Seven international partners will support the investment in infrastructure, transport, urban development, and climate response. Nearly US$8 billion will be pumped into Vietnam's Central Coast region to support the socio-economic development of the region towards sustainability and climate adaptation. An overview of the signing and awarding ceremony. Photo: Trung Nhan/The Hanoi Times The value was announced at a signing ceremony held on February 5 between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and international partners. Accordingly, the local authorities granted investment certificates and approved investment policies and investment cooperation for domestic and international investors. Among the investment deals, seven development partners are committed to providing a total capital of more than US$1.7 billion in 45 projects. The partners included the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the International Fund for Agricultural … [Read more...] about $8 billion to be pumped into Vietnam’s Central Coast
How agriculture helps in economic development
VinaCapital Ventures pours 1 million USD into agritech startup
A tomato farm in Don Duong district, Lam Dong province, joining the platform of Koina (Photo courtesy of Koina) HCM City (VNA) – VinaCapital Ventures, a technology-focused venture capital fund of the Ho Chi Minh City-based VinaCaptial Group , has announced an investment of 1 million USD into Koina, an agritech startup founded in Vietnam. The investment from VinaCapital Ventures is part of Koina’s seed fundraising round. Koina, established in 2021, aims to build a large and efficient agricultural ecosystem in Vietnam by connecting farmers with financial organisations, suppliers, and retailers. Its “Farmer Platform” is intended to help farmers access loans, publicise prices, and give guidance on good agricultural practices. Thi Nguyen, co-founder and Chairman of Koina, said the funding from VinaCapital Ventures will help his firm expand sales channels and increase investment in technology to control quality and boost the value of agricultural products of Vietnam. … [Read more...] about VinaCapital Ventures pours 1 million USD into agritech startup
African swine fever vaccine to be circulated nationwide from February
At the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) AVAC ASF LIVE developed and produced by AVAC Vietnam Co., Ltd. is expected to be distributed nationwide from February this year, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien . efficacy rate reaching 95%. The vaccine was approved for circulation on July 8, 2022 and put into use under supervision at pig farms. AVAC Vietnam also cooperated with the CP Livestock Joint Stock Company (CP Vietnam) to organise the pilot injection of 600,544 pigs at 545 farms, and took 5,958 samples for testing. The results showed that 93.34% of the samples met the technical requirements. Vietnam has become the first country to successfully develop and produce two vaccines against ASF, a disease that first appeared in Africa in 1921 with a mortality rate of up to 100%. VNA … [Read more...] about African swine fever vaccine to be circulated nationwide from February
Agro-forestry-fishery exports reach 3.7 bln USD in January
Agro-forestry-fishery exports reach 3.7 bln USD in January (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s export of agro-forestry-aquatic products reeled in over 3.7 billion USD in January, down 23% against the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development. Exports of key farm produce reached more than 1.7 billion USD, down nearly 13%, while the export of seafood, and timber and wood products was estimated to decrease 31% and 30% to 600 million USD and 1.1 billion USD, respectively. Vietnam ’s export of agro-forestry-aquatic products hit a record revenue of over 53.22 billion USD in 2022, up 9.3%, including nearly 11 billion USD from aquatic products./. VNA … [Read more...] about Agro-forestry-fishery exports reach 3.7 bln USD in January
Spring festival to showcase cultural identities
The festival is held annually to welcome the spring and to honor ethnic communities' identity, promote solidarity among them and offer a traditional festive atmosphere to tourists as well. Some 100 representatives of 15 ethnic groups from 13 localities throughout the country will host activities each day during the month. The festival climax will be on February 11 and 12 with the Kate Festival of the Cham group, tree planting, folk cham do ho singing and performing Xoe Thai - a UNESCO recognized intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Kate Festival is one of the biggest and most unique cultural activities of the Cham. It features a host of activities and ceremonies at ancient towers, with traditions including offerings to ancestors, musical performances, and the signing of hymns praising kings who were prominent in the building and development of the Champa Kingdom and the Cham people. Tree planting has become an annual Vietnamese custom each lunar New Year since … [Read more...] about Spring festival to showcase cultural identities
Hanoi to spearhead the nation’s industrialization efforts until 2030
Vietnamese people's cultural and human values should be central to the capital’s industrialization process. Hanoi aims to spearhead the nation's industrialization and modernization until 2030, with an eye on 2045. Hanoi has seen major transformation over the years. Photo: Pham Hung According to the municipal Party Committee, the goal of the plan is to transform the mindset and build consensus in the political system and people to achieve socioeconomic development objectives. The Party Committee emphasized the use of science-technology and innovation, specifically Industry 4.0 advancements, as a key solution for the country’s modernization in the 2021-2030 period. “This would help Vietnam to make breakthroughs in productivity and improve the economy's competitiveness,” stated the plan. For Hanoi, the plan identifies key targets for economic growth, enhancing socio-cultural values, urban development, and environmental protection. By 2030, Hanoi and other … [Read more...] about Hanoi to spearhead the nation’s industrialization efforts until 2030
Businesses in Ho Chi Minh City speed up production to achieve set targets
New momentum For over one week now, more than 94% of businesses in the Southern economic hub has resumed their production with over 95% of workers being back to work after Tet holiday. Workers at Go Vap district-based Joint Stock Company 28.1 under the Corporation 28 of the General Department of Logistics, which specializes in garments making, are working with the highest capacity, focusing on orders from the U.S., Australia, and European countries. Working for the company for more than 21 years now, Nguyen Van Hong from Hai Duong province said that good income and policy offered by the company make him feel secure at work. Despite difficulties facing the garment sector due to COVID-19, his company has ensured orders uninterrupted, so workers have resumed work since the beginning of the lunar New Year. In addition, good Tet welfare policy has helped keep workers attached to the company. Senior Colonel Tran Doan Thoan, Director of Joint Stock Company 28.1 informed that the … [Read more...] about Businesses in Ho Chi Minh City speed up production to achieve set targets
What to do with ChatGPT
I wanted to address my staff on the first working day after the Tet holidays, but instead of writing a speech by myself, I asked ChatGPT to do it by using three keywords: "optimism," "speed" and "resilience." It finished the speech in 15 seconds. It was terrific though I had to edit it a little bit. The AI tool knew how to express my ideas logically based on the keywords I provided. The speech expressed the foundation, the connection between these keywords, and the central point. Moreover, the structure of the speech was excellent, making a reference to the current economic situation and highlighting the key points and conclusions. The writing was coherent, and the wording is suitable for business executives and consultants. ChatGPT by U.S. startup OpenAI is estimated to have reached 100 million active users in January, just two months after launch, making it the fastest-growing consumer app in history, according to a study released on February 1 by analytics firm UBS. This … [Read more...] about What to do with ChatGPT
PM meets with leaders of Japanese conglomerates
At the reception for Tatsuo Yasunaga, President and CEO of Mitsui & Co Ltd., the Government leader praised the company’s business performance in Vietnam, particularly in processing and distributing of local aquatic products. PM Phuc welcomed a joint project between Mitsui and Minh Phu Seafood Corporation which could push the shrimp export value of the major shrimp farming business in Vietnam to 1 billion USD. Yasunaga informed his host of the success of the joint project, which has seen over 150 million USD invested in improving Minh Phu’s processing, business management and export capacity, adding the sides plan to focus on upgrading refrigeration equipment and expanding export markets, particularly targeting Russia apart from the US. In another meeting with Han Chang-woo, chairman and CEO of Maruhan Corporation, PM Phuc said Vietnam is pressing ahead with effective equitisation of Stated-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly in transport, infrastructure, construction, … [Read more...] about PM meets with leaders of Japanese conglomerates
Improvement of consular services to continue: official
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Doan Hoang Minh, Acting Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)’s Consular Department, said most countries removed travel restrictions in 2022, and Vietnam was one of the first to reopen its borders, in mid-March. Since then, the number of people going abroad for working, studying, tourism, and business purposes as well as those entering the country has bounced back strongly. Highlighting the ministry’s determination to build a comprehensive, modern, professional, clean, and strong diplomatic sector, he said that in the current context, as the government is stepping up administrative procedure reforms and demanding ministries and sectors boost measures for post-pandemic economic recovery, the ministry is deeply aware of its responsibility for continuing to improve the quality of consular services. Diplomatic staff members in Vietnam and abroad will work with the highest sense of responsibility and consider people’s satisfaction as the … [Read more...] about Improvement of consular services to continue: official