Social News Headlines 20/2 Traffic safety rules tightened at Noi Bai   The Ha Noi Police and Noi Bai International Airport on Monday set up a team of traffic police officials to increase safety at Noi Bai Airport. This is being done as the passenger traffic at the airport is increasing and also in preparation for the operation of T2, the second terminal that is under construction. According to Major General Nguyen Duc Chung, director of the Ha Noi Police Force, the team was set up at the request of Minister of Public Security Major Tran Dai Quang and Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang. These leaders demanded increased mobilisation of traffic police officials to help the Noi Bai Airport staff ensure traffic safety and order at the airport. Chung said the police would focus on dealing with traffic violations which cause congestion to ensure safe and smooth traffic movement on the Bac Thang Long – Noi Bai road which leads to the airport. Surveillance cameras will also be installed on this road. Deputy Minister of Transport Pham Quy Tieu said the Ministries of Transport and Public Security would also work to extend the Noi Bai Airport model to other large airports such as Tan Son Nhat and Cam Ranh. Pillar collapse kills student in Binh Dinh school A student was killed when a pillar in a classroom collapsed yesterday afternoon at Phuoc Loc 2 Primary School in Tuy Phuoc District in central Binh Dinh Province. The 10-year-old victim, Tong Huu Kiet, was reported passing by the classroom with other students when one of 13 pillars propping up the roof collapsed suddenly, killing the fourth standard student. An officer from the district's Education and Training Department said that the classroom was not being used because it was in a state of serious disrepair for a long time and there were plans to demolish it. The brick pillars are 2.5 metres high and 25x40 cm in length and breadth. The local authorities are investigating the case. Rotten meat seized in southern province A joint task-force between southern Dong Nai Province's Market Watch and the province's traffic police yesterday seized 700 kilos of decomposing pig meat. The meat was recovered on a coach en route to HCM City. The driver, Dang Xuan Thanh, a resident of central Binh Dinh Province, failed to provide valid documents to verify the meat's origin. Bodies of snail farmers found at sea The bodies of two people from Tam Tien Commune in the central province of Quang Nam have been recovered after they were swept out to sea while harvesting snails at around 4am yesterday morning. The chairman of the communal people's committee, Nguyen Giup, told Viet Nam News that the two women, Nguyen Thi Loan, 58, and Huynh Thi Thinh, 49, had been dragged out as far as 60 metres by large waves, off the coast of Ha Quang Village. The women were part of a group of four people farming snails, but could not be rescued by nearby helpers. Authorities will grant VND1 million (US$490) to each of the families of the deceased. Nghe An police bust trans-border drug ring Police in central Nghe An Province on Monday announced the capture of an international drug ring smuggling goods from Laos to Viet Nam. They seized 600 cakes of heroin weighing nearly 21 kilos, and arrested two gang members from central Ha Tinh Province when they were driving a car containing the goods through a toll station on Ben Thuy Bridge in Nghe An Province last Saturday. They later admitted the drugs had been purchased from a Lao drug network and transported to Nghe An Province and then to northern provinces for sale. The case is under investigation. Three held for theft of iron Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of eight tonnes of iron in the central Ha Tinh Province's Vung Ang Economic Zone, the local police said yesterday. One of the suspects, 35-year-old Nguyen Thanh Hai from the northern Phu Tho Province, was arrested on January 25 in Ky Anh District, even as his two accomplices fled the scene. The other two suspects, one of them a security guard of the MCC20 Company located in the zone, were caught by the Ky Anh Police yesterday. The case is being investigated further. The local police recently discovered many thefts in the Vung Ang Economic Zone and have seized over 13 tonnes of iron. Trial against illegal sand exploiters delayed The Dong Thap Province's People's Court yesterday delayed the trial on the illegal exploitation of sand from the Tien River in Hong Ngu District due to an insufficient number of witnesses. The 11 people charged for "violating regulations on exploring and exploiting natural resources" and showing a "lack of responsibility and causing serious consequences" on exploiting sand were present at the court yesterday. Defendants included former secretaries of the Party Committee's Hong Ngu District and former chairman of the district's People's Committee. Before the trial, lawyers representing the defendants said that only 15 out of 25 witnesses were present. Localities on alert as bird flu spreads quickly An online conference on February 18 heard bird flu has spread to 11 provinces and cities across the country and two people have died of the A/H5N1 avian influenza. Pham Van Dong, head of the Animal Health Department, reported the A/H5N1 epidemic has been confirmed in Nam Dinh and Lao Cai provinces in the north, Quang Ngai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen provinces in the central and Central Highland regions, and Long An, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ca Mau provinces in the south.   A total of 23,819 poultry were infected with the deadly virus and nearly 31,000 poultry were culled, Dong said. A local resident in Binh Phuoc province and another in Dong Thap province contracted the virus and died in January. Although Vietnam has reported no A/H7N9 cases, it is facing a high risk of the viral infection, as China, its neighbour, has confirmed more than 200 cases, including 20 deaths, since the beginning of this year. China’s Guangxi province which borders four Vietnamese provinces, has also reported first cases of A/H7N9. Health officials warned there is a strong possibility that the new strain of avian influenza will enter Vietnam unless illegal trade and transport of poultry of unknown origin across the border are brought under control. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat quoted initial surveys as saying currently six out of 100 ducks have tested positive for the bird flu virus, and 61 out of 100 markets have reported viral infections. He said the ministry still has 35 million doses of the vaccine, but asked localities to be careful about using them when the disease has still not reached its peak. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai noted the disease is spreading and showing no signs of abating. “As bird flu has reached danger alert status and is threatening the community’s safety, all ministries, sectors, and localities must focus on measures to control the disease’s outbreak, prevent it from taking root locally, and stamp it out in case of an epidemic,” he said. He asked all localities to issue an action plan in February, keep a close watch on the situation and enhance the control and management of poultry trade across the border. Police, military and market watch forces must keep a tight rein on poultry transport and ensure poultry markets are sterilised and disinfected regularly, Hai said. A month -long campaign of hygiene, sterilisation and disinfection will be launched on February 22. 30-month jail term upheld in tax fraud case The Court of Appeals of the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi confirmed a 30-month jail sentence for Le Quoc Quan for tax evasion pursuant to Clause 3, Article 161 of the Criminal Code at a trial on February 18. According to the indictment, Quan, 43, born in the central province of Nghe An, set up Vietnam Solution Co. Ltd in April 2001 with its headquarters in Cau Giay district, Hanoi. Under its business registration, the company operated in a range of activities including investment consultancy, labour and vocational training services, electrical engineering, consultancy and technology transfer in agricultural and rural development. The company changed its business registration certificate 13 times, with the last adding data updating, searching, storing and processing to its portfolio. During the operation of the company, Quan, as the company’s director, instructed his accountant Pham Thi Phuong to make fake contracts and buying bogus added-value tax invoices in order to evade corporate income tax. After the open hearing, the board of judges decided to refute Quan’s appeal and confirmed the 30-month sentence handed down in the first trial on October 2, 2013. The court also declared that Quan’s company must pay back corporate income tax amounting to VND645 million (US$30,700) it evaded during 2010-2011. It was also fined more than VND1.29 billion (US$614,280). ILO, Vietnam review employment cooperation The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), reviewed the implementation of the ILO-Vietnam Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) in Hanoi on February 18. The DWCP was signed on May 24, 2012 and two meetings were held in May 2012 and May 2013 to set priorities for each partner. Over the past two years, relevant DWCP parties have implemented the program within the confines of the set priorities, including improving the quality and sustainability of growth through high qualified human resources and sustainable work and business development. It promoted equitable and comprehensive growth through social welfare and job generation for vulnerable groups. It contributed to fulfilling Vietnam’s target for becoming a modern industrialised country through consolidating institutions and management of labour market. The MoLISA, ILO and tripartite parties in Vietnam have implemented a wide range of the projects under the program. For instance, they cooperated in revising the Labour Code, Trade Union Law and building legal documents, and fixing minimum wages. They also carried out projects on labour relations, occupational health and safety, early child labour elimination, and new projects on social insurance, macro-economic management and employment. Earlier, the MoLISA, Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, and ILO signed a memorandum of understanding on DWCP in the 2014-2019 period. EU finances sustainable forest exploitation The European Union (EU) has agreed to provide EUR3 million to help Vietnam and neighbouring countries fight illegal logging and promote a sustainable forest initiative. At the launch ceremony for three EU-funded projects on February 18, Franz Jessen, ambassador and head of the EU delegation to Vietnam, noted the three projects will help non-governmental organisations and small-and medium-sized enterprises take part in negotiations and implement the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) of the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). He said the EU Timber Regulation took effect as of March 3, 2013, and together with VPA, it forms the core of FLEGT – an initiative of which Vietnam is a pioneer partner in Asia. Vietnam and the EU have conducted three rounds of FLEGT negotiations since their first in May 2010. They are currently working on technical assistance and consultations, aiming to conclude Vietnam-EU VPA negotiations later this year. The agreement will provide a legal framework and monitoring system on timber imported into the EU. It will help promote the brand of the Vietnamese wood industry and ensure that wood and timber products imported from Vietnam will gain a firm foothold in the EU market and others. Vietnam, Cambodia cooperate in fighting transnational crime Tay Ninh province’s police forces on February 18 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with their Cambodian counterparts to reinforce the fight against transnational crime along their border. The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation between Tay Ninh and the three Cambodian provinces of Kompongcham, Prayveng and Svairieng, in such areas as border security, illegal immigration and transportation of weapons and drugs across the border. Additionally, they will work closely to investigate and fight international terrorism which undermines national development and friendship between the two countries. The MoU includes provisions for implementing border demarcation and marker planting, and encouraging people from the two countries to abide by laws and regulations related to border trade and travel. Tran Luu Quang, Vice Chairman of the Tay Ninh provincial People’s Committee, said Tay Ninh and the three Cambodian provinces have cooperated well in socio-economic and cultural development, resulting in local residents’ improved living conditions.  “Security and national defence have been ensured, contributing to building a common borderline of peace, friendship, stability and cooperation for mutual development”, he said. The four provinces have planted 96 concrete border markers, meeting 88.7% of the set plan. The two sides have demarcated 146 out of 240km of their border and identified 594 locations for marker planting to date. In 2013, Tay Ninh polices and border guards in coordination with police from the three Cambodian provinces made a number of arrests related to the illegal transportation of weapons and drugs across the border. They seized 21.435kg of ecstasy and 1.118kg of heroin and brought 22 drug traffickers to court.  New-style rural building key to Delta’s sustainable development The building of new-style rural areas is now a vital strategy for the Mekong Delta’s sustainable development as the region is currently developing in an unstable and inefficient manner. To implement the national target programme on building new-style rural areas which involves improving accessibility, infrastructure and farming models, among other requirements in the 2010-2020 period, all Mekong Delta localities have set up steering boards and encouraged locals to join the campaign. Surveys in some localities show that the programme has bought in satisfactory initial results. Since 2010, Can Tho city has moblised over VND424 billion (US$20.2 million) for building new-style rural areas in 36 communes. It has also carried out a number of projects to support production development while speeding up changes in farming practices to increase productivity. These include forming large-scale production areas, stepping up the application of scientific and technological advances in production and providing training for rural labourers. Thanks to these efforts, local people’s living standards have been much improved and many households have escaped from poverty. Long An province has raised VND6.5 billion for training rural labourers and upgrading infrastructure towards a modern agricultural sector in both technology and management. Meanwhile, Ben Tre province has invested in building irrigation systems, markets, schools and a power grid in order to bring 25 communes in line with new-style rural requirements by 2015, with the remainder of its communes following by 2020. Vinh Long province has also poured more than VND1.78 trillion (US$85 million) into agricultural and rural infrastructure while Hau Giang province has mobilised over VND1.2 trillion (US$57.1 million) for the programme. However, some shortcomings have been seen in the implementation of the programme, as many points of the 19 criteria have proved easier to enforce in theory than in practice, meaning many provinces have yet to reach the set goal of improving the material and spiritual lives of rural residents. To minimize their weaknesses, the localities should adjust criteria for building new-style rural areas in line with their real situations, said leaders of some localities. They also need to have policies on training young farmers so that they can master modern agriculture while accelerating the application of scientific and technological advances in all production stages, they added. They should also develop processing industries based on their existing material sources, support craft villages and encourage all economic sectors to improve the quality of tourism services. The Mekong Delta region annually produces 90% of the country’s rice output and 65% of its fruit for exports. It makes up over 18% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). HCM City to cut poor household rate to below 5% HCM City authorities strive to bring the ratio of poverty-stricken families to below 5% in 2014 from 7.12% last year. The city has raised the poverty benchmark to VND16 million (US$752) per person per year for the 2014-2015 period from the VND12 million (US$564) set for the previous period. The Municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has underlined key tasks focusing on generating jobs for 265,000 workers, creating 120,000 new jobs, reducing the unemployment rate to 4.7%, and enhancing vocational training. A number of social welfare programmes have been launched to help prostitutes and drug addicts who have undergone detoxification reintegrate into the community. Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Hua Ngoc Thuan said the city has fulfilled the set of targets outlined in the local programme on reducing the poverty rate thanks to its ceaseless efforts over the years. The city presented gifts to nearly 120,000 poor households during the recently-ended traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, he noted. Latest statistics showed the poverty rate in Vietnam, under the national poverty line, dropped from 58.1% in 1993 to 14.8% in 2007 and 7.8% in 2013. Vietnam improves intellectual property system Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh had a meeting with General Director of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Francis Gurry in Geneva on February 17 to discuss ways to promote future cooperation between the two sides. At the meeting, host and the guest deliberated long and short-term cooperation plans between Vietnam and the WIPO. They focused on assessing the compatibility of Vietnamese laws with international conventions, towards building and bettering laws on protecting copyright; assisting in raising public awareness of intellectual property rights and Vietnam’s other related rights as well as building long-term development strategies on copyright. Francis Gurry said that the cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and the WIPO has developed ceaselessly over the years. He stressed that Vietnam reached great economic achievements thanks to its appreciation of the important role of the intellectual property sector. The WIPO sent its experts to Vietnam to help the country make the Law on Intellectual Property in 2005. It also organised several workshops in Vietnam to help raise the capacity of Vietnam’s intellectual property system. The organisation also invited Vietnam to participate in WIPO General Assembly meetings, international conferences and training courses in the field. At the 51st session of the General Assembly of the organisation in Geneva in 2013, Vietnam was elected for the first time to the Programme and Budget Committee of the WIPO for the 2013-2015 term. It has also been re-elected to the WIPO Coordination Committee for the 2013-2015 term. Vietnam is now the member of many international treaties on copyright and related rights under the WIPO, such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorised Duplication of their Phonograms. Government moves to better hydropower management Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on February 18 issued a Government action plan to respond to the National Assembly’s resolution on intensifying the management of planning, investment, construction, operation and utility of hydro-electric power plants. The plan seeks to make a fundamental change in the State management over hydro-electric power plants, which made up more than 48 percent of the country’s capacity for electricity generation and 44 percent of the national electricity output in 2013. It requires the ministers, the heads of governmental-level and ministerial-level agencies, and the chairmen of the municipal and provincial people’s committees to step up inspections of the implementation of the National Assembly’s resolution. It also asks the developers of hydro-electric power plant projects to report to the Prime Minister before beginning their construction work. In 2013, the Government approved the removal of six potential large and 418 small hydropower projects from the national plan. These plants are deemed to have low effectiveness while likely to cause negative environmental and social impacts. The Government was also unanimous in suspending work on another 136 projects. After the review, the country now has 815 hydropower projects in its national plan, including 268 that are already operational and 205 others under construction. Playing a crucial role in ensuring national energy security and socio-economic development, hydroelectricity power plants are also involved in controlling flooding and droughts, job generation and socio-economic development.- HCM City to suspend ineffective bus routes Three subsidized bus routes in HCMC connecting bus stations with universities and colleges will be suspended soon due to their ineffective operations, said the city’s passenger transport management agency. The HCMC Passenger Transport Management Center said it would suspend the route coded 111 linking Cho Lon Coach Station with An Suong Coach Station on March 1. Earlier, the route coded 143 linking Cho Lon Bus Station with the residential zone Binh Hung Hoa was suspended on February 1. Two other bus routes to face the axe in the second quarter are the one coded 26 connecting Mien Dong Coach Station with An Suong Coach Station, and the one linking the Polytechnic University and the National University coded 50. Earlier, at a review meeting of the HCMC Department of Transport, an official said the city would suspend all bus routes that failed to operate effectively. Le Hai Phong, director of the HCMC Passenger Transport Management Center under the department, told the meeting that the suspension of ineffective routes was aimed to help the city invest more in good routes. Currently, commuter bus services meet only 10.7% of the transport demand in the city, while the city has spent increasing amounts of budget to subsidize bus services. The amount was VND800 billion in 2010, which rose to nearly VND1,270 billion in 2011, VND1,289 billion in 2012, and VND1,391 billion last year. The city expects the commuter bus service sector to attract 650 million turns of passengers this year compared to 625 million last year. Faults detected in most hydrofoils Inspectors have detected faults in all hydrofoils in HCMC that may pose threat to the safety of passengers. All such vessels have been rendered inactive since an accident on January 20 that destroyed a hydrofoil en route to Vung Tau. All the nine hydrofoils had been in use for over 20 years, and their hulls have degraded, besides numerous other technical faults, according to the latest inspection result reported to the Ministry of Transport. According to inspectors, they have discovered oil leaks in four of the nine hydrofoils, broken fuel pipes in six out of nine, water leaks at the cockpit, cabin and engine compartment in three vessels, and substandard lifebuoys in four vessels. These hydrofoils previously plied the waters between HCMC and Vung Tau City. The inspectors also have requested the Ministry of Transport to a have full check on the hull conditions so that the hydrofoils can be put in operation again after having technical faults repaired. After an accident on January 20, inspectors have also requested the HCMC government to have a full examination on fire safety in all the tourist boats and floating restaurants, hotels and other passenger ships in the city. As reported earlier, a blaze burned down a hydrofoil on January 20 while it was en route from the city to Vung Tau with 92 people on board including 85 passengers and seven crewmembers. The captain of the Vina Express vessel then drove the hydrofoil to the shore of the Saigon River in District 7, while dozens of the passengers jumped into the river. They were all rescued by passing boats and rescue teams. The final cause of the accident would be announced later this month by the Ministry of Public Security’s Criminology Institute. Dong Nai to auction land lots along new streets Dong Nai Province’s authorities will do the planning of land lots along new roads to organize land auctions, improving local budget collection and improving urban view, said Phan Thi My Thanh, vice chairwoman of the province. Local government has urged related agencies to review planning along the roads to find out locations favorable for housing development. Law enforcement units will have to define functions, area and situation of each land lots so as the government can set up land use right bidding projects. According to local government, the move aims to improve revenue for the State budget and ensure urban aesthetic view along new roads. During discussions, most related agencies have yet to define roads favorable for development. They have been told to look at land lots along the roads to report to local government. Earlier, Danang City’s government has gained success in applying the model. Project helps improve personal hygiene at school The Department of Education and Training of southern Vinh Long province on February 18 kicked off a project to raise awareness of and develop personal hygiene habits at school. The 85 million VND project is funded by the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. In March, the project will install sinks and launch communication campaigns on safe and effective water use at five secondary schools in the province. Students will be taught how to wash their hands properly and join interesting activities related to clean water and the environment. Pham Van Hong, deputy director of the department, said the project helps develop personal hygiene habits, using clean water and hand washing with soap, thus creating a clean environment at school. The project will lay a foundation for the department to expand the model to other schools across the province, he said.- Vietnam wants further assistance from UNICEF National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong has said she wants the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to continue assisting Vietnam in implementing projects in the cooperation framework between the two sides. At a reception given to UNICEF Chief Representative in Vietnam Lotta Sylwander in Hanoi on February 18, Vice Chairwoman Phong said she highly values the role played by the fund in caring for and protecting children. She reaffirmed the Vietnamese Party and State always give priority to child care, protection and education, saying that Vietnam has been carrying out free check-up programmes as well as taking measures to reduce the fatality rate in newborns and the undernourishment rate in kids. She added Vietnam also pays attention to offering preferential policies to disadvantaged children, especially those with disabilities. The Vice Chairwoman stressed Vietnam will continue building and bettering its law system to protect child rights. Lotta Sylwander praised the outcomes Vietnam has reaped in protecting, caring for and educating children in recent times. She said UNICEF will provide greater assistance to Vietnam to help the country reinforce its laws in promoting child care and protection as well as improving the ability of NA officials and the legislative body’s capacity in supervising the enforcement of child care and protection laws. The fund will also help Vietnamese legislative agencies improve their capacity in the making of laws in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, she added.- Four-legged robotic spider unveiled in town A four-legged robotic spider drew a huge crowd as it made its debut at an enrollment fair at the HCMC University of Technology last week.   The robot was created by students from the faculty of Science and Engineering of the university. In addition, a mock-up court created by the University of Economics and Law and models from Arena Institute were displayed at the event. High school students said they were thrilled to see the remote-controlled robot and are also curious about the court which featured prosecutors and judges.   There were over 130 consultation booths set up by many universities, colleges, vocational schools and other education and training centers, among others.   According to Le Hoang Nghiem – Training Department Chief of the University of Natural Resources and Environment, this year’s fair was a huge improvement compared to past events. The Enrollment Fair 2014 attracted hundreds of students outside and within HCMC. The fair is expected to take place at Can Tho University in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on March 2 and Hanoi University of Technology on March 9. Rach Gia upgraded into second-grade city The PM has agreed to recognize Rach Gia in the southern province of Kien Giang as a second-grade city. Rach Gia functions as a provincial administrative, economic, cultural, tourism and service hub and a transport and trade centre between Kien Giang and other Mekong Delta provinces. Earlier, Rach Gia town became a third-grade city in 2005.   So far, income per capita in the city touched VND 44.6 million. Up to 85.36% of urban residents live on non-agricultural jobs./. WB-funded transport upgrade project ratified Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai has approved the extension of the deadline for the Northern Delta Transport Development Project, which is financed by the World Bank, till December 31, 2015. The Deputy PM has assigned the Ministry of Transport to support the Project Management Board to realize the work. The project aims to promote the sustainable growth rate by increasing the effectiveness of the transport infrastructure in the Northern Delta. According to the previous plan, the project, launched from February 2009 to June 30, 2014, is upgrading main waterway corridors, river ports and ferries across the Northern Delta. Buon Ma Thuot to become Central Highlands’ urban center PM Nguyen Tan Dung has approved adjustments to the overall planning of Buon Ma Thuot city, Central Highlands Dak Lak province, to 2025. Accordingly, the city will comprise 13 wards and eight communes on a 37,718ha area. The population is forecast to be 420,000 and 550,000 by 2015 and 2025 respectively. The future city is structured to encompass a 10,897ha urban area and a surrounded greenbelt of 26.821ha. The urban area’s infrastructure will be renovated to meet national standards of a grade 1 city. Traditional features of villages will be preserved and developed and garden homes will be encouraged in the central area. In addition, four other urban areas, including a new urban area in the North-East, and the others for an airport, cultural, commercial and medical facilities and universities, will be developed. Tourism centers are also planned to be developed at the banks of Ea Kao Lake and along the Serepok River while regions specialized in growing industrial plants and reforested areas will be formed on 20,000ha in the city. Source: VNA/VOV/VNS/SGGP/SGT/SGGP