People shop for food at a market in Aceh - westernmost province of Indonesia. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government plans to spend 476 trillion Rp (31.8 billion USD) on social assistance protection as the country is transitioning from the COVID-19 pandemic to the endemic disease phase. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said that his government will not abruptly revoke the massive spending on social programmes aimed at helping the people and businesses cope with the devastating economic impact of the pandemic over the last three years. Speaking at a recent meeting of the National Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (PC-PEN), Joko Widodo said that after lifting restrictions at the end of 2022, Indonesia is in an interim phase in which it must maintain caution, especially in deciding on economic measures. In contrast to other nations that have recently experienced high inflation, according to the President, Indonesia has … [Read more...] about Indonesia to spend nearly 32 billion USD on post-pandemic social protection
Poland online grocery shopping
Vietnam’s trade with India hits record in 2022
Goods for export at the Tan Cang-Cat Lai Port in HCM City. Vietnam's exports to India topped 7.96 billion USD in 2022, up 26.8% year-on-year. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Two-way trade between Vietnam and India saw a yearly increase of 13.6% to 15.05 billion USD in 2022, statistics from the General Department of Customs showed. During the year, Vietnam’s exports to India topped 7.96 billion USD, up 26.8% year-on-year. Among its export items, mobile phones and accessories posted the highest turnover with 1.52 billion USD, up 18.4%, making up nearly 20% of the total export value. Computers, electronics and parts came next with 1.03 billion USD, up 25%, or 13%, while machinery and equipment ranked third with 804 million USD or over 10%. Other staples with the highest value increase were coffee with 165%; iron and steel (97%) and footwear (96%). Some items, however, posted large decreases in export value, such as animal feed and raw materials with 23.04 million USD, down … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s trade with India hits record in 2022
Ninh Binh one of world’s most welcoming destinations: Booking.com
The ranking was based on an analysis of more than 240 million verified customer reviews on the Dutch-based online travel agency website Booking.com. Around 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, home to Hoa Lu (the ancient capital of Vietnam during the reign of the Dinh Dynasty 968-980), had been overlooked by foreign tourists for years. The province, known for its river boat tours through limestone karst mountain passes and paddy fields, started shining on global stage after the Hollywood movie "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed there in 2016. La Rioja in Spain topped the list of most welcoming destinations, followed by Epirus in Greece and Oberosterreich, or Upper Austria. The ranking is just one part of Booking.com’s eleventh annual Traveler Review Awards, an honor given out to 1,364,415 accommodation partners, 230 car rental providers, and 58 airport taxi suppliers across 220 countries and territories. Last year, Hoi An in central Vietnam was honored as one of 10 most … [Read more...] about Ninh Binh one of world’s most welcoming destinations: Booking.com
Banks lower saving interest rates right after Tết
The race of interest rate hikes among commercial banks is showing signs of cooling down as many banks have adjusted down the rate by several percentage points per year after the Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday and have set stricter conditions for customers to enjoy the high rates. A Techcombank transaction office in Hanoi. Techcombank currently lists the highest deposit interest rate at 9.2 per cent per year, against 9.5 per cent per year before Tết. — Photo Techcombank At Techcombank, the highest deposit interest rate at the bank is currently 9.2 per cent per year, against 9.5 per cent per year before Tết. To enjoy the 9.2 per cent interest rate, depositors must be a VIP customer with minimum savings of VNĐ3 billion over 12 months. For regular customers, the rate for 6-month deposits at the bank is also down to 8.5 per cent per year from more than 9 per cent before Tết. At Sacombank, the highest interest rate before Tết was 9.8 per cent per year. However, … [Read more...] about Banks lower saving interest rates right after Tết