Fees charged

The People’s Committee of HCMC has delegated the municipal Department of Education and Training to build a plan on tuition fee exemption in the academic year 2022-2023. The HCMC Department of Education and Training previously announced a draft plan on new tuition fees that are expected to be applied for public kindergarten and high school levels from the academic year 2022-2023 in the city. Last year, the People’s Council of HCMC approved financial aid for students of public kindergarten and high school levels in the city in the 2021-2022 school year. The assistance aims to help students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the Department of Education and Training will continue to propose a policy on the exemption of school fee for students of secondary schools to the municipal authorities in order to reduce the burden on parents. Back-to-School season is bringing additional financial burdens for parents. The department will consider when deciding on the … [Read more...] about HCMC proposes not to raise tuition fees from academic year 2022-2023

Because of strict visa policies, promotions to attract international tourists have not been as effective as expected, according to many businesses. Enterprises have made huge investments to welcome back tourists, but such illogical visa policies may slow down the tourism recovery pace. Being confused and facing difficulties Many travel companies in Da Nang City told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that visa policies for foreign tourists were still their biggest concern. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam offered the visa waiver policy for citizens of many countries and the normal visa approval period was three to five days (visas which were valid for 30 days). However, the list of countries whose citizens are entitled to Vietnam’s visa waiver policy has been shortened and the visa processing period has been lengthened, putting enterprises at a disadvantage. Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of … [Read more...] about Strict visa policies hinder international guests from visiting Vietnam

Grab has announced its commitment to managing its carbon footprint to become carbon-neutral by 2040 even as its business continues to grow significantly over the years. It was one of three goals it announced in its recently released environment, social and governance (ESG) report. It said it would focus first on measures to reduce emissions before turning to offsets. As a platform that facilitates on-demand mobility and deliveries, 96 per cent of Grab’s total emissions in 2021 came from vehicles. Hence, a core part of its strategy is to help build an inclusive electric vehicle (EV) eco-system that caters to the middle and lower-middle classes. To this end, it works with governments, charging infrastructure providers and automakers across Southeast Asia to do EV pilot studies and research, plan and develop EV charging infrastructure and battery swapping stations and financing products to support greater EV adoption. The other two goals are doubling the number of marginalised … [Read more...] about Grab announces targets for sustainable, inclusive growth

Blockchain-based projects in all kinds of sectors promise enticing income opportunities, Photo: FOTA Vietnam is emerging as one of the blockchain hubs in Southeast Asia and across the globe as the number of startups in this field increases significantly. At the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai last month, two non-fungible token (NFT) games developed by Vietnamese enterprises were in the top 10 GameFi projects with the highest revenue in the Binance ecosystem. Often bringing in billions of dollars in profits, blockchain is becoming a fertile land that attracts investors and developers, and also those who have the need to find new job opportunities. A report from LinkedIn confirmed that the hiring demand for blockchain programmers will continue to explode in 2022. Positions such as blockchain engineer and blockchain programmer alone account for 15.6 per cent of all LinkedIn job openings, proving the undeniable attractiveness of the blockchain industry in the market. The data … [Read more...] about Blockchain industry yearns for new talent

Developing modern logistics infrastructure and enhancing linkage to lower logistics costs would give a push to export growth. — Photo baochinhphu.vn HÀ NỘI — Lowering logistics costs is key to increasing the competitiveness of Việt Nam’s export products and the whole economy. The latest figures of the Việt Nam Logistics Association revealed that logistics costs were equivalent to around 20-22 per cent of the country’s GDP, much higher than Thailand (19 per cent), China (18 per cent), Malaysia (13 per cent) and nearly three times higher than the US and Singapore (8 per cent). The association pointed out that about 4,000 enterprises were providing logistics services in Việt Nam, 97 per cent of which were micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. However, service quality, capital, information technology application, digital transformation and human resources remained limited. Trần Đức Nghĩa from the association said that logistics costs were pushed up by high road … [Read more...] about Lowering logistics costs key to competitiveness

The US Mission to Vietnam is seeking candidates for the Fall 2022 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship on civic engagement, environmental issues, social entrepreneurship and economic development. According to the organiser, Vietnamese citizens between the ages of 18 and 25, full-time undergraduate students or those who have graduated from college, university, or other institutions of higher learning, who demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university or place of work, have an interest in community service and volunteerism, and have a good command of English, are invited to apply for the program. The application deadline is 11:59p.m. Sunday, June 5, 2022. The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is a public diplomacy program designed to advance regional strategic goals, break down barriers that separate the next generation of leaders in Southeast Asia, and link those emerging leaders to the United States. The … [Read more...] about Fall 2022 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellowships announced

The pet graveyard will spread a message of kindness. Te Dong Vat Nga Pagoda in Hanoi, known as the first place in Vietnam that provides burial and intercession for pets, is the resting place of more than 2,000 dogs and cats. The pet cemetery, built on an area of 100 square meters on Truong Dinh Street in Hoang Mai District, well-known for being full of small tombs made of laterite, is replete of incense burners and surrounded by golden bamboo and both fresh and artificial flowers. “I assume that in my previous life, I must have owned these animals or treated them cruelly, so I have to repay them or make it up to them in this life,” joked Nguyen Bao Sinh, 82-year-old owner of the cemetery, who is better known for his artistic work as a folk poet, painter, and pet dealer, rather than a grave-tender. Nguyen Bao Sinh, owner of the pet cemetery said pets will be protected by Buddha when being worshiped in this room. Photo: Nguyen Ngan The cemetery was built … [Read more...] about Unique cemetery in Hanoi helps ease passing of pets

Thailand had won gold medals in the men’s and women’s team regu events at the ongoing regional sporting event, while the hosts Vietnam earned a bronze in the men’s team regu and a silver in the women’s category. The bus took the Thai delegation to famous tourist destinations in Hanoi such as Hanoi Opera House, Ba Dinh Square, and Thang Long Imperial Citadel. During the ‘Hanoi City Tour,’ the delegation enjoyed a 30-minute sightseeing at the Temple of Literature special national relic. Head coach of the men’s sepak takraw team Veeras Na Nongkhai said this is the first time that he has travelled to Hanoi, hailing the city’s landscapes and people’s cordiality. Head of the sepak takraw delegation of Thailand Pairoj Archarungroj said this is the first time for him and many Thai athletes to experience the double-decker bus tour as Bangkok has yet to launch such services. He also praised Vietnamese and Hanoi cuisine, adding that he wants to travel to the country with his family in … [Read more...] about SEA Games 31: Thai sporting delegation enjoys double-decker bus tour in Hanoi