Oktoberfest in VietnamVietNamNet Bridge – The German Business Association’s annual Oktoberfest event will be held from Sept 19-22 at Hotel Nikko Saigon on 235 Nguyen Van Cu Street in HCM City District 1. The 26th German Business Association Oktoberfest event will be held from Sept 19-22 on 235 Nguyen Van Cu Street in HCM City District 1. Experience the atmosphere found in the massive outdoor beer tents of the original Oktoberfest in Munich, complemented by traditional German cuisine, premium imported German beer, and authentic music from our Munich-based Oktoberfest Band. The GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam is jointly hosted by GBA and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam under the patronage of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hanoi and the German Consulate General in HCM City. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1992 and immediately set a new milestone in Vietnam’s social calendar.

Japan top foreign investor in VietnamJapan poured 6.88 billion USD, 30 percent of the total foreign direct investment (FDI), into Vietnam in the first seven months of 2018, the biggest figure among 96 countries and territories investing here. Foreign investors registered a total 22.94 billion USD for new and existing projects and buying shares in Vietnam during the period, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier. Real estate ranked second with 5.6 billion USD or 24.4 percent while the wholesale and retail sector was in third place with 1.69 billion USD or 7.4 percent. It was followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 4.12 billion USD or 17.9 percent and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province with 2.15 billion USD or 9.4 percent. As of July 20, FDI projects disbursed about 9.85 billion USD, rising by 8.8 percent from the same period last year.-VNA

Japan targets 10,000 Vietnamese caregivers by 2020Japan has set a target of accepting 10,000 Vietnamese caregivers by the summer of 2020 to address a chronic labour shortage in the nursing sector, according to Kyodo News. Vietnamese students receive Japanese language course before going to Japan to work as care workers. In June, they agreed to put in place a system to enable more Vietnamese caregivers to work in Japan. Besides, Japan is considering the recruit of caregivers from other countries, including Indonesia and Cambodia. The training programme for foreigners was introduced in 1993, aimed at transferring skills to developing countries by training workers who would then return home.

Experts explore Chinese Yuan devaluation effect on VietnamA recent report from the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research under the Hanoi National University noted that the US and China are two trade partners of special importance of Vietnam. The US is Vietnam’s largest export market, accounting for one fifth of total export revenue. Meanwhile, a quarter of imported goods to Vietnam are from China. Currently, the Vietnam Dong price depends on the fluctuation of the US dollar. When the Chinese Yuan’s price drops, the trade balance of Vietnam will be seriously affected as cheaper Chinese goods will flood the domestic market.

Real estate market warms up, contractors thriveVietNamNet Bridge - The construction industry is experiencing good days thanks to the warming up of the real estate market. Analysts predicted that the construction market would grow more slowly in 2018 because of new regulations which tighten credit flow into the real estate sector. Analysts predicted that the construction market would grow more slowly in 2018 because of new regulations which tighten credit flow into the real estate sector. As for small and medium contractors, they have more competitive edge than large contractors in low- and mid-end housing projects. RELATED NEWSReal estate market to prosper thanks to stock upswingReal estate M&A deals hindered by bad debtsNam Mai

Vietnam expects robust job market growthHiring expansion remains robust this year in Vietnam, though not as high as 2017, speakers said at a press conference held in HCM City on July 20. Speaking at the press conference, Angie Phang, country manager in Vietnam of JobStreet.com, said hiring expansion growth had ignited greater competition among companies for good staff. According to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, country head of operations for JobStreet.com, candidates can select a vast range of job opportunities online. The job market also offers new types of skills and jobs. The press conference “Key Winning Strategies to Gear Up for a Robust Job Market Outlook 2018” was organised by JobStreet.com, a job portal in Southeast Asia.

Veteran brings hope and artificial limbs to people living with disabilitiesVietNamNet Bridge – There is a house and workshop in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District where disabled people from across the country can come for a better life. With a heart of generosity, Do set up a workshop at his home to produce artificial limbs for people with disabilities. He also found help from humanitarian groups, non-governmental organisations, embassies and donors to support the cost of making artificial limbs for disabled people. He returned Hanoi after 10 years of working at the invalid care centre and established a workshop at his house to produce artificial limbs for disabilities. The children with paralysis and cerebral palsy at the rehabilitation centre have also often received health check-ups and artificial limbs for free from him.

Students offer farmers a helping handVietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of students across the country have been taking part in volunteer campaigns aimed at promoting the important role of youth in contributing to the country’s cultural, social and economic development. Vo Thai Tuyen, left and other members from Da Nang University of Science and Technology working at a horse stable. But that’s exactly what these students did, for weeks at a time to help local farmers. The project has helped the students achieve the first prize in a competition on start-up initiatives in central region. “Automatic worm raising system can continuously update the temperature, humidity and automatic spray water when it is necessary,” Tuyen said.

Vietnamese startups need state’s capitalVietNamNet Bridge - Forty venture funds operate in Vietnam, but most of them are foreign invested. The number of startups and the scale of investment in startups are on the rise. In the world, venture capital poured into startups in 2017 reached $140 billion, while total economic value the startups all over the globe brought in 2015-2017 period was $2.3 trillion. Some large foreign investment funds have no offices in Vietnam, but show interest in Vietnamese startups. Since the majority of venture investment funds have foreign sourced capital, a lot of startups register their business overseas, including Thailand and Singapore.

Big-scale agricultural production falls into deadlock because of land fragmentationVietNamNet Bridge - Local authorities throughout the country have been moving ahead with land accumulation models. Vo Tri Hao from the HCMC Economics University noted that many problems have arisen in the land accumulation process. To organize large-scale production, investors need to have large land areas. To organize large-scale production, investors need to have large land areas. In Ha Nam province, for example, four agricultural production zones, totaling 500 hectares, have set up in accordance with the land accumulation model.

Vietnam, Tatarstan boost cooperationVietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh paid a working visit to the Republic of Tatarstan, one of the republics in the Russia Federation, from July 16-19 to boost cooperation in several potential fields. He hoped Vietnam would send more students to study in Tatarstan and set up cooperative relations between Vietnamese and Tatarstanian universities. The Vietnamese ambassador asked Tatarstan to facilitate the entry of made-in-Vietnam products – such as mobile phones, footwear, garments, and farm produce – into its trade system. The diplomat hoped Tatarstan would choose to actively participate in activities to promote the Vietnam Year 2019 in Russia, and vice versa. During the working visit, the ambassador worked with senior officials from Tatarstan’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Investment Development Agency.

Colourful night show dazzles visitors to Hoi AnAn outdoor spectacle that re-enacts different historical periods of the ancient town of Hoi An has left strong impressions on visitors to the locality. The colorful and musically dazzling night show ‘Hoi An Memories’ recalls the memories of Hoi An as a prosperous trading port over a 400-year period. “I was stunned by every act, especially when they showcase ao dai performance,” said Le Thi Thuy Hieu, a local audience member said. The ‘Hoi An Memories’ show has set two Vietnamese records - the country’s largest ever outdoor visual arts performance and the most daily crowded performers show. A scene of Hoi An MemoriesA scene of Hoi An MemoriesMolly Cifford, an audience member from the UKVietnam’s traditional long dress on stage of Hoi An MemoriesArtists practice for the showVNA

Plants recovered in Tram Chim National ParkTram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, a Ramsar site in Vietnam, has seen 192 hectares of its plants recovered thanks to p reservation efforts. Birds flock to Tram Chim National Park. The figure was released at a July 19 seminar on bio-diversity preservation in Tram Chim, which was organised by the Dong Thap People’s Committee and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is home to 250 species of water birds, 100 species of freshwater fish and 190 species of plants. The Tram Chim National Park is the fourth Ramsar site of Vietnam and the 2,000th Ramsar site of Wetlands of International Importance in the world.

HÀ NỘI — South Korea will enforce the Positive List System (PLS) to strengthen the safety management of whole imported agricultural products, including those from Việt Nam , as of January 1, 2019. The conference aimed to introduce Vietnamese exporters to its new management system of pesticide residue listing for imported agricultural products and help them minimise risks when they export agricultural products to South Korea . Deputy Head of the MoIT’s Department of the Asia-Africa Market Lê An Hải said South Korea had applied a new management mechanism on the list of pesticides in oilseeds and tropical fruits. “This is the key point for fruit in particular and agricultural products in general to increase in volume and export value,” said Toản. Statistics from MoIT show that over the past 25 years, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral trade between Vietnam and South Korea has grown significantly.

HÀ NỘI — A kids’ summer party might offer a suggestion for parents who are looking for meaningful activities for their kids during the summer vacation. Jointly organised by Family Medical Practice, Young Hit Young Beat, LASKA, and British Council, as well as 10 other respected sponsors and partners, the party will feature outdoor stage performances, a magic show, and a Zumba dance session. “Family Medical Practice sees great importance in the kid and the family, since it’s one of the two pillars that our primary care is built upon,” Ram Shahar, Chief Operation Officer of Family Medical Practice, said. “We do the kids’ summer party as a token of appreciation to the kids and the families. The party will be held from from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. this Sunday at the Vạn Phúc Compound, 298 Kim Mã Street, Ba Đình District.