Some 600 new European standard shelters will be built at public bus stops in Hanoi city. Hanoi will allow investors to build advertising boards in exchange for 600 modern bus stop shelters and shelter displays worth VND1 trillion (US$43 million) in 12 urban districts, Kinhtedothi.vn reported. The move is part of efforts to encourage Hanoi’s residents to turn to public transportation for mobility, thus easing the number of cars on road and improving air quality. Hanoi to have 600 new bus stop shelters Currently, there are 1,078 bus stops in Hanoi's downtown, but only 365 of them have shelters. The shelters are built by different investors, which make them apprear ununiform. According to the municipal People's Committee, 600 new European standard shelters will be built at public bus stops in the city under the PPP funding mechanism. Among them, 270 shelters will be newly installed and the other 330 will be replaced. In exchange, 1,200 advertising boards … [Read more...] about Hanoi to allow advertising rights in exchange for 600 bus stop shelters
Air defense artillery history
UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation
As home to nearly 300 national treasures, Hanoi has a valuable source of ritual and cultural traits that tell its history of thousands of years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sees the partnership with Hanoi in heritage preservation as one of its key activities in the future, said Director of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou on March 27. Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh (right) receives Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center, on March 27. Photo: The Hanoi Times The UNESCO expects to bolster the relationship with Vietnam’s capital city in preserving cultural traits and heritages, he told a meeting with Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh. Lazare urged the municipal and local authorities of Hanoi to come up with solutions that bring balance between heritage preservation and socio-economic growth and lift the living conditions for local people. UNESCO will always partner with Vietnam to … [Read more...] about UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation
Drought killing Mekong Delta durian with salt
Tran Van Thu, a local in Chau Thanh District’s Tien Long Commune, measured the salinity level in the Ba Lai and Ham Luong rivers last week. Both are tributaries of the Tien River, a branch of the Mekong River in Vietnam, which runs through Ben Tre and feeds much of the delta province’s fruit, vegetable and rice crops. Tran Van Thu holds a tool that read the salinity level in a river in Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre Province at 0.34 ppt, March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Nam According to Thu, each of the two rivers that surround his 6,000-square-meter durian farm carried salinity levels of 0.34 (ppt). This was devastating news as his durians need fresh water with salinity levels of less than 0.2 ppt. "Every day, the river water only stays within the safe levels for about an hour, so I have to take every chance I can get [to get fresh water to the farm]." Thu’s family used to cultivate rambutan for a living, but after losing the entire farm to drought and salt … [Read more...] about Drought killing Mekong Delta durian with salt
VPBank sells 15% stake to Japan’s SMBC for 1.5 bln USD
Vietnamese lender VPBank on March 27 signed an agreement to sell its 15% stake to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) through a private placement. At the signing ceremony between VPBank and SMBC (Photo: VNA) With this deal, SMBC, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc (SMFG), has officially become a foreign strategic investor of the Vietnamese bank. The investment from SMBC will help VPBank raise 35.9 trillion VND (approximately 1.5 billion USD) of Tier 1 capital (equal to 30,160 VND per share), increasing its equity to approximately 140 trillion VND from 103.5 trillion VND. Following the investment, VPBank will become Vietnam’s second largest bank in terms of equity, which allows it to serve a wide range of customer needs in various segments, including retail banking, corporate banking and SMEs. The robust capital stance will also back VPBank in serving large-scale enterprises, particularly the FDI and multi-national companies … [Read more...] about VPBank sells 15% stake to Japan’s SMBC for 1.5 bln USD
Van Don int’l airport to pilot biometric authentication for passengers
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has announced that passenger biometric authentication (facial recognition) will be piloted at check-in desks in Van Don international airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh. The Van Don int’l airport will pilot biometric authentication for passengers. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) The authority has asked the airport to take measures to prevent congestion and handle situations that arise during the trial period. It also requested the airport to coordinate with relevant agencies and businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot application regarding aviation security risks and convenience for passengers, and submit monthly reports to the CAAV. Vietjet Air and Hanoi-based Noi Bai international airport’s aviation security centre will worked closely with Van Don international airport and related partners in this scheme. Previously, the CAAV has proposed to the Ministry of Transport on extending the … [Read more...] about Van Don int’l airport to pilot biometric authentication for passengers
More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances
International visitors come to Vietnam for tourism purposes, market surveys, and investment. They not only bring about revenue and profit for the aviation and tourism industries, but also are an important factor for economic recovery and development across the country. Bui Doan Ne - Deputy chairman, Vietnam Aviation Business Association With over 70 per cent of international visitors to Vietnam arriving by air, resuming international flight routes promptly will support aviation and tourism, enabling them to recover soon and increase their competitiveness. These are dynamic industries that contribute significantly to the country’s GDP growth and economic development. International tourism to Vietnam has recovered slowly compared to other regional countries due to tight regulations in other countries, particularly China. The conflict in Ukraine has increased fuel costs and travel restrictions to European markets. Difficult economic conditions have also affected … [Read more...] about More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances