At the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 17 asked the Ministry of Culture , Sports and Tourism (MCST) to review the operation of household businesses in the tourism sector affected by the COVID-19 . The ministry should coordinate with core travel firms to form key routes connecting localities, the official said at a meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism in Hanoi which assessed the implementation of tourism recovery solutions. He ordered restarting heritage digitalisation with the participation of travel enterprises to promote new tourism products. Regarding electricity prices for tourism services and lodging facilities, Dam, also head of the Committee, asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to submit a plan on power price adjustment to the Prime Minister before application. The MCST, travel associations and firms should propose specific tax and land incentives, he said. Minister Nguyen Van Hung … [Read more...] about Committee seeks ways to ensure rapid, sustainable tourism recovery
3 billion usd in rupees
Inflation in Singapore expected to peak in Q4: official
Inflation in Singapore expected to peak in Q4. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Singapore (VNA) - Inflation in Singapore is expected to peak in the next two to four months and will start to ease thereafter, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong has said. In an interview granted to Bloomberg, Wong said inflation rates here may very well settle at a higher rate given the geopolitical environment, supply chain issues and how economies are transitioning towards becoming more sustainable. He added that the extent of this easing towards the year end and where the new inflation rates will stabilise at are big uncertainties. Wong noted that they are not likely to return to the rates Singapore had been used to over the last decade or so, as zero to 1% inflation was a historical anomaly and never used to be so low. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has already tightened monetary policy four times in the last nine months to dampen inflation, Wong said, adding … [Read more...] about Inflation in Singapore expected to peak in Q4: official
Green standards top policies for fresh foreign ventures
The approval of Vietnam’s circular economy development plan, announced in June, aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent of GDP by 2030 (as compared to 2014). The commitment at COP26 by Vietnam to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is considered the main call for investment into green technologies and friendly-environmental projects, as well as approval of plans such as the aforementioned circular economy one. These messages have sent a strong signal regarding the country’s direction towards low-carbon, green development, and a circular economy, and could be a new driving force for Vietnam’s sustainable socioeconomic development, helping to improve its competitiveness and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. While governments have committed to lowering CO2, companies are also following suit for the good of the planet, Photo: Shutterstock As a result, numerous groups have made decisions in terms of investment and other operations … [Read more...] about Green standards top policies for fresh foreign ventures
Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022
Angkor Wat, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the tourist icon of Cambodia. (Photo: Khmer Times) Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia expects to welcome 1.2-1.3 million international tourists in 2022, said Director General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism Thong Rathasak. Recovering fast from the COVID-19 downfall, Cambodia is banking on increased arrival of foreign tourists this year, compared to the last two years. According to Rathasak, the Southeast Asian nation served over 500,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, and this was a good comeback compared to the number of 200,000 tourist arrivals last year.. COVID-19 was a big lesson as Cambodia n people learned to coexist with a pandemic, he said, hoping that people who left the tourism sector would come back and rebuild their businesses or careers. For Cambodia, 2022 started well as it got the chance to organise the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which was … [Read more...] about Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022
Quang Ninh refutes allegations of sea encroachment in Ha Long Bay
The image of Ao Tien high-class tourism urban area has been shared widely on social networks in recent days. (Photo nld.com.vn) Quang Ninh (VNS/VNA ) - The People's Committee of northern coastal Quang Ninh province has refuted information that it has allowed a project to conduct sea encroachment and subdivide land plots for sale, which seriously undermined the conservation of the UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay . The committee said the information circulating online about a development project encroaching into the bay in recent days was "not true." The image circulated was taken at in Ao Tien high-class tourism urban area project in Van Don district. The area was in Van Don economic zone, not in the Ha Long Bay, the province stressed. In recent days, the image of an urban area with divided land plots and an island in the middle of the area locating right close to Ha Long Bay has been shared widely on Facebook, stirring strong opposition about greed-driven … [Read more...] about Quang Ninh refutes allegations of sea encroachment in Ha Long Bay
Japanese firm buys 35.1 per cent stake in Viet Nam’s power company
TTC Phong Dien solar power plant invested by GEC. — Photo geccom.vn JERA Inc., a power generation company of Japan, has signed a deal to buy a 35.1 per cent stake at Viet Nam’s Gia Lai Electricity Joint Stock Company (GEC) to tap the Southeast Asian nation's growing demand for electricity and further its own decarbonisation efforts, Nikkei Asia reported. JERA, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, will invest 15 billion JPY (US$112 million) in the Vietnamese renewable energy company. The purchase comes as JERA aims to increase its renewables generation capacity to 5,000 MW by 2025. The stake in GEC will add 190 MW, bringing the company's total renewables capacity to 1,900 MW. JERA will also consider jointly developing solar and onshore wind projects with GEC. JERA has already participated in renewable energy projects across Asia, including India and Thailand. It has operated a gas-fired power plant in Viet Nam since 2005. GEC owns hydro, … [Read more...] about Japanese firm buys 35.1 per cent stake in Viet Nam’s power company
Banks should tighten assessment controls of their corporate bonds investments – experts
Piles of VND100.000 bank notes. — EastAsia forum/VNA Photo Banks must tighten their assessment controls of corporate bond investments to avoid excessive risk and the misuse of funds raised by firms, experts said. In early April, the Banking Supervision Agency, under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) conducted an inspection of corporate bond investment activities at seven banks, while the Ministry of Finance inspected one bank. According to the SBV, by the end of 2021, there are 41 credit institutions holding VND274 trillion (US$11.7 billion) of corporate bonds, of which more than 75 per cent of them are held by ten major banks - Techcombank, MBBank, VPBank, TPBank, BIDV, Vietcombank, VietinBank, HDBank, ABBank and SeABank. At some banks, the value of corporate bonds exceeds 10 per cent of total assets. Although the inspection results were not published, a SBV senior leader said in an interview with Vietnam Investment Review that a number of credit institutions failed to … [Read more...] about Banks should tighten assessment controls of their corporate bonds investments – experts
Shares eke out gains in HCM but investors watch out at high price range
Vincom shopping mall in Ha Noi. Vingroup (VIC) was the biggest contibutor to the VN-Index yesterday with a growth of 2.1 per cent. — VNS Photo Mai Huong Shares eked out a gain in HCM City but lost ground in the last trading minutes in Ha Noi amid rising investor caution at the high price range. On the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, the VN-Index inched up 0.05 per cent to close yesterday at 1,275.28 points – its third rally session this week and fourth since last Friday. The market breadth was negative, however, with 191 stocks rising, 252 falling and 118 closing flat. Realty stocks backed the market as half the top 10 shares lifting the VN-Index were real estate firms. Vingroup (VIC) was the biggest contributor with a growth of 2.1 per cent, followed by No Va Land Investment Group (NVL), Phat Dat Real Estate Development (PDR) and Investment and Industrial Development Corp (BCM) with gains of between 1.7 per cent and 7 per cent. Beverage companies also performed well with the … [Read more...] about Shares eke out gains in HCM but investors watch out at high price range