Vietnam Today

2.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine sponsored by the Australian Government arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on February 19. With this shipment, Australia has fully met its commitment to provide 7.8 million doses to Vietnam, of which 3.6 million have come through a procurement agreement with UNICEF and 4.2 million from its own supply since last August. The country is one of the leading supporters of Vietnam’s national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

Mr. Tim Leelahaphan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank, has predicted that Vietnam’s economy will recover from the end of the first quarter of this year. He expects GDP to reach 6.7 per cent in 2022 and 7 per cent in 2023. In the medium term, Vietnam will continue to be a favored destination of many businesses and an important part of the global supply chain.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced on February 17 a new strategy for sustainable agriculture and rural development, containing a number of breakthroughs and ambitious goals, such as agricultural growth of 2.5-3 per cent per year, agricultural labor productivity rising 5.5-6 per cent per year, markets expanding and developing, especially export markets, and the export value of agricultural, fisheries, and forestry products growing 5-6 per cent each year, among others.

According to a draft Decree from the Ministry of Finance amending and supplementing guidelines for the Tax Administration Law, owners of e-commerce platforms are to declare tax and pay taxes on behalf of sellers of goods and services on their platforms. Information must now be automatically provided online to tax authorities quarterly.

According to data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the import-export value of goods in January was $60.29 billion, a 9.6 per cent increase year-on-year. Exports totaled $30.84 billion and imports $29.45 billion. Vietnam therefore posted a trade surplus of nearly $1.4 billion in the month.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) has released an implementation plan for a project on better preventing and fighting internet crime and legal violations to 2025. The Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) will strengthen the management, registration, and use of international domain names, and issue regulations governing cross-border services.