Today’s friendly match against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will be Vietnam’s final test before the upcoming Asian Cup tournament next month, said coach Park Hang-seo of Vietnam.

Vietnam’s first domestic chip cards will be launched in the first quarter of 2019 to enhance safety and service quality of the country’s bank card operations, according to the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS).

Improving the business environment and national competitiveness is a core policy priority of the Vietnamese Government in 2019.

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co Ltd (HMFI), the Republic of Korea’s No 2 non-life insurer, has signed a stock purchase agreement to buy a 25% stake in Vietnamese non-life insurer VietinBank Insurance Joint Stock Corp (VBI).

With over one month to go for the 2019 Lunar New Year (Tet), the beer market is becoming active with supermarkets and retailers starting to make preparations for breweries sales campaigns.

Vietnam’s coating and printing ink industries have had annual growth of 13-14% in recent years and are expected to grow further, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

With nearly two billion Muslims world-wide and demand for Halal products being worth around US$2.3 trillion annually, there is potentially a huge market for Vietnamese firms to exploit, experts have said.

Vietnam had become increasingly appealing to large foreign investor groups in the textile and garment industry who wanted to seize opportunities when the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) takes effect in January next year, according to analysts.

With increasing incomes, consumers are paying greater attention to products of high quality and health foods, and producers and distributors need to focus on such products, a forum on Vietnamese high quality foods and agricultural products heard in Ho Chi Minh City on December 20.

Experts have suggested changing the number of and the time spent for inspections of export activities, including customs clearance, to help reduce costs for enterprises.