Economy and industry
Govt begins buying up rice paddy to help farmers amid slump in prices

Government agencies have begun implementing measures aimed at helping rice farmers sell their produce amid declining paddy prices. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is buying up paddy of Hom Mali fragrant rice from farmers throughout the country, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya ...
Spectrum licences up for grabs

The government announced on November 2 that it will hold its first public auction for 4G spectrum frequencies, with two licences up for bid on frequencies reassigned after their original licence-holders failed to utilise them. The two licences cover the 800 MHz and 2600 MHz band ...
SMEs urged to use digital technology

Vietnamese firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, should take advantage of the power of digital technology to boost sales and improve competitiveness, delegates said at a workshop held in HCM City on November 2. Việt Nam has a high growth rate of internet penetration, with ...
ASEAN figure out improvements to statistical systems
The Sixth Session of the ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee on November 1 opened in Vientiane to discuss ways to improve the statistical systems used by the committee. The meeting was attended by Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Souphanh Keomixay, Head of the Lao Statistics Bureau ...
Emerald hopes to draw first gold by end of 2018
Australian mining firm Emerald Resources expects to complete a definitive feasibility study for its Okvau gold project in Mondulkiri province by early next year, with gold production to commence by the end of 2018, according to an investor presentation released on November 2.Keep reading ...
China works with Asean countries for return of corrupt officials
China and ASEAN countries will set up a regional anti-corruption legal framework to facilitate the return of corrupt Chinese officials who are still at large in ASEAN countries and confiscate their ill-gotten assets, a senior anti-graft official said. China is in advanced negotiations with some ASEAN ...
Bancassurance has room to grow
The bancassurance model, while still relatively undeveloped in Cambodia, has huge potential to drive the growth of the insurance sector, financial industry specialists said during a conference in Phnom Penh on November 2. Robert Elliott, CEO of Manulife, said during a panel discussion that rising ...
26-yr-old scientist's 15 research articles sets record

Tran Quoc Quan, a scientist born in a poor district in Ha Tinh province, has had 15 ISI (information sciences institute) articles published, holding the record in Vietnam for the number of internationally published articles at his age.Starting his scientific research from the second year ...
New guidelines on impact assessments almost ready

Civil society groups are getting closer to unveiling a new set of guidelines that will change how the impact of big development projects is assessed across the Mekong region, NGOs said on November 1, following the end of a two-month public consultation period. Activists, however, ...
‘Forward Cabinet’ meets to resolve problems in southern border provinces

The 13-member “Forward Cabinet” will meet with the heads of state agencies and private sector representatives to gather inputs for the “Triangle of Stability, Prosperity, and Sustainability” development project on November 2. The project is aimed at elevating three districts in the southern border provinces into ...