Vietnam News Highlights for July 7, 2023

PM urges rollout of credit package of US$421 million for wood and seafood firms

Vietnam needs a VND10 trillion (US$421 million) credit package to support the wood and seafood industries, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a meeting with the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The Prime Minister urged proactive measures to address the challenges facing businesses. These include dialogues with businesses, efforts to strengthen trade promotion by leveraging the benefits of free trade agreements and exploring various market opportunities.

New Zealand firms donate to Vietnam’s vulnerable children

New Zealand Consul General and Trade Commissioner Scott James gives gifts to children. Photo: The New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam

New Zealand Consul General and Trade Commissioner Scott James, representing ten New Zealand fruit and dairy exporters, donate over 350 cartons (7,000 kilograms) of fruit and 1,000 liters of milk to four children's and women's charities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, including Operation Smile in Ho Chi Minh City, VinaCapital Foundation, Blue Dragon and Maison Chance.

Last year, seven New Zealand fruit exporters donated 10,000 kilograms of fruit to five children's and women's charities in the two largest cities. This year is the first time New Zealand's leading dairy producers have joined the campaign.

Vietnam-Japan Festival 2023 to be held next week

The Vietnam-Japan Festival 2023 will be held at East Sea Park in the central beach city of Danang from July 13 to 16. It is part of a series of programs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam (1973-2023).

The festival will feature traditional and modern Japanese culture, Japanese food stalls and products, study opportunities in Japan, and seminars on Japanese tourism and economy.

Nearly 60% of employees in Vietnam believe AI boosts productivity

Nearly 60% of Vietnamese respondents view AI as an opportunity to learn new skills. Photo: PwC

Nearly 60% of employees in Vietnam are confident that artificial intelligence (AI) will help them increase productivity/efficiency at work, higher than the Asia-Pacific average of 41%.

These are the findings of PwC's 2023 Hopes and Fears Global Workforce survey. The survey also found that 58% of Vietnamese respondents see AI as an opportunity to learn new skills, compared to 34% in the Asia-Pacific region. The survey was conducted among 19,500 employees in the Asia-Pacific region, including 1,000 from Vietnam.

Code Tour 2023 for tech students to take place this July

Code Tour 2023, the biggest coding tournament of the year organized by VNG for technology students in Vietnam, will take place in July and August.

The Code Tour Summit Finals will be held on August 26 in Ho Chi Minh City, with the top 60 contestants selected. Students can register to participate in Code Tour 2023 at https://codetour.org/.

Vinamilk announces new brand identity in July

Delegates attend the announcement ceremony of the event in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Vinamilk

Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk), founded in 1976, has announced a new brand identity that the company says is bolder, more modern, and better connected to consumers.

Starting this month, the new identity will be implemented throughout the system, including the website, online sales channel, retail outlets, store systems, and branded packaging materials.