Food-beverage sector strives to meet int’l food safety
Food-beverage sector strives to meet int’l food safetyWith a market of 93 million people, Vietnam has seen rapidly growing consumer demand for food and beverage (F&B) products, offering great opportunities for the sector to expand, experts have said. The country is expected to enter the top three Asian countries posting the highest growth rate of the F&B industry by 2020. Ly Kim Chi, President of the HCM City Food and Foodstuff Association, said that today’s consumers were willing to pay more for healthy and natural products. On May 29, the Vietnamese High Quality Business Association will, for the first time, take part in THAIFEX-World of Food Asia, the leading F&B trade fair in Asia, according to Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the association. Hanh said that participation in trade shows was one of many ways to promote Vietnamese products.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 17:15 UTC
Vietnamese Ambassador to US bids farewell to local officials, friends
Vietnamese Ambassador to US bids farewell to local officials, friendsOutgoing Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh has bid farewell to local officials and friends before returning home and concluding his mission in the US in late June 2018. Ambassador Vinh also had meetings with some US officials, including special Assistance to the President on Asia Matt Pottinger and Senator Jim Webb. On May 21, Ambassador Vinh hosted a reception at the Vietnamese Embassy in the US to bid farewell to officials from the US administration and parliament as well as businesspersons, scholars and friends, including Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton. At the meetings, Ambassador Vinh thanked the US side for supporting him and the Vietnamese Embassy in fulfilling missions, contributing to strengthening bilateral relations in all areas. Ambassador Vinh assumed his post as Vietnamese Ambassador to the US from late November, 2014.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 14:15 UTC
NA session: SOEs’ efficiency not match resources
NA session: SOEs’ efficiency not match resourcesThe operation efficiency of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) during 2011-2016 had yet to match the resources they were holding, according to a report delivered to the National Assembly on May 28. In addition, the restructuring of badly-performing businesses and the withdrawal of State capital from ineffective investment projects remained slow. The supervision team suggested ministries, sectors and localities to complete and approve land use plans. The discussion session focused on the implementation of policies and laws on State capital and asset management and use in State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and equitisation of SOEs in the 2011-2016 period. Expressing his sympathy with solutions stated in the NA’s monitoring report, he said it is necessary to accelerate the completion of institution and legal framework for the State Capital Management Committee.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 14:15 UTC
Govt vacillates on incentives in special economic zones
Govt vacillates on incentives in special economic zonesVietNamNet Bridge – The Government plans to develop three special economic zones, which it hopes will spearhead the country’s growth. — Photo zing.vnCurrently there are no special economic zones in the country though it has 18 coastal economic zones, 27 border economic zones and 325 industrial zones. The Ministry of Planning and Investment expects the three special economic zones to contribute billions of dollars to the economy each year from 2020 onwards. The Government has agreed in principle that the special economic zones will enjoy special regulations and fewer limitations to enable them to woo investors. The draft Law on Special Economic Zones (or Law on Special Administrative-Economic Units) reflects this strategy.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 08:26 UTC
Bad debts tend to escalate
Bad debts tend to escalateVietNamNet Bridge - After considering the Q1 finance reports of 13 large and medium sized commercial banks, analysts say they have found that bad debts are increasing again. The figure was equal to 51 percent of total bad debts, higher than the 50.5 percent at the end of 2017. However, most of them were third-group debts, or subprime debts, amounting to 58.6 percent of total bad debts, while the fifth-group debts accounted for 18 percent. This is equal to 55.3 percent of the bank’s total bad debts which have increased from 1.61 percent to 1.87 percent. US$1=VND22,000RELATED NEWSMulti-trillion VND worth of bad debt put on saleVAMC targets VND140 trillion bad debts this yearKim Chi
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 05:15 UTC
Tomorrow's cities: Google's Toronto city built 'from the internet up'
Tomorrow's cities: Google's Toronto city built 'from the internet up'The vision is to have a bustling city that works for everyone -- Photo: SIDEWALK LABSOn Toronto's Eastern waterfront, a new digital city is being built by Sidewalk Labs - a firm owned by Google's parent Alphabet.It hopes the project will become a model for 21st-Century urbanism. Sidewalk Labs promises to transform the disused waterfront area into a bustling mini metropolis, one built "from the internet up", although there is no timetable for when the city will actually be built. These are real and prescient issues for the city of Toronto," he told the BBC. "Sidewalk talks about open data, but from the very start the one thing that they are not making public is their agreement with Waterfront Toronto." Waterfront Toronto is the organisation charged with revitalising the area around the city's harbour.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 05:15 UTC
Outdated infrastructure blamed for rail accidents
Outdated infrastructure blamed for rail accidentsOutdated infrastructure, limited funds and operator negligence have been identified as the main causes serious accidents on the rail. A report from the Vietnam Railways Corporation said that from September 16 2017 to April 15 2018, there were 199 rail accidents, killing 91 people and injuring 122 others. He went on to say that the corporation reviewed accidents to improve the sector with new technology and remove several level crossings. "However, it is also rare that so many serious rail accidents occur so close together as seen last week." Vu Quang Khoi, director of the Vietnam Railway Authority, said after every accident, Vietnam Railways Corporation were made to review operating processes to avoid similar cases.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 05:03 UTC
Vietnamese athlete wins gold medal at Asian Taekwondo Champs
Vietnamese athlete wins gold medal at Asian Taekwondo ChampsVietnamese athlete Truong Thi Kim Tuyen won the first gold medal for the country at the 23rd Asian Taekwondo Championship in Ho Chi Minh City. Truong Thi Kim Tuyen (middle) celebrates winning gold medal at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in HCM City on May 26Tuyen defeated Napaporn Charanawat from Thailand 13-5 in the women’s 46kg category. Last year, Tuyen beat Napaporn 19-8 in the semi-finals of the World Taekwondo Championships in the Republic of Korea, winning the first world silver medal in Vietnamese taekwondo history. In addition to Tuyen’s success, Pham Thi Thu Hien also brought home a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg category. The 23rd Asian Taekwondo Championship was held by the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Taekwondo Federation from May 24-28.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:52 UTC
First Vietnamese becomes IAQ academician
First Vietnamese becomes IAQ academicianDr. Ngo Van Nhon, Chairman of Vietnam Quality Association and President of Institute for Quality Assessment and Development in Ho Chi Minh City, has become the first Vietnamese to become an academician of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ). Dr. Ngo Van Nhon (R), Chairman of Vietnam Quality Association and President of Institute for Quality Assessment and Development in Ho Chi Minh City, has become the first Vietnamese to become an academician of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ) (Source: http://www.sggp.org.vn)The title was presented to Nhon at the recent IAQ general meeting in the US with the participation of more than 3,500 delegates from 45 countries. To become an academician at the IAQ, Nhon, who is also a member of the Asian Network for Quality, experienced a strict evaluation process over three years. Nhon was introduced by Vietnamese experts in the field and received sponsorship from IAQ academicians from Japan, Russia and India. The IAQ currently has 133 academicians representing 37 countries, including 44 from Asia.-VNA
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:41 UTC
Thao wins gold medal at Chinese Taipei Athletics Open
Thao wins gold medal at Chinese Taipei Athletics OpenVietNamNet Bridge – Bui Thi Thu Thao won a gold medal in women’s long jump at the Chinese Taipei Athletics Open which wrapped up in Taipei Municipal Stadium on Saturday. Bui Thi Thu Thao (middle) poses with her gold medal at the Chinese Taipei Athletics Open. Last August, Thao won gold in the Southeast Asian Games after clearing 6.68m. Earlier, another Vietnamese representative Quach Thi Lan also won a gold medal in the women’s 400m with a time of 52.82secs. In the women’s triple jump, Vu Thi Men won the silver medal with a leap of 13.57m.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:30 UTC
BTS become first K-pop band to top US album charts
BTS become first K-pop band to top US album chartsSouth Korean boy band BTS have become the first K-pop artists to reach number one on the US album charts. The K-pop superstars are part of the so-called Korean Wave, the global rise of Korean music, drama and film. The new BTS new album, Love Yourself: Tear, topped the Billboard 200 music charts on Sunday, which are based sales, downloads and streams of albums. The devoted BTS ARMY have been celebrating their album success on social media. In 2017, their album Love Yourself: Her was the first K-Pop album to crack the top 10 US album charts, rising to number seven.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:30 UTC
Quang Nam province protects primates from peril
Quang Nam province protects primates from perilThe central province of Quang Nam is working hard to draw local residents’ involvement in protecting gray-shanked douc langurs, which are in critical danger due to poor habitat. A herd of some 30 langurs has been found in Quang Nam province’s Nui Thanh district. Nguyen Du, a local resident living in Tam My Tay commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province told reporters: "Since the programmes raising public awareness were held, there has been no more hunting in the area. Bui Van Tuong, Head of Forest Ranger Department Quang Nam province said: "The forest ranger station of Nui Thanh district is now conducting regular patrol to manage all the people who usually enter the reserve. According to Nguyen Van Thinh, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province, plans have been mapped out to protect these rare animals.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:18 UTC
Labour force: mismatch between supply and demand
Labour force: mismatch between supply and demandVietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has abundant labour resources but many enterprises in the country say they cannot recruit a sufficient number of skilled workers, and as a result, cannot expand production activities. — VNS Photo Gia LocNguyen Phuong Mai, managing director of Navigos Search, which offers consulting and aptitude tests, said there was a mismatch between the level of skills and demand from employers “because of a shortage of quality candidates”. This has caused inadequate analysis and forecasts about the labour market, affecting socio-economic policies, he added. SolutionsDung said the Government should enhance public-private partnerships and carry out projects related to the labour market. Mai of Navigos Search said the Government should regularly provide analysis and forecast of market trends and develop more policies to help enterprises improve their human resources.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:18 UTC
Defence minister to attend 17th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
Defence minister to attend 17th Shangri-La Dialogue in SingaporeA Vietnamese military delegation led by Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich will attend the 17th Asia Security Summit or Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore from May 31 to June 3. Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich will attend the 17th Asia Security Summit in Singapore from May 31 to June 3. The event also features six sessions covering strategies, sea security and removing conflicts in regional security cooperation. Defence Minister Lich is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Dialogue and have bilateral meetings with foreign defence ministers. Since its launch in 2002, the Dialogue has built confidence and fostered security cooperation by facilitating easy communication among the region’s most important defence and security policy-makers.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 04:18 UTC
Social News 28/5
The HCM City Film Association is preparing a memorial ceremony for Thành, and his funeral will be held in HCM City. Meanwhile, the breakwater project along Quảng Thái Beach in the central province of Thanh Hoá is being postponed, exposing locals to danger when the storm season approaches. He asked Thuong Chieu Monastery and the VBS to build on the obtained achievements and contribute more to national development and protection. She asked the Vietnam Pure Land Buddhist Association to continue charitable work to help with national development. All of the proceeds will be used to fund eye care projects in countries and territories where Standard Chartered is operating, including Vietnam.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 28, 2018 03:57 UTC