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GENERAL
Indices post modest gains
Hanoi (VNA) - The VN-Index gained 1.6 percent during April 27's session on the HCM Stock Exchange to close at 469.32 points.
Volume reached nearly 28 million shares, worth a total of 593 billion VND (28.2 million USD), both figures down slightly compared to the previous day. The board was split almost equally between advancers and decliners.
Two large-cap shares hit their ceiling prices – food producer Masan Group (MSN), which closed at 113,000 VND, and real estate developer Vincom (VIC), which ended the day at 134,000 VND, reversing two sessions of declines. VIC is slated to issue 626,000 additional shares on April 29, worth about 6.26 billion VND (298,000 USD).
Strong demand for shares of insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), as well as MSN and VIC, helped lift the VN-Index to overall gains on the day, but demand for other shares saw little improvement.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index opened on an uptick until about 9:30 in the morning, when it moved back into negative territory for about an hour. By the end of the morning's session, however, the index managed to close up a modest 0.1 percent to 83.79 points.
Volume reached 26.5 million shares, worth 363 billion VND (17.3 million USD).
Decliners outweighed advancers overall on the northern bourse by 180-86.
Although indices rallied on both markets, volumes remained lower than 1 trillion VND, noted analysts from FPT Securities Co, adding that two elements necessary for a recovery remained lacking: investor optimism and significant cash inflows.
With the nation's inflation rate in April reaching a whopping 3.32 percent month-on-month, the State Bank of Vietnam was expected to continue tightening monetary policies, said Pham Thanh Thai Linh, head of Analysis Division of Bao Viet Securities Company. Investors were also worried about the possibility that commercial banks would be hit with a higher capital reserves requirement, further limiting the already meagre capacity of the markets to expand.
Foreign investors were net buyers on both exchanges, although the value of net buys on the HCM City bourse dropped by 38 percent from the previous day to 35.9 billion VND (1.7 million USD). Buys by foreign investors in Hanoi , meanwhile, doubled the previous day's total to 11 billion VND (524,000 USD)./.
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Industrial output tops 13bln USD in four months
Hanoi (VNA) - The nation's industrial production in the first four months of the year reached 270.5 trillion VND (13.07 billion USD), an increase of 14.2 percent over the same period last year, the General Statistics Office announced on April 27.
"Industrial production is strongly recovering from the economic crisis, with a stable growth rate of over 14 percent," GSO industrial and construction statistician Vu Quang Ha told Vietnam News.
Private-sector industry achieved a growth rate of 16.8 percent during the period, with an industrial value of 101.1 trillion VND (4.9 billion USD), while the foreign-invested sector grew by 16.7 percent for a value of 114.43 trillion VND (5.5 billion USD).
The State-run sector, meanwhile, saw a growth of just 5.1 percent, fetching a turnover of 54.95 trillion VND (2.65 billion USD).
The nation's industrial production reached 198.7 trillion VND (9.5 billion USD) in the first quarter of the year, a rise of 14.1 percent against the same period last year. The processing industry saw the greatest growth of 15.1 percent year-on-year, averaging 9 percent per month.
The General Statistics Office earlier announced that Vietnam's consumer prices jumped 17.5 percent in April from a year earlier - the fastest pace since December 2008, further casting doubts on the ability of authorities to cap inflation at 7 percent this year. Last year, inflation reached 11.75 percent./.
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Domestic violence victims urged to raise voice
Can Tho (VNA) - Support for domestic violence victims and punishment on the offenders are major topics of a three-day training course opened in Can Tho city on April 27.
The training aims to educate women in gender equality law, calling on them “not to keep silence at domestic violence”.
Participants are provided with reliable addresses for and equipped with experiences in solving disputes, protecting victims and treating as well as educating offenders in an effective way.
The course draws almost 50 participants from women’s unions, the police, the judiciary and courts in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum .
They will also pay a fieldtrip to Xuan Khanh precinct, Ninh Kieu district, to see first hand progress as well as outstanding problems in the fight against domestic violence and exchange relevant experience with local authorities.
The course, co-sponsored by the Spanish International Cooperation and Development Agency (AECID), is part of a project on improving women’s competence in economic development.
The project, over the past year of the first phase, helped build 57 reliable addresses in Can Tho city to shelter women who are victims of domestic violence, and provide credits for 482 women, either victims or vulnerable to the crime, to develop household economy./.
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Domestic violence victims urged to raise voice
Can Tho (VNA) - Support for domestic violence victims and punishment on the offenders are major topics of a three-day training course opened in Can Tho city on April 27.
The training aims to educate women in gender equality law, calling on them “not to keep silence at domestic violence”.
Participants are provided with reliable addresses for and equipped with experiences in solving disputes, protecting victims and treating as well as educating offenders in an effective way.
The course draws almost 50 participants from women’s unions, the police, the judiciary and courts in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum .
They will also pay a fieldtrip to Xuan Khanh precinct, Ninh Kieu district, to see first hand progress as well as outstanding problems in the fight against domestic violence and exchange relevant experience with local authorities.
The course, co-sponsored by the Spanish International Cooperation and Development Agency (AECID), is part of a project on improving women’s competence in economic development.
The project, over the past year of the first phase, helped build 57 reliable addresses in Can Tho city to shelter women who are victims of domestic violence, and provide credits for 482 women, either victims or vulnerable to the crime, to develop household economy./.
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PM approves bank's equitisation plan
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the State-owned Housing Bank of Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta (MHB)'s equitisation plan.
The bank will become a commercial joint-stock company under the plan and will be permitted to issue shares to increase its charter capital.
The State will retain a 3 trillion VND (144 million USD) stake after the equitisation, accounting for 68.1 percent of MHB's charter capital of 4.51 trillion VND (216.7 million USD).
The bank plans to issue shares worth 31.9 percent of its charter capital – 14.34 percent will be auctioned publicly, 2 percent will be offered to the labour union, 0.56 percent to the bank's employees and 15 percent to strategic investors.
Strategic investors will not be permitted to sell their shares for five years.
The central bank will be responsible for deciding MHB's share price at auction and advise the bank on selecting its strategic shareholders.
MHB was established as a State-owned bank in 1997. Since then, its asset value has reached nearly 51.4 trillion VND (2.5 billion USD), 171 times its initial worth.
The move follows the earliers equitisation of Vietcombank (VCB) and Vietinbank (CTG) – which are now listed on the HCM Stock Exchange.
State-owned Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) is also planning to equitise, while the Vietnam Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Agribank) became a one-member limited liability company, with the State being the sole stake holder./.
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Exhibition to test people's choice for national flower
Da Nang (VNA) - A series of exhibitions of native Vietnamese flowers is being held in several cities to identify the people's choice for the national flower, and the caravan has now moved to Da Nang .
The week-long exhibition opened on April 26 in the central city after an earlier one in Hanoi in January when an overwhelming 80 percent of visitors voted for the lotus.
The latest one, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has three sections, one each on the lotus, other flowers, and bamboo.
The lotus section features the flower, both natural and made of paper and silk, and themes highlighting its importance in Vietnamese culture, ancestor worship, oriental and Vietnamese Buddhism, traditional and contemporary arts, and cuisine.
Photos of the lotus, craftworks made from the flower, and ao dai's (women's traditional robes) decorated with lotuses by designer Lan Huong are also on show.
The "Flowers from All Parts of the Country" section features the north-west's plum blossoms, the yellow ochna from the south, orchids from the Central Highlands, and peach blossoms from the north.
The final section features craftworks, tools, and architecture made of bamboo, a common tree in Vietnam .
The organisers will distribute the poll ballots to 3,000 visitors and 12,000 city residents.
The poll can also be taken on www.cinet.vn and www.quochoavietnam.com.
To qualify the flower must be indigenous to the country, found in most provinces, reflect the culture, ethos, and spirit of the Vietnamese people, have a beautiful shape, colour, fragrance, and possess commercial value.
Besides, it should be commonly found, related to important cultural events, mentioned in literary and artistic works, and celebrated by most people.
A third such exhibition will be held in HCM City in June.
In the polls so far, the lotus is followed by the ochna and rice flower./.
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Exhibition to test people's choice for national flower
Da Nang (VNA) - A series of exhibitions of native Vietnamese flowers is being held in several cities to identify the people's choice for the national flower, and the caravan has now moved to Da Nang .
The week-long exhibition opened on April 26 in the central city after an earlier one in Hanoi in January when an overwhelming 80 percent of visitors voted for the lotus.
The latest one, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has three sections, one each on the lotus, other flowers, and bamboo.
The lotus section features the flower, both natural and made of paper and silk, and themes highlighting its importance in Vietnamese culture, ancestor worship, oriental and Vietnamese Buddhism, traditional and contemporary arts, and cuisine.
Photos of the lotus, craftworks made from the flower, and ao dai's (women's traditional robes) decorated with lotuses by designer Lan Huong are also on show.
The "Flowers from All Parts of the Country" section features the north-west's plum blossoms, the yellow ochna from the south, orchids from the Central Highlands, and peach blossoms from the north.
The final section features craftworks, tools, and architecture made of bamboo, a common tree in Vietnam .
The organisers will distribute the poll ballots to 3,000 visitors and 12,000 city residents.
The poll can also be taken on www.cinet.vn and www.quochoavietnam.com.
To qualify the flower must be indigenous to the country, found in most provinces, reflect the culture, ethos, and spirit of the Vietnamese people, have a beautiful shape, colour, fragrance, and possess commercial value.
Besides, it should be commonly found, related to important cultural events, mentioned in literary and artistic works, and celebrated by most people.
A third such exhibition will be held in HCM City in June.
In the polls so far, the lotus is followed by the ochna and rice flower./.
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Contest to seek creative ideas on environment
Hanoi (VNA) – A contest on searching for creative ideas for environmental protection in Vietnam has been launched by the British Council and the Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LQRA).
Entries should deal with environmental challenges facing Vietnam ’s urban areas and propose measures to increase management effectiveness, reduce waste, lower energy consuming and use water reasonably as well as put forth sustainable models.
Winners will be awarded with cash and become a member of the LQRA and British Council’s regional E-idea network, which enables them to access training opportunities and develop cooperation networks with activists for environment and society.
Time for receiving entries will run from May 3 to July 3./.
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Contest to seek creative ideas on environment
Hanoi (VNA) – A contest on searching for creative ideas for environmental protection in Vietnam has been launched by the British Council and the Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LQRA).
Entries should deal with environmental challenges facing Vietnam ’s urban areas and propose measures to increase management effectiveness, reduce waste, lower energy consuming and use water reasonably as well as put forth sustainable models.
Winners will be awarded with cash and become a member of the LQRA and British Council’s regional E-idea network, which enables them to access training opportunities and develop cooperation networks with activists for environment and society.
Time for receiving entries will run from May 3 to July 3./.
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Second Vietnam Rice Festival on the way
Hanoi (VNA) – The second Vietnam Rice Festival will be held in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang from Nov 8-14.
The festival, a large scale economic and cultural event, aims to honour Vietnam rice producers and traders.
At the festival, various activities will take place including trade and investment promotion, an agricultural products fair and an exhibition themed “ Vietnam Rice Road ”.
Additionally, seminars, cultural exchanges and festivals on the theme of rice among regions nationwide will also be held.
The first Vietnam Rice Festival was held in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang from Nov 28 to Dec 2 in 2009./.
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Measures to preserve rare antelope discussed
Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) - The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in coordinated with the Forest Ranger Sub-Department of the central province of Thua Thien Hue recently held a seminar on measures to reserve Sao La, a rare antelope.
The seminar, which was held from April 25-27, was aimed at completing a plan of action on reservation of Sao La, a mysterious twin-horned creature, building strategies for natural reserves for Sao La and implementing law at natural reserves.
The Sao La (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), a relative of antelopes and cattle and one of the world's rarest animals, was discovered in 1992 in Vu Quang forest in the central province of Ha Tinh by a joint team of WWF and Vietnam Department of Forestry members who were conducting a survey.
Later, scientists found traces and took images of Sao La in Thua Thien Hue in January 1998.
Experts say only a dozen to several hundred of Sao La exist in Vietnam .
They are threatened by illegal hunting for its horns. None have survived in captivity.
In response to the alarming status of the species in the wild, WWF Vietnam has worked with local authorities and agencies to promote the establishment of the Sao La Nature Reserve in Quang Nam and the Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien Hue province, and to extend Bach Ma National Park./.
BUSINESS
Local company cooperates with Japanese investors
HCM City (VNA) – The Saigon Paper Joint Stock Company (SGP) signed a strategic investment cooperation agreement with two Japanese partners in Ho Chi Minh City on April 27.
Under the agreement, Japan’s Daio Paper Company (Daio) and BridgeHead Investment Fund under the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) will hold a 38 percent stake in SGP and have roadmaps to continue investment in the company.
Besides capital, the Japanese partners will also provide comprehensive assistance in technology, management and human resource training for the Vietnamese company.
On the occasion, SGP received ISO 14001 certificate and the State’s third-class Labour Order./.
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Int’l arrivals in Vietnam continue rising
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam welcomed more than 460,000 international visitors in April, up 6.3 percent against the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
In the first four months of the year, the number of foreign tourists to Vietnam reached over 1.9 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.5 percent.
Despite the recent earthquake and tsunami, Japanese visitors to Vietnam still numbered 177,000, up 21 percent.
Vietnam also saw remarkable increases in the numbers of tourists from China with 20.4 percent; the US, 6.8 percent; the Republic of Korea, 6.6 percent; France, 6.3 percent; and Australia, 5.7 percent./.
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Indices post modest gains
Hanoi (VNA) - The VN-Index gained 1.6 percent during April 27's session on the HCM Stock Exchange to close at 469.32 points.
Volume reached nearly 28 million shares, worth a total of 593 billion VND (28.2 million USD), both figures down slightly compared to the previous day. The board was split almost equally between advancers and decliners.
Two large-cap shares hit their ceiling prices – food producer Masan Group (MSN), which closed at 113,000 VND, and real estate developer Vincom (VIC), which ended the day at 134,000 VND, reversing two sessions of declines. VIC is slated to issue 626,000 additional shares on April 29, worth about 6.26 billion VND (298,000 USD).
Strong demand for shares of insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), as well as MSN and VIC, helped lift the VN-Index to overall gains on the day, but demand for other shares saw little improvement.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index opened on an uptick until about 9:30 in the morning, when it moved back into negative territory for about an hour. By the end of the morning's session, however, the index managed to close up a modest 0.1 percent to 83.79 points.
Volume reached 26.5 million shares, worth 363 billion VND (17.3 million USD).
Decliners outweighed advancers overall on the northern bourse by 180-86.
Although indices rallied on both markets, volumes remained lower than 1 trillion VND, noted analysts from FPT Securities Co, adding that two elements necessary for a recovery remained lacking: investor optimism and significant cash inflows.
With the nation's inflation rate in April reaching a whopping 3.32 percent month-on-month, the State Bank of Vietnam was expected to continue tightening monetary policies, said Pham Thanh Thai Linh, head of Analysis Division of Bao Viet Securities Company. Investors were also worried about the possibility that commercial banks would be hit with a higher capital reserves requirement, further limiting the already meagre capacity of the markets to expand.
Foreign investors were net buyers on both exchanges, although the value of net buys on the HCM City bourse dropped by 38 percent from the previous day to 35.9 billion VND (1.7 million USD). Buys by foreign investors in Hanoi , meanwhile, doubled the previous day's total to 11 billion VND (524,000 USD)./.
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Industrial output tops 13bln USD in four months
Hanoi (VNA) - The nation's industrial production in the first four months of the year reached 270.5 trillion VND (13.07 billion USD), an increase of 14.2 percent over the same period last year, the General Statistics Office announced on April 27.
"Industrial production is strongly recovering from the economic crisis, with a stable growth rate of over 14 percent," GSO industrial and construction statistician Vu Quang Ha told Vietnam News.
Private-sector industry achieved a growth rate of 16.8 percent during the period, with an industrial value of 101.1 trillion VND (4.9 billion USD), while the foreign-invested sector grew by 16.7 percent for a value of 114.43 trillion VND (5.5 billion USD).
The State-run sector, meanwhile, saw a growth of just 5.1 percent, fetching a turnover of 54.95 trillion VND (2.65 billion USD).
The nation's industrial production reached 198.7 trillion VND (9.5 billion USD) in the first quarter of the year, a rise of 14.1 percent against the same period last year. The processing industry saw the greatest growth of 15.1 percent year-on-year, averaging 9 percent per month.
The General Statistics Office earlier announced that Vietnam's consumer prices jumped 17.5 percent in April from a year earlier - the fastest pace since December 2008, further casting doubts on the ability of authorities to cap inflation at 7 percent this year. Last year, inflation reached 11.75 percent./.
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PM approves bank's equitisation plan
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the State-owned Housing Bank of Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta (MHB)'s equitisation plan.
The bank will become a commercial joint-stock company under the plan and will be permitted to issue shares to increase its charter capital.
The State will retain a 3 trillion VND (144 million USD) stake after the equitisation, accounting for 68.1 percent of MHB's charter capital of 4.51 trillion VND (216.7 million USD).
The bank plans to issue shares worth 31.9 percent of its charter capital – 14.34 percent will be auctioned publicly, 2 percent will be offered to the labour union, 0.56 percent to the bank's employees and 15 percent to strategic investors.
Strategic investors will not be permitted to sell their shares for five years.
The central bank will be responsible for deciding MHB's share price at auction and advise the bank on selecting its strategic shareholders.
MHB was established as a State-owned bank in 1997. Since then, its asset value has reached nearly 51.4 trillion VND (2.5 billion USD), 171 times its initial worth.
The move follows the earliers equitisation of Vietcombank (VCB) and Vietinbank (CTG) – which are now listed on the HCM Stock Exchange.
State-owned Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) is also planning to equitise, while the Vietnam Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Agribank) became a one-member limited liability company, with the State being the sole stake holder./.
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