Vietnam Newswire

Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh on July 18 ordered halting all non-essential services amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, Hanoi citizens are required to stay at home and only go out when necessary such as business trip, food and medicine purchase, and other emergency cases like health check-ups and treatment.

The municipal authorities also asked residents not to gather more than five people outside the workplaces, schools and hospitals, and fill in health declarations on the website www.tokhaiyte.vn or apps Ncovi and Bluezone.

Agencies, businesses, including foreign-invested ones, were urged to actively outline online working or work-in-shift plans.

Shopping malls, supermarkets, wholesale and wet markets in the city only sell necessities. Public transport means must reduce seats by half.

The city directed preparing sufficient food and necessities in every case

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The first session of the 15th National Assembly will open in Hanoi on July 20 morning.

The event will take place at a time when the country is realising the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress and the elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2025 tenure wrapped up successfully.

It holds special significance as it will lay a foundation for activities of the 15th legislature, including the election and approval of leadership positions in State agencies, discussions on socio-economic reports and the making of decisions on other important issues.

Lawmakers are due to decide on the numbers of NA Vice Chairpersons and members of the NA Standing Committee, as well as elect NA Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, members of the NA Standing Committee, NA Secretary General, Chairperson of the NA Ethnic Council, heads of the NA committees, and State Auditor General.

They will also elect State President, Prime Minister, Vice State President, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court and Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy. They will decide on the structure and number of the Government members and approve the appointment of Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers and other Government members, the list of Vice Chairpersons and members of the Council for National Defence and Security (if any), and judges of the Supreme People’s Court.

Later, the NA Chairman, State President, PM and Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court will take oaths before the legislature, which will be live broadcast nationwide.

The NA will also look into reports reviewing socio-economic performance and State budget in the first half and measures for the remaining months of this year, thrift practice and wastefulness prevention in 2020; approve the 2019 State budget balance, decide on the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan and national financial plan, public capital borrowing and payment as well as the mid-term public investment plan for 2021-2025, and the national target programme on new-style rural building, and poverty reduction and sustainable social welfare for 2021-2025.

The National Election Council is due to deliver a report on the elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure and results confirming the eligibility of 15th NA deputies. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee will collect and submit voters’ feedback to the session.

Participants will also adopt resolutions on the programme on law and ordinance building in 2022, the NA’s 2022 supervision programme, and the establishment of a group in charge of thematic supervision.

As planned, the session will close on July 31.

As many as 435 out of 499 deputies have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Before arriving in Hanoi, they must test for COVID-19 thrice.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Government has proposed the National Assembly keep its structure of 18 ministries and four ministerial-level agencies for the 15th tenure.

The 18 ministries consist of the Ministries of Defence; Public Ministry; Foreign Affairs; Home Affairs; Justice; Planning and Investment; Finance; Industry and Trade; Agriculture and Rural Development; Transport; Construction; Natural Resources and Environment; Information and Communications; Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs; Culture, Sports and Tourism; Science and Technology; Education and Training, and Health.

The four ministerial-level agencies are the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs; the State Bank of Vietnam; the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam; and the Government Office.

The proposal also reviewed the Government’s structure in the 14th tenure, saying it followed a multi-sector and multi-aspect model whose management scale has been gradually improved, contributing to the realisation of goals set by the 12th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

Regarding the structure for its 15th tenure, the Government plans to step up administrative reform, renovate and arrange the political system following the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution, Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW issued at the Party Central Committee’s sixth plenum, and the National Assembly’s Resolution 56/2017/QH14.

The structure is set to be streamlined, efficient and effective following the multi-sector and multi-aspect model

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is scheduled to hold phone talks with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo in the afternoon of July 15.

The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) again tops the list of ten most prestigious commercial banks in Vietnam this year, according to the latest ranking announced by Vietnam Report.

The bank is followed by the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) and Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) in the second and third places, respectively.

The list also includes the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank), Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB), Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank), Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Tien Phong Commercial Joint Stock Bank (TPBank), Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) and Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank).

The ranking was based on the banks’ financial capacity, media reputation and customers’ perception and satisfaction.

Data from the General Statistics Office shows that Vietnam’s credit growth reached 5.47 percent in the first half of 2021, doubling the same period last year’s figure. Despite impacts caused by COVID-19, the banking sector has enjoyed high growth in profit during the period, with bad debts under good control.

Vietnam Report Director Vu Dang Vinh said the firm’s survey of experts and banks indicates that the top three macro-economic factors influencing the banking sector’s performance in 2021 are likely to be the widespread outbreak of the COVID-19, the macro-economic recovery, and the State’s relevant policies and regulations.

Meanwhile, the three micro-economic factors that may have the biggest impact on the industry include fintech, risk management and internal control system, service and product quality.

Some 52.94 percent of surveyed experts and banks said that the banking industry will see better growth and performance this year. It is believed this year’s credit growth is likely to be equal to or higher than 2020’s figure./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency