Vietnam has usurped Japan for the first time to become the fourth largest importer of products from the Republic of Korea (RoK), in the first seven months of this year.

The Ministry of Construction has recently asked local authorities nationwide to quicken the building of social housing, in a bid to comply with the national housing development strategy.

(VOV) - Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) signed a free trade agreement (FTA) on May 29, 2015 –  the first such trade deal struck by the Moscow led body with a third country as it seeks to bolster its presence in Asian markets.

(VOV) - With 800 projects worth US$2.7 billion, Japan is the 6th biggest foreign investor in Ho Chi Minh City. The figure is expected to rise in the future because HCM City is considered an ideal destination for Japanese investors. 

Contrary to all predictions, economists have reassured the public that the weaker dong will not worsen the public debt burden of the state.

Though the government seeks to globally integrate Vietnam -- 15 free trade agreements signed since 2007 -- its tardiness in reforming policies is preventing businesses from benefiting from the FTAs, delegates said at a recent economic forum in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

More than 80 Japanese businesses recently participated in a conference on trade and investment promotion in the central city of Danang. 

Experts have predicted that many business fields will derive benefits from mobile technology as smartphones and desktop computers become more popular.

(VOV) - A ground breaking ceremony was held August 29 for a US$37 million solar power generating station in the central province of Quang Ngai that officials say will play an important role in meeting the nation’s power needs in the future.

The industrial production index in August grew 9% from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. 

(VOV) - The launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in four months will be a critical moment for Vietnam as trade in East Asia is the key to the nation’s future— driving the growth needed to lift it to sustained prosperity.

Bank shares and state-owned enterprises’ (SOEs) IPOs (initial public offering) have become highly attractive to foreign investors. 

A fair featuring Hanoi’s agricultural products and craft villages will be held from October 8-11 in the capital city, said the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on August 28. 

The UK’s Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited ( Foster Wheeler) has been hired to outline a master design for the project to expand and upgrade the Dung Quat oil refinery in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai, which is expected to increase its capacity to 8.5 million tonnes per year. 

More institutional reforms are needed to help the Vietnamese economy maintain its development momentum, heard a conference in Hanoi on August 28. 

After hovering at the ceiling rate set by the State Bank of Vietnam for three days, the dollar pulled back a little on August 27 after the central bank promised no more devaluation is in the offing, with almost all banks reducing their selling rate by VND25-35.

The Prime Minister has approved a project to develop regional markets from 2015-2020.

(VOV) - Leading property developer Vingroup through its wholly owned subsidiary VinEco is getting ready to change the way Vietnam eats with the latest in Israeli agriculture and greenhouse know-how.

Nearly 95% of Vietnam’s coffee is exported as raw products that do not bear a Vietnamese brand.

(VOV) - India ranks 30th out of 103 nations and territories investing in Vietnam with total registered capital of nearly US$4 million for each project. 

A VND1.07 trillion (US$47.6 million) medium-density fibreboard (MDF) factory was constructed in the northern province of Bac Kan as part of an investment cooperation between the locality and Ho Chi Minh City. 

There were many shortcomings in Vietnam's efforts to push for international integration including insufficient awareness about the process and a lack of a proactive mindset at some Government ministries and local authorities.

Rents for retail premises in Ho Chi Minh City are falling and shopping malls are poorly patronized, but supply of retail space continues to explode. 

The dong devaluation will make goods, especially imports, become more expensive, but analysts say prices will increase slowly.

(VOV) -Ho Chi Minh City and the Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki are seeking ways to bolster bilateral economic cooperation. 

(VOV) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a project to develop regional markets in the 2015-2020 period with a vision for 2030. 

Vietnam's agriculture ministry is drafting a circular on genetically modified organisms, requiring foreign suppliers of the plants for local farmers to build seed factories within four to five years since getting their licenses, news website Saigon Times Online recently reported.

Ho Chi Minh City has sustained steady economic growth in August though hit by a spate of difficulties, the municipal People’s Committee said at a meeting discussing local socio-economic situation on August 27.

Vietnam’s national carrier Vietnam Airlines announced its plan on August 27 to increase the transport capacity to meet the demand of passengers during the National Day (September 2) holiday.

Vietnam’s achievements and missed opportunities in the reform process and international economic integration were reviewed at the Autumn Economic Forum entitled “Vietnam's Economy: Integration and Sustainable Development”.