Vietnam’s new Lotus social network officially debuted on Monday, with the aim to attract four million users daily.
The project was established, invested and implemented by VCCorp, with the participation of domestic companies and individuals.
Designed by a group of user-experience experts, Lotus is a social network has content as its focus, with its founders claiming it creates an effective platform to support content creators and individuals to create better content.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung hailed the Lotus operation.
He, however, added that this is a challenging area in which some Vietnamese firms have ever failed. He expected that Lotus will try its best to overcome difficulties ahead to inspire other local enterprises in Made-in-Vietnam product development.
According to Nguyen The Tan, General Director of VCCorp, the beta version of Lotus would be used for 3-6 months, starting from Monday.
VCCorp have co-operated with over 500 content creators in 20 different fields like education, economics, photography, story writing, blog and vlog writing, lifestyle, entertainment, music and marketing. It also uses 30 sources of news, including Dantri online newspaper.
A truck driver sleep-driving while high on meth will spend 13 years in jail after an accident that killed eight commune officials.
The accident happened on National Highway 5 in the northern province of Hai Duong in January this year, when a truck driven by 28-year-old Luong Van Tam ploughed into a bunch of pedestrians.
Eight commune officials walking back to work after lighting incense at the local martyrs’ cemetery were killed. Another eight were injured.
Investigations revealed that Tam was high on meth and sleep driving at the time of the accident, the Kim Thanh District court heard.
He turned himself in at a local police station several hours after the accident.
Tam and the truck company he worked for have compensated the late victims’ families with VND175 million each ($7,517), while the injured victims got a total compensation of VND164 million ($7,045).
Road crashes kill almost one person every hour in Vietnam.
Rising drug use has made Vietnamese roads riskier to drive on. The practice is not rare among Vietnamese truck drivers who have heavy workloads.
In a scattered 20-day inspection starting January this year, traffic police found 182 truck and minibus drivers high on narcotics. In the first half this year, they had handled 239 cases in which drivers were using drugs when driving, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.
VIETNAM’S renewables policymakers have been rewarded for their steady management of the solar feed-in-tariff (FiT) program with impressive renewable capacity gains, finds a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The Asset reports.
The report analyses Vietnam’s solar success along with the steps needed to support improved performance for Vietnam’s renewables program.
Vietnam’s solar FiT program awarded a US$0.09 per kilowatt tariff (kWh) to solar developers delivering new capacity by the end of June 2019.
This is a positive outcome because regional experts were cautious about whether the program offered enough upside to funders focused on market risk. In the end, the doubters were proven wrong and Vietnamese consumers will benefit from an estimated 4.46 gigawatts of new clean solar capacity.
This will support Vietnam’s fast-growing economy at a time when the country’s slow-moving pipeline of baseload coal projects faces new environmental challenges and deteriorating economics due to rapid improvements in cost-effective renewable solutions.
The next phase of Vietnam’s renewables program focuses on wind, and Vietnam has excellent offshore wind potential.
To succeed, new resources for grid investments should be a priority and policymakers will need to work carefully to ensure new policies continue to support competitive pricing.
Report author Melissa Brown, energy finance consultant with IEEFA, says the government’s successful solar program stands out among Southeast Asia’s fast-growth power markets.
“Delivering 4.46 gigawatts of new capacity over two years is a tremendous achievement. It validates the renewable energy ambitions of the Vietnamese government,” says Brown.
“The challenge now is to prioritize programs that can deliver the right kind of grid capacity for renewable solutions. With more transmission capacity in place, new capacity auctions and incentive pricing for more flexible capacity can satisfy a bigger share of Vietnam’s power needs,” she adds.
The government aims to have renewable sources account for 21% of installed capacity by 2030, with solar and wind comprising some 11%.
The revised National Power Development Master Plan VII (Master Plan VII) currently forecasts commercial growth to grow at around 10.3% annually until 2020. The plan calls for capacity additions of between 6,000-7,000 megawatts per year to meet increased demand and wind should be able to play an important role in meeting that target.
“The flourishing solar sector and growing pipeline of wind projects show Vietnam can attract investment from high quality developers who are eager to partner with Vietnam on ambitious renewable developments,” says Brown. “New partnerships between foreign and local developers will be crucial for technically demanding offshore wind projects,” she adds.
The report suggests nearshore and offshore sites have the greatest potential for the wind sector and can be built near areas where power is needed most, like Ho Chi Minh City.
“The Ke Ga offshore wind project, backed by a consortium of local and international investors, will be important to watch and could help set standards for other offshore wind projects,” says Brown.
It will also be important to see whether global banks and investors can collaborate to develop financing solutions that are a good fit for Vietnam’s wind power sector.
The report finds one of the main stumbling blocks in taking advantage of Vietnam’s considerable current and future renewable energy capacity additions is the state of the grid.
“Vietnam needs to finance a grid build-out ready for more diverse generation,” says Brown. “New sources of capital including green bonds could be an important part of the funding equation,” she continues.
“The market is waiting and investors are watching to see how the government defines its renewable energy ambitions with new targets in the Power Development Master Plan VIII and in its plans to upgrade the grid. Investors and developers will take risk in growth markets like Vietnam if step-by-step improvements can be made to support the development of scalable asset portfolios,” she adds.
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank, is providing a loan of up to $87.5 million to Vietnamese property developer BIM Land to build tourism infrastructure projects in Vietnam and Laos. DSA reports.
The financing comprises up to $50 million from IFC’s own account and a trust loan of up to $37.5 million from the multi-investor managed co-lending portfolio programme (MCPP) it manages.
At least $10 million of this loan package will be earmarked for developing tourism activities in Laos, IFC said.
Hạ Long Marina project developed by BIM Land in Hạ Long City. — Photo courtesy of BIM Group
In August, we first reported that BIM Land has successfully raised the loan to build the Intercontinental resort in Ha Long Bay and Citadines apartments and a water park in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, and Holiday Inn in Vientiane, Laos. These projects were estimated to cost $202.8 million.
IFC had earlier proposed as much as $100 million for this package but the approval went down to $87.5 million as BIM Land re-evaluated the costs.
In 2018, Vietnam attracted 15.5 million foreign visitors and Laos saw approximately 4.2 million. However, the numbers were still much lower compared to Thailand, which receives 38 million visitors annually. Both Vietnam and Laos boast significant potential for further growth, IFC said.
One of Lao PDR’s significant challenges is the lack of quality accommodation facilities in Vientiane, the capital and gateway for most international tourists, the World Bank Group’s private lending arm added. Similarly, in Vietnam, the underdevelopment of emerging tourist destinations like Phu Quoc Island and Ha Long Bay can hinder the nation’s growing tourism.
“The tourism industry is a major contributor to employment, foreign exchange earnings, and tax revenues for developing countries,” said Kyle Kelhofer, IFC country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
“In alignment with the government’s efforts, IFC’s loan to BIM Land will help create higher-skilled job opportunities for the local workforce in Laos and Vietnam, thereby strengthening supply chains, driving inclusive growth and enabling private sector participation.”
IFC has continued its active deal flow in Vietnam this year, with an equity-quasi investment in Nafoods as well as a proposal to inject a $10-million convertible loan in healthcare group Pacific Holdings.
Many companies are moving their factories from other countries to Vietnam, showing the potential for strong development of industrial real estate, according to Vietnam+.
They included many factories from China operating mainly in the fields of electronics, textiles, footwear and spare parts production, such as Hanwha, Foxcom, Lenovo, Nintendo, Sharp among others.
The industrial sector is growing strongly with a tenfold increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the last decade. Good land supply is facilitating incoming manufacturing projects and the rise of rental options with ready-built factories (RBF) and built-to-suit (BTS) solutions. Vietnam must be more selective with projects to move up the value chain, improve competitiveness and ensure sustainable growth.
Low labour costs and government incentives, particularly preferential tax rates, will continue to be critical drivers of FDI. However, to maintain the transition to higher-value industries, Vietnam must focus on the quality rather than the number of investments.
By enabling the latest production technologies and increasing workforce training, the government is actively easing qualms around viability, labour shortages and rising costs for a more transparent business environment.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) held a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on September 16 to exchange and share experiences on macroeconomic management, especially in finance and banking. Nhandan Online reports.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) held a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on September 16 to exchange and share experiences on macroeconomic management, especially in finance and banking. Nhandan Online reports.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) held a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on September 16 to exchange and share experiences on macroeconomic management, especially in finance and banking.
Speaking at the opening of the annual meeting held on the occasion of the 40th founding anniversary of the NBC, NBC Governor Chea Chanto expressed his thanks to SBV for its great assistance in terms of both technical and human resource training from the first days of its establishment to the present day.
He also highly appreciated the performance of Vietnamese banks in Cambodia, which are actively contributing to the development of the banking system as well as supporting the country’s economic development.
He also affirmed that the NBC will continue to closely coordinate with the SBV in exchanging delegations and sharing cooperation information, contributing to further promoting comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
In his speech at the meeting, SBV Governor Le Minh Hung affirmed that the SBV is proud to partly contribute to the current development of the NBC in particular and the Cambodian economy in general.
In the context that the global economy is experiencing complicated developments, the cooperation mechanism between the two central banks will help the two economies share experiences to further develop together, he noted.
As part of the bilateral meeting, the delegation of the SBV and Cambodian partners also spent time discussing solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles for five Vietnamese commercial banks operating in Cambodia, including Agribank, BIDC, MB, SHB and Sacombank.
Police in the central province of Nghe An arrested three Chinese nationals Monday for allegedly stealing money from ATMs by skimming and faking cards. VnExpress reports.
Yang Chang Cai, 33, Deng Cong Cong, 29, and Lian Yu, 35, came to the provincial capital Vinh last month and systematically attached electronic devices to several ATMs to collect customers’ data, which they then used to forge fake cards, the police said.
Officers arrested the three as they were leaving Nghe An acting on complaints from the affected banks.
The police seized three electronic devices equipped with cameras, three card slots and 333 fake bank cards from the trio, who had reportedly used 22 fake cards to withdraw around VND300 million ($12,880) from a number of accounts.
The three reportedly had carried out similar thefts elsewhere in Vietnam too.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank (WB) organised a ceremony in Hanoi on September 16 to mark International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Nhandan Online reports.
In January 1994, Vietnam became one of the first countries to join the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Vietnam has eliminated the consumption of CFC, Halon, and CTC since January 1, 2010 and completely stopped the use of HCFC-141b and Methyl Bromide since January 1, 2015.
On September 4, 2019, the Vietnamese Government issued Resolution No. 64/NQ-CP officially approving the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
Also at the ceremony on September 16, the second phase of the “National Management Plan for eliminating HCFC substances of Vietnam” (HPMP II) project was launched.
Caitlin Wiesen, Acting Resident Coordinator of the UN and Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme in Vietnam, said the celebration together with the launch of the HPMP II reflect Vietnam’s efforts in implementing the Montreal Protocol, and its coordination with other countries in protecting the ozone layer and the environment in general.
Stefanie Stallmeister, Operations Manager for the WB in Vietnam, said the bank has cooperated with Vietnam in realising the protocol over the past 15 years.
The country has cut hundreds of thousands of tonnes of substances harmful to the ozone layer, he said, noting that as an important partner of the HPMP II, the WB will continue to support Vietnam in implementing the project, he said.
Tang The Cuong, Director of the Climate Change Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Development, said the HPMP II, which runs from 2018 to 2023, aims to help Vietnam reduce 35% of the consumption of HCFC substances in line with the roadmap set in the protocol.
The Vietnam – US Society (VUS) and Peace Trees Vietnam (PTVN) held a gathering in Hanoi on September 16 with Vietnamese and American war veterans, on the occasion of Vietnam’s National Day, the VUS and the 25th anniversary of the normalisation of the Vietnam – US ties.
The foreign guests are on a working trip to Vietnam from September 14-30.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Nguyen Van Huynh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Peace Committee and permanent member of the VUS, recalled the traditional history of the VUS and highlighted achievements by Vietnam over the past years.
He also introduced the position and role of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the VUS in order to foster friendship and solidarity between Vietnamese people and international friends.
According to the ambassador, Vietnam and the US have expanded bilateral ties across politics, diplomacy, economy, national defence-security, culture and education since the normalisation of their relationship in 1995.
PTVN Executive Director Claire Yunker said his organisation has conducted bombs and mines clearance projects and other humanitarian activities since its establishment in 1995, thus contributing to further tightening the Vietnam – US people-to-people exchange.
She added that the PTVN will continue with its activities in Vietnam in the near future.
This is the first non-governmental organisation in the US to be licensed in the search and clearance of bombs, mines and explosives.
At the event, Vietnamese and American war veterans discussed initiatives to further boost peace, cooperation and development in the two countries./.
But at Peter Cuong Franklin’s acclaimed Ho Chi Minh City restaurant Anan Saigon, the noodle dish is taken to a whole new level of delicious thanks to an unexpected secret ingredient — Japanese sake, or rice wine.
Franklin, who grew up in Dalat, about 300 km (186 miles) northeast of the city where he now resides, has spent his whole life around food culture. His mother ran a small restaurant out of their home, and his usual greeting to friends isn’t “hello” but “Have you eaten rice yet?”
After studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok, working at Chicago’s acclaimed Alinea and running two successful Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong, Franklin could have rested on his laurels.
Instead, he chose to return to his native country and introduce some of the different flavors he’d tried around the world into traditional Vietnamese cooking.
He chose the name “Anan” — which means, “Eat, eat!” — for his restaurant.
Whatever you say about Franklin’s food, though, don’t call it fusion. The chef believes that despite its Japanese provenance, sake fits in seamlessly with Vietnamese flavors.
Anan Saigon’s caviar pho features a savory sake broth.@ CNN
“Anything that grows together will be happy together,” Franklin says about selecting complementary ingredients. For him, using sake with rice-based dishes makes perfect sense.
His caviar pho is prepared in a savory, indulgent sake broth.
Other than the sake, the dish’s ingredients — jellyfish, sturgeon, dill, and of course pho noodles — come from the Chợ Cũ Tôn Thất Đạm wet market close to the restaurant.
But it’s not enough to just detect the notes of sake in the pho itself. Franklin recommends pairing his dish with Yamahai Junmai, one of the world’s most prestigious sakes.
Yamahai Junmai is manufactured by Tedorigawa, one of Japan’s most iconic sake makers. The brand was spotlighted in the 2015 film “The Making of Sake,” a documentary that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
Dining solo, or enjoying a late night? Head upstairs to Nhau Nhau, a sexy pho and cocktail bar that Franklin dubs “the sequel” to Anan. Yes, there’s plenty of sake on the menu.
Anan Saigon, 89 Ton That Dam, D1, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam +84 904 7929 20
Turkish Airlines has begun new non-stop Airbus A330 services between Istanbul and Vietnam’s two biggest cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Business Traveller reports.
These routes had previously been operated as connecting flights until September 11 this year. The Turkish flag carrier now flies between Istanbul and Hanoi every day except Sundays. The non-stop flight departs Istanbul Airport at 02:40 (local time) and arrives at Noi Bai International Airport at 16:25 (local time). Meanwhile, the return flight will leave Hanoi at 21:35 (local time) and arrive at Istanbul at 04:15 (local time).
According to Business Traveller, the non-stop flight from Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh city departs Istanbul at 2:15 am (local time) and arrives at Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) at 17:00 (local time), while the return flight departs Tan Son Nhat Airport at 21:10 (local time) and arrives at Istanbul at 04:15 (local time).
In other Turkish Airlines’ news, the airline said earlier this year that it will increase frequency on its flights between Istanbul and Tokyo Narita starting next year, with the current daily service set to eventually rise to an 11-times-weekly operation by next summer.
Tim Evans to take over from Pham Hong Hai, who held the role for the last four and a half years.
A highly experienced and versatile executive with deep knowledge of HSBC’s franchise in emerging markets, Evans joined the HSBC Group 26 years ago. Since then he has held many senior leadership roles with the Group across three continents and seven markets.
Before taking the helm at HSBC Vietnam, Mr. Evans served as HSBC’s Regional Head of Commercial Banking, International Markets in Asia-Pacific, covering Bangladesh, Mauritius, New Zealand, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Thailand, and Vietnam.
He was formerly HSBC’s Regional Head of Middle Market Enterprises in Asia-Pacific, where he covered 19 markets, and Regional Head of Global Trade and Receivables Finance and Chief Operating Officer of HSBC’s Commercial Banking business in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, overseeing ten countries and territories.
Evans has been appointed CEO of HSBC Vietnam at a fascinating time in the country’s development. “As Regional Head of Commercial Banking, International Markets in Asia-Pacific, I have been closely monitoring Vietnam’s growth in recent years and I’m incredibly excited to be here alongside our dedicated and talented HSBC Vietnam team,” he said. “Together, we will continue to play HSBC’s part in helping Vietnam, already one of the world’s most dynamic economies, reach its immense potential.”
He also congratulated Hai for the incredible impact he had during his time as CEO. “My commitment is to build on this platform for strong future growth and capitalize on HSBC’s position as Vietnam’s leading international bank, creating long-term value for our people and customers,” he said.
Pham Hong Hai, the former CEO of HSBC Vietnam will join HSBC Canada as Country Head of International Subsidiary Banking
Hai will join HSBC Canada as Country Head of International Subsidiary Banking, starting from September 16. In this role, he will stay connected with Asia and support HSBC’s Asia – North America trade and investment corridor.
HSBC has been in Vietnam for 149 years. The bank first opened an office in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1870. It was the first foreign bank to launch a locally-incorporated entity, on January 1, 2009, as HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd. The bank’s current network includes two branches and five transaction offices in Ho Chi Minh City, one branch and four transaction offices in Hanoi, and two full-service branches in southern Binh Duong province and central Da Nang city. HSBC is one of the largest foreign banks in the country in terms of investment capital, product range, and customer base.
Generations after generations, having a fancy title on business cards was a proof of success in careers. It is a norm that everyone wants to chase high positions in big corporations and keep climbing the ladders their entire lives.
In the international study released by the World Health Organization in 2017 about depression : anxiety, stress disorder and lack of sleep related to work were in cause. A recent update on May 2019 confirmed the impacts from negative work environment leading to depression. More than those obvious consequences, people seems to forget the meaningful part in their work . They are hooked by the material things and are in trapped in the rat race. They seem to forget the dream they had in their childhood.
Many Millennials took the decision to live differently : quit their corporate jobs to launch their own businesses, travel the world, prioritize experience over money. That’s the path I decided to take and I am inviting you to explore this other way of living …
Open your eyes and design your own path
Being a business man, a stock trader, a head of sales are some of the top targeted jobs that many people are trying to reach. Climbing ladders to reach those positions will definitely keep you on track in your career and offer you good income, letting you achieve high-challenges and be in a perpetual rush until your retirement. Is your current position giving you the challenges and responsibilities you are expecting ? Are you earning the salary you deserve ? During 8 hours of work, how many hours are you spending on things you are really enjoying ? If one of those questions just irritates you, it reveals that you are not utilizing your full potential.
Millennials being in the top 5 % of the wealthiest
What would you prefer :
Earning an average salary letting you being in an average situation, not comfortable, not tight of money but at the same time without any exciting things to do … ? In few words : staying average your whole life. OR
Earning 5k$ and having to work 6 days per week, 8 hours per day (excluding work you need to do at home because your boss is asking you to) ? OR
Earning 3k$ while you work for your own project, having flexible time, traveling the world and being passionate about what you are doing ?
Money is something everyone is chasing but what about those other aspects : freedom, flexibility, joy when working on projects you like ? Should you consider those criterias to design your own life ? Being rich and wealthy is always a matter of perspective …
Most Millennials don’t have financial pressure yet, many of them still live with their parents, some of them are still students with plenty of free time. Others are IT geeks, having small businesses on the side. Being an entrepreneur at this early age is something everyone should consider.
Generation Z and entrepreneurship
The famous best-seller book The 4 hours work week of Tim Ferriss shows a way of being an entrepreneur where you could try to build assets, plant some seeds in the ground that will bring you fruits later. Launching an online business can take a few months before starting to generate the first incomes but as soon as you find what works, you can duplicate and scale your business to make it grow. That’s how Tim Ferriss was able to travel the world, growed his business, learned new skills, became famous as « the one who is working 4 hours per week » and kept making decent money from his business. Many Millennials starting to have an investment mindset. They are exploring similar ideas in doing business : they build assets that can generate enough money without sacrificing their lifestyle. Learning, implementing, failing … doing it again and again … one day you will be close to the success.
Success and luck : very close ideas …
Few years ago, if you started doing things like : recording your journey and publishing on Youtube, posting some daily pictures on your Instagram account, blogging about your hobbies ; you would have probably become one of the top influencers in your topic. Who could have bet that Youtube and Instagram would become that popular and trendy ? Nowadays, brands are paying a lot influencers with audiences following themselves to advertise their products rather than traditional TV channels. Those early adopters who probably started doing it « just for fun » or because they were passionated probably built empires years after years.
Some nerd-tech guys who discovered Bitcoin few years ago are probably now early retired thanks to « seeds » they planted by buying Bitcoin. Reaching success is always a succession of actions that you will have to take ending most of the time to a failures. Success is rarely the consequence of a magic event happening and mostly the end result of baby step you do everyday which will finally become a hidden gem. I often see ‘wantrepreneur’ who are waiting the perfect idea, time, or team and hoping for a success without implementing things.
« Well done is better than well said. », Benjamin Franklin
« Done is better than perfect. », The Beatles
Turning point in term of success
Having flexible time, working remotely, enjoying more freedom during the work time, fully expressing the creativity through a diverse job, growing and self-improving in a daily basis… that’s the key criterias the Generation Z and Millennials are looking forward. « Money-first » is no longer the main criteria they will choose.
Vietnam is a country with a lot of fresh graduated talents with high technical and hard skills : developers, designers, marketers … Being Vietnamese or living here as an expat offers great advantages : allows you to deliver high quality product or services to foreign customers. That is one of the main reasons so many outsourcing companies are in Vietnam hiring talents. If you have some rare skills and you want to jump into being self-employed, you can be visible to the world by offering your service through freelancer platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. Taking this kind of baby-step action will put you on track to fully highlight your potential.
What’s about the expats living in Vietnam
Most of the expats coming to South East Asia to find a job, become an entrepreneur and even get retired early, are usually doing more reflection about their own goals. As they chose to leave their home country, explored the world, they are aware about keeping a balanced life-work mindset that fit their personality and aspirations. Being wealthy in life is a matter of self perspective : my vision goes through trying to reach personal achievement and enrich my life with experiences rather than owning material things.
I have two questions for you : What is your own vision of success ? But most important : what is the next action you will implement today to get a bit closer to this new goal ?
About the author
Guillaume Rondan originally from France, Guillaume followed the usual path in term of studies. After graduated from an Engineer school, he finally reached the job he was looking for during years : working with traders in an investment bank. After one year, he decided to quit and designed his own life : launched his start-up, failed, tried again to finally worked in affiliate-marketing as a self employed. After a few years, Guillaume owns more than 50 websites and sells products online in different European countries. After travelling a lot while he was building his business, he is now settling down in Vietnam for more than two years. He keeps being passionate about online businesses, marketing and entrepreneurship. You can discover more about his work on MoveToAsia.com.
Vietnam international striker Nguyen Cong Phuong has seen his market value soar after completing a one-year loan move to Belgium top division side Sint Truidense VV.
Although the Vietnamese goalscorer is finding it hard to win minutes for the Jupiler Pro League outfit, the move to Europe has helped the 24-year-old’s transfer market valuations, according to Transfermarkt.
According to the website, the striker’s market value has increased from €150,000 to €200,000 (approximately VND 5 billion) following his loan move to Sint Truiden from Vietnamese top division club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) FC in July 2019.
This has helped Cong Phuong rise to joint-second among the most valued Vietnamese footballers in current market alongside HAGL midfielder Luong Xuan Truong.
However, it is Muangthong United goalkeeper Dang Van Lam who is still the most valued Vietnamese footballer in the world right now with a valuation of €300,000 (approximately VND 6 million).
Meanwhile, Doan Van Hau, another Vietnamese star who earned a move to Europe recently with Dutch outfit SC Heerenveen, is still valued at €150,000.
Cong Phuong was once again absent from STVV’s matchday squad as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Waasland-Beveren in the Belgian top flight on September 14.
Food safety officials in Ho Chi Minh City have urged locals to stop eating dog meat in an effort to improve the national image, an official says.
“This is advice, it’s not an order, so we haven’t introduced any fines,” Phan Thi Hoai Tran, head of communications at Ho Chi Minh City’s Food Safety Management Board, told dpa on Monday.
Eating dog meat is not uncommon in Vietnam, yet while it is not illegal to eat dogs, the meat has never been formally included on the list of animals suitable for humans as a food, the watchdog claims.
Health risks associated with eating the meat include parasites that can affect internal organs, while chemicals found in poisons used to kill the dogs also threaten consumers, Associate Professor Pham Khanh Phong Lan, head of the board, told local media.
“Eating dog meat is not a good habit so people should kick it, especially in this era of international integration,” the Board said on its website last week.
Vietnam’s dog meat consumption has made it the target of animal welfare campaigns in the past, and the Asia Canine Protection Alliance estimates that five million of the animals are killed and eaten in the country every year.
Eating dog meat, however, is more common in Hanoi, which also attempted to curb dog meat consumption last year.
It is estimated that the capital is home to almost 500,000 dogs and cats, as well as around 1000 restaurants and shops which sell their meat.
