Customers buy vegetables at a supermarket in HCM City (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City has started its hugelysuccessful annual consumer price stabilisation programme for 2021.
To run until March 31 next year, it has attracted the participation of 50businesses, including some with popular brands, and six banks and credit institutions,who have earmarked 11.34 trillion VND (491 million USD) to lend to theparticipating firms.
Their long-term interest rates will be 6.5-11.3 percent and short-term interestrates will be 4.5 percent.
Face masks and hand sanitisers were added to the list of essential goods lastyear, and the 10 earlier ones are rice, noodles and vermicelli; sugar; cookingoil; eggs; cattle meat; poultry meat; vegetables; processed foods; seafood; andseasoning.
The programme also covers dairy products and items when schools function.
The goods sold under the programme normally meet 25-30 percent of marketdemand, but accounted for 35-50 percent amid the pandemic last year.
Firms in the programme need to stockpile 15-20 percent more goods than normalto prepare for COVID-19 emergency responses.
As usual, they have to register their prices with the Department of Finance,with those of essential goods being 5-10 percent lower than market prices and10-15 percent in case of school items.
Goods sold through the programme should be locally made with clear origins thatmeet hygiene and food safety standards and are of assured quality.
This year the city plans to help participating businesses expand their salesnetworks and encourage them to tie up with modern distribution channels likesupermarkets and convenience stores, develop sales points at traditionalmarkets, industrial parks, export processing zones, and outlying districts, andorganise mobile sales trips to enable more consumers to buy their goods.
It also encourages firms to invest more in improving packaging and designs anddiversifying their products./.
The Ho Chi Minh City authorities have approved a proposal on piloting a bicycle-sharing system in District 1 for one year starting August 1 in a bid to promote public transport, reduce pollution, and create a new tourism product.
Ho Chi Minh City treasures and wants to continue receiving support from international partners during its development process, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen has said.
Ho Chi Minh City needs to prioritise resources for transportation infrastructure, especially major roads linking its seaports, the municipal Transport Department has suggested.
The new Government decree also simplifies loan procedures while expanding credit incentives to include organic and circular agriculture, allowing them to access preferential terms similar to those of high-tech and value-chain based agricultural production.
Developed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Da Nang FTZ is designed to become a leading regional economic centre and a strategic growth pole in Vietnam’s new development landscape.
The Binh Duong Association of Supporting Industries (BASI) is expected to promote the usage of domestically manufactured components while supporting businesses in accessing international markets, strengthening linkages, and promoting deeper integration into global supply chains.
PwC Vietnam forecasts a vibrant M&A market in Vietnam’s healthcare sector in 2025, driven by rising demand for high-quality medical services and a growing middle class. Pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, and specialised medical facilities, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology, are predicted to be key targets for M&A.
The central province of Quang Nam is set to become a hub for the medicinal plant industry, with Ngoc Linh ginseng designated as the core crop, under the Prime Minister's decision issued earlier this year.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Customers buy vegetables at a supermarket in HCM City (Photo: VNA) 
