The retail prices of oil and petrol will be kept unchanged for the next 15 days, the ministries of Finance and Industry and Trade announced on Thursday.

The number of passengers travelling by air during the Lunar New Year (Tết) holidays is forecast to rise 11 per cent compared with the same period last year, said Director of Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Đinh Việt Thắng.

Workers around the country are enjoying higher Tết (Lunar New Year) bonuses than last year, with the highest amount awarded to an employee reaching as much as VNĐ1.17 billion (US$50,300), according to official figures.

The blood donation campaign “Red Sunday” was held at 70 locations in 41 provinces and cities nationwide yesterday, aiming to collect about 50,000 blood units to help ease blood shortages in hospitals nationwide during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.

Farmers growing flowers and ornamental trees for Tết holidays in many provinces are waiting for a bumper crop this year.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked the State Bank of Việt Nam to step up its management to ensure the reasonable use of small banknotes as Tết (Lunar New Year) approaches.

It is important for wholesale markets in HCM City to ensure adequate supply of goods and monitor food safety during the Lunar New Year early next year, according to authorities.

The HCM City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital has asked the city’s People’s Committee to set a higher quota for blood donations in all districts to resolve the shortage of stored blood.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam has ordered airlines to improve security, flight safety and service quality to better serve passengers during the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year (Tết) holidays.

The capital city of Hà Nội will ensure supply and demand for essential goods is in place ahead of the New Year of 2019 and the Lunar New Year festivals.