Business

Ho Chi Minh City launches tours to low-risk districts

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2021

Travel companies in Ho Chi Minh City have put tours to Can Gio and Cu Chi, two districts at low risk of coronavirus infections, up for sale as the city’s commercial, services, and tourism activities have been resumed after a lengthy lockdown.

The firms started marketing the day-long tours this week, offering a package to Can Gio District at VND1.6 million (US$66) per visitor while that to Cu Chi District is set from VND680,000 ($30) per visitor.

Tour operators expect to receive visitors every weekend after October 15.

All tourists must either be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days, have proof of their recovery from COVID-19, or certificates of a positive antibody or COVID-19 test result before departing.

However, the number of guests will be limited to only 50 percent of the normal capacity to ensure social distancing requirements.

The official launch of the tours comes after their trial trips on September 19, when natural and historical sites in the two districts welcomed 227 medical workers from other localities that had come to assist Ho Chi Minh City in the fight against COVID-19.

The trips were tested by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism in collaboration with tour operator Saigontourist.

As they proved a success, Saigontourist went on to organize six more similar tours, serving a total of more than 1,000 visitors who were frontline workers.

“Visitors gave positive feedback on these tours,” said a representative of Saigontourist.

“We also see a very fast recovery of supply and service chains in the two destinations, so we are confident to offer tours at this time.”

These products are also meant for travel firms to measure the market demand and develop more packages for the near future, according to travel company Vietravel.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have built a road map to restore its tourism sector after a long hiatus, starting with travel services in areas at low risk of transmissions, including Can Gio and Cu Chi Districts — which were the first to declare their successful control over the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.

If the COVID-19 pandemic resurges, local authorities will reduce the scale and scope of those tourism activities.

Ho Chi Minh City is the hardest-hit locality in Vietnam since the beginning of its fourth virus wave on April 27, with more than 400,100 local infections and over 15,200 fatalities.

Infections have slowed down in recent times while approximately seven million of its nine-million population have been given at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the national COVID-19 vaccination portal.

City authorities had applied various social distancing levels in recent months before switching to Directive No. 18 from October 1 to continue preventing and controlling the pandemic while gradually reopening the economy.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/business/20211006/ho-chi-minh-city-launches-tours-to-lowrisk-districts/63441.html

Related Topics:Can Gio Cu Chi tour tourism

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PM orders close coordination to remove obstables to property market

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed a document requesting more efforts to promote the development of and remove obstacles to the real estate market.

Published

35 mins ago

March 31, 2023

TienphongNews

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He asked ministries, agencies and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to strictly follow the Government’s resolution dated March 11, 2023 on several measures to solve difficulties for and promote the safe, healthy and sustainable development of the market.

The Ministry of Construction (MoC), the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) must coordinate closely with each other and with relevant agencies to help businesses overcome difficulties and make the market revive.

Real estate enterprises must adjust the product structure and market segments as well as offer more reasonable prices; pay special attention to the development of social housing and houses for workers that are suitable to people’s income. Competent authorities need to review housing and real estate projects to work with enterprises on measures to handle legal problems, especially in projects with corporate bonds and bank loans, and capital mobilised from buyers, the Government leader stressed.

He also urged the MoC to soon complete a project on building at least one million social housing apartments for low-income earners and workers in industrial parks in the 2021-2030 period.

The MoF was asked to carry out harmonious, reasonable and effective measures to support enterprises to restructure bond debts, interest rates, payment terms and conditions in accordance with regulations.

PM Chinh also urged the central bank to soon implement the credit programme worth around 120 trillion VND (5.1 billion USD) to assist commercial banks in providing perferential loans for investors and buyers of projects building social housing and houses for workers, and reconstructing old apartment buildings.

Local People’s Committees were required to soon approve master plans, as well as land use plans and housing development plans and programmes for five years and annually; and organise meetings with each enterprise to help them deal with difficulties.

Source: Nhân Dân

Source: https://e.nhipcaudautu.vn/real-estate/pm-orders-close-coordination-to-remove-obstables-to-property-market-3351578/

Business

Masan Group draws down first tranche of its $650 mln syndicated loan

Masan Group has announced the successful disbursement of its $375 million, the underwritten tranche of its $650 million syndicated loan signed in February 2023.

Published

2 hours ago

March 31, 2023

TienphongNews

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The Vietnamese conglomerate aims to fully utilize the 2023 Syndicated Loan via a greenshoe option of $275 million later in the year. The transaction was arranged and underwritten by BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, and United Overseas Bank.

Despite recent volatility in the global banking market, Masan was able to fully draw down the underwritten portion of the 2023 Syndicated Loan, ensuring a healthy financial profile. The loan is priced at 3.5% over the U.S Dollar Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or approximately 8.0% per annum.

With a 5-year tenor, the 2023 Syndicated Loan will extend Masan’s debt maturity profile and strengthen Masan’s liquidity ratios. As interest rates decline and the capital market stabilizes, management will continue to optimize Masan’s balance sheet, reduce interest expense, and deleverage via strategic corporate actions.

In a challenging macro environment, the ability to generate stable cash flows from the manufacturing and retailing consumer staple products (such as groceries, instant noodles, seasonings, etc.) businesses and proven track record of accessing multiple capital markets will allow the Company to win market share and invest in future growth.

With its cash position, Masan is well positioned to continue investing in new innovations as well as expanding the consumer-retail platform while maintaining a healthy balance sheet.

Source: https://e.nhipcaudautu.vn/companies/masan-group-draws-down-first-tranche-of-its-650-mln-syndicated-loan-3351607/

Business

VSIP joins hands with 9 Vietnamese provinces to develop smart IPs

Published

5 hours ago

March 30, 2023

TienphongNews

Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park J.V. Co. (VSIP) on Saturday signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with nine Vietnamese provinces to develop smart and sustainable industrial parks (IPs).

VSIP is a joint venture between Becamex IDC Corporation, under the People’s Committee of Binh Duong, just outside Ho Chi Minh City, and Sembcorp Development Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries, a leading energy and urban solution provider.

The signing ceremony was part of the ‘Binh Duong: Initiation – Connection – New Development’ program, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, leaders of ministries, agencies and localities, and hundreds of investors.

It was also an expansion of a broader MOU between Becamex and Sembcorp Development inked during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s state visit to Singapore early last month.

Smart and sustainable IPs will be considered in nine provinces, including Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh, based on the VSIP model in Binh Duong.

Deputy PM Khai hailed the green industrial park model, the association of industrial development with urban areas and services, and the synchronicity of traffic and social infrastructure in Binh Duong Province.

This helps Binh Duong, together with Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau Provinces, become key pillars of the southern key economic zone and contribute significantly to the state budget and Vietnam’s development.

The deputy prime minister asked the nine provinces to learn from Binh Duong’s experience in developing Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks in the coming time, especially in site clearance to prevent complaints and lawsuits and ensure benefits for enterprises, the state, and local residents.

Vo Van Minh, chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, said the province would cooperate closely with the nine provinces and accompany investors and enterprises to develop industrial park projects soon.

They will jointly mull over the conversion from IPs in association with urban areas and services to smart service urban areas, enhance the application of science and technology to increase the added values of products, and bring practical benefits to enterprises and residents.

Leaders of Binh Duong Province and nine other provinces and Singaporean partners sign memoranda of understanding to develop more VSIPs in Vietnam. Photo: Ba Son / Tuoi Tre

Leaders of Binh Duong Province and nine other provinces and Singaporean partners sign memoranda of understanding to develop more VSIPs in Vietnam. Photo: Ba Son / Tuoi Tre

Earlier on the same day, Deputy PM Khai and his governmental delegation visited the VSIP 1 in Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province. This is the first VSIP which was developed in 1996 and covers an area of 500 hectares.

VSIP last month obtained approval from the Vietnamese government to set up its second IP in the north-central province of Nghe An, or its 13th IP in Vietnam.

Among the 12 operating VSIPs, three are located in Binh Duong and the remaining facilities are in Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Quang Ngai, and Can Tho, among others.

These industrial parks, with a total area of more than 10,000 hectares, have attracted about US$18.4 billion in investment from 882 investors from 30 countries and territories, and created jobs for around 288,000 workers.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (first row, L) and delegates listen to an introduction of the first VSIP in Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province on March 25, 2023. Photo: Q.T. / Tuoi Tre

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (first row, L) and delegates listen to an introduction on the first VSIP in Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province on March 25, 2023. Photo: Q.T. / Tuoi Tre

The Binh Duong People’s Committee on Saturday also handed over investment certificates to enterprises.

In the year to March 15, the province attracted $437 million in foreign direct investment, raising the total foreign investment so far in the province to $39.7 billion, poured into nearly 4,100 projects.

The province also concluded cooperation agreements with large domestic firms, such as Deo Ca, Sungroup and FPT, to develop infrastructure, hospitality tourism, and digital transformation.