28.7 C
Vientiane
Monday, June 30, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 2948

Vivocom announces diversification into minerals and commodities

Awaiting confirmation of contracts worth up to several Billions!

 

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 27 May 2021 – In a filing to Bursa Malaysia, Vivocom announced that it has embarked on a strategy of sourcing and supplying commodities and minerals to China and other countries for the foreseeable future in light of the world’s soaring demand and race for scarce commodities to rebuild their economies after the pandemic.

Dato Seri Chia Kok Teong (middle), Vivocom’s CEO with Mr Patrick Tan (right) Vivocom’s Executive Director, and one of their Chinese buyers, Mr. Liu Yu (left). (picture taken prior to 1/4/21 at a private residence)

“Vivocom is thrilled to share that it is in final negotiations with several parties for the supplies of commodities and minerals worth conservatively several billions, which should be concluded soon,” declared Dato’ Seri Chia.

“All such contracts will be for the supplies of commodities and minerals for a minimum of two years, renewable to 6 years as the demand for them skyrocket along with China’s recovery of its economy to pre-pandemic levels. China’s consumption, about half of the global total, will keep growing from record levels, as the rest of the world also rebounds strongly.”

“We are finalising at least three such contracts for iron ores worth from RM290M monthly up to RM6B in total to be announced ASAP when completed, targeted by end June/July. We are sorting the little but very crucial details. Once all the details are agreed, things will be finalised and move very quickly.”

“There is so much more to come. Our buying partners’ extensive network is ginormous with extremely deep pockets. We have the capacity to buy up USD10B or more worth of sand and other minerals and commodities,” Dato’ Seri Chia explained.

“We are currently in the market to buy a limitless amount of sand of any kind, laterite nickel ore, iron ore, R50/R60 steel bars, bauxite ores, and so much more minerals or commodities for our clients.”

“For the financial year ended 30th June 2022, we target to deliver at least RM3 Billion worth of sands and minerals to our clients overseas with gross margins of RM250M or higher to contribute to Vivocom’s profits positively for that year.”

“We plan to triple or quadruple our revenues and profits from sand, mineral or commodity exports from here onwards. Over the next few months, more contracts will definitely be secured, signed and announced,” Dato Seri Chia added.

Vivocom’s Improving Fundamentals

Vivocom’s recently released 2nd Quarterly Report for the 6-months ended 31 December 2020 showed an impressive 891% and 126% improvement in profits for Q-on-Q and Y-on-Y, respectively.

“We are pleased with the improving fundamentals of our latest quarterly financials. Suffice to say for now, Vivocom’s next three financial years ending 30th June 2022, 2023 and 2024 are going to be very prosperous years indeed.” Dato Seri Chia assured.

“Once all the iron ores contracts under negotiation are finalised and announced, we are also targeting several more contracts for sand and mineral exports worth up to several Billions over the next few months.”

“These are all cash cow projects, with highly positive cash flows generated. All orders come with irrevocable, transferable and revolving Documentary Letter of Credit executed first prior to deliveries being made.”

“The highly positive cash flows earning will shortly be reflected in Vivocom’s financial performance as all the contracts secured are cash cow projects. We will implement a generous dividends policy at the appropriate time as our revenues and earnings visibility become clearer, so mark my words,” Dato Seri Chia asserted.

Resilient Share Performance

In early November 2020, Vivocom’s shares soared from RM0.45c to reach a peak of RM2.05 on 19 November, with a massive 2.47B shares traded in 21 days

“Even when the price soared to RM2.05, I did not sell a single share because I said I would not, with my self-imposed moratorium for three years. I know I am onto something monumental.”

“The fact that Vivocom did not receive any UMA during the November’s rally speaks for itself. There was absolutely no artificial market interference!” Dato Seri Chia stated.

“Most people in the market often look for earnings and conventional measures. But it’s LIQUIDITY that moves markets. This is where Vivocom’s pure liquidity-driven shares will prove its resilience.”

“It is precisely this inherent resilience in Vivocom’s shares, driven solely by pure retailers’ momentum creating tremendous liquidity that gave me reason to be optimistic that the Bull-Run which occurred in November will repeat its performance again in the future.” Dato Seri Chia confided.

Exciting Growth Company – Vivocom

“Based on the contracts worth up to several billions in the pipeline pending conclusion, the purpose of this Press Release is, therefore, to highlight that Vivocom is indeed a very exciting high growth company.”

“The PR is also to show that we are totally committed to building Vivocom into a behemoth conglomerate in the foreseeable future and to ultimately multiply wealth for our shareholders in the long term.”

“Together with the vision and ambition of the Board, my team and I will build the foundations of a new and thriving Vivocom. Every single day we will be working to secure more contracts and be more successful. We are supremely confident we will come good for both Vivocom’s immediate and long term future,” Dato Seri Chia ended.

#Vivocom

Community Spread Slows as Laos Confirms 12 New Cases of Covid-19

Covid-19 Update

Laos has confirmed 12 new cases of Covid-19 as community spread decreases for the second day, while authorities warn against complacency.

Police Detain Vientiane Partygoers in Violation of Lockdown Regulations

Group of youngsters caught holding party amid lockdown

Vientiane police were called to Nongtha Neua Village to speak with residents who refused to follow Covid-19 prevention measures issued by the mayor.

Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative Enhances Position as World’s Largest Vulnerability Disclosure Player

Independent Omdia study finds ZDI reported 60.5% of appraised bugs in 2020

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 May 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today announced its Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) accounted for 60.5% of the vulnerabilities disclosed in a new Omdia study. The ZDI maintains its position as the world’s largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program for the 13th consecutive year. The ZDI had the most disclosures across all severity levels, with 77% of their disclosures being critical or high severity rating.

The analyst firm’s independent report, Quantifying the Public Vulnerability Market: 2021 Edition, offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of 11 of the world’s most prolific security research and vulnerability disclosure organizations. Click here to read the full report: https://resources.trendmicro.com/rs/945-CXD-062/images/Omdia_Vulnerability-Project-Whitepaper.pdf.

“As recent events around Microsoft Exchange Server have highlighted yet again, vulnerabilities remain at the heart of the challenge for those fighting on the frontline against threat actors,” said Brian Gorenc, senior director of vulnerability research for Trend Micro. “That’s why we remain committed to incentivizing researchers to find and responsibly disclose bugs. This benefits users everywhere, and especially Trend Micro TippingPoint customers who were protected for 81 days on average before the release of a vendor patch in 2020.”

Omdia appraised 1,365 unique, verified vulnerabilities disclosed in 2020 claimed by the 11 vendors. Of these, ZDI disclosed 825 bugs, three times more than the next vendor, which disclosed 242. The ZDI increased its market coverage by 8.2% from the previous year, strengthening its position as industry leader even further.

The report also recognized the ZDI Research Rewards program, which, similar to frequent flyer miles from an airline, enables researchers to earn increased rewards and bonuses by continuing to work with the ZDI.

“The number of vulnerabilities discovered by all independent researchers totaled less than half of those offered by Trend Micro,” said Tanner Johnson, principal analyst for Omdia. “The ZDI focuses on vulnerabilities in a broad range of services, with a great deal of its effort directed toward vulnerabilities in networking and PDF software, which are critical to enterprise security.”

Founded in 2005, Trend Micro’s ZDI pioneered the development of the responsible disclosure market for vulnerabilities, which leverages bug bounty rewards to incentivize researchers. The program has reported more than 7,500 flaws to affected vendors to date. Over 10,000 researchers globally have now been paid more than $25 million in bounties.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk

#TrendMicro

Vetter Once Again Wins Axia Best Managed Companies Award

Honor confirms continuity and the pharmaceutical service provider’s approach to sustainability

 

  • Internationally renowned seal of quality for exemplary corporate management
  • Positive assessment of strategy, innovation, culture and finance
  • Comprehensive, multi-stage application procedure

RAVENSBURG, GERMANY – Media OutReach – 27 May 2021 – For the second time in a row, Vetter, a global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has won the Axia Best Managed Companies Award. The pharmaceutical service provider was again honored for its clear vision, innovative approaches, sustainable management culture and sound financial management. Every year, Deloitte Private, the prominent German business journal WirtschaftsWoche, Credit Suisse and the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (the Federation of German Industries) select which medium-sized companies are best managed and thus receive the renowned award. In keeping with the current pandemic situation, the ceremony was held on a small scale at the headquarters of the family-owned company in Ravensburg.

Senator h.c. Udo J. Vetter, Chairman of the Advisory Board and member of the owner family (far right), along with Vetter Managing Director Peter Soelkner (second from the left), Deloitte representative Christian Himmelsbach (second from right), and Credit Suisse representative Markus Hermainski (far left) at the presentation of the Axia Best Managed Companies Award in Ravensburg.
Picture source: Vetter Pharma International GmbH

Once again, Vetter has proven that stability and progress are possible – even during these challenging times. The pharmaceutical service provider presented convincing evidence in the evaluated categories – starting with the competent handling of the current challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, to the successful acquisition of a new production site in Vorarlberg, Austria, as well as its new company strategy, Vetter Next 2029, which is currently in progress.

The Axia Best Managed Companies Program is established in over 30 countries. By winning the award, recipients become part of an exclusive national and global network of successful companies. The three-stage application process is very demanding. The companies’ performance in the key categories strategy, productivity and innovation, culture and commitment, as well as finance and governance are analyzed. As a last step, an independent jury consisting of high-ranking representatives from business, science and the media must also weigh in on the best choice for a winner. The award-winning companies were able to demonstrate an outstanding performance pursuant to the criteria and exemplary best practices.

“From the development of visionary strategies and innovative processes to effective corporate governance structures and a healthy corporate culture – as an award winner, Vetter is characterized by entrepreneurial excellence. Once again, they have set new standards in several key areas of corporate governance,” emphasized Lutz Meyer, partner and head of Deloitte Private.

“This award is dedicated to our 5,500 staff members worldwide,” said Senator h.c. Udo J. Vetter, Chairman of the Advisory Board and member of the owner family. “The special spirit of our family-owned company is particularly evident in these challenging times.” For the company and its staff members, winning the award once again is considered both a trusted confirmation and a strong motivation. Managing Directors Thomas Otto and Peter Soelkner shared, “We are honored to receive the Axia Best Managed Companies Award for the second time in a row. Vetter is focused on acting in a proactive and sustainable manner – now and into the future.”

Find the Vetter press kit and more background information here.


About Vetter

Headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany, Vetter is a family-owned, global leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with production facilities in Germany, Austria and the United States. Currently employing more than 5,500 individuals worldwide, the company has long-term experience in supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers both large and small. Vetter services range from early stage development support including clinical manufacturing, to commercial supply and numerous packaging solutions for vials, syringes and cartridges. As a leading solution provider, Vetter appreciates its responsibility to support the needs of its customers by developing devices that contribute to increased patient safety, convenience, and enhanced compliance. Great importance is also given to social responsibility including environmental protection and sustainability. Learn more about Vetter at www.vetter-pharma.com.

#Vetter

United States Presents Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies to Lao Minister of Health

United States Presents Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies to Lao Minister of Health

U.S. Ambassador Dr. Peter M. Haymond presented personal protective equipment and hygiene supplies to Minister of Health Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalysith, on Tuesday as part of the United States’ ongoing Covid-19 support to the Lao PDR.

Laos Forms Special Taskforce to Combat Fake News

Laos sets up taskforce on fake news

Authorities have established a special taskforce to monitor and respond to illegal online media and fake news in Laos.

Rising expectation of ‘cashless’ societies worldwide: a second annual report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), shows growing acceptance of digital currencies, accelerated by covid-19

  • Consumers are increasingly adopting cashless payment methods while governments are stepping up planning or piloting of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and companies are experimenting with accepting open-source digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, for treasury or portfolio allocation.
  • A cashless trend was already strong, according to the previous year’s research but in 2021, covid-19 prompted more movement away from physical cash. In 2020, only about 72% of respondents said that their country was likely to become a cashless society; that grew to over 81% this year. Meanwhile, the percent of respondents believing their country would never become cashless, saw a stark drop from 28% to 19%.
  • While transaction settlement is a main function of any currency, digital or otherwise, the institutional investor and corporate treasurer respondents in the EIU research appear to be using digital currencies more as a store of value with a deflationary hedge than purely as a settlement option.
  • About 76% of corporate treasury and institutional investor executives say covid-19 accelerated demand for, and adoption of, digital currencies.
  • The concept of a digital currency playing a role as a “digital gold” asset in corporate treasuries or institutional investor portfolios is gaining acceptance among executives.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 May 2021 – In 2020, the Economist Intelligence Unit conducted a survey to measure the relative acceptance of digital currencies and other digital payment methods, finding that a cashless trend was strong with consumers globally. In February and March of 2021, a new survey set out to gauge how sentiment has changed in the past year. Results from this year indicate favour for both digital transactions and currencies has risen further.

Over the past 12 months, 27% of survey respondents report that they always (as close to 100% of purchases as possible) use digital payments instead of physical banknotes, coins or credit cards versus 22% in the previous year’s study. Examining the metric from the opposite angle—those reporting only very rare use of digital payment options—the rate declined from 14% to 12%, indicating a shrinking holdout for physical cash. Further details on comparative annual results, along with the 2020 survey, can be found at Digimentality 2021, commissioned by crypto.com.

While there are a variety of ways people can transact digitally—including smartphone apps or digital currencies—the most common form of digital currency consumers recognise is the open-source variety, typically called a cryptocurrency—such as Bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies remain the most commonly known form of digital currency options; more than half (55%) of consumers in the 2021 survey say they are aware of them even if they have never owned or used one. Despite increased media coverage of CBDCs recently, it was still the least recognized form of digital currency.

The covid-19 crisis has contributed to digital currency awareness, with about half of the consumer respondents agreeing that the pandemic has heightened the use case for a cryptocurrency.

The pandemic had an even more marked influence on institutional and corporate executives, who were tested in a supplementary survey during the same time period; about 76% of executives say covid-19 has accelerated demand for and adoption of digital currencies.

The executive survey had deeper questions on how digital currencies play a role in either corporate treasuries or institutional investor portfolios. While a majority of respondents classified a digital currency as something that should be used primarily for transactional purposes (ie settling payments), the most common commercial uses presently appear to be for capital appreciation and asset diversification.

A key finding in the report, which includes interviews with Henri Arslanian, PwC’s crypto lead, and Mathew McDermott, managing director and global head of digital assets for Goldman Sachs, is corporate and institutional support for the concept of a digital currency playing a role similar to gold in a portfolio. As a notional “digital gold”, cryptocurrencies can hold similar patterns in terms of limited supply, being authenticatable and dividable, and providing a level of diversity in asset allocation and value storage. However, regulatory, trust and technological-understanding concerns linger.

Jason Wincuinas, the Economist Intelligence Unit editor who spearheaded the report said: “Money is rapidly evolving. Only a few years ago there seemed to be very little commercial or popular support for even the idea of a digital currency and within the past year, we’ve seen several governments announce new plans to create digital versions of their currencies. It’s like a new space race on that level. At the same time, we’ve seen interest and trust in cryptocurrencies grow among consumers. Now that we’ve added perspective from some of money’s heaviest users—corporate treasuries and institutional investors—we have a more comprehensive view of how digital currencies might evolve. Sentiment on the institutional side of the scale already seems much higher than expected.”

More detail on how institutional investors and corporate treasurers use or expect to use different forms of digital currencies can be found in the full report, as well as year-over-year comparisons on consumer sentiment.

Visit digitalcurrency.economist.com for the full report.

About the research

Digimentality—digital currency from fear to inflection is a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by Crypto.com, exploring the extent to which digital payments and currencies are trusted by consumers and what barriers may exist to basic monetary functions becoming predominantly electronic or digital. The analysis is now bolstered with a survey of corporate treasurers and asset managers. Both the consumer and executive surveys were conducted through February and March of 2021. About half of the consumer respondents came from developed economies, and half from developing ones. The full demographics are available at digitalcurrency.economist.com . The consumer survey tested 3,053 respondents across Asia, Europe and North America; the second part of the report draws from a survey of 200 institutional investor and corporate treasury management respondents in the same regions.

About The Economist Intelligence Unit

The EIU is the thought leadership, research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence for executives. We uncover novel and forward-looking perspectives with access to over 650 expert analysts and editors across 200 countries worldwide. More information can be found on www.eiuperspectives.economist.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Crypto.com

Founded in 2016, Crypto.com today serves over 10 million customers with the world’s fastest growing crypto app, along with the Crypto.com Visa Card — the world’s largest crypto card program — the Crypto.com Exchange and Crypto.com DeFi Wallet. Recently launched, Crypto.com NFT is the premier platform for collecting and trading NFTs, curated carefully from the worlds of art, design, entertainment, sports.

Crypto.com is built on a solid foundation of security, privacy and compliance and is the first cryptocurrency company in the world to have ISO/IEC 27701:2019, CCSS Level 3, ISO27001:2013 and PCI:DSS 3.2.1, Level 1 compliance, and independently assessed at Tier 4, the highest level for both NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Frameworks.

Crypto.com is headquartered in Hong Kong with a 1,000+ strong team. Find out more by visiting https://crypto.com