Social News 11/3
Vietnam liaises
with China to rescue fishermen in distress
Vietnam’s authorised
agencies have informed the Chinese side about reports that a Vietnamese
fishing boat sank in the Hoang Sa archipelago area and seek coordination to
verify information and to search for the five fishermen on board.
Responding to reporters’
question on March 9, a representative of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s
Consular Department said according to Vietnamese agencies, on the morning of
March 8, a fishing boat coded KH 96440 TS of central Khanh Hoa province with
five fishermen on board sank 41 nautical miles southeast of Linh Con Island
in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago.
Shortly after being
notified of the incident, the Consular Department sent a diplomatic note to
the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, and ordered the Vietnamese Embassy in China to
immediately inform and coordinate with Chinese relevant agencies to verify
the information and search for the fishermen.
Vietnamese agencies are
also working closely on the incident and take urgent measures to save the
five fishermen, the representative added.
Aid package
helps localities cope with drought, saline intrusion
The Prime Minister has
approved an aid package worth 523.7 billion VND (23.5 million USD) for 34
localities across the nation to address the consequences of drought and
saltwater intrusion during the 2015-2016 Winter-Spring crops.
Earlier in February, the
Government leader also agreed to provide 85.1 billion VND (3.8 million USD)
for six localities to counter drought and saline intrusion in the 2015
Summer-Autumn crops.
It is predicted that
drought and saline intrusion will peak in March, but will last until June.
Across the Mekong Delta
– the country’s largest rice producer, As many as 140,000ha of rice has been
damaged so far, nearly 90,000 ha of which resulted in a 70 percent loss.
In the 2015-2016
winter-spring crop, there are 339,200ha of rice in coastal Mekong Delta
provinces prone to saltwater intrusion and drought, accounting for 21.9
percent of the region’s total rice area, 104,000ha of which have already been
severely impacted.
If the drought prolongs
till June, nearly 500,000ha of rice will have to remain unsown, equivalent to
over 40 percent of the total area of coastal provinces and 30 percent of the
overall cultivation acreage in the region.
More than 150,000
regional households with 600,000 people are lacking fresh water.
Mass
mobilisation commission head greets Cambodian youth federation
The Vietnamese State and
Government always support and encourage exchanges and cooperation between
Vietnamese and Cambodian youth, which helps educate the young about the
traditional relations of the two countries.
Head of the Party
Central Committee’s Commission on Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai made the
statement during a reception for a high-ranking delegation from the Union of
Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC), led by President Hun Many, on March 9.
Mai hailed the delegation’s
visit, believing that it will play a significant role in deepening solidarity
and traditional relations between the two countries.
She hoped that the two
countries’ youth will treasure the bilateral friendship and cooperation,
aiming to build prosperous Vietnam and Cambodia for regional and global peace
and devleopment.
UYFC President Hun Many
thanked Vietnam’s support for his country in the past, affirming that
cooperation between the two nations’ youth has been enhanced with various
programmes such as cultural exchanges and volunteer activities.
The UYFC will work
closely with the Vietnam Youth Federation and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth
Union to elevate the friendship to a new height, he added.
Japan supports
rural infrastructure development in Son La
The Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) will invest in ten more rural infrastructure
projects in the northern mountainous province of Son La, said Chairman of the
provincial People’s Committee Cam Ngoc Minh.
As such, 200 billion VND
(9 million USD) worth of loans from Japan’s official development assistance
will be poured into seven irrigation, one transport and two electricity
projects.
Son La is committed to
creating favourable conditions for construction to begin on these projects in
early 2016.
Earlier, JICA offered
10.4 million USD in non-refundable grants for a five-year project on
sustainable natural resources management across five provinces – Son La, Hoa
Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lam Dong.
The project works to
contribute to relevant agencies’ effort to raise forest coverage to 47
percent by 2020.
Financial aid
for employer of ethnic minorities
The Prime Minister has
approved 1.37 billion VND (62,000 USD) in financial aid for the Vietnam Paper
Corporation (Vinapaco), which is employing ethnic minorities coming from
remote mountainous and especially disadvantaged areas.
The sum, sourced from
the State budget, will be used to cover social, health and unemployment
insurance premiums from 2013-2014 for workers at the Vinapaco’s Cau Ham
forestry company.
He requested the use and
management of the aid be in line with the law.
Quang Ngai:
maritime logistics ship sets sail
The central province of
Quang Ngai began operating Ly Son 168, a modern ship serving maritime
logistics, at Sa Ky seaport on March 9.
Supported by the
government’s preferential policies for fishery development, the ship cost
over 31.7 billion VND (1.42 million USD) to build, 25.7 billion VND (1.15
million USD) of which was borrowed from Agribank.
Being 45.68 metres in
length and 7.69 metres in width, it is designed to carry 674 tonnes of goods
and travel at a maximum speed of 12 nautical miles per hour.
The vessel features fish
tanks, a freezer storage system, a seawater ice-making machine and a
processing workshop.
It is capable of storing
approximately 50 tonnes of food supplies, which can cater to about 30
offshore fishing ships.
Captain Tran Van Gau
said Ly Son 168 will offer services to help fishermen work at sea longer and
more effectively.
Nhan dan
newspaper marks 65 years since first issue
The Nhan dan (People)
newspaper, the official organ of the Party Central Committee, celebrated 65
years of its first issue (March 11, 1951) and was granted with the
Independence Order (first class) for its dedication, on March 9.
The ceremony took place
in Hanoi in the presence of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
Politburo member and
Standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Dinh The Huynh
said since the first issue, Nhan dan has continually developed and strived to
deserve the title “the Party’s political and ideological flag” in the field
of press.
He asked the staff to be
fully aware of the daily’s functions and tasks, timely and faithfully reflect
the situation in Vietnam and the world, and publicise and encourage people
from all strata to comply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s
policies and laws.
In 1951 amid the
resistance war against France, the second National Party Congress in Kim Binh
commune of northern Tuyen Quang province decided to publish the Nhan dan,
replacing the Su That (Truth) newspaper.
The daily is currently a
multimedia press agency. It has been presented with the Gold Star Order and
the Ho Chi Minh Order – the two noblest orders, and the titles of Labour Hero
and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.
Finland, HCM
City enhance cooperation
Le Van Khoa, Vice
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, suggested Finland
cooperate with the city in such areas as education, information-technology,
technical infrastructure development, energy, environment and waste-water
treatment.
At a reception for
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Lenita Toivakka, and
Finnish businesses in HCM City on March 9, Khoa highlighted developments in
relations between Vietnam and Finland in recent years.
Finland has invested in
six projects valued at 1.8 million USD in the southern metropolis, mostly in
the processing industry, information-communications, and science and
technology, he said.
However, the figure
remains moderate compared with more than 40 billion USD in foreign direct
investment (FDI) poured into the city, he said, expressing his hope that
after the visit, the delegation will help encourage Finnish businesses to
increase their investments in the locality.
Lenita Toivakka
suggested the two countries work with each other to seek new forms of
cooperation as there is substantial potential for trade and investment.
Many investment
priorities for HCM City like IT, energy and clean technology are also some of
Finland’s strengths, the minister said, adding that her country has about
3,000 enterprises operating in clean technology and waste-water treatment.
She pledged to introduce
cooperative potential between Finland and HCM City and Vietnam at large with
Finnish businesses following her visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
UK helps develop
training quality assurance system in Vietnam
A conference was held on
March 8 in Hanoi to review the first phase of a UK-supported programme on
building and developing a vocational training quality assurance system in
Vietnam.
The programme, part of a
partnership between Vietnamese and UK vocational training colleges, has been
carried out by the British Council in collaboration with the Vocational
Training Accreditation Department under the General Directorate of Vocational
Training (GDVT).
At the conference,
representatives from Vietnamese vocational colleges appreciated the
programme’s results in human resource training.
Vocational colleges’
staffs have been trained to improve their teaching ability and provided with
vocational training quality assurance tools with reference to the UK’s model
and experience.
Thanks to these,
teachers have become more active in applying student- centred teaching
methods while students’ research and teamwork capacities have improved
remarkably.
British Council Director
in Vietnam Cherry Gough said that the system helps training meet demands of
both trainees and employers.
Also at the event,
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Huynh Van Ti and Lord
Puttnam, the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy, witnessed the signing for the
second phase of the programme.
June designated
national action month against domestic violence
The Prime Minister has
decided to designate June as the National Action Month against Domestic
Violence.
During the month, a
series of activities will be held to improve public awareness of fighting domestic
violence and raising the responsibility of departments, agencies and the
public for protecting women and children, building happy families, as well as
commending outstanding individuals and organisations throughout the cause.
The leader also asked ministries,
departments concerned and localities to carry out the drive in a practical,
effective and economical manner.
ADB-funded
project helps Ha Giang develop green city
The northern mountainous
city of Ha Giang will become a green city once the Secondary Cities (Green
Cities) Development Project II – Ha Giang subproject is completed in the next
five years.
The information was
revealed at a March 8 working session between the People’s Committee of the
northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) on the implementation of the subproject.
Funded by the ADB, the
51.14 million USD subproject will be implemented in 2016-2020, with a view to
improving living conditions for locals, especially ethnic minorities.
According to Vice
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial
People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son, Ha Giang has supported ADB experts in
collecting information serving the project and submitted related plans to the
Ministry of Planning and Investment for approval.
The project aims to help
Ha Giang develop green urban areas, focusing on promoting sustainable
environment and improving economic competitiveness, said Hubert Jenny, an ADB
expert in urban development.
Technical assessments
and analyses related to finance, economy, environment quality and climate
change will be made during the project, thus facilitating the application of
green infrastructure principles in subprojects, he added.
Son also mentioned
difficulties facing Ha Giang in developing urban areas, adding that the
project is in accord with the province’s planning and the national target
programme on climate change adaptation approved by the Prime Minister.
According to the ADB,
the Secondary Cities Development Project II will pilot integrated urban
development and environment improvement through implementation of green city
action plans (GCAPs) in three secondary cities in Vietnam, namely Ha Giang
(Ha Giang province), Hue (Thua Thien Hue province), and Vinh Yen (Vinh Phuc
province).
Inefficient urban
infrastructure services, lack of resource management, and degraded
environmental quality constrain the localities’ growth potential.
The project will finance
subprojects that respond to stakeholder priorities to improve environmental
quality, and strengthen disaster risk management, climate resilience, and
urban infrastructure to enable competitiveness, the bank said.
Japan supports
rural infrastructure development in Son La
The Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) will invest in ten more rural infrastructure
projects in the northern mountainous province of Son La, said Chairman of the
provincial People’s Committee Cam Ngoc Minh.
As such, 200 billion VND
(9 million USD) worth of loans from Japan’s official development assistance
will be poured into seven irrigation, one transport and two electricity
projects.
Son La is committed to
creating favourable conditions for construction to begin on these projects in
early 2016.
Earlier, JICA offered
10.4 million USD in non-refundable grants for a five-year project on
sustainable natural resources management across five provinces – Son La, Hoa
Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Lam Dong.
The project works to
contribute to relevant agencies’ effort to raise forest coverage to 47
percent by 2020.
Conference seeks to improve
humanitarian health care
A conference was held in
Hanoi on March 9 to improve the efficiency of blood donation, humanitarian
medical examination and treatment campaigns in 2016.
Minister of Health
Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said Vietnam collected over 1.15 million units of blood
in 2015, 8.4 times over 1994, when the first blood donation drive was
launched.
She raised the fact
that, the country has nearly 3,000 blood donation clubs with more than
114,000 members.
The Vietnam Red Cross
Society along with the Ministry of Health, the General Political Department
of the Vietnam People’s Army, and the Vietnam Young Doctors’ Association have
worked together to implement the programme on humanitarian health check-ups
and treatment between 2014 and 2017.
The programme aims to
provide free treatment and medicines for at least one million patients
nationwide, especially poor people, social policy beneficiaries, ethnic
minority groups and those living in remote, sea, island and border districts.
In 2015, it held over
4,000 charitable medical examinations drives, 1.6 times against the previous
year, and provided free medicine for nearly 1.7 million people, up 47 percent
over 2014.
In 2016, the programme
is looking to provide free health check-ups for at least 1.3 million patients
across the country and collect nearly 1.2 million units of blood.
Ha Noi police
force ramps up drug fight
Ha Noi City police are
coordinating with Customs to escalate the fight against drug smuggling,
especially aboard flights. International drug trafficking rings are becoming
increasingly sophisticated at this.
the city’s Drug Crime
Investigation Police Department discovered and stopped 2,502 drug
transporting and smuggling cases IN 2015, confiscating 3,210 objects as
evidence. Several large-scale drug smuggling rings were razed by the city’s
police.
Police experts predict
that increasing drug-related crime and social evils this year are likely to
occur mainly in the city. Key areas transporting drugs to Haø Noäi are still
the Northwest, Northeast, the northern part of the central region, and the
South. Drugs are transported by air, sea, railway, and road.
Transporting and
smuggling large quantities of drugs, especially synthetic drugs, is likely to
continue to increase.
Methods of transporting
illegal drugs and drug-related crimes are becoming more sophisticated.
Smugglers cooperate with other types of criminals to set up large-scale
international and interprovincial drug trafficking rings.
Of special concern is
the increase in transporting drugs illegally by air, postal services and
courier. Narcotics from online sources are transported into Vietnam and other
countries for consumption, including mainly synthetic drugs such as Methaphetamin
from the Middle East and drug precursors from China and Australia.
Since the beginning of
the year, Haø Noäi’s drug crime police have cooperated with other police
forces to launch offensives against drug-related crimes in all key areas of
the country. Police forces have been investigating many drug crime groups and
arresting ringleaders, when possible.
Hanoi’s drug crime
police work closely with the Ministry of Public Security and other
drug-related agencies and departments under the city’s Customs. All those
involved aim to share information and support each other, for the purpose of
preventing international drug rings from transporting drugs through the city.
Cononel Nguyen Hoang Ky,
head of the city’s Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, said they plan
to launch at least three offensives against drug-related crime this year. The
department will join with post offices, customs, sea police and airport
security to escalate the fight against drug drime. Hanoi police will
co-ordinate with international police - especially those nations sharing
borders with Vietnam, including China, Lao and Cambodia - to wipe out large
drug trafficking rings.
Yen Bai receives
solar lanterns
Some 702 solar lanterns
have been provided to the northern Yen Bai Province by Panasonic in an
integrated environmental event jointly organised by Vietnam Environment
Administration and World Vision International Vietnam.
Panasonic’s global 100
Thousand Solar Lanterns project reached Việt Nam for the first time in 2015,
with 630 solar lanterns donated to Dien Bien Province. Similar devices will
also be given to Thanh Hoa Province this year, bringing the total number of
lanterns donated to the country to 1,632.
Over 50,000 lanterns
have been donated to 14 countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Myanmar and the Philippines. By 2018, the corporation will bring light to
more people in non-electrified areas, especially in Asia and Africa.
“We have received
positive feedback from last year’s donation. In donating solar lanterns to
Vietnam, Panasonic wants to promote the use of renewable energy and
eco-friendly products by society for a better life and a better world,”
Panasonic Vietnam General Director Eiji Fukumori said.
House for AO
victims opens in Da Nang
The Da Nang City
Association for Victims of Agent Orange (DAVA) inaugurated a house for Agent
Orange (AO) victims with polio in Hòa Nhơn Commune in Hoa Vang District
yesterday.
The house, which was
built with a donation from Singaporean Harold Chan Soo York, will help 20
children born with polio.
Children will receive
treatment and rehabilitation at the centre from the centre’s staff and
doctors from Da Nang’s General Hospital.
According to DAVA,
Harold Chan has donated VNÑ1.2 billion (US$53,000) and $36,000 to DAVA to
help AO victims in the city.
The centre is home to 90
AO-affected children.
Da Nang is home to more
than 5,000 AO victims, of which 1,400 are children.
Over VND44 billion
($1.95 million) was raised from domestic and foreign donors in supporting for
AO victims in the city.
Vietnam to
import meningitis vaccine doses in April
Some 160,000 meningitis
vaccine doses will be imported to Vietnam in April, according to the Department
of Medicine Management under the Ministry of Health (MoH).
This move comes in light
of the recent appearance of many meningitis cases in Hanoi and other
provinces, so the demand for vaccines against the disease has increased.
Of the imported vaccines,
60,000 doses are polysaccharide meningococcal AC vaccine from France and
100,000 are VA-MENGOC-BC.
According to a report by
an import company, Vietnam has imported more than 90,000 AC vaccine doses and
400,000 BC doses since July last year.
Nearly 150,000 BC
vaccine doses are in the import company’s stores.
Meningococcal disease
can refer to any illness that is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis
bacteria, also known as meningococcus as given by Centres for Disease Control
and Prevention.
These illnesses are
often severe and symptoms include infections of the lining of the brain and
spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or
septicemia).
The bacteria can be
carried in the throat and, sometimes, for unknown reasons, can overwhelm the
body’s defences, allowing the infection to spread through the blood to the
brain.
If not treated in time,
the disease progresses and the patient can die.
Thousands of
households in Tra Vinh suffer from drough
More than 13,000 farming
households in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh are suffering damage from
the prolonged drought and saltwater infiltration, said an official from the
provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
More than 11,000ha of
winter-spring rice crops have been affected, mostly in the districts of Tra
Cu, Tieu Can, Chau Thanh, Duyen Hai and Tra Vinh City, causing losses of more
than VNĐ5 billion (US$225,000).
According to the
department director, Tran Trung Hien, saltwater has penetrated over 60km
inland. The salinity concentrations recorded in the Cai Hop culvert of the Cổ
Chiên River was as high as 13.6 parts per thousand (ppt), up from 7.2ppt
recorded during the same period last year.
The figures were 7.2 and
4.8ppt in the Rach Rum culvert and the Tan Dinh canal, respectively. The
acceptable concentration limit is 2ppt.
The agricultural sector
has accelerated the dredging of canals while pumping water into key
irrigational systems.
Technical assistance and
consultation services have been provided for local farmers to help them
cultivate and use irrigation water effectively during these tough conditions.
The restructuring of
crops is one of the measures being adopted to cope with the severe weather
and salt influx. The winter-spring rice crop will be replaced with other
crops in the districts of Tra Cu, Chau Thanh, Cau Ngang and Duyen Hai. Local
farmers are also encouraged to use salt-tolerant rice varieties.
A mere 5,800ha out of a
total of 76,000ha winter-spring rice fields have been harvested. The
remaining are in a critical period of development.
Forest fires
rage for hours in Binh Duong, Dien Bien
Three forest fires
happened in Dau Tieng District, the southern province of Binh Duong during
just two days of March 8 and 9, destroying more than 4 hectares of natural
forest.
All the three fires took
place high on Cau Mountain, which caused difficulties to firefighters.
Head of the provincial
forest ranger department said investigation is underway for the cause of the
fires.
The department issued
warning for forest fire at highest level in early March after a series of
fires broke out as a consequence of prolonged hot weather.
In the northern province
of Dien Bien, a forest fire began on the early hour yesterday. Around 200 people
fought to put out the fire, which subdued by 17h30 the same day.
Nearly 100 ha of
forests, mostly trees dried out from the record snow and freezing weather
earlier this year, were burnt down.
IDECAF to hold
French-language film fest
The French Language Film
Festival will be held at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France
(IDECAF) from March 16-21.
The festival will
feature nine French-language feature films, animation films and documentary
films from Canada, Egypt, France, Switzerland and Wallonie-Bruxelles.
IDECAF is at 28 Le Thanh
Ton Street in District 1. Admission is VNĐ40,000. More information on the
festival and screening schedule can be found at
www.festivaldufilm.francophonie.org.vn
Northern flower
festival attracts visitors with fireworks, parades
The 2016 Ban Flower
Festival will commence on Sunday with a firework show at the Victory Monument
in Dien Bein Phu.
The city has begun
preparations for the festival with more than 300 ban flower trees on display
in the city streets.
The festival is expected
to attract thousands of domestic and foreign visitors. Numerous cultural
activities are to be held during the festival, including a ban flower photo
contest, traditional dance performances from ethnic groups, street parades,
exhibitions and folk games.
The ban flower, also
known as Bauhinia Variegata, is found in the northern mountains of Việt Nam
and blossoms during spring.
June designated
national action month against domestic violence
The Prime Minister has
decided to designate June as the National Action Month against Domestic
Violence.
During the month, a
series of activities will be held to improve public awareness of fighting
domestic violence and raising the responsibility of departments, agencies and
the public for protecting women and children, building happy families, as
well as commending outstanding individuals and organisations throughout the
cause.
The leader also asked
ministries, departments concerned and localities to carry out the drive in a
practical, effective and economical manner.
UK helps develop
training quality assurance system in Vietnam
A conference was held on
March 8 in Hanoi to review the first phase of a UK-supported programme on
building and developing a vocational training quality assurance system in
Vietnam.
The programme, part of a
partnership between Vietnamese and UK vocational training colleges, has been
carried out by the British Council in collaboration with the Vocational
Training Accreditation Department under the General Directorate of Vocational
Training (GDVT).
At the conference,
representatives from Vietnamese vocational colleges appreciated the
programme’s results in human resource training.
Vocational colleges’
staffs have been trained to improve their teaching ability and provided with
vocational training quality assurance tools with reference to the UK’s model
and experience.
Thanks to these,
teachers have become more active in applying student- centred teaching
methods while students’ research and teamwork capacities have improved
remarkably.
British Council Director
in Vietnam Cherry Gough said that the system helps training meet demands of
both trainees and employers.
Also at the event,
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Huynh Van Ti and Lord
Puttnam, the UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy, witnessed the signing for the
second phase of the programme.
ADB-funded
project helps Ha Giang develop green city
The northern mountainous
city of Ha Giang will become a green city once the Secondary Cities (Green
Cities) Development Project II – Ha Giang subproject is completed in the next
five years.
The information was
revealed at a March 8 working session between the People’s Committee of the
northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) on the implementation of the subproject.
Funded by the ADB, the
US$51.14 million subproject will be implemented in 2016-2020, with a view to
improving living conditions for locals, especially ethnic minorities.
According to Vice
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial
People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son, Ha Giang has supported ADB experts in
collecting information serving the project and submitted related plans to the
Ministry of Planning and Investment for approval.
The project aims to help
Ha Giang develop green urban areas, focusing on promoting sustainable
environment and improving economic competitiveness, said Hubert Jenny, an ADB
expert in urban development.
Technical assessments
and analyses related to finance, economy, environment quality and climate
change will be made during the project, thus facilitating the application of
green infrastructure principles in subprojects, he added.
Son also mentioned
difficulties facing Ha Giang in developing urban areas, adding that the
project is in accord with the province’s planning and the national target programme
on climate change adaptation approved by the Prime Minister.
According to the ADB,
the Secondary Cities Development Project II will pilot integrated urban
development and environment improvement through implementation of green city
action plans (GCAPs) in three secondary cities in Vietnam, namely Ha Giang
(Ha Giang province), Hue (Thua Thien Hue province), and Vinh Yen (Vinh Phuc
province).
Inefficient urban
infrastructure services, lack of resource management, and degraded
environmental quality constrain the localities’ growth potential.
The project will finance
subprojects that respond to stakeholder priorities to improve environmental
quality, and strengthen disaster risk management, climate resilience, and
urban infrastructure to enable competitiveness, the bank said.
JICA funds
infrastructure in Son La
The Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently met with the Son La Provincial People’s
Committee to discuss the development challenges the northern mountainous
province faces.
The meeting was also
attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MARD) along with members the press and the local business
community.
At the conclusion of the
meeting, Cam Ngoc Minh, chair of the committee, announced the JICA has agreed
to provide US$11.6 million to fund 10 infrastructure projects, related to
irrigation, transport and electricity.
The city will contribute
an additional US$263,000 towards them, said Chairman Minh.
Saigon Corner NZ
wins Food Truck Face Off
Saigon Corner NZ took
home the top prize on March 6 at the first ever Food Truck Face Off in New
Zealand.
At the competition, 14
trucks from across the North Island of New Zealand made their way to
Palmerston North to battle for the right to be called the ultimate New
Zealand food truck.
The event featured a
huge variety of food including Mexican, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese,
Thai, Indian, Pacific, Sri Lankian, Italian, Vietnamese and classical
favourites from USA and New Zealand.
Participants had to have
a focus on authentic cultural food, with a mixture of styles from traditional
dishes through to natural ingredient-based menus.
The changing
lives of women in Vietnam
Market researcher TNS
Vietnam takes a qualitative look at the evolving role of Vietnamese women in
celebration of InternationalWomen’s Day.
Model Ninh Hoang Ngan
poses in a photo taken in Ho Chi Minh City.
TNS is part of Kantar, a
data investment management division of WPP, and one of the world's largest
insight, information and consultancy groups.
“Today in Vietnam, as
they have done throughout the country’s history, women play a vital role in
all aspects of society,” says David Watts, research director and head of
qualitative research at TNS Vietnam.
“As the pressures of
modern life grow and women strive to balance tradition with modernity, there
is an important role for manufacturers to play in understanding and
empathizing with their changing lives, to develop more relevant and
beneficial products, and to form deeply connected brands.”
According to TNS’s
research, while there are more opportunities available for women today than
in the past, this also leads to additional stress and responsibilities.
Women are now much more
able to prove their abilities and succeed in the workplace, especially in
urban areas, however traditional family and household responsibilities still
remain. This means busier lives and better time management are required to
maintain their personal and professional lives.
Women today are
attempting to balance both tradition and modernity, while enjoying the best
of both.
In today’s Vietnam,
women feel more able to experiment and define themselves how they want as
norms evolve and change.
Increasingly, women are
engaging with a range of activities previously considered uncommon. For
example going to beer clubs with friends or colleagues, where old stigmas
attached to drinking have all been removed. In addition, women today are much
more likely to be meeting up with friends at events, traveling for work and
dating more casually than in previous generations.
Today’s woman feels more
empowered to express herself in thought and action. However, more traditional
values around caring for a family and respecting elders continue to be upheld
and remain a core part of their identity.
At the same time as
maintaining social traditions, women still face pressure to be up to date and
informed.
With much greater access
to information than in the past via new media and the Internet, as well as
through the ever-present influence of friends and relatives, women are
expected to use this information in their important role as nurturers.
For example, as the
Vietnamese market becomes increasingly flooded with new products, there is
growing awareness of health and safety threats in food and other household
items. Being well informed is an important part of fulfilling a woman’s
responsibilities, and so the modern Vietnamese woman is expected to make
smart decisions for herself and her loved ones.
As the main food
shoppers, for women with families, balancing the budget is also important.
However as the economy changes, increasingly they are seeing less and less in
their baskets for their money. It therefore follows that it is women who are
becoming more and more discerning in terms of the brand value choices they
make every day.
The role of digital
media and the way it has shaped women’s behavior in Vietnam are significant.
With increasing engagement online, searches for information about worldwide
trends, products and services are commonplace, as is the need to connect
socially and express themselves via social media.
The rapid growth in
smartphone ownership, with 72 percent of urban women currently owning
smartphones, has been an influential factor in the evolution of modern
Vietnamese women, keeping them up to date and connected.
Socializing online now
takes up more time for young women than socializing in real life. With the
growing popularity of social networking, women can now express themselves
more easily in public forums, often becoming a cathartic channel to share
deeper emotions, challenges and pressures, as well as offering empathy and
support to others.
As women become
increasingly busy and time poor, convenience and efficiency become more important.
Women value products and
services which allow them to complete their daily tasks quickly and
effectively, without feeling they are taking shortcuts or neglecting their
role.
Compared to the past,
women are now more open and receptive to options which free up their time to
focus on more important things, including spending quality time with the
family or pursuing personal hobbies.
Through this qualitative
research, TNS has observed differences throughout the various life stages of
Vietnamese women.
For young women aged
18-22, there is a trend towards exploration and a yearning for freedom and
self-expression.
For women who are
considered young adults (23-30), it is a time for proving themselves in
careers and establishing a family. Along with opportunities granted to them
in the professional realm, there is also a desire to consolidate their
personal image as well as engaging socially with their peers.
Women aged 31 to 45 are
focused more on family responsibilities (often combined with work) and
experience the most pressure balancing home and work life. This is where the
stress of balancing tradition and modernity reaches its peak.
Finally, as Vietnamese
women progress beyond age 46 one can see a general trend towards a more
health-conscious attitude and a bigger focus on self-actualization, with
greater clarity about themselves, their needs and how to express them.
Young women are
particularly important in this time of transition, as it is them who change
trends and become pioneers in evolving the role of women.
TNS said it expects the
modern Vietnamese women to continue to evolve, with greater exposure to
information and the outside world, while core Vietnamese values and
traditions will also continue to remain relevant and important to their
identity.
“The younger generation
is important to watch as ‘future shapers’, building on the changes and new
opportunities provided by previous generations, but with greater freedom than
in the past to forge their own identities,” the research company said.
KPMG NEXT in
Vietnam
KPMG in Vietnam and the
Center for Support and Development of Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs have
announced the launch of KPMG NEXT, a unique program designed to fast-track
private Vietnamese businesses and entrepreneurs.
Selected participants will
receive intensive training via a series of boot camp workshops to help them
meet the myriad complex challenges they face as they continue to grow into a
sustainable and competitive business.
KPMG NEXT also offers
participants access to unique one-on-one mentoring from an expert advisor
from KPMG Vietnam. The program culminates in a facilitated workshop in
Singapore where entrepreneurs will network with global and regional business
leaders as well as visit innovative companies such as KPMG Singapore, Google,
and LinkedIn.
Mr. Warrick Cleine,
Chairman and CEO of KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia, believes that with the help
of broad networks, advice, and training, good companies can become even
greater.
“KPMG NEXT allows
private businesses here in Vietnam to better understand the challenges
critical to success, so that they can take on the world,” he said. “This is
especially important in 2016 as Vietnam moves further into the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) and adopts further reforms under the TPP and other trade
agreements and Vietnamese companies cannot ignore these challenges and
opportunities.”
Mr. Nguyen Doan Thang,
General Secretary of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and Director
of the Center for Support and Development of Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs,
said that the cooperation with KPMG will provide good opportunities for
Vietnamese entrepreneurs to develop and enhance their capabilities.
“The KPMG NEXT program
will enable Vietnamese businesses to review their current growth strategy and
tactics, understand the latest fund-raising processes, financial management,
and operational management, with a view to transforming their business to a
professionally-managed entity with clearly articulated objectives,” he said.
Applications for KPMG
NEXT are currently open and will close on April 14, with the boot camp
workshops to commence in April. Full details of the program, including
timelines, selection criteria, and the application process can be found on
the KPMG NEXT website, at www.next.kpmg.com.vn.
CapitaLand
commits long term to Vietnam
Singapore’s CapitaLand
has committed to strong growth and long-term investment in Vietnam with a
plan to build the third CapitaLand Hope School.
The commitment was
expressed by Mr. Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO of CapitaLand, to
Mr. Hoang Trung Hai, Politburo Member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party
Committee, on March 7.
“I am pleased to
announce that we plan to build our third CapitaLand Hope School in northern
Vietnam, adding to 27 such schools across Asia,” Mr. Yan said. “These efforts
are part of CapitaLand’s ongoing commitment to building communities in the
countries where we operate.”
Mr. Hai said that
Vietnam’s robust economic and population growth require the construction of
more infrastructure and the introduction of appropriate policy measures, thus
needing real estate development and investment.
This year CapitaLand
marks its 22nd year of operations in Vietnam, having invested in a range of projects
in the residential and service sectors in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong,
Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Nha Trang.
The Singaporean group
has built two CapitaLand Hope Schools in the country - the CapitaLand Nang
Yen Primary Hope School in northern Phu Tho province and the CapitaLand Thanh
Phuoc A Primary Hope School in the Mekong Delta’s Long An province.
Metabolic
diseases silently affect people’s health
Though metabolic
diseases do not spread like infectious ones, they are as dangerous as other;
accordingly metabolic diseases and non-communicable diseases are included in
the National healthcare program like diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood
lipid.
One of the most current
popular diseases is disorders of lipid metabolism, said Dr. Phan Nguyen Thanh
Binh from the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center. Through a medical
investigation, up to 77.8 percent obese people have lipid metabolism
disorders and 35.6 percent people suffer disorders of carbohydrate
metabolism.
According to Vietnam
Heart Association Prof. Pham Gia Khai, researches showed that the rate of
those with high level of cholesterol in blood will be two or three time
higher than others without it. High level of cholesterol in blood is also the
causes of high blood pressure, strokes, fat in liver, gallstones,
diabetes and obesity.
Prof. Khai said that one
of every 2 town-dwellers and 2 of every 3 senior people have high
cholesterol. Medical experts fretted also about the above-mentioned
proportion because high level of cholesterol in blood leads to many other
diseases threatening one’s life, especially those who have high blood
cholesterol will be able to get coronary heart disease, also called coronary
artery disease.
As per the National
Nutrition Center’s initial statistic, around 26 percent of people in the age
of 25 to 74 have disorders of lipid metabolism. In big cities including
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the number of people with high blood lipid is 44
percent-45 percent.
Along with this disease,
the number of people with high blood pressure also hikes. Dr. Nguyen Huy
Thang from the Vietnam Stroke Association said that if people do not tightly
control blood pressure at normal level, they will have stroke because high
blood pressure is a major cause of strokes.
Annually, more than 200,000
Vietnamese people get strokes and nearly 11,000 have died of the disease and
the rest has suffered physically disability. Even children have high blood
pressure, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Nutrition Center’s survey.
As per the survey, the
proportion of students of all grades have high blood pressure in 2014 was
15.4 percent; worse, 13.4 percent of primary students got. Dr. Do Thi Ngoc
Diep, director of the HCMC Nutrition Center fretted over the number of
children with high blood pressure because it showed a risk of diseases which
affect their future studies, intelligence and labor capability.
At a meeting of
treatment mission in 2015 held lately, Head of the Health Ministry’s Medical
Examination and Treatment Department Luong Ngoc Khue, said during past 3
years, the number of people in HCMC with diabetes increased threefold or
nearly one million people having diabetes, accounting for 9 percent of the
whole city population.
Within 2 years, Nguyen
Tri Phuong Hospital in HCMC’s district 5 has received nearly 1,000 cases of
diabetes per year. Most of people did not suppose to have diabetes until
their blood tests showed. Some people even have suffered diabetes
complications such as eye problem.
As per the Medical
Examination and Treatment Department’s statistics, the rate of diabetes
people in urban was 2.5 percent, 4 percent, and 8 percent in 1990, in 2001
and 2015 respectively. Worse, over 65 percent of them did not know to have
the disease.
Medical experts said
that the unbalanced lifestyle, stress and polluted environment are major
factors to cause metabolism disorders.
TSN Club praised
for its achievements
Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism yesterday granted certificates to four teams and 187
individuals who had great achievements at domestic and international
competitions last year.
Players of Thai Son Nam
Club recieve certificate from Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Two of the four best
teams belonged to Thai Son Nam (TSN) Club, including TSN Club for female and
male.
In 2015, the male
players of Thai Son Nam Club won the bronze medal at AFC Futsal
Championship in Iran; meanwhile, the female players of the club also owned
gold medal at Southeast Asian Futsal Club competition in Thailand.
At the ceremony, Head of
the General Department of Sports Vuong Bich Thang highly appreciated
achievements and contributions from teams and individuals of Thai Son Nam
Club for the country’s sport.
He also hoped that the
club will continue to harvest further successes in next time.
The event was organized
at Thong Nhat Sports Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City.
Health authority
fines medical clinics for violating regulation
The Department of Health
in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday said that it has fined 2 medical clinics which
violated regulation of treatment.
Shoubikai Medical
Company in district 3 was fined VND75 million (US$ 3,363) for launching
adverts without being allowed.
VIP International
Cosmetic Company in District 1 was fined because it did not write patients’
medical record and advertised some treatment serviced which health authority
has not allowed. Since the beginning of the year, the Department has fined
many medical clinics.
Dr. Khue said that in
the first 9 months of 2015, local health authorities have paid unscheduled
visits to 6,309 medical facilities and found 1,421 ones for violating
regulation. Health inspectors collected fines of VND14 billion (US$
627,760); suspended the operation of 106 institutes and warned 86 other,
withdrew the license of 19 units and transferred to police a case for further
handle.
First direct air
route from New Zealand to HCMC to be launched
First direct air route
from New Zealand’s Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam will be launched,
Air New Zealand regional general manager Asia Scott Carr announced on March
9.
The new service will be
offered 8 flights a week on a seasonal basis, operating from June to October
in 2016 with a flight time of around 11 hours.
Tickets are on sale now
and sold at US$940.
Vietnam to
promote tourism at Russian fair
Vietnam will attend the
23rd Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT), which is
scheduled to run from March 23 – 26, the Dau Tu newspaper (Vietnam Investment
Review) reported.
The Vietnamese space at
the fair will be co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism (VNAT) and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.
The show will enable
VNAT’s delegates to meet up with their foreign peers and attending travel
agencies.
Established in 1994, the
MITT is the largest annual tourism event in Russia and one of the five
leading events in the world tourism industry. It attracts representatives
from more than 200 countries and territories every year.
Vietnam is the fourth
most popular destination for Russian tourists. Sixty percent choose Khanh Hoa
province, making the locality Vietnam’s most attractive destination for
Russian people. Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) and Mui Ne (Binh Thuan
province) are also among ideal destinations for long holiday.
Vietnam’s tourism sector
aims to welcome one million Russian visitors by 2020.
VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri
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Thứ Sáu, 11 tháng 3, 2016
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