The forum highlighted the importance of science, technology and innovation for middle-income countries like Việt Nam. The participants of this forum discussed directions suitable for Việt Nam’s potential capacity to take advantage of science and technology in economic development. On the other hand, geopolitical tensions and increasing technical barriers in Việt Nam's important export markets relating to green products and green production have posed significant challenges for Việt Nam's economy in 2023 and the following years. However, CIEM's research team also pointed out several difficulties and obstacles affecting Việt Nam's economic growth in 2023. Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNDP, the Việt Nam Economic Pulse Forum is an annual event designed to create a new, informal platform for discussing Việt Nam’s economic situation and development policy.

According to a report from the HCM City Health Department, nearly 65 per cent of cases treated in the HCM City hospitals come from other provinces. In HCM City alone, there have been 44,467 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease, or 35.7 per cent of the total. HCM City needs to expand and diversify the labour export market, targeting high-income markets with demand for high-quality workers, Cuong said. Futsal HCM City Open offers high prizes to participantsThe International Futsal HCM City Open will be held between December 23 and 29 with the champions walking away with US$5,000. Photo exhibition features Southern culture, artsA special photo exhibition featuring Southern culture and arts is attracting visitors in HCM City.

Illustrative image (Photo: https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/)Malaysia is targeting tourist arrival s exceeding the pre-COVID-19 level in 2024 amid better flight connectivity and a higher number of potential visitors from China and India, according to deputy director-general in charge of tourism promotion Musa Yusof.Addressing a tourism forum in Kuala Lumpur, Yusof said tourism arrivals in 2024 is expected to be higher than the 26.1-million seen in 2019.Malaysia's tourism target does not take into account visitors who typically enter the country via land borders.The Southeast Asian nation recently announced a 30-day visa exemption for travelers from China and India starting December 1, which is hoped to boost tourism revenue.It has witnessed an upswing in visitors this year, prompting the government to revise its 2023 year-end tourism target to 19.1 million arrivals from 16.1 million.According to the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), tourism industry contributed 14% to the country’s gross domestic product in 2022, making it one of the largest contributors to the economy./.

Openspace and La Maison, who previously participated in Igloo's Series B and Series B+ fundraises, also joined in, reaffirming their confidence in the company's strong business fundamentals. This latest round comes just 10 months after Igloo’s previous Series B+ fundraise led by BlueOrchard-managed InsuResilience Investment Fund II. Notably, Igloo’s Pre-Series C round closed at an increased valuation of 50 per cent from its Series B+ round in 2022, as the company moves closer to profitability in 2024. Igloo’s offerings include Ignite by Igloo, a digital platform that enhances the productivity of sales intermediaries in Việt Nam and Indonesia. The product has drawn interest from partners in Việt Nam and across Southeast Asia for its potential to greatly benefit the agricultural sector.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended and delivered a speech at the plenary session of the first Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam (CLV) Parliamentary Summit which opened in Vientiane on December 5. Regarding politics-foreign affairs, he suggested they join hands to preserve, nurture, and enhance the strategic values of the Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam traditional friendship and special solidarity. At the event, the three top legislators said that the establishment of the summit contributes to deepening the friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. This aims to facilitate socio-economic development in the CLV development triangle area. At the session, the Vietnamese side stated that peacekeeping cooperation between Vietnam and European countries, especially France, has seen positive developments.

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held a conference in Hà Nội on Tuesday connecting OCOP products to strengthen trade promotion and consumption. The ministry has built a database on OCOP products and a system of points introducing and selling products nationwide on the website https://sanphamvungmien.vn. The ministry has promoted communication, propaganda and promotion activities and built images and brands for OCOP products and sales points of those products. The number of OCOP products is increasing with good quality and clear origins. After more than five years of implementation, Việt Nam now has 10,322 OCOP products in all 63 provinces and cities, including 67.3 per cent being three-star products and 31.2 per cent being four-star products.

Vietnam welcomes more than 1.23 million int’l touristsVietnam welcomed more than 1.23 million international tourists in November, an 11% increase month-on-month and a record monthly figure in 2023. The country therefore welcomed 11.2 million foreign arrivals in the first 11 months of the year.

