Press digest – January 26

Deputy PM asks for UK’s assistance in education

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam asked for the UK’s support in improving Viet Nam’s education system during a reception for Lord David Terence Puttnam, special envoy of the UK PM.

The Deputy PM said the Vietnamese Government wants to develop a more forward-thinking education sector.

Lord David Terence Puttnam said there are numerous opportunities to develop bilateral ties in trade, investment, education, and training. 
He recommended Viet Nam predict its workforce demand in the future and build a long-term education plan in response.

US, VN enhance comprehensive partnership

Leading diplomats from Viet Nam and the US gathered for an international conference reviewing 20 years of the Viet Nam-US relations.

New US Ambassador to Viet Nam Ted Osius said the conference aimed to deepen the relationship and bolster cooperation with US investors. 

Osius also said the US is keen to establish American universities in compliance with international standards in Viet Nam, which will open up a new period in the relationship between the two nations. 
Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc in turn said Viet Nam has always supported the US's greater role and its involvement in the Asia-Pacific region, which  has delivered huge benefits to the whole region. 

Coastal forest coverage to reach 19.5% by 2020

The PM has approved the Plan on coastal forest protection and development in response to climate change in the 2015-2020 phase.

The Plan aims to expand the coastal forest area to 356,753 ha, or achieve a coastal forest coverage of 19.5% by 2020.

10 products participate in US$3bln export club

Ten items joined the US$3 billion export club in 2014, together making an export turnover of US$104.14 billion, accounting for 69.3% of the total and representing a rise of 13.9% from 2013.

The nation recorded 10 localities having export turnover exceeding US$3 billion in 2014, seeing  three more new provinces of Thai Nguyen, Long An and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

These 10 localities posted a total export turnover of US$116.15 billion in 2014, accounting for 77.3% of the total.

FDI flows up 67.1% in January

As of January 20, Viet Nam disbursed US$505 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), up 8.6% compared to the same period last year.

Foreign investors poured US$392.18 million in 44 newly-registered projects, up 85.5%. A total number of 19 projects were added the capital of US$271.26 million, up 45.8% in the reviewed time.

In January this year, the total newly-registered and additional capital is estimated at US$663.44 million, up 67.1%.

Seafood, agro-forestry exports drop 14% in January

Viet Nam earned an estimated US$1.95 billion from exports of agro-forestry-fishery products in January, a year-on-year decline of 13.8%.

Of the figure, farm produce exports were valued at US$859 million, down 11.8%, while exports of seafood saw a decrease of 25.6% to US$412 million and forestry product export generated US$520 million, down 8.2%. 

CPI in January down 0.2%

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the first month of 2015 decreased 0.2% against December, 2014 and a year-on-year increase of 0.94%.

Three out of the 11 items calculated witnessed a decline in prices, including transport down 3.96%, housing, building materials, electricity, water and fuel down 1.09%, and the telecommunication group down 0.07%.

Among 63 provinces and cities nationwide, only the central city of Da Nang recorded the CPI rise, with 0.05%. 

Medicine import turnover up 8.3% in 2014

Viet Nam spent more than US$2 billion to import pharmaceutical products in 2014, up 8.3% against the previous year.

It purchased US$267 million from India, the largest sum among 30 import markets with, up 7.75%.

The country bought from France, Germany and the Republic of Korea drugs worth US$239.4 million, US$189.1 million and US$161.5 million, down 4.57%, up 28.27% and up 1.37%, respectively.

(Source: VGP/VOV)

By Thuy Dung