Vietnam news in brief - July 1

Vietnamese Cultural Days in Russia to be held in early July

Vietnamese Cultural Days in Russia will be hosted in Moscow and St. Petersburg from July 1 to 8 to mark the 74th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

Opening ceremony of the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russian Year in Vietnam 2020. Photo: Thai Binh

The festival aims to help people of both countries gain a deeper understanding of each other's cultural identity and artistic heritage. The highlight will be the screening of Vietnamese films, which will give Russians an opportunity to acquire a greater insight into Vietnamese culture.

Vietnam to require emissions testing for motorcycles

Vietnam will require emission testing for motorcycles from January 1, 2025, according to the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety. Emissions testing will be conducted in accordance with the Law on Environmental Protection at emissions testing facilities that meet national technical regulations.

Vietnamese consumers shop online four times a month

Vietnamese consumers shop online an average of four times a month, twice the number of monthly supermarket visits, according to NielsenIQ Vietnam.

The survey found that a Vietnamese person uses an average of 3.2 platforms to shop online. The low cost of online goods is not the biggest factor drawing consumers. The two bigger reasons are to stock up for family reasons (25%) and for immediate needs (21%).

Vietnam to survey socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minorities from July 1

The General Statistics Office (GSO) and the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs will jointly collect information on the socio-economic situation of the country's 53 ethnic minority groups starting July 1.

The survey findings will be an important input for the design of socio-economic development policies for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in 2026-2030. The survey will be conducted from July 1 to August 15 in 54 provinces and cities that have ethnic minority people.

Croatia ready for partnership with Vietnam

Croatia is ready to cooperate with Vietnam on global issues where the two countries have common interests, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman told the Vietnam News Agency. Croatia will focus on strengthening economic cooperation by capitalizing on its strategic position to promote trade and investment between Vietnam and Europe. Croatia also intends to expand cultural, scientific and educational exchanges to increase mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Public investment disbursement reaches 21% of plan

The cumulative disbursement of public investment capital in January-May reached nearly 21% of the plan, equivalent to VND143.6 trillion (US$5.6 billion), according to the Ministry of Finance. Some ministries and sectors have not disbursed any money. By the end of June, 12 out of 44 central ministries and agencies and 37 out of 63 localities had an estimated disbursement rate above the national average. Perennial problems related to policy mechanisms, site clearance and construction materials are affecting the disbursement this year.

Hanoi pilots cashless payment at 64 parking spots

Hanoi has piloted cashless payment at 64 parking lots, including 24 in Hoan Kiem District, nine in Nam Tu Liem District, nine in Cau Giay District, and others. From April 15 to date, there have been over 170,000 cashless payments for parking using QR codes, VETC (Vietnam Electronic Toll Collection), ePass, and MTC (multi-lane free-flow toll collection), with a total transaction value of over VND2.1 billion ($82,558).