Environment and natural resources
The battle in the plastic industry among local, foreign rivals
Plastics companies’ high growth rate of 11 percent in the last five years has attracted the interest of foreign companies. Many Vietnamese plastics companies have become targets of foreign conglomerates planning to conquer the Vietnamese market. Thai SCG Group, for example, not only has a 20 percent ...
Striking a balance between conservation and development at the heart of Mekong struggle
Depending on who you speak to, there are naturally differing perspectives in regard to the future of the Mekong River, as most people living along the river look for a sustainable future through conservation of the existing ecosystem, while governments seek balanced resource usage and benefit-sharing ...
Ministry okays wood plant
The government issued a statement on February 12 allowing Lim Royal Joint Stock Company to create a temporary wood and furniture manufacturing plant in Trapeang Srae village in Kratie province. According to an announcement signed by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Veng Sakhon last Thursday, Lim ...
Chain saw injuries in Myanmar tied to illegal logging
As darkness fell in the forests of central Myanmar on a rainy evening last July, May Thu and her husband Myint Swe*, were wrapping up their day’s work: illegal logging. May Thu, a petite 27-year-old with long black hair and shining black eyes, clambered on ...
Party chief urges Nam Định to attract more investment
Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng has urged the northern province of Nam Định to attract more investment in industry, agriculture and services. During a working session with Nam Định’s key authority officials in the province on February 8, he hailed the province’s strategic position ...
Northern provinces assess efforts to control locust outbreak
Five northern provinces recently reported on their efforts to prevent and control locust outbreaks in the 2015-16 fiscal year, and announced plans to prevent a further invasion this year. The five provinces are Huaphan, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khuang, Oudomxay and Phongsaly. More than 4,000 hectares ...
Somkid promises responsible Thai investments in Myanmar
The business communities of Myanmar and Thailand have been encouraged to foster economic cooperation by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak’s high-level business delegation. last Friday delivered a speech at the Thai-Myanmar Business Cooperation Forum, which gathered hundreds of business people from both countries. There, he assured ...
Slag heaps from mining operations concern Kachin residents
Kachin people have complained that mining companies are dumping waste soil recklessly and that it could trigger natural disasters. “We’ve found some companies dumped slag near tributaries of the Uru River. The waste soil could block the river during the rainy season,” said a resident of ...
Agriculture, not gold or USD, most attractive investment channel
Agriculture was never found on the list of the most attractive investment channels for those who have idle money. But things are changing as the government has committed to reserve VND50-60 trillion worth of preferential capital and promised a series of preferential policies for agricultural ...
Dry season irrigation planned
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has asked 38 cities and provinces nationwide to promptly revise the operation of reservoirs to ensure water sources for low-lying areas in this dry season, especially in vulnerable areas such as the central region, the Central Highlands and ...