Prolonged inactivity

The southern region of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City have been experiencing multiple waves of rain, and are forecast to continue facing widespread rainfall, according to a weather pundit. The region often sees daytime sunny and late afternoons rainy during this season, but over the past few days, rain has even poured down in the early morning. Le Thi Xuan Lan, a former official at the southern hydro-meteorological station, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, that the southern region is facing two rainfall patterns, including the southwest monsoon and an equatorial trough. The southwest monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind in southern Vietnam. Over the past few days, the monsoon has strengthened, thereby causing widespread rainfall. As for the equatorial trough, the trough often operates near the equator, but super typhoon Mawar has pulled it to Vietnam. The trough contains turbulence that causes downpours in the southern region. Besides, the Mawar has fueled the southwest … [Read more...] about Prolonged rain forecast to sweep through southern Vietnam

The Northern Power Corporation will buy electricity from China’s Guangxi Power Grid Company to ease the power shortage this summer. The agreement was reached recently between the two sides at a meeting in China’s Dongxing City. The electricity will be bought through the 110-kV Shengou-Mong Cai power transmission line between May and July. The Chinese firm will make preparations to ensure the power supply for Vietnam as soon as possible. In the 2005-2016 period, the Northern Power Corporation also purchased power from China via the 110-kV Shengou-Mong Cai power transmission line. The northern region of Vietnam would see a power shortfall of between 1,600- 4,900MW from May to July due to the prolonged heat. Electricity of Vietnam has sent a proposal to Vietnam Oil and Gas Group on prioritising gas supply for electricity production amid increasing demand in summer. … [Read more...] about Vietnam to buy electricity from China to ease shortage

Workers at a plywood factory in northern Viet Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has extended the investigation period for plywood products made from hardwood and solar batteries, regarding the evasion of trade remedy taxes. The Trade Remedies Administration under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has announced that the DOC has prolonged the investigation period to address the issue of trade remedy evasion involving plywood products made with hardwood imported from Viet Nam. The conclusion of the investigation is expected to be published by May 26, 2023. Furthermore, the deadline for issuing final judgments in the anti-trade remedy tax lawsuit concerning solar batteries imported from Viet Nam has been extended. The final judgment is anticipated to be published on August 17, 2023. The Trade Remedies Administration encourages businesses engaged in the production and export of related items to closely monitor the progress of these cases. — VNS … [Read more...] about US extends investigation into evasion of trade remedy tax on Vietnamese goods

A farmer collects eggs at a farm in Chuong My District, Ha Noi. The poultry farming sector is seking support to overcome difficulties. — VNA/VNS Photo Vu Sinh Viet Nam Poultry Association (VIPA) has submitted a petition to Government calling for solutions to remove difficulties for the poultry farming and save farmers and enterprises from bankruptcy. The association said that many enterprises and farms were on the verge of collapse with thousands forced to narrow down production scale or temporarily halt operation due to prolonged losses. Due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of input materials increased to a record high while the consumption market fluctuated, pushing the prices of useful poultry products down considerably. At some point in time, the selling prices of poultry products stayed at only two-thirds of the production costs, pushing the poultry farming industry into a lot of difficulties, the association said. VIPA said to rescue the … [Read more...] about Struggling poultry farmers seek support to avoid bankruptcy

On May 8, the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) signed agreements with 19 industry and locality associations in which it will provide legal support and participate in resolving disputes for association members. Besides that, the VIAC will collaborate with other associations in reviewing and offering opinions on laws and policies related to their activities. Links emphasised for arbitration relations/ illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com The agreement involves the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association, the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, and the Beer Alcohol Beverage Association Vietnam, among others. According to Phung Anh Tuan, executive vice chairman and secretary general at the Vietnam Association of Financial Investors (VAFI), many investors reflect that Vietnam is focusing on attracting new foreign investment capital inflows … [Read more...] about Links emphasised for arbitration relations

Since last October, Pham Manh Hung has been struggling to feed his five-member family. Hung has been forced into a reduction of working hours, while his wife last worked for an apparel company in Hanoi almost a year ago. For most of 2022, all 1,500 workers at Hung’s company in Hanoi’s Quang Minh Industrial Park (IP), producing furniture products exported to Europe and Japan, operated at full speed with many export orders coming from foreign partners. Prolonged economic difficulties will inevitably mean that some people will be squeezed out of work, photo Le Toan “However, over the past seven months, the company has landed only several orders. So its leadership has been seeking more markets for its products in order to create employment and retain workers,” Hung said. “They don’t want to let go of workers and instead reduce the working hours by two hours a day.” Meanwhile, his wife, Nguyen Thi Mo, had been working for a Japanese firm in the capital’s Thang Long IP … [Read more...] about Nation braced for dim job prospects

The People’s Committee of Mong Cai City in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Monday cut off power in the entire city for three hours to complete the installation of a 110kV power transmission line from China, adding to the domestic power supply. Mong Cai will start using electricity bought from Shengou, Guangxi, China from Wednesday after the Northern Power Corporation, under state utility Vietnam Electricity Group, and Guangxi Power Grid Co. Ltd. signed a power purchase agreement on Tuesday. As per the agreement, the Chinese side has been committed to providing Vietnam with a maximum power capacity of 70 MW and a monthly output of 30 million kWh of electricity. The electricity obtained from the Chinese supplier will be distributed to the Mong Cai station, located in Mong Cai City, and the Quang Ha station, situated in Hai Ha District, both of which operate at a voltage of 110kV in Quang Ninh Province, between May and July -- the hot season in northern Vietnam. The deal … [Read more...] about Vietnam buys electricity from China to ease shortage

Condotels, a type of condominium that operates like a hotel in which units are owned by individuals that have entrusted an operator to rent them out, were officially approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on May 20 to be granted title deeds just like any other property. The approval resolves many issues that have long been plaguing the condotel market, said Vo Hong Thang, deputy director of property services provider DKRA Group. "Condotel owners could not mortgage their units to banks before, but now they can, and this will help increase the liquidity of the property," he said. Owners will be relieved to know that their properties are legally recognized and any problem in ownership between them and the developer can be resolved within the legal framework, he added. "This is a boost for developers to sell more products and for buyers to have confidence in the future of their investment." By the end of last year there were around 83,000 condotel units … [Read more...] about Title deed grants to stir up condotel market

"We have nearly 1,600 students, and guests have also confirmed their participation, so we cannot cancel the ceremony," Nguyen Le Quoc Dung, vice principal of Phu Hoa 3 Elementary School in Thu Dau Mot city said. "With this power cut notice, we have to cancel some activities." Besides, the school would have to hire a generator, he added. A seafood restaurant in the city said it could only open in the evening on May 26. "The power cut is from 6am to 6pm, and so we cannot open with the hot weather and without fans and air conditioners. We also had to cancel pre-orders for that day." Many factories have had to change their schedules or suspend operations due to load shedding since last week. A construction materials manufacturer in HCMC has had to stop production at its facilities for one to five hours on some days last week. There is no schedule for this week yet, but its CEO said that if the power outages continue, production would badly hit. Pham Xuan Hong, chairman of … [Read more...] about Businesses on edge as record power demand, low supply cause outages

Six people have been killed and dozens of homes washed away in central Afghanistan after heavy rains were funnelled down mountain valleys causing devastating floods, a local official said Wednesday. Afghan residents walk through a courtyard of a house covered in mud, after flash floods hit the Madrasa village at Firozkoh in Ghor Province on May 24, 2023. Research describes Afghanistan as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which scientists say is making extreme weather events more harsh and more frequent. Abdul Wahid Hamas, a spokesman for the Taliban governor in central Ghor province, said the area hit by high waters on Tuesday "has not seen such a flood at least in the last decade". He said three women and a child were killed when their home was washed away in the provincial capital of Firozkoh -- 280 kilometres (170 miles) east of the city of Herat. "People of the area have seen huge losses," said Bahauddin, 47, a relative of the four … [Read more...] about Six killed, 100 homes destroyed in Afghan flood: official