Lenders reinforcing presence with bond issuance, Photo Shinhan Bank Vietnam Shinhan Bank Vietnam last week successfully issued bonds totalling VND2.8 trillion ($121.7 million), with a tenor of two years. CEO Kang Gew Won explained to VIR, “This is the first time that Shinhan Bank Vietnam has issued bonds in the Vietnamese market. This offering reinforces Shinhan Bank’s long-standing relationship with Vietnam. Our bank will use these proceeds from the bond sale to expand the bank’s credit activities, diversify its capital sources, serve its business objectives, and also ensure the bank’s long-term development.” On April 20, Shinhan Bank Vietnam also formally announced the use of the liquidity reserve ratio and net stable capital ratio in liquidity risk management, in accordance with Basel III standards. In recent times, the bank has been continuously assigned a BB rating by Standard & Poor’s, with a “Positive” outlook. Prior to Shinhan Bank, HSBC Vietnam became the … [Read more...] about Lenders reinforcing presence with bond issuance
Nippon oil corporation
Staying safe in the booming blockchain and GameFi world
Hoang Viet Tien-Head of Strategic Advisory, Insider Mobile games and e-sports account for a major share of the blockchain sphere, and in addition to the play-to-earn wave from blockchain games, new waves are coming such as SocialFi (earning income through social activities), CALO (exercise to collect utility tokens), and Genopets (nurture and evolve Genopes to train and battle for rewards). A new report by DappRadar and the Blockchain Game Alliance suggests that 2022 will be a benchmark year for crypto games developers. The report reveals that $2.5 billion in investments were raised in Q1 alone this year, adding that developers could see this figure balloon to $10 billion by the end of the year. Compared to previous years, these figures also suggest the niche has become a key sector for investors. In 2021, for example, just $4 billion was raised throughout the whole year. In Vietnam, there are about 3.99 million gamers and more than 60 per cent are between the ages of 18 and … [Read more...] about Staying safe in the booming blockchain and GameFi world
Blue economy model gathering pace
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last week again warned that the ocean is faced with increasing threats and multiple risks posed by climate change, natural disasters, environmental pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, and unsustainable economic activities. “Global warming and marine litter are threatening marine resources, including widespread bleaching of coral reefs. Globally, an estimated 8-20 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. In Vietnam, around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste leaks from the country into the ocean every day. It is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050,” said Caitlin Wiesen, resident representative in Vietnam of the UNDP. The global ocean economy contributes an estimated $3 trillion per year, or about 5 per cent of the world’s GDP and comprises industries ranging from oil and gas, shipping and ports to renewable energy, fisheries, marine ecosystems and tourism. The value of the … [Read more...] about Blue economy model gathering pace
Nation lacking coal supply for sufficient power generation
Flexibility is required in handling raw material issues for power plants and easing coal supply pressures, Photo: Shutterstock Thai Binh Thermal Power Plant under Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has been in a coal shortage since the beginning of 2022. Ta Trung Kien, director of the plant, said that the volume of coal delivered “has been reduced significantly” compared to the signed contract. Vinacomin Group and Dong Bac Corporation – two of the coal suppliers for the Thai Binh Thermal Power Plant – delivered only just over 74 per cent of the monthly plan. “The two units of our plant need about 6,400 tonnes of coal per day. Due to a lack of coal, the plant was forced to use backup coal to maintain the operation. By the end of the first quarter, these reserves were at just about 14,000 tonnes, much lower than the required norm of 80,000 tonnes,” Kien said. Many other plants are facing similar problems, including Nghi Son 1, Vung Ang 1, Vinh Tan 2, and Duyen Hai 1, which currently … [Read more...] about Nation lacking coal supply for sufficient power generation
Transmission boost to remove major power bottlenecks
EVN workers examine electricity facilities (Photo: VNA) The Vietnamese government’s permission for private companies to invest in and build power plants and transmission systems became a big step forward, bringing competition in the energy sector to a manageable level. The first 500kV super-high voltage power transmission line invested by Trungnam Construction and Investment JSC has been operating stably for more than a year. Trungnam’s project includes a 500kV substation and transmission lines combined with a 450MW solar power plant, promoting its advantages when participating in the power grid of Ninh Thuan province and the south-central coastal region. Pham Nhu Anh, member of the Executive Board of Military Bank, which arranged capital for Trungnam to invest in transmission infrastructure, pointed out that capital is still a bottleneck in Vietnam’s electrical infrastructure development. According to Anh, the fact that Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) still holds a monopoly on … [Read more...] about Transmission boost to remove major power bottlenecks
Japanese M&A in Vietnam on a steady track to bigger deals
The deal value in Vietnam by Japanese investors last year was more than triple the figure of 2020. Why has there been a sharp increase in Japanese mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals? Masataka “Sam” Yoshida, head of the Cross-border Division of RECOF Corporation and CEO of RECOF Vietnam Co., Ltd This rise was due to an exceptional deal done by SMBC Consumer Finance, in the amount of nearly $1.38 billion, which acquired FE Credit from VP Bank. In fact, there have been several relatively big deals by Japanese investors ranging from $50-100 million every two years during the last 10 years – however, this one was by far the largest. Apart from this one, we recognise that most of the Japanese-related deals were around $5-30 million in size, which did not show any big difference from before 2020. What is M&A activity like so far in 2022 for Japanese groups here? Despite the aforementioned mega deal by SMBC, most Japanese investors had to wait until travel … [Read more...] about Japanese M&A in Vietnam on a steady track to bigger deals
Indonesia enjoys largest trade surplus in history in April
Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia's trade surplus hit a record high in April, surpassing its peak in last October amid soaring global commodity prices that boosted exports. The National Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on May 17 that Indonesia had registered a surplus for the 24th consecutive month in April, which had more than tripled to 7.56 billion USD year on year and increased 66 percent month on month. Economists forecast that Indonesia will benefit from rising in global commodity prices due to the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as revenues from the exports of crude palm oil (CPO), coal, and metal ores are higher than the increase in imports. According to BPS, Indonesia ’s exports reached 27.32 billion USD in April, up 47.76 percent year on year. The mining industry had the strongest export growth, almost doubling year on year to 6.41 billion USD. Meanwhile imports rose 21 percent to 19 billion USD. China remained Indonesia's top export destination, … [Read more...] about Indonesia enjoys largest trade surplus in history in April
Market edges up slightly due to bull-bear tug of war
Masan workers on a production line. MSN stocks hit ceiling prices on Thursday, backing market reversal. — Photo vietnambiz.vn The market reversed the downward trend in the morning to end slightly higher in a late-session rally on Thursday. As bulls and bears entered a tug-of-war, the benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) rose by 0.88 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 1,241.64 points. The market’s breadth stood considerably negative as advancers were dwarfed by decliners. Notably, 294 stocks advanced while 519 declined. The market’s liquidity was low with only 460 million stocks traded on the southern bourse, equivalent to around VND11.6 trillion (US$502 million). Buying forces were not strong enough to lift blue chips. The 30 biggest stock tracker VN30-Index lost 2.86 points, or 0.22 per cent, to end at 1,283.55 points. In the basket, decliners outnumbered advancers by 18 to eight. Among ten stocks propping up the market, Masan Group (MSN) was the … [Read more...] about Market edges up slightly due to bull-bear tug of war
Six more pangasius processing factories eligible to export to US
Processing tra fish for export. (Photo: SGGP) It is expected to boost the export of Vietnamese pangasius to the US market in the near future. The six facilities are the Hop Nhat Seafood Corporation, Atlantic Seafood Freezing factory, Basa Mekong factory, High grade pangasius product exporting & Processing Factory, Co May 2 seafood processing export factory and CK Frozen Food Vietnam Co. Ltd. NAFIQAD also noted that factories should comply with the provisions of the program on controlling food safety for siluriformes fish and fish products exported to the US issued in Decision No. May 22, 2020 and instructions in Official Letter No. 803/QLCL-CL1 dated June 18, 2020, ensuring that the entire chain of production, processing and export of pangasius fully meets the regulations of both Vietnam and the US. The Centre for Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Zone 4 and 6 will appraise and issue certificates for pangasius shipments of these factories to the US market in accordance with … [Read more...] about Six more pangasius processing factories eligible to export to US
Vietnamese consumers’ growing interest in Australian F&B products
Shannon Leahy, trade commissioner for Austrade, and general director of BRG Retail Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy. Photo: Austrade Australia is one of Vietnam’s major suppliers of beef ad lamb products. Local consumers can enjoy a growing range of Australian products from fresh fruits, dairy, seafood, and beverages including a diverse range of sparkling, red, and white wines. Cherries, citrus, table grapes, milk, yoghurt, cheese, cereals, juices, rock lobsters, and abalone are just some of the beloved Australian products that have made it into Vietnamese stores, restaurants, and homes. General director of BRG Retail Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy said, “Vietnamese consumers increasingly demand clean, fresh, and delicious products with premium quality and transparent origins regardless of if they are eating out or at home. Australian suppliers can offer exactly what they want, including high-quality sustainable meat, delicious fruits, the finest dairy and cereals, and premium seafood … [Read more...] about Vietnamese consumers’ growing interest in Australian F&B products