Causes of vivid dreams and nightmares

Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee, said in the first two months, on average the city collected 2.9 trillion VND each day, which was higher than the average daily revenue. In January, the city collected 40 trillion VND, up 2.9 percent year-on-year, he added. To date it has collected 74,500 billion VND, accounting for more than 20 percent of the year’s target, up 10.5 percent year-on-year. The Tax Department aims to collect at least 25 percent of the yearly budget revenue target in the first quarter. The city’s retail sales of goods and services increased by 4.7 percent, while industrial production went up 6 percent in the first two months. The city’s exports reached 8 billion USD, a rise of 25 percent year-on-year (three major exports with increased revenues are fertilisers, plastic materials and auto spare parts). More than 3,800 enterprises resumed operation in the first two months (up 3 percent year-on-year). Some 700 enterprises completed dissolution procedures in the period (down 14.5 percent year-on-year). However, the service sector, especially tourism and accommodations, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the city’s total budget revenue, has been hit hardest. Tourism revenues decreased by 70 percent with accommodation services dropping by 14 percent. The outbreak has caused a significant decline in international visitors to the country, according to Hoan. For pandemic prevention, the city has contained the infection hotspot at Tan Son Nhat international airport with 36 cases recorded since the end of January. The city has gone 20 days without any locally transmitted infections, he said. Some non-essential services have gradually reopened. Students returned to school on March 1. The city has ordered individuals and organisations to continue to strictly implement precautions against the virus. “The city is always ready for the worst pandemic scenario,” he said. Regarding tasks for 2021, the city will …

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Participants in the event included Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung and Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez. Deputy Minister Son spoke of Vietnam’s situation, including the prominent outcomes of the 13th National Party Congress, measures in response to COVID-19, economic development, and social security ensuring. He affirmed that Vietnam always treasures and wishes to continue deepening the special traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cuba. For his part, Gonzalez also informed about the situation of his country, countermeasures to address difficulties caused by sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the updating of the socio-economic model. The two officials reviewed and assessed the areas of cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, as well as between the two foreign ministries. They also looked into ways to develop bilateral relations in a more intensive and comprehensive manner. They agreed to keep close coordination to organize high-level visits when possible; effectively carry out cooperation mechanisms; increase exchanges between the countries’ ministries, sectors, and businesses; promote trade and investment ties; and work together in such spheres as food security, education, healthcare, science - technology, culture, sports, and tourism. At the consultation, the deputy foreign ministers had in-depth discussion about global and regional issues of shared concern. They concurred in the continuation of coordination and mutual support at international organizations and multilateral forums of which both Vietnam and Cuba are members. Source: VNA …

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The survey notes that the global economy contracted by around 4.5 percent in 2020, the biggest fall in global activity in several decades. Having recovered from lockdown-imposed weakness in the first half of the year, many economies again faced weakness as a second wave of COVID infections triggered renewed lockdowns. The survey envisions a steady recovery this year, but continued uncertainty limits the bounce in consumer and busines confidence, with pre-crisis output not being reached until mid-2022. The survey also indicates that the Global orders, employment and capital investment indices recorded a further modest improvement, but still point to activity well below the pre-crisis level in the fourth quarter of 2019. The “fear” indices which means the concern about customers and suppliers going out of business, edged lower in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 but remain elevated, clearly underlining the extreme uncertainty in the global economic outlook at the start of 2021. At the same time, inflation concerns remain negligible with concern about costs staying close to an all-time low. “Last year was the worst for the global economy for several decades,” said Warner Johnston, Head of ACCA USA. “2021 will see recovery, but precisely when and how strong it will be is very uncertain. We anticipate a weak start, followed by a recovery gathering momentum through the second half. Much depends on the evolution of the COVID virus and variants relative to the progress of vaccination programs, and there is great uncertainty surrounding these developments.” Agreed with this points, Raef Lawson, IMA vice president of research and policy analysed the policy responses to the pandemic that have left public finances of most economies in a perilous state with budget deficits in the range of 10 percent to 15 percent of GDP in many countries with debt to GDP ratios well over 100 percent. In North America, confidence dropped in Q4, having jumped by the most on record in Q3. …

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