Renewable energy country attractiveness index

Illustrative image (Photo: https://thaiembdc.org/) Bangkok (VNA) – A national committee on electronic vehicle (EV) policy of Thailand , also known as the EV board, on February 2 agreed in principle on a proposal to lower the excise tax on EV batteries from the current 8% to just 1% while offering a 24 billion THB (730 million USD) subsidy to the EV battery-producing industry. The subsidy will be on a first-come first-served basis, Thai Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow said, adding that the subsidy should help reduce the prices of EV batteries and EVs overall, which will boost the country's EV-making industry. The amount of the subsidy on offer will depend on the size of the battery produced, Supattanapong said. A producer of an EV battery with less than 8-gigawatt hours (GWh) capacity will receive a subsidy of between 400 THB and 600 THB per kilowatt hour (kWh), while a factory making an EV battery of more than 8 GWh will receive between 600 THB and … [Read more...] about Thailand to reduce excise tax on electric vehicle batteries

According to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), close to $1.7 billion worth of foreign capital poured into Vietnam last month. While this figure was down 19.8 per cent on-year, partly due to the timing of the Lunar New Year, January still saw positive signs. Some 153 new foreign-invested projects, valued at $1.2 billion, were granted licences, up 48.5 per cent in number and 3.1 times in value compared to the same period last year. “We can consider this a signal confirming the confidence of overseas financiers to expand their interests in Vietnam,” said Do Nhat Hoang, director of the FIA. This confidence is also reflected in the amount of new projects that were granted investment registration certificates or signed an MoU in the first month of the year. Bac Giang People’s Committee have granted several investment certificates and MoUs for a number of internationally funded projects with total registered capital of about … [Read more...] about Strong figures for FDI in January

Bac Lieu wind power plant assessed to contribute importantly to reducing impacts of climate change. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently issued the sector’s action plan on climate change response and green growth to 2030, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, the ministry considers climate change response an important and long-term task, and the achievement of the net zero emissions an opportunity to develop towards a low-carbon direction in accordance with national conditions and international trends. Measures to respond to climate change will be included in strategies for the development of the industry and trade sector. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) This move aims to ensure the flexible adaptation to short-, medium- and long-term impacts of climate change, as well as the sector’s stable development and growth. These actions will also minimise losses caused by natural disasters, and consequences of extreme weather and … [Read more...] about MoIT acts in response to climate change

The Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes Vietnam will soon welcome ASEAN delegations to attend major tourism events in Vietnam this year. In 2023, ASEAN member countries will enhance the promotion of tourism projects, further facilitate the connection between   ASEAN destinations, and strengthen joint promotion activities in key markets and within ASEAN. Deputy Minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) Doan Van Viet gave his proposal at the 26th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, which is taking place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2023). Ministers of ASEAN member countries attend the event. Photos: TITC MOCST’s Deputy Minister Doan Van Viet hoped that ASEAN members would soon remove entry requirements related to Covid-19. He said  Vietnam  welcomes ASEAN delegations to attend major tourism events in Vietnam this year, including the VITM … [Read more...] about ASEAN strengthens joint promotion activities for tourism recovery

He made the remarks at a press conference held within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF)  2023 in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from February 2-5. Last year, Vietnam welcomed a total of 3.66 million foreign visitors, 23.3 times higher than the 2021 figure. In January 2023 alone, the number of foreign tourists to the Southeast Asian nation reached more than 871,000, up 44% year-on-year. The official said that Vietnam has a variety of tourism products. In addition to four main options, namely marine tourism, ecotourism, cultural tourism and urban tourism, it also boasts attractive complementary products such as luxury resort tourism, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, and golf tourism. Introducing Vietnam's tourism policy in the post-COVID-19 period, Mr. Ha Van Sieu said that Vietnam has resumed visa exemption for those from ASEAN countries, thereby helping people in the region travel easily. Its Government has also supported tourism businesses to reconnect with … [Read more...] about Vietnam promotes tourism to ASEAN market

The event was a turning point for the country, ending a crisis in orientations for national salvation and leadership of the patriotic movement of Vietnam in the early 20th century. The moment also became the starting point for the victory of Vietnamese revolution and the growth of the nation in the following periods. With sound policies, the CPV strongly inspired and revived aspirations for national liberation among the Vietnamese people. Only 15 years following the Party revolutionary path, Vietnam had made a great miracle – the success of the August Revolution in 1945, smashing the colonial-feudal rule, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and bringing the nation into the era of independence and freedom. On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. A new era opened for the nation, the most glorious era in the national history – the Ho Chi Minh era. … [Read more...] about Communist Party of Vietnam – leader, companion of nation

Accor Vietnam intends to double the number of international-standard hotel s in Vietnam. - Illustrative image (Photo: baodautu.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Accor Vietnam and IHG Hotels & Resorts – the world’s leading hotel businesses operating in Vietnam announced that they intend to double the number of international-standard hotels in the Southeast Asian nation in the next five years. Representatives of Accor and IHG said Vietnam is a very attractive country to invest in, and foreign investment has been quite robust over the past few years. There is huge potential for developing the hotel sector in the Southeast Asian nations. Xavier Cappelut, Vice President of Operations of Accor Vietnam, said the firm has plans to welcome 41 more hotels and resorts in its chain in Vietnam within the next five years. The hotel market received a great number of domestic visitors from the first half of 2022 due to the loosening of pandemic regulations, he said, adding that the demand has … [Read more...] about World’s leading hotel groups to double down on investment in Vietnam

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects project to upgrade and expand Phu Cat airport (Photo: VNA) Binh Dinh (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a working visit to the south-central coastal province of Binh Dinh on February 4, during which he inspected, and attended the inauguration ceremonies of some infrastructure projects in the locality. In the morning, PM Chinh listened to a report on a project to upgrade and expand Phu Cat airport, which is being used for both civil and military purposes. According to a draft master plan on the system of airports and airfields nationwide in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the Ministry of Transport proposed to increase the capacity of Phu Cat airport from 2 million passengers per year as designed to 5 million by 2030 and 7 million by 2050. The PM requested the ministry to coordinate with relevant agencies and Binh Dinh province to soon complete the Phu Cat Airport planning dossier to be ready for approval right … [Read more...] about Prime Minister pays working visit to Binh Dinh

Vietnam set a target to earn US$393-394 billion in export revenue in 2023, up $22 billion or six percent over last year, said Phan Van Chinh, head of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. At a conference on domestic production and consumption promotion and export market expansion held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Friday, Chinh said that the target is challenging as the local export sector has been facing many shortcomings, such as high but unsustainable growth and trade deficits with some large markets. To reach the target, the industry and trade sector should take measures to boost exports, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities to seek new markets and exploit the export potential of sectors in which Vietnam has advantages, Chinh added. In addition, it is essential to foster trade promotion in the domestic market and the distribution of goods via digital and e-commerce platforms to encourage consumption and develop … [Read more...] about Vietnam eyes up to $394bn in export revenue in 2023

Being the heart of Vietnam, Hanoi has been promoting solid waste management while raising public awareness of environmental protection, helping the country reach the target of processing 96% of urban household waste in 2023. Hanoi has taken drastic measures to boost the management of solid waste, which has not met the requirements of environmental protection, according to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) Mai Trong Thai. Accordingly, the DONRE has issued a plan and taken action to strengthen the state management of solid waste in the capital city and raise the people’s awareness of the issue. Previously, solid waste management in Hanoi was handled by the Department of Construction and DONRE, resulting in overlapping functions. Therefore, the DONRE has assumed primary responsibility for solid waste management in the capital from January 1, 2023. He stressed that the DONRE undertook early in resolving the difficulties that … [Read more...] about Hanoi takes drastic action to handle solid waste