Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
- Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has signed a decision approving the national education development strategy until 2030 with a vision to 2045, with an aim to ensure that Vietnam's education sector meets advanced standards of Asia in five years and those of the world in 10 years.
Under Decision No. 1705/QD-TTg, the strategy’s objectives is to modernise Vietnam's education system, build on and enhance the nation’s good traditions, adopt global civilisations, foster the comprehensive development of Vietnamese people, and meet the requirements of socio-economic development in the new era.Read full story
- The Vietnamese Government has recently issued a decree, deciding to extend a reduction in value-added tax (VAT) until the end of June 2025.
The VAT cut to 8% from 10%, which has been in place since early 2022, was designed to support individuals and businesses in recovering from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, with the funding now reaching 123.8 trillion VND (4.86 billion USD). Read full story
- The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dipped below the 50.0 no-change mark for the first time in three months during December 2024, to be at 49.8 from 50.8 in November.
Under a report released on Thursday, S&P Global said the reading signalled a fractional deterioration in overall business conditions at the end of the year. Read full story
- Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has recently signed a decision recognising an additional 33 artifacts as national treasures.
The newly-recognised national treasures include the Dak Son lithophone dating back about 3,500 - 3,000 years ago; a ceramic pot belonging to the Dong Son culture (about 2,500 - 2,000 years ago); the Vu Ban bronze drum, also belonging to the Dong Son culture (3rd - 2nd century BC); two Dong Son bronze drums dating back the 3rd - 2nd century BC; and a Dong Son bronze jar dating back the 3rd – 1st century BC. Read full story
- The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited (Vinacomin) aims to sell 50 million tonnes of coal and generate 172.8 trillion VND (6.78 billion USD) in revenue in 2025.
Vinacomin plans to produce over 38 million tonnes of raw coal while importing 13.2 million tonnes. The corporation expects to gain more than 3.4 trillion VND in profit. Read full story
- Several leading footwear companies in Vietnam have secured contracts extending through mid-2025, according to Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Vice Chairwoman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear, and Handbag Association (LEFASO).
Xuan highlighted that the sector has over 1,000 factories, employs approximately 1.5 million workers, and contributes around 8% to the national GDP. Vietnam is the world’s third-largest footwear producer, behind China and India, with an annual production of 1.3 billion pairs. It is also the second-largest exporter, shipping over 1.27 billion pairs abroad each year. Read full story
- As part of efforts to advance sustainable business practices in Vietnam, in 2024, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has leveraged resources from international organisations such as ESCAP, USAID, and UNDP to help businesses implement green, circular, and inclusive models.
The ministry said that significant progress has been seen in the collaboration frameworks, including developing tools to assess business readiness for adopting circular economy principles, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and Inclusive Business (IB) practices. Read full story./.
