VOV.VN - Vietnam can ship 3 million tons of rice at maximum under a freshly reached agreement on extending rice exports to the Philippines for another two years up to December 31, 2018, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

At its recent shareholders’ meeting, giant steel maker Hoa Sen Group (HoSE: HSG) received approval to restructure the company in the parent and subsidiaries model.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed a draft law that suggests nearly tripling environmental protection tax on oil and gas consumption.

VOV.VN - Fuel resources and energy are essential to national socio-economic development. The higher the development level is, the more energy it demands. In 2017, Vietnam will take various measures to secure sufficient energy supplies. 

The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam)’s Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP) and the Exxon Mobil Vietnam Company signed a framework agreement on the Blue Whale project development and gas sale in Hanoi on January 13.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) wants to invest in infrastructure development, particularly railways, highways and seaports, in Vietnam, said AIIB President Jin Liqun.

The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) recently announced its report for 2016 and plans for 2017, in which it claimed to have nearly doubled its 2015 post-tax income.

VOV.VN - Launched in June 2014, MoMo, a mobile payment service providing financial services to low income customers in Vietnam, has won the award for best mobile payment solution of 2016 by the Asian Banker.

Customers must be at the centre of banks’ attention as they make a move towards digital transformation in an effort to adapt to a changing landscape of financial innovation and disruptive technologies.

The increasing amounts of remittances sent back to the homeland by overseas Vietnamese over the past few years have helped the country offset its trade deficit, reduce poverty, and improve living standards of recipients.

 HCM City has recently called for private investment under the public-private partnership (PPP) model to kick off several key transport infrastructure projects under in the context of a limited State budget amid increasing transport demand.

Two giant State-owned corporations, Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) and Vietnam Steel Corporation (VNSTEEL), achieved record profits last year, according to a conference held by the Party Organisation of the Central Enterprises Bloc (CEB).

Products including telephones and spare parts, garment and textiles, electronics and computers are expected to bring highest export turnover to the country in 2017, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Luc Yen orange cooperative had its specialty accredited as a collective trademark at a ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on January 12.

VOV.VN - This year the Vietnam government will host – APEC Vietnam 2017 – a year-long series of conferences and other business forums designed to promote cooperation and collaboration among the public and private sectors of the Asia-Pacific region.

Commodities from Vietnam have begun to make inroads into the Indian market as seen through the country’s first-ever trade surplus with India, standing at US$70 million last year.

 Vietnam earned US$589 million from shipping shrimp to the EU in 2016, a yearly increase of 7.5%, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan called it critical to clarify criteria determining which businesses are small and medium sized in order to raise feasible support as the country aims to boost its private sector and start-up culture.

 An economy with relatively high growth, the high proportion of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital and remittances spurred growth for the Vietnamese real estate sector in 2016 and the trend is expected to continue in 2017.

The total number of automobiles sold in 2016 reached 304,427 units, the highest level recorded by Vietnam’s auto market in the past 20 years, the Vietnam Automobiles Manufacturers Association (VAMA) announced on January 11.

VOV.VN - A business forum was held on January 11 in Hanoi to promote collaboration among the private sectors of Vietnam and Russia in line with a new free trade accord that came into force between the two economies last October.  

A delegation of US firms led by Sivan Yam, President of the US – Vietnam Chamber of Commerce met with authorities of the southern province of Binh Duong to explore investing in the province.

 Samsung will raise the number of its level-1 suppliers in Vietnam to 29 this year, according to Deputy General Director of Samsung Vietnam Bang Hyunwoo.

US firms wish to collaborate with Ho Chi Minh City in developing a smart city, heard a meeting between the US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Mary Tarnowka, business representatives and local authorities on January 10 in the city.

Remittances to Ho Chi Minh City reached US$5 billion in 2016, said Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City branch Nguyen Hoang Minh on January 10.

VOV.VN - US Beverage Company Starbucks Vietnam on January 10 issued new gift cards under Starbucks Rewards Program after four years operating in the country. 

Head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands To Lam asked the region to improve investment promotion methods to draw investors to high-tech agriculture, clean energy, processing industry, cattle breeding and tourism during a meeting in Dak Lak province on January 10. 

The Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) and the Andersen Consult Group of Denmark co-hosted a networking programme on January 10 to boost partnerships between Vietnamese and Danish enterprises.

 Settlement of bad debts has shown positive signs after some banks announced they would buy back all their non-performing loans they sold to the Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC).

The Nghi Son Economic Zone and other industrial parks in the north central province of Thanh Hoa aim to lure US$687.22 million from domestic and foreign investors, and create jobs for additional 12,000 labourers, including 5,000 for the Nghi Son EZ, in 2017.