Day: October 15, 2021

VinFast, a Vietnamese automotive manufacturer established in 2017, has announced the global debut of its new electric vehicles (EVs) at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show this November.

At the show slated for November 19 to 28, VinFast will introduce the VF e35 and VF e36 electric SUV models in the respective D & E market segments.

These two EVs integrate ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), featuring lane assist, collision warning, driver monitoring, fully automated parking, summon vehicle, among other functions.

They are also equipped with Smart Infotainment, including in-car control features with voice assistant, virtual assistant, and e-commerce services.

At the event, VinFast will officially launch its global EV brand as well as smart and environmentally friendly e-mobility solutions researched and developed by Vingroup’s technology ecosystem.

This global premiere marks the official introduction of the VinFast EV brand to the North American market. Pre-order will begin in the first half of 2022.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has expressed his wish that NG Biotech would continue working with Vietnamese partners to establish a research and development centre for prevention and control of communicable diseases, not only for COVID-19.

During a reception in Hanoi on October 15 for Founder and Chief Technology Officer of NG Biotech Company Milovan Stankov, Hue affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State always consider public health care as a top priority.

He welcomed the cooperation between NG Biotech and Vietnamese firms to facilitate the transfer of SARS-CoV-2 testing kit production technology.

Congratulating a joint venture between NG Biotech and Vietnam’s Vingroup on its readiness to produce SARS-CoV-2 testing kits, Hue expressed his hope that NG Biotech and T&T Group will work closely together as scheduled to manufacture more products for prevention and control of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B and other tropical diseases.

The Vietnamese National Assembly and Government are striving to fine-tune institutions, including the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, he said.

He added that Vietnam has paid due attention to improving its business climate and offering all possible support to domestic firms and attracting foreign direct investment, with priority given to health care and education.

On the occasion, the top legislator also thanked NG Biotech for its donation of 1 million rapid antigen testing kits to Vietnam in September.

Stankov, for his part, said he wants to share scientific knowledge and technologies in the field of production, development and distribution of biological products, medicines, quality testing devices, including rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing kits, to help Vietnam improve its capacity of fighting COVID-19 and other diseases.

He also expressed his readiness to learn about Vietnamese people’s demand for health check-up and treatment to produce suitable medical products

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) has been honoured among the Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) has been honoured among the Best Companies to Work in Asia 2021 by HR Asia 2021 by HR Asia, Asia’s most authoritative publication for HR professionals.

It marks the second consecutive year Techcombank has received the award.

This year, 308 companies in Vietnam responded to the Total Engagement Assessment Model (TEAM) survey, HR Asia’s proprietary employee engagement survey.

The survey’s results show that the average score of Techcombank on three criteria, including Collective Organisation for Real Engagement (Core), Heart, Mind, and Soul (Self), and Think, Feel, and Do (Group), is significantly higher compared to the market average.

In addition to the Best Companies to Work in Asia award, Techcombank keeps climbing up the “Top 100 best workplaces in Vietnam” rankings, maintaining its second place in the banking sector, and the “Best Employer of Choice by Vietnamese student 2020.”

Best Companies to Work for in Asia is a prestigious international award held annually by HR Asia to honour businesses with outstanding HR policies, an ideal environment, and regular internal activities to build employee engagement. The awards cover 13 markets in 2021, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, mainland China, and Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on October 15 chaired a working session with agencies to discuss the management and coordination of fiscal and monetary policies amid COVID-19.

In his remarks, Hue said the fourth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee issued many decisions and policies, including those on managing fiscal and financial policies in a flexible and effective manner, creating resources to ensure macro-economic stability as well as major economic balances.

The working session offers an opportunity for agencies to scrutinise issues of concern in policy management, he said.

The top legislator asked NA committees to actively coordinate with ministries and government agencies to review the spheres that still have room for manoeuvre in order to roll out fiscal and monetary policies, thus effectively serving the pandemic combat, social welfare and economic recovery and development

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 23,159 VND/USD on October 15, down 18 VND from the previous day.

With the current trading band of +/- 3 percent, the ceiling rate applicable to commercial banks during the day is 23,853 VND/USD and the floor rate 22,411 VND/USD.

The opening-hour rates at commercial banks saw slight fluctuations.

At 8:15, Vietcombank listed the buying rate at 22,630 VND/USD, up 10 VND from October 14 but kept the selling rate unchanged at 22,860 VND/USD.

BIDV kept both rates unchanged at 22,660 VND/USD (buying) and 22,860 VND/USD (selling).

During the week from October 11-15, the exchange rate followed an upward trend for most of the week but turned around on Friday. It ended the week 11 VND lower than the rate on Monday.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao capital of Vientiane on October 15 held talks and witnessed the signing if a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the two authorities for 2021 – 2025.

At the talks, Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, said the MoU helps identify the centres of the sides’ cooperation in the time to come.

HCM City will offer more scholarships and vocational training for personnel and people from Vientiane studying in the city, he said, adding that assistance for the Lao city in e-government building and trade-investment promotion will also continue.

Nen stated HCM City will do its best to foster its friendship with Vientiane in contribution to protecting the Vietnam – Laos special relations as well as developing the city’s ties with Lao localities.

For his part, Anouphap Tounalom, Secretary of the Vientiane Party Committee and Chairman of the Vientiane People’s Council, said the talks contribute to strengthening the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and people in general and between the two cities in particular.

He appreciated HCM City’s support for Vientiane to combat the COVID-19 fight in the past time.

He said he believes under the leadership of Vietnamese Party and Government as well as the city’s authorities, HCM City will soon overcome its current pandemic-induced hardship.

The Lao official recommended the sides pay attention to raise awareness of young people on the nations’ close and faithful ties; promote comprehensive collaboration in accordance with the countries’ special political relations; and strengthen economic, cultural, educational and scientific cooperation in a practical and breakthrough manner. At the talks, the MoU was signed by Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai and Vientiane Governor Atsaphangthong Siphandone, who reviewed the cities’ sound cooperation during 2016-2020.

Under the MoU, in the 2012-2025 period, the two cities step up the exchange of delegations, trade, economy, culture, and education; as well as the implementation of their investment-trade projects, including the establishment of a HCM City centre for commerce and tourism in Vientiane and vice versa.

HCM City will consider an assistance worth 500,000 USD for Vientiane’s project on reforming its budget collection system.

On the occasion, the HCM City-based Saigontourist Holding Company presented five scholarships worth 1.5 billion VND (65,898 USD) to Vientiane.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Travel firms in Ho Chi Minh City have resumed selling tours as the southern metropolis has allowed tourism services in “green zones” after a period of social distancing due to COVID-19.

From October, HCM City has allowed tourism activities in the so-called “green zones,” where the pandemic outbreak has been contained. Holidaymakers have to go in groups and travel within a day.

Saigontourist Travel Service Company is the pioneer in the city’s tourism programme, following the success of eight pilot tours to Can Gio and Cu Chi districts held exclusively for medical workers working in the pandemic fight.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Director of Marketing and Communications of Saigontourist, said her company has offered two tours to Can Gio and Cu Chi.

Saigontourist and Bao Viet Insurance in Ho Chi Minh City signed an expanded tourism insurance contract covering tourists infected with the coronavirus during the company’s tours, Tra added.

A representative from Vietravel said the firm will develop intra-region products and provide on-the-spot services. According to Nguyen Minh Man, Director of Communications and Marketing of TST tourist, many customers have shown interest in tours again, focusing on Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Yen Tu and Cat Ba.

He suggested management agencies and authorities soon issue guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control, including procedures to deal with COVID-19 cases detected among vacationers, to facilitate the resumption of tourism.

Nguyen Thi Khanh, Chairwoman of the HCM City Tourism Association, urged travel firms and relevant agencies to make use of existing regional connectivity agreements to launch “travel bubble” and build tourist sites free from the coronavirus.

Travel companies are waiting for concerted policies regarding the “COVID-19 green cards” to further revive the tourism sector./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang has appreciated important contributions of the Vietnamese representative missions abroad to promoting the image of the nation to the world as well as providing information on the regional and international situations for domestic audience.

Giang made the statement while chairing an online conference on external information work held on October 13-14 with the participation of 70 Ambassadors, Consuls General, and representatives of Vietnamese representative missions abroad and several units of the Foreign Ministry.

He stressed that the new requirements of the country and the change of the situation, as well as the rapid development of technology, especially digital technology, have been setting new tasks that require new and breakthrough solutions to improve the efficiency of external information work. This requires great responsibility, activeness and creativity of the heads of representative missions overseas as well as the capacity and skills of the missions’ staff.

At the conference, Ambassadors, Consuls General and representatives of Vietnamese representative missions abroad affirmed that the work of external information is always one of the top priorities of their offices.

They said that in the coming time, besides the traditional but still effective implementation measures, the missions will make use of the development of digital technology in conducting external information work such as new media forms, social networks, and digitisation of publications.

Deputy Foreign Minister Giang asked the overseas Vietnamese representative agencies to optimise their role, bring into full play on-site resources, and coordinate with external information agencies at home to improve the quality of external information work.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely coordinate with domestic ministries, sectors and localities to orient and provide the best support for the representative missions abroad to make a breakthrough in external information work, practically serving the implementation of the country’s strategic goals, and contributing to enhancing Vietnam’s prestige and position in the world./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency