Vietnam Morning News For December 13

Vietnam among 10 fastest-growing economies
While growth is set to ease in 2019, Vietnam will still be among the top 10 fastest-growing economies globally, according to a report recently released by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
— Viet Nam Net

ADB provides US$300m loan to BIDV to support SMEs in Việt Nam
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Việt Nam (BIDV) signed a US$300 million loan agreement on Wednesday to support the growth and productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Việt Nam.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam runs biggest trade surplus with US, EU in 11 months
Vietnam enjoyed its largest trade surpluses with the United States (US) and European Union (EU) in the first 11 months of 2018, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
— VNA NET

Eximbank to offer 50% Off on Digital Banking services fees
More specifically, from December 04th 2018, customers will not only be free of charge when they register for Internet Banking package of Eximbank, but also have fees waived during the first month and pay only 5,000 VND each month (VND10,000 per month previously) when they register for Internet Banking & Mobile Banking transaction package.
— Vietnam Insider

Vietnam a silver lining in Asian economy: Asia Society
Vietnam is a silver lining in the Asian economy in 2019, according to Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) Wendy Cutler.
— VNA NET

Seafood firms struggle in local market
Vietnamese firms export seafood even to tough markets such as the EU, the US and Japan but are unable to sell their products at home.
— Viet Nam News

Organic firms need to do research: experts
Companies interested in organic agriculture should engage in market research and brand building, and not just simply chase trends without having first identified buyers, experts have said.
— VNA NET

Property market to grow in coming year
The property market in Việt Nam grew steadily this year, but continued to lack sufficient social housing amid a growing supply of buildings, a ministry official said.
— Viet Nam News

Passengers going through Vietnamese airports exceed 100 million
Vietnamese airports are estimated to serve 106 million passengers and handle nearly 1.5 million tonnes of cargo during 2018, up 12.9 percent and 7.7 percent year-on-year respectively, reported the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
— VNA NET

UK firm plans offshore Bình Thuận wind farm
Kê Gà offshore wind power project in the south central province of Bình Thuận will have a capacity of 3,400 MW and require total investment of nearly US$12 billion, UK developer Enterprize Energy said.
— Viet Nam News

Ford reports record sales in November
Ford said it achieved the highest ever monthly sales in Việt Nam last month – 3,466 units, representing an increase of nearly 44 per cent year-on-year.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam, Russia step up cooperation in e-government building
Vietnam and Russia have agreed to work together in building up e-government and cybersecurity.
— VNA NET

157 new flora, fauna discovered in the Greater Mekong, Việt Nam contributes 58
Scientists discovered 157 new animal and plant species in the Greater Mekong region last year, according to a report titled “New species on the block”.
— Viet Nam News

ADB-funded project to improve quality of Vietnam’s vocational training
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 78-million-USD financing package to help Vietnam’s labour force meet market demands by improving the quality of national technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
— VNA NET

Hà Tĩnh wants urgent protection measures for elephants
Authorities in the central province of Hà Tĩnh have recommended the formation of a project for the urgent protection of elephants in the province’s Vũ Quang National Park.
— Viet Nam News

Southern region aims to develop start-up and innovation ecosystem
In Ho Chi Minh City and the south-western region, individuals set up 75 percent of all start-ups and organisations established the rest, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology Office in the southern region.
— VNA NET

An ocean of trash washes up on central Vietnam beaches
Severe flooding triggered by torrential rains has left Da Nang’s seas and beaches filthy with garbage and sewage.
— VN Express

Seminar spotlights conservation of rare langur in Quang Nam
A seminar took place in the central province of Quang Nam on December 12 to discuss ways to protect the grey-shanked douc langur found in the local Nui Thanh district.
— VNA NET

Vietnam’s fintechs appear late but develop rapidly
Vietnam’s fintech market was valued at $4.4 million by the end of 2017, and the figure may reach $7.8 billion by 2020, a study of Solidiance found.
— Viet Nam Net

Union asked to foster connection between Party, State and farmers
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong on December 12 requested the Vietnamese Farmers’ Union (VFU) to better perform its role in connecting the Party and State with farmers, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of farmers, and proposing policies for agriculture, farmer and rural development.
— VNA NET

Vietnam Fashion Fair 2018 to open in Hanoi
The Vietnam Fashion Fair 2018 will take place in Hanoi from December 13-18, showcasing apparel, leather and footwear, jewellery, and beauty services to meet domestic demand and boost exports.
— Viet Nam Net

Industrial equipment displayed at first-ever fairs in HCM City
The Vietnam International Machinery Fair (VIMAF) and the Vietnam Supporting Industry Fair (VSIF) kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on December 12.
— VNA NET

Aviation market records stable growth
The number of passengers going through Vietnamese airports is estimated to hit 106 million by the end of this year, a rise of 12.9 percent year-on-year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).
— Viet Nam Net

Catholic solidarity committee holds Christmas gathering
The Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics (CSVC) held a gathering in Hanoi on December 12 on the occasion of the coming Christmas.
— VNA NET

Returnee victims of human trafficking get support
Nearly 7,500 victims of human trafficking were rescued by competent agencies between 2012 and 2017, and all of them have received support to reintegrate into the community, heard a workshop in Hanoi on December 12.
— Vietnam+

Vietnam growth might slow over next two years: World Bank
Vietnam’s economy might see slower growth in upcoming years as the global economy weakens, a new World Bank report says
— VN Express

HCM City, Hanoi, Ha Long enter top 100 city destinations in 2018
Euromonitor International, the world’s leading independent provider of strategic market research, has announced the list of top 100 city destination of 2018, with three being in Vietnam.
— VNA NET

Vietnam’s growth rate at nearly 6.8 percent this year: WB
The World Bank (WB) expects Vietnam’s economic growth this year at nearly 6.8 percent, compared to the 6.3 percent projected for East Asia and the Pacific, in a report released on December 11.
— Viet Nam Net

HCM City plans to have more parking areas
VietNamNet Bridge – The People’s Committee of HCM City has directed the city Department of Planning and Architecture to give advice on new parking areas in the city.
— Viet Nam Net

Flood relief work required in central region
The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has ordered localities in the central region to focus on repairing the damage caused by floods that hit the area last week.
— VNA NET

Quang Nam develops value chain of acacia trees
The south central province of Quang Nam is developing a value chain for acacia trees at international standards under a project supported by the Green Annamites of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
— VNA NET

Mothers of the Missing: Anguished search for Vietnam’s kidnapped brides
Vu Thi Dinh spent weeks scouring the rugged Vietnamese borderland near China after her teenage daughter vanished with her best friend, clutching a photo of the round-faced girls now feared sold as child brides.
— Bangkok Post

Kien Giang to offer vocational training to 10,800 labourers
The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang will provide vocational training for more than 10,800 labourers living in rural areas in the 2019-2020 period.
— VNA NET

Why Vietnam Could Be Asia’s Biggest Trade War Winner
In the race to lure companies looking for alternative sites amid the U.S.-China trade war, Vietnam wields a slew of advantages over its rivals.
— Bloomberg

Hoi An city wins National German Sustainability Award 2019
Surpassing 30 other pairs of twinned cities, Hoi An in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Nam, and Wernigerode of Germany, won the National German Sustainability Award 2019.
— VNA NET

A spark for wire and cable exports
Electrical wire and cable has become the latest group of commodities with export turnover of more than $1 billion in Việt Nam.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnamese students win high prizes at Int’l Junior Science Olympiad
All the Vietnamese contestants bagged prizes at the 15th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) held in Botswana from December 2-10.
— VNA NET

Hòa Bình attracts billions in investment
The northwestern mountainous province of Hòa Bình received a total inflow of VNĐ94 trillion (US$4.1 billion) in registered capital at an investment promotion conference held in Hòa Bình City on Tuesday afternoon.
— Viet Nam News

NA Vice Chairman receives Coca-Cola Vietnam CEO
The National Assembly has focused on establishing a complete legal framework to provide a favourable business environment for foreign businesses to invest in Vietnam, including Coca-Cola.
— VNA NET

Feature photo Front line Defenders

This week’s Vietnam morning news feature photo acknowledges Human Rights Day, December 10.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Vietnam morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Vietnam news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies, not politics.