Illustrative image (Photo: vneconomy.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam is studying and adjusting its investment policies to adapt to the global minimum corporate income tax which is scheduled to be applied from 2024, said Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc. The global minimum corporate income tax is part of the Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), which involves the participation of 141 member countries. Accordingly, large companies with annual global consolidated revenue of at least 750 million EUR (806 million USD) over at least 2 years of the preceding 4-year period will be subject to a minimum tax rate of 15%. If they are currently paying a tax rate lower than 15% in the country where they are investing, they will have to pay the remaining "shortfall" at a tax rate of 15% to the country where they have their headquarters. According to economists, investment exporting countries’ application of the global minimum tax in 2024 poses … [Read more...] about Vietnam adjusting policies to adapt to global minimum corporate income tax: Official
Housing tax credit
Banks underwriting bonds should buy back bonds: Central bank
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
More welcoming policies will rejuvenate tourism chances
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
VPBank announces SMBC as foreign strategic investor
The investment from SMBC will help the bank raise almost VND36 trillion, or approximately $1.52 billion, of Tier 1 capital, increasing its owner equity from $4.5 billion to approximately $6.1 billion This comes as part of capital raising plans that VPBank has been implementing over the last year to strengthen its long-term finances and support its ambitious growth strategy over the next five years. Ngo Chi Dung, chairman of the Board of Directors of VPBank (right) and Masahiro Yoshimura, CEO, Chief Investment Officer, SMBC Bank Following this latest investment from SMBC, VPBank now becomes Vietnam’s second-largest bank in terms of owner equity, which allows it to serve a wide range of customer needs in various segments, including retail banking, corporate banking and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The robust capital stance will also help VPBank to serve large-scale enterprises, particularly multinational companies and foreign firms that are already … [Read more...] about VPBank announces SMBC as foreign strategic investor
Japan’s SMBC acquires 15% stake in VPBank for US$1.5 billion
The agreement surpasses the VND20 trillion ($850 million) acquisition of a 15% stake in BIDV from KEB Hana Bank (South Korea) in 2019, setting a new record in the banking industry. VPBank announced that it has completed the sale of a 15% equity interest to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. of Japan, a member of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, in a transaction valued at $1.5 billion. CEO of SMBC Masahiro Yoshimura and Chairman of the Board of Directors at VPBank Nguyen Chi Dung at the signing ceremony today. Photo: VPBank SMBC Group's latest deal with VPBank makes the former a new strategic investor in the latter. The agreement sets a new banking industry record, with a deal value of VND35.9 trillion ($1.5 billion), surpassing the VND20 trillion ($850 million) acquisition of a 15% stake in BIDV from South Korea's KEB Hana Bank in 2019. The investment is expected to increase VPBank's total capital from VND103.5 trillion ($4.4 billion) to around VND140 trillion … [Read more...] about Japan’s SMBC acquires 15% stake in VPBank for US$1.5 billion
Over 85% of major Vietnamese companies are committed to ESG standards
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
Significant efforts needed to realize 4.3-billion-USD shrimp exports
He attributed the obstacles to global fluctuations over armed conflicts, climate change, tightening food safety requirements by importing countries, and high inflation in the US. Data from the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) showed the total brackish water shrimp farming area was 747,000 hectares last year, with total output exceeding 1 million tons, up 8.5% year-on-year. Currently, the country houses 2,294 hectares of shrimp breeding area, which turned out 159.5 billion shrimplets in 2022, an annual increase of 10%. This year, Vietnam aims to expand its shrimp farming area to 750,000 hectares for more than 1 million tonnes in output and 4.3 billion USD in export revenue. Trinh Trung Phi, a technical director at the Vietnamese shrimp company Viet Uc, highlighted the importance of sustainable technological solutions in the growth of the sector. MARD Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that in order to reach the … [Read more...] about Significant efforts needed to realize 4.3-billion-USD shrimp exports
A laborer needs to save for 25 years to buy an apartment
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
Man arrested after forcing 3-yr-old to smoke meth
Aside from the drug possession charge, police are investigating Bam on charges of child abuse and "enticing others to use drugs." Videos of Bam giving meth to the 3-year-old boy were brought to investigators’ attention by a man known only as Tai, the boy’s biological father, who reported the case to the police on Friday. Police arrested Bam on Sunday afternoon at his house in Cu Chi District after a two-day search for him. The officers found meth, drug paraphernalia and other related evidence inside the house. Bam tested positive for drugs, and fortunately the boy was negative. He is currently at the Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital in stable condition with no abnormal symptoms. The boy’s mother and Bam said they "only let the boy use meth once just for fun" many months ago. Police are currently taking the testimonies of people involved in the case. One of the clips Tai showed police revealed the boy in diapers sucking on a meth straw while a woman’s voice can be heard … [Read more...] about Man arrested after forcing 3-yr-old to smoke meth
Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism
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