Solid base

In the first quarter, Generali ’s gross written premiums increased to $23.76 billion – up 1.3 per cent – driven by robust growth in the property and casualty (P&C) segment – up 10.1 per cent. Life net inflows were entirely focused on unit-linking and protection, consistent with the group’s strategy. Meanwhile, its operating result rose to $1.9 billion, a rise of 22.1 per cent, mainly thanks to the strong contribution from the P&C segment, while the Life segment was resilient. The combined ratio improved to 90.7 per cent, down 5.6 per cent on-year. The excellent new business margin stood at 5.72 per cent, up 0.32 per cent against Q1 last year. Generali's adjusted net result grew substantially to $1.27 million, an increase of 49.7 per cent, reflecting the benefit of diversified profit sources. The extremely solid solvency ratio stood at 227 per cent, compared with 221 per cent in the financial year 2022. Generali Group CFO Cristiano Borean said, “The strong … [Read more...] about Generali confirms its extremely solid capital position

The exchange rate in the interbank market has been stable in May, hovering in a tight range around the State Bank of Vietnam's (SBV) reference dollar buying price. In the global market, the greenback is forecast to continue to weaken. Accordingly, the US Federal Reserve raised the base rate by a quarter of a percentage point in the early May meeting, but many forecasts believe that this might be the last base rate hike before it trends sideways, and that it is likely that the Fed will start cutting the rate in the second half of this year. Accordingly, the SBV reduced the diverse regulatory rate by 0.5 per cent from May 25. Commenting on the impact of the rate change, Nguyen Hung, CEO of tech-driven TPBank, said that although it might go counter to the world trends, there were positive signs supporting the move, such as the Fed or several central banks might stop adjusting interest rates, and the local economy had acquired enough resources to control the situation. … [Read more...] about Softer exchange rate loom in H2

Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam’s national flag carrier, was named one of the world’s top 25 airlines for 2023 by Australia-based AirlineRatings.com, an aviation safety and product review group. The carrier sits at number 20 in the rankings, above Turkish Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines. The first five positions on the list respectively went to Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, and Singapore Airlines. To prepare its annual round-up, AirlineRatings.com considered major safety and government audits, as well as looked at airline fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product and services, and staff relations. To make it to the top twenty-five, airlines must achieve a seven-star safety rating and demonstrate leadership in innovation for passenger comfort, according to AirlineRatings.com. “We are focused on leadership and airlines that innovate to make a real difference to the passenger … [Read more...] about Vietnam Airlines among world’s top carriers for 2023

Vietnam aims to increase the proportion of renewable electricity production, including hydropower, to 30-39 per cent of total commercial electricity. Consequently, when investing, it is crucial to evaluate energy storage requirements and forecast prices. According to a number of analysts, the research model by the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET) for forecasting energy storage demand and electricity pricing, which was announced on the afternoon of May 31, has wide applicability. The research conducted by VIET on energy storage systems yielded three significant findings. To accelerate the energy transition in a reliable and sustainable fashion, it is necessary to first increase the capacity of hydroelectric power sources and electricity storage. Secondly, to achieve the ambitious objective of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), it is advised to have at least 6GW of conserved hydroelectricity or other electricity storage systems to guarantee energy … [Read more...] about 40 per cent renewable energy target for Vietnam’s commercial power consumption

Vietnam Space Week will be held in Hậu Giang and Bình Định provinces and HCM City from June 5 to 9. Organised by the two provinces, Thủ Đức City in HCM City and the HCM City Computer Association (HCA) with support from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it will make Việt Nam the first Southeast Asian country to host such a NASA event. Visitors will have the chance to meet with US astronauts and experience space exploration and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) educational activities. Michael Koetsier, vice president of client management at Skyrora UK Ltd, an orbital launch vehicle manufacturer focused on providing clients with low cost access to space for a range of satellites, said astronaut Mike Baker and flight surgeon Dr Josef Schmid would be in attendance. Baker was on four space missions, twice each as pilot and mission commander, and later became director of operations for NASA based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, … [Read more...] about NASA astronauts to take part in first Vietnam Space Week

Consumers at a supermarket in Ha Noi. NA deputies are calling for extended VAT cuts to further stimulate domestic consumption. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet National Assembly deputies are pushing hard for extended VAT cuts applicable to all firms across the board, but the Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phocstands firm against the call. NA deputy Tran Chi Cuong from Da Nang City said the VAT cuts initiated in May would come into force from July 1 to December 31, which is too short a period of time to produce their desired effect. He called for the time frame to be extended to 2024 to give the economy more time to absorb the fiscal stimulus. He also said it would take local authorities at least one year to re-balance their budget given the size of the cuts. NA deputy Mai Thi Phuong Hoa from Nam Dinh Province shared this view. She said the VAT cuts would need more time to take root and six months would be too short a period to that end. She also urged the Government to loosen its … [Read more...] about NA deputies call for extended VAT cuts