Vietnam news in brief - February 2

Vietnam and Singapore promote population data connectivity

Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security and Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information will accelerate negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on population data connectivity between the two countries by linking Vietnam's VNeID application and Singapore's SingPass application to facilitate the convenience of citizens of both countries. This includes validating data sharing between the two countries for use in various areas of cooperation such as healthcare, education and tourism.

The information was discussed at the annual dialogue between Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security and Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information, SNDGO and GovTech. The event took place on February 2 during the visit of Deputy Minister Nguyen Duy Ngoc and the Vietnamese delegation to Singapore.

Noi Bai Airport paralyzed by fog: authorities

Operations at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport were disrupted this morning (February 2) due to dense fog, airport authorities said.

The dense fog caused nine planes to change course and land at other smaller airports around Hanoi. Meanwhile, 37 flights scheduled to arrive at Noi Bai airport were delayed and 54 others departing from Hanoi were unable to take off.

First AI computer launched in Vietnam

Toan Viet Electronics and Computing Co Ltd and its international partners have introduced the first AI-powered desktop computer in Vietnam. The computer uses the advanced "Zen 4" microdevice core architecture developed by the US firm AMD to maximize its high-speed, efficient, and energy-saving performance.

The latest product can handle heavy tasks in gaming and content creation. It will first be used in the education sector to improve the quality of examinations and classroom monitoring.

GSM contributes over US$821 million in revenue to Vingroup

Vingroup's GSM cars in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo courtesy of VinFast

The consolidated financial report for Q4 2023, recently released by Vingroup, the Vietnamese conglomerate, shows that the group earned over VND20 trillion (US$821.7 million) from sales and services provided to Green and Smart Mobility (GSM) in 2023. GSM will pay this amount to Vingroup to purchase VinFast electric cars for its taxi and rental business.

GSM is an electric car and motorcycle rental and taxi service company founded by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong in March last year.

Vietnamese fishermen rescue 12 members of international ship

Local fishermen rescued 12 out of 15 members of the Malaysian cargo ship Samadra Indah II near Con Dao Islands, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the provincial border guard reported on February 1. The cargo ship, carrying 1,500 tons of goods, suffered a malfunction while sailing from the southern province of An Giang to Indonesia.

Local authorities and fishermen are now searching for the three missing crew members, all of whom are Indonesian nationals.

Vietnam to export 104,000 tons of rice to EU in 2023

In 2023, Vietnam exported 104,000 tons of rice worth $71.7 million to the EU market, an increase of 10% in both volume and value compared to 2022, according to the General Department of Customs. This is also the second consecutive year rice exports to the EU exceeded the annual tariff quota of 80,000 tons set by the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).  

In 2022, Vietnam exported 94,510 tons of rice to the EU. Germany topped the list of importers with a volume of 23,328 tons, up 49.3% year-on-year, accounting for a market share of 22.4%. Poland followed with 14,726 tons, an increase of 92% and a market share of 14.2%.