(VEN) - Unpredictable changes in petrol prices and high pork prices were expected to affect the consumer price index (CPI) in the last months of the year. However, the government’s flexible management, changes in foreign markets and relative stability of petrol and pork prices have helped ease the pressure on the CPI. November CPI drops At a recent regular meeting of the domestic market management team, Ta Thi Thu Viet, Deputy Head of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam’s (GSO) Price Statistics Department, said the November CPI dropped 0.29 percent compared to October’s, and CPI in the first 11 months of 2018 increased 3.59 percent over the same period last year. The figures are particularly noteworthy since just one month ago, consideration was given to imposing price control measures to keep the CPI from exceeding the annual four percent target set by the National Assembly. However, in November in both New York and London, crude oil prices fell to below US$60 … [Read more...] about Consumer prices set to end year just below growth limit
End year holidays
Tourists to Binh Thuan likely to number 40,000 during New Year holidays
Tourists visit Poshanu Cham Tower in Phan Thiet city (Photo: VNA) Binh Thuan (VNA) – The south central coastal province of Binh Thuan expects to welcome 40,000 visitors during the New Year holidays, which runs from December 29 to January 1. Besides foreign tourists from Russia, the Republic of Korea, Germany and Finland, the province is forecast to host a large number of domestic travellers who come for camping and organising year-end parties. In a bid to ensure safety for holidaymakers, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has enhanced inspections on tourism service activities, particularly in key tourist sites like Mui Ne, La Gi and Ham Thuan Nam. Also, it has strictly controlled food safety and environmental hygiene. Furthermore, due attention has been paid to social order at historical relic sites and many other places. In case of any incident, visitors should contact the Binh Thuan Tourism Promotion Information Centre via hot line 0623.608222 and … [Read more...] about Tourists to Binh Thuan likely to number 40,000 during New Year holidays
Road accidents: When will the pain end?
Viet Nam News “Everyone, I will sell rose bouquets tomorrow in celebration of International Women’s Day. Those who are looking to give flowers to their girlfriends or classmates, please come to support me in front of Gate A of Hải Phòng University.” So wrote 26-year-old Trần Thị Hoa in one of her last Facebook posts on March 6. Early on the morning of March 7, Hoa and her friend Trần Thị Trang rode on motorbike to the flower market Đằng Hải in Hải An District in the northeastern port city of Hải Phòng. Not born to wealthy families, the pair intended to buy flowers and utilise their craft skills to make elaborate bouquets, aiming to make some money to cover their study and living expenses. On that fateful morning, Cao Huy Hoàng was driving a container truck for an export-import company along his usual route. Stopped at a red light, he saw that two trucks ahead of him were already occupying … [Read more...] about Road accidents: When will the pain end?
IS suicide bomber kills dozens as Kabul marks Persian New Year
A suicide bomber on Wednesday killed dozens of people, many of them teenagers, after detonating a device among a crowd in Kabul who were celebrating the Persian New Year holiday, officials said. There were distressing scenes at the hospital opposite the blast site where grief-stricken relatives screamed as they clutched and hugged the bloodied bodies of their loved ones, on what is normally a day of celebration for Afghan families. The Islamic State group's local franchise in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the assault in the heavily Shiite neighbourhood - the fifth suicide bombing in the Afghan capital in recent weeks - via the messaging app Telegram. The blast killed 33 and wounded 65, the health ministry said, up from an earlier toll given by the interior ministry of 26 dead and 18 hurt. All the injured were civilians, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi. Afghan officials often give conflicting tolls in the wake of attacks and they routinely understate the figures. … [Read more...] about IS suicide bomber kills dozens as Kabul marks Persian New Year
50 years after Hà My Village massacre: S.Korean-VN Peace Foundation says ’sorry’
Viet Nam News QUẢNG NAM — “We convey our apology to the Vietnamese people. Please, forgive us, even if our apology is not sufficient for all Vietnamese people and residents of Hà My Village.” The president of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, Kang U-Il, gave an emotional speech at an event marking 50 years since a massacre committed by South Korean soldiers in Hà My Tây Village, in the central province of Quảng Nam, on Sunday. A group of 41 members from the foundation, a member of the Korean National Assembly, Korean writers, organisations, local residents and relatives of victims attended a ceremony and visited the monument dedicated to the massacre in the village. The killings occurred on the 24th of the first lunar month, 1968, in Hà My Village, when South Korean soldiers attacked and killed 135 unarmed civilians including the elderly and new born babies. The monument records the oldest victim as being 88 years old, while the … [Read more...] about 50 years after Hà My Village massacre: S.Korean-VN Peace Foundation says ’sorry’
Crab price highest in 5 years
The current crab price in the Cuu Long Delta region is double the price at the end of 2017. — File Photo The price of commercial crabs in Bac Lieu Province as well as in other provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region has reached a record high since early this year. The current price is double the price at the end of 2017. The price rose sharply before, during and after the Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) holiday. During Tet, a kilo of crab was priced at VND800,000, up by VND400,000 compared to the end of last year. Huynh Thanh Huong, a farmer in Nha Mat Ward, Bac Lieu City, said the current crab price in the province is the highest in the past five years. He said just before Tet, there was a fever spreading among the crabs, which resulted in low supply in the market. He said with the current price hike, farmers rearing crabs have gained high profits. According to the Bac Lieu Province’s Department of Industry and Trade, the strong increase in crab prices in the … [Read more...] about Crab price highest in 5 years
Major bridge congested in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as Tet holiday ends
A bridge along an essential route in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta became heavily gridlocked on Monday afternoon as the Lunar New Year holiday came to an end. Many people were traveling back to Ho Chi Minh City on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, causing severe congestion at the Rach Mieu Bridge, a major bridge connecting Ben Tre and Tien Giang Provinces over the Tien (Front) River. The situation forced the tollgates at both ends of the structure to shut down since 3:00 pm, as part of the effort to alleviate the traffic jam. Congestion at the tollgate of Rach Mieu Bridge. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to Ha Ngoc Nam, deputy director of the firm which developed the Rach Mieu Bridge project, the congestion was mainly brought about by the large number of vehicles coming from Ben Tre and Tra Vinh Provinces. They were heading toward the other end of the bridge in Tien Giang Province as part of their journey to Ho Chi Minh City along National Highway 60, Nam continued. Traffic … [Read more...] about Major bridge congested in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as Tet holiday ends
Genco 3’s IPO ends with only 3 percent of shares sold
Genco 3 puts up over 267 million shares, equivalent to nearly 12.84 percent of its charter capital for sale in the IPO. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - Only 3 percent of a total of 267 million shares offered in the initial public offering (IPO) of Power Generation Corporation 3 (Genco 3) on February 9 were sold successfully, a poor result given the high market expectations before the sale. Genco 3 put up over 267 million shares, equivalent to nearly 12.84 percent of its charter capital, for sale in the IPO on the HCM Stock Exchange but only 7.45 million shares, or 3 percent of the total shares, were purchased. About 336 investors, including 16 foreigners (14 individuals and two institutions), took part in the IPO. At the average winning price of 24,802 VND (1.09 USD) per share, slightly higher than the minimum bidding price of 24,600 VND a share, Genco 3 collected 184.8 billion VND from the share sale. Nguyen Van Le, chairman of Genco 3, attributed the poor result to the bad … [Read more...] about Genco 3’s IPO ends with only 3 percent of shares sold
2018 promises to be a busy year for MoLISA
Addressing a conference in Hanoi on December 17 to review the ministry’s performance in 2017 and outlines tasks for 2018, the PM asked the ministry to create conditions for the private sector to invest in vocational schools. “Vocational training should be carried out based on orders,” he said, stressing the need to complete policies and programs on vocational training, especially for farmers, residents in disadvantaged areas, and social welfare beneficiaries. Regarding labor export, PM Phuc reminded the MoLISA to protect the image of Vietnamese people abroad and urged the ministry to develop the labor market in high-tech countries. He hailed the ministry’s efforts in sending a record number of 130,000 workers abroad in 2017 under contracts between Vietnam and foreign countries, exceeding the set target by nearly 24 percent. At the conference The Government leader, however, pointed to high unemployment rate among university graduates, slow … [Read more...] about 2018 promises to be a busy year for MoLISA
Vietnamese seen traveling abroad in droves during Tet holiday
Many Vietnamese tourists prefer travelling overseas, mainly to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, and the number of buyers of outbound tours has increased by 15-30% compared to last Tet, travel firms said. Tourists buy tours at a travel company in HCMC Many travel firms in HCMC have sold out their long-haul tours and only tours to Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia are still available now.Ben Thanh Tourist has sold out tours to Taiwan, South Korea, Dubai and Australia but is still selling tours to destinations in Southeast Asian countries.Ta Thi Cam Vinh, who is in charge of outbound tours at Ben Thanh Tourist, said the number of customers booking overseas tours this upcoming Tet has increased by 20-25%. Prices of such tours have also gone up by 20% due to higher air fares.Some other tour operators told the Daily that they have sold more than half of their tours planned for Tet, or even 70%. Saigontourist and Vietravel have plans to … [Read more...] about Vietnamese seen traveling abroad in droves during Tet holiday