Many farmers in the Mekong Delta have suffered losses in the 2017-2018 sugarcane crop because of low prices.

 The government will have breakthroughs in the reform of legal regulations and business investment conditions for the domestic real estate market this year, according to experts.

Vietnam is home to 5,407 operating craft villages nationwide, according to the Vietnam Craft Village Association. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The domestic LED (light-emitting diodes) market has been developing rapidly but chaotically in recent years.

VietNamNet Bridge - Competing with traditional taxis and avoiding tax, Uber gained ill fame during its operation in Vietnam. However, it helped energized the taxi market and create an ‘e-hailing’ culture.

VietNamNet Bridge - Rapid tourism development has put pressure on local infrastructure and environment in the UNESCO-protected town of Hoi An.

Scientists have been surprised by students’ creativity and practical ideas, including a non-Braille book reader for the visually impaired and a smart garbage can. 

 Apple Viet Nam LLC has launched a discounted replacement programme for iPhone’s expired battery from now until December 31 this year, reported the Viet Nam Competition Authority.

 The 2017 Golden Kite Awards’ organisation board received 117 cinematographic submissions in various categories, including featured film, TV series, documentary film, cartoon, scientific films and short films.

VinaCapital has invested $32.5 million in Ba Huan, a poultry egg producer, while Kido plans to join forces with a Thai partner to make bottled milk tea and herbal drinks. 

 Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy has stressed the need for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to take the lead in promoting peace and security based on the UN Charter and international law – a prerequisite to sustainable development.

 Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh visited the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, in early April at the invitation of the US Navy.

VietNamNet Bridge - In 2014, Vietnamese were the most economical consumers in South East Asia in a Nielsen survey. However, their spending habits have changed.  

Dinh Trong Thang, director of the Department of Investment, under the Central Institute of Economic Management  talks about what the country should do to attract enterprises to invest in agriculture.

 Treading in Vietcombank’s footsteps, banks are stepping up efforts to buy back bad debts from state-owned Vietnam Asset Management Company to cushion the bad debt threat.

The local banking sector is regaining its place in the sun this year, as more banks are due to get listed on the stock exchanges, while others are undertaking capital raising rounds where more shares are on offer to potential investors. 

 Over the first quarter of 2018, scores of Vietnam-based commercial banks reported million dollar profits despite an overall sluggish market.

Stable inflation rates have helped attract depositors. However, the recent incidents of depositors losing money at some banks, plus the rise of many attractive investment channels, will divert cash flow from banks.

 The overload at the country’s airports is expected to be reduced as a wave of large investors are seeking investment opportunities in the aviation infrastructure segment.

 Retail real estate has boomed in recent years but clouds loom on the horizon.