnam after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing had certain impacts on Vietnamese aquatic shipments. Increasing inspections on Vietnamese products will result in a surge in inspecting and storage costs for Vietnamese exporters, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said. The “yellow card” issuance also raised concerns among other foreign importers, especially those purchasing Vietnamese materials for re-exports to the EU, the US or countries with strict measures against IUU fishing. Regarding the domestic market, price of material tra fish increased up to 1,500 VND to 28,000 VND per kilogramme due to limited supply. Enterprises are on strong demands for shrimp to serve exports in the end of the year, also leading to price hikes. New, existing companies register 107 billion USD in ten months Total registered capital poured into the economy in the ten months of this year exceeded 2.43 quadrillion VND (107 billion USD), according to the General Statistics Office The sum includes 1.4 quadrillion VND (61.6 billion USD) that more than 29,500 companies added to their charter capital. Meanwhile, more than 105,100 firms established between January and October have total capital of over 1 quadrillion VND (44 billion USD), up 14.6 percent and 43 percent from the same period last year respectively. In October alone, about 11,160 companies were set up with combined capital of 119 trillion VND (5.24 billion USD), representing respective month-on-month increases of 29 percent and 48 percent. About 22,760 enterprises resumed their operations in the ten months, up 1.2 percent year on year. About 37,800 or 36 percent of the firms founded during the period operate in the wholesale and retail sector, up 16.1 percent. While 13,400 new companies (12.8 percent) work in processing and manufacturing, 13,300 businesses (12.7 percent) engage in the construction sector, up 8.6 percent and 9.4 percent respectively. From January to October, while nearly 9,800 businesses were dissolved, some 52,800 companies suspended operations, respectively rising by 5.4 and 4.1 percent from a year earlier, the General Statistics Office said. Co-operative gets $19k to label mangoes The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap’s Government last Sunday granted VND432 million (US$18,939) to help My Xuong Cooperative in Cao Lanh District label and issue codes for mangoes. The province’s People’s Committee will give the cooperative a machine to print logos and codes for the mangoes. The cooperative will also receive guidance on promoting local mangoes and teaching consumers how to identify authentic goods with clear origin. The cooperative in the district’s My Xuong Commue grows Cat Chu mangoes and Cao Lanh mangoes, recognised by the Intellectual Property Rights Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology as a cooperative brand name since 2012. Labeling Cao Lanh mango, a brand name product of Dong Thap Province’s Cao Lanh District. — Photo baodongthap.com.vn Cat Chu mangoes weigh an average of 350-450 grammes each, and Cao Lanh mangoes about 400-500 grammes each. They have a tapered shape, fragrant smell and sweet taste. Cao Lanh District has nearly 4,000ha of mango cultivation, producing about 30,000 tonnes of mangoes a year. The use of advanced farming techniques have improved quality and quantity, and increased the value of the products. Mangoes are grown following Global and Vietnamese GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) standards. After building their brand name and creating better linkages among farmers and businesses, local farmers have been able to expand markets for mango exports. The district’s mangoes are exported to Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan. Agribank, VAMC sign contract to resolve bad debts The Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (Agribank) and the Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC) late last week signed a co-operation agreement to resolve non-performing loans. Under the agreement, the two sides will co-operate to settle non-performing loans (NPLs) of Agribank that were sold to VAMC in accordance with legal regulations stated in National Assembly’s Resolution No. 42/2017/QH14, which came into effect on August 15 this year and is designed to quickly and definitely settle NPLs and collaterals. Agribank and VAMC will collaborate closely in the development of a roadmap for bad debt settlement for every single year in the 2017-22 period. For NPLs that VAMC bought by special bonds, the two sides will evaluate and classify the debts to propose the most appropriate and effective solutions. The State Bank of Viet Nam has selected six credit institutions -- Sacombank, ACB, BIDV and Vietcombank, as well as VietinBank and Agribank -- to pioneer the implementation of Resolution No. 42, aimed at speeding up bad debt settlement. VAMC bought more than VND25.53 trillion (US$1.12 billion) of NPLs from 14 credit institutions in the first nine months of this year. Since its establishment in 2013 until the end of September this year, the company has bought a NPLs worth a total or more than VND301 trillion from 42 credit institutions at VND270.92 trillion. Viettel wins clutch of International Business Awards Viettel has won one gold and four silver awards at the 2017 International Business Awards - Stevie Awards in various categories and for its operations in various countries. The Gold Award went to Viettel’s Youtube fee package (in Cambodia, Peru and Tanzania) in the best Entertainment - Communication Product of the Year category. Within six months of the package’s launch it had garnered over one million customers in the three countries by helping achieve a breakthrough in the consumption of entertainment on smartphones and saving 40 – 80 per cent cost when using data. The four silver awards were for Fastest-Growing Company of the Year in Europe, Middle East and Africa for Halotel (Tanzania); Most Effective Marketing Campaign of the Year for Bitel (Peru); Best Customer Care Service of the Year for My Viettel application (Viet Nam); and Best Telecommunication Product of the Year for telecommunication secure solution (Viet Nam) This is the first time that Halotel, Viettel’s Tanzanian operation, has won an international award. Within three months of launching its mobile service in October 2015 Halotel had signed up one million subscribers, and after nine months doubled the figure, both records that no other international telecom service provider has ever achieved. Halotel remains one of the fastest growing telecom companies in Tanzania. As of October 2017 it has over 3.5 million customers to rank fourth out of eight telecom companies in the country after surpassing some that have been in the business for over 10 years. According to the Tanzanian Communication Regulatory Authority, the speed of growth of Halotel’s subscriber numbers in July and August surprised authorities after it signed up a full 50 per cent of the 427,500 new mobile customers. When the country switched to a system of migrating between networks while retaining the mobile number in March 2017, Halotel attracted the highest proportion of customers wanting to switch, with around 1,000 from other networks joining it every month. The company has the country’s largest telecom network with 2,500 base-transceiver stations and 18,000 km of optic-fibre cable and covering 90 per cent of the country. It was also the first to set up and provide mobile broadband connections to some 3,000 villages which had never enjoyed internet or mobile services until then. Tanzania is now Viettel’s biggest overseas market with a population of 55 million and is also where it has made the biggest investment – worth US$800 million. Its investment in Tanzania was considered the best project in 2014 in Eastern, Western and Central Africa at the 2015 Global Investors Conference. The International Business Awards – Stevie Awards is a leading global award given annually for achievements and contributions by enterprises and individuals that benefit the community, including in information technology and telecommunication. To win, candidates must persuade 200 examiners, all famous CEOs or entrepreneurs. The name “Stevie” comes from Stephen, which is Greek for “Crowned”. Smokeless charcoal wins agricultural start-up competition HCM City-based R2D Food Technology Science JSC has won the first prize of VND50 million (US$2,202) at the third Agricultural Start-up Competition with its smokeless charcoal. Produced from agricultural by-products such as coconut shells, the charcoal is smokeless, odourless, completely without chemicals and does not explode when fired. Le Thi Hien, founder and director of the company, said it sells 50 tonnes of the charcoal every month in the domestic market and abroad. It is focused on boosting exports, especially to the US, EU and Japan, as well as developing its brand in the domestic market, she added. The second prize worth VND20 million each was shared by Nguyen Van Tuan of Bac Can for his Thanh Ngan multi-functional agricultural machinery and Tran Phuc Hau of Ben Tre for a micro-biological product from sugarcane bagasse powder for intensive shrimp culture. Two third prizes worth VND15 million each were awarded to Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc (Thai Nguyen) for her organic tea and Lai Thi Bich (Gia Lai) for her five-coloured pepper. Five others received consolation prizes for an agricultural and medicinal material value chain; an anti-mosquito biological incense; a cajuput-flavoured honey; an eco-nursery; and pre-mixed ingredients for Hue beef noodle soup. The winners also received scholarships for training in Thailand and studying the "One Tambon One Product" model. Organised by the Business Study and Assistance Centre; Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Club (SKC); Trung Nguyen Group and others, the competition attracted 117 entries, with 30 entering the final round. According to the jury, the contest recognised innovations in production and trading. Often in Viet Nam, innovators do not pay much attention to commercialising and monetising their products, something contests like this can help address, the judges added. HCM City Vietnam Sales & Marketing Camp set for Nov The Vietnam Chief of Sales & Marketing Officer Club (CSMO Vietnam) has revealed that the Vietnam Sales & Marketing Camp (VSMCamp) will take place from November 17-18 at Him Lam Palace and Tan Son Nhat Golf Course, HCM City. The event draws the participation of more than 30 scholars and leading experts in the fields of sales, marketing, and communications. This year’s theme focuses on digital transformation and its impact on modern sales and marketing. On November 17, the program will attract 1,500 participants to interactively discuss useful information about related fields. A highlight of the event, the CSMO Summit program on November 18, is designed for senior managers (C-Level) involved in sales, marketing, and communications. VSMCamp is the initiative of CSMO Vietnam, which aims to help people operating in the sales and marketing industry refresh their knowledge and broaden their network of relationships for future career development. This year’s event is expected to welcome about 2,000 visitors. Export turnover may exceed target Exports in the first ten months of the year reached an impressive $173.7 billion and exceeded the target, according to the latest report from the General Statistics Office (GSO), released on October 29. Export turnover in October reached $19.4 billion, up 0.3 per cent compared to September and 26.2 per cent year-on-year. The figure in the first ten months was $173.7 billion, up 20.7 per cent year-on-year, of which exports by the domestic sector were $48.2 billion, up 17.2 per cent, and by the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) $125.5 billion, up 22.1 per cent. The US remained Vietnam’s leading export market, with $34.7 billion in the first ten months, up 10.1 per cent year-on-year. Exports to the EU were $31.8 billion, up 15.7 per cent, and China $25.6 billion, up 48 per cent. Meanwhile, exports to ASEAN reached $18 billion in the first ten months, up 26.8 per cent year-on-year, to Japan $13.7 billion, up 14.7 per cent, and to South Korea $12.2 billion, up 28.6 per cent. Import turnover in October was $18.5 billion, up 1.4 per cent against September and 16.6 per cent year-on-year. In the first ten months, import turnover reached $172.5 billion, an increase of 22 per cent year-on-year. Imports by the domestic sector reached $64.6 billion, an increase of 11.6 per cent, while the foreign-invested sector imported $107.9 billion, up 29.2 per cent. China remained the largest source of imports in the first ten months, with turnover reaching $47.1 billion, up 16.7 per cent year-on-year, followed by South Korea with $38.8 billion, up 48.4 per cent. ASEAN totaled $22.6 billion, up 17 per cent, Japan $13.3 billion, up 8 per cent, the EU $9.9 billion, up 9.7 per cent, and the US $7.6 billion, up 10.5 per cent. Exports this year have been positive. The Ministry of Industry and Trade predicts that if the export growth rate can be maintained, then total export turnover in 2017 could reach about $200 billion, up some 13 per cent year-on-year and higher than the targeted $188 billion. This would be a record export figure, contributing to the GDP growth target of 6.7 per cent for 2017. Moreover, there is a great deal of potential for higher export turnover this year as Vietnamese goods are now available in nearly 200 countries and territories. Vietnam seeks to raise cashew output Vietnam is seeking solutions to raise cashew output so as to reduce reliance on cashew imports, heard a conference held in HCMC on October 28 by the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to the department, the country’s cashew output in the year to date has dropped by 15-20% due to pests and diseases, while the demand for cashew nuts has been still on the rise. Therefore, many local cashew exporters have had to boost import of raw cashew. Vietnam’s cashew-growing area had dropped from 400,000 hectares in 2007 to 293,000 hectares in 2016 as many farmers replaced cashew with other crops of higher value, while cashew exports kept increasing steadily. Data of the agriculture ministry shows that the country has exported 289,000 tons of processed cashew nuts worth US$2.87 billion this year to date, down 0.4% in volume but up 23% in value compared to the same period last year. To secure export orders, Vietnam has imported 1.16 million tons of raw cashew in January-October, up 29% year-on-year. Vietnam is the largest cashew nut exporter in the world, but its reliance on imported raw cashew will affect the sustainable development of the industry. Therefore, the country is seeking solutions to raise cashew productivity. A representative of a company said at the conference that cashew farmers should shift to organic farming, and it is working with experts from New Zealand to support farmers to this effect. The Department of Crop Production suggested farmers use high-quality seedlings provided by the Vietnam Cashew Association and intercrop cocoa and cashew which would help them increase income by 1.5-2 times. Those localities that have intercropped cocoa and cashew have achieved positive results, including Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces. Grab and Uber suffer heavy losses Ride-hailing services firms Grab and Uber have racked up hefty losses since their Vietnam debut, said Dang Duy Khanh, deputy head of the Inspection Department under the General Department of Taxation, at a press conference last Friday. Grab, which commenced service in Vietnam in February 2014, has registered capital of VND20 billion. To date, the company has incurred accumulated losses of over VND938 billion, according to the taxman. According to Khanh, Grab ascribed the losses to its huge advertising and promotion costs. Data shows the total revenue of Grab in the 2014-2016 period was more than VND1.7 trillion. The company has paid taxes worth VND9.5 billion. The HCMC Tax Department has inspected Grab to collect an additional VND2.9 billion, with VND2.2 billion being tax arrears. The department added Uber’s total revenue amounted to VND2.7 trillion in the 2014-2016 period and the first half of this year. Uber has paid VND76.8 billion in taxes so far. During the inspection procedure, the department has ordered Uber to pay an extra VND66 billion. Brokerages concerned about trade volume Securities firms are still concerned about poor turnover on the HCMC exchange, saying the VN-Index may not sustain its growth momentum due to weak cash flow. Closing last week, the VN-Index rose 1.64% at 840.37 points while the HNX-Index of the Hanoi exchange lost 1.56% at 106.54. Turnover plummeted on both markets as matching volume declined 8.2% and 5.7% versus a session earlier at 149.4 million shares and 44.4 million shares per session on the HCMC and Hanoi market respectively. Bao Viet Securities Company said large caps will continue underpinning the market this week while the danger of deep correction is not in sight. However, the market may not make a strong surge if the trade volume remains low. According to BIDV Securities Company, the market saw unexpected developments last Friday. The VN-Index broke through the resistance level of 840 points, which was far beyond expectation of most investors. However, the strong increase last Friday was vulnerable as the market saw low matching volume. Like previous winning streaks, the market may undergo a correction after stock prices have jumped to new highs. FPT Securities Company, meanwhile, predicted the main index to test the supporting range of between 830 and 835 points this week. Last Friday’s session may fuel the sentiment of cash holders this week. However, cautious trading is recommended to avoid losses due to a possible correction, the brokerage said in a report. Viet Capital Securities Company still predicted the market would rise further this year. The VN-Index and VN30 Index, however, may see strong volatility driven by large caps. During last week, ROS was the top contributor to the index rally as the construction firm jumped a hefty 38.7%, followed by bookstore operator PNC with 27.2% and real estate enterprise VRC with 12.3%. Earlier, both PNC and VRC had gone through a long losing streak. In contrast, brokerage firm CTS fell 14.7% because of gloomy business results in the third quarter. CTS reported VND54 billion in revenue, falling 17% versus the same period last year, while its after-tax profit slumped 72% at VND5.8 billion. Mining firm FCM also lost 18.7% due to the same reason. The enterprise obtained VND154.8 billion in revenue and VND3.4 billion in net profit in the third quarter, down 16.7% and 80% year-on-year respectively. Foreigners net sold over VND163 billion on the southern bourse while net buying over VND26 billion on the northern exchange. Omni-channel vital for retailers’ survival An omni-channel or multi-channel sales approach that provides customers with an integrated shopping experience is now vital for the survival of retail businesses, said retail expert Tran Tinh Minh Triet at a talk show last week. According to Triet, retailers will go out of business if they continue relying on a single retail channel and ignoring an omni-channel approach. Triet noted that 20 years ago, the most important thing for a retailer is to have good locations, but five years ago, it evolved to require a good chain, and omni-channel at the moment. Triet cited surveys showing that 70% of consumers know about certain brands through social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and words of mouth. Besides, 67% of consumers search for products on the Internet and read reviews about the products before placing an order. A quarter of consumers like to place an order online and then visit the store to collect the products instead of buying the products directly at the store. The figures show that modern shoppers prefer multi-channel shopping, which has much more advantages and conveniences than traditional shopping methods. To adapt to the changes in consumers’ shopping behaviors, retailers must invest in omni-channel retail technology. By delivering the products directly from factories or stores to customers, retailers will not only save time and transport costs, but also ensure immediate shipping and increase customer satisfaction. According to Triet, retailers need to reduce inventories to minimize storage costs, and develop a complete integrated retail system, from marketing to sale, account and supply chain. Australia seen becoming huge market for Vietnam exporters Australia will be a huge market for Vietnamese exporters in the years to come though shipments from Vietnam to this country remain limited, said Le Thanh Tung, general director of Tien Thinh International Migration and Investment Consulting Company, at a seminar in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho last Friday. “Australia ranks 15th among Vietnam’s important trading partners. This is a market full of great potential in years to come, so Vietnamese companies should prop up their exports to the country,” he told the seminar on investment and trade promotion between the two countries. He cited data of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, saying that Vietnam exported goods worth around US$480 million to this market in 2016, mostly farm produce. Tung said Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fisheries exports to Australia reached an estimated US$450 million a year between 2011 and 2016, a year-on-year rise of 8.3%. However, products which posted strong growth lately included cameras and accessories (up a staggering 315.3%), iron and steel products (127.1%), material for textile, garment, leather and footwear (up 89.9%), computers, electronic products and their components (up 59.4%), and non-wood furniture products (up 47.1%). He stressed the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement opens up opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises that want to make business deals with their Australian partners. Tien Thinh International Migration and Investment Consulting Company has organized many seminars in Hanoi and HCMC, and has facilitated many companies and local governments to survey the Australian market. He told the Daily that the company is willing to serve as a bridge between Australia’s state governments and Vietnamese companies who have achieved quality and reputation in production and business activities. “I am optimistic about the consulting work to Vietnamese small and medium enterprises that have capability and prestige to help them become successful businesses in Australia,” he said. VNN |
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Article 4
Social News 2/11 Photo contest raises awareness of civilized lifestyle  The picture “Civilization- Politeness” by Tran Thanh Hai An award ceremony of a photo competition on Hanoians daily behaviors was held in Hanoi on October 31 by the Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) Newspaper and the municipal Department of Culture and Information. Two first prizes went to Thai Ba Hoat for the photo titled “Rules-Responsibility- Conscientious- Hospitality”, and Tran Thanh Hai for the picture “Civilization- Politeness”. The organization board selected 70 photos and collections for an exhibition which will be opened for the public in walking street. Launched 5 months ago, the contest received nearly 1,000 submissions of more than 90 authors. Artworks showing people's daily bad and good behaviors in the capital, and also aim to raise awareness among people of building good lifestyle. FPT provides scholarships for doctoral training course Vietnamese telecoms firm FPT Corp will offer three scholarships each worth VND700 million ($30,827) for three persons who pursue doctoral course FPT , University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) yesterday in Hanoi co-signed an agreement in training IT personnel. As per the agreement, the three sides agreed on training & student exchange program; information exchange for mutual development and carrying out postgraduate course of IT. At first, they will liaise to provide scholarships for doctoral course for AI, IoT. FPT will offer three scholarships each worth VND 700 million for three people who pursue doctoral course meanwhile UET, and UTS will receive admission and provide training. After graduation, the two schools will issue PhD degree to graduates. Under the agreement, postgraduates will be trained by lecturers of the two schools and FPT. They are offered scholarships and received their salary in three years with VND15 million per month for the first year. Salary of next years will increase as per their work quality. Moreover, they are sponsored expenditure for travelling to international seminars around the world and modern equipment for their research work. Especially, they will have 12 month internship in UTS in Australia. Manager of FPT Dr. Bui Quang Ngoc expected through cooperation with foreign universities, Vietnam will have leading IT experts especially in the field of AI, IoT for the country’s the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. Meantime, Deputy Director of UET Associate Professor Pham Bao Son said this cooperation is totally new in Vietnam. In the cooperation with foreign counterpart, schools and enterprises work together to train IT personnel. UET and its partner UTS had set up a technology research center in Vietnam attracting many postgraduates. Bluffs Ho Tram Strips wins ‘Best Golf Course in Vietnam 2017’ The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip designed by the legendary Greg Norman has surpassed 29 other rivals to win the ‘Best Golf Course in Vietnam 2017’ award. The results of the voting were unveiled at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 31. The voting was conducted from January 1 to August 31 2017 through the website of Vietnam Golf Magazine. This year’s event received great support with more than 86,000 votes for the ‘Best Golf Course in Vietnam 2017’ award and 18 other titles. This is the second time the Bluffs Ho Tram Strip has won the prestigious award. The golf course was put into operation in 2013. It is the only golf course in Vietnam which has been ranked 74th in the World Top 100 Golf Course in 2016 and 2017 by GolfDigest. Sam Thomas, Golf Development Manager of Golf Environment Organization (GEO),said that this year, organizers have paid special attention to environmental protection. He noted that golf courses need to conserve resources and create community values as well as promote the sustainability and image of golf in the long-term. The voting for Best Golf Course in Vietnam was held by Vietnam Golf Magazine in collaboration with the Vietnam Golf Association, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, and the General Department of Physical Training and Sports, who aim to publicize the potential of golf tourism in Vietnam. This year, the jury panel drew the participation of representatives from the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. Brandlaureate Awards to be held in VN for first time The Brandlaureate Special Edition World Awards 2017 will be held in Việt Nam for the first time, with a gala awards dinner organised in December in HCM City. The brand awards recognises leaders in the business community via its international recognition platform. It will be exclusively reserved for leading brands in Việt Nam that have successfully built their brands. Top brands are well respected and admired in the business community and by consumers in domestic as well as foreign markets. Among the significant awards include the Brandlaureate awards for multinationals, public listed companies, transnational corporations, Government-linked corporations and large corporations. The winners are evaluated and selected by a brand committee based on criteria which includes brand strategy, brand culture, integrated brand communications, brand innovation and brand performance. Each recipient will receive a 24k gold plated trophy and certificate which reflects the pursuit of brand excellence and the journey taken to achieve the company’s leadership status. The Asia Pacific Brands Foundation is the world’s only brands and branding foundation, dedicated to promoting excellent brands and brand culture in the business community around the world. Founded in 2004, it is a non-profit organization. Vietnam, RoK share experience in policy communication More than 100 scientists, policy makers, researchers, lecturers and press experts from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were brought together at a workshop in Hanoi on November 1 to share experience in communicating public policy to promote social consensus in specific arenas such as healthcare and nuclear energy. The panels emphasised on the crucial role of policy communication in creating social consensus and pointed out challenges in the field, especially in the era of information boom. They said the application of modern technologies to build the e-government is a key solution to improving the efficiency of public policy, increasing the accountability of ministries and departments, and ensuring the public right of information access. Director General of the Vietnam Government Portal Vi Quang Dao said the Government and the Prime Minister of Vietnam always pay due attention to communicating public policy with the consistent viewpoint of being open to the press. All activities of the Government and State agencies must be public and transparent in order to build a facilitating and incorruptible Government to serve people and businesses, he added. The RoK’s Ambassador to Vietnam Lee Hyuk said policy communicators are important and active contributors to promoting the two countries’ friendship and cooperation. He noted that the bilateral relations have been thriving since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992. The RoK is the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total capital of over 50 billion USD, while Vietnam is the third largest trade partner of the RoK. Two-way trade in 2016 hit 45.1 billion USD, he added. The international symposium was jointly organised by the Academy of Journalism and Communication, the Vietnam Government Portal, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Photo exhibition highlights Vietnam-Russia friendship A photo exhibition highlighting the Vietnam-Russia friendship kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on November 1. It is part of the activities held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (November 7). The exhibition features 100 photos focusing on three themes, namely the October Revolution in 1917, the Vietnam-Russia friendship and the beloved Russia. Photos of construction projects built in Vietnam with the help of Russia are also on display, including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Vietnam-Soviet Union Cultural Friendship Palace, Tri An and Hoa Binh Hydropower Plants. Visitors also have a chance to contemplate photos of famous destinations in Russia such as Lenin Mausoleum and Red Square. The event is expected to raise public awareness about the October Revolution and the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership for benefits of their people and for the sake of regional and international peace and development. The exhibition runs until November 10. Organisation provides aid for flood victims in Hoa Binh The CARE International in Vietnam on October 31 launched activities to support flood-hit residents of the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh to overcome consequences of severe floods in early October. According to the organisation, it has provided support to 10 communes in Hoa Binh’s three districts of Lac Thuy, Yen Thuy and Mai Chau. As many as 8,675 people in more than 1,730 households received hygiene kits, along with blankets, mosquito nets and water filters. The aid, came from financial support from the Start Fund, an NGO-managed emergency pooled fund that is financed by the Governments of Ireland and the UK, costs over three billion VND (132,142 USD). Continuous downpours from October 10 triggered floods and landslides in Vietnam’s northern and north central regions, causing huge losses in humans and property. Up to 75 people were killed, 38 injured and 28 others went missing. More than 2,600 households were forced to evacuate. Final round of "Breaking the Limit 2017" competition held The final round of “Breaking the Limit 2017” competition in the third season was organized recently in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by Deloitte Vietnam in co-operation with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Launched in August 2017, the competition attracted more than 2,000 students nationwide. 165 students, including 80 in Hanoi and 85 in Ho Chi Minh City, who have passed four rounds of the competition in term of application, writing test, group interview and personal interview, entered the finals with the contests focusing on the economic field. Accordingly, the final round will include two parts: “Knowledge” and “English Eloquence”. The total prize value of the competition is up to VND 1 billion ($44,000). 2 champions in the two cities will be invited to join the ICAEW Regional Business Challenge organized annually in a Southeast Asia country and visit Deloitte Office in Southeast Asia. Top 6 runner-up will receive awards in cash and scholarship from Deloitte Vietnam and ICAEW to study professional qualifications. Top 10 runner up will receive ICAEW full scholarship on Finance, Accounting and Business Speaking at the event, Ms. Tran Thuy Trang, HR & Learning Director of Deloitte Vietnam, said: "With a strong commitment to develop the quality of human resources and efforts to bring opportunities for students to practice and work in an international environment with globally leading experts, we believe that students will achieve useful experience in Deloitte Vietnam which would be a good foundation to develop their future careers.” Ms. Dang Thi Mai Trang, Chief Representative of ICAEW Vietnam, also shared that, through the competition, Deloitte Vietnam and ICAWE would like to bring more learning and development opportunities to students, so that one day they will grow up and make a positive contribution to the development of Vietnam’s auditing and accounting sector. Organized annually since 2015, the competition aims at providing professional challenge to final year students or newly graduated ones specializing in banking - finance, auditing – accounting, law and taxation in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. “Vietnam Day 2017” held in New Zealand The Vietnamese Students’ Association in Victoria University of Wellington recently held the “Vietnam Day 2017” in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington. This year, the event was organised outdoor for the first time at the Cuba Street in the centre of Wellington, with the theme “V-District: A Step to Vietnam”. It featured performances of Vietnamese students in Wellington and children from Vietnamese language courses. Traditional dishes of Vietnam were also served at the event. The cultural exchange event is held annually in Wellington by the Vietnamese Students’ Association in Wellington (VSAW), with support of the Embassy of Vietnam and the Vietnamese community in Wellington. It aims to promote images of Vietnam’s people, culture and cuisine to local people and international students in New Zealand. Project to develop VNA’s major newspapers serving external relations Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a project to develop some national print and online newspapers in service of external affairs of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) to 2020 with a vision towards 2030. Accordingly, in 2020, the print newspaper Vietnam News and Vietnam Pictorial, as well as VietnamPlus electronic newspaper are poised to become national-level publications providing foreign news service with regional and global impacts and undertake the task of providing foreign news in line with guidelines and policies of the Party and State. Specifically, the print version of Vietnam News will be improved in both quantity and quality of news, while the online version will be developed to gradually replace the print version and reach readers in 190 countries, 40 more from the current 150 countries. The print version of Vietnam Pictorial will be provided free to 160 countries, with priority giving to readers in areas along the Vietnam-Laos border, China and some Latin American countries. As the project aims to turn VietnamPlus into one of the five e-newspapers nationwide with the highest visits from other countries, the e-newspaper will have a Russian version along with those written in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. It is set to become an e-paper with the most multimedia forms and a leader in using novel technologies in news production. From 2020 to 2030, Vietnam Pictorial will have French, Khmer and Russian print versions while VietnamPlus will have Japanese, Korean and German versions. Print newspapers will be basically transformed to e-papers. The VNA currently boasts a network of 63 representative offices nationwide and 30 representative offices worldwide. With more than 60 media products by more than 1,000 reporters and editors out of its 2,400-strong staff, the VNA is now the media office having the largest number of products and forms in the country: bulletins, photos, TV programmes, dailies, weeklies, monthlies, magazines, pictorials, books, e-newspapers and information programmes on mobile platforms. Quang Ninh accelerates efforts to develop tourism The tourism sector in the north-eastern border province of Quang Ninh has been growing rapidly, gradually affirming its brand and position in an effort to turn the locality into one of the biggest tourism centers nationwide. Currently, the province has been speeding up the implementation of important projects such as Ha Long – Hai Phong expressway, Bac Luan II bridge, Van Don international airport, Van Don economic zone, Ha Long – Van Don and Van Don – Mong Cai highways, FLC Ha Long golf course and resort, Quang Hanh mineral hot spring resort, among others. Some projects will be put into operation at the end of this year or in early 2018. Apart from strong investment in transport and tourism infrastructure, the province has raised a large amount of external capital. The overall plan on developing Quang Ninh tourism by 2020 and with a vision toward 2030 has made positive impacts on local tourism activities via attracting a series of new investment projects from strategic partners such as BIM Group, Vingroup, Sun Group, My Way, Tuan Chau and FLC. The active investment in tourism products from such businesses has brought facelift to the local tourism industry. With strong determination to develop tourism, the Executive Board of the provincial Party Committee has promulgated an action plan implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017, on developing tourism into a spearhead economy by 2030. Being favoured by nature with a range of stunning landscapes, clear turquoise sea and spectacular limestone pillars together with numerous tourism investment projects, Quang Ninh boasts huge potential to develop sustainable green tourism. Quang Ninh has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and over 2,000 islets which account for two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam. The spectacular stretch of coast connects the UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay with majestic natural scenery, Bai Tu Long Bay, Van Don and Co To islands and Tra Co beach with Cat Ba National Park in the northern port city of Hai Phong. Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba island and Do Son beach (Hai Phong city) are prioritised to develop into national tourism sites. Along with the renowned Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, Dai beaches in Van Don island district and Tra Co and Vinh Thuc in Mong Cai city have grown in stature among domestic and international tourists thanks to their breathtaking sea and coral reef. By 2020, Quang Ninh aims to welcome 15-16 million tourists, including seven million foreigners, and rake in 30-40 trillion VND (1.3-1.7 billion USD) in revenue. The tourism sector is expected to contribute 14-15 percent to the gross regional domestic product (GRDP). In 2016, Quang Ninh greeted 8.3 million tourist arrivals, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent, and earned over 13 trillion VND (571 million USD) in revenue, up 23 percent, according to the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism. Particularly, the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay welcomed 6.3 million tourists and grossed 7.7 trillion VND (over 338 million USD) in revenue, representing respective increases of 14 percent and 65 percent from the previous year. About 2.7 million of the visitors were foreigners, a year-on-year growth of 16 percent. HCM City, Japan’s Saitama look to partnership in manpower training Ho Chi Minh City is ready to cooperate with Japan’s Saitama prefecture in manpower training, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said on October 31. While receiving a business delegation of Saitama prefecture led by its Governor Kiyoshi Ueda, Nhan said Japan is a strategic partner of Vietnam and HCM City, adding that the city supports the establishment of a representative office of Saitama’s administration here in order to enhance bilateral connectivity and bring benefits to both sides. HCM City has paid due attention to personnel training, particularly in hi-tech industries, and it wants to coordinate with Saitama to train manpower in the fields of mechanics, automation and nursing in accordance with demands of Saitama businesses, he noted. The successful cooperation in human resource development with Saitama will not only meet the needs of Japanese companies but also provide HCM City with high-quality manpower for future development. Kiyoshi Ueda said the prefecture has economic potentials and is the location of the headquarters of many major Japanese businesses. Saitama’s administration and companies want to intensify partnerships with HCM City for the sake of both sides’ enterprises and people, he said. Ueda asked the municipal authorities to create favourable conditions for Saitama to open a representative office to support joint activities between the two sides’ administrations and businesses. The governor also hoped that HCM City will assist Saitama firms to carry out cooperation activities, especially in manpower training, through sending local apprentices to Japan and recruiting Vietnamese students in Japan to Saitama firms. Constitution must be respected for Spain’s unity: spokesperson The recent developments regarding the Catalonia region are internal affairs of Spain, said Spokesperson of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang. These affairs need to be solved on the basis of the country’s Constitution and law for Spain’s unity and stability, she added. She made the remarks on October 31 in response to reporters’ question about the recent happenings pertaining to the Catalonia region of Spain. Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia support flood victims The General Association of Vietnamese Cambodians on October 31 launched a campaign to raise funds for flood-hit residents in northern mountainous and north central provinces of the home country. The launching ceremony was attended by staff members of the Vietnamese Embassy, leaders of the association as well as representatives of Vietnamese businesses, donors and overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia. Chau Van Chi, Chairman of the General Association of Vietnamese Cambodians, called on the participants to donate money to aid affected people, helping them to overcome flood consequences and stabilise their lives. In response to the call, about 4,500 USD was raised at the ceremony to support flood-affected localities. The association will continue receiving donations in the time to come. On October 20, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia also called for donations to support flood victims, with its staff and members of representative agencies donated at least one-day salary. Continuous downpours from October 10 triggered floods and landslides in Vietnam’s northern and north central regions, causing huge losses in humans and property. Up to 75 people were killed, 38 injured and 28 others went missing. More than 2,600 households were forced to evacuate. Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh meets outgoing US ambassador Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh received outgoing US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius in Hanoi on October 31. Earlier, the US diplomat bade farewell to President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Ted Osius assumed his duties in Vietnam in 2014 and is set to works as Vice President of the Fulbright University Vietnam after leaving office. His tenure witnessed more mutual visits by Vietnamese and US leaders than any other ambassadors, including a historic visit to the US by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2015, a visit to Vietnam by former US President Barack Obama in July 2016, and a tour of the US by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in May 2017. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang city and to pay a visit to Vietnam in early November. Bilateral trade grew from 36 billion USD in 2014, when Osius took office, to more than 50 billion USD at present. Total US investment in Vietnam has surpassed 10 billion USD. Deputy PM to attend ground-breaking ceremony of Lao NA building Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and a Government delegation are in Laos from October 31-November 1 for the project on Laos’s National Assembly building, a gift from the Vietnamese Party, State and people. At a working session with Lao National Assembly Vice Chairman Somphan Phengkhammy on October 31, Deputy PM Dung said that the project is special since it constitutes a symbol of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. The two sides pledged to work closely together to prepare for the ground-breaking ceremony for the project on November 1, as well as the construction of the building, which is designed to have modern architecture featuring the cultural identity of Laos, while ensuring its functional effectiveness. Somphan Phengkhammy, who is also head of Laos’s Steering Committee for the project, expressed his deep gratitude towards the whole-hearted support that Vietnam has given to Laos not only during the past struggle for national independence but also in the current national construction and development. He said that all preparations for the ceremony have been promptly made. He also pledged that the project will be carried out as scheduled. Following the working session, the officials visited the venue of the ground-breaking ceremony and the National Assembly building.-VNA Activities mark 100th anniversary of Russian October Revolution The Hanoi People’s Committee will host a State-level meeting celebrating the 100th anniversary of Russia’s October Revolution (November 17) on November 5 with the participation of over 3,500 people. Besides, cultural and art exchanges will be taking place across the city. A wide range of activities will be organised in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the event. A photo exhibition will take place on Nguyen Hue Street from November 1-10, featuring the Vietnam – Russia friendship as part of the programme titled “Russian days in HCM City”. A number of art performances will be held on November 4-5 to celebrate the event. The HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam – Russia Friendship Association will jointly host a meeting on the occasion while the municipal Department of Information and Communication will hold an exhibition on Russian books. Thailand’s Bangkok Post highlights Vietnam’s role as APEC 2017 host Thailand’s Bangkok Post on October 31 highlighted Vietnam’s role as host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for the central city of Da Nang on November 10-11. The article said the summit has great significance in terms of economic and strategic matters, given the rapidly changing world, adding that Vietnam has four key objectives at the event. First of all, amid the rise of populism and protectionism, the host must seize the moment with APEC leaders to make their cooperative process more effective and efficient. Secondly, the efforts to reduce trade barriers and increase investment liberalisation must continue as APEC is entering its fourth decade of development. Thirdly, to sustain economic growth, Vietnam must use this opportunity to further promote bilateral trade to expand its exports and attract foreign investment. Finally, Da Nang is considered Vietnam's most well-known port facility and will be the showcase for future connectivity that links Southeast Asia to the rest of the world. During the US President Donald Trump's visit to Da Nang, Vietnam can showcase the diplomatic finesse which has brought it international recognition. According to the article, Vietnam will also use the APEC platform to push Washington to display a clearer position on trade and investment liberalisation. As host of the APEC 2017, Vietnam will seek further commitment on the sidelines of the event from 11 member countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the trade deal should continue even without the US participation. In conclusion, it said the success of APEC would further enhance Vietnam's leading role at the ASEAN Summit. Already, the country is also preparing for its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 to ensure that the group will work in tangible ways to strengthen ASEAN centrality and external relations, as well as community-building by closing the gap between its old and new members. Rehabilitation project for disabled people ends More than 13,100 people with disabilities, including victims of Agent Orange (AO), received guidance on rehabilitation at home, and about 1,900 made progress, seeing improvements to their health and better integration with the community over the past four years. These were some of the results of a project on rehabilitation in the community for victims of American chemical substances during the war in Việt Nam. The closing ceremony of the project was held in Hà Nội on Monday by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in co-ordination with the Hà Nội University of Public Health. Under the project, a network of more than 1,100 collaborators on rehabilitation was set up in 13 districts of six provinces including Lào Cai, Thái Bình, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Đồng Nai and Bến Tre. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Viết Tiến said that the model of early discovery and early rehabilitation for children under six with disabilities should be maintained and expanded. Deputy Minister Tiến asked the health sector and concerned organisations to continue helping AO victims and people with disabilities access health examination and treatment services, as well as functional rehabilitation. The capacity of providing health treatment at medical stations and rehabilitation centres should be improved, he said. More training for medical workers in the field should also be given, he added. The project’s results, Tiến said, expressed the Party’s, the State’s and the MoH’s care for AO victims and people with disabilities. Since then, it had shown great humanity and political meaning, said Tiến. Over the course of 10 years from 1961 to 1971, American troops and their allies spread about 80 million litres of chemical poisons on Việt Nam, of which about 46 million litres contained about 366kg of dioxin – a poisonous substance that has a serious impact on humans. Every year, about 1 in 1,000 children are born with disabilities related to dioxin poisoning in Việt Nam, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. At present, about 4.8 million Vietnamese people are contaminated with AO substances. Hundreds of thousands of them have died, and many live in poverty due to the disabilities associated with the AO poison. By 2016, about 236,000 people across the country and their children who suffer from malformation related to AO poisoning enjoy preferential policies of the State and the Party. Gò Vấp flyover in HCM City completed The second bridge of the Y-shaped flyover in HCM City’s Gò Vấp District connecting Phạm Ngũ Lão and Nguyễn Oanh streets opened to traffic yesterday. It cost more than VNĐ 57 billion (US$2.51 million) and almost five months to build, two months fewer than scheduled. The two-lane bridge is 280 metres long and six metres wide, and allows vehicles to travel one-way to Nguyễn Oanh. The steel flyover, which cost a total of VNĐ406 billion ($17.88 million), has another bridge connecting Nguyễn Oanh and Nguyễn Kiệm Streets that opened to traffic last January. It is helping ease congestion at the Gò Vấp intersection and major roads leading to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport. One dead, one missing after fishing vessel sinks A squid fishing vessel sank yesterday when attempting to shelter from bad weather near Song Tử Tây Island of the Trường Sa (Spratly) archipelago. One fisherman died and one remains missing. Phạm Văn Châu, vice chairman of Tam Giang Commune’s People’s Committee of Núi Thành District in Quảng Nam Province, said there were 36 aboard the vessel when the accident happened. Lương Tấn Sỹ, the owner of the vessel, is currently missing. Another crew member was pronounced dead when brought to land. The border guard force of Song Tử Tây Island was able to rescue the other 34 people. Hai Duong: Competition educates students on Health Insurance Students from 15 universities and colleges in northern Hai Duong province on October 31 participated in a competition, entitled “We are health insurance educators”, aiming to encourage students to join the insurance policy scheme between 2016 and 2020. The competition was organised by the province’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCM CYU) to provide students with knowledge on the country’s policies and regulations on Health Insurance and improve their capability to educate others on the scheme. As many as 20 students from difficult backgrounds were also presented with health insurance cards as part of the event. Some 15 teams of five students each from Hai Duong were challenged in three sections of the qualifying round, namely “We are educators”, “Knowledge of health insurance”, and “For the future health” before four of them were selected to compete in the finale. The contest’s challenges focused on the HCM CYU’s role in health insurance education among the youth and how it can effectively organise related activities. The contestants were also encouraged to propose initiatives to get more people join the health insurance scheme. The Health Insurance is designed to help people avoid financial catastrophes caused by unexpected and expensive medical events. However, many students have yet to purchase the insurance mostly due to lack of awareness of its significance while universities and colleges have paid little attention to educating the students on the issue. According to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), in this school year, the percentage of students joining medical insurance has reached 92.5 percent, equivalent to 15.9 million students nationwide, as compared to 90.5 percent and 15.6 million students last school year. A new regulation recently introduced allows each student who joins the health insurance scheme to receive a code that could be used for recording insurance history and processing payment claims throughout their lives. Under the regulation, the monthly fee for medical insurance for students is 4.5 percent of the State basic salary level, or 58,500 VND (2.5 USD), increasing from 3 percent last year. Each student would pay 70 percent of the fee; the rest would be paid by the State. The cardholders, excluding poor students, can receive benefits of up to 80 percent of their medical treatment fees. Summer-autumn crop yields 11.5 million tonnes of rice Vietnam’s rice output during the summer-autumn crop was estimated at 11.5 million tonnes, an increase of 127,500 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The total rice farming land for this crop was 2.1 million hectares, with 1.93 million hectares in the southern region. The Mekong Delta region, the country’s granary, alone had 1.65 million hectares, representing 98.6% of the same period last year. By mid-October, 661,500 hectares in the Mekong Delta had been sowed for the autumn-winter crop. Numerous localities pumped water into fields to enrich farming land and reduce diseases for the next crop. The northern region had by mid-October harvested the winter rice crop on 870,800 hectares, accounting for 76.7% of the total farming land, including the Red Delta harvesting on 418,400 hectares, or 77.1% of its cultivation land. Heavy rain to return to southern Vietnam A tropical depression is forecast to pass by Vietnam's southernmost point on November 1, bringing heavy rain to the region, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF). Another tropical depression east of the Philippines is also forecast to enter the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, in the next few days. As of 4 p.m. on October 31, the first tropical depression was about 300 kilometers (190 miles) east-southeast of Con Dao Island, with wind speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. The depression is heading west-northwest at 15-20 kilometers per hour and is expected to enter the waters around the southernmost province of Ca Mau in the afternoon of November 1. Heavy rain, tornadoes and strong winds are forecast to batter Vietnam's southern coast from Binh Thuan Province to Ca Mau Province, as well as Phu Quy and Con Dao islands. Southern and south central provinces could also expect rains of up to 200 millimeters from October 31 until the end of November 2. Meanwhile the second tropical depression is heading west at about 20 kilometers per hour. As of November 1 afternoon, it would be about 100 kilometers east of Palawan Island with wind speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour. The depression is forecast to pass through central Philippines and enter the East Sea on November 2, and might strengthen into the 12th storm of the year. Vietnam has been suffering from destructive stormy weather once again this year. Floods in northern Vietnam killed at least 26 people and washed away hundreds of homes in August before Typhoon Doksuri, the strongest to hit the country in years, killed at least eight people in the central region last month. The most recent deadly floods earlier this month have killed at least 83 people and washed away hundreds of homes. According to the NCHMF, Vietnam is bracing for a particularly stormy typhoon season this year, with up to 15 typhoons and tropical depressions expected to develop over the East Sea. Last year, tropical storms and flooding killed 264 people in Vietnam and caused damage worth VND40 trillion (US$1.75 billion), nearly five times more than in 2015. Photo exhibition, seminar on President Ho Chi Minh held in Bulgaria A photo exhibition and seminar on late President Ho Chi Minh took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 30, attracting 200 officials and guests from both nations. The event marked six decades since the Vietnamese leader had held a State-visit to the East European country and 67 years since the two nations established diplomatic relations. The exhibition featured photos sent from Vietnam and archived by different Bulgarian agencies. Also on display were photos on Vietnamese national protection and construction progress as well as ancient maps on Vietnamese sea and islands. The seminar consists of two sessions on the late President and on Vietnam – Bulgaria ties. In her opening speech at the seminar, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova said her mother, who was there during the time President Ho Chi Minh had visited Bulgaria, and her generation held respect and admiration for the man over his humility and how he spent most of his time here meeting locals and visiting schools and farms. Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Hong Oanh stressed Bulgaria was among the first 10 countries supporting the late President’s message sent to the world in 1950 that Vietnam would set up diplomatic ties with any nations which respected equality right and Vietnam’s territorial sovereignty. The seminar saw Vietnamese and Bulgarian experts discussing bilateral cooperation in trade, commerce, and culture as well as people-to-people exchange via social organisations. Transport Ministry required to give priority to tackling airport traffic jam Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung required the Ministry of Transport to give priority to reducing traffic jam for areas in and outside Tan Son Nhat International Airport at a working session with newly appointed Minister Nguyen Van The yesterday. At the meeting, Mr. Dung spelled out a slew of missions for the ministry in the coming phase. Tackling traffic jam for Tan Son Nhat airport is one of the priority missions in aviation field. Specifically, the minister should prompt relevant sides to complete the airport expansion projects fastest, least costly and most efficiently. Tan Son Nhat Airport should be put in the overall airport network of the southern region and the country. In addition, the ministry should positively conduct preparation works to start building Long Thanh Airport as per schedule. In road sector, deputy PM Dung asked the ministry to take the initiative in putting forward solutions and mechanisms to disburse investment capital efficiently for under construction projects and study suitable policies to attract social investment capital. In short term, the ministry should invest in some important stretches of North South Expressway and major routes to connect regions. In waterway field, the deputy PM suggested the ministry to have solutions to improve management and operation of the system of large seaports such as Cai Mep-Thi Vai, Dung Quat and Lach Huyen. Minister Nguyen Van The affirmed that he would focus on the missions to solve traffic jam for Tan Son Nhat airport and prepare for construction of Long Thanh airport and apply solutions to reduce traffic jam and accidents. Minister Nguyen Van The stressed that he is willing to receive direct opinions about difficulties and problems in the transport industry to gather collective strengths and fulfill assigned missions. Government yet to allocate capital for HCMC’s 36 anti-flooding projects The Government has not allocated funds for 36 anti-flooding projects in HCMC yet, explaining that the city’s proposal to receive VND9,963 billion neither meet norms of national important projects nor suit the NA’s resolution on mid-term investment plan. Therefore, the Government will continue requiring the People’s Committee of HCMC to urgently complete investment procedures for the projects. In January this year, the Government assigned the committee to complete the pre-feasibility study report for anti-flooding projects, ask for city People’s Council opinions and submit to the Government in the first quarter this year. The Government would assess the pre-feasibility study as per regulations at the Public Investment Law and report to the 14th NA to approve at the third session. In Document no. 4707 issued on July 29 about the list of anti-flooding projects in HCMC, the city People’s Committee proposed the Prime Minister to permit it to establish anti-flooding sub-projects without pre-feasibility study reports. Therefore, the city People’s Committee proposal for the Government's allocation of VND9,963 billion (US$439 million) does not meet national important project norms and not suit regulations at the NA’s resolution 26 on mid term investment plan in the phase of 2016-2020. According to the plan, the NA has decided the total amount of VND2,000 trillion. so far, the Government has allocated VND1,600 trillion accounting for 89.2 percent of the plan. The remaining amount tops VND194 trillion accounting for 10.7 percent. HCMC’s anti-flooding projects are among those which the Government has not allocated funds yet. HCMC to crack down on trade frauds, protect consumer rights Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong yesterday affirmed that the city will crack down on illegal acts especially those directly affected consumers’ rights. He was speaking at a conference on socioeconomic conditions during the first ten months of 2017 hosted by the committee, requiring the Department of Industry and Trade to report Khaisilk case. Director of the department Pham Thanh Kien said that Khaisilk Group now has three stores in HCMC. They all have been shut down for inspection. Implementing the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s requirement, HCMC’s authorized agencies have been inspecting trading activities of the group in the city. The agencies will crack down on violations and report to the city People’s Committee in the upcoming time, said Mr. Kien. A store of Khaisilk Group in Hanoi was found selling Chinese scarfs under Vietnamese labels. The public has raised objection against the mislabeling, believing that the group has cheated customers by importing Chinese products to sell at high prices with the brand of ‘made in Vietnam’. Company fined for boasting nutritional supplements The Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health yesterday slapped a fine of VND85 million ($3,742) on a company of herb development for violating the current advertising regulation. Head of VFA Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the herb development company had released its product Hamomax on the website http://hamomax.vn without the authority’s censor. Seriously, the firm put up the advertisement on the website by using a quote from a doctor or another health professional which influenced consumers based on unrealistic use of its health product and use image of famous infirmaries and medical workers without asking permission. Along with the fine, the health authority asked the firm to remove the advertisement and put the record straight as per the present law. Before, the firm released also an information on its website that Professor Do Quoc Hung of Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi has found out the way to reduce blood fat without side-effect. Additionally, the firm used image of the professor and his quote for the nutritional supplement Hamomax. Professor Hung was upset about the false information because the firm has used his personal share as advertisement for its health product. Meantime, the health authority also issued an administrative fine of VND50 million on An Minh Southern Company in 105 Tran Thien Chanh Street in ward 12 in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 10 and Asia International Pharmaceutical in 91 Nguyen Xien Street in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District for violating nutritional supplement. Each company was fined VND50 million. Both companies were putting up advertisement of its health products Smarto, AC-samin; Sinus plus; HepaB Extra; Beauty Skin on the website: http://smarto.vn; http://duocquocteachau.com which caused misunderstanding that supplements can be used as drugs. They were asked to remove false advertisements and correct it. Canon PhotoMarathon finds winners The panel of judges of Canon PhotoMarathon 2017 in HCMC on Sunday named winners for their outstanding works that well depicted the topics of “Saigon Smile,” “In the Middle” and “Condominium” in the city. Pham Ngo Dinh Luan scooped the special prize of the annual photography contest for his photograph featuring a person who thurified and prayed at a pagoda. The prize comprised of a Canon EOS 6D Mark II camera body, a Canon PIXMA Pro 100 printer and a ticket to take part in Canon PhotoMarathon Asia Championship 2018 in Japan. Luan said when he had accepted the “In the middle” topic, he thought about something in balance, quiet and sacred. He took a picture of his intention after more than two hours waiting at the pagoda. Luan described the prize as a big motivation for him to keep his photography career. Luan had participated in Canon PhotoMarathon for four years and worked as a professional photographer for nearly four years. The first prizes of the “Saigon Smile” topic went to Trinh Phuong Thao, of the “In the middle” to Truong Thi Kieu Tien and the “Condominium” to Nguyen Thanh Tuyen. Each of them got a Canon EOS 77D camera and EF-S18-55mm IS STM lens and a PIXMA TS8070 printer. Organizers of the Canon PhotoMarathon also handed a Canon EOS 800D camera and EF-S18-55mm IS STM lens and a PIXMA G2000 printer to each of the winners of the second prizes of the three-mentioned topics, and a Canon EOS M6 camera and EF-15-45mm IS STM lens and a PIXMA MG3670 printer each to winners of the third prizes. About 7,000 contestants joined the Canon PhotoMarathon 2017 in HCMC, which was held on the final day of the Canon Expo 2017, a four-day exhibition which showcased Canon’s new technologies, products and services. Hiroshi Yokota, CEO of Canon Marketing Vietnam, said the number of contestants in HCMC this year nearly doubled that at Canon the PhotoMarathon in 2016. The contest had been organized in Vietnam for 12 years as an annual major event for young photography lovers. Over 300 join Bitexco Financial Tower skyrun More than 300 local and expatriate runners on Sunday participated in the “HCMC Skyrun” vertical race at the Bitexco Financial Tower, the tallest building in downtown HCMC. Inspired by the world’s skyscraper racing circuit, the first Bitexco Vertical Run took place in 2011 and attracted a lot of attention and applause from the media and sport enthusiasts in the country. This year, the second edition of the competition in the city also marked the seventh anniversary of the Bitexco Financial Tower. The competition challenged runners to climb a total of 1,000 steps to reach the finishing line on the Saigon Skydeck on the 49th floor at a height of 178 meters, where the city’s skyline and the Saigon River can be seen. Since its official launch in 2010, the iconic Bitexco Financial Tower with 68 levels has emerged as a place of choice for major events in the city, and a new symbol of a fast growing HCMC. Brian Cannon, deputy director of Bitexco Financial Tower, said in a statement that the vertical race competition is expected to promote the sport spirit among local residents and those from abroad as well as develop a new sporting activity in Vietnam. VNN |
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South Korea’s Yakin Group to develop $700-million highway in Can ThoYakin Group from South Korea plans to develop a series of projects in the southern city of Can Tho, especially the 91C Highway project with a total investment capital of VND15.1 trillion ($666.2 million), according to newswire Saigontimes.
Accordingly, the highway will have a total length of 30.12 kilometres and a surface width of 31 metres, with nine intersections and 25 overpasses. The construction will be divided into two phases. At a working session with leaders of the Can Tho People’s Committee, both the investor and the leaders reached a compromise to develop the project under the build-offer-transfer (BOT) form. Jang Sang Kyu, chairman of Yakin, expected that the company will be permitted to charge fees for 30 years to recover the investment capital. However, the representative of the Can Tho People’s Committee said that the duration for recovering the investment capital will be considered based on the investment capital and the fee rate, thus the duration for recovering the investment capital may be either longer or shorter than the duration offered by the investor. Along with the BOT highway project, Yakin intends to develop a 100-hectare golf course, including a five-star hotel. According to the leader of the Can Tho People’s Committee, the city has will have to seeking prime ministerial approval for the investor’s proposal. Yakin Group assists real estate owners, investors, and builders with the planning, coordination, and control of construction projects including the construction of new buildings, the expansion of existing ones, and changing the use of projects. By Ha Vy/VIR |
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Honey exporters eye EU marketHCM CITY - The European market has high demand for honey, offering great opportunities for Vietnamese honey producers to boost exports.  People taking bees out of canvas to harvest the honey. - VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên But honey quality needs to improve if beekeepers who make honey want to expand markets, speakers at a seminar said on Wednesday in HCM City. Most of the Vietnamese honey output is exported and meets the EU’s technical requirements on chemical residue in honey products, according to Lê Thanh Hòa, deputy director of the Việt Nam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Việt Nam). In 2013, Việt Nam was allowed to export honey to the EU market, but Việt Nam’s honey exports to the market accounted for a modest ratio compared to the country’s total honey exports. Hòa said the seminar aimed to help local businesses understand more about EU market demand as well as quality and technical requirements. Đinh Quyết Tâm, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Beekeepers Association, said Việt Nam produced 49,560 metric tonnes of honey last year. Of that amount, 40,174 metric tonnes were exported, with exports to the US accounting for more than 38,500 metric tonnes and the EU at only 1,330 metric tonnes. EU demand for honey is as high as that of the US, he said, adding that honey consumption is expected to remain high. “Europe honey production is not self-sufficient and is dependent on honey imports from other countries because the European beekeeping sector has shrunk in size.” This trend is expected to remain in the coming years, offering opportunities for Vietnamese honey exporters, Tâm said. In addition, when the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, it will offer more favourable conditions for Vietnamese firms to export honey to the EU market. Compliance issues Speaking at the seminar, Nikolaus Bieger, an international expert with the EU-Mutrap project, said: “European importers are keen to buy honey from Việt Nam, so this is good news for local exporters.” Vietnamese honey exporters to the EU must comply with legally binding requirements, including those on food safety and traceability, hygiene and control, pesticide residue and genetically modified organisms, among others. The Vietnamese Government has established a legal basis to export Vietnamese honey into the EU, but Vietnamese honey faces enormous problems to be accepted in the EU market, according to Bieger. The problems include high glycerine and yeast content and acidity levels. All these parameters indicate ‘unripe’ harvested honey, and consequently non-desired fermentation or ‘stopped or stuck’ fermentation, he said. “European consumers don’t want fermented honey because it changes the odour and taste. So if you really want to export or to raise significantly your exports to Europe, you have to change something in production,” he added. Besides these main issues, there are problems with feed residue found in honey produced by bees raised with soybeans. “For us honey is a health product, so it should be something pure without contamination or any other changes,” he said. “The solution is to find resources which can provide protein to bees, which is now being replaced with soya. But this is difficult.” The other solution would be to have more space for bees to have better separation from feed, pollen and honey by adding another section to the bee-breeding box, he said. Currently, bees are bred in a single box, so when honey is harvested, bee feed can easily mix with honey, he said. This means that producers must improve their methods of operating. Nguyễn Việt Cường, CEO of Dak Nguyên Hồng Company, one of the largest honey exporters in the country, said besides the US market, Vietnamese honey exporters should promote exports to EU and other markets to diversify their markets and avoid risks. Local exporters should also focus more on improving product quality and building brands for their products. The seminar, which discussed expansion of Vietnamese honey exports to the EU market, was organised by SPS Việt Nam with the support of the EU-Mutrap project. - VNS |
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Illicit sand mining rampant in southern Vietnam mountain rangeThe heavily guarded mines operate around the clock  An excavator loads sand onto a truck at the Bay Nui mountain range in the southern Vietnamese province of An Giang. Photo: Tuoi Tre A mountain range in the southern Vietnamese province of An Giang is slowly being destroyed by illegal sand exploitation while local authorities claim the illicit operations are nearly impossible to stop. Sand mining at Bay Nui (Seven Mountains), a range of small mountains in Tri Ton and Tinh Bien Districts, An Giang Province, is a 24/7 operation. On the afternoon of October 27, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters arrived at Ngoa Long, one of Bay Nui’s seven mountains, and discovered a 7,000 square meter pit dug by outlaw sand miners. Four men at the bottom of the pit were using shovels to fill a nearby truck with sand bound for Ba Chuc Town in Tri Ton District. Similar trucks were spotted along several roads in Ba Chuc, transporting illicitly mined sand from illegal mines to local construction sites. The journalists observed a total of 10 illegal sand mines with a combined area of approximately 50,000 square meters scattered across the base of Ngoa Long Mountain. Three additional mines stretching 25,000 square meters across and 10 meters deep were also spotted near the Ta Miet Pagoda. On-duty guards at the site were charged with notifying miners, trucks, and excavators working the sand mines to flee the area if strangers approached. Dat, a local resident, stated that these sand mines had been in operation for three years, adding that dozens of trucks transport sand from the mines to construction sites in Tri Ton District each day. Each truckload of sand is valued between VND300,000 (US$13) and VND700,000 ($31), depending on quality. A construction foreman in Tri Ton shared that most of the illegal sand mines in the locality are owned by two men named Do and Thon. According to the foreman, Do is the former chairman of the People’s Committee in Le Tri Commune, Tri Ton District. Aggressive In nearby Tinh Bien District, the sand thieves make slightly more effort to conceal their operations by choosing to carry out the majority of their work after dark. A Tuoi Tre probe uncovered that Nam X. is the man behind most of the unofficial sand mines and trucks wreaking havoc on Cam Mountain and Ngu Ho Mountain at Bay Nui.
At midnight on October 28, the reporters followed one of X.’s trucks to the foot of Ngu Ho Mountain. Guard posts dotted the path leading to an unlawful sand mine were manned by hired security personnel and sniffer dogs. By 2:00 am, the guards had begun their regular patrol. When the canines detected the smell of strangers, the miners and vehicles were told to abandon the mine while the guards carried out a search for the ‘trespassers.’ The guards eventually found some of the Tuoi Tre journalists and immediately threatened them. “What are you doing here? Is any of you left in the mountain? If we find anyone, we will beat them to death. Get out of here!” the thugs shouted at the reporters. The correspondents caught by the guards were able to safely leave the site while members of the team investigating other locations on the mountain were forced to hide until the guards ended their shift at 5:00 am. Hard to catch Nguyen Van Duong, secretary of the Party Committee in An Phu Commune, Tinh Bien District, says that mining by night and heavy security make catching illegal miners red-handed a difficult job. According to Nguyen Thanh Tung, vice-chairman of the Tinh Bien People’s Committee, the administration has issued no permits for sand exploitation in the locality. “We will order the appropriate agencies to investigate and deal with the problem,” Tung declared. Meanwhile, Phan Van Suong, chairman of the People’s Committee in Tri Ton District, said Thon and Do have been fined millions of dong (VND100 million = $4,410) for illegal sand exploitation. By Tuoi Tre News |
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Electricity sector gets BOT boostVietnam-based manufacturers are looking forward to a more stable power supply in the near future, with a series of build-operate-transfer power plants speeding up and coming online, and many foreign investors showing strong interest in the segment due to the high demand.
Last week, the operators of the Chinese-invested, 1,200-megawatt (MW) build-operate-transfer (BOT) Vinh Tan 1 thermal power project reported to Vietnam’s government that they will be finished 11 months ahead of schedule, as the $1.75 billion plant, located in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, is expected to start its first turbine in 2018 and the second in 2019. Jointly invested by China Southern Power Grid, China Power International Holdings, and Vinacomin Power, the Vinh Tan 1 thermal power project is one in a lineup of key power projects in the government’s Power Development Master Plan VII, aimed at meeting Vietnam’s dramatically rising power demand during 2010-2020, with a vision toward 2030. Vinh Tan 1 is the biggest power plant invested by a Chinese investor in Vietnam. Tran Viet Ngai, chairman of the Vietnam Energy Association, said that the successful completion of the BOT power project is a positive development, and has once again raised hopes on boosting other power investments under the BOT approach. The project also plays an important role in supplying power to some southern provinces, as there is concern over the power supply in said provinces due to delays in the Song Hau 1 and Long Phu 1 thermal power plants. The Long Phu 1 and Song Hau 1 projects in the Mekong River Delta provinces of Soc Trang and Hau Giang, respectively, are designed to produce 1,200MW each annually, but are now years behind schedule. Both of them are invested by Vietnam’s state-run oil and gas group PetroVietnam. The Vietnamese government has pressed ministries to boost coal-fired projects and coal supplies in order to sufficiently power the southern provinces in the near future. This is currently considered one of the main challenges the government faces. Meanwhile, the Hai Duong BOT plant project spearheaded by Jaks Hai Duong Power Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Malaysian Jaks Resources Bhd and China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co., Ltd., expects to come into operation over the next few years since it started construction in March 2016. The first 600MW turbine of the 1,200MW plant is expected to be put into operation in 2020. This is also the first foray of Malaysian firm Jaks Resources Bhd into Vietnam. Last week, company delegates also visited the southern province of Binh Phuoc to investigate opportunities for a 200MW solar project, with investment capital of $262.5 million. Another Malaysian company, Janakuasa Sdn Bhd, has signed four landmark documents with Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade for the development of the 1,200MW Duyen Hai 2 coal-fired power plant in the southern province of Tra Vinh, specifically a land-lease deal, a power purchase agreement, a BOT contract, and a government guarantee. The project is one of four power projects within the Duyen Hai Power Centre, which has a combined generation capacity of 4,348MW, and uses imported coal as the feedstock to generate power. A few months ago, a consortium including Saudi Arabian ACWA Power and Korea’s Taekwang Power Holdings Co., Ltd. officially received an investment certificate for the $2.3 billion Nam Dinh 1 thermal power project, making it the seventh foreign-invested BOT power project licensed in Vietnam. The project is scheduled to commence construction in early 2018. The first unit will enter commercial operations within 51 months. The list of foreign-invested BOT power projects will rise further as several foreign firms are currently in negotiations or are conducting feasibility studies for developing thermal power plants nationwide. They include Korea’s Samsung C&T Corporation, India’s Tata Power, Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries, and Thailand’s EGATI. By Phuong Thu/VIR |
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 3/11 National Private Economic Development Research Board debuts The National Private Economic Development Research Board made its debut in Hanoi on October 30. The board, managed by the Government’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform, is aimed at helping the Government reform mechanism, policies and administrative procedures related to the private economic sector, in keeping with the national economic objectives. It also takes the initiative of setting up an assisting system and mobilising resources for the performance of the assigned tasks. The board is chaired by Truong Gia Binh, who is also President of Vietnam Software and IT Services Association and Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform. Binh’s deputy is the General Director of Vina Capital Group and Deputy Chairman of Global Agenda Council on ASEAN (World Economic Forum) Don Di Lam. Members of the board also include representatives from the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association, the Business Federation of southern Binh Duong province, Shrimp Association of southern Binh Thuan province and the Tourism Advisory Board, as well as the Vietnam Private Sector Forum’s Advisory Board and Vina Capital Group. Statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that the private economic sector contributes 43.22 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). It targeted to raise the figure to 60 percent by 2020. The sector currently accounts for 39 percent of the total social investment and generates 11.9 percent of all jobs. Meanwhile, the State economic sector contributes 28.69 percent to the GDP. Hoa Sen Group reports alarming plunge in profit Steel maker Hoa Sen Group will see a plunge in after-tax profit to VND203 billion ($8.89 million) in the fourth quarter of this year, decreasing by 54.7 per cent on-year. Hoa Sen Group has released the estimated business results for the fourth quarter of the 2016-2017 financial year, according to newswire Cafef. Accordingly, Hoa Sen estimated a net revenue of VND6.9 trillion ($302.5 million), up 30 per cent on-year, however, after-tax profit is estimated at VND203 billion ($8.89 million), less than half of the past year. This will be the second consecutive quarter that Hoa Sen reports bleak business prospects. Earlier in the third quarter of this year, regarding after-tax profit, the figure was VND272 billion ($11.9 million), declining 39.3 per cent on-year. In the 2016-2017 financial year, Hoa Sen Group estimates selling 1.66 million tonnes of steel with a revenue of VND26.1 trillion ($1.14 billion), signifying increases of 26 and 46 per cent, respectively. However, the consolidated after-tax profit would be VND1.33 trillion ($58.3 million), 12 per cent lower than the figure of the previous financial year. The reason for the plunge in profit is the soaring interest on the company’s massive debts. Notably, as of the end of the second quarter of this year, Hoa Sen Group bore a debt of VND12.4 trillion ($543.6 million), VND10 trillion ($438.4 million) of which is short-term debts, while its equity was only VND5 trillion ($219.2 million). From early October 2016 to late July 2017, the group reported mobilising VND19.9 trillion ($872.4 million) from loans. Besides, the group reported that interest payments rose to VND334 billion ($14.6 million), tripling on-year. In the third quarter alone, skyrocketing expenses also contributed to the group’s declining profit, especially the increasing interest expenditure which hit VND136 billion ($5.9 million) and decreased the company’s profit by 40 per cent on-year, to VND271 billion ($11.8 million). One of the group’s targets in collecting massive amounts of money was to develop projects, especially the $10.6-billion Ca Na steel project. Notably, Hoa Sen chairman Le Phuoc Vu announced that the group was ready to develop the steel project in the central province of Binh Thuan. However, in April 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested the suspension of the project in order to “clarify some issues related to the environment and technology.” The consecutive decreases in profit sent investors scampering on a massive sell-off on the stock exchange, evaporating VND3 trillion ($131.5 million) from its capitalisation. According to the latest move, an investment fund managed by Dragon Capital transferred a part of its holding in Hoa Sen Group to its competitor Nam Kim Steel JSC. The investment fund gave up its position as a large shareholder in Hoa Sen Group by decreasing its holding to 4.96 per cent, or 17.38 million shares. Industrial production index on growth track in ten months The industrial production index rose by 17% year-on-year in October, pushing the ten-month increase by 8.7%, higher than a 7.3% rise from the same period last year and 7.9% growth recorded in nine months. According to the General Department of Statistics, manufacturing and processing sector grew by 13.6% while electricity production and distribution expanded 9.3%, water supply and wastewater treatment went up 7.5%. Only mining sector was down 7.4%. In Jan-Oct, manufacturing of several industrial products grew higher than the same period last year, including television (30%), iron and crude steel (28%), rolled steel (19%) and urea fertiliser (15%). Localities recording high index include Bac Ninh (up 32%), Hai Phong (20%), Thai Nguyen (17%), Hai Duong (10%), Binh Duong (9.7%), Da Nang (9%), Dong Nai (8.5%), Ho Chi Minh City (7.8%), Can Tho (7%), Hanoi (6.9%), and Vinh Phuc (6.9%). As of October 1, inventory index in manufacturing and processing sector hiked 8.8% year-on-year, higher than apparel (6.3%), food production and processing (4.7%), and transport vehicles (2.3%). Meanwhile, cigarettes and pharmaceuticals saw respective decreases of 3.2% and 17.9% in this index. Sectors recording inventory index higher than the average include beverages (up 48.5%), motorised vehicles (45.2%), electronic and optical products and computers (20.9%), and electrical equipment (14.9%). The number of workers in industrial firms increased by 5.1% as of October 1, of whom, those in State enterprises dropped 0.5% while those in non-State and foreign-invested businesses went up 3% and 7.2%, respectively. Workers in localities with large-scale industry also saw growth, such as Bac Ninh (up 19.3%), Da Nang (17.3%), Hai Duong (9%), Vinh Phuc (7.9%), Hai Phong (5.3%), Thai Nguyen (5.3%), Hanoi (3.8%), Can Tho (2.2%) and Ho Chi Minh City (0.9%). Ministry proposes to consider Uber, Grab as transport firms The Ministry of Industry and Trade has sent a document to the Government Office, proposing to change relevant regulations to consider software application supply firms such as Uber and Grab as transport firms, said the ministry yesterday. According to the document, regulations on science and technology application in passenger transport connectivity should be adjusted to create fair competition with traditional transport firms. For a long time, Uber and Grab have been counted as software supply firms so they do not take responsibility for abiding by regulations to ensure safety for passengers and people on the road. Still they have collected transport service fee. In addition, they are not subject to regulations on transport business conditions, causing unfair competition to traditional transport services such as taxi cabs and motorbike taxi. Ninh Thuan sheep, lamb meat get geographical indication protection Ninh Thuan Province’s mutton and lamb products have been granted protection under geographical indication by the National Office of Intellectual Property, province authorities announced on October 30. A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. It is typically used for foodstuffs, wine and spirits, handicrafts, and agricultural and industrial products to control the quality of products and protect the benefits of producers, local farmers and consumers. Sheep in the south-central coastal province came from India hundreds of years ago and adapted to the hot and dry conditions, and have become a speciality associated with the province. The province now has around 860,000 native and hybrid sheep, which grazed for eight to 10 hours a day in hills and meadows. Its brood sheep are raised in compliance with standards on food, breeding facilities, vaccination, slaughter conditions, and preservation and packaging. An animal aged between eight and 12 months weighing 30-45kg are sold for slaughter. The meat products, fresh and frozen, include the whole carcass with head, legs and viscera; smaller pieces; and lamb chops. The local sheep have darker red meat than hybrid sheep. The province’s sheep meat is popular for its high nutritional value, low fat and unique flavour. Industrial goods fair opens in Ha Nam The Commercial and Industrial Fair 2017 of the Red River Delta, which began on Monday, saw the participation of over 300 booths displaying industrial products. The fair, being held in the northern province of Ha Nam, has attracted many enterprises, industrial production facilities from the northern provinces and cities, and also from localities outside. It has on display typical products of the Red River Delta region such as rural industrial products, electronics, information technology and agriculture, as well as forestry, fishery products, fashion, consumer goods and home appliances. Truong Quoc Huy, vice chairman of People’s Committee of Ha Nam Province, said the fair is part of the national industrial extension programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It has been designed for businesses and rural industrial establishments to promote their brands, introduce their products, meet partners, seek investment opportunities for business development and to promote the consumption of Vietnamese goods. The event, being held at Phu Ly city stadium, will go on until November 5, 2017. Canada launches investigation into Viet Nam’s copper pipe fittings The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced that it is launching an investigation into certain copper pipe fittings originating in or exported from Viet Nam. The agency will investigate whether these are being sold at unfair prices in Canada and whether subsidies are being applied to certain copper pipe fittings originating in or exported from Viet Nam, the agency announced on its website. The CBSA said that the investigations are the result of a complaint filed by Cello Products Inc. (Cello) of Cambridge, Ontario. The complainant alleges that as a result of price undercutting from Viet Nam, Cello faces loss in sales and market share, resulting in negative financial results, reduced production and employment. According to the Vietnam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam’s copper pipe fittings under the investigation are coded 7412.10.00.11, 7412.10.00.19, 7412.10.00.90 and 7412.20.00.11, as well as 7412.20.00.12, 7412.20.00.19 and 7412.20.00.90. The investigation period is from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017. The CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) will both play a role in the investigations. The CBSA announced that Viet Nam’s copper pipe fittings exporters and the Vietnamese government can send responses to CBSA’s request for information on December 4, 2017. The CITT will begin a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers and will issue a decision by December 27, 2017. Concurrently, the CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being sold in Canada at unfair and/or subsidised prices, and will make a preliminary decision by January 25, 2018. By noon of March 19, 2018, the CBSA will receive case arguments due from all parties. A copy of the Statement of Reasons, which provides more details about these investigations, will be available on the CBSA’s website, www.cbsa.gc.ca/sima-lmsi, within 15 days. Currently, there are 98 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products, from steel products to refined sugar. Of note, there are currently special import measures in place since June 2006 on copper pipe fittings from the United States, the Republic of Korea and China. Copper pipe fittings are used to connect copper pipes, tubes or other copper pipe fittings to one another. The fittings can also be used to connect copper tubing to other metal systems by use of threaded fittings. Copper pipe fittings can be used in heating, plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Vietnam Int’l Jewelry Fair pulls in over 200 exhibitors More than 200 domestic and foreign exhibitors, including those from the EU, Thailand, India, and Singapore, have registered to take part in the Vietnam International Jewelry Fair (VIJF) set to transpire on November 8-11 in Ho Chi Minh City. At a press briefing to announce the event on October 31, the organizer, Saigon Jewelry Company Limited (SJC), said the fair will be divided into several zones, showcasing domestic and foreign jewelry products, diamonds, various gemstones, jewelry casting technologies, machines and equipment, and aftersales and warranty services. The organizing board will designate a reception and negotiating area for businesses. There will also be many special promotional and discount programs on offer at the fair. Dao Cong Thang, Vice General Director of SJC, said that over the past 25 years, the fair has become a traditional event for the gold, silver, and gemstone sector, and a trusted destination of many businesses seeking trade and cooperation opportunities to get exposure for their products and brands. Mr. Thang said the organizing board hopes to hold the fair biannually and expand it to other provinces and cities like Can Tho and Hanoi to help businesses nationwide to further promote Vietnamese gold, silver, and gemstone brands, and offer customers the opportunity to buy high quality and special products cast with advanced techniques and technologies. Summer-autumn crop yields 11.5 million tonnes of rice Vietnam’s rice output during the summer-autumn crop was estimated at 11.5 million tonnes, an increase of 127,500 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The total rice farming land for this crop was 2.1 million hectares, with 1.93 million hectares in the southern region. The Mekong Delta region, the country’s granary, alone had 1.65 million hectares, representing 98.6% of the same period last year. By mid-October, 661,500 hectares in the Mekong Delta had been sowed for the autumn-winter crop. Numerous localities pumped water into fields to enrich farming land and reduce diseases for the next crop. The northern region had by mid-October harvested the winter rice crop on 870,800 hectares, accounting for 76.7% of the total farming land, including the Red Delta harvesting on 418,400 hectares, or 77.1% of its cultivation land. Vietnam exports sugar to 28 markets Vietnam exported 43,000 tons of sugar to 28 markets, earning more than US$20.6 million to the end of September, said Pham Quoc Doanh, President of Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association. Major consumers of Vietnamese sugar products included China, Russia, the US, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Australia, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. The largest domestic exporter is Bien Hoa Sugar JSC which shipped nearly 23,000 tons of sugar to Myanmar, China, Singapore, and India with an export value of more than US$12 million. The country now has 41 sugar factories with a processing capacity of 150,000 tons of sugarcane per day. In the 2016-2017 crop year, these factories produced more than 1.236 million tons of sugar. Quang Nam: Nearly VND300 billion for road construction The central province of Quang Nam has invested nearly VND300 billion (US$13.2 million) to build a road linking Cua Dai bridge and De Vong bridge on the coastal Hoi An-Da Nang road. The road, which is 38 metres in width and 4.2 kilometres in length, will allow motorised vehicles to run at a maximum speed of 70 kilometres per hour. Relevant authorities are working to put forth the construction so that the road can open to traffic in the first quarter of 2018. The road is expected to improve national coastal road system and promote investment attraction in Quang Nam province. It also serves travel and good transport demands while serve search and rescue activities during flood season. Hanoi destined for Vietnam craft village exhibition The Vietnam Craft Village Trade Fair 2017 (CraftViet 2017) will take place from November 9-13 in Hanoi, featuring 250 booths showcasing products from 24 cities and provinces nationwide, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The event is organised to attract investment in traditional craft villages, encourage tourism development in companion with rural handicrafts and enhance trade promotion for local products. On display will be local standout handicraft products like Chu Dau pottery, Bat Trang pottery, brocade and Dong Ho paintings. Visitors to the fair will have a chance to see the manipulation of silver engraving, bamboo, rattan and pottery products. Especially, a renowned Vietnamese tea zone will be arranged to introduce top-quality tea and tea culture of Vietnam. Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture Dao Van Ho said that the centre will work with local departments of agriculture and rural development and quality management bureaus to ensure quality of exhibited items at the fair and prevent trade frauds. Lifestyle hotel brand Wink launched Indochina Capital and Vanguard Hotels have teamed up for a new lifestyle hotel brand in Vietnam, Wink Hotels, through the joint venture Indochina Vanguard Hotels. The first Wink will open in 2019 in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Wink is a highly-defined brand designed for Indochina, a region on the cusp of the next stage of its evolution and clamoring for a hospitality experience unlike any before. A brand that believes in the tenacity of the Indochine mentality, Wink is a celebration of what the region has overcome and, more importantly, what it will become. Embracing time-honored values, Wink strives to find harmony between modernity, innovation, efficiency, and the city vibe, ensuring guests leave with a vivid impression of the destination and brand. “Vietnam deserves the best, and we look forward to bringing to this dynamic country the very best in the hospitality industry,” said Mr. Michael Piro, Co-Founder of Indochina Vanguard Hotels and Managing Director of Indochina Land. “We will be bringing visitors a consistent experience not only in key locations such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, but also in other cities. Wink Hotels will be available throughout Vietnam.” Wink Hotels are designed for the aspirational modern traveler, one who is open, inquisitive, and acquisitive. These individuals associate themselves with brands that represent who they are and where they are going. These individuals are informed and empowered when it comes to travel. Regardless of why they travel, they will not settle for clichéd experiences. Vanguard Hotels intends to become a leading owner and operator of affordable branded hotels in Southeast Asia. It will provide dynamic, aspirational branding options to customers, evolving to meet their needs as they grow and change over time. It will work with high-quality foreign investors and local partner companies in each market to provide the right formula to arrive at a suitable hotel experience for customers in that country. Vanguard Hotels aims to provide these hotels to customers at a price point and in an operating environment that allows for maximizing the profit opportunity and providing the highest possible returns to its shareholder partners. Paradise Doubles Down in Ha Long Bay Paradise Vietnam has taken two of its four Paradise Luxury vessels and, following some significant renovations, rebranded them as Paradise Prestige. The reimagined wooden junks were put on the water recently and are the most sophisticated vessels ever designed for the purpose of spending more than one night among the towering outcrops of Ha Long Bay. “Guests are demanding more than one night cruising in Ha Long Bay, so they can explore it in a deeper way,” said Mr. Nguyen Cao Son, Paradise Vietnam’s Chief Operating Officer. “Paradise Prestige alleviates that problem, and does so in a really impressive way.” The launch of Paradise Prestige will mark a dive into the all-inclusive concept for Paradise Vietnam, which it knows to be popular among high-end resorts and river cruise companies. Benefits will include free-flow food and drinks, including a la carte meals and sparkling wine, one 50-minute spa treatment per person per day, and business lounge access at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport. “As an innovative company, we’re always looking for ways to improve and refresh and set new standards,” said Mr. Son. “Positioning Paradise Prestige is the only choice for those who want luxury and two nights on Ha Long Bay gels with that philosophy.” Indeed, as opposed to one big boat, Paradise Prestige will dispatch two smaller vessels, each with 15 cabins, into the karst-studded seascape. “We’ve done our homework, and our takeaway is that peace and quiet is a high priority for the two-night cruiser,” said Mr. Son. “At no time will Prestige passengers be disturbed. We want Ha Long Bay to do all the talking.” Paradise Prestige will give additional mouthpiece to the attraction by doing what one-night cruises cannot: sail away from the crowds and into more secluded territory, thereby creating another layer of exclusivity to the experience. The creation of Paradise Prestige signifies the second major move made by Paradise’s cruise division this year. In July, the company made a splash by rolling out the second of two Paradise Elegance ships, which at 61 meters long and 13 meters wide with 31 cabins are the biggest overnight cruising vessels on the UNESCO World Heritage site, ever. Paradise Vietnam also owns and operates Paradise Peak, a boutique, eight-suite ship tailor-made for families or small groups, the 156-room Paradise Suites and Paradise Trend hotels, the first and only boutique luxury hotels in Ha Long Bay, and six restaurants, including two in Hanoi that consistently rank on TripAdvisor among the Top 10 dining venues in Vietnam’s capital. Textile, garment industry expo opens in Hanoi The 2017 Hanoi Textile and Garment Industry Expo (HANOITEX 2017) opened at the International Centre for Exhibition on Tran Hung Dao street, Hanoi on November 1. The annual event draws over 150 companies from 15 countries and territories, including China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. The three-day event is showcasing textile-garment machinery and equipment, high-quality silk and fabrics, dyeing equipment and chemicals, materials and accessories across an area of 6,000sq.m. Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said the expo provides an opportunity for Vietnamese textile-garment producers to access the latest technologies of the world, thus raising locally made proportion and enhancing the added value of products. In order to implement its sustainable strategy by 2020, the sector has invested more in high-quality and environmentally friendly technologies, said General Director of the Vietnam National Textile Garment Group (Vinatex) Le Tien Truong. The event is organised by the CP Exhibition Hong Kong, VCCI Expo, and Vinatex, under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association. Meanwhile, about 500 firms will join the 17th International Textile and Apparel Accessories Exhibition in HCM city from November 22-25, featuring new solutions, technologies and equipment for the apparel sector. APEC 2017 links up Asia-Pacific economies together Vietnam will undertake the role of hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting for the second time from November 5-11. Through theme “Creating new dynamism, fostering a shared future”, Vietnam and member economies show their wish to contribute to common efforts towards the goal of building a vibrant and connected Asia-Pacific community via facilitating trade and investment liberalisation, regional economic connectivity, economic-technical cooperation, ensuring human security and creating a favourable and sustainable business environment. Since its birth in November 1989 with 12 member economies, APEC has so far grouped 21 members after nearly 30 years of development, including nine from the G20 Group of Emerging and Developing Nations and many vibrant economies, representing 2.8 billion people, or 39 percent of the world’s population and contributing 43 trillion USD, or 57 percent of the gross domestic product and 20 trillion USD, equivalent to 49 percent of the global trade. From the ministerial-level dialogue mechanism, APEC has become a leading economic cooperation mechanism in the region with outstanding and practical achievements across trade and investment liberalisation, trade facilitation, and economic and technical collaboration. As the global economic focus gradually moves to the Asia-Pacific – the highest growth area and a hub of new technologies and skilled workforce, APEC is recognised as a mechanism guiding trade and investment liberalisation, promoting global cooperation trend, making important contributions to economic growth and maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. With the “initiative raising mechanism”, APEC provides a platform for policymakers, businesses, and scholars to meet annually to discuss initiatives helping Asia-Pacific economies catch up with constant developments in the region and the world, particularly in global economy and trade. Many initiatives pertaining to integration have been associated with APEC, namely the Asia-Pacific free trade area in 2006, the growth strategy in 2010, the master plan on connectivity in 2014, and the roadmap to competitiveness improvement in services in 2016. From 2000-2015, the region’s total trade value rose 2.5-fold from 6.4 trillion USD to 16.5 trillion USD, nearly 67 percent of which was internal trade. The group is implementing long-term strategies and plans until 2025 on quality growth, human resources development and innovation. From 1996-2015, the number of free trade and regional trade agreements put into force soared from 22 to 152 while 61 agreements were signed by member economies. APEC member economies also took the lead in forming massive free trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the ASEAN Community towards establishing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, contributing to strengthening multilateral trade system within the World Trade Organisation framework. APEC has put forth the economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) agenda to support human resources development and improve capacity for member economies, looking towards equal, balanced and sustainable economic development in the region and creating the most favourable conditions for the implementation of action programmes to realise the Bogor goals. Since 1993, nearly 1,600 joint projects have been carried out and each year APEC provides financial support for about 150 projects worth 23 million USD. In a constantly changing world where non-traditional security and terrorism emerge as one of the most serious threats, APEC has expanded its interest in security and political issues by issuing its own declaration on counter-terrorism and climate change adaptation. The forum has also adopted a number of initiatives in the fields of aviation security, railway, navigation, food safety, and prevention of natural disasters and diseases, among others. APEC has successfully built joint activities and action programmes of each member economy. Meanwhile, member economies need to show their firm political will and increase mutual trust to develop Asia-Pacific into one of the world’s most dynamic investment and trade liberalisation regions. Established in 1989, APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. Dong Thap Muoi develops flood-adapted agriculture Dong Thap Muoi wetland stretching across the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap, Long An and Tien Giang, formerly a solid revolutionary base during the war against French and US invaders, has sustainably developed agriculture in adaptation with flooding. The wetland covers a site of over 697,000ha, accounting for 17.7 percent of the region’s total coverage. Nguyen Van Man, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tan Phuoc district – the only lying in Dong Thap Muoi in Tien Giang province, said since the Dong Thap Muoi reclamation scheme began in the late 1980s, the State has unearthed and dredged nearly 680km of major canals and over 1,100km of interior field canals to drain flood water and improve soil. Localities placed 135 anti-flooding sacks with a total length of nearly 400km and installed 125 electric drainage stations capable of serving over 100ha each. Le Thi Yen, head of the Planning Office from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the provincial agriculture sector partnered with agencies concerned to launch a comprehensive support programme for pineapple cultivation, including technological transfer, epidemics and pest control, farming under GAP standards, registration for trademark protection, among others. The district is so far home to over 16,000ha of pineapple, the largest in the Tien river and Tien Giang in particular, yielding nearly 300,000 tonnes per year. Farmers in Cai Be district have grown over 2,000ha of citrus, mostly oranges and grapefruits, raising the total area of fruit farming in the locality to more than 16,700ha. To help farmers cope with disasters, localities encouraged farmers to set up specialised cultivation areas and grow rice and raise fishes in rotation. The districts of Tan Hung, Vinh Hung, Moc Hoa, Tan Thach, Thanh Hoa and Kien Tuong township are considered the largest rice granaries in the Mekong Delta province of Long An with a total output of around 2 million tonnes per year. The province is embarking on a hi-tech agricultural development project, in which 20,000ha will be built in the above districts with a view to improving food safety, product value and economic competitiveness. Initially, a model of building 2,900ha of rice using advanced technology will be built, ensuring that extra 17,000ha will be expanded by 2020. Since 2014, Long An has launched an aquaculture facilitation programme in Dong Thap Muoi’s districts, costing upwards 25 billion VND. There are over 1,700ha of aquaculture in the localities now with a total output of more than 21,000 tonnes. The above programmes have initially produced positive results, contributing to raising farmers’ income. Lawmakers urge strong boost to fruit & vegie export, logistics sector Some lawmakers have underscored major benefits to be gained from fruit, vegetables and flower export and logistics services, asking for more attention to boost the development of these sectors. They continued to discuss the country’s socio-economic and State budget situation on November 1, part of the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi. Deputy Nguyen Thien Nhan of Ho Chi Minh City said in 2016, Vietnam exported 2.4 billion USD worth of crude oil and 2.45 billion USD worth of fruit, vegetables and flower. This was the first time fruit, vegetables and flower exports had surpassed crude oil shipments. Meanwhile, crude oil exports were 31 times higher than fruit and vegetables exports in 2005, 7.3 billion USD compared to 235 million USD. He analysed that fruit, vegetables and flower exports have grown by about 30 percent each year and are forecast to hit 9-10 billion USD in 2022. However, export turnover of crude oil has fallen by 900 million USD in five years and that of aquatic products has risen by just 5 percent annually. Fruit, vegetables and flower haven’t been listed among the county’s key agricultural export commodities which have included rice, catfish, and products from mushroom, coffee, brackish water shrimp and ginseng. Nhan, who is also Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, proposed the Government name fruit, vegetables and flower key export items. He said farming these products is a solution to reducing poverty in rural and mountainous areas, adding that each locality should cultivate typical fruit, vegetables and flower products that suit local conditions. Regarding logistics services, deputy Nguyen Quoc Binh of Hanoi cited data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Business Logistics Association that the value of Vietnam’s logistics market is equivalent to 21-25 percent of the country’s GDP. Logistics services are an important economic sector that is able to fare well in the country. This industry is a direct solution to helping boost GDP growth and the economy’s competitiveness, he noted. He pointed out a fact that the logistics industry’s contribution to the economy remains modest, only about 2-3 percent of total GDP. Logistics are considered a lucrative but still untapped sector in Vietnam because around 80 percent of the logistics market is being run by foreign businesses. While logistics costs are estimated at 7-15 percent of GDP in developed countries, they account for 21-25 percent of Vietnam’s GDP, directly hampering economic growth. Therefore, it is important to cut down logistics costs and improve logistics services, he stressed. Highlighting advantages for logistics services development, Binh said Vietnam is located in the centre of the Asian-Pacific region in terms of maritime and air transportation. It is a gateway to the East Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, for three of the four economic corridors in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. It also owns many locations favourable for building deep-water seaports and international transit airports. The deputy said logistics can become a spearhead sector in Vietnam’s economy, and the country should work harder to optimise existing potential and advantages. Ha Tinh: Export revenue on strong surge The central province of Ha Tinh earned a total 194.36 million USD in export revenue in ten months ending in October, a year-on-year hike of 97.3 percent and accounting for nearly 70 percent of the yearly plan. Shipments of Taiwan-invested Hung Nghiep Ha Tinh Iron and Steel Co., Ltd were valued at 103.7 million USD, occupying 53.3 percent of the total export revenue. Meanwhile, exports of traditional products like tea, seafood, fibre, and garment also experienced rosy growth. The province earned 2.61 million USD from selling tea abroad (up 22.28 percent), 7.48 million USD from fibre export (up 22.8 percent) and 2.19 million USD from garment export (up 91 percent). Main export markets included Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East and Japan. Vietnam builds library, meeting hall for Cambodian army The Royal Cambodian Army held a ceremony in Phnom Penh on November 1 to inaugurate a library and a meeting hall built for the army’s special parachute brigade 911 with the financial assistance of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence. Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh said the facilities will contribute to modernising infrastructure of the brigade in particular and the Royal Cambodian Army in general, thus enhancing their readiness to combat and capacity to defend the national territorial sovereignty and maintain political stability and social order. He thanked the Vietnamese State, Government, army and people for regularly supporting Cambodia in building strong armed forces and developing the country based on the bilateral friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia’s armies and people over the past decades. The Deputy PM cut the ribbon to inaugurate the facilities, whose construction began in 2014. They are put into operation on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic ties, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year, and the 22nd founding anniversary of the brigade 911. The Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam also assisted the brigade in building a training centre in Kampong Speu province. Hà Tĩnh gets seeds for new crop The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will provide the central province of Hà Tĩnh 280 tonnes of seeds as a storm relief package for the province’s agricultural sector. The extract of seeds from the national reserve follows a governmental decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ, in an attempt to recover agricultural production in the localities affected by the recent floods and storms, including the central provinces of Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Trị, and northern province of Phú Thọ. Hà Tĩnh will get 250 tonnes of rice seeds and 30 tonnes of sweet corn. Quảng Trị will receive 300 tonnes of rice and 60 tonnes of corn. Phú Thọ will be supplied with a smaller quantity, 50 tonnes of rice and 10 tonnes of corn. The deputy PM requested the People’s Committees of the beneficiary provinces to use the seeds for the right purpose and in time for a new crop. Earlier last week, Hà Tĩnh got 3,500 tonnes of rice used as food from the national reserve to satiate hungry residents in the storm and flood-affected areas. Hà Tĩnh has been hit the hardest by typhoon Doksuri in September, and severe flooding came upon a tropical depression in October. Last year, it was devastated by repeated strong floods. Japan Fair held in HCM City Seventy-six Japanese products are being sold at hundreds of convenience stores and malls in HCM City as part of the Japan Fair event, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). Featuring snacks, candies, beverages, ice cream and children’s books, the Japan Fair products are available at 153 FamilyMart convenience stores, 99 MINISTOP convenience stores, and two AEON malls in HCM City. “This is the second time that we have launched the Japan Fair. The first fair, organised last November, was quite successful,” a representative of JETRO said, adding that more products were introduced this year. “We’ve decided to extend the fair from one to three months,” he said. Products were selected based on their affordability, high demand and low local supply. “Since matcha-related products were a hit last year, we have brought more of them to our stores,” a representative of FamilyMart said. In addition to snacks and beverages that are popular among children, Japanese children’s books, which have been translated into Vietnamese, are expected to do well, he added. “Children seem to be our target audience since the Vietnamese population is quite young. That being said, we’ve also added products that are appropriate to adults such as vegetable juice,” he said. When the fair ends, organisers will select the most important and popular products and begin to officially sell them in convenience stores and malls. In conjunction with the Japan Fair, the Japan-Việt Nam Festival on January 27 and 28 will be held at HCM City’s 23/9 Park. Vietnam Airlines increases flights to Danang during APEC Summit The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will operate more than 50 flights a day from Hanoi, HCM City to Danang during the APEC Summit 2017 scheduled for November 6-11 in the central coastal city. Accordingly, the airlines will operate an additional 110 flights per day (equivalent to 20,000 seats), bringing the total number of seats to 400,000 on these routes. Especially, the number of flights between Hanoi-Danang and HCM City-Danang will increase to 64 and 44 respectively. On an average, a flight will arrive to or take off from the central coastal city every 30 minutes. The Vietnam Airport Ground Services Co., Ltd. plans to strengthen service capacity from 160 to 180 flights per day for APEC. In peak hours, VIAGS can provide 11 aircraft. Flight attendants will be strengthened and meet requirements in appearance, English skills and service capacity. The company has also implemented a plan to ensure security during the event. Vietnam Airlines has recently transferred all international flights at Danang International Airport to Terminal 2, which has been put into operation since May with a total investment of VND3,500 billion. The number of check-in counters has also been increased to 22 including three for business class passengers. Oxfam calls for inclusive growth ahead of APEC Summit Oxfam has launched a report entitled “Redefining Inclusive Growth in Asia”, which outlines how Asia can achieve growth that leaves no one behind, ahead of the APEC Summit in Da Nang, Vietnam. In spite of significant economic growth, in Asia and other APEC member economies, the gap between the rich and poor continues to worsen. The report underlines that leaders during APEC 2017 can seize the moment to redefine an economic model that creates equal opportunities for men and women, ensures decent living wages, basic social services, and access to productive resources for all. The report calls for the APEC leaders to support member countries in mobilising tax revenues to fund sustainable development goals rather engage in wasteful and unfair tax competition and engage in practices that deny essential revenue to the developing countries. They must discourage corporate tax avoidance and evasion, should work together to improve tax administration capacity and productivity; progressive taxation and efficient and transparent tax collection. These measures will benefit from increased tax revenues to invest in basic public services like health, education, and social welfare leading towards fair and better societies and communities. The APEC leaders must work to ensure all workers have a fair income by ensuring a minimum wage that allows a decent living for their families. To ensure inclusion and sustainability, their rights must be respected and upheld. Countries must implement existing labour regulations and address policy gaps. They must stop corporations from maximising profits at the expense of labour and improve workers’ bargaining power. Micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those led by women, is critical to facilitating inclusive growth. APEC leaders must invest in providing MSMEs with financial services and capital and build their development and management capabilities. Public investments must be increased in services that reduce women’s household care burdens so that they can work to overcome poverty and promote economic growth as entrepreneurs. This year’s host, the Vietnamese government has underscored the importance of economic, financial, and social inclusion and called for the APEC to develop a holistic approach which incorporates all three pillars to promote inclusive growth. Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur, Oxfam Country Director in Vietnam, says that “Inclusive growth must deliver real change for people and not treat citizens as passive recipients. APEC leaders must recognise people’s voices and allow them to participate in all three pillars of inclusion – economic, social and financial. APEC can only do this by ensuring that people can contribute to decision making, especially on matters that directly affect them. They must make sure that workers are represented in corporate structures, and develop financial services that respond to the needs of everyone including women, workers, farmers, and fishers. Oxfam welcomes the Vietnamese government’s commitment to addressing inequality and promote inclusive growth. We hope the 2017 APEC summit is an opportunity to blaze a path to a new and exciting national goal – an economy where no one is left behind”. HCMC needs to focus on maintaining political security Ho Chi Minh City needs to focus on maintaining political security, social order and safety in all circumstances, as well as its socio-economic development in association with ensuring national defense and security, as part of the Politburo’s Conclusion on the continuous implementation of Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW. Based on the summation of the achievements and limitations following five years of implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW, on devising the development directions for Ho Chi Minh City till 2020, the Politburo has issued the conclusion. Accordingly, the Politburo has asked the Ho Chi Minh City municipal Party committee, party organisations and the related provincial party committees to continue to promote the implementation of the tasks and solutions contained within the Politburo’s Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW. It is necessary to focus on continuing to direct the effective implementation of the tasks and solutions proposed by the Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW, in association with the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 10th congress of the municipal Party Committee. The city should also identify the tasks and solutions that need to be completed annually by the agencies and units, while attaching specific responsibilities to the heads of agencies and units in organising the implementation of the Resolution. The pilot implementation of the specific policies and mechanisms for Ho Chi Minh City is based on the whole of the country, seeking a harmonious combination between the general and private sectors within the legal framework. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City will co-ordinate with the related ministries and departments to report to the National Assembly and National Assembly agencies at the fourth session of 14th National Assembly to review the implementation and make a decision. Every year, the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and the Government work with the Ho Chi Minh City Party Standing Committee to inspect, supervise and accelerate the implementation of Resolution No.16-NQ/TW and the Politburo’s conclusion, therefore, continuing to help Ho Chi Minh City to overcome all difficulties and obstacles with regards to the mechanisms and policies and create favorable conditions for the city to successfully implement the directions and tasks set by the Party. The Party Central Committee Office will coordinate with the concerned agencies in monitoring and inspecting the implementation of the Resolution and the conclusion, regularly reporting to the Politburo and the Party Central Committee's Secretariat. Farmers withdraw from growing safe dragon fruit because low price In order to expand its market and provide safe fruit to consumers, for eight years, farmers in the central province of Binh Thuan had followed VietGAP standards (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practice), yet consumption of the fruit declined resulting in farmers’ despair. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, dragon fruit is grown in over 27,500 hectare of accounting for 63 percent of the province’s agriculture land. In 2009, to meet the market’s demand and for sustainable development of the tree, People’s Committee in Binh Thuan Province encouraged local people to grow the fruit in accordance to VietGAP standards. Till now, over 7,900 hectare of dragon fruit have implemented the standard with participation of 9,000 farmers in 400 cooperatives. Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Pham Huu Thu said that the farm land for growing the fruit shrank and many farmers have withdrawn from the project to grow the fruit according to VietGAP standards. As per the center for dragon fruit development center in Binh Thuan, in first six months of the year, no more land for growing the fruit are certified VietGAP. Chairman of Dragon Fruit Association in Binh Thuan Vo Huy Hoang said farmers’ awareness of growing safe produces is high; however, price of VietGAP – standard dragon fruit is as same as normal kinds; as a result, farmers did not grown the safe fruit. Farmer Le Thi Khiet who participated in growing VietGAP – standard dragon fruit in three years in Ham Thuan Bac District said it requires time, efforts to grow the fruit according to VietGAP standards yet its price is as same as non-standard fruit; as a result, farmers decided not to grow VietGAP- standard fruit any more. Moreover, safe fruit is smaller and less beautiful looking than their unsafe counterpart because farmers do not utilize pesticide, so traders refuse to buy. Farmer Pham Huu Thu said that over 80 percent of dragon fruit in Binh Thuan is exported to China where safe standards are not required; however, in the future, if Chinese authority requires safe fruit and certificate, the local sector will face barriers. To solve the problem, the chairman of fruit association said that at first authority should place safe fruit at top priority and buy all; people will take part in growing safe fruit project when consumption of these fruit is ensured. Additionally, the government should buy VietGAP-standard fruit a bit more expensive as an incentive. VNN |
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Social News 3/11 Excavation of first tunnel of Metro Line No.1 complete  The excavation of a Metro Line No.1 tunnel connecting Ba Son and Opera House stations is complete The excavation of a 781-meter tunnel connecting Ba Son and Opera House stations of Metro Line No.1 was finished on October 31. The first tunnel stretches from the station at Ba Son shipyard to the station at the Opera House via Ton Duc Thang, Ngo Van Nam, Nguyen Sieu and Hai Ba Trung streets. This section had been excavated by a tunnel boring machine which is 70 meters long and weighs 300 tons since May 26. During the underground drilling, 3,900 reinforced concrete slabs were installed to prevent overlying landslides. The machine has been disassembled and transported back to Ba Son station to continue boring the second tunnel in parallel with the first one. Among four packages of the metro line project, package 1A to build a tunnel from Ben Thanh Market to the Opera House and Ben Thanh central station is 18% complete while over half of package 1B to build another tunnel between Ba Son and Opera House stations is done. In addition, the second package to build 17.1 kilometers of elevated track is 72% complete while the third package consisting of the purchase and installation of electrical systems, the rolling stock and rail is 22% complete. The metro line project is expected for completion and operation in 2020. However, the disbursement of capital from the central Government has been stuck, so HCMC has already made three cash advances to pay Japanese contractors to make sure the project can be done on schedule. The 20-kilometer metro line, which connects Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Suoi Tien Park in District 9, will pass through districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh and Thu Duc in HCMC, and Di An District of Binh Duong Province. The project, which includes 2.6 kilometers of tunnel, requires a total investment of US$2.49 billion, equivalent to over VND47 trillion. Art programme marks 100th anniversary of October Revolution An art programme entitled “October Epic” was held in Hanoi on November 1 evening to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (November 7), which is considered the greatest revolution in the 20th century. The event was attended by President Tran Dai Quang, a number of incumbent and former senior officials, and Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Konstantin Vnukov, as well as many Vietnamese alumni in Russia. A century ago, under the leadership of Vladimir I. Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, which was then developed to the Russian Communist Party, the working class in the Soviet Union, which is now the Russian Federation, made an uprising to overthrow the bourgeois and anti-revolution government, forming a socialist state - the first proletarian dictatorship state in the humankind’s history. The revolution significantly changed the global structure, opening a new era and lighting up the way of liberation of other nations in the world, including Vietnam. The Russia October Revolution also brought the Vietnam and Russia nations and people closer and formed their long-lasting friendship. Inspired by the revolution, the Vietnamese people gained great successes. Addressing the opening ceremony, journalist Thuan Huu, member of the Party Central Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan (People’s) newspaper, highlighted the everlasting Russian October Revolution spirit, and the strong determination of the Party and people of Vietnam to head to socialism and build a country of prosperity and happiness. This is also a chance to celebrate the Vietnam-Russia friendship and look back on the revolution’s impacts to Vietnam, he said. The programme, jointly held by the Nhan Dan Newspaper and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, screened special reportages made by Nhan Dan and Vietnam Defence Television channels in Russia. Participants had a chance to exchange with Russian historical witnesses who told stories about the revolution and their memories about the Vietnam-Russia friendship, while enjoying special songs performed by both Vietnamese and Russian singers. Hanoi ready to connect Vietnamese, Finnish firms The capital city of Hanoi is willing to host networking events as well as investment and technology transfer promotion activities for Vietnamese and Finnish businesses. Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung made the statement at a meeting in the city on November 1 for Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto. Chung expressed his pleasure at the growing friendship and cooperative ties between the two countries and revealed that Hanoi is calling for domestic and foreign investments in waste treatment. Hanoi also aims to supply clean water for all rural areas from 2016 to 2020 and promote energy-saving programmes such as encouraging people to use renewable energy, upgrading the lighting system, and improving the air environment and lakes across the city, he added. Kahiluoto hoped Vietnam and Finland would cooperate in the fields of supplying clean water and producing renewable energy and electricity from waste. Chung said he will attend an event to grow 100 trees on November 25 as proposed by the Finnish Embassy on the occasion of Finland’s 100th Independence Day. Last branch of Go Vap overpass project opened to traffic The last branch, in the Pham Ngu Lao to Nguyen Oanh direction, of an overpass project in Go Vap District was opened to traffic on October 31, thus helping ease chronic traffic congestion there. The branch, 280 meters long and six meters wide, costs more than VND57 billion. In January, a branch of the overpass from Nguyen Oanh Street to Nguyen Kiem Street was opened to traffic after over four months of construction. The intersection of Quang Trung, Nguyen Oanh, Nguyen Kiem, Tran Thi Nghi, Pham Ngu Lao and Nguyen Van Nghi streets often sees severe traffic congestion. Therefore, the overpass is expected to reduce traffic jams there, making traffic easier between the north and the center of the city. Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam receives AFC President Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hosted a reception in Hanoi on November 1 for Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asia Football Confederation (AFC). Deputy PM Dam said that the AFC leader’s visit show the close relations of the confederation with member federations, including Vietnam, as well as its specific development strategies and policies. Over the past year, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has received support from the AFC in improving its profession, seeking measures to develop football activities, especially among the public and youngsters, and organising tournaments, he noted. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always creates optimal conditions for football activities. He added that the operation of the VFF is always independent in line with Vietnamese law and international practices. He also expressed hope that in the future, the AFC will continue assisting Vietnamese football development through financial aid, training courses for players, coaches and referees as well as help the country in improving management of both professional and community-based football activities. For his part, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa held that Vietnamese football is on the way to integrate into international football, requiring stronger investment in all fields. The AFC will continue helping Vietnamese football to further develop through specific programmes, thus contributing to the growth of Asian football, he pledged. Novaland builds bridges in Dong Thap Real estate developer Novaland is working with the People’s Committee of Hong Ngu district in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap to build seven new bridges. The bridges, valued at a combined capital of 15 billion VND (657,000 USD), are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. The flooding season in Hong Ngu district, which has an interlacing river and canal system, causes many difficulties for local residents, especially students going to and from school. The cooperation between Novaland and local authorities is part of a larger programme to replace poor-quality bridges and upgrade local transport infrastructure. In its 25 years of operation, Novaland has organised many programmes to support the community. Their programmes cover many fields, including health care, social welfare and education. In recent years, Novaland has poured hundreds of billions of VND to support poor areas, including building cultural centres and kindergartens in districts and houses for families who contributed to the country’s revolution. The group has also given scholarships to students living in difficulties. Novaland has developed many apartment building projects, mostly in HCM City. HCM City reviews 3-year enforcement of citizen reception law More than 135,000 complaints, denunciations and petitions from citizens have been filed to authorities at all levels in HCM City since the Reception of Citizen Law came into force in 2014. The figure was revealed at a November 1 conference where the municipal People’s Committee reviewed the 3-year enforcement of the law. Thanks to the law enforcement, the role and responsibility of the city’s citizen reception committee and leaders of departments and all-level People’s Committees have been raised while the capacity of public servants has been improved. HCM City has completed its legal documents on citizen reception and settlement of complaints, denunciations and petitions. The city has recorded an increase in the number of complaints, denunciations and petitions related to land compensation and resettlement, not to mention more complicated cases. According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy chief of the local police’s inspection force, about 23,000 people from HCM City and neighbouring provinces have gathered in group to lodge complaints and denunciations since 2014. Many people took advantage of these events to film and post on the Internet to disseminate false information. The local police has worked to prevent these acts and coordinated with relevant authorities to solve the cases and ensure social security. At the conference, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Huynh Cach Mang asked the Government Inspectorate to propose appropriate amendments to the Reception of Citizen Law to make settlement of citizens’ complaints and denunciations more effective. Prime Minister assigns tasks to new Inspector General The people have pinned high hopes on inspection agencies, especially in the context that Vietnam is intensifying efforts to combat corruption and build an upright state apparatus, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The PM made the remarks at a working session with the Government Inspectorate in Hanoi on November 1, where newly-appointed Inspector General Le Minh Khai presented himself before key leaders of the agency. Inspections should be focused on such areas as infrastructure construction, land and personnel-related affairs, he said, stressing the need to employ and manage officials publicly and transparently. Each agency and official must seriously fight corruption and other bad deeds within the sector in order to build a healthy and united working environment, PM Phuc stressed. While urging greater efforts to complete the settlement of pending cases during the remaining months of this year, PM Phuc said the sector should work as an advisor to the Party and the State, especially Party Committees and authorities at all levels, to trace the root causes of petitions. The citizen reception and settlement of complaints and petitions must be conducted in a persuasive way, he said, highlighting transparency and objectivity in the inspection work. It is a must to put forth mechanisms monitoring the operation of inspection teams, the PM said, adding that responsibility of organisations and individuals relating to adjustments of mechanisms and polices should be clarified. Inspector General Khai said the inspection sector will step up institutional building, heighten disciplines and responsibility of public servants, and improve the efficiency of inspections, the settlement of complaints and petitions, and the fight against corruption. Inspection activities should meet requirements of the reform process and serve as a tool to detect corruption and other bad deeds and protect interests of the State as well as legitimate rights and interests of the public, contributing to building a constructive and transparent government, he said. Vaccination appointment booking service launched in Đà Nẵng The Health Preventive Centre of central Đà Nẵng City on Wednesday launched a service which helps locals book vaccination appointments via websites and phone calls. People can access the centre’s website www.yteduphongdanang.vn or the city’s portal danang.gov.vn/web/guest/tra-cuu-du-lieu-xep-hang-tu-dong to book their appointments. Personal information such as the name of the person to be vaccinated, phone number, email, number of people to be vaccinated and vaccination requirements is required. The system will ask for verification and send instructions and electronic appointment booking confirmation via email. A text message will be also sent to confirm the booking. Appointments can be made from 7.30am to 10.30am and from 1.30pm to 4pm every five minutes. Locals can also call the city’s public service phone number 0236.1022 to book an appointment. Consultation tables will be set up at the centre to serve those who have scheduled vaccination appointments. Those who have made a booking must show the appointment confirmation sent via email or text message, or provide medical workers with their personal information used to sign in online. People must show up at the centre not later than 10 minutes after the booking time. If they reach late, they have stand in queue and wait their turn. Four crew members of fishing boat rescued Four crew members of the fishing boat, BT 2102 TS, were rescued by the Việt Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (VNMSRC) on Wednesday after three days at sea. On Sunday, while fishing in the offshore area, more than 60 nautical miles from eastern Sóc Trăng Province, the helm of the fishing boat owned by Bến Tre Province-based Đào Văn Vui suddenly broke. Besides Vui, there were three other crew members on board. After two days of floating on the sea, because of the tropical depression and food shortage, the crew members’ health began to fail. On Tuesday night, the captain sent an urgent rescue request to the VNMSRC. Receiving the SOS signal, they commanded the rescue vessel, SAR 413, to search and rescue the BT 2102 TS fishing boat. The weather at the location of the accident was dangerous with violent sea and strong winds of level 7 to 9 (of 18). At 2h45 on Wednesday, the search and rescue force could approach the fishing boat, transfer food and water on board, provide medical care to crew members and tow the boat to Côn Đảo Islands safely. Russian experts: APEC 2017 elevates Vietnam’s position The APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, one of the most important politic-diplomatic events of Vietnam in recent years, affirms the country’s active international integration policy and promotes its prestige and position in the international arena, said a Russian expert. Associate Professor Oksana Novakova, from the Institute of Asian and African Studies under Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU), made the comment at a roundtable held by the Russian Centre for ASEAN and Vietnamese Studies in Moscow on November 1. The APEC Year 2017 has also been considered as a catalyst for Vietnam to promote images of an active, hospitable and safe nation, she added. The “Doi moi” (reform) process, which officially begun in 1986, has turned Vietnam into a developing country with freer economic policies, Novakova said, adding that along with promoting economic cooperation, Vietnam has paid due attention to bolstering coordination with foreign countries to maintain regional security. The Russian expert also stressed that peace and development are major orientations in the country’s foreign policy. Meanwhile, Anna Aksenova, a lecturer of MGU, noticed that Vietnam is proving its proactive development with high average gross domestic product growth and Vietnam’s economic expansion has close connection with investment flows from foreign businesses. Notably, many key investors are APEC member economies which share a number of common benefits, she added. Regarding the Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership, Evgeny Kobelev, an expert from the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, highlighted breakthroughs in economic and trade ties when Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) inked an agreement on the establishment of a free trade area. He expressed his hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s presence at the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders Meeting will give a new boost to the bilateral relationship. Talking with Vietnam News Agency correspondents, Vladimir Mazyrin, Director of the Centre for ASEAN and Vietnamese Studies, said that the roundtable aimed to introduce Vietnam and APEC, including the agenda of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, Vietnam’s priorities in its capacity as the host country and cooperation fields between Vietnam and Russia for mutual benefits. This was the second time in 11 years that Vietnam is trusted to host the event, showing that that Vietnam and its economic achievements are appraised internationally, he said, underlining that joining APEC, the country has a chance to consolidate its influence and role in the Asia-Pacific. VNN |
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Vietnam’s iconic enterprises of old struggle past 60 Living through more than 60 years of history, many famous Vietnamese brands are now struggling to retain their market share and expand business activities.  Once Vietnam's foremost shoe manufacturer, Thuong Dinh Footwear now struggles to retain its few loyal customers At the end of 2016, Thuy Ta Ice-Cream had contributed more than half of the total revenue of Thuy Ta JSC. The business saw a growth rate of 6.3 per cent in revenue and grew by 19 per cent in profitability compared to the previous year. However, against the business results of five years ago, Thuy Ta Ice-Cream has achieved no growth. At the age of 60, Thong Nhat Match JSC—the company holding the biggest absolute market share in the production of matches in Vietnam—also report similar prospects. In 2016, the number of matchboxes sold by the company was only 109 million units, down three million compared to 2015. Its business performance has been in decline after sales have started dropping many years ago. The total sales of matchboxes in 2016 dropped by six million compared to 2014 and nearly 30 million compared to 2013. Thus, the company’s output has decreased by 40 per cent in the span of eight years. Another brand struggling to survive is Thuong Dinh Footwear. Despite the fact that the company once provided essential products to almost every family across the country, currently, it has been steadily disappearing from big cities, giving up room for foreign brands. Profit margins have dropped to a record low, to under 1 per cent. Profit in recent years has been hovering around the VND1-2 billion ($44,053-88,106) threshold, even though the company had been traditionally recording a revenue of hundreds of millions of dollars. From a popular brand, Thuong Dinh Footwear has fallen to rely on smaller markets, mainly focusing on a safe segment to serve a small number of loyal customers. In fact, Thuy Ta Ice-Cream, Thong Nhat Match, and Thuong Dinh Footwear are some of the few brands that “once dominated” the domestic market with their almost absolute power. However, after Vietnam started opening its market to foreign competition, these brands have failed to maintain their positions and are now facing a period of decline and struggle to keep their heads above the water. Of the three, Thuy Ta Ice-Cream is perhaps the oldest brand. Established in 1945 and famously associated with Thuy Ta Restaurant on Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi, this once hugely popular ice-cream company had become the core business of Thuy Ta JSC, in addition to other areas, such as restaurants or service provision. At the early stages of its establishment, due to difficult economic conditions and the low income level of the population, Thuy Ta only focused on producing cheap ice-cream products. Its main products were frozen ice-cream with traditional flavours. In the late 90s, Thuy Ta started setting up industrial manufacturing production lines, firstly with the construction of a production plant based on Italian technology which aimed at producing one million litres of ice-cream per year. However, the emergence of “new-born” rivals such as Unilever’s Wall's Ice-cream and especially the growth of two other competitors that rule the market at the moment, Kido Foods and Vinamilk, have significantly changed the playing field for traditional businesses like Thuy Ta. The diversity of products and product segments posed major difficulties to the brand. The revenue of Thuy Ta Ice-Cream over the past five years has been hovering around VND50 billion ($2.2 million) per year. Compared with the constant 80-per-cent growth rate of its “new-born” competitor in the ice-cream segment, Kido Foods, since 2013 and its 2016 sales hitting VND1 trillion ($44.05 million), Thuy Ta Ice-Cream seems to have been “stuck in a low gear.” While other businesses are continuously thriving, the influence of this traditional brand has gradually diminished and it now only serves as a pleasure filled with nostalgia for citizens when visiting Hoan Kiem Lake. Thuong Dinh Footwear’s story follows the same pattern. In the early 90s, this shoe brand dominated the market, providing indispensable products to every household. The image of a pair of cloth shoes with green stripes on plastic soles was familiar to many Vietnamese consumers. However, the heyday of Thuong Dinh Footwear only lasted until the early 21st century. The signing of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and Vietnam’s participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) were some of the turning points for this traditional brand. Thailand and other neighbouring countries are hastily expanding their presence in Vietnam, along with foreign giants such as Nike or Adidas, and have completely beaten Thuong Dinh Footwear in big cities, where consumer taste always changes quickly. At the moment, the most appreciated asset of Thuong Dinh Footwear is probably its valuable property portfolio. The company owns a lot of accessible and well-positioned lots. Of these, the main factory and warehouses are located at a prime location in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, with an area of over 36,000 square metres. According to Hanoi’s future planning, it is possible that by 2019 Thuong Dinh Footwear will have to move to the suburbs. These land assets can bring a major surge in the company’s profits, multiplying the few billion dollars of profit trickling in from its business activities each year. At the age of 60, Thong Nhat Match JSC is in the same boat. Challenges threatening the company have emerged in recent years, as matchboxes—once an indispensable item in any household—were gradually replaced by more convenient and modern products, such as lighters. In a document sent to shareholders, the Board of Directors of Thong Nhat Match JSC said that the company’s main products—a variety of box matchboxes—are heavily influenced by the purchasing power of consumers and the availability of other substitute products. “Matches are a common consumer product with a low degree of tradability, low value, and other substitutes. The decline in consumption is an obvious consequence of the fact that matches are being replaced by all kinds of lighters,” said the board of directors. Thong Nhat Match JSC has invested in a wide range of alternative products, such as lighters, after it saw the downward trend in the market demand for its core products. However, the initial efforts of the 60-year-old brand to enter this new product segment also faced numerous challenges. Conventional spark type gas lighters produced under the Thong Nhat brand, which were launched to the market two years ago, each priced at VND2,000 ($0.088), only reached sales of 10 million units in 2016. The total sales of this product were merely equivalent to about 12 per cent of the company target of 85 million units as planned from the beginning of the year. The stories of Thuy Ta Ice-cream, Thuong Dinh Footwear, and Thong Nhat Match are just one small part of the big picture portraying the struggle of traditional Vietnamese brands amidst accelerating international integration. Poor flexibility in business operations, a lack of capital for investment, and the rigid management mechanism of state-owned enterprises have resulted in these formerly market-leading companies quickly falling behind the intense competition posed by “new-born rivals.” VIR |
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Vietnam lacks interpreters of Korean, Japanese and Mandarin Vietnam is facing a shortage of skilled interpreters of Korean, Japanese and Chinese given the increasing presence of businesses from these countries in Vietnam in recent years, heard a roundtable organized in HCMC on November 1 by the Saigon Times Group and RMIT University Vietnam.  Tran Anh Tuan makes a presentation at the roundtable on November 1 Vo Thi Bich Thuy, head of the Recruitment and Human Resources Consulting Department of ManPower Vietnam, said the labor market cannot meet the demand for interpreters of Korean, Japanese and Mandarin. Samsung Vietnam asked Manpower to look for 100 Korean-Vietnamese interpreters, Thuy said, adding the South Korean company required candidates to have a good command of Korean and bachelor degrees. “After five months, we were able to meet half of Samsung’s demand,” Thuy said. Samsung then relaxed its requirements, saying finding candidates without bachelor degrees would be fine. Thuy’s company has also difficulty seeking interpreters of Japanese and Mandarin for its customers. Nguyen Vu Linh, managing director of Innotech, an information technology company, shared the same view, saying Innotech is struggling to find Japanese-speaking interpreters, engineers and managers. “We have had to recruit Japanese for the post of sales manager because it’s hard to find Vietnamese candidates who are proficient in both Japanese and information technology,” Linh said. Data of Manpower shows that a few universities in HCMC have Korean language programs, such as the HCMC University of Pedagogy and the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Their total annual enrollment is nearly 300 students for the Korean language program. The total enrollment for students studying Japanese and Mandarin at universities in the city is about 300 and 500 respectively. Tran Anh Tuan, deputy director of the HCMC Center for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labor Market Information under the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the demand for interpreters has risen as more foreign enterprises have set up shop in Vietnam and more domestic enterprises have invested in foreign countries. Jake Heinrich, head of the School of Languages & English at RMIT University Vietnam, said in addition to the proficiency in foreign languages, educational institutions should equip students with knowledge of foreign cultures because this is what multinationals need. SGT |
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Multi-trillion VND properties seized by banks for foreclosure The Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) and commercial banks have been seizing a series of valuable real estate assets to collect debts.  BIDV’s Exchange No 2 has announced the auction of debt of Vina Medin JSC and 584 Group, worth VND1.1 trillion, including the principal and interest as of July 31, 2017. The starting price is VND810.3 billion. The collateral for the loan is a 174.5 square meter land plot and the 584 Tan Kien residential quarter project in Binh Chanh district, which includes two 15-storey apartment buildings with 700 apartments. The residential quarter was put into operation in mid-2011. Some days ago, VAMC announced that it had seized Saigon One Tower building developed by Sai Gon One Tower JSC because the debtor failed to pay off its debts (principal and interest) of VND7 trillion.
Maritime Bank has announced the seizure of property in Phu My Hung new urban area in district 7, HCMC, which is collateral for a loan. Agribank Binh Chanh has also announced the auction of an apartment project at No 339 Bong Sao Road in HCMC to collect debt. The starting price is VND63 billion. After three delays, the Long An Provincial Civil Judgment Enforcement Department has issued a decision to distrain the Happyland project developed by Phu An Construction & Infrastructure Development. Happyland was advertised as the largest entertainment complex in Southeast Asia. In 2015, the Vietnam International Arbitration Center in HCMC released a decision on forcing Phu An to pay $5.125 million to a company from Russia. The future of the projects seized for foreclosure is uncertain. Tens of people who paid 80-90 percent of value of apartments showed protests against the plan to turn the apartment project into a hospital with 1,000 beds. The HCMC People’s Committee has decided to stop new urban area development projects of the company until the existing problems are settled. Saigon One Tower was one of the most expected projects in HCMC. However, two years after the kickoff, the $256 million project fell into a deadlock. By 2011, when the implementation stopped, 80 percent of works had been done. Initial founding shareholders, including Dong A Bank, Dong A Securities and Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ) withdrew from the project. Meanwhile, M&C JSC stopped operations because of the unpaid tax debts and bore inspections. A lot of big corporations have had to sell projects to get money for debt payment. In 2012, PVL auctioned PetroVietnam Green House after it injected VND163.3 billion into the project. In October 2011, PVL sold PetroVietnam Landmark in HCMC. According to the HCMC Real Estate Association, in HCMC alone, 470 projects are frozen, most of which are collateral for loans. H. Tu, VNN |
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Social News 5/11 Bien Hoa city needs $1.6 billion for renewal  Bien Hoa City Bien Hoa city in the southern province of Dong Nai needs over 36 trillion VND (over 1.6 billion USD) to implement urban renovation and renewal projects between 2016 and 2030. Under a resolution issued at a meeting of the municipal People’s Committee on November 2, the city’s authorities will invest in urgent urban development projects between 2017 and 2020 to turn Bien Hoa into a first-grade urban area under Dong Nai province. This would help make it an economic hub of the southern key economic region that also includes Ho Chi Minh City. In the 2017 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, Bien Hoa will use its resources toward engineering infrastructure with the aim of becoming an industrial, cultural, commercial and service centre. Although Bien Hoa was recognised as a first-grade urban area, it has not reached a number of criteria, according to participants at the meeting. Bien Hoa authorities were urged to develop policies to attract resources and investors, implement major infrastructure works, and create an urban landscape as required under a grade-I urban area. The major works that would change the face of Bien Hoa include the construction and upgrading of roads running along the Dong Nai and Cai rivers. Meanwhile, construction of other major roads in the city will be speeded up. The municipal authorities have asked the People’s Committee of Dong Nai province for construction of a 5.5-km road running along the Dong Nai River, and the building will start soon after the project is approved by provincial authorities. The city is also preparing for a project to build a 4.5km road along the Cai River. Its authorities have mapped out a plan for construction of a city administrative office on a 11,200-sq.m area in the city’s Thong Nhat Ward. A total of 300 billion VND (11.2 million USD) will be spent on the nine-story building under the public – private – partnership investment form, according to city authorities. Vietnam-Japan culture festival underway in Can Tho The third Vietnam-Japan Culture and Trade Exchange is taking place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from November 3 to 5, drawing the participation of nearly 100 businesses from both Vietnam and Japan. The three-day event, co-organised by the Can Tho chapter of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, is part of the activities to celebrate 45 years of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties in 2018. The festival offers an ideal platform to promote the beauty of the country and people of Japan to Can Tho citizens and vice versa, as well as to strengthen exchange activities between the two countries’ companies and attract more Japanese investment in the Mekong Delta region as a whole and Can Tho in particular, thus contributing to tightening the fine relationship between Vietnam and Japan. According to Deputy Director of VCCI Can Tho, Nguyen Phuong Lam, this year’s Vietnam-Japan festival promises to be an interesting destination, accommodating a scale of 120 pavilions imbued with cultural and festive features of both Vietnam and Japan, showcasing products of various types in an array of industries, including technology, electric machinery, household electric appliances, fashion, handicraft and fine arts, cosmetics and trade. In addition, the programme also features unique performances by traditional and modern arts troupes coming from the two countries. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy artistic firework displays and moving films of Vietnam and Japan, alongside learning Origami and the art of Japanese tea, dress themselves in a Kimono or Yukata, and disguise themselves as a Samurai or a Ninja. Kazunori Hosoya, Deputy Consul General of Japan in HCM City, expressed his optimism about the outlook of the Vietnam-Japan relationship, stating that the increasing number and efficiency of trade promotion and cultural exchange activities between the two countries are a vivid evidence for his belief. In 2016, Vietnam welcomed over 740,000 Japanese tourist arrivals, while Japan received around 230,000 Vietnamese visitors to the country. In Can Tho alone, four Japanse-financed projects have been completed since 2013, with a total capital of more than 7 billion VND (308,000 USD). Party official appreciates IMF’s assistance for Vietnam Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Affairs Nguyen Van Binh met with a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Chief of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department Alex Mourmouras in Hanoi on November 3. Mourmouras briefed his host about his delegation’s assessment and consultation outcomes along with some recommendations regarding the country’s macro-economic outlook, fiscal and monetary-banking policies, and State-owned enterprises in 2017. The IMF highly valued Vietnam’s macro-economic stabilisation efforts and socio-economic achievements. It believes that the country will maintain stable development and fulfil its set targets, he said. He affirmed that the IMF will always support Vietnam’s development efforts. Chairman Binh appreciated the IMF’s policy consultancy and effective assistance for Vietnam’s economic development over the past years. He said his country will push on with stabilising the macro-economy, economic restructuring and creating favourable conditions for foreign investors. He also hailed the IMF’s fruitful cooperation with relevant agencies and localities of Vietnam, including the State Bank of Vietnam. He asked the IMF to keep close cooperation with and prioritise the Southeast Asian nation in the time ahead, especially in giving policy consultancy, providing technical solutions, training manpower, and increasing financial aid for economic restructuring.- Flights cancelled on Nov 4 as storm Damrey hit south central coast Vietnam’s airlines continued adjusting their flights from/to several central localities on November 4 as storm Damrey landed the south central coast early the day. Specifically, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines cancelled 14 flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Quy Nhon, between Ho Chi Minh City/Da Nang and Buon Ma Thuot, between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, and between Hanoi and Chu Lai. Vietnam Airlines plans to reschedule the flights on November 5. To ensure safety for passengers, low-cost carrier Vietjet Air also called off 22 flights from/to airports in the central region, including Da Nang, Chu Lai, Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Cam Ranh and Da Lat. The two airlines advised passengers to visit their official websites or call the customer service centres for updated information.- HCM City marks Russian October Revolution’s 100th anniversary The Vietnam-Russia relationship has been thriving thanks to joint efforts made by leaders and people of both countries, Hoang Minh Nhan, President of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City, said at a ceremony in the city on November 3 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (November 7). Nhan recalled the historical significance of the Russia October Revolution, one of the events with greatest influence in the 20th century, which brought in a new ideology of the humankind. The event is of special significance to Vietnam, he said, adding that it greatly influenced the country’s development and laid a foundation for the sound traditional friendship between the two countries. He affirmed the association’s commitments to preserving and developing the traditional and fine relations between Vietnam and Russia. Meanwhile, Le Thanh Sang, Director of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Southern Region, said that success of the Russian October Revolution led by Vladimir I. Lenin opened up a new era in the humankind, an era of freedom. The revolution left valuable lessons to the Communist Party of Vietnam on organising revolution, building armed forces and the art of grasping opportunities and position of revolution, he said. Dimitri Igorevich Alexayev, Third Secretary of the Russian General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, appreciated the efforts of agencies and departments of Ho Chi Minh City as well as the HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations to preserve the traditional friendship and cooperation between Russia and Vietnam. Vietnam has been a trustworthy and long-lasting friend of Russia, he said, adding that the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership has been reinforced in all fields from politics, security-defence to economy, trade, science-technology, culture, education and tourism. He expressed belief that with concerted efforts, the two nations will promote close ties they have nurtured over the past years, opening up new prospects of collaboration for the benefits of the Russian and Vietnamese people and interests of the world. Vietnam joins French gastronomy fair as honorary guest Vietnam joined the annual 87th Dijon International Gastronomy Fair as an honorary guest in the capital city of Cote-d’Or department, the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté from November 1-12. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mayor of Dijon city Francois Rebsamen hailed Vietnam for its traditional culture, cuisines and spectacular landscapes recognised by the UNESCO as world heritages. In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Son said Vietnam attracted 10 million foreign tourists last year, including 230,000 French visitors. However, he said the figure is small compared to nearly 40 million French tourists each year. He expressed hope that Vietnam will welcome more French visitors after its presence in the event. The Vietnamese stall offers “cheo” (traditional operetta) performances, brocade weaving and silk products, embroidery, wooden handicrafts, lacquer paintings, sculptured statues, pearl jewelries, among others. A Vietnamese restaurant also introduces specialties from different parts of Vietnam to visitors. Visitors could learn about general information about Vietnam’s tourism, destinations and tourism projects in need of capital, or even book Vietnamese tours. As one of the six major international fairs in France, the Dijon International Gastronomy Fair has been held annually since 1921 with nearly 200,000 guests and 600 exhibitors from 80 countries taking part. Each country is chosen as an honorary guest per year. Vietnamese rural market goes vibrant in Australia Shopping and enjoying Vietnamese traditional cuisine and culture were what Vietnamese expatriates and international friends did when joining a Vietnamese rural market session held within the Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2017 in Canberra, Australia, on November 2. The annual event organised by the ACT Vietnamese Youth & Student Association (ACT-VYSA) drew the participation of some 700 Vietnamese students, Vietnamese community and international friends. This year, it was emblazoned with green bamboo lines, traditional dancing, performance of musical instruments, and folk games. Visitors were particularly impressed by the bamboo booths introducing succulent taste of Vietnamese dishes. ACT-VYSA President Luc Anh Tuan said that the festival aims to create a playground for Vietnamese students to exchange and promote the special cultural identities of Vietnam to people in the host country and to international friends in Canberra. He expressed his hope that the event will help to build Vietnam’s image as a friendly and hospitable nation with brilliant culture. Money collected from selling goods at the festival will be presented to charitable funds in the homeland like “Vi Hoang Sa-Truong Sa than yeu” (For beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa), “Trai Tim cho em” (Operation Healthy Heart) and “Com co thit” (Meal with Meat).- Japanese film to recall Can Tho bridge accident Japanese filmmakers will produce a movie about a love story between a Vietnamese girl and a Japanese engineer, both worked for the Can Tho bridge construction project, heard a press briefing on November 4. This is part of activities within the framework of the third Vietnam-Japan Cultural Festival co-hosted by Japan’s BrainWorks Group and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Can Tho Branch from November 3-5. According to Noboru Kondo, BrainWorks Chairman, the film, titled “O phia ben kia cau Can Tho” (On the other side of Can Tho bridge) tells a beautiful love story of a Vietnamese girl and a Japanese engineer, both worked for the construction project. Construction of Can Tho bridge, which was built with Japanese official development assistance (ODA), started in September 25, 2004 and completed on April 24, 2010. The accident occurred on the morning of September 26, 2007, when a 90-meter section tumbled to the ground, killing 55 and injuring 79, Kondo said. The film project, worth at least 400,000 USD will be shot in Vietnam’s Can Tho and Hanoi, and Japan’s Tokushima and Kobe prefectures, starting in October 2018, according to Producer Fukunaga Kuniaki. Vietnam attends meeting of communist and workers’ parties A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) attended the 19th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP-19) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on November 2-3, with the theme focused on the Russian October Revolution. The event also saw the participation of over 250 delegates representing 103 parties from 80 countries in the world. Participants highlighted the significance of the October Revolution, which opened up a path towards socialism and affirmed huge socio-economic achievements of the Soviet Union as well as its role in defeating fascism, and national liberation movements, and struggles for peace, democracy, progress and social equality in the world in the 20th century. The delegates looked into objective and subjective reasons resulting in the collapse of the Soviet Union, and lessons drawn for communist and workers movements around the world. They also spoke highly of the achievements socialist nations, including Vietnam, have made, proving the vitality and preeminence of socialism in the 21st century. The meeting called for solidarity and coordination among communist and workers’ parties in the struggle for peace and fight against wars and interference of imperialism, while protecting independence, national sovereignty. It also underlined the importance of the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in line with international law. Tran Dac Loi, Vice Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, who led the Vietnamese delegation, participated actively in the event. He highlighted the significance of the Russian October Revolution to Vietnam’s cause for national independence and socialism, and introduced the country’s achievements over the past 30 years of reform (Doi Moi). Russian October Revolution’s 100th anniversary marked in Hanoi A grand ceremony was held in Hanoi on November 5 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution (November 7). The event saw the attendance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong, former CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Tran Dai Quang, former President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, among others. In his speech delivered at the ceremony, CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stressed the significance of the revolution, which, he said, has opened up a new period in the humankind’s history. All victories of the Vietnamese revolution have been linked with impacts of the Russian October Revolution as well as the wholehearted support and assistance of the people of the former Soviet Union, he said. Vietnam’s great achievements over the past 30 years of reform were the results of the creative application of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Party leader stressed, describing such attainments as evidence of the vitality of socialism in Vietnam. He called for more efforts to build a strong and pure Party, along with improving the growth quality, protecting national independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity, expanding foreign relations, and taking care of people’s material and spiritual lives. The Party chief expressed his firm belief that with the spirit of the Russian October Revolution and Vietnam’s August Revolution, the people’s confidence in the CPV and joint endeavours, Vietnam will become a strong country with wealthy people, democracy, equality and civilisation. Also on November 5, a high-ranking delegation of the CPV Central Committee, National Assembly, President, Government, Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Hanoi laid wreaths in tribute to V.I. Lenin at his statute in the capital city. Vietnamese writers take part in French contest Tran Minh Quang from northern mountainous Dien Bien province has won first prize in the journalism writing contest Young Francophones Reporters –Vietnam 2017, which was held for the second time by Le Courrier du Vietnam (CVN), a weekly French language newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency. Quang won for his reportage on Nev Tickners, an Australian man, and his love for the mountainous city of Dien Bien Phu and Vietnam. Fascinated at the Dien Bien Phu victory in 1954 against French colonialists, he was struck with Dien Bien province, where he decided to move, soon growing attached to the people. “The contest was very interesting as it has encouraged me a lot to learn French, and to improve my language,” Quang said at the awards ceremony on November 4. Second prize went to Dao Thi Nga with an entry about the role of Vietnamese mothers in war and society, and third prize was presented to Le Thi Bao Nhung for a story about young people preserving culture. The competition, themed “The power of words” aims to encourage French-speakers in Vietnam aged from 18 to 35 years old to write articles about Vietnam in French, while showing the vitality of French through their writing. It provides an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign participants to express their points of view about the country, while highlighting the richness of French. Over the six months of the contest, the organisation board received more than 50 entries. “The competition has fulfilled its initial goals, which are to promote the image of the only French-language newspaper in Vietnam, to create a playground of creativity for young Francophones in Vietnam, to offer chances for contestants to familiarise themselves with journalism as well as to introduce Vietnam’s culture and people to the community of 80 Francophonie countries”, said Nguyen Thu He, Editor-in-chief of CVN. The jury was composed of journalists, French language teachers, writers, representatives of OIF and of different Francophone embassies. Photos feature beauty of Vietnam’s regions The Hanoi Cultural Centre opened an exhibition yesterday featuring photos from members of Thang Long Photography Club, ranging in age from 25 to 81-years-old. Themed Huong Sac Tram Mien (Beauty of Different Regions), 150 photos captured portraits of people, daily life, festivals and landscape of different regions in Vietnam and abroad. The club was founded in 2000 by Nguyen Dinh Vinh, director of the Hanoi Cultural Centre. It gathers nearly 90 photographers who have different jobs such as painters, teachers, journalists and doctors. The exhibition will run until November 7 at the Exhibition House, 45 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi. Doctors discuss therapies for cardiovascular diseases More than 800 local and international cardiologists exchanged notes about the latest advances, new trends and innovative therapies for cardiovascular diseases at a congress on “New Trends in Management of Cardiovascular Diseases” in Ho Chi Minh City. More than 20 leaders in cardiovascular medicine from the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam delivered updates on clinical practices in cardiology, chronic coronary artery disease, heart failure, interventional cardiology, aortic surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery and management of acute coronary syndrome during the two-day event, which concluded on November 4. The annual cardiovascular conference provide opportunities for local cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to share knowledge, and learn the latest techniques in the fields of cardiology and cardiovascular diseases as well as expertise along with networking opportunities between a large number of medical professionals, according to Truong Quang Binh, deputy director of the University Medical Centre, the congress’s organiser. According to the World Health Organisation, 17.7 million people die each year from cardiovascular disease. More than 75 percent of cardiovascular disease occur in low-income and middle-income countries. In Vietnam, cardiovascular disease takes the lives of around 200,000 people every year, an estimated 25 percent of all deaths nationwide. APEC: Asian-Pacific youth to discuss contributions to post-2020 vision The APEC Voices of the Future (VOF) forum will take place in the central city of Da Nang and Quang Nam province from November 6-10 within the framework of the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week. The event will bring together about 160 youth and students from 21 APEC member economies. During the plenary session on November 6, the participants will make presentations on how to create new dynamism, fostering a shared future among young Asian-Pacific people. They will also work in groups, focusing on four topics: the contributions of the youth to APEC Vision beyond 2020 and the future; economic, financial and social integration, human resources development in the digital age and policies to support start-up, renovation and small and medium-sized enterprises. As part of their working agenda, the delegates will visit several places in Quang Nam province, including attractive tourist destinations such as Tam Thanh mural village, UNESCO-recognised Hoi An ancient town and Thanh Ha pottery village in Hoi An. About 130 delegates are expected to participate in the APEC CEO Summit 2017 at Ariyana convention centre, Da Nang city on November 9-10. On the evening of November 10, Quang Nam province will host the closing programme, including an art performance and exchanges between local students and their peers from APEC member economies. Founded in 2007, the APEC Voices of the Future is a venue for exchanges among young students (18-25 years old) from the 21 member economies. It is held concurrently with the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, aiming to help youth know more about APEC, expand their horizons and stimulate their enthusiasm for taking on the role as future leaders, as well as promote in-depth cultural exchanges among the member economies. Vietnam Fatherland Front offers aid to storm victims The Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee on November 5 decided to allocate 3 billion VND (132,000 USD) to south central and Central Highlands provinces which were just hit by storm Damrey. Khanh Hoa province will receive 1 billion VND (44,000 USD) while Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak and Quang Ngai provinces receive 500 million VND (22,000 USD) each. The funds will be used to provide relief aid for families of the deceased, missing and injured and those whose houses collapsed or were swept away. Storm Damrey has wreaked havoc in the south central and Central Highlands provinces of Vietnam, killing 27 people and leaving 22 others missing by 8:00am on November 5, according to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. The storm pulled down 626 houses, unroofed and damaged 39,704 houses in the region, mostly in Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, and Dak Lak province. As many as 4,425 hectares of rice were inundated and 25,212 hectares of crops were ruined. Up to 228 fishing vessels have been sunk while nearly 1,500 fishing farms were damaged in Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa. VNN |
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