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| GSM electric taxi (Photo: VNA) |
This is the first foreign market in the company’s "Go Green Global" strategy with a roadmap to become an international electric vehicle (EV) service provider and to popularise the "green mobility" trend to the world.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch the service, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Laos Gen. Vilay Lakhamfong, CEO of GSM Nguyen Van Thanh expressed his hope that Xanh SM taxi will create a revolution in mobility in Laos.
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Delegates launch Xanh SM ride-hailing service (Photo: VNA)
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Anouphap Tounalom, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Vientiane, said that the trend of using EVs is increasing in Laos, especially in big cities like Vientiane.
The launch of Xanh SM taxi service is a commendable step, not only helping Lao people and tourists have more quality transportation options, but also making a positive contribution to protecting the environment and helping the Lao Government fulfill its goal of 30% of vehicles being electric ones by 2030, the official said.
After Laos, the GSM plans to expand its service to other Southeast Asian nations.
Korean Woori Bank makes expansion to Can Tho city
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| Delegates cut the ribon to inaugurate the Woori Bank's Can Tho branch. (Photo: VNA) |
The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Woori Bank inaugurated its new branch in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on November 8, increasing the number of its offices in Vietnam to 21 after 26 years of operation in the country, according to Vietnam News Agency.
General Director of Woori Bank Vietnam Park Jong Il said that the establishment of the branch is part of the Korean lender’s strategy to boost its business activities in Vietnam, hoping to bring the best financial services and products to local residents and businesses.
Woori Bank offers a diversity of financial services to individual and business customers, he said, adding the bank also provides financial consultancy for Korean firms who are going to break into the Vietnamese market.
Meanwhile, RoK Consul General Shin Choong Il highlighted that being present in Vietnam since 1997, the bank has enjoyed robust operation and made contributions to the Vietnam – RoK friendship.
Director of the State Bank of Vietnam’s Can Tho branch Tran Quoc Ha pledged support for Woori Bank to run effective business in the city, while asking the bank to strictly comply with related regulations in Vietnam and respect its customers’ benefits.
Established in 1899, Woori Bank is the oldest in the RoK. It has 713 domestic branches and transaction offices, and a network of 567 others in 24 countries across the globe. With a total asset value of 508.1 billion USD, Woori Bank has made its name to the list of the world’s largest banks.
Woori Bank entered Vietnam with its first office in Hanoi in 1997. The bank plans to expand its financial clout by adding 10 branches across the country in the first half of 2024.
Furama – Ariyana Da Nang wins World Luxury Awards 2023
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| Furama – Ariyana Da Nang Tourism Complex has won big at the World Luxury Awards 2023. (Photo: VNA) |
Furama – Ariyana Da Nang Tourism Complex has won big at the World Luxury Awards 2023 based on votes by travel industry professionals and tourists, according to Vietnam News Agency.
Accordingly, Furama Resort Da Nang was honoured as the Best Luxury Beach Resort in Southeast Asia while Don Cipriani’s Italian Restaurant at Furama Resort Danang continued to solidify its status as the quintessential Italian dining destination by securing the title of “Best Luxury Heritage Restaurant in Asia” at the 2023 World Luxury Restaurant Awards. This marked the second consecutive year that Don Cipriani’s Restaurant has been acknowledged by the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, a testament to the establishment’s timeless elegance and culinary excellence.
Ariyana Convention Centre Danang, which hosted 21 world economic leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-level Meeting in 2017, was honoured as the Best Convention Centre in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, V-Senses Wellness & Spa with design inspired by the Cham culture, was named “Best Theme Spa Design in Southeast Asia”.
According to Gentzsch Andre Piere, General Manager of the Furama – Ariyana Tourism Complex, the awards reaffirmed the forefront of the complex in delivering top-tier services to customers, contributing to popularising the tourism image of Da Nang city.
Designed by the Australian architectural firm Denton Corker and Marshall, with interior decoration by Hirsch Bedner & Associates from Hong Kong, Furama Ressort Danang boasts a prime beachfront location on one of the most stunning beaches in the world, Danang Beach. The coastline is adorned with graceful coconut trees and pristine white sand, enhancing the beauty of Da Nang.
Furama Resort Danang is a gateway to three World Heritage Sites of Hoi An, My Son and Hue.
Established in 2006, the World Luxury Awards is the pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry offering international recognition as voted by guests, travelers and industry players alike. Over 300 000 international travelers vote each year, during a four-week period to select the winners.
Vietnamese cinnamon exports surge over 10-month period
Vietnam raked in more than US$220 million from exporting 74,744 tonnes of cinnamon during the ten-month period, representing a rise of 19.2% in volume and a drop of 1.3% in value against the same period from last year, according to details given by the Vietnam Pepper Association, according to VOV News.
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| Photo for illustration |
The average export price of cinnamon throughout the reviewed period dropped by 17.2% to US$2,948 per tonne on-year.
The main export markets of Vietnamese cinnamon include India with 32,795 tonnes, up 4.7%, followed by the United States with 8,379 tonnes, up 11.2%, Bangladesh with 4,780 tonnes, up 25.7%, Brazil with 2,538 tonnes, up 30.6%, and Indonesia with 2,202 tonnes, up 75.7%.
Nguyen Nhu Tiep, director of the Agro-Forestry Fisheries Quality Assurance Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that due to the growing demand for raw materials in the food and cosmetic industries, Vietnamese cinnamon, and anise have been widely consumed in many regions such as South Asia in India and Bangladesh, the Middle East in the UAE and Pakistan, East Asia in Japan and Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea, the US, and the EU.
Le Viet Anh, chief of Office of the Vietnam Pepper Association, pointed out that despite Vietnam boasting advantages in exporting spices due to free trade agreements such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Vietnamese spice industry faces many challenges.
Specifically, the cinnamon industry has yet to devise a sustainable national development strategy, while local businesses still lack technology and capital to invest in deep processing as a means of increasing their product value, Anh said.
Furthermore, geopolitical instability may lead to price instability rather than supply and demand factors while local firms have faced tough competition from other manufacturing countries such as Indonesia and China.
Insiders analysed that there remains plenty of room to boost cinnamon exports to the EU and US markets, noting that local businesses are required to abide by stringent requirements in terms of controlling toxic substances, pesticide residues, heat treatment, plant quarantine, food safety, and transparent supply chain to make further inroads into the market./.