Td cross border banking

The fifth plenary session of the 15th National Assembly has discussed and approved a number of important draft bills, including three new amendments to regulations that have significant impacts on the tourism industry in Vietnam. These policies are expected to boost the recovery and development of the tourism sector. Martin Koerner - Chairman EuroCham Vietnam’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee The first law is to extend the visa exemption duration from the current 15 days to 45 days for citizens of countries that currently can travel to Vietnam visa exempt, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. This law aims to attract more tourists from these key markets and encourage them to stay longer and spend more here. The second law is to expand the list of countries eligible for e-visa from 46 to 80, including markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. The e-visa allows visitors to apply … [Read more...] about The future of tourism in Vietnam new visa policies and beyond

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

Asia’s increased borrowing in recent decades has augmented the region’s exposure to rising interest rates and heightened market volatility, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to the IMF’s latest report on May 25, over 18 per cent of Vietnamese enterprises were found to have an interest coverage ratio (ICR) below one, indicating a high risk of default as of June 2022. Additionally, 18.32 per cent of companies had an ICR between 1-4, making them vulnerable to increased borrowing costs, while 63.36 per cent had an ICR of four, signalling a good debt repayment capacity. The report attributes the heightened risks to the rising cost of borrowing, as central banks tighten monetary policies and increase interest rates to combat inflation. Despite maintaining growth rates, companies face significant pressure due to higher borrowing costs, reducing their ability to repay debts. As of mid-2022, 17 per cent of Asia’s corporate debt was held by firms with interest … [Read more...] about IMF highlights rising debt risks for Asian companies

Illustrative image (Photo: laodong.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Although the aquaculture industry have been facing many challenges, it continues to receive support from the Government, Director in charge of communications of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers ( VASEP ) Le Hang told Lao dong newspaper. According to Hang, the Prime Minister has demanded the State Bank of Vietnam effectively manage credit operations to ensure the suitable provision of credit capital, and continue to reduce interest rates to support businesses, especially those in aquatic export . The bank has been required to implement supportive and preferential policies, including proposing a credit package worth 10,000 billion VND (over 425.4 million USD) to support businesses operating in forestry and aquatic production and processing industries. Credit programmes should be prioritised for the fisheries sector, towards creating favourable conditions for businesses involved in the … [Read more...] about Government support helps aquaculture industry weather difficulties

At the meeting between Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (second, left) and General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the EU Military Committee. (Photo: qdnd.vn) Singapore (VNA) – The Vietnamese delegation to the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue, led by Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, attended plenary sessions, the official banquet and bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event, which took place in Singapore from June 2-4. At the meeting between Chien and General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the EU Military Committee, the two sides shared delight at the bilateral defence cooperation over the years on the foundation of the EU-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement (PCA) and the EU-Vietnam Framework Participation Agreement (FPA). Brieger thanked Vietnam for sending two officers to work as lecturers at the EU training mission in the Central African Republic, and affirmed that the EU will continue to … [Read more...] about Vietnamese delegation active at 20th Shangri-La Dialogue

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

Difficulties on way out for Vietnam’s Visa policy The short duration of stay, along with complicated factors related to the visa application procedure, have been causing headaches for foreign tourists. However, the Minister of Public Security has submitted to the National Assembly a draft amendment and supplement to a number of articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam at the end of May. The new draft has proposed to increase the duration of e-visas from no more than 30 days to a maximum of three months, valid for one time or multiple times. At the same time, the scope of e-visa issuance would be expanded to more than 80 countries and temporary residence would rise from 15 to 45 days. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also proposed to consider supplementing the pilot regulation of issuing visas at border gates for international tourists. This proposal also requires a clearer regulation of the extension of visa-free entry for … [Read more...] about Difficulties on way out for Vietnam’s Visa policy

Manulife Vietnam repays over $34 million in light of accusations Lieutenant General To An Xo, the official spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, addressed inquiries from local media during a routine government press conference on June 3. It concerned the ongoing developments in the case involving Manulife Vietnam and Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) and accusations of illicitly transforming customers' savings deposits into life insurance agreements. Lieutenant General Xo disclosed that the police have received a total of 579 complaints and have taken decisive action in response to each one. According to local media Dantri, Lieutenant General Xo shared that as of May 31, Manulife Vietnam had received a staggering 6,060 complaints pertaining to insurance contracts. Out of this substantial number, Manulife has successfully addressed and resolved 3,553 of the complaints. "Manulife has demonstrated its commitment to resolving this issue by refunding a large sum of … [Read more...] about Manulife Vietnam repays over $34 million in light of accusations

Passenger and freight trains were running again on Monday at the site of India's deadliest train disaster in decades, which officials said was caused by failures linked to signal systems. Workers inspect the newly restored tracks at the accident site of a recent three-train collision near Balasore, about 200 km (125 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar in the eastern state of Odisha, on June 5, 2023. Trains rumbled past the debris of smashed carriages from Friday night's crash near Balasore in the eastern state of Odisha, where at least 275 people were killed and hundreds injured. Officials had initially reported 288 deaths, but the Odisha state government has since revised the toll to 275 after some bodies were mistakenly counted twice. Of the 1,175 injured, 382 were still being treated in hospital, authorities said on Sunday. However, many fear the death toll could still rise with medical centres overwhelmed by the number of casualties, many in … [Read more...] about Trains resume service 51 hours after deadly India crash

Forbes Vietnam on June 5 unveiled the top 50 listed companies in 2023, the 11th year it has released this list in the country. The rankings are based on last year’s audited consolidated financial reports of the companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HSX) and the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX). Forbes Vietnam said total after-tax profit of the 50 firms stands at over 228 trillion VND (9.7 billion USD) while their combined revenue 1.49 quadrillion VND, respectively rising 18% and 24.9% from the 2022 list. The Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) remains the biggest revenue earner with more than 304 trillion VND. Meanwhile, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) recorded the most after-tax profit, almost 29.9 trillion VND. The top 50 listed companies are divided into sectors, and most are leading firms or those already gaining a foothold in their sectors. The rankings are dominated by businesses in the financial (banking, … [Read more...] about Forbes Vietnam reveals top 50 listed companies in 2023