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
Export volume
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
Australia’s Victoria state pins hope on Vietjet’s launch of flights
Pallas said the presence of a carrier from Southeast Asia is a victory of Victoria state’s economy and brings job opportunities to the locality, reflecting the state’s tourism and export strengths. VietJet will run three direct weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne airport from April and will develop it into a daily service in December 2024. Its flights are expected to bring more than 136,000 passengers to Melbourne each year and add 97 million USD annually to the state's economy. VietJet will be the second Vietnamese airline to operate flights to Melbourne since after the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Vietnam's new-generation Bamboo Airways also launched the service in April 2022. Vietnam is now the ninth largest importer of Victoria state, with 113 million AUD (80.5 million USD) worth of Australian goods transported via airway during 2021-2022, up 77% compared to 2020-2021. Victoria state is also a popular tourist and study destination for Vietnamese. About 9,500 … [Read more...] about Australia’s Victoria state pins hope on Vietjet’s launch of flights
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
Vietnamese furniture products introduced at U.K. exhibition
The Vietnamese booths, featuring interior and exterior wooden and home décor products, handicrafts, hotel furniture, and lighting equipment, attracted many U.K. wholesalers and retailers, as well as visitors. Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the U.K. Nguyen Canh Cuong said the exhibition has offered a good opportunity for Vietnamese firms to introduce high quality products and meet potential importers and distributors. As the third largest furniture producer and exporter in the world, and the largest in Southeast Asia, Vietnam boasts products meeting requirements of the U.K. market, he said, stressing that Vietnam needs to actively attend fairs like JFS in order to seek and set up partnerships with British businesses. Zoe Bonser, Retail Manager of NEC, said that with more than 15,000 visitors, JFS gives a great chance to businesses, and those from Vietnam in particular, to gain easier access to the U.K. market. In 2022, Vietnam earned 239.66 million USD from exporting wood and … [Read more...] about Vietnamese furniture products introduced at U.K. exhibition