Hanoi: The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 3 demanded ministries, sectors, and localities resolutely not surrender to difficulties but keep persistence in the set targets.
He made the request while chairing the Government’s regular meeting for March and a teleconference with the 63 provinces and centrally-run cities to discuss the socio-economic situation in the first quarter and set tasks for Q2.
– Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai had a meeting with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Boston on April 2 (local time), as part of his US trip for the Vietnam Executive Leadership Programme (VELP).
Khai highlighted Vietnam’s consistent policy of building an independent and self-reliant economy in association with active, extensive, and effective international integration.
– The Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership has grown soundly across various sectors, with the countries’ parliamentary cooperation
thriving on both bilateral and multilateral fronts, stated Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Quang Phuong at his recent talks with Márta Mátrai, First Deputy of the Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, in Budapest.
The Vietnamese legislator took the occasion to propose both sides maintain exchanges of high-level delegations and specialised committees, enhance mutual cooperation and support at multilateral forums, and coordinate the implementation of agreements signed between the two parliaments during the visit of Vietnamese NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Hungary in 2022.
– The Ministry of Information and Communications has set a target of increasing the usage of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) to 65-80% by the end of this year, bringing Vietnam into the top 8 for IPv6 usage in the world.
Converting to IPv6, the most recent version of the Internet Protocol, is critical to ensure address resources for Internet development and connection with new services such as Internet of Things, c
loud computing and 5G/6G networks, the ministry said.
– The total revenue from the retail sales of goods and consumer service in March was estimated at 509.3 trillion VND (20.3 billion USD), up 0.5% month-on-month and 9.2% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
In the month, the retail revenue of food and foodstuffs rose by 11.6%, household appliances and tools 16%, garment 10.1%, accommodation and catering services 15.8%, and tourism and travel services 66.1% against the same period last year.
– The General Statistics Office (GSO) reported a decade-high number of new businesses established nationwide in the first quarter, reaching 36,224.
Taking into account enterprises resuming operation, the number reached 59,848.
– The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism on April 3 launched the 2024 stimulus programme, with discounts of 10-60% on various tourism products and services.
Participating businesses have already signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to ensure a comprehensive
range of discounted options. The programme, with nearly 100 travel agents, accommodation and dining facilities, shopping venues and entertainment centres taking part, will be officially introduced to tourists at the upcoming Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival slated for April 4-7 at 23/9 Park in District 1.
– The 17th International Processing and Packaging Exhibition and Conference (ProPak Vietnam 2024) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 3.
The three-day event attracts 310 exhibitors from 30 countries and territories, including India, the Republic of Korea, China’s Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, and the US. It also features a number of international conferences, seminars, and technical sessions.
– The Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2024), one of the leading international trade exhibitions in Vietnam, kicked off in Hanoi on April 3, attracting 480 enterprises from 15 countries and territories worldwide.
The 33rd event of this kind features nearly 600 pavilions, up 20% compared to the figure l
ast year.
– The Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to start commercial operation in October this year, according to the Ho Chi Minh City’s Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR).
Addressing a meeting on April 2 of the municipal People’s Committee to review socio-economic situation in the first quarter, Nguyen Quoc Hien, deputy head of MAUR – the investor of the project, said 98% of the workload on the metro line has been completed and six task groups to prepare for the official operation of the urban metro line are underway. ./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency