Day: March 16, 2023

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has suggested the northern province of Hai Duong focus on green growth, digital transformation and innovation based on the pillars of hi-tech and support industries, hi-tech agriculture, smart and green urban development.

During a local working session with standing board of the provincial Party Committee on March 16, PM Chinh said Hai Duong lies in an important geographical location and belongs to the northern key economic region, with convenient transport system, land conducive for agriculture, vast reserves of mineral resources and long-standing culture which are advantages for tourism development.

To be among the top 10 provinces with the largest economic size nationwide and a locomotive industrial hub in the Red River Delta by 2030, PM Chinh asked Hai Duong to focus on planning to fully optimise its unique potentials and competitive advantages, thus attracting more investors and driving development.

He called on the province to diversify resources, enhance public-private partnerships, develop infrastructure connecting with seaports and airports, especially between its northeast and the provinces of Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Quang Ninh.

The locality must work closely with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh to complete the dossier seeking the recognition of Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex as a world heritage site, he said, adding that further attention must also be paid to ensuring social welfare, developing social housing for workers and hi-quality workforce training.

Social issues of public concern must also be dealt with to maintain political security and social safety and order, he said.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Duc Thang said last year, the province’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) expanded by 9.14% while its State budget collection hit over 20 trillion VND (869 million USD), up 36% from the estimate.

The local economic size now ranks 11th out of 63 cities and provinces nationwide, and fifth out of 11 localities in the Red River Delta.

The province targets becoming a modern-oriented industrial locality by 2025 and achieving an annual growth of over 9% during 2021-2030.

The PM also agreed with suggestions made by local authorities. However, certain issues and projects need to be considered in the order of priority and necessity./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam was Spain’s largest supplier of coffee by volume in 2022, with 113,550 tonnes worth 269 million EUR (287 million USD), up 21.6% in volume and 78.9% in value against 2021.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Import-Export Department cited statistics of the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) as saying that the market share of Vietnamese coffee in Spain’s total imports from the global market accounted for 30.16% in 2022.

Statistics compiled by the department indicate that Vietnam exported 342,300 tonnes of coffee in the first two months of the year, earning 745.28 million USD, down 7% in volume and 9.5 percent in value year-on-year. In February alone, the country shipped abroad over 200,000 tonnes of coffee worth 434.9 million USD to foreign markets, up 40.3% in volume and 40.1% in value compared to the previous month.

Notably, in the January-February period, Vietnam’s coffee exports to almost traditional markets increased. The country recorded 2- to 3-digit growth rates to markets such as Algeria, the Netherlands, Mexico, Russia, and Italy.

According to the department, Spain is the 8th largest trading partner of Vietnam in the EU, and the 8th biggest importer of Vietnamese goods.

Last year, the two-way trade between Vietnam and Spain hit 3.54 billion USD, 13% higher than that recorded in 2021. This was the highest growth rate ever.

The two countries have witnessed the sound development of bilateral relations and there is a bright prospect for the two sides to further expand their relationship, especially in economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

Spain’s coffee sector is forecast to grow by 6.84% in the 2022-2025 period, therefore there is ample room for Vietnamese coffee exporters to exploit the European market.

Vietnamese localities and business associations have been advised to coordinate with the Vietnam Trade Office in Spain in organising seminars to introduce potential business and cooperation opportunities for businesses, exporters and importers of the two countries.

Export businesses need to improve and maintain the quality and brand value of their products in the Spanish market, the office said./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Developing offshore wind power is a great dual opportunity for Vietnam, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz told a seminar themed “Promoting Vietnam’s offshore wind power development: International practices and policy recommendations” in Hanoi on March 16.

This is an opportunity to provide a green and cost-effective source of energy for the country’s strong economic development; and at the same time, support it to achieve its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), he stressed.

As one of the countries that strongly support Vietnam’s green and sustainable energy transition, Denmark expects the Vietnamese Government to soon issue a clear and consistent legal framework, which is essential for the development of the offshore wind industry, added the diplomat.

Nguyen Duc Hien, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, said that Vietnam holds great potential and advantages for wind energy development.

By the end of 2021, the total registered capacity of offshore wind power investment in Vietnam had been around 154 GW, Hien said, adding that the draft eighth Power Master Plan sets a target to develop about 16.12 GW of onshore and nearshore wind power and about 7 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, and 64.5 GW of this source of energy by 2045.

Mark Hutchinson, Chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Southeast Asia Task Force, said that there are many solutions for Vietnam to achieve the target of 7 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, such as a rapid development mechanism, a bidding mechanism, incentives through pricing.

The building of related policies and mechanisms needs a long roadmap, while the development of offshore wind power projects takes more time, he emphasised, proposing the Vietnamese Government pilot 2-3 GW of offshore wind through mixed finance sources to reduce costs.

If implemented under the bidding mechanism, it will take at least two years to remove legal barriers and enact policy measures. Therefore, the consideration and proposal of a mechanism for rapid development and implementation of pilot projects is very urgent in the Government’s decision-making stage, and this mechanism should be considered and supported by the Government, stated Mark Hutchinson.

At the event, foreign experts and representatives from foreign energy groups said that as investors need certainty for large-scale offshore wind power projects, the Vietnamese Government should soon allow them to make surveys and ensure transparency in selecting them./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

ASEAN has sufficient resources to become a centre of world economic growth with a GDP reaching USD 3.36 trillion in 2021 and a population of 650 million people, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on March 15.

Trade between ASEAN and its partners has also grown significantly, reaching 34% in the last decade. Meanwhile, foreign investment poured into ASEAN in 2021 reached 179 billion USD. The majority of ASEAN countries had inflation rates below the global level.

The Indonesian official said that Indonesia as ASEAN chair this year set 16 Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) which are divided into three strategic drives including recovery-rebuilding, digital economy, and sustainability.

Indonesia’s main strategy to increase economic integration and strengthen competitiveness in turning ASEAN into a centre of world economic growth is digital transformation by expanding local currency transactions and accelerating negotiations Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA).

Minister Airlangga said that to encourage the improvement of these various achievements, ASEAN needs to take advantage of various economic cooperation in the region, both in the form of the ASEAN plus 1 free trade agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was initiated by Indonesia in 2011.

In addition, ASEAN needs to strengthen air and sea connectivity, realise the ASEAN Power Grid, and promote food security by strengthening the supply chain and regional logistics system. Particularly, the bloc must have inter-sectoral cooperation to ensure food security and develop a mechanism to strengthen the early warning system.

According to Minister Airlangga, ASEAN needs to boost its sustainability agenda through the development of trans-ASEAN renewable energy such as solar power, hydropower, electric vehicle ecosystem, and regional green economic framework.

Indonesia also aims to promote sustainable regional development through the ASEAN – Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF) in which, the public and private sectors will be invited to participate in projects in the region to support green infrastructure, strengthened supply chains, digital transformation, and creative economy, as well as innovative and sustainable finance./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Military youths should continuously study to improve their capacity, enhance their knowledge of science and technology, and master modern weapons and technical equipment, said President Vo Van Thuong at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 16 to honour 10 outstanding youths and 43 promising figures of the armed forces in 2022.

Highlighting the vanguard and creative spirit of the youth in the military, the State leader said that they should continue to work hard to sharpen their professional skills and solidify their mettle, becoming military officials and soldiers with high capacity and good morality following President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching. They should be deeply aware of the values of peace and national unification as well as their responsibility in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, protecting the peaceful and stable environment for national development and peaceful life for the people.

He asked the commanders and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the military to create the best conditions for the youth to study Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts as well as the glorious tradition of the nation, the Party, the military and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union as well as cultural values of the nation. Underlining that the military is born from the people and fights for the people, President Thuong asked the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the military to coordinate closely with their peers in the localities where they are stationed to implement social welfare, natural disaster relief and pandemic prevention and control activities, while actively popularising the Party and State’s policies and laws, combating the “peaceful evolution” plots of hostile forces.

The State leader also stressed the need to enhance the quality and efficiency of youth movements through reformed implementation methods, as well as the necessity to build strong youth union organisations in association with the building of the Party and military units.

He requested Party Committees at all levels, political commissars and commanders of military units to guide the youth and create favourable conditions for them to study, practice, devote, progress and mature, while listening to their aspirations and help them complete their tasks./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued an action plan to reduce methane emissions till 2030, with six major tasks.

They include fine-tuning mechanisms and policies, taking measures to reduce methane emissions in solid waste management and wastewater treatment, conducting scientific research and developing technology, raising public awareness of the effort, and strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation and mobilising resources for supervision and evaluation.

Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh signed a decision approving a plan of action on reducing methane emissions to 2030 with the goal of cutting methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020.

The action plan targets methane emissions in cultivation, animal husbandry, solid waste management, waste water treatment, oil and gas exploitation, coal mining and fossil fuel consumption.

Total methane emission volume should not exceed 96.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025, down 13.34% from 2020.

Specifically, methane emissions in cultivation should be kept under 42.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, under 16.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in animal husbandry, under 21.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in solid waste management and waste water treatment, under 10.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in oil and gas exploitation, under 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in coal mining, and under 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in fossil fuel consumption.

Among measures outlined in the action plan is adjusting crop structure and cultivation techniques, ending the burning of agricultural waste and side products, and recovering methane emissions from husbandry waste treatment for electricity generation.

Modern technology will be applied widely in solid waste and waste water treatment is another solution, among others./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietjet will operate the first air route connecting Vietnam with Australia’s Queensland state in June, the airline announced on March 16.

Accordingly, the leading Vietnamese new-age carrier will operate twice weekly services between Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Brisbane Airport (BNE) by modern wide-body aircraft, starting June 16.

The flights are expected to bring more than 30,000 Vietnamese visitors in Brisbane, generating 25.6 million AUD (17 million USD) for Queensland’s economy, and creating 240 jobs for the state, during the first year of operation.

The flights to Brisbane will take off from Ho Chi Minh City every Monday and Friday at 10:05 (local time) and land at Brisbane at 21:10 (local time). The return flights will depart at 23:10 (local time) every Monday and Friday and land at Vietnam’s largest city at 04:50 the following day (local time).

Brisbane Airport Corporation Chief Executive Officer Gert-Jan de Graaff said that Vietnam is a rapidly growing market for Queensland. Non-stop flights between Vietnam and the Australian state will bring about benefits for both countries.

Vietjet Deputy General Director Nguyen Thanh Son said that adding Brisbane to the airline’s list of destinations will be another development step to broadly connect Australia and Vietnam.

Vietjet operates around 450 flights daily on 160 routes connecting Vietnam and Asian and European countries./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency