Morning news April 17: Prioritize surplus headquarters for schools and hospitals; Ho Chi Minh City lacks affordable apartments

redundant headquarters - Photo 1.

For the redundant headquarters after the arrangement, the Ministry of Finance clearly stated the priority of converting the function to become medical and educational facilities... - Photo: LE DAN

Prioritize the arrangement of surplus headquarters for schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.

The Ministry of Finance has just sent an official dispatch to ministries, branches, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to guide the arrangement and handling of public assets when reorganizing administrative units.

Accordingly, the working headquarters of district-level agencies (after abolishing the district level) will be given priority to be arranged for other State units in need to use as working headquarters.

For surplus headquarters, the Ministry of Finance clearly stated that priority should be given to converting their functions to medical andeducational facilities, and using them for other local public purposes such as libraries, parks, cultural and sports institutions, etc.

In addition, surplus headquarters can be reclaimed and handed over to local housing management and business organizations for management and exploitation.

As for cars serving the general work of district-level units, after the district level is abolished, they will be assigned or transferred to agencies, organizations and units that are still lacking or do not have assets, or will be handled according to regulations.

In case it is necessary to pick up and drop off civil servants, public employees, and workers when they have to change their working location, arrange for existing cars or supplement the quota for using specialized cars to purchase or rent cars.

HCMC: Apartments under 50 million VND/m² only account for 13%

Morning news April 17: Prioritize surplus headquarters for schools and hospitals; Ho Chi Minh City lacks affordable apartments - Photo 3.

Ho Chi Minh City has been lacking affordable apartments and low-cost apartments in recent times - Photo: NGOC HIEN

Savills Vietnam has just released a report on the Ho Chi Minh City real estate market in the first quarter of 2025 with statistical results showing that all new apartment supply in Ho Chi Minh City is in the B and C segments. In particular, affordable housing continues to be scarce, with new supply of C segment with prices under VND50 million/m2 accounting for only 13%.

According to Savills, due to limited new supply and projects that have been suspended for sale but have not yet reopened for sale, primary supply decreased by 24% QoQ, comprising about 5,000 units. Q1 transaction volume decreased by 46% QoQ to 1,400 units.

The unit's forecast shows that future supply is expected to remain limited, estimated at nearly 7,000 units in the first 9 months of 2025, of which 90% will come from the next phase of 7 existing projects and 4 new projects will be launched for sale.

Novaland wants to issue ESOP shares after 3 years of "freezing"

Novaland has just announced additional information and documents before the 2025 annual general meeting of shareholders, in which it will present a plan to issue shares to employees (ESOP) in 2025 to replace the issuances that have not been implemented in the past 3 years due to unfavorable market conditions.

Accordingly, with the ESOP 2025 plan, Novaland will issue additional shares to increase its charter capital to VND 20,476 billion, through two options to issue shares under the employee stock option program with a par value of VND 10,000/share, if successful, it will earn nearly VND 500 billion.

In the previous 2025 business plan, Novaland set a net revenue plan for 2025 of VND 13,411 billion according to plan 1 and VND 10,453 billion according to plan 2. Notably, despite setting the revenue plan as above, Novaland's 2025 after-tax profit plan according to plan 1 is a loss of VND 12 billion, and plan 2 is a loss of VND 688 billion.

This is the first time since going public that Novaland has cautiously set a profit target of no profit for the year. In 2024, this real estate company will record VND9,073 billion in revenue and a loss of VND4,395 billion.

More international partners come to Vietnam to buy coffee, fruit, noodles, pho...

Within the framework of the 2025 City International Food and Foodstuff Exhibition (HCMC FOODEX 2025) with the theme "Sustainable Green Natural Products" (taking place from April 16 to 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center - SECC), many international buyers came to learn about and order Vietnam's strong products such as coffee, fruits, and seafood.

Mr. Vo Huu Truong An, representative of Coffee Concept Company (HCMC), said that coffee prices are high, so many businesses around the world are looking to Vietnam to buy directly to reduce input costs and increase competitiveness. Not to mention that Vietnam's Robusta coffee is popular worldwide because of its unique flavor and cheaper price than Brazil's Arabica.

Many large food production enterprises such as Binh Tay Food, Nosafood, Intermix... also said that more international partners came to learn about and import vermicelli, noodles, dried pho...

HCMC FOODEX 2025 brings together 500 booths, attracting the participation of nearly 400 units, along with more than 300 domestic and international buyers from 15 countries to visit and trade.

FPT Telecom is about to pay trillions in dividends to SCIC and FPT

FPT Telecom Joint Stock Company (FOX) has just approved the payment of the second dividend in 2024 in cash at VND3,000/share. The closing date for the shareholder list is expected to take place on April 28. The expected payment date is June 6.

With more than 492.5 million shares in circulation, FPT Telecom plans to spend nearly VND1,480 billion in this dividend payment.

Currently, the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) is the largest shareholder holding 247 million shares (more than 50% of capital), and is estimated to receive more than VND740 billion. Meanwhile, FPT Corporation has nearly 225 million shares, accounting for 45.66%, and will receive VND675 billion.

On its website, FPT Telecom is introduced as one of the leading telecommunications and Internet service providers in the region. This enterprise has nearly 9,000 employees after 25 years of operation.

Measles and hand, foot and mouth disease cases increase in Hanoi

redundant headquarters - Photo 3.

Measles vaccination for children in Hanoi - Photo: VNA

The Hanoi Department of Health has just issued a document to strengthen the prevention of measles and hand, foot and mouth disease in the face of increasing cases and complicated developments.

According to the epidemic surveillance system, as of April 13, the whole city recorded nearly 1,700 measles cases, the number of cases per week has not shown a downward trend (an average of 200 cases/week), increasing in the school-age group from 6-15 years old. At the same time, there have been additional deaths related to measles in people with many underlying diseases.

In addition, the city has also recorded nearly 1,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, with the number of cases increasing in the past 4 weeks. Many educational institutions have recorded outbreaks or students with measles and hand, foot and mouth disease.

The Hanoi Department of Health requested the Department of Education and Training to continue to strengthen communication work on measles and hand, foot and mouth disease prevention in schools; medical centers coordinate with relevant units to continue to review vaccination history to provide catch-up vaccinations and catch-up vaccinations for children who have not received enough doses of measles vaccine;

The City Center for Disease Control closely monitors and regularly assesses the risk of measles and hand, foot and mouth disease to advise and direct timely prevention measures. It plans to have sufficient quantities, organizes the timely reception and supply of measles vaccines to serve regular and campaign vaccinations...

redundant headquarters - Photo 4.