Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan congratulated Li Zhanshu, who was elected as Chairman of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. Phong said the local authorities will clear all hurdles to ensure the Metro Line No 1 to operate on schedule. The same day, President Tran Dai Quang, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and leaders of ministries, sectors, localities and domestic and foreign organisations also sent wreaths in tribute of the Archbishop. For his part, Alex Mourmouras affirmed that the IMF attaches importance to cooperation with Vietnam, including HCM City. PM congratulates Angela Merkel on re-electionAngela MerkelPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on March 16, sent a congratulatory message to Angela Merkel on her re-election as Chancellor of Germany.

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov lauds close ties with VietnamForeign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov gave positive comments on the strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam during an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey LavrovThe interview took place before his Vietnam visit on March 19-20 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. Lavrov said the leaders of the two countries at various levels have always maintained their contacts. Education, cultural exchange and humanitarian cooperation are traditional cooperation fields, he said. He said Vietnam and Russia established a high-level working group which is tasked with monitoring specific investment projects and expanding economic ties among firms working in mining, petroleum processing, energy, materials, transport, infrastructure, and information – communications.

Former PM Phan Van Khai dies, aged 85Former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai passed away at 1:30 on March 17 at Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City, aged 85, according to the Board of health care services for senior officials. Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at a ceremony to receive the 55-year Party Membership Badge in 2014. Phan Van Khai was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City. Biography of former Prime Minister Phan Van KhaiPhan Van Khai was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Van Khai took the office of the Prime Minister from September 1997 to June 2006.

HCM City manholes turned into canvasesA group of young people in HCM City are making the city more colourful by painting on the manholes. The youth union of HCM City Urban Drainage Company, the city Anti-Flood Control Centre and many young people have given 100 old manholes in the city's centre a new coat of paint. The VND100m (USD4,400) project is sponsored by Heineken Vietnam who helped to hold a contest to choose 10 best paintings for the project. Matt Wilson, Corporate Affairs director of Heineken Vietnam also painted the manholes along with many young people. Heineken Vietnam said they would review the project's effectiveness a month later and could expand it to other streets.

The investor has run away, leaving unpaid debtsLocal authorities don’t know what to do if foreign investors flee, remain out of contact, owe money to social insurance and tax agencies, or owe salaries to workers. In Dong Nai province, KL Texwell Vina, the foreign owner of a foreign-invested enterprise, disappeared just days before Tet, leaving an unpaid debt of VND30 billion in social insurance premiums and wages. It would be better to classify FIEs into groups and pay special attention to enterprises which are slow in paying taxes and salaries to workers, he said. "It’s necessary to closely monitor the activities of these types of enterprises,” he said.Nguyen Mai, chair of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) said the new CPTPP trade agreement includes provisions that protect workers’ benefits. This again shows the urgency of completing the legal framework on FDI.

VNPT launches OTT applicationVNPT VinaPhone Corporation launched its Over-The-Top (OTT) application Karo for businesses and individuals this week. The OTT was built based on three targets: focusing on enterprises and organizations, bringing customers a safe effective social business network and ensuring privacy for individuals and data for enterprises and cost savings. With the launch of the application, VNPT expects Karo will receive a positive reaction from the business community by providing a multi-platform communication and enterprise management tool, with added value, cost savings and data security. Pham Anh Tuan, deputy general director of VinaPhone, said that with the message of “Easy communication - Maximum security," the firm expects Karo will help users overcome distance barriers to connect and together create success. The application is currently available on Google Play and Apple Store, customers are offered VND10,000 to their main account and 300 minutes calling from Karo to VinaPhone subscribers per month for three months.

Sao Khue Awards nominations releasedThe Sao Khue Awards 2018 received 100 nominations from 80 enterprises and units in the two months since the process began. The preliminary council of Sao Khue Awards 2018 selected 92 nominations to carry out actual appraisals at these enterprises. This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the awards, organised by the Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA). This year’s awards add new categories for outstanding IT products and services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data and 3D printing. Outstanding products and services will be nominated to participate at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA Awards) in Guangzhou, China this August.

VN business climate needs reformExtraordinary efforts are needed to enhance the current national business environment, but Viet Nam is ready to do whatever it takes to overcome low productivity, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and other delegates concluded at the International Conference on Substantially Improving the Business Environment to Strengthen Economic Growth on Thursday. The Deputy PM commemorated administrative achievements across ministries, sectors and localities in improving the business environment over the past year. He expressed high hopes for the future, stressing the importance of economic restructuring and business environment development as keys to a better Viet Nam. Trung promised that in 2018, the government will continue to set higher, more comprehensive goals for improving the country’s business environment. 19 as a way to maintain the objectives of improving the business environment, emphasising the current success in business conditions reform and specialised management, boosting labour productivity and competitiveness of the economy.

Tough odds for VN market upgradeViet Nam’s securities market has a 25 per cent chance of being upgraded to the “emerging market” status from its current “frontier market” level by 2021, according to Vo Tri Thanh, senior economist at the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM). Viet Nam’s securities market has a 25 per cent chance of being upgraded to the “emerging market” status from its current “frontier market” level by 2021. — Photo ndh.vnThe market status levels are regulated by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), the US independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors. Then it would take the Vietnamese securities market at least two more years to become an emerging market as regulated by MSCI. Positive 2018 aheadViet Nam’s economy in general and its securities market in particular are showing positive signs and higher achievements are reachable in 2018.

South of Da Lat, quiet Bao Loc refreshesVietNamNet Bridge – Lam Dong Province’s most famous tourism destination by far is Da Lat City, known the world over since its days as a French colonial summer resort. But located 110km to the south of Da Lat is the town of Bao Loc, quieter and fresher than Da Lat with its own charm. Photo dambri.com.vnThe weather is cool in Bao Loc City all year round. The pagoda is located 20km south of Bao Loc City. “Bao Loc City has various famed tourism destinations and the cultural features of ethnic minority groups like Co Ho and Chau Ma,” said Nghiem Xuan Duc, chairman of Bao Loc City’s People’s Committee.

VN tech firms to expand in JapanJapan, one of the global leaders in implementing the 4.0 industrial revolution, is witnessing strong investment from Viet Nam’s information technology (IT) firms. Currently, there are some 20 IT companies in Viet Nam with branches in Japan. Regarding Viet Nam’s advantages when investing in Japan, Binh said "the two countries have similar cultures and strong political and socio-economic relations". Smaller businesses, such as NAL Viet Nam Joint Stock Company, are also planning to expand in Tokai after opening representative offices in Tokyo and Nagoya. "Viet Nam has been the second-largest partner of Japan in software and service outsourcing since 2014", FPT Software CEO Hoang Nam Tien spoke at the recent Viet Nam IT Day 2018 in Japan.

HCM City to pilot ’smart urban area’All districts will be expected to develop a “smart urban area” plan by 2020, Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, HCM City People’s Committee vice chairman and head of the smart city management board, said on Friday. HCM City plans to become a smart urban area by 2020. The smart urban area project will be piloted in districts 1 and 12 and the Thủ Thiêm Urban Area in District 2. At a meeting on the smart urban project, Tuyến said all district authorities should develop plans that would easily link with other districts once project implementation begins throughout the entire city after the end of the pilot programme. This is the first time the city has created a specific roadmap for the smart urban project, with targets including sustainable development, improved quality of life, and more effective administration.

Tourism sector poised to earn big money from Chinese travelersVietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been advised to attract more Chinese tourists from first-class cities who travel regularly, book tours via online channels, and spend big money on trips. Vietnam has been advised to attract more Chinese travelersMany Vietnamese experts, however, have been divided on whether to try to attract Chinese travelers. They cite the scandals related to some Chinese travelers that have affected public order and overloaded infrastructure. According to Chinese agencies and Ctrip, Chinese travelers spent 9,500 yuan on average, or $1,500, during their trips on the recent Tet holiday. “Chinese travelers spend a lot of money, even more than travelers from the US,” said Blackwell, who is from the UK.

Social housing projects need transparency and accountabilityDao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Hanoi Association for Urban Planning and Development, speaks to the newspaper Urban Economy about the high demand for more social housing projects in the city. The development of social housing projects is already included in the national housing development by 2020 with the vision to 2030. According to social statistics on demography, it is projected that from 2018-2020, Viet Nam will experience a boom in social housing development. And finally, the Government should grant a special policy for the construction of social housing projects. And this time, the Government wants enterprises to collaborate to build more social housing projects for people with low income, particularly projects in Hanoi.

Second Dalat Ultra Trail International Marathon kicks offAround 2,300 domestic and foreign runners took part in the second Dalat Ultra Trail International Marathon which officially opened in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong on March 16. The race includes four distances and eight categories designed for professional, semiprofessional and amateur athletes, representatives of charity funds and schools and tourists. The athletes had a chance to run through well-known destinations in Da Lat city such as Lam Vien Square, Vang Valley, Love Valley, Langbian Mountain and Bidoup National Park. As part of Asia Trail Master, Dalat Ultra Trail is the first internationally-recognised marathon in the Central Highland region. The race is expected to introduce Da Lat city’s landscapes to people both in and outside the country and improve public awareness of environmental protection.-VNA