越南鐵路總公司稱，7月20日，首列開往比利時的集裝箱列車正式開行。該集裝箱列車從越南安圓站出發，目的地是比利時列日市。然後，通過公路將集裝箱運往荷蘭鹿特丹市。

該列車由23個40 英尺的集裝箱組成，運載著紡織品服裝、皮革製品和鞋類產品。按照既定行程，該列車抵達中國鄭州之後將對接亞歐班列共同開往目的地。

越南鐵路總公司稱，這是鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司與其他國家的運輸、轉運和接收企業配合向客戶提供從越南至目的地物流服務的首列集裝箱列車。

越南鐵路總公司稱，目前越南鐵路公司正提供越南和中國之間以及中轉俄羅斯、歐洲、東盟國家和中亞國家的鐵路集裝箱運輸服務。鐵路公司為客戶提供全方位的物流服務。

鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司副總經理阮黃青接受越通社記者採訪時透露，目前，鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司正與歐洲合作夥伴配合製定並開展每個月開行8列從越南出發的集裝箱列車的計劃，列車全程運行時間為25至27天。

預計，第二趟列車將於7月27日從安員站出發，運載電子產品，第三列將於8月3日出發。

據越南鐵路總公司的數據顯示，2021年上半年，老街站口岸入境貨車同比增長14%，貨物進口量同比增長7.9%。同登站口岸入境貨車同比增長91%，出境貨車增長117%。

As the world struggles to pick itself up from the onslaught of the pandemic, one ASEAN country displays divergent trends. Globally, the IMF estimates an average economic decline of 1.6% from 6% to 4.4%.

This total decline affects most nations worldwide, including advanced economies. For example, the United States will experience a drop in economic activities, down to 3.5% in 2022 from 6.4% in 2021. China’s economy will depreciate to 5.6% from 8.4% in the same period, whereas India will experience a more considerable decline to 6.9% from 12.5%.

Let’s shift our attention to the ASEAN region. 

In all the 10 Southeast Asian Countries, the Vietnamese economy is the only one projected to undergo an upward curve in economic growth. The projected Vietnamese economy growth from 6.5% to 7.2% is impressive, to say the least.

An Explanation to Vietnamese Economic Growth
How can this one country stand out so firmly amid the global outcry? What do experts have to say concerning the Vietnamese economy COVID response?

How does the Vietnamese economy prosper in such conditions? Different factors can explain this. While some of these are prime considerations for economic growth, there are still some missing pieces that the country can improve. We’ll highlight these factors towards the end.

First, let’s take a look at what factors have led to the Vietnamese economy growth.

Improved Governance
Authoritarian or not, the Vietnamese governing structure has dramatically improved over the years. Most Vietnamese are proud to stand with their government. First, Vietnam was not as economically prepared for the virus as South Korea, China, and other developed nations were. The healthcare system could not support a high number of patients, but they had to strategize.

Vietnam followed China’s footsteps of technocracy and used its up-to-date security systems to increase surveillance. Since fighting an outbreak would be next to impossible, containing the virus and monitoring the masses to ensure observance of regulations became necessary. The good thing is, the public’s general response to strict restrictions was positive. Civilians were proud to stand by their government in fighting the unseen. A people who are ready to work alongside their government is a good indication of proper governance. No wonder the Vietnamese economy expanded by 3.9% during the pandemic.

Increased Exports
Like most countries, the Vietnamese economy suffered from a rapid decline in tourism. The country recorded only 3.83 million foreign tourists in 2020, down from an all-time high of 18 million in 2019. That’s an overwhelming 79% decline.

However, the country was working harder than ever before to improve the production of goods. The manufacturing and other domestic sectors improved partly because of China’s deteriorating relationship with the West. Attention shifted from China to nearby countries, and Vietnam is one such country that has benefited.

Exports in 2020 hit an all-time high of $285.1, representing a surplus of $19.1 billion. The top exports for the year included electrical machinery including phones, computers, and other parts; clothing and footwear; wood, furniture, and other accessories; fish; and rubber. Now it’s a little clear how the Vietnamese economy could weather the impacts of the storm.

Standard Chartered Bank’s outlook on the Vietnamese economic growth rate is somewhat more generous. The bank expects a growth rate of more than 7.8% in the Vietnamese economy.

Foreign Investments
On other Vietnamese economy news, investor confidence in the region is still strong in the wake of recovering from the pandemic. As tensions increase between America and China, Vietnam will continue to benefit, especially in the technological sector. Silicon companies are outsourcing more products from Vietnam, thereby increasing the nation’s productivity and economy. With such a stable environment for investments, many Vietnamese joined the online casino PayPal in the heat of the pandemic. It seems as though Vietnamese enjoy work with a bit of play that pays off.

Overlooked Factors in Vietnamese Economy
Despite this exciting news, all is not rosy. As the economy and production pick up, increased demand will likely catapult inflation. Bloomberg estimates the country could undergo steep inflation of 7.8%, marking the epic level since 2012. Such a significant increase in prices would send shock waves among the populace.

If the income levels don’t rise to match the oncoming wave of inflation, there will be a general decline in people’s living standards. The economy may grow, but the gap between the wealthy and the poor will increase. Inflation rates may align with global inflation levels, and the country may experience a contraction if strict measures are not taken.

That said, IMF predicts an unemployment rate decline of 3.3% in 2020 to 2.7% in 2021, reaching a low of 2.4% in 2022. Some good news at least for the Vietnamese economy in 2022.

In Summary
So far, the indicators for the growth of the Vietnamese economy are primarily favorable. The country has something to boast of if compared with alongside other global nations. Even though Vietnam experienced a slow growth rate of 2.91% by the end of 2020, at least there was expansion, unlike some other mature economies. However, we need to watch out for the aforementioned considerations to determine whether this ASEAN country will keep its steady growth rate.

How is the Vietnamese economy compared with other ASEAN nations in terms of standards of living? Do let us know in the comment section below.

越南鐵路總公司稱，7月20日，首列開往比利時的集裝箱列車正式開行。該集裝箱列車從越南安圓站出發，目的地是比利時列日市。然後，通過公路將集裝箱運往荷蘭鹿特丹市。

該列車由23個40 英尺的集裝箱組成，運載著紡織品服裝、皮革製品和鞋類產品。按照既定行程，該列車抵達中國鄭州之後將對接亞歐班列共同開往目的地。

越南鐵路總公司稱，這是鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司與其他國家的運輸、轉運和接收企業配合向客戶提供從越南至目的地物流服務的首列集裝箱列車。

越南鐵路總公司稱，目前越南鐵路公司正提供越南和中國之間以及中轉俄羅斯、歐洲、東盟國家和中亞國家的鐵路集裝箱運輸服務。鐵路公司為客戶提供全方位的物流服務。

鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司副總經理阮黃青接受越通社記者採訪時透露，目前，鐵路運輸和貿易股份公司正與歐洲合作夥伴配合製定並開展每個月開行8列從越南出發的集裝箱列車的計劃，列車全程運行時間為25至27天。

預計，第二趟列車將於7月27日從安員站出發，運載電子產品，第三列將於8月3日出發。

據越南鐵路總公司的數據顯示，2021年上半年，老街站口岸入境貨車同比增長14%，貨物進口量同比增長7.9%。同登站口岸入境貨車同比增長91%，出境貨車增長117%。

2021年，越南荔枝對日本出口量與2020年同期相比增長750%。日本企業希望，越南龍眼對日本的出口量也能創造這一奇蹟。

永旺Topvalu（越南）公司總經理Shiotani先生表示，永旺希望能向越南全國人民以及正在越南生活的外國人推廣興安省乃至越南龍眼。其後，永旺計劃通過貿易網絡將越南龍眼產品打進其在其他亞洲國家的連鎖店。

越南荔枝於2019年12月獲日本政府允許進入該市場。在2020年和2021年，通過努力開展多項推廣活動，越南荔枝產品已在日本市場上站穩腳鎮，頗受了在日越南人社群以及眾多日本消費者的青睞。

目前，日本尚未允許正式進口越南龍眼。開拓這一苛刻市場的談判進程需要兩國主管部門付出更多努力、時間和費用。

特別是，越南駐日本商務處將繼續觀察並支持該進程，為促使越南的更多產品成功進入日本市場作出貢獻。

越南網購市場的增速沒有保持前幾年的水平，但仍處於高速狀態。網購新手比例急劇上升對市場來說是一個好兆頭。

越南工貿部電子商務和數字經濟局近日發行了《2021年越南電商白皮書》，提供了有關世界、東南亞地區及越南電商市場的統計數據。

據此，2020年越南電子商務市場規模將達118億美元。與2019 年相比（100.8 億美元）增長率達18%，為2016 年以來的最低水平。疫情被視為市場規模增速不如2019年（25%）、2018年（30%）、2017年（24%）、2016年（23%）高的原因。

然而，網購者人數繼續強勁增長，2020 年達到4930 萬人，而前一年為4480 萬人，是2016 年（3270 萬人）的1.5 倍以上。

越南人均網購支出也從2016年的170美元大幅增長到2020年的240美元。2017年、2018年和2019年，越南人均網購支出分別達到186美元、202美元、225美元。

越南是東南亞地區最活躍的電子商務市場。報告顯示，越南新網購用戶比例高達41%，位居本地區第一，高於印度尼西亞、菲律賓（37%）和東南亞國家平均水平（36%） 。

過去一年，消費者購物行為的一大變化是網上購物渠道的轉變。據此，電子商務和數字經濟局的統計數據顯示，越南客戶正在轉向主要在網站和電子商務交易平台購物。具體來說，2020 年，高達74% 的人在網站和電子商務交易平台上購物，而在論壇和社交網絡上購物的人數達33%。

越南無現金支付以ATM卡、信用卡或電子錢包、刮刮卡等多種方式發展。然而，越南網上購物用戶仍然保持現金支付的方式，佔較高比例78%，2019 年為86%。

越通社河內——越南財政部早16日上午舉行的2021年上半年工作總結會議表示，上半年國家財政預算收入達781萬億越盾，相當於既定計劃的58.2%，與2020年同期相比增長16.3%，與2019年同期相比增長4.5%。

其中，內地收入相當於既定計劃的56.3%，同比增長13.9%；原油收入相當於既定計劃的80.7%，同比下降近12.2%；進出口環節收入相當於既定計劃的69.5%，同比增長37.5%。

全國63個省市中的60個省市的財政預算收入完成既定目標（50%以上），其中48個省市的財政預算收入達到既定計劃的55%以上。54個省市的財政預算收入較去年同期增長15%以上。

財政部評價說，上半年國家財政預算收入取得積極成果，生產經營活動收入均相當於既定計劃的52%以上，同比增長17%。然而，在新冠肺炎疫情複雜難料的情況下，部分經濟重點和聚集各大工業區的地方若不控制住疫情其將對下半年經濟和國家預算收入產生巨大影響。

關於財政預算開支，上半年財政預算支出達694.4萬億越盾，達既定計劃的41.2%。關於投資發展支出，截至6月為止，中央機關和各地方財政預算分配達政府交辦計劃的88.3%。

特別，上半年，預算資金到位率達政府既定計劃的20.02%。財政部表示，公共投資資金到位率低於去年同期，特別上半年外資到位率達既定計劃的7.4%，尚未成為促進經濟增長的動力。

在“抗疫猶如抗敵”的情況下，中央和地方預算都優先撥出資金，支持疫情防控工作和因疫情而面臨困難的居民。上半年已從國家預算撥出46.5萬億越盾用於該工作。

為了集中資源加快新冠疫苗採購和接種進度，財政部已建議政府從在2021年中央預算補充撥款1.237萬億越盾；提請國會常務委員會從節省開支獲得的資金和2020年生下來的中央預算撥出13.3萬億越盾；成立新冠疫苗基金，動員國內外個人和組織捐助資金。

However, Vietnamese state-owned corporations, which have both financial and human resources potential, are unable to reach out to the world to seize these opportunities.

Corporations that open the way

The scheme entitled “Developing large state-owned corporations, especially multi-ownership state economic groups, to promote the leading role and the role of paving the way for enterprises of other economic sectors, in line with the policies and guidelines of the Party in the new period”, drafted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, is in the process of collecting comments before being finalized to submit to the Government.

According to the scheme, there are seven state-owned corporations of this kind in Vietnam, including the Viettel Group, the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), MobiFone Corporation, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Saigon Newport Corporation and Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank).

To be selected as “leading corporations”, these corporations must satisfy the criteria of having total assets of over VND20 trillion, holding a market share of 30% or more, having a return on capital of over 6%, being managed well on the basis of international practices (OECD), and being capable of absorbing and mastering high technologies, standing firm against the “shakes” of the economy.

These will be corporations that pave the way to mastering digital technology; play a necessary role in industrial development and orientation; and operate in the fields that need to maintain the presence of the State.

Relevant ministries and agencies will study and build a system of mechanisms and policies in the direction of renovating owner’s management at these corporations, creating conditions for them to operate equally and proactively and to compete with other businesses.

The state will manage these corporations by giving them the right to take the initiative and self-determination in production, business and investing in them; and inspecting and supervising them in the direction of evaluating the effectiveness of investment activities under overall financial targets, and not on each specific project. The CEOs of these corporations will work under the market mechanism, and these corporations can hire CEOs.

These policies must be consistent with socio-economic development orientations, comply with international commitments, not distort relations in the market, and create competition, equality and enhance transparency.

Le Manh Hung, Director of the Enterprise Development Department of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said that these corporations operate in industries considered “opening the way” and “leading”. “Opening the way” is understood in the sense of aiming at new industries and fields, meeting the development requirements of the country. “Leading” means targeting industries that form linkages and value chains, promote innovation, and associated with the participation of businesses from other economic sectors, thereby towards the construction of an independent, autonomous and sustainable economy.

Mechanism barriers

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the number of state-owned enterprises is not large, accounting for only about 0.07% of the total number of enterprises in the country, but contributing up to 7% of total assets, 10% of the total capital of enterprises in the market and 30% of GDP, not to mention their contribution in terms of labor, employment and the role of regulation, stabilizing the market in times of instability, contributing to ensuring social security and national security.

The 4.0 revolution, the trade war between powers, and the epidemic are all changing the structure and order of investment and world trade. Vietnam has participated in many free trade agreements. These are great opportunities, but Vietnamese State-owned enterprises are unable to reach out to the world to seize these opportunities. The opportunities exist but there is no mechanism for enterprises to take advantage of them.

Vietnam aims to become a developed country by 2045. Therefore, it is necessary to create a team of businesses of great stature right now, to hold opportunities, to focus on new fields, and to develop the country.

Le Dang Dung, Acting Chairman of Viettel Group, said that the current mechanism is a barrier to state-owned enterprises’ development.

“I hope that ministries and agencies from now on consider state-owned enterprises similar to private enterprises. The mechanism to develop state-owned enterprises must be similar to that for private enterprises. The leaders of State-owned enterprises must be given the right of self-determination, from business organizations, getting loans, to investment,” Dung said.

“Leaders of State-owned enterprises must be held accountable for what they do. The most important thing is the policy, mechanism and post-inspection sanctions. Leaders of private enterprises will only lose money if they fail, but leaders of state-owned enterprises, if they fail, will lose their political lives in addition to money,” Dung said.

Dung said: “It took us two years to fulfil the procedures for non-stop toll collection on highways. If today I have an idea for a new business, I will have to go through the procedures of reporting, and getting investment permission which is very time-consuming. It is also very difficult if I want to quit a business. Timely taking opportunities is very important in doing business. If you spend several years on procedures, the opportunity will disappear.”

Many officials from State-owned corporations such as VNPT, EVN, etc. also said that to have state-owned corporations holding the role of “opening the way” and “leading”, having a position in the international arena, the problem that must be solved is the mechanism. The current mechanism is “binding” state-owned enterprises. If they can’t move, how can they go ahead to open the way and lead? A fundamental change in the mechanism is needed to help state-owned enterprises reach out to the world.

The phase-out of fossil-fueled cars in Europe and North America will be a great opportunity for VinFast to conquer these markets.

VinFast, the Vietnamese automaker, has launched its branches in the US, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands since July 12 and preparing for the launch onto the market of its electric vehicles (EV).

A representative from VinFast confirmed with The Hanoi Times July 12 morning.

Five key markets are under VinFast’s business expansion plan, with the goal of becoming a global smart EV company. The company has perfected its apparatus to establish its offices in these countries over the past years.

Thai Thi Thanh Hai, CEO of VinFast Global, said a phase-out of fossil-fueled cars in Europe and North America will be a great opportunity for VinFast to conquer these markets. She affirmed that in addition to product quality and sales policy, Asian-style post-sales service would be a hook for it to engage US’s customers.

Jeremy Snyder, a 10-year Tesla veteran and Chief Growth Officer of VinFast in the US, said VinFast is confident that can compete fairly with leading brands in the US.

Initially, the company focused on France, Germany and the Netherlands, offering a business plan for each market before expanding to other countries in Europe. It will spend more than half a year on launching products for sales. Two EV models, VF e35 and VF e36, are planned to be sold globally from March 2022.

The automaker attracted many automotive and business experts from Tesla, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, and Nissan as well as the Vietnamese senior management team to complete the system and expand the network of partners.

The company also announced the VinFast EV Day 2021 event, which will take place in October in some foreign countries to introduce an EV product catalogue in all segments.

Previously, its first EV model, VF e34 is priced at VND690 million (US$30,062) and set a record in the Vietnamese market with more than 25,000 deposit orders after a short time of opening for sale.

Despite impacts from two waves of COVID-19 outbreaks in the first half of this year, especially on industrial hubs, Việt Nam’s still posted gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.64 per cent. — Photo vtv.vn
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s economy is expected to grow by between 6-6.5 per cent over the next decade. If it does, it will surpass Singapore by 2030, DBS Bank experts have said.

Last year, Việt Nam’s economy was worth US$343 billion while Singapore’s was $337.5 billion, and Malaysia’s hit $336.3 billion. This ranks Việt Nam the 40th largest economy globally and fourth in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In their latest forecast, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Việt Nam was on track to outpace both Malaysia and Singapore this year.

Despite two waves of COVID-19 in the first half of this year heavily impacting industrial hubs, Việt Nam’s still posted gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.64 per cent. Its export revenue rose 28.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Although GDP expanded slower than expected, it was still much higher than the 1.82 per cent recorded in the same period last year.

This suggests that policies, strategies and directives aimed at both controlling the pandemic and ensuring socio-economic development have been effective.

Standard Chartered on Thursday also released a survey that said that ASEAN companies focusing on intra-regional opportunities expect to experience robust growth over the next 12 months.

The survey was a part of its “Borderless Business: Intra-ASEAN Corridor” report that explores high-potential opportunities for cross-border growth within the region.

The most important drivers for expansion across the region, according to the senior executives surveyed, were: access to the large and growing ASEAN consumer market, access to a global market enabled by a network of Free Trade Agreements, and availability of abundant and skilled workforce.

In addition, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to attract more investment in ASEAN, with all respondents saying they are planning to increase their investments over the next 3-5 years.

Furthermore, 80 per cent of the surveyed respondents said they were focusing on expanding in Singapore to capture sales and production opportunities, followed by Thailand, and then Việt Nam.

As ASEAN companies look to invest across the region, Singapore is considered the most desirable market for companies to set up to host their regional sales and marketing teams, headquarters, and research and development teams.

The survey also identifies a wide range of risks in the region including: COVID-19 and/or other health crises, geopolitical uncertainty and trade conflicts, and a drop in consumer spending.

Furthermore, respondents said that adapting their business model to industry practices and conditions within ASEAN, building relationships with suppliers, and adapting supply chain logistics, as well as understanding regional regulations, payment methods, and infrastructure, are the most significant challenges they face in the next 6-12 months.

To drive resilient and rebalanced growth in ASEAN and to mitigate these risks and challenges, the surveyed executives said entering new partnerships and joint ventures to increase their market presence would be key.

They also said that sustainability and environmental; social, and governance initiatives; and executing digital transformation programmes are the most important areas their companies will focus on.

To further support their growth, these companies say they are seeking banking partners with strong cash management capabilities, one-stop corporate financing and capital-raising services, and extensive trade financing services.

Michele Wee, CEO, Standard Chartered Vietnam, said: “Việt Nam continues to offer appealing business and investment opportunities given its strong fundamentals – robust economic growth, a sizable domestic market, low labour costs, an abundant workforce, free trade agreements, and strategic location. ”