Vietnam’s growth momentum moderated since the beginning of the year, but outlook remains positive, according to Taking Stock, the World Bank (WB)’s bi-annual economic report on Vietnam released on July 1.

In the second half of this year, increasing competition in product quality, prices and market share are predicted to force steel companies to work harder to maintain their foothold in the market.

Long drought and extreme weather condition along with large scale wild fire are making the water reserve in the central province of Ha Tinh dry out. 

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom exchanged ideas related to the signing and ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) 

The Wildlife Street Art Bus Tour programme, which was kicked off on May 6 to raise awareness about wildlife crime, has ended in Ho Chi Minh City recently.

Vietcombank, JBIC sign contract for renewable energy projects

Vietnam is an ideal destination for foreign investors, including Chinese, despite China’s efforts to prevent capital flowing out of the country.

An investment promotion conference was held in Tokyo on July 1 where Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam will be the “promised land” for Japanese investors.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and four Japanese agencies on July 1 signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on sending specific skilled workers of Vietnam to work in Japan.

Some experts describe Vietnam’s education as a ‘copy and paste’ education, where everything is copied, from exam questions to teachers’ reports to students’ essays.

The extensive use of agrochemicals in Northern farms has raised alarm bells for not only consumers but also farmers engaged in manual labour and the environment.

The Military Industry-Telecoms Group Viettel and MobiFone will provide a pilot 5G network in HCM City at 10 locations near Viettel's building in District 10, and at 12 MobiFone's locations in district 1 and 7.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 1 as part of his attendance at the G20 Summit and visit to Japan.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is expected to put pressure on Vietnamese enterprises to increase their competitiveness in order to make inroads into the European market.

As of June 24 ASF had broken out in 60 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities, and more than 2.6 million pigs had to be culled, severely affecting the pork demand-supply balance.

Fourteen Vietnamese films earned around VND715 billion (US$30.7) in ticket sales in the first five months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 40 per cent, according to CGV Cinemas Viet Nam. 

Authorities in HCM City have completed a number of projects earlier than scheduled in an effort to prepare for the rainy season.

HCM City does not have enough quality performing spaces for dramatic theatre, according to many local artists.

Efforts to develop an information technology (IT) workforce were highlighted during a dialogue between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and representatives of leading Japanese technology groups in Japan on Friday.

The HCM City Information Security Centre will be set up at the High-tech Park in District 9, according to People’s Committee vice chairman Tran Vinh Tuyen.

FPT Corporation targets to have 10,000 software engineers working in the central city of Da Nang by 2023, making the city a centre of digital human resources.

V.League 1 side Quang Nam have signed Brazilian defender Lucas Dos Santos Rocha to prepare for the second half of the season.

Vinalines moves shareholders’ meeting to end of July

Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.76 per cent in the first half of this year, the second highest rate since 2011.

The signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in Hanoi on June 30 after six years of negotiation is expected to serve as a lever for the growth of Vietnam’s economy and business community.