- The State Bank aims for 15% credit growth, will be flexible for banks

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has just sent a document to credit institutions on the credit growth plan for 2024 with a credit growth target of about 15% and flexible adjustments in accordance with actual developments. SBV requires credit institutions (CIs) to control credit growth in 2024. (See more)

- SBV amends Circular 16 on the purchase and sale of corporate bonds by banks

The State Bank is drafting a Circular amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular No. 16/2021 regulating the purchase and sale of corporate bonds by credit institutions and foreign bank branches, including the possibility for banks to repurchase corporate bonds after sale (according to Monetary Security).

- Ministry of Industry and Trade issued revised circular related to tobacco business

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just issued Circular 43/2023/TT-BCT amending Circular 57/2018/TT-BCT guiding Decrees related to tobacco trading. Accordingly, Clause 1 and Clause 9 in Article 13 of Circular No. 57/2018/TT-BCT dated December 26, 2018 of the Minister of Industry and Trade detailing a number of articles of the decrees related to tobacco trading are amended (according to VNA).

- Livestock farming is difficult, businesses sadly watch banks tighten debt

Agribank Tay Ho is choosing to organize an auction of a series of collateral assets of large enterprises in the field of pig and sow farming in Hoa Binh City, Hoa Binh Province because the enterprises cannot repay the loans. Recently, the price of pork has been continuously low, many times below the production cost, causing difficulties for livestock enterprises. (See more)

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The sharp drop in live pig prices has caused difficulties for livestock businesses. (Photo: Vissan).

- FLC failed to hold extraordinary shareholders meeting again

FLC Group Joint Stock Company (FLC) has just announced that the 2024 Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held on the morning of January 2, 2024 was unsuccessful due to the voting attendance rate not reaching 50%. (See more)

- The world is starting to love it, Vietnam's 'king fruit' will earn 3.5 billion USD

Besides China, other countries are starting to love eating durian and spending huge amounts of money to buy this “king fruit” from Vietnam. According to calculations, durian export turnover in 2024 could reach about 3.5 billion USD. (See more)

- Minister Le Minh Hoan receives new assignment

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan is in charge of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the Project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030" (according to Tien Phong).

- EVN leader talks about 'painful lessons', determined to be transparent

Speaking at the 2023 year-end conference of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) on January 2, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, General Director of EVN, reviewed the prominent issue of the past year, which was the local power shortage in the North, in which he analyzed in depth the subjective causes. Regarding the mobilization of power sources and regulation of hydropower reservoirs, Mr. Tuan said that the Ministry's Inspectorate had pointed out. (See more)

- Spending 1.3 billion USD on imports, more than 650,000 tons of meat and by-products hit the market

Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that in the first 11 months of 2023, Vietnam imported 652,150 tons of meat and meat products, worth about 1.3 billion USD, up 6.1% in volume but down 3.8% in value compared to the same period in 2022. These products flooded the market at very cheap prices. (See more)

The stock market on January 2 recorded the VN-Index increasing by 1.79 points to 1,131.72 points. Order matching liquidity was at a good level, reaching over 15,000 billion VND.

The central exchange rate on January 2 was 23,848 VND/USD, down 18 VND compared to the previous session. The USD price at commercial banks on January 2 increased quite strongly, listed at the end of the session at 24,125 VND/USD (buy) and 24,495 VND/USD (sell). The international USD price also increased.

Today's international oil prices rose in the first trading session of the new year. Brent oil prices rose to 78 USD/barrel, WTI oil prices surpassed 72 USD/barrel.

The price of SJC gold bars in the domestic market today ended at 72-75 million VND/tael (buy - sell), up 1 million compared to the previous session. World gold continued to increase before many forecasts of record price increases in the new year.

After 2 interest rate cuts in December 2023, this morning, a bank unexpectedly increased its deposit interest rate. Meanwhile, the market recorded a number of banks continuing to reduce savings interest rates.