Vietnamplus

Nearly 90 percent of Vietnam's urban sewage is discharged untreated directly into its rivers and streams, according to a report by the Ministry of Construction.

Singapore and the US signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure finance and debt market development in Washington DC on October 16.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always opens its door to foreign enterprises in his speech at the Vietnam Business Summit 2019 held in Hanoi on October 16.

Vietnamese entrepreneurs have played an important role in the country's socio-economic development and the process of global integration, according to President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc.

Cambodia's economy is projected to moderate to 7 percent in 2019 after experiencing a better-than-expected growth rate of 7.5 percent in 2018, the World Bank (WB) said in its new report released on October 10.

Indonesia's economic growth was estimated to remain at a moderate level around 5 percent until 2021, mainly backed by consumption, a World Bank (WB) senior economist has said.

A seminar was held in Hanoi on October 11 to raise public awareness of the city’s efforts to improve air quality and the community’s involvement in the process.

The World Bank (WB) has said the Malaysian government needs to diversify and increase its revenue resources, including widening coverage of the sales and services tax (SST) to rebuild fiscal buffers. ​

The medium-term outlook for the Vietnamese economy is broadly positive despite persistent downside risks, the World Bank (WB) said in its East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released on October 10.

Remittance flows into Ho Chi Minh City in the first nine months of the year were estimated at around 3.8 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent.

The Government of Vietnam welcomes and will facilitate the cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses in Mozambique to help with local development, a diplomat has said.

The 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME 15) and related meetings concluded in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on October 9 and released a joint statement.

Vietnam is on track to reach its 6.6-6.8 percent growth target this year. However, the country needs to remain cautious about external risks.

Rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta are becoming alarming, said Prof. David Dapice, Senior Economist, Vietnam and Myanmar Programme, Harvard Kennedy School, at a meeting with leaders of Can Tho city on October 8.

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho hopes to receive support from the World Bank (WB) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland in institutional building, renovation, development of smart city, climate change adaption, and training human resources, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Quang Manh on October 7.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade will revise 18 ministerial regulations considered to be hampering exports and investments, said the country’s officials recently.

The World Bank (WB) and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on October 1 inked a grant agreement worth 2.2 million USD to implement a project aimed at strengthening the soundness and resilience of Vietnam’s banking sector.

The urbanisation progress on Java, which is home to 60 percent of the Indonesian population, will be accelerated as highways will mushroom on the world’s most populous island in the couple of years, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

The World Bank (WB) has approved a 150 million USD loan for Indonesia to scale up investments in geothermal energy by reducing the risks of early-stage exploration.

Indonesia on September 28 marked one year since a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami smashed the city of Palu, killing more than 4,000 people.