Some foreign employees no longer need permits to work in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge –The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Circular No. 41/2014/TT-BCT on bases and procedures for determining that a foreign employee internally transferring within an enterprise belonging to one of eleven services

Moody’s raises Vietnam credit rating

 VietNamNet Bridge – Moody’s Investors Service has raised its outlook on Vietnam’s banking system to stable from a negative assessment, noting improvements in economic stability and operating environment for lenders.

Excavation sheds light into VN history

 VietNamNet Bridge – Experts highlight the necessity of preserving an ancient monument that represented a claim for Vietnamese independence.

VN universities urged to train graduates for real job market

Viet Nam's higher education institutions should focus more on building market-oriented curriculum to produce the qualified candidates businesses desperately need, officials said at a conference last week.

Businesses complain about barriers in recruiting foreign workers

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese state management agencies said they have “loosened” regulations to allow businesses to more easily employ foreign workers in Vietnam. However, employers say the “loosening” is not loose enough.

Roadside rat market doing brisk trade in Nam Dinh

VietNamNet Bridge – Farmers in the northern province of Nam Dinh are flocking to a roadside market near Gat Dan station in Yen Chinh Commune, Y Yen District, with bumper hauls of rats as the rat hunting season gets into full swing.

Russia economic gloom hurts VN tourism

 The number of Russian tourists arriving in Viet Nam is expected to decline at the beginning of 2015, due to the devaluation of the ruble in Russia.

Tea with longan and lotus seed

VietNamNet Bridge – Tea with longan and lotus seed is considered as the Vietnamese quintessence...

HCM City wage hike aims to attract more scientists

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City plans to attract more scientists with a new policy raising scientists' State-paid wages to VND150 million (US$7,140) per month.

Vietnamese bankers gear up for e-banking

VietNamNet Bridge – Analysts have every reason to believe that the fiercest competition among banks is a technological one.

Vietnam's PM joins trade, investment promotion in Bangkok

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended a series of events promoting trade and investment with Thailand in Bangkok on December 20, on the sidelines of the fifth Greater Mekong Sub-region Summit.

Villagers struggle after dam breaks

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Thi Vy's home in Quang Lam Village in the upper reaches of Dam Ha Dam is among four others that collapsed after the dam broke due to heavy rains late October in the northern province of Quang Ninh's Dam Ha District.

Christmas and New Year food programs in Saigon

  Hotels, restaurants and resorts of Saigontourist will launch a range of food programs for revelers to celebrate Christmas and the New Year of 2015.

Vietnam retains top slot in cashew exports

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s leadership position in cashew exports has been extended for another year, the eighth consecutive year in a row,

Falling in love with little things in Dalat

 VietNamNet Bridge – Though the perception of Dalat as a famous tourist destination has changed for the worse over the years, this hilly resort city still possesses little, attractive things which visitors may find appealing.

Obesity 'could be a disability' - EU courts rule

 Obesity can constitute a disability in certain circumstances, the EU's highest court has ruled.

Ancient Made-in-Vietnam sundial

 VietNamNet Bridge – The design of a solar clock in Bac Lieu Province, in south Vietnam, is unlike any other sundial in the world.

Rental market needs investment

 VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam spoke with Tin tuc (News) newspaper about financial policies for rental housing development projects.

USAID supports farmers to understand land rights

USAID supports farmers to understand land rights; HCM City wants PPP for wastewater treatment, transport projects; Vietnam’s ODA to Laos to increase by 30%; Foreign non-governmental aid reaches $300 million in 2014

Young Vietnamese pianists to play at CEG Concert

 Ha Tinh to preserve 200-year-old dwelling; Writer Bui Ngoc Tan passes away after long cancer fight; Young Vietnamese pianists to play at CEG Concert; ASEAN artists depict life in the Mekong basin; Japan Literature Week to open in Hanoi

BUSINESS IN BRIEF 21/12

 SBV orders tighter measures for bad debt management; Mobile World's profits up; Bayer CropScience supports Vietnam rice farming; LG Electronics leases more land in Trang Due IP; More supermarkets open in HCMC, Mekong

Remittance ‘grey market’ thrives towards year-end

 VietNamNet Bridge – Remittances are pouring into Vietnam towards the year’s end, but most of this money is bypassing the official banking sector.

Vietnam enters FODOR'S go list 2015

 Well-known American travel guide Fodor’s has named Vietmam as top 25 can't-miss spots that should be on every traveller’s radar in 2015.

GMS connectivity vital to ASEAN community

 Connectivity within the ASEAN and the Greater Mekong Subregion is ‘the key’ to ensuring long-term sustainability in the areas of trade, investment and tourism and of fundamentally tantamount importance to building the ASEAN community.

Vietnam, Thailand to fortify economic ties

 Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha have met in Bangkok to discuss measures to boost bilateral economic ties.