Author: web Desk

The Thai and Malaysian governments are in talks to construct two new bridges across Golok River, aimed at boosting cross-border trade, the Thai government’s spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek has said.

 

The project is part of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) economic development plan.

 

The two bridges will connect Sungai Kolok and Takbai districts in Narathiwat with Malaysia’s Kelantan state. The project was proposed by then Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, who is now acting Prime Minister.

 

The first bridge – Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang Bridge –  with six traffic lanes will be built parallel to the existing bridge in Sungai Kolok district, which is too narrow for large vehicles and cannot be expanded.

 

The second one will connect downtown Takbai of Narathiwat province with the Malaysian town of Pengkalan Kubor as part of an 11-kilometre road with 4-6 traffic lanes.

 

Ratchada said a Malaysian working group will arrive in Thailand in December to study the construction of a road from the new Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province to the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint in Malaysia’s Kedah state.

 

The Thai government expects the new bridges will help promote cross-border trade and tourism in the southern region and contribute to the sustainable economic growth of local communities in the border provinces of both countries./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

A seminar took place in Can Tho on September 19 to launch the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s ‘We Love Cities’ campaign in the Mekong Delta city for a greener future.

 

The global campaign, running from September 19 to October 31, aims to create a forum for cities pursuing sustainable development. Can Tho is the only representative of Vietnam among the 280 participating cities worldwide.

 

Addressing the event, Nguyen Van Thang, head of the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, lauded Can Tho’s active response to climate change, particularly its issuance of many policies on cutting greenhouse emissions and promoting energy efficiency.

 

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Tan Hien said Can Tho always considers climate change response and environmental protection a key task of its entire political system.

 

At the seminar, the city called for support and cooperation from governments, localities, communities, businesses, and organisations in Vietnam and overseas in overcoming climate change-induced challenges toward forming a carbon neutral economy and helping Vietnam implement outcomes of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

 

A World Bank’s study showed that Vietnam is among the top five nations most affected by climate change. In addition, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has recognised three deltas, including the Mekong Delta, as critically endangered due to climate change.

 

On the official website of the campaign, Can Tho is introduced as having taken innovative steps towards green and renewable energy by promoting the development of solar energy and waste-to-energy incineration and exploring wind and biomass power sources. The city’s goal is that their renewable energy supply will reach 4% in 2025, said the site./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) said in a recent article that a number of fruits grown in Vietnam have successfully entered high value and challenging markets.

 

It noted apart from China – Vietnam’s largest importer for years, Vietnamese fruit and vegetables enjoyed strong growth in other major markets such as the US, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Australia.

 

Many exporters are turning their eyes to European markets where their products enjoy zero-percent tax rate under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and these markets are seeing increasing demand for tropical fruit and vegetables.

 

The article cited data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs as showing that the country’s fruit and vegetable exports to Europe in 2021 hit 303 million USD, up 17.4% year-on-year.

 

Negotiations are also underway for other fresh fruits to enter new markets.

 

In order to seize opportunities, many localities are preparing growing areas and material sources, according to Bernama.

 

The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, Vietnam’s largest fruit-growing province, is seeking to expand plantations to help increase farmers’ incomes and exports. Similarly, the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai plans to increase its passion fruit plantations to 20,000ha by 2025, surging five-fold from the current area.

 

To ensure the sustainability of fruit exports and further make inroads into traditional markets and even high-end ones, safe production will be a vital factor, which will amplifying the country’s agricultural strengths so as to reinforce its position as one of the world’s major fresh fruit exporters, the article added./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on September 19.

 

– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stressed the importance of maintaining macro-economic stability to strengthen the resilience of the economy while delivering a closing remark at the 2022 Socio-Economic Forum in Hanoi on September 18. This is also the message that the first socio-economic forum wants to spread, he said.Read full story

 

– The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee opened its law-making session on September 19 under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. In his opening speech, Hue briefed the committee on the session’s agenda with 17 important matters. The Standing Committee is expected to opine on a host of draft laws, including the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (amended) and the Land Law (amended).Read full story

 

– Several measures for developing a sustainable labour market in the post-pandemic period were suggested by many delegates on the sidelines of the Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2022 on September 18. Bui Sy Loi, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for Social Affairs, said the labour market has been disrupted due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.Read full story

 

– The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) can contribute to the region’s post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts, according to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) joint statement released on September 18. The statement was issued following an RCEP Ministers’ Meeting held in northwest Cambodia’s Siem Reap province, on the sidelines of the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting. Read full story

 

– The Vietnamese delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien contributed constructive ideas to strengthen economic cooperation among ASEAN member states and between them with their partners at the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM-54) and related meetings in Cambodia last week.

 

The delegation highlighted key issues that ASEAN countries need to focus on during negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), address non-tariff barriers in ASEAN countries and boost the implementation of trade facilitation measures to promote intra-bloc trade; while making proposals on economic cooperation orientations between ASEAN and its partners to ensure practical benefits for Vietnamese and ASEAN businesses, thus contributing to the post-pandemic economic recovery process. Read full story

 

– A delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and National Council of the Solidarity Front for Development of the Cambodia on September 19 handed over 10 charitable houses and 300 packages of gifts to households living in extremely difficult circumstances along the Vietnam-Cambodia border. This activity is part of the sixth international conference on building a Vietnam-Cambodia border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, which is scheduled to take place in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of An Giang on September 20.Read full story

 

–  A seminar took place in Can Tho on September 19 to launch the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s ‘We Love Cities’ campaign in the Mekong Delta city for a greener future. The global campaign, running from September 19 to October 31, aims to create a forum for cities pursuing sustainable development. Can Tho is the only representative of Vietnam among the 280 participating cities worldwide. Read full story

 

– The Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA Hanoi) plans to organise a business-to-business (B2B) trade event on September 21 between enterprises from the Republic of Korea’s Incheon city and Vietnamese importers. The event will draw the participation of 25 Korean manufacturers/suppliers with typical products including cosmetics, instant food; smart home appliances and medical equipment, among others.Read full story/.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Mong Cai city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, is planning to develop renewable energy on Vinh Thuc and Vinh Trung islands in the near future.

 

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ho Quang Huy said Mong Cai is working to carry out the announced strategies and plans to gradually modernise infrastructure, especially in coastal areas.

 

Among those strategies and plans, the city will boost the development of renewable energy to switch from traditional energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas to green and safer ones like wind, solar, hydrological, and biological energy in line with the common orientations set up by central and provincial agencies, he noted.

 

According to an adjusted general planning for the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone approved by the Prime Minister, the zone has a total area of about 121,197 hectares, including 66,197 hectares on land and 55,000 hectares on water that includes such islands as Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc of Mong Cai city and Cai Chien of Hai Ha district.

 

Mong Cai city and the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone boast a long coastline, favourable weather conditions for developing renewable energy like solar and wind power, as well as resilience to storms, making them ideal places for long-term and stable power generation.

 

Huy said municipal authorities are moving to adjust the planning of Division D1 in the vicinity of Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc islands to suit the clean and renewable energy development directions issued by the Quang Ninh administration and central agencies.

 

After the planning is finalised, Mong Cai will invite capable and experienced investors to develop a wind power system, the official went on, adding that the development of clean and renewable energy will help create an impulse for the local economy to grow, natural values to be upheld, the city’s standing in the common development trend to be elevated, and related policies and resolutions of central and provincial administrations to be implemented.

 

He added that his city will maximise maritime potential while enhancing the monitoring and protection of the marine environment to help sustainably develop sea-based economic activities.

 

As a coastal city with rich potential for economic development, Mong Cai holds a strategic position in Quang Ninh province and Vietnam as a whole. Over the past years, it has always attached importance to preserving and bringing into play natural values and promoting renewable energy, Huy said.

 

In March this year, the Quang Ninh People’s Committee issued a document on studying the potential of offshore and land-based wind power in the province. It assigned the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to coordinate with some units to survey areas for wind power development, including Vinh Trung and Vinh Thuc islands.

 

Meanwhile, in a draft planning of Quang Ninh by 2030 submitted to the Prime Minister, the province identified several focuses, including developing an environmentally friendly energy industry, maintaining its role as an energy centre of Vietnam and a wind and LNG-fired power centre in the northern region, gradually switching to clean and renewable energy, and developing land-based, inshore, and offshore wind power with total initial capacity of about 2,500 MW.

 

On February 11, 2020, the Politburo issued Resolution No 55-NQ/TW on orientations for the national energy development strategy by 2030, with a vision to 2045, which gives priority to the capitalisation of renewable, new, and clean energy sources. On October 2 the same year, the Government released Resolution No 140/NQ-CP on an action plan for implementing the Politburo’s resolution./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

The Thailand Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that the local unit of Toyota Motor Corp owed the government 10 billion baht (272.11 million USD) in extra taxes for importing components not subject to a reduced tariff.

 

The court agreed with the previous decision that the imported items should be treated as complete knock-down kits, with an 80% tariff rate, instead of as auto parts, meaning they were not eligible for a reduced rate of 30% under the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA).

 

In a written statement, Toyota’s Thailand unit said it was paying the lower tax rate for imported Prius parts based on JTEPA, but it respected the ruling and would comply.

 

The additional tax was owed on more than 20,000 Prius vehicles assembled at Toyota’s Gateway factory between 2010 – 2012, according to earlier media reports.

 

Toyota also produces gasoline-engine and hybrid-engine Camry sedans in Thailand, which were not subject to additional tariffs because the majority of parts are procured locally./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency