Japan exchange rate to us dollar

Japan will extend a coronavirus state of emergency in the Tokyo area by a fortnight, officials said Friday, less than five months ahead of the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics. The emergency measure, which primarily calls for bars and restaurants to close from 8pm, was supposed to end on Sunday and has been lifted early in other regions. It has brought infections down in the capital but the rate of decline is slowing and medics say hospitals in and around Tokyo are still under strain. The government's top spokesman said the measure would continue in Tokyo and three surrounding regions until March 21 -- four days before the nationwide Olympic torch relay kicks off in northeastern Fukushima. "Regarding the critical situation of the number of hospital beds available, it does not appear that pressure is easing in a stable manner," Katsunobu Kato told reporters. The extension is expected to be officially announced on Friday evening. Despite a winter spike in Covid-19 cases, Japan has seen a comparatively small outbreak overall with just over 8,000 deaths. Tokyo logged around 270 daily infections on average over the past week -- but experts warn of a potential resurgence after restrictions are lifted. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologised for the imminent extension but said the government was "doing its utmost to prevent a rebound" in infections. Japan's response to the virus is in the spotlight as Tokyo prepares to host the postponed Olympics, due to start on July 23. The country launched its vaccination programme last month in a very limited fashion and has so far given first doses to around 39,000 healthcare workers. Tokyo 2020 organisers have outlined measures they say will keep the Games safe -- even without requiring participants to be vaccinated or quarantined on arrival. …

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Vietnamese and Japanese firms receive support to expand operations The Japan Trade Promotion Organisation (JETRO) will host an online scheme on March 3 in Hanoi aimed at connecting Japanese businesses in the field of manufacturing and production, known as Monozukuri in Japanese term to facilitate co-operation amid the negative impacts caused the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a representative from the JETRO, the business matching programme will see the participation of 40 Japanese companies for the purpose of accelerating the development of the country’s supporting industry. At present, the scheme has received registration for 50 negotiations from enterprises from Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan (China), whilst it is still receiving registration from businesses wishing to purchase and seek Japanese suppliers in the Monozukuri field until March 1. A recent survey conducted by the JETRO unveiled that Japanese businesses remain keen on the Vietnamese market as the country is viewed as an alternative investment destinations for Japanese enterprises looking to move away from China due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey indicates that approximately half of Japanese enterprises in the nation plan to expand their production activities, while roughly 70% of them seek opportunities to increase revenue in the local market. Most notably, 46.8% of Japanese enterprises unveiled that they have initiated plans to expand their business in the nation over the course of the next two years, with the expansion rate ranking fourth, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. Japanese enterprises have therefore attributed their expansion to an increase in revenue in the domestic market and high growth potential. Furthermore, Japanese firms are also considering re-establishing some supply chains which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Vietnam able to capture the attention of suppliers and buyers of materials globally. VN-Index finishes lower as …

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While many Vietnamese banks have foreign shareholders, there still remains ample room for foreign ownership The shareholders of Viet Capital Bank have approved the plan to issue additional shares of up to a maximum of VND1 trillion ($43.5 million) in the first quarter. At the same time, the bank has just closed the list of shareholders whose written opinions will be requested on the plan to set the maximum foreign ownership limit at 30 per cent to attract additional foreign capital while improving financial capacity and competitiveness. Nam A Bank is implementing a plan to increase its charter capital to VND7 trillion ($304.35 million), including a plan to issue 57 million shares, equivalent to VND570 billion ($24.8 million), to pay dividends at the rate of 12.4878 per cent and offer for sale 143 million individual shares, equivalent to VND1.43 trillion ($62.17 million). In addition, the bank is also completing the application to list shares on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX), instead of trading on the UpCom where it is traded at around VND14,200 (62 US cents). Orient Commercial Bank (OCB) said that the bank plans to sell another 10 per cent of its shares to foreign investors after completing the deal to sell a 15 per cent to Aozora Bank from Japan in June 2020. Sacombank (SCB) also said that they continue to improve their financial capacity and competitiveness. Accordingly, the bank has submitted to an extraordinary general meeting a plan to increase charter capital by VND5 trillion ($217.4 million) at the end of 2020. The move has increased its charter capital from VND15.23 trillion to VND20.23 trillion ($662.17-879.57 million). Previously, Sacombank also announced that it was negotiating with foreign strategic partners to sell part of its capital in order to improve its financial potential after completing the restructuring and listing on the stock exchange. According to the provisions of Decree No.01/2014/ND-CP, the ownership ratio …

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