Vietnam Morning News For April 22

Vietnam is experiencing a boom in mobile payments
Governments across Southeast Asia are pushing ahead with efforts to create cashless economies, with less developed countries such as Vietnam and Thailand leapfrogging richer ones like Singapore and Malaysia in electronic payments. Nikkei reports.
— Vietnam Insider

Hanoi helps bring farmers into 21st century with technology
Nguyen Duc Dan, Chairman of the Ba Trai Commune People’s Committee, cannot hide his happiness as he discusses his community’s strides in tea production.
— VNA NET

Will US-China Trade War Help or Hurt Vietnam?
Vietnam could be one of the biggest winners or biggest losers in a changing global economy. That finding comes from Moody’s Investors Services, a financial company.
— VOA

Fuel price hikes create pressure but CPI under control
Petrol price hikes in April were putting pressure on prices but the consumer price index (CPI) was still under the control, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
— Bizhub

Major wood processing factory opened in Ha Tinh province
A medium density fibreboard (MDF) factory that is considered the biggest of its kind in the central region of Vietnam was inaugurated in Vu Quang district of Ha Tinh province on April 21.
— VNA NET

Vinamilk says merger plan is for mutual benefits
The Viet Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) wants to team up with other domestic milk producers to counter pressure from foreign businesses.
— Bizhub

Vietnam Airlines pilot salaries continue rising
Vietnam Airlines pilots have seen a rise in their salary over recent years with the average figure of VND132.5 million (USD5,739) in 2018.
— Vietnam Insider

Campaign promoting the use of Vietnamese goods proves effective
After 10-years of implementing the campaign “Vietnamese people prioritise using Vietnamese goods”, Ho Chi Minh City has carried out a number of practical and effective programmes to contribute to building prestigious Vietnamese brands at home and abroad.
— Nhan Dan Online

Coast Guard check Vietnam-China fishery agreement implementation
Two coast guard ships of the Coast Guard Region 1 High Command left the northern port city of Hai Phong on April 21, beginning a patrol to examine the enforcement of the Vietnam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin.
— VNA NET

Smartphones to cover Vietnamese population by 2020
Almost all Vietnamese people will use smartphones by 2020, according to Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Manh Hung.
— Bizhub

Online transaction floor expected to give strong boost to shrimp industry
Vietnam’s first online shrimp transaction floor has been launched recently, at http://cnsv.vn, involving the participation of shrimp farmers, sellers, processing businesses and providers of juvenile shrimp and food. The inception of the floor aims to limit and move towards eliminating the intermediary stage and directly connect farmers and purchasers of material shrimp.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietjet Air launches Phu Quoc-Hong Kong route
New-age carrier Vietjet has officially launched Phu Quoc-Hong Kong route, making it the first airline to operate the direct services between the two destinations, contributing positively to the promotion of air travel and trade between Vietnam and Hong Kong as well as across the region.
— VNA NET

‘Where is justice?’ Vietnam demands Monsanto pay victims of US Agent Orange chemical warfare
Vietnam is again seeking justice for the victims of Agent Orange, inspired by the multimillion-dollar verdicts against Monsanto in California. The biotech firm had supplied the US military with the chemical during the Vietnam War.
— RT

Violations in State Steel Corporation uncovered
Mai Van Tinh, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Steel Corporation (VNSTEEl) and Dau Van Hung, former General Director of VNSTEEL were detained by for investigations into their alleged legal violations in the second phase of the production expansion project of Thai Nguyen Steel and Iron Corporation (Tisco).
— VNA NET

Telecoms firms ready for mobile money service
Telecommunications firms are ready to pilot a mobile money service thanks to their modern technology infrastructure, customers, wide transaction point networks and financial resources.
— Bizhub

Smuggler of 17 heroin bricks arrested in Son La province
Police in collaboration with border guard and customs forces in the northern border province of Son La on April 20 caught a suspect red handed trafficking 17 heroin bricks, weighing about 6kg.
— VNA NET

Housing developers target hospitality segment
Many giant housing real-estate developers in HCM City are flocking to the hospitality segment by developing or distributing new projects in tourism areas.
— Bizhub

Dong Nai province’s rural district gets well-deserved makeover
The creation of a new style rural area in Dinh Quan, one of the poorest districts in southern Dong Nai province, has helped develop infrastructure like roads and power supply, significantly improving the life of local people.
— VNA NET

How Vietnam Quietly Built up 10 Islands in Asia’s Most Disputed Sea
Both China and Vietnam are building up tiny islets across Asia’s most disputed sea, but while China receives international criticism Vietnam receives very little, and even gets some support because its pace of construction is slower and widely seen as defensive.
— VOA

No Vietnamese affected in Sri Lanka’s bombings
No Vietnamese citizens have been reported among victims of explosions in Sri Lanka on April 21, according to the Vietnam Embassy in Sri Lanka.
— VNA NET

Hanoi plays host to Vietnam Grand Prix kick-off event
Next year will see an exciting new addition to the F1 calendar, with the dazzling city of Hanoi set to host the Vietnam Grand Prix. And to mark the 12-month countdown to the event, the race organizers have staged a thrilling kick-off event, giving fans the chance to admire F1 machinery in the flesh.
— Formula1

US Senate delegation welcomed in HCM City
Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan hosted a reception on April 20 for a US Senate delegation, led by Senator Patrick Leahy, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
— VNA NET

Mortgage requirements stand between small companies and bank loans
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are unable to borrow from banks because they do not have property to mortgage, Tran Viet Anh, Vice Chairman of the HCM City Business Association, has said.
— VNA NET

Schools, colleges begin reducing use of plastics
Educational institutions in several provinces and Ho Chi Minh City are encouraging their students and staff not to use single-use plastic water bottles and straws as part of the UN’s global Beat Plastic Pollution campaign.
— VNA NET

Vietnam temporarily rank second at Hong Kong U18 tournament
Vietnam tied 0-0 with Myanmar in the second match of the four-side International U18 Football Tournament in Hong Kong on April 20.
— VNA NET

Criminal case regarding seizure of 700kg of crystal meth prosecuted
The Investigation Police Agency of central Nghe An province has begun criminal proceedings against the case of “illegally transporting drugs, not denouncing criminals and taking property by force” for further investigation.
— VNA NET

Bicycle parade honours Vietnamese national brands
A cycling parade was held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) and the relevant agencies in Hanoi on April 20, aiming to increase awareness of national Vietnamese brands and advertise Vietnamese businesses with Vietnam-branded products to both the domestic and foreign social communities.
— Nhan Dan Online

Delegates from OANA members visit Ha Long Bay
Delegates who have been in Vietnam to attend the 44th Executive Board Meeting of the Organisation of the Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) on April 20 visited Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
— VNA NET

PM’s Czech Republic visit opens up new cooperation directions
Many opinions in the Czech Republic have shared the view that the agreements reached during Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s official visit to the European country from April 16-17 have opened up new directions for bilateral cooperation in the time ahead.
— VNA NET

Vietnam’s Hanoi Attractions: Heritage House
One of the Old Quarter’s best-restored properties, this traditional merchants’ house is sparsely but beautifully decorated, with rooms set around two courtyards and filled with fine furniture.
— Vietnam Insider

Hai Duong province’s Chi Linh township becomes city
A ceremony was held in the Red River Delta province of Hai Duong on April 20 evening to announce the National Assembly (NA)’s Resolution on the establishment of Chi Linh city based on the township of the same name.
— VNA NET

Front leader extends Easter greetings to Phan Thiet Diocese
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man on April 20 visited and extended his Easter greetings to the Phan Thiet Diocese in the south central province of Binh Thuan.
— VNA NET

Exhibition on Soviet Union’s support for Vietnam held in St. Petersburg
An exhibition is being held at the Russian Museum of Military Medicine in Saint Petersburg to give visitors an insight into the assistance of the former Soviet Union’s army for Vietnam.
— VNA NET

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