Poultry meat export has shown signs of bouncing back since the beginning of 2023, according to the Department of Livestock Husbandry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The department said Vietnam shipped over 1.6 million USD worth of poultry meat abroad in February, doubling that in January and higher than the 86,500 USD in revenue posted in the same period of 2022.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) was the biggest importer of poultry meat, accounting for 28.6%, followed by Malaysia 24.8%.

Meanwhile, poultry egg exports in February were estimated at more than 501,500 USD, over doubling the value recorded a year earlier.

The department said poultry farming developed stably in the first quarter of 2023, with a population of about 551.4 million, 563,200 tonnes of meat, and 4.7 billion eggs, respectively increasing 2.4%, 4.2%, and 4.5% year on year.

Last year, the country exported nearly 3.77 million USD worth of poultry meat, falling sharply from the 20.7 million USD in 2021, statistics show.

OECD forecasts Vietnam’s economic growth at 6.5% this year

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has forecast that Vietnam’s economy will grow firmly, with its GDP projected at 6.5% in 2023 and 6.6% next year, according to an economic survey announced at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 26.

This is the first report on Vietnam’s economy conducted by the OECD in conjunction with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  

According to the OECD, the openness of Vietnam’s economy leaves it exposed to geopolitical uncertainties and potential supply chain disruptions. Weathering significant challenges ahead, Vietnam needs to make additional efforts to advance structural reforms that will further strengthen market forces.

To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, new investment in coal should be halted and the implementation of a carbon market accelerated. As these reforms will require additional fiscal resources, the tax base should be expanded to enhance government revenues.

The survey suggested Vietnam consider providing targeted financial support to households strongly affected by high energy and food prices, prepare a concrete medium-term fiscal consolidation plan to further enhance revenue, expand the tax base, continue to simplify business regulations, and enhance digital skills.

To guide all economic sectors to a low carbon path, a clear and predictable long-term climate change strategy should be prepared. This strategy should include an energy sector reform which is crucial to upscale investment in renewable strategy, it said.

Positive outlook for mango exports to RoK market

There remains plenty of room for Vietnamese mango to enter the Republic of Korea (RoK) as the export volume of the Vietnamese fruit accounts for just 5.8% of the RoK’s mango imports, according to the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.      

The Import-Export Department cited the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), saying the RoK spent US$36.4 million on importing 8,000 tonnes of mango in the first quarter of the year, down 18% in volume and 19% in value year on year.

Peru was the largest supplier of the fruit to the RoK with 5,100 tonnes, followed by Thailand with 2,300 tonnes and Vietnam just 46.4 tonnes.

Industry insiders pointed out that with a small market share in the RoK, Vietnamese businesses have numerous opportunities to ship the product to the market. To do this, they said the firms are required to fully meet food safety requirements, product quality, taste, and price in order to increase mango exports to the RoK, particularly as it is one of the Asian markets that has applied the most stringent regulations for imported agricultural products.

Furthermore, businesses are also advised to effectively utilise the various free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed with the RoK in order to boost exports.

According to the Import-Export Department, Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports in the reviewed period rose 16.2% year on year to US$982 million.

China was the largest consumer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables, spending US$576.4 million on imports, up 27.4% year on year. The recent opening of its borders has given fresh impetus to the export of fruit and vegetables to the market.

Vietnamese firms showcase products at largest food & drink expo in UK

Six Vietnamese companies showcased their food and beverage products at the Food & Drink Expo 2023 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham city on April 24 – 26 with the support of the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and the EUTEK Group.

As the largest food & drink trade show in the UK, the expo provides an annual venue for businesses operating in the food industry throughout the country. This year’s event attracted over 1,500 local and international businesses, along with more than 25,000 visitors.

Vietnamese pavilions at the expo featured various key products, including coffee, beer, rice, dried and instant foods, frozen seafood, herbal products, and various fresh and dried spices, as well as dipping sauces.

Domestic firms eye increasing trade with Mexican market

Many Vietnamese businesses are interested in increasing trade with Mexico, a big and potential market of strong consumption power, according to experts.

With a population of some 130 million, Mexico consists of all consumer segments. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s export market share in the North American nation has reached only about 1.3%, hence a plenty of room for growth.

Both countries are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), therefore, taking advantage of tariff preferences brought about by the pact is an important lever to promote their bilateral trade.

Accordingly, Mexico has committed to eliminating 77% of tariff lines from January 14, 2018, and 98% after a decade since the coming into force of the agreement.

Some Vietnamese products that can take advantage of the tax incentives include Tra and basa fish, tuna, rice and garment-textile.

Statistics showed that Vietnam exported more than 575 million USD to Mexico in the first two months of 2023, down 16.9% year-on-year. Part of the decrease was attributable to a reduction in Vietnam’s shipment of computers and electronic components to the market during the period.

In order to increase the identification of Vietnamese goods in Mexico, trade experts suggested that the Ministry of Industry and Trade consider organising a delegation of 10-15 businesses to participate in large specialised fairs in Mexico every two years.

Global Sourcing Fair Vietnam 2023 kicks off in HCM City

The Global Sourcing Fair Vietnam 2023, an event connecting global buyers with suppliers in Vietnam and other Asian countries, was opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, on April 26.

The first-ever fair features more than 400 booths of over 200 suppliers from various countries and territories, including Vietnam, China, India, and Thailand, showcasing over 5,000 export-qualified products.

There are also more than 6,000 buyers from some 120 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and other territories in the world.

The event provides a platform for suppliers and buyers to connect with one another and diversify their supply sources of export-qualified products in many sectors such as furniture, household appliances, handicrafts, gifts, apparel, and fashion.

Lasting through April 28, the event also includes investment and export workshops. Particularly, an onsite live tour provided by Global Sources on its website will help buyers seek products and contact exhibitors online.

Rice exports maintain growth momentum

Vietnamese rice exports during the first quarter of the year witnessed robust growth in both traditional and potential markets, with the number of rice export orders and price rising sharply.      

Tran Quoc Toan, deputy director of the Import-Export Department, said Vietnam exported more than 1.85 million tonnes of rice worth US$981 million, representing an increase of more than 23% in volume and 34% in turnover compared to same period from last year.

The average export price stood at US$529 per tonne, up nearly 9% compared to the same period from last year. Most notably, the export price of 5% broken rice ranked first in the world, higher than that of the same type coming from Thailand and India.

Toan revealed that strong rice export growth was recorded in both traditional and potential markets, with the export value to the EU witnessing robust growth of nearly 50% thanks to high-quality fragrant rice varieties.

This situation indicates that the quality of Vietnamese rice has been increasing, duly meeting the requirements of fastidious markets, with great potential to expand outlets and increase market shares moving forward.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan pointed out that the strong export growth can be attributed to the appropriate structure of rice varieties, including fragrant rice, sticky rice, white rice, and organic rice.

This can be seen as rice exports have maintained growth in traditional markets like the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and Singapore, said Tan.

Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, predicted that in the last months of the year, food prices will continue to fluctuate due to the impact of climate change and conflicts involving countries seeking to increase their food reserves.

Nam said that the demand for rice imports in traditional Vietnamese markets such as the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and African countries have increased. In European countries, due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the demand for food reserves has increased, a factor that has helped local rice exporters to benefit.

Over 100 gas stations in Binh Duong shut down

The southern province of Binh Duong had had 111 gas stations closed as of April 25 due to non-commercial reasons.

According to the Binh Duong Department of Industry and Trade, the province has 412 petrol stations, but 111 of them, or over a quarter, have suspended their operations.

Their closures result from the stations failing to satisfy fire protection and prevention regulations or the requirements to convert agricultural land into commercial land.

The department has asked the provincial government to facilitate the issuance of fuel trading permits for local retailers by guiding them through fire protection and prevention conditions and procedures for land conversion.

Banking sector must aid businesses for faster economic recovery: PM

The Government has ordered the State Bank of Vietnam and the banking sector to quickly implement additional policies to help speed up economic recovery and provide support to businesses across the country in a meeting in Ha Noi yesterday, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The Prime Minister said economic development had experienced some setbacks, with a recorded growth lower than last year. To adapt and, more importantly, to move the economy in the right direction, additional support for businesses and citizens must be a top priority.

He said timely policies by the central bank regarding the finance and banking sector have resulted in positive feedback from the business community and citizens, while helping speed up economic recovery and production across all economic sectors.

Looking forward, he stressed the importance of implementing banking policies as tools to efficiently mobilise the country's resources, especially those of land and capital, and to overcome challenges.

He added that public investment must lead the way to gather and support the public sector.

He cited several examples in which recent changes in public investment have allowed and encouraged the private sector to participate in additional economic sectors.

He called for greater efforts by all to persevere and overcome current economic challenges.

He said that government agencies and ministries must stand side-by-side with businesses in finding solutions to such challenges.

He stressed the importance of investing in affordable housing for middle-income and low-income groups, saying it has long been neglected and that the pandemic has made it clear there is still much work to be done to improve the situation.

In addition, changes must be made to maintain stability and improve the liquidity of the property market, especially in current credit and finance regulations.

He urged the central and commercial banks to continue implementing additional policies in support of property developers, such as bringing down current interest rates, which have been reported as unsustainably high by the industry.

In addition, he instructed local governments to look into administrative issues that still hinder many property projects' progress, saying it's equally important to developers for such issues to be resolved promptly. 

Hai Duong and Bac Giang work to ensure smooth lychee sales

Hai Duong and Bac Giang, two provinces in the north of Viet Nam, have begun a campaign to boost the sales of their renowned speciality fruit, lychees.

As the lychee season approaches in the latter half of May, Hai Duong Province has been making efforts to promote the sales of this fruit, particularly from the Thanh Ha District.

To this end, the Hai Duong Department of Industry and Trade and the Thanh Ha People's Committee convened a conference on Wednesday to explore ways of enhancing the value of lychees and promoting their sales.

The Thanh Ha District is widely recognised for its lychees and boasts an extensive 3,265ha of land dedicated to the fruit, of which 1,700ha are for early-ripening lychees. Moreover, around 400ha comply with the VietGAP standards and 50ha are GlobaGAP certified.

China remains a large market of Vietnamese lychee.

This year, lychee export to China will face many challenges as this neighbouring market has high and strict requirements for agricultural imports, so localities should work harder on production organisation and quality management, said To Ngoc Son, Deputy Director of Asia - Africa Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Luong Thi Kiem, Deputy Director of the Hai Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that to facilitate exports, agriculture authorities have coordinated with relevant agencies to grant production unit codes (PUCs) and packing house codes (PHCs). So far, 199 PUCs for 1,119ha of lychee have been provided.

The province has also proposed the agriculture ministry’s Plant Protection Department grant five more PUCs to lychee farming zones to serve exports to China, she said.

Meanwhile, 21 PHCs have been given to Hai Duong to serve export to China, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Thailand, Kiem said, adding that the department is also asking the Plant Protection Department to grant another three PHCs to meet the demand for lychee shipments to China.

Thanh Ha District houses 45 lychee farming zones provided with 168 PUCs. It is fine-tuning regulations to maintain the 11 granted PHCs and has an additional three, according to the official.

Tran Van Hao, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, highlighted that Hai Duong’s sales strategy this year is to diversify export markets and firmly maintain the domestic one.

The province has been moving to boost trade promotion since the start of the lychee crop, including sustaining and expanding export markets in case of complex COVID-19 developments and connecting with localities nationwide, shopping centres, big supermarket systems, and e-commerce platforms to advertise local lychee, he went on.

Some lychee production and exporting companies estimated that 85 per cent of the workload had been completed to be ready for a successful crop.

Nguyen Khac Tien, Chairman of the Ameii Viet Nam JSC, noted his company had equipped itself with more processing and packaging machinery to prepare for exporting lychee to high-end markets.

Aside from the buyers in previous years continuing to place large orders, it hopes to enter new markets this year to increase the export volume.

Bac Giang seeks to boost lychee export to US

The Department of Industry and Trade of Bac Giang Province held a teleconference on Wednesday to promote trade connections and consumption of lychees and other potential local products in the US market this year.

The event connected with in the Viet Nam Trade Office in the US, the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Office in New York and the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs’ Network in the US (VENUSA), and many domestic and foreign enterprises.

Speaking at the event, director of the department, Tran Quang Tan, said thanks to favourable weather conditions this year, the province's total lychee output is estimated at over 180,000 tonnes. Of these, 1,500 tonnes are scheduled to be exported to the US.

As the US is a promising market for Bac Giang, he suggested the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s relevant units assist the province in market information, export-import policies, quality certification, food safety and hygiene, and dealing with technical barriers in Europe and the Americas.

He also proposed the Hanoi Irradiation Centre help Bac Giang irradiate lychees for export to the US.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan The Tuan committed the best conditions for domestic and foreign firms to do business, especially in lychee export.

Following the event, Bac Giang will direct departments, agencies and localities to address issues related to production, trade, product quality, and difficulties facing firms, he said.

He wished that the Vietnamese diplomatic agencies and trade offices in the US would help Bac Giang connect with importers of lychee and other local key products. 

Deputy PM asks for closer coordination to speed up public investment disbursement

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has asked ministries and central agencies to work closely with localities to remove obstacles for particular projects, thus speeding up public investment disbursement.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of 17 ministries and central agencies on April 27, Deputy PM Ha underlined the need to strengthen their capacity in directing and managing the disbursement of public investment capital from the stage of preparation to investment decision.

He requested leaders of ministries and central agencies to bear responsible for the whole process from project proposing and verification to implementation.

Particularly, the Ministry of Construction must d apply measures to shorten the verification duration for projects, he said.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung, this year, the total State budget capital assigned to 17 ministries and central agencies is over 111.76 trillion VND (4.76 billion USD). So far, more than 105.13 trillion VND, or 94% of the amount, has been allocated to particular projects.

To date, the 17 ministries and agencies have disbursed 23.74 trillion VND, completing 21.24% of the yearly plan. However, the rate is not equal among the ministries and agencies. While the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology posted 24.27% and 19.44%, respectively, the rest showed slow disbursement.

Trung held that the major reasons behind the situation is slow investment procedures. Many ministries pointed to difficulties in ground clearance.

Vietravel Airlines to get three more planes in Q3

Vietravel Airlines is expecting to expand its fleet to six by adding three more aircraft in the third quarter following a plan set out from the early days of its establishment.

The move in associatation with a recruitment programme slated for May in Ho Chi Minh City aims to help the carrier be ready for its market expansion targets.

The airline, which made its debut in late 2020, is currently operating six domestic routes connecting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and major tourist destinations of Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Quy Nhon, along with two international ones connecting Hanoi, HCM City and Bangkok. It is also partnering with a company from the Republic of Korea to provide 11 charter flights on the Daegu-Cam Ranh route in the period from March 28 to May 7 with one flight every five days.

As of the first quarter of 2023, Vietravel Airlines had operated over 11,600 flights safely and carried close to 2.5 million passengers, with an average occupancy rate of 93.7%.

Thai firm to acquire Starprint Vietnam for US$44.7 million

Bangkok-based SCG Packaging Plc (SCGP) is looking to acquire a 70% stake in Starprint Vietnam JSC to expand its operations in the country.

SCGP will purchase 70% of ordinary shares “for a total enterprise value of not exceeding VND1.05 trillion or approximately 1.53 billion Baht (US$44.7 million),” the company’s CEO Wichan Jitpukdee said in a public statement on April 25.

This transaction is proceeding under the standard M&P procedures and is expected to close in Q3/2023, he added.

The deal underscores SCGP’s commitment to serving Vietnam’s burgeoning packaging industry, Wichan said.

The deal will “enhance the company’s capability to meet the growing needs of customers in terms of branding and marketing activities,” he said.

SCGP will directly engage in more collaborative projects on new product development for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions in Vietnam and ASEAN from now on, he said.

SPV is one of Vietnam's largest producers of offset folding cartons, rigid boxes, and luxury packaging, with distinctive printing capabilities and quality.

The company owns a prominent customer base and long-term business relationships with renowned multinational and domestic companies.

In 2022, the Vietnamese business posted a total revenue of VND1 trillion (US$41.15 million)  and a net profit of VND92.5 billion (US$3.94 million).

SPV had total assets worth VND440 billion (US$18.7 million) and a combined capacity of 16,500 tons of offset printing per year and eight million pieces of rigid boxes per year.

The Vietnamese manufacturer has built two production plants in the Long Binh Industrial Park in the southern province of Dong Nai.

Viet Nam is sixth biggest trade partner of Argentina

Two-way trade between Viet Nam and Argentina has increased strongly to US$4.88 billion in 2022, making Argentina the fifth largest trade partner of Viet Nam in the Latin American region and Viet Nam the sixth biggest trade partner of Argentina globally.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended the Viet Nam-Argentina business forum in Buenos Aires on April 25 (local time), as part of his official visit to the Latin American country.

NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong said that Argentina is one of the leading suppliers of corn and animal feed to Viet Nam.

Regarding investment, Argentina currently has five projects in Viet Nam, ranking 122 among the 140 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

NA Vice Chairman Phuong said that Viet Nam is ready to work with other countries, including Argentina, to seek measures to recover the global trade and supply chain.

He expressed his hope Argentina, as a member of the Mercosur, will serve as a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter the South American market. Meanwhile, Viet Nam will serve as a bridge connecting Argentina and the ASEAN as well as the Asia-Pacific region.

Viet Nam expects to increase the export of high-quality goods of its strength meeting the needs of the Argentine market such as textile products, leather and footwear, agricultural and aquatic products, wood and furniture, and construction materials. 

He said both countries should resume negotiations for a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the Mercosur, which is expected to help create a breakthrough in improving the competitive advantages for businesses of both sides in penetrating each other's market.

Secretary for International Economic Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina Cecilia Todesca Bocco spoke highly of the supplementary nature of the Argentine and Vietnamese economies. 

She added that there are abundant opportunities for the two sides to promote collaboration, underlining the need for them to strengthen cooperation among ministries, sectors and localities.

Argentina, as the Chair of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), will continue to strengthen exchanges with Viet Nam, said Cecilia Todesca Bocco.

Viet Nam commits to protect legitimate interests of investors

Viet Nam commits to creating favorable conditions for and protecting legitimate interests of investors in accordance with legislation and international agreements to which the country is a signatory, stated President Vo Van Thuong.

President Vo made the above statement at the 60th founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

In a bid to realize the goal to become a developed country with high income by 2045, Vo emphasized that it is necessary to have a strong contingent of entrepreneurs who play the pioneering role in the course of industrialization and modernization, contributing to improving the quality, effectiveness and competitiveness as well as ensuring the independence and self-reliance of the economy.

He also underlined the need to remove all obstacles and prejudices and to create favorable conditions in favor of the development of private business sector capable of competing on global stage.

The recent prosecution of some businesses and individuals who violate laws is a must as it aims to create a healthy, fair and transparent business environment and to remove corrupt cadres and employees from the State agencies, according to the President.

Regarding foreign investment, he emphasized that foreign-invested enterprises have become an important integral component of the business community and the economy of Viet Nam.

At present, Viet Nam is home to nearly 30,000 foreign-funded enterprises and they are making significant contribution to economic growth and transformation in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is set to continue speeding up the process of industrialization and modernization and international integration, which offers opportunities for foreign enterprises to expand investment in the Southeast Asian country, reiterated Vo.

Founded in 1963, VCCI has more than 200,000 member enterprises and 200 business associations nationwide.

Vietnamese enterprises offered insight into Indian standards certification

The Vietnamese Trade Office in India and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on April 26 organised a webinar on BIS’s regulations and certification procedures for foreign manufacturers, attracting the participation of more than 60 Vietnamese firms.

Vietnamese Trade Counsellor Bui Trung Thuong said BIS certificates are mandatory for both domestic and foreign manufacturers to export goods to the Indian market. Its list of products is expanding, covering many of Vietnamese exports to India such as chemicals, toys, steel, shoes, tires, and synthetic fibers, he noted.

Speakers of the event, S. Venkatesh and P. Deshick from BIS’s Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department said an important requirement for Vietnamese businesses is to have an authorised Indian representative (AIR), who must be Indian and represent only one manufacturing company.

The BIS certification will be valid for one or two years upon initial registration. After that, the business can apply for an extension of up to five years, based on the performance of the license.

Statistics from the Vietnam General Department of Customs showed that two-way trade saw a yearly increase of 13.6% to 15.05 billion USD in 2022, with Vietnam’s exports to India topped 7.96 billion USD, up 26.8% year-on-year. The 1.4-billion-strong Indian market has diverse demands with various market segments – a good condition for Vietnamese exporters.

Electricity prices to be revised up following holiday

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has allowed the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to revise up electricity prices by a maximum of 3% following the April 30 - May 1 holiday.

Under a document signed by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoan An on April 27, the adjustment of the average retail electricity prices in 2023 must comply with the regulations stated in the Prime Minister’s Decision dated June 30, 2017, on the mechanism for the work.

The ministry asked the EVN to point out objective and subjective causes of its current financial situation, adopt drastic measures to reduce production and trade costs, including adopting advanced technology and digital transformation, and negotiate with investors and suppliers in the principles of harmonising interests and sharing risks.

It was also assigned to build a comprehensive communication plan to reach public consensus on price adjustment, raise public awareness of saving electricity, and launch a nationwide power saving movement.

HCM City leads nation in exports last year: report

Ho Chi Minh City led the nation in exports last year as unveiled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in its annual report on imports and exports, released in Hanoi on April 27.

This is the seventh year in a row the ministry has compiled the report, which gave an insight into each group of commodities, markets, the utilisation of opportunities generated by free trade agreements, and export-import management, said Phan Van Chinh, Director of the MoIT’s Agency of Foreign Trade.

According to the report, apart from the southern economic hub, which posted export revenue of 47.54 billion USD, the top 10 localities in this regard included Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Dong Nai, Bac Giang, Hanoi, Phu Tho and Hai Duong.  

Nguyen Cam Trang, Deputy Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade, said Vietnam’s export-import results are remarkable given the impacts of material price surges and supply chain disruptions, among other hurdles.

The value reached 730 billion USD last year, of which export was 371.3 billion USD, representing a double-digit rise as compared with 2021, the official said, noting the country also recorded growth in all commodity groups in 2022 - the 7th consecutive year that the trade surplus exceeded 10 billion USD.

Regarding the report, Trang said it has received a warm response from stakeholders, including associations, State management agencies, and businesses.

Notably, the 2022 report provides information about the national import-export strategy for 2023, along with updates on the joining of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific (CPTPP) by a number of economies and the ratification of the deal, and new points in the implementation of trade promotion activities.

Seminar seeks to improve value of Vietnamese coffee

The Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association held a seminar on April 27 looking back on five editions of the annual Vietnam Amazing Cup which aims to discover and honour specialty coffee manufacturers, roasters and traders, contributing to improving the value of Vietnamese specialty coffee.

The competition was held for the first time at the seventh Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival in 2019.

Over the past five years, the competition has attracted 207 participating units, with 339 samples. As a result, 250 samples have met specialty coffee standards according to the international rating scale.

Speaking at the event, President of the association Trinh Duc Minh said through the competitions, all coffee-growing regions in Vietnam have shown their potential to produce specialty coffee. Of them, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has demonstrated its advantages in developing robusta coffee both in terms of quantity and quality.

Vietnamese enterprises offered insight into Indian standards certification

The Vietnamese Trade Office in India and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on April 26 organised a webinar on BIS’s regulations and certification procedures for foreign manufacturers, attracting the participation of more than 60 Vietnamese firms.
 
Vietnamese Trade Counsellor Bui Trung Thuong said BIS certificates are mandatory for both domestic and foreign manufacturers to export goods to the Indian market. Its list of products is expanding, covering many of Vietnamese exports to India such as chemicals, toys, steel, shoes, tires, and synthetic fibers, he noted.

Speakers of the event, S. Venkatesh and P. Deshick from BIS’s Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department said an important requirement for Vietnamese businesses is to have an authorised Indian representative (AIR), who must be Indian and represent only one manufacturing company.

The BIS certification will be valid for one or two years upon initial registration. After that, the business can apply for an extension of up to five years, based on the performance of the license.

Deputy PM asks for closer coordination to speed up public investment disbursement

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has asked ministries and central agencies to work closely with localities to remove obstacles for particular projects, thus speeding up public investment disbursement.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of 17 ministries and central agencies on April 27, Deputy PM Ha underlined the need to strengthen their capacity in directing and managing the disbursement of public investment capital from the stage of preparation to investment decision.

He requested leaders of ministries and central agencies to bear responsible for the whole process from project proposing and verification to implementation.

Particularly, the Ministry of Construction must d apply measures to shorten the verification duration for projects, he said.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung, this year, the total State budget capital assigned to 17 ministries and central agencies is over 111.76 trillion VND (4.76 billion USD). So far, more than 105.13 trillion VND, or 94% of the amount, has been allocated to particular projects.

To date, the 17 ministries and agencies have disbursed 23.74 trillion VND, completing 21.24% of the yearly plan. However, the rate is not equal among the ministries and agencies. While the Ministry of Transport and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology posted 24.27% and 19.44%, respectively, the rest showed slow disbursement.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes