The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has set its sights on 17 per cent credit growth this year, slightly down from 18.17 per cent last year.

 Economic experts have warned of challenges facing Viet Nam in 2018 which may cut the country’s GDP growth rate to 6.58 per cent, lower than the previous year’s figure, at a conference held in Ha Noi yesterday.

 Fox Sport Asia has picked two Vietnamese players as ASEAN stars in the Asian Football Confederation U23 Championship, the final of which will be held in China on Saturday.

 The central Thua Thien - Hue Province has plans to dredge Huong River in an attempt to increase the draining capacity of the river.

 The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has targetted to take 110,000 labourers abroad this year.

 This year’s flower street event, to be held from February 13-19, will be titled The Great Ambition, showcasing a modern city that still keeps its attraction.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on January 25 concluded activities at the 48th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland.

The AAG undersea cable was fully repaired on the night of January 23, restoring full Internet connectivity between Vietnam and foreign countries, two days earlier than scheduled.

The People’s Procuracy of Hanoi on January 25 proposed a life sentence to Trinh Xuan Thanh on the charge of “asset embezzlement” at PetroVietnam Power Land JSC (PVP Land). 

 President: Vietnam treasures comprehensive relations with US, Party chief welcomes US Secretary of Defence, Vietnamese, US defence ministers hold talks

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had bilateral meetings with leaders of Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar on the sidelines of the ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, India, on January 25.

The State Securities Commission (SSC) has issued a draft regulation requiring the initial margin ratio contracted by securities companies for margin lending to be at least 60 percent, which is expected to take effect in early February. 

 The second National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experience funded by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam was launched at a workshop in Hanoi on January 25.

 Heroes of U23 Vietnam

The technical breakdown at HOSE (HCMC Stock Exchange) on January 22 causing a 2-day interruption is estimated to have caused a loss of hundreds of billions of dong. 

 Vietnam is taking important steps towards fulfilling the commitments to international bidding outlined in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, in anticipation of growing investment from the region in the future.

Vietnam, the second largest coffee exporter in the world, is importing more coffee as demand from restaurants, hotels and shops has increased. 

Myanmar is a target market for many Vietnamese ITC conglomerates. Le Dang Dung, deputy CEO of Viettel, a military company, said among the markets Viettel has invested in, Myanmar has the biggest opportunities.

 Vietnam’s startup ecosystem is on the radar of Japanese firms wishing to co-operate with Vietnamese startups and calling for capital from Japan’s funds to develop novel ideas.

 The Ministry of Transport will work with relevant agencies to discuss the possibility of doing away with airport entry/exit fee collections from automobiles following a proposal of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.