Việt Nam, the world’s No1 exporter of cashew products, expects to import an aditional 500,000 tonnes of nuts from now until October to meet its annual export target, according to the Việt Nam Cashew Association (Vinacas).

Hà Nội collected over VNĐ93.9 trillion (US$4.1 billion) in taxes during the first half of this year, completing 50.1 per cent of its annual target and 18 per cent higher compared with the same period in 2016, the municipal Tax Department reported yesterday.

Nearly 70 per cent of 2,600 surveyed small-and-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) had to seek loans on the black market as they were unable to access bank loans.

Việt Nam has good potential in farming swifts for their edible nests, but authorities should make zoning plans and regulations for the industry like they do for the husbandry industry to ensure its sustainable development, according to experts.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre cannot compare with south-eastern provinces such as Bình Dương and Đồng Nai in terms of investment conditions or geographical advantages, but it has attracted investors by helping them every step of the way, the director of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment said.

The State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV) has cut several interest rates for the first time since 2014 in order to support business and boost economic growth.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is consulting and seeking comments from relevant ministries and local authorities on the borrowing plan to expand Dung Quất Oil Refinery, online newspaper vneconomy.vn reported.