Fresh farm products

In 2022, Ho Chi Minh City's industrial food production recorded a significant increase of 30.5 per cent on-year. However, the industry is facing many fresh challenges this year due to fluctuations in the global economy affecting export markets and a slowdown in economic growth. Phan Van Co, marketing director of Vrice Group, said, "Since the beginning of the year, the cost of materials for rice production has increased considerably, by 3-5 per cent. While the price of rice has increased in many countries around the world, it has not increased as it has in the Vietnamese market, making it difficult for Vietnamese rice exporters to compete." In 2023, industry and trade in Ho Chi Minh City will strive for an increase in the index of industrial production of 7.5 per cent; growth in the total retail sales of social consumer goods of 12 per cent; and a 10 per cent jump in exports, excluding crude oil, through the city's port. The targets were set while taking such difficulties as the … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City food enterprises hope expansion is key

Present at the event were Director of the General Department of Political Affairs General Luong Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Deputy Defense Ministers Senior Lieutenant Generals Hoang Xuan Chien, Vu Hai San, and Le Huy Vinh. The festival was part of the practical activities to mark the 64th anniversary of the day President Ho Chi Minh launched the lunar New Year (Tet) tree-planting festival (1959-2023) and 93rd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - 2023) and welcome the Year of the Cat. It also responded to the Prime Minister-launched program of planting 1 billion trees for a green Vietnam. Addressing the event, Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang said that in the 2015-2020 period, the whole military planted nearly 11 million trees of different kinds, importantly greening bare land, barren hills, helping regulate climate, and improving … [Read more...] about Defense ministry launches tree planting festival 2023

Hanoi’s safety index is 62 on scale of 100 points. Statistics site Numbeo recently ranked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) fifth and 14th in the safety index among 20 cities in Southeast Asia, respectively. According to Numbeo's latest report, Hanoi's safety index is 62. The safety index of the southern Vietnamese metropolis was 47.4 points, as, according to the site, walking alone at night in HCMC "has a low level of safety". Numbeo is the world's largest database of user-contributed data on cities and countries around the world. It specializes in assessing the quality of life in the world's cities, including their safety rankings. The site calls itself the world's largest database on housing, crime, healthcare, traffic and cost of living in hundreds of cities. Foreign tourists on Hanoi’s street. Photo: Ho Ha/The Hanoi Times Numbeo defined safety as "safety walking alone in daylight" and "safety walking alone at night". It measured the level of … [Read more...] about Hanoi ranked 5th among safest cities in Southeast Asia

At the forum, Vietnam will introduce tourism development, mechanisms and policies, tourism products and services after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the message of Vietnam tourism through the slogan "Vietnam - Timeless Charm" and the campaign "Live fully in Vietnam." TRAVEX is one of the most important activities within ATF 2023, attracting the attention of international partners, businesses and tourists. It will feature exhibitions and symposiums. Vietnam’s booth at the exhibition will highlight the National Tourism Year 2023 in the South-central province of Binh Thuan. The events are expected to offer a good chance for the tourism sector to introduce Vietnam’s attractive destinations, and help travel agencies to seek partners, towards speeding up tourism recovery. ASEAN is one of the most dynamic tourism development regions in Asia and the Pacific. Most of ASEAN member countries consider tourism an important economic sector. According to data from the ASEAN Secretariat, in … [Read more...] about Vietnam to attend ASEAN Tourism Forum 2023 in Indonesia

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is striving to increase the proportion of science , technology and innovation ’s contributions to the sector’s growth by over 50% by 2030 through research, transfer and application activities. The number of businesses engaged in innovation will account for 60% of the total working in the sector by 2025, and 85% by 2030. The sector will support the construction and development of at least 200 hi-tech agricultural enterprises nationwide, and 50-100 high-tech agricultural zones in the agro-ecological ones. BBFarm agricultural cooperative in Song Long commune, Son Hoa district, Phu Yen province (Photo: VNA) More efforts will be made to turn science, technology and innovation into a breakthrough to strongly develop Vietnam's agricultural economy; transform to a green and environmentally sustainable growth model; and improve productivity, quality, efficiency and … [Read more...] about Science, technology, innovation to contribute over 50% to agricultural growth by 2030

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs noted about 95% of employees in local agencies, factories, and businesses had been back to work as of January 30. Among the over 1,300 companies surveyed by the department, more than 42% of those allowing their workers to return to their hometowns for Tet from January 18 - 19 (the 27th and 28th days of the last lunar month) have resumed operations. Director of the department Le Van Thinh said despite many difficulties leading to lay-offs in late 2022, the situation has improved as many businesses and factories have received new orders. A number of companies have launched various incentives and better treatment policies to keep employees. Resignations after Tet have declined as most workers want to have stable jobs, especially amid numerous difficulties facing the economy and daily lives, he noted. As of the end of 2022, Ho Chi Minh City was home to more than 286,000 enterprises and 460,000 individual … [Read more...] about Majority back to work after Tet in Southern industrial hubs

"We have to be determined to improve the traffic infrastructure in the region within this government term [2021-2026], especially the expressway system," the prime minister said when meeting with authorities in the Mekong Delta. Between now and 2026, the region should build an additional 463 kilometers of expressways, he said. As per a master plan for traffic infrastructure development, the region is set to have six expressways measuring 1,166 kilometers long in total. They are to be funded by either state funds or via the public-private partnership format. Until now, only four expressways have been completed, running a combined total of 171 kilometers in length. The delta now has eight expressway projects that are either under construction or still waiting for investment procedures to be completed. The eight projects will cost a total VND94.4 trillion (US$4 billion). PM Chinh ordered that related agencies and localities where the projects go through must speed up work so … [Read more...] about PM wants Mekong Delta expressways tripled in length by 2026

The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) hosted a gong-beating ceremony on January 31, marking the first trading session of the Vietnamese stock market in Spring 2023. In her opening speech, Vu Thi Chan Phuong, chairwoman of the State Securities Commission (SSC), emphasised that 2022 marked a challenging year for the Vietnamese economy due to a range of internal and external factors. However, the national economy was able to record a series of impressive results, with GDP growth rate increasing by 8.02% and inflation kept in check, she said. Moving into 2023, she said the global economic and political landscape is anticipated to record plenty of complicated and unpredictable developments, and in such a context the securities sector will continue to fine-tune the legal framework and formulate policies in line with the actual development of the stock market. Phuong underlined the necessity of accelerating restructuring and swiftly putting the stock trading system … [Read more...] about First Spring 2023 trading session of stock market opens

At the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on January 31 chaired a meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat to review the organisation of Tet ( Lunar New Year ) celebrations and look into major tasks in the time ahead. The leader lauded Party Committees and administrations at all levels for their serious implementation of directives issued by the Secretariat and the Prime Minister regarding the organisation of Tet, the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam. Regarding the tasks in the coming time, he stressed the need to continue with the forecasting work to take response measures, and asked each agency and locality to map out specific plans for 2023 in order to fulfill targets set for the year. The Secretariat will direct agencies and localities to resume operations following the holiday, and effectively materialise the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 46-KL/TW on the macro-economic situation and key tasks and solutions for … [Read more...] about Party chief chairs meeting reviewing organisation of Tet celebrations

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. - Vietnam pledges to actively participate in and contribute to the building of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) to promote the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, a Vietnamese representative told the first Informal Consultations on GDC in New York on January 30. The building of the compact is necessary to promote a safer, fairer and more developed digital world for all. Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said at the event. Read full story - Vietnam will participate in ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023 themed “ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations”, and the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) trade fair in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from February 2 – 5, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). At the forum, Vietnam will introduce tourism development, mechanisms and policies, tourism products and … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on January 31