Vietnamese mango favored in the US market. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)
The department reported that in August, the export revenue of the sector was contributed by exports of various kinds of fruits, including dragon fruit, mango, banana, coconut, jackfruit, durian, passion fruit, and longan.
Despite a fall in processed passion fruit, there is great potential for the export of fresh fruit thanks to Vietnam’s advantages.
The enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is anticipated to enhance the competitive edge of local firms in comparison to regional rivals such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, or South American countries with similar weather conditions such as Peru and Ecuador.
During the reviewed period, Thailand also imported 129,000 tonnes of fresh coconuts worth 50.4 million USD from Vietnam, marking an annual rise of 377.7 percent in volume and 781.3 percent in value.
Vietnam is Asia’s fifth largest producer of fruits and vegetables with its products available in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade revealed that Vietnam’s shipments of fruits and vegetables to the EU stood at 2.26 billion USD in the first eight months of this year, a decrease of 11.3 percent from a year earlier, due to COVID-19.
Korean company pours capital in coal-fired power project in Vietnam
Photo Courtesy of KEPCO (Source: https://www.ajudaily.com/)
The board of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) endorsed investment in a project involving Korean and Japanese companies to build a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam, according to AJU, a RoK business newspaper, reported Vietnam News Agency
KEPCO has set to complete the construction in January 2025.
KEPCO said its board has approved the planned purchase of a 40 percent stake in the construction of a 1,200-MW coal-fired power plant called Vung Ang 2 in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Samsung C&T, a key unit of Samsung Group, and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction of the RoK will participate in design, procurement and construction operators.
Originally, the project worth 2.2 billion USD had involved Japan's Mitsubishi and CLP, an electric company based in Hong Kong. As CLP withdrew its participation from the project, KEPCO decided to buy a 40-percent stake held by CLP.
AJU said the annual growth rate of electricity demand in Vietnam has been faster than in other Southeast Asian countries. Electricity from fossil fuels still plays a key role in Vietnam's total power capacity.
KEPCO, which has invested in a coal-fired power station project in Indonesia, said it would use new technologies to minimise carbon emissions and install additional eco-friendly facilities for the Vung Ang 2 power plant./.
Ho Chi Minh City launches tourism demand stimulus campaign
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has launched the “Hello Ho Chi Minh City” campaign to stimulate tourism demand after impacts from the second COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.The campaign will take place from October 2020 to January 2021.
Photo for illustration
In the context of the tourism industry suffering a “punch” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department is promptly carrying out many measures to stimulate demand, in which communication and promotion of destinations play an especially important role.
The campaign aims to convey images of Ho Chi Minh City - a safe, lively and friendly tourist destination that is always fresh. At the same time, each Vietnamese citizen is encouraged to travel domestically; each city resident is encouraged to discover the beauty where he or she lives.
It consists of two phases. The first phase focuses on introducing the image of Ho Chi Minh City - a safe, lively and friendly city with typical characteristics: open, young, exciting, colorful and lively in each street corner, each person by videoclips with the presence of Top 5 Miss Universe 2018, Vietnamese – English bilingual travel guide publications, tourism products and tours, and tourism events linking provinces and cities.
In the second phase, the Department of Tourism will announce the official identity of Ho Chi Minh City tourism and organize activities to promote the city’s tourism, such as a ceremony to identify the brand of the city’s tourism, conferences linking Ho Chi Minh City with Northwestern, Northeastern and central provinces in November 2020, and Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Techcombank Marathon in December 2020.
The department further organized activities to advertise tourism in promotion activities and media channels of international tourism organizations in which Ho Chi Minh City is a member, such as the Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO), Asian Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations, and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)./.