Day: September 29, 2021

The acceleration of investment in transport infrastructure is the main driving force fueling real estate stocks as many businesses with large land plots located in areas near key infrastructure projects will benefit from this process.

The Government has released the medium-term public investment plan for the 2021-2025 period with a total capital of up to 2.87 quadrillion VND (120 billion USD), an increase of 43 percent compared to the 2016-2020 period. The capital is mainly for investment in transport infrastructure in provinces.

According to Viet Dragon Securities Co, the total infrastructure investment in the 2021-2025 period in Hanoi is 332 trillion VND, HCM City 638.5 trillion VND and Dong Nai 595 trillion VND.

In the South, it is apparent that most of the key infrastructure projects under construction or planning will pass through Dong Nai province, namely Long Thanh International Airport, Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway, and Dau Giay – Phan Thiet Highway.

Dong Nai real estate market is of special interest to investors. Many large constructors have also become involved in this market such as Novaland, DIC Corp, Dat Xanh and Nam Long, to take advantage of opportunities from infrastructure development.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh sent a document asking the People’s Committee of Dong Nai to focus on speeding up the progress of compensation for land clearance and resettlement for people, helping speeding up the construction progress of the Long Thanh airport project phase 1.

By the end of August 2021, Dong Nai had approved the compensation plan for 4,584 cases with an area of more than 1,900 hectares and a total amount of compensation of more than 9 trillion VND.

The Provincial People’s Committee has also proposed that the Government support the locality with more than 4 trillion VND to invest in two roads connecting Long Thanh airport, including provincial road 763 and provincial road 770B.

According to analysts, real estate projects located around the airport will benefit in the future.

Notably, the Gem Sky World urban area project developed by Dat Xanh Group, enjoying the advantage of infrastructure and synchronous design of the area, has quickly become a hotspot in the province.

The project attracted many customers. Its self-built townhouses were initially priced at 18 million VND per square metre but now, after a year of opening for sale, its price has increased to over 30 million VND per square metre, up by 70 percent.

The attraction of Dong Nai’s real estate market also comes from its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, with Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway being a key intersection connecting the two areas.

The province also has many large industrial parks, which are the driving force for the provincial economy. Currently, there are 32 industrial parks in operation and in 2021, three more parks are completing procedures. It is expected that in the 2021-2030 period, there will be eight new industrial parks.

According to securities companies, with the above advantages, projects such as Aqua City of Novaland, Izumi City of Nam Long Group, and Gem Sky World of Dat Xanh Group, are expected to bring benefits to investors and customers who buy early to invest or settle down. When the social distancing measures are eased and public investment disbursement is accelerated, this group will benefit.

According to ACB Securities Co, in 2021, NVL revenue will total about 21.44 trillion VND, up 327 percent compared to 2020 and profit will reach 4.39 trillion VND, up 12 percent thanks to the revenue contribution mainly from Aqua City, Novahills Mui Ne and NovaWorld Phan Thiet.

For Nam Long (NLG) has just increased its ownership rate to 65 percent in the Waterfront project, expected to open for sale in Q4. According to Viet Dragon Securities Co, in 2021, the main highlight of NLG is stable sales growth. It is estimated that the total sales value in 2021 will reach 9.3 trillion VND from the sale of 2,359 realty products.

Estimated revenue and profit in 2021 is 4.44 trillion VND, up 100 percent year-on-year, and 1.15 trillion VND, up 38 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Dat Xanh Group (DXG) plans to develop urban areas scattered across the country, besides dozens of projects that have been developed, with a total land area of nearly 2,300 hectares in HCM City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, Bac Giang and Vinh Phuc.

DXG is expected to achieve high growth in 2021 thanks to the handover of Gem Sky World and Opal Boulevard projects and the recovery of the real estate market.

ACBS Securities forecasts that DXG’s net revenue in 2021 can reach 9.2 trillion VND, up 219 percent over the same period last year, and post-tax profit of 1.24 trillion VND.

In early September, DXG was positively evaluated by many securities companies and recommended to buy.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi welcomed 2.9 million visitors, all from localities inside the country, in the first nine months of 2021, a fall of 57.5 percent year on year, according to the city’s Department of Tourism.

The department reported that total revenue of the sector also dropped 66.2 percent over the same period last year to 8.17 trillion VND (356.1 million USD).

In the coming time, the department will focus on strengthening COVID-19 prevention and control among businesses, organisations and individuals engaging in tourism activities in the city, while increasing the application of information technology in tourism management.

Alongside, the department will finalise and submit to the municipal People’s Committee a plan to organise a travel gift festival, and a plan on agricultural tourism development in line with new-style rural area building in the 2021-2025 period.

This year, the city’s tourism sector has set an overall target of catering to between 13.16 and 19.4 million tourists, including 10.96-15.34 million domestic visitors.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Students in Ho Chi Minh City who have encountered difficulties in online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic have received support from local authorities and donors to continue their study.

Statistics from the municipal Department of Education and Training revealed that more than 70,000 students in the city lack either access to the internet or electric devices to study online.

Of nearly 650,000 primary school students, more than 55,000 lack the necessary equipment and a stable internet connection. Some are temporarily staying in the countryside and cannot return to the city.

At secondary and high school levels, which have nearly 700,000 students, as many as 17,000 pupils do not have internet access and the necessary equipment, while 5,000 have the equipment but have no internet connection.

However, thanks to the assistance of all-level administrations and donors, many of them have been able to access online classes.

The local educational sector, agencies and localities have drawn up flexible, specific teaching plans and models matching the latest situation, in line with COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

Teachers of Minh Duc Secondary School in District 1 have initiated a model, under which they call for the donation of used smart phones and laptops to their students.

Within more than one week, no more students of the school lacked electric devices to log into online classes, according to headmaster of the school Tran Thuy An.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education on September 29 launched an information application, and a new form of three bulletins on activities of Party cells, and reporting information, and education and information work.

Chairman of the Commission for Information and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia said 2021 is the first year that the entire Party, people and army have implemented the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, continue to comprehensively and synchronously promote the renewal process, incite the aspiration for national development, and strengthen the national great unity, thus promoting rapid and sustainable development of the country.

Besides opportunities and advantages, Vietnam is facing many great challenges, especially complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Therefore, the quality and efficiency of the Party’s information and report work must be improved in order to meet requirements in the new situation, Nghia noted.

The official asked the Commission’s Information and Communication Centre to continue closely following the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution, and give consultancy on measures to innovate and improve the quality and efficiency of information provision, and timely give information orientations.

Director of the centre Do Phuong Thao affirmed that, with the close coordination of the Vietnam News Agency, the application is hoped to operate regularly and effectively, and will contribute to ensuring the rapid provision of accurate information to leaders of the commission, and speakers at all levels.

In recent years, the three bulletins of the commission implemented by the centre have really become an important and useful source of information and documents for a large number of speakers, communicators, Party cells and Party members nationwide. They have played a crucial role in the Party’s information front.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Passengers traveling by air, train and waterway will not be required to take COVID-19 tests if they have been fully vaccinated, injected the first shots for three weeks, or recovered from the disease within six months.

The Ministry of Health gave the suggestion in a document sent to the Ministry of Transport, commenting on a draft plan to resume passenger transport activities in localities where pandemic prevention measures have been eased.

As per the document, businesses operating passenger transport services are asked to have plans for COVID-19 prevention and control as well as for tackling infection cases in line with regulations. They should have medical staff or a medical unit to coordinate with local health authorities to handle infection cases at workplaces.

The Ministry of Health proposed resuming public transport by road, train, inland waterway, and at sea operate in low- and medium-risk localities and regions; operate at or under 50 percent of their capacity in high-risk areas; and stop operations in extremely high-risk areas (except for taxi and app-based vehicles that offer less than nine seats and use vehicle partition and electronic payment).

Public transport vehicles must be equipped with hand sanitizers and face masks and be disinfected frequently, with their drivers and staff following the 5K principle and taking COVID-19 tests right after developing suspected symptoms.

Those serving in medium- and high-risk areas must be tested every seven days. Meanwhile, drivers in extremely high-risk locations must be fully vaccinated or recover from COVID-19 within six months and have a negative test result within 72 hours.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world’s tourism industry to a complete halt, including ecotourism activities. However, the fact that protected areas are not open to tourists during this time also creates conditions for the natural ecosystem to recover faster, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Ha Van Sieu has said.

Speaking at a webinar entitled “Management in nature reserves and national parks” jointly held by the VNAT and the Colombian Embassy in Vietnam on September 28, he said it’s time for managers to come up with solutions to open up protected areas in a sustainable way.

The event was part of collaboration activities under a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Colombia’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism this year. It aimed to enhance mutual understanding on tourism of the two countries, helping to promote cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, Vietnam currently has 33 national parks, 57 nature reserves, 13 habitat conservation areas, 53 landscape protection zones and 9 biosphere reserves. Among them, 61 national parks and nature reserves organise ecotourism activities.

Vietnam is ranked as the 16th most biodiversity rich country in the world with a variety of natural ecosystems, species and endemic genetic resources.

The system of special-use forests and protected areas in Vietnam is diverse in natural value and cultural tourism resources, facilitating the development of ecotourism. Ethnic minorities living in the buffer zones of the nature reserves with their unique features also attract the attention of tourists, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Acknowledging ecotourism as the key to poverty reduction and environmental protection, Vietnam has always given priority to its development strategy, Sieu said, adding that it has special significance in the context of tourism development after the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control.

Vietnam’s tourism industry is striving to fully tap the potential to promote the development of eco-tourism, contributing to tourism recovery and development, and turn Vietnam into an attractive eco-tourism destination on the world’s tourist map, he said.

The VNAT official also emphasised that ecotourism activities have brought many positive results in terms of preserving natural ecosystems, preserving and enhancing cultural values, increasing incomes for local communities as well as raising awareness of the community and visitors about conservation efforts.

However, he said, the management and exploitation of tourism activities in these areas are still limited, while tourism products are still poor, and have not met the requirements of ecotourism.

Participants at the webinar shared policies and experience in the management of ecotourism activities in nature reserves and national parks. Ways to exploit natural resources efficiently and sustainably of protected areas for ecotourism activities were also discussed at the event.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Inspection Commission of the Central Military Commission has proposed disciplinary measures against one organisation and 14 soldiers violating the rules during its recent third meeting.

The meeting was chaired by General Luong Cuong, member of the Politburo, member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee, Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, and Head of the Central Military Commission’s Inspection Commission.

Cuong said that the consideration of disciplinary measures has been made in line with the Party’s policy, the State’s laws as well as regulations of the Ministry of National Defence, ensuring the principle of settling violations of collectives in connection with the responsibility of individuals without any exception.

He asked the Inspection Commission’s Standing Board to continue giving advice to the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee and the Inspection Commission on measures to strengthen inspection, supervision and discipline execution, while actively detecting violations and responding to complaints and denunciations, thus helping to ensure and enhance the leadership capacity and combativeness strength of the Party and foster solidarity and unity in the military to complete political tasks.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Freedom House has recently issued a report which again contains prejudiced and partial assessments on internet freedom in Vietnam.

Such assessments have no valid grounds and intentionally ignore the vivid reality of internet freedom in Vietnam, as well as achievements the country has recorded in human rights over the past years.

Vietnam’s efforts in ensuring and promoting human rights have been lauded by other countries and international organisations at various cycles of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The council has also regarded Vietnam as a bright spot in human development, as reflected through the implementation of millennium development goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction, and social equality and progress.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has been praised for giving the top priority to public health.

According to the Human Development Report 2020 released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Vietnam has joined the ranks of countries with high human development in the world.

Between 1990 and 2019, the country’s Human Development Index (HDI) increased by almost 46 percent, which was among the highest HDI growth rates in the world, the report said.

Notably, Vietnam is one of the countries that have completed the MDGs ahead of schedule, and are working towards sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The country has made impressive progress in internet development. Statistics show about 70 percent of Vietnamese people use the internet, against the world’s average ratio of only 51.4 percent. Vietnam is among the 20 countries with the highest number of internet users.

Various social platforms have registered to operate in the country, with the most popular being Facebook, Zalo, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok, to name just a few. Notably, Facebook has attracted up to over 65 million users in the country.

People can freely express their views and share information via the internet, especially websites and social networks. Many agencies and organisations in the political system, from the central to grassroots levels, have also utilised the internet and social networks to serve their operations, handle administrative procedures and maintain contact with residents.

They are the vivid evidences of the fact that the Vietnamese Party and State have always respected and protected the development right of each individual, as well as their rights to freedom of information and internet.

Therefore, the Freedom House’s allegation that Vietnam’s Law on Cyber Security is a tool to monitor internet use in the country is groundless.

The cyber security law is designed to make Vietnam’s cyber space healthy and protect the country’s sovereign right in the cyber space, in the context of surging trade frauds, fake news, distorted information or contents that are immoral or trigger social disturbances.

The freedom of internet and social networks in Vietnam has been exercised within the legal framework to ensure cyber security and prevent activities that take advantage of social networks to violate Vietnam’s laws, incite social unrest and create conditions for external forces to intervene into domestic matters.

Moreover, the law totally conforms to international law, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Article 19 of the ICCPR stipulates that “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference,” but the exercise of such rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. “It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; (b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.”

It is obvious that the Free House has deliberately ignored the ICCPR regulations, and the fact that not only Vietnam but also more than 180 other countries have issued a cyber security law or relevant rules to ensure national security.

Many countries like the US, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea and Singapore have adopted laws and clauses stipulating the strict handling of law violations in the cyber space.

The Freedom House has repeatedly made biased and prejudiced assessments on Vietnam’s internet freedom since the country issued the Law on Cyber Security. It mainly collects such information from reactionary organisations and groups that involve in activities to sabotage Vietnam.

The fabricated information aims to create false understanding on internet freedom and human rights in Vietnam, to defame the country and lower its prestige, position and role in the international arena.

Professor Vladimir Kolotov, head of the Ho Chi Minh Institute at St. Petersburg University in Russia, said the reports issued each year by Freedom House neither base on realities nor reflect the real situation of human rights in countries. It gives itself the right to accuse other countries of violating human rights and interfere into other countries’ internal affairs, he said.

It is clear that the Freedom House has no rights to intervene into internal affairs of countries. It must immediately put an end to such valueless reports.

Source: Vietnam News Agency