Welcome to the Vietnam morning news roundup by AEC News Today, your one stop for Vietnam news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities.
Up to 90% of Vietnamese to have Internet access: IT official
Vietnam is looking to raise its Internet accessibility from just over 50 percent to between 80 and 90 percent of the population, an IT official said Wednesday.
– Tuoi Tre News
Vietnam on full alert as bird flu hits neighbors China, Cambodia
Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has called for elevated efforts from the administrations of border localities to prevent a cross-border spread of bird flu caused by avian influenza A(H7N9) and other viral strains to Vietnam.
– Tuoi Tre News
FDI hits $3.4 billion in first two months
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Viet Nam reached US$3.4 billion in the first two months of the year, up 21.5 per cent, compared to the same period last year, the Foreign Investment Agency’s latest statistics has revealed.
— Vietnam News (biz hub)
Vietnam to collect tax arrears from online hotel booking services
Foreign-based online accommodation booking services will be the next to be targeted by Vietnamese tax authorities in an effort to improve fair competition for local businesses.
– Tuoi Tre News
Vietnam audit finds multiple projects with unnecessarily long toll period
Multiple road and bridge projects in Vietnam are applying toll-collecting periods that are up to 13 years longer than they should be, the country’s state auditor has said.
– Tuoi Tre News
Domestic private conglomerates want to invest in subway systems
VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung said three Vietnamese large construction and real estate conglomerates – Vingroup, Xuan Thanh and Lung Lo Groups – have expressed their willingness to invest in the metro system in Hanoi.
— Vietnam Net
In downtown Saigon, officials mount ‘sidewalk reclamation’ campaign against state cars
Authorities in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City have proved that in their ‘sidewalk reclamation’ campaign, which has seen numerous car owners fined for parking their vehicles on the sidewalk, no one stands above the law.
– Tuoi Tre News
Ho Chi Minh City pilots automatic toilet cabin in downtown area
An automatic toilet cabin has been piloted in downtown Ho Chi Minh City and is expected to provide convenience for local residents and tourists.
– Tuoi Tre News
Vietnam wants to develop high-tech wind power plants
Fifty wind power projects have been registered in Vietnam so far, but only four of them, with the total capacity of 159.2 MW, have been put into commercial operation.
— Vietnam Net
Reference exchange rate goes down 3 VND
The State Bank of Vietnam adjusted the reference VND/USD exchange rate down by 3 VND from the day ago to 22,228 VND/USD on February 24.
— Vietnam Plus
Algorithmic trading booms in Asia, but not in Vietnam
Algorithmic trading, algo trading, automated trading, robo trading, and blackbox trading is popular in Asia, and was introduced in Vietnam several years ago.
— Vietnam Net
Technology applications into means of transport custody: Platform to build a smart city
The Hanoitimes – Hanoi People`s Committee has approved Hanoi Parking Spot Ltd.Co. for piloting management and operation technology in public parking spots in the City.
— Hanoi Times
Ambassador to help more New Zealand businesses going to Vietnam
The Hanoitimes – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has expressed his hope that Ambassador of New Zealand to Vietnam Wendy Irene Matthews will serve as a bridge to help more New Zealand businesses coming to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities.
— Hanoi Times
Promoting cultural activities in walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake
The Hanoitimes – An array of unique cultural events of provinces and cities nationwide and foreign countries will be organised in the pedestrian space around Hoan Kiem Lake this year, according to Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports To Van Dong.
— Hanoi Times
HCM City enhances mechanisation of agriculture
A programme to boost the mechanisation of agriculture is being carried out in Ho Chi Minh City to foster local agricultural development in a modern, effective and sustainable manner.
— Vietnam Plus
Hanoi announces economic survey
The Hanoi People’s Committee has recently issued its 2017 economic survey plan for the municipality, where it will study the business sector, administrative agencies, individual business units and religious bodies.
— Vietnam Plus
Dong Van looks to become best tourism site in north
Dong Van district in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang looks to become the most attractive tourism destination in the north by 2020.
— Vietnam Plus
Deputy PM slams foot-dragging on losing firms
Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on Wednesday slammed the delay in closing down or restructuring losing industry and trade projects, stressing that the Government would not pump money to save them.
— Vietnam News (biz hub)
Taxis claim unfair competition
Taxi firms are calling for fair competition with tech-based rivals Uber and Grab, which have seen a rapid development in the past two years in Viet Nam.
— Vietnam News (biz hub)
Rice exporters rail against storage minimum
Delegates attending a seminar in HCM City on Wednesday urged the Government to amend or revoke a decree on rice exports which they said impedes exports of the grain.
— Vietnam News (biz hub)
Feature photo: Vietfriendtravel
The Vietnam morning news roundup is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

John Le Fevre
He has spent extensive periods of time working in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, with stints in the Middle East, the USA, and England.
He has covered major world events including Operation Desert Shield/ Storm, the 1991 pillage in Zaire, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 1999 East Timor independence unrest, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and the 2009, 2010, and 2014 Bangkok political protests.
In 1995 he was a Walkley Award finalist, the highest awards in Australian journalism, for his coverage of the 1995 Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Ebola outbreak.
Prior to AEC News Today he was the deputy editor and Thailand and Greater Mekong Sub-region editor for The Establishment Post, predecessor of Asean Today.
In the mid-80s and early 90s he owned JLF Promotions, the largest above and below the line marketing and PR firm servicing the high-technology industry in Australia. It was sold in 1995.

Latest posts by John Le Fevre (see all)
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 26 — 16 mln case barrier breached, Vietnam records community transmission – July 26, 2020
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 25 — new high for daily infections, 16 mln infection barrier to break today – July 25, 2020
- COVID-19 in Asean: update for July 24 — Asean tops 230,000 cases, nudges 90,000 active – July 24, 2020
- Thailand morning news for July 24 – July 24, 2020