VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS OCTOBER 15
09:18
MoIT vows support for Samsung, suppliers to maintain
supply chain
The Ministry
of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held a teleconference with Samsung Vietnam and
its suppliers on October 14, affirming that the ministry’s top priority now
is assisting businesses in Vietnam to achieve the “twin targets” of ensuring
safety amid the COVID-9 pandemic and maintaining production to avoid
disruptions to supply chains. The event
gathered representatives of the Korean-invested company and more than 20
suppliers in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and the provinces of Bac Giang, Bac
Ninh, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai. Deputy
Minister Do Thang Hai said the MoIT is committed to continued coordination
with other ministries, sectors, and localities to assist businesses and
tackle bottlenecks to production activities by increasing manpower for
production, easing restrictions on travel among provinces, boosting
vaccination, and reducing input costs, expense and taxes. The ministry
will serve as a bridge linking businesses with the Government so as to update
them about new support policies and incentives and deal with difficulties
facing them in a timely manner, he added. Hai
expressed his hope that Samsung will keep working with the MoIT to build and
implement larger and more intensive training programmes to promote Vietnamese
firm’s engagement in its supply chain, as well as global supply chains. Choi Joo Ho,
General Director of Samsung Vietnam, said the stability of suppliers plays a
highly important role in global production chains, including that of Samsung
Vietnam. Noting the
firm’s efforts in the face of the recent complex COVID-19 situation, he
expressed his belief that with timely and active support from the MoIT, the
difficulties facing enterprises will be tackled quickly, thus helping
consolidate the business community's trust in the Government and creating a
momentum for them to join the Government’s efforts to realise the twin
targets. At the
meeting, Samsung Vietnam and its suppliers pointed out some problems they are
facing amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Deputy
Minister Hai directed agencies under the MoIT to promptly handle the isssues
raised by the firms, saying the ministry will work more closely with
localities to create favourable conditions for suppliers of Samsung to
maintain operations and gradually raise their output. The MoIT and
Samsung Vietnam shared the view that they will continue working together in
joint programmes on training human resources, improving businesses,
strengthening Vietnamese firms’ competitiveness, and increasing the number of
Vietnamese enterprises serving as tier-1 and -2 suppliers of Samsung, thereby
helping develop local supporting industries./. Vietnamese startups flourish Since the
beginning of the year, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused many difficulties,
but many Vietnamese startups have successfully raised tens of millions of
dollars from large investment funds. It is good news for the startup
community. HeroVerse, a
non-fungible token (NFT) game project (game built and developed on blockchain
platform) with headquarter in Vietnam, mobilized US$1.7 million from
blockchain and NFT investment funds. The HeroVerse game is developed based on
a combination of Match-3 puzzle (like Candy Crush Saga) and roleplaying - two
factors that ensure the game is easy to play and suitable for a wide range of
players while still has an attractive tactical element. Meanwhile,
KiotViet has just received $45 million from KKR International Investment Fund
as the main investor in a Series B funding round. Previously, the company
received $6 million in a Series A funding round from venture-capital firms
Jungle Ventures (Singapore) and Traveloka (Indonesia). KiotViet is a
subsidiary of Citigo Software Company. The company provides a suite of
software solutions, including point-of-sale, inventory, and employee
management tools to more than 110,000 small and medium-sized businesses in
Vietnam. Meanwhile,
digital platform Vietcetera has successfully got $2.7 million in the
Pre-Series A funding round from North Base Media. Vietcetera Media is a media
company founded by Hao Tran and Guy Truong in Ho Chi Minh City in 2016.
Marathon, a Vietnamese startup specializing in online tutoring, was
established earlier this year by Pham Duc and Tran Viet Tung. This startup
acquired $1.5 million of investment capital in the Pre-seed round. Investment
funds that poured capital for Marathon include Forge Ventures, Venturra
Discovery, and iSeed. With the new funding, Marathon is expected to pilot
teaching Maths, Physics, and Chemistry for grades 6-12 and will expand
courses for other subjects in the future. Recently,
medical technology startup Medigo called up $1 million of investment capital
from Touchstone Partners fund. Entering the medical technology market in July
2019, the Medigo application has created a platform to connect users with
high-quality telehealth services. Initially, Medigo provided e-commerce
services on pharmacy, cosmetics, and medicine delivery service 24/7,
connecting customers with pharmacists at pharmacies in the shortest time.
According to Ms. Ngo Thuy Ngoc Tu, co-founder of Touchstone Partners, this
investment confirms the investment strategy in long-term value that the fund
is pursuing. They are just
some of many startups that have grasped investment opportunities despite the
difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Most invested startups are in
fields, such as healthcare, education, and online services, on the technology
application platform. These startups have many competitive advantages, such
as infrastructure and a tech-savvy workforce, to apply digital solutions. In the
global startup ecosystems in 2020, Vietnam gained 13 notches to 59th place,
aiming to become the leading startup hub in Southeast Asia. Webinar held on utilising Vietnamese living overseas to promote
local goods A
webinar in Ha Noi on Wednesday discussed how Vietnamese people living
overseas (OV) can help promote Vietnamese goods on the international stage. The event
follows the Prime Minister’s Decision No 1797/QD-TTg, a project which
encourages the OVs’ involvement in the introduction, consumption and
development of Vietnamese goods abroad. Speaking at
the seminar, Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Viet
Nam Trade Promotion Agency, hoped that the collaboration between Vietnamese
businesses overseas and domestic agencies would continue to strengthen
cooperation in the future. He called on
Vietnamese people at home and abroad to support the National Brand programme,
so that each individual can act as a representative of Vietnamese brands to
their international friends. The Viet Nam
Trade Promotion Agency is ready to connect Vietnamese brands with local
importers and provide information and updates on market trends. The agency
will help promote bringing Vietnamese products into the overseas distribution
system, Phu said. The
distribution of Vietnamese goods in European countries has developed
relatively well. However, this system has not been fully and effectively
promoted due to limitations in domestic enterprises and product quality. Participants
at the event discussed ways of distributing Vietnamese goods abroad.
E-commerce is one avenue that can be utilised to connect domestic products
with international markets, particularly agricultural products, seafood,
shoes, sandals and garments from Viet Nam. Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, who is also Chairman of the
State Commission for OV Affairs, expressed his belief that Viet Nam will soon
overcome the difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This will enable more
Vietnamese goods to become popular worldwide, improving the image of
Vietnamese products in the international arena. The event
was co-hosted by the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HCM City's Committee for Overseas Vietnamese
Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion
Agency on the 17th anniversary of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day on October 13. Vietnam Motor Show 2021 cancelled Vietnam
Motor Show 2021, the largest annual automobile and motorbike expo in the
country, has been cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic impacts, the organising
board announced on October 13. Dao Cong
Quyet, a representative of the board, said that the Vietnam Motor Show 2021
was scheduled for late October in Ho Chi Minh City. However, the
fourth outbreak of COVID-19, which has posed adverse impacts on all
socio-economic sectors, including the automobile-motorbike sector, has made
it impossible to organise this year’s event, he said. Meanwhile,
social distancing measures as part of pandemic prevention and control efforts
in southern localities, including Ho Chi Minh City, have led to the
restriction of many services and activities, he noted. Quyet said
that the cancellation of the event aims to ensure health safety of the
community. According to
the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) and the Vehicles
Importers Vietnam Association (VIVA), 12 automobile manufacturers had
confirmed their participation at the event, including Audi, Ford, Honda,
Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, MG, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota,
Volkswagen and Volvo. This is the
second time that a Vietnam Motor Show has been cancelled since 2020. The
event is expected to be resumed in 2022./. Market share of Vietnamese pepper increases in RoK However,
despite a decline in the import volume, the proportion of Vietnamese pepper
to the RoK’s total imports rose to 90.88% over eight months from just 73.6%
from a year earlier. According to
statistics compiled by the Korea Trade Commission, the RoK imported 4,568
tonnes of pepper worth US$19 million during the eight-month period, with the
majority coming from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, representing a
decrease of 20.9% in volume and a rise of 17% in value year on year. The average
pepper import price in the RoK also surged by 47.8% year on year to US$4,161
per tonne, of which the import price from major suppliers enjoyed an upward
trend, with the exception of Thailand. Vietnam
remains the leading and an important supplier of pepper to the RoK, with its
exports to the market yielding positive signs thanks to stable consumption
demand, reported the MoIT’s Import-Export Department. Businesses working towards post-pandemic economic recovery
Vietnam’s
economy is going through a particularly challenging time because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Given that, businesspeople who have been working hard to
overcome the obstacles are bolstering their internal strength to fight the
pandemic and come together in economic recovery. Sponsoring test
kits, ventilators and medical equipment. Taking part
in voluntary activities to help ensure social security. Maintaining
jobs for workers. In difficult
times, Vietnamese businesspeople always fulfil their roles and
responsibilities. Figures show
that Vietnam currently has over 800,000 operating enterprises, more than
25,000 cooperatives, and about 5.2 million non-agricultural business
