PhAm KhAnh Phong Lan, head of the HCM City Food Safety Management Board, speaks to VN News about plans for 2019 and increasing the use of IT in tracing product origins.

 The Ecopark Marathon 2019 is scheduled to take place on April 14 at Ecopark urban area, about 10km southeast of Hanoi.

 Saxophonist Katsura Yamauchi will perform from 6pm to 8pm on March 16 at Salon Saigon on 6d Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street in HCM City’s District 3.

 Multimedia composer and electroacoustic music performer Luong Hue Trinh will host a multimedia concert titled “Vet” (Streaks) at the French cultural center L’Espace in Hanoi on March 16, starting at 8 p.m.

 In 2019 and by early 2020, Vietnam’s urbanization rate is expected to reach about 40%, according to Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Development Association Tran Ngoc Chinh.

 Aquatic product export was estimated to touch US$644 million in the first month of this year, a decrease of 3.9 percent compared to the same period last year, of which pangasius fish exports dropped 4.4 percent and shrimps declined 2.2 percent.

VietNamNet Bridge - Non-cash payment channels such as QR Code, mobile banking, internet banking, e-wallet and non-touch cards have become more popular in Vietnam.

 An aircraft landed safely at HCM City’s Tân Sơn Nhất Airport after a collision with birds that bent an engine fan blade, local media reported on Thursday.

 At least 2,600 international reporters have registered to cover news on the Trump-Kim summit which is slated for February 27-28, according to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.

In 2018, the number of electric bikes that Vietnam exported to the EU increased significantly. At the same time, the EC conducted an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against Chinese electric bike imports.

 Vietnam’s fast-growing ecommerce has exposed shortcomings in the current legislation, posing challenges for both government agencies and users, Cong Thuong newspaper, run by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, reported. 

 Vietnam is having golden opportunities to lure foreign investors in the wake of the new trade deal adoption, but the government should streamline regulatory conditions further for the investment inflow to leverage the chances, expert suggested.

VietNamNet Bridge - A national energy center will open in the Mekong Delta as more and more power plants are being built there.

The amended University Education Law is expected to help produce workers who can  satisfy the requirements for the country’s socio-economic development and international integration. 

 Hanoi’s Transport Department said it would conduct maintenance work on Thanh Trì Bridge, where subsidence and cracks have been reported recently.

 Vietnam’s e-commerce, which is predicted to growth 43% from now until 2025, will go through 2019 with three notable dimensions in which single-market merchants would be the market trend. 

 Stunning sakuras will be the highlight of the 2019 Japan Cherry Blossom Festival, which will come to Ly Thai To Park beside Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi from March 29-31.

VietNamNet Bridge - AirAsia has announced it will officially take off in early August in Vietnam.

 Major changes are now required for Vietnam’s investment law and corporate law, which made up a strong foundation for the country’s business law system, especially when Vietnam is undergoing economic reform for next stage development.

 HCMC plans to ban motorbikes from travelling to the city center by 2030, according to a new proposal by the municipal Transport Department.