Unesco initiative on heritage of religious interest

A working session between VWU delegation and Begona Lasagabaster, Director of UNESCO Division of Gender Equality. (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) – A delegation from the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) led by its Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong paid a working visit to France from May 30 to June 1, during which they met and discussed with representatives from international organisations and Vietnamese associations in France. On June 1, the delegation and Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, met Chairperson of the UNESCO's Executive Board Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili and Begona Lasagabaster, Director of UNESCO Division of Gender Equality. A working session between VWU delegation and Chairperson of the UNESCO's Executive Board Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili. (Photo: VNA) VWU Vice President Nguyen Thi Minh Huong informed the UNESCO officials about the guidelines and policies of Vietnam and the country’s socio-economic development in recent … [Read more...] about Vietnam Women’s Union delegation pay working visit to France

Tourists in central Da Nang City can now easily find the locations of public toilets thanks to the Danang Smart City app on smartphones. The city has integrated the 'free public WC' feature with the addresses of public restrooms in the city into the Danang Smart City app to facilitate residents and tourists, Tran Ngoc Thach, deputy director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, said on Friday. These free toilets are provided by local enterprises, restaurants, hotels, and eateries participating in the 'Comfort as Home' program. The locations of 294 toilets, including 228 in Hai Chau District and 66 in Son Tra District, have been featured in the app. The number of public toilets is expected to rise further in the coming time, Thach added. To find the locations of public toilets in the Danang Smart City app, users just need to choose the 'free public WC' tab in the app to be recommended public toilets near them. After choosing a toilet, the name of … [Read more...] about Da Nang integrates map of public toilets into app

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 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 Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk) has been validated as the first dairy company in Vietnam to have carbon-neutral factories and farms, according to the British Standard's Institution (BSI) PAS 2060 specifications that demonstrate carbon neutrality. Reducing emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and transitioning to a net-zero standard in the dairy industry has proved to be an extremely difficult task, particularly for large-scale dairy farms. Nguyen Dinh Minh Tam, a representative of the BSI, said, "With its target of net zero by 2050, we expect Vinamilk to establish more facets of their business as carbon-neutral in the near future." Vinamilk's general director Mai Kieu Lien said, "Managing emissions and minimising our carbon footprint are among the company's core sustainable development initiatives. Presently, 13 Vinamilk farms and 10 of its factories have been completely outfitted with solar energy while promoting renewable energy sources such as biomass at the … [Read more...] about Vinamilk receives BSI nod for carbon-neutrality efforts

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