households with about 7-8 million entrepreneurs. Along with
frontline forces in the fight against Covid-19, there are also silent
“heroes”. They are the entrepreneurs busy on both the frontline of economic
development and the frontline of the pandemic fight. Now, as the
country is starting to reopen, Vietnamese businesspeople continue to share
the responsibility for economic recovery, for the sake of a prosperous
nation./. Dong Nai: Over 80 percent of industrial firms resume operations There are
nearly 1,400 firms or over 80 percent of those operating in 31 industrial
parks in the southern province of Dong Nai have resumed their operations,
according to the provincial Industrial Zones Authority. Due to
COVID-19, many businesses had to scale down or suspended production. However,
since the end of September, nearly 1,400 firms have resumed operations,
drawing more than 334,000 workers back to work or 54 percent of the total
number of labourers at the local industrial parks. The
authority said Dong Nai has prioritised vaccinating workers and issued many
documents to help enterprises ease difficulties and recover production. It is
forecast that in the fourth quarter of this year, firms in Dong Nai will
stabilise their production and obtain more export orders. Le Van Danh,
deputy head of the authority, said thanks to the local effective
implementation of social security, the majority of migrant workers havefar
still stayed in the province. Most
enterprises in the industrial zones have solid financial capacity, therefore,
the production recovery will take place quickly and smoothly, he added./. Circular economy decisive to sustainable economic growth:
workshop A workshop
held in Hanoi on October 14 highlighted the circular economy as the future of
equal and sustainable economic growth. The event, part
of the annual Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2021, was organised by
the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam Business
Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD). It saw the participation of
about 500 delegates from ministries, sectors, business associations, domestic
international organisations, and enterprises via videoconference. Nguyen Quang
Vinh, Secretary General of the VCCI, said over the past years, thanks to
efforts by the Government, relevant agencies, and many enterprises, the
concept of “circular economy” has become much more familiar to the business
community. A circular
economy brings a new approach to the use of materials in a more effective and
economical manner while constantly reminding people about using limited
resources like water, energy, materials, and food in a way that gives those
resources a longer life cycle and higher value compared to the existing
method. An economy
can achieve a “closed cycle” thanks to the all-round engagement of sectors, industries,
and consumers through the sharing of information, the application of new
business models, and the combination of supply chains so as to reach
science-based targets with support from the legal system and management rules
from the Government, said Vinh, who is also Secretary General and Vice
Managing Director of the VBCSD. Mai The
Toan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural
Resources and Environment, held that the State should strongly encourage the
development of models for connecting and sharing the circular use of products
and waste, and mobilise the engagement of different sources of resources in
society. Brendan
Edgerton, Director of Circular Economy at the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development, pointed out that the global economy is just 8.6
percent circular. Without strict monitoring, global material use in 2060
would double that in 2015. He also made
recommendations about the road map for building a circular business strategy,
noting that each enterprise needs to improve its production process,
products, and business model./. Vietnam willing to facilitate US firms' operations amid COVID-19:
Party official Vietnam is
ready to create conditions for US businesses to overcome obstacles and
impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic and continue their production and investment
activities in Vietnam, stated Tran Tuan Anh, Politburo member and head of the
Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission. The official
made the statement at an October 14 virtual meeting with the US-ASEAN
Business Council (USABC) which saw the presence of representatives from
nearly 40 leading US enterprises. Welcoming
the US’s support for a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam, Anh
thanked the US Government and people for actively assisting Vietnam in
accessing vaccines and other resources in response to COVID-19. He stated
the Vietnamese Party and State always value the relations with the US – a top
trade partner of Vietnam and welcome the USABC’s efforts to help the US
business community overcome challenges and promote trade and investment
partnerships with ASEAN members states, including Vietnam, amid the pandemic. The sides
exchanged views on Vietnam’s institutional issues and socio-economic
development policies as well as the US firms’ recommendations and proposals. The USABC
delegation expressed their impression at Vietnam's efforts in the fight
against the COVID-19 pandemic and its determination to restore economic
growth in the new normal. They
affirmed that they will to continue to accompany and closely coordinate with
the Party and Government of Vietnam as well as actively promote the effective
and practical development of the Vietnam – US economy, trade and investment
ties to meet the nations’ wishes and interests./. Binh Thuan set to develop night-time economy to attract tourists Its tourist
attractions, unique culinary culture and pleasant night weather are great assets
that will enable Binh Thuan Province to develop its night-time economy,
experts have said. They were
referring to the Government’s recent approval of a project to develop the
province’s night-time economy from now through 2030, focusing on culture, entertainment,
food and beverage services, and travel. The project
will have policies to encourage enterprises and business households to
participate in the night-time economy, including improving their ability to
access funding, especially from banks. Promotion
for night-time activities will be stepped up together with building
night-time tourism products based on local cultural factors. It will be
implemented in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne in the first phase and in La Gi Town in
the next. Binh Thuan
needs to start developing the night-time economy not only for its own benefit
but also to become a model for adjacent provinces like Ninh Thuan, the
experts said. Night-time
attractions for tourists are still not diverse, and so the average time
visitors stay is quite short at two to three days, they said. The
economists said enterprises need to make plans for the night-time economy,
ensuring the products are different from daytime ones since consumer
behaviours and demands are different. Viet Nam
needs a reasonable legal framework to develop, failing which opportunities
would be missed again, experts warned. Phan Thiet
seems set for a boom thanks to imminent transport upgrades, they said. The first
phase of the Long Thanh International Airport is expected to be ready by 2025
with an annual capacity of 25 million passengers. Situated 130km from Binh
Thuan, it is expected to attract many foreign tourists. When the Dau
Giay - Phan Thiet Expressway is completed, La Gi will benefit since travel
times will be reduced: it will take only 30 minutes to Phan Thiet and 45
minutes to Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the neighbouring coastal province that is only
90 minutes away from HCM City. But the
experts said specific planning is necessary to develop the night-time
economy, and in the early stages only large investors and high-quality
services should be allowed. Plans for coastal transport development under discussion The Ministry
of Transport will propose a special mechanism to develop a fleet of river-sea
vessels serving the country’s scheme to develop coastal transport, Minister
of Transport Nguyen Van The told at a national teleconference on development
of waterway and coastal transport logistics in Hanoi on October 14. Minister The
said the ministry will also give special priority to developing coastal
transport routes using river-sea vessels in order to fully tap strengths of
river and coastal transport. The ministry
has always paid attention to developing water and coastal transport routes in
order to take advantage of the country's long coastline and dense network of
rivers and canals, he said. However,
waterway transport is not yet commensurate with the country's strengths and
potential, and there is a big difference in waterway transport in the north
and the south, The noted. Currently,
the rate of import and export goods transported via waterway routes in the
south is 8.2 percent higher than that in the north. To lift this
rate, it is necessary to have solutions and policies to develop waterway and
coastal transport by river-sea vessels, he stressed. Bui Thien
Thu, Director of the Vietnam Inland Waterways Department, reported that
Vietnam has 2,360 rivers and canals with a total length of about 42,000 km,
with nine major river systems pouring into the sea through 120 rivermouths.
The total length of waterway routes being exploited nationwide is over 17,000
km. Thu said
waterway transport has the advantages of low freight rate, high safety and
low pollution. It handles about 19 percent of the total volume of goods in
the country, he added./. Optimising FTAs to bolster Vietnam-Singapore cooperation Vietnam and
Singapore should further optimise free trade agreements (FTAs) in which both
sides are members such as the CPTPP and RCEP to strengthen partnership among
businesses of both countries, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien
has proposed. At a recent
online working session with Singaporean Second Minister for Trade and
Industry Tan See Leng, Dien suggested that Vietnam and Singapore, the only
two countries in the region joining comprehensive agreements with the
European Union and the United King, should support each other in further
exploiting the markets. According to
the Ministry of Industry and Trade, trade between Vietnam and Singapore has
been growing. Singapore is currently Vietnam's fifth largest trading partner
in ASEAN and the third biggest foreign investors in Vietnam with 62.55
billion USD in 2,769 projects. At the
working session, the two ministers hoped that Vietnam and Singapore will
continue to foster cooperation in many areas to further promote their
economic and trade relations, contributing to strengthening the strategic
partnership between the two countries. Along with
the exploitation of the FTAs, both sides should encourage businesses to
collaborate in the areas of electronics, telecommunications, furniture and
agro-fisheries processing to increase exports in member countries of the
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), they agreed. The two
ministers also concurred to continue working hard towards the signing of a
memorandum of understanding on economic and trade cooperation between the two
ministries./. Vietnam likely to achieve rice export target this year Vietnam is
expected to achieve its export target of 6.3 million tonnes of rice worth 3.2
billion USD this year due to high global demand and an increase
in export prices. Statistics
from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the country exported 593,600
tonnes of rice in September, worth over 293.1 million USD, increases of 19
percent in volume and 20.5 percent in value compared to last year’s figures. Vietnam
shipped abroad 4.57 million tonnes of rice worth over 2.41 billion USD during
the nine-month period, a drop of 8.3 percent in volume and 1.2 percent
in value year-on-year. “The rice
export has been resumed since September despite the fact that social
distancing has still being applied in many southern provinces and cities,”
said Nguyen Quang Toan, General Director of the Agro Processing and Market
Development Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development. Nguyen Thanh
Phong, Director of Van Loi Company, attributed the increase in the Vietnamese
rice export prices to the fact that the Government has boosted its purchase
for national reserves, along with the rising demand in the global
market since the beginning of September. Other
insiders also expressed their optimism as rice foreign importers allow the
resumption of rice trading once the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control. Some major
rice exporters are predicted to increase their rice imports in the last
months of this year and the first half of 2022, they said. The export
prices of Vietnam’s five-percent broken rice has soared to the highest level
over the past three months, according to Vietnam Food Association. The
country’s five-percent broken rice is currently sold at between 433 USD and
437 USD per tonne, surpass those from other competitors such as Thailand,
India and Pakistan. Specifically,
the prices of Vietnamese rice were 49 USD, 68USD and 55 USD higher
than that of Thailand, India and Pakistan, respectively. In
mid-August, the export price of Vietnam’s five-percent broken rice was
offered at 393-307 USD, 8 USD lower than Thai product./. Grab resumes GrabCar service in Hanoi Ride-hailing
company Grab Vietnam has announced the resumption of its Grabcar service in
Hanoi starting from October 14. The
technology transport and delivery service supplier said that it has met all
pandemic safety requirements given by authorised agencies with all drivers
receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot and having certificates of being
tested negative to SARS-CoV-2. A
representative from the firm said that all partners of Grab are requested to
strictly implement the Ministry of Health’s 5K message, and prepare hand
sanitisers on their vehicle. They will also receive COVID-19 test every week. Meanwhile,
passengers are also asked to abide by pandemic prevention and control
measures during their trips with Grab, including following the 5K message and
making health declarations. They are
advised to pay via bank cards or Moca e-wallet to reduce direct contacts with
drivers. On the
occasion, Grab has offered customers with discount of maximum 15,000 VND each
trip paid by card or Moca wallet, using promotion code GCMOCA which is
applicable from October 14-31. Earlier, the
Department of Transport of Hanoi issued a document allowing the resumption of
public passenger transport using under nine-seat cars. However, service
suppliers are requested to keep the number of operating vehicles equal to 50
percent of their total fleet./. 09 leading brands honoured More than
100 leading brands of Viet Nam in 2021 were honoured during a ceremony held
in Ha Noi by the Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam (VnEconomy - Vietnam
Economic Times) on Wednesday. The event
aimed to hail the efforts, strong will and resilience of businesses and
entrepreneurs who have faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic using
initiatives and digital transformation solutions. These help firms actively
adapt to the pandemic and maintain their production and business activities
while ensuring the welfare of their employees and promoting social, corporate
responsibility. The honoured
109 firms operate in various economic sectors such as banking and financial
services, real estate, digital services and consumer retail. Launched in
2003, the leading brand vote receives an enthusiastic response from the
business community across the country. Thousands of firms having been
honoured so far. The
programme focuses on honouring the Vietnamese business community, different
fields and economic sectors, with typical strong brands selected on clear,
focused and appropriate criteria. Speaking at
the event, President of the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology
Associations Phan Xuan Dung highly appreciated the Vietnam Economic Times for
hosting the event. On the
occasion of Viet Nam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13), he extended his
congratulations to the successful enterprises, who have overcome challenges
to achieve breakthroughs in their operation over the past two years. He said
enterprises are the main force of the economy and the programme has special
value and meaning as Viet Nam's economy and the economies of many countries
in the world are weakening. Localities ready to welcome back tourists in the new normal A number of
localities nationwide have announced plans to welcome back domestic travelers
in November after months of suspending tourism services due to the spread of
the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to
Phan Thi Thang, vice chairwoman of the municipal People's
Committee, the city has thoroughly-prepared safety factors for the recovery
process. about 72% of
those employed in the tourism sector have now been fully vaccinated
whilst medical infrastructure and plans for the recovery scenario moving
forward are now ready, she revealed. In late
Sepbtember HCM City launched a special tour for COVID-19 frontline workers to
Can Gio and Cu Chi districts, both of which have brought the outbreak under
control. Under the “bubble” model, visitors stopped at selected outdoor sites
in a closed group. Several
other provinces are also following suit by launching tours in the bubble
model. The central
city of Da Nang is planning to host public events from now until the end of
the year in an effort to attract visitors. It will reopen travel services to
local residents starting from October 20 and will begin to serve domestic
tourists from Quang Nam and Quang Ninh provinces in the bubble model in
November. Da Nang is
set to welcome the return of international visitors from the Republic of
Korea and Russia through a vaccine passport scheme. Elsewhere,
the northcentral province of Thanh Hoa has set a target of welcoming 700,000
visitors during the last three months of the year. Tourists
arriving in Thanh Hoa must be fully vaccinated, with the second dose
administered at least 14 days before arrival, or they must present a
certificate showing they previously contracted and have now fully recovered
from COVID-19. Meanwhile,
authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh, home to UNESCO-recognised
Ha Long Bay, plan to welcome back inter-provincial tourists to Tuan Chau
International Tourist Area and the Yen Tu tourist site from next month. The
northern mountainous province of Ha Giang also created favourable
conditions in which travel companies can implement safe package tours. They
include five-days-four-nights tours including destinations such as Ho Chi
Minh City, Hanoi, Ha Giang, Vi Xuyen, Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Lung Cu,
and the Ma Pi Leng Pass. Authorities
in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, home to the resort town Da
Lat, is considering permitting domestic tourists to visit Da Lat and Bao Loc
from next month. Along with
vaccination requirements, visitors are also required to book a package tour
with a designated travel agency whilst also having medical and travel
insurance. Authorities
in the central province of Binh Dinh, home to the beach town of Quy Nhon,
also plan to allow fully vaccinated domestic tourists to visit Phuong Mai
Peninsula, which is famous for idyllic beaches and high-end resorts, from
early November. Hanoi gets back to business as restrictions ease Buses on the
roads, cafes open for customers and taxis scouring the streets for business,
Hà Nội is looking a lot more like its old self once again. After months
of strict social distancing regulations, sweeping changes came into play at
6am Thursday morning. But although
restrictions were drastically eased, safety is still paramount. Customers at
a coffee shop on Lý Thường Kiệt Street in Hà Nội on Thursday morning, the
first day dine-in services are allowed again after being banned for more than
two months. VNS Photos Bảo Hoa Despite
these guidelines, many people were delighted Hà Nội is easing into the new
normal way of life. “Today is a
wonderful day,” said 63-year-old Phạm Huy Thông. “It’s the
first time I’m taking a bus after nearly 100 days staying at home and not
going anywhere. Travelling by bus is fun, it feels safe, and it helps to keep
the environment clean. It’s also a hobby of elderly people. “I don’t use
any other vehicles apart from buses. No motorbike, no other means of
transport, only the buses, and walking.” People wait
for their buses at a bus stop on Trần Hưng Đạo Street on Thursday morning Trung
said: “I’ve only had one customer this morning, the fare was
VNĐ100,000. People are still wary of the pandemic and mostly use their own
cars. “During the
social distancing period, I stayed at home. It got boring. Today I get to go
out, enjoy the fresh air and get to talk to people. I feel better. “I wear a
mask and follow the sanitation regulations. I disinfected my car and reminded
my customer to wash their hands. “I hope the
pandemic will end so we can work and earn money, to make up for the social
distancing time we stayed at home and were not earning.” Taxi
services are allowed to resume operations in the capital city after being
suspended on July 24 to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Lecturer
Hoàng Dương said: “After a long time of working from home, I really
wanted to experience what it’s like going outside to eat and drink. I can
have coffee and chat with my friend face-to-face now which I could not do
during social distancing. My friend is also a lecturer so we discuss teaching
online. “I’m really
happy, it’s been quite a long time and now I can have this feeling again. “I think the
shop owners will benefit from reopening because now they can have income and
their employers can come back to work. The reopening will also lift people’s
spirits. Because we are at home for quite a long time, so it feels happier to
be able to go outside chatting with friends.” Nguyễn Lan
Phương added: “I feel happy and excited, it’s been a long time since I
got to enjoy Hà Nội’s autumn like this, it’s beautiful and the weather
is nice. Things have gone back to normal, so I’m very happy.” As well as
the feeling of freedom, small businesses were rejoicing as they finally began
to once again earn a living. Although
coffee shops and restaurants have been allowed to operate take-outs during
the past few months, having customers back in person lifts their
operations to a new level. “Other staff
members and I are very excited,” said Nguyễn Đức Khanh, a coffee shop manager. “For months
we had to close due to the pandemic and even when we were allowed to sell
take-outs we had very few customers, and the shop wasn’t busy like before. So
we are very excited today. “We made
sure there were enough staff working today, and we’ve cleaned the shop and
ensured we follow the 5K rule so customers can come in.” Tourism sector will resume activities in safety: Deputy PM Deputy Prime
Minister Vũ Đức Đam has said that when tourism activities resume, they will
resume safely. Between now and the end of the year tourism will be
gradually reintroduced across the country. The Deputy
Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will
issue guidelines that allow for adaption to any developing situation. The
authorities will mobilise enough resources to deal with the ongoing
threat. "The
guidelines should be very detailed, from transportation, how to correctly
conduct tests and the conditions of destinations and accommodation, as
well as co-operation between localities and healthcare facilities to
deal with positive cases quickly,” he said. He also said
tourism associations should have their own guidelines, in addition to
official guidelines, to encourage a proactive approach to reopening
safely. He assigned
the Ministry of Transport to issue guidance on road, rail, and air
transport. The ministry will also provide detailed directions to passengers. “All travelling
activities must obey the five safety rules issued by the Ministry of Health,
especially the wearing of masks and maintaining a safe distance,” he
stressed. Regarding
international visitors, the Deputy Prime Minister has assigned agencies to
coordinate with the provinces of Kiên Giang and Khánh Hòa, to plan for the
return of foreign tourists under a pilot scheme in November. The General
Director of the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism, Nguyễn Trùng
Khánh, highlighted the impact the pandemic has had on the sector since 2020. The number
of international tourists visiting Việt Nam in 2020 was 3.7 million, an 80
per cent decrease on 2019. Most of these arrived in January and February
2020, before the pandemic took hold. The number
of domestic travellers decreased to 56 million, a fall of 34 per cent on the
previous year. Total
revenue from tourism in 2020 was VNĐ312,200 billion (US$13,693 million), a 59
per cent decrease against 2019. The numbers
continued to freefall in 2021. In the first nine months of the year, domestic
visitors fell to 31.5 million, a further 16 per cent decrease on 2020. The
total revenue from the industry was just VNĐ 137,000 billion, a further 42
per cent fall on the same period of 2020. Some 30 per
cent of tourism enterprises have withdrawn from operation entirely. There are
now around 2,000 enterprises offering their services throughout the country. In the
accommodation sector, around 90 per cent of hotels and resorts do not have
guests, except those acting as official quarantine facilities. Khánh said
the ministry is working with local authorities in Kiên Giang to finish
planning for the pilot scheme, which will herald the return of international
visitors at the end of November this year. He said the
focus will be on ensuring safety for both destinations and visitors. A level
of diversification will be required to adapt to the new operating conditions,
as well as reacting to any developments that may happen as a result. Besides Phú
Quốc in Kiên Giang Province, some provinces like Khánh Hòa, Quảng Nam, Đà
Nẵng City and Quảng Ninh have made their own plans to restart international
tourism routes. It has been
proposed that international tourism be reintroduced step by step; firstly in
November in Phú Quốc, then in December in other areas like Quảng Ninh, Đà
Nẵng and Quảng Nam. The industry
plans to fully reopen to foreign tourists in the second quarter of next year,
if it is safe to do so. The Ministry
of Culture, Sports and Tourism is completing guidelines for domestic travelling.
Khánh said the activities will be hindered for now by the fact that many
people in different areas have not yet fully vaccinated. The ministry
also asked the Government to consider promoting the pilot scheme with
favourable policies, like visa or visa fee exemptions.  Hanoi buses remain deserted after resuming services Many buses
in Hanoi attracted only a small number of passengers on the first day
services were resumed following a long suspension due to Covid-19. A
representative from Hanoi Transportation Corporation (Transerco) said that
many people might not know about the bus services resuming. In addition, many
students are still waiting to return to their universities and schools. Bus routes
throughout the capital are allowed to operate at 50 percent of their maximum
capacity to ensure the safety distance among passengers for Covid-19
prevention. Bottles of
hand sanitiser, QR codes for passengers to scan and notices on the Health
Ministry’s 5K messages are available on all buses. Taxi and
inter-provincial transportation services also resumed operations from October
14. However, only some routes have been operated. For instance, this morning,
Nuoc Ngam Station only received Hanoi-Lang Son coaches. HCM City’s pat on the back for businesses that shrugged off
COVID The HCM City
government has hailed businesses’ efforts to keep going through the COVID-19
pandemic, and thanked them for it. Speaking at
a HCM City Union of Business Associations event to mark Viet Nam
Entrepreneurs Day (October 13), Phan Van Mai, chairman of the city People’s
Committee, said while in the third quarter the city economy saw major
setbacks, it also “achieved great results in production and exports, thanks
to domestic and foreign businesses and investors.” Some 83 per
cent of businesses in industrial parks and processing and exporting zones
have resumed production, and achieved over 60 per cent of capacity on
average, he said. A quarter of
businesses elsewhere have also resumed operations, he said. Businesses
also contributed trillions of dong to the city’s pandemic control and
prevention fund, enabling it to buy more ambulances and medical equipment
spend on other requirements, he said. The city
needs to listen to their feedback to help them recover, and would focus on
mitigating their difficulties to also ensure economic recovery, he said. “Businesses
should compete with one another … and push for digital transformation to
facilitate the city’s growth.” At the
event, the city gave awards to 91 entrepreneurs and businesses for their
“outstanding results” despite the challenges caused by COVID-19. Market gets boost thanks to manufacturing stocks On the Ho
Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index posted a gain of 2.58 points, or
0.19 per cent, to 1,394.49 points, with the market's breadth being positive. The
liquidity also improved as investors poured over VND12 trillion (US$424.7
million) into HoSE, equivalent to a trading volume of 409 million shares. The index
was supported by gains in some large-cap stocks, especially in manufacturing
and energy sectors, despite falls in the 30 biggest stocks tracker
VN30-Index. Accordingly, the VN30-Index lost 1.18 points, or 0.08 per cent,
to 1,504.37 points. Of the VN30
basket, 16 stocks climbed while 11 ended lower and three were flat in the
morning trade. Supporting
the index's rally, Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR) led the gaining group, with a
rise of 2.8 per cent. It was followed by PetroVietnam Gas (PVGas, GAS) and
Hoa Phat Group (HPG), up 1.35 per cent and 0.53 per cent, respectively. On the
downtrend, real estate and bank stocks were still favourite shares for
profit-taking. Of which, Vingroup (VIC) and Vinhomes (VHM) were two biggest
lossers, down 0.86 per cent and 0.75 per cent, respectively. SahaBank
(SHB) and Vietcombank (VCB) were also among big stocks weighing the market's
sentiment. On Ha Noi
Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index inched higher this morning on coal stocks
like Vinacomin - Vang Danh Coal (TVD). The index rose 4.69 points, or 1.24
per cent, to 384.03 points. Digital transformation plays a vital role in development Digital
transformation has become indispensable trend of every country since 2020 as
the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process around the world. The comments
was made by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan
Tam during a ministerial-level roundtable discussion themed “Cutting the
cost: Can affordable access accelerate digital transformation?” which took
place on Wednesday within the framework of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s Digital World 2021. He suggested
countries pay more attention to affordable access and developing digital
platforms which could be considered infrastructure in the digital world. According to
Tam, it is necessary to digitalise socio-economic activities and bring them
to digital platforms. Speaking at
the meeting, Secretary-General of the ITU Houlin Zhao said Viet Nam is a good
model in telecom infrastructure development that countries could learn from. Zhao said
Viet Nam has been working with countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
on promoting telecommunication development despite the low profitability and
often being ignored by investors. He added to
date, more than half of the world is connected via IT and telecom
technologies. However, success only comes when the rest of the world gains
access to the internet at an affordable price. To realise
this target, Zhao called for the world to focus on investing in telecom
infrastructure via greater incentives and strong partnerships between
countries. At the
conference, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Transport, Communications and High
Technologies Rashad Nabiyev suggested governments should be the backbone in
countries’ efforts to promote digitalisation. With
incentive policies and through public-private partnerships (PPP), governments
may further attract private investment in digital infrastructure, Nabiyev
added. Minister of
Science, Technology, and Telecommunications of Costa Rica Paola Vega Castillo
said her country was working on a five-year telecommunication strategy for
the private sector to play a greater role in the digitalisation process. From this
process, businesses would benefit under the PPP model, she said. Sharing the
idea, Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung
told participants that for every country, the success of digital
transformation would depend on leaders at the highest level. The minister
said: “Leaders have to make the difficult choice of restructuring the entire
operation and reallocate resources, including the workforce, to embark on the
digitalisation process." In Viet Nam,
digitalisation is centered around the development of the digital economy,
society, and Government, with digital infrastructure playing a key part in
this process. “Viet Nam
strives to ensure 100 per cent of people have access to the internet by late
2021. The country is in the process of testing 5G networks, with preparation
being accelerated to commercialise the network by 2022.” At the
ministerial-level roundtable on the same theme on Tuesday, Hung said in order
to promote internet access, Viet Nam will shut down its 2G network by 2023.
The Vietnamese Government and telecom providers will fund the use of 4G
network for 2G mobile phone users, meaning that all phone users will be ready
for internet access by 2023. At the conference,
participants also shared experience in digital transformation, resources to
develop information and communications technology, and ways to develop
digital transformation effectively. They
discussed ways to deal with barriers regarding residents’ affordability for
telecom services, policies and measures to minimise costs. The three
day conference concluded yesterday. Export prices of rice climb According to
the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice is
currently sold at US$433-US$437 per ton, up $40 per ton compared to
mid-August this year. The price of
rice increased slightly compared to September this year. Noticeably, when
localities loosen social distancing, travel and the consumption of rice
become more convenient. Enterprises
have also boosted the export of rice when the transportation starts to be
smooth. The Mekong
Delta is in the harvest season of this autumn-winter rice crop. Rice prices
vary by VND300-VND500 per kg, depending on the locality. According to
the VFA, rice prices in the Mekong Delta move differently among provinces. In
Can Tho City, Long An, and An Giang provinces, rice price is quite stable.
Meanwhile, it tends to increase slightly in Bac Lieu, Tien Giang, Dong Thap
provinces. Accordingly, in Tien Giang, Dong Thap, and Kien Giang provinces,
the price of rice edged up by VND200-VND400 per kg in the past week, reaching
a selling price of VND5,250 -VND6,000 per kg, depending on the variety. Vietnam's
5-percent broken rice is currently sold at $433-$437 per ton, an increase of
$40 per ton compared to mid-August. Meanwhile, Vietnam's 25-percent broken
rice has risen to $403 per ton, while Thai rice is at $373 per ton, and
Indian and Pakistani rice both stand at $338 per ton. According to
a rice exporter in the Mekong Delta, the domestic and export prices of rice
surged because of many factors. Specifically, the government has increased
purchasing for stockpiling, stimulating both domestic and export prices;
enterprises have received many new rice export orders. By October this year,
enterprises have exported more than 4.57 million tons of rice, with a
turnover of more than $2.41 billion. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan |
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