Day: June 22, 2021

The AEON Group has announced that it would contribute 25 billion VND (around 1.08 million USD) to Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund, joining hands with the Vietnamese Government to push back the pandemic.

The move was part of the group’s efforts in supporting governments of Southeast Asian countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate the purchase of vaccines and thereby help take measures against pandemic control and recover the economy.

“Vietnamese people are now making every effort to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the AEON Group decided to donate 25 billion VND to Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund. We hope that AEON’s donation will support Vietnam to realise the goal of early vaccination for all people,” said Furusawa Yasuyuki, General Director of AEON Vietnam.

Yasuyuki added that the AEON Group will continue to stand side by side with the community and Vietnamese Government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, work with the government in realising the dual goals of “maintaining and developing the socio-economy” and “fighting against the pandemic” toward a sustainable future in Vietnam.

Established officially in 2011, AEON Vietnam is operating in five retail business segments in Vietnam, including Shopping Malls, General Merchandise Stores and Supermarket, Specialty Store, Supermarkets and E-Commerce. AEON Vietnam has expanded its business footprints in six provinces and cities nationwide, with three Shopping Malls, three General Merchandise Stores & Supermarkets, 29 Specialty stores, two Supermarkets, AEONEshop e-commerce site and AEON Regional Distribution Centre in Ho Chi Minh City./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has announced new requirements for documents when foreigners are travelling on domestic flights.

All foreigners travelling on internal flights must have a valid passport that has been approved for entry and travel within the country.

Alternatively, United Nations laissez-passer; emergency travel documents issued by foreign representative offices in Vietnam; or foreign countries’ documents issued to Vietnamese residing abroad (US green card, long-term residence card) are also accepted.

For holders of temporary residence cards that include a photo and passport details, no further documentation is needed for domestic flights.

Holders of temporary residence cards or certificates of foreign passengers without a photo will require further documents to take domestic flights.

If they do not have a photo, relevant authorities only accept temporary residence cards or certificates of foreign nationals for domestic flights in the following cases: temporary residence cards or certificates issued in a passport or in passport form; temporary residence cards, certificates or temporary residence extensions issued on the back of the separate visa with the photo and passport number of the passenger.

In case a foreign national has lost their passport and is issued an emergency travel document by a foreign representative office in Vietnam, the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security will grant an extension of temporary residence to the document or attach a separate visa.

The CAAV also noted that foreigners with border travel documents are only allowed to travel within the border area (for the Chinese border route); border province (for the border line of Laos and Cambodia); and border-gate economic zones (for border provinces).

If a foreign passenger is using a travel document with an entry stamp at the land border gate to take domestic flights, the ground service units will cooperate with the aviation security control force to notify and coordinate with the border gate police to check and determine the travel range of passengers./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The People’s Procuracy of Ho Chi Minh City on June 21 approved a decision to start legal proceedings against Tat Thanh Cang, former permanent vice secretary of the municipal Party Committee, for “violations of regulations on management and use of State assets, causing losses”.

Cang and three others – Pham Van Thong and Phan Thanh Tan and Huynh Phuoc Long, who were also former officials of the municipal Party Committee, were accused of being involved in several violations found at the Tan Thuan Investment and Construction Co. Ltd.

Previously, Cang, Thong and Long were prosecuted and detained for investigation into violations found at the Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Co. Ltd (IPC) and the South Saigon Development JSC (Sadeco).

Inspectors found that through years, Tan Thuan Investment and Construction Co. Ltd. has sold more than 32ha of land around the Saigon River to the Quoc Cuong Gia Lai JSC at 1.29 million VND (56.1 USD) per sq.m, earning over 419 billion VND (over 18.2 million USD) for the city’s budget. This price is said to be unusually cheap, if sold in accordance with the market’s price, the company could collect more than 2 trillion VND (over 86.9 million USD).

According to assessments of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, under the price set by the State, the land lot would be sold for 574 billion VND, resulting in a loss of over 150 billion VND to the State budget.

Previously, on April 7, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat decided to expel Cang from the Party./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Without a more effective business support package, the country’s goal of 6.5 percent in gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year will be hard to be achieved as the GDP growth in the first six months of 2021 is forecast to reach only 5.8 percent, according to experts.

Nguyen Xuan Phu, Chairman of Sunhouse Group, said that like many other large-scale firms, Sunhouse hopes to receive support in policy rather than financial assistance.

The country currently has about 500 large-scale enterprises that contribute 60-70 percent to the State budget, making it impossible to provide a common support package for all of them, noted Phu, stressing that support in policy will be much more effective.

Businesses need a smoother mechanism and simplier administrative procedures so that they can focus on production, as COVID-19 has created development opportunities for many firms, said Phu.

Meanwhile, Than Duc Viet, General Director of May 10, another big-sized enterprise, said that the current support package has yet to be able to help businesses overcome difficulties although many areas are eying opportunities to rise due to recovering demand in the world market.

Viet said that in 2020, May 10 and other firms in the garment-textile sector faced difficulties in both input and sale, in 2021, the situation has changed completely with abundant orders.

About 90 percent of the company’s products are exported to the US, the EU and Japan with orders enough for production until the end of this year, but without favourable mechanisms and policies to help businesses to attract labourers and protect them against COVID-19, the firms can hardly complete their orders.

Although the number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 12,500, Vietnam has still been considered one of the most successful countries in the world in pandemic control.

Nguyen Duc Kien, head of the Prime Minister’s economic advisory team, said that Vietnamese firms are eying great opportunities to win the world market when other large suppliers such as India, Bangladesh and Myanmar are struggling with the pandemic.

The current fiscal, monetary and social security support has been no longer suitable to large-scale firms, he held, adding that it is necessary to design another support package – support in policy.

Kien added that the current time is also a great chance for Vietnam to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction. Along with the effective control of the pandemic, it is crucial to design new and stronger support policies to promote economic growth and complete the target of at least 6.5 percent GDP growth this year and following years, stressed Kien.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said that the pandemic has changed the mindset of many big and strategic investors on the formation of a production hub to diversify supply chains and distributing the supply chains in the globe, including in Vietnam.

According to Phuong, the support package for FDI companies cannot be the same as those for small and medium-sized enterprises, but it is necessary to give breakthrough policies and mechanisms.

“We should not organise traditional roadshows or trade promotion events in other countries. So how we can persuade investors to pour a large amount of capital into Vietnam without having to visit the country? To do so, we must give another support package with assistance in policy and mechanism,” stated Phuong./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Minister of Public Security General To Lam on June 22 said cooperation between his ministry and the UK’s law enforcement agencies has been consolidated and enhanced on the basis of the development of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership.

The minister made the affirmation while receiving UK First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Dominic Raab.

The collaboration has produced important outcomes, especially in the fight against crime, human trafficking and illegal sending of migrants, and immigration management, he said.

He suggested the two sides continue to effectively implement agreements and memoranda of understanding on legal assistance, receiving back citizens and cooperation in crime combat, focusing on information sharing in fighting terrorism, organised crime, high-tech crime, child sexual abuse and illegal entry.

The two sides should closely coordinate to carry out the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in fighting human trafficking, he continued.

For his part, Raab pledged to work to promote the partnership between British law enforcement agencies and the Vietnamese ministry, considering this an important factor to build trust and boost cooperation between the two countries, matching cooperation potential of the two countries as well as the aspirations of their peoples./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 22 suggested Germany create favourable conditions for Vietnam to early access vaccine supplies and transfer vaccine production technology to the Southeast Asian nation.

During his online talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, PM Chinh congratulated Germany on its achievements in controlling COVID-19 and praised the European country’s contribution as one of the biggest sponsors for the COVAX initiative.

PM Chinh extended thanks to the authorities and people of a number of German states for their donations of one million rapid test kits to the Vietnamese government.

He affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to and wishes to deepen the close and trusting relations with Germany across all spheres.

The German Government leader said Vietnam is an important partner in Germany’s policy towards the region. She spoke highly of the bilateral cooperation and emphasised that the two countries have substantial opportunities and great prospects.

The two sides agreed to work together to soon resume the exchange of high-ranking delegations and meetings, and consolidate existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Vietnam-Germany Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation.

They were pleased at the positive growth of the bilateral economic cooperation despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by the fact that Germany remains one of Vietnam’s top trade partners in the EU while Vietnam is Germany’s largest trade partner in ASEAN. The two-way trade reached some 10 billion USD last year.

The leaders pledged to collaborate closely in order to fully tap opportunities brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). They also concurred to speed up joint projects in priority areas, notably climate change and sustainable development.

PM Chinh asked the German government to facilitate Vietnam’s export of seafood and agriculture products to Germany, especially seasonal fruit, and urge the EC to soon remove its “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese fisheries.

The Vietnamese Government leader also called on Germany to soon complete the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

In this regard, Merkel said the EVIPA is an important momentum for the bilateral ties, economically and strategically, and stressed that German firms pay great attention to Vietnam, especially in renewable energy, infrastructure and manufacturing.

The two PMs vowed to continue close coordination and mutual support at international forums and organisations.

Regarding the East Sea issues, they shared the view that ensuring freedom of navigation and aviation, security and peace in the waters, and upholding the rule of law are the common interests of the international community.

They agreed to urge relevant parties to fully and seriously observe the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and work towards a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in line with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

PM Chinh took the occasion to invite Merkel to visit Vietnam, and the German leader accepted the invitation with pleasure./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Bac Giang’s Tan Yen district has signed cooperation contract with six businesses in selling lychee, a specialty fruit of the northern province.

Of the businesses, Chanh Thu, Rong Do, Bamboo, Toan Cau and Ameii companies are exporting the fruit to Japan. The remaining firm sells lychee in domestic supermarkets. Meanwhile, Phuc Hoa lychee production and selling cooperative and 18 traders have also registered to sell the fruit to the Chinese market.

Earlier, the People’s Committee of Tan Yen issued a plan on the sale of early-ripening lychees meeting export standards in 2021, and another plan on organising a send-off ceremony to begin the shipment of lychee to Japan, along with the formation of a working team directing the cultivation of lychees in accordance with export standards.

The district has directed relevant agencies to coordinate with the People’s Committee of Phuc Hoa commune to conduct survey and choose suitable areas as well as farmer households having sufficient conditions to engage in for-export lychee production, and giving advice to the communal authorities in the issuance of documents directing the production and supervising the lychee cultivation process under GlobalGAP standards. Meanwhile, consultancy agencies will be selected to evaluate the local soil and water conditions, serving the assessment and certification of product quality.

Tan Yen district also coordinated with the Bac Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to invite five companies to visit the locality to get understanding on the district situation and its plan to sell lychee to Japan and the EU, paving the way for the district to sign selling contracts with those businesses.

In 2021, Tan Yen has 1,329 hectares of “thieu” lychee with output of about 14,000 tonnes, including 1,200 hectares of early-ripening lychee with total yield of 13,200 tonnes, and 129 hectares of main crop with an estimated output of 800 tonnes.

The area of lychee meeting VietGAP standards and high requirement in food safety has expanded to 880 hectares, including 350 hectares meeting VietGAP standard, up 50 hectares compared to that in 2020 with output of 4,300 tonnes, while the area of orchards meeting GlobalGAP standards is 5 hectares with production of 63 tonnes.

For the Chinese market, Tan Yen has maintained the area already granted area code for export in Phuc Hoa commune with 600 hectares and output of 6,500 tonnes. For the Japanese market, the district has coordinated with the Plant Production Department under the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to designate farming areas and ask the Japanese side to grant cultivation area codes to five hectares of orchards of 11 local farmer households in Quat Du 2 village, and 10 hectares of 8 farming households in Phuc Le village. The total acreage of lychee production area for the Japanese market is 15 hectares with estimate output of 120 tonnes.

