Tisco and MCC still unable to close EPC disputeThe fate of the long-delayed Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Plant remains uncertain due to the unfinished negotiations of the new EPC package between Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel JSC (Tisco) and the Chinese constractor MCC. According to the report, in August 2017, the Chinese contractor MCC offered a $136.89 million engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contract to complete the construction of the unfinished segments of the project. In another move, earlier in March, Tisco was considering taking MCC to court to deal once and for all with the overlong dispute over the EPC contract. The Chinese contractor MCC offered a $136.89 million engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contract instead of the previous offer of $105.4 million. At present, a number of articles in the EPC contract have yet to reach a compromise.

US$43 million to be spent for tunnel to ease traffic jam in HCM CityHo Chi Minh City is planning to spend over VND1 trillion ($43.8 million) to build a tunnel in An Phu intersection in District 2 to tackle traffic congestion, announced the Department of Transport in HCMC yesterday. According to the Department, the city People’s Committee sent a document to the Ministry of Transport on the tunnel project in order to solve traffic gridlock. As per the project, the four-lane tunnel will connect HCMC- Long Thanh - Dau Giay. City authorities expect to complete the project soon to settle the traffic congestion between Mai Chi Tho Street and motorway HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay. However, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) announced the project can begin only by 2020 because from now to December, 2019, 15 paper works relating to the project must be finished.

Police discover illegal dump site in Binh DuongAuthorities in southern Binh Duong Province have discovered that a company had been illegally dumping untreated industrial waste in the Tan Uyen Commune. Untreated waste at the dump site in Tan Uyen Commune. The province’s Environmental Police on Wednesday caught a truck in the act of transporting industrial waste into the commune for dumping. The site currently has around 80 tonnes of solid industrial waste, including nylon and fabric, among others, according to the police. Lien was required to clear the dump site.

Startup jupviec.vn secures funding from US fundJupViec.vn, a household service start-up connecting domestic workers and customers via mobile phone apps, has received an undisclosed investment from San Francisco-based investment fund Patamar Capital. Started in 2012, JupViec.vn provides domestic help services to more than 10,000 customers in Hanoi and HCM City through its network of 3,000 housemaids. Started in 2012, JupViec.vn provides domestic help services to more than 10,000 customers in Hanoi and HCM City through its network of 3,000 housemaids, including hourly help, daily help and post-construction industrial cleaning. This is the second fundraising of JupViec.vn since it received a six-digit seed funding from Japan’s CyberAgent Ventures in 2015. Patamar Capital Fund has invested in many popular start-ups in Viet Nam, such as TOPICA and iCare Benefits (or Mobivi).

Vietnam-Canada relations to expand: officialThe attendance of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the G7 Outreach Summit and his visit to Canada as invited by his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau is expected to expand the cooperation between the two countries, according to Donald Bobiash, Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada. One of the biggest milestones in the bilateral ties was the official visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Trudeau in 2017, during which the two nations’ leaders signed an agreement to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive partnership. The invitation of Prime Minister Trudeau to Prime Minister Phuc to attend the summit demonstrates the desire of Canada to boost better relations with Vietnam, Bobiash said. The official also expressed his impressions of Vietnam’s economic growth – which is estimated at more than 6 percent annually. The CPTPP will expand two-way trade flows by reducing tariffs on Canadian exports, particularly agricultural products.

Vietnam hopes to develop multi-faceted cooperation with MicronesiaVietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 7 held a reception for Speaker Wesley W. Simina of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, who was leading a high-ranking delegation on an official visit to Vietnam from June 5-15. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (r) receives Speaker Wesley W. Simina of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia on June 7. “The visit is hoped to chart a new chapter for cooperation between the two parliaments in particular, and the two countries in general,” said Wesley W. Simina. Wesley W. Simina expressed his hope to boost cooperation and twinning relations between Micronesian and Vietnamese localities. “Vietnam wants to share its experience in cooperation in areas with potential, like agriculture, aquaculture, seafood processing, industrial tree plantation, tourism development, education and training,” he affirmed.

Credit growth reaches 5.8%Credit growth in the first five months of this year reached 5.8 per cent, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said. The credit growth was lower than the 6.53 per cent rise in the first five months of 2017 but higher than that of the same period in the previous years. Right at the beginning of 2018, based on economic growth and inflation control targets, State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) set this year’s credit growth at 17 per cent, lower than 18.17 per cent in 2017. Besides asking credit institutions to target lending to the priority sectors, SBV has so far directed them to avoid too much focus on real estate and securities customers and maintain credit growth in the sectors within safe limits. “Credit expansion should go hand in hand with strict supervision to ensure loans are used for their intended purpose and do not add to bad debts,” SBV said.

Traffickers getting high-tech using phones to lure girlsVietNamNet Bridge – Human traffickers are getting more sophisticated – using high tech methods such as mobile phones and social media accounts to target young girls in remote mountainous areas leaving enforcements agencies with a mountain to climb to keep the girls safe. A customs official gives out flyers about women trafficking to ethnic women in the northern province of Lao Cai. They developed new techniques such as using mobile phones or social networks to approach the victims. The two girls lived in Chu Lin Village in Lao Cai District’s Sa Pa Town. Luckily, the girl’s parent suspected the man and asked for help from local border soldiers and she was rescued.

Lucrative dividends on offer this JuneLucrative dividends presented by a number of listed firms throughout the month are expected to make their tickers more appealing to investors. NKG aims to maintain a similar dividend payout ratio this year, in both cash and bonus share format. On June 26, Vinamilk—Vietnam’s top dairy producer—will pay its remaining 2017 dividend in cash with the ratio of 15 per cent. After the share distribution, the company’s charter capital will come to VND21.240 trillion ($944 million) from the current VND15.170 trillion ($674 million). Danang Chemical Industry JSC (ticker DCI in UpCOM) has announced paying 2017 dividend at a record ratio of 288 per cent.

VTV almost reaches deal for World Cup 2018 broadcasting rightsVietnam Television (VTV) claims to have almost finalised negotiations with Infront Sports & Media for buying broadcasting rights of the upcoming World Cup 2018. According to a VTV representative, the two sides have planned to meet in Hanoi to sign the deal. Vietnam Television (VTV) claims to have almost finalised negotiations with Infront Sports & Media for buying broadcasting rights of the upcoming World Cup 2018. Earlier, local football fans worried about the possibility that VTV would not have been able to buy broadcasting rights planned to fly to neighbouring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Thailand to watch World Cup. VTV will allow other television channels to share the broadcasting rights, but this must be approved by FIFA.

Land sales in HCM City dropSales of land plots have decreased significantly in HCM City in the last 10 days in districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc, where so-called land fever had broken out over the last few months. In addition, sales of land plots in the city’s districts 12, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh have declined recently. The Government decision that has made it more difficult to divide land for sale has also contributed to the decline in land sales, according to Viet. Investors have become cautious in buying big land plots to divide land for sale to secondary buyers. Nguyen Van Trung, a broker in Binh Thanh District, told Viet Nam News: “Land prices have increased over the last decade, especially in recent years.

Double-decker buses fail to arouse HanoiThe capital has given the cold shoulder to Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off’s double-decker buses. The reason behind this languid interest is the too-high ticket price, reported VIR. Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off was launched in Hoan Kiem lake. Photo: hanoi.gov.vnvtc.vn quoted the representative of Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transeco), the developer of Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off, as saying that 300 customers travelled on the double-deckers in the first two days. According to tourism website viator.com, double-decker fares in England fluctuate from $16.38 to $156.99, which is much higher than the price in Vietnam.

Jetstar Pacific has all flight plans submitted onlineVietnam’s low-cost airline Jetstar Pacific has been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) to implement online submission of flight plans based on the 4.0 technology platform at all 16 domestic airports it operates. The approval by CAAV allowing for pilots to submit flight plans online while staying in the cockpit helps reduce much time for flying procedures. Therefore, it is not necessary for pilots to visit the flight procedure room to submit a flight plan. The airline’s project on online submission of flight plan has been deployed on a trial basis since last June, with the support of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. Jetstar Pacific operates 128 daily flights with a total 160,000 seats to 16 domestic and six international airports.

Nguyen Thi Chi to compete in Miss Asia WorldThe Performing Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has officially granted license to model Nguyen Thi Chi to compete in the Miss Asia World scheduled for June 9-29 in Beirut, Lebanon. Nguyen Thi Chi, 27, born in Vinh Long province, is 1.72m tall and 48kg in weight with body measurement of 86 - 58 – 90. She has been selected to compete at the international beauty pageant thanks to her dynamism and professional performance. Chi will join the fashion show of traditional costumes, talent show, photoshoot and interview. Miss Asia World has been organized since 2016 with the participation of contestants from Asian nations, the Middle East and Europe.

Dengue fever may make a comebackVietNamNet Bridge – Dengue fever may still turn into an epidemic, although the number of cases from the beginning of the year has decreased significantly compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s Preventive Medicine Department. A health official kills mosquitoes to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever. — VNA/VNS Photo Duong Chi TuongAs many as 20,522 cases of dengue fever, including four deaths, were reported this year across the country, the department said. The MoH will set up eight teams to inspect the prevention and control of dengue fever in 16 key provinces and cities. Last year, Vietnam witnessed a boom in dengue fever, with 181,054 cases of infection and 30 deaths reported across the country, mostly in Hanoi and HCM City.