Under a planned new regulation, the Health Ministry of Indonesia is looking to control the promotion and packaging of e-cigarettes, which have remained unregulated since their legalisation in 2018. The ministry is also seeking to increase the size of graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging from 40% to 90%, ban the advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products, and prohibit the sale of single cigarettes. The number of underage smokers continues to increase each year, especially since the legalisation of e-cigarettes, Imran Agus Nurali, the ministry’s director of health promotion and community empowerment, told a webinar on August 11. He stressed the need for stronger measures to reduce tobacco consumption to protect future generations from the impact of smoking. Banning the advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products is also crucial as according to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, around 65% of Indonesia’s children are exposed to tobacco ads … [Read more...] about Indonesia plans to tighten rules to curb underage smoking
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Airline cancels Vietnamese tourists’ tickets to South Korea’s Jeju Island
Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, 34 and her friends had their tickets from Singapore to Jeju Island canceled on August 9 because they did not have visas. The island, however, has a visa exemption policy for tourists. Hien, from Hanoi, said she'd already visited Jeju back in 2018 under the visa exemption policy and wasn't aware that it had changed when she booked the tickets for her and her friends to fly there from Singapore. "When we got to the Changi Airport for check-in procedures, an employee told us to discuss the issue with the airline. A representative of Scoot Airlines said Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolians and people from certain other countries would no longer be able to enter Jeju Island under the visa exemption policy. The airline said it would refund our tickets," Hien said. Vu Quoc Hung, 31, who had booked tickets with 11 other Vietnamese to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Jeju on August 11 via Singapore, had the same experience. Hung's group reached the Changi Airport and did some … [Read more...] about Airline cancels Vietnamese tourists’ tickets to South Korea’s Jeju Island
FDI flows into Malaysia top 188 billion USD in Q2
Kuala Lumpur capital of Malaysia (Illustrative photo: themalaysianreserve) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia recorded 836.2 billion RM (over 188.1 billion USD) in foreign direct investment (FDI) at the end of the second quarter, up 24.1 billion RM from Q1, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. The manufacturing sector remained the largest recipient with a value of 360 billion RM or 43.1%, followed by financial activities 189.8 billion RM (22.7%) and wholesale and retail trade 53 billion RM (6.3%). Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the FDI sources were largely from Asia, which amounted to 431.1 billion RM or 51.6%, mainly from Singapore and Hong Kong (China), followed by Europe and the Americas. Singapore was still the biggest source of FDI, with an accumulated 174.1 billion RM (20.8%), followed by Hong Kong with 91.1 billion RM (10.9%), the United States 90 billion RM (10.8%) and Japan 84.2 billion RM (10.3%). Meanwhile, … [Read more...] about FDI flows into Malaysia top 188 billion USD in Q2
NextTech and Ngan Luong fund BOXME to expand its operations
NextTech Chairman and BOXME Director General shake hands at the signing ceremony. — Photo courtesy of NextTech NextTech Group and Ngan Luong Intermediate Payment Gateway JSC have invested over VND150 billion (US$6.4 million) in BOXME to expand its operations in Viet Nam. NextTech is a multi-platform ecosystem operating in e-commerce, fintech, logistics and education with annual online tractions of $5 billion whereas Ngan Luong is a popular online payment gateway with 35 million transactions carried out daily. BOXME is a pioneer in e-commerce logistics that owns three giant centres of 12,000sq.m each in the country. It offers fulfillment services to e-commerce platforms with a capacity to process 50,000 orders per day. Given the pandemic has caused a boom in e-commerce, the investment is expected to help BOXME scale up to meet the mounting demand for e-logistics and become the leading e-logistics firm in Southeast Asia. "During two years of the pandemic, we had to run at full … [Read more...] about NextTech and Ngan Luong fund BOXME to expand its operations
What’s on August 15-21/2022
MUSIC & PERFORMANCES Hanoi-Makers Market Aug 19 – 21, 3 pm – 8 pm Centre for Art & Culture 22 Hang Buom 22 Hang Buom Street From the organizer: Supported in the framework of Hanoi Rethink project, Makers Market – Arts and Crafts Fair will be a space where young craft makers, designers, and printmakers from all over the country gather, introduce and promote their products in an immensely cultural and artistic space. This is certainly not only a great opportunity for the young community in Hanoi to access a wude range of creative products from across the country, but also a time for creative youth to get together to network for potential new creations and collaborations in the future. HCM City, Nha Trang City -Indian cultural festival A cultural event called “Namaste Vietnam Festival 2022”, ______________________________________________________________ EXHIBITION Hanoi-Artshow “Downtown in Reverie” … [Read more...] about What’s on August 15-21/2022