At the working session.

Paraguay keen to expand economic cooperation with Vietnam

Paraguayan Minister of Industry and Trade Javier Gimenez highlighted the great potential for economic, trade and investment cooperation between Paraguay and Vietnam in a recent working session held in Buenos Aires with Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Minh Nguyet and Ambassadors of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

At the working session within the framework of the ASEAN Committee's activities, Minister Gimenez also expressed his nation’s desire to expand cooperation with Vietnam as well as ASEAN member states.

He briefed ASEAN Ambassadors on Paraguay's economic activities, import-export and foreign investment attraction, as well as the South American nation’s current status and potential for stronger trade cooperation with ASEAN member states.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Paraguay, last year's trade turnover with Vietnam reached US$240 million, including nearly US$110 million from Vietnamese exports and US$130 million from its imports.

During the 2021-2023 period, Vietnam primarily exported to Paraguay phones and mobile phones, footwear, garments and textiles, auto tires, electronics, while importing soybeans, meat meal, cotton, frozen beef and corn, cited VOV.

According to the World Bank (WB), Paraguay is a country with a faster and higher economic growth rate than the average of the Latin American region thanks to macroeconomic stability and a favorable external environment. In 2023, the South American country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) hit 4.7%, the highest in the region.

Paraguay is the world's major exporter of agricultural products, livestock and electrical energy, and famous for its production of raw materials and foods, especially chemicals, meat, beverages and tobacco. Last year, industrial products accounted for 56% of Paraguay's exports.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the US and Russia are Paraguay's key export markets, while the major import markets include China, Brazil, the US, Argentina, Germany and India.

Paraguay, a member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) along with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, offers many tax incentives with the lowest average rate in the South American region.

Vietnam supports UN’s humanitarian aid for Palestinians: Diplomat

Vietnam will continue its support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in promoting and making efforts to provide humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) has said.

Hosting a reception for Greta Gunnarsdottir, Director of UNRWA’s representative office in New York, on April 12, Giang affirmed Vietnam’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and expressed his concern over the prolonged conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to VNA.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN (R) and Director of UNRWA’s representative office in New York Greta Gunnarsdottir (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam condemns acts of violence against civilians and supports international efforts to reach a sustainable and long-term ceasefire at the earliest as well as create favorable conditions for humanitarian activities in conflict zones, he stressed.

The Vietnamese diplomat also spoke highly of the role of the UNRWA and the UN as a whole in promoting and making efforts to supply humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people.

Gunnarsdottir, for her part, thanked the Vietnamese Government for its contribution of 500,000 USD in urgent support for the Palestinians through the UNRWA, underscoring that the valuable assistance has helped the agency implement its aid activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank over the past time.

She highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis as well as the challenges that her agency has encountered in Gaza amidst escalating conflict and financial shortage after several countries decided to suspend their committed contributions to the agency.

She said she hopes that the Vietnamese Government will continue backing humanitarian aid efforts and pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Vietnamese community in Czech Republic updated on local legal knowledge

The networks of Vietnamese intellectuals and experts (NVIEC) on April 13 held a discussion on Czech regulations related to financial and tax activities with a view to accelerating the integration process for the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

At the discussion, NVIEC experts spent most of the time disseminating Czech regulations on taxes and finance to Vietnamese people doing business and trading in the Czech Republic.

In addition, the organizers also directly responded to problems related to financial and tax regulations in the business process of Vietnamese people, and necessary procedures when conducting two-way money transfer between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, as well as things to keep in mind when declaring taxes, and proving finances.

According to Dr. Le Tien, NVIEC Chairman, the main purpose of the discussion is to help the Vietnamese community solve the most prominent problem currently in business activities in the Czech Republic related to financial and tax regulations.

NVIEC experts disseminate and advise participants on the most basic knowledge, and update changes in local laws, enabling the community to fully comply with regulations in the business and trading process in the host nation, reported VOV.

NVIEC experts answer questions raised by the participants (Photo: VNA)

NVIEC is an organization that brings together Vietnamese or Vietnamese-origin intellectuals and experts in the Czech Republic with the goal of launching practical activities for the community.

Since its establishment in June 2023, NVIEC has always played an active role in helping the community integrate into the host society as well as engaging in other association activities.

The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is growing and making greater contributions to Czech society, however, there is still a part that violates regulations, especially relating to taxes and finance.

This not only affects the violators themselves but also the reputation and image of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic in general. Therefore, such support activities are of great significance for the community there.

Creative economy to bring numerous opportunities for Vietnam: CIEM

Vietnam should promote the development of the creative economy in order to benefit from the numerous opportunities brought by it, the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) suggested.

Creative economic sectors include handicrafts, fashion and design, culinary art, performing art, visual art, film and media, information technology and software engineering, tourism and cultural heritage, music and entertainment, publishing and literature, and digital content creation.

A CIEM research report shows that the global export of creative products increased from 208 billion USD in 2002 to 524 billion in 2020 USD, in which Asia has been the largest exporter since 2007.

The world’s biggest exporters of creative products include the US, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, the Republic of Korea, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Japan, with a total value of 170.7 billion USD, cited VNA.

'Kiss of the Sea' multimedia show attracts tourists to Phu Quoc (Photo: nhandan.vn)

The top developing economies in terms of creative product exports included mainland China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Taiwan (China), Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand, with a total value of nearly 277 billion USD. Vietnam earned over 14 million USD from the export of creative products in 2020, according to CIEM.

The institute pointed out that a young and technology-savvy population, favorable policies and rich cultural heritage coupled with the rapid digitisation and economic integration will fuel the boom of the creative economy in Vietnam.

CIEM Director Dr. Tran Thi Hong Minh said that Vietnam has realized the development potential of the creative economy. However, this is still a relatively new concept, so in practice there are many different understandings about it.

To develop this type of economy, Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy, stressed the need for priority strategies, plans and policies, including large-scale events associated with culture, arts or tourism such as the annual Da Nang International Fireworks Festival.

More broadly, the creative economy can be transnational activities, such as performances of world famous artists. To do this, domestic conditions must meet tour requirements in terms of infrastructure, event organization capacity, and combination of various activities to create resonance and increase values from the creative economy, Thanh said.

Emphasizing that intellectual property is the backbone and lifeblood of the creative economy, Nguyen Thi Hoang Hanh, Director of the center for research, training, support and consulting under the National Office of Intellectual Property, affirmed the effective implementation of intellectual property will motivate creators to continue their research, and make investors feel secure in pouring capital into creative industries.

This is an issue that Vietnam needs attention when promoting the creative economy, she added.

HCMC plans to set off fireworks on April 30

Ho Chi Minh City will launch firework displays in 16 avenues, including ten across Sai Gon River, to mark the 49th anniversary of National Reunification Day on April 30.

The HCMC Department of Culture and Sports submitted the proposal to the local People’s Committee.

Accordingly, a high-range firework display will be seen from the tunnel crossing the Saigon River (Thu Thiem tunnel) in Thu Duc City.

Low-range firework displays will be organized in 15 avenues, cited VGP.

Photo: VGP

This is the first time a firework performance will take place across Sai Gon River with ten avenues namely Van Phuc urban area (Thu Duc City), Thanh Da park, Rach Chiec Bridge, Thao Dien Village Villa, Landmark 81, Ba Son and Bach Dang Ba Shipyards, Tan Thuan 1 Bridge, and Thach My Loi Ward.

In addition, the rest of six low-range firework displays are N4-D6 of Tay Bac industrial area, Nga Ba Giong National Historical Site, the revolutionary traditional area of the Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1968 in Binh Chanh, Dam Sen Cultural Park at District 11, the administrative center in District 7 and Rung Sac Square at Can Gio district.

Earlier, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs proposed a potential 'exchange' of working days for workers to have a full five-day holiday in the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1) this year.

The consecutive five-day holiday would help boost tourism and spending, promoting economic growth without changing the number of working days.

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