Vientiane (VNA) - Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has instructed relevant agencies to expedite the drafting of a strategy on rare earth and other minerals, to ensure proper management of mining operations in the country, reported Vientiane Times. economy . As rare earth is in high demand globally, it is necessary for the government to ensure that Laos fully benefits from the mining of rare earth deposits, he said. In recent months, National Assembly members have expressed concern about mining operations in Laos , saying that the mismanaged export of precious metals and other minerals has resulted in serious financial losses. Laos's rare earth reserves are estimated to be big. The country has to date signed rare earth exploration contracts with 18 companies in 18 projects./. VNA … [Read more...] about Lao Gov’t tightens management of rare earth mining
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HAGL chairman plans to sell hotel in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Doan Nguyen Duc, board chairman at Vietnamese agricultural giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai JSC (HAGL), intends to sell Hoang Anh Gia Lai Hotel in Pleiku City, situated in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, to make debt payments. The management board of the firm has reached a consensus on liquidation of unproductive properties, especially the sale of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Hotel, which was the first four-star lodging facility in the Central Highlands region. Starting its operation in 2005, the hotel lies near Phu Dong Square in the heart of Pleiku City and includes 117 rooms. The proceeds from the hotel sale will be used to pay the principal and interest on the bonds issued in 2016 at the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), said Duc. The selling price has yet to be announced. The firm had earlier sold two resorts in Quy Nhon City in the south-central province of Binh Dinh, and in Da Lat City under Lam Dong Province, a hotel in Da Nang … [Read more...] about HAGL chairman plans to sell hotel in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Dutch regulator rejects Apple’s objections to fines
Dutch competition watchdog ACM on Monday said it had rejected objections by Apple against fines of 50 million euros ($53 million) it gave the company over failure to comply with orders to limit the dominant position of Apple's App Store. The ACM said Apple has complied with most of its demands to open its App Store to alternative forms of payment for dating apps in the Netherlands, but had not met an undisclosed third element of the conditions related to the fines. The ACM in 2021 ruled that Apple violated Dutch competition laws in the dating app market and required Apple to allow developers of dating apps to use third-party payment processors. It fined Apple 5 million euros per week, eventually reaching 50 million euros during the period it failed to comply. Apple objected to these fines, saying that the regulator had incorrectly defined relevant markets and had overestimated the dominance of Apple's position in the dating app market. The regulator rejected all of Apple's … [Read more...] about Dutch regulator rejects Apple’s objections to fines
South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High regret not visiting Vietnam sooner
On the stage of the HAY music festival last Saturday, the group said they were "happy to be here and really regret that they didn’t come to Vietnam sooner". "We will 100% come back to Vietnam next year. We love you all," they said. Tablo, the leader of the group, also expressed his love for Vietnam. "It took me 30 hours but finally I arrived in Vietnam. From this moment, Vietnam will be our far away home." This is the first time that Epik High performed in Vietnam. On the stage, the members wore conical hats and interacted frequently with the local fans. They performed nine of their hits including hits like "No Thanxxx", "One", and "Rain Song". The HAY Glamping Festival took place over the weekend, with the main event on Sunday at Yen So Park, Hanoi. The headliners for the event were Epik High and Irish singer Ronan Keating, member of boyband Boyzone. Other acts included local artists like Suboi, JustaTee, Chillies, Microwave and Hoang Dung. Epik High, formed in 2001, … [Read more...] about South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High regret not visiting Vietnam sooner
VN-Index gains marginally
The index closed 1.1 points higher after rising 1.7 points Friday. Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, dropped 18% to VND11.5 trillion ($473.25 million). The VN30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped stocks, saw 16 tickers gained. GVR of Vietnam Rubber Group led with a 4.6% increase, followed by VRE of retail real estate arm Vincom Retail, up 2.9%. VNM of dairy giant Vinamilk rose 1.9% and MSN of conglomerate Masan Group closed 1.4% higher. Twelve blue chips fell. TPB of private TPBank dropped 2% and GAS of state-owned Petrovietnam Gas closed 1.5% lower. Foreign investors were net sellers to the tune of VPB of private lender VPBank and VIC of private conglomerate Vingroup. The HNX-Index for stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange, home to mid and small caps, gained 0.18% while the UPCoM-Index for the Unlisted Public Companies Market dropped 0.10%. … [Read more...] about VN-Index gains marginally
Beauty queen denies knowing interview question in advance
Miss Universe Vietnam 2023 Bui Quynh Hoa. Photo from Hoa's Instagram When being asked to define the beauty of confidence during the 2023 Miss Universer Vietnam contest final on September 29, Hoa almost instantly provided her answer, saying that the concept could be defined as a woman being confident in herself and thus, being able to lead her own life. A "confident beauty," according to her, is also someone that can acknowledge others’ successes and get over her own failures in order to improve and become a better version of herself. It was discovered in the time since that this answer shares similarities with a top result appearing on Google when users search for the phrase "what is the beauty of confidence." More specifically, Hoa’s answer was partially identical to a 2012 article published on the official website of the Vietnam Women’s Union which wrote: "Confident people are willing to cooperate with others and acknowledge others’ successes." "They are not … [Read more...] about Beauty queen denies knowing interview question in advance
77% of jobseekers hold university degrees: HCMC survey
Although bachelor’s degree holders account for the majority of jobseekers, the number of jobs requiring such degree was only 23% of total, said the survey by the HCMC Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information (Falmi). The survey polled 14,500 businesses and 32,300 jobseekers in the city in the third quarter. More than one-fifth of jobseekers held a college diploma, and the number of jobs that required this level of education accounted for 24.6%, implying that there was no major difference between recruitment supply and demand. Up to 13.5% of recruitments were for blue-collar workers, but only 0.5% of jobseekers were in this category. Falmi deputy director Do Thanh Van said that university degree holders are having more trouble looking for jobs because there is a gap between jobseekers’ and employers’ expectations of salary and capability. The survey found that over 40% of jobseekers expect a monthly pay of over VND20 million (US$820), but only 15% of … [Read more...] about 77% of jobseekers hold university degrees: HCMC survey
Logistics investors heat up the market
illustration photo/ Photo Le Toan The very first logistics centre from Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) is now being constructed in the south-central province of Quang Ngai, and will be completed and put into use by the end of this year. Being built according to Lotus standards of the Vietnam Green Building Council, the 6-hectare Sembcorp Logistics Park will boast three modern single-storey warehouse blocks. Singapore’s Sembcorp Development, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries, and its state-owned joint venture partner in Vietnam, Becamex IDC Corporation, in August also announced the addition of four new VSIPs. According to Charles Chong, director of Sembcorp in Vietnam, the country has developed strongly in recent years and will continue to be an important manufacturing country in the Asian region. “With the positive growth momentum of production activities and investment attraction, along with the government’s infrastructure upgrade plan, the … [Read more...] about Logistics investors heat up the market
Defining SOE priorities vital
Do Thanh Trung, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Although SOEs account for a small proportion of the economy, they hold significant resources for the nation’s socioeconomic development, playing a core and vital role in building and safeguarding our homeland in a new context. The significant growth of SOEs contributes to socioeconomic development and serves as an effective tool for macroeconomic regulation, price stabilisation, social security, national security, and sovereignty, especially in border and island areas. SOEs are vital in building and developing essential economic infrastructure and leading industries to drive economic growth, especially in a context where the private sector has not yet fully grown and lacks the capability to perform better. Despite the positive results achieved, the activities of SOEs, especially investment activities, still have some existing limitations. Firstly, SOEs are slow to adapt to the new era, and their roles in … [Read more...] about Defining SOE priorities vital
SOE issues can be solved with support
How does the Commission for Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) extend support and critical advisements to the VIMC? Le Quang Trung, deputy general director of VIMC and vice chairman of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association The symbiotic association and support extended by CMSC to businesses, especially the VIMC, is immense and substantial. Every project we undertake, be it short-term or enduring, bears the unmistakable imprint of CMSC’s support, enabling us to overcome various challenges, notably during exceptional periods such as the recent pandemic. CMSC’s partnership has been crucial, aiding us in overcoming challenges related to capital mobilisation and ensuring the smooth implementation of projects. A notable instance is their contribution to the financial and operational restructuring project of SP-PSA, one of our crucial joint venture ports. With the indispensable support from CMSC, we were able to conduct successful negotiations with … [Read more...] about SOE issues can be solved with support