Laos has recorded 921 new cases of Covid-19 across the country today and six new deaths.
Laos Confirms 921 New Cases of Covid-19 and Six Deaths
Kualao Restaurant Eyes Meetings and Conferences for New Income Stream
Kualao Restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants in Laos, looks to the domestic market by rebranding itself as a venue of choice for meetings, conferences, and other events.
Phu Quoc United Center welcomes the first group of tourists with vaccine passports to Vietnam
On November 20th, 2021, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province welcomed the first international tourists to Vietnam in the “new normal” after nearly 2 years frozen due to the COVID pandemic. A Vietjet Air flight brought more than 200 Korean tourists to Phu Quoc to experience a 5-day and 4-night vacation at one-stop-destination Phu Quoc United Center.
HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 20 November 2021 – The welcome ceremony was held at Phu Quoc International Airport with the participation of the General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh, Deputy Director of Vietnam Civil Aviation Department Vo Huy Cuong, leaders of Kien Giang Province and ministries, as well as representatives of Vietjet Air, Vinpearl Joint Stock Company and Marketing Highland Travel Company.
The tourists can perceive a safe and hospitable Vietnam right from the moment they are welcomed on board with many interesting activities and surprises during their flight with Vietjet Air. In addition to that, they will join a special journey to explore and experience the one-stop destination Phu Quoc United Center – a world-class ecosystem of tourism, experience, discovery, shopping, festival and arts with the highest safety standard.
Upon entry, travelers must go through airport health screening, and install IGOVN and PC-COVID mobile applications before moving directly to the resort. All tourists will stay at Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc, which has been allowed to welcome international guests in separated zones. Here, they will have time to relax and experience a “travel bubble” journey at Phu Quoc United Center which has been customized for them: staying in 5-star hotel rooms and villas, exploring sport and entertainment activities at Vinpearl Golf, VinWonders theme park, Vinpearl Safari, Corona Casino and the sleepless city of Grand World Phu Quoc.
All tourists must have quick COVID-19 tests on the first and last day of their vacation. With negative test results, they can visit, entertain, dine and shop in designated zones at Phu Quoc United Center. Throughout the journey, travelers are always advised to monitor their own health and ensure compliance with the “5K message” (Masks, Disinfection, Distance, No gathering, Health declaration) and disease prevention measures.
To ensure the maximum peace of mind for each visitor, in addition to strictly complying with the guidelines in the implementation plan for the vaccine passport program, all units of Vinpearl continue to keep the 24/7 three-layer shield of maximum control, ensuring the strictest internal hygiene regulations compared to international standards while implementing an advanced set of safety standards. All staff who serve the tourists with vaccine passports must follow the rule of “3 on-the-spot”: isolated to ensure the highest safety, having all contact schedules monitored and body temperature checked at the beginning and the end of their working day.
Considered as the opening event for the vaccine passport pilot program in Phu Quoc in particular and in Vietnam in general, this is an important start marking an acceleration in efforts to recover the national tourism industry as well as national economic development in the new context. After this first group of tourists on November 20, 2021, Phu Quoc expects to receive 20 international flights per month in the upcoming time.
About Phu Quoc United Center
Located on the coast of Bai Dai beach in the North of the “pearl island” and covering 1,044 hectares, Phu Quoc United Center is considered a top destination for the “vaccine passport” program, with a world-class ecosystem of tourism, experience, discovery, shopping, festival and arts. At this leading one-stop destination operating 24/7 of Asia, visitors will be immersed in the series of events and activities bustling day and night, peacefully relax in the space of 12,000 hotel rooms and resort villas from 5-star brands such as Vinpearl, VinOasis, VinHolidays, Radisson Blu, to 198 mini and boutique hotels, or explore the endless amazement of VinWonders theme park, Vinpearl Safari, Corona Casino, Vinpearl Golf, etc. right inside the mega complex with the highest safety standards.
Details at: https://vinpearl.com/vi/phu-quoc
#PhuQuocUnitedCenter
#Vinpearl
Laos Records Highest Daily Deaths from Covid-19
Laos has recorded 1,344 new cases of Covid-19 across the country today, and seven deaths, a new record for the highest number of deaths in one day.
Velocity Global’s 2022 Work In Progress Report: Businesses and talent benefit from distributed work
DENVER, US – News Direct – 19 November 2021 –
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1,000 surveyed tech leaders say distributed work increases productivity and diversity
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Most remote talent to remain untethered to an office post-pandemic
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Tech leaders desire to increase remote work for themselves
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72% utilize a distributed workforce but face hurdles to expand it
Remote and distributed workforces are here to stay due to the mutual benefits to both businesses and talent according to a new study from Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions. The 2022 Work In Progress — The State of Distributed Work: Tech Sector published today touts multiple benefits of distributed work, shows optimism for growth in the tech sector, but also names challenges for businesses to increase their global workforce.
More than 1,000 U.S. and UK tech company decision-makers participated in the study and 72% say their business utilizes a substantial distributed workforce; 59% say more than half of their workforce is remote, and 61% of U.S. tech leaders report more than half of their remote workers will remain that way for the foreseeable future.
“The world of work is forever changed. The global pandemic accelerated the desire to work from anywhere, and it lit a fire for employers to embrace a truly distributed workforce,” said Velocity Global founder and CEO Ben Wright. “The untethered nature of work was on the rise before COVID-19, but the tailwinds accelerated this new way of work as businesses tapped into new talent pools and workers themselves embraced a new freedom. Neither is going back – this change is here to stay.”
Despite the growth of distributed and remote work, businesses cite several challenges to embrace the change even further.
“This dramatic shift accelerated faster than the legacy ecosystem built to support the employment infrastructure was capable of handling,” added Wright. “We remove the roadblocks to grow businesses and connect employers and talent to simply get work done anywhere and anyhow.”
Organizational and personal benefits of remote and distributed work
Remote work refers to talent working at a location other than a company-owned office. Related to the concept of remote work is distributed work, in which companies employ talent that is located in multiple locations domestically or internationally.
The majority of companies (72%) employ a distributed workforce and 79% of these organizations’ talent also works remotely.
Respondents who utilize a distributed workforce report clear advantages: 95% say a distributed workforce model benefits their company by increasing productivity (54%), securing top talent (40%), and building a more diverse team (37%).

Respondents indicate talent prefers remote work for similar reasons, reinforcing the mutual benefits.

Interestingly, 3 in 4 of the tech leaders themselves work remotely at least one day per week and desire to increase the amount of time they work remotely.

“Business leaders are people too, and they see the benefits in their personal life as well to their broader organization,” said Wright. “Flexibility and mobility are now must-haves for workers fresh out of school or in upper management, and lead to greater productivity and long-term talent retention. It’s a win-win.”
Optimism for growth with an untethered workforce
The increase in remote and distributed work drove unprecedented demand in the tech sector and organizations feel optimistic about expansion. The survey reports 96% are very or somewhat confident about their company’s financial growth over the next year, and 83% believe their industry will grow as well.

That growth is realized by a remote and distributed workforce that mostly will not return to an office. More than half (54%) of respondents say 51-75% of their remote workforce will remain remote over the next year.

Roadblocks create disconnect between employers and talent
The data indicates a brewing dilemma regarding remote work. Talent and businesses both recognize significant benefits, but logistical challenges drive businesses to initiate a return to the office for some. The implications for this disconnect are great, considering the difficulties of finding skilled talent and employees’ desired flexibility.
One factor contributing to that discord is the lack of involvement of talent in the decision to return to the office. Eighty-seven percent of organization leaders say their company decides whether remote talent transitions back to working at a company-owned office, as opposed to it being a joint decision. Only 12% report that both the company and talent make that determination.

Tech leaders point to a pivotal moment for distributed work as both businesses and talent desire the benefits. The pandemic increased distributed work for most tech businesses, and 43% will maintain their current distributed workforce. However, the next stage is in question: 21% say they will expand their distributed workforce, 26% plan to reduce it.
These decision-makers cite several forces that challenge their ability to grow their distributed workforce domestically and internationally, particularly among U.S. companies. Ninety-three percent of U.S. tech leaders say they do not have plans to expand their domestic distributed workforce. They point to recruiting, legal registrations in other states, and managing multiple vendors among other challenges.

The growth of international distributed work faces similar roadblocks. Again, 93% of U.S. and UK tech leaders say they do not plan to expand their worldwide distributed workforce, adding foreign entity set-up, global payroll and immigration challenges to a similar list of difficulties.

“The same friction comes up over and over again. Finding the right talent tops both lists and businesses want to tap larger talent pools across the country and the world,” said Wright. “Add in the bureaucracy of global regulation and the multiple vendors to navigate it on disparate platforms, and businesses get skittish. We built an end-to-end platform that removes all of this friction because the data is clear: employers and talent just want to work with anyone, anywhere, and anyhow.”
Methodology
To gather the data in this report, Velocity Global surveyed 506 U.S. and 505 UK business leaders in the technology industry (e.g., software, hardware, and IT) who are employed at companies with 50–1,000 employees. The respondents work in a wide range of technology subsectors, including technology, media, and telecom; biotech; mortgage technology, property technology, and real estate technology; insurance technology; cryptocurrency; cybersecurity; and more. Respondents are in director-level and higher positions, including C-suite officers and business owners. Their job functions include human resources, finance, legal, IT/ technology, and operations.
About Velocity Global
Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. The company offers additional services including Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information visit
velocityglobal.com.
Holman Management Consultant provides corporate advisory services to SMEs in Hong Kong, to adapt to new trends in digital marketing
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 November 2021 – The relationship between the epidemic and the changing trends in the global marketing environment have caused the urgency of digital transformation for many companies. Holman Management Consultant pointed out that companies must first clarify their adaptability and goals, and then establish and deploy, to truly play the role of digital marketing.
During the epidemic, many traditional industries have not kept up with the pace of digital transformation and online services. Therefore, many businesses have been impacted and have to reduce their scale or declare bankruptcy. Companies must stand out from their competitors in the fiercely competitive market through opening online stores, online store platforms, or APP production. However, these methods are not enough. The company should first clarify its target customers and their needs to strengthen business-to-customer interaction to establish strong customer loyalty.
In response to the challenges faced by Hong Kong companies under the epidemic and the changes in the global business environment, the government has launched several different SME marketing funds and SME funding schemes, including the BUD special fund and the technology voucher applications. Through the SME funding scheme, it is aimed to help SMEs to regain their business confidence. If one would like to apply for SME funds, one should find an experienced corporate consultant for consultations to solve any complicated problems that may arise in the application process. Holman Management Consultant is a comprehensive business consulting company. The professional business consultant team has extensive experience in applying for government enterprise support programs.
Holman Management Consultant provides professional consulting services for Hong Kong SMEs for government funding applications. The services cover different types of government funding for SMEs, to provide customers with practical solutions to solve potential issues and improve operational efficiency.
The epidemic has accelerated the digital transformation of physical stores. Coupled with the government’s investment of resources for SMEs, companies must boldly seek change while remaining flexible and innovative to open up to more customers globally.
About Holman Management Consultant
Holman is a comprehensive IT service company that provides professional services such as
online stores development,
website development, and
application development systems.
Holman has a team of professional corporate consultants, experienced in applying for government funding.
The company provides professional consulting services for small-to-medium-sized Hong Kong enterprises to apply for government funding. As of mid-2019, Holman has assisted more than 300 Hong Kong large, small and medium enterprises and organizations for various government funding
funds applications, including
technology voucher applications and
EMF SME marketing funds, to help their clients make good use of government resources and enhance market competitiveness.
#HolmanManagementConsultant
RGE Provides Second Annual Update on USD200 Million Commitment in Next-Generation Textile Fibre Innovation and Technology
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 November 2021 – RGE group of resources-based companies has released its 2021 progress report on its commitment to invest USD200 million in next-generation textile fibre innovation and technology over a ten-year period which started in 2019.
The annual report provides an update on the activities undertaken by RGE’s business groups (Sateri, APR, APRIL, Bracell) involved in the fashion value chain to advance its ambition towards closed-loop, circular and climate-positive cellulosic fibre.
Bey Soo Khiang, Vice Chairman, RGE said, “Our achievements this year underscore our commitment to continuous improvement in clean production and resource utilisation efficiency. We will continue to pursue manufacturing excellence and invest in best-in-class technologies for all our facilities as part of our commitment towards closed-loop and cleaner production.”
In 2021, Sateri achieved full compliance with the emission limits set out in the European Union Best Available Techniques Reference Document (EU-BAT BREF) for all of its five viscose mills in China, two years ahead of schedule. Bracell completed construction of the world’s largest and greenest new generation pulp mill in São Paulo which uses cutting-edge technology for fossil fuel-free generation.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to restrict travel and collaboration, RGE persisted in building upon existing partnerships, while entering into new agreements. Sateri strengthened its strategic collaboration with Infinited Fiber Company, participating in the company’s EUR30 million funding round, which attracted new and existing investors such as H&M Group, Adidas, BESTSELLER and Zalando.
New partnerships formed by RGE included a five-year textile recycling research collaboration with Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and a three-year strategic partnership with the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore which seeks, among others goals, to advance research and innovation in circular economy approaches to fashion waste in Asia.
RGE’s in-house R&D team has made good progress in advancing its textile-to-textile project, focusing on producing quality viscose using recycled cotton textiles as feedstock. To support plans to build a textile recycling facility in Indonesia, and as part of commercial feasibility analysis, studies examining the availability of textile waste and textile recycling landscapes in China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were completed.
Sateri remains on track in developing a product with 50 per cent recycled content by 2023, and to reach 100 per cent by 2030. It also aims for 20 per cent of its feedstock to contain alternative or recycled materials by 2025. In this similar vein, APR will source 20 per cent of its feedstock from alternative or recycled materials by 2030.
RGE group of resources-based companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto in 1973 is the world’s largest viscose producer, through its business groups Sateri and APR, with strong presence in Asia where textile demand growth intersects with the textile production hub, giving the company a unique opportunity to lead change all across the industry.
Download RGE 2021 Next-Generation Textile Fibre Innovation & Technology Progress Report.
About RGE
RGE Pte Ltd manages a group of resource-based manufacturing companies with global operations. Our work ranges from the upstream, comprising sustainable resource development and harvesting, to downstream, where our companies create diverse value-added products for the global market. Our commitment to sustainable development underpins our operations, as we strive towards what is good for the community, good for the country, good for climate, good for customer, and good for company.
RGE was founded in 1973. The assets held by RGE companies today exceed US$20 billion. With more than 60,000 employees, we have operations in Indonesia, China, Brazil, Spain and Canada and continue to expand to engage newer markets and communities.
#RGE
Xiaomi and foodpanda enter strategic partnership to expand quick commerce for consumer electronics in Asia
- In Xiaomi’s first quick-commerce partnership in Asia, hundreds of Xiaomi electronic products will be available for on-demand deliveries on foodpanda shops in Singapore and Thailand
- The foodpanda app is pre-loaded in new Xiaomi devices across 10 markets in Asia
- foodpanda saw 18x growth in orders for computer and mobile device accessories compared to in 2020, and expects demand for consumer electronics will continue to grow as more customers choose on-demand delivery within 30 minutes
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 November 2021 – foodpanda, Asia’s largest food and grocery delivery network outside of China, has entered a strategic partnership with Chinese tech giant Xiaomi to offer a wide range of consumer electronics and appliances for on-demand deliveries on foodpanda shops in Singapore and Thailand. In addition, the foodpanda app is pre-loaded in new Xiaomi mobile phones in 10 markets across Asia.
As Xiaomi’s first quick-commerce (q-commerce) partner in Asia outside of China, foodpanda will offer hundreds of items ranging from smart devices, audio and mobile accessories, to household appliances, delivered within 30 minutes. This partnership marks foodpanda shops’ expansion of non-grocery categories to better provide for customers’ daily lifestyle needs.
In Singapore, more than 100 unique items are available for islandwide deliveries, while more than 200 products are available from six stores in Thailand. Some of the best-selling Xiaomi products on foodpanda shops in Singapore include household appliances like the XiaoMi Smart Antibacterial Humidifier and XiaoMi Electric Kettle. The most popular item among Singapore and Thai customers is the wireless mouse — a must-have accessory as customers continue to work from home!
Partnership timely to support spike in consumer demand
Xiaomi’s popularity has increased exponentially, making it the world’s second largest smartphone manufacturer globally, scaling beyond mobile phones to include a wide range of consumer electronics and smart home products. Xiaomi’s market share in Asia has also increased, with Xiaomi on track to be the world’s biggest smartphone maker within three years. As it continues to expand in the region, on-demand deliveries via foodpanda shops offer a new channel to reach millions of customers across Asia.
A 2021 analysis by Frost & Sullivan reported that Asia-Pacific witnessed an increase in mobile applications consumption due to COVID-19, with consumers spending more time on digital media. foodpanda also saw a corresponding increase in demand in q-commerce:
- With more customers shifting their spending habits to mobile platforms, foodpanda shops saw an 18x increase in orders for computer and mobile device accessories compared to the same period in 2020.
- More than 1,000 electronics stores across Asia joined foodpanda shops in 2021 alone, and the platform now offers more than 289,000 products from local players to big brands such as Huawei, Logitech, Asus, TP Link, Remax, Philips, ecHome, e-life Mall, etc.
Electronics, together with groceries, health and wellness, and beauty are four core segments that have shown the most growth in the number of shops onboarded in foodpanda shops in the past year. Globally, Delivery Hero, parent company of foodpanda, reported on 11 November 2021 in its Q3 Trading Update, a 52% Y-o-Y growth in orders comprising the q-commerce business. Delivery Hero saw a 330% growth of foodpanda shops as a vertical.
“On-demand deliveries are increasingly an essential part of people’s everyday lives,” said Abhishek Sahay, Senior Director of New Verticals at foodpanda. “Beyond traditional e-commerce, brands are now already looking for the next phase of growth — with quick-commerce, foodpanda shops provides a new way for retailers to deliver their products to customers almost instantly, whenever they need it. We’re proud to be Xiaomi’s first quick commerce partner in Asia, helping them connect more instantaneously with their customers in the region.”
In addition to listing Xiaomi products on foodpanda shops in Singapore and Thailand, the foodpanda app is pre-loaded in new Xiaomi mobile phones in 10 markets across Asia — Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
About foodpanda
foodpanda is a leading delivery platform in Asia dedicated to bringing consumers a wide range of food, groceries and more, quickly and conveniently. Powered by technology and operational excellence, foodpanda is spearheading the growth of quick-commerce (q-commerce) across the region with its network of retail partners, as well as pandamart cloud stores to provide more on-demand options beyond the millions of food delivery options. foodpanda operates in more than 400 cities across 12 markets in Asia – Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Japan. foodpanda is a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, a global leader of the food delivery industry. For more information, visit www.foodpanda.com.
#foodpanda