Lychees from the remaining areas of Tan Trung, Hop Duc, Lien Son communes and Cao Huong township with output of about 6,700 tonnes will be sold in domestic markets through cooperatives and selling locations across the district.

In order to ensure the quality of lychee, especially “thieu” lychee for export, Tan Yen has organised training courses to guide farmer in farming technique and writing farming diary. So far, 100 percent of local households have practiced the technique and written down the process.

The district has chosen IQC company as the consultancy agency during the process of applying for certification of the product’s quality.

The company has collaborated with professional agencies of Tan Yen, the People’s Committee of Phuc Hoa commune, and 11 households in Quat Du 2 village to apply new farming procedures and diary writing in line with regulations to lay the foundation for applying for GlobalGAP certification./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau is protecting seafood resources and developing aquaculture sustainably, with local authorities preventing destructive fishing activities and encouraging farmers to apply advanced techniques.

The province, the fishing hub of the south-east, faced difficulties such as declining catches in recent years because of depleting resources caused by destructive fishing activities like trawling and gillnetting.

To mitigate the destructive activities, the People’s Committee has tasked the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with helping fishermen working on near-shore fishing boats and trawling and gillnetting vessels to switch to other jobs.

It has refused licences for trawlers since 2013, and enabled fishermen on such boats to switch to other jobs.

The number of trawlers has reduced by 62 in the first half of this year to 1,476.

Le Van Tong, head of the Fisheries Sub-department, said the catch in the first half of the year is estimated at 185,200 tonnes, an increase of 1 percent year-on-year.

The focus now is on high-value species like tuna, mackerel, cuttlefish, and octopus, he said.

In the first half of the year the province harvested 9,600 tonnes from aquaculture farms, 427 tonnes higher than in the same period last year. The increase was mostly in white-legged shrimp output.

With about 6,300ha of aquaculture farms, the province has implemented various development policies in recent years, including encouraging farmers to use new technologies.

The use of advanced techniques extends to around 5.6 percent of the total area.

There are more than 400ha of shrimp farms that use advanced techniques and super- intensive farming methods. The model has a success rate of 90 percent and fetches an income of 1.2 – 1.4 billion VND (52,000 – 61,000 USD) per hectare per crop, many times higher than from traditional methods.

Now more farmers, co-operatives and companies use advanced techniques.

Bui The Vuong has a 7ha shrimp farm in Long Dien district’s An Ngai commune where he uses super – intensive farming techniques. He uses 1.5ha to farm the crustaceans and the rest to filter and treat the wastewater generated.

He can harvest three to five shrimp crops a year, at least twice the number possible using traditional methods, he said.

The death rate of shrimp is also lower, he said.

The province has 500 breeders using floating cage aquaculture methods, mostly in Vung Tau city and Phu My town, who harvest round 15,000 tonnes of produce a year.

More and more farmers use advanced techniques such as automatic feeding and environment monitoring systems.

They also use high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floating cages and nets with anti-fouling coatings based on Norwegian technology.

The cages, which are either round or square, can endure winds and waves, and contain a large volume of fish as they have a perimeter of up to 100 metres and a depth of up to six metres.

Phan Hoang Son in Vung Tau city’s Long Son commune said he has been using HDPE floating cages to breed marine fish for three years.

“[They] can be in the sea far from shore and with clean water, which prevents pollution and disease. Their efficiency is 20 per cent higher than traditional cages.”

Nguyen Huu Thi, head of the province Fisheries Sub-department’s Cultivation Division, said aquaculture would be developed by applying advanced techniques, with priority given to shrimp breeding and floating cages.

The floating cage aquaculture is especially encouraged in estuaries and islands since they are suitable for breeding high-value species like cobia, grouper, promfet, lobster, pearl oyster, and ornamental creatures.

The People’s Committee encourages setting up centres for research and farms for producing seeds for commercial farming.

It has created favourable conditions for farmers to breed a range of species, use diverse breeding methods and apply good agricultural practices (GAP) standards and origin traceability, especially for products like black tiger shrimp and white-legged shrimp.

It has solicited investment in seafood processing to meet both domestic and export demand./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency