Rethinking business models for innovation

On October 12th, American Singer Kacey Musgraves stirred great controversy within Vietnamese communities worldwide, and not for good reasons. Wearing traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" yet intentionally replacing the pant with a transparent stocking, the singer posed in overtly sexy manner. The pictures infuriated Vietnamese and they accused her of not respecting Vietnamese traditions. Some local celebrities such as actress Ngo Thanh Van and Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong also expressed their frustration. A screenshot from Kacey Musgraves’s Instagram page shows her wearing the traditional Vietnamese long dress without its trousers at a concert in Dallas on October 11, 2019. However, Musgraves was not the first foreign star who spiced up "ao dai" by eschewing its flared trousers. On the red carpet of the Billboard Music Awards 2019, 25-year-old American rapper Saweetie also wore an outfit resembling the Vietnamese "ao dai" with no pants. Photo … [Read more...] about Vietnamese netizens unimpressed with foreign ao dai ‘innovations’

Digital solutions to protect organizations against increasingly complex online fraud and stringent compliance regulations, and enable consumers to transact safely and securely online, have led to strong YoY growthSINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 10 December 2019 - GBG (AIM: GBG), the global technology specialist in fraud and compliance management, identity verification and location intelligence, announces its unaudited results for the six months ended 30 September 2019. For the first time in the organization's 30-year history, international revenue outside of the UK has increased from 35% to 57% of its total business. This is spurred by continued growth from new logo wins and existing customers across all focus geographies. In the fraud space, GBG has built on existing commercial relationships and won new customers in Europe, including BNP Paribas, Arval and Standard Life. In the APAC region, GBG has extended business with AmBank in Malaysia and Citi in Indonesia and … [Read more...] about GBG’s international revenues increase to 57% of total business

Viec.Co surpassed other contestants in the top 5 to be named winner of the Vietnam Startup 2019, which concluded in final Gala on December 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. Themed "Unicorn to be", the final gathered the top 5, including Viec.Co, TripHunter, Liberzy, Tez and Sphacy for a debate in front of judges. Viec.Co was chosen as winner, based on criteria including leadership ability, uniqueness, new technology, product feasibility, global reach and community contribution. Phan Xuan Canh, founder of Viec.Co. Specialized in helping freelance workers access employment oportunities, Viec.Co provides a one-touch experience via a human resources platform. It is also a tool for employers to evaluate and recruit candidates at lowest cost and simple procedure. Viec.Co has further applied the API (Application Programming Interface) to the Momo ecosystem, Vietnam's mobile, e-wallet and payment application, to provide simple and convenient payment solutions. After one year of … [Read more...] about Viec.Co scoops Vietnam Startup 2019 title

Farmers tend dragon fruit in Tien Giang Province’s Tan Phuoc District. (Photo: VNA) Tien Giang (VNS/VNA) - Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have begun harvesting off-season dragon fruit, earning high incomes. In recent years, farmers have been using advanced farming techniques to grow off-season dragon fruit to avoid an oversupply during the main harvest season. The off-season is normally between December and March, with harvests three to four times a year. Sau Long, who has a 1.1ha red-flesh dragon fruit orchard in Cho Gao district, had a yield of one tonne of dragon fruit in the first off-season harvest and sold the crop for 28 million VND (1,200 USD). Traders have bought red-flesh dragon fruit for 28,000 VND a kilogramme, up 6,000 VND compared to last month.    Tran Van Chon in Cho Gao’s Trung Hoa commune said he would harvest nearly two tonnes of off-season … [Read more...] about Off-season dragon fruit fetches high price for Tien Giang farmers

While growth in most regions has slowed down, Vietnam’s economy is recovering strongly with GDP expanding by an average 6.84% during the 2016-2020 period, beating the set target and marking the highest figure in the past three five-year periods. The EVFTA and CPTPP could increase Vietnam’s GDP by 4.3% and 1.3% respectively by 2030. Such an impressive performance will lay a solid foundation for Vietnam to become a upper middle-income country by 2025. Growth projected at 7% Assessing the prospects of the Vietnamese economy for the 2021-2025 period, the National Centre for Socio-economic Information Forecast (NCIF) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment constructed two scenarios. In the first scenario, GDP growth is projected to average 7% per year, with inflation at between 3.5%-4.5%, while the ratio of capital to GDP is estimated at 31%, compared with 33.5% during the 2016-2020 period. Investment efficiency continues to improve, with the incremental … [Read more...] about Vietnam strives to join upper middle-income countries