Despite the high demand for housing, the transaction volume stays low due to the high prices compared to people’s average income. The scarce supply of new projects remains a key factor keeping demand for housing high in Hanoi’s real estate market in 2023. Locals looking at a real estate project in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times During the last months of 2022, transactions in the real estate market stayed in stark contrast to the previous boom period. Experts suggested that this was due to several laws regulating the market not being completed, coupled with a sharp decline in liquidity as a result of the government's direction to restrict credit flows in high-risk fields and tighter regulations on corporate bond issuance. The sharp drop in transaction volume and supply, coupled with the high demand for housing, means that prices continue to rise. Data from the Vietnam Association of Realtors (VARS) showed in the fourth quarter of 2022, Hanoi has … [Read more...] about Demand for housing in Hanoi forecast to rise in 2023
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Majority back to work after Tet in Southern industrial hubs
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs noted about 95% of employees in local agencies, factories, and businesses had been back to work as of January 30. Among the over 1,300 companies surveyed by the department, more than 42% of those allowing their workers to return to their hometowns for Tet from January 18 - 19 (the 27th and 28th days of the last lunar month) have resumed operations. Director of the department Le Van Thinh said despite many difficulties leading to lay-offs in late 2022, the situation has improved as many businesses and factories have received new orders. A number of companies have launched various incentives and better treatment policies to keep employees. Resignations after Tet have declined as most workers want to have stable jobs, especially amid numerous difficulties facing the economy and daily lives, he noted. As of the end of 2022, Ho Chi Minh City was home to more than 286,000 enterprises and 460,000 individual … [Read more...] about Majority back to work after Tet in Southern industrial hubs
Incense offering ceremony held at Thang Long Imperial Citadel
The ceremony was organized to commemorate the late Vietnamese Kings and those who rendered their services and made great contribution to the nation. It was part of traditional cultural activities to celebrate the lunar New Year 2023. The event featured various traditional rituals, including a palanquin procession, a dragon dance to pray for favorable weather, peace and prosperity, a drum performance demonstrating the spirit of the one-thousand-year-old Thang Long - Hanoi, and other cultural activities. On the occasion, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel was filled with colorful flowers and decorations to serve visitors. The incense offering ceremony is an annual activity to pay tribute to ancestors, the late Vietnamese Kings and those who rendered good service to the nation while honoring the traditional values of Thang Long - Hanoi. After three years of COVID-19 restrictions, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel welcomed more than 33,000 visitors during the lunar New Year 2023 … [Read more...] about Incense offering ceremony held at Thang Long Imperial Citadel
Party chief chairs meeting reviewing organisation of Tet celebrations
At the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on January 31 chaired a meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat to review the organisation of Tet ( Lunar New Year ) celebrations and look into major tasks in the time ahead. The leader lauded Party Committees and administrations at all levels for their serious implementation of directives issued by the Secretariat and the Prime Minister regarding the organisation of Tet, the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam. Regarding the tasks in the coming time, he stressed the need to continue with the forecasting work to take response measures, and asked each agency and locality to map out specific plans for 2023 in order to fulfill targets set for the year. The Secretariat will direct agencies and localities to resume operations following the holiday, and effectively materialise the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 46-KL/TW on the macro-economic situation and key tasks and solutions for … [Read more...] about Party chief chairs meeting reviewing organisation of Tet celebrations
Thailand expects to serve 30 million foreign arrivals this year
Chiang Mai, Thailand (Photo: Thaiairways) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand's tourism industry expects foreign arrivals to exceed 30 million in 2023, higher than government estimates of 25-27.5 million. Making the forecast on January 31, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) predicted foreign and domestic tourists will generate over 3 trillion baht (91 billion USD) in revenue this year. However, TCT President Chamnan Srisawat warned the huge volume of visitors will pose challenges for the Thai tourism industry, which is still recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tourism businesses are still suffering liquidity and labour shortages, he explained, while some are missing out on new opportunities. The council is tackling the problems by cooperating with the Office of SMEs Promotion to help entrepreneurs tap new trends like wellness- and metaverse-based tourism, he said, adding that it is also liaising with the Government Savings Bank and National Credit Bureau for access to … [Read more...] about Thailand expects to serve 30 million foreign arrivals this year
Party chief chairs meeting reviewing organization of Tet celebrations
The leader lauded party committees and administrations at all levels for their serious implementation of directives issued by the Secretariat and the Prime Minister regarding the organization of Tet, the biggest and longest festival in Vietnam. Regarding the tasks in the coming time, he stressed the need to continue with the forecasting work to take response measures, and asked each agency and locality to map out specific plans for 2023 in order to fulfill targets set for the year. The Secretariat will direct agencies and localities to resume operations following the holiday, and effectively materialize the Politburo’s Conclusion No.46-KL/TW on the macro-economic situation and key tasks and solutions for the coming time, the Party chief noted. He also asked ministries, agencies and localities to focus on industrial production, construction and agricultural development, and provide more support for sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic like logistics, aviation, tourism, … [Read more...] about Party chief chairs meeting reviewing organization of Tet celebrations
Defense ministry launches tree planting festival 2023
Present at the event were Director of the General Department of Political Affairs General Luong Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Deputy Defense Ministers Senior Lieutenant Generals Hoang Xuan Chien, Vu Hai San, and Le Huy Vinh. The festival was part of the practical activities to mark the 64th anniversary of the day President Ho Chi Minh launched the lunar New Year (Tet) tree-planting festival (1959-2023) and 93rd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - 2023) and welcome the Year of the Cat. It also responded to the Prime Minister-launched program of planting 1 billion trees for a green Vietnam. Addressing the event, Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang said that in the 2015-2020 period, the whole military planted nearly 11 million trees of different kinds, importantly greening bare land, barren hills, helping regulate climate, and improving … [Read more...] about Defense ministry launches tree planting festival 2023