Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
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Vietnam, Laos contribute greatly to ASEAN Community building: Lao Deputy PM
Granting an interview to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondents in Laos on the occasion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s 55th founding anniversary (August 8), Saleumasay said that Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995, and two years later, Laos also became a member of the group. Since then, the two countries have become active members, making important contribution to the bloc's policy and vision making. Regarding the building of the ASEAN Economic Community, he said that Vietnam is a major country and plays an important role in the region, and has relations with many countries, especially great powers, which is also its direct contribution to the ASEAN Economic Community’s important role in the region and the world as well. Since their admission to ASEAN, Vietnam has assumed the role as ASEAN Chair thrice, while Laos will take on the position for the third time in 2024. During these times, both Laos and Vietnam have stressed the central leadership role of … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Laos contribute greatly to ASEAN Community building: Lao Deputy PM
Vietnam makes active contribution to International Law Commission
Speaking at the 73rd session of the International Law Commission (ILC) on August 5, the ambassador, on behalf of the Asian States regional group, spoke highly of efforts by the commission as well as its contribution and support to developing countries. The 73rd session is the final meeting of the commission in the 2017-2022 tenure, which lasted up to six years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The session took place from April 18 to June 3, and from July 4 to August 5. Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao was re-elected to the International Law Commission (ILC) for the 2023-2027 tenure on November 12, 2021, with 145 out of 191 votes, ranking fourth among 11 candidates from Asia-Pacific. During the 2017-2022 tenure, Ambassador Thao was the first Vietnamese to be elected to the ILC. He actively joined and offered ideas to the committee's important discussions regarding environment protection in armed conflicts, atmosphere protection, response to rising sea level and international … [Read more...] about Vietnam makes active contribution to International Law Commission
Flights linking Hanoi, Dong Hoi to increase
A plane of Vietnam Airlines (Source: VNA) Quang Binh (VNA) – The Vietnam Airlines Corporation is planning to raise the flight frequency between Hanoi and Dong Hoi city of central Quang Binh province to meet growing travel demand, according to the provincial People’s Committee. From August 1 to October 29, seven flights will be added to each of the Hanoi - Dong Hoi and Dong Hoi - Hanoi routes every week. That will bring the total number of the firm’s round-trip flights between the two destinations to 21 per week, including 14 flights operated by Vietnam Airlines and seven by Pacific Airlines. The People’s Committee said the corporation has been effectively operating the route linking Hanoi and Quang Binh, which has helped facilitate air travel and contributed to local tourism development. Quang Binh welcomed more than 916,000 tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2022 and earned over 1 trillion VND in tourism revenue, respectively rising 69% and 76.7% … [Read more...] about Flights linking Hanoi, Dong Hoi to increase
What’s on August 8-14/2022
MUSIC & PERFORMANCES HCMC-Carnival of the Animals ______________________________________________________________ EXHIBITION HCMC-Exhibition “Dancing Through Dreamscape” Until Aug 14, 10 am – 08 pm VY Gallery, 20 Nguyen Van Thu, District 1 Hanoi-Exhibition “Movement” Opening: Aug 10, 06 pm Exhibition: Aug 10 – 30, 09 am – 12 pm & 01:30 pm – 05 pm VICAS Art Studio, 32 Hao Nam Street, Dong Da District From the organizer : Movement by Mzung Nguyen is a solo exhibition, a visual essay reflecting the transition of urban life through a mixed discipline of collage-art practices. In terms of materials, this project collects and reuses hundreds of old magazines, which have been published during the past decade. Mzung Nguyen finds motivation in tracking the shifts in time and space, the replacement of old and new values, the cultural disparity between tradition and … [Read more...] about What’s on August 8-14/2022
Cambodia announces outcomes of AMM-55 and related meetings
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (Photo: AP) Phnom Penh (VNA) - The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting ( AMM-55 ) and related meetings have successfully concluded, with some 30 documents on regional cooperation adopted, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on August 6. "We have reviewed the progress made thus far to strengthen ASEAN's community building, advance regional integration, and enhance our cooperation with external partners," he told a press conference. The official said that over the course of three and a half days, 19 meetings were held back-to-back, with the participation of foreign ministers and representatives from 38 countries. On the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the ASEAN foreign ministers encouraged the effective operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies. He added that the ministers also stressed the need to strengthen supply … [Read more...] about Cambodia announces outcomes of AMM-55 and related meetings
Hybrid working grows in popularity in Asia
A picutre of District 7 in HCM City where located many office buildings. The hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is accelerating. — Photo Courtesy Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam The popularity of hybrid working in Viet Nam and the Asia Pacific region is likely to accelerate as Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – accounts for a larger percentage of the working-age population, experts said. Gen Z, which will reach one billion by 2030, is the first generation of digital natives. They expect a seamless connection between the physical and the digital, which is also what allows hybrid working to flourish. A report by Cushman & Wakefield titled “Asia Pacific Office of the Future Revisited” revealed that the majority of office workers in Asia Pacific, including Viet Nam, want to be more flexible in the way they work. Hybrid working is not a new concept, but it was relatively foreign to the masses before the COVID-19 virus hit. A hybrid office is … [Read more...] about Hybrid working grows in popularity in Asia
Demand for cotton forces adjustments
Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC exported over one-third of its products to the United States in 2021. However, the company started to face challenges following the US’ blanket ban on all Xinjiang cotton. Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Vietnam’s cotton imports reach up to one million tonnes each year, Photo: Shutterstock Tran Nhu Tung, chairman of the company, said that the company has adopted regulations this year related to this act. Accordingly, buyers have to be responsible for export orders to the US which source Chinese cotton materials. Thanh Cong secures many large orders from the US. In 2022, the company sets a target to generate $179 million in revenues and $10.87 million in profit, up 120 per cent and 188 per cent respectively against last year. Tung noted that yarn exports are the main driving force for Thanh Cong. “There is a rapidly growing demand for yarn imports in the global … [Read more...] about Demand for cotton forces adjustments
Modern slant found through key planning
In the updated draft national master plan for the rest of the decade and with orientations to 2050 that was released last week, the section on the nation’s urban and rural network highlighted that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are continuing to promote their effectiveness and spillover effects. It is hoped that they will develop dynamically and creatively in order to compete internationally. Vietnam’s planning orientation for the next few years aims to push development of satellite towns, Le Toan At last week’s conference on the national master plan held by the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Hanoi, Tran Hong Quang, director general of the ministry’s Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies (VIDS), revealed that the two biggest cities will focus on developing high-quality and high-value-added services in sci-tech, health, training, and IT, as well as restricting processing and manufacturing industries that use a lot of land and labour. “We should push the … [Read more...] about Modern slant found through key planning
Euro-dollar parity threatens the nation’s exports
The EU is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner and an export market that witnessed the euro fall below $1 for the first time in nearly 20 years on July 29. Euro-dollar parity threatens the nation’s exports, source: freepik.com Pham Van Viet, chairman of Viet Thang Jeans, the top 5 leading fashion companies in Indochina, said that the immediate impact on textile and garment export enterprises is a decrease in value. All customers in Europe pay in euros and Vietnamese businesses that receive money back home must exchange it for USD. Now that the euro has fallen to the level of the US dollar, the export value of each shipment will decrease accordingly. “Profits of businesses are low because input costs such as gasoline, input material prices, and labour costs have all increased, now the plunge in euro prices will drag profits down even more,” he told VIR. Viet added that the depreciation of the euro shows that the European market is currently unstable, and … [Read more...] about Euro-dollar parity threatens the nation’s exports