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Laos will start using QR code transactions with neighbouring countries to facilitate money transfers and payments by workers and tourists in these countries, the Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR has said.
“We will pilot the use of QR code payments with Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia in the fourth quarter [of this year],” Dr Bounleua Sinxayvoravong told the recent 5th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly.
The central bank governor provided the information in response to a question by lawmakers about whether an effective channel was in place to enable Lao workers in other countries to send money home to Laos.
There are currently 303,391 Lao nationals working abroad. Of these, 100,230 applied for jobs legally and moved to other countries, while 203,161 went to neighbouring countries without a work permit in hopes of securing a job.
Migrant workers send about US$426 million to Laos each year, making an important contribution to the country’s economy and foreign currency earnings.
Once the QR code transaction system is in place, it will enable Lao nationals in other countries to transfer money through the banking system and save service costs, while also avoiding risks that might occur through the use of other systems.
At present, migrant workers send money home through unregulated channels, including asking their associates to take cash with them when they return to Laos, for which a fee is charged.
“Through the [QR code] system, we will address this issue and save money for workers. We can also monitor [transactions] through the banking system,” Dr Bounleua said.
The governor said the central banks of the countries involved are working with commercial banks to link up the proposed transaction system.
“Technical matters have been fully addressed. We will assess the advantages and disadvantages [of the system]. I think we will pilot the scheme in the fourth quarter,” he added.
Once in use, the QR system will enable cashless payments, also making life easier for tourists travelling in these countries.
“Thai and Vietnamese tourists can just scan their QR code to make payments here and the money is circulated within the banking system,” Dr Bounleua said.
The scheme will be initiated as part of Laos’ efforts to comprehensively improve services for tourists in an effort to attract more foreign visitors – an important generator of revenue and foreign currency.
In 2018 and 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism generated US$900 to one billion dollars a year on average for Laos.
“We need to revitalise tourism in a timely manner,” the bank governor said.
He added that if Laos can attract at least 4 million foreign tourists each year, then the country’s foreign currency earnings will recover.
[SOURCE]
Seventy-six new products of Japan have recently been brought into the Vietnamese market, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
The products are in four groups, namely confectionery, beverage, ice cream and comic books.
They will be sold at 254 convenience stores and trade centres of FamilyMart and Ministop.
Takimoto Koji, JETRO Chief Representative in Ho Chi Minh City, said 70 other products had been previously introduced to Vietnam, with more than 40 percent welcomed by local consumers during a trial period.
Therefore, the Japanese Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry has established a cooperation council between JETRO and convenience stores to bring more Japanese agro-forestry-fisheries products abroad, including Vietnam.
[Source]
In the first six months of 2023, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products reached 24.59 billion USD, down 11.1% over the same period in 2022. It is forecasted that in the last 6 months of the year, these commodities will continue to face a series of difficulties in terms of new orders and market expansion. Focusing on speeding up the exports of key products is an important solution to achieving the goal of agricultural, forestry and fishery exports at 55 billion USD.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD), in the first six months of 2023, China, the US and Japan continued to be the three largest export markets for Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products. Export value to China, the US and Japan accounted for 21.4% (up 7.7%), 20.2% (down 32.9%) and 7.7% (down 5.3%), respectively.
Efforts amid harship
Data from the General Statistics Office showed that the growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value in the first six months of the year was estimated at 3.1%; of which, agriculture increased by 3.14% (cultivation increased by 2.11%, animal husbandry increased by 4.88%), forestry increased by 3.43%, and fisheries increased by 2.96%. the GDP growth rate of agriculture, forestry and fishery in the first 6 months of the year was quite high, reaching 3.07%. Head of the Planning Department under the MoARD Nguyen Van Viet said despite the decline in total export turnover of agriculture, forestry and fishery products in the first six months, there were still 7 products and product groups with export values of more than 1 billion USD, including coffee, rubber, rice, vegetables, cashew nuts, shrimp and wood products, of which rice and cashew nuts are two products witnessing an increase in both their volume and value of exports.
Specifically, the amount of exported rice was estimated at 4.27 million tonnes, up 22.2%, with export turnover reaching 2.3 billion USD (up 34.7% over the same period last year). In addition, exports of cashew nuts increased by 10.5% in volume and 7.7% in value. The export of coffee reached 1.02 million tonnes, down 2.2% in volume but export turnover reached 2.4 billion USD (up 3%) thanks to the average export price increasing by 5.2%. Besides this, a remarkable highlight was that fruit and vegetable products had an export turnover of 2.75 billion USD, up 64.2% over the same period and equal to 81.8% of the whole year of 2022. The results were gained thanks to initiatives removing problems related to orders and markets to increase exports.
However, the first 6 months of the year also recorded decreases in the turnover of two important commodities, fisheries and forestry. Specifically, seafood reached 4.13 billion USD, down 27.4%, main forestry products reached 6.5 billion USD, down 28.2%. According to Deputy Head of Forestry Department Trieu Van Luc, the export value of main forest products decreased in the first half of 2023 because European and American consumers have tightened their spending and reduced consumption of wood products, so the opening of new orders became extremely difficult. Meanwhile, the high cost of raw materials and inputs for production also significantly affected the export results of the entire industry. In addition, wood and wood products exporters face new regulations and requirements from the European Union (EU) market. Therefore, the ability to boost exports of wood and wood products will continue to face many difficulties in the last few months of the year.
For the seafood industry, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first 6 months of 2023, seafood export turnover decreased due to two main factors – inflation and inventories, in most of the main import markets such as the US, Europe, China and Japan.
Leveraging the strengths of promising products
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the entire agricultural sector is still determined to take advantage of opportunities and focus its resources on fulfilling the set target of the whole year plan, with the GDP growth rate of the whole industry reaching 3.0-3.5% and export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products achieving 55 billion USD. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to implement solutions to target key export products with high prospects and export value potential to compensate for products that may not meet the export turnover targets for the whole year.
The set targets are 25 billion USD for the main agricultural products; 17 billion for forestry products and wooden furniture; 10 billion USD for seafood; and about 3 billion USD for other commodities. Along with boosting exports, special attention should be paid to production to ensure sufficient supply and quality. Therefore, it is necessary to closely monitor the weather, meteorology, hydrology, storms, floods, natural disasters, water sources and saltwater intrusion to timely orientate the seasons and the appropriate crop structures; closely manage the granting of planting area codes, farming areas, support for trademark protection and geographical indications and product traceability.
In addition to removing difficulties and boosting exports for the whole sector, key industries with strong breakthroughs in turnover need to receive great attention to promote their further growth potential. Head of Cultivation Department under the MoARD Nguyen Nhu Cuong said Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits have a lot of potential for export growth. The proof is that fruit and vegetable exports have never been as high as in the first 6 months of this year. If this growth momentum continues, the sector will surely achieve its export target of more than 5 billion USD in 2023.
In the coming time, measures to improve the value and quality of products from deep processing technology will help export turnover open many opportunities to increase sharply, and it is expected that an export turnover of 10 billion USD can be achieved in the near future. However, it is worth noting that the products need to meet the new regulations of many markets. In the past, markets mainly issued regulations related to food safety, now many requirements related to sustainable development associated with green growth such as environmental and labour factors have become more significant, requiring the attention of businesses.
Along with vegetables and fruits, the rice commodity also expects an export turnover of 4 billion USD for the whole year following remarkable growth in the first 6 months of the year. Deputy Head of the Quality, Processing and Market Development Department Le Thanh Hoa said in the last few months of the year, Vietnam’s rice exports have had many opportunities to increase in both output and turnover due to the amount of rice produced in many countries in Asia facing the risk of decline due to the impact of El Nino. On average, in the first six months of the year, Vietnam’s export rice price was estimated at 539 USD per tonne, a year-on-year increase of 10.2%.
In the coming time, under Official Dispatch No. 610/CD-TTg dated July 3, 2023 issued by the Prime Minister on strengthening the implementation of tasks and solutions to promote rice production and exports, functional sectors will continue to review and update their standards in the rice value chain in line with the international market; updating information and support production according to market demand and consumer tastes; and supporting storage, processing, quality, safety and traceability to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice.
At the same time, linkages in high-quality rice production, the transformation of structure and types of exported rice to diversify export markets, in line with Vietnam’s rice export market development strategy until 2030 as well as the Project to develop 1 million hectares of low-emission high-quality rice in association with green growth in the Mekong Delta Region, will be strengthened.
Source: Nhân Dân
The Vietnam International Logistics Exhibition (VILOG) jointly organized by VINEXAD and Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) will be an important event to help Vietnamese logistics enterprises improve their competitiveness, overcome challenges and take advantage of development opportunities. With around 250 exhibitors, the international logistics exhibition will bring a potential opportunity for domestic and international logistics service businesses, the community of investors, business owners, and other relevant parties to explore and tap into the local logistics market. In addition to trade activities within the framework of the exhibition, specialized activities such as seminars, conferences, talks, field trips, etc. will also be organized to help domestic and international businesses have an overview of industry development orientation and plan business strategies.
Under the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for the first time in Viet Nam, The Viet Nam International Logistics Exhibition (abbreviated as VILOG) is organized by Viet Nam Logistics Business Association (VLA) and VINEXAD Company. This will be a great opportunity for domestic and international logistics service businesses as well as the community of investors, developers and other stakeholders to exchange, cooperate, consult and choose solutions to optimize the logistics procedure of enterprises.
Most of the time, foreign investors will encounter two major hindrances while looking for their ideal business partners in Vietnam:
・Finding potential local business partners through the Internet is hardly possible. This is because many local companies do not have websites. Even if they do, there is not enough information provided on the website and they are all written in Vietnamese.
・Due to the language barrier, if you only speak your own language such as English or Japanese or etc. and try to call some Vietnamese companies, you will most likely be hung up or will not be able to get the information you need.
The search for a local business partner or distributor is pretty straightforward with the assistance from GTS:
Stage 1: Performing Business Development Analysis
We perform a thorough and custom business development analysis based on your business sector and requirements.
Stage 2: Finding a Potential Local Partner
We get in touch with all potential partners found through the analysis and shortlist the most suitable ones for your business.
Stage 3: Planning for Your Visit
We plan and prepare all your business visits to Vietnam, business negotiations, transportation, consultations, translators, follow-ups and reports.
Stage 4: Ensuring Communications and Signing Agreement
We make continuous communications with the chosen local partner with a business plan and a partnership agreement.
Get in touch with us to discuss the criteria of your business partner. We strive to provide the best business solutions that are tailored to your business needs.
Hanoi, July 20, 2023 – The Inauguration Ceremony of a food quality inspection facility was jointly held by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vietnam Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi on July 20.
This is a part of the Grant Aid (GA) Project for “Enhancing Laboratory Capacities of the
Reference Testing and Agrifood Quality Consultancy （RETAQ） Center for Ensuring Safety of Agricultural and Fisheries Foods”. The total grant amount for the Project is around 1.2 billion Japanese yen (roughly 10.9 million USD at the time of the Grant Agreement signing).
During the period of 2019-2023, through the GA Project, Japan has provided advanced equipment needed to establish an inspection system for RETAQ Center and advised facility management for effective use of these equipment, while RETAQ Center constructed the facility itself.
Following the GA project, a new Technical Cooperation (TC) Project for “Enhancing the Capacity of Food Safety Testing, Reference Testing and Consultancy to Contribute to Sustainable Agricultural Development” is going to be implemented to strengthen the organization and the function of RETAQ Center, and to improve the capacity of inspection agencies for agricultural and fishery food products of Vietnam. At the Inauguration Ceremony, Mr. Tran Thanh Nam – Vice Minister of MARD and Mr. Sugano Yuichi – Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office signed the Record of Discussions (R/D) for implementing the TC Project for 3 years from November 2023.
As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2007, Vietnam is responsible for implementing WTO agreements, including the sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) Agreement to protect human and animal health in the country as well as handle technical barriers applied to agro-forestry and fishery products for export.
The RETAQ Center is believed to enhance the capacity of reference testing and consultancy on food quality and safety according to international standard, contributing to improving the quality and safety of Vietnam’s agricultural and fishery food products, meeting the domestic consumption demands and promoting export.
JICA will actively work with the Government and the people of Japan to continue the cooperation and support Vietnam for sustainable agriculture development.
There are 7 types of plastic being circulated on the market that vary in their chemical composition, purpose, recyclability, and hazardous nature.
This is the most commonly used plastic for mineral water bottles. The reason is probably the economy at the production stage, as well as the high recyclability of this plastic. In addition to mineral water bottles, PET is also often used as purified water bottles, cooking oil bottles, soft drinks bottles, juice bottles, sometimes dishwashing liquid bottles.
PET resin is chemically quite stable at room temperature however, at high temperature, PET is not stable and may give off some aldehydes and leach antimony. Should only be used for a short time (about less than 10 days) and then replace the new bottle. Do not use PET plastic for storing hot foods, or in the microwave.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP) are three types of plastic with almost similar structure, only differing in physical strength.
PVC is the third most widely used synthetic resin, after polyethylene and polypropylene. This versatile plastic can be either hard or flexible, depending on the additive added. It is commonly used in the manufacture of pill blisters, bed sheets, food-free bottles, cards (bank cards, chip cards), and the product of particular interest is baby toys and wrap, also known as glass bags, cellophane…Therefore, PVC is also considered as the plastic that should not be best for food.
4. Polystyrene
When combined with various colorants, additives or other plastics, polystyrene is used to make a variety of products including appliances, electronics, automobile parts, toys, gardening pots and equipment and more.
As a hard, solid plastic, it is often used in products that require clarity, such as food packaging and laboratory equipment.
Polystyrene also is made into a foam material, called expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS), which is valued for its insulating and cushioning properties.
Food packaging contains substances that can “migrate” in very tiny amounts to foods or beverages. The FDA strictly regulates food packaging materials, including polystyrene, to be determine that the amount of substances that may migrate is safe.
5.Other plastics
Other types of plastic 6 types above are affixed with grade 7. In which, Polycarbonate plastic is the most concerned. This is the type of plastic commonly used to make water tanks (especially the 20-liter barrel), suitcases, phone cases, CD cases, plastic sheets…
Many studies show that bisphenol A, a constituent of this resin, is the most leaching-free hormone pseudo-hormone in the water contained in polycarbonates, however all of these leaching hormones, including bisphenol A, which are all below the US standard oral safe level. Therefore, to store food you should not use this material.
In short, to choose food-safe plastic, we should only use bottles bearing the symbols HDPE, LDPE, PP and PET. The remaining types of PS, PVC & other plastic (# 7) are not preferred when used as food containers.
Plastic food containers manufactured by GTS always meet standards on Food Safety and Hygiene
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Stationery : https://shopee.vn/gts.bungu
GLOBAL TRADING SUPPORT CO., LTD
2nd floor, Van Thanh office building – 602/27 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Hotline: 0765.428.407 or Zalo : 0909628255 (Ms. Yen)
At Global Trading Support, our strength is to partner with many manufacturing factories in each field and provide high-quality products in a short period of time. The goods include mechanical steel, plastic products, clothing, stone, furniture, interior and exterior products, and convenient disposable products (rubber gloves, rubber bands, bamboo toothpicks, etc.). The factories are mainly in Vietnam, but in recent years we have been able to cooperate with factories in neighboring countries.
When looking for manufacturing partners, we always search for the latest data, visit factories to verify quality and negotiate properly, then choose the one that seems to be the best. From our point of view , determining whether large or small factories is not important to produce good products, but our target is to find a factory that can listen cooperatively, responds to strict requirements, and makes every effort to improve all the time. In order to reduce mistakes during production, we regularly inspect the products together with the factories for quality control. In addition, we are confident that we will deliver the goods quickly and safely by choosing a major top carrier!
By not only providing good products to customers, but also cooperating in the production of products that require high quality, the production capacity of each factory is increasing day by day.
* Mr. Trung, president of a company that specializes in processing steel products with which we have been working together for more than 10 years, said:
“In the beginning, we had a lot of defective products, so we sometimes wanted to give up, but thanks to the cooperation of GTS, we were able to overcome the difficulties.”
*Thanh, president of a cement pot factory in a suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City, said:
“The number of orders for pots from other companies has increased significantly compared to before. This is because partnering with GTS to make products that meet the Japanese quality standards helped me learn various experiences to improve my skills and make the products more beautiful. I really appreciate it.”
Ho Chi Minh City to vaccinate children with Covid vaccine from November 22
Ho Chi Minh City has implemented covid-19 vaccination for children aged 12-17 years, the second from November 22 to 28.
This time, the city injected two shots for children living and studying in Ho Chi Minh City, having injected the shot for enough time (including children who injected one in another province or city). In addition, the city also injected one shot for unvaccinated children in the first batch due to having to postpone vaccination, only turn 12 years old, to agree to participate in vaccination, to return to HO CHI MINH City …
This content is mentioned in the dispatch of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health just sent to the People’s Committee of districts, thu Duc city and departments and departments. Accordingly, localities review, statistics the number and make a list of children who need to be vaccinated. A parent or guardian provides the child’s id or personal identification number and permanent address.
Children permanently residing in other provinces and cities do not have a citizen’s id, commune-level police support people to receive personal identification codes or take appropriate measures if they do not issue codes in time. Students under the age of 18 who are attending colleges, universities, the Department of Education and Training shall coordinate with educational institutions in making lists and transferring them to their local medical centers or health departments where they reside to organize injections.
Localities mobilize people to agree to vaccinate children to reach over 90% coverage and create all conditions for children in the group not attending school, temporary residence, immigration to be vaccinated. Localities support children without parents or guardians to receive consent to participate in vaccinations and immunizations.
Health workers vaccinate students with Covid-19 vaccine at Luong The Vinh High School, District 1, Oct. 27. Image: Thanh Nguyen
The first covid-19 vaccination campaign for 12-17 year olds in the city took place from October 27 to November 8 at 509 school immunization sites and 68 vaccination points for non-school children. More than 651,400 of the 701,800 12-17 year olds in HO CHI MINH CITY have been vaccinated against Covid-19, reaching a rate of 92.8%.
In the first batch, 54 children had a normal reaction, none of which had a severe reaction after the injection. 12 children who are conseueed with vaccination, 560 children with underlying medical condition are transferred to the hospital. Ho Chi Minh City’s health sector assessed that it had “successfully completed the first phase of the campaign”, ensuring vaccination safety work.
To date, the Ministry of Health has approved two vaccines for 12-17 year olds, pfizer and moderna. The campaign for children has been used with Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine (because there are not enough Moderna vaccines).
The covid-19 vaccination campaign for 12-17 year olds across the country began on November 1, but some localities have previously had pilot vaccinations, including HO CHI MINH CITY and Binh Duong.
