The total national retail value of goods and services in August reached nearly VND292.8 trillion (US$13 billion), with purchasing power declining 0.3% against July.

The industry and trade ministry is drafting an action plan for lowering logistics costs to 18% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020.

Prices of key domestic farm products fluctuated in August, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Vietnamese firms have a chance to enter consumption markets of five nations with over 180 million people and the GDP exceeding US$2.5 trillion in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) thanks to the Vietnam – EAEU free trade agreement (FTA).

Vietnam always welcomes Singaporean investors and believes in their success in doing business in the country, President Tran Dai Quang told the Singapore-Vietnam business forum in Singapore on August 29. 

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC is set to acquire a 7.73% stake on a fully enlarged basis in Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), Vietcombank announced on August 29. 

VOV.VN - On August 29, the Deputy Head of the National Assembly Economic Committee Duong Quoc Anh held a working session in Hanoi with head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam’s Cooperation and Development Department Alejandro Montalban.

Singapore has more than 1,600 valid investment projects with a total registered capital of over US$37.9 billion in Vietnam at present, mainly in manufacturing and processing, making Singapore the third largest investor in the country, after the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Tax authorities have been told to collect tax debts of enterprises totalling VND23.5 trillion (over US$1 billion), or an 18.8% year-on-year increase, by the end of July, the General Department of Taxation (GDT) reported. 

VOV.VN - Shortly after the EU detected excess levels of antibiotics in shipments of farmed seafood from Vietnam, the government acknowledged that some of the country’s aquaculture exports may be unfit for human consumption.

Uber has been singled out for providing ride-hailing services without legal permission.

President Tran Dai Quang’s visit to Singapore from August 28-30 is expected to give an added impetus to the already thriving trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Singapore.

VOV.VN - Vietnam shipped 1.27 million tons of coffee during the first eight months of this year to rake in US$2.25 billion, up nearly 40% in volume and 20.7% in value against last year’s corresponding period, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has submitted to the government a plan to lower the corporate income tax (CIT) rate to 17% for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is starting to shift the directions of the national tourism industry toward a new economic model to develop Thailand into a valued-based economy, called "Thailand 4.0.” 

Vietnam’s export growth rate was modest at 5.7% in the first half of 2016, the lowest in the last five years. This has raised concerns that the 6.7% GDP growth rate may be unattainable, while state budget revenue will shrink.

Many foreign-invested projects in Vietnam have been operating with capital borrowed from Vietnamese banks.

Thailand’s TCC Holding has unveiled a major plan to buy more Vietnamese farm produce and seafood for sale at supermarkets of Big C Thailand in the coming time.

World Bank Group member IFC now owns some 5% of Tien Phong Bank’s stakes, to further assist the lender in expanding its loan services to better serve growing Vietnamese businesses.

Investors are keen on developing chilled distribution in Vietnam, amid the growing demand for high-quality foods.

Vinacafe has admitted that it made "coffee mixed with soybeans" and vowed never to do it again. How will the public react?

Vietnam may import electricity from Laos to minimize the risks from relying on Chinese imports and to offset supply shortages caused by cutting off power sources which pollute the environment.

The state treasury of Vietnam off loaded more than 92% of the bonds planned for the year as of August 24, according to the Hanoi Stock Exchange. 

A Hanoi delegation led by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung visited France’s Paris capital city from August 25-27, seeking ways to boost bilateral ties in health care, investment and environment. 

Rusagro, one of the largest agricultural groups in Russia, plans to sell pork to Vietnam in 2017, according to Sputnik radio.

Vietnam encourages Brunei businesses to invest in the fields of its strength such as energy, oil and gas, finance, real estate, tourism and infrastructure development, President Tran Dai Quang was speaking at a business forum in Bandar Seri Begawan on August 28.

VOV.VN - By the end of last month, Vietnam had attracted nearly US$13 billion from foreign direct investment (FDI), a year-on-year increase of 47%. 

Vietnam is well-placed to become the Southeast Asian leader in ‘affordable hospitality’ as stars align behind economic boom times.

The national oil & gas group PetroVietnam may have to spend more than US$2 billion, or VND40 trillion, to cover losses from the Nghi Son petrochemistry and refinery complex. 

At the first plenary meeting of the 14th National Assembly, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc publicly revealed Vietnam’s public debt figure - something that is usually regarded as “sensitive” and is rarely fully disclosed.