Two customers do online shopping on an e-commerce platform. — Photo vneconomy.vn HÀ NỘI — Smuggled, counterfeit and low-quality products have begun to spread rapidly on e-commerce platforms as the absence of physical product touch in online shopping puts buyers at a disadvantage. Nguyễn Đức Lê, deputy director of the Professional Affairs Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), admitted that deceptive trade practices have been rising steadily in recent years. “Bad vendors use genuine products for advertisements but deliver low-quality or second-hand products to buyers, depriving them of the warranty rights,” he said. Lê Mai Hương, an enthusiastic online shopper in Hà Nội, shared her bad experience when shopping online with Việt Nam News . “In my experience, shoppers should not buy online stuff sold at prices far lower than market prices, notably cosmetics and drugs, as they are almost fake products. In addition, for clothes and consumer goods, many times … [Read more...] about Bad vendors put e-commerce at risk
UN promises support for Việt Nam’s energy transition scheme
Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Climate Action Selwin Hart handed over the letter from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN. — VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — The United Nations (UN) has affirmed its willingness to support Việt Nam in establishing a partnership on energy transition with the Group of Seven (G7) nations in a letter of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Climate Action Selwin Hart handed over the letter to Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN at a meeting in New York on May 18. In the letter, the UN Secretary General applauded Việt Nam’s decision to make a strong commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and reducing domestic coal-fired electricity consumption at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), affirming that … [Read more...] about UN promises support for Việt Nam’s energy transition scheme
Removing COVID-19 testing requirement a fillip for outbound tourism
Visitors look into outbound tour options from leading travel operators at the 18th HCM City Tourism Festival. VNA/VNS Photo by Mỹ Phương HCM CITY — Travel operators are strongly promoting international travel this summer after Việt Nam dropped the COVID-19 test requirement for arrivals. Trần Đoàn Thế Duy, general director of Vietravel Tourism Company, told the Người Lao Động (Labourer) Newspaper that cancellation of the COVID-19 test requirement for foreign arrivals had opened up a great opportunity for Việt Nam’s tourism industry. He said his company had signed agreements with the Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Korea Tourism Organisation to develop tours with preferential prices for Vietnamese tourists. Vietravel is selling tours to countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The most favoured destinations are Singapore and Thailand. Tours to Indonesia, Korea, Europe, the US and South Africa are also catching attention. The TST Tourist Service … [Read more...] about Removing COVID-19 testing requirement a fillip for outbound tourism
Đồng Tháp develops lotus-related tourism
Farmers harvest lotus seeds in Đồng Tháp Province’s Thanh Bình District. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Trí ĐỒNG THÁP — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp plans to expand lotus farming, increase the value of lotus products and promote tourism based on visits to lotus fields. The delta’s largest lotus-growing province plans to increase the area under the flower from the current 800ha to 1,350ha by 2025. Farmers there grow six varieties, mostly in Tháp Mười, Cao Lãnh, Tam Nông, and Thanh Bình districts, where conditions are conducive. Lotus farming requires low investment but fetches incomes four to six times higher than rice, according to farmers. Besides fresh flowers, seeds and roots, the province also produces various types of lotus-related products such as essential oil, cosmetics, wine, milk, tea and other beverages, and food. The province, well known as the land of pink lotuses, has developed tourism products such as visiting lotus fields and foods made … [Read more...] about Đồng Tháp develops lotus-related tourism
USAID supports efforts to reduce congestion at Cát Lái Port
Containers at Cát Lái Port, Việt Nam’s busiest container port. — VNA/VNS Photo HCM CITY — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) released on Thursday an action plan for reducing congestion at Cát Lái Terminal in HCM City, Việt Nam’s busiest container port. The action plan, unveiled at a workshop co-organised by USAID and GDVC, contains 21 recommendations to help position the port to meet increasing demand. Before COVID-19, the port was operating at full capacity, with demand as measured by container volume expected to double by 2030. The workshop brought together more than 70 representatives from Vietnam Customs, ministries, and the business community to discuss the action plan — the result of a Pre-Feasibility Study on Anti-Congestion and Facilitating Trade Logistics at Cát Lái Port conducted by the USAID Trade Facilitation Programme between May 2020 and March 2021. The study takes a comprehensive … [Read more...] about USAID supports efforts to reduce congestion at Cát Lái Port
Food exporters turn focus to domestic market
Consumers buy products at a former export-only enterprise that has switched to also selling domestically. — Photo nld.com.vn HCM CITY — Vietnamese are tending to consume foods of clear origin and high quality after the COVID-19 pandemic, causing many export-oriented food brands to turn their attention to the domestic market. The market with a population of nearly 100 million is in fact attracting both foreign and local food companies. Phan Minh Thông, general director of Phúc Sinh Company, which has been exporting pepper, coffee and farm produce for the last 20 years, said Việt Nam is a very large market for coffee products. His company exports 65,000-70,000 tonnes of coffee products a year, whereas domestic sales account for less than 1 per cent of that. Phúc Sinh would focus more on promoting its Blue Sơn La Coffee brand in the domestic market, he added. Việt Nam may be the world’s second largest coffee exporter, but Vietnamese have to drink coffee mixed with other … [Read more...] about Food exporters turn focus to domestic market
Legal framework, advanced technologies key to marine aquaculture
A caged fish farm on Thổ Châu Island Commune, Phú Quốc District, in the southern province of Kiên Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt HÀ NỘI — Improved legal framework and applications of advanced technologies are considered key to further development of marine aquaculture in Việt Nam. Speaking at a recent conference on sustainable development of marine aquaculture, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến said that the Directorate of Fisheries will complete and submit to the Prime Minister a draft decree on the support of policies for fisheries development, including those for marine aquaculture development. “It is necessary to review and assess the current status and needs of the infrastructure system to serve the development of marine aquaculture,” he said The Directorate of Fisheries was also assigned to develop relevant standards and regulations in breeding, feeding, environment, commercial farming, caged fish and farming areas. Tiến called on … [Read more...] about Legal framework, advanced technologies key to marine aquaculture
Vietnamese banks expected to get better credit ratings
Customers at a SeABank branch. Moody’s has recently upgraded SeABank’s Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) from B2 to B1. — Photo nganhangvietnam.vn HÀ NỘI — Ratings of Vietnamese banks are expected to be continually improved thanks to Việt Nam’s positive sovereign credit rating. Moody’s has recently assigned B3 ratings and a stable outlook for Viet Capital Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VietCapitalBank) for the first time, recognising the bank’s prospects through the financial capacity assessment in recent years. Saigon Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB)’s credit rating was also upgraded from stable to positive. Specifically, Moody’s upgraded SHB’s long-term deposit and issuer ratings from B2 to B1, and the Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) from B3 to B2. At the same time, Moody's has changed the outlook on SHB's ratings to positive from stable, reflecting the rating agency's expectation of a further improvement to the bank's credit profile, driven by improvements to its … [Read more...] about Vietnamese banks expected to get better credit ratings
Hải Dương’s lychees shouldn’t be missed
The oldes lychee tree in Hoàng Văn Lượm's garden, a fifth-generation direct descendant of Hoàng Văn Cơm. VNA Photo Mạnh Tú HÀ NỘI – As well as watching the region's best athletes battle it out, visitors to Hải Dương Province for the SEA Games also have the chance to visit the Thanh Hà lychee gardens, where the oldest lychee tree in Việt Nam stands. Located on the Red River Delta, Thanh Hà District has a reputation for the best quality Thiều Thanh Hà lychees. The fruit tree areas in the district lure tourists from near and far. Not to be missed is the “ancestral” 19th-century lychee tree in Thú Lâm town of Thanh Sơn Commune. The tree is recognised by the Việt Nam Book Record as the oldest of its species in Việt Nam. The tree was planted over 150 years ago by Hoàng Văn Cơm (born in 1848) who specialised in fruit trading. In 1870, at a party with the Chinese in the northern Hải Phòng City, he ate delicious lychees, so he brought some seeds to his home and planted them in his … [Read more...] about Hải Dương’s lychees shouldn’t be missed
MoIT stops anti-dumping duties on galvanised steel from South Korea and China
The Ministry of Industry and Trade decided to terminate the application of anti-dumping measures to several galvanised steel products originating from South Korea and China. — Photo vtv.vn HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just issued Decision No 924/QĐ-BCT on terminating the application of anti-dumping measures to several galvanised steel products originating from South Korea and China. The ministry began conducting a period-end review in June last year in accordance with the Law on Foreign Trade Management and based on the review requesting dossier of representatives of the domestic manufacturing industry. The investigation is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the World Trade Organisation, the Law on Foreign Trade Management and related regulations. In addition, the ministry has collected information and opinions of stakeholders, and carefully considered and assessed the impacts of imported galvanised steel products on the domestic industry and … [Read more...] about MoIT stops anti-dumping duties on galvanised steel from South Korea and China