European property market

It is now nearly impossible to buy a new apartment at the VND 2 billion mark. According to a report in 2022 from Rever, a Southeast Asia technology firm in real estate brokerage, for VND1.5-1.8 billion, one can buy a 30-55 square meter apartment built 6-10 years ago in Thu Duc City, on the secondary market. The average income of workers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) this year is about VND148 million a year, according to property listing platform Batdongsan.com.vn. By that calculation, it will take up to 24 years to save, with no spending on anything, just to buy an apartment. The type of apartment used in this survey costs VND3.5 billion per unit. The data also shows that Vietnam ranks first in Southeast Asia in terms of the gap between house prices and average worker incomes. From 2018 to 2021, the ratio of the difference between real estate prices and the average income of Vietnamese has continuously increased, surpassing even Singapore. On the other hand, Indonesia, Malaysia and … [Read more...] about A laborer needs to save for 25 years to buy an apartment

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

International visitors come to Vietnam for tourism purposes, market surveys, and investment. They not only bring about revenue and profit for the aviation and tourism industries, but also are an important factor for economic recovery and development across the country. Bui Doan Ne - Deputy chairman, Vietnam Aviation Business Association With over 70 per cent of international visitors to Vietnam arriving by air, resuming international flight routes promptly will support aviation and tourism, enabling them to recover soon and increase their competitiveness. These are dynamic industries that contribute significantly to the country’s GDP growth and economic development. International tourism to Vietnam has recovered slowly compared to other regional countries due to tight regulations in other countries, particularly China. The conflict in Ukraine has increased fuel costs and travel restrictions to European markets. Difficult economic conditions have also affected … [Read more...] about More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances

Participation in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has also enabled Vietnamese farm produce to make inroads into the European market. Belgium is Vietnam’s sixth-largest trade partner in the EU. Bilateral trade surged nearly 54% to 4.3 billion USD in 2021 compared to 2020, and reached 4.5 billion USD in 2022. Notably, since 2018, Vietnam and Belgium have become strategic partners in agricultural cooperation, which was an important milestone in relations. Besides agriculture , Belgium also wants to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in fields such as tourism and healthcare. In addition to economic success, political and diplomatic relations between the two countries have also been thriving thanks to frequent high-level visits. Vietnam and Belgium have also strengthened cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums and in international organisations. With a stable foundation over the past five decades, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam … [Read more...] about Vietnamese farm produce finds favour in Belgium

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Ninh Thuan (VNA) – The south central province of Ninh Thuan will hold a grape and wine festival from June 13-18 to highlight the local products and culture. The opening ceremony is slated for June 16 evening. On the occasion, the locality will also hold a ceremony receiving UNESCO’s certificate recognising the pottery making art of Cham ethnic people as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. A tourist tastes wine in a grape orchard. (Photo: VNA) Activities during the festival are designed in response to the 2023 National Tourism Year themed “Binh Thuan – Green Convergence”. Grapes were introduced to Ninh Thuan province in the 1960s. With its hot and dry climate and sandy soil, Ninh Thuan has favourable conditions for grape cultivation, making it a unique agricultural product of the region. Ninh Thuan grapes have been certified for geographical indication by the National Office of Intellectual Property. … [Read more...] about Ninh Thuan grape and wine festival 2023 to be held in June