HÀ NỘI — In a recent development, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in India has revealed details about its investigation into the sunset review of countervailing duties imposed on stainless steel welded pipes originating from Việt Nam and China. According to information received by the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, the DGTR has issued an investigation questionnaire for the sunset review of countervailing duties on stainless steel welded pipes from the above-mentioned countries. In adherence to Indian regulations, a sunset review is mandated after five years of enforcement. Stakeholders involved are urged to submit their perspectives on the complainant's security interests within seven days of the DGTR officially sending the investigation questionnaire. Responses to the investigation questions and pertinent information are expected within 30 days from the official date of the investigation questionnaire dispatch by the DGTR.

Indonesia welcomes strong and effective cooperation with Vietnam, especially in key areas like high technology, renewable energy, digital economy, industry, and agriculture. They thanked Vietnam for its valuable support to Laos and proposed that both sides continue to nurture their special friendship. Giang took the occasion to invite his counterpart and other leaders of the Malaysian Ministry of Defence and defence enterprises to attend the second Vietnam International Defence Expo in 2024. The two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation following their talks. They thanked Vietnam for its valuable support to Laos and proposed that both sides continue to nurture their special friendship.

The education sector is no exception, with innumerable websites and mobile learning apps offering busy young people solutions for learning online. Experts agree that the Vietnamese market has huge potential for e-learning, especially mobile learning. In current years mobile learning apps such as Duolingo, Unica, Edumall, Easy Class, Mona elMS, and VNPT E-Learning have developed strongly. More than 39 per cent of internet users browse for education and study-related purposes. According to the 2022 Duolingo Vietnam Language Report, Vietnamese users spend 15 minutes a day on average learning on Duolingo.

The world spot gold price increased 1.6 per cent to US$2,069.1 per ounce on December 1. Earlier this session, at one point, the gold price touched $2,075.09 per ounce and exceeded the all-time high of 2,072.49 established in 2020. The expert predicted that in the context of a sharp increase in world gold prices, domestic gold demand would surge. Some other experts also believed that the world gold price was aiming for $2,100 per ounce, however, the domestic gold price, especially SJC gold, was difficult to predict due to the large gap with the world. Credit growth managementThe Government will conduct an inspection of credit growth management by the central bank in response to low credit growth.

Investors should closely monitor market movements and observe how supply and demand dynamics unfold within this price range, said experts. On the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the market benchmark VN-Index rose 0.73 per cent to end Friday at 1,102.16 points. Việt Dragon Securities Joint Stock Company (VDSC) noted that despite cautious movements and pressure last week, the market found support in the range of 1,090-1,095 points. Market conditions, investor sentiment, and external factors may influence the stock market's behaviour within this range. By staying vigilant and responsive to market dynamics, investors can make informed decisions and navigate the stock market effectively.

Nguyen Dinh Khang, president of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), was re-elected head of the organisation. He proposed that Vietnam join the global carbon credit market, while affirming the World Bank stays ready to accompany and support Vietnam in this process. The World Bank considers Vietnam an important partner and it will continue to accompany and support Vietnam in meeting its development goals, said President Ajay Banga. Now, nearly 750,000 Americans travel to Vietnam each year, and 119 US non-governmental organisations are operating in the 63 provinces and cities across Vietnam. The municipal People's Committee has issued a plan on developing waterway tourism products in the city in the 2023-2025 period.

DUBAI — The PAN Group and Standard Chartered Vietnam on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the implementation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) financial solutions and services. Accordingly, Standard Chartered Vietnam supports PAN in accessing financial solutions and services based on ESG factors to meet the investment needs in the group's sustainable development projects. Specifically, The PAN Group can expand its financial options for the group's development projects and subsidiaries through ESG-related solutions. Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Vietnam could accompany and continue to support PAN's green projects in the future. The PAN Group has been carrying out parallel sustainable development projects in the agricultural sector.

Culture contributes to creating Vietnam’s strong tourism brandWith rich cultural resources, Vietnam has advantages to develop cultural tourism as an important service economic sector, according to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT). Cultural tourism products have been developed based on exploiting the inherent natural value of heritage such as traditional culture, community cultural life, and festivals. New types of cultural tourism products are being promoted such as performing arts, music festivals, cinema, fashion, and contemporary performing arts. Cultural tourism products have created a strong brand in Vietnam. Macron underlined the importance of cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, saying France would continue to help Vietnam preserve cultural and historical sites.