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Social News 9/4
Baby bear to arrive at rescue centre tomorrow
A six-month-old sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) will arrive at
the Viet Nam Bear Rescue Centre tomorrow after having been rescued by
AnimalsAsia.
The baby sun bear, weighing 15 kilograms, was rescued in late
February from poachers by forest rangers in the northern mountains of the
It was then moved to the centre for further care. AnimalsAsia
is committed to helping it integrating with other sun bears at the centre.
The life span of a sun bear is about 30 to 35 years.
Road accident kills three, injures three
A road accident killed three and injured three more on
Police said initial reports indicated the minivan was
travelling at a high speed when one of the tires burst. The driver lost
control and crashed into a truck which was parked on the side the road.
Local residents had to cut out the doors to rescue trapped
passengers from the minivan following the crash.
Scaffolding accident victim discharged
Cao Xuan Hoa, one of four workers seriously injured when
scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Ha Tinh Province on March 25,
was discharged yesterday from
The collapse buried Hoa, 34, underneath steel scaffolding,
where he lay buried for hours before being found. He suffered serious chest
and lung injuries, as well as several broken ribs. Doctors rushed Hoa to
The workplace accident killed 13 people and injured 29,
including Hoa. Most were workers at a construction site at the
At a meeting with representatives of the Samsung C&T
Company, which is part of the South Korean Samsung Group, Vo Kim Cu, Party
Secretary and Chairman of the Ha Tinh People's Committee, asked the Korean
company to take responsibility for the incident and help solve it.
Samsung C&T Deputy Director Jon Chang said the company
would co-operate with Vietnamese authority to investigate the incident's
cause.
Chang said eight of the 29 injured workers had been discharged
from hospital. The company has given compensation for the victims.
Workers show signs of food poisoning
Workers from the Star Fashion Company Ltd in the Chuong My
Industrial Zone, Ha Noi were hospitalised yesterday after experiencing
symptoms of food poisoning.
Six workers were taken to hospital on Tuesday, while 101 more
were admitted yesterday after experiencing stomach-aches, nausea and diarrhoea,
said director of Chuong My Hospital General, Dang Tran Chien.
The city's Food Safety Department has started an investigation
into the cause.
Traffic jam reported at
Traffic congestion was reported along the five-kilometre
stretch of
Employees of the Dong Nai Bridge Construction Investment Joint
Stocks Company, the toll collector, had to leave the barriers at the toll
stations unattended and halt the toll collection for about 20 minutes to
resolve the traffic congestion, which did not abate even once the toll
collection resumed.
Company Director General Le Hong Son blamed the congestion to
the unfamiliarity of both workers at the toll stations and drivers because
today was the first day for toll collection at the bridge.
About 39,000 to 40,000 vehicles use the bridge daily.
Many drivers say the location of the toll stations is to blame
for causing the congestion.
Many drivers said the location of the toll stations was at the
foot of the bridge, which was too close to the Vung Tau Intersection, just
about 500 metres away, and that this had led to the congestion.
The toll-collection company said it expected the collection
process to run smoothly in the following days.
It would seek a solution for the congestion if this still
happened, the company representative said.
The construction of the bridge and the approach roads,
including the Tan Van flyover, a tunnel, the Vung Tau intersection and the
Tan Van intersection, began in June 2008, and ended in January 2015.
The investor, Construction Corporation No 1, had spent nearly
VND1.9 trillion ($88 million) on the project. The toll point uses a non-stop
toll collection technology.
The tolls range from VND15,000 (US$0.7) per journey for
vehicles with less than 12 seats or those weighing less than two-tonnes, such
as trucks and buses, to VND120,000 ($5.6) per journey for trucks with a
capacity of more than 10 tonnes or 40-feet-long containers.
Localities told to prep for coming flood season
Deputy minister of public security, Lieutenant-General Bui Van
Thanh has called for police forces in all localities to prepare for the
approaching flood season, which was often filled with natural disasters.
Police must seriously implement four sayings in combating
natural disasters, Thanh told an online conference held yesterday in Ha Noi.
The sayings require policemen to take the initiative to
prevent disasters, react to them in a timely manner, quickly resolve dangerous
situations - and take preventative steps to stop them re-appearing.
The conference, linked up with police in 64 cities and
provinces, reviewed the fight against climate change and natural disasters
last year and preparations for this year.
The Ministry of Public Security also urged authorities to be
aware of functions and duties of police in fighting climate change and
natural disasters and in search-and-rescue operations.
Thanh also requested police to prepare forces and equipment to
deal with natural disasters - and to increase exercises, training and
information awareness for police and the public.
In a report on the fight against climate change and flooding
in 2014, the ministry's deputy head of the Logistics – Technical Department
and deputy head of the Steering Committee, Lieutenant-General Pham Quang Cu,
said the Ministry of Public Security formed task forces that directed police
in overcoming the aftermath of floods and storms.
Cu said that more than VND5.4 trillion (US$250 million) from
the Fund for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Poverty Reduction
would be used to assist more than 2,100 households hit by natural disasters.
He said that police departments nationwide had sufficient
staff and equipment to cope with disasters and serious incidents when they
occurred.
"Last year, police evacuated 371 households and more than
60,300 people from vulnerable places," he said.
At the conference, the ministry presented certificates of
merit to 21 collectives and two individuals for outstanding activities in
2014.
PM approves 100 mln USD loan for traffic upgrade
The Prime Minister has just approved the investment scheme for
a 100 million USD loan for a project to upgrade weak and highway bridges.
The project, funded by the
The effort is to ensure a comprehensive national road system,
connecting localities and economic zones, reducing transportation costs and
traffic jams and contributing to socio-economic development.
The project will be carried out within four years with a
domestic corresponding capital worth 638 billion VND (30 million USD).
VNA to ramp up news about northwest region
The Northwest Steering Committee (NSC) and Vietnam News Agency
(VNA) have agreed to ramp up the dissemination of information and news about
the northwest region through VNA products.
The initiative was determined at a working session between NSC
Deputy Head Hoang Thi Hanh and VNA Deputy General Director Nguyen Hoai Duong
in northern Yen Bai province on April 8.
The VNA Deputy Director briefed Hanh on the agency’s functions
and strengths and suggested building an appropriate collaborative mechanism
that maximises the efficiency of media coverage of the northwest region.
For her part, Hanh appreciated the efficiency of cooperation
with the VNA in previous years and agreed with VNA’s proposal.
Accordingly, the NSC will actively inform the VNA of relevant
information, its working schedule in advance and organise 2-3 meetings
between the two agencies annually for performance reviews and orientations.
The VNA is committed to increasing its coverage on key matters
of the region, including in agriculture and forestry industries, tourism and
cultural values of ethnic minority groups.-
VFF hosts reception for Sisters of Miraculous Medal
Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Le Ba
Trinh received the ethnic minority Sisters of the Miraculous Medal group from
the Central Highlands
The Sisters were visiting
During the reception, the VFF Vice President expressed his
appreciation of the Sisters’ charitable works benefitting local people and
disadvantaged children.
He hoped that the Miraculous Medal nuns would get more
involved in activities that promote national solidarity and continue to raise
underprivileged children to become responsible members of society.
The
The church has established six orphanages to date, home to
around 800 orphans, underprivileged children and children with disabilities
under 18 years old.
The groups has not only opened free music and tailoring
classes for children and medical clinics for the impoverished, but also takes
care of live-in patients at leper centres.
Ministry of Public Security reviews disaster response
performance
The Ministry of Public Security held a teleconference with
localities nationwide to review the public security force’s performance in
climate change, natural disasters and search and rescue work last year and
determine major tasks for this year.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Public Security
Lieutenant General Bui Van Thanh urged local public security forces to
promptly respond to disasters while paying greater attention to prevention
efforts.
He asked the forces to enhance communications and education to
raise awareness among the community and public security officials of their
responsibility in coping with climate change and natural disasters as well as
preventing disasters and surmounting their aftermath.
The force should put greater attention into personnel training
as well as cross-sector and international information sharing to stay active
in responding to natural disasters, he said.
Lieut. Gen. Thanh also asked local public security forces to
increase exercise drills to ensure preparedness in all circumstances while
making sure all necessary equipment is readily available.
Last year, public security forces maintained around-the-clock
readiness for natural disasters, storms, floods and severe incidents. The
local forces helped evacuate 371 households and 60,308 locals from dangerous
areas.
On the occasion, the ministry granted certificates of merit to
21 outstanding collectives and two individuals with excellent performance in
2014.-
Lao students enjoy homeland New Year in Thai Nguyen
More than 100 Lao students studying across the northern
mountainous
The local chapter of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association
hosted the event, warmly greeting the young expatriates.
Musical performances from Vietnamese and Lao youths incited a
festive mood at the big party.
Bun Pi May takes place annually from April 14 – 16 with a
number of ritual activities and local customs, including bathing Buddha
statues, splashing water and praying for a year of luck, happiness and
fruitful harvest.
More than 400 Lao and Cambodian students are learning in 8
universities, colleges and high schools in the locality.
The construction of another ten houses within a youth
friendship village along the Laos-Vietnam border began on April 8.
The same day, 20 medical personnel from central Ha Tinh
province offered free examinations and medication to 300 village locals. A
training course on modern farming techniques was also offered to the young
residents.
Covering 1,034 hectares in four villages of Khamkout district
in
Construction began in August 2012 with a total investment of
nearly 40 billion VND (1.84 million USD). The village comprises a 1,900
square-metre community centre, student accommodation and a medical station,
along with other support facilities.
Vocational training courses and long-term settlement have been
made available to a number of Lao youths, boosting socio-economic growth,
ensuring security-defence and establishing new residential areas for
sustainable development.
The State-owned Vietnam Rubber Group has thus far planted 400
hectares of rubber trees at the site in a bid to create additional jobs for
locals.
The Vietnam Embassy in
The Vietnamese stalls brought well-known products like silk,
stone-inlay and embroidery pictures to the fair, receiving a warm welcome
from visitors.
The fair is held annually by the Asia Pacific Ladies
Friendship Society (ALFS), to raise funds for humanitarian aid sent to
natural calamity victims across the world.
Total funds mobilised through the event are distributed to
participating embassies to launch their own domestic charity work. The
Vietnam Embassy received almost 8,700 USD this year.
The Asia-Pacific Ladies Friendship Society (ALFS), consisting
of nearly 500 members, operates under the sponsorship of Japanese Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and aims to foster regional cooperation and social welfare
contribution.
Jetstar Pacific to offer Hanoi-Da Lat flight route
Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines (JPA) on April 8
announced the launch of a direct flight between
The daily flights, using 180-seat Airbus 320, will depart at
7:15 am from the
The flight duration is 1 hour and 50 minutes each way.
The Hanoi-Da Lat route—together with four other routes linking
Central Highlands Buon Ma Thuot City with Ho Chi Minh City, central Vinh
city, northern central Thanh Hoa province and northern port city of Hai
Phong—will boost tourism development in the region, said JPA General Director
Le Hong Ha.
The carrier operates 16 domestic and four international routes
with a fleet of 10 Airbus A320 and A321.
National press agencies tighten cooperation with Fatherland
Front
A cooperation programme on communications from 2015-2019 was
signed between the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), the Vietnam Television
(VTV), Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on
April 8.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, President of the VFF Central
Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan hailed the great contributions of the media,
including the three national agencies above, to the country’s development
through improved information quality and coverage.
They have helped disseminate and raise understanding of
Party’s policies and the country’s development status among society as well
as pushing up the implementation of social campaigns close to the Fatherland
Front’s functions.
Therefore, Nhan asked for closer coordination among the four
agencies.
Under the cooperation programme, VTV, VOV and VNA will
continue disseminating Party’s policies and the State’s laws to the public
and reinforcing a campaign to promote cultural lifestyles in residential
areas and the “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese products” campaign.
They will also work to intensify the VFF’s supervisory
function on the country’s social affairs.
Positive results in Ba Ria-Vung Tau ethnic group initiatives
The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau earmarked 450 billion
VND (20.7 million USD) to benefit ethnic minority groups from 2011-2015, the
allocation of which helped effectively implement socio-economic development
and poverty reduction in the locality.
The results were reported by local authorities at their
working session with Minister-Chairman of the Government’s Committee for
Ethnic Affairs Giang Seo Phu on March 7.
Minister-Chairman Phu hailed the locality for its effective
implementation of ethnic minority policies but encouraged the increased focus
on personnel planning.
From 2011-2015, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province improved the living
standards of local residents, especially ethnic people.
Through the tireless effort of local authorities, t he
proportion of impoverished households was reduced by 5 percent annually over
the five years.
At present, as many as 99.67 percent of ethnic minority
households have access to the national electricity grid, over 98 percent have
hygienic water and 100 percent have health insurance cards.
The locality is working to invest in the construction of
essential infrastructure facilities such as schools and medical stations.
Overloaded trucks damage dyke roads, cause pollution
People living near the dyke system in Ha Noi's Bac Tu Liem
District have been complaining about overloaded trucks severely damaging the
dyke road and polluting the environment.
Meanwhile, the local authorised agency admitted lax control
over overloaded trucks, blaming it on shortage of human resources and
regulations.
Nguyen Thanh Phuong, a resident of Thuong Cat Ward, said the
8.6km-long dyke road was the main road for trucks carrying sand from the
River Hong (Red). Although signs banning trucks that can carry more than 13
tonnes have been installed, trucks with the capacity of carrying up to 25
tonnes of sand and cement have been seen using the road regularly.
"They (overloaded trucks) have damaged the road. Sand
from the trucks flies and covers households located near the road,"
Phuong said.
A part of the road passing through Thuong Cat Ward has been
seriously damaged by cracks and subsidence. There are 20cm-wide potholes on
the road passing through Thuy Phuong Ward. Local residents have filled these
potholes with soil and broken bricks to make the roads safe for people.
Nguyen Hung Cuong, head of the Residential Area No2 in Tan
Phong Ward, said he covered his two-storey house with canvas to prevent
collection of dust, but it didn't help much.
"Dust covers my house, though we try to clean it three
times a day," he said.
Huong, another resident in the ward's Tan Phong Street, said
three of her five-member family suffered from coughing as the air was very
polluted.
Dinh Quoc Dat, senior official of the dyke management unit No
1, said trucks carrying sand from the river gathered at a place before
transporting their cargo to construction sites in Bac Tu Liem District.
The unit had reported the case to the authority, and issued
warnings to these vehicles too. However, it was not effective as the unit was
not authorised to fine the overloaded trucks.
Shortage of staff also made it difficult to resolve the issue,
Dat said, adding there were only six members in the unit.
Nguyen Thanh Son, head of Bac Tu Liem District's Traffic
Investigation Unit, said overloaded trucks usually operated at midday or
midnight to avoid detection by the traffic police.
He said the unit would put more police personnel on duty at
midday and midnight to crack down on overloaded trucks on this road.
HCM City: 5.9 trillion VND to build 2nd Oncology Hospital
Ho Chi Minh City will build the second Oncology Hospital in
District 9, at a total cost of nearly 5.9 trillion VND (274 million USD)
which is sourced from the State budget and other legal capital resources.
The 1,000 patient-bed hospital will be specialised in high
quality tumour treatment, applying state-of-the-art medical technology. The
10-storey construction includes an outpatient clinic, a sub-clinical and
diagnostic area, and an administrative area.
Hua Ngoc Thuan, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s
Committee said that the facility will help ease the burden on other oncology
hospitals in the south.
The construction is scheduled to start in the second quarter
of this year and the facility is expected to become operational in 2017.
Ho Chi Minh City ’s first Oncology Hospital was founded in
1985, serving as the main centre for cancer treatment in southern region. It
is capable of providing various treatment modalities such as surgery,
chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Experts argue against regulations in new laws
Economic experts lauded positive changes in the new business
and investment laws, which are expected to broadly improve the business
climate, but said complex regulations could hamper enforcement.
The stance was declared during the ‘Business Conditions:
International experience and challenges for Vietnam’ conference held by the
Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) on April 6 in Hanoi.
Nguyen Dinh Cung from the CIEM said the enterprise community
generally welcomed the content of the Business Law and the Investment Law,
calling them clear and specific. The adjustments are scheduled to take effect
on July 1.
However, the firms expressed concerns over regulating the
changes, such as market entry obstacles and costs as well as high time
requirements and inequitable access for approaching business opportunities.
Michael Wools, former Vice Chairman of Australia Productivity
Commission, said too many regulations and guiding documents would cause
unnecessary burdens on enterprises and reduce labour productivity, national
competitiveness and effectiveness in resource allocation.
Religious practice encouraged in Tay Ninh
Authorities in the southwest province of Tay Ninh have
implemented a number of practical measures to create favourable conditions
for residents to exercise their right to freedom of religion.
The province is home to nine official religious organisations
with a total of 758,000 followers, accounting for 69 percent of the local
population. Caodaism alone has more than 511,000 followers.
Since 2005, the provincial People’s Committee has held many
training courses on the State’s religious policies for both officials and
religious dignitaries, thus raising their awareness of the law and improving
law enforcement in the field.
The province’s Fatherland Front has launched a campaign on
building civilised religious practice and social order with the warm response
from all local religious organisations, according to Trang Van Hai, Deputy
Director of the provincial Department of Internal Affairs.
The province has also granted land use right for 224 ha of
land for local religious organisations to build and improve their
infrastructure facilities.
More buses, coaches deployed for upcoming long holiday
The Hanoi Bus Station Joint Stock Company will deploy an
additional 700 buses and coaches to better serve demand from passengers
during an upcoming six-day holiday.
The holiday includes the Hung King anniversary (April 28), the
National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1).
The company's Director, Nguyen Tung Anh, said the number of
passengers travelling from Hanoi to the localities of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Thai
Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Dien Bien and Quang Ninh was estimated to surge,
compared with other localities.
The number of passengers was expected to be the highest on
Monday afternoon, or April 27, Tuesday, April 28 and Sunday, May 3, Anh said,
adding that the traffic will be twice or thrice as much as normal days.
HCM City to meet dry season power needs
The Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation has promised to
ensure an adequate power supply and fewer power cuts during the dry season.
"We have mobilised all power supply resources to ensure
production and demand for the dry season," Pham Quoc Bao, deputy general
director of the Corporation, was quoted as saying in the Sai Gon Giai Phong
(Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper.
Bao said the maximum capacity for the city in the dry season
was 3,285MW. Since late March, the weather has been very hot and electricity
usage has increased to 3,272 MW, but the corporation has already prepared for
3,600MW of capacity.
"With current electricity consumption and electricity
backup capability, electricity supply will be ensured," he said.
Pham Ngoc Minh, Director of the HCM City Electricity
Corporation's Electricity Distribution and Adjustment Centre, said that since
early April, electricity output has increased from 56 million kWh/day to 61
million kWh/day.
It is expected to go up to 68 million kWh/day on peak days
compared with 64 million kWh/day last year during the dry season.
The National Electricity Distribution and Adjustment Centre
has also pledged that power supply will be sufficient during the season.
Since early this year, the number of electricity outages has
fallen dramatically as the city administration completed electricity grid
maintenance in advance.
More new power transformer stations and high-voltage grids have
increased the capacity of the electricity grid, up to 40 percent of back-up
capability.
"A series of new high-voltage grids, Cu Chi – Cau Bong,
Nha Be – Viet Thanh, Hiep Binh Phuoc – Hoa Xa and Ba Queo – Cho Lon, began
operating, along with power transformer stations, 220kV Cu Chi, 110kV Lang
Cat, 110kV Ba Diem and others," Bui Hai Thanh, director of High-Voltage
Grid company, said.
To prepare for the dry season, the Gia Dinh Electricity
Company added 60 transformer stations and completed 70km of a low-voltage
grid to meet increased power demand in the two districts of Phu Nhuan and
Binh Thanh.
The electricity sector has also asked all electricity
companies to reduce the amount of time for power cuts to complete maintenance
tasks.
For a three-year medium-voltage system, the electricity
officials will allow one time a year to repair anything that is broken.
For other voltage systems, repairs can be made every four to
six months. All repairs are supposed to be made within five hours.
Hoa Binh benefits from public service improvement project
A Swiss-funded project on improving public service in
agriculture has proven effective after four years of implementing in northern
mountainous Hoa Binh province.
The project has helped with devising agricultural development
plans for one-year and five-year period, with 2,350 village meetings held
across localities, involved 85 percent of households to identify their
practical need, said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee
Nguyen Van Dung.
Other main project activities include building capability for
financial management, organising farmer field school (FFS) classes and
setting up veterinary and plant protection services.
In 2014 alone, around 7,600 farmers, more than half of them
women, joined 380 FFSs on cultivation and animal breeding techniques such as
growing mushroom, caring for hybrid maize and making feed for cattle.
Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
in Vietnam (SDC) Samuel Waelty praised the local effort to ensure the
implementation of the project to boost agricultural production and raise
income sustainably for local people.
According to the project manager Nguyen Anh Minh, the project
promotes local residents’ engagement in local projects on public infrastructure
and economic development.
The project on improving the Public Service Provision for
Agriculture and Rural Development (PSARD) has been carried out from May 2011
– May 2015 at total cost of nearly 9 million USD, with nearly 6 million USD
coming from the SDC.
It aims to contribute to province- and district-wide
mainstreaming of participatory local planning, financial decentralisation and
improved public service delivery in agriculture, in order to reduce poverty
and improve livelihoods in disadvantaged areas.
Quang Nam: 16 billion VND invested to upgrade sea dykes
Nearly 700 metres of sea embankment stretching from Duy Thanh
commune to Duy Vinh commune in the central province of Quang Nam will be
upgraded at a total cost of nearly 16 billion VND (744,000 USD).
Upon completion in 2015, the construction will help ensure
residents’ livelihoods and assets in coastal areas while preventing salinity
and facilitating favourable conditions for famers’ production, especially
during the typhoon season.
Earlier in November 2014, over 200 metres of steel embankment
were completed in the central province of Quang Nam as an urgent intervention
to prevent tidal waves from encroaching on Cua Dai beach.
Vietnam is coping with numerous challenges stemming from
climate change; rising sea level and river course change are contributing to
salinity intrusion in the region.
The country faces an average of 6-7 major storms annually and
has recently experienced extreme events including droughts and landslides.
To deal with the issue, the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment has worked with other ministries to set up a working team for
designing a Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change (SP-RCC) from
2016-2020.
Traffic death toll surges in Binh Duong
The number of people killed in road accidents in southern Binh
Duong province during the first three months of this year increased by 35 to
92, an annual rise of 61.4 percent.
A total of 608 crashes took place injuring 717 people.
Overall, there was a 4.7 percent reduction in the number of accidents.
However, early 2015 accidents tended to be more severe and the ratio of fatal
incidents grew substantially, according to provincial Transportation
Department Director Le Van Rum.
A disregard for safety regulations, large numbers of tourists
and expanding volume of transiting traffic are considered the main culprits
of the issue, said the local road safety committee.
Binh Duong needs to promptly address overload transportation
at quarries and warehouses together with the implementation of intensive
awareness-raising campaigns, urged Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National
Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung.
Source :
VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri
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Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 4, 2015
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