Vietnam Morning News For January 21

Vietnam attracts US$8.3 billion FDI to industrial, economic zones
The total foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into Vietnam’s industrial parks and economic zones in 2018 reached more than US$8.3 billion, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
— Nhan Dan

Garment and textile sector expect huge challenge
The garment and textile sector was forecast to suffer the most from goods origin regulations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), said Bùi Kim Thùy, the country representative for Việt Nam at the US-ASEAN Business Council.
— Vietnam News

The White House has reportedly picked Vietnam for the next Trump-Kim summit
Trump administration officials are reportedly planning on going to Vietnam for the next summit between the US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, people familiar with the plans told Bloomberg.
— Business Insider

Vietnam makes pitch as an investor safe haven in trade war
A RED-HOT economy, business-friendly policies and a Communist party led by free-traders: that’s the elevator pitch Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is delivering to global investors amid the United States-China trade war.
— Business Times

PM: Ngoc Linh ginseng should leave hallmark in Vietnam’s pharmaceuticals industry
Ngoc Linh ginseng from the Central Highlands should leave a new historical hallmark in Vietnam’s pharmaceuticals industry and also become a permanent way for locals to earn their living, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on January 20.
— VNA NET

Vietnamese citizens worry most about jobs, pollution, corruption
The 2018 survey, conducted by the Mekong Development Research Institute, Hanoi (MDRI), covered 1,400 people aged 18 and over in 34 provinces and cities in Vietnam.
— VN Express

Bright future ahead for private health care sector
Amid dissatisfaction with the underperforming and underfunded public health care sector, Vietnam’s private health care sector is set to see significant growth in the years ahead, according to a market research source.
— Vietnam Net

Việt Nam still lacks legal framework to protect child labour
Việt Nam needed to improve its legal framework on child labour, especially regulations on minors working in informal sectors, experts recommended.
— Vietnam News

Solar plants face a consumption crisis
Vietnam’s solar power plants are facing a crisis in consumption of their electricity because there has not been synchronous development of power transmission infrastructure or a suitable operation mechanism.
— VNA NET

Work starts on large paperboard mill
Marubeni Group from Japan on Thursday kicked off construction on its new paperboard mill project, worth VNĐ4.81 trillion (US$206 million), in the southern province of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu.
— Vietnam News

CPTPP assists foreign retailers in Vietnam
Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Vietnam has committed to relaxing its requirements for foreign retailers seeking to expand their operations in Vietnam.
— Vietnam Net

Quang Ninh rolls out red carpet for RoK investors
Hosting a reception for a delegation from the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group led by its Chairman Kim Hak-yong on January 19, Standing Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky affirmed that the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries has been thriving in the past years, with the RoK being the largest FDI investor in Vietnam as of August 2018.
— Vietnam+

Momo received a very large investment from American private equity firm
Momo, a Vietnam-based FinTech company that provides users with digital payment options, has reportedly received a very large Series C investment from American private equity firm Warburg Pincus.
— Vietnam Insider

Bustling HCM City a top spot for tourists
HCM City, formerly known as Sài Gòn, has emerged from its darkest days to become one of Asia’s most exciting cities.
— Vietnam News

Nghe An residents wait for relocation due to pollution
Residents of Nghi Yen Commune in the province of Nghe An are still waiting for relocation despite suffering severe environmental pollution.
— Vietnam Net

Lenders boost consumer loans at year-end
Both finance companies and banks are promoting consumer lending to capitalise on high demands ahead of the country’s largest holiday Lunar New Year (Tết).
— Vietnam News

An Giang targets organic agriculture development
The Mekong Delta province of An Giang has targeted shifting from traditional agricultural production, which is heavily dependent on fertilisers and chemicals, to more sustainable production and organic standards, said a provincial official.
— Vietnam News

Maritime industry lacks human resources
Universities need to train nearly 15,000 navigating officers and other shipping personnel by 2020 to address a shortage of human resources in the maritime industry, according to Dr Nguyen Duc Ca of the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences.
— VNA NET

Telecom operators ask for bandwidth bidding
A recent report by the Việt Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA) revealed that the bandwidth for 4G in Việt Nam is lower than in many other countries.
— Vietnam News

Bison, pelicans discovered in central provinces
Bison have been snapped by camera traps set up by the Viet Nature Conservation Centre in the central province of Quang Binh.
— Vietnam Net

Việt Nam’s vovinam takes on the world
Traditional martial arts have been developing for centuries in Việt Nam, with hundreds of styles nationwide, including Nam Hong Sơn, Tây Sơn Bình Định and Vovinam. Vietnamese styles have been become popular around the world thanks to their typical characters and practicality.
— Vietnam News

Vietnam helps Laos upgrade Military History Museum
A ceremony was held in Vientiane on January 19 to start a project on the maintenance and upgrade of the Lao Military History Museum as a gift from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to its Lao counterpart.
— VNA NET

VCSC raised VNĐ800 billion bonds
Viet Capital Securities Corporation (VCSC) has reportedly raised VNĐ800 billion (US$34.4 million) via corporate bond issues.
— Vietnam News

Party, State leaders present Tet gifts to disadvantaged people
Party and State leaders have presented gifts to poor people and workers across the country ahead of Lunar New Year (Tet) festival which lasts from February 2-10 this year.
— VNA NET

Sơn La strawberry and farm produce 2019 launched in Big C Hà Nội
“Sơn La Province’s Strawberry and Safe Agricultural Products 2019” is launched on Friday in supermarket Big C Thăng Long in Hà Nội. This is the first trade promotion activity of the province this year.
— Vietnam News

Vietnamese officers to attend Lao army’s founding anniversary
A high-ranking military delegation of Vietnam led by Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich left Hanoi on January 19 for Vientiane to attend a ceremony marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Lao People’s Army (Jan. 20, 1949-2019).
— VNA NET

Rescue team save lives of marine species
With a shared love of the sea, the six-member SaSa team has built up a network of marine species rescue centres from Da Nang to Quang Ngai to protect endangered ocean creatures like turtles, dolphins, sharks and whales.
— Vietnam Net

Lunar New Year get-together for Vietnamese in Australia
The Vietnamese Embassy in Australia on January 19 held a get-together for the Vietnamese community in the country on the occasion of the lunar New Year, the Tet.
— VNA NET

Thai firms looking for Vietnamese partners
Twenty Thai firms from the refrigeration, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical components, and electronics industries on Friday took part in a business matching event in HCM City to find local partners.
— Vietnam News

Vietnam-Laos military ties should be upgraded: Lao minister
Vietnam and Laos should elevate the relations between their armies to a new height to prevent sabotage plots by hostile forces that harm the special friendship and solidarity between the two nations, said Lao Minister of Defence General Chansamon Chanyalat.
— VNA NET

Fatherland Front leader pays pre-Tet visit to An Giang province
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man offered the best wishes to state welfare beneficiaries, low-income families and Agent Orange victims in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on January 20 during a visit ahead of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.
— VNA NET

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