Day: May 4, 2022

MB Cambodia and the Viettel (Cambodia) Pte., Ltd (Metfone), two Vietnamese-invested firms, on May 4 signed a special credit package contract for 2022 to upgrade the telecoms network in Cambodia.

Under this contract, MB Cambodia, a branch of Vietnam’s Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, will provide a credit package with a limit of up to 100 million USD for Metfone, an affiliate of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, to upgrade the telecom services network and expand operations in Cambodia.

Metfone and MB Cambodia are assessed as leading Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia over the past decade.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang described the signing of the contract as an important event since both have gained a foothold in the telecommunications, e-payment, e-wallet, and financial – banking sectors in Cambodia.

He held that this partnership will help promote Vietnamese firms’ stature in Cambodia, thereby contributing to the two countries’ cooperation, especially in economy.

Bilateral trade has recorded impressive growth in recent years, hitting 5 billion USD in 2020 and 9.3 billion USD in 2021, statistics showed.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Brunei will send 23 athletes to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) to be hosted by Vietnam this month, according to the country’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

It will be the smallest delegation at the regional sporting event in the past 23 years.

The athletes will compete in pencak silat, wushu, karate, and e-sports. They are training in a sport village at the Hassanal Bolkiah national sport complex and scheduled to fly to Vietnam on May 6.

Since Brunei hosted the 20th edition in 1999, the country has sent at least 60 athletes to each of the subsequent SEA Games. Its contingent was 370 at the SEA Games 20 – its largest ever, followed by that of 271 to SEA Games 23 hosted by the Philippines in 2005.

Brunei participated the SEA Games the first time in 1977 and has since bagged 14 gold, 56 silver and 184 bronze medals in total.

It obtained the best results at SEA Games 20 on home soil, clinching four golds, 12 silvers and 32 bronzes.

In the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, the country’s athletes secured two gold, five silver and six bronze medals.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger South East Asia”, will be held in the capital city of Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12 to 23.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Total foreign trade in agricultural, forestry and aquatic products hit some 31.8 billion USD in the first four months of 2022, an increase of 7 percent against the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Exports were worth 17.9 billion USD, up 15.6 percent year-on-year, while imports totalled 13.9 billion USD, down 2.3 percent.

Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of nearly 4 billion USD, 3.2 times higher than a year earlier, the ministry reported.

Aquatic exports saw the highest growth during the period, surging 43.7 percent to reach 3.6 billion USD. Shipments of key agricultural and forestry products exceeded 7.4 billion USD and 5.9 billion USD, up 10.5 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, those of husbandry products plummeted 19 percent year-on-year to 105.4 million USD.

Five export items with revenue exceeding 1 billion USD included coffee, rice, fruits and vegetables, shrimp and timber products.

Notably, exports of coffee and shrimp stood at 1.7 billion USD and 1.3 billion USD, a year-on-year surge of 59.4 percent and 38.6 percent, respectively. Export value of tra fish went up 89.6 percent to 894 million USD.

The US remained Vietnam’s largest importer with nearly 4.9 billion USD, accounting for 27.3 percent of the market share. Some 68.2 percent of Vietnam’s exports to the US were wood and timber products.

China came second with over 3.2 billion USD, representing 18.1 percent of total shipments.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has asked participants at the ongoing fifth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee to focus on reviewing the project on building Party organisations and developing membership, thus making a new progress in strengthening the quality, strength and combativeness of the Party.

Along with pointing out the achievements and shortcomings of the project, it is necessary to sketch out orientations, tasks and solutions to renovate Party organisations at the grassroots level and further improve the quality of the Party members, the leader said at the opening of the meeting on May 4.

As scheduled, participants will concentrate on discussing the 10-year implementation of the Resolution on continuing to reform land-related policies and laws, adopted at the sixth session of the 11th Party Central Committee; the 15 years of that of the one on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, adopted at the sixth plenum of the 10th Party Central Committee; and the 20 years of the work on the one on continuing to reform, develop and improve the efficiency of the collective economy. They are also to look into a project on the establishment of provincial steering committees for the prevention and control of corruption and other negative phenomena, along with a report reviewing the leadership and instruction of the Politburo and the Secretariat in 2021, and other important matters.

Regarding the project on the committees, the Party leader said that the Politburo assigned the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs to build the project. He requested participants to carefully consider proposals included in the project, aiming to ensure the coherent leadership and direction of the Party from the central to local levels on the work.

On the revision of the 10-year implementation of the Resolution on continuing to reform land-related policies and laws, Party General Secretary Trong stressed the significance of the work in ensuring the harmony in the interests of the State, people and investors, thus creating new resources and motivation for the country’s development in the future. He underlined the need to work out new policies and orientations to continue to renovate and complete land-related institutions and policies, with a focus on the settlement of urgent issues that are drawing public attention.

Mentioning the summary of the 15-year implementation of the resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, the leader underlined that the work has been conducted with the engagement and close coordination of relevant central agencies and localities, as well as experts, scientists and management officials. He asked participants to continue to give ideas on shortcomings and weakness as well as the reasons behind them during the summary process. They are also to look into a project on the establishment of provincial steering committees for the prevention and control of corruption and other negative phenomena, along with a report reviewing the leadership and instruction of the Politburo and the Secretariat in 2021, and other important matters.

Regarding the project on the committees, the Party leader said that the Politburo assigned the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs to build the project. He requested participants to carefully consider proposals included in the project, aiming to ensure the coherent leadership and direction of the Party from the central to local levels on the work.

On the revision of the 10-year implementation of the Resolution on continuing to reform land-related policies and laws, Party General Secretary Trong stressed the significance of the work in ensuring the harmony in the interests of the State, people and investors, thus creating new resources and motivation for the country’s development in the future. He underlined the need to work out new policies and orientations to continue to renovate and complete land-related institutions and policies, with a focus on the settlement of urgent issues that are drawing public attention.

Mentioning the summary of the 15-year implementation of the resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, the leader underlined that the work has been conducted with the engagement and close coordination of relevant central agencies and localities, as well as experts, scientists and management officials. He asked participants to continue to give ideas on shortcomings and weakness as well as the reasons behind them during the summary process.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Head coach Park Hang-seo on May 4 named a final squad of 20 players for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Following his decision, four players – defender Dang Van Lam, midfielder Nguyen Duc Viet, and strikers Le Xuan Tu and Tran Van Dat will return to the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre to continue training with the Olympic team.

Goalkeeper Trinh Xuan Hoang will further train with the final squad as a standby player.

The four excluded in the list and others joining the training with the Olympic team must stand ready to be substitutes at SEA Games 31.

According to regulations, each participating squad is allowed to replace no more than 15 players in case of COVID-19 infections. However, the replaced members will not be permitted to return to the team in any circumstances, even after recovering from COVID-19.

The final list comprises goalkeepers Van Toan and Van Chuan; defenders Luong Duy Cuong, Tuan Tai, Van Xuan, Tien Long, Viet Anh, Le Van Do and Thanh Binh, midfielders Quang Nho, Hai Long, Huynh Cong Den, Hoang Anh and Trong Long, and strikers Van Tung, Thanh Minh and Manh Dung.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger South East Asia”, will be held in the capital city of Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities.

Featuring 40 sports with 526 events, it is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan on May 4 met with Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy, a member of the upper house of India, who was leading a business delegation, including representatives of the Ramky Group, to the city to explore cooperation chances in waste treatment.

The host official said HCM City welcomes Indian enterprises coming to explore opportunities and make long-term investment and business. It is always ready to create the best possible conditions for Indian firms to invest in industrial park infrastructure and convert old industrial parks into the ones that apply modern and advanced technologies.

The Ramky Group’s intention to build a hi-tech waste treatment plant highly matches the demand and development orientations in the city and Vietnam as a whole, Hoan said, adding that HCM City highly values Indian businesses’ experience and technological capabilities in waste treatment.

HCM City hopes that Ramky will consider, give advice, and implement waste treatment projects at existing landfill sites while constructing a large-scale wastewater treatment system for the city, according to the Vice Chairman.

For his part, Reddy, who is also the founder of Ramky, affirmed his wish to enhance cooperation with HCM City and other southern localities of Vietnam in the treatment of urban, medical, and industrial waste, along with wastewater, by using advanced technology.

The group looks to raise its investment in Vietnam to 1 billion USD from the initial 150 million USD committed in a memorandum of understanding on cooperation signed in December 2021, he noted.

Speaking highly of HCM City’s vision on urban waste treatment, he stated that Ramky possesses sufficient experience, technology, and resources and wishes to take part in the city’s vision planning, especially in building waste treatment plants and transforming existing landfill sites into areas with new value serving local residents.

The group also hopes to seek investment opportunities in developing industrial park infrastructure and pharmaceutical technology, Reddy added.

During National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s visit to India in December 2021, Ramky and the Film SKC Vietnam Co. Ltd signed an MoU on waste-to-energy cooperation worth 150 million USD.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A national conference was held by the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) in coordination with the Ministry of National Defence and the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) to look at ways to support victims of explosive remnants of wars in ASEAN countries.

Vietnam is heavily affected by bombs, mines and unexploded ordnances (UXO) left over from the war which threaten people’s lives and harm the country’s socio-economic development.

According to Colonel Nguyen Hanh Phuc, Deputy General Director of VNMAC, in order to provide comprehensive assistance to the victims, it is necessary to apply legal tools, policy standards and consider broader aspects related to humanitarian activities, development and human rights.

The support should not only consist of providing healthcare and rehabilitation assistance, but also helping them to become active and confident to participate in business, employment and social opportunities, he suggested.

Phuc stressed the need for cooperation and comprehensive, long-term commitments of all countries, including ASEAN members. The project to enhance the efficiency of the programme to assist victims is among the solutions initiated by ARMAC in coordination from regional countries and funding from the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Government and the ASEAN-RoK Cooperation Fund. The conference was one of the project’s first activities aimed at forming a system of regional-level facilities to provide support to victims.

Participants focused on seeking the most effective methods of support for the victims, national viewpoints on the work and the global stance on the assistance.

Executive Director of ARMAC Prum Suonpraseth said that the development and implementation of projects to support the victims in ASEAN member countries is crucial, helping create more conditions for them to overcome countless barriers in the process of accessing necessary services such as education and employment. He added that the project is one of four ongoing projects in the mine action programme conducted by the centre to address humanitarian issues. Tran Huu Thanh, head of the division for external relations at VNMAC, said that it is necessary to design a coherent legal system in the support of the victims with specific decentralisation and delegation of power.

He underlined the important role of the labour, invalids and social affairs sector in conducting five aspects of victim support – information management; healthcare; rehabilitation; psychological and legal support; and vocational training.

Source: Vietnam News Agency