US billionaire to expand operation in Vietnam; Rice export contracts cancelled; Vietnam in need of safe natural rubber standards; Hanoi sets sights on hi-tech future

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said it would introduce a new form of contract to prevent cancellation of rice export contracts, which has been rampant in recent months.

 Import costs hit textile firms; Ha Noi to lend $15m in bid to stabilise prices; State Bank funds asset management firm; Shortlist due for Binh Dinh's $27b oil project; Marubeni eyes on metro construction in Da Nang

 Vietnam ships over 4 million tonnes of rice; Foreign investors keen on new localities; Vietnamese honey gets export permission to EU; State bank raises price of US dollar

 Concern mounts as fake goods flood struggling market; Insurance firms eye lower dividends; Aquaculture sector faces tighter controls; Delta delivers mass longan tree treatment

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam once exported 30,300 tons of rice to Japan in 2012. However, the door to the market has still been closed to Vietnamese exporters. Not one ton more has been exported since then.

 Bottlenecks in fight against sturgeon smuggling; Vietnam dragon fruit to go back to Taiwan; Pepper exporters running out of stock; FIEs suffer from dismal supporting industries; VinaPhone, Viettel launch mobile money transfer

 Banks buy US dollars at higher prices; Ha Noi's top 10 brokerages chop and change; More IT solutions for small businesses; PVN surpasses first half target; Mondelez International enters Vietnam market

 State budget collection increases; VEPR says 7-10 years needed to tackle bad debts; VNCB to raise capital to VND7.5 trillion; G-bonds forecast to sell well in H2; Mid-end condos still sell well

VietNamNet Bridge – Firms should be allowed to expand their warehouse capacity so they can stockpile one million tonnes of summer-autumn rice to ensure the Government's programme to purchase rice is a success,

 Localities step up rice hoarding; Shell Viet Nam to expand market share; Firms target dollar loans from foreign banks; Cacao sector runs before it can walk; Downturn hits industry index growth rate

The voice of the farmers does not have a rightful place in policies. Inequality in giving the State's priority and support for the agricultural sector compared with other sectors still exists, commented VietNamNet’s readers.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The conclusion of "not yet finding group interests in agriculture" by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the recent hearings of the National Assembly seemed to displease NA deputies.

 Phu My 3 industrial park under construction; Hue hosts 6th Vietnam Economist Annual Meeting; HCM City seeks Korean IT partnerships; Banks offer low rate loans to businesses

 VietNamNet Bridge – Millions of farmers in Mekong Delta never dream of making a profit of 30 percent as promised by the government. They just wish to sell out the rice.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Why is the call for help of farmers not as loud as others in this difficult time? Is it because "the Agriculture Minister is too gentle!" as commented by Congressman Tran Hoang Ngan.

 Banks offer $1.4b housing loans deal; HSBC lowers 2013 Vietnam forecast; Consumer confidence index surges; VND20 tril. G-bonds mobilized in May; Cooperative bank of Vietnam set up

 Restructured Viettel to concentrate on core business; SME owners determined to succeed; Moody's rating for VietinBank ‘stable'; Vinacomin clarifies tax confusion

Vietnam’s rice exports have got stuck with the high inventory of 2 million tons of winter-spring rice by the end of the second quarter. Meanwhile, it is going to harvest 3.5 million tons of the summer-autumn rice.

VietNamNet Bridge – Changing crops very offent and being disorganized is a vicious cycle that erodes the strength and capital of farmer families