Nearly 100 petrol stations shut down during tet holiday

It is now nearly impossible to buy a new apartment at the VND 2 billion mark. According to a report in 2022 from Rever, a Southeast Asia technology firm in real estate brokerage, for VND1.5-1.8 billion, one can buy a 30-55 square meter apartment built 6-10 years ago in Thu Duc City, on the secondary market. The average income of workers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) this year is about VND148 million a year, according to property listing platform Batdongsan.com.vn. By that calculation, it will take up to 24 years to save, with no spending on anything, just to buy an apartment. The type of apartment used in this survey costs VND3.5 billion per unit. The data also shows that Vietnam ranks first in Southeast Asia in terms of the gap between house prices and average worker incomes. From 2018 to 2021, the ratio of the difference between real estate prices and the average income of Vietnamese has continuously increased, surpassing even Singapore. On the other hand, Indonesia, Malaysia and … [Read more...] about A laborer needs to save for 25 years to buy an apartment

People shop at a supermarket in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam is becoming an attractive retail market for companies all over the world with many regional and global FDI investors recently announcing plans to increase capital and expand distribution networks here. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnamese retail market is worth 142 billion USD and is expected to increase nearly 2.5 times to 350 billion USD by 2025. In January, total retail sales of consumer goods and services decreased by 6% on-month to more than 481.8 trillion VND (20.4 billion USD) due to weaker demand as many commodities were purchased ahead of the Lunar New Year. People spent more on festival activities post Tet, said the General Statistics Office. However, it still rose 13% year-on-year. For the first two months of the year, the country’s total retail sales of consumer goods and services advanced 13% over the same period of 2022 to over 994.1 trillion VND. … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s retail market proves attractive for foreign investors

Some 600 new European standard shelters will be built at public bus stops in Hanoi city. Hanoi will allow investors to build advertising boards in exchange for 600 modern bus stop shelters and shelter displays worth VND1 trillion (US$43 million) in 12 urban districts, Kinhtedothi.vn reported. The move is part of efforts to encourage Hanoi’s residents to turn to public transportation for mobility, thus easing the number of cars on road and improving air quality. Hanoi to have 600 new bus stop shelters Currently, there are 1,078 bus stops in Hanoi's downtown, but only 365 of them have shelters. The shelters are built by different investors, which make them apprear ununiform. According to the municipal People's Committee, 600 new European standard shelters will be built at public bus stops in the city under the PPP funding mechanism. Among them, 270 shelters will be newly installed and the other 330 will be replaced. In exchange, 1,200 advertising boards … [Read more...] about Hanoi to allow advertising rights in exchange for 600 bus stop shelters

As home to nearly 300 national treasures, Hanoi has a valuable source of ritual and cultural traits that tell its history of thousands of years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sees the partnership with Hanoi in heritage preservation as one of its key activities in the future, said Director of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou on March 27. Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh (right) receives Lazare Eloundou, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Center, on March 27. Photo: The Hanoi Times The UNESCO expects to bolster the relationship with Vietnam’s capital city in preserving cultural traits and heritages, he told a meeting with Hanoi mayor Tran Sy Thanh. Lazare urged the municipal and local authorities of Hanoi to come up with solutions that bring balance between heritage preservation and socio-economic growth and lift the living conditions for local people. UNESCO will always partner with Vietnam to … [Read more...] about UNESCO promises tight partnership with Hanoi in heritage and relic conservation

At a reception for the diplomat, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali said he hopes Vietnam will assist Guyana in agriculture, animal husbandry and cultivation. Hoa vowed to work to develop the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two governments and peoples in her position. On March 21, Hoa paid a courtesy call on Guyanese Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of Guyana Oneidge Walrond who pledged to offer all possible support to Vietnamese firms to access Guyana’s market and wished to learn from Vietnam’s experience in ecological tourism development. During a working session with the Vietnamese diplomat a day later, Guyanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hilton Todd promised to support Vietnam at multilateral forums and facilitate the exchange of all-level delegations in the near future. Elizabeth Harper, standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana, announced that two countries will soon offer visa exemption to their diplomatic … [Read more...] about Guyana wishes to strengthen ties with Vietnam in various areas

Meeting Politburo member of the Mexican Labor Party (PT) and Chairman of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies’ Committee on Foreign Affairs Alfredo Femat Bañuelos during his ongoing working trip to the Latin American country from March 22-27, Hai said the Party organization of HCM City wishes to contribute to maintaining and bolstering fine relationship between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the PT. He believed that following the visit, both sides will continue holding programs and events to promote cultural and tourism exchange between Ho Chi Minh City and Mexico. Bañuelos, for his part, said Mexico desires to step up cooperation programs between the two parties in general and with Ho Chi Minh City in particular, especially in acupuncture and personnel training. He said such programs not only popularize Vietnam's images in Mexico and Latin America but also enhance the PT’s reputation domestically and regionally. The host vowed to continue expanding the scope of cooperation to … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City leader visits Mexico to boost ties

The campaign, taking place from March 24-26, mobilizes 20 vessels and 100 people who gather and bring the styrofoam buoys out of the area for treatment. The styrofoam buoys, which have different sizes, were left by the illegal fish farms that were forced to be removed from the site. They have seriously affected the movements of vessels and the environment around the popular tourist site. A large number of styrofoam buoys, along with other types of waste, have been cleared from the bay on May 24 and 25. Located in the northeast of Vietnam, the bay has attracted visitors from far and wide as it is home to over 1,600 limestone towers and islets covered in tropical trees. Most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by humans. It was named one of the most beautiful places in the world to add to any traveller’s bucket list in 2022, according to Canadian travel publication The Travel. Source: VNA … [Read more...] about Floating styrofoam buoys in Ha Long bay collected

Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

With the new facility, FPT Software is the first Vietnamese IT company to open an office in the Korean market, pinning high hopes on strengthening the company’s presence there and becoming a world-class, billion-dollar company. FPT chairman Truong Gia Binh spoke at the opening ceremony Addressing the opening ceremony, FPT Corporation chairman Truong Gia Binh said, "Our business philosophy is to stay closer to our customers, which could let us reach and serve our customers better. FPT will continuously open new offices around the world. FPT Software's second office in Korea helps us expand our global network further and strengthens our ability to connect and accompany customers despite time and geography." According to FPT Software Korea CEO Ha Minh Tuan, the new office is expected to address the shortage of IT talent in the country. “We also see strong demand for technology solutions such as AUTOSAR, IVI, SAP, low-code, managed services, and digital transformation. … [Read more...] about FPT Software opens new office in South Korea

Lan Ha Bay in the northern city of Haiphong is struggling with pollution, mostly caused by deteriorating styrofoam buoys. Pieces of styrofoam buoys have appeared on Lan Ha Bay since early this month in addition to rubbish that has also been discharged into the bay, worsening the pollution. The area which is adjacent to Ha Long Bay has been the hardest hit. Pieces of styrofoam buoys have worsened Lan Ha Bay's pollution The bay has also recently seen red-orange water areas. A person who specialises in raising groupers in Cat Ba Town said that he witnessed the phenomenon on March 23-24. According to some local fishermen, this would be the phenomenon of red tide, caused by the simultaneous blooming of marine algae, which occasionally appears in the waters of Cat Ba. Red tides can threaten fish. A representative from the Cat Ba Bay management board said that since early March, the pollution has had a bad impact on tourists. The board is focusing on rubbish … [Read more...] about Lan Ha Bay faces pollution