Vietnam Morning News For February 7

PVOil launches cashless payment app for drivers
PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOil) on Tuesday launched PV Oil Easy, an application for smartphones and tablets that allows users to buy petrol and manage their purchases via a QR code.
— Bizhub

Opposition to Vietnam’s proposed soft drinks tax increases, even among officials
Opposition is gathering pace against proposals from Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance to combat obesity by imposing a 10% tax on sugary drinks from 2019.
— Food Navigator

Vietnam to step up divestment in Petrolimex, Habeco this year
Vietnam’s government is set to further pare its stake in Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), Hanoi Beer Alcohol Beverages Corporation (Habeco) and many other enterprises this year.
— DealStreetAsia

VN Textile Research Institute to launch IPO next month
Viet Nam Textile Research Institute (VTRI) will sell over 2.26 million shares, accounting for 45.25 per cent of its charter capital, in its initial public offering (IPO) on March 12.
— Bizhub

Vietnam’s Masan Beverage targets full ownership of Vinacafe to drive coffee growth
Vietnam beverage firm Masan Beverage will fully acquire coffee producer Vinacafe Bien Hoa Joint Stock Co. by February 23.
— Food Navigator

Auto imports in record drop in January: GSO
Some 1,000 cars worth US$94 million were imported to the Vietnamese market in January, reports the General Statistics Office.
— Bizhub

Vietnam’s rice paddies offer Japan’s farmers chance to grow
Japan’s rice farmers are venturing into the rest of Asia to grow their crops locally.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Real estate M&A in Vietnam hit $1.5b in 2017, set for record levels this year: JLL
Vietnam’s real estate sector saw mergers and acquisitions (M&A) touch a total of $1.5 billion in 2017, with 2018 expected to be another record year for M&A in the country, according to the latest report by real estate and investment management firm JLL.
— DealStreetAsia

Favourable conditions required to increase new firms
Favourable conditions are needed to increase the number of new businesses and startups, thereby realising the target of 1 million enterprises by 2020, an official has said.
— VietnamPlus

Massive selloff hits VN stocks
Vietnamese shares plummeted on Monday as investor confidence was dampened by worries over the increasing pace of the US central bank’s interest rate hike this year.
— Bizhub

Tet shopping goes online in Vietnam
With only a few days off before Tet to make preparations for the country’s biggest holiday of the year, busy office workers in Vietnam have opted for online shopping to avoid the crowds while still being able to choose from a wide range of options.
— Tuoi Tre

Vietnam backs establishment of resilient, innovative ASEAN
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh welcomed the Singapore-proposed theme of building a resilient and innovative Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) while addressing the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Singapore on February 5-6.
— VietnamPlus

Israelis eye opportunities in Vietnam
A delegation of Israeli business executives visiting the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to explore cooperation opportunities in many sectors has said Israeli technologies can be applied anywhere in the world.
— VietnamPlus

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