Vietnam news in brief - September 18

Lego in Vietnam recruits workers for US$1-billion factory

Vietnam's LEGO factory. Photo: LEGO

The US$1-billion toy manufacturing factory, one of the largest foreign-invested projects in the southern province of Binh Duong, is currently recruiting numerous workers to begin production in the second half of 2024, said Preben Elnef, General Manager of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam and Vice President of the LEGO Group, at a meeting with officials from Vietnamese government last week.

More than 2,000 workers are involved in the factory's construction, and the number of workers will double by the end of this year. The company is on track to hire 100 new employees by the end of 2023, with up to 500 to be hired by the end of 2024., to be responsible for operating state-of-the-art moulding, processing, and packing machinery when the factory is fully operational.

Vietnam in shortage of 200,000 IT engineers per year

Vietnam would face a shortage of 150,000 to 200,000 programmers/engineers annually during the 2023-2025 period, according to a recent report on the Vietnamese IT market in 2023 published by TopDev. The current number of programmers in Vietnam is approximately 530,000. Of the more than 57,000 technology engineers entering the job market each year, only about 30% meet employers' requirements.

Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam 2023 to promote golf tourism

Vinpearl DIC Legends Vietnam 2023, part of the international Legends Tour (a professional golf tournament in Europe), will be held at Vinpearl Nha Trang in the southern province of Khanh Hoa from November 26 to December 2. The tournament will both provide an exciting experience and contribute to promoting golf tourism in Vietnam.

Hue strengthens tourism links with other localities

Thua Thien-Hue Province needs to strengthen its tourism connectivity with Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Danang and Quang Nam by involving travel companies and investors to develop attractive tourist tours and routes, said Nguyen Trung Khanh, General Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Authority, at the "Hue Tourism Connectivity 2023" conference held in Hue City on September 17. These five provinces and cities should consider restoring, renovating, and adding new products and services to enhance their uniqueness and suitability in the context of the new "Heritage Road" tourism route in central Vietnam.

Private cars to be equipped with dash cams

Surveillance devices installed on a school bus. Photo courtesy of Phenikaa Group

The Ministry of Public Security plans to make dashboard cameras and surveillance cameras mandatory devices for every private vehicle. Both are mandatory for commercial vehicles, including buses, minibusses, and trucks.

There are now about four million private vehicles in Vietnam. The dashcam is designed to help car owners record every activity on the road and settle disputes that arise.

Vietnamese fighter triumphs in international Muay Thai championship

Vietnamese fighter Tran Quoc Tuan won the 68-kilogram category at the Muay Thai Rampage - One King Victory In Pride championship in late September 17. Tuan defeated two fighters from the UK (in the semifinals) and Uzbekistan (in the finals) to claim the crown and a US$5,000 prize. The tournament was held at the Saigon Sports Club in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2023 to kick off tomorrow

The Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2023 will open tomorrow (September 19) at the National Convention Center in Hanoi. In its second edition, the forum will discuss solutions to lead Vietnam against the adversities and uncertainties caused by economic recession, geopolitical tensions, and diseases.

Some 400-500 delegates will attend the forum in person and connect online with scholars from other universities, colleges, and research institutes.