Deposit protection certificate

An F88 branch. The company has nearly 700 branches so far. — Photo F88.vn The financial services company F88 has been awarded the distinguished Client Protection Certificate by the Smart Campaign for its efforts in client protection. The certification marks the second time the company was honoured by Smart Campaign as having met seven principles set forth by the global initiative. The seven principles include Appropriate Product Design and Delivery, Prevention of Over-indebtedness, Transparency, Responsible Pricing, Fair and Respectful Treatment of Clients, Privacy of Client Data, and Mechanism for Complaint Resolution. An F88 representative underscored the incorporation of the principles in its business philosophy as the key factor behind its competitive advantages and strong corporate culture. The representative also revealed the company managed to keep total credit risk below one per cent in the past three years amid the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing it to keep excessive … [Read more...] about F88 earns Client Protection Certificate

Ceremony to mark the 20th founding anniversary of Vietnam Environment Protection Fund (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Vietnam Environment Protection Fund (VEPF) has contributed importantly to protecting the environment and reducing pollution over the past 20 years. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the fund on June 26 in the northern province of Quang Ninh, its Director Nguyen Duc Thuan said that in the past two decades, VEPF has provided preferential loans for nearly 400 projects with a total disbursed capital of nearly 3 trillion VND (129 million USD). It has also financed over 100 billion VND to help localities deal with post-disaster environmental pollution, received combined deposit amount of 250 billion VND from over 360 projects to ensure the restoration of the environment after the projects are completed, and mobilised a non-refundable aid worth 84 million USD from the Global Environment Fund. Deputy Minister of Natural … [Read more...] about 20-year-old fund helps protect environment, reduce pollution

The central bank is seeking feedback on its draft circular that sets stricter conditions for real estate loans as a measure to mitigate speculation and risk of a bubble burst. If projects have not yet become legally eligible, there is a high possibility of customers and owners canceling the contract over the failure in acquiring needed permits. This will complicate commercial banks’ management of capital and potentially pose risks to the economy, the central bank argues. Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA), deemed the move "necessary", noting that loans are still allowed for projects that meet legal requirements. "The draft not only helps protect customers’ rights and benefits, but also build a healthier real estate market," Chau said. Tran Khanh Quang, director of property developer Viet An Hoa, estimated that around 20 percent of homebuyers pay their deposits with loans. The approval process for these loans have been tightened in … [Read more...] about No home loans against legally incomplete projects: central bank

Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products, Photo: Duc Thanh Nguyen Vinh Phuong, the owner of a 150-hectare rubber plantation area in the south-eastern province of Tay Ninh has recently spent more time studying the process of obtaining the FSC certification. Although he is interested in cultivating sustainable rubber, he remains hesitant to implement this process. Phuong pointed out that the rule of a 10-per-cent conservation area seems to be an infeasible requirement for small operators of plantation areas. The rule would mean that Phuong would lose $1,500 over 10 days of rubber tapping if he saved 10 per cent of his 150-ha plantation area for conservation. Besides state-owned companies like Tan Bien Rubber and Tay Ninh Rubber, there are 12 private firms competing to source rubber. Phuong was certain that he would not lose VND105 million ($4,520) per month during the tough market caused by rising production expenses, the shortage of rubber tappers and the … [Read more...] about Plantations dreaming of FSC status for rubber products

Tightly controlling waste sources Company director Le Van Xuan said the company discharges three types of waste: solid, industrial and hazardous waste. Solid waste comprises waste paper, used office utensils, canteen waste, domestic waste and non-hazardous industrial waste. The company has signed a contract with the People’s Committee of Na Duong Town for waste collection, classification, transportation and treatment. Normal industrial solid waste (ashes and cinders) is transported by specialized vehicles to the 9.6ha Na Duoi dumping ground, about 2.5-3km away from residential areas and the company’s factory. In 2019, the Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology (IBST) certified that the company’s ashes and cinders were eligible for use as ground filling materials. On February 10, 2022, the institute granted another standard conformity certificate allowing the company to use its ashes and cinders as mineral additive for cement production. Hazardous waste is sorted … [Read more...] about Taking waste treatment very seriously

Major General Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Director of the General Department of Political Affairs, chaired the event. After three-days of competition with spirit of solidarity, honesty, nobility, exchange and learning, the festival and a clip contest themed “Care for and protection of children and domestic violence prevention and control” concluded, achieving all set targets and plans. The volleyball competition saw 18 interesting and dramatic matches with a high sense of responsible and high resolve of players. In the folk dance competition, competitors made thorough preparations in contents, were creative and flexible in performance, and harmonized in music and dance. For the clip competition, the organizer received 167 clips from 49 out of 60 units under the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defense. Attentively, this year, the organizers opened an online vote for clips, attracting over 27,000 comments, 53,000 views, and over 182,000 shares. In the final round, … [Read more...] about Military Women’s Sports Festival 2022 concludes

Craig Bradshaw, CEO of Masan High-Tech Materials Corporation (MHT). — Photo courtesy of the firm Craig Bradshaw, CEO of Masan High-Tech Materials Corporation (MHT), shared the company's vision to become a leading integrated supplier of advanced high-tech materials critical to global innovation, and his thoughts on being the operator of the firm with the biggest tungsten deposits, at Nui Phao Mining in Thai Nguyen, northern Viet Nam. In the most severe time of COVID last year, MHT saw its most successful business year in its history, with tungsten output and recycling rates both reaching record highs. What is the secret to this success, and can you tell us about the Nui Phao Mine? When we first came in 2011, Nui Phao appeared to be paddy fields and buffalos. Over three years, we brought in the construction director and built a team of people to take it from an idea or a concept to a commercial operation. At the time we did that, that was the first new tungsten mine to be … [Read more...] about MHT at forefront of global megatrends

On a bright moonlit night, a team of scientists and volunteers head out to a protected beach along the Delaware Bay to survey horseshoe crabs that spawn in their millions along the US East Coast from late spring to early summer. The group make their way up the shoreline laying a measuring frame on the sand, counting the individuals inside it to help generate a population estimate, and setting right those unfortunate enough to have been flipped onto their backs by the high tide. With their helmet-like shells, tails that resemble spikes and five pairs of legs connected to their mouths, horseshoe crabs, or Limulidae, aren't immediately endearing. But if you've ever had a vaccine in your life, you have these weird sea animals to thank: their bright blue blood, which clots in the presence of harmful bacterial components called endotoxins, has been essential for testing the safety of biomedical products since the 1970s, when it replaced rabbit testing. Glenn Gauvry, … [Read more...] about Horseshoe crabs: ‘Living fossils’ vital for vaccine safety

A group of young people in Saigon are offering a different perspective on the city with their two-wheeled tours. Founded by Vo Hoang Phuc, Saigon Morning Ride has so far led about 100 tours across Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City but still popularly used now. “The more [tours] we do, the more interesting things we find in Saigon. Who said there was nothing exciting in Saigon?” Phuc said. Though Phuc believes it to be a shame that so few people are aware of all the interesting things to do in the city, he hopes to offer insights into Saigon’s hidden gems with tours of the city’s alleys, ancient tombs, rice roads, graffiti, Oc Eo Relic, and nighttime haunts. Cyclists take the ferry on the Saigon River early in the morning. Photo: Huynh Vy / Tuoi Tre Exploring Saigon by bicycle At 5:15 am every Saturday, Saigon Morning Ride’s tour guides meet at a coffee shop on Hoang Sa Street in District 3. A few minutes later, guests start to show up. Some … [Read more...] about Seeing Saigon on two wheels

Headquarter of Viettel Group in Hà Nội. Việt Nam should have a strategy to promote the development of green buildings, a vital part of achieving the country's environmental goals. — Photo kinhtedothi.vn HÀ NỘI — Developing energy-efficient buildings is an inevitable trend for Việt Nam to achieve its environmental objectives. The energy used by high-rise buildings in Việt Nam accounts for around 35-40 per cent of the country’s total energy consumption. A survey by real estate service firm Cushman & Wakefield (CWK) showed that around 40 per cent of gas emissions came from real estate. According to the Việt Nam Green Building Council, there are about 200 green buildings across the country. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021 (COP26), Việt Nam committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve the environmental goals, Việt Nam needs to develop more energy-saving buildings that are high quality to reduce the negative impact on the … [Read more...] about Energy-efficient buildings on the rise in Việt Nam