When abroad is it best to pay in local currency or sterling

Vietnam is one of the four countries from which Finland is aiming to attract high-skilled personnel through a talent-seeking program that has been introduced in Ho Chi Minh City. The Commercial Section of the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam held a conference on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City to debut the Talent Boost program, which helps seek high-quality human resources from Vietnam, as well as from Brazil, Turkey, and India. The program was presented by a Finnish delegation involved in education and work, including Laura Lindeman, senior director and head of work in the Finland Unit at Business Finland, a government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion. Under the program, Finland attracts talents from students to professionals such as doctors, nurses, information technology and clean engineers, and start-up entrepreneurs, Lindeman said. Those who are professionals will undergo procedures for diploma recognition, which will take about a year, … [Read more...] about Finland aims to attract high-quality human resources from Vietnam

According to the General Statistical Office, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in 2022 only reached 3.66 million, a decrease of 79.7 per cent compared to 2019's peak. This poses the pressing dilemma of how to promote tourism further to attract foreign tourists. The following are expert comments from the roundtable entitled Seeking a Boost for Inbound Tourism, hosted by VIR in Hanoi on March 22. Ha Van Sieu, deputy director general of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Vietnam is a stunning tourist destination, but there are still many limitations that need to be improved. We are proud that we have achieved so much and are on the way to transformation and perfection. There will be a resolution made at the National Assembly in May offering a series of both short- and long-term solutions. The current tourism development strategy for this decade, and the upcoming tourism system planning up to 2030, clearly describe the viewpoints, orientations, … [Read more...] about Expert opinions on prospects of luring more foreign visitors to Vietnam

Foreign visitors in Da Nang (Photo: Da Nang Newspaper) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam needs to have support policies for developing new tourism products and services capable of attracting high-spending international visitors, said insiders. Addressing a national conference on tourism development in 2023 recently, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung admitted that Vietnam 's tourism products have yet to catch up with global trends and failed to fully utilise the natural advantages, especially cultural resources. “We only offer what we have, not what visitors want, so our products lack attractiveness for tourists,” he said. He added that tourism linkage among regions, localities, and sectors remain weak, resulting in tourism products not diverse and attractive to tourists. According to Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh, it is necessary to develop attractive and high-spending products like golf tourism. The number of international … [Read more...] about Measures to lure more high-spending international tourists under discussion

The Expat Essentials Index, informed by the annual Expat Insider survey by website InterNations (which describes itself as the world's largest online community of expats), found expatriates vexed about the Vietnam's visa policy. For the 2022 edition of the index, InterNations asked 11,970 expats of 177 nationalities living in 181 countries and territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life. To be featured in the Expat Essentials Index, each destination needed a sample size of at least 50 survey participants. In total, 52 countries and territories met this requirement. Vietnam landed in the bottom 10, ranking 46th in the overall index, which included the four subcategories of Digital Life, Admin Topics, Housing, and Language. For the Admin Topics Subcategory, the nation was placed 51st out of 52 destinations. Within this subcategory, 48% of surveyed expats reported that they had difficulties obtaining a visa to move to Vietnam, double the global average of … [Read more...] about Expats unhappy with Vietnam visa policy, survey affirms

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has once again proposed that the government makes changes to Decision No.655/QD-TTg on housing in trade union institutions in industrial parks (IPs) and economic zones. The VGCL wants to have a harmonious cooperation mechanism between the VGCL, the people’s committee of localities and investors to build housing projects in trade union institutions in IPs. Around half of Vietnam’s provinces have sites that can be used for trade union institutional housing, photo Le Toan Le Van Nghia, head of the VGCL’s Project Management Board, noted that the 2017 decision approved projects to build trade union institutes in IPs. A trade union institution comprises a housing complex with cultural amenities, sports, kindergarten, and other aspects. Nghia said that the confederation deployed the first such institute in the northern province of Ha Nam, but after finishing the first phase in 2019, it had to stop and adjust the entire … [Read more...] about Foreign-invested enterprises bemoan housing legal overlaps

