Progress on deregulation of business prerequisites was still much below the goal, requiring greater cost-cutting efforts for businesses, the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) told a conference on Wednesday in Ha Noi.

 Viet Nam may have to import gas from 2020 to produce electricity for the country’s socio-economic development, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

 Private investors would pour money into the purchase, operation, and maintenance of trains as a way to share the government’s loan burden.

 A senior official at the National Assembly’s Financial and Budget Committee pointed out majors risk in the execution of infrastructure projects under public-private partnerships, especially in build-operate-transfer mode.

VietNamNet Bridge - Chinese goods, especially chemicals and plastics, are expected to increase in Vietnam.

 The number of petitions and denunciations in 2018 increased by 11.8 percent compared to last year and the number of cases rose by 4.7 percent, said the Government’s report.

 The National Assembly approved a resolution on November 14 towards the allocation of the central budget for 2019 with a 90.31 percent approval rate amongst lawmakers.

 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other ASEAN leaders lauded the New Southern Policy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and efforts by President Moon Jae-in in promoting the relations with ASEAN on the pillars of peace, prosperity and humans.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has underlined strong commitments of ASEAN in promoting and elevating the strategic partnership and comprehensive cooperation between the grouping and Japan.

 The World Bank (WB) and Ho Chi Minh City signed a memorandum of understanding on comprehensive partnership for the 2018-2020 period on November 14.

 The National Assembly (NA) is scheduled to vote on the draft law on protection of state secrets on November 15, part of its ongoing sixth session.

The Ministry of Education and Training will instruct local education departments to build roadmaps and plans to re-train primary school teachers to upgrade their qualifications within five years. 

 A new study has uncovered worrying trends on the ­operation of Vietnamese businesses over the past four years.

VietNamNet Bridge - A report of the State Bank showed that the bad debt of the entire banking system had dropped from 10.08 percent in 2016 to 6.7 percent by the end of June 2018.

 Fake discounts, which are occassionally applied by Lazada and other e-commerce platforms, may occur again on the Single Day promotion season this year.

VietNamNet Bridge - Lesser known and new smartphone brands have been making every effort to increase their presence in Vietnam. However, analysts believe they are not strong enough to change the market.

Vietnam’s ratification of the CPTPP is expected to boost the country’s labor reforms, according to a statement released on November 12 by the International Labor Organization.

VietNamNet Bridge - Environmental protection organizations have suggested that local authorities be responsible for controlling and stopping wildlife consumption in their localities. 

 Property services company Savills Vietnam believes that growing foreign direct investment and moving up in the value chain mean Vietnam’s industrial real estate sector has a bright future.

 The Ministry of Transport estimated that the total capital for developing the transport infrastructure in the country for 2018-2023 is estimated at roughly (US$48 billion).