Social News 22/9 A/H5N6 flu virus: Quang Nam culls 800,000 ducks Quang Nam province has begun culling 800,000 ducks after the H5N6 avian bird flu virus was detected in poultry, reports the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Deputy Director of the Quang Nam provincial Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Muon, announced on September 20 so far 3,150 ducks have tested positive for the deadly A/H5N6 virus. Veterinarians have now taken preemptive measures to test ducks and poultry from over three household breeding farms in Phu Quy 3 hamlet, Tam My Dong commune, Nui Thanh district. Muon warned the virus can spread rapidly. “We are intensifying inspection efforts on affected farms, and taking preventive measures in high risk areas, and strictly controlling the trading of poultry. At present, Quang Nam has more than 800,000 ducks,” he said. He attributed the appearance of the A/H5N6 virus in Quang Nam to unclear origin of duck breeds which were purchased from northern provinces. First 15 trainees finalize Nuclear Power Project course The first 15 of an expected 100 Vietnamese officials have successfully completed a nuclear power training course in Japan in preparation for the opening of Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant 1 and 2 by 2020. This course was jointly offered by Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan Co (JINED) aimed at providing trainees practical hands-on experience in the operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants. At the graduation ceremony on September 19, EVN Director General Le Thanh stated training key employees who are capable of carrying out the project plays a decisive role for the success of the first nuclear power project in Vietnam. Tokai University Director Jiro Takano and the EVN Director Thanh presented certificates of merit to the outstanding trainees. After the graduation ceremony, Tokai officially opened a second training course for 9 students scheduled to last from September 2014 to September 2015. ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting adopts joint statements The 12th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting wrapped up in Hanoi on September 19, adopting several joint statements of the meeting and its related ones. The joint statements were announced at an international press conference later the same day under the chair of ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh and Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien. Under the joint statement of the 12th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting, ASEAN member countries committed to strengthening cooperation in a range of fields, including fostering healthy lifestyle, dealing with pressing risks, improving the healthcare system and ensuring food safety. They agreed to intensify initial healthcare work towards the all-people health insurance coverage, and to work together to prevent and control non-contagious diseases and newly-emerging infectious ones, and set up a sustainable and effective health financing system. The sixth ASEAN Health Ministers Plus Three (Japan, the Republic of Korea and China) issued a Joint Statement vowing to strengthen collaboration in the health sector. Accordingly, they will focus on expanding health insurance coverage, initial health care, managing health calamities, coping with an aging population, responding to pandemics, containing diseases transmitted from animals to humans, and preventing HIV/AIDS, rabies and malaria. Meanwhile, the Joint Statement of the fifth ASEAN Health Ministers Plus China affirmed the signatories’ pledge to join hands to increase the capacity of health workers, prevent such newly-emerging infectious diseases as Ebola, H7N9, H5N1 and MERS-CoV, and reduce tobacco use. The 12th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings took place in Hanoi from September 15-19. A Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in health between ASEAN and the World Health Organisation was signed at the event. Japanese firm suffers severe damage in Binh Duong fire Japanese-invested printing ink manufacturer Sakata Inx Vietnam burned down in a fire in Thuan An industrial zone (IZ) in southern Binh Duong province on September 18. The 2,000 square-metre factory, which is valued at US$14.5 million, was said to have caught fire at around 4pm on September 18 after several explosions were heard emanating from a material warehouse. It took more than 10 hours to get the blaze under control thanks to great rescue efforts by hundreds of fire fighters and dozens of fire engines. A representative from Sakata Inx Vietnam attributed the cause of the accident to an explosion from the firm’s chemical tanks. There were no reports of serious injuries, he said. Sleeper bus modifications urged The Ha Noi Transport Association (HTA) has asked the Ministry of Transport to temporarily ban production of sleeper buses until safety standards are set. It also wants the buses to be banned on dangerous, mountain routes. Chairman of the HTA, Bui Danh Lien, said several modifications should be made to the buses following a spate of accidents, including one recently near the northern province of Lao Cai in which 14 people were killed. The suggested modifications include removing a middle-row of bunks and the installation of an exit door in the centre of the vehicles to make escape easier. Lien said the ministry should encourage transport companies to convert the sleeper buses into plain vehicles - or use fewer bunks. Commenting on a recent proposal by the Ministry of Transport to ban sleeper buses from mountain routes, Nguyen Mot, spokesman for Truong Hai Auto Corporation, said many regular buses that had been changed into sleeper buses did not meet basic safety standards. He said increased demand for sleeper buses in recent years had made them highly profitable. Many auto-manufacturers make them without an industry standard on bus types and sizes. Mot said other safety factors should be considered, such as traffic and road conditions and drivers' training. "The ban should be limited to extremely dangerous mountain routes considered unsafe for vehicles more than 12 metres long," Mot said. Mot also suggested authorities regularly inspect vehicles and test about safety procedures and regulations. Tran Ky Hinh, director of the motor registry office - Viet Nam Register - said there were more than 4,500 sleeper buses in the country. "In the last two years, there have been 22 accidents involving sleeper buses, of which 19 occurred at night," Hinh said. "Only 30 per cent of sleeper-bus accidents were on mountain routes and the rest mostly occurred on National Route 1A running through central provinces," said Hinh. The Viet Nam Register is running a series of tests on sleeper buses to evaluate their compatibility with different types of routes. HCM City looks for products contaminated with waste cooking oil Authorities in HCM City are continuing a citywide search for two products believed to contain illegally recycled cooking oil, or "gutter oil". HCM City regulators have conducted inspections of several major markets and supermarkets citywide. Initially, they have not found the two products in question, canned pickled cucumber with pork and canned minced meat with chili, produced by the Taiwanese company Wei Chuan. This company is suspected to have used gutter oil in the production process. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi recently confirmed that a Vietnamese firm named Cuu Huong Trade and Services Limited Company, headquartered in District 11, imported 140 boxes of the pickled cucumber and 24 boxes of the minced meat. Pham Thai Hang, a trader at Tan Binh market, said, “I’ve just heard about these products. We used to sell the same products made by a Vietnamese firm in Dong Nai Province, but not many people were buying so we stopped stocking them." It seems that many small vendors are still unaware that these products have been recalled and contain illegal ingredients, but most do not sell them. Representatives from several supermarkets, such as Co.opmart, Big C, and Lotte Mart have confirmed they do not sell food products imported by Cuu Huong. Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, from the municipal Office of Food Safety and Hygiene, said that, even though authorities have yet to find these products, it’s likely that they have already been distributed and possibly consumed. “We’ll send a memo to the Ministry of Health’s Vietnam Food Agency requiring Vietnam customs to scrutinise their records to see whether the products arrived in Vietnam. Currently, we have no samples to test," said Mai. According to Mai, the municipal Department of Health has requested relevant authorities in 24 districts citywide to intensify inspection efforts. They have also set up a hotline so people can report any information related to these products. The hotline number is 84-8-35 040 418. NA inspects preparations of nuclear power project A team of the National Assembly (NA) led by Phan Xuan Dung, chairman of the NA’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, on September 18 inspected preparations of the nuclear power project in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan. Joining the NA team were representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) and the management board of the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project. Under the NA’s Resolution 41/2009/QH 12, the project should be kicked off late this year and have the first generator operated in 2020. However, after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the Government has told relevant bodies to enhance safety measures allowing the future power plant to resist earthquakes and tsunamis. Such bodies were also told to build new criteria to ensure safety for the location. Following the instructions of the Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked EVN to review the planned construction process of the nuclear power project as this large-scale project requires complicated techniques and highest safety levels. Its commencement therefore will be later than earlier scheduled. According to EVN, the group has coordinated with the consulting consortium to make necessary changes to the project in terms of safety criteria, technology and location. The amended investment plan is expected to be finished this December. Therefore, from now towards the year-end, work can start on only some auxiliary components for the project. Vietnam is closely working with Russia on drawing up the implementation schedule for Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant to deliver the best results. Regarding Ninh Thuan 2 plant, its dossiers are being prepared and will be presented to the State Assessment Council and the Prime Minister. According to Luu Xuan Vinh, chairman of Ninh Thuan Province, special mechanisms and policies should be issued early so that the province can proceed with site clearance and compensation and help locals resettle soon. Funds allocated to support disadvantaged children, AO victims The international cooperation programme “For a bright future” has raised a total of VND450 million (US$21,428) to support disadvantaged children in the central province of Phu Yen. The one-year programme was launched last May by the provincial Department of Education and Training and the Netherlands-Vietnam Health Committee, a Dutch non-governmental organisation. The money will be used to build a vocational training workshop and a showroom, displaying products made by local disadvantaged students at Phu Yen’s Centre for Rehabilitation Training in a bid to integrate them into the community after graduation. Meanwhile, in the southern province of Tay Ninh, Prudential Vietnam and Vietnamnet newspaper awarded 100 gifts, each worth VND500,000 (US$23,8) to Agent Orange victims in Trang Bang, Go Dau, Hoa Thanh districts and Tay Ninh city. Prudential Vietnam’s Business Development Director Tran Huu Tuan Phuc said the company has donated more than VND1 billion since 2011 to help AO victims in the province overcome their daily hardships. Tay Ninh is home to 9,064 people affected by Agent Orange/dioxin, with many living in poverty and struggling to make a living. Multidimensional poverty to be re-measured in 2015 From 2015 onwards, the measure for poverty will comprise five factors, including living conditions, access to education and health care, access to information, and access to insurance and social assistance, instead of the previous measure of income levels. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) presented the new measure at a conference in Hanoi on September 19, which focused on the initial research results on multidimensional approaches to poverty in Vietnam. Ngo Truong Thi, head of MOLISA’s Poverty Reduction Office, said Vietnam’s approach to poverty will be based on people’s needs and interests, rather than just their income. Accordingly, a household that lacks half the basic needs will be considered critically poor, he said. Meanwhile, households that cannot meet between one third and a half of their needs will be regarded as multidimensional poor households. Do Manh Hung, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs, said the measure of poverty must be based on both living conditions and access to basic social services. Participants in the conference agreed that the new approach to measure poverty would show common shortcomings in specific communities and regions, thus helping policy-makers identify geographic areas and demographic groups most in need of assistance. The statistics will also help monitor poverty reduction results and evaluate poverty reduction policies and make timely adjustments, if needed, they said. MOLISA will submit a proposal on the specific measurements of multidimensional poverty to the Government during the first quarter of 2015, and poverty surveys will be conducted during 2015. Dak Lak produces organic fertiliser from agricultural byproducts The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is encouraging ethnic minority communities to produce microbial organic fertilizer from agricultural byproducts as it is not only economically efficient, but also boosts soil nutrients and decreases pollution in rural areas. Since the beginning of this year, local communities have produced tens of thousands of tonnes of organic fertiliser from coffee husks, corncob and straw, which is also keeping streets clean of debris. According to Pham Quang Muoi, head of Cu M’gar district’s division for agriculture and rural development, the activity not only helps local people save up to 14 billion VND (700,000 USD) each year but also increases crop productivity and reduce environmental pollution. As stated by officials, microbial organic fertiliser is highly beneficial for plants and soil as it increases minerals and micronutrients, improves soil porosity and nutritional values, stimulates root growth, and reduces harmful pests. Household-based estimates show that one tonne of microbial organic fertiliser costs 700,000 (35 USD) to 850,000 VND (41 USD) on average, while a tonne of chemical fertiliser costs up to 3 million VND (150 USD). In the past, Dak Lak province produced substantial amounts of byproducts, which were considered waste, due to its extensive coffee and maize production - over 203.500ha of coffee and 120.000ha of maize. However, thanks to the success of the new microbial organic fertiliser production model, the province has been distributing technology and skills on how to reuse byproducts usefully, by running training courses, particularly for ethnic minority groups. Vietnamese get support in Ukraine warzone Since bloody clashes broke out in Eastern Ukraine, hundreds of Vietnamese nationals have been forced to evacuate to other localities for safety reasons. The prolonged political turmoil has created a number of difficulties for Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) and many of them remain stranded in danger areas. Protecting citizens is the top priority of the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine. Around 300 OVs are living and working in Donbass - an area where the fighting is intense. Over the past two months, half of them have evacuated to Odessa and Kharkov, while some have returned to the homeland. However, more than 60 households in Donetsk and neighbouring areas are still in imminent danger. An Embassy staff Nguyen Phuong Thao said over the past two months, OVs have been forced to leave their homes to seek refuge,  and the embassy has implemented a number of measures to support them. It has sent working groups to Odessa, Kharkov, Mariupol and Donetsk to provide OVs with essential food and other things. HCM City begins health campaign for seniors HCM City on Saturday began a month-long Seniors' Health Itinerary to mark the International Day of Older Persons on October 1. The campaign, organised by the HCM City Young Physicians Association in co-operation with the Viet Nam Youth Federation, will examine and provide free medicines to around 1,000 older people in the city. They will also be counselled on how to prevent diseases, including those of the heart, diabetes, and arthritis. Older people suffering from one of these diseases will be guided in how to prevent them from worsening. Vu Tri Thanh, chairman of the HCM City Young Physicians Association, said older people have contributed to the country's development, and it is the responsibility of younger people to care for them. Faced with a decline in immunity and resistance, the former are susceptible to diseases, he added. Figures from the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that there were 497,561 people aged 60 and above as of last year, accounting for 6.3 per cent of the population. Similar campaigns have started in all other 62 provinces and cities, with some of them scheduled to last two months. Around 32,500 people will be examined and treated and 500 others will get eye surgeries. According to WHO, there are around 600 million people aged 60 and above in the world. The number is expected to double by 2025 and rise to two billion by 2050, most of them in developing countries. Trade union officials solve workplace issues Taiwanese firm Kollan Viet Nam's relationship with its employees has become more harmonious thanks to a programme by the HCM City Federation of Labour to send trade union officials to large companies. Tran Thi Dung, the official sent to liaise between the company based in Thu Duc District and its workers, said strikes occurred in the past at the company because of conflicts with employers and workers' lack of trust in their trade union. Before the programme was instituted three years ago, companies used to pay the salary of the trade union official, creating an obvious conflict of interest. Since she was named trade union official by the Federation of Labour and attended training courses, she has managed to garner the trust of both employers and employees. "My employers understand the role of the union, that it helps their company's development, and the employees also see their right to be protected." Employees express their opinions and suggestions through the trade union's comments box and hotline, she said. It was through this that the company agreed to increase workers' salaries every two years and extend a contract set to expire if a woman is pregnant, she explained. The programme has seen trade union officials being sent to companies with a payroll of more than 1,000 to more effectively protect workers' rights. Nguyen Phuoc Dai, a trade union official sent to the Japan-owned Juki Viet Nam Company, said when there was problem in 2011 he had negotiated with the management to protect the employees' rights. The management had found that company goods were being stolen and planned to install cameras in the factory floor and workers' changing rooms, which would have violated their privacy. But after the official's negotiations with the general director, the latter agreed not to do so. When the company faced some difficulties too the trade union persuaded the workers to agree to the management's solutions, Dai said. Nguyen Thi Thu, chairwoman of the Federation of Labour, said the city has 15 industrial parks and export processing zones with nearly 1,000 enterprises and 268,576 employees. The programme is imperative for protecting workers' rights, and the city Party Committee has approved funds for its implementation, but only 17 out of 40 firms with 1,000 employees have trade union officials because of several reasons including low salaries, she said. The Party Committee has approved an increase in their salaries in order to achieve the target of having a trade union official at all foreign companies with more than 1,000 workers, she said. It would also provide more training courses for trade union's officials, she said. Dang Ngoc Tung, chairman of the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, hailed the programme saying the functioning of trade unions at companies in the IPs and EPZs has made significant progress, and they protect worker's rights at every step. It is vital to provide more training, especially in negotiation skills, to trade union officials, he said. He hoped that every firm in the IPs and EPZs would have a trade union. All companies with more than 30 employees are required to have a trade union. The Federation of Labour has four offices in the city's 15 IPs and EPZs to assist the trade union officials at companies. The city has seen the number of strikes go down from 110 in 2011 to just 13 in the first eight months of this year. Ore theft crackdown proving difficult Thieves digging up highly valuable rare earth ore in the northern province of Lai Chau often react violently when approached by guards. This was one of the problems facing authorities trying to control the situation near the Dong Pao rare earth ore mine, said Nguyen Van Thuan, chairman of the Ban Hon Commune People's Committee. The mine, in Tam Duong District, is supposed to be operated and managed by the commune, but most of the ore is being dug up illegally with picks and shovels by people from the commune and outsiders. Commune authorities asked local residents to sign a commitment not to dig up or transport the ore or face punishment, but most refused, said Thuan. The commune has now set up two guardrooms near the mine and assigned workers to be on watch day and night. However, the ore is often transported on hidden paths to avoid guards. So far this year, the commune has seized 40 motorbikes and more than eight tonnes of the rare earth ore from the thieves. The ore is often hidden in grass, bags or in blankets. Thuan said that when commune authorities try to catch the illegal exploiters, they often resisted violently and attacked the guards. Thuan suggested that Lai Chau authorities invite a mining company to take over the site so that the situation could be brought under control. He said the province should develop a detailed plan to do this. Ban Hon Commune was assigned to manage the Dong Pao rare earth ore mine in 2012. The mine is said to have the biggest amount of rare earth ore in Viet Nam. HCM City, Nghe An sign co-operation deal HCM City and the central province of Nghe An on Friday signed a comprehensive agreement for commercial and socio-economic co-operation through 2020. Under the agreement signed in the Nghe An capital Vinh, the two sides will strengthen co-operative links, share experiences in improving their investment and business environments, and mobilise investment from various sources in socio-economic infrastructure and scientific research. HCM City will help Nghe An attract investment by apprising the city's business community about opportunities in the province. The province has mobilised investments in its South-East Economic Zone; malls, shopping centres, tourism parks, and resorts; construction materials manufacture; processing of farm and forest produce and seafood; and electronics manufacture and assembly. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Chairman of the Nghe An People's Committee, Nguyen Xuan Duong, said in the past decade HCM City businesses created 43,000 jobs in Nghe An and contributed thousands of billions of dong to the province's coffers. Since 2003 more than 30 HCM City businesses have invested over VND15.35 trillion (over US$724 million) in 45 projects in Nghe An of which 41 are operational. Duong said the HCM City-invested projects have not only helped boost socio-economic development but also changed attitudes towards business and investment in Nghe An. Le Thanh Hai, Secretary of the HCM City's Party Committee, urged Nghe An and HCM City authorities to create favourable conditions for investments in infrastructure, processing, trade – services, health, and education as required by the province. Also at the meeting, Nghe An authorities issued an investment licence to the HCM City-based Hoa Sen Group for its Hoa Sen – Nghe An Iron Sheet project. Da Lat inaugurates fund for flower farmers A loan scheme to support flower farmers was launched in Da Lat city in the central highlands province of Lam Dong on September 19. The Agrivina- Dalat Hasfarm fund is being run by Agrivina Ltd. Co., one of the biggest flower growers and exporters in the city, with a total capital of 2 billion VND (94,300 USD). The first five households were awarded funds on the inauguration day. The fund offers loans of 50 million VND (2,300 USD) for flower farms of 1,000 sq.m and 100 million VND (4,700 USD) for farms of 1more than 1,000 sq.m. The interest -free loan is to be paid back after two years. The fund is to be used to build greenhouses, invest in technological tools, and improve sprinkler systems in a bid to enhance the quality of flowers. Agrivina executives said around 150 farmers are supplying flowers to the company for export. At present, Lam Dong province has over 7,000ha of flower farming land, making it the nation’s biggest flower producer. Over 4,400ha of this land is in Da Lat. During the first seven months of this year, the province generated 16 million USD in flower export revenue, accounting for 5.9 percent of its total earning from exports. Programme facilitates community integration for disabled children Hanoi authorities are implementing an early intervention programme in a bid to support disabled children’s intellectual and physical development. Hoan Kiem is the capital’s first district to carry out the project in 34 kindergartens and private schools. At this age, the development of language and social skills is at a crucial point. For this reason, early detection of disabilities and prompt intervention can help children integrate better into the community, Director of the district’s Centre for Population and Family Planning Truong Thi Kim Hoa said. However, several problems are hindering the implementation of the programme, particularly a lack of coordination from parents. To expand the programme, authorities need to increase public awareness, especially amongst parents and teachers, whilst working closely with healthcare workers to detect impairments at an early stage. Hanoi is home to nearly 10,000 children with disabilities. In 2010, Vietnam passed the Law on People with Disabilities, which is the country’s legal framework for protecting the rights of disabled people, in line with the UN Convention. The education development strategy for 2011-2020 aims to have 70 percent of children with disabilities attending school by 2020. Social welfare programmes address poverty The Fatherland Front Committee of the northern mountainous province Lao Cai provided houses, worth 60-120 million VND each, for 25 low-income families in Si Ma Cai district this month. The committee’s Vice Chairwoman Ban Thu Thao said the committee would support the construction of 25 additional houses by November. Since 2012, the province has raised close to 40 billion VND (1.88 million USD) to implement social welfare programmes, she added. Meanwhile, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been cooperating with the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) to provide free milk for more than 59,800 children under the age of six during the 2012-2016 period. According to the deputy director of the provincial Department of Education and Training, local authorities are working to reduce the proportion of under-weight children and children with stunted growth to less than five percent and one percent, respectively. On September 19, the Thien Tam Foundation under Vingroup donated 1,000 cows to poor households in Cu Jut district in the Central Highlands province Dak Nong. Earlier, the group gave 2,000 cows to poor residents in Kon Tum and Dak Lak provinces. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND