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EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR
NOVEMBER 1-10 (daily updated)
Melting Pot
6: Art & Music Festival
08 and 09 Nov, 12
pm – 11 pm
188/1 Nguyen Van
Huong, Thao Dien, Dist 2, HCMC
First of all, we
are super excited for the return of Melting Pot: Art and Music Festival at
Saigon Outcast! For those who don’t know, Melting Pot is an incredible
weekend that gathers the
This is a community
event that happens twice a year and invites everyone in
All proceeds go to
our initiatives. Half of the funds raised will be donated to Saigon
Children’s Charity and the other half will be used to restore/renovate public
schools and facilities for children in District 2.
If you would like
to be part of Melting Pot on Nov 8-9, we are looking for the following:
- Volunteers:
Production team, entrance booth, crew
- Artists/Bands
- Dancers
- Performers of any
kind
- Photographers
- Vendors
- Graffiti artists
- Art exhibitions
Please also let us
know here or email mara.calibara@gmail.com if you would like to sign up.
At this Melting Pot
we are introducing a theme. Our theme is ‘Celebration of Cultures’. This will
be a great weekend to embrace the different countries that we all represent
and get to know a little bit more about different cultures. Come to the
festival representing your home country or maybe your favorite country! This
city is so diverse it’s time we celebrated it.
Entry: 100,000 VND
(minimum donation)
Half of the funds
from the previous Melting Pot has been assigned to restoring the public pool
in An Phu, which is mostly used by kids for swimming lessons.
Workshop
Creative Documentary Level-2 with Jamie Maxtone-Graham
Deadline: 03 Nov
2014
Goethe-Institut
56-58 Nguyen Thai
Hoc, Ba Dinh,
You are invited to
the workshop titled Creative Documentary Level-2 with Jamie Maxtone-Graham at
Hanoi DOCLAB. We would select a small group of filmmakers to apply
specialized techniques in a particular project. The workshop activities
including screening and analyzing finished works definitely brings practical
experience for potential filmmakers.
When: Every Sat –
10 weeks – From Nov 2014 – Jan 2015
Where: DocLab,
Goethe Institut Ha Noi 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc
Cost: 1,500,000 VND
// (have discounted 75%)
Class: 10-12 people
Instructor: Jamie
Maxtone-Graham worked for more than 20 years as a cinematographer in
Deadline for
registration: 03 Nov 2014 (early registration, early interview)
Please fill out and
send the Registration Form, along with your CV and ideas to
hanoidoclab@gmail.com titled: “workshop level 2 registration-FULL NAME”
Link to
Registration Form
If you’re
interested in getting news, announcements from DOCLAB for its activities,
workshops, and schedule of film screenings, etc., please email us at
hanoidoclab@gmail.com to subscribe to DOCLAB news.
Flute
Recital with Nguyen Ly Huong
Sat 08 Nov 2014, 8
pm
L’Espace
24 Trang Tien,
You are invited to
the classical flute recital with Nguyen Ly Huong – First Prize for wooden
trumpet concerto at National Chamber Music Spring Competition and First Prize
at the 1st International Flute Contest in
Ly Huong began her
career as a flutist in 2000, at the age of 10. Since 2006, she has
received numerous awards and performed at hundreds of national concerts with
Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra
from Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, Symphony Orchestra from Hue Academy
of Music. The flute recital will feature famous compositions by Chaminade,
Honegger, Prokoviev and Dring at L’Espace.
Program:
A. Honegger : Danse
de la chèvre.
Pièce chinoise:
Night flute.
C. Chaminade:
Concerto for flute and piano Op. 107
S. Prokofiev:
Sonate for flute D Major Op. 94 (mouv. 1 et 2).
- Moderato
- Scherzo
M. Dring: Trio for
flute, oboe and piano.
- Allegro
- Andante semplice
- Allegro giocoso
Attending artists:
Flute: Ly Huong;
Oboe: Hoang Tung; Piano: Thai Linh
Tickets
Ticket price: 160
000 VND
Special price for
members of L’Espace and students: 80 000 VND
Tickets are
available at L’Espace.
KOTO Bike
Ride 2014
Sat 08 Nov 2014, 6
am
Son Tinh Camp, Ba
Vi,
KOTO Bike Ride is a
annual fundraising event of KOTO, where all proceeds will be used to support
the continued work of providing hopes and brighter future to at-risk and
disadvantaged youth in
Have you been
waiting for the
Join 2014 KOTO BIKE
RIDE to participate in the most exciting ride on Saturday, November 08th in
support of at-risk and disadvantaged youth through KOTO training program!
KOTO Bike Ride aims
to raise fund for KOTO to cover the rental expense of training centres and
housing for 200 trainees for 01 year.
Our 50km charity
cycle route will head to the west of
The warm
hospitality and continuous cheering of KOTO staff and trainees will accompany
cyclists throughout the ride and will spur on even the most tired cyclist.
The ride will conclude with a hearty meal serving by our thankful trainees.
For more
information and register, please email kotobikeride@koto.com.au or call Ms
Ngân (093 221 2390) or Mr Long (0986 52 6068).
Screening
of Film “Amitiés Sinceres”
Fri 07 Nov 2014, 8
pm
L’Espace
24 Trang Tien,
You are invited to
the film screening “Amitiés Sinceres” (
For more
information about synopsis, please see L’Espace website (in French) or refer
to the Vietnamese version of this post.
Language: French
with Vietnamese subtitle.
Ticket price: 40
000 VND
Special price for
members of L’Espace and students: 20 000 VND
Tickets are
available at L’Espace.
Special
Film Program of the Science Film Festival 2014
Fri 07 Nov 2014,
6.30 pm
Goethe-Institut
56-58 Nguyễn Thái
Học
Ba Đình, Hà Nội
You are invited to
the screening of “When Björk Met Attenborough” and “Biophilia” – two
extraordinary Films about Music, Nature and Technology, in the framework of
Science Film Festival 2014.
What happens when
an award-winning musician meets a legendary broadcaster and naturalist, and
they start to investigate and discuss the connection which exists between
music and nature?
Islandic
experimentalist singer Björk and naturalist Sir David Attenborough have
admired each other’s work for years but this is the first time they have
discussed their mutual love of music and the natural world on screen.
In this remarkable
documentary “When Björk Met Attenborough”, Björk explores our unique
relationship with music and discovers how technology might transform the way
we engage with it in the future. David Attenborough explains how music exists
in the natural world and speaks about his own passion for music.
This unique
documentary is followed by the screening of Björk’s cutting-edge music
project “Biophilia” that explores where nature, music and technology meet.
Program
6.30 p.m:
documentary film “When Björk Met Attenborough”
7.15 p.m: tea break
7.30 p.m.: music
documentary film “Biophilia”
Exhibition
“Beautiful Handicrafts of
HCMC:
Opening: Fri 31 Oct
2014, 9 am
Exhibition: 31 Oct
– 10 Nov 2014, 9 am – 6 pm
The Exhibition Hall
(
—
Opening: Fri 12 Dec
2014, 6 pm
Exhibition: 12 – 22
Dec 2014, 8.30 am – 4.45 pm
The Japan
Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, in cooperation with
Consulate-General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, proudly present a travelling
exhibition “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan” from 31 October – 22
December in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Supervised by
curator Ryuichi Matsubara “Beautiful Handicrafts of
The displays
present works of mingei members included Kanjiro Kawai, Shoji Hamada, Keisuke
Serizawa and Shiko Munakata with various genres—ceramics, lacquerware,
textiles, metalwork, wood and bamboo crafts, etc.—allowing visitors to enjoy
the diverse and exquisite world of Tohoku traditions.
The works included
in the exhibit present an opportunity to discover anew the high level of
traditional craft techniques nurtured in the Tohoku region and the functional
beauty of daily implements used since ancient times in Japan. The art and
craftsmanship of these works also help us to better appreciate the folk
wisdom derived from lives lived close to nature and the manual skills and
dexterity cultivated out of that wisdom.
It is our hope that
viewers will enjoy the undeniable beauty and the highly developed handicraft
techniques of Tohoku craftsmanship products.
This exhibition
will travel to
Free admission.
Israeli
Film Festival 2014
In
87 Lang Ha Str,
—
In HCMC: 06 – 10
Nov 2014
BHD Star Cineplex
ICON68
Israeli Film
Festival 2014 will take place in
Film Schedule in
1 Nov 2014
8 pm: Foreign
Letters
- Exclusive for
guests in the opening screening
2 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Foreign
Letters
+ 8 pm: Broken
Wings
3 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Something
Sweet
+ 8 pm: The
matchmaker
4 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Someone to
run with
+ 8 pm: Broken
Wings
5 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: The
matchmaker
+ 8 pm: Someone to
run with
Film Schedule in
HCMC
6 Nov 2014
8 pm: Foreign
Letters
- Exclusive for
guests in the opening screening
7 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Foreign
Letters
+ 8 pm: Broken
Wings
8 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Something
Sweet
+ 8 pm: The
matchmaker
9 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: Someone to
run with
+ 8 pm: Broken
Wings
9 Nov 2014
+ 6 pm: The
matchmaker
+ 8 pm: Someone to
run with
Detail about films
in Israel Film Festival 2014
Ticket
Free admission for
everyone. The opening screening in
To receive the
ticket:
+ In
+ In HCMC, free
tickets will be distributed at BHD Cineplex ICON 68, Bitexco ICON68, no. 2
Hai Trieu, Dist 1, HCMC in one day: Sun 01 Nov 2014 (at 9 am)(please contact
Mr.Trần Trương Quang, Tel: 0909692293 or Ms Bảo An, Tel: 0913213114 for more
information)
Playday –
Playground in the City
Sun 02 Nov 2014
American Club
19–21 Hai Ba Trung,
Welcome all the
children and parents come to Playday/Playground in the City. A Free
Playground within one day for the children to have fun in
List of activities
in Playday:
1. Movement and
Creative Playground
Free Admission.
Sun 02 Nov 2014,
7.30 am – 6.30 pm
(In addition to
provided toys, parents could bring more to fill up the “free playground” and
bring them back at the end of the event)
2. Photo exhibition
“Playground in the city”
Sun 02 Nov 2014,
7.30 am – 6.30 pm
3. Improvised
Installation Art in the city center
Sun 02 Nov 2014 -
all the day
Somewhere alse in
the city center
4. Workshop “How to
make playground”
(Registration
required before 24 Oct 2014)
Sat 01 Nov 2014, 2
pm – 5 pm
Exhibition
“78 Rhythms” by Nguyen Huy An
Opening: Thu 30 Oct
2014, 6 pm
Exhibition: 30 Oct
– 22 Nov 2014
Galerie Quynh
65 Đề Thám,
District 1, HCMC
You are invited to
“78 rhythms” – a solo exhibition by Hanoi-based artist Nguyen Huy An. Known
for his quiet performances of transforming the most mundane and familiar of
materials into simple and poetic artworks, Nguyen Huy An is among the most
innovative artists of his generation. While focusing on new and recent work,
the artist’s first exhibition at the gallery will also include the acclaimed
work ‘The Roads’ (2007), presented in
Whether measuring
the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter with black thread, collecting dust on the
Vinh Tuy Bridge, condensing the monstrous structure of a skyscraper into a
humble stack of paper, or obsessively painting the same village pond for over
a decade, Huy An creates a personal visual archive of memories and histories
that relate to the social and political contexts of the sites he records. The
artist states, ‘’In the context of a growing economy, it is important to look
at and realize how modernity, and by extension the passage of time, casts
shadows on our existence and engenders zones of darkness in our collective
psychology.’’ Negotiating the tension between a nostalgia for nature and the
inexorable juggernaut of human progress, Huy An resorts to measuring as a
means of self-contraction – as an act of reifying memories and ideas, and
relocating, re-contextualizing and reducing concrete structures, creating
forms that appear more humanistic.
Nguyen Huy An has
an artistic predilection for dark materials: the melancholic color of dark and
moody spaces where the artist has lived, the black color of clothes and hair,
the sadness of his grandmother, his mother, his sisters and other women in
his life. Huy An’s work is, in an intricate and profound way, the color of
night like the nostalgic shadows hanging over life’s ordinary objects.
ABOUT NGUYEN HUY AN
Born in 1982 in
In 2010 Huy An
co-founded with artists Vu Duc Toan and Hoang Minh Duc the performance art
collective The Appendix Group (Phu Luc). The group has performed in festivals
in
Exhibition
of Vietnamese Contemporary Fine Art in
‘Vietnamese Vibes:
Harmonies of Space and Time”
Exhibition: 31 Oct
– 08 Nov 2014
Gallery Talk and
Reception: Saturday November 1 at 3 pm
Guy
Peppiatt/Stephen Ongpin Gallery
6 Masons Yard,
As part of her
international exhibition schedule, Raquelle Azran is once again exhibiting in
the annual Asian Art in
Raquelle Azran is
exhibiting a group show of 5
The gallery talk,
Habits of Harmony in Vietnamese Fine Art, will discuss principles of harmony
on several levels: within an individual artwork, among artworks within an
artist’s body of work, as part of Asian philosophy and culture, and as a
feature of fusion of Vietnamese and Western art. The talk will be followed by
a reception, hosted by newly appointed Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Van Thao.
Autumn Mini
Fair
01 and 02 Nov 2014,
9.30 am – 6 pm
Cosmo Cafe
10 Khuc Hao,
Our Autumn Minifair
gathers 13 outstanding Hanoian handmade/craft and vintage brands together and
connects them with craft & vintage lovers in town. In the most friendly
atmosphere you might ever find, the Minifair will take place on 01 and 02
Nov.
Beside the main
event, indulge yourself in a variety of giveaways, deals and vouchers from
all the participating crafts & vintage brands.
Free entrance.
Parking fee for motorbike: 5,000 VNĐ.
Artist Talk
by Nguyen Huy An
Sat 01 Nov 2014, 3
pm
Galerie Quynh
65 Đề Thám,
District 1, HCMC
You are invited to
an artist talk by Nguyen Huy An on the occasion of his current solo show ‘78
rhythms’. Nguyen Huy An will discuss the major themes in the exhibition and
the experiences that have inspired his practice.
Huy An’s work is
the manifestation of emotions and ideas on the materials of everyday life: a
bundle of entangled thread tucked in the corner of two walls, dust and dirt
stuck on the surface of a string of tapes, or plain sheets of papers stacked
on top of one another. This manifestation could be manifold; sometimes it is
about the tension between time and space, the past and the present, the
nostalgia for nature and the inexorable juggernaut of human progress.
During the artist
talk, Huy An will urge the audience to reflect on the context of a growing
economy that estranges human beings from the values of life that they’ve
grown up embracing. The artist states, “It’s important to look and realize
how modernity, and by extension the passage of time, casts shadows on our
existence and engenders zones of darkness in our collective psychology.” The
artist will also touch on the connection between the North and the South and
the exhibition being a presentation of
Born in 1982 in
In 2010 Huy An
co-founded with artists Vu Duc Toan and Hoang Minh Duc the performance art
collective The Appendix Group (Phu Luc). The group has performed in festivals
in
Exhibition
“Corner To be Seen”
Opening: Sat 01 Nov
2014, 5 pm
Exhibition: 01 – 30
Nov 2014
Heritage Space
You are invited to
the exhibition “Corner To be Seen” by painter Tran Trung Thanh.
A portfolio of 15
artworks during 9 years (from 2005 to 2014) will be featured in this solo
exhibition. Not only giving strong visual impression, these paintings always
raise different questions toward contemporary life, the perspective of each
people, especially the youth and conflict between nature – human, violence –
love, history – present. They all result from personnel-point-of-view.
Free admission.
Exhibition
“Junction”
Opening: Sat 01 Nov
2014, 5 pm
Exhibition: 01 – 24
Nov 2014
Mai Gallery
3th floor, 112 Hang
Bong Str,
VNN
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Thứ Sáu, 31 tháng 10, 2014
HCM CITY
(VNS) - South Korea has high demand for fisheries and farm produce, making it
a promising market for Viet Nam, according to the Viet Nam Trade Promotion
Agency (Vietrade).
Speaking at a Korean market access seminar held in HCM City on
Wednesday, Bui Thi Thanh An, deputy director of Vietrade, said however farm
exports to Korea remain very modest, accounting for around 10 per cent of the
country's total exports.
To expand exports to the market, Vietnamese products need to
meet strict requirements in terms of quality and technical standards, she
said.
"A number of firms have exported their products to
difficult markets like the
Experts from leading Korean food companies like Shinsegae, CJ,
and Pulmuone spoke to more than 100 local entrepreneurs about purchasing
trends and procedures in the Korean agro-fisheries sector.
Yeong Hun Kim, manager of Pulmuone Food Co Ltd, said
White-leg shrimp is very popular in his country and Korean
importers are looking for Vietnamese suppliers, he said.
Processed products like shrimp crayfish, shrimp flake,
butterfly shrimp, squid ring/bar/bal, fish, salmon, and squid cutlets are
also in great demand, he revealed.
To penetrate the Korean market, besides ensuring product
quality, Vietnamese firms also need to focus more on packaging, he said.
Since Korean consumers tend to be concerned about the health
aspects of food and safety of packaging materials, the type of plastics used
in packaging should be carefully considered and good materials should be
used, he warned.
Bui Thi Thanh Duyen, business development director at Thanh
Thai Gia Trading Investment Company, who specialises in tea and coffee, said
apart from studying the demand and consumers' taste in the market, knowing
Korean language is also important.
An said that the seminar, which was organised by Vietrade and
the ASEAN-Korea Centre, was meant to help Vietnamese firms understand the
Korean market and the specific requirements of importers there.
The seminar also featured a training in packaging for local
firms and business-to-business meetings.
Chung Hae-moon, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre,
said trade between
Oh Jae Hack, the South Korean envoy in
Once it comes into effect, the two countries would have more
opportunities to boost investment and trade, he said.
Bilateral trade is expected to top $70 billion by 2020, the
target set by the two governments, he said. - VNS
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Political
News 31/10
Hai Duong
receives national honour
President Truong
Tan Sang yesterday (Oct 30) conferred the Independence Order (second class)
upon Hai Duong city to celebrate its 210th founding anniversary.
In 1804, under the
reign of the Nguyen Dynasty's King Gia Long, the main town of
Today the 19th
century citadel, once called Thanh Dong, is Hai Duong - a city consisting of
21 communes and wards and a population of 187,000.
The city received
the award for excellent accomplishments achieved in recent decades.
Located in the
heart of the northern economic region, Hai Duong enjoys an annual growth rate
of 10 per cent. It is home to 3,200 companies, three industrial parks and
five industrial clusters with 150 projects that provides 40,000 jobs.
At the ceremony,
Sang asked local authorities and residents to review the city's socio-economic
achievements and shortcomings in order to sustain its growth.
Chief of the
General Staff of the Viet Nam People's Army, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba
Ty, met the Chief of Staff of Myanmar Air Force, General Khin Aung Myint
yesterday.
Ty, who is also
Deputy Defence Minister, noted that relations between the Viet Nam People's
Amy and the Myanmar Armed Forces had recently progressed, with more regular
exchanges of delegations at all levels.
Armed forces from
both countries deepened their partnership in personnel training, the defence
industry and sharing information on search and rescue operations.
General Khin Aung
Myint said that since
VN, Lao
veterans reunite in Ha Noi
More than 300
former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and military experts who fought in Laos
during the war against the French and the Americans met in Ha Noi yesterday
(Oct 30) to mark the 65th anniversary of their day to remember.
As part of an
agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao Parties, States, armies and peoples,
a command unit of the Vietnam People's Army was sent to
During the 30
years, generations of Vietnamese overcame numerous hardships with their Lao
comrades, resulting in the success of the Lao revolution.
Nearly 35,000
Vietnamese soldiers died on Lao soil, while 60,000 returned home as war
invalids.
Deputy Defence
Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Cung said that even though
many years had passed, the effort remained a proud milestone.
Lao Deputy Defence
Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Chansamon Channhalat agreed that the
special military alliance had stood the test of time.
NA Chairman
greets IT experts
The National
Assembly feels application of information technology (IT) will provide fresh
momentum for socio-economic development, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said
yesterday.
Hung was speaking
at a reception for delegates to the Asian-Oceania Computing Industry
Organisation (ASOCIO) conference on Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) which ended today in Ha Noi and the central city of
He expressed the
hope that the delegates would continue to promote the application of
information technology in all sectors.
He noted that IT
applications have touched all aspects of life in
NA leader
receives ASOCIO ICT Summit 2014 delegates
National Assembly
(NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung confirmed that the NA wholeheartedly backs the
strengthening of the application of information technology in socio-economic
development in
In a reception on
October 30 for delegates to the Vietnam ASOCIO ICT Summit 2014, which is
currently taking place in
Noting that
The NA Chairman
said the summit provided a chance for participants to exchange information on
and experience in expanding the application of IT in various fields,
including transport, healthcare, economics and institutions.
The delegates
briefed their host on the outcomes of the summit, during which they developed
a joint vision for ICT as a new growth method, opportunity and fundamental
basis for national development in each country, as well as the shortest path
to prosperity.
The four-day event,
organised annually by the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation
(ASOCIO), focussed on ICT as a new paradigm for socio-economic development
and agricultural restructuring.
This is the second
time
Established in
1984, ASOCIO’s 29 members and guest members comprise more than 10,000 ICT
companies and account for approximately US$350 billion of ICT revenue in the
region.
Ambassador Nguyen
Phuong Nga, Permanent Representative of
The diplomat said
the success of UN peacekeeping operations requires strict adherence to the
purposes and principles of the UN Charter and universally recognised
guidelines, including respect for national sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and non-interference.
She suggested
employing peaceful means to address disputes and conflicts in a sustainable
and comprehensive manner as well as ensuring safety and security for
peacekeepers.
She assured that
Vietnamese
delegates attend Indonesian Golkar Party’s 50th anniversary
A Vietnamese
Communist Party delegation attended the Indonesian Go lkar Party ’s 50th
anniversary celebrations in
Over 10,000 politic
al supporters and representatives from other political parties attended the
ceremony to mark the party’s founding half a century ago.
Vice head of the
Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), Bui Van
Thach, presented congratulatory telegrammes from the CPVCC to the Golkar
Party’s Chairman Bakrie.
Bakrie pledged to
boost the ties between the two parties as a contribution to the strategic
partnership between
As part of the
visit, the Vietnamese delegation attended meetings with the President of the
Lower House and the Vice President of the Upper House of Indonesia.
Since its
establishment in 1964, the Party has played an important role in the
country’s development and become the second biggest political party in the
Indonesian parliament.
Chief of
General Staff meets
Chief of the
General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba
Ty, had a meeting with the Chief of Staff of Myanmar Air Force, General Khin
Aung Myint, in
Ty, who is also
Deputy Defence Minister, noted that relations between the Vietnam People’s
Amy and the Myanmar Armed Forces have recently progressed, with more regular
exchanges of delegations at all levels.
Armed forces from
both countries deepened their partnership in personnel training, the defence
industry and search and rescue information sharing, he said.
On his part,
General Khin Aung Myint stated that since
Source: VNN/VNS/VNA/VOV
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Tax
talks highlight policy deficiencies
HA NOI (VNS)
- Difficulties in tax and customs policies topped the agenda of the dialogue
that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and
The annual event, which aims to provide the business community
with latest information on tax and customs issues, drew the participation of
a large number of companies and was considered the most frank and open
meeting between State officials and enterprises concerning solutions to
problems and difficulties facing enterprises.
This was the opportunity for enterprises to have a direct
dialogue with the leaders of the MoF, as well as customs and taxation administrators.
At the dialogue, Doan Duy Khuong, VCCI deputy chairman, said
the Government was actively promoting economic restructuring and growth to
speed up the country's socio-economic development and international
integration.
Khuong added that
Besides implementating World Trade Organisation commitments
and free trade agreements,
Also, with the establishment of the ASEAN economic community
next year,
Deputy Finance Minister Do Hoang Anh Tuan said the dialogue
was one of the annual MoF activities that aimed to help businesses overcome
difficulties in tax and customs declarations, as well as assist the MoF in
collecting petitions from businesses to effectively reform administrative
procedures in the field of taxes and customs.
Tuan told participants that although the economic growth rate
increased by 5.8 per cent year-on-year, an estimated 57,000 businesses were
either dissolved or suspended operations because of difficulties in business
performance. Only 29 per cent of businesses are profitable, he added.
Tuan said the number of exporters remained unchanged, and the
foreign direct investment sector remained the largest contributor to export
turnover at 66 per cent.
Viet Nam's ongoing trade negotiations are expected to bring
advantages as well as challenges, he added, and urged participants to discuss
good policies as well as difficulties with current mechanisms and make
recommendations that would assist businesses in overcoming challenges.
Cao Anh Tuan, deputy director of the General Department of
Taxation (GDT), provided updates on tax policy, tax administration and
measures to ease difficulties of corporate and individual taxpayers.
To help taxpayers overcome difficulties, the MoF, GDT and
Government have issued circulars, decrees and dispatches. In addition, the
MoF has submitted to the Government and the National Assembly a draft law on
Special Consumption Tax and supplemented five laws on VAT, as well as
corporate income tax, personal income tax, resource tax and tax
administration.
The amendments are also related to the limit on expenses for
advertising, marketing, trade, promotion and reception, and are expected to
cut about 80 hours of administrative tax and customs procedures.
Regarding tax reform implementation, an estimated 416,689
enterprises, accounting for 85.5 per cent of the total number, have so far
filed electronic tax declarations, and it is expected that by the end of this
year, about 95 per cent of businesses will file electronic tax declarations.
The GDT has worked with Vietcombank and Agribank, as well as
Vu Ngoc Anh, GDT deputy general director, provided updates on
the new contents of the Customs Law which the National Assembly passed last
June and which will take effect in January.
Specific
examples
Pham Thi Loan, chief executive officer of Viet A Group, said
customs authorities needed to review their performance after post-clearance
inspection to generate incentives for businesses.
Loan revealed that her company imported optical cable for the
domestic electronics and telecommunications industry with identification
numbers at zero per cent. However, customs authorities applied a three-per
cent tax on her company.
She noted that the post-clearance inspection aimed to avoid
trade fraud by companies, but authorities' performance has made it more
difficult for businesses.
Loan also submitted her petition calling on agencies to
effectively improve procedures for handling complaints from businesses and
thoroughly review the tariff list to avoid saddling businesses with concerns
and losses.
Nguyen Hoai
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Extra classes at
preschool burden parents, kids in
Kids are pictured
practicing martial arts during an extra class at the 7A preschool in Binh
Thanh District,
Parents of preschool students in
“Schools have opened many extra-curricular classes
while many preschool children can’t even pronounce well,” one parent
complained.
“My kid has been in kindergarten for around one month,”
she added. “He has not even gotten acquainted with the main schedule and
still does not want to go to school, so how can he attend any
extra-curricular classes?”
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondents
have investigated and recorded the fact that most preschools in the city have
extra-curricular or ‘talent classes’ that cost even more than the main
courses.
“Last year I sent my kid to three extra-curricular
classes including organ, painting and English,” T., whose child studies at a
famous preschool in Phu Nhuan District, said.
“After a year learning those, she couldn’t remember
anything so I did not register her for any of those kinds of classes this
year, but her teacher keeps asking me whether I have registered my child,”
she added.
The teacher said learning extra-curricular subjects
will be good for her kid, T. shared.
Talent classes are often organized after 9:00 am and
2:00 pm, with two sessions per week. Each session lasts around 30 to 45
minutes.
At many preschools, teachers have asked parents to send
their kids to as many classes as they can, while some allow students to take
part in a maximum of three subjects.
M., a parent from Go Vap District, signed her child up
for five extra-curricular classes.
“The school has not announced the extra-curricular
schedule so I have no idea how my kid studies at school,” M. said. “Those
classes cost four times more than the main courses.”
T. Thuy, another parent from District 3, added that she
is not sure if her daughter wants to study at school since she is very
little.
At several schools where too many ‘talent classes’ have
been run, students who do not register for the classes have to leave the
classrooms, which are for their registered friends to study those subjects.
A principal of a preschool in Binh Thanh District said
students who do not join the extra classes will take part in outdoor
activities or play in the corner of the room if it rains.
“Parents should let them into those classes,” she
added. “It would be better for them.”
The situation has raised eyebrows and prompted
questions from parents on why extra-curricular classes are held when the main
courses are supposed to be going on, and why children not registered for
those 'talent classes' have to leave the room.
Beneficial cooperation
Almost all preshools offering extra-curricular classes
in
This arrangement works as schools provide facilities
and students, while the centers offer programs and teachers.
The benefits will be divided between the two sides
based on their own agreements.
One preschool said its split is 50-50, while a smaller
school in Binh Thanh District gets just 30 percent of the profit from the
cooperation.
At some schools, teachers also receive commission or
gifts if they convince parents to send their children to these classes.
“In fact, not every teacher gets a commission or gift
to force parents to register their kids,” a preschool principal said.
However, some teachers let the material benefits
persuade them and keep forcing parents to bring their kids to the classes, he
added.
“At preschools parents are not afraid of the
principals, but they are afraid of the teachers who directly take care of
their kids,” he shared.
According to Dr. Phan Thi Thu Hien, dean of the faculty
of pre-school education of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy, the
dense extra-curricular program will have a negative effect on children
physically and psychologically.
She said that the main program for students in
preschool has seven different subjects which offer knowledge about many topics,
so the extra-curricular classes can only play an additional role.
Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, head of preschool education at the
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, admited that the
extra-curricular teaching has helped to discover young talent and meet demand
from parents who are unable to send their kids to talent clubs or centers.
“However, schools have to ensure the rooms for those
extra classes as well as pay attention to managing them,” she stated. “They
also need to remind their teachers not to suggest or force parents to send
their kids to these classes.”
“Each student is not allowed to study more than three
extra subjects per week,” she added.
TUOI TRE NEWS
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