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HDBank to pay 25 per cent dividend in shares, Moody’s raises credit rating for the bank to positive outlook

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 7 June 2021 – The Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HoSE: HDBank) has announced plans to increase its charter capital to more than VND20.273 trillion (US$879.48 million) by paying dividends for 2020 in shares and an employee stock option plan.

According to information published by the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on June 4, the HDBank board of directors approved the plan to hike the charter capital in 2021 as approved at the bank’s annual general meeting in April.

The Bank will increase its charter capital by VND3.984 trillion ($172.83 million) by issuing more than 398 million shares as dividends for 2020 at a rate of 25 per cent from undistributed profits.

The lender will also issue 20 million shares to employees (ESOP).

The HDB share closed on June 3 at VND35,800 with a lot of foreign buying.

In the first quarter HDBank reported a pre-tax profit of more than VND 2.1 trillion ($91.1 million), an increase of 68 per cent year-on-year, with income from services up by more than 98 per cent.

HDBank’s return on equity and return on assets increased strongly to 26.3 per cent and 2.1 per cent, its capital adequacy ratio (based on Basel II standards) was over 12 per cent while its standalone bad debts ratio was only 1.1 per cent.

The Bank is considered to have high growth potential, with great potential in bancassurance, consumer finance, credit cards and services . HDBank is one of the few banks that not to have signed an exclusive distribution agreement with any life insurance company, and is currently the focus of intense attention of many major players.

International credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service recently upgraded HDBank’s outlook from “stable” to “positive”. The positive outlook reflects Moody’s view that improvements in asset quality over recent years, which could translate into lower credit costs and higher profitability, could raise the Bank’s Baseline Credit Assessments over the next 12 – 18 months.

#HDBank

True Colors Fashion: The Future is Now!

Showcasing Adaptive Fashion and Tech Wearables

 

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 7 June 2021 – The Future is Now! unites some of the world’s leading tech companies and fashion brands with a diverse cast of models to present innovative creations. This video series – which includes an atmospheric pre-recorded runway show & revelatory conversations between cast members – now on the True Colors Festival YouTube Channel, captures human creativity at its best, and the endless possibilities that technology offers.

Meet an ALS creator who makes art with eye movement input, see hearing aids worn as fashion, prosthetic blades for children, discover an ingeniously designed trench coat…and more.

“Since the invention of computers, we have been able to solve problems with software, and it has become easier for people to connect with one another. In keeping with this idea, The Future is Now! sets the stage for diverse people to express themselves with fashion that’s empowered with technology,” says Yoichi Ochiai, renowned media artist and general director of the show.

Participating models include Masatane Muto, a DJ with ALS who plays music with his eyes; Pippi, a deaf model who has graced ad campaigns and fashion runways; Hirotada Ototake, bestselling author of the memoir “No One’s Perfect” about his life without limbs; and Fumiya Hamanoue, a visually impaired Paralympic climber.

Collaborating brands include Xiborg Inc. and SONY Computer Science Laboratory, both specialists in prosthetics enhanced with robotics; ONTENNA, which converts sound information into light and vibration; Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, the first major label to launch a full-fledged adaptive line; and KANSAI YAMAMOTO, the fashion house that has dressed luminaries like David Bowie.

“I want to build a world in which not having the use of legs will not be an obstacle to running. I want to make running with a prosthetic leg a normal thing…for everyone,” says Ken Endo, founder of Xiborg Inc. and researcher at Sony CSL.

The Future is Now! is the third part of the True Colors Fashion series produced by Kao Kanamori. The first two parts were launched in March this year: Clothes in Conversation, a documentary available to watch on YouTube and a photo exhibition at the annual Shibuya Fashion Week.

Supported by Arts Council Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture and Aputure. Co-presented by DRIFTERS INTERNATIONAL.

Visit: True Colors Festival website

#TrueColorsFestival

Shopmatic waives hosting fees for 90 days to support small businesses

Shopmatic encourages small businesses and entrepreneurs to go online with its ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme’, offering no hosting fees for 90 days between 3rd June and 31st August 2021.

 

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 7 June 2021 – International e-commerce enabler Shopmatic has been unlocking online business success for SMBs and individual entrepreneurs since its inception. In its latest drive to help businesses go online, Shopmatic is offering zero hosting charges to anyone signing up between 3rd June and 31st August 2021.

As part of its ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme’ merchants will be able to use the entire Shopmatic platform for setting up their ecommerce presence without paying any sign-up charges; all they will pay is a nominal fee of 3% per transaction whenever they make a sale. This step is being taken to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to take their business online, especially in these trying times.

For 90 days from the time they sign up, business owners will be able to access Shopmatic’s vast range of tech-led features to help them grow their business while paying only 3% on each successful transaction.

Shopmatic is the only ecommerce platform to offer 4 different ways for merchants to go online. During the promotional period, merchants can choose to set up their online presence from any of the 4 options available- Shopmatic Webstore, Shopmatic Chat, Shopmatic Social or Shopmatic Marketplaces,

Speaking on the initiative, Anurag Avula, CEO & Co-Founder, Shopmatic, said, “In our continued effort to support businesses to start selling online in the current challenging environment, we’re making it even easier for businesses to get online by removing the monthly hosting fee for the next 90 days.

We encourage SMEs and individual entrepreneurs in our markets to sign-up on the platform with no hosting fees and leverage the Shopmatic platform to drive their online success.”

Through the ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme’, Shopmatic is extending its platform to a larger group of aspiring entrepreneurs during a decidedly challenging time. The platform has been leaving no stone unturned in fulfilling the desire of its customers to succeed in the online ecosystem.

You will recall that in May 2020, Shopmatic expanded its offerings to create tailored solutions for Singapore’s Grocery stores, enabling them to create an online presence with pre-developed catalogs and more. This enabled small business owners to create web-stores easily without the need for technical know-how, or design experience. The platform also offered easy inventory management, secure and instant online payments, contactless delivery, and self-pickup options.

Earlier this year, Shopmatic went a step ahead to help not only incubate but manage and fund some merchants impacted by COVID, to go online.

“We are helping businesses to sell on marketplaces and brick and mortar retailers to sell online by creating fully fledged ecommerce stores for their businesses. For these businesses, Shopmatic is setting up their ecommerce stores, and managing all elements of the e-commerce value chain for them to be online-ready; these include Search Engine Optimization, creating their social presence across Facebook and Instagram, setting up Google Analytics etc and integrating multiple payment & shipping options. This initiative has helped many businesses during this challenging time by creating an alternate revenue stream. The business categories supported in this initiative include packaged F&B, Groceries, Fashion, Toys, Sportswear, Cosmetics, Jewellery and Organic Products,” added Mr. Avula.

A consummate enabler of online business, Shopmatic delivers on its brand promise ‘anyone can sell online’ with its current Programme. It is indeed making it very easy for all kinds of businesses to go online, and is inviting social sellers, chat sellers, marketplace sellers, entrepreneurs, homepreneurs, businesses with brick and mortar stores, and literally anyone, to create their much-needed ecommerce presence on the robust Shopmatic platform.

About Shopmatic

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic has been driving game-changing strategies in the ecommerce space and has engineered itself to stay focused on helping its customers succeed.

With its acquisitions of CombineSell and Octopus in 2019, Shopmatic is driving an omnichannel play for individual entrepreneurs and businesses in emerging markets, by enabling the entire ecommerce-&-retail-management ecosystems for them to succeed.

From a domain name to easy integrations with domestic and international payment gateways and shipping partners, to getting discovered via a unique, curated platform- Shopmatic World & multiple marketplaces, to POS, Inventory Management and CRM solutions, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their business.

Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore with a presence in India, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Philippines and UAE. The company is quickly expanding to the rest of South-East Asia, this year.

Shopmatic has raised 20 M SGD from its incorporation till date with August One, SEEDS Capital and a consortium of investors.

For more information on the Shopmatic Group, please visit www.goshopmatic.com or contact media@goshopmatic.com

#Shopmatic

Pfizer Jabs Set to Begin Next Week in Vientiane

Pfizer jabs to start next week in Vientiane

Laos is to roll out its Pfizer vaccinations to the elderly and those with underlying conditions in Vientiane next week.

NEFIN appointed by Cyberport to carry out solar power project

Light-weight panel system provides facility owners with safe options towards carbon neutrality

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 5 June 2021 – The leading solar photovoltaic (PV) developer and investor in carbon neutrality solutions, NEFIN Group, was appointed by Hong Kong Cyberport (Cyberport) to trailblaze solar PV solutions for its existing facilities. The revolutionary solar panel system overcomes space and loading constraints of most buildings while safeguarding building structure.

The project adopts a dual-purpose solar panel system comprising both traditional rigid solar panels and flexible solar panels catered to fit different rooftop loading capacity.

The traditional way of setting up rigid solar panels makes use of long plinths or bricks to support the panels on rooftops. However this “counter weight” installation method does not suit all existing buildings. While this method complies with international and local codes and regulations, the weight of the system may exceed the loading limit of a rooftop. The installation also involves direct bolting to the floor to safely secure the panels, which may damage the surface and the water proofing layer of rooftops.

This project has adopted an innovative approach to installation. By directly fixing the flexible PV panels to the roof surface, wind-load and dead-load are significantly reduced, allowing for the full utilisation of the available structural loading of the roof and hence, maximize the overall solar plant capacity. This is a convenient and innovative alternative for corporations seeking renewable energy solutions and carbon neutrality.

Each of the low reflectance PV panels utilised in the Cyberport’s solar power system carries multiple sensors that measure solar radiance and environment changes. These sensors collect scientific data to measure system performance which can be further utilised to develop an advanced monitoring system, facilitating the development of environmental technology and renewable energy in Hong Kong.

Chief Executive Officer of NEFIN Group, Mr Glenn Lim, commented, “This particular type of solar PV system provides a convenient carbon neutrality solution for facility owners who were once hindered by space constraint. It is particularly suitable for corporations that are focussed on corporate social responsibilities and ESG commitment.”

Covering two upper roofs and an accessible roof of Cyberport 4, the solar power system is expected to generate power of 66,000 kWh each year, equivalent to offsetting 46,860 kg of CO2 emission, or driving an electric vehicle for 365,000 km.

About NEFIN Group

NEFIN Group is a regional renowned carbon neutrality solutions provider and investor with a bespoke unified energy management platform committed to achieve carbon neutrality for organizations. Founded by a core management team of DuPont Solar Business, the management team has grown into a well-rounded team of engineers, legal experts, investment bankers and techno-commercial experts with the combined experience of over 40+ years of project development in Asia and 50+ years of engineering experience. NEFIN Group has collectively delivered over 300MW of utility-scale, commercial, and industrial rooftop solar systems regionally. As a strong cohesive team, NEFIN Group is able to offer a comprehensive 360-degree assessment and full-suite of services on socially responsible and commercially viable projects through innovative approaches to technology under its unified energy management platform. NEFIN believes the future of the world is everyone’s responsibility and strives to redefine energy boundaries towards a sustainable future. Please refer to NEFIN’s website www.nefinco.com for more information.

#NEFIN

Youth Square’s ‘Let’s Glow Skate!’ exhibition attracted over a thousand participants to promote skateboarding culture with local skateboarding athletes

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 5 June 2021 – Organised by Youth Square for the first time, the ten-day ‘Let’s Glow Skate!’ exhibition and workshops have been successfully concluded in May, which brings skateboarding to the public from street to Youth Square and promotes this healthy and professional sport. The event has aroused public interest and successfully attracted over a thousand participants to join.

To provide a more comprehensive understanding of skateboarding to participants, different exhibition areas have been set at Y Studio which helped public to learn more about skateboard from the easy to the difficult. Some skateboards featuring Hong Kong elements were also displayed to enrich public knowledge of skateboarding. Youth Square has also invited professional coaches, Walking Chen and J Lin, to host the skateboarding workshops and share the fun with youngsters in full gear. Participants were able to enjoy the fun of skateboarding through learning basic skills for free!

“I am so happy to see many people joined this workshop! I am impressed by a pair of young people that they came all the way from Tin Shui Wai to Youth Square at Chai Wan for participating in the workshop!” said J Lin, one of the skateboarding coaches. Many participants also expressed how excited they were after the workshop. “We are very grateful that Youth Square has provided an indoor venue for us to join a skateboarding workshop for free, it is indeed quite expensive to join a skateboarding class. I fall in love with skateboarding after this trial, I will get a skateboard to practise more in the future!” said Mr Leung, one of the workshop participants.

In addition, Youth Square has invited Luk Chun Yin (“Chun”), a local skateboarding athlete, together with Walking Chen and J Lin, the workshop coaches, to perform impressive skateboarding skills at Y Platform. “We are thankful that Youth Square has offered a well-equipped venue for us to promote skateboarding. Now it has become one of the sports in the Olympics, I believe more people will stop stereotyping this sport. I am expecting to have more people to join this healthy and fun sport!” said Chun.

Youth Square has been providing a relaxed, reliable and safe environment for youth to explore every possibility of their potential. This first ‘Let’s Glow Skate!’ skateboarding event was curated and organised by trainees of ‘YS Career Experience Programme’, a 6-month on-the-job training programme providing them with a chance to organise an event in addition to their normal duties. We are looking forward to organising more fun and healthy activities to grow with the youth in future!


#YouthSquare #LetsGlowSkate


Japanese PM Makes USD 1 Billion Commitment to Vaccine Provision for Developing Countries

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide co-hosted a virtual COVAX AMC Summit meeting on 2 June with Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso, Gavi Board Chair.

Laos Eases Toughest Lockdown Measures, Red Zones Remain

LOCKDOWN MEASURES EASED IN LAOS

The Prime Minister’s Office has issued a notice regarding the gradual easing of certain lockdown measures in Laos.