HCM City (VNA) - The Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam Office) has expressed the country’s concern over Brazil’s application of regulations that go beyond international practices on shrimp and tra fish imported from Vietnam. SPS Vietnam has asked the country’s permanent mission to the UN, the WTO, and other international organisations in Geneva to liaise with Brazil’s permanent mission to the WTO to convey Vietnam’s concern. Deputy Director of SPS Vietnam Ngo Xuan Nam said the office proposed online bilateral meetings be held to discuss the issue and that necessary procedures be conducted to include Vietnam’s concern on the agenda of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures’ March session. Regarding Brazil’s rules on fish and shrimp imports that do not match international practices, Ngo Hong Phong, Deputy Director of the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality … [Read more...] about Vietnam concerned about Brazil’s rules on aquatic imports
Water standards
Banks launch domestic credit chip cards
Hanoi (VNA) – The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (Napas) and seven domestic banks recently launched domestic credit chip cards with unified standards to promote cashless payments and tackle black credit. The seven banks are Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank), Ban Viet Joint Stock Commercial Bank (Viet Capital Bank), Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), HCM City Housing Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDB), Bao Viet Bank (BVB), Sai Gon Thuong Tin (Sacombank) and Vietnam Thuong Tin (Vietbank). The cards will be accepted at more than 235,300 points of sale and 14,380 ATMs nationwide. Cardholders can also withdraw cash at ATMs of Napas’ partners in the Republic of Korea and ASEAN countries of Thailand and Malaysia. Cardholders will be given an interest-free period of up to 55 days compared to the typical 45 days. The acceptance points will have to pay fees of about 1.1-1.3 percent of the transaction values, lower than other … [Read more...] about Banks launch domestic credit chip cards
Education Minister outlines 9 achievements, 5 problems in educational sector
UNESCO expert: Vietnam education reform on right path, recommends better allocation of funds Dominique Altner, Senior Program Specialist at IIEP (International Institute for Educational Planning), spoke to VietnamNet about the development of Vietnam’s education system in the last five years. … [Read more...] about Education Minister outlines 9 achievements, 5 problems in educational sector