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Indonesian Finance Ministry Isa Rachmatarwata (Photo: antaranews.com) Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian Finance Ministry is mulling adding around 8 trillion IDR (531 million USD), to this year’s budget plan for Indonesia ’s new capital megaproject Nusantara. Speaking at a recent press briefing, director-general for budgeting at the Finance Ministry Isa Rachmatarwata said the extra money is because President Joko Widodo has asked the ministry to prepare the land for the investors. Earlier, the government has allotted 23 trillion IDR in the original 2023 budget plan for the Nusantara project. According to Isa, the Public Housing Ministry has asked for an extra 7 trillion IDR  or 8 trillion IDR for the budget plan. However, there is still a possibility that the Finance Ministry might add even more money to cover other needs for the city’s construction. In early March, President Joko Widodo approved a new regulation that offers incentives to businesses investing in … [Read more...] about Indonesia considers another 500 million USD for new capital megaproject

A commodity sorting line at the Lazada Logistics Park which opened on Thursday at Song Than 1 Industrial Zone in the southern province of Binh Duong. — Photo Courtesy Lazada Ligistics Vietnam E-commerce company Lazada Logistics Vietnam on Thursday officially inaugurated a commodity sorting centre called Lazada Logistics Park at Song Than 1 Industrial Zone in the southern province of Binh Duong. Covering an area of 20,000 sq.m, the Lazada Logistics Park, whose capacity is 1 million parcels per day, is the biggest and most modern logistic centre in the province. According to Lazada, its new sorting centre is equipped with modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and 99 per cent of the sorting lines are automated. The other modern technologies used at the centre include a telescopic conveyor system, a singulator, dim weight scanners, a wheel sort system with o-belt modular structures, a cross-belt sorting system, small parcel cross-belt sorting, … [Read more...] about Lazada Logistics Park opens, sorting 1 million parcels per day

Workers of a garment company in HCM City. The sustainability requirements pose challenges for Viet Nam’s fashion industry but there are opportunities from the transition to more sustainable and circular models. — VNA/VNS Photo Hong Dat Greening the garment and textile production is no longer an option for the multi-billion-dollar industry but a must in the context of increasing requirements for sustainability around the world, experts said. Many garment-importing countries were taking action for sustainable and circular textiles. The European Commission was calling for an end to fast fashion by 2030 with the Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textile which set eco-design rules, starting with textiles. Accordingly, by 2030 textiles placed in the EU, the world’s largest market for garment products, should be long–lived and recyclable. “There is no other way for the garment and textile industry of Viet Nam if it does not want to be excluded from the global game,” Le Tien … [Read more...] about Sustainability requirements pose new challenges to garment, textile industry

The MIC called for a level playing field for domestic and foreign companies. Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is seeking Government approval for a proposal to regulate over-the-top (OTT) interpersonal communication, which would bring popular messaging apps such as Zalo, Viber, and Telegram under the Telecommunications Law. The ministry believes that over-the-top service platforms such as Zalo, Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp are replacing mobile phone services. However, there are currently no legal provisions governing these platforms, and there is no way to protect users and information security, the MIC stressed. Over-the-top media services, like Zalo, Viber, and Telegram, are displayed on a smartphone. Photo: Anh Quan Some world governments (in Europe, China, and South Korea) have classified this service as a telecom service and regulated it in accordance with the Telecommunications Law, it added. The ministry also called … [Read more...] about MIC to regulate OTT communication in Vietnam

The event, entitled “Offshore Renewable Energy: Opportunities and Challenges to Green Transition,” drew the virtual and in-person participation of more than 200 domestic and foreign experts. It was jointly organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation (KAS). In his remarks, Assistant to Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu expressed optimism about the development of renewable energy in general and wind power in particular. In the long term, offshore wind power will be cheaper than current fossil fuel-based energy sources, he said, adding that other types of offshore renewable energy are also becoming indispensable elements of the modern, blue economy. Vietnam is committed to joining the common effort of mankind to promote clean energy, as demonstrated through its commitments at the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the official said. Vietnam is an attractive … [Read more...] about Ocean dialogue discusses offshore renewable energy potential

The maximum airfare on four out of five flight distances will rise in the second or third quarter, according to a recent price report of the Ministry of Finance. The biggest increase will be 6.67% (to VND4 million or $170) for one-way tickets on flights of 1,280 kilometers (Hanoi to Phu Quoc Island) and longer. Flights between 1,000 and 1,280 kilometers will see their ticket cap price rise 6.25% to VND3.4 million. Flights of smaller distances will see their maximum price rise by between 2.27% and 3.58%. Flights under 500 kilometers will see no ceiling change. Their prices will remain at a maximum of VND1.7 million per one-way ticket. The cap price increase will likely bring Vietnam’s 2023 Consumer Price Index up by 0.07% points. Earlier this year, Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways proposed increasing the cap ticket price to take into account rising in costs. The airfare price cap was last increased in 2015. By November last year, fuel costs had surged more than 80% … [Read more...] about Vietnam to raise air ticket price cap

The report, released on March 20 to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (Photo: pattayamail.com/) Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - Thailand has moved up one spot to rank 60th on the World Happiness Report 2023 , while Finland has maintained its position as the happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row. The report evaluates 137 countries based on various criteria, including social support, income, expectations of a healthy life, and perceptions of corruption, to assess happiness levels. The report, released on March 20 to coincide with the International Day of Happiness, is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Participants from each country rated their level of happiness on a scale of zero to ten, with zero indicating complete dissatisfaction and ten representing complete satisfaction. Thailand scored 5.843, making it the third happiest country in Southeast Asia, … [Read more...] about Thailand improves rank on World Happiness Report 2023

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said his ministry will collaborate with Skouw Cross-Border Post (PLBN), Jayapura, Papua, Chief Administrator Yan Numberi, for tourism and creative economy development in Indonesia-Papua New Guinea (PNG) border. The official was quoted by local media as saying that the ministry will carry out two agendas to revive the tourism sector and the creative economy in border areas. The agenda for tourism and creative economy development in the border region aims to restore the condition of the Skouw PLBN to what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic when 1,500 foreign tourists had entered Indonesia, he stated. The first agenda is the improvement of tourism infrastructure and the creative economy within the framework of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) that will be proposed in collaboration with the Jayapura City Tourism Service, Uno said. Moreover, he plans to hold the cross border festival in 2023 that … [Read more...] about Indonesia, Papua New Guinea strengthen tourism cooperation

Illustrative image (Photo: Bangkokpost) Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai Ministry of Commerce’s Internal Trade Department (ITD) is implementing 22 measures to manage fruit supply for this year's harvest, with production estimated to grow by 3% to 6.78 million tonnes. Director-general of the department Wattanasak Sur-iam said the higher output is attributed to cooler weather late last year and early this year. The department remains concerned about the quality of fruit and held discussions with the Agriculture Department about introducing stringent measures to control the quality of exports, especially durian, he said. The ITD also wants to register at least 120,000 orchards for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards this year. Wattanasak said the 22 measures are focused on four areas, covering plans for production, domestic marketing, foreign marketing, and legal issues. The Ministry of Commerce and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry also plan to coordinate with … [Read more...] about Thailand tightens fruit quality management

Illustrative image (Source: blogs.biomedcentralcom) Hanoi (VNA) – Policy advocacy will be promoted, along with efforts to call for financial and human resources for the prevention and control of malaria, parasitic and insect-transmitted diseases to successfully eliminate malaria in Vietnam by 2030, heard a conference held by the Ministry of Health and PATH, a global non-profit organisation on public health, in Hanoi on March 22. The conference aims to contribute to, through the strengthened communications and policy advocacy, ensuring sustainable finance for malaria elimination, prevention and control, preventing malaria's return, and updating new and effective treatment methods. According to the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE), over the past 30 years, the National Programme on Malaria Prevention and Control has reaped remarkable achievements. In 1991, malaria broke out throughout the country with more than 1 million infections, killing … [Read more...] about Efforts to be exerted towards malaria elimination by 2030