Illustrative image (Photo: thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn)
The report forecast that the country’s digital economy will see a growth rate of 31 percent this year over the same period last year, reaching 21 billion USD.
This is welcoming in the context of the shrinking online travel market. If this growth is maintained, Vietnam's GMV is expected to reach 57 billion USD by 2025.
Since COVID-19 reappeared in the first half of this year, the country has added 8 million digital consumers, of whom more than half come from non-metro areas.
Notably, 99 percent of these new consumers expressed their intention to continue using online services post-pandemic, showing a very high level of adoption of digital services and products of users in our country.
e-Conomy SEA 2021 Report (Photo: VNA)
Thirty percent of digital merchants believe that they would not have survived the pandemic if not for digital platforms.
Digital financial services are also becoming critical enablers, with 99 percent of digital merchants now accepting digital payments and 72 percent having adopted digital lending solutions. Many are also embracing digital tools to engage with their customers, with 72 percent expecting to increase usage of digital marketing tools in the next five years.
The report also assesses that Vietnam remains an attractive innovation hub as global capital continues to pour in.
Investments and deals soared in the first half of 2021 to a record high of 1.37 billion USD, surpassing full-year investments in recent years, fuelled by investment interest in digital start-ups in the fields of e-commerce, fintech, healthtech and edtech.
As for Southeast Asia, the report highlights that the region is on track to become a GMV worth 1 trillion USD digital economy by 2030.
The main driver of this is more than 440 million internet users, including 350 million of the region's digital consumers.
Since the start of the pandemic, Southeast Asia has added 60 million new digital consumers, of whom 20 million joined in the first half of this year.
Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian digital consumers have spent more on online services.
As a result, Southeast Asia's GMV is estimated to reach 174 billion USD by the end of the year, expected to surpass 360 billion USD by 2025, higher than the previous forecast at 300 billion USD.
Hanoi partially resumes school learning on Nov. 22
Ninth graders in 17 outlying districts of Hanoi are allowed to attend classes in person, starting on November 22, reported the Voice of Vietnam according to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.
Ba Vi is the only district of Hanoi that has allowed students to return to school since November 8.
Students of other grades will continue to learn online and preschool kids will continue to stay at home, according to an urgent document issued by the department on November 20.
For high school students, the department said they will resume face-to-face learning as soon as they receive COVID-19 jabs.
The Hanoi municipal administration has assigned the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health to ensure safety when students return to school again.
Many cities and provinces nationwide such as Ha Nam, Bac Giang, Nghe An, Quang Nam and Dong Nai have allowed schools to welcome back students after a long period of online learning due to the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak.
Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, plans to resume face-to-face learning in mid-December. It is currently accelerating vaccinations for students aged 12 to 17.
Cultural development strategy until 2030 approved
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has signed Decision No.1909/QD-TTg approving a cultural development strategy until 2030, reported Vietnam News Agency.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has signed Decision No.1909/QD-TTg approving a cultural development strategy until 2030 (Photo: baovanhoa.vn)
The strategy aims to comprehensively develop the culture and people of Vietnam in accordance with trend and requirements of the fourth Industrial Revolution and impacts of natural disasters, epidemics and crises, among others.
It strives to build a healthy cultural environment across all spheres, thereby improving people’s spiritual life, gradually reducing the gap in cultural enjoyment between those live in urban and rural areas, policy beneficiaries and the vulnerable; and paying heed to cultural development in ethnic minority groups.
The strategy is to complete the market mechanism in the cultural sector in keeping with the socialist-oriented market economy. Priority will be given to some cultural industries with potential and strengths. In addition, it is hoped to devise breakthrough mechanisms to attract talents and mobilise sources for cultural and human development.
Vietnamese water puppet performed in Japan (Photo: HNMO)
It sets a target that by 2030, all provincial administrative units have three types of cultural institutions: cultural or culture-art centre, museum and library by 2030; and all units at district and communal levels have culture-sport centre.
The strategy strives to have at least 95 percent of national special relic sites and about 70 percent of national ones restored and upgraded. At least five heritage sites will receive UNESCO recognition.
Efforts will be made to ensure a minimum of 75 percent of residents in remote, mountainous and border regions and island, along with 80 percent of ethnic people can enjoy and take part in cultural activities and gain access to national and regional radio and television channels.
Some 10-15 culture-art research studies will be released and cultural industry revenues are expected to contribute 7 percent to the gross domestic product each year./.