At the working session.

Peru, Vietnam bolster cooperation in auditing

Ngo Van Tuan, general auditor of the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV), held a working session with Nelson Eduardo Shack Yalta, comptroller general of Peru, on April 1 in Lima to seek stronger bilateral cooperation.

Applauding the Office of the Comptroller General’s experience in maintaining both transparency and accountability for the government, Tuan expressed his hope at the prospect of promoting bilateral collaboration through expanding delegation exchanges, as well as enhancing the sharing of expertise and training co-operation, cited VOV.

The official shared Vietnamese experience in carrying out a co-operative audit on sustainable development goals, as well as affirming that the visit made by the Vietnamese delegation to Peru on the occasion of the 30th anniversary joint diplomatic relations will further contribute to strengthening the bilateral partnership in the field.

The Vietnamese side also shared experience on the process of co-operative auditing in the management of water resources in the Mekong River basin in line with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The work was conducted simultaneously by the audit institutions of Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar under the chair of the SAV, said Tuan.

For his part, Yalta affirmed that the Office of the Comptroller General of Peru’s willingness to work alongside Vietnam in areas of its strengths, while further co-operating with the SAV.

He said he believes the SAV delegation’s visit will lay a firm foundation in which to build linkages between the two audit agencies and the two countries.

At the working session, the two sides exchanged information on the organizational structure, tasks, and achievements they have recorded recently, as well as agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies soon.

“Net-zero tours” promote sustainable tourism

The Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) Hanoi 2024, slated to take place from April 11-14 under the theme "Vietnam tourism - Green transition for sustainable development," is said to closely follow a new global trend of "Net zero tours" which promotes sustainable tourism and reduces negative impacts on the environment.

With the theme, VITM Hanoi 2024 aims to promote responsible tourism, turning Vietnam’s tourism into a green economic industry with green destinations and products. It also prompts tourism businesses to equip their staff with knowledge about green tourism.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, “Net zero tours” is a concept related to the organization of tours in which all activities from transport, lodging and catering services and other activities are set to minimize the amount of carbon emissions.

In Vietnam, some models of "Net zero tours" and sustainable green tourism have been initially implemented such as "Hotel with no plastic waste" model in Hoi An city, and Con Dao’s participation in the Urban Plastic Reduction Programme within the framework of a project on reducing ocean plastic waste in the 2020-2024 period.

For the last two years, Visit Vietnam Year focused on promoting green tourism, according to VNA.

A performance at the opening ceremony of VITM Hanoi 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Visit Vietnam Year 2022 with the theme "Quang Nam – A Green Destination" conveyed a message that Quang Nam makes green and sustainable development a pillar, calling on the community to join hands in building a green Vietnam and helping to keep the planet forever green, peaceful and happy.

In particular, the province issued a set of green tourism criteria applicable to destinations and tourism businesses.

Meanwhile, Visit Vietnam Year 2023 with the theme "Binh Thuan - Green Convergence" featured a series of unique events to introduce the south central province’s cultural values, resources, and tourism products to tourists, and raise public awareness of green tourism development.

VNAT Deputy Director Ha Van Sieu said that green tourism is an inevitable trend globally, promoting human consciousness in respecting nature, preserving cultural identity, protecting the ecological environment and restoring biodiversity.

In green tourism, environmental protection must be placed at the top, followed by respect for indigenous culture. Tourism activities must benefit local communities, helping to improve their material and spiritual lives, and broaden their knowledge through exchanges with tourists.

Visitors will get good experiences, understand the cultural values, learn about the lives of residents, and enjoy a clean environment.

Ho Chi Minh City's economy regains growth momentum

Despite the international situation continuing to face unpredictable fluctuations and difficulties in terms of imports and exports in the first quarter of this year, Ho Chi Minh City’s economy has seen positive development, with an average GRDP higher than the entire country, businesses having new orders, and tourism growth being recorded.

These positive results are attributable to the Party Committee and the municipal administration's determination to both direct and manage economic development, while working alongside businesses to quickly and effectively solve problems, thus enabling growth in every field.

Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City Branch, said that during the first two months of the year the credit balance grew positively, showing that the capital absorbability of firms and the economy has improved.

Specifically, the VND509,864 billion credit package through the bank-business connection program disbursed VND51,754 billion in February to 15,390 customers, accounting for 10.2%.

"There have been positive changes in credit growth. If in January credit dropped to 0.93%, credit grew again in February. In particular, positive changes in the local economy such as import-export, tourism, and service trade are growing well, which has impacted capital needs," Lenh stated.

In the first quarter of the year, the southern metropolis devised many solutions to revive the economy. The southern city's GRDP in the reviewed period is estimated to have increased by 6.54%, the highest rate compared to the same period from 2020 to the present and much higher than the same period in 2023.

Manufacturing and service sectors are growing steadily, especially key industrial groups, while the industrial production index soared by 5.1%, the highest recorded over the past four years.

The city's total retail sales of goods and service revenue increased by 12.2%, whilst the real estate market has shown signs of recovery coupled with the growing confidence of businesses and investors.

Several growth drivers, such as investment, domestic consumption, import-export activities, and tourism have all witnessed drastic changes, of which export turnover soared by 7.5%; tourism activities recovered strongly, visitor numbers and revenue increased sharply, and budget revenue reached 28.7% of the year's estimate and surged 7.61% over the same period.

According to Dr Trương Minh Huy Vu, deputy director of the Institute for Research and Development in HCM City, the growth recorded in the first quarter of the year shows the bright spots in the local economy such as industry, tourism, real estate, and transportation infrastructure, all of which are partly the result of previous proper policies.

Notably, from the end of last year to the beginning of this year, there were important institutional changes, especially at the central level, coming with the approval of the Land Law (amended) and the Housing Law (amended), a move serving to create trust for people and businesses, VOV reported.

Photo: VOV

“Ho Chi Minh City has been proactive in promoting traditional growth pillars such as public investment, domestic consumption, and exports. It accelerates comprehensive consumer demand stimulation, from service trade activities to tourism, from geographical space to cyberspace, and e-commerce. In addition, green projects and semiconductor projects are starting to form from the private sector," Dr Vu emphasized.

Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee assessed that entering 2024, the southern city has drastically performed key and urgent tasks for the cause of socio-economic development, thereby creating positive changes right from the beginning of the year.

In the second quarter and moving forward, to achieve growth goals, especially economic growth, the southern city is required to primarily focus on intensifying growth activities - investment, consumption, and exports. This is along with innovative investment promotion activities with a particular focus on emerging industries and fields, while selectively attracting major groups and businesses to invest in strategic fields and environmentally friendly projects.

More important is to support enterprises, especially in digital transformation and technological innovation, targeting industries with high added value, and engaging in the supply chain, the municipal leader added.

The growth in the first quarter is higher than experts' estimates and will create further growth momentum in the remaining quarters. However, this year’s growth will be difficult later on. Therefore, to fulfill the growth target in 2024, the city still prioritizes solutions for domestic consumption, public investment capital, recovery of production and business activities, and improving labor productivity.

In addition, the city will concentrate on improving institutional groups and the legal environment to serve growth in the time ahead.

Hot days and hail storms to be forecast in April

More comfortable conditions are then expected from April 8 to 14 before hot weather returns.

As Vietnam steps into April, meteorologists warn that the country is bracing for a dynamic weather pattern characterized by heatwaves, hail storms and seasonal shifts.

Tran Thi Chuc, Deputy Head of the Climate Forecast Department at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, forecasts that the low-pressure system in the western region would strengthen between now and April 30, leading to increased heat and more hot days.

Throughout the country, dangerous weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, and hail might occur, affecting daily activities.

During the forecast period, the average temperature across the country is expected to be about one to two degrees Celsius higher than the long-term average for the same period, cited VNS.

Hail storms and strong winds tore off the roof of a house in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province in late March. Photo: VNS

The hottest conditions will focus on the Northern, the Northern Central and the Central Regions. Widespread and increasing heat is also anticipated for the Central Highlands and the Southern Region as the rainy season has yet to begin.

Although the cold front is expected to weaken and shift toward the East, they still have the potential to cause strong winds and large waves in the northern part of the East Sea (commonly known as the South China Sea).

Another cold front from the north is forecast to dive southward and clash with high pressure over northern Vietnam on April 5. This will mitigate the recent heat wave in the Northeast Region with cooler temperatures and thunderstorms.

Between April 7 to 9, a late-season Northeast monsoon is anticipated to sweep down, causing cold spells in the Northern Region (with a focus on the period from April 8 to 10).

More comfortable conditions are then expected from April 8 to 14 before hot weather returns.

Rainfall totals over the next few weeks are projected to be around 10 and 20mm below normal levels for most of Vietnam. Even larger deficits of between 30 to 60mm are forecast for the Northwest, Southern Central Highlands, and Southern Regions compared to averages.

According to Vu Anh Tuan from the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center, the Northern Region is transitioning from spring to summer conditions. During this seasonal change, northern provinces can expect more frequent thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail, especially from March through May, peaking in April.

Looking ahead, a pattern shift is underway across the country. The North and Central Regions are forecast to warm from their recent chill, while the Southern Region transitions from dry to more humid conditions.

Vietnam’s beaches appeal to Korean tourists: Agoda

Tourists from the Republic of Korea (RoK) are falling for Vietnam’s beaches with stark soft sand and crystal azure water, online travel platform Agoda said on April 2.

Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, boasting stunning beaches, high-end resorts, and a kaleidoscope of tourism activities, are the favorite destinations of Korean visitors, reported VNA.

At Kem beach, Phu Quoc island (Photo: Sun Group)

According to Agoda’s country director for Vietnam Vu Ngoc Lam, international tourists have found Vietnamese beaches attractive since they meet the global tourism trend.

From the ancient city of Hoi An to tropical Phu Quoc island or dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam has a lot to offer its visitors, he stressed.

Statistics from the General Statistics Office showed the RoK remained the largest source of foreign visitors to Vietnam in the first three months of this year with more than 1.2 million arrivals, up 10% from the same time in 2019 – the time before the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the two countries upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Korean Tourism Organisation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bolstering bilateral tourism for the 2023-2024 period.

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