Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a dispatch asking for concerted efforts to promote economic development in 2025 with an aim for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of at least 8% in the year.
In Dispatch No. 137/CD-TTg, the PM emphasised that 2025 is a milestone year for Vietnam to embark on a new era of development – the era of the nation’s rise, asking for drastic measures by relevant ministries, agencies, provinces and cities to promote socio-economic development. Read full story
– PM Pham Minh Chinh on December 22 evening had a working session with the Standing Board of the Lao Cai provincial Party Committee on the socio-economic development situation in 2024 and tasks in 2025, and resolved proposals and recommendations for Lao Cai province to develop rapidly and sustainably.
He acknowledged, commended and highly appreciated the socio-economic development achievements that the Party Organisation, administration and people of Lao Cai province have achieved, contributing to the overall achievements of the whole country with all 15 socio-economic development targets achieved and exceeded, especially in the context that the province is facing many difficulties and challenges, especially natural disasters and epidemics. Read full story
– Vietnam has emerged as Southeast Asia's leader in organ transplantation, performing over 1,000 procedures annually, but it faces significant challenges in brain-dead donor donations, according to a health official.
The country conducts the highest number of organ transplants in the region, including some 100 liver transplants, 90 heart, 13 lung, and two small intestine ones each year, said former Health Minister Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, President of the Vietnam Tissue and Organ Donation Campaign Association, at the launch ceremony of the inter-hospital association for human tissue and organ donation in the southern region on December 23. Read full story
– Up to 46.15% of organisations and businesses have been targeted by cyberattacks so far this year, with the total number of incidents estimated to exceed 659,000, said the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA).
Agencies and businesses in Vietnam continue facing severe challenges in cyberspace, particularly significant increases in both the number and scale of cyberattacks, according to a report on cybersecurity research based on a survey of 4,935 organisations and businesses in Vietnam in 2024 conducted by the NCA Technology Committee. Read full story
– Vietnam recently showcased its certified halal products at the Melaka Halal Festival 2024 in Malaysia, a move to expand its presence in the global halal market.
The premier event, themed Optimising the Halal Industry, brought together exhibitors from nine countries, including Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. With 350 exhibition booths spanning lifestyle products, halal industry solutions, food and beverages, beauty care, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and fashion, the festival served as a crucial platform for enterprises to explore new markets and forge valuable partnerships. Read full story
– Vietnam’s efforts in expanding export markets for its fruits and vegetables in 2024 have paid off as for the first time, the export of these products has brought home 7.2 billion USD, much higher than the figure of 3.3 billion USD two years ago.
Vietnamese pomelos have officially entered the Republic of Korean, while passion fruits have made their way to Australia. Additionally, Vietnam and China signed protocols to facilitate Vietnamese fresh coconuts and frozen durians to enter the Chinese market. Particularly, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to China exceeded 4 billion USD this year. Read full story
– Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic product exports are projected to surpass 62 billion USD this year, with a record trade surplus of 18.6 billion USD, marking a new milestone for the sector. This promising achievement signals potential for even stronger growth in 2025, industry insiders have said.
The sector’s export turnover of over 62 billion USD far exceeded the government’s target of 54–55 billion USD. This achievement was largely driven by record-setting exports of rice, coffee, and fruits. The key contributors to this growth included coffee exports (up 56.9%); pepper (up 53.3%); rubber (up 24.6%) and rice (10.6%). Read full story
– As of November 30, more than 17,000 Vietnamese workers had been working legally in Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources.
Although this figure has decreased by about 50% compared to the peak in 2003, the two countries' authorities still appreciate their practical labour cooperation. Read full story
– The Ministry of Finance has proposed the National Assembly extend the agricultural land tax exemption until December 31, 2030, a move aimed at encouraging investments in agriculture and rural areas to improve the competitive edge of the agricultural products amidst deeper international integration.
If approved, the initiative will take effect from January 1, 2026. Read full story./.
