Vietnam has completed negotiations on bilateral agreements on automobile manufacturing and assembling with Russia and Belarus, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has created programmes for the 2016-25 period to provide support for organisations and individuals in developing industries.

The programme “Act for consumer rights” will be held in Hanoi throughout March with a series of activities. 

Ho Chi Minh City’s industrial development index in 2015 saw higher growth than in previous years, especially by four key industries, with the ratio of the processing and manufacturing sectors increasing and the labour-intensive and polluting industries decreasing.

An official of the northern province of Ha Nam promised optimal conditions, including labour force and infrastructure, for Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to run long-term business in the locality. 

VOV.VN -  A seminar opened in India on January 25 to examine ways to further boost business cooperation with Vietnam.

Agro-forestry-fishery exports yielded US$2.33 billion in January, an annual decrease of 3.1%. 

The real estate sector reported a reduction of VND1.75 trillion (US$78.2 million) in inventory in January from last month to an estimated value of VND49.1 trillion (US$2.2 billion).

VOV.VN - US businesses continue expanding investment in Vietnam to grasp opportunities from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

 The Forbes Vietnam Magazine announced on January 25 a list of 30 outstanding figures under the age of 30 and active in various fields.

VOV.VN - Tran Gia Company from Bien Hoa city, in the southern province of Dong Nai has shipped more than 40 tons of Banh Chung (a type of traditional rice cake for New Year celebrations in Vietnam) to nearly 10 countries in the world for the upcoming Lunar New Year festival. 

Vietnam's energy sector is set to become a new foreign investment magnet this year with at least US$4.5 billion to be committed for two new power plants, a government report said.

Vietnam spent over US$9 billion on Chinese machinery and equipment last year, up 15.4% year on year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The Government has told relevant agencies to consider stopping new coal-fired power plant projects as domestic coal reserves are falling and the country will have to import coal, possibly from 2020, to keep its thermal power plants running.

Vietnam's VN Index rose 3.85% on January 25, the strongest single-day jump since March 2012, helped by a rise in oil prices earlier in the day and developments at the ongoing Communist Party congress, analysts said.

The Vietnam Food Administration under the Health Ministry set food poisoning among its priorities to tackle in 2016.

 Vietnam has great potential for electronic commerce as it ranks in the world’s top 20 countries for internet users and first in Asia in internet user growth rate with over 30% of its population accessing the worldwide web.

The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) divested State capital from 120 businesses in 2015, earning VND94.49 trillion (US$200.17 million) from a book value of VND1.68 trillion (US$74.9 million).

The global sustainable rice production criteria are to be applied in Vietnam for the first time, in large-scale fields in the Mekong Delta, which it is hoped to smooth the path for local rice to make its way to choosy markets.

The State Bank of Vietnam will issue instructions about loans for property when seeking mortgages, in a bid to clear misunderstandings, a representative said.

Of more than 200 countries and territories that Vietnam had trade relations with last year, there were 29 countries that the country had export turnover of more than US$1 billion.

The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) formally announced its Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS) on January 25.

Myanmar is emerging as an attractive destination for Vietnamese goods, heard a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on January 25.

The Ministry of Transport continues taking measures to accelerate the equitisation and the divestment of all State capital from transport corporations in 2016.

Commercial banks cut the exchange rate of the United States (US) dollar against the dong by VND30 to VND40, bringing it to its lowest level in the past three months.

In his address at the 12th National Party Congress, Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Planning and Investment, stressed the need for Vietnam to speed up its institutional reform toward a prosperous, creative, equal and democratic nation. Below are some excerpts from his speech.

VOV.VN - A week filled with dynamic art performances and photo exhibitions is in full swing at the luxury Flamingo Dai Lai Resort as part of an effort to create a market buzz and lure in buyers to purchase a villa at the resort.

While the world’s largest emerging economies such as Russia, Brazil and China falter, Vietnam’s steady economic growth at nearly 7% this year will make it among the fastest-growing markets in the world, Bloomberg said in a recent article. 

VOV.VN - Shrimp exports out of Vietnam plummeted dramatically last year, due largely to increased competition and lower prices, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

VOV.VN - The Vietnam government has been trying to build stronger economic ties through active dialogues with some of the world’s largest economic regions such as the US, EU, Eurasia, with the most promising partner being Japan.