Politics PCC's Secretariat reviews Tet situation, assigns tasks to all-level Party committees The Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariat met in Hanoi on February 16 to review the implementation of its Directive No. 26-CT/TW, issued on November 23 last year, on the organisation of the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2024 celebrations and assign some focal tasks to all-level Party committees. Politics ☕ Afternoon briefing on February 16 The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. Politics Vietnam attends second int’l meeting of theoretical publications of left parties, movements A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), led by Deputy Director and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House Vo Van Be, attended the second International Meeting of Theoretical Publications of Left Parties and Movements, in Havana, Cuba from February 12-14. Politics ☀️ Morning digest February 16 The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 February 2024 -The first VinFast dealers in Indonesia include BAM, GCC, and GSU, with headquarters in Jakarta; MCA, based in Medan; and Majesty, headquartered in Batam. These agreements will help VinFast quickly establish its brand presence and link to local customers.Indonesian dealers are expected to start selling the VF 5, VF e34, VF 6, and VF 7 models later this year following their official launches in the market. Pricing and sales details, including order times and after-sales policies, will be officially announced in the first half of 2024.VinFast aims to expand its electric vehicle distribution network this year to cover all major cities in Indonesia. About VinFastVinFast – a member of Vingroup – envisions driving the advancement of the global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90 percent automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Two Vietnamese travel firms – Winner Vietnam and Hoang Tra –welcomed and took the guests to Phu Quoc. The visitors arrived in Vietnam on February 10 and are scheduled to fly back to Taiwan on February 14. The Taiwanese firm received money and conducted procedures to bring the visitors to Vietnam. This road will feature six intersections, including two important ones of HCM City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây and Bến Lức - Long Thành. Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union Ha Thi Nga emphasised that the two heroines are the heroic examples and pride of Vietnamese women and people.

HCM CITY — Money sent from Asian countries made up 50.5 per cent of the total overseas remittances to HCM City last year, Việt Nam’s largest economic hub, a massive 143.8 per cent spike year-on-year, according to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s branch in the city. Inward remittances to HCM City rose 43.3 per cent year-on-year to US$9.46 billion in 2023, a record high over the past decade and accounting for more than half of the national total. With approximately six million Vietnamese nationals living abroad, remittances sent to Việt Nam from 1993 to 2022 have amounted to $190 billion, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2023, the World Bank estimated that Việt Nam received approximately $14 billion in remittances, while this figure reached a record number of $19 billion in 2022. Việt Nam has been among the global top 10 recipients of remittances for many years, with overseas Vietnamese residing in more than 130 countries and territories, and around 600,000 of them with undergraduate or higher degrees.

HÀ NỘI — The domestic cement industry expects to bounce back in 2024 thanks to the Government's tireless efforts to speed up public investment and implementation of key transport infrastructure projects, along with approving many industrial and urban infrastructure ones. However, the Vietnam Cement Association said some importers of Vietnamese cement and clinker continue to implement policies and technical trade barriers to protect their local cement sectors. In particular, the Philippines, the largest importing country, would continue to impose temporary anti-dumping taxes on Vietnamese cement products. Last year, the Philippines remained the largest importer of Vietnamese cement and clinker, accounting for 27 per cent of the country's export turnover. To help the cement industry overcome current difficulties, the Department of Building Materials under the Ministry of Construction, suggested ministries, agencies and localities continue to speed up public investment projects and infrastructure construction according to approved plans.

VinFast's VF6 model on display at IIMS 2024 (Photo: VNA)Jakarta (VNA) – Vietnamese automotive manufacturer, VinFast, has officially launched its first right-hand drive electric vehicles for the Indonesian market at the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) 2024. During the IIMS 2024 held in Jakarta from February 15-25, VinFast is showcasing a variety of models, including VF 5, VF e34, VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9. VinFast is planning to collaborate with local suppliers to establish a network of 5,000 charging stations in Indonesia, aiming to significantly boost the adoption of electric vehicles. In a bid to penetrate the Indonesian market, VinFast also plans to build a factory in Indonesia with a projected capacity of around 50,000 cars per year. With the goal of achieving a domestic localisation rate of up to 40%, the VinFast factory is expected to create thousands of jobs and promote the local electric vehicle industry.

In Thailand (Photo: Internet)Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai Government on February 14 approved a scheme to offer visitors up to 500,000 THB (14,000 USD) in medical coverage in case of accidents and pay compensation of up to 1 million THB in case of death. The maximum coverage is 300,000 THB per person for permanent organ loss, loss of sight or permanent disability. Medical expenses will be covered according to the actual amount paid, but not exceeding 500,000 THB. Tourists will not be eligible for the coverage if the incidents stem from their carelessness, intention to take part in any illegal activity, or risky behaviour. To apply for the coverage, foreigners holding a tourist visa can submit documents at the provincial tourism and sports offices, or at tourist assistance centres located in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.

On the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), the VN-Index increased for the fourth straight day, up nearly 4 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 1,202.5 points. The VN30-Index, which tracks the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, also finished higher at 1,217.12 points, a 4.42 points increase, or 0.36 per cent. Data compiled by a financial website vietstock.vn showed that bank stocks dominated the market's rallies today. It was followed by MBBank (MBB), Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB), Orient Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB), VPBank (VPB) and Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB). Of which, Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) posted the biggest loss of 2.86 per cent.

Trend estimates that customers who applied all virtual patches in 2023 saved an average of $1M for their enterprise. "When a new zero-day vulnerability is discovered, Trend responsibly discloses to the vendor. Trend customers then benefit from virtual patching to protect their systems from exploitation until an official patch can be applied. About Trend MicroTrend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world.

He led the nation to success in the struggle for national independence and in establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) following the August Revolution in 1945. “Vietnam has opportunities in international integration, digital transformation, green growth, circular economy and sustainable development goals. Vietnam committed to combat illegal trade of small arms, light weaponsThe Government of Vietnam comprehensively manages the production, use, and transportation of weapons according to Vietnam law, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN) Minister Counsellor Le Thi Minh Thoa has said. She held that there remain numerous challenges to the realisation of the social development and social justice target due to limited resources. The number of tourists coming to Ha Long by sea is forecast to recover, with nearly 60 cruise ships registered to dock at Ha Long International Cruise Port.

HÀ NỘI — A new regulation on banning commercial banks from selling insurance together with banking services will negatively affect banks’ bancassurance revenue in the future, some analysts have claimed. According to analysts from the MB Securities Company, with the passing of the law, bancassurance activities will be more strictly managed, which will cause the growth rate of income from bancassurance of banks to decline compared to the 2019-21 period. Sharing the same view, Yuanta Vietnam Securities Company’s analysts also believe the new regulation will greatly affect banks whose fee income mainly comes from bancassurance. In fact, revenue from selling insurance through banks (bancassurance) decreased sharply in the first nine months of 2023. At the same time, bancassurance business last year was also less positive as people's income decreased due to economic difficulties.

HÀ NỘI Securities companies still feel optimistic about 2024 and believe that the VN-Index will return close to its historical peak. VNDirect Securities also expresses an optimistic outlook for the market in 2024, with expectations that the VN-Index could reach the 1,400-1,450-point range. However, the growth of the stock market in 2024 will be different from 2023. Also in 2023, the management of public companies, securities companies, fund management companies, and securities investment funds continued to be strengthened. The Chairwoman of the State Securities Commission stated that the stock market in 2024 would be supported by positive factors.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 February 2024 - T Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sahm Capital Financial Company (previously known as VCFC), a leading brokerage firm licensed by Saudi Capital Market Authority (22251-25), has announced its sponsorship of the Saudi Capital Market Forum (SCMF). said Hadeel Bedeeri, General Manager of Sahm Capital.Registered in Riyadh, Sahm Capital is a venture company of Valuable Capital Group Ltd (VCGL) and eWTP Arabia Capital. In October 2023, Sahm Capital received licenses from the Capital Market Authority (CMA) to conduct Dealing, Advising, and Custody services in KSA, making it the first international online brokerage firm to provide online brokerage services in KSA.In December 2023, Sahm Capital launched its online trading app, Sahm. About Sahm CapitalRegistered in Riyadh, Sahm Capital (previously known as VCFC) is a joint venture company of Valuable Capital Group Ltd and eWTP Arabia Capital. Sahm Capital is also a member of Mena Fintech Association and Middle East Africa and Asia Crypto and Blockchain Association (MEAACBA).

Illustration photoHanoi (VNS/VNA) — The Vietnamese Government ranked 39th out of 193 countries in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) readiness on a 2023 report by the UK-based Oxford Insights. This marks a significant jump for Vietnam's AI readiness. With a total AI readiness score of 54.48, Vietnam ranks at 9th place within the East Asia region. On January 26, 2021, Vietnamese Prime Minister issued a decision on the "National Strategy for Research, Development, and Application of Artificial Intelligence until 2030." By 2030, Vietnam aspires to be one of the top four nations in ASEAN and among the top 50 globally in the realm of AI research, development and application.

HÀ NỘI — Witnessing difficulties facing businesses, and in order to fully promote the effectiveness of e-commerce channels, the Centre for Information and Digital Technology under the Việt Nam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade, has been connecting local departments, agencies and branches with e-commerce platforms and e-commerce service providers to deploy the Flagship Store model of local stalls on e-commerce platforms. According to a representative of the Centre for Information and Digital Technology, this is also a solution within the GoOnline national e-commerce application programme, chaired by the Việt Nam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency in co-operation with major e-commerce platforms. The programme is aimed at all small and medium-sized businesses that need to develop sales on e-commerce platforms, from common essential products to specific products. In addition, the programme expects to support businesses with potential products but having difficulty in personnel or costs to expand sales channels via e-commerce platforms. In the near future, the Centre for Information and Digital Technology expects to deploy the Flagship Store on the e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada.