Vehicles completely built-up in Thailand and Indonesia held a combined ratio of 89% of the total vehicle imports to Vietnam in 2018, according to Vietnam Customs.

 Ride-hailing firm Grab Vietnam has filed an appeal against the ruling of the HCMC People’s Court ordering it to pay VND4.8 billion (US$207,100) in compensation to Vinasun, an HCMC-based taxi operator.

 Bamboo Airways, a subsidiary of property developer FLC Group, launched its maiden flight between HCMC and Hanoi City today, January 16, officially making it the fifth Vietnamese airline, the local media reported.

HCMC on January 15 saw 11 gas stations operated by Petrolimex Saigon rolling out self-service, which allows motorists and drivers to refill their own vehicles and make card payments, the local media reported.

 Vietnam will likely have a fifth air carrier in the years to come as local tour operator Vietravel looks to develop its own carrier, called Vietravel Airlines.

 High transaction fees, concerns over security and the habit of using cash have hindered local consumers from making noncash payments, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported, citing banking experts.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many farmers have chopped down coffee trees and shifted to durian and fruit trees after incurring big losses with coffee farming.

 The Traffic Control and Monitoring Center in HCMC will put into operation 762 cameras to monitor traffic and 136 cameras for measuring traffic density in the city, in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion and accidents.

 Vietnam’s total revenue from information and communications technology (ICT) in 2018 reached an estimated US$98.9 billion, according to data released at a meeting yesterday by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Other members of the CPTPP have pledged to cut some 77%-100% of tariff lines on Vietnamese ordinary goods, news site Vietnamplus reported, citing a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

 Police in HCMC’s Tan Binh District on January 15 said in a statement that they had launched an investigation into suspected perfume smuggling by a 35-year-old captain of Vietnam Airlines.

 Vietnam is certain to see better-quality foreign investment under the CPTPP.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietcombank and VIB Bank have become the two first Vietnamese banks which have received approval from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to apply Basel II standards.

 Watsons, the leading health and beauty brand in Asia and Eastern Europe, is opening its first store at Ho Chi Minh City's Bitexco Tower on January 17, marking its official entry to the Vietnamese market.

The Political Bureau will issue a new resolution that serves as basis for Viet Nam to improve institutions, including tax policies, on foreign investment attraction in years to come. 

The Hanoi People’s Committee has set 22 targets for socio-economic development in 2019, focusing on State budget restructuring, improvement of its investment and business environment and promotion of the innovation and startup ecosystem.

 Japanese firms consider Viet Nam the most attractive investment destination in Asia due to the country’s high economic growth, its position as a production hub and its large consumer market.

 The prices of imported automobiles in the Vietnamese market may not reduce as much as expected after the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership came into effect on Monday.

 The Vietnamese Government has hastened reforms but more renovations in State management are needed to facilitate businesses and effectively manage new business models, Chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc said.

 Football legend Dwight Yorke in his visit to Vietnam on Sunday said Vietnamese players should leave the country to improve their abilities.