Vietnam Morning News For November 29

Vietnam’s first exclusive passenger port opens
The five-star Celebrity Millennium cruise ship from Hong Kong was the first ship to dock at the Ha Long International Passenger Port, bringing 2,000 visitors and almost 1,000 sailors to northern Quang Ninh Province.
— VnExpress

Vietnam invests US$357.5 million abroad in first 11 months
Vietnam’s total investment abroad was reported at US$357.5 million in the first 11 months of this year, including both newly registered and supplemented capital, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency.
— Nhan Dan Online

FDI disbursement up despite a decrease in registered inflow
The disbursement of foreign direct investment (FDI) posted an increase of 3.1 per cent in January – November over the same period last year to total US$16.5 billion, despite a fall in the registered FDI inflow.
— Bizhub

Coal shortage could sap Vietnam’s energy
A serious coal shortage is threatening Vietnam’s power production plans even as the nation’s demand for energy rises.
— VnExpress

The grass in Vietnam may not be that green
Earlier this year, progress tracking of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals for Southeast Asia revealed disappointing outcomes for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15. The SDG15 measures forests and forested land protection, restoration and sustainable use.
— The Asean Post

Vietnam, Thailand to supply NFA with 203,000 metric tons of rice
The National Food Authority (NFA) on Wednesday ordered a total of 203,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from Vietnam and Thailand, according to a report of Maki Pulido on Balitanghali.
— GMA

Vietnam prepares to open up casino gambling to locals
Vietnamese citizens will be permitted to gamble in a casino on Phu Quoc Island in a three-year pilot program expected to start next year, following approval by the central government, according to authorities in Phu Quoc, a popular tourist destination in the southern province of Kien Giang.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Traditional medicine departments treat growing number of patients
Doctors and physiotherapists at HCM City’s District 11 Hospital’s traditional medicine department are treating more and more patients who prefer traditional methods over Western medicine, or want a combination of both.
— Viet Nam Net

Forum gathers young Vietnamese intellectuals worldwide
The first Global Young Vietnamese Intellectual Forum opened in Da Nang city on November 28, looking to capitalise on the strength of the young intelligentsia in the Industry 4.0 era.
— Vietnam+

Vietnam invests $303.5 million abroad in 11 months
Statistics from the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that Vietnam’s overseas investments were mainly in the financial and banking sector, which made up 29.5 percent of total registered capital.
— Viet Nam Net

Port ventures saw positive performance
According to statistics from Vinalines, total container throughput shipped via Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) reached 1.24 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the period, up 12.2% on-year. The seaport also handled 17.34 million tonnes of goods in bulk, up 12.2% on-year.
— Viet Nam Net

Vinamilk wins bidding for Hanoi’s school milk programme
The country’s biggest dairy corporation, Vinamilk, will provide milk for Hanoi’s new school milk programme, the city Department of Education and Training announced on Tuesday.
— Viet Nam News

Realizing economic opportunities from sustainable management of natural forests in Viet Nam
As the morning mist rises lazily over the green mountains, Lo Lo May straps her straw-woven basket on her back and heads into the surrounding forest with her sister and the other women of Chu Kan Ho village.
— Globallandscapesforum

Industry 4.0 to boost Vietnam’s GDP to 16 percent
The per capita income is expected to rise by an additional 315-640 USD thanks to improvements in labour productivity and the increase in job creation, the report said.
— Viet Nam Net

Big Internet Companies and Their Real Time Stats
The world is a rapidly changing place, with new kinds of way to entertain ourselves arriving all the time. One of the single biggest transformations in modern times, though, is that of the internet. The web has been a breeding ground for massive companies that have the power, influence and ability to grow far beyond anyone else.
— Vietnam Insider

More hospitals set to standardise, share medical test results
First-grade hospitals in the country are undertaking many activities for standardisation and quality control of medical laboratories to be able to share medical test results with each other
— Viet Nam Net

Ask an expert: Vietnam for foodies
Q. My partner and I are heading to Vietnam soon and are both big foodies. Can you recommend any food tours, cooking classes, markets or restaurants?
— Stuff

Banks warned about risks associated with bond issuance
The interest rate race this year began earlier than in previous years. The race was kicked off by small banks in August. Later, large joint stock banks and state-owned banks also pushed the interest rates up.
— Viet Nam Net

PM urges agriculture sector to brace for integration
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the agriculture sector to switch from the mindset of agricultural production to an agricultural economy and international integration in order to create a revolution in the development of agriculture, farmers and rural areas.
— Bizhub

26 stand trial for multi-trillion-VND loss at DongA Bank
Twenty-six defendants were brought to trial in Ho Chi Minh City on November 27 for their accused involvement in the loss of over 3.6 trillion VND (153.47 million USD) at the DongA Joint Stock Commercial Bank (DAB).
— Viet Nam Net

HCM City repairs damage caused by Typhoon Usagi
Typhoon Usagi, which weakened into a tropical depression over the weekend, hit HCM City hard on Sunday, damaging electrical cables, stranding cars on streets, and flooding basements.
— Viet Nam Net

Smuggling cases boom as New Year holiday approaches
Prevention of smuggling of goods across the country’s borders is becoming more difficult as the New Year season approaches, according to border authorities.
— BIZHUB

Vietnam overtakes Singapore in IPO fund market
Singapore’s IPO market only raised $715m against Vietnam’s $6.2b.
— Singapore Business Review

Singaporean group pours $50 mln into online education firm
This is the largest investment in an online education company in Southeast Asia.
— Viet Nam Net

Waste separation demands so much more
In a rather sudden and widely applauded move, HCM City authorities have issued regulations forcing the city’s folk to start separating their solid waste at source.
— Viet Nam News

Vietnam should reduce coal power for sustainable growth: EU, WB
The country must take bold measures in power generation to adopt a good growth path without ruining its environment, Ambassador Bruno Angelet said.
— Hanoi Times

National Geographic lists Vietnam mountain range among world’s best destinations
U.S-based National Geographic’s listing of best travel spots for 2019 includes Vietnam’s Hoang Lien Son mountain range.
— VnExpress

Urbanisation poses challenges to VN’s sustainable development
Vietnam had been immersed in a golden period of urbanisation with a growing number of city development projects. This period was predicted to continue after 2050 but could prove challenging
— Viet Nam Net

Vietnam sees trade surplus of US$6.8 billion in first 11 months
Despite the deficit of US$400 million in November, Vietnam still saw a trade surplus of more than US$6.8 billion in the January-November period, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam’s M&A market sees new chance in upcoming trade deals
Many foreign investors are showing increasing interest in Vietnam and want to enter the market through M&A.
— Hanoi Times

1,000 warheads removed from abandoned house in central Vietnam
Around 1,000 warheads were removed from an abandoned house in the central province of Quang Tri on Wednesday.
— VN Express

VN supports climate change adaptation
The Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Southeast Asia programme continues to work towards the goal of ensuring food security in the face of climate change by working with its partners to integrate solutions ..
— Viet Nam Net

Party Central Committee’s Secretariat disciplines former MPI leader
The decision was made during a meeting of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on November 27 after considering the proposal of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission asking the Secretariat to consider and discipline Vinh.
— Viet Nam Net

Binh Duong is a magnet for foreign investors
As one of the fastest growing provinces in the key southern economic zone, Binh Duong is among the hottest investment destinations in the country.
— Bizhub

Feature photo James Offer

This week’s Vietnam morning news feature photo acknowledges Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare, November 30.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Vietnam morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Vietnam news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies, not politics.