The total amount of outstanding loans of credit institutions in real estate by the end of last year exceeded VND471 trillion (US$20.72 billion).

Vietnamese stock markets will likely remain gloomy in the coming week as investors could maintain poor confidence amid the volatility of the market, thus keeping overall liquidity low and too weak for a market’s short-term comeback.

 The Blockchain Festival to be organised in HCM City on May 24-25 is expected to open up new opportunities to develop the world’s leading software platform for digital assets and cryptocurrencies in Vietnam.

 The human resources training quality for information, communications and technology (ICT) needs to be improved quickly amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam.

HCM City was able to reach four of its 16 goals in pollution reduction as part of its 2016-2020 programme to reduce pollution, according to city authorities speaking at a conference held on Friday in the city.

 The Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) will focus its efforts on reforms, striving towards a “contingency of officials with competence, virtue, and reputation befitting their duties.”

 Residents living along canals in HCM City’s District 4 cannot afford to buy “relocation” apartments since their prices exceed the compensation they will receive, according to reports.

 The Ministry of Information and Communications plans to build a code of conduct for internet users to create a healthy networking atmosphere in the country.

The Ministry of Transport has decided not to regulate the distance between toll booths in a draft version of a circular on the operations of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll stations, said minister Nguyen Van The.

 At least 100,000 doses of the meningococcal vaccine will be imported to Vietnam by the end of May, increasing the number of imported doses to some 800,000 in 2018.

 A work of art depicting highlights of the northern province of Quang Ninh, such as Yen Tu, Ha Long Bay and Mong Cai Border Gate, beat more than 500 entries to win the top prize in design contest Vietnam – Where I Live.

A ceremony was held in Tuy Hoa city, the south central province of Phu Yen, on May 20 to receive a certificate from UNESCO recognising Bai Choi singing as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 The northern mountainous province of Yen Bai opened two special events in the stunning Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields on May 19, featuring an exhibition with crystal clouds and a paragliding festival.

Vietnam actively joined in discussions of the second Meeting of the Asia-Europe Political Forum and the 30th Meeting of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties Standing Committee, which took place in London, the UK.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a dialogue in Ha Nam on May 20 with nearly 1,000 workers at industrial zones (IZ) in the Red River Delta. 

 The fifth annual Conference of Vietnamese Young Scientists (ACVYS 2018) took place in the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Sejong University in Seoul on May 20. 

 The Ministry of Finance aims to have financial cloud infrastructure fully operational by 2025.

VietNamNet Bridge - Some scholars have suggested amending current laws to ‘lay down the red carpet’ to receive talented educators. 

Blockchain technology is an important solution to trace the responsibilities of involved parties in the farm produce supply chain. However, the feasibility of the technology application in the immediate time is questionable. 

Having products retailed at foreign distribution chains is a good way to bring Vietnamese goods to the world market. But domestic companies still find it difficult to do.