In 2017, up to 38,000 tonnes of municipal waste was generated a day in Vietnam and a lack of proper solutions to the waste problem is harming the urban environment.

Total retail sales of goods and services in Vietnam reached nearly VND4.4 quadrillion (US$191 billion) in 2018, representing a rise of 11.7% against the previous year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The central city of Da Nang, in cooperation with the European Union (EU), has launched a pilot project to develop solar energy in the city.

There was a surge in sales at supermarkets and shopping malls during the four-day New Year holiday.

2019 is considered a promising year for labour export with a series of potential markets with good jobs and salaries are opening door for Vietnamese workers overseas.

The General Department of Taxation’s plan of taxing business households with annual revenue from VND100 million (US$4,300) is causing controversy.

New policies promoting development of the domestic automobile sector will create opportunities for the industrial real estate market, according to a CBRE Vietnam report released in December.

The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) improved its share, bond and derivatives markets considerably in 2018 and will continue to enhance the markets’ operation in 2019.

Lower water levels in reservoirs and barren farmland can be easily seen in many parts of the south-central and Central Highlands region even though it is the rainy season.

The HCM City housing market showed signs of unsustainability in 2018 due to an imbalance between supply and demand, a property industry business group said.