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Social News 10/8
Young
people prefer Facebook chat to going out with friends
A
recent report from Epinion, a Denmark-based market research company, and OMD,
a communication agency, showed that Vietnamese young people prefer to stay
home and chat with friends on Facebook than meeting outside.
The
survey was conducted with 710 people aged from 13 to 21, a new generation
born in a digital world with full access to information technology -- 50
percent said their most comfortable method of contact with friends is via
chat apps and texting, while 30 percent preferred face-to-face meetings, 52
percent said they often watch news and entertainment programmes on YouTube
rather than television.
The
relative youth of the population in
The
survey shows young people deeply care about social and political issues, with
the Spratly and Paracel dispute with
Epinion
has various agencies worldwide, including
Rare
white tigress gives birth to 3 cubs at
For
the first time, a pair of Canada-imported white tigers in captivity at the
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden have given birth to three healthy cubs.
Lem
and Luoc, the parent tiger and tigress which are being raised at the zoo in
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, conceived and were delivered of the three
healthy cubs.
Like
their parents, the young cuddly tigers boast creamy white coatings with black
stripes.
They
weigh 3.6-4.1 kilograms almost a month after birth.
In
2009, the parents, aged around two then, were transported to the
The
two members of the rare big cat family were not fruitfully bred until now.
The
parent tigers and their litter belong to the magnificent Bengal Tiger breed,
or Panthera tigris.
The
variety, the second largest of all living tiger sub-species, is the only one
of the six existing tiger sub-species that occurs in different color
variations in the wild, according to cougarmountainzoo.org.
The
Bengal Tiger is indigenous to
The
white tiger is a
The
imposing cats are verging on extinction.
The
world is currently home to only around 2,300 white tigers, most of which are
raised in captivity in zoos.
Earlier,
the
The
five young tigers born from the breeding, which don a yellow coating with
black stripes, are currently tended to at the
Cat
Linh-Ha Dong railway construction to be expedited
Transport
Minister Dinh La Thang has said the construction of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong
Railway Project should be speeded up so that commercial operations could
begin by June 30, 2016.
Thang
said at a meeting, held to review the progress of the urban skytrain project
in Ha Noi on Thursday, that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Railway Project Management
Unit and contractors must adopt measures to help road users avoid the risk of
accidents.
Le Kim
Thanh, general director of the Railway Project Management Unit, said about 58
per cent of the project has been completed so far and 50 per cent of the
project's cost has been disbursed.
However,
he said the implementation of the project faced difficulties relating to
engineering, procurement and construction contracts, as well as the total
estimated cost, the extension of time for preferential loan disbursement, and
the setting up and approval of technical designs, manufacture of trains and
purchase of equipment.
Deputy
Transport Minister Nguyen Hong Truong said the ministry has asked the main
contractor to speed up the construction process and make necessary
adjustments after a number of incidents occurred on the project. Accordingly,
the installment of 806 concrete blocks must be finished before January 31
next year; the construction of 10 stations will be basically completed before
December 31 this year; the building of Cat Linh and Belt 3 stations must be
done before March 31 next year; and the construction of the model La Khe
station must be completed before October 15, 2015.
To
speed up the project's progress, the transport ministry would send a group of
people to work with the China Railway Sixth Group -- the project's main
contractor -- to check the preparation of model trains before transporting
them to
The
Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project broke ground on October 2011, and was
expected to be finished by the end of 2015, with the trial phase set to begin
in January 2016. But it has been delayed due to obstacles in site clearance
and capital adjustment.
It was
originally set to cost US$552 million, but that was revised to $892 million.
The
13km project will have 12 stations and a depot. It will stretch from
Monorail
model to be completed
The
model of a monorail for the Cat Linh–Ha Dong urban railway project should be
completed before October 15, Thanh said.
When
the monorail model is opened to the public, people can view it and give
feedback before all the trains are completed.
Comments
on the model of the La Khe station, which is one of the 12 stations along the
railway lane, are also being welcomed.
Thirteen
trains will run on the railway line, with four carriages each. The cost of
manufacturing these trains is US$63 million.
So
far, 37 train drivers have taken training courses. More train drivers will be
selected for the second and third round of training, to meet the demand.
The
issues of construction safety and environment sanitation have been dealt
with, Thanh said.
The
builders were no longer facing problems with site clearance at all stations,
and, therefore, the construction could be expected to be conducted as per schedule,
Thanh said.
Police
seize bullets smuggled on bus
Traffic
police team in Thang Binh District seized a box of 478 bullets that was being
transported from
Captain
Le Minh Man, deputy head of traffic police team in Thang Binh, said the team
stopped the 16-seater bus in
The
driver said he had been given the wooden box by two men in Hoa Vang District
in
Commodities
are often sent by shuttle buses from
Fines
to rise for river mining
The
ministry is pondering raising fines to end illegal mining activities along
inland waterways, the Ministry of Transport said yesterday.
Under
current regulations, violations for exploiting sand, gravel or other minerals
will be fined VND10-40 million (US$463-$1,850).
The
draft decree suggests that the minimum fine for illegally exploiting sand,
gravel and minerals will be VND15 million ($694).
The
ministry also proposed penalty rates for companies not following regulations
on dredging sand should be lifted to VND20-35 million ($926-$1,620).
Those
deliberately creating obstacles within the water lanes or using explosives
that affect the safety of waterway transport or other works would be fined
VND50-60 million ($2,310-2,780).
Companies
violating regulations on mining sand and gravel could have their business
licences revoked for three to six months and have their vehicles confiscated
as well.
In
recent years, although many drastic measures have been adopted by
authorities, illegal extraction along
The
ministry is collecting opinions for the draft decree on its website.
Collapse
of illegal tin mine kills two
Police
are investigating the cause of the collapse of an illegal tin mine, which
killed two miners in this province's Lac Duong District,
The
mine, located in Zone 140, under the supervision of the Da Nhim Forest
Management Unit, reportedly collapsed yesterday, killing Nguyen Thanh Vu, 24,
and Le Thuong Thu, 21, from the central
Despite
the local authority's efforts to shut down illegal mining operations, more
than ten of these mines continued to run. Pham Trieu, chairman of the
district People's Committee, said illegal miners often hid in the forest when
the authorities came and returned to their sites later.
The
collapsed mine was among the sites that had previously been sealed by the
local authority. Miners had recently returned to the site and broken in to
dig for tin when the incident took place.
The
authority has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the
incident.
The
Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau, under the
Ministry of Transport, has launched a portal to better manage transport
projects.
The
portal will provide information on transport projects, including designs,
investment details, the selection of contractors and project management
units.
Available
at cucqlxd.gov.vn, the sites provide all information on the implementation of
projects under construction; the ranking of project management units; and
details on contractors and the quality and progress of projects. Work safety
initiatives and "green" practices applied during construction will
also be recorded on the site.
It
also includes the names of people who are authorised to manage and track
issues that need to be settled.
Tran
Xuan Sanh, Head of the bureau, said besides publicising information, the
portal also acts as a forum for information exchange between people and
enterprises, or between voters and construction management agencies.
All
petitions related to the bureau's operations will be answered online, he
said.
Speaking
at the inauguration, Transport Minister Dinh La Thang asked the bureau to
operate the portal with a view to meeting people's demands. The portal should
link to the ministry's other portals to provide accurate and timely
information to residents as quickly as possible.
Billboards
on
The Ha
Noi People's Committee today said all billboards on
Vice-Chairman
of the committee Nguyen Quoc Hung has asked the Ha Noi Transport Department
to coordinate with relevant agencies to remove the billboards, including
banners and plinths.
The
announcement came after the committee's discussion with a Japanese
vice-ambassador.
The
The
People's Committee also asked the Japanese embassy to recommend Japanese or
Ha Noi-based advertisement agencies to design new billboards for
This
is aimed at maintaining urban beauty and traffic safety.
Construction
of the main roads and bridges in the districts' communes has been completed,
after six years of implementation under the National Programme of Building
New Rural Areas.
All
commune-level roads in Cu Chi, Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Nha Be and Can Gio
districts have been either asphalted or cemented.
The
remaining roads to be built are in hamlets. They will connect to the larger
main roads in the communes.
The
road system has greatly benefited local residents and businesses.
At
least 100 households, for example, in an area in Hamlet 1 in Binh Chanh
district's Phong Phu commune no longer depend on boats to travel.
They
can now use the Xom Go bridge, which was built in 2013. Prior to the
construction, the Xom Lo area in Hamlet 1 had been isolated when there were
heavy rains, according to a local resident.
The
time to travel from Xom Lo to Phong Phu commune's central area has fallen
from an hour to 20 minutes.
Nguyen
Van Truong, Deputy Chairman of the Binh Chanh District People's Committee,
said the rural road network would eventually have connections to roads in the
central city as well as other outlying districts. In Can Gio district's Ly
Nhon commune, which is
Duong
Minh Hoang, whose family produces salt in Ly Nhon's Ly Thai Buu hamlet, said:
"Thanks to the construction of roads that link to fields, vehicles can
travel to the fields to transport salt. My family no longer has to carry salt
on a shoulder pole."
Under
the national programme to build new rural areas, the city has built and
upgraded more than 1,500 rural roads with a total length of more than
1,100km.
It has
also built 18 new large bridges and upgraded 512 bridges on district-level
roads.
The
cost of building roads and bridges came from various sources, including the
state budget, investors and local residents.
Le
Thanh Liem, Deputy Chairman of municipal People's Committee, said that HCM
City was one of the few localities in the country that had fulfilled all the
transportation criteria required under the national new rural area programme.
The
city has received warm support from local residents in implementing the
programme, he said.
Local
residents donated more than 124 ha of land and labour days to help build
roads in the five outlying districts.
Hai
Phong canal poses threat to residents
People
in Dau Vu Commune in Kien An district in northern
Part
of the main city drainage system, the canal receives a large amount of solid
and liquid waste every day.
"This
has led to contamination for the past two decades," a local authority
official said.
Chairman
of the People's Committee of Van Dau Commune, Vu Van Phuong, told Hai Phong
Newspaper waste water from nearby residential areas of Phu Lien, Van Dau and
Tran Thanh Ngo ran into the canal.
One
section running through Dau Vu is at the end of the canal so waste water and
solid waste deposits gradually accumulate and can escape.
Hundreds
of households in the district are living with the stench, he added.
"More
seriously, waste discharged from local industrial production and daily life
are adding more to the contamination of the canal," a villager said.
"In
Dau Vu village, for example, there are five noodle-making households
discharging untreated waste water into the drain, contributing to the sour
odor and thick scum. On hot days, the smells is unbearable, people here have
to close the doors 24/24", said Tran Thai Quy, a villager from Hamlet 2.
What
worried people in Dau Vu commune the most was the bad effects of the
pollution on children's health.
Nguyen
Thi Thuy, a mother of a child suffering from an inhalation disease said the
stench was very strong, especially in summer. "We have to evacuate our
children to relatives' houses in other areas when the stink gets too
high," he said..
Hai
Phong residents have repeatedly sent petitions to authorities, but the
problem remains.
People
in the village stretch canvas on the water to keep the smell in or hang nets
to prevent flies and mosquitoes from entering houses.
"Hai
Phong has currently no appropriate sewerage system," said Dr. Hoang Ngoc
Tuan, former director of Hai Phong Department of Science and Technology.
Urban
areas had one common sewage network, collecting and transporting overflows
from septic tanks, gray water, rainwater then discharging it all directly
into canals. In addition, people's low awareness also contributes to the
destruction of canals in Hai Phong.
Tuan
said the city needed to build waste-water collection systems in all channels,
lakes and construct waste-water treatment plants. It also needed to dredge,
collect sludge and use microbiological methods to improve water quality in
canals.
However,
sometimes after waste has been collected, people threw their garbage in
again, said Nguyen Minh Tuan, general director of Hai Phong Drainage Ltd.
"If
people do not join hands, canals will never be revived", said he.
Coordination
programme to promote insurance coverage expansion
The
Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) should
devise a coordination programme to popularise legal regulations on social
insurance and encourage people to join the social welfare network, said Politburo
member and VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan.
At a
working session with the VSS in
He said
though the target of over 80 percent of the population buying medical
insurance is feasible, it will be challenging to have 50 percent of the total
labourers join social insurance by 2020.
A VSS
report revealed that the number of people applying for social, health and
unemployment insurances have been on the rise over recent years. By late June
2015, those covered by health insurance totalled 65.2 million (or 71.9
percent of the population) while unemployment insurance users numbered 9.85
million.
However,
only 11.66 million people bought compulsory social insurance, accounting for
some 20 percent of those mandated to buy this kind of insurance.
A
number of problems are impeding the expansion of insurance coverage,
including employers dodging paying employee premiums and insurance fraud at
medical facilities.
At the
event, VSS General Director Nguyen Thi Minh called for stronger VFF
participation in encouraging people to buy social and health insurance and
monitoring the implementation of health insurance policies at major
hospitals.-
Quang
Tri continues World Vision efforts to improve local living conditions
The
People’s Committee of Vinh Linh district in central Quang Tri province
pledged to continue the World Vision’s efforts to ensure social welfare activities
across the locality.
A
document to this effect was signed by local authorities and the World Vision
on August 7 in Ho Xa town, Vinh Linh district.
The
district will continue the organisation’s efforts in reforming teaching
methods at nursery and primary schools, facilitating access to education for
disabled children, promoting reading activities and improving educational
infrastructure facilities.
Publicity
campaigns will be promoted to raise community awareness of accidents, child
rearing and public health.
The
locality also committed to push the application of advanced technology in
agricultural production and animal farming while ensuring financial
assistance for disadvantaged residents.
The
World Vision-funded project, carried out in 11 communes in the district since
2000, aimed to promote agricultural production to raise incomes for local
residents in the long run.
The
project has benefited more than 25,800 people with total investment of 153
billion VND (7.1 million USD), bringing the poor household rate to 5.64
percent in 2015 from 24.2 percent in 2000.
It has
also helped reduce the rate of malnourished children to 9.1 percent from 36.1
percent and ensured water supply for 94.7 percent.
Some
57.9 percent of out-of-school local children aged between 15-18 received
vocational training through the project.-
Indian
business chamber calls for participation in
The
Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM) is encouraging both expats and
Vietnamese to join the Blood Donation Camp 2015 in
The
event, to be organized in cooperation with the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross,
will take place from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on August 16 at the Youth Culture
House, at
The
INCHAM is a body that represents Indian businesses in
Besides
business promotion activities, the INCHAM also holds various charity and
cultural exchange events in the Southeast Asian country, such as the Blood
Donation Camp.
“By
organizing the blood drive, we are trying to contribute our bit and to spread
the positive message to donate blood. We consider donating blood is a social
responsibility; it is a healthy practice and a profound gesture, wherein one
can make a difference between life and death,” the INCHAM said in a recent
press release.
“We
realize that every moment someone in distress needs blood. She or he may be a
cancer patient, someone who needs the vital fluid after childbirth/surgery,
or a victim of an accident. Unfortunately, many such patients are not lucky
to receive blood in time, with potentially fatal consequences,” the release
reads.
The Ho
Chi Minh City Red Cross says that those eligible to donate blood must be in
good health, weighs at least 45kg, and is 18 years or older.
A
foreign donor holds a donor card after donating blood at the INCHAM Blood
Donation Drive 2014, which was organized in
Donating
blood has many proven health benefits, as it is linked to a reduction in
heart attack rates and cholesterol levels, and regular blood donation also
reduces the risk of cancer, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross.
Besides
these, it also offers the donors a chance for free health screening and blood
testing for some major maladies, which are potentially fatal, the society
said.
The Ho
Chi Minh City Red Cross will issue a donor card and undertake to give an
equal amount of blood donated free of charge in a situation where the donor needs
it, and this card does not have any time limitation.
The
INCHAM said that to make this important humanitarian initiative a great
success, both expats and Vietnamese should participate in it and persuade
their colleagues, friends and family members to donate blood as well.
The
2014 blood drive, also held by the INCHAM in collaboration with the Ho Chi
Minh City Red Cross, was attended by over 300 donors, including Indians,
other expats, and their Vietnamese friends.
Disabled
kids in Son La receive free surgery
About
200 children with disabilities in the northwestern mountainous
Their
surgery has been performed by leading doctors from the
The
programme is sponsored by the Medical Committee of the Netherlands-Vietnam’s
Disability Programme and the Son La Department of Labour, Invalids and Social
Affairs.
Ceremony
marks VN’s 15-year presence in
In the
framework of the Berlin International Beer Festival, a ceremony to mark 15
years of
Addressing
the event, Nguyen Xuan Hung, Director of the Asia Sky Tours JSC – the
organiser, said – this year is the 15th consecutive year Vietnamese beer
producers have brought their products to the festival.
Trade
Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy to Germany Nguyen Huu Trang underlined
the significance of the event, which was held on the occasion of the 40 th
anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Eberhard
Schollmeier, who always backs the promotion of Vietnamese beer at the
festival, said he values
On the
occasion, Asia Sky Tours also coordinated with a number of units in
organising a progamme introducing Vietnamese cultures to international friends.
The
three-day festival, which began on August 7, is expected to lure around
800,000 visitors.
Finance
Ministry learn asset management experience
A
delegation from the Ministry of Finance led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Huu Chi
visited
During
the visit, the Vietnamese delegation and Australian and
They
discussed the way the private sector takes part in developing health and
education infrastructure as well as incentive policies to encourage the
sector to involve in private-public projects.
Decentralisation
in asset management, public procurement and the construction of
administrative areas were also tabled.
Deputy
Minister Nguyen Huu Chi told the Vietnam News Agency that information from
the trip would serve as a foundation for
State
leader pays working visit to Nghe An
President
Truong Tan Sang has requested Nghe An province to accelerate the application
of science and technology in industrial production, and develop concentrated
agricultural production models in order to become an economic centre of the
northern central region.
While
meeting with local authorities on August 8 as part of his visit to Nghe An,
the President acknowledged the province’s socio-economic development
achievements, with per capita income expected to reach 29 million VND (1,329
USD) in 2015.
The new-style
rural area building campaign has been implemented widely, with infrastructure
facilities improved. In the first half of this year, Nghe An granted and
adjusted investment licences to 107 projects worth over 33 trillion VND (1.52
billion USD).
However,
the State leader asked the province to maintain focus on vocational training
to develop a skilled workforce, as this is an important element during the
industrialisation process.
It is
necessary for Nghe An to efficiently use official development assistance
(ODA) loans and avoid inappropriate investments and wastefulness, and connect
more closely with other localities and businesses to make it strong enough
for integration.
As a
border locality, Nghe An should also pay more attention to improving the lives
of locals and preventing migration, he added.
The
same day, the State leader attended the second congress of the Nghe An
association of former revolutionary prisoners, during which he requested
local authorities to continue assistance for the families of former
revolutionary prisoners, who are living in disadvantaged circumstances.
On
August 7, the State leader joined National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh
Hung, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu
Luu to attend the inaugural ceremony of the Truong Bon historical site in My
Son commune, Do Luong district.
Addressing
the ceremony, President Sang recalled unforgettable events from the war time
in Truong Bon, a key transport hub from the north to the south where over
1,200 officers, soldiers, volunteers, transport workers and militia
sacrificed their lives to ensure the transportation of aid to the southern
front, contributing to the liberation of the south and national unification.
He
noted the relic site’s significance in paying tribute to the fallen heroes
for national independence and freedom and educating young generations on the
nation’s patriotic and resilient tradition for the country’s prosperity and
immortality.
He
also offered incense at the Kim Lien relic site in Nam Dan district, which is
late President Ho Chi Minh's hometown.
PR
training workshop for Ha
A
public relations training workshop for the Ha Long – Cat Ba alliance project
was held in
The
event was to provide public relations skills and knowledge for the project,
which is operated by the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community
Development (MCD) from 2014-2017.
Funded
by the United States Agency for International Development, the project aims
to involve the public, business community, local authorities and
non-governmental organisations in initiatives promoting cooperation in
preserving and sustainably tapping values of Ha Long Bay, said MCD Director
Nguyen Thu Hue.
According
to a 2014 report that Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee submitted to
the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Ha Long Bay is being threatened by
tourism overload and water pollution due to mining and aquaculture activities
in coastal areas.
Initially,
about 100 locals living in need were chosen to pilot an eco-friendly
livelihood method and involve in a sustainable aquaculture value chain. They
later shared their experience with about 300 others to improve their
livelihoods.
Around
90,000 local residents have been informed about the project via media
campaigns.
The
project is to realise a comprehensive master plan on Quang Ninh
socio-economic development, aiming to turn the province into an
industrialised, service and international tourism centre by 2020.
HIV/AIDS
efforts save 150,000 people
On
August 7 the
