Press digest – May 27
Party chief reiterates importance of ties with US
Receiving a delegation of US lawmakers led by Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senator John McCain, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has reiterated Viet Nam’s consistent policy of attaching importance to ties with the US for the long-term interest of both peoples.
Senator McCain highlighted the progress made in the relations between the two countries, especially since they set up the comprehensive partnership in 2013, reiterating that the US wishes to further promote the multifaceted cooperative ties with Viet Nam.
The senator and the US delegates said they look forward to the Vietnamese Party leader’s visit to the US and pledged to do their best for the historic visit to reap the best outcomes.
Gov’t regular meeting convened
PM Nguyen Tan Dung asked for synchronous measures to tackle difficulties for people and businesses, improve the business environment, increase competitiveness and ensure goals set for the next months of 2015 are achieved at the Government regular meeting.
Ministries, agencies and localities were required to clear obstacles and barriers in investment and business activities, complete policies on tax and expenditure, simplify administrative procedures in terms of business establishment, credit, tax, social insurance, customs, land, construction and investment as well as carry out effectively mechanisms, policies and measures for agriculture, industry and service developments.
At the meeting, cabinet members discussed the Report on the country's socio-economic performances in May and in the first five months of 2015, the implementation of Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP, the Report on the implementation of the Decree on policies on aquatic development, measures to accelerate tourism and draft Resolution on preventing smuggling, trade frauds and fake commodities.
Trade deficit exceeds US$3.5 bln
As of May 15, Viet Nam’s total export and import turnover obtained US$115.87 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.6%.
The nation earned nearly US$6.32 billion from exporting in the first half of May, which raised the total export turnover to US$56.09 billion, up 8.6%.
The import turnover in the first half of May saw an increase of 34.6% compared to the second half of April, reaching US$8.19 billion, bringing the total import turnover to US$59.78 billion, up 18.7%.
US$5 bln in FDI disbursed in five months
The total newly-registered and additional Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) over the past five months of the year reached US$4.29 billion, equal to 78% of the same period last year.
As much as US$4.95 billion in FDI were disbursed in the period, a year-on-year increase of 7.6%.
As of May 20, 592 investment projects were licensed with a total registered capital of US$2.95 billion, equal to 72.9% of the same period last year.
A total number of 210 projects were added with the investment of US$1.34 billion, accounting for 80.6% of the same period last year.
Exports of agro-forestry-fishery hit US$11.4 bln
Export turnover of Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery products is estimated to reach US$2.37 billion in May and total US$11.4 billion in the first five months of 2015, down 7.3% compared to the same period last year.
The export turnover of forestry products reached US$2.69 billion, a rise of 7% while aquatic products accounted for US$2.41 billion, a fall of 17% from the same period of 2014.
The US remains Viet Nam’s biggest aquatic importer, accounting for 19.5% of the total, but its imports declined sharply by 30% year on year.
VN association of real estate brokers debuted
The Viet Nam Association of Real Estate Brokers (VAREB), a member of the Viet Nam Real Estate Association (VREA), made its debut in Ha Noi.
The VAREB will strengthen cooperation in the sector, improve professionalism, build common profession standards and eventually contribute to the healthy, transparent and sustainable development of the real estate market in Viet Nam.
Real estate expo opens in HCM City
Many real estate projects offering apartments and housing lots at affordable prices, around VND1 billion (US$47,000) each, are being introduced at the 2015 Home Expo, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City.
The expo aims to create a transparent market in order to promote property sales as well as investment in the field.
(Source: VNA/VGP)
By Thuy Dung
