Opinion

Deep in the Mekong Delta, two Frenchmen have their heads buried in a sack of cacao beans. The pair – co-founders of Vietnam`s first artisan chocolate maker – resurface, murmuring appreciatively.

Viet Nam will continue to rely on capital and natural resources in order to achieve an economic growth rate of 5.8% in 2014 and 6-6.2% in the following year, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh has said.

The Vietnamese Government and donors will pay greater attention to providing ODA capital for the agricultural sector when the nation experiences further development, said Planning & Investment Minister Bui Quang Vinh in a media interview.

Trade counselors predict Vietnamese goods will have more chances to expand their reach into Latin American, Japanese, EU, and US markets in 2014.

Education Minister Pham Vu Luan has stressed the sector needs a dramatic change in its management and examination systems to live up to the public’s expectations and serve as the infrastructure for national development.

The Government has instructed the State Bank of Vietnam to issue "proper" policies in order to mobilise gold hoarded by the public and use it for socio-economic development.

Import-export activities fulfilled the set targets and 2013 is the second consecutive year Vietnam has enjoyed trade surplus, whilst exports experienced impressive growth.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has emphasised internal strength and confidence as driving force for the country to overcome difficulties and continue its sustainable development.

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) President Vu Tien Loc has urged the Government to support domestic businesses by introducing measures like tax cuts and exemptions and trade promotion in 2014.

Vietnam is on track to bring inflation under control this year, rising just 6% over 2012 – a record low in the past 10 years, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO) leader.

Green buildings are still rare in Vietnam though the country is among the 10 most vulnerable in the world to climate change and sea level rise.

The establishment of ASEAN community by late 2015 and the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the EU, the Custom Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan in 2014 will pose both opportunities and challenges for Vietnam and its trade sector.

Local businesses should have a clear strategy to take advantage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and avoid risks of failure, said economists.

Viet Nam continued working closely with its partners and looking to build new effective partnerships that would boost the country’s sustainable socio-economic growth, said Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh.

After two days of live discussions, the 12th Plenary Meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) finished with a nice signing ceremony of the Hanoi Core Statement and 7 cooperation documents in the fields of investment, trade and tourism between the city members.

The latest round of TPP negotiations was wrapped up in Utah, Salk Lake city, the US on November 26, opening up opportunities for concerned parties to reduce disagreements before the TPP Ministerial Meeting is due to open in Singapore next month.

Married people in rural areas of Vietnam feel more satisfied with their lives than those who are single or never marry and income plays a vital role in ensuring their happiness, one study showed.

The Vietnam Electricity’s Southern Power Company (EVN SPC) will cooperate with Italian Prysmian PowerLink SRL to complete the final section of the longest submarine cable in Southeast Asia.

The Minister of Transport defended the need to build the controversial Long Thanh International Airport project while experts have already said that it is a huge waste.

Viet Nam highly values the global operation of the United Nations (UN) in two main pillars of peace and development, which is raising the UN’s position in the word, PM Nguyen Tan Dung has said.