Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 16 ordered ministries, central agencies, and localities to show higher determination in speeding up the disbursement of public investment capital, focusing on five aspects, including maintaining discipline and fighting negativity.

Chairing a national conference on stepping up public investment disbursement, the Government leader asked for stronger efforts in ground clearance; removing difficulties, obstacles and bottlenecks during the implementation of projects; promoting renovation and the application of new technologies as well as digital transformation, and untangling institutional knots. Read full story

– Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man has signed a resolution on urban administration organisation and the piloting of some special mechanisms and policies for the development of the central city of Da Nang.

The resolution covers finance, State budget, investment and planning management; semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), information-communications, science-technology management, and innovation; priority areas in attracting strategic investors; and the establishment of a free trade area in Da Nang, among others. Read full story

– National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man has signed to attest the legislature’s resolution approving the UK’s accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. It came into being on December 30, 2018, with the first six countries to ratify the agreement being Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. The agreement has been in force for Vietnam since January 14, 2019. Read full story

– More than 1.038 quadrillion VND (40.9 billion USD) was collected for the State budget in the first half of 2024, equivalent to 61% of this year’s target and up 17.7% from a year earlier, reported the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

The result was attributable to the effective implementation of support policies for people and enterprises, the positive H1 GDP growth of 6.42%, and a six-month inflation rate of 4.08% with the core inflation rising only 2.75% year on year. Reaad full story

– Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has suggested the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) provide practical measures to assist Vietnamese businesses in overcoming challenges caused by the increased shipping freight rates, port congestion, and shortage of empty containers.

In his letter sent to FIATA President Turgut Erkeskin, Dien stressed that these abovementioned difficulties have had serious impacts on and affected the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods on the international market. Read full story

– The Vietnam-Korea Plus Partnership Week 2024 was kicked off in HCM City on July 16 by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with other organisations.

The weeklong event aims to promote bilateral economic cooperation and continue the trade and industrial promotion chain between Vietnam and the RoK. Read full story

– The management board of the Pu Luong Nature Reserve in the north-central province Thanh Hoa, has launched a project to preserve three precious and rare plant species – Trai ly (Garcinia fagraeoides A. Chev.), Dinh tung (Cephalotaxus mannii Hook. f.), and Tra hoa trai mong (Camellia pleurocarpa) in the area.

It reported that it has discovered 130 Trai ly trees, 25 Dinh tung trees and 120 Tra hoa trai mong trees in Pu Luong forests. Read full story./.