Major earthquake

At least nine people were dead and 44 injured in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a government official said, after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake with its epicentre in Afghanistan struck late on Tuesday. At least 19 houses were partially damaged by the earthquake, Abdul Basit, a senior official in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government told Reuters on Wednesday. At least nine people were dead and 44 injured in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a government official said, after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake with its epicentre in Afghanistan struck late on Tuesday. At least 19 houses were partially damaged by the earthquake, Abdul Basit, a senior official in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government told Reuters on Wednesday. … [Read more...] about At least nine dead, 44 injured in Pakistan after earthquake

At a Wednesday meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the delegation of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), the council's president Ted Osius said U.S. businesses consider Vietnam a strategic market and are ready to commit to long-term investments in the Southeast Asian nation. Osius said the delegation were highly supportive of the Vietnamese government’s moves towards a more digital and green society. He also encouraged steps the country has taken in infrastructure development, such as the construction of new highways and metro rail public transit options, the Vietnam Government Portal reported. U.S. ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper said the American grouping at the meeting was the largest U.S. business delegation to ever visit Vietnam. He said this confirmed the commitment of the U.S. government and the private sector to support a strong and prosperous Vietnam via cooperation. At the meeting, the delegation proposed new ideas and opportunities for business … [Read more...] about Major US companies laud Vietnam as strategic market

The number of Cambodian travelers entering Vietnam is on the high rise, with the primary purpose of these visits quickly shifting from medical tourism to vacation tourism. Vietnam currently welcomes over one million Cambodian tourists each year – a figure which has surged since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, many local travel firms claim the number of Vietnamese companies offering tourism geared toward Cambodian tourists remains limited. Extended stays According to Pham Ngoc Ha, deputy general director of Saco Travel Company, her firm has been facilitating travel for scores of weekend travelers from the Cambodian provinces which border Tay Ninh Province in southern Vietnam. Popular tourism attractions for these visitors were local pagodas and Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these tours lasted just one day. Now more and more Cambodian tourists are opting for four-day, three-night tours to Ho Chi Minh City and other major … [Read more...] about Vietnam a major destination for Cambodian tourists

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects major projects in Thua Thien-Hue (Photo: VNA) Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 25 inspected a number of works and projects in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue . Examining the resettlement area for 5,080 households who have to relocate to give space for the restoration of the Hue Ancient Capital, PM Chinh asked the province to continue to invest in the area's infrastructure, ensuring that residents enjoy similar or better living conditions compared to their old place. He also directed the province to continue to respond to requests of the affected people in the spirit of harmonising benefits. The PM lauded the residents in the resettlement area for their support to the project, saying it contributes to the preservation of the UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage. Visiting the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum at Long An Palace in the Hue Monument Complex, the Government leader asked Thua … [Read more...] about PM inspects major projects in Thua Thien-Hue

Examining the resettlement area for 5,080 households who have to relocate to give space for the restoration of the Hue Ancient Capital, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the province to continue to invest in the area's infrastructure, ensuring that residents enjoy similar or better living conditions compared to their old place. He also directed the province to continue to respond to requests of the affected people in the spirit of harmonising benefits. The PM lauded the residents in the resettlement area for their support to the project, saying it contributes to the preservation of the UNESCO-recognized World Cultural Heritage. Visiting the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum at Long An Palace in the Hue Monument Complex, the Government leader asked Thua Thien Hue and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work together to design a plan to construct the museum in a new place to avoid its impacts on the relic site. He also presented gifts to the officials and staff of the … [Read more...] about Prime Minister inspects major projects in Thua Thien Hue

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

Visitors at the defence exhibition in Japan. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence participated in DSEI Japan 2023, the only large-scale, fully integrated defence event in Japan, from March 14-17. First launched in 2019, the biennial event was suspended until this year due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it brought together 292 companies from 24 countries, including big names like BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Thales and Rolls Royce, which displayed the most cutting-edge products and technologies in defence. Within the framework of the exhibition, Major General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, who led the Vietnamese delegation, met with Major General Ohashi Satoru, Deputy Director of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency under the Japanese Ministry of Defence. Son spoke highly of the Japanese side’s professionalism in the … [Read more...] about Vietnam joins in defence exhibition in Japan

The new office is situated at the heart of the most vibrant financial district in Ho Chi Minh City and purposely designed to move towards a more sustainable and prosperous future. Knowing the future of work will no longer be just within office walls and a significant part of business will be done remotely, the firm’s office was built with a futuristic spaceship concept, sustainably sourced, with a focus on meeting rooms and open working spaces, and extra soundproof requirements. It offers meeting and working space for more than 50 people. Binh Le Vandekerckove, founder and CEO of ASART said, “Although we believe in the success of our vision and business model, we have always been conservative, meaning our office space is quickly filled in a short amount of time. This is our third new office in five years, and we have invested a lot more in this one because we need more space and also anticipate strong market growth, despite the global uncertainty.” When ASART started in 2017, … [Read more...] about ASART is confident in Vietnam’s long-term prospects

The expat community is often made up of fascinating, knowledgeable, and talented individuals. They choose to become expats and move to another country due to job requirements, a desire for freedom, adventure, or a love for the culture, lifestyle, and people of that country. In recent years, Vietnam has become an ideal destination. Many people choose Vietnam for the opportunities to develop their talents, increase their income, and get a stable life. Simultaneously, strong economic integration has also led to an increase in the number of foreign experts sent to Vietnam by international companies and corporations. Combined, these factors have contributed to the blossoming expat community in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. The expat community is often categorised as a high-income group. They have experienced all sorts of high-class living spaces before, which explains their strict requirements for the home. In Hanoi, Tay Ho is a popular destination for the elite … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s status as one of world’s most livable countries brings real estate opportunities

The US-China trade war and the pandemic have urged companies to relocate production to avoid tariffs and the need to rely on a single market. These dynamic factors have created an extraordinary opportunity for international investors to take advantage of the regional growth perspective and focus their attention on Vietnam, particularly in the manufacturing sector. This short Q&A with Minh Nguyen, director of Leasing and Facilities Management at BW Industrial, will cover the manufacturing environment and the opportunities available for international investors that are interested in expanding their operations in Vietnam. Minh Nguyen , BW director of Leasing and Facilities Management An overview of manufacturing in Vietnam in 2022 General director of the General Statistics Office Nguyen Thi Huong states that Vietnam’s GDP growth reached 8.02 per cent in 2022, the highest on record since 2011. The GDP per capita and labour productivity also grew to $4,110 … [Read more...] about Manufacturing in Vietnam – assumptions vs. reality