Focus: Expanding Business Ties in Digital Age: From shared values to ambitious trade goals, the relationship between Hungary and Vietnam has flourished over the decades. As the two nations prepare to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, the Hungarian Consul General in HCMC, Lehőcz Gábor, sat down with The Saigon Times to reflect on the growing cultural and economic bond that unites them.
Inside Vietnam
There Is No Free Lunch: On June 12, 2025, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) released a draft amendment to Decree 24/2012/ND-CP on gold trading management, inviting public feedback.
Business Households Amid “Tax Revolution”: The actual revenue control of business households, traditionally reliant on self-reporting and subjective estimates, is gradually being replaced by a real-time digital monitoring system. This shift reflects both the State’s efforts to enhance management and the ongoing challenges posed by various forms of tax evasion.
To Spur Private Sector Growth: This article raises two essential questions: “Where is the private sector in Vietnam’s national economic development picture?” and “What conditions are necessary for a real breakthrough in the private sector?”
Business
More Measures To Settle Bad Debt: The regulation that only non-performing loans (NPLs) can be received, managed or handled under authorization is aligned with the core objective of establishing debt management companies: to focus on resolving bad debt. This also helps prevent credit institutions from using debt management companies to manipulate figures or distort the actual state of bad debt.
New Concerns From Middle East: Vietnam’s stock market remained under correction and accumulation pressure during the week of June 9 to 13. The VN-Index, the market’s primary benchmark, dipped to nearly 1,300 points before staging a midweek rebound.
Living
Building Balance: Since he came to Vietnam in 2005, French architect Julien Smith has gradually settled into a rhythm that moves between Saigon’s bustling streets and the slower pace of rural life. As co-founder of SSA Architects here over a decade ago, he has spent much of his time observing, adapting, and quietly building a life — not just through design, but also through photography and film. For Smith, inspiration often comes not from big ideas, but from everyday details: a motorbike ride, a sidewalk café, or the way the city changes with the light.
White Lotus In Hue: In Hue, the white lotus is not just a flower; it stands as an emblem of elevated grace and unsullied innocence, mirroring the soul of its venerable populace. Lotus pads reach skyward to welcome the sun, their edges cradling dewdrops that shimmer like nascent pearls.
Travel
Exploring Song Lam Waterfall In Lao Cai: Nestled deep in the forested mountains of Lao Cai, Song Lam Waterfall remains a hidden gem in northern Vietnam. The waterfall offers majestic beauty, drawing nature lovers searching for remote landscapes and a peaceful atmosphere.
Tre Fish With Ginger Fish Sauce: Tre fish, a freshwater species commonly found in flooded areas such as the U Minh Forest and Dong Thap Muoi wetlands, has long been a staple in daily meals across Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
