Vietnam Morning News For October 11

Vietnam: Ministry proposes relaxing two-child policy
In a bid to boost low fertility rate, the Ministry of Health has proposed relaxing the country’s two-child policy, allowing Vietnamese parents to decide the number of children they want.
— The Nation

Vietnam Airlines, Air France sign cooperation pact
Vietnam’s flag carrier and Air France have signed an agreement to deepen their cooperation to tap the growing travel market between Vietnam and Europe.
— Bangkok Post

Vietnam calls on Cambodia to protect immigrants
Vietnam called on Cambodia on Tuesday to guarantee the legal rights of Vietnamese migrants living there after the Cambodian government said it would revoke the invalid documents of 70,000 immigrants, most of them ethnic Vietnamese.
— Reuters/Business Insider

Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association Calls for No Minimum Wage Hike
The Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association, or VITAS, has come out against a proposed government plan to increase the country’s minimum wage, claiming the industry is still struggling to keep up with a series of hikes imposed in the last decade, according to Vietnamese media reports.
— Sourcing Journal Online

Forum looks to scale up business solutions to sustainability challenges
The Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2017 took place in Hanoi on October 10, seeking to scale up business solutions to sustainability challenges.
— Nhan Dan Online

Third Mekong Connect to take place in Ben Tre
The third Mekong Connect 2017 will be held on October 25-26 in Ben Tre city, the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, focusing on seeking measures to make full use of advanced technology to optimize the value of local products, the organizing board announced on October 10.
— VietnamPlus

Tra Vinh: Most SMEs unaware of environment responsibility
Most of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh are not yet aware of the social corporate responsibility and responsibility to protect the environment, according to a recent survey.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam’s Sacombank board seeks to switch listing to smaller exchange
Board members of Vietnam’s Sacombank <STB.HM> are seeking shareholder approval to switch the bank’s listing to the Hanoi Stock Exchange <.HNXI> from the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange <.VNI>, a bank resolution on Tuesday showed.
— Today Online

Vehicles sales down in September
Motor vehicle sales stood at 21,216 units in September, down 7 per cent against August and 20 per cent against September 2016, according to a recent report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA).
— VietnamNet Bridge

What lies behind Vietlott CEO’s resignation
According to newswire Dantri, Truong officially left the CEO position of Vietlott on October 1 due to personal reasons, which was accepted by the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
— VietnamNet Bridge

Foreign firms to keep lead in exports
The foreign-invested sector, with electronics taking the lead, is expected to continue occupying the lion’s share of Vietnam’s exports over the next few years.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Japanese electronics manufacturer to build third plant
The TNI Holdings Việt Nam Group and Japanese Meiko Electronics Việt Nam Company agreed to construct the third electronics plant in Việt Nam.
— Viet Nam News

Anova’s pig farm becomes 1st in VN to get Global G.A.P certification
Anova Farm Joint Stock Company, a member of the Anova Group, on October 10 received a Global G.A.P certificate for its pig for meat farm from Control Union, an international inspection and certification body.
— Viet Nam News

$2 billion seaport running at 15-20 percent of capacity
Ba Ria – Vung Tau spent VND45 trillion to build Cai Mep – Thi Vai which had designed capacity of 7 million TEU, increasing to 11 million TEU after the expansion.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Nowhere to turn: Can traditional taxis survive the onslaught of ride-hailing apps in Vietnam?
A phone call and a five-to-ten minute wait. A few more phone calls and a cab arrives…if you’re lucky. If not, an apology from the call center and you’re late for the airport.
— VnExpress

Minh Phu relists shares, targets ten-fold lift in profits
Minh Phu Seafood Corporation is set to relist on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) in October, reports Vietnam News.
— Undercurrent News

Saigon laughing all the way to the bank as new business capital surges 85 percent to $18 bln
The city also attracted $3.74 billion in FDI pledges during the first nine months of the year.
— VnExpress

Agriculture tries to avoid fluctuations
Economic experts are concerned about the slow growth of the agriculture sector, which they say may affect the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) this year.
— Bizhub

PM approves plan for loss-making projects
The Prime Minister recently issued a decision outlining solutions for loss-making projects under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The aim is to turn them into efficient projects by 2020, at the latest, or let them be dissolved.
— VietnamPlus

Global franchisers, retailers eye Vietnam market
With its rapidly growing economy and a 95 million population of whom 60 percent are young consumers, Vietnam is an attractive destination for global franchising and retail businesses.
— VietnamPlus

Hanoi starts offering classes in tourism skills
Ha Noi’s Department of Tourism has begun offering training classes to residents living in areas that receive heavy tourist traffic, aiming to promote community-based tourism and improve the quality of tourist services.
— VietnamNet Bridge

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