7 little words jan 24

Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech fuels Hong Kong rally- illustration photo source: freepik.com The positive mood put the region on course to end the week on a healthy note, and came after Federal Reserve minutes indicated the US central bank could take a breather in hiking interest rates if inflation shows signs of easing later in the year. Still, confidence on trading floors remains at a premium owing to a range of crises including soaring prices, tighter monetary policy, China's Covid-19 lockdowns and the war in Ukraine. Investors were in a buying mood Friday as Hong Kong jumped more than two percent, with market heavyweight Alibaba piling on more than 11 percent and search engine Baidu advancing 15 percent. The two firms posted better-than-expected sales growth in the January-March quarter, soothing fears about the impact of Covid and inflation on their bottom lines. Hong Kong's tech index jumped nearly three percent, with other giants also enjoying buying … [Read more...] about Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech fuels Hong Kong rally

S&P forecast Vietnam’s GDP will grow 6.9% in 2022 before settling closer to its long-term trend of growing 6.5%-7% from 2023 onward. S&P Global Ratings on May 26 raised its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Vietnam to 'BB+' from 'BB'. S&P expects Vietnam's economy to continue its upward trend. Source: S&P The rating agency also affirmed the country’s short-term rating at ‘B’ with a stable outlook. “The stable outlook reflects our expectations that over the next 12-24 months, Vietnam's economy will continue to recover from the challenges posed by the pandemic over the past two years. This will support the external position and rein in fiscal deficits,” it noted. S&P added it could raise the ratings if Vietnam's institutional settings improve considerably, in ways that augment policy predictability and transparency. Such favorable changes in the policy environment could bolster investor confidence in the … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s long-term credit rating upgraded to “BB+”: S&P

After a year of not raising tuition fees due to the impacts of Covid-19, the Hanoi people's council passed a resolution on May 20 to hike public preschool and high school tuition fees for the 2022-23 academic year. The fees would double at first and subsequently increase by 20-40 percent every year. Sen, 43, lives in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District with her husband and two daughters, the other in 10th grade. She cleans houses for hourly wages while her husband is a laborer. They pay the highest tuition rate since their household registration is in Region 1, which comprises the capital’s inner districts. In addition, she may be required to pay VND300,000 ($12.93) per child per month for the following academic year, which is 1.4-2 times the current fee. Tuition fees for middle and high schools in Region 1 will gradually rise over the next three years to VND410,000, VND530,000, and VND650,000, respectively. Meanwhile, Sen and her husband's incomes fluctuate every month: Sometimes … [Read more...] about Hanoi parents brace for tuition hikes

The project is located in Ba Tri district. The construction of the green hydrogen plant is expected to start in late June and start a trial run in the first quarter of 2023. It marks the first green hydrogen project in Vietnam. The plant is expected to generate 24,000 tonnes of green hydrogen initially with an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes of ammonia and 195,000 tonnes of oxygen. Later, the annual production capacity is expected to be 60,000 tonnes of green hydrogen, 375,000 tonnes of ammonia, and 490,000 tonnes of oxygen, which is more than double the capacity. The project is suitable for Vietnam’s policy to boost its clean energy usage and hence work on reducing its dependency on coal. Vietnam, a regional manufacturing powerhouse, wants to nearly double its total installed power generation capacity to 146,000MW by 2030 and prioritise using renewable energy while reducing dependency on coal. By Ha Vy … [Read more...] about TGS Green Hydrogen to develop new plant for nearly $850 million

Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA) Hanoi – The S&P Global Ratings on May 26 raised its long-term sovereign credit rating on Vietnam to “BB ” with a “stable” outlook on the back of strong economic recovery, according to the Ministry of Finance. It is a very positive move when S&P Global Ratings upgraded Vietnam’s sovereign credit rating amidst numerous global uncertainties and challenges, the ministry said in a statement, adding that it reflects an international recognition of Vietnam’s efforts to stabilise and recover the macro-economy and reinforce the socio-political foundation. Vietnam is one of the only two Asia-Pacific nations that have had its ratings upgraded since the beginning of this year, factoring in that Vietnam’s economy remains on a solid track to recovery following the complete removal of domestic and cross-border mobility restrictions, outstanding improvement in COVID-19 vaccination rates and a flexible shift in virus control strategy. It is also … [Read more...] about G&P Global Ratings raises Vietnam’s sovereign credit rating

HÀ NỘI — The Australian-funded Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) programme hosted a symposium, Engaging Women in Markets – Scaling up Local Successes Nationwide, in Hà Nội on Friday. Throughout the day, the GREAT programme team and Government of Việt Nam representatives discussed evidence and lessons learned from the GREAT Programme that can help inform Việt Nam’s National Target Programmes (NTPs) implementation. The NTPs and GREAT both aspire to stronger socio-economic opportunities in Việt Nam’s northwest region, particularly for the ethnic communities that call the region home. Australian Ambassador Robyn Mudie talks to a successful woman joining the project in Sơn La Province at the symposium. Photo Phạm Huy GREAT is Australia’s most significant gender investment in Việt Nam, totalling AU$33.7 million (US$24.1 million). The programme works with businesses, NGOs, government and civil society partners to build more inclusive business and market … [Read more...] about Australia and Việt Nam work together on gender equality for stronger economies

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and then US President Donald Trump witness the signing to increase the order to 200 aircraft in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Vietjet Air) Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue has congratulated Vietjet Air and Boeing on their agreement on the restructuring and continuation of the contract to purchase 200 Boeing 737 aircraft, at the meeting with Boeing’s Senior Vice President Michael Arthur. The agreement was reached during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the US and United Nations for the ASEAN-US Special Summit held in Washington D.C. Vietjet’s contract with Boeing is one of the significant deals contributing to the countries’ bilateral trade balance and has been forged through three US Presidencies with important strides following diplomatic and economic development milestones between the two countries in the recent years. In 2016, Vietjet Air ordered 100 Boeing aircraft in the … [Read more...] about Vietjet, Boeing reach agreement on 200-aircraft contract

Australian Ambassador Robyn Mudie talks to a successful woman joining the project in Son La province at the symposium. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Australian-funded Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) programme hosted a symposium, Engaging Women in Markets – Scaling up Local Successes Nationwide, in Hanoi on May 27. Throughout the day, the GREAT programme team and Government of Vietnam representatives discussed evidence and lessons learned from the GREAT Programme that can help inform Vietnam’s National Target Programmes (NTPs) implementation. The NTPs and GREAT both aspire to stronger socio-economic opportunities in Vietnam ’s northwest region, particularly for the ethnic communities that call the region home. GREAT is Australia’s most significant gender investment in Vietnam, totalling 33.7 million AUD (24.1 million USD). The programme works with businesses, NGOs, government and civil society partners to build more inclusive business and … [Read more...] about Australia, Vietnam work together on gender equality for stronger economies