Giant steel maker Hoa Sen Group (HSG) targets revenues of VNĐ23 trillion (US$1 billion) for the fiscal year 2016-17, HSG announced at its annual shareholders’ meeting, in HCM City late last week.

The benchmark VN-Index will soon face resistance at 680 to 690 points, as short-term profit-taking activities are forecast to intensify early this week.

State budget revenues surpassed the yearly target to hit VNĐ1.1 quadrillion (US$48.4 billion) as of December 31, 2016, up 7.8 per cent or VNĐ79.6 trillion higher than the target.

By developing an agricultural value chain, the southern province of Tây Ninh expects to raise its agricultural GDP and average farmer income per year from the current figures of US$3 billion and $1,500 to $8 billion and $5,000, respectively, after five years.

As of December 7 the treasury had raised more than VNĐ280 trillion by auctioning Government bonds, achieving the target for the year.

The Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has set a goal of US$7.1 billion in seafood export revenues this year, about the same as the 2016 exports.

The State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV) continued to decrease the reference US$/VNĐ exchange rate yesterday by 5 đồng to touch VNĐ22,154 per $1dollar.

The focus of development for HCM City’s property market shifted from the south to the east last year, experts said.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has called for reduced dependence on “unsustainable advantages and natural resources” and greater reliance on creativity, science and technology to boost industrial growth.