Social News 26/7 VFF President extends sympathy over Laos’ dam collapse   The collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam caused flash flooding in 10 villages in lower areas and completely isolated Sanamxay district. (Source: Attapeu Today) Tran Thanh Man, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, on July 25 sent a message of sympathy to President of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee Xaysomphone Phomvihane over the collapse of the Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam in the Lao province of Attapeu on July 23. The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam burst at 20:00 on July 23, releasing 5 billion cu.m of water which caused flash flooding in 10 villages in lower areas and completely isolated Sanamxay district. Five out of Sanamxay district’s villages, namely May, Hinlath, NhaytheSanong Tay, Thasengchan and Thahin, were entirely submerged. The disaster has left at least 18 dead and about 200 people missing, and made over 1,300 families with 6,600 people homeless. The Xepian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower plant is being constructed by the XePian-XeNamnoy Power Company (PNPC).  The PNPC is a joint venture between Republic of Korea’s SK E&C and Korea Western Power, Thailand’s Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and Lao Holding Sate Enterprise.  The project, estimated to cost 1.02 billion USD, is the first Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) one to be undertaken by Korean companies in Laos.  On July 24, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding issued a press release announcing that unexpected heavy rains caused the dam to collapse. High volumes of rainwater fractured the dam and caused a deluge in the downstream area of Xe-Pian River, it said. HCM City association presents scholarships to disadvantaged students The Ho Chi Minh City Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients (SAPP) and benefactors on July 25 presented 1,382 scholarships worth over 1.5 billion VND (65,000 USD) to disadvantaged and disabled students with excellent academic performance in the country. Dr Tran Thanh Long, SAPP President, said this year’s scholarships are allocated for 13 localities nationwide, including Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Tra Vinh, Long An, Ben Tre, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Ca Mau and Nghe An. The progamme benefits poor, orphan, disabled and ethnic students with good academic performance, helping them have more chances to pursue their study, he said. After 18 years, the programme granted more than 22,380 scholarships worth over 22 billion VND (956,500 USD) in total.  As of October 2017, the association had raised over 1 trillion VND (46.46 million USD) from various social sources to help the poor. It sponsored more than 7,730 heart operations, 530,000 eye surgeries, 38,000 cleft lip/palate operations, 120 scoliosis operations as well as cancer screenings for more than 48,700 women. SAPP also provided 18,300 hearing aids for deaf children, 20,600 scholarships for poor students, 14,000 meal portions for hospitals, and nearly 146,000 health insurance cards to poor households. It built more than 700 charity houses and 100 bridges in rural areas. HCM City: Six-month budget revenue up 11.4 percent Ho Chi Minh City collected 130.55 trillion VND (5.62 billion USD) for the budget in the first half of 2018, up 11.37 percent from a year earlier, according to the municipal Department of Taxation. The six-month revenue, equivalent to 48.57 percent of this year’s plan, included 11.62 trillion VND (500 million USD) from crude oil, up 34.9 percent, and nearly 118.93 trillion VND (5.12 billion USD) from other domestic sources, up 9.5 percent. At a meeting on July 23, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong appreciated tax contribution by businesses, especially amid the fluid overall economic situation. He said the city has issued many solutions supporting production and business activities. More policies facilitating enterprises, particularly small- and medium-sized ones, will be devised in the time ahead.  Additionally, municipal authorities will hold regular dialogues with business associations to remove bottlenecks and create the best possible conditions for their operations. General Director of the General Department of Taxation Bui Van Nam said despite an array of difficulties, businesses have expanded activities and contributed more and more tax to the State budget. They have also stood side by side with taxation agencies in carrying out tax policies and proposed many amendments to relevant policies. In 2017, HCM City Department of Taxation fulfilled the budget revenue plan with nearly 238.89 trillion VND (10.28 billion USD) collected, up 16.8 percent year on year, the department reported.  Hau Giang works to develop postal service, information technology   A street in Hau Giang province's Vi Thanh city (Source: vithanh.haugiang.gov.vn) The Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang plans to invest over 862.65 billion VND (37.3 million USD) in projects on postal service, telecommunications, and information technology development during the 2018-2020 period, according to a local official. Director of the provincial Department of Information and Communications Pham Van Tuu revealed the information during a conference to review and adjust the plan to improve the sector by 2020, with a vision towards 2030. Of the capital, more than 57 billion VND (2.47 million USD) will come from the province’s coffer, with the remaining sourced from social sources. The projects include those to develop human resources, service networks, advanced technology application, as well as to upgrade current service points and acquire new equipment. Meanwhile, other projects seek to enhance telecommunication infrastructure. By 2020, the province will have 140 postal service points in 100 localities, which will be able to serve more than 5,600 customers each. Hau Giang is also striving to improve the quality of its 3G/4G services, pushing to have about 80 percent of its residents with mobile phones and access to the Internet. By the end of 2017, the province was home to 118 postal service points, earning more than 20 billion VND. To date, the province’s portals and websites of agencies have provided around 2,000 online public services. Da Nang seeks development directions for hi-tech park   Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the workshop in Da Nang on July 23  Experiences in building high-tech parks in Vietnam and other countries were shared at a workshop on July 23 with a view to seeking development orientation for the Da Nang Hi-tech Park in the central city of Da Nang. At the event, participants presented their experiences and ideas in building up the capacity for innovation and startup promotion in high-tech parks, the role of research and development in economic growth, and the role of innovation in reforming economic growth models. They also suggested plans to improve innovation and startups more specifically at the Da Nang Hi-tech Park. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that in an era with rapidly developing science and technology, more reforms must be made to benefit from this global trend. Challenges and opportunities always come hand-in-hand, he added. It is necessary to capitalise on opportunities by developing IT and other IT-based sectors, along with high quality human resources. The Government hopes that the city will work closely with relevant ministries and agencies to soon propose concrete models and recommendations for the Da Nang Hi-tech Park so that more specific directions for the park’s development can be issued, he added. In the late 20th century, Da Nang built the Hoa Khanh Industrial Park to attract investment and boost economic development. Despite certain positive outcomes, this park is yet to have met the city’s expectations. To channel a stronger wave of technological innovation, the city decided to build its own high-tech park – the third of its kind in Vietnam, after those in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho said Da Nang considers investing in the high-tech park as a core factor and part of the momentum for its economy. New models and policies to improve the park’s innovation and startup support are being discussed, which will be reported to the Prime Minister in the third quarter of 2018. Established in 2010, the Da Nang Hi-tech Park covers nearly 1,130ha in Hoa Lien and Hoa Ninh communes of Hoa Vang district. It aims to create an optimal environment in terms of technical infrastructure and policies for domestic and foreign organisations, individuals, and businesses to research, develop, and apply high technologies; train high-tech human resources; and produce and supply high-tech services.  Vietnam’s master plan on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community 2025 updated   A mid-term review conference on Project 161 – which looks to implement and achieve the goals laid out by the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community until 2025 – in the central region took place in Da Nang city on July 23 A mid-term review conference on Project 161 – which looks to implement and achieve the goals laid out by the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community until 2025 – in the central region took place in Da Nang city on July 23.  Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said the ASEAN Community was officially established on December 31, 2015 on the pillars of political-security, economic, and socio-cultural communities, marking an important milestone to lift ASEAN collaboration to a greater height and requiring member states to build a community of over 630 million people in an environment of peace, friendship, and mutual support and development.  Towards achieving the ASEAN Vision 2025, the bloc has devised three master plans of the pillars, serving as a guide for their specialised agencies’ operations by 2025.  Diep said the conference aimed to update the progress of carrying out the master plan on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community 2025 at the regional level and Project 161 in Vietnam; ASEAN’s communications activities and a communications plan towards Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship by 2020. It also discussed a mechanism to enhance cooperation among ministries, agencies, and localities in the implementation of Project 161.  The outcomes of the review and recommendations to accelerate the progress of Project 161 will be submitted to the Prime Minister later this year.  Ha Thi Minh Duc, deputy head of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs’ Department of International Cooperation, said nine out of 11 Vietnamese ministries and agencies, as part of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, have outlined plans to realise the project.  Up to 54 out of 63 cities and provinces nationwide have issued 2016-2020 action plans to conduct the project, and 39 out of 63 cities and provinces have submitted reports on the progress of the project thus far. She added that the national master plan on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community aims to bring benefits to people in tandem with improving institutional capacity, reforming administrative procedures, and raising public awareness of ASEAN and the benefits it brings about. This will work towards extending policies on social welfare, labour, employment, health care, and support for the elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable groups.  This year, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community gives priority to youth-based initiatives, including restoring the Singapore-ASEAN Youth Fund; introducing the ASEAN youth scholarship programme; strengthening commitment to coping with climate change; core values in understanding digitalisation; mitigating negative impacts of fake news; “Network of ASEAN smart cities” to improve living environment and livelihoods of people living in regional urban areas; and increasing opportunities for regional enterprises in a market of 630 million people.  Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Van An said the city has held periodic job fairs, offered free vocational training and consultancy, as well as assisted firms and households in site clearance.  Last year, the municipal authorities visited and presented gifts to families of invalids and martyrs at a cost of over 100 billion VND (4.4 million USD), ensured regular allowances worth roughly 400 billion VND for nearly 22,000 policy beneficiaries, and repaired and upgraded martyrs’ tombs.  The municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union launched voluntary movements, youth and and music exchanges with ASEAN member states to popularise the image of Vietnam and Da Nang in particular. HCM City: youth camp promotes pride in national seas, islands   Sixty overseas Vietnamese from 10 foreign countries joined local youths in an annual youth camp themed “Proud of National Seas and Islands” in Ho Chi Minh City.  Sixty overseas Vietnamese from 10 foreign countries joined local youths in an annual youth camp themed “Proud of National Seas and Islands” in Ho Chi Minh City on July 23. The event, co-organised by the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and the city’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, will last until July 26. The programme features a visit to a children’s care centre in Go Vap district, a cooking class of Vietnamese food at the Saigontourist Hospitality College, and an exchange with personnel at the Submarine Brigade 189 under the Vietnam People's Navy. The youths are also scheduled to have a tour of the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute in the central province of Khanh Hoa. Overseas participants come from Cambodia, Laos, the US, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, and Poland. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Phung Cong Dung, head of the municipal Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, expressed his delight over the growing number of Vietnamese who have lived and studied in other countries now returning back to their home country. He noted the camp offers an opportunity to connect Vietnamese expatriate communities from different corners of the world. Lueng Ylang, a Vietnamese Cambodian, said this is the third time she has taken part in the youth camp programme. She said she and her friends have visited famous destinations in Vietnam and participated in various social activities, and expect to gain some new friends who also share her Vietnamese diaspora identity after the camp this year.  She noted the programme has helped to foster feelings of national pride that overseas youths have for their home country. Overseas Vietnamese in Macau commemorate day of martyrs, invalids   Participants of the football tournament pose for a photo together  A football tournament for Vietnamese youths was held in Macau Special Administrative Region of China on July 22 to commemorate the Day of Martyrs and Invalids (July 27). The one-day event was organised by the Vietnamese Fellow Countrymen Friendship Association in Macau, with the support of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau. Seven teams were divided into two groups, playing in a round-robin format. It was attended by representatives from agencies of Vietnam as well as Vietnamese people in Macau. Speaking at the event, President of the Vietnamese Fellow Countrymen Friendship Association in Macau Tran Thi Gon said the tournament aimed to encourage physical activities of young people and consolidate the unity of overseas Vietnamese people in Macau. A fundraising programme was held on the occasion to support families of war invalids and martyrs, of people who made contributions to the country and disadvantaged households. Established in 2013, the Vietnamese Fellow Countrymen Friendship Association in Macau now has about 2,000 members. Macau is home to more than 20,000 Vietnamese people. There are also several Vietnamese-run firms operating in tourism and services. Gold Star Order conferred to Alliance of Arts and Literature Associations   President Tran Dai Quang presents the Gold Star Order to the Alliance of Arts and Literature Associations of Vietnam  The Gold Star Order, the highest decoration of Vietnam, was bestowed upon the Alliance of Arts and Literature Associations of Vietnam at a ceremony marking the alliance’s 70th anniversary in Hanoi on July 25. On behalf of the Party and State leaders, President Tran Dai Quang presented the order to the alliance in recognition of the enormous contributions to national development and security by writers and artists nationwide. In his speech, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong said the Party and State have always encouraged and respected artistic creations by building specific mechanisms and policies to support literature, arts, and artists’ activities.  They hope that writers and artists across the country will create many pieces of work which have high ideological and artistic value and that honestly, profoundly, and comprehensively reflect the state of the reform, integration, and development of the country. He noted that many new issues have emerged in this reform and integration period, which requests artists to reform themselves, remain steadfast, and approach new methods in their creation. They should follow daily life; embrace different aspects like agriculture, industry, business, and security and defence; and visit remote, ethnic minorities as well as some border and island areas to discover and reflect interesting issues and new problems while taking a responsible part in social tasks, especially the fight against corruption and negative phenomena. The Party leader also asked the Party committees and authorities at all levels to improve the awareness of the importance of literature and arts in national development and protection. They also need to provide the best possible conditions for literary and artistic activities by issuing favourable mechanisms and policies, providing financial support, opening creation camps and offering training to talents. The national arts and literature conference in Doc Phat village of Yen Ky commune, Ha Hoa district (Phu Tho province) on July 25-27, 1948, is considered the first congress of the revolutionary arts and literature organisation of Vietnam. It gathered artists from all strata and ethnic groups to call on them to join hands in performing revolutionary tasks. The organisation has changed its name three times and officially took the name the “Alliance of Arts and Literature Associations of Vietnam” in 1995.  PM urges VGCL to accelerate trade union institution building   PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the working session  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) to push forward the building of trade union institutions, especially those regarding housing for workers.  The PM made the request at a working session between the Government and the VGCL in Hanoi on July 25 which reviewed the recent coordination between the two sides and set out orientations for future collaboration.  He said all-level trade unions should continue to constructively participate in finalising institutions, step up administrative reform, and improve the efficiency of State management in employment and social affairs.  PM Phuc emphasised the need to promote the development of the labour market, prevent workplace accidents, and care for the material and spiritual lives of its employees.  All-level authorities and trade unions were also asked to improve their efficiency in settling pressing issues that relate directly to labourers. Reviewing the country’s socio-economic development in the first few months of 2018, PM Phuc attributed such achievements to great efforts made by the Party, army, and people – in particular, labourers and trade union officials across the country.  Thanks to activities launched by the VGCL and its chapters, employees have supported the Party and Government’s changes in economic management and corruption prevention, he said.  The PM, however, pointed out shortcomings regarding employees’ income, social insurance payment, housing, unemployment, late salary payment, and in particular workplace accidents, citing the nearly 9,000 cases with about 9,000 victims, including 928 deaths, in 2017.  VGCL President Bui Van Cuong reported that in the past time, the agency has constructively participated in building institutions and gathering social feeback towards policies on labourers and trade unions, contributing to building a transparent, trusted Government that spurs growth and serves people and businesses.  The Government, ministries, and agencies have paid due attention to the operation of trade unions, he said, recalling the dialogue between PM Phuc and nearly 2,000 workers in the central key economic zone, and another dialogue of the Government leader with close to 1,000 employees in industrial parks in the Red River Delta region in 2017 and the first six months of 2018.  Following the dialogues, the PM dispatched a working group to the southern province of Dong Nai to inspect the implementation of policies towards labourers in the locality, he said. VNN