PM Pham Minh Chinh presents flowers to congratulte the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union on its 92nd anniversary at the dialogue on March 22. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the youth of Vietnam to play a pioneering role while chairing a hybrid dialogue with young people nationwide on March 22. The dialogue focused on three topics: education and training for the building of high-quality young human resources meeting requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, improving physical health and the cultural and spiritual life of the youth, and creating an environment for the young to make self-improvement, start careers, and innovate. In his message to over 20 million young Vietnamese people both at home and abroad, PM Chinh affirmed that the Party and State always attach importance to the youth’s role in national development and safeguarding, and that throughout history, the youth have always played a crucial part as late President Ho … [Read more...] about Prime Minister calls on youth to play pioneering role

A household in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City that breeds 82 dogs as pets in a 2.6m-wide house has been fined VND64 million (US$2,724) for causing environmental pollution. A representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9 in District 4, where the family of Nguyen Thi My Thanh -- the owner of the dogs -- resides, confirmed the information to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday. In particular, Thanh’s family was fined VND40 million ($1,698) for discharging wastewater which exceeds the criteria by over 10 times and VND24 million ($1,019) for releasing wastewater with a pH level above the permitted. The household was also asked to take measures to deal with the environmental pollution and pay measurement and sample analysis fees. According to the representative of the People’s Committee of Ward 9, most of the 82 dogs are puppies and sick canines that other people brought to Thanh’s house. Local residents have repeatedly complained that Thanh dumped the dogs’ excrement … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City household raising 82 dogs fined for causing environmental pollution

In Vietnam, local businesses cannot mortgage land use rights (LUR) as security to a foreign lender. But this is allowed in our peer markets, and it is carried out with robust regulation, proper dignity, and thoughtful national protections. So, why are we behind the pack? Darryl Dong-Principal country officer IFC Vietnam Vietnam’s restriction on land security for foreign lenders reduces available funding and increases borrowing costs to local companies. Basically, we are penalising the country and making it less competitive. It also makes it more difficult for the government to supervise foreign financing, since the parties simply find workarounds through complex structures to create security packages for loans because they cannot get on the ground security. In Vietnam, where the non-performing loan (NPL) market is still not developed, this mortgage restriction is a showstopper for foreign NPL investors who want to bring us their capital and expertise. We need to put … [Read more...] about Mobilising international finance for land security

Nguyen Hoai Nam, VASEP's deputy general secretary. — VNS Photo Although Viet Nam's seafood exports were estimated at 235,300 tonnes in the first two months of 2023, worth more than US$1 trillion, this represents a drop of 26 per cent over last year in volume and 32.9 per cent in value, according to data from the General Department of Viet Nam Customs. However, the export market is expected to rise in the second quarter of 2023, though the recovery will not be as fast as in the same period last year. Viet Nam News reporter To Nhu spoke to Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), to learn more about the expectation. What do you think about the prospect of Viet Nam's seafood export to the Chinese market? Vietnamese seafood producers are interested in the Chinese market because it is a large market and has grown continuously over the past five years. China’s imported fresh food products are worth around … [Read more...] about Seafood exports expected to recover in Q2

'Pho Xua He Cu' (Old Streets and Sidewalks) is the name of the solo exhibition in Hanoi that attracted the attention of many viewers because of the artist behind it: 18-year-old Tran Nam Long, who is hearing-impaired and suffers from severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the artist's special status might not be the most important factor drawing people to the display. Beyond that, there was a lot of affection in the artworks on display. It was not only the unconditional love of Long's mother, but also the young artist's deep appreciation for life in his paintings, despite its many challenges. Perfect technique to draw architecture Exhibition visitors could also feel the mother's great attachment to the Vietnamese capital city, which gives her the opportunity to earn a living and raise a child. In Hanoi, her son was supported so much that he grew from a young man with many deficiencies into who he is today. There was another great love people … [Read more...] about Inspiring artworks by special young Vietnamese artist