Day: October 17, 2021

Vietnam holds huge potential in the application and development of new technologies amid the wide utilisation of robot and artificial intelligence (AI) in daily life activities.

Speaking at a recent webinar on media response and pioneering technologies, OhmniLabs CEO Thuc Vu said the COVID-19 pandemic has fostered the development of the robotics industry.

In the future, robot can facilitate remote travel as tourists may stay in Vietnam and shop in Paris, visit a museum in New York and join a meeting in Tokyo, he said, expressing his hope that ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ robot may earn international recognition in terms of technology.

Bui Hai Hung, head of VinAI Research, a member of Vingroup, said that with Vietnam’s development and potential in human resources, there are plenty of room for AI’s growth in the coming time.

He hailed ability of young Vietnamese as they are able to swiftly grasp new technologies and fully engage in international studies in a short period of time. This is a positive sign for Vietnam’s AI development capacity, he added. For his part, Thieu Phuong Nam, CEO of Qualcomm Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, underlined that Vietnam is turning into an innovative hub in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam is also the third nation that Qualcomm has chosen to arrange its innovation challenge for tech startups, as the firm has realised potential and ability of tech workers in the Southeast Asian nation.

The application of advanced technology is key for economic growth amid the shift toward higher-value-added activities, Nam said.

He believed that new technologies such as AI, 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) will help countries move from manufacturing to innovation economy.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova Nguyen Hong Thach recently joined working sessions with officials of Moldova.

At a working session held on October 15, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure of Moldova Sergiu Gaibu briefed Thach on Moldova’s strengths in economic cooperation and investment, expressing his hope that Vietnamese firms will explore and bolster investment in the European nation.

The ambassdor pointed out that although Vietnam and Moldova have nurtured a long-standing friendship, economic cooperation remains modest compared to their potential. Therefore, he vowed to prioritise bilateral economic-trade cooperation during his term.

On the same day, the Vietnamese diplomat worked with leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Moldova on measures to promote partnership between firms of the two countries and cooperation chances.

Moldovan firms showed their interest in Vietnam’s aquatic products and garment-textile, and wished to export its staples like wine and components of hydropower plants.

Also on the day, the Vietnamese Ambassador worked with head of the Directorate for Bilateral Cooperation Mihaela Manoli and of the Multilateral Cooperation Directorate Andrei Popov at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova.

The Moldovan side expressed a hope that the countries will foster cooperation activities after a halt triggered by COVID-19.

The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the Vietnam-Moldova Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation as soon as possible, extend the educational cooperation agreement, and bolster collaboration in the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The ambassador thanked Moldova for supporting Vietnamese candidates to run for positions at United Nations agencies, and underscored the important role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova in promoting the multifaceted cooperation between the countries.

He asked the sides to bolster the implementation of signed projects, paving the way for cooperation expansion and negotiations for a free trade agreement.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Pandemic prevention and control policies must be unified nationwide, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told an online conference with the Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of 63 provinces and cities on October 17.

According to the PM, the COVID-19 prevention and control work is unprecedented and related polices have been implemented, and supplemented and perfected at the same time.

Based on the outcomes of this meeting, the Government and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control will make adjustments and improvements to implement safe and flexible adaptation, effectively control the pandemic, and recover and promote socio-economic development more efficiently, stated Chinh, who is head of the national steering committee.

The shift towards safe and flexible adaptation and effective pandemic control is the right direction, he said, stressing that the fourth wave of the pandemic has caused serious impacts on all aspects which requires more comprehensive, timely and effective solutions.

The Government leader requested ministries, sectors and localities to continue doing well in forecasting and understanding the pandemic situation and developments, urgently building and completing a master programme on pandemic prevention and control and the programme on socio-economic recovery and development to effectively perform two tasks of pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic recovery and development.

He also requested ministries, sectors and localities to continue to pay attention to social welfare, restore the labour supply chain, maintain political stability and social order and safety, take measures to soon reopen schools in safe places, have solutions to take care of children orphaned due to the pandemic, and step up the vaccination drive, and better treatment for COVID-19 patients.

With the presence of new and dangerous variants of SARS-CoV-2, this fourth outbreak of the pandemic has seriously affected the Vietnamese economy in a number of fields. The country’s GDP only increased by 1.42 percent in the first nine months of 2021, after recording a decline of 6.17 percent in the third quarter compared to that of the same period last year.

Income and employment are seriously affected, especially for workers in industrial zones and people who depend on services. The unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2021 was 3.72 percent, and the underemployment rate in the working age was 4.39 percent, the highest since the first quarter of 2020.

However, with the great efforts, solidarity and determination of the entire Party, people and army, the pandemic has been gradually put under control, especially in hotbeds such as Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An provinces.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Report and online newspaper VietNamNet have just announced the Profit 500 list, featuring the top 500 most profitable enterprises in Vietnam this year.

Prominent in the list are Samsung Electronics Thai Nguyen Co Ltd, Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel), Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank), Hoa Phat Group JSC, Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vingroup, and Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk).

During the 2017-21 period, the three sectors of property development and construction, finance, and food and beverages, had the largest number of companies in the rankings, said General Director of the Vietnam Report JSC Vu Dang Vinh.

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of all companies in the Profit 500 list this year averaged 10.12 percent.

Statistics also indicate that 53.1 percent of 339 publicly traded companies maintain their growth momentum during 2019-20 and the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, 24.4 percent of firms have shown signs of recovery in the first half of 2021.

Due to difficulties caused by COVID-19, the return on asset (ROA) of foreign enterprises inched down by 0.1 percent from 2020 to 12.4 percent this year, while that of the private economic sector saw a year-on-year decline of 0.4 percent to 9.4 percent.

ROA of public firms fell to 8.4 percent from 11.7 percent recorded in the previous year.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has officially restored its regular route between Hanoi and Can Tho in a pilot period from October 18 to 20.

Tickets for the flights are now open for sale at the carrier’s website, mobile application and official ticket offices and agents to meet the travel demand of passengers.

Specifically, Vietnam Airlines will operate one flight per day from Hanoi to Can Tho and vice versa by Airbus A321. The flight departs from Hanoi at 10:00 and from Can Tho at 13:05.

Passengers on the flight must satisfy pandemic prevention and control requirements, including a negative testing COVID-19 certificate within 72 hours and full vaccination of two shots, or certificate of recovery from the disease within six months.

From October 10, Vietnam Airlines has restored 16 domestic routes including between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; between Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Da Nang, Chu Lai, Hue, Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Dong Hoi, Quy Nhon, Phu Quoc, Rach Gia, Ca Mau; and between Thanh Hoa and Da Lat.

Source: Vietnam News Agency