Vietnamnet global

22/09/2020 09:46 (GMT+07:00)

VIETNAM'S BUSINESS NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 22

Hotel rates down steeply as COVID-19 keeps away tourists

The hotel industry is facing arguably its greatest challenge as the impacts of COVID-19 keep away foreign visitors from the country.

In major cities like Hanoi and HCM City, many hotels have cut their rates sharply to attract local visitors, with many others, unable to cope, even closing down.

In a report, property consultancy CBRE said COVID-19 triggered lockdowns and travel restrictions on a global scale, sending the tourism and hotel sectors into virtual hibernation mode throughout the first half of this year.

Occupancy rates reached the lowest point in April, when nation-wide social isolation was imposed, before slowly recovering in May and June when local tourists started to hit the road again.

The third quarter is unlikely to see much improvement from previous ones since Vietnam has faced a second wave of COVID-19 starting in late July, and some parts of the country have imposed social isolation to contain the spread./.

Dong Nai speeds up key transport projects

The southern province of Đồng Nai has mobilised all resources to speed up the progress of several major transport projects, including the Long Thành International Airport.

The projects are expected to drive sustainable economic growth not only for the province but also for the Southern Key Economic Region and the entire country.

The Long Thành International Airport, the country’s largest-ever project, will cost VNĐ336.63 trillion (US$14.53 billion). Its construction is divided into three phases. The first phase is expected to begin construction next year.

More than 5,000ha of land, which belongs to 18 organisations and nearly 5,300 households with a total of 15,000 people in Long Thành District, have to be cleared to build the airport. Another 364ha will be required to build the two resettlement sites.

The total cost for ground clearance, compensation and resettlement support is estimated at nearly VNĐ23 trillion ($992 million).

The province is set to give priority to site clearance on an area covering 1,810ha. It has paid compensation to the Đồng Nai Rubber Corporation to acquire 1,180ha owned by the company to build two resettlement areas in Lộc An and Bình Sơn communes in Long Thành District.

About 130ha has been acquired from 330 households with compensation payments of more than VNĐ625 billion ($27 million).

Compensation rates and detailed compensation plans are being considered for the remaining area and are expected to be handed over for construction of the airport in October.

Most of the affected households have agreed to the compensation and support offered.

Phạm Văn Cư, a resident in Bình Sơn Commune, said he had received land compensation of VNĐ2.1 billion ($90,600) for his land of 4,200sq.m. He said the airport was necessary and agreed to the State’s policies on compensation rates and resettlement support.

“I'll deposit my money at a bank to earn interest while waiting for arrangement of resettlement housing or land lots,” he said.

At the end of April, the provincial People’s Committee gave priority to building technical infrastructure for the Lộc An - Bình Sơn resettlement area that will provide new living areas for 28,500 people.

The work includes drainage routes outside of the resettlement area's boundary and four main roads. The work is expected to be completed in October.

Construction of 12 subdivisions and electricity, lighting and water supply systems in the resettlement area will be completed in December.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc in July asked the provincial authority to complete site clearance for all land for the airport project next year. To achieve the goal, compensation payments to all affected households must be completed by the end of this year.

Lê Văn Tiếp, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said about 50 staff from departments and branches moved to Long Thành District last year to carry out the project’s land compensation and site clearance.

But the district authority asked for 40 additional staff due to the heavy workload. The additional staff moved to the district in August to help speed up the work.

A number of other key transport projects are being implemented in the province.

They include Bến Lức - Long Thành Expressway between Long An and Đồng Nai provinces, Phan Thiết - Dầu Giây Expressway between Bình Thuận and Đồng Nai provinces, Dầu Giây Intersection, and Ring Road No 3 linking HCM City with Ðồng Nai and Bình Dương provinces.

Phan Thiết - Dầu Giây Expressway is an eastern section of the North-South Expressway with a total length of nearly 100km. The section passing through Đồng Nai Province will extend more than 51km.

A total of 412ha area is needed to build the expressway. Land clearance tasks for the project construction are nearly completed.

The province has approved a compensation plan for the remaining 342 households and 10 organisations affected by the project in Xuân Lộc District. It aims to complete compensation payments and hand over all land for construction of the project in September.

In a related matter, a number of key transport projects in the province have been delayed due to land clearance problems.

The Dầu Giây Intersection project, for example, will reduce traffic congestion at the intersection between national highways No 1A and 20 in Thống Nhất District. But it has been delayed for more than two years.

Delays were caused partly by slow compensation payments to affected households, causing compensation and resettlement support costs to increase by more than 5 times compared to the original financial plan.

The cost has increased to VNĐ130 billion ($5.6 million) from VNĐ22 billion ($950,000).

The province’s People’s Committee has proposed that the Government direct the Ministry of Transport to work with relevant units to arrange capital sources to complete the intersection project.

Cao Tiến Dũng, chairman of the committee, said the province has asked all departments, branches and localities to make efforts to speed up site clearance and disbursement of funds.

It has set up a steering committee to create relevant procedures related to the projects, as well as monthly checks and monitoring of the projects’ progress so that problems can be solved promptly.

The leaders of the province are working with relevant agencies weekly to urge progress in land acquisition, compensation, resettlement and vocational training for locals affected by the projects.

The committee has told local authorities to prepare for the construction of resettlement areas. If the districts need capital, they will be allowed to advance investment capital to build the resettlement areas.

Made-in-Vietnam stationery winning customers’ hearts

With the academic year having kicked off recently, stationery has been in high demand. As Made-in-Vietnam items are now prevalent in the market and several promotional campaigns have been held, the financial burden faced by Vietnamese parents has been largely eased.

Many Vietnamese parents have chosen Made-in-Vietnam stationery for their kids this academic year, as product quality is good and prices are reasonable compared to imports.

Made-in-Vietnam stationery is doing well this year thanks to the efforts of domestic producers to innovate products to catch up with the latest trends while also carrying out promotional programmes to help parents during the pandemic.

Price-stabilised stationery has also won the hearts of many customers this year. In HCM City, products under the price stabilisation programme account for 35 to 50% of the entire stationery market. These products are sold at prices 10 to 15% lower than market prices and are available at various points of sale.

COVID-19 has interrupted global trade but also presents an opportunity for Vietnamese products to carve out a new or greater market share. In order to not miss out on any opportunities, Vietnamese producers have worked hard to improve product quality while introducing several promotional programmes./.

Sustainable development of medicinal plants in Lao Cai

Lao Cai province has directed localities to gradually restore and develop medicinal plants, expand growing areas, and supply raw materials for local pharmaceutical processing companies and corporations.

Northern Lao Cai province has four types of medicinal plants that are centrally-produced and recognised by the Ministry of Health as meeting the principles and standards of “Good practice for cultivating and collecting medicinal plants” (GACP), as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). There are currently ten companies, businesses, cooperatives, and individuals involved in the production and purchase of pharmaceutical products, purchasing over 3,000 tons of products of all kinds annually.

The Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee has issued Decision No 1214, specifying a list of key agricultural products offered prioritised support in linking production with product consumption.

Links in pharmaceutical production have been gradually formed, with production areas having applied technical measures to increase productivity and improve product quality.

Lao Cai province is also gradually establishing brands and issuing codes for medicinal plant areas, and by 2030 targets having 3,500 ha of medicinal plants while focusing on developing 22 main types of medicinal herbs, with output at over 11,000 tons a year. It will develop and expand its medicinal plant areas, providing materials for domestic pharmaceutical companies and corporations.

Vietnam steps up clean energy development: report

The year 2020 marks a major turning point in the energy industry of Vietnam, with clean energy strengthening its solid position and establishing itself as a profitable sector with significant potential for development, while coal-fired thermal power no longer holding the position as a favoured energy source in the country.

Hanoi – The year 2020 marks a major turning point in the energy industry of Vietnam, with clean energy strengthening its solid position and establishing itself as a profitable sector with significant potential for development, while coal-fired thermal power no longer holding the position as a favoured energy source in the country.

The information was shared in the Vietnam Energy Update Report 2020 recently released by the Centre of Media and Development Initiatives (MDI) under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

The report examines key features of the development of Vietnam’s energy sector from August 2019 to August 2020, with a focus on major power generation sources.

According to the report, clean energy - including solar and wind - is now making an increasingly important contribution to the national power system, and has become a priority in the country's energy development orientation. Gas thermal power, especially imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), is also a sector with potential, with the construction of the first two gas import terminals underway.

It also pointed out that at least six provinces across the country, including Quang Ninh - the country’s biggest coal mine, have proposed to have coal-fired power projects cancelled due to concerns about environmental pollution. Other localities such as Bac Lieu, Long An, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh and Tien Giang plan to replace planned coal-fired power plants with projects using imported LNG.

Vietnam has increased its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to join hands with the international community in efforts to reduce the impact of climate change.

Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), former France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, said that “over the past year, Vietnam has begun to mark itself out as a clean energy success story. Though there is some distance to go, its shift away from coal and rapid uptake of renewables make it one of the leaders in Southeast Asia, and an example to other nations looking to transition”.

“And Vietnam has much to gain, not just in terms of a safer climate and cleaner air, but in jobs and investment. Around the world, renewables are proving to be the smarter, cheaper option and it is inspiring to see Vietnam beginning to seize the opportunity,” she stated.

Traditional fish sauce exporters should focus on packaging: experts

As traditional Vietnamese fish sauce is being sold in more and more countries around the world, businesses need to pay attention to their packaging and help consumers differentiate between traditional and industrial varieties, experts have said.

Link Nature Power Joint Stock Company produces the Mami brand of traditional fish sauce and exports it to the US, Canada, the Republic of Korea, and Japan besides being one of the few Vietnamese businesses to sell on Amazon.

Le Ba Linh, who founded the company, said over 70 percent of its customers are white. Foreign users usually cook with fish sauce rather than dip food in it, he added.

Le Ngoc Anh, CEO of Le Gia Co. Ltd, which exports traditional fish sauce to Russia, South Africa and the Republic of Korea and is preparing to ship to the US and EU, said exporting fish sauce is a way to take Vietnamese cuisine to other countries.

But other countries pay great attention to quality, certification and origin, and so the packaging must have all the required information and be printed bilingually.

Other brands revealed they had to redo their packaging multiple times to suit foreign markets.

Vietnam’s largest competitor is Thailand, which mostly produces fish sauce industrially, and so Vietnam has a competitive edge in the traditional segment.

Tran Huu Hien, CEO of Bay Hong Hanh Produce – Commercial – Service Co. Ltd, said businesses need to spread awareness among local and international consumers about the distinctive characteristics of traditional fish sauce, including odour.

If they are absent, Vietnam’s traditional sauces would become too similar to Thailand’s and lose their competitive edge in the global market, he said.

The Vietnam Traditional Fish Sauce Association, which recently received permission to be set up, will issue criteria to differentiate traditional sauce from industrial, and create logos to help customers tell the difference between the two.

Thailand to spend over 1.6 billion USD boosting domestic consumption

Thailand has unveiled a three-month stimulus package worth 51 billion THB (1.63 million USD) to boost domestic consumption and support the COVID-19-hit economy.

The stimulus package, introduced by Thailand's Centre for Economic Situation Administration, will cover 24 million mainly low-income people via two schemes.

In the first scheme, 14 million welfare cardholders will receive an extra monthly discount of 500 THB from October to December on their shopping. The budget for this scheme is 21 billion THB.

In the second scheme, worth 30 billion THB, 10 million people will get daily discounts of up to 50 THB on food, beverages and household essentials, excluding alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets. The subsidy is capped at 3,000 THB per person. Thai citizens aged 18 or over can register online.

Registration is scheduled to open on October 16.

Despite the country’s relatively effective containment of COVID-19, the pandemic’s impact on the Thai economy has been more severe than expected and economic recovery remains elusive, with annual GDP poised to shrink by 8 percent, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The economy contracted 12.2 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, the sharpest fall since the Asian financial crisis in 1998.

Hanoi’s agriculture set to grow at least 3 percent in 2021

Hanoi’s agriculture is projected to grow at least 3 percent in 2021 under a recently-issued plan on agriculture and rural development in the year.

The city also aims to have all communes and three more districts recognised as new-style rural areas, and 20 communes recognised as advanced new-style rural areas.

The average income of local farmers is set to increase to 58 million VND (2,500 USD), and the rate of labourers in rural areas with stable jobs is projected at over 95 percent, according to the plan.

To that end, the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will advise the city administration to devise policies, solutions and build concentrated and large-scale farming models, creating a premise to attract investors in agricultural production and processing.

The department will promote scientific and technological application, and restructuring in the sector, towards a modern and comprehensive agricultural sector.

The local agricultural sector will work to promote production linkages, effectively optimise brand names and trademarks, and expand high-tech and organic agriculture in order to churn out safe products with clear origin.

Hanoi’s agriculture sector is facing a host of difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires it to continue with restructuring and switch to new crops to ensure growth.

Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Phu said the agriculture sector in the capital targets 89,500 ha of rice, 1.8 million pigs, and 38 million poultry heads this year, and is expected to grow 6.26 percent.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue asked that pig breeding be stepped up to 1.8 million heads to curb the rising CPI and that more fruits and vegetables be grown.

He suggested effectively using industrial and non-cultivation land to meet food demand, issuing mechanisms and policies to use existing agriculture land effectively, and attracting unemployed people from rural to urban areas.

Hue asked the Steering Committee on Programme No. 02-CTr/TU from the municipal Party Committee on the development of agriculture, new-style rural areas, and improving farmers’ lives during the 2016-2020 period to increase resources for public investment, contributing to economic growth and improving workers’ incomes.

The city’s Farmers’ Union has been assigned to guide farmers on production, connect them with scientists, businesses, and banks, and form new-style cooperatives.

The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a list of 11 projects that it is inviting investment for between now and 2025.

They include hi-tech agriculture projects in An Thuong and Song Phuong communes of Hoai Duc district, and Hien Ninh, Thanh Xuan and Tan Dan communes of Soc Son district.

Several concentrated livestock slaughtering projects are also open to investment such as those in Quang Lang and Tri Thuy communes of Phu Xuyen district, Dong Thai commune of Ba Vi district, Trach My Loc commune of Phuc Tho district, and Minh Phu commune of Soc Son district.

The city is striving to have 10 districts recognised as new-style rural areas in 2020, according to a local official.

Hanoi has six new-style rural districts, namely Dan Phuong, Dong Anh, Thanh Tri, Hoai Duc, Quoc Oai and Gia Lam.

To achieve the target, Permanent Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang requested the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to speed up the disbursement of a 700-billion-VND (over 30 million USD) aid package for districts and communes to develop agriculture, build new-style rural areas, and improve local living standards.

According to Director of the department Chu Phu My, the city’s agricultural growth declined by 1.17 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020 due to the impact of African swine fever and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national target programme on building new-styled rural areas was initiated by the Government in 2010 with the aim of developing rural regions. The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacity, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values.

Ninh Binh eyes $137m automobile factory

Construction of an automobile assembly and manufacturing factory, expected to cost over VND3.2 trillion (US$137.4 million) kicked off on Sunday in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

Financed by Thanh Cong Group, the Hyundai Thanh Cong No 2 factory has a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles each year. It spans 50ha in the province's Gian Khau Industrial Park.

The factory is divided into two phases with the first expected to be completed in 2022 while the second is slated for completion in 2025.

The new factory - Thanh Cong Group's second of its kind in the province - is considered one of the firm's most important projects.

Dinh Van Dien, chairman of Ninh Binh People's Committee, said Thanh Cong Group's business expansion in the locality is appropriate with the province's socio-economic development strategies and that of Viet Nam's automobile industry.

Local authorities will create favourable conditions for Thanh Cong Group to develop its second factory as well as other projects in the near future.

Dak Lak seeks to become investment magnet

The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is seeking to improve its business and investment climate to become an attractive investment destination, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

Dinh Xuan Ha, the department’s director, said Dak Lak would continue to move up in the annual Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) rankings since it has assigned top priority to administrative reform.

It aims to diversify its investment promotion efforts, including by holding regular meetings and interactions with large domestic and international companies to apprise them about its potential and investment climate, he said.

Top priority is also being given to ensuring public order and creating conditions to ensure businesses feel secure about investing, he said.

The province would work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies to obtain up-to-date information on its partners, he said.

It would prioritise investment in high-tech agriculture and food processing industry, especially for exports, and industrial-scale livestock breeding, he added.

In June, the province licensed the first phase of the VND360 billion (US$15.46 million) DHN high-tech livestock complex in Ea M’Droh commune, Cu M’gar district.

Vu Manh Hung, Chairman of Hung Nhon Group, its owner, said by the end of next year the complex is expected to supply high-quality pork that meets international standards to the domestic market.

“Dak Lak has favourable conditions to develop high-tech livestock farming,” he said.

The Hung Nhon Group has tied up with the De Heus Group of the Netherlands to build a hi-tech agricultural complex, expected to cost VND1.5 trillion ($64.49 million), in the province by 2025.

According to the department, the sectors most appealing to investors are wind and solar power, urban development, eco-tourism, resorts, and agricultural production.

Six large renewable energy plants have been completed and commissioned.

They include five solar farms with a total capacity of 190MW and costing VND4.88 trillion, and a wind power plant with a capacity of 28.8MW built at a cost of VND1.8 trillion.

Five other solar plants with a total capacity of 600MW are under construction. To cost VND15.402 trillion, they are expected to begin commercial generation by the end of this year.

Recently the province has sought the Government’s approval for a VND7.7 trillion wind power project in Cu M’gar District to be built by the AMI AC Renewables Dak Lak Company Ltd.

Ha said the province has achieved average annual economic growth of more than 8 per cent since 2015.

The province has gradually shifted from agriculture, forestry and fishery to industry - construction, he said.

The PCI shows it improved many indicators in 2019, especially the index of business support services, to rank a creditable sixth out of the country’s 63 provinces and cities.

The province has an airport and a fairly well-developed road network, with many important national highways passing through it.

With nearly 540,000ha of agricultural lands, it grows a number of high-value commercial crops such as coffee, rubber and pepper.

Dak Lak has an abundant workforce of more than 900,000, including 400,000 well-trained workers.

Traditional fish sauce exporters should focus on packaging, differentiation from industrial version: experts

As traditional Vietnamese fish sauce is being sold in more and more countries around the world, businesses need to pay attention to their packaging and help consumers differentiate between traditional and industrial varieties, experts have said.

Link Nature Power Joint Stock Company produces the Mami brand of traditional fish sauce and exports it to the US, Canada, South Korea, and Japan besides being one of the few Vietnamese businesses to sell on Amazon.

Le Ba Linh, who founded the company, said over 70 per cent of its customers are white.

Foreign users usually cook with fish sauce rather than dip food in it, he added.

Le Ngoc Anh, CEO of Le Gia Co. Ltd, which exports traditional fish sauce to Russia, South Africa and South Korea and is preparing to ship to the US and EU, said exporting fish sauce is a way to take Vietnamese cuisine to other countries.

But other countries pay great attention to quality, certification and origin, and so the packaging must have all the required information and be printed bilingually.

Other brands revealed they had to redo their packaging multiple times to suit foreign markets.

Viet Nam’s largest competitor is Thailand, which mostly produces fish sauce industrially, and so Viet Nam has a competitive edge in the traditional segment.

If they are absent, Viet Nam’s traditional sauces would become too similar to Thailand’s and lose their competitive edge in the global market, he said.

The Viet Nam Traditional Fish Sauce Association, which recently received permission to be set up, will issue criteria to differentiate traditional sauce from industrial, and create logos to help customers tell the difference between the two.

Handicraft, wood industry sets bar high

The Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City said it plans several measures to add value to Viet Nam’s handicrafts and wood products, help its members further penetrate the global supply chain and enable Viet Nam to become a leading producer and exporter of quality, branded and reputed furniture and forestry products.

The association held its eighth congress last Friday to review its 2016-19 activities and make plans for 2020-23.

Nguyen Chanh Phuong, its deputy chairman and general secretary, said the association has organised many activities that have increased the reputation of the wood and forestry processing industry in both the domestic and international markets.

They included a conference on orientations for the rapidly growing industry attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the ASEAN Market Attraction forum and launch of new exhibition VIFA GU and online exhibition platform HOPE, he listed.

The association also signed agreements with technology partners to embrace digital transformation for itself and members, which has opened new business opportunities and helped overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

“But the woodworking industry also missed some opportunities. The industry is still more inclined towards outsourcing and labour intensive work and lacks a skilled workforce. Technology is used but not thoroughly. These are the things we must continue to encourage the wood industry to improve further.”

Talking about plans for the new term, Nguyen Quoc Khanh, HAWA chairman, said the association would continue to work with the Government to advocate sound policies, create business opportunities for its members through trade fairs and exhibitions and attract more members as well as increase their connectivity.

“The industry will work to meet the export target of US$20 billion by 2025 set by the Government, of which Vietnamese enterprises must account for 60-70 per cent.”

Attracting younger generations to the industry, helping members embrace technologies such as AI, VR and AR to take part in the global supply chain, encouraging firms to shift from OEM (original equipment manufacturers) to ODM (original design manufacturing), and developing products using unique materials to attain high profits are other targets, he said.

Adopting technology in all stages of the value chain such as R&D, distribution, new materials, services, forest development, and production would help businesses create competitive products and reduce production time, he pointed out.

With this five-year strategic vision, HAWA wants to make the wood and furniture industry attractive, improve profitability and value addition for the industry, develop a comprehensive supply chain, attract new investors, foster young entrepreneurs, and promote the Vietnamese furniture brand globally, he said.

Khanh unveiled three projects the association plans in the new term: a centre in Tay Ninh Province for start-up firms in the handicrafts and wood industry, the 150ha Bui Thanh Thuy Handicraft village in Dong Thap Province in collaboration with Novaland and a tie-up with the Vietnam Business and Investment Fast Track to help foreign businesses enter the country and link up with Vietnamese businesses.

HAWA has nearly 550 members in 25 cities and provinces.

An Giang, southern provinces work to revive tourism sector

The Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta province of An Giang plans to promote co-operation with HCM City and Mekong Delta provinces to help revive the tourism sector.

Nguyễn Khánh Hiệp, director of the province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that one of the province’s major missions for the rest of the year is tourism recovery.

The province will work with HCM City and Mekong provinces to launch new tours to its religious, cultural, and architectural sites, natural landscape and tourism areas such as the Óc Eo archaeological and architectural site, and the Trà Sư mangrove forest.

Tours to its famous border markets like Châu Đốc and Tịnh Biên will give visitors a chance to shop for quality products at affordable prices.

Hiệp said that new tours would attract more visitors to the province during year-end holidays.

Lê Văn Phước, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said that due to the second COVID-19 outbreak, An Giang cancelled this year’s Bảy Núi (Seven Mountains) Ox Racing Festival, which had been scheduled in October.

The festival is part of the Sene Dolta, one of the most important annual festivals of the Khmer community in the southwest region, along with the Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) and Ooc Oom Bok, a festival honouring the moon for a good harvest.

The oxen racing festival commemorates the merits of the Khmer’s ancestors and hopes for happiness and peace for their souls. The event is held from the 30th day of the eighth lunar month until the second day of the ninth lunar month each year, falling on October 16-18 this year.

During the event, the Khmer pay tribute to their ancestors and take part in activities with traditional songs and dances after a year of hard work.

In April, a project was approved to preserve the Bảy Núi ox racing festival, worth VNĐ5.8 billion (VNĐ249,500). The project aims to elevate the festival into an international event, attracting participants from ASEAN.

According to the department, the outbreak of COVID-19 in mid-July caused a loss of VNĐ13 billion (US$561,000) for the province’s tourism sector.

The number of arrivals in the region in the first eight months of the year was 4.8 million, a drop of 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The number of foreign visitors was 14,100, a year-on-year decrease of 78 per cent.

Tourism revenue in the period reached VNĐ3.06 trillion ($132 million), a fall of 34 per cent against the same period last year.

Handicraft, wood industry sets bar high

The Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA) of Ho Chi Minh City said it plans several measures to add value to Vietnam’s handicrafts and wood products, help its members further penetrate the global supply chain and enable Vietnam to become a leading producer and exporter of quality, branded and reputed furniture and forestry products.

The association held its eighth congress last week to review its 2016-2019 activities and make plans for 2020-2023.

Talking about plans for the new term, HAWA Chairman Nguyen Quoc Khanh said the association would continue to work with the Government to advocate sound policies, create business opportunities for its members through trade fairs and exhibitions and attract more members as well as increase their connectivity.

“The industry will work to meet the export target of 20 billion USD by 2025 set by the Government, of which Vietnamese enterprises must account for 60-70 percent.”

Khanh unveiled three projects the association plans in the new term: a centre in Tay Ninh province for start-up firms in the handicrafts and wood industry, the 150ha Bui Thanh Thuy Handicraft village in Dog Thap province in collaboration with Novaland and a tie-up with the Vietnam Business and Investment Fast Track to help foreign businesses enter the country and link up with Vietnamese businesses.