Day: July 26, 2022

 The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee will share its experience in people-to-people diplomacy with the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee and help the Lao side with the establishment of farmers’ association, President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien pledged on July 26.

During his talks with President of the LFNC Central Committee Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune in Vientiane on July 26, Chien affirmed that the VFF stands ready to exchange experience and support the LFNC in the matters in which the Lao side is interested.

The officials noted with pleasure pragmatic outcomes of the relationship between the two fronts, with an array of exchange programmes and experience sharing in the front work.

Notably, the two organiations and the National Council of the Solidarity Front for Development of the Cambodian Motherland signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for 2021-2023.

The VFF and the LFNC are working together to organise an international conference on building a Vietnam-Laos border line of peace, friendship, cooperation and development in Laos in September.

The front leaders briefed each other on socio-economic situation in their respective countries in the first half of this year, shared experience in the front work, and agreed to sign a cooperation agreement for 2022-2027.

Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune suggested the Vietnamese side share its experience in mobilising expats, organising conferences for farmers, and building and amending the front law.

Chien emphasised that the VFF will make every effort to preserve and promote the Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation, and advance its cooperation with the LFNC in a more effective and pragmatic manner.

Following their talks, the front leaders signed a cooperation agreement between their organisations for the 2022-2027 period.

On this occasion, Chien presented gifts to poor Vietnamese families and Lao families that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The VFF President, on behalf of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, handed over the third-class Independence Order to Chanpheng Southivong and Ot Phongsavanh, Vice Presidents of the LFNC Central Committee, and the third-class Labour Order to eight individuals who have made outstanding performance in consolidating and enhancing the Vietnam-Laos relationship.

He also presented the “For the Cause of Great National Unity” insignia of the VFF Central Committee to 28 others of the LFNC./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 A search team from Military Zone 2 of Vietnam has repatriated more than 1,800 volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives while on duty in Laos, since its inception in late 1994.

In the 2021-2022 dry season alone, the team brought home 20 sets of remains of martyrs, of whom eight have been identified.

Lieutenant Sung A Ho, a team member, said Vietnamese soldiers mainly died in the Lao northern provinces of Luang Prabang, Udom Xay, Luang Namtha during the war.

The search and gathering of martyrs’ remains meet a host of difficulties due to the mountainous terrain in the Lao localities, and many witnesses who are Lao veterans dead, he said, adding that he stays in the neighbouring country from eight to nine months each year for the work over the past more than 10 years.

According to the Steering Committee for Search and Repatriation of Remains of Fallen Soldiers of Military Zone 2 (Steering Committee 515), between 2013 and 2020, the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien received 276 sets of remains of martyrs, of whom 13 have been identified. Since 2021, the province reburied 25 martyrs at the local cemetery.

To implement the Government’s project on the search and gathering of martyrs’ remains, Dien Bien will step up the communication work and enhance coordination with the Steering Committee, Military Zone 2 and the Lao special task force, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Vu A Bang said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 Vietnam raked in 29.17 billion USD from phone and component exports during the first half of the year, representing a rise of 16.4% on-year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The major importers of these products include China, the United States, the EU, and the Republic of Korea (RoK), Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) cited the source.

Most notably, the country’s export turnover of phones and components to the US, China, and the RoK surged by 53.7%, 16.6%, and 29.8% to 6.61 billion USD, 6.45 billion USD, and 2.78 billion USD, respectively, in comparison to last year’s corresponding period. In contrast, export turnover for these items to the EU market fell by 7.7% to 3.2 billion USD.

Computers, electronic products and component exports in June saw an increase of 6.5% to 5.17 billion USD over the previous month, duly bringing the export value of the commodity group in the initial two quarters of the year to 27.68 billion USD, up 15.6% against the same period from last year.

During the six-month period, exports of computers, electronic products and components to the US, China, the EU, and Hong Kong (China) inched up by 26.9%, 12.1%, 18.5%, and 1.3% to 7.32 billion USD, 5.89 billion USD, 3.73 billion USD, and 2.88 billion USD, respectively.

Meanwhile, the country earned only 1.79 billion USD from exports of this product to the RoK market throughout the reviewed period, marking a year-on-year drop of 5.1%./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 Thailand’s aviation industry is making steady progress in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Airports of Thailand Public Co Ltd (AoT) anticipates a full recovery by the end of 2024.

AoT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said on July 25 that this fiscal year (from October 2021 to September 2022) will see the return of about 45 million passengers, both international and domestic, about 33% from the pre-pandemic level.

The number of passengers will further increase in the following year with a recovery of 77% of pre-pandemic travel, equivalent to about 96 million passengers, and rise to 142 million in 2024.

The International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association agree with AoT’s assessment.

The AoT President said that they are ready once the travel restrictions are lifted to operate completely, but the same cannot be said of all cargo warehouses, ground services and even some airlines.

The aviation industry was among the hardest hit by COVID-19. Many aviation businesses were forced to slash the number of flights and routes by half in cost-cutting efforts, making it difficult to bounce back immediately when there is high demand from customers.

AoT says they expect a loss this year but a return to profitability for the airline industry and related businesses eventually in 2023, but that still depends on the performance of many sectors, and whether key demographics like Chinese tourists are in Thailand./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 The Enterprise Development Agency (EDA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is coordinating with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in accelerating digital transformation and building capacity for broader access to finance, heard a workshop on July 26.

The workshop on “Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises Through Digital Transformation and Access to Finance” was co-held by the MPI and USAID, through the USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (LinkSME) project, in Hanoi.

EDA Director Le Manh Hung said SMEs are facing major obstacles to their post-COVID-19 recovery. He stressed that digital transformation and access to finance are prerequisites enabling SMEs to address new challenges; revive and expand business and production; and enhance competitiveness so as to sustainably engage in domestic and global supply chains.

USAID/Vietnam Economic Growth and Governance Office Director Gregory Leon said nearly 400,000 SMEs have been provided with access to guidebooks on digital transformation last year and the first half of 2022. Over 600 firms have had their readiness evaluated and 100 have received in-depth consultation on the matter.

Additionally, the EDA and LinkSME have also jointly organised training courses on developing financial strategy for more than 500 SMEs, 14 of which were given advice on debt restructuring and access to approved loans worth up to 5 million USD, according to Leon.

Two digital platforms – digital.business.gov.vn and a2f.business.gov.vn – have been developed to promptly and effectively provide SMEs with tools, reports and documents relating to digital transformation and access to finance.

The workshop also aimed to provide an opportunity for participating SMEs to share and discuss their needs and seek suitable solutions for digital transformation and access to finance through the help of service providers, financial firms, and credit institutions./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 Investments by overseas companies registered under the Foreign Business Act (FBA) of Thailand rose by 73.5% year-on-year in the first six months of 2022.

Deputy Commerce Minister Sinit Lertkrai said the Foreign Business Committee permitted 284 investment applications by overseas companies in the first half of 2022, up by 7.58%, with combined investments of 69.9 billion THB (1.9 billion USD), up by 73.5% year-on-year.

The largest number of investments came from Japan (totalling 71), worth 26.2 billion THB, followed by Singapore and the US.

Sinit attributed the rise to the government’s investment promotion policy and the support given to businesses working in Thailand’s targeted industries.

For the remaining six months of this year, Thailand expect continued foreign investment due to the government’s investment promotion measures, the state economic stimulus measures, the country’s reopening to international tourists, and greater convenience in doing business.

These factors will help make the economy recover faster, said Sinit./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 President Nguyen Xuan Phuc offered flowers and incense in tribute to fallen soldiers in the northern province of Quang Ninh on July 26.

The same day, he paid homage to martyr Vu Van Hieu, the first Secretary of the Quang Ninh Mining Area Special Committee.

Hieu died in Con Dao Prison in April 1942. He was awarded with the title of Hero of People’s Armed Forces.

Earlier the same day, the President joined a delegation of Party, State, National Assembly (NA), Government and Vietnam Fatherland Front leaders to offer incense in tribute to fallen combatants at the Martyrs’ Monument and pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum in Hanoi on the occasion of the 75th War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency