Of 18,000 people in HCMC who have sought loans to buy or build social housing in the last five years, only 1.7 % has managed to get them. Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Branch, said that since 2018 his bank …
Read More »$5.4B petrochemical complex may be delayed
Construction of the US$5.4-billion Southern Petrochemical Complex in Ba Ria Vung Tau might be delayed if problems with investment incentives, mainly tax-related, are not resolved, its investor said. Long Son Petrochemicals Company told the Ministries of Planning and Investment and Finance that the work is in the final stages and …
Read More »China’s Sunny Optical Technology Group plans 2.5B investment in Vietnam
China’s Sunny Optical Technology Group is planning to invest up to US$2.5 billion to build an optical production complex in northern Thai Nguyen Province. According to a memorandum of cooperation signed March 8 by Sunny Optical and the provincial authorities, the company’s fifth plant will make an annual revenue of …
Read More »HCMC runs out of land for workers’ housing
Industrial parks and export processing zones in Ho Chi Minh City have no space left to build workers’ housing, while current accommodations meet only 15% of demand. To date, the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA) has completed 16 housing projects that provide accommodation for …
Read More »Aviation, tourism ready for return of Chinese tour groups
Vietnamese carriers and travel firms say they are ready to welcome back Chinese tour groups after three years of interruption due to Covid travel restrictions. Pham Ngoc Thuy, director of Quang Ninh’s Department of Tourism, said everything has been well prepared and tourism businesses are ready to receive Chinese tourists …
Read More »Saigon weekend: What to do and where to go
Saigon is a bustling city with a variety of weekend entertainment options. Here are some suggestions for you this weekend, from art exhibitions, movie screening to European brunch. Art Exhibition “Buscando México” by Diego Rodarte The exhibition, organized by the Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam and the HCMC Museum of …
Read More »Buying electronics on e-commerce platforms cheap but sometimes risky
The prices of smartphones and TVs sold through e-commerce platforms often are cheaper than those sold in traditional shops, but buying them may have risks relating to quality and warranty. Thuy Duong, who lives in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District, bought a 43-inch TV for VND5 million (US$211.9) on an e-commerce …
Read More »VN-Index ends 4-day gaining streak
Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index dropped 0.28% to 1,053 points Friday after a four-session rise. The index closed 2.95 points lower after gaining 6.77 points on Thursday. Trading on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) fell by 18.49% to VND8.75 trillion ($369.51 million). The VN-30 basket, comprising the 30 largest capped …
Read More »China’s reopening good news for Vietnamese exporters
China’s reopening as Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted has strongly lifted Vietnamese agricultural and fishery exports to the country, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam. Speaking at a recent trade promotion forum, he opined that China’s dismantling of its Covid-19 lockdowns had given a …
Read More »HCMC to host first banh mi festival at the end of March
Vietnam’ first banh mi festival will be held at the Youth Cultural House in Ho Chi Minh City’s (HCMC) District 1 from March 30 to April 2. The festival, which will feature 120 pavilions from restaurants, bakeries, and domestic and foreign suppliers, is organized by the Vietnam Tourism Association and …
Read More »