According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the scale of the Vietnamese retail market is USD 142 billion, which is expected to reach USD 350 billion in 2025, with contribution of 59% to total GDP. Last year, the total revenue from retail sales of goods and services rose 21%, exceeding the target of 8%. A survey by Vietnam Report showed that over 53.8% of total retail firms enjoyed similar and higher business results compared to the pre-pandemic level. Experts held that growth of retail sales is being supported by rise in income and the strong recovery of the tourism sector as well as relevant sectors such as transport and accommodations, as well as the effectiveness of inflation control measures. Particularly, from now to the lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, which falls in late January, consumers are predicted to loosen their wallet dramatically. At the same time, there are signs of vibrant retail activities as many foreign investors have announced their plans to … [Read more...] about Retail market forecast to bustle this year
Cpi increase 2017
Vietnam government should intervene in bond market: ADB economist
Between VND150-200 trillion ($6.4-8.5 billion) in bonds are set to mature this year, and if the bond market is left to self-regulate, systemic risks could spread to the banking sector and the entire financial market, Cuong told VnExpress in an interview. Although Vietnam concluded 2022 with a strong post-pandemic recovery, several financial problems plagued the economy last year, among them bond market issues . As there were many high-profile arrests due to alleged misconduct in bond issuance, companies prematurely redeemed VND210.57 trillion worth of their own bonds last year, up 46% from 2021. Although the market could be left to fix its own problems, Cuong said that it is recommended that the government intervenes with policies to ensure post-pandemic recovery, as one problem in the market could shake the market in a major way this year. He added that in the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. government initially let the market corrects itself, but after Lehman Brothers … [Read more...] about Vietnam government should intervene in bond market: ADB economist
Local game developers eye great opportunities at home
Illustrative image (Photo: vietnamnet) Hanoi (VNA) – The bustling game market in Vietnam is offering numerous opportunities for developers, according to experts. Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Authority of Broadcasting , Television and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), cited data from App Annie 2020 showing that Vietnam ranked seventh in the world and second in Southeast Asia in the number of game downloads. Meanwhile, the country also ranked third in the top 10 game application manufacturers in the region. For every 25 games downloaded, there is one produced in Vietnamese studios. According to the statistics of Sensor Tower and the Vietnam Game Studio Club, there are currently about 5,000 games produced by Vietnamese people, mostly for children, entertainment, and education. Do said that the wage of each game developer in Vietnam is about 187 million VND (7,975 USD) per year, while that of each artist is abour 389 million … [Read more...] about Local game developers eye great opportunities at home
Urbanisation ratio expected to reach 53.9 per cent in 2023
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) has set a target of raising the urbanisation ratio of the country to 53.9 per cent in 2023. Apartments in Hanoi. In 2022, Vietnam's urbanisation ratio increased by 1.2 per cent to 41.7 per cent. According to head of the MoC Office Đậu Minh Thanh, urban planning, management and development has been defined as one of the three breakthrough stages of the sector. In 2022, the country's urbanisation ratio increased by 1.2 percentage points to 41.7 per cent, he noted, adding that in the year, the ministry recognised five areas as tier-4 urban areas. As of November 2022, the country had 888 urban areas, including two special-type areas, 22 tier-1, 33 tier-2, 47 tier-3 and 94 tier-4 urban areas. Thanh said that in 2023, the ministry will focus on implementing the Government's action plan to realise Resolution No.06-NQ/BCT on sustainable urban planning, construction, management and development until 2030 with a vision to … [Read more...] about Urbanisation ratio expected to reach 53.9 per cent in 2023
Urban flooding needs concerted solutions
A street in Hanoi is flooded after heavy rains. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Alongside urbanisation , flooding in cities of Vietnam, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, is getting complicated and needs concerted solutions, according to experts. There are more than 800 cities nationwide, including the two special municipalities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Big and populous cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Vinh of Nghe An province have frequently suffered from heavy losses caused by downpours and flooding. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnamese cities, especially major ones, are centres of economic, social, and cultural activities and also concentrations of infrastructure facilities and residential areas. They are exposed to many disaster risks, including flooding, which requires proactive preventive and timely response measures. … [Read more...] about Urban flooding needs concerted solutions
Traffic accidents fall during Tet holiday
Police check a driver's papers on Highway No 1 in Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province.(Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – As many as 152 traffic accidents occurred in the country during the Tet ( Lunar New Year ) holiday, from January 20 to January 26, a year-on-year decrease of 12 cases, according to the Ministry of Transport. The traffic accidents killed 89 people, down three from last year’s holiday, and injured 111 others, up by eight. The majority were road accidents, while there are four railway and one waterway accidents. Road traffic police nationwide punished 21,967 violators with fines totalling 50.4 billion VND (2.1 million USD). They temporarily confiscated 639 automobiles and more than 9,910 motorbikes and withdrew approximately 4,950 driving licences of different kinds. Of all the violators, more than 7,726 people were fined for high blood alcohol content, an increase of more than 6,600 people compared with the last Tet holiday. On waterways, … [Read more...] about Traffic accidents fall during Tet holiday
Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
The HCM Stock Exchange (HoSE) in HCM City (Photo hsx.com) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The market's uptrend will continue to be consolidated in the first trading session of the Year of Cat . The VN-Index, which tracks the performance of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), closed above the resistance area of 1,100 points, equivalent to 1,120 points of the VN30-Index , in the last trading week. Although cash flow has not improved much, supply pressure has not put great pressure on the market. The market is expected to continue to be supported and gain points in the next trading sessions. Therefore, investors can still expect the market to expand the uptrend and exploit some short-term opportunities in stocks with positive accumulation background, said Viet Dragon Securities Co. 2022 was an eventful year for the Vietnamese stock market with many records set. After a prosperous 2021, the VN-Index continued to stay at its historic peak for the first three months of 2022. … [Read more...] about Positive prospects for Vietnam’s stock market this year
Malaysia to implement 5G technology by end of March
Illustrative image (Photo: Newstraitstimes) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - The Communications and Digital Ministry of Malaysia plans to announce the introduction and implementation of 5G by Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) with added features at the end of March. Minister Fahmi Fadzil said DNB is currently studying and evaluating the available options to ensure the coverage will not just reach 80% but will be expanded nationwide. Fahmi said the implementation of the 5G will enable companies and factories to achieve efficient and fast communication services in order to increase productivity and provide the public with efficient services. Meanwhile, referring to issues of personal security and online scams, the ministry aspires to turn the Personal Data Protection Department into a statutory department to carry out its functions more efficiently, said the minister. The agency under the ministry will become one of the most important departments to be strengthened to deal with … [Read more...] about Malaysia to implement 5G technology by end of March
330,000 visitors bring Hanoi $42.6mn on Tet
Hanoi earned more than VND1 trillion (US$42.6 million) from 330,000 visitors in five days of the seven-day 2023 Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, according to the city’s tourism department. The number of visitors, calculated from January 21 to Thursday, is three-fold that of the same period last year. That included 32,000 international visitors, most of whom came from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Canada, and 300,000 domestic tourists. The Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy) in Dong Da District welcomed 80,000 people, while the same number of visitors came to the Huong Pagoda in My Duc District. The UNESCO-recognized Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Ba Dinh District received 19,680 visitors. About 18,000 people visited the Co Loa relic site in Dong Anh District. Duong Lam Village and the Son Tay ancient fortress citadel in Son Tay Town drew some 15,000 visitors, Hanoi Zoo in Ba Dinh District received 17,235 people. The Hoa Lo Prison … [Read more...] about 330,000 visitors bring Hanoi $42.6mn on Tet