Vietnam Morning News For February 18

Ministry to transfer five enterprises to SCIC in Q1
The Ministry of Industry and Trade will transfer State capital ownership representative rights in five enterprises to the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) in the first quarter of this year.
— Bizhub

Vietnam offers more incentives for science and technology firms
The Vietnamese government issued Decree No.13/2019/ND-CP (“Decree 13”), which provides preferential treatment such as corporate tax cuts and exemptions, credit incentives, and exemption or reduction in land and water surface lease fees for science and technology enterprises.
— Vietnam Insider

Vietnam aviation faces safety rating challenge
Vietnam might find it difficult to maintain its aviation safety rating due to a lack of qualified personnel, experts caution.
— VnExpress

Petrol price stabilisation fund balance at US$73.8 million
The balance of the petrol price stabilisation fund at Việt Nam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) was VNĐ1.72 trillion (US$73.8 million) as of Friday, the group said.
— Viet Nam News

North Korea Could Follow Vietnam’s “Doi Moi” Example
As Vietnam’s capital Hanoi prepares to host the second US-North Korea summit later this month, experts say North Korea may be gearing up to study Vietnam’s model of economic development which started with the “doi moi” policy of opening its market in the late 1980s.
— Investvine

Vietnam asks countries to respect, implement law on territorial waters
Vietnam has called on countries to continue making active and practical contributions to the maintenance of peace and stability as well as respect and implement relevant international legal obligations on territorial waters and oceans, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.
— Borneo Bulletin

Vietnam ranked second in ASEAN in World Bank’s Human Capital Index
A Vietnamese child with full access to education and health service, by the time of maturity, would have a labor productivity at 67%, which is in equal to China and second in Southeast Asia, only behind Singapore.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Vietnam to look at non-observed economy in 2020
Viet Nam will officially measure the non-observed economy in 2020 to take stock of economic activity taking place unlawfully or at an unregistered household level, under a project recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
— Bizhub

Vietnam earned a “Category 1” safety rating from FAA, allowed to fly to the United States
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that Vietnam had improved international standards for aviation safety and would be allowed to fly to the United States.
— Vietnam Insider

Central province debuts nano-tech shrimp farms
The central province of Quang Nam has introduced the first hi-tech shrimp farming projects in Thang Binh District’s Coastal Binh Hai Commune on 6.5 hectares with a total investment of VND33 billion (US$1.5 million).
— Bizhub

Danang announced a list of 17 property projects, where foreigners can buy a house
Danang, the biggest city on Central Coast of Vietnam has just released a list of 17 property projects, where foreigners can buy a house.
— Vietnam Insider

Private economy a driving force in Vietnam
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung talks to Vietnam News Agency on the Government’s resolve to help private enterprises become a mainstay in the national economy.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnamese airlines granted access to US market for first time
Vietnamese airlines will be able to fly to the United States and codeshare with American carriers after the US Federal Aviation Administration declared the Southeast Asian country complies with international safety standards.
— Channel NewsAsia

Deposit rate forecast to stay steady over next few months
Interest rates for VND deposits would remain stable or even decline over the next few months, analysts from Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI) forecast.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam’s richest man among 200 richest people in the world
Pham Nhat Vuong is the first Vietnamese to enter the list of the world’s 200 wealthiest people.
— VnExpress

Three picks from Vietnam property sector: insiders
Vietnam’s real estate market saw lots of noticeable developments in three major cities in 2018, Savills Vietnam experts have said in a recent market update.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Foreign investors open wallets for Vietnamese startups
Vietnamese startups in transport, homestay, fintech and other sectors have received millions of dollars from foreign investors in January.
— VnExpress

Is Foxconn, a partner of Apple, heading for Vietnam?
Foxconn, one of Apple’s most important partners, is planning to set up factory in Vietnam, possibly in the northern province of Bac Giang.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Growing opportunities for agricultural sector
In 2018, the Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery sector weathered all difficulties to hit a seven-year growth record. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong talked with VIR about the key reasons behind this impressive achievement, with an increase in overseas investment, and opportunities from new-generation free trade agreements.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Vietnam to relocate 300 residents near US air base for dioxin cleanup
75 families living near the Bien Hoa military airport, former American airbase and dioxin hotspot, will be resettled for cleanup work.
— VnExpress

Deposit rate forecast to stay steady over next few months
Interest rates for VND deposits would remain stable or even decline over the next few months, analysts from Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI) forecast.
— VNA NET

Push for more private investment in transport
Last year saw great interest among international companies in Vietnam’s transport sector. However, regulatory barriers continue to hinder their next steps. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The discussed with VIR strategies to garner private funding in the sector and the opportunities for foreign investors in 2019.
— VietNamNet Bridge

Roads Directorate to examine Dau Giay toll station
The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN) decided to set up a team to probe into toll collection activities at Dau Giay station on Ho Chi Minh-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway, said DRVN General Director Nguyen Van Huyen on February 16.s
— VNA NET

Vietnam inaugurates $1.27 billion thermal power plant
The 600 MW Thai Binh 1 Thermal Power Plant officially opened Thursday in the northern province of Thai Binh.
— VnExpress

Central, Central Highland regions asked to fully tap tourism potential
The central and Central Highlands regions have favourable conditions to develop various types of tourism such as resort, heritage, culture, sea and island, mountain and cave exploration, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a conference held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on February 16.
— VNA NET

Vietnam police seize nearly 300kg of meth
A massive haul of nearly 300kg of methamphetamine pills was seized in central Vietnam on Sunday (Feb 17), police said, the latest major drug bust in a country where the use of synthetic narcotics is on the rise.
— Channel NewsAsia

Russian Lieut Gen affirms just war of Vietnamese people to defence northern border
Lieut. Gen Porfiry Ivashko, one of the first experts and advisors of the former Soviet Union (now Russia) sent to Vietnam right after the northern border defence war began in the country 40 years ago (February 17, 1979), has asserted the just struggle of Vietnamese people.
— VNA NET

Tra Vinh province resolved to revoke delayed projects
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is resolved to revoke licences of delayed projects, while rolling out new measures to attract more investment in the locality.
— VietnamPlus

Total assets of banks in Vietnam up 8.2% to over US$465 billion in Jan-Nov 2018
The total assets of Vietnam’s banking sector reached VND10,824 trillion (US$465.85 billion) as of November 30, 2018, up 8.23% compared to the beginning of the year, according to the latest report of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).
— VietNamNet Bridge

Mekong Delta province provides housing land for poor households
The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh will allocate over 23 billion VND (1 million USD) from the local budget to provide land for nearly 700 poor families to build houses.
— VNA NET

Restoration of Nguyen Dynasty’s Kien Trung Palace starts
The restoration and upgrade of Kien Trung Palace in the Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi) began on February 16 in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
— VNA NET

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