Waterway buses have proved to be successful to tourists but have yet to attract regular commuters after three months due to low capacity.

 Vu Anh Minh, chairman of the Viet Nam Railways Corporation speaks to the Viet Nam Economic Times about how to attract private investment into the national railway sector.

The State Bank of Vietnam has recently ordered commercial banks to lower the percentage of short-term capital used for mid- to long-term loans from 50 per cent in 2017 to 45 per cent in 2018 and 40 per cent in 2019. 

 Vietnam expects to have a total of 54.2 million people in the workforce in the first quarter of 2018, up 150,000 from last year’s final quarter, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

 The total assets of the Vietnamese banking system surpassed 10 quadrillion VND (440 billion USD) in late 2017, according to the State Bank of Vietnam. 

 Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet and the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) of the Australian state of Queensland signed a cooperation agreement in Sydney on March 16 to open a direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Brisbane.

 Indonesia has lobbied countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to carry out maritime patrols in the East Sea to strengthen security.

 The PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) has signed a deal on the transfer of a 5-percent interest and the administration right in Block 15-1/05 to Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil Co. Ltd.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had meetings with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Governor David Hurley of New South Wales on March 16 immediately after he arrived in Sydney, continuing his official visit to Australia. 

 The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council adopted resolutions to implement the National Assembly’s Resolution 54 on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the city’s development at the closing session of its seventh meeting on March 16.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged Australian companies to invest in the potential market of Vietnam at the Vietnam-Australia Business Forum in Sydney on March 16, which was held during the Vietnamese PM’s official visit to Australia. 

 Ly Hoang Nam booked a spot in the final of the India F3 Futures after beating his doubles teammate Carlos Boluda-Purkiss on March 16 in Chandigarh City, India.

 In the context of impressive economic growth and Vietnam’s successful hosting of the APEC meetings and events, 2017 recorded good progress in the Vietnamese tourism industry. 

Meeting tackles difficulties facing Japan’s food firms, Vietnam imports 2,300 tonnes of beef from US, Australia, Japanese firm takes acquisition route to VN beauty market, Vietnamese fruit and veg entering strict markets

 Viet Nam Television Cable Corporation Limited Company (VTVcab) will float nearly 42.3 million shares in its initial public offering (IPO) on April 17 on Ha Noi Stock Exchange.

 The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) issued bills worth some VND43 trillion (US$1.89 billion) in the past week to withdraw money from the banking system.

 Total assets of banks in Viet Nam by the end of last year surged 17.62 per cent against 2016 to VND10 quadrillion (US$440.5 billion).

 An exhibition showcasing foreign people and international landscapes through the lens of Vietnamese photographers will open at Vietnam Art Photograph Archives and Exhibition Centre on Ton That Thuyet Street on March 17.

A report from the World Bank released in 2017 showed that business costs in Vietnam are much higher than in other regional countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

 Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports are expected to top US$4.5 billion by 2020, with fruits accounting for $3.6 billion, according to the Crop Production Department.