Social News Headlines 11/3 Taxi driver jailed for fraud and robbery The People's Court in the capital sentenced a taxi driver to three years and six months' imprisonment on robbery charges yesterday. The driver, Nguyen Van Tien, 38, from northern Hung Yen Province's Hung Yen Town, charged 27-year-old Xiechao Yang of China US$600 for a taxi ride from the Old Quarter's Hang Bac Street to a sauna restaurant in Hang Muoi Street, and from the restaurant to his hotel in Hoan Kiem District's Tho Xuong Street – over 200 times the regulated fare. According to the verdict, Tien locked the car door, threatened the tourist and stole over VND23 million ($1,100) after the tourist did not agree to pay the charge and only gave the driver VND200,000 ($9.5). The tourist reported the incident to local police. Doctors receive certificates of merit for saving victims of collapsed suspension bridge Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc awarded certificates of merit on behalf of the Prime Minister to persons involved with saving victims of the Suspension Bridge collapse in the northern province of Lai Chau. The General Hospital, Medicine Center in Tam Duong District, Deputy Director of the Departmnet of Health Do Van Giang, and deputy head of the General Hospital were given the certificates of merits. The Prime Minister also gave certificates of merit to teams of doctors at Viet Duc Hospital and Bach Mai Hospital for their earlier efforts in saving victims. The suspension bridge in Lai Chau province’s Tam Duong District collapsed at 8.30 Am on February 24 in Chu Va village in Son Binh Commune in Tam Duong District, killing eight and injuring many others. Teams of doctors of Viet Duc and Bach Mai Hospitals immediately fled to the scene to save victims. Many people in critical condition were saved due to the immediate care received. Poultry disposed of in Krong Ana River may cause further spread of disease Over 11,000 poultry infected with the H5N1 virus were disposed of in the Krong Ana River of the Highlands province of Dak Lak. Medical workers are severely worried about the environmental pollution and the spread of disease this may cause. Despite full vaccination, my water-fowl are under the threat of infection, said farmer Vu Dinh Bay of Son Tra Village, Binh Hoa Commune. Veterinarians fished out ten bags of dead water-fowl from the river already, said Vo Van Nam, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The People’s Committee of Dak Lak will purchase 800,000 vaccinations for all of the poultry in the province. Two Asiatic black bears in safe at Rescue Centre Two Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) on March 7 settled into their new residence at Tam Dao Bear Rescue Centre in Vinh Phuc province. The two individuals were handed over by Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in central Thanh Hoa province after being built up at the reserve for two years. They were rescued from illegal traffickers by the province’s rangers, mid-2012. The bears after being care for at the reserve now weigh nearly 70kg each. Plans were to release them into the nature, yet as they lack natural foraging behaviour it could be difficult for them to survive and so the reserve management board decided to transfer them to the Bear Rescue Centre for nurturing. Asiatic black bears are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The Government’s Decree No. 32/2006/NĐ-CP also prohibits the exploitation, use and trafficking of such bears. Strange-shaped houses in HCM City The upgrade of several streets and other urban infrastructure projects in HCM City over recent years has led to the rise of many slim strangely-shaped houses, forcing owners to adapt to their new lives. On the Tan Son Nhat – Binh Loi Road, one of the key routes in the city, many such homes have been built. Local people here avoid leaving a single metre of land unused. At the intersection of Phan Van Tri and Tan Son Nhat – Binh Loi, there is a triangle two-storey house, about 1.5-metres wide and 4-metres long, looking like a billboard from a distance. According to the contractor of the road project, they could only perform site clearance within the road area, and the remaining plots, however small, belong to the original owners. So far, the owners continue to use their little remaining space, doing business and other activities right along the roadside. Many of these plots are quite valuable. Mrs. Vo Thi Sang, 64, said that when the road project started, she had to change her house design plan."In a big city like this one, the land along the road is very valuable. We have to try to adapt to this inconvenience,” she said. On the Highway 50, from Nguyen Van Linh Street (District 7) to the end of Binh Chanh District, there are dozens of houses which lie 0.5 -2 metres lower than the road’s surface because the municipal government upgraded this road to avoid flooding during the rainy season. According to Vice Chairman of Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh District, Vo Dinh Tham, local authorities will try to create favorable conditions to help people repair their homes or raise the foundations.” Hospital staff in blood test scam get jail time The Ha Noi People's Court yesterday sentenced Vuong Thi Kim Thanh, former head of the Hoai Duc General Hospital's diagnostic unit to one year in prison for her role in a scam where replicated blood results were given to patients. In a medical scandal that rocked the country in August 2013, diagnostic lab technicians were found to have replicated around 1,149 blood test results over a 10-month period. The court issued a warning to the hospital's former director, Nguyen Tri Liem, and ordered that the Deputy Director of Hoai Duc General Hospital, Nguyen Thi Nhien, undergo 10 months of re-education. The scandal sparked a nationwide outcry with patients furious over being given inaccurate health information and being charged for unnecessary medical tests. Six other technicians involved in the case were sentenced to 6-8 months probation in the case. The wrongdoings were exposed by Hoang Thi Nguyet, a 47-year-old diagnostic technician working for the hospital. Former bank director faces trial in Dak Nong The trial of Vu Viet Hung, former director of the Vietnam Development Bank (VDB)'s branch in the Central Highlands region of Dak Lak-Dak Nong is set to begin on March 11. He and his accomplices are charged with taking bribes, illegally appropriating public money and violating lending regulations. The first hearing of the case will be held by the Dak Nong Province People's Court. The prosecutors are arguing that the accused swindled more than VND1.1 trillion, or US$52.4 million. The trial has been called by the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption as one of the "big cases" of 2014. During the investigation, police retrieved nearly VND700 billion ($33.3 million). According to the indictment, between 2008 and 2010, Hung approved credit loans of VND350 billion ($16.6 million) for Cao Bach Mai, who was Director of the Minh Nhat Co. Ltd, and Tran Thi Xuan, then Director of the Nhat Tan Co. Ltd. He allegedly permitted the transactions despite being aware of their insolvency, and in return was presented with a car worth VND3.2 billion. Hung allegedly signed fake deposit contracts at his bank to help Mai and Xuan, along with Nguyen Thi Van, former head of the Song Cau Cooperative and Dang Thi Ngan, former Director of the Thuy Ngan Co. Ltd. Together, they are suspected of appropriating VND580 billion ($27.6 million) from the Nam A Joint Stock Commercial Bank's Ha Noi branch, and the Phuong Dong Joint Stock Commercial Bank's HCM City exchange bureau. Mai allegedly faked 75 export contracts with foreign partners to borrow over VND1 trillion ($47.6 million) from VDB in Dak Lak-Dak Nong and then appropriated VND155 billion from the bank. Reports said that about 20 lawyers have been registered as defence lawyers at the trial, which is expected to last four days. Ha Noi drive to inspect vehicles The Ha Noi Police have started a month-long inspection of coaches, taxis and motorbikes yesterday. The police will punish the owners of vehicles parked illegally, especially at terminals, stations and hospitals, as well as overloaded vehicles, head of the Ha Noi Department of Road and Railway Traffic Police Dao Vinh Thang said on Tuesday. The police will also fine motorbike drivers who do not wear helmets, cross red traffic lights, exceed the speed limit, drive on banned roads or have blood alcohol concentrations exceeding the regulated level. "Students who are not of driving age or lack driving licences will also be punished strictly," said Thang. The city police will also propose the Ministry of Transport and municipal People's Committee install loudspeakers at 10 railway crossings. At the same time, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang asked relevant agencies to tighten management on coach terminals and step up vehicle inspections. Provincial and urban departments of transport were asked to give health checks to automobile drivers from now to the end of next month to prevent those in poor health from driving. The departments must also publicise a list of coach terminals that conform to national technological standards and work with relevant bodies to keep public order both inside and outside of the terminals. Inspectors from the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Department of Traffic Safety and the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam will hold surprise inspections in major coach terminals from now until April 20. Thang also asked the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam and local departments of transport to study effective examples of coach terminal management and propose additions to the national technological standards for coach terminals, prioritising the application of technology. The proposal must be sent to the MOT before the end of May. The Viet Nam Register was asked to check registration centres' activities and create a hotline to receive information about violations. Inspectors from the MOT, the Viet Nam Register and the transport, sciences and technology and traffic safety departments will inspect some registration centres and give strict punishments to violating organisations and individuals. Forest fires put out in Lao Cai Firefighters and soldiers stamped out four forest fires yesterday in Hoang Lien National Park, located in northern mountainous Lao Cai Province's Sa Pa District. More than 100 community members and 20 soldiers remained on duty to deal with any further fires. Authorised agencies are investigating the case and will send a report to the provincial People's Committee as soon as possible. The Hoang Lien Steering Committee for Forest Fire Prevention said that the 500 people who had to stay at the forest overnight to put out the fires returned to Ta Van Commune yesterday morning. At the same time, the People's Committee of Central Highlands Kon Tum Province is taking drastic measures to prevent forest fires. Forest rangers instructed local residents how to safely burn terraced fields to avoid causing forest fire and conducted more patrols after the dry season began. Chu Mom Ray National Park was put on alert Level 5, which signifies "extremely dangerous". Dao Xuan Thuy, deputy head of the national park's management board, said that 70 staff members were always ready to co-operate with authorised agencies to put out forest fires. The province now has more than 600,000 ha of forest, including 1,200 ha particularly vulnerable to forest fires. Ministry orders strict China border checks The Health Ministry's General Department of Preventive Medicine announced on Thursday that individuals returning from China should be monitored after a new case of avian influenza was reported. Tran Dac Phu, head of the department, said that human, poultry and goods should have their temperatures checked before entering Viet Nam. China confirmed last month it had seen 185 cases of human H7N9 virus with 47 deaths. Usually, Viet Nam records two or three incidences a year, but in the first two months of this year alone, there have been two fatalities. Mushrooms in Ha Noi safe to eat The Ministry of Health's Food Safety Department announced on Thursday that inspections had not detected unsafe mushrooms. Inspections were conducted at mushroom importer Hung Phat Green Technology Ltd. and supermarkets BigC Thang Long, Metro Thang Long and Sai Gon Coopmart Ha Noi. Five mushroom types collected from these establishments all proved safe to eat after testing. Additionally, no mushrooms were found from the northern province of Lang Son's Luu Mai Huong establishment, which has been accused of distributing mushrooms without clear origin. Hanoi works to improve farmers’ income Hanoi is paying great attention to developing large-scale centralised cultivation areas in line with environment protection in a bid to improve the income for local farmers. The city has decided to raise the agro-forestry-fishery production value to 230 million VND (10,900 USD) per hectare from the current 212 million VND, and targeted an annual 1.5-2 percent growth. Agriculturalists plan to reform services and enhance the efficiency of land, labour, technique and material use to realise the goal. Some 1,000 ha of tea will be replanted from now to 2016, aiming to produce 24,000 tonnes of product in the next two years, with production value worth 90 million VND per hectare per year. Flower cultivation is also seen as a strength of the city. Last year, the area for high-quality flowers such as roses and forget-me-not continued to surge, fetching high economic value and making up 13 percent of the total local flower cultivation land. Hanoi will increase its livestock to 24,000 buffalos, 150,000 cows (including 13,500 milch cows), 1.4 million pigs, and 20 million fowls. Local authorities are striving to ensure 93.48 percent of households gain access to fresh water, and 62 communes fulfill all new-style rural building criteria. WB helps Mekong River Delta cope with climate change Can Tho Municipal Standing Party Committee members on March 10 mulled over plans for a US$390 million infrastructure project addressing climate change in the Mekong River Delta region. Sourcing for the project will principally come from the World Bank (US$332 million) and the remainder from the local budget. Construction of the five-year project will begin in 2015and it aims to develop essential infrastructure, contributing to economic growth and sustainable poverty reduction, and address issues related to climate change and green growth. Municipal Party Committee Secretary Tran Thanh Man, said that the project is of great significance for climate change adaptation, requiring relevant agencies to coordinateclosely to ensure the project is carried out effectively and properly. Vietnam attends int’l women’s seminar in South Africa South African women who played leading roles in the struggle for national liberation and democracy were honoured at an international seminar in Centurion on March 8-9. The event was held to coincide with both International Women’s Day (March 8) and the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s freedom and democracy. At the seminar, 250 international and South African female veteran soldiers recalled the glorious history of the struggle and shared their experiences to overcome the challenges in building a better life for everyone, especially for women. Minister of Defense Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, who is herself a South African war veteran, highlighted the role of women, especially war veterans in the struggle for national liberation in many nations, including Vietnam and throughout the world. Minister Mapisa Nqakula expressed her gratitude for the international community’s support, including Vietnam, in the struggle for justice of South African people in general and women in particular, which has contributed greatly to South Africa. On behalf of Vietnamese delegates, Luu Thi Thu Ha, a Foreign Ministry representative hailed the important role of Vietnamese women in the struggle for freedom and independence as well as in the cause of national construction and defense. Youths talk removal of gender stereotypes Students from some universities and colleges based in the capital Hanoi have sought ways to eliminate gender stereotypes, which are said one of the roots of continuous gender inequality. At a dialogue held on March 9, the young people explored influences a gender stereotype has on their lives, including job choices. A label of any group of people and community put on a man or woman was said to be untrue at the event, which does not reflect his or her real capacity and restrict one’s contribution to society, they heard. To change gender stereotypes and move towards a fair society for both men and women, broader publicising work is needed to change public awareness of the issue, they agreed. As part of the “As We Grow up” exhibition that ran from November, 2013 through April, 2014, the dialogue was jointly held by the United Nations in Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, in order to raise youngsters’ awareness of gender-related issues. Australia supports women empowerment in Vietnam Over the years Australia has assisted Vietnam to empower women and promote gender equality. The Australia Awards Program has increased women’s participation in higher education and their voice in decision making and leadership. More than 50% of the annual 250 Australian scholarships in Vietnam have been granted to women. In the Cao Lanh Bridge Project, Australia is working with the Vietnam Women’s Union in Dong Thap province and Can Tho city to help local women address the socio-economic impact of the project. The women are also provided with advice on how best to use compensation received for land acquisition, and on vocational training options to support alternative employment. “We would encourage the Government of Vietnam to place a greater priority to address issues such as women’s economic empowerment and leadership, gender violence and the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities in the next Socio-Economic Development Plan and the subsequent Plan of Action for Gender Equality by 2020,” said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Hugh Borrowman. As part of Australia’s commitment to support Vietnamese women’s empowerment, during her official visit to Vietnam in February 2014, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced a total of AUD4.2 million for two projects to be delivered in partnership with the Vietnam Women’s Union. “In Vietnam, we will invest over $2 million in a new agricultural research partnership project to be delivered through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research,” Bishop said. “This program will support more than 2,000 women from ethnic, minority and poor, smallholder farming families in Lao Cai province enabling them to increase vegetable production by around $3.4 million annually.” Australia is now Vietnam’s fourth largest bilateral development cooperation partners, providing around AUD136.3 million in ODA for the 2013 - 2014 financial year. Outstanding women receive Kovalevskaia Awards The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) held a ceremony in Hanoi on March 8 to mark the 104th anniversary of International Women’s Day and present the 2013 Kovalevskaia Science Awards. Politburo member Le Hong Anh, a Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, in his opening remarks, hailed generations of Vietnamese women for their dedication throughout the history of the nation. He also praised the contributions of the Vietnamese female academics whose scientific findings have boosted national progress. Anh expressed his belief that female scientists will uphold their sense of creativity and responsibility to produce more pieces of research, inspiring younger generations to delve into science. In line with the day’s theme “Equality for women is progress for all”, Anh vowed all possible support for women to help them hold more positions in local Party Committees and State organisations. He asked all units concerned to perform their tasks for the equality, advancement and development of Vietnamese women. This year’s Kovalevskaia Awards were presented to Le Thi Luan, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health’s Centre for the Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals and Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, former Director of the Transport Ministry’s Institute for Transport Science and Technology. The VWU Central Committee also took the occasion to award certificates of merit to 16 women who successfully defended their doctorate theses. Named after Sofia Kovalevskaia - a distinguished Russian female mathematician in the 19th century, the prestigious award has been conferred on 41 Vietnamese women and 16 organisations over the past 29 years. Facilitating transportation between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN) has announced plans to issue the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia cross-border road vehicle transport permit, effective as of March 10. The plan aims to promote tourism and commerce between the three countries. Licensed vehicles travelling between Vietnam and Cambodia or Laos will include all means of transportation serving tourism or transporting cargo for commerce. Non-commercial vehicles of Party organizations, National Assembly bodies, ministerial offices and agencies, diplomatic corps, general consulates, and representative offices of international organizations in Hanoi will also benefit from the plan. The Hanoi municipal Department for Transport will be in charge of licensing regular transport services and non-commercial vehicles of individuals and organizations in the capital city. UN grants US$1.1 million for new-style rural building The United Nations will provide a non-refundable aid of US$1.1 million for Vietnam to implement its national target programme on building new-style rural areas. To this effect, a project was signed between representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and some UN bodies, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in Hanoi on March 7. The US$1.39 million project will be implemented in three years from March 2014. It aims to provide technical assistance for Vietnam ’s target programme in order to promote the potential of rural areas. It will coordinate donors, agencies and experts via the ministry’s International Support Group (ISG) while forming a legal framework to increase public involvement through the co-management system and public-private partnership. Speaking at the ceremony, MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam said that after three years of implementating the target programme, Vietnam is facing numerous difficulties in coordinating activities from the central to local levels. He expressed his belief that the project will help Vietnam accomplish the programme. Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Arthur Erken pledged support for Vietnam to boost people-centred rural development, thus contributing to its sustainable development. UN - REDD eco project launches second phase in Binh Thuan The People Committee of southern Binh Thuan province and the management board of the UN-REDD programme in Vietnam jointly launched its second phase in the locality on March 7. Sponsored by the Norwegian Government, the UN-REDD (UN Collaborative Initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) programme aims to help developing countries better manage forest resources in a sustainable manner and prevent deforestation. Additionally, the programme is increasing the carbon reserves held by forests in developing countries, in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Binh Thuan is one of six localities that are implementing the second phase of the UN-REDD programme in Vietnam. Mai Kieu, Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, attributed the overexploitation of adaptable and carbon-absorbing indigenous plants to the deteriorating quality of local forests. Le Van Trung from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, the first locality in Vietnam to carry out the pilot phase of the programme, shared his locality’s experience in incorporating forest protection and livelihood creation programmes, which give local residents an incentive to preserve the forest. Educational quality under discussion The 2014 conference of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) was opened in Hanoi on March 7 focusing on quality assurances for higher education across the region. The two-day event is themed “Higher Education Quality Assurance in a Changing World: Envisioning the future of the Asia-Pacific”. It attracted over 120 officials, scholars and educationalists from 34 member countries and territories and the heads of some 70 Vietnamese universities. Founded in January 2013, APQN has been developed with the purpose of serving the needs of quality assurance agencies in higher education. As of September 2013, the network comprised more than 130 members from 34 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific. Vietnam also hosted the annual APQN conference in 2009. Vietnam develops high quality vaccines Vietnam has produced international standard vaccines, making significant progress towards the eradication of polio and measles. This information was released at a March 6 press conference held by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA Chief Representative in Vietnam, Mori Mutsuya revealed that Japan has provided Vietnam with a polio vaccine production line through technical cooperation and non-refundable aid over the years. It has also helped Vietnam set up measles vaccine production facilities and carry out technological transfer for manufacturing these types of vaccines. The technological transfer project to produce measles-rubella vaccines has been implemented in order to control rubella and reduce the number of children born with defects due to congenital rubella. Vietnamese students in UK talk 1954 Dien Bien Phu victory Vietnamese students studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on March 6 held a dialogueon the Dien Bien Phu Victory and Geneva Conference in 1954 as part of the Vietnam Week’s activities in London. LSE Professor of International History Matthew Jones, the guest speaker at the event, outlined Vietnam’s 9-year war of resistance against French colonialists through vivid imagery and description of the battles. After 60 years, the command bunker of French generals still stands at Dien Bien as a historical witness, symbol and tribute of Vietnamese soldiers’ heroic struggle for independence, he stated. He also discussed why France chose Dien Bien as its headquarters to oversee its Indochina Empire and how France underestimated the Viet Minh (Liberation Army) forces, culminating in its later defeat. Prof. Jones also talked about the 1954 Geneva Conference on restoring peace in Indochina and analysed the correlation between the participating countries and the US’s plan to replace France to rule the area. The talks ended with a question and answersessionbetween the speakers and the students. Within the framework of the Vietnam Week, a series of activities, including a photo exhibition on Vietnam in the 1980s taken by British diplomat John Ramsden, Vietnam’s street food, folk songs and monochord performances were also held with the aim of introducing the land, people and culture of Vietnam to international students. LSE is one of the three most prestigious universities in the UK, just behind Oxford University and Cambridge University. Currently, there are about 70 Vietnamese students studying at LSE. Emergency aid centres to be built in coastal cities Healthcare centres for emergency aid and treatment of common diseases will be built this year in coastal provinces to ensure the success of the Viet Nam Sea and Island Health Development plan to 2020, which was launched last year. The Ministry of Health said it would offer guidance to authorities on construction of the centres. The centres will be located at the Viet Nam National Institute of Maritime Medicine in Hai Phong, the Military Hospital No. 4 in Nghe An Province, the C Hospital in Da Nang, the Military Hospital No. 87 in Khanh Hoa, the Vietsovpetro Hospital in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and the Military Hospital No. 78 on Kien Giang Province's Phu Quoc Island. This year, the Ministry will also co-operate with the Ministry of National Defence, National Committee for Search and Rescue and Kien Giang Province People's Committee to build a training centre for emergency aid at Military Hospital No.78 on Phu Quoc Island. At a conference on the Viet Nam Sea and Island Health Development plan held last week, Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan asked authorities in Hai Phong City, Da Nang City, Khanh Hoa Province and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to work with local search and rescue centres to upgrade 115 emergency aid centres. Tuan also asked coastal provinces and cities to assess their human-resources need for the health centres. The ministry has assigned the Hue and HCM City universities of medicine and pharmacy to carry out a training programme on sea health care. Although health facilities on islands last year offered five emergency flights to the mainland, and performed surgery on 700 patients, health care on islands still faces challenges, particularly in human resources. The islands still lack equipment for emergency aid and means of transport for patients from islands to the mainland. For example, the Health Department in Binh Thuan Province said the shortage of equipment had created barriers in providing good health care to residents in coastal localities. Moreover, most health care staff lack professional knowledge about sea-health issues, and health policies related to island and coastal residents and soldiers have become outdated. Dong Nai workers get healthcare information Thousands of workers at Pou Sung Vietnam's factory in Dong Nai Province took part in a health fair to mark International Women's Day last Saturday. The fair provided free health services to female workers, like gynecological examinations, ultrasound tests, and contraceptives. Through games, the workers were told about contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancies. A similar fair was held on Friday for workers at Foster Electric Vietnam in Binh Duong Province. The fairs are part of a three-year project, which has been provided US$1.6 million by the EU and began last year. It is implemented by the UK-based NGO Marie Stopes International Vietnam, the Centre for Community Reproductive Health in Viet Nam, and provincial departments of health. At least 160,000 women workers in eight factories in the provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai will be provided reproductive health services. Upgrade work begins on central highway Construction on a new stretch of the Da Nang-Quang Ngai highway began in the central city of Da Nang yesterday. The road is estimated to cost over $94 million and is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The 8km section starts in Hoa Vang District in the central city of Da Nang. It will run through National Highway 14B and over seven bridges. The latest work follows the first phase of the project, which began in November last year. As part of the North-South expressway project, the $1.47 billion Da Nang-Quang Ngai highway will be nearly 140km in length with four lanes, and construction is scheduled for completion in 2017. Once operational, the highway will help effectively promote socio-economic development in the central region. It is also expected to facilitate international transport from the Viet Nam-Laos-Cambodia economic triangle area through the East -West Corridor to ports in the central area of Viet Nam. VN needs to advance women's rights further While Viet Nam has reduced poverty and achieved gender parity in primary schools, more needs to be done to promote the rights of women and girls across the country to meet Millennium goals. This was stated at a meeting between United Nations officials in Viet Nam and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to mark International Women's Day today. The half-day event bought together more than 200 people, including policy makers, ministry representatives, the Viet Nam Women's Union and the UN in Viet Nam. Participants stressed the importance of striving for gender equality in formulating a new generation of sustainable development goals. Shoko Ishikawa, UN Women Representative in Viet Nam, said that the gap between rich and poor was widening in Viet Nam, particularly for ethnic minorities, migrant workers and those in hard-to-reach areas. She said the unbalanced male-to-female sex ratio at birth was just one example, adding that 112 boys were born for every 100 girls. Up to 70 per cent of ethnic women give birth at home, leading to a high rate of maternal fatalities. On the plains, nearly 100 per cent of women go to hospitals and medical stations to have their children, according to statistics from the United Nations. Ishikawa said that the wage gap between men and women was increasing. Women were still less likely to own land and other assets and women were also under-represented in decision making at all levels. She added that less than 20 per cent of land-use certificates were signed by women. And only 20 per cent of the national secretariat and 13 per cent of the Politburo were women. Ishikawa said that any goals adopted in the post-2015 agenda must be rights-based and fully aligned with the Convention to Eliminate all forms of Discrimination Against Women. Vu Ngoc Thuy, deputy director of the labour ministry's Gender Equality Department, suggested that gender equality be kept in mind when making laws, strategies and policies. UN Resident Co-ordinator, Arthur Erken, called for moves to end all violence against women, as "gender equality and women's empowerment are simply not possible if we do not end violence and fear of violence". "Viet Nam must ensure that women take full part in household, public and private decision making," he said. NW needs long-term job generation The northwestern region should implement long-term and sustainable measures to foster vocational training and job creation, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a meeting of the Northwestern Steering Committee and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs yesterday in Ha Noi. Although the rate of poor households in the region fell to 21.5 per cent last year – a 3 per cent-decrease from 2012 – many districts still have populations where more than half the residents live below the poverty line. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said the increasing number of vocational training centres in the northwestern region had begun to meet the demand of rural labourers and ethnic minority groups. In 2013, nearly 120,000 enrolled in vocational training courses in the region. In addition, approximately 160,000 jobs were created for local residents, more than 10 per cent of new jobs nationwide. The region's unemployment rate in 2013 was 2.09 per cent. Local authorities paid special attention to labour export, which resulted in more than 10,000 labourers going to work abroad last year. However, participants also noted that drug addiction and the spread of HIV/AIDS remained major issues in the northwest. By the end of 2013, there were more than 48,000 drug addicts, accounting for 26.5 per cent of the national total. The percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS in the region is double the nationwide rate. Deputy PM Phuc asked relevant authorities to focus on building a poverty reduction project and implement the microfinance model on a broader scale. Forest protection policy working despite hitches The policy to pay households for the upkeep of forests has helped alleviate poverty in many localities and improved protection of the precious natural resource, says Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan. Addressing a meeting held recently to discuss forestry development plans for this year, he said the Government's 2010 decree aimed to foster protection of forests and water resources as also mitigate climate change impacts. However, Tuan also noted shortcomings in implementing the policy, including slow reimbursement of payments to those maintaining the forests and the failure of firms like investors of hydropower plants to make payments mandated for using forestry environment services. It was proposed at the meeting that an effective mechanism is established to punish those delaying or refusing to pay their dues. The meeting heard that by 2013, 34 provinces nationwide had established their own Fund for Forestry Protection and Development, collecting some VND2.8 trillion (US$132 million) in forest environmental services fees from investors of hydropower plants and other projects using forestry resources. Pham Hong Luong, deputy director of the national Fund for Forest Protection and Development, said villagers paid to maintain forests had been able to earn stable incomes. While the State pays an average fee of VND200,000 per hectare, this can rise to VND300,000 ($14) or VND350,000 ($16) in some provinces like Lam Dong and Lai Chau, he said. Dinh Hving, a resident of Kon Pne Commune in Kbang District, Gia Lai Province, said apart from earning a living from cultivating crops on the forest area allocated to his family, they also received VND2 million ($94) from the Fund for Forestry Environmental services in 2013. The policy encourages residents to participate in forest protection in a practical way – by giving them the chance to benefit from such actions, said Pham Xuan Truong, Vice Chairman of the Kbang People's Committee. Another important impact of the policy is that it helps increase the nation's forest coverage by between 0.2 to 0.5 per cent each year. The meeting heard that national forest coverage rate has increased to 40.7 percent this year from 38.7 per cent in 2008. Central Highlands short of classrooms The Steering Committee of the Central Highland Region has reported that the area needs another 5,050 classrooms for all grades as a result of the booming population. Mobilising various capital sources, the localities there have built 3,132 schools, with nearly 50,000 classrooms. They have also worked hard to improve study conditions for pupils in the region and to build a series of boarding schools in districts, even in communes. The localities have also been paying attention to upgrading schools, especially those in remote areas and residential zones of ethnic minority groups. They hope to have enough schools for the children by 2020. French NGO gives scholarship to poor students in Vinh Long French non-governmental organisation Enfants du Vietnam has donated 116 scholarships worth a total of 87 million VND (nearly 4,000 USD) to poor students in the Mekong delta province of Vinh Long. The provincial Study Encouragement Society handed over the scholarships to 116 local excellent students at a ceremony on March 9. Accordingly, 29 primary school students received scholarships worth 600,000 VND (28 USD) each, while 44 junior high school students and 43 senior high school student were granted 800,000 VND and 1 million VND each, respectively. The Enfants du Vietnam began providing help to poor students in Vinh Long province 16 years ago with more than 1,600 scholarships worth over 1.4 billion VND ( 65,800 USD). HCM City hosts conference to review 30 years of renewal A conference to review 30 years of the Doi moi (renewal) process and the development of a socialist-oriented market economy was held by the Doi moi Steering Board in Ho Chi Minh City on March 8. The conference, which was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, saw more than 30 reports from across the country tabled. Participants contributed ideas and suggestions for resolving issues facing the nation and the world. Phuc said that after 30 years of Doi moi the major aspects of a socialism-oriented market economy have been put in place and gradually perfected. Economic and political reforms have helped create a new democratic atmosphere and the impetus to not only help pull the nation out of the economic crisis but also enable it to improve its socio-economic situation and turn it into a middle-income nation, he said. Thirty years of reforms have helped Vietnam significantly eradicate hunger and reduce poverty to the appreciation of the global community, he said. The reforms have helped enhance the nation's prestige, he said. The market economy has a history of 100 years globally, but in Vietnam, it is quite new and was developed less than 30 years ago. Because of this, Vietnam has faced several obstacles and also made mistakes, he said, and had yet to complete the transition to a market economy. These have forced it to focus on clarifying the theories and realities related to the development of a socialist-oriented market economy, making it appropriate for the country's current conditions, Phuc said. The basic goal is to develop a market economy based on scientific principles and keep up with the current period's objective development trends to settle immediate difficulties as well as outline long-term economic development strategies for the country, he said. The Deputy Prime Minister called on delegates to focus on the main topics like Vietnam's general model of development of the socialist-oriented market economy and the essential factors in preparing for the country's full integration into the global market economy by 2018. "The world now has many models of market-led economies with many differences," Phuc said. "Delegates should find what Vietnam can learn from these economies for the development of the country in future.” To strengthen the institutions of a market economy, he said, it was necessary to clarify certain things: Is the market an effective mechanism in which competition would be used as a motive power to mobilise and allocate resources, thus helping liberate the production force, renovate the growth model, and restructure the economy? What is the government's role in the socialist-oriented market economy? Should the Government act as a leading or influentital factor in developing the market to create a favourable environment for investment, business, and encouragement of competition. The private sector has proved to be one of the main forces for the country's development, he said, but wondered if there is enough evidence to show that the private sector would be an important and decisive factor in the country's economic development in future. HCM City seeks ODA capital for anti-flooding work The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has registered to borrow official development assistance (ODA) capital from the World Bank (WB) to implement a project on reducing urban flooding in the period of 2015-2020. According to the Sai gon Giai phong newspaper, the municipal People’s Committee is seeking a 763 million USD loan from the bank to dredge the Tham Luong-Ben Cat-Nuoc Len canal and upgrade drainage systems in the city’s flood-prone Tan Binh and Go Vap districts. Residents in the city have recently suffered from serious flood tide, which reached record high levels at the end of last year as a consequence of rising sea level and climate change. The situation has affected local community’s health and daily activities as well as production and business. Bird flu outbreak reaches 24th Vietnamese locality Dong Nai authorities have officially confirmed an outbreak of avian flu in the locality, bringing the total number of affected areas in the country to 24. Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee asked local departments and people to swiftly take preventive measures to stop the spread of the disease, after several ducks were found to dead from the virus on March 6. Accordingly, a campaign to raise public awareness about the dangers of bird flu has been organised, while the local authorities are also decontaminating areas across the region . The province is also keeping a close watch on breeding, trading and transporting poultry in the locality. Dong Nai is home to the largest number of poultry nationwide, with over 12 million. It is located at the gateway of Ho Chi Minh City – the key economic hub in the south. As such, the transportation of poultry products is more likely to trigger the outbreak of bird flu. Earlier on March 5, central Ninh Thuan province declared an outbreak of bird flu in the locality.- Vietnam praised for eradicating gender gap Vietnam has been recognised as a country quickly eradicating its gender gap, the work which it has been undertaking for the past 20 years, according to a national labour official. Trinh Thanh Hang, a member of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), made the comments in a recent interview with Lao dong (Labour) newspaper ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. Hang remarked that Vietnam has impressively implemented the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s gender empowering measures, ranking 62 nd out of 109 countries worldwide in the endeavour. According to international organisations, Vietnam is now 94 th among 182 countries in the UNDP’s gender development index, moving from low-medium to high-medium level, she added. She said that women leadership is a key indication of social progress and gender equality. Positively, a number of key positions at State agencies and socio-political-professional organisations have been held by women. At the 11 th National Party Congress in January 2011, the rate of women becoming new Party Central Committee members reached 9 percent. During the tenure, two women were appointed to the Politburo and the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat. With 24.4 percent of female National Assembly deputies, Vietnam has a reasonable rate of women legislators, ranking 43 rd out of 143 countries and coming second out of 8 ASEAN member states. In Vietnam, more women have joined the sectors of education-training, health care, science-technology, culture and sports. Over the past 10 years, 47 women and 7 female collectives have been awarded with VGCL’s creative talent award. Female entrepreneurs now make up over 20 percent of the total, fairly high compared to other regional nations. Last year, the country had some 52 million workers, 48.7 percent of whom were women. On the national scale, 78.2 percent were working women, compared to 86 percent of men. For many years, the VGCL has given priority to empowering women in leadership positions to gradually narrow the gender gap in the political field, a top priority of the gender equality strategy. The VGCL has urged the Government to issue a decree detailing specific regulations on women, creating a legal corridor for them to enjoy equal opportunities and better life, she said. 40% of patients in HCMC are from other provinces Patients from neighboring provinces account for up to 40% of the total number taking health examination and treatment at hospitals in the city, said the city’s Health Department. In a report released on Wednesday, the department said city-based hospitals provide healthcare services to 31 million people each year, including 1.4 million inpatients. In the report, called “Upgrading health care service and reducing hospital overload in the city,” the department said patients from other provinces prefer services at such hospitals as Gia Dinh People, City Oncology, 115 People, Paediatric I, and Paediatric II among others. Currently, the total number of hospital beds in the city is just more than 33,000, or 42 beds for every 10,000 people. The city’s Health Department also mentioned another challenge for the city’s healthcare service is the lack of high-quality human resources at district-level clinics. Meanwhile, 61% of doctors are working at city-level hospitals while only 23% are with district-level medical facilities. Especially, at some outlying districts like Can Gio and Binh Chanh, the number of doctors is very low with only 4.8 doctors and 1.7 doctors per 10,000 residents respectively. More challenging still, many highly-skilled doctors tend to switch from public clinics to private ones. This leads to a serious labor shortage for medical centers in remote areas especially when the population gets larger and healthcare demand becomes higher. As such, the overload at hospitals in central districts becomes more serious in spite of infrastructure investment. The city’s Department of Health has implemented satellite-hospital projects to reduce the burden for city hospitals. Indeed, the HCMC Trauma and Orthopaediatrics Hospital has set up a 100-bed satellite ward in An Binh Hospital since July, 2012. Tan Binh hospital is also a satellite for both Paediatric Hospital I and the HCMC Trauma and Orthopaediatrics Hospital. HCM City proposes new site for Mien Tay Bus Station The city government is seeking approval from the Ministry of Transport to change the planned location of the new Mien Tay Bus Station from Tan Kien Ward in Binh Chanh District to Phu My Hung in the same district. The HCMC government office explained at a recent meeting that the proposed location’s area is about 16-20 hectares in close proximity to the modern urban area of Phu My Hung. It is an ideal place for the new bus station since the site is expected to be the center for freight and vehicle parking. The shift will ensure a connected route linking with public transportation systems including mass-transit means of transport on highways including Highway 1A, the HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway, and Nguyen Van Linh Parkway. Beside, traffic would also be made convenient for the new neighbourhood in this area. The city also suggested that the Ministry of Transport ask the Government to allow or entrust the city to decide the number, locations and scales of HCMC’s vehicles stations. This change would help improve traffic connection for the city’s region as well as with surrounding provinces. Beside, in another proposal to the ministry, HCMC’s authorities also aim at expanding An Suong bus station in Hoc Mon District from 1.6 hectares to 4.8 hectares. Currently, to ease the heavy traffic jams, HCMC is moving bus stations out of the inner-city area. A detailed plan of the 1/500 scale has been approved by the HCMC government for the new Mien Dong bus station encompassing Long Binh Ward in District 9 and Binh Thang Ward in Binh Duong Province’s Di An Town. The current Mien Dong Bus Station is located in Binh Thanh District. The new Mien Dong bus station will start construction this year with the total area of 16 hectares including 3.7 hectares in Binh Duong Province. Some VND960 billion is required for the construction project, which is expected for completion in 2016. First 26km of expressway in north opens to traffic The Ministry of Transport on March 2 put into use 26 kilometers of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, helping shorten the traveling duration from Hanoi to Lao Cai Province by more than half. According to the ministry, the 26-kilometer section (the package A8) goes through four communes of Bao Thang District and one ward of Lao Cai City. After the section was opened to traffic, the permitted speed is 80 kilometers maximum and 60 kilometers minimum. The opening of this expressway section helps reduce the number of traffic accidents on national highways 4E and 70 between Lao Cai Province and Hanoi. The whole Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway is set for completion in the second quarter. After completion, it will take vehicles over 3.5 hours to drive from Hanoi to Lao Cai Province instead of nearly eight hours if taking National Highway 70 like now. To attract investments after the expressway is completed, Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces have made lists of investment projects in areas where the expressway goes through. Late last year, the 27-kilometer of this expressway from Hanoi to Vinh Phuc Province was also opened to traffic. Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway which is 264 kilometers long goes through Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces. The project has a total investment of US$1.25 billion. New toll station for national highway The Ministry of Finance is collecting suggestions from citizens and enterprises for a new toll station on National Highway 1A in Dong Nai Province. The station will be placed on a 12.2-kilometer bypass of Bien Hoa City that will start at Tra Co Church in Trang Bom District and end at National Highway 51 in Bien Hoa City. As scheduled, vehicles with less than 12 seats will pay a toll fee of VND20,000 until December 31, 2015 and VND35,000 from January 1, 2016. Those vehicles from 12 to 30 seats will pay VND30,000 and VND50,000 and vehicles with 31 seats or more pay VND44,000 and VND75,000 respectively. Meanwhile, trucks weighing 18 tons or more will be subject to toll fees between VND80,000-VND160,000 until late 2015 and between VND140,000-VND200,000 from January 1, 2016. The bypass project is being developed under build-operate-transfer (BOT) format with a total cost of VND751 billion. Last year, the Ministry of Transport approved the expansion of the road from four to six lanes with an additional investment of VND75 billion. The project is expected for completion in April. The investor, Dong Thuan Investment Joint Stock Company, estimates to recover capital by collecting toll fees over nearly 24 years. The project aims to help reduce traffic congestion in inner Bien Hoa City and facilitate traffic to the Central and the North. In addition, the new Dong Nai bridge project will have two approach roads completed in June 2014. Toll collection for the project will start on July 1. Quang Nam forecasts severe water shortage The central Quang Nam Province is facing a high risk of water shortage and salinity intrusion downstream the Vu Gia, Thu Bon and Ban Thach rivers due to low rainfall and water flow during the 2013-2014 winter-spring crop. The province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in a document sent to operators of A Vuong, Dak Mi 4, and Song Tranh 2 hydropower plants, and district authorities late last week warned of possible water shortage for rice growing and hydropower plants in the coming time. According to the provincial weather forecast center, rainfall between December and February was 65-85% lower than the average level in as many years. River water levels have decreased while lowlands are suffering adverse impacts of salinity intrusion. In March, 2013, hydropower plants in the central region faced great difficulties due to drought. Some plants had to scale down operations or stop electricity generation to reserve water for rice growing. Speaking to the Daily on Monday, Bui Duc Long, head of Hydrological Forecasting Division for the Central, Central Highlands and South Vietnam, said that drought is expected to hit the region this month and next. The water level in the Cai River has dropped to the record low at 2.48 meters as upstream hydropower plants have not discharged water. Danang City and Quang Nam Province have also been in the same plight. Vo Tan Dung, deputy head of Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant management board, said that the plant has been receiving less water than normal. Normally, upstream water running into its reservoir reaches a speed of 60-70 cubic meters per second in the early months of the year but this year’s rate is just 20-40 cubic meters a second, he said. Lowlands of the Thu Bon River under Dak Mi 4, A Vuong and Song Tranh hydropower plants are facing drought and salinity intrusion, especially paddy fields. The agricultural department in the document asked the hydropower plants to send plans on water discharge to related agencies to coordinate electricity generation and water use in the province. Disbursement for forest keepers slow despite ample fund Funds for forest keepers who are mostly ethnic minority have been slowly disbursed despite ample funds collected from forest environmental service fees, officials said at a conference convened by the Ministry of Agriculture in Hanoi last week. Nguyen Ba Ngai, deputy general director of Vietnam Forestry Department under the ministry, affirmed that after three years in operation, forest-protection policies have created stable funding for forest development. It also helps many forest dependent people including minority groups settle down and improve their living standard in mountainous areas. As many as 34 provinces and cities nationwide have established Forest Protection and Development Funds. The collected fees had amounted to nearly VND2,850 billion in between 2009-2013, with last year alone seeing service revenue rise to VND1,068 billion. However, the payment to forest keepers has been modest. In the two years of 2012-2013, the payment averaged out at over VND200,000 per hectare. Certain provinces paid higher amounts, like Lam Dong with VND350,000 a hectare, Lai Chau with VND298,500, and Kontum VND362,000. Ha Cong Tuan, deputy minister of agriculture, said that despite the large fees collected, forest keepers have not received the adequate payment, let alone the slow disbursement. In 2012, the forest environment service fund had VND271 billion of backlog. In 2013, the disbursement rate was less than 45%, as almost VND500 billion was not delivered to forest keepers who are the poor living in remote and mountainous areas. The fund has come mainly from hydropower industry while other industries using forest resources have contributed little. “For example, eco-tourism facilities contribute only a few billions. There should be more specific regulations to supervise those businesses since it is a waste of resources to allow only one or two enterprises to make use of the forest,” Tuan emphasized. The conference participants pointed out that a lack of fund has hampered the checking of forests, so it is difficult to establish who are real forest keepers. To tackle this issue, authorities will be conducting a forest investigation during 2016, the department said. The department noted that statistics from two provinces taking pilot investigation, which are Bac Kan and Ha Tinh, showed that there are 40,000 and 20,000 forest keepers respectively. Details about these keepers can be easily checked on the department’s website. The number of forest keepers with complete data will be one million in 2016, making payment much easier, said the department. Forest environmental service providers include forest keepers that are households, individuals, communities and organizations with forests entrusted by or leased from the State. The users include clean water producers and suppliers, tourism enterprises, and hydropower and aquaculture firms that benefit directly from forests’ natural resources and landscapes. Children anorexic due to parents’ misconceptions Surveys show that the number of anorexic children in Vietnam is quite high, with 45.9-57.7% of children having checkups at hospital and clinics due to anorexia. However, in addition to congenital anorexia, children’s physiological anorexia results from parents’ misconceptions about nutrition practice, said Nguyen Cong Khanh, chairman of the Vietnam Pediatric Association. Khanh was speaking at the conference on nutrition for children with anorexia held in Hanoi last Friday and in HCMC last Saturday by FrieslandCampina Vietnam in coordination with the association. A survey conducted by the association with over 3,000 mothers points out that up to 70% of the mothers make mistakes when feeding their children. However, they are not aware of this. Doctor Frits A.J. Muskiet from the Netherlands, said that balanced nutrition was important for future development of children and determined their physical growth. On the contrary, poor diet during the childhood can lead to some common diseases when children grow up, he added. Hazleena Hashim, marketing manager for Asia-Pacific of FrieslandCampina, said that by jointly organizing the conference, the company wanted to offer specific solutions which can help mothers to care more about basic nutrients to their children’s diet. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/SGGP/Dantri/SGT