Vietnam news in brief - June 5

Ho Chi Minh City plans to reduce motorcycle and car emissions after 2025

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport on June 4 proposed a two-phase plan to reduce vehicle emissions in the city. The first phase will see the introduction of green energy buses throughout the city starting in 2025. Meanwhile, the second phase will include other modes of transportation. This proposal aims to implement the government's key strategy for green transformation by reducing CO2 and methane emissions in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Hanoi works to reduce traffic jams

In the first five months of 2024, the Hanoi Department of Transport coordinated with the city's police and related units to reduce congestion on seven roads, cutting the number of points prone to traffic jams from 33 to 26. However, 235 locations with a high probability of traffic accidents have emerged, and the agency is coordinating with authorities to develop response plans.

Nga Tu So intersection during rush hour. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Conferences for overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to be held in August

The Fourth World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese and the 2024 Forum of Overseas Intellectuals and Experts will be held in Hanoi from August 21 to 24.

The conference will focus on overseas Vietnamese hi-tech development, trade, and investment in the homeland and the role of Vietnamese associations and young overseas Vietnamese in strengthening national solidarity and preserving Vietnamese culture and language in expatriate Vietnamese communities.

HoREA advocates maintaining investment policy in affordable housing

HoREA proposes to maintain the regulation that allows social housing investors to increase the building density or land use coefficients in order to attract investment. This provision, in Decree 100, allows up to 1.5 times the standard density but is removed in the new draft decree. Le Hoang Chau, chairman of HoREA, said the removal of the policy would lead to businesses preferring commercial housing to social housing because it is more profitable.

The Ministry of Construction's report shows limited investment in social housing, with many municipalities missing targets due to land shortages and investment challenges.

Vietnam and Switzerland seek to improve economic ties

On June 4, the Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland and the Swiss-Vietnamese Economic Forum (SVEF) co-hosted the Vietnam-Switzerland Economic Forum 2024 under the auspices of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs and Vietnamese authorities, with more than 200 delegates attending both in person and online.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang and other representatives discussed the continuation of bilateral economic cooperation in trade, investment, finance, innovation, research and training to strengthen the partnership between Vietnam and Switzerland.

Ministry proposes piloting night tourism in 12 localities

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposes to pilot a model of night tourism products in 12 localities, including pedestrian streets, night markets and entertainment complexes. Minister of Sports, Culture and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung will bring the issue to the National Assembly when he appears before the legislative body this afternoon.

The ministry wants to attract long-stay, high-spending tourists and develop cultural, sports and tourism activities for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas.

According to a report by the Vietnam National Tourism Authority, in 2018, international visitors' spending in Vietnam was mainly on accommodation and food (accounting for 56-60%), while shopping for goods, souvenirs, sightseeing, and entertainment accounted for 20%, with the rest on other expenses.