Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Ministry urges acceleration of inoculating third, fourth shots against Covid-19

The Ministry of Health is urging the acceleration of the vaccination of the third and fourth shots, given continuously complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic in many European countries related to variants BA.4 and BA.5.

According to the ministry, in Vietnam, the pandemic has basically been under control across the country, but the two above-mentioned variants have been detected in the community.

The ministry predicts that the number of Covid-19 cases may continue to increase and break out on a large scale in the coming time if no drastic measures are taken, cited VNA.

The ministry proposed the chairpersons of the People’s Committees of provinces and cities strictly implement directions of the Government and the Prime Minister, and carry out measures on pandemic prevention and control.

The local Departments of Health were asked to work with Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology or Pasteur Institute to carry out sampling and sequencing of genes to early detect dangerous new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Departments of Information and Communications should strengthen disseminations on vaccination, as well as its benefits and effectiveness, while the Departments of Education and Training should coordinate with the health sector to accelerate the inoculation at schools.

European Parliament member hails strong Vietnamese position

Jan Zahradil, a Czech member of the European Parliament (EP), has expressed his positive impressions of Vietnamese economic achievements and is appreciative of the nation’s role in the region, the relationship between the country and the Czech Republic, as well as with the EU.

A meeting between Zahradil and Vietnamese Ambassadors several EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, and Belgium, and leaders of the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe, was held on July 8 and July 9 in Mikulov in the Czec Republic’s South Morava region.

During the course of the meeting, Zahradil announced that the EP had approved the Indo-Pacific Strategy Report regarding trade and investment on July 5.

Czech MEP Jan Zahradil. Photo: EP

According to him, the report highlights the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, which is notable for accounting for 70% of global trade in goods and services and 60% of foreign direct investment, while also emphasising the importance of free trade agreements between the EU and its partners throughout the region.

Most notably, the report calls on EU member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to ensure the agreement swiftly comes into force and creates favourable conditions for the promotion of EU investment in the country and the region as a whole, including the green transition and circular economy.

Zahradil went on to assess that the nation holds a special position in the report as both a member of ASEAN and a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He also expressed his positive views on Vietnamese economic development achievements, especially the country’s GDP growth rate of 7.72% in the second quarter of the year and an inflation rate below 3%.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung thanked Zahradil for organising the meeting that created an opportunity to discuss the bilateral relationship between the nation and the bloc.

According to the Ambassador, the two sides are constantly interested in enhancing the joint comprehensive partnership and expanding co-operation across a variety of fields.

The EU is currently the country’s fifth largest trading partner and second largest importer, with bilateral trade turnover expanding by 14.8% in 2021 to hit US$63.6 billion, despite the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent media interview, Zahradil said the Vietnamese community residing in the Czech Republic is one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the EU, which makes people like him even more responsible for cultivating a strong relationship, as well as boosting Vietnam-EU relations.

Moreover, he went on to say that the nation has a very special position in Southeast Asia as it is the only country to sign a trade deal with the bloc in the form of the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). This has helped the nation to take advantage of opportunities to achieve stronger development and stability, according to VOV.

He emphasised that the country and the Czech Republic have a strong long-standing traditional relationship. As the President of the EU Council from now until the end of the year, the Czech Republic has the opportunity to further promote bilateral and multilateral relations with Vietnam at a European level.

Vietnam records important achievements in population work over 60 years

Vietnam has successfully controlled the rapid population growth, maintained a reasonable population size, and kept the total replacement fertility rate for nearly 15 years, as results of population work over the past six decades.

Notably, the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people increased by 33.7 years, from 40 in 1960 to 73.7 in 2020. The rates of malnutrition and child mortality have decreased by two thirds; while the maternal mortality rate dropped by three-fourths.

Illustrative photo. Source: VNA

In 1999, Vietnam received the United Nations Population Award.

The country entered the golden age of population structure in 2007, which peaked in 2020, with the working age population accounting for about 70% of the total population. This phase is expected to last about 30-40 years.

However, the population work is facing both opportunities and challenges. Vietnam is experiencing a significant disparity in birth rates among regions, affecting its rapid and sustainable development. Meanwhile, gender imbalance at birth has appeared since the early years of the 21st century and increasingly spread in both urban and rural areas, with the sex ratio being at over 110 male births for every 100 female births from 2006 to present, reported VNA.

According to the UN’s World Population Prospects, the global human population will reach 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022. To celebrate World Population Day (July 11) this year, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has chosen the theme "A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all - Harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all".

As such, the UNFPA is calling for countries, including Vietnam, to invest in human and physical capital for inclusive, productive societies that uphold human and reproductive rights. Only then can we tackle the enormous challenges facing our planet and forge a world where health, dignity and education are rights and realities, not privileges and empty promises.

Fresh co-operation opportunities for Vietnamese and EU firms

A Vietnam – European Union (EU) agricultural business forum was held on July 11 to mark the official visit to Vietnam by EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski.

The forum featured the participation of senior officials of both sides, along with approximately 50 European firms specialising in areas such as wine, beverages, meat and meat products, agricultural products, as well as fruit and vegetables.

This can be viewed as a prime opportunity in which Vietnamese businesses can meet and discuss new co-operation opportunities with European partners.

Appreciating the initiative to organise the forum, Wojciechowski said that his trip to Vietnam and Singapore is designed to ramp up joint ties in agricultural and food trading within the frameworks of signed free trade agreements.

According to him, his working visit to the nation comes at a time when the EU hopes to facilitate trade in exchanges and agreements between European and Vietnamese companies operating in the agri-food industry.

Speaking at the forum, Pham Tan Cong, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that currently, the EU represents the third largest export market of Vietnamese agricultural products with a turnover of roughly US$5.5 billion annually. The bloc therefore accounted for 15% of the nation’s total agricultural export value in 2021, but making up only 4% of the EU’s total agricultural import value.

The figures remain far below the country’s export potential, as well as the import demand of EU countries, stressed Cong.

He therefore expressed his hope that through the forum, the EU side will share information and experience, as well as supporting the nation in building agricultural development policies and models in a green, modern, and effective direction to reduce the impacts of climate change on agricultural activities.

The VCCI representative affirmed the agency’s resolute resolve to actively support EU firms, cited VOV.

Representatives from Vietnamese State management agencies proposed that European investors pay greater attention to several dynamic economic zones, such as Hung Yen, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Hai Duong, all of which are near Hanoi and boast both good infrastructure and abundant labour.

Hanoi’s housing prices continue upward trend

The Government’s focus on infrastructure development and the involvement of major property developers from the South would make the market more attractive.

Hanoi’s housing prices continued the upward trend during the first six months of 2022, while the new supplies, especially of affordable housing, remain low.

A report on the real estate market from CBRE noted during the first half of 2022, some 8,200 new apartments from 16 projects have been listed on the market, representing an increase of 3% year-on-year, but only three are new projects.

Among the lot, luxury apartments made up 55% of the new supplies while 53% of the new apartments for sale are in the West of Hanoi.

CBRE, however, noted that no new projects in the low to medium price range were put up for sale during the first half of 2022.

"Since the end of 2021, it seems that there are no more new projects in this market segment, since real estate promoters have changed their focus on medium to high price ranges," Vo Huynh Tuan Kiet, director of CBRE’s housing department said.

In this context, the sale numbers have exceeded supplies with over 10,800 units, showcasing the high absorption rate of the market.

Retail prices on the primary market in the second quarter averaged US$1,872 per square meter (sq.m) (excluding VAT and maintenance fees), 27% higher than in the same period of last year, cited Hanoitimes.

Meanwhile, prices in the secondary market stood at an average of $1,293 per square meter, or an increase of 9% year-on-year.

Budget housing projects in Hanoi remain scarce. Photo: Hanoi Times

Luxury property projects in Hanoi’s downtown areas, including districts of Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da, and Ba Dinh, recorded price hikes of over 10%.

Regarding the segment of detached houses, the market witnessed 5,849 new products from five projects, tripling the figures in the first half of 2021. Market prices also surged from VND120 million ($5,141)/ sq.m to VND175 million ($7,300).

Prices remain high

Experts suggested the real estate market continue heating up from now until late 2022, mainly thanks to intensified sale activities.

Supplies are set to reach 20,000-22,000 new apartments but remain lower compared to the previous forecast due to delays in the completion of several projects that have been postponed to 2023 and subsequent years.

Such a low supply would result in high market demand for the foreseeable future, said Nguyen Hoai An, director of CBRE Vietnam – Hanoi branch.

According to An, the prospect of Hanoi’s real estate market continues to be bright amid heightened risks from inflationary pressure and tightened credit sources in the sector.

“The Government’s focus on infrastructure development and the involvement of major property developers from the South would make the market more attractive,” An said.

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