Illustrative image (Photo: Dai bieu nhan dan newspaper) Hanoi (VNA) - The State Treasury raised 162,952 billion VND (nearly 6.94 billion USD) worth of Government bonds via auctions on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) in the first five months of 2023, up 188.4% year-on-year. The amount was equal to 48.4% of the issuance plan in the second quarter, and 40.74% of the plan set for 2023. In May alone, as many as 23,269 billion VND, or 75.06% of the total G-bonds on offer, was mobilised via 17 auctions on the HNX. Most of the total volume offered in the month was 15-year and 10-year bonds, accounting for 43.4% and 32.1%, respectively. Interest rates continued their downward trend in all terms, with a decrease of 27-35 basic points compared to the last session of April. In the last auction of May, the interest rates for 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year terms were 2.4%, 2.95%, 3.05%, 3.19% and 3.4%, respectively. On the secondary market, the State Treasury … [Read more...] about Nearly 6.94 billion USD raised through Gov’t bond auctions in five months
Trade frauds
PM Anthony Albanese’s visit hoped to lift up Vietnam-Australia partnership
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Cambodia (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ’s visit from June 3-4 is expected to further promote the sound relations between the two countries in all fields, including peacekeeping, education and training. This is the first official visit to Vietnam by Anthony Albanese since taking office and only two months after the state visit by Australian Governor-General, showing Australia's great attention to the Southeast Asian nation. Highlighting the Vietnam-Australia partnership in peacekeeping operations, Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that Australia was one of the first countries to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vietnam in UN peacekeeping activities in 2015. The MoU laid a foundation for the two countries to … [Read more...] about PM Anthony Albanese’s visit hoped to lift up Vietnam-Australia partnership
Man steals power equipment, causing blackout in many parts of Vietnam’s Lao Cai
A 31-year-old man has been apprehended for stealing equipment and accessories at transformation stations, causing power outages in the entirety of Xuan Giao and Gia Phu Communes of Bao Thang District and Lao Cai City of the namesake northern mountainous province. Police in Bao Thang District have arrested Nguyen Van Tuyen, a resident in Xuan Giao Commune, Bao Thang District, for stealing assets, the Lao Cai police said on Friday. Thefts of power equipment and accessories were repeatedly reported at transformation stations of Lao Cai City Power Company and Vietnam Expressway Corporation in May, causing huge losses for the state, hindering production and business activities, and sparking public concerns. The local police later determined Nguyen Van Tuyen as the thief. He also admitted to having stolen power equipment and accessories three times in Xuan Giao Commune and sold them to have money for drugs and other expenses. According to the police, Tuyen is a drug addict and has … [Read more...] about Man steals power equipment, causing blackout in many parts of Vietnam’s Lao Cai
Vietnam Airlines among world’s top carriers for 2023
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
Son La Plum Week and Safe Agricultural Products open in Ha Noi
Visitors at the event. — VNS Photo Mai Huong The Plum Week and Safe Agricultural Products of Son La Province opened at Big C Thang Long supermarket in Ha Noi on Thursday evening, connecting the province’s businesses and cooperatives with retailers and businesses in other provinces and cities. The event was organised by the Son La Provincial Investment Promotion Centre in collaboration with Central Retail Vietnam and Vietnam Farmers' Union. The five-day event features 30 stalls showcasing a wide range of Son La’s agricultural products meeting food safety standards such as VietGAP, GolbalGAP, OCOP and organic certifications. The focus was on promoting Son La plums. Son La provincial People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Cong highlighted the significance of the event, stating that it presents a valuable opportunity to showcase the province’s agricultural products and safe food in both the capital city’s market and beyond, encompassing various provinces. He further … [Read more...] about Son La Plum Week and Safe Agricultural Products open in Ha Noi
Softer exchange rate loom in H2
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
Cerebral palsy children in need of help after losing father
A mother in Nam Dinh Province is in calling for support to treat her two children who both have cerebral palsy. Tran Thuy Loan and her daughter Tran Thuy Loan's son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at only 7-months-old. For three years, she brought her son to various hospitals for treatment. Unfortunately, when her son's condition showed signs of improvement, her husband had brain cancer in 2014 and died in late 2020, leaving behind three children and a VND300m (USD13,000) debt. Loan's youngest daughter, Tran Tuong Vy, was born prematurely and also suffers from cerebral palsy. "Who wouldn't want their children to be healthy and pursue studying? After my husband died, one of my children, who was only 7 years old, kept asking me to let him drop out of school to work to save his siblings," Loan said. "The doctors said both my children need long-term treatment. I just don't know what to do." Dr Vu Thi Vui from the National Hospital of Acupuncture said, … [Read more...] about Cerebral palsy children in need of help after losing father
Vietnam, US businesses see huge cooperation opportunities
The delegation of 52 companies was the biggest ever in decades coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive partnership. The delegation was welcomed by top leaders of Vietnam, including Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh . Ted Osius reaffirmed the council’s commitment to supporting Vietnam’s efforts in maintaining macro-economic stability and its support for Vietnam’s digital transformation strategy and green energy transition. He said the current trends in trade ties between Vietnam and the US guarantee big growth in two-way trade and investment in next 10 years and warrant upgrading the partnership to a strategic level./. VNA … [Read more...] about Vietnam, US businesses see huge cooperation opportunities
Foreign investors buying up local businesses
Egroup's chairman Nguyen Ngoc Thuy has purchased Apax Holdings' bonds At a recent meeting with the National Assembly Standing Committee on the socioeconomic situation, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that increasing numbers of local enterprises have sold their properties to foreign businesses. The selling of assets and properties, or even entire businesses, has been common over the past year or two, with more businesses falling into difficulties and lacking capital. At the beginning of March, for example, the owner of the Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake Hotel in the heart of Hanoi put the hotel on the market at a starting price of $250 million. Nguyen Huu Duong, chairman of the hotel owner Hoa Binh Co., Ltd., said that the company's social housing project had not been granted construction permits, meaning a lack of cash flow and the need to sell off assets to ensure liquidity. “Many of the partners negotiating to buy our hotel are businessmen … [Read more...] about Foreign investors buying up local businesses
Vietnam – attractive destination for Italian firms: forum
Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Duong Hai Hung speaks at the forum. (Photo: VNA) Rome (VNA) – Raffaele Cattaneo, deputy minister in charge of international relations of Italy ’s Lombardia region , called Vietnam a “diamond” of Asia and an attractive destination for Lombardia enterprises while speaking at a recent business and investment forum in Milan. Lombardia’s export revenue to the Southeast Asian nation last year reached 2.5 billion USD, accounting for nearly 40% of the total trade value between the two countries, Cattaneo told the forum. He noted that Vietnam’s renewable energy development strategy will offer golden opportunities to Lombardia firms. The forum on Vietnam- Lombardia business and investment cooperation was held on May 31 by the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy in coordination with the Italian region and the Italy-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (CCIV) as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, … [Read more...] about Vietnam – attractive destination for Italian firms: forum