Power and aviation companies are among the industries forecast for better things this year, according to industry analysts.

Most banks will not officially set their annual targets until their shareholder meetings in April, but many bank leaders are optimistic about 2019 with plans to increase profits through cutting operating costs and promoting digital services.

 It is time to acknowledge the role of consumer finance companies in the economy as they help repel the bad influence of black credit, while guiding borrowers to a more organised and transparent way of borrowing to better their life.

Economist Nguyen Tri Hieu talks about Vietnam’s current standing and the challenges that might impede the country from reaping the benefits from technologies to drive the local finance and banking sector’s development.

 Vietnam is preparing a contingency of 268 military engineers to be sent to war-torn South Sudan as the next step of its commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts, deputy defence minister Nguyen Chí Vinh has said.

 Lately, more Vietnamese people living abroad and foreigners have arrived in Vietnam for medical services. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Four state-owned banks are known as the ‘big four’ with a large scale and profit. But private banks ‘made things happen’ in 2018.

 Vietnam spent more than US$1.7 billion last year importing aquatic products, which were mainly processed for export, according to a report from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 VietNamNet Bridge – Imagine waking up in a house made of bamboo, washing your hair with dry fruit, bathing in leaves and brushing your teeth with natural toothpaste made from salted lemon and betel leaves.

 The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in District 2, HCMC will hold an exhibition titled “Machine is Nature” from February 22 to April 21, featuring works by 15 artists from Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, China and the UK.

 Technology solutions are transforming every aspect of life, lining up a plethora of services readily available at the swipe of a finger – and banking and finance is a hotbed of such innovation. 

The HCMC Public Passenger Transport Management and Operation Center has announced the fourth bidding for bus advertising, which is expected to take place on March 8, after the previous tenders failed to attract participants.

VietNamNet Bridge - Analysts believe that 2019 will be the year of industrial property, with a new infusion of FDI inflow.

 The HCMC government has assigned the municipal Traffic Safety Committee to establish an inspection team to look into compliance with regulations on traffic safety across all transport business operators in the city.

 The gong, a musical instrument native to the Central Highlands, is particularly popular in the five provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong. 

 French artist Sandrine Llouquet will hold her fifth solo exhibition titled “Chapter 4: Days and Nights of Revolving Joy” at Galerie Quynh in District 1 of HCMC from February 21 to April 6.

 More carriers serving Vietnam's aviation market is good news but infrastructure concerns simply must be addressed.

 Vietnamese people often go on a pilgrimage at the beginning of each Lunar New Year to pray for safety, health, good luck, prosperity, and happiness during the year. 

 Given the increasing competition among consumer finance companies, those who want to win the game ought to make their products and services stand out from the pack and deliver superior customer experience.

With 10 years collecting bells, Bui Duc Tam in Ho Chi Minh City has now owned more than 200 bells, which originate from all around the world.