Business

Vietnam’s foreign investment capital over the past eight months totalled US$12.63 billion, an increase of 19.5% on 2012.

The Vietnamese tourism sector has been around for decades but it has not yet come up with its own national trademark, said an expert.

The Vietnam Social Security Fund will be completely used up by 2034 without timely policy reform, the ILO warned.

The combined bad debts of BIDV, Vietcombank and Vietinbank reached more than 23.1 trillion VND (1.1 billion USD) in the first half of the year, according to the composite mid-year financial report of the three leading commercial banks.

While the unemployment rate in Vietnam has been at a high level, many local enterprises are still finding it hard to recruit good employees.

Credit organisations expect 2013’s consumer price index to reach 6.77 percent, slightly higher than the Government’s 6–6.5 percent target.

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai has urged some northern provinces to speed up land clearence and resettlement of local residents so that work can begin immediately on the key Son La and Lai Chau hydropower plants.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will create both opportunities and challenges for the local agricultural, garments and footwear sectors, a seminar was told in Ho Chi Minh City on August 21.

The Ministry of Transport just kick-started the auctioning process relevant to Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong expressway’s toll collection right handover.

The Government Office has lent its support to a proposal allowing foreign firms a greater stake holding in listed companies, the Dau tu chung khoannewspaper has reported.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is expected to build a factory to produce intergrated circuits and electronic components in the northern province of Thai Nguyen.

A large number of votive paper offerings are sold in the streets on the Amnesty of Unquiet Spirits Festival, bringing traders big profits.

Ho Chi Minh City’s August consumer price index nudged up 0.31% from July’s figure and 3.17% on the equivalent timeframe in 2012.

The second property exposition and trade fair will get underway in Hanoi from October 18-20, a move expected to shore up a long-time sagging property market.

The domestically-owned Cong Ly Company has received support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to sell electricity from its Bac Lieu wind power project at a price higher than regulated by the government.

The 45th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related meetings opened in Brunei on August 19, with discussions on establishing the ASEAN economic community by 2015 topping the agenda.

Japan remains the biggest investor in Vietnam with its share of investment rising sharply in recent years, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The vegetarian food market in HCM City has been busy since early this month as the Vu Lan festival approaches.

The Ministry of Transport has said that the construction of Long Thanh Airport is vital as the Tan Son Nhat Airport would be overloaded after 2020.