Social News 1/1 Saigon Railway to add trains for New Year holiday The Saigon Railway Passenger Transport Company is scheduling additional trains to meet the increased travel demands for the four-day New Year holiday from January 1-4, 2015. Accordingly, the Saigon Railway Passenger Transport Company will add more trains to the SN4 Sai Gon–Nha Trang and SQN4 Sai Gon–Quy Nhon on December 31, 2014; SPT4 Sai Gon–Phan Thiet on January 1,2 and 4; SN5 Nha Trang–Sai Gon, and SQN3 Quy Nhon–Sai Gon on January 3, 2015; SPT3 Phan Thiet–Sai Gon on January 1,3 and 4, 2015; SN3 Nha Trang–Sai Gon on January 3 and 4, 2015. The trains along the Saigon-Hanoi route will also have additional carriages. In additional to additional trains, the Vietnam Railways (VR) and the Saigon Railway Passenger Transport Company will offer a 10% discount on rail fares between midnight on January 1, 2015 to 12.59pm on February 1, 2015. Foreign students enjoy New Year gathering in Hanoi The Vietnam National University- Hanoi (VNU) held a pre-New Year get-together for its international students in Hanoi, on December 30, an event that it organised annually for years. As many as 800 students from different parts of the world are studying at the VNU, according to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Son, VNU Vice President. They have helped building bridges between their nations and Vietnam, Son said and sent his New Year greetings towards them. He hoped that the students keep doing their best while studying in Vietnam and will multiply what they had learnt when returning home. Enticing music and dancing performances characterising various cultures fostered mutual understanding and solidarity among fellow students at the event. VNU is one of the two national universities in Vietnam. Cuba’s National Day marked in HCM City A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 30 to mark the 56th anniversary of Cuba ’s National Day (Jan. 1, 1959-2015). Addressing the event, President of the Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Association (VCFA)’s HCM City chapter Hoang Thi Khanh congratulated the Cuban people on their recent achievements, especially the normalisation of relations with the US after 53 years. Vietnam is willing to cooperate with and support Cuba in areas of its potential, she said, adding that Ho Chi Minh City together with the entire nation has been doing its utmost to foster the time-honoured Vietnam-Cuba relationship. Recalling the fine relationship between Vietnam and Cuba since they set up diplomatic ties in 1960, Cuban Consul General to HCM City Bernabe Garcia Valido affirmed that the two peoples will work together to further develop the friendship, fraternity and comprehensive cooperation in the future. The event was co-hosted by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Associations and the VCFA HCM City. Police arrest drug trafficker near Chinese border Cao Bang provincial police have arrested a Chinese national for illegally transporting four kilograms of methamphetamine across the Chinese border in the north of Vietnam. The young man, 23, from Guangxi, China was caught red handed on December 29 in Ha Lang district transporting the drugs from China into Vietnam. The Cao Bang Province’s Border Guard Command is continuing to investigate the case. Microsoft Office contest kicks off Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC), the world's largest such contest, has been launched at Ho Chi Minh's Social Sciences and Human Studies University. In the first round, local authorities and educational institutions will identify the top contestants to send to the national knock-out round. In this round, participants will take the MOS exam – a test of skills in using Microsoft Office software, with the 15 best performers in each category securing a berth in the national finals. The top three scorers in the finals will be selected as Vietnam's MOS ambassadors and represent the country in the world finals in the US next August. The event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and Training, IIG Viet Nam, military telecom company Viettel, and Tuoi Tre (the Youth) newspaper. Hospitals provide free checkups, treatment Ha Noi's health sector will carry out a campaign providing free medical checkups and treatment until the end of February. The campaign, which marks the 60th Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27), includes surgeries for elderly patients with cataracts and children with cleft palates and heart disease. On the first day of the campaign, Duc Giang General Hospital gave free checkups, treatment and medicine to 300 people in Me Linh District. A similar humanitarian campaign co-organised by the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) and the Ministry of Health, which aims to benefit more than one million poor people each year, has been underway since November. Private sector tapped for canal work The Ministry of Transport has approved a plan to solicit investment from the private sector for developing infrastructure for inland waterways. In 2015 – 20, the ministry hopes to mobilise VND12.7 trillion (US$595 million) from non-state players for 45 projects that require nearly VND15.8 trillion ($741 million). In 2015 the Ministry seeks investment in two pilot BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects to upgrade inland waterways. These are the second phase of the Cho Gao Canal upgrade at a cost of VND1.4 trillion and work to upgrade the waterway section from the Binh Loi Railway Bridge to Ben Suc Bridge on the Sai Gon River. To enable investors to make returns, the ministry will allow them to collect fees or sell items like sand and pebble collected from dredging canals and rivers. The Government has pledged all support to ensure all their investments financially effective. Food safety inspections increased ahead of Tet The ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development and Industry and Trade will increase joint food safety inspections as Tet approaches, focusing on big cities and border provinces like Lang Son, Quang Ninh and Lao Cai, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said on Sunday. "The number of food samples examined will be increased by 10 per cent compared to last year," Tien said while speaking to the audience on the weekly VTV programme "People ask, Ministers answer". Manufacturers found violating food safety regulations will face fines up to VND200 million (US$9,600) or revocation of their circulation permits. Their names will also be publicised by the Ministry of Health. The ministry submitted a plan to the Government this year that would establish food safety inspection teams at sub-district levels, including wards and communes. "The Ministry believes that those measures will be effective in improving the food safety situation," Tien said. Regarding the amended Law of Health Insurance, which will go into effect on January 1, the Minister said the new regulation of compulsory insurance was a "big political effort" towards the future target of universal health insurance coverage. The new law also provides support for poor residents and ethnic minority groups in disadvantaged areas, as they will have all their medical fees covered by health insurance rather than only 95 per cent. Meanwhile, near-poor households will have to pay only 5 per cent of the total fee, a fourfold decrease from the current law. "Another important work of the Ministry was to improve the quality of medical services as well as the overloading problem at hospitals," Tien said. The average waiting time for examinations at hospitals has decreased by 50 minutes while 150 medical officers were fined for bad behaviour after a national hotline was established this year. Association actively supports Vietnamese in Cambodia The General Association of Vietnamese Cambodian People held a meeting to review its performance in 2014 and map out orientations for next year in Phnom Penh on December 29. The association proposed Cambodian authorities continue to take care of and give assistance to the Vietnamese Cambodians, especially in terms of legal status and material facilities, said Chairman Chau Van Chi, who was elected as a member of the 13th tenure of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Executive Board. It received support from authorities of southern cities and provinces of Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang in building schools, granting scholarships, and opening vocational training courses for Vietnamese expatriates. The association was also active in cultural and educational work, illustrated by supporting natural disaster victims, providing free health check-ups and medicine, and presenting gifts to underprivileged Vietnamese and Cambodian people. In 2015, the association will continue to develop its apparatus by establishing new executive boards at grassroots levels, increasing its membership, and guiding the Vietnamese expatriates to register for the foreigner’s legal status implemented by the Cambodian Ministry of Internal Affairs in July 2014. It will also expand operation in the Cambodian provinces of Preah Vihear, Oddar Mean Chey, Kep, Pailin, and Tbong Kmmum. Coast Guard seizes smuggled cigarettes The Viet Nam Coast Guard seized 1,300 smuggled cigarette packs from a motorboat coming from Cambodia in Kien Giang province's Ha Tien town on Saturday. The coast guard unit seized the goods when the smugglers jumped into the water after a one-hour chase. A coast guard officer said that smuggling was increasing at the border in Kien Giang Province as the year-end neared, with many smugglers transferring products into small packages at different times throughout the day to avoid law enforcement units. The coast guard unit handed over the case to local authorities for further investigation. Better quality, prices to turn local products into consumers’ first choice Domestic businesses need to focus on applying cutting-edge technologies to improve their product quality and cut down prices so that made-in-Vietnam products can truly become the first choice of Vietnamese consumers. So said participants at a workshop held by the Vietnam Private Business Association (VPBA) in Hanoi on December 27. Duong Duy Hung, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)’s Domestic Market Department, pointed out to numerous weaknesses of domestic production such as the monotony of product design and diversity, uncompetitive prices, businesses’ neglect of goods promotion and consumer services, the lax connection between manufacturers and sellers, and the slack market watch. Raising competitiveness must be conducted regularly, continuously and on the long-term base, said VPBA Vice Chairman Ngo Van Diem, adding that Vietnam needs to improve its national competitiveness, build an appropriate development plan, and create a fair competition environment and a favourable business climate. He suggested the country help enterprises increase their competitiveness while companies also need to partner with one another, abolish the mindset of hunting for short-term profits, and invest more in personnel training. According to a recent survey on outcomes of the five-year implementation of the campaign “Vietnamese people prioritise the use of Vietnamese goods”, 92 percent of questioned consumers were interested in the drive, 57 percent of them recognised the campaign’s communication efforts, and 63 percent prioritised using domestic products. This survey was carried out by the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communication and Education. The amount of textile and garment materials imported from China dropped dramatically to 37 percent, compared to 75-80 percent in the previous years, said a report compiled by the MOIT and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in September. There is also an increasing trend, especially in cities, that local consumers buy domestically made apparel although smuggled products are dwarfing local ones. While some foreign brands are dominating the market of formula milk, most of other products such as yogurt and condensed and fresh milk on sale are made by Vietnamese companies like Vinamilk and TH True Milk, the report shows.- Front launches tasks on new-style rural building for 2015 Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Truong Thi Ngoc Anh presided a meeting in Hanoi on December 29 to launch the front’s tasks on new style rural building for 2015. In 2015, the committee continues its collaboration with the National Steering Committee for New Rural Development in disseminate the Party and Government’s policies on the new style rural building programme while mobilising sources among the people to implement the programme. Over the past year, the front at all levels made every effort to carry out the national target programme on new style rural development in localities nationwide. It worked closely with local authorities and relevant agencies to implement criteria on new style rural building along with the “All people unite to build a cultural life in residential areas” drive. The front encouraged people to provide mutual support in building a better life and fulfill the programme’s goals in terms of housing and income. Vietnam targets multi-dimensional poverty approach Vietnam should apply a multi-dimensional poverty (MDP) approach to avoid missing out any targeted beneficiaries, according to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam. At a Hanoi seminar announcing the results of MDP approach research in Vietnam on December 29, Dam said that the current income-based poverty reduction policy reveals many shortcomings as incomes are much lower than minimum living standards. Therefore, the goal now is to fix the current policy’s shortcomings to gradually ensure people’s right to basic social services in the coming time, he said, affirming that the MDP approach will be the best choice. Participants agreed that the application of MDP measures in Vietnam should be in line with the country’s socio-economic situation. This new approach needs to achieve three objectives, including measuring poverty dimensions, controlling poverty and identifying policy beneficiaries, they said. The MDP framework was originally developed by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI). With the UN support, Vietnam is among the 32 countries in the world to pioneer the research and application of multi-dimensional poverty measures. Youth federation to launch “I love my homeland” movement The Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) will launch a movement dubbed “I love my homeland” with a view of encouraging youngsters to act practically for national development, said VYF President Nguyen Dac Vinh. The movement will be observed from 2014 to 2019 as the first and only one of its kind, said Vinh, who is also first Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union Central Committee, at events held on the sidelines of the VYF’s seventh National Congress in Hanoi on December 28. It looks to rally youngsters to following an honest, responsible, and energetic lifestyle and to standing ready for the homeland if necessary. According to historian Duong Trung Quoc, patriotism is a core value of development and should be handed down between generations. Participants focused on how to boost the youths’ vanguard role in the country’s international integration. They pointed to the need for youngsters to sharpen their foreign language, IT skills and enrich their knowledge of culture, national history and international exchange in the integration process. Local youth unions nationwide shared their experience and new solutions to fostering solidarity with Vietnamese youngsters living abroad and mobilising international resources for the growth of the youth. Discussions sought support for youngsters who want to develop entrepreneurial career. Over the past 20 years, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs’ Association members have created jobs for 2.5 million labourers and provided a great deal of financial assistance to social activities annually. The same day, a televised music and art performance was organised, featuring the youth’s determination to protect the nation’s sacred sea and island sovereignty and make the country prosper. Preparations for Mekong Delta event discussed A conference was held in Can Tho City on December 27 to prepare for the Mekong Delta Green Tourism Week which will be co-hosted by the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region in coordination with Can Tho authorities from April 26- May 2, 2015. In his speech, the Deputy Head of the Steering Committee said the event is to be held in place of the annual Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation Forum, featuring a broad array of conferences and seminars on promoting the region’s tourism potential, calling for investment in green tourism, and seeking solutions to increase regional cooperation in this area. The Mekong Delta, comprising Can Tho city and 12 provinces with a population of 18 million, boasts huge potential for tourism development. The region welcomed nearly 11 million visitors, including more than 800,000 foreigners for the first five months of this year, up 8.9% compared to last year's same period, reports the Mekong Delta Tourism Association. France-Vietnam Friendship Year under review The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam–France Friendship and Cooperation Association co-hosted a meeting in Hanoi on December 27 to review the friendship years between the two nations. Nguyen Huy Quang, Chairman of the association, and French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean Noel Poirier highlighted the France year in Vietnam in 2013 and the Vietnam year in France in 2014 as major contributions to enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples. As many as 270 events transpiring during the year, notably in the areas of education and culture have captured the public attention and deepening mutual understanding. On the occasion, the association launched a special edition on Vietnam’s agriculture in Vietnamese and French featuring articles by Vietnamese and French authors on bilateral relations, agriculture, farming and rural development. Youth union elevates nation’s image in int’l arena The seventh youth union congress – an important political event of Vietnamese youth – officially opened in Hanoi on December 27, marking new steps of development of the Vietnam Youth Union and youth movements. At the congress, students and young people shared their viewpoints on key issues related to career orientation, employment and lifestyles for youth. They expressed confidence the event would elect young talents to the Vietnam Youth Union Central Committee to elevate Vietnamese youth’s status in the international arena. There was unanimity among the delegates that in the context of international integration, the VYU, as the biggest youth organization in Vietnam, should become the vanguard for young people.They also expressed their hopes that the event would become a political forum for young people nationwide and put forth practical proposals to raise young people’s awareness about lifestyles in the integration period. In addition, they underscored the importance of renovating educational activities and vocational training at schools, adding that youth union organizations should serve as a bridge helping young people get access to labour market In the next term, the VYU’s future tasks should focus on career orientation and employment programs for young people. Young representatives also expressed optimism that the VYU will become a place where they can share their aspirations, ambitions and difficulties and receive enthusiastic support to cope with challenges in life. OVs in UK review year of success 2014 marked a successful year for Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in the UK, said President of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the UK Luong Son Thanh on December 28 at an association meeting in London. Over the past few years, UK austerity measures have negatively impacted the lives of OVs due to a cutback in the number of grants and other local government support. Fortunately Vietnam Airlines along with numerous other businesses in the UK stepped in to support OVs, he noted. Earlier, the association’s first mid-autumn festival for Vietnamese children has helped them learn more about Vietnamese culture. Thanh expressed hope that the association would build a Vietnam culture centre in London in the near future. Friendship table-tennis tournament connects OVs in Europe A friendly table tennis tournament held in Berlin on Saturday attracted more than 72 overseas Vietnamese players at all ages from Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland and representatives from the Vietnamese embassies in Germany and Poland. The friendship table-tennis tournament 2014 was co-organised by the Berlin Table Tennis Club, the Vietnamese embassy and the Association of Vietnamese in Berlin -Brandenburg (Germany) to enhance solidarity among Vietnamese expatriates in Europe. Addressing the opening ceremony, President of the Berlin Table Tennis Club Nguyen Huu Tho believed that the event will help connect overseas Vietnamese (OV) in Germany and the rest of Europe and contribute to developing OVs’ sports movement in Europe. Meanwhile, Vietnamese ambassador to Germany Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh highlighted the initiative to organize the tournament and hoped that similar events will be held across Europe to strengthen solidarity and friendship among Vietnamese communities in the EU. After six rounds, table tennis player Ngo Tuong from Berlin won the highest scores while Ly Hien Long from Frankfurt am Main clinched the second prize. The third, fourth and consolation prizes belonged to players from Germany. In the team category, the first prize went to the one from Poland. The awards ceremony was held on the same day. Workers return from Saudi Arabia Seven of 20 workers stuck for months in Saudi Arabia returned home on December 28, according to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were among 38 workers sent to the country as part of a poverty reduction programme. The workers, mostly from northern Bac Kan province, posted a video online to ask for help as they did not possess work permits and thus could not obtain exit visas. The Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia is currently completing the necessary procedures to bring the rest of the workers back to Vietnam. Vietnam helps Laos develop traffic system A road in the Lao province of Houaphanh will be built with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV)’s loan in a bid to promote trade activities and socio-economic development in the locality. A contract to this effect was signed in Vientiane on December 27, with Lao Minister of Public Works and Transport Bounchanh Sinthavong and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho in attendance. The road will stretch as far as 67km from Houaphanh’s Xam Tay district to Tha Lau in the border area between Vietnam and Laos. Once completed, the road will connect Houaphanh as well as northern provinces of Laos with Vietnam’s road system, facilitating travel and trade activities of the two countries’ businesses and people. On the occasion, BIDV announced to consider funding for the implementation of a road from the Lao districts of Xam Tay to Thong Thu. The 30km road has an investment of 26.84 million USD.- NGOs offer 300mln USD-plus aid to Vietnam in 2014 The number of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in Vietnam is on the rise with an aid value of over 300 million USD this year, reported the Committee on NGOs during a conference in Hanoi on December 30. During 2014, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) welcomed 1,860 guests from 760 NGO delegations coming to launch development projects. A series of conferences and workshops were held to appeal for aid in and outside the country as well as connect sponsors and NGOs with Vietnamese partners. The committee released a code of administrative procedures in five languages in support of NGOs while enhancing personnel training at both central and local levels. Besides NGOs, it also raised funding in embassies, United Nations bodies, development cooperation agencies and business community. VUFO Vice President and General Secretary Don Tuan Phong, who is also deputy head of the committee, said NGOs are shifting their development assistance to the fields of environment, climate change, capability building and policy lobby. Next year, the committee will further provide NGOs with administrative, technical and legal assistance while enhancing ties with development partners and promoting personnel training in ministries, agencies and localities. Concluding the event, Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the committee Ho Xuan Son urged involved agencies to work harder to make NGOs a channel that supports Vietnam in every domain, especially those related to the national development. Microsoft Office contest kicks off Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC), the world's largest such contest, has been launched at Ho Chi Minh's Social Sciences and Human Studies University. In the first round, local authorities and educational institutions will identify the top contestants to send to the national knock-out round. In this round, participants will take the MOS exam – a test of skills in using Microsoft Office software, with the 15 best performers in each category securing a berth in the national finals. The top three scorers in the finals will be selected as Vietnam's MOS ambassadors and represent the country in the world finals in the US next August. The event is jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and Training, IIG Viet Nam, military telecom company Viettel, and Tuoi Tre (the Youth) newspaper. Quang Ninh province starts work on PPP office building The northern province of Quang Ninh kicked off the construction of the second State office building under the form of public-private partnership (PPP) model on December 28. The project worth nearly 500 billion VND (23.7 million USD) is being built on an area of 1,140 square metres, including 23 storeys and two basements. Once completed in the next two years, the project will ensure office space for 16 provincial departments and sectors. Local authorities are focusing on infrastructure building projects under the PPP model. Southern province shares emulation experience with Laos Vice Chairman of the southern province of Ba Ria–Vung Tau Le Thanh Dung had a working session with deputy head of the emulation and rewards board of the Lao Department of Internal Affairs Ye Lo Chiava in Ba Ria city on December 28. Dung spoke in length the province’s socio-economic situation over the past few years and introduced the organisational system, functions, and activities of the local board of emulation and rewards. He also shared experience in building and expanding effective models in the field. The Lao guest said the visit was to study the provincial experience in promoting the emulation and rewards campaigns in both quantity and quality. HCM City facilitates the blinds to access IT Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Information and Communication and the Blind Association held on December 29 an award ceremony for winners of the first informatics contest for the blinds. The event drew contestants from 15 blind associations across the city, performing their tests through special software which is designed for sight-impaired people. Addressing at the event, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Blind Association Nguyen Dinh Kien said the competition aims to encourage the blinds to have access to and apply information technology into their study and work, thus helping them integrate into the community and improving their working capacity. Ho Chi Minh City Blind Association now has 1,381 members living in 24 districts.- HCM City to step up fight against crimes Ho Chi Minh City police is cracking down on crimes as the Lunar New Year approaches, according to the chief of the municipal police’s Staff Office Nguyen Si Quang. At a press conference on December 29 to review the combat of crime in the city in 2014 and plans for the next period, the officer said the crackdown will focus on criminal organisations, burglars and robbers, smugglers, traders of banned goods such as drug and firecracker. A host of measures to ensure public order and traffic safety will be deployed, he added. Reports reveal that the municipal police brought to light as many as 4,248 criminal cases in 2014, destroying 879 criminal gangs and arresting about 2,142 criminals. Restructuring on right track, securities commission says The State Securities Commission (SSC) said the restructuring of securities companies is keeping in the right direction, taking in cautious steps with respect for market rules. The move reduced the rate of loss-suffering companies from 60 percent to 20 percent with loss slashed remarkably from 4,200 billion VND to 200 billion VND. Meanwhile, the profitability rate increased 1.5 times and the average index of the financial safety expanded by 15 percent, the SSC said. As of the end of the third quarter, 43 fund management companies were in operation, of which 23 companies ran profitably with a joint sum of 132 billion VND while 20 others suffered a combined loss of 64 billion VND. The companies took responsibility for a total asset of 109 trillion VND. According to the commission, the open-end funds, which replaced the closed-end funds, are operating in a more flexible and transparent manner with mechanisms to better protect investors. As of December, 2014, the market saw the presence of 25 mutual funds with two of them being Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), 15 open-end funds and eight member funds. Their total mobilisation value is over 7 trillion VND. The SSC said that it has to date issued all mechanisms and policies related to the organisation and operation of securities businesses in line with international practices, especially using BASEL II financial safety criteria, CAMEL early warning criteria and international-standard risk management system. In 2015, the SSC said it would work with other relevant agencies to develop standard accountancy criteria applied to organisations which trade securities, and an accountancy system used by securities companies. The SSC will also amend circular 210 on organising the operation of securities companies and take measures to keep the securities market operating stably, safely, and effectively. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND