Campaigning for the general election

Vice Chairwoman of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha visits Office 2 of the VBS Central Committee (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Vice Chairwoman and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha visited and congratulated leaders of several Buddhist establishments in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26, on the occasion of Vesak Day, the 2567th birth anniversary of the Buddha. Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee in District 3, Ha hailed the VBS for always being an active member of the VFF, making significant and effective contributions to patriotic movements and campaigns launched by the VFF, building new-style rural areas, protecting the environment, coping with climate change, and joining social welfare and charitable endeavors, with noteworthy accomplishments. VNA … [Read more...] about Vesak Day 2023: VFF leader visits Buddhist establishments

Being one of the best-loved railways in Southeast Asia, Vietnam's North-South Railway, with two ends at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, attracts many travelers. Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guide, named Vietnam National Railway the most incredible rail trip in the world. The 1,730-kilometer journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City offers breathtaking views of the country's diverse landscapes, making it a must-see for foreigners coming to Vietnam, the magazine said. "Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colorful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line, known as the North–South Railway, fulfills all these criteria," it stated. The railway is one of Southeast Asia's best-loved railways and the world's most epic overnight train journeys. It's also one of Vietnam's tourism highlights that attracts many international visitors. … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Reunification Express named world’s most incredible rail journey: Lonely Planet

The annual Wealth Report by Knight Frank said there were 1,059 "ultra-rich" people in Vietnam in 2022, up from 538 in 2017, an 82% increase. An ultra-rich person is defined by Knight Frank as someone with a net worth of at least $30 million, minus loans. By 2027, the number of ultra-rich people in Vietnam is projected to hit 1,300, a 22% increase from 2022, and a 122% increase over the span of a decade, according to the company’s report. Vietnam’s number of high-net-worth individuals, defined as those with assets worth at least $1 million, has also increased by 70% over the last five years, from 40,971 people in 2017 to 70,000 in 2022. The report projected there would be over 112,200 high-net-worth individuals in Vietnam by 2027, a 173% increase over a decade. The report said the rapidly rising number of wealthy individuals in Vietnam aligns with general trends in Asia, where similar patterns have been seen in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In the … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s ‘ultra-rich’ population doubles over five years

Apple's resilient iPhone sales and Samsung's dominance amidst declining market According to Counterpoint Research, the smartphone market has been impacted by the recent economic difficulties. The report indicates that amidst challenging business conditions, retailers have had to revise their expansion plans and reassess their business strategies. Retail stores have reduced operating hours and lowered salaries due to the reduction in customers since the Lunar New Year. Initially, original equipment manufacturers misjudged the demand, resulting in high inventory levels. Subsequently, realising the actual situation, they rushed to offer discounts to clear the excess stock. All phone manufacturers, except for Apple, experienced a decline in sales in Q1. Glen Cardoza, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research stated, "The recovery of smartphone demand in Vietnam is expected to be slow in the second quarter of 2023 and will require time while the economy continues to face numerous … [Read more...] about Apple’s resilient iPhone sales and Samsung’s dominance amidst declining market

ROBOTACON WRO 2023 is being organised nationwide for the first time Under the theme connecting the world, the ROBOTACON WRO 2023 competition is co-organised by the Embassy of Denmark, Viet Tinh Anh JSC, and LEGO Education. This year, the teams participating in the contest will be divided into groups with tasks under various topics based on current interests from around the world, such as marine life conservation, underwater infrastructure, port automation, and others. According to the Danish ambassador Nicolai Prytz, he is very proud that the Embassy of Denmark is one of the co-organisers of ROBOTACON WRO 2023, the largest and most prestigious competition dedicated to science, technology, and education in Vietnam for students aged 6-19 years. “I believe that this will be a fantastic playground for young Vietnamese people to learn the necessary skills for the 21 st century, such as critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and technology. The competition also … [Read more...] about ROBOTACON WRO 2023 organised nationwide

Latest figures from the central bank show that in late February the on-balance sheet non-performing ratio of the banking system stood at 2.91 per cent, an increase compared to 2.46 per cent in late 2016, 1.49 per cent in late 2021 and most recently, 2 per cent in late 2022. However, according to a State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) assessment, several sorts of debts have the potential to be turned into bad debts in the future, such as investment into corporate bonds for debt restructuring, hard-to-collect receivables, among others. “If such debts were considered, the non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio of the system might reach 5 per cent of total outstanding balances,” said SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong. One positive point is that credit institutions have been taking practical measures to ensure operational safety through boosting their loan loss reserve (LLR) funds for their bad debts . Accordingly, credit institutions have maintained a fairly high LLR ratio approximating … [Read more...] about How bad debts influence lending rates

Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien (6th from right) receives the Cambodian delegation. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee held talks with representatives from the National Council of the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland in Hanoi on May 29. At the talks, Vice President and Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Ha affirmed the fruitful relations between the two sides, with the signing of cooperation documents. The two sides briefed each other on operations of their front organisations, and compared notes on cooperation orientations and contents in the time ahead. Nhem Valy, Permanent Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the National Council of the Solidarity for the Development of Cambodian Motherland, held that the talks will help the two front organisations better understand each other, thus helping … [Read more...] about Vietnamese, Cambodian front organisations forge cooperation

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last night by the Vietnam News Agency . - Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha received visiting Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara in Hanoi on May 29. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (R) receives visiting Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara. (Photo: VNA) Welcoming agreements signed between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications, Ha expressed his wish that the two sides will actively promote cooperation and technology transfer so that Vietnam and Laos can jointly implement digital and green transformation as soon as possible. Read full story At the talks between the delegations of the VFF Central Committee and the National Council of the Solidarity for the Development of Cambodian Motherland. (Photo: VNA) At the talks, Vice President and Secretary General of the VFF … [Read more...] about ☀️ Morning digest May 30

Printer production at Canon Vietnam (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Amid the slowing down of the global investment flows, experts held that improving both quality and number of foreign investment projects is a heavy task for Vietnam, requiring great efforts from the Vietnamese Government to fulfil the “dual targets”. According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), as of May 20, Vietnam had drawn 10.86 billion USD of foreign direct investment (FDI), down 7.3% year on year, including 5.26 billion USD of newly-registered capital, up 27.8%. Do Nhat Hoang, Director of the agency said that the increase in the amount of newly-registered capital in five months was higher than the 11% recorded in the first four months of this year. Meanwhile, the number of new projects in the five-month period also surged 66.4% year on year to 962 projects, showing foreign investors’ strong confidence in the investment environment of Vietnam … [Read more...] about Improving FDI quality, quantity crucial for Vietnam: Insiders

An overview of the NA's fifth session. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) deputies will continue their ongoing fifth session on May 30 discussing important matters, including a draft Law on Electronic Transactions (revised) and a draft resolution on pilot special policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. The draft Law on Electronic Transactions (revised) has seven chapters and 54 articles. Compared to the current version, the bill has 31 new and nine amended articles, while erasing a number of regulations in five and eliminating three articles. During the morning discussion, NA deputies will decide the investment policy for the project to construct road from National Highway 27C to Road 656 in Khanh Hoa province which links to Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan provinces, as well as the adjustment of the investment policy for Ka Pet reservoir in Ham Thuan Nam district of Binh Thuan province. In the afternoon, they are scheduled to listen to a proposal and a … [Read more...] about NA deputies continue to discuss draft laws, resolutions on May 30