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Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Commercial banks that underwrite and sell corporate bonds have to buy them back if investors so demand, the central bank has said. It followed a meeting with voters (members of the public) the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) held in Ho Chi Minh City amid the ongoing bond market troubles. Besides asking for underwriting banks to take responsibility for redeeming bonds, the voters also urged the SBV to tighten inspection of credit institutions to ensure they comply with regulations while investing in bonds. The SBV recently raided 11 banks and fined a number of them for violating regulations related to bond purchases. Under current regulations, banks must have an internal credit rating system and can only buy bonds if their bad debts ratio is below 3%. For bonds sold in the domestic market, when issuers cannot pay in full and on time the bond principal and interest, they must negotiate with bondholders for extending the term … [Read more...] about Banks underwriting bonds should buy back bonds: Central bank

The CFA is part of the UK Government's efforts to help Vietnam meet the commitments made by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. Nine low carbon projects from across Vietnam have been announced to be part of the first cohort of the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) Vietnam. The selected projects come from diverse sectors including renewable energy, resource and energy efficiency, electromobility, AFOLUs (agriculture, forestry and other land uses), decarbonised construction, circular economy and waste management, and have the potential to benefit communities across Vietnam. Deep C Green is one of the first nine low-carbon projects in Vietnam to join the CFA. Photo: Deepc.vn Projects will receive tailored one-on-one and group support to improve project readiness and chances of attracting investment from Vietnamese and international investors. This will include advice on technical aspects, financial models, and pitch materials, as well as … [Read more...] about UK-funded CFA to support nine low-carbon projects in Vietnam

As home to nearly 300 national treasures, Hanoi has a valuable source of ritual and cultural traits that tell its history of thousands of years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sees the partnership with Hanoi in heritage preservation as one of its key activities in the future, said Director of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou on March 27. Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh (right) receives Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center, on March 27. Photo: The Hanoi Times The UNESCO expects to bolster the relationship with Vietnam’s capital city in preserving cultural traits and heritages, he told a meeting with Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh. Lazare urged the municipal and local authorities of Hanoi to come up with solutions that bring balance between heritage preservation and socio-economic growth and lift the living conditions for local people. UNESCO will always partner with Vietnam to … [Read more...] about UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation

Vietnamese companies prioritize environmentally friendly and sustainable practices as part of their efforts to ensure long-term growth. More than 85% of Vietnam's 500 fastest-growing companies (FAST 500) have committed or plan to comply with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, according to a survey conducted by the Vietnam Report Company (Vietnam Report). Electronics production at SGK Company (Chuong My Industrial Park), a component supplier for Samsung. Photo: The Hanoi Times As the global community continues to prioritize environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, Vietnam is also placing a great deal of emphasis on achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050. FAST500 companies are aware of the importance of ESG standards and are in the process of adopting this strategy, the report states. Specifically, 14.8% of companies surveyed had initiated and implemented some of their ESG obligations, while 37% had fully planned and … [Read more...] about Over 85% of major Vietnamese companies are committed to ESG standards

In his remarks, Chairman of the People’s Committee Phan Van Mai highlighted the increasingly close ties between the two countries, saying over the past 50 years, the bilateral relationship has grown actively across spheres, both bilaterally and multilaterally. The good traditional friendship has also been consolidated and enhanced, the official added. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam presented Italy with more than 300,000 masks, while Italy donated 2.8 million doses of vaccines to the Southeast Asian nation. This vividly demonstrates the intensive and effective strategic partnership and friendship between the two countries, he said. Ho Chi Minh City, for its part, has actively worked to promote cooperation with Italy, Mai noted, adding that the relations between Ho Chi Minh City and Italy have reaped achievements in trade, investment, education and training, culture, and tourism. According to the official, the two-way trade reached 591 million USD last year. For … [Read more...] about 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Italy diplomatic ties celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City

At the event, experts and delegates proposed ideas for enterprises to carry out their social responsibility for environmental protection, and underlined the benefits that it brings. Nguyen Dinh Phuc, Vice Chairman of the municipal Union of Science and Technology Associations, said more enterprises are willing to use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund to finance environmental projects carried out by social organizations. However, the coordination between the two sides still faces certain issues, he said, adding that events like this program will help the sides find shared values and enhance their cooperation in the future. The activity was part of a project on pooling financial resources for sustainable biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in Da Nang city, or known as Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Fund project, which is funded by the European Union Delegation to Vietnam. The project aims to establish a fund for the conservation of wild flora and … [Read more...] about Enterprises’ social responsibility in biodiversity conservation highlighted

The event saw the participation of representatives from 31 women's associations from across the country. The seminar's aim was to promote sustainable growth and development within the female-led business community in Vietnam and share developments in sustainable practices and integrating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). The conference was part of a larger sustainable business development initiative, officially launched by VAWE in 2022, that focuses on reducing emissions and negative impacts on the environment and society, as well as integrating ESG into corporate values. In attendance was Ton Ngoc Hanh, vice chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union, who said, "This seminar encourages a spirit of responsibility in Vietnam's female business community, showing the commitment and determination of everyone here to join hands with the government in achieving the goal of green growth, and to contribute effectively to sustainable development in the country. " Nguyen … [Read more...] about Vietnamese female entrepreneurs take the lead in boosting green growth

To improve project readiness and provide opportunities to attract investment from Vietnamese and international investors, the schemes will receive tailored one-to-one and group support. This will include advice on technical aspects, financial models, materials, and advice on enhancing gender equality and social inclusion. The CFA is part of the UK government’s efforts to help Vietnam meet the commitments made by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at COP26 in Glasgow two years ago, and offer support to implement the Vietnam Just Energy Transition Partnership (V-JETP) that was agreed upon in December last year. “The exciting and innovative projects selected to be part of CFA Vietnam underline the significant potential of the Vietnamese private sector to help tackle the climate crisis," British Ambassador to Vietnam, Iain Frew, said. "The expertise shared with these projects will help move them closer to finding investment, leading to reductions in carbon emissions for communities across … [Read more...] about Innovative low-carbon projects join UK’s climate finance scheme

Proposals relating to cooperation and encouraging foreign investors to join Vietnam’s innovation journey were addressed at some forums, including one at VIR’s headquarters and the annual Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) organised in Hanoi over a week back. Working groups of the Vietnam Business Forum touched on a variety of topics and recommendations for greater progress Photo: Dung Minh One particular area of discussion focused on the digital economy and tech such as blockchain. Do Tien Thinh, deputy director of the Vietnam National Innovation Centre (NIC) said at VIR’s forum on digital transformation on March 21 that the NIC is working with many big foreign technology groups to connect them with domestic enterprises to implement training courses and technical supporting programmes. Thinh said Google has implemented digital skill training courses for businesses, especially startups. In mid-2022, Google launched a certification initiative and Startup Academy Vietnam, … [Read more...] about High-tech talent pool to aid transformation