Da Nang Smart City App helps connect residents and local administration. (Photo: VNA) Da Nang (VNS/VNA) - With 43% of the population aged 18 and more owning electronic accounts on the public service portals , the central city of Da Nang is among the leading localities in Vietnam in digital transformation. Digital transformation is being promoted with the participation of all agencies, enterprises and residents. Digital economy accounts for 17% of the city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product in 2022. This has contributed to the city’s digital socio-economic recovery and development and created digital skills and habits for local people. Nguyen Quang Thanh, Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, said the e-government and smart urban area building inspire the city’s digital transformation . “Data plays a key role in creating new values,” he told Vietnam News Agency. Since 2020, the city has built a database based on various sources. … [Read more...] about Da Nang applies digital transformation to urban management
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Banks to promote online lending through national population database access
Access to this huge amount of customer data is a golden opportunity for banks to promote digital services and products, especially online lending. — Photo baodautu.vn Through a series of newly-issued regulations and access to the national population database, banks are planning to expand their online money-lending services. Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) Pham Tien Dung said accessing the national population database will help banks to check and authenticate new customer information more easily. Commercial banks will promote lending services on their electronic platforms based on this database. The draft amending the Law on Credit Institutions has many regulations specifying banking services via electronic devices. Besides that, several provisions supplemented by Civil Law and the Law on Electronic Transactions are necessary to complete the legal framework for online lending. Online lending, mostly small loans, has been implemented by many banks for a … [Read more...] about Banks to promote online lending through national population database access
Eco-industrial park development targets net zero emissions
A view of Nam Cau Kien Eco-Industrial Park in Hai Phong. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet The development of eco-industrial parks is considered an effective solution to contribute to completing the net zero emission target by 2050 in Viet Nam. However, there are still many problems with the mechanism. In a report on the development of industrial parks and economic zones conducted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, by 2030, 40-50 per cent of localities will have plans to convert existing industrial parks to eco-industrial parks, and 8-10 per cent of localities have orientations to build new ecological industrial parks. This will contribute to the concretisation of the net zero commitment by 2050. However, many experts and businesses believe that it is necessary to have the determination of the businesses to achieve this goal, along with preferential policies and mechanisms. Now, Viet Nam has more than 400 industrial parks, but few of those industrial parks have strategies to … [Read more...] about Eco-industrial park development targets net zero emissions
Program spreads cultural values of lotus and Vietnamese Ao dai
The event introduced thousands of lotuses, together with collections of the Vietnamese Ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress), and antique bicycles. Through the activities at the program, the organizing panel expected to spread the beauty of the lotus flower and the traditional cultural values of the Ao dai which flatters the beauty of Vietnamese women. At present, Vietnam is studying and finalizing dossiers seeking recognition of the lotus as the National Flower of Vietnam and UNESCO recognition of the Ao dai as intangible cultural heritage. Earlier, an art space, themed “Lotus Calligraphy,” was held at the Hanoi Museum to introduce 40 calligraphy works written on lotus paintings by collector Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, President of the Vietnamese Ao dai Heritage Club. This event was part of the activities to mark the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. Showcased works were part of Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam’s “Lotus in Vietnamese cultural life” collection which won an Asia record. … [Read more...] about Program spreads cultural values of lotus and Vietnamese Ao dai
New apartment buildings must have life span: Hanoi Party Chief
The amended Housing Act lacks provisions on the life span of condominiums, which may cause problems for the authorities when it comes to renovating the buildings. The secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, Dinh Tien Dung, suggested on May 5 that there should be an expiration date for the ownership of apartments. An old apartment building in Thanh Xuan Bac Ward of Thanh Xuan District. Photo: Thai San/The Hanoi Times Commenting on the amended Housing Law, he said the expiration date would make the Government responsible for maintaining and repairing deteriorating apartment buildings in time. "The Government is responsible for protecting people, and moving them out of dilapidated buildings is for their good," said Dung, who heads Hanoi's delegation to the National Assembly. Many people in Hanoi now live in degraded apartment buildings. There is a lot of pressure on the capital to relocate these people so that authorities can renovate the … [Read more...] about New apartment buildings must have life span: Hanoi Party Chief
Coach Troussier wants more overseas Vietnamese on national team
At a press conference held Monday to discuss the upcoming June training period for the Vietnam national and U23 teams, Troussier said that coaching alone will not be enough to level up Vietnamese football. According to Troussier, the core power of a national team comes from club football. Therefore, it’s necessary to establish a league system with 40 to 50 games a season. He also said Vietnamese football could improve by having more overseas Vietnamese players who are trained abroad come here to play. "Scouts have sent me a list of about 20 players of Vietnamese origin," Troussier said. "They live in countries like South Korea, Japan, Bulgaria, Russia, Czech Republic and France." Troussier believes that Vietnam are behind other countries in the region like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia on this matter. As another example, he pointed out how strong the national teams in Africa are, just by using overseas players. "Their players were born in Europe and trained in the best … [Read more...] about Coach Troussier wants more overseas Vietnamese on national team
India investigates rail disaster as trains crawl through crash site
The disaster struck on Friday, when a passenger train hit a stationary freight train, jumped the tracks and hit another passenger train passing in the opposite direction near the district of Balasore, in the eastern state of Odisha. Following non-stop efforts to rescue survivors and clear and repair the track, trains resumed running over that section of the line on Sunday night. Trains were passing slowly by the derailed and mangled compartments, while repair work continued at the track side. Some 120 km (75 miles) further north, at Kharagpur in West Bengal state, railway officials and witnesses gathered to submit evidence to a two-day inquiry, led by A.M. Chowdhary, commissioner of railway safety for the south-eastern circle. "Everyone involved at the site have been asked to join the inquiry. The probe will take time and we are looking at all possible angles," Chowdhary told reporters. India's Railway Board has recommended that the federal Central Bureau of Investigation … [Read more...] about India investigates rail disaster as trains crawl through crash site
Ha Long tourists, hotels suffer massive power outages
Nguyen Thanh Dan from HCMC booked a five-star hotel room in Ha Long City for two weeks starting Sunday, but on the first night of her stay the power went out immediately. It was an extremely hot night, and her baby could not stand the heat, so she had to cancel her room and rent another at a nearby three-star hotel. "I had not received any announcements in advance about power outages. Seventy rooms at my hotel were filled on Sunday," said a representative from Green Suites Hotel. Because of the power cuts, guests canceled their rooms. In addition to a refund of VND600,000 (US$25.53) per room, the hotel also lost paying additional compensation to guests. By Monday morning, the hotel had rented a large generator to prevent unexpected power outages. Many parts of Ha Long, a top tourist attraction in the northern region, have been suffering sudden power cuts over the past several days, affecting tourism activities as it’s now the peak summer travel season. Many hotels, motels … [Read more...] about Ha Long tourists, hotels suffer massive power outages
Hundred-kilometer-long expy sections in Vietnam have no gas stations, rest stops
Many drivers and commuters have complained about the absence of gas stations and rest stops along different expressway sections in central, south-central, and southern Vietnam. The reported sections include the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway in the central region, the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressways in south-central, and the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway and the Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway in the south. All of them are subprojects of the mammoth North-to-South expressway project in Vietnam that is projected to feature a total of 39 rest stops, according to the Vietnam Expressway Administration under the Ministry of Transport. Among them, five rest stops are already operational, two others are currently under investment, and the remaining 32 stations are undergoing evaluation. No rest stops Nguyen Van Phuoc, who is residing in Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City and works as a driver, said he often drives passengers on the Da Nang-Quang … [Read more...] about Hundred-kilometer-long expy sections in Vietnam have no gas stations, rest stops
Norway strengthens support to Vietnam’s sustainable marine aquaculture
Norway has helped Vietnam develop the first Fisheries Law, supported surveys of aquatic resources, and capacity-building projects in the fisheries sector for nearly 40 years. Norwegian partners have intensified their support of Vietnam’s sustainable marine aquaculture through efforts that share expertise from a world-leading producer and exporter of seafood. The seminar on June 5 in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa is the latest move in the process in which the ocean nation has supported Vietnam over the past four decades . Indeed, the event aims to create a platform for participants from the public, private sectors, and academia to discuss ways for Vietnam to develop marine aquaculture in a sustainable manner and the role of relevant stakeholders in that process. The seminar was organized by the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, Innovation Norway, Hanoi, in coordination with the Department of Fisheries (DFish) of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural … [Read more...] about Norway strengthens support to Vietnam’s sustainable marine aquaculture