The 2017 Vietnam Provincial Government and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI 2017) report was released in April 4 in Hanoi.

Many hydrants in Hanoi do not work while the city lacks water sources for firefighting and measures to tackle high-rise fires.

AVG has paid VND2.5 trillion (US$109.5 million) to MobiFone, a State-owned business under management of the Ministry of Information and Communications, after the two sides cancelled the mutual share transfer agreement on March 12. 

 The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has asked the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) to hold an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to review personnel matters.

  Itochu, Japan’s second-largest trading company, has spent some five billion yen (US$46.9 million) to buy an additional 10 per cent equity in Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).

 The US Department of Commerce (DOC) last week announced the initiation of anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into the import of laminated woven sacks (LWSs) from Viet Nam.

 The environmental protection tax increase would make CPI in July rise by 0.27-0.29 per cent from the previous month, said Vu Thi Mai, deputy minister of Finance at the monthly Government meeting held in Ha Noi on Monday.

 Heineken will bring Formula 1, one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, to Viet Nam for the first time in May.

 There will be two direct flights weekly from Switzerland to Viet Nam starting November, Federal Councilor of Switzerland Doris Leuthard said on Tuesday when she met Transport Minister Nguyen Van The.

 Investors of apartment buildings in Hanoi who fail or defer to follow regulations on fire prevention would face legal proceedings, a municipal People’s Committee meeting heard yesterday.

 A smart healthcare system that exploits Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI) has been set up by the Ministry of Health to improve the quality of health examinations and medical treatment.

 The Ministry of Transport has asked the representative of State stake in Vietnam Airlines to draft plans to reduce State ownership to 51 percent of the national flag carrier’s charter capital in 2019.

Despite their high prices, some wealthy Vietnamese people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on miniature bonsais.

 Being impressed with Vietnam’s recent success, the world football governing body FIFA has published an article reviewing the country’s achievements, while suggesting that another turning point is approaching.

 Moody’s Investors Service said that Vietnam’s real GDP growth will remain robust, averaging 6.7 percent in 2018, in its annual credit analysis released on April 3.

 Vietnam exported up to 520,000 tonnes of coffee worth 1 billion USD in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 15.1 percent in volume but a decrease of 1.7 percent in value compared to the same period last year.

 Amata VN Public Company Limited, a subsidiary of Thailand-based Amata Corporation PCL, has been licenced to develop the first phase of a 1.6 billion-USD industrial and urban project in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh. 

 A captain who fishes illegally will see his boat driving licence revoked and his vessel banned from fishing, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.

The ministries of Transport (MOT) and Science & Technology (MST) plan to set up technical barriers to tighten the control of imported cars.

 The US Department of Commerce (DOC) recently announced an anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty investigations into laminated woven sacks imported from Vietnam.