Top legislator hosts outgoing UN Resident Coordinator

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has expressed his hope that the United Nations (UN) will further support Vietnam in COVID-19 combat and post-pandemic socio-economic recovery at a reception for outgoing UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra in Hanoi on August 12.

Hue thanked Malhotra for his contributions and support to Vietnam over the past 32 years.

For his part, Malhotra affirmed that the UN always stands side by side with Vietnam in many major activities, as well as regional and international events.

The UN has helped the Southeast Asian nation not only in development but also in enhancing its position in the international arena, and closely coordinated with its legislative body.

Most recently, the UN has also assisted Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention and control, notably in vaccine access, he said, stressing that such cooperation will certainly be further promoted in the time ahead.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam-India cooperation effective at international forums: official

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung highlighted effective cooperation between Vietnam and India at international and regional forums and within the frameworks of ASEAN and Greater Mekong Sub-region at a virtual workshop on August 12.

The workshop was held by Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Kumar Verma to mark his nation’s 75th Independence Day (August 15).

Addressing the event, Dung congratulated India on its significant socio-economic achievements during the period and reviewed Vietnam – India relations from traditional friendship to strategic partnership in 2007 and comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016.

The diplomat proposed measures and orientations to enhance the ties in the post-COVID-19 period and amid the ongoing 4th Industrial Revolution.

On the occasion, Dung expressed his gratitude toward the Indian Government and people’s valuable assistance for Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic.

Participants exchanged their views on the formation and development of India since it obtained independence and the history of Vietnam – India relations originated from cultural and religious exchanges dating back more than 2,000 years ago.

They analysed the two nations’ conditions and strengths and recommended specific measures to further bolster their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in the time to come.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Top legislator urges State audit office to raise operational efficiency

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on August 12 asked the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) to put forth a project on consolidating its organisation and improving its operational efficiency.

The SAV needs to soon draw up a plan to implement the State audit strategy by 2030 and continuously enhance transparency and professionalism in its activities, he said.

The top legislator also urged the SAV to review the enforcement of the law amending and supplementing some articles of the State Audit Law recently approved by the legislature, especial stipulations relating to its functions and tasks.

The focus of the year 2022 will be on supreme supervision of thrift practice and anti-wastefulness, he said, requesting the agency to pay due heed to fiscal, monetary and trade policies.

The leader lauded the SAV’s role in fostering thrift practice and anti-wastefulness, and the effective use of public assets and funding since its inception 27 years ago.

Auditor General Tran Sy Thanh reported that so far this year, the SAV has completed 91 audits and proposed financial measures related to 50.87 trillion VND (2.23 billion USD), including collecting an additional 6.65 trillion VND to the State budget and reducing budget spending by 5.79 trillion VND.

The agency also proposed scrapping, amending, supplementing and issuing 67 legal documents, helping to deal with loopholes in mechanisms and policies to prevent losses and wastefulness, he said.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Electronics exports forecast to be robust this year

The electronics industry is forecast to have a robust year, driven by the increase in demand for communications’ products due to demand caused by social distancing measures implemented to tackled rising cases of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that as the COVID-19 pandemic has developed exports of many products saw significant drops although some key industrial products saw considerable increases in the first seven months of this year.

Statistics showed that the export of phones and components brought in 29.35 billion USD from January – July, up 11.9 percent against the same period last year. More than 128 million mobile phones were produced in the period, up by 14.1 percent.

That Vietnam’s phones and components exports kept growing was a good sign, signalling a year of strong growth for the electronics industry, which would contribute significantly to the country’s economic recovery and to achieving growth targets, the ministry said.

Phones and components were the top export products of Vietnam, which account for 15.8 percent of the country’s total export revenue in the first seven months of this year, followed by electronic products, computers, and components with an export value of 27.4 billion USD.

The ministry said that the electronics industry would continue to grow in the remaining months of this year, driven by the increase in demand for communication products. A number of companies that produce computer and electronics products in other countries had been forced to close down due to the impacts of the virus.

The ministry predicted that the export value of computers, electronic components and other products of Vietnam would hit 50 billion USD this year, representing a rise of 13.5 percent against 2020.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency’s Export Promotion Centre, said that the Vietnamese economy continued to see significant changes in the structure of export products. From a country with agricultural products and labour-intensive products being the main exports, Vietnam was gradually transitioning to producing more high-tech export products with higher added value such as electronics and electronic components.

The ministry said that Vietnam’s electronics products were exported to more than 100 countries including China, ASEAN, Japan and the Republic of Korea and were expanding their presence in EU markets.

In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam granted licences for capital increases for a number of electronic products, including the Republic of Korea’s LG Display Hai Phong and Singapore’s Fukang Technology.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ministry suggests registration fee for electric cars at half of that for fuel-run counterparts

The Finance Ministry has suggested battery-powered cars are subject to the first-time registration fee at half of that for fuel-powered ones with the same number of seats.

The suggestion is part of amendments and supplements to several articles of the Government’s Decree No. 140/2016/ND-CP on registration fee, which were drafted by the ministry.

Accordingly, the first-time registration fee for battery-powered cars would be applied for five years since the revised Decree takes effect. The second-time registration fee would be the same as that for their fuel-powered counterparts.

The move is part of efforts to comply with Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai’s directions to encourage investment and consumption of electric vehicles in line with the Law on Environment Protection.

According to the proposal, fuel-powered cars under nine seats are currently subject to a registration fee of 10-15 percent of their value, depending on localities so electric cars would be subject to a registration fee of 5-7.5 percent of their value

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Reference exchange rate down 9 VND

The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 23,178 VND/USD on August 10, down 9 VND from the previous day.

With the trading band of +/- 3 percent, the ceiling rate applicable for commercial banks during the day is 23,873 VND/USD and the floor rate 22,482 VND/USD.

The rates listed at commercial banks this morning all dropped strongly.

At 8:25 am, Vietcombank listed the buying rate at 22,750 VND/USD and the selling rate at 22,980 VND/USD, both down 50 VND from the rates at the same hour on August 10.

BIDV cut 40 VND from both rates, listing the buying rate at 22,780 VND/USD and the selling rate at 22,980 VND/USD.

Meanwhile, Vietinbank reduced the buying rate by 20 VND to 22,780 VND/USD and the selling rate by 40 VND to 22,980 VND/USD.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Petrol prices kept unchanged in latest review

Retail petrol prices remain unchanged in the latest periodic review made by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance on August 11.

The retail prices of E5RON92 bio-fuel is kept at no more than 20,498 VND (0.89 USD) per litre, while that of RON95-III remains at no more than 21,681 VND per litre.

The prices of diesel 0.05S and kerosene dropped 202 VND and 219 VND to 16,173 VND and 15,179 VND per litre, respectively.

The ministries review fuel prices every 15 days to keep domestic prices in line with prices on the global market.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Lao students in Da Lat get vaccinated for COVID-19

Twenty-two Lao students at the Da Lat University in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong’s Da Lat city have got their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine amid complicated developments of the pandemic in Vietnam.

The vaccination took place on August 9.

Besides, each Lao student also received 2 million VND (87.3 USD) in aid from the provincial chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

The administrators of the university and Lam Dong authorities have so far worked to assist the group of students which are from Laos’ Champasak and Bolykhamsay provincies.

Mai Minh Nhat, vice rector of the university, said amid the pandemic, the university have arranged their accommodations at a separated building in its dormitory to ensure safe distance and reduce the risk of transmission.

Earlier, the university provided each Lao student with 1.5 million VND to help them overcome the impact of COVID-19. The Lam Dong People’s Committee, meanwhile, granted the group 8 million VND each, with graduates receiving an addition of 5 million VND each.

In the coming time, Lam Dong will arrange a vehicle to carry two Lao graduates to Champasak.

Source: Vietnam News Agency