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Social News 15/2
HCMC lauds good medical workers
113 teams and individuals of medical clinics in
The municipal Department of Health held a meeting on February
12 to appraise 26 teams and 87 individuals for their good performance in the
health sector’s emulation movement.
At the meeting, the Department also launched the patriotic
emulation movement for the next period from 2015 to 2020. The movement will
focus on following Uncle Ho’s teaching that a good doctor must be a
good mother to fight negative acts in treatment and examination.
The movement also aims to improve curing and treatment
quality, strengthen capability for district medical clinics to reduce
overloading in big hospitals and implement the Ministry of Health’s programs.
Da Nang flyover work to continue during Tet
The Trung Nam Group installed the final span to complete the
second flyover at the three-level stack interchange at Hue–Da Nang in
The ceremony held for the final span installation, attended by
Vice Transport Minister Le Dinh Tho, marked the completion of 92 per cent of
the project work.
Started on September 28, 2013, the 16-month long work on the
flyover has involved more than 1,000 workers, working three shifts per day
continuously, said Nguyen Tam Tien, chief executive officer of the group that
is building the flyover.
Tien added that work on the bridge, considered to be an
additional landmark that highlights the city's urban landscape, will continue
during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, so that it can be opened as
scheduled on March 29, the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the city
(March 29, 1975).
The opening of the flyover will help ease traffic congestion
at this grade-separated junction, which has been branded as an accident
blackspot, said Tien.
Hai Phong police bust cigarette smuggling ring
The Thuy Nguyen District police and the Hai Phong Border
Guards busted a tobacco smuggling ring, and seized more than 3,000 cigarette
cartons yesterday.
The authorities caught Do Xuan Trung, 37, while he was
transporting 1,320 cigarette packs in Hamlet 2, Kien Bai commune, Thuy Nguyen
District in
In another case, the authorities seized 2,446 cigarette
cartons from the house of Do Xuan Vinh in the same hamlet.
Trung stated that he had bought the cigarettes from a man
named Hung in Quang Ninh's Mong Cai City, for VND160,000 to VND220,000
(US$7-$10) per carton. Trung transported the smuggled tobacco with the aim of
selling them in Hai Phong and other neighbouring cities.
The authorities are investigating the case further.
Container car catches fire while being driven
A container car being driven on the
At around 11:30pm, the driver detected smoke rising from the
chassis as he reached the area bordering Binh Duong,
The sudden explosion in the middle of the road caused vehicles
to avoid passing through the area and also led to a traffic jam that lasted
for hours. Despite efforts made by many residents and other drivers to use a
fire extinguisher, the fire engulfed the front portion of the car.
The fire was later put out by the Fire Prevention and Control
Police Department from
Although no casualties were reported and the fire charred the
front portion of the car, the container was recovered intact.
The reason behind the fire breaking out is being investigated.
Some 2.7kg of drug seized at Noi Bai Airport
Customs officers at
The drug, sent from
A customs officer said that the sender used a fake name and
address.
The case is under further investigation.
The trafficking of drugs by air has recently been on the rise,
mainly uncovered in
During January-September, 2014, over 20 drug trafficking cases
were brought to light at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, resulting in the
seizure of 14 suspects, 7.7 kilos of heroin, 13 kilos of cocaine, 4 kilos of
meths and nearly 40 kilos of drug precursors.-
HCM City preparing for elated Tet
Decorative touches have made the City’s main streets such as
Ham Nghi, Dong Khoi,
The Thanh Nien (Youth) Cultural House and the Lao dong
(Labour) Cultural Palace in District 1 are hosting young people to pose for
photos with various kinds of flowers, especially apricot and peach blossoms,
which are typical decorative flowers for Tet, or to seek a piece of
calligraphy, which is considered an art of spirit, involving both external
and internal beauty.
The facilities have planned to house such festive activities
as music performances and traditional martial arts festivals.
Meanwhile,
A book-featuring garden and a 2,000m2 playing ground for
children will also be opened at the park on this occasion.
Meanwhile, Thao Cam Vien (zoo and botanical garden) in
District 1 will become atmospheric with ornamental plant and flower displays,
lion and dragon dance shows, and circus performances. Specimens of more than
160 rare creatures will also be showcased here.
On New Year’s Eve on February 19, singing and dancing
performances will be oragnised at various places around the city.
More Heroic Mothers honoured in Dak Lak
The People’s Committee of the Central Highlands
A total of 469 women in the province have been honoured with
the title, with only 53 of them still alive.
Permanent Vice Chairman of the local People’s Committee Y Dham
Enuol said the recognition aims to express gratitude towards people who made
valuable contributions to the cause of national independence.
The same day, several officials and units in the province were
also awarded the Independence Order and the Labour Order for their
outstanding achievements in national building and protection.
Deputy PM inspects waste treatment in
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has suggested that
The Deputy PM proposed the idea during a working session with
He said the city should invest more in improving
infrastructure for dumping grounds and seeking investments from different
economic sectors in waste treatment.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vu Hong
Khanh reported that around 5,400 tonnes of waste are discharged each day in
He stressed the importance of the Nam Son waste treatment
complex in Soc Son District, which began operation in 1999, adding that the
city is investing in expanding the facility. In particular, a system treating
industrial waste to produce electricity is slated to be put into operation at
the complex in the third quarter of 2016, which is built with aid from the
Japanese Government.
On the occasion, Deputy PM Hai presented gifts to three poor
households in Soc Son and workers of the Nam Son waste treatment complex.
State support comes to special groups on Tet
President Truong Tan Sang sent presents to officials, soldiers
and the locals in Truong Sa (Spratly) island district in the central
The officials and solders wrote a thank-you letter to the
President vowing to do their utmost to fulfill the mission of guarding
national sovereignty over the sea and islands.
Disadvantaged people and religious communities across the
country are also having a warmer Tet with practical support from the
Government and many organisations.
On February 12 and 13, Hanoi People’s Committee in
collaboration with the Vietnam Join Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and
Trade (VietinBank) handed over 70 houses to poor people, including many from
ethnic minority groups, in Ba Vi and My Duc districts.
The same days, representatives of local authorities in
southern Tay Ninh province visited and presented gifts to local religious organisations
such as the provincial chapter of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the
On February 13, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union
organised a New Year party for needy children with a fest, musical
performances and gifts presented.
In northern Lai Chau province, more than 34,500 presents worth
over 14.4 billion VND (671,078 USD) came to welfare policy beneficiaries and
households living under the poverty line.
Lunar New Year celebrations in China, Denmark
More than 200 Vietnamese expatriates and students in
The party offered cheerful atmosphere with music performances
and the homeland’s traditional dishes. Partygoers received gifts, including a
pair of Chung cake (square glutinous rice cake), the most distinguishable
feature of Tet (Lunar New Year) in
On the occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Tho extended
greetings to his fellow countrymen, adding that the Government and Party
always pay attention to the life of the Vietnamese abroad and highly
appreciate their contribution to the development of the national construction
cause.
The Vietnam Embassy and overseas Vietnamese communities in
There are around 4.5 million Vietnamese living and working
across 109 countries and territories. They form an indispensable part of the
nation and play an important role in intensifying cooperation and friendship
between
President presents Tet gifts to the poor in Hung Yen, Ha Nam
President Truong Tan Sang extended New Year greetings and
presented Tet gifts to disadvantaged people in the
He paid a visit to Giai Pham commune, which stood out in the
new-style rural area building programme in Hung Yen province, and handed over
100 gifts to impoverished households and policy beneficiary families.
Meeting with Hung Yen provincial leaders, the President
praised the remarkable achievements made by the locality and people over the
past year despite confronting a number of difficulties.
The province experienced a 7.2 percent economic growth while
injected investments were consistently maintained. It has met 13 out of the
19 new-style rural area criteria.
In line with the tradition of the Lunar New Year, he offered
incense to generations of Vietnamese heroes worshipped in the two provinces.
In Ha
Tet gifts presented to needy people, policy beneficiaries
Additional gift packages are being presented to people from
disadvantaged backgrounds and social policy beneficiaries on the occasion of
the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet).
Delegations of local authorities in th Central Highlands
province of Lam Dong visited and presented gifts to thousands of ethnic
minority households, impoverished individuals, and welfare beneficiaries
across the locality, worth a total of nearly 19 billion VND (890,000 USD).
The province funded the construction of communal works, each
worth 500 million VND (23,000 USD), for 12 outstanding communes in the
locality.
In the neighbouring Dak Lak province, nearly 800 tonnes of
rice were distributed to 15,000 underprivileged households in the 12
districts and towns of Buon Ho, Krong Buk, Krong Nang, Ea H’leo, Buon Don, Ea
Su’p, Krong Ana, Krong Bong, Krong Pak, Ea Kar and M’Drak, according to
Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
Nguyen Quang Truong.
Additionally, nearly 40,000 needy individuals across the
province covered by social security will receive gifts on February 14, worth
a total of more than 10 billion VND (470,000 USD).
In the Mekong Delta provinces of Soc Trang and Vinh Long,
thousands of gift packages, each worth between 300,000 - 500,000 VND (14-23
USD), were given to local disadvantaged workers from February 10-12.
Similar activities were also held in other provinces across
the country, including southern Binh Phuoc, northern Ninh Binh and central
Thanh Hoa provinces, and northern mountainous Tuyen Quang province to ensure
a warm and enjoyable festival for all.
Response activities to incidents, calamities, search-rescue
The Prime Minister has issued to implement a master plan on
response to natural disasters and calamity and search and rescue operation
through 2020.
Accordingly, relevant ministries and agencies have been asked
to design plans for specific cases, invest in infrastructure, and purchase
specialised equipment for responsible organisations to ensure adequate
preparations for all contingences.
From 2015-2020, the Ministry of Defence will work closely with
involved agencies to establish relief aid groups and search and rescue
centres in Co To (northern Quang Ninh province), Con Dao (southern Ba Ria-
Vung Tau province), Tho Chu (southern Kien Giang province), Hon Khoai
(southern Kien Giang province) and Song Tu Tay (central Khanh Hoa province).
During 2015 and 2016, related agencies will draft national
response plans for ship accidents, high-storey building fires, radiation
leaks, earthquakes, tsunamis and traffic accidents in the residential and
industrial areas.
Hospitals to tighten measles prevention measures
The health ministry has asked hospitals and medical units
nation-wide to strengthen disease prevention, especially against measles.
Director of the ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment
Management Department Luong Ngoc Khue said that the measles situation
continues to be complicated.
The health sector reported a total of 35 confirmed measles
cases among 123 suspected cases in 25 provinces and cities since the
beginning of this year, added Khue.
The ministry's instruction was released on February 12,
following increasing number of measles cases being reported from across the
country.
The health sector asked provincial and city health departments
to tighten patient classification and examination for early detection of
measles cases inpatient check-up centres.
Hospitals and medical units have been requested to arrange for
experienced staffs working at the check-up centres for receiving and
examining patients.
Suspected measles patients are required to be hospitalised in
the infection wards or isolation areas of hospitals and medical units, before
tests are conducted for confirmation of the disease.
Medical staffs have been asked to strictly follow the
instructions for preventing the transmission of diseases, and guide patients
and their families to also follow the instructions.
Deputy PM receives Buddhist, Catholic dignitaries
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received delegations of
the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee and the Vietnam Catholic
Church’s Episcopal Council on the occasion of the lunar New Year in
The Deputy PM hailed the VBS’s religious activities during the
past year, particularly the success of the 2014 United Nations Vesak Festival
in Bai Dinh pagoda, the
He expressed hope that the VBS will continue to uphold the
motto of “Religion-Nation-Socialism”, encouraging monks and nuns and
followers nationwide to contribute more to the nation.
Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu wished that the government
will lead the country to fulfil the goals of wealthy people, a strong country
and a fair, democratic and civilised society.
At a separate meeting with the Vietnam Catholic Church’s
Episcopal Council Vice President, Archbishop Le Van Hong, Deputy PM Phuc said
the Party and State recognised the great contributions that the Catholic
community have made to the national construction and defence cause.
He reiterated that the Party and State always respect and
ensure the people’s right to religious and belief freedom, and pursue the
consistent policy to meet the legitimate rights and interests of religious
followers.
Archbishop Hong said the government has, over the past time,
done a lot to bring happiness to the public, including the Catholics. He
wished the Deputy PM good health in the new year.
The same day, Phuc met and offered New Year greetings to the
staff of the Ministry of Public Security’s General Department of Security.
He praised them for their good job in ensuring political
security and social safety and order last year.
The Deputy PM stressed an important task for the department in
the time to come which is to ensure security for the 12 th National Party
Congress.
VFF
leader pays Tet visit to top Buddhist monks
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central
Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan visited Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue, Supreme
Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, and other Buddhist dignitaries, in
Over past years, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) has always
been an active member of the VFF, Nhan stated.
He expressed hope that the VBS will continue accompanying the
nation in the path towards industrialisation and modernisation.
Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue extended a happy and prosperous
New Year wish to the VFF’s Standing Committee’s members.
More Tet gifts for child patients
The South African Honorary Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vien
Dong Assurance Corporation (VASS), and student volunteers have presented Tet
gifts worth VND40 million for child patients at Children's Hospital 2 in Ho
Chi Minh City.
The programme is part of the “Tet den moi nha” (Tet for every
home) programme which was launched in January.
So far the programme has helped hundreds of children, the
elderly, and poor households have a happy Lunar New Year (Tet holiday).
The South African Honorary Consulate and VASS have recently
visited and presented more than 800 warm winter clothes to students living in
two border communes of Hua Bum and Nam Ban in Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau
province.
Central Highlands focuses on sustainable poverty reduction
The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands has raised
hundreds of billions of VND for sustainable poverty reduction initiatives
across ethnic minority households in the region from thus far this year.
As many as 16,000 gifts, worth a total of eight billion VND
(380,000 USD) were distributed to impoverished ethnic minority households in
the region and neighbouring provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Binh
Phuoc, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan in honour of the traditional Tet festival.
U nderprivileged people in the targeted localities will also
receive houses and breeding cows donated by the VinGroup, Vietcombank, and
Maritime Bank.
Between 2013 and 2014, local businesses pledged to donate more
than 207 billion VND (9.6 million USD) to build houses, schools, and communal
houses across the central
As many as 5,000 breeding cows were offered to ethnic minority
households in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong.
Vocational training benefits Kien Giang
Vocational training centres in the southern province of Kien
Giang provided job training to more than 21,000 young labourers in 2014.
About 50 per cent of them involved agricultural work and the
rest was in industrial production.
Deputy chairman of Kien Giang Province's Department of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs, Le Huu Hung, said vocational courses had
provided labourers with higher paid jobs.
Seventy five per cent of vocational course graduates found new
jobs immediately, Hng said.
In recent years, authorities in Giang Thanh District, which
largely contains Khmer ethnic people, sped up vocational training and
provided economic models for rural people.
Ta Van Tham, deputy chief of the district's labour and social
affairs office, said his office and grass-roots authorities had met the
demand for apprentices.
Le Thi Diem, mother of two, living at Vinh Phu Commune, said
after a two-month vocational course, she opened a tailor shop in her home and
soon had a much better life.
The 40-year-old woman is not alone. Giang Thanh District has
provided 15 vocational courses in tailoring, poultry and pig breeding and
aquaculture for 400 labourers. Nearly half had found jobs.
Tham said trainees who were farmers and aquaculture breeders,
immediately applied lessons from the courses and quickly improved their
incomes.
Seminar spotlights proposals for water pollution law
The ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Trade and
Industry, Agriculture and Rural Development, among other organisations,
discussed proposals for a law on water pollution control at a conference in
Ha Noi on Monday.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Ngoc Ly, director of the Centre
for Environmental and Community Research (CECR), said the proposals need to
have specific regulations, such as strong penalties for violations by social
and community organisations; must set a good example; and must make specific
provisions for technology, the media and the accountability of agencies and
businesses.
The coalition will prepare a draft of the proposed law with
the aim of reaching a consensus on its principles, document reviews, and
specific activities.
At the conference, the participants also agreed to set
regulations for the process of controlling water pollution.
In addition, a pilot project and management mechanism will be
rolled out on a trial basis in some areas, they added.
The legal text on Water Resources and Water Pollution Control
currently lacks specific guidelines, has overlapping regulations, and lacks
co-ordination between the management units.
The coalition has also submitted draft proposals of the law to
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's environment department
with the aim of overcoming and controlling the serious water pollution issue.
Tet gifts may mask bribery, corruption
Gifts at Tet and other special occasions are being used to
mask bribes, and authorities need to take earnest steps to curb corruption,
experts say.
Associate Professor Dang Ngoc Dinh, of the Centre for
Community Support Development Studies, said excessive gifts on special
occasions, such as Tet, and at weddings and funerals, are becoming
symptomatic of the complicated corruption situation in Vietnam.
The government inspectorate recently launched a hotline for
reporting cases of bribery and corruption during Tet.
Dinh said that while such a measure was welcome, it would not
necessarily be effective because a bribe could easily be passed off as a
legitimate gift.
"Only the givers and receivers would know," he said.
"But we can generally understand that normal gifts are more symbolic
while bribes would be more expensive. When corruption can't be curbed, people
will continue giving bribes during special occasions."
Dinh said that while a gift might not be cash, the gift given
was often chosen so it could easily be converted into money.
Historian Le Van Lan and economist Ngo Tri Long said the
custom to give gifts during Tet has been corrupted.
Long said the government should direct agencies and officials
to refuse gifts, but the practice is so commonplace and reaches down to the
lowest levels of society that the opportunity for corruption can only grow
worse.
Lan said, "Don't let this custom become a burden for many
people, especially poor people."
Huynh Phong Tranh, the chief of the Government Inspectorate,
said corporate sector corruption remains a serious and complex problem,
especially in finance and banking, land and natural resources management and
exploitation, and public investment.
The Corruption Perceptions Index 2014, released by
Transparency International, showed that Vietnam ranked 119 out of 175
countries. Vietnam’s CPI score has remained unchanged for three years.
In 2014, Vietnam stepped up its fight against corruption,
prosecuting a number of corporate entities for corruption, with several
high-profile trials leading to death sentences, as in the case of former
Vinalines chairman Duong Chi Dung, who was convicted of buying an outdated
floating dock, causing a loss of VND700bn to the state.
Peach blossom plants in south
As the Lunar New Year, or Tet, is drawing near, all people
look busy doing some frantic shopping in preparation for the biggest
traditional festivity of the year. The things they buy most these days
include foodstuffs and decorative items, especially flowers.
Hundreds of species of flowers and ornamental plants have been
put on sale at shops and farms in HCMC, including peach blossom trees, which
can only be grown in the northern region and which are a favorite of
northerners.
Of late, the pinkish color of the peach blossom trees adds yet
another touch to the festive atmosphere in the southern region which is
famous for such ornamental plants as apricot blossom, kumquat, chrysanthemum
and orchid.
Scores of stands in Hoang Van Thu Park have been set up to
sell peach blossom plants. Dang Van Duy, a stand tenant, said, “I have
transported more than 400 peach blossom trees here from farms in Nhat Tan,
Hanoi. This kind of peach blossom has a lot of petals in big flowers and an
exotic pink color. The Nhat Tan peach blossom trees are the most preferred
among many species of the same type.”
According to him, the peach blossom plants from Nhat Tan can
stay fresh for up to a month and bear fruit after flowers fade.
Peach blossom prices are affordable despite high transport
cost and special care. It costs VND1.2-2 million per branch, and VND3-8
million per tree including a pot that is 1.5 to 5 meters high.
There are some big peach blossom trees formed into beautiful
and sophisticated shapes but their prices are high, at dozens of millions of
Vietnam dong.
Though the country’s south is known for the apricot blossom
with brightly yellow flowers, more southerners have a preference for peach
blossoms.
Vietnamese expats gather for Tet celebrations
About 300 overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) gathered on February 12 cheering the homeland’s Lunar New Year
(Tet) at a get-together organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UAE.
Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Pham
Binh Dam reviewed the prominent events of the two countries in 2014.
He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in the UAE
will maintain their unity and do more for the homeland’s development while
reiterating the State’s policy of treating OVs as an inseparable part of the
nation.
The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria hosted a Tet
gathering for the Vietnamese community there.
Ambassador Vu The Hiep praised contributions made by the
Vietnamese community to the homeland and to the friendship between Vietnam
and Algeria and extended a great New Year wish to the OVs.
A similar function was organised in Mexico on February 12.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Le Linh Lan described 2015 as
a special year for the Vietnam-Mexico relationship with numerous important
activities, especially those to mark to 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties
between the two countries.
Nguyen Huu Dong, representing the expats in the country,
pledged that the Vietnamese community will bring into full play the
solidarity to make more contributions to the homeland and the relationship
between Vietnam and Mexico.
Overseas Vietnamese welcome Tet in Czech, Indonesia
Vietnam’s Embassies in the Czech Republic and Indonesia on
February 12 held meetings for the Vietnamese communities there to welcome the
2015 Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Truong Manh Son,
emphasised that Vietnam will mark many important events in 2015 such as the
40th anniversary of the country’s unification and the 70th national day as
well as State President Truong Tan Sang’s visit to the Czech Republic.
He called for the Vietnamese community to welcome those events
with practical acts.
Hoang Dinh Thang, Chairman of the Vietnamese Community in the
Czech Republic, said he hoped achievements in the strengthening and
development of the friendship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic would
move to a new level.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Nguyen Xuan
Thuy, affirmed the State and Party’s consistent policy of considering
overseas Vietnamese an inseparable part of Vietnamese people.
Thuy expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in
Indonesia continues staying united, supporting each other, preserving
national identities and together building the home country.
He also encouraged the Vietnamese in Indonesia to act as a
bridge to further promote the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation
between the two countries.
Trade between Vietnam and Indonesia reached US$5.3 billion in
2014, exceeding the target of US$5 billion set for 2015, Thuy said.
Sugar smugglers arrested in Delta
The Ministry of Public Security police have indicted six
members of an alleged sugar smuggling gang in the Mekong Delta after raids
last week unearthed hundreds of tonnes of sugar and vehicles thought to be
used for smuggling in their possession.
The six include the alleged kingpin of the large gang, Vy
Nguon Thanh, 48, of Chau Doc city in An Giang Province.
The other five arrested are all An Giang residents, namely
Tran Thi Thu Hong, Le Tong Quang, Tran Thi Hoa Phuong, Huynh Trung Hoa, and
Nguyen Van Tung.
On February 7, officers raided several warehouses in Chau Phu
A Ward in Chau Doc thought to be used to store contraband sugar from
Thailand.
They arrested Thanh and nearly 40 others for allegedly
illegally transporting goods across the border and trading them, and seized
754 tonnes of sugar, eight lorries, two motorboats, and VND40 million in cash.
On the same day warehouses owned by Thanh's family in nearby
An Phu District were searched and nearly 200 tonnes of sugar were seized.
Sugar currently costs VND16,500-17,000 per kilogramme in the
market while Thai sugar sells for a mere VND12,000 along Viet Nam's border
with Cambodia, according to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
Last year authorities in An Giang Province seized 790 tonnes
of contraband sugar, 3.6 times the previous year's figure.
Nguyen Thanh Long, chairman of the Viet Nam Sugar and Cane Association,
said sugar has been smuggled into Viet Nam over the Cambodia border for
several years, with some 500,000 tonnes brought in a year, representing a
third of Viet Nam's own output.
Apart from the loss caused to local farmers, the smuggling
also denies some VND700 billion (nearly US$33 million) in tax revenues to the
state coffers.
Since early January police and market watch forces in An Giang
have been carrying on a campaign against smuggling in border areas.
While the police are trying to combat the problem, the
smuggling is becoming more sophisticated and rife with Tet approaching and
demand for various products increasing. Gold, electronics, wood, and wine are
some of the most popular items with smugglers.
They often bring the goods in the middle of the night or early
in the morning to get them over the border easily, Phan Loi, head of the An
Giang Market Watch Agency, said.
They also disguise the products and change locations to make
it more difficult for authorities to find them, he added.
Seed reserves to supply local farmers
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen
Thanh Nam has issued an official copy of 2015's national seeds reserve, with
the goal of providing enough seeds and seedlings for nationwide agricultural
production.
Farmers nationwide will receive 1,667 tonnes of plant seeds,
1,400 tonnes of rice seeds and 267 tonnes of maize seeds. The Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) asked reserve units to supply the
seeds and seeds free of charge.
The central seeds company will provide 790 tonnes of rice
seeds and 190 tonnes of maize seeds, while the southern seeds joint-stock
company plans to supply 280 tonnes of rice seeds and 42 tonnes of maize
seeds. Thua Thien-Hue domestic animal and seedling joint-stock company will
provide 330 tonnes of rice seeds and 35 tonnes of maize seeds.
The ministry's farming department will be in charge of
distributing seeds to the provinces that need them.
The ministry also asked the Central Fruit and Plant Seeds
Company to supply 13.7 tonnes of vegetable seeds from the national reserve
fund. This includes 3 tonnes for the northern province of Lang Son, 8 tonnes
for Quang Tri, 1.5 tonnes for Phu Yen and 1.2 tonnes for Khanh Hoa.
Local authorities will be responsible for allocating seedlings
to farmers and report to the ministry every month.
Tran Manh Bao, general director of Thai Binh seedlings
joint-stock company, said the Government should set up a law on seedlings and
improve administrative procedures to recognise new seedlings.
A strategy to develop the agricultural seedling sector is in
the works. Currently, 65 per cent of hybrid rice seeds are imported.
Cancer patients receive gifts for Tet
The VTV fund for cancer patients and CVI Pharmaceutical
Company donated 400 gifts to patients at the Tan Trieu National Cancer
Hospital in Ha Noi yesterday.
The gifts, each worth VND600,000- 900,000 (US$30-45), included
cancer handbooks, medicine and confectionery.
The hospital currently has around 3,000 patients, of which
around 400 serious patients have to stay at the hospital during Tet for
treatment.
Viet Nam reports 200,000 new cancer cases yearly, 80 per cent
of which were discovered in the late stages, according to the National Cancer
Prevention Programme.
Japan provides aid for healthcare projects
The Japanese Government yesterday signed a contract providing
non-refundable aid worth more than US$307,690 for three projects on
healthcare and education in Viet Nam.
The aid will be divided into three parts. The first part of
nearly $101,700 will be used to build a primary school in Ngoc My Commune in
northern Vinh Phuc.
The second part of $103,000 will be used to supply medical
equipment to northern Ha Nam Province's Eye Hospital.
The last part, with the same amount of money, will be used to
purchase learning equipment for vocational training in the province's Phu Ly
City.
Ambassador Hiroshi Fukada said the aid would bring hope to
patients with eye diseases, a better studying environment for primary
students and career chances for young farmers.
Cost of relief house helpers up this Tet
Seasonal home helpers are earning more than double the usual
daily rate as many regular household employees take time off during the Tet
holiday, agencies say.
Cost of relief house helpers up this Tet
Home help agencies are reporting a hike in daily rates in
Hanoi of up to four times the normal rate as regular home helpers take time
off to head home for the holiday.
"The price of house help for Tet is between
VND400,000-500,000 a day," one broker said, adding that the usual rate
was about VND200,000.
An agency in Cau Giay District is broker helpers at
VND520,000.
"Families are very careful when choosing house
helpers," a representative said.
Most relief helpers at this agency were middle-age woman from
rural areas experienced in seasonal domestic work and with good references.
Phuong, a manager at a broker agency in My Dinh Commune, said
she had been inundated with dozens of calls and internet messages seeking
relief workers during Tet.
Nguyen Duc Hung in Hanoi said he was looking for someone who
was familiar with household electrical equipment and every year he needed to
find a casual house helper.
"The prices differ each year, but this year prices are
especially high, staying at around VND500,000 a day for a helper," he
said. "We also have to pay a broker fee of VND800,000."
Nguyen Thi Dinh, a seasonal helper from Thanh Hoa Province,
said, "It's normal the price during Tet is higher since the workload
will increase.
"I can earn tens of millions of VND during Tet," she
said.
Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/ND
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Thứ Bảy, 14 tháng 2, 2015
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