Vietnam Morning News For December 25, 2019

Vietnam ranks 4th in the number of pollution-linked deaths in the Western Pacific region
An estimated 71,365 Vietnamese people lost their lives to pollution in 2017, the latest year for which data was available, according to the Pollution and Health Metrics report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution.
— Vietnam Insider

Vietnam aims for 20.5 million foreign tourists in 2020
The tourism sector has set the goal of attracting 20.5 million international visitors in 2020 and serving 90 million domestic travellers, it was said at a review meeting of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) in Hanoi on December 23.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam is the third most active tech ecosystem in Southeast Asia
Using a mobile app, truck drivers in Vietnam can now opt to pick up cargo from nearby locations on their empty vehicles during their return trip, thus earning extra income. In the past, up to 70% of trucks return home empty.
— Vietnam Insider

Vietnam seizes two tonnes of ivory, pangolin scales
Vietnamese authorities have seized more than two tonnes of pangolin scales and ivory from Africa, state media reported on Tuesday.
— The Hindu

Vietnam’s regional minimum wages to increase
On January 1, 2020, region-based minimum wages for non-state employees in Vietnam will increase by an average of 5.5%.
— Lexology

Vietnam’s maritime transport sees impressive growth in 2019
Vietnam’s maritime transport in 2019 has had an impressive year with key metrics witnessing remarkable growth after a period of recession during 2014-2015.
— NDO

New visa requirements for cruises visiting Vietnam
Royal Caribbean shared an update on necessary travel documentation needed for cruises visiting any port in Vietnam.
— Royal Caribbean Blog

Leading clean energy enterprises in 2019 announced
The Vietnam Energy Magazine has announced the VCE 10 rankings, which features the top 10 clean energy enterprises in Vietnam in 2019 based on independent evaluation from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Energy Association.
— NDO

Vietnam’s Public Holidays in 2020
Vietnam’s public holidays are administered by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA).
— Vietnam-Briefing

1st Cambodia-Vietnam border market launched to boost trade
The first Cambodia-Vietnam border market was launched on Tuesday after two years of construction.
— Xinhua

Detect issues in 3 submarine cables which affect internet speed in Vietnam
Issues have been detected in three of Vietnam’s submarine cable systems, namely AAG, IA, and AAE-1, which will likely affect Internet speed in the country in the upcoming weeks.
— Vietnam Insider

ADB revised up its forecast of Vietnam’s GDP growth
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised up its forecast of Vietnam’s GDP growth for 2019 and 2020 from 6.8 percent to 6.9 percent and 6.7 percent to 6.8 percent, respectively, in contrary with projections for Asia.
— Vietnam Insider

Iran-Vietnam trade more than doubled in a year
Head of Iran-Vietnam Joint Chamber of Commerce says the value of trade between the two countries reached $352 million in the end of the Iranian calendar year of 1397 (March 20, 2019), up over 100 percent from $172 million in the preceding year.
— Tehran Times

Vietnam, Indonesia fortify bilateral cooperation
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with visiting Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi in Hanoi on December 23, during which both sides agreed to enhance all-round cooperation in the time ahead.
— NDO

E-wallets are increasingly popular in Vietnam
Thanks to their great convenience in transactions, e-wallets are growingly used in daily purchases all around Vietnam. This has led to a fierce competition among service providers, yet a wonderful chance for consumers to enjoy various benefits.
— Vietnam Insider

Vietnam provides a useful benchmark for Bangladesh: Daily Star contributor
In the article, the writer says that while Bangladesh outshines Vietnam in terms of apparel production, the latter has a major strength in high value products.
— The Straits Times

Vietnam’s credit-to-GDP ratio on par with OECD countries
Such comparison suggests that the development of the banking sector may have been too rapid compared to the size of the economy.
— The Hanoitimes

Hà Nội needs more efficient policies to develop key industrial products
The capital city of Hà Nội needs to have a more efficient mechanisms and create a more favourable business environment, attracting large enterprises to develop key industrial products, according to many experts.
— Viet Nam News

PM dismisses concern of pork shortage in Vietnam
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested the government agencies to strictly punish whoever is giving false information regarding this matter.
— The Hanoitimes

Việt Nam’s agriculture sector sets goals for 2020
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuân Phúc has urged Việt Nam’s agricultural sector to improve its production quality and expand markets to other countries, especially the EU, next year.
— Viet Nam News

Heineken races to become official beer of the first Vietnam Grand Prix
Heineken has signed on to become the official beer of the first Formula 1 VinFast Vietnam Grand Prix which will take place on the streets of Hanoi from April 3 to 5 2020.
— The Drum

Problems remain in turning public non-business units to joint-stock firms
According to the Ministry of Finance, the transformation plan has lagged behind schedule set for 2015-20 period as the number of successfully-transformed units accounts for only 14.5 per cent.
— Viet Nam News

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY: RETURN TO THE POST-VIETNAM MENTALITY
For better or worse, we are returning to the mentality that followed Vietnam until the first Gulf War.
— Technoea

PM urges firms to highlight difficulties
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuân Phúc has urged local firms to point out the difficulties their operations were facing, pledging the Government’s continued efforts to improve the business climate and stimulate business development.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam banks’ capital to remain weak after Basel II delay: Fitch Ratings
Fitch analysts were upbeat about continued strong economic growth in Vietnam, which makes near-term stress unlikely and underpins their stable outlook for the banking sector.
— The Hanoitimes

Large livestock firms should control pork prices
Large livestock enterprises should keep pork prices in check despite limited supplies on the domestic market due to African swine flu, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuân Cường on Sunday.
— Viet Nam News

Private sector should provide public services: PM
Private businesses should do more for the society and the state should facilitate their increased contribution, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc says.
— VnExpress

HCM City plans new industrial zone in Bình Chánh District
The HCM City People’s Committee has submitted to the Prime Minister a proposed zoning plan of 1/2000 scale for a new 380-hectare industrial zone in Bình Chánh District.
— Viet Nam News

Trinh Van Quyet steps down as Bamboo Airways CEO
Trinh Van Quyet, chairman of the FLC Group, has stepped down as CEO of Bamboo Airways, after 8 months in charge.
— VnExpress

SSIAM VNFIN LEAD ETF targeting financial sector’s stock launched
SSI Asset Management Co., Ltd. (SSIAM) has launched an ETF called the SSIAM VNFIN LEAD based on the Vietnam Leading Financial Index (VNFin Lead).
— Viet Nam News

Hanoi strives to preserve its lakes
Each Hanoian should protect the living environment in general and the lake environment in particular with specific actions.
— The Hanoitimes

Digital media plays a key role in start-ups’ growth
Start-ups have been advised to apply digital strategies in order to obtain growth, a workshop heard in Hà Nội recently.
— Viet Nam News

National trade turnover exceeds $493b as of mid-December
As per the data, the country enjoyed a trade surplus of more than $10.6 billion during the period.
— Viet Nam News

Logistics firm bypasses big China airports with Hanoi-bound trucks
Road-feeder services to airports are slowly increasing in Southeast Asia but are still much less common than in Europe and the U.S., where highway infrastructure is well developed and transit times are relatively short.
— Freight Waves

Christmas brings joy to shoppers, retailers alike
Christmas they say, is a time for giving. But for many businesses around the country, it is prime time to receive as well.
— Viet Nam News

Amtran steps up Vietnam capacity expansion plans
The Vietnamese plants would serve as a stepping-stone to ASEAN and EU nations, given their geographic advantages, a spokesman said.
— Taipei Times

Shares move up for third day in a row
The VN-Index gradually approached 960 points on Monday, marking a third straight day of gains.
— Viet Nam News

T&T Group proposes LNG project in Quảng Trị
T&T Group proposed investment for Hải Lăng liquefied natural gas (LNG) electricity centre with total capital of US$4.4 billion in a meeting with the the Quảng Trị People’s Committee last week.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam’s only scientific journal listed in SCIE
The Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices (JSAMD) has become the first Vietnamese journal to be put forward in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) via the Web of Science which features the world’s leading citation databases.
— NDO

Korean bank Daegu to open branch in HCM City
Daegu Bank of the Republic of Korea (RoK) is preparing to open a branch in HCM City after getting the green light from the State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV).
— Viet Nam News

Feature photo Hanoi Hotels

This week’s Vietnam morning news feature photo focus on Christmas Day, December 25.

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).

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