IMS Health has placed Vietnam into the group of 17 most pharmerging markets which are expected to consume one-third of total global consumption in the future instead of one-fourth as currently seen.

Foreign buyers accounted for 50% of all successful residential deals, meaning that they are not merely entering Vietnam to set up operations but they are committed to keeping their money here.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s automobile industry needs support from government to reduce production costs and become a player in the regional automobile market, experts say.

 Many of the local people want to use electricity originating from renewable energy sources as it is offered at reasonable prices and can replace other materials, including coal, which is facing an acute shortage, officials said. 

 Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said that US$584.1 million had been disbursed for the first metro line project in HCMC, so the debt to Japanese construction and consultancy contractors was not too high.

 Vietnam has set a target to gain per capita income of around USD10,000 by 2035, according to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

 Vietnam will eventually have the highest labor cost in the region related to hiring expat workers if these workers are forced to apply for social insurance, officials said.

 Vietnam may drop from the top spot as the world’s largest pepper producer, as many other producers such as Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia are increasing their productivity and output in pepper production. 

 State-run Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) has proposed investing nearly VND4 trillion to build two piers at Lien Chieu Port in the central coast city of Danang.

 The image recognition of Hanoi among the global audience of the US’s Cable News Network (CNN) has improved, especially on social networks, according to CNN Senior Vice President for Asia-Pacific Sunita Rajan.

 Police of the northern province of Lao Cai have handed over 10 Chinese nationals accused of online swindling to police of Hekou county, China’s Yunnan province.

Director of the Pukyong National University Kim Young-seop granted an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Politics to Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

 The success of the business community would bring prosperity for Vietnam in the next decades.

 HCMC should adopt short-term and long-term solutions concurrently to control flooding, but none of the solutions presented to date are seen as optimal, experts said at a review conference on anti-flooding projects.

 The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) has proposed revoking a ban on the sale of liquor products on online platforms as such a ban could pave the way for products of unclear origin to enter the local market.

Le Diep Kieu Trang, country director for Facebook Vietnam, on December 5 announced on her Facebook page that she would quit late this year as she wants to spend more time with her family and launch new personal initiatives.

 The Friendship Order, the most noble award the Vietnamese State presents to foreign collectives and citizens, was granted to the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU) and its Rector Victor Antonovich Sadovnichy on December 5.

 Malaysia become the first finalists of the 2018 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) after a 2-2 nail-biting draw with Thailand in the second leg of the semi-final in Bangkok on December 5.

 Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Umeda Kunio on December 5 announced grants from the Japanese government worth a total of 1.2 million USD to eight grassroots development projects in Vietnam.

Vietnam has rich by-product sources that could be used to grow mushrooms. However, the country is losing its competitive edge as the domestic market is flooded with mushroom imports.