Pension and social insurance allowances and monthly subsidy will increase by 11% from January 1, 2022 under a proposal the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has submitted to the government.

Adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic growth of Vietnam’s key cities, such as Hanoi and HCMC, has been slower, the exodus of migrant workers leaving HCMC may make the path of recovery planned by enterprises more bumpy.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has said low disbursement of public investment capital amid the COVID-19 pandemic could waste resources and result in the loss of opportunities to create a driving force for economic development.

Nearly 16.8 million TEUs of container cargo have been handled at Vietnamese seaports in the first eight months of 2021, up 18% from the same period last year, according the Vietnam Maritime Administration.

Vietnam looks to maintain Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth lower than 1% a month during the last quarter of 2021 in an effort to keep inflation under the 4% target for the year.

In the first half of 2021, Vietnam in general achieved considerable growth targets in the context of a stable macro environment.

Economic experts have emphasised the need to have a new impetus to improve economic growth in the remaining months of 2021 towards realising the growth target for the year set by the Government and the National Assembly.

ASEAN and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on August 5 held the fifth symposium on the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) to plan for greater private sector engagement and facilitate cross-border trade.

Vietnam prioritises foreign investment projects in high technology, innovation, research and development, and projects that create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the value chain.

Fundamental factors that help the Vietnamese economy respond to current challenges, especially the impacts of COVID-19, were discussed in an article by senior journalist Cameron Cooper published on the intheblack.com business news site of Australia.