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JETRO, ITPC, CSID and RX Tradex Company sign an agreement in HCM City on August 5 to jointly organise two exhibitions on supporting industries in HCM City in October. — VNS Photo RX Tradex Vietnam has partnered with the Japan External Trade Organisation, the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City and the HCM City Centre for Supporting Industries Development to organise METALEX Vietnam and Supporting Industry Show simultaneously in early October. Nobuyuki Matsumoto, chief representative of JETRO's HCM City office, said a 2021 survey by his agency found that the local sourcing ratio for Japanese companies in Viet Nam is 37.4 per cent, a slight increase from the previous year, but much lower than in China (69.5 per cent) or Thailand (58.4 per cent). He said over 86 per cent of Japanese firms wanted to increase the local sourcing of materials, components, and spare parts. Based on the needs of Japanese companies, JETRO decided to organise the ‘Supporting Industry Show’ … [Read more...] about Exhibitions seek to boost competitive edge of supporting industries

Huynh Kim Tuoc, managing director of the Saigon Innovation Hub's (SiHub) Start-up Support Centre under the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Huynh Kim Tuoc, managing director of the Saigon Innovation Hub's (SiHub) Start-up Support Centre under the HCM City Department of Science and Technology, affirmed Vietnam holds tremendous potential for technology development and transfer thanks to its highly qualified experts and intellectuals with rich experiences in this field, especially young and talented human resources at universities. Tuoc said that at a recent workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on promoting the establishment of technology transfer offices (TTOs) in universities, which was co-organised by SiHub, Australia's University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Singapore's leading incubator fund Expara. The workshop attracted a large number of domestic and foreign experts, and representatives of universities in … [Read more...] about HCM City seeks to boost technology transfer from universities

At a meeting with the leader of the southern province of Binh Duong last week, chairman of Sharp Corporation Yoshihiro Hashimoto revealed an expansion plan in the locality. Investors already with factories in the country are demonstrating that they trust the business climate here, Photo: Le Toan Sharp Group is exploring opportunities in the southern provinces of Vietnam, including Binh Duong, to move the supply chain away from the Chinese market, promoting market diversification and distribution, according to Hashimoto. “In the coming time, Sharp will continue to expand and build one more large-scale factory, oriented to develop high-tech and advanced products,” he said. Binh Duong is assessed as a locality with an attractive investment environment, in line with Sharp’s criteria. The group has two production factories located in Vietnam, at Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) I and an extended VSIP II. Sharp hopes to be supported in construction land, labour, and … [Read more...] about New foreign capital stutters despite overall deal boost

Vietnamese and international viewers will enjoy the unique works of worldwide cinema industries. The sixth Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) will make a comeback and is scheduled to take place in Hanoi between November 8 and 12, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After a two-year hiatus due to the Covíd-19 outbreak, the new context of safe and flexible adaptation to the pandemic makes its 6th edition this year a special one, the ministry said, authorizing the Vietnam Cinematography Department and relevant agencies to organize the event. The biennial festival aims to honor outstanding international and Vietnamese film works with high artistic value, rich in humanism and creativity. Foreign filmmakers at the fifth HANIFF held in Hanoi. Photo: Lai Tan The film festival also aims to encourage new talents in the movie industry in Vietnam and worldwide while promoting cooperation among filmmakers for the development of cinema. … [Read more...] about Hanoi International Film Festival to return in Q4

Banking services have also made quick progress, catching up with the development of the international market, according to the PM, who is also head of the committee. However, shortcomings still remain during the implementation of comprehensive finance, he said, adding that residents in rural and remote areas still find it hard to access financial sources. Black credit has remained public concern and agencies and organizations have yet to coordinate concertedly and effectively in the implementation of comprehensive finance, the leader pointed out. He noted that the Government issued Decision No.149/QD-TTg on the approval of a national strategy on comprehensive finance by 2025 with a vision towards 2030. The strategy sets out viewpoints, targets, tasks and solutions to accelerate the access and use of financial products and services for all people and businesses, he continued. The issuance of the strategy reflects the Party’s and the State’s consistent policy on boosting … [Read more...] about PM chairs meeting of National Steering Committee for Comprehensive Finance

From five grams of toothpaste to 10 millilitres of cooking oil, many Nigerians struggling with soaring prices now buy their basic necessities in small quantities packed in tiny plastic bags to be consumed on the same day. Consumer brands behind this "sachetisation of the economy" see it as a creative innovation, allowing consumption for all Nigerians, the majority of whom live on less than $2 a day. But critics see the development as an economic and ecological aberration, even as Africa's largest economy struggles with the inflationary fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. In the streets of Lagos, the vibrant economic capital of Africa's most populous country, small sachets are now part of the decor: they colour its streets, packing the wood and tin shops found on the corner of most streets. Sitting on a stool, Ibrahim Atahire has been running his small grocery store for 30 years in a busy area of Obalende, a popular district of the megalopolis. "At my place, you can buy … [Read more...] about From coffee to toothpaste, Nigerians buy small as hardships bite

Jumping from rock to rock to rock over a creek formed off Austria's Jamtal glacier, scientist Andrea Fischer worries that precious scientific data will be irreversibly lost as the snow and ice melt faster than ever. "I couldn't have imagined that it would ever melt as dramatically as this summer... Our 'archive' is melting away," says the glaciologist. Fischer -- vice director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences -- has spent more than 20 years surveying Jamtal and four other Alpine glaciers across Austria's highest peaks for the oldest areas of ice. For scientists looking to reconstruct the Earth's climate in the distant past, such ice formations are a unique time capsule stretching back thousands of years. The glaciers contain an invaluable treasure trove of data -- as they grew, the ice encapsulated twigs and leaves, which can now be carbon-dated, Fischer explains. And based on the age of such material and the depth … [Read more...] about Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secrets

The meeting aimed to seek ways to resolve challenges hampering the progress of one of the most critical infrastructure projects in Hanoi. Construction of the rail way started in 2008 and was initially planned to finish in 2015. The double-track railway is 12.5km long, with the elevated sections spanning 8.5km and the remaining 4km underground. Only 75% of the work has been completed, with investment doubling to more than 34 trillion VND (over 1.45 billion USD). The Hanoi People’s Committee, consultants and contractors are held responsible for the project’s extended delays, PM Chinh said, adding that there has been a lack of coordination between the municipal People’s Committee and concerned ministries and units. The deadline for the underground parts must be shortened, probably by half of the proposed 2027, and additional funding must not be sourced from ODA but the State budget instead, he ordered. The PM later assigned Standing Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh as head of a working … [Read more...] about PM Pham Minh Chinh checks progress of Nhon-Hanoi Station urban railway

The bank has served Vietnamese customers via its two representative offices in Hanoi and HCM City since 2015. Speaking at the opening ceremony held on August 5, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura said that Thailand is currently the 9th largest foreign investor in Vietnam and also the largest trading partner of the country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The opening of a branch by KBank in HCM City is an important milestone reflecting the bank’s strategic vision in strengthening economic ties between Thailand and Vietnam, he said. Nguyen Van Dung, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam, HCM City branch said putting into operation of KBank branch in the city will raise the number of foreign bank branches in the city to 32, contributing to diversifying the activities of the credit institutions in the locality. Sharing about the potential of the Vietnamese market, Kattiya Indaravijaya, CEO of KBank said that Vietnam is a rising star … [Read more...] about Thailand’s Kasikornbank opens first branch in HCM City

A plane of Vietnam Airlines (Source: VNA) Quang Binh (VNA) – The Vietnam Airlines Corporation is planning to raise the flight frequency between Hanoi and Dong Hoi city of central Quang Binh province to meet growing travel demand, according to the provincial People’s Committee. From August 1 to October 29, seven flights will be added to each of the Hanoi - Dong Hoi and Dong Hoi - Hanoi routes every week. That will bring the total number of the firm’s round-trip flights between the two destinations to 21 per week, including 14 flights operated by Vietnam Airlines and seven by Pacific Airlines. The People’s Committee said the corporation has been effectively operating the route linking Hanoi and Quang Binh, which has helped facilitate air travel and contributed to local tourism development. Quang Binh welcomed more than 916,000 tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2022 and earned over 1 trillion VND in tourism revenue, respectively rising 69% and 76.7% … [Read more...] about Flights linking Hanoi, Dong Hoi to increase