Vietnamese shares were boosted to a new 10-year-high by large-cap stocks last week, but the latest drop may signal further decline in the coming week, analysts say.

 The competitive pressure exerted on domestic fashion firms by the increasing presence of world renowned brands is unavoidable, but it could have positive impacts in the long run, experts say.

The Ministry of Industry and Tradeis drafting regulations on new retail prices for electricity, aiming to lower electricity prices for hotels to strengthen the tourism sector and hike prices for electricity-guzzling households.

 Although fluctuations in international demand and pricing have put pressure on returns from Viet Nam’s mining industry, the sector remains a magnet for foreign direct investment (FDI), a sign of confidence in its long-term prospects.

 HCM City authorities aim to export about 40-50 million ornamental fish worth US$40-50 million by 2020.

 The Ministry of Transport says it is not feasible to remove toll booths on national roads because the Government would have to shell out significant sums of money to compensate private investors.

VietNamNet Bridge - Alipay has changed people’s payment habits in China. Will the same thing happen in Vietnam?

 Strong economic growth since 2015 has created a thriving domestic property market that is likely to continue next year, said Construction Minister Pham Hong Ha.

 The Ministry of Health has proposed to the Government reducing or simplifying the number of administrative procedures in food safety management.

 Post Caesarean section complications, job security and many other issues are discouraging women, especially in big cities, from having more children while official policy encourages them to do so.

 The 11th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting (ANCM-11) opened in Pattaya city, Thailand, on November 19, themed “Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment”.

VietNamNet Bridge - All hotels have to cooperate with online travel agents (OTA) to sell hotel reservations. However, many of them are seeking ways to find guests directly and escape heavy reliance on the sites.  

VietNamNet Bridge - In recent years, many HCMC residents have decided to breed crocodiles and several wildlife species as a solution to escape poverty.

VietNamNet Bridge - Accurate forecasts about rice and crop yields, as well as better monitoring of floods and natural calamities are needed to help policymakers come up with good solutions for agricultural production.

VietNamNet Bridge - Educators have rung the alarm bell over the number of students forced to stop studying at school, saying that students lack enthusiasm, regularly play truant and receive bad marks.

National Assembly deputies raised a number of questions for the Chief Justice of the People’s Supreme Court and the Prime Minister at the Q&A session of the ongoing fourth sitting of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 18.

 Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex), the country’s largest fuel trader, plans to stop selling RON 92 gasoline and replace it with E5 bio-fuel ahead of its earlier schedule.

 Although Vietnam has a dense network of rivers and canals, the volume of cargo and passengers transported on inland waterways accounts for small proportions, 17-19% and 4-6% respectively.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnamese street food market, with estimated value of VND47 trillion, is now attracting big food supply chains and retailers.

Vietnamese food enterprises may not be qualified as major suppliers of U.S. multinational retailer Walmart because of their small scale, but they may be its smaller providers, said senior director for Walmart Global Sourcing in Southeast Asia.