Local travel firm Vietravel has purchased a 66% stake in HCMC-based Kent International, the owner of Kent International College.

VietNamNet Bridge - There are six chairs of provinces born in 1970s. Of these, the youngest are the chairs of Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces. Both of them were born in 1976.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many foreign enterprises in China have visited Vietnam to learn about the investment opportunities here, but most have not made decisions to relocate. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Of 13 outward investment projects, only two projects of PetroVietnam are profitable. The other 11 projects are meeting big problems.

Natural resources and cultural assets are believed to be the biggest advantages of Vietnam in attracting travelers. As such, the country needs to develop a tourism identity with focus on sustainable development, experts say.

VietNamNet Bridge - Sustainable development of tourism requires acknowledging that there will never be a second opportunity to make a first great impression on travelers.

 A breakthrough in productivity would be Vietnam’s new growth engine in the 2021 – 2030 period, helping the country successfully escape the middle-income trap, according to Vu Viet Ngoan, chief of the Economic Advisory Group.

Coal-fired power would still play a key role in the country’s electricity industry in the coming years.

 Two former leaders of the Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture Vietsovpetro have been given prison sentences for “abusing position and power to appropriate assets”.

VietNamNet Bridge - The extension of the e-visa policy to a wide range of countries, plus important events held in Vietnam recently, have brought golden opportunities to attract more travelers.

 Besides high import duties, completely-built-up (CBU) automobiles imported from Europe are also subject to strict requirements in Vietnam, leading to the shrinking of the market share of European CBU automobiles.

 The British Council in Vietnam has provided 17 officers of the Vietnamese People’s Army with an Academic English and IELTS preparation course, which is part of a training program funded by the UK Ministry of Defence.

 Japanese fingerstyle guitarist Satoshi Gogo, who was the special guest in the Vietnam tour 2018 of Korean guitar prodigy Sungha Jung, will perform in Hanoi, Danang and HCMC early next month.

PVN noted in a statement today, March 21, that a participation bonus in the oil and gas sector it paid to Venezuela was not “commission money” but was in fact an amount of money a contractor must pay the host country when signing contracts.

The Ministry of Finance has proposed PVN focus on expediting the divestment of domestic enterprises operating in sensitive business fields such as real estate, investment funds, securities and insurance, VietnamPlus news site reported.

 The Ministry of Transport on March 21 asked the Government for approval to use VND4.2 trillion (US$181 million) to upgrade runways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat Airports.

 The Ministry of Health on March 21 requested the Bac Ninh government to direct the provincial Department of Health and local medical centers to stop conducting porcine tapeworm tests on children, the local media reported.

 Vietnam’s local currency (LCY) bonds outstanding stood at VND1,180.5 trillion (US$51 billion) at the end of December, down 5.3% quarter-on-quarter, but up 9.3% year-on-year, according to ADB’s latest report of the quarterly Asia Bond Monitor. 

The trimming off of 34 administrative procedures in Hanoi`s industry and trade has translated into the reduction of 116 working days, saving about VND2.4 billion (US$103,200).

 Given rapid urbanization, Vietnam is facing a series of problems that require large efforts to address, and “Cities for People” by award-winning Danish architect Jan Gehl would finally serve citizens in such cityscapes.