Vinamilk keeps leading in liquid milk segment Sun World Fansipan Legend celebrates the 5th anniversary of the cable car to the top of Fansipan Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion – million-dollar amenities boost property value Timo Digital Bank platform appoints Nirukt Sapru to its Global Advisory Board Hongkong Land continues its 132-year legacy in Viet Nam The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed lives and economies around the globe, requiring governments to seek new urban management technologies and solutions to address the current crisis as well as promote economic growth in the post-pandemic period. One of the initiatives taken is the implementation of smart cities. [1] The pandemic has shown the importance of smart cities where digital technology will help facilitate remote work and conduct financial transactions, which is crucial to keeping urban economies running. In Southeast Asia, smart cities will play an increasingly important role in generating economic growth and tackling complex urban challenges. According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute [2] , smart cities are expected to create 1.2 million - 1.5 million new jobs, prevent 260,000-270,000 kiltrons greenhouse gas emissions, and save somewhere between US$9-16 billion living expenses across ASEAN. From the "Thailand 4.0" plan to Singapore’s “Smart Nation" initiative, governments across Southeast Asia are driving the smart city transformation process. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently at the 36th ASEAN Summit said that ASEAN could use [3] the smart city network in the region to exchange ideas and experiences in utilising technology in the fight against COVID-19. For example, technology to enhance contact tracing. The ASEAN Smart City Network (ASCN) was established on April 28, 2018, to encourage further cooperation among the 10 ASEAN member states to promote sustainable smart city development. The focus of ASCN's work is on improving the lives …

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Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son said Decree No.52/2021/ND-CP aims to support enterprises, organisations, family businesses, and individuals who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Decree, a five-month extension will be given to value-added tax of the assessment periods of March, April, May, June, the first quarter and the second quarter this year. This means the payment of VAT of March assessment period will be extended to September. Timeframe for payment of value-added tax of July and August will be extended by four and three months, respectively. Payment of corporate income tax in the first and second quarters will be extended by three months, according to the Decree. A six-month extension will be given to payment of land rent fees, starting from May 31, 2021. This is the third time the Government has introduced tax and land rent payment deadlines since the first COVID-19 cases reported in Vietnam on January 23,  2020. Earlier, the Government promulgated Decree No. 41/2020/ND-CP dated April 8, 2020 on extension of deadlines for tax and land rent fee payment and Decree No. 109/2020/ND-CP providing the extension of time limits for excise tax payment for domestically manufactured or assembled cars. In implementing the two previous Decrees, a total of 184,900 dossiers on tax and land lease payment extension were passed with a total sum of 87.3 trillion VND. Source: VNA …

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Son congratulated the success of the eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) from April 16-19 and the Cuban Foreign Minister on his re-election as a Politburo member. He wished that the two foreign ministries would continue working closely together to further tighten bilateral friendship and collaboration. The Vietnamese minister reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of staying united with Cuba and strongly supporting the United Nations General Assembly’s resolutions requesting an end to embargo on Cuba. Parrilla, for his part, thanked Vietnam for providing invaluable support for Cuba over the past years and spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as rotating President of the United Nations Security Council in January 2020 and April 2021. Both sides agreed to deliver on commitments reached by the two nations’ leaders, including those made during phone talks on May 5 between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the CPC Miguel Diaz-Canel, facilitate high-level visits when conditions allow, firstly maintaining all-level exchanges via phone talks and teleconferences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The two sides will optimize existing cooperation frameworks and mechanisms to improve the efficiency of bilateral economic, trade and investment ties while carrying out bilateral agendas 2021, including increasing the sharing of information, experience and consultations on issues of shared concern, and offering mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums to which the two nations are members. Source: VNA …

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