A corner of Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: thanhnien.vn)

HCM City aims to become fintech hub

Ho Chi Minh City hopes to become a financial technology hub (Fintech hub), a model similar to that of US Wall Street in New York city, according to Lam Dinh Thang, director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications.

Under the Politburo's Resolution No 31-NQ/TW on orientations and tasks for the development of HCM City by 2030, with a vision to 2045, HCM City will become a locomotive in terms of the digital economy and digital society. Specifically, the digital economy will account for 40% of its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) by 2030, Thang said at a seminar entitled “Digital transformation in financial-banking-fintech-personal database” held recently in the city.

To this end, the city has issued many policies, focusing on the development of science-technology and innovation, defining them as the two main driving forces to help the locality excel in the future, he said.

Accordingly, attention will be paid to developing key industries and promulgating many policies to support business development activities. HCM City will also continue to invest and effectively exploit technology incubation centres at universities, hi-tech parks and the Quang Trung Software Park to form a sustainable startup ecosystem, cited VNA.

The city has also implemented many important programmes and projects such as the digital transformation programme, a project on turning HCM City into a smart city and the one to support the development of businesses and information technology - communication products in the 2020-2030 period, he noted.

Defining 2023 as the year of "digital data", Thang said HCM City will focus on connecting, sharing, exploiting and analysing data for digital transformation. Therefore, a data governance strategy has been issued, focusing on three groups of data, namely those on land and urban areas; people's information and financial-business development. The strategy aims to unlock the potential of data to better serve the activities of municipal public agencies, provide more user-friendly and efficient services to local residents and increase labour productivity and innovation toward the comprehensive and sustainable development of the digital economy.

The promotion of digital transformation is increasingly popular in many provinces and cities as well as ministries and agencies as an indispensable requirement in the development process, experts said.

According to Vu Viet Ngoan, former Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission, Vietnam has made rapid changes in the digitisation of databases, creating a new source of energy for businesses, especially those in the financial and banking sectors.

He predicted that the wave of digital transformation will continue to take place strongly in the banking and finance sector, adding that most banks have carried out a digital transformation programme. The development of technology poses challenges to banks in terms of customer experience requirements, but it is also a driving force for the banking industry, Ngoan said.

Thailand keen to exploit Vietnamese retail market

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand has recommended Thai businessmen to study the possibility of exploiting Vietnam's steadily growing retail market.

The Nation newspaper of Thailand quoted Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, DITP director general, as saying that Vietnamese retailers are especially open to investment and cooperation, thus offering plenty of sales opportunities.

Citing data from the Thai Trade Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Phusit said Vietnam's retail market sales are set to reach US$350 billion (12,130 billion baht) by 2025.

Phusit suggested Thai businesses should improve trade, boost eco- friendly production, and pay attention to the circular and green economy in a bid to promote growth in the Vietnamese retail market.

Besides, Thai entrepreneurs should also take heed to e-commerce as online transactions are now trending in Vietnam and selling via social networks will allow them to reach Vietnamese consumers, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

According to the DITP official, e-commerce is an interesting option for Thai businesses who want to expand their trade activities in the Vietnamese market, thanks to the low operating costs compared to opening a traditional store.

However, he advised Thai entrepreneurs who want to penetrate the Vietnamese online market to study the nation’s legal regulations regarding online transactions.

Phusit also said that the DITP will launched a broad array of activities in Vietnam, such as sales promotion between Thai and Vietnamese retail stores slated for August 1-14.

Vietnamese-made African swine fever vaccine used in Philippines, Dominica

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam has just approved use of Vietnamese-made African swine fever vaccine in the Philippines and the Dominican Republic.

The African swine fever vaccine has showed positive results in domestic pigs and wild boars after the vaccine was successfully researched, tested and used in Vietnam with the coordination of the United States.

Recently, a working delegation from the United States arrived in Vietnam to learn about and highly appreciated the results of the vaccine, reported SGGP.

NAVET-ASFVAC is manufactured by the Navetco National Veterinary Joint Stock Company (NAVETCO). (Photo: VNA)

Sharing at a meeting with the media this morning, Head of the Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long informed that the Philippines has also evaluated and proposed the use of this vaccine in the country.

He added that Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien had sent a working delegation of the ministry and staff of the Animal Health Department to transport vaccines to help the Dominican Republic against African swine fever.

Up to now, all vaccines against diseases transmitted from animals to humans known as blue ear pig disease, avian flu and African swine fever have been successfully researched and produced in Vietnam.

Regarding the journey to the Dominican Republic, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that there have been positive initial results from this working trip.

Vietnam will export nearly 700,000 doses of African swine fever vaccine in the upcoming time.

Hue celebrates UNESCO recognition

The People’s Committee of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue organised a ceremony on June 17 evening at Ngọ Mon Square in Hue city to celebrate the UNESCO recognition of the Complex of Hue Monuments and nha nhac (royal court music).

The Complex of Hue Monuments was recognised as a World Cultural Heritage on December 11, 1993, and the royal court music won the recognition on November 7, 2003.

Prominent among the guests were Politburo member, President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theory Council Nguyen Xuan Thang, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, and representatives of UNESCO and other international organisations in Vietnam.

In his remarks, Thang noted that the recognition has paved way for Vietnamese cultural heritages to gradually integrate into the region and the world.

The Hue culture is special, he said, stressing that Thua Thien-Hue is the only province in Vietnam and Southeast Asia to be home to five UNESCO-recognised cultural heritages. They are the Complex of Hue Monuments (1993-tangible heritage), nha nhac (2003-intangible heritage), woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty (2009-documentary heritage), documents of Nguyen Dynasty (2014-documentary heritage), and royal literature on Hue Royal Architecture (2016-documentary heritage).

Such cultural heritages have served as a great impulse for the local socio-economic development, as well as a special cultural diplomatic channel, helping promote the friendship and mutual understanding between Vietnam and international friends, Thang said.

The official asked Thua Thien-Hue to continue raising public awareness of the role and position of culture, and preserving and upholding heritage values in the ancient capital city of Hue, cited VNA.

An art performance at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Hue has been hailed by UNESCO as the leading Vietnamese locality in terms of heritage preservation, which turned it into a model centre for technological heritage transfer in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

Over the past few years, around 170 works of different sizes have been restored – most notably Ngo Mon, Thai Hoa Palace, Hien Lam Cac and Duyet Thi Duong as well as the royal tombs of Kings Gia Long, Dong Khanh, Thieu Tri, and Tu Duc, among others.

The complex was recognised as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1993. It is the 410th heritage inscribed onto UNESCO's list and the first world cultural heritage in Vietnam.

Nha nhac refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and official receptions.

Among the numerous musical genres that developed in Vietnam, only nha nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with the traditions of other East Asian countries, according to UNESCO.

“Vietnam royal court music has the meaning of ‘refined music’. Among various kinds of music developed in Vietnam, only nha nhac is considered the national music”, according to the UNESCO Council’s evaluation.

UK/Vietnam Season 2023 launched

The UK/Vietnam Season 2023 will include many activities around two themes of mutual interest, namely "Responding to Climate Change" and "Our Common Heritage".

The British Council has launched the UK/Vietnam Season 2023 program, a series of cultural and educational events to be taken place between now and December to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties between Vietnam and the UK.

One of the projects funded by the program is Our Place in Space, a model of the solar system designed by artist Oliver Jeffers and scientist Professor Stephen Smartt. It focuses on the question: How does your perspective change when you look at the Earth from space?

Our Place in Space will build an interactive three-dimensional (3D) art sculpture trail in parks and lakes in central Hanoi for two weeks in November.

The project will be implemented by a creative team from the UK and Vietnam, led by Nerve Center (UK) and Think Playgrounds (Vietnam).

An illustration of Our Place in Space project. Photo: British Council

Another highlight is The Field of Heritage, a multidisciplinary project that combines music and visual arts to gain a deeper insight into ethnic minority groups.

According to the project's representative, musician Quoc Trung, The Field of Heritage is inspired by the unique landscape, traditional instruments, costumes, colors, and sounds of the Northwest. The project will be launched at the Monsoon Music Festival 2023.

"I am very excited as the project will be sponsored by UK/Vietnam Season 2023. Together, artists will showcase the beauty of the country and people of the Northwest, finding a balance between urban and rural areas, innovation and preservation of traditions, technology development, and environmental protection," said musician Quoc Trung.

The British Council will also support the ecological photography project Roots and Worlds and Cities in Sync, a music development project between Hanoi and Sheffield.

Tackling climate change is a central theme of the UK/Vietnam Season and a shared priority for citizens and governments in the UK and Vietnam, Hanoitimes reported.

Another key theme of the UK/Vietnam Season is shared heritage, where participants will share, reflect and explore the ties between the UK and Vietnam through cultural heritage in all its forms. The Season will feature diverse programs highlighting the richness of the special relationship between the two countries, including unique performances at major music festivals that promise a sonic journey into the hearts of residents from Hue City to Manchester City.

As part of the UK/Vietnam Season, further collaboration between the British Council in Vietnam and the Government was also encouraged by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the British Council and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, hoped that the UK/Viet Nam Season would deepen the UK's relationship with Vietnam and provide an opportunity for people from both countries to strengthen existing links and forge new creative partnerships in English, education, arts, and culture - areas that have the power to unite people around the world.

PhD Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director General of MCST's Department of International Cooperation, said that the British Council and the ministry have been working closely for years to strengthen UK-Vietnam relations and develop the capabilities in arts and culture.

"Our cultural heritage is an important source of creativity and innovation, and we are committed to promoting new initiatives and works inspired by our shared heritage. By creating dialogues and stimulating new narratives, we can draw inspiration from our shared history and forge a stronger bond between our countries," she said.

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