Lotte breaks ground on $900 mln Eco Smart City in HCMC
South Korea's Lotte Group broke ground Friday on its multi-function Eco Smart City in Ho Chi Minh City's Thu Thiem Peninsula.
The $900 million project will cover 50,000 square meters, comprising a shopping mall, a hotel, office buildings, serviced apartments and a residential complex.
It will include five underground floors and 60 above-ground ones, using smart technologies.
An illustration of Lotte Eco Smart City project in HCMC. Photo courtesy of Lotte Group.
Group chairman Shin Dong Bin said the Lotte Eco Smart City marked the start of Lotte's investment expansion drive in Vietnam.
Lotte is eyeing several projects in the Southeast Asian country, including a trading center in Hanoi that can attract 10 million visitors a year, Shin Dong-bin said in a meeting with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi Wednesday.
The South Korean conglomerate also plans to invest in startups in Vietnam, bolstering the country’s startup ecosystem.
Lotte Group considers Vietnam its third- most important market after Korea and Japan. After entering Vietnam in 1996, the group has invested about VND40,000 billion ($1.7 billion) in the country and employed 20,000 people, Vietnamese government data shows.
The Lotte Group chairman’s visit to Vietnam this week indicates “how serious Korea’s fifth-largest business group is about doing business in the Southeast Asian nation, now that it is near the completion of its withdrawal from China,” the Korea Times reported.
In Hanoi's Ho Tay district, Lotte is expected to complete the construction of the Lotte Mall Hanoi project by 2023.
Vietnam is the first country Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin visits after he was granted a special pardon by the government on August 15.
- Read More
Vietnam's Big 4 lender Vietcombank to issue nearly 2.8 bln shares for dividend payment
Vietcombank will expand its chartered capital from VND55,891 billion to VND83,557 billion ($3.29 billion) via an issuance of shares to pay dividends, becoming the largest bank in Vietnam by chartered capital.
Banking - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 7:58 pm GMT+7
Indonesia exports $1.5 million worth of steel to New Zealand
Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso on Wednesday sent off export consignments of welded beam steel, measuring 1,200 metric tons and valued at $1.5 million, to New Zealand, reported national news agency Antara.
Southeast Asia - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 7:17 pm GMT+7
Vietnam to build Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant within 5 years
Vietnam strives to complete building its Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant in five years (by 2030), towards the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1930-2030).
Energy - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 5:06 pm GMT+7
Malaysia, UK discuss elevating relations to strategic partnership
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer discussed the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during their talk in London on Wednesday.
Southeast Asia - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 3:30 pm GMT+7
Thailand’s Central Retail opens $11 mln GO! hypermarket in central Vietnam
Thailand’s leading retailer Central Retail opened a hypermarket per its GO! model in Vietnam’s south-central province of Ninh Thuan on Wednesday.
Industries - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 3:29 pm GMT+7
Investment Support Fund: A Strategic leap for Vietnam's economic future
The Vietnamese Government's Decree No. 182/2024/ND-CP, which outlines the establishment, management and use of the Investment Support Fund, represents not just policy instruments for attracting investment but also foundations for advancing strategic sectors and elevating the country's position in the global economy, writes Tran Anh Son, tax & legal director, Global Innovation and Investment Incentives (Gi3), Deloitte Vietnam.
Economy - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 2:55 pm GMT+7
Vietnam PM orders appraisal of tax policies to curb property speculation
The Ministry of Finance needs to study tax policies to curb property speculation in line with Vietnam’s socio-economic conditions and international practices, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested.
Real Estate - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 2:40 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s budget carrier VietJet can pilot China's Comac aircraft on some routes: Deputy PM
China’s state-owned aerospace manufacturer Comac and Vietnam’s budget airline VietJet should collaborate with a Chinese airline having Comac aircraft to pilot Comac aircraft on some of VietJet routes, says Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.
Companies - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 12:26 pm GMT+7
Offshore wind power investors can sell entire projects in Vietnam: draft decree
A draft decree on offshore wind power being compiled by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade will facilitate investors to sell their projects or stakes.
Energy - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 11:27 am GMT+7
Build your own sales channels if e-commerce competition too harsh: NextTech exec
If e-commerce competition is too harsh, Vietnamese businesses should develop their own sales channels and customer databases, says Nguyen Hoa Binh, founder and chairman of NextTech Group, a leading technology startup in Vietnam.
Economy - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 9:05 am GMT+7
Indonesia moves to secure domestic pharmaceutical independence
Indonesia's Health Ministry is working to achieve domestic pharmaceutical independence through research and development, production, and market guarantees.
Southeast Asia - Thu, January 16, 2025 | 8:09 am GMT+7
Malaysia cooperates with UAE in AI development, digital transformation
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that the country must embark on digital transformation within its economic and financial sectors, prioritizing areas such as blockchain and cryptocurrency to remain at the forefront of the digital age.
Southeast Asia - Wed, January 15, 2025 | 11:00 pm GMT+7
Thai billionaire seeks to increase stake in Vietnam dairy gaint Vinamilk
F&N Dairy Investments Pte. Ltd - an entity associated with Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi - has registered to purchase nearly 20.9 million shares of Vietnamese dairy giant Vinamilk (HoSE: VNM).
Companies - Wed, January 15, 2025 | 10:54 pm GMT+7
Vietnam PM leaves for official visits to Poland, Czech, WEF meeting
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh departed Hanoi on Wednesday afternoon for official visits to Poland and the Czech Republic, attendance at the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, and bilateral meetings in Switzerland.
Politics - Wed, January 15, 2025 | 10:31 pm GMT+7
Malaysia’s manufacturing sector sees positive signs in 2025
Malaysia’s manufacturing sector is forecast to recover well in 2025 as global trade dynamics and geopolitical shifts influence market trends.
Southeast Asia - Wed, January 15, 2025 | 10:06 pm GMT+7
Thailand posts record investment last year
Thailand saw record investment figures for 2024, with applications exceeding THB1.13 trillion ($32.5 billion), the highest in the past decade, according to the country’s Board of Investment (BOI).
Southeast Asia - Wed, January 15, 2025 | 10:05 pm GMT+7
