In 2005, Vietnam introduced an electricity market to ensure the sustainability of the power sector for investors.

 Hang Luoc Flower Market in Hanoi’s Old Quarter has been opened for the Tet holiday. 

 Experts said there are many favorable conditions for e-payment to make a leap in the country: the retail market and e-commerce are thriving, while bank cards and smartphones are more widespread.

The 12 unprofitable projects under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) need a bailout but it is still unclear where the money will come from.

 The launch of high-end residential projects and M&A activities proves the high-end segment continues to attract major investment from foreign developers though the trend may be set to change.

 The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in 2018 was estimated at nearly 15.5 million, a 19.9% increase from 2017.

 Experts suggested the government currently can increase the foreign ownership limit at banks by 5 percentage points to 35 percent. Then, the rate will be continuously adjusted up to 51 percent in 2021-2025.

 The Ministry of Information and Communications has awarded the country’s first trial 5G licence to Viettel, the largest telecommunications company in Vietnam.

 Vietnam’s coach Park Hang-seo will set his side out to resist the attacking prowess of Japan in the quarterfinal of the Asian Cup in Dubai, the UAE, on January 24.

 The first images taken by Vietnamese satellite MicroDragon were sent to a land station in Japan on January 23 morning (Vietnam time), according to the Vietnam National Space Centre (VNSC) under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

 Vietnam has been named among the 60 most innovative economies in the world by the 2019 Bloomberg Innovation Index.

 The Singaporean naval ship RSS ENDEAVOUR with 90 officers and crew members on board anchored at Cam Ranh International Port on January 23, beginning a five-day visit to in the south central province of Khanh Hoa.  

 Cross-border lending serves as an effective alternative source to supplement banks’ mid- and long-term funding.

 Thailand and Indonesia continued to be Vietnam’s main car import markets in 2018.

 Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City has become far more overcrowded as large numbers of overseas Vietnamese are returning home for the Tet holiday.

 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pham Binh Minh, and Minister of the Interior of Lithuania, Eimutis Misiunas, signed an agreement on visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders from the two countries at a ceremony on January 23. 

 Construction on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro project has failed to keep to schedule.

A mural, depicting Sri Lanka's most stunning natural and cultural beauty, was unveiled on January 22 on Hanoi’s Ceramic Road. 

 A recent trade deal signed between the Department of Trade Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Amazon Global Selling has enabled Vietnamese enterprises to access more than 300 million online buyers on Amazon e-commerce platform.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc lauded efforts in sea and ocean governance in his address at the world leaders’ meeting on taking action for the ocean in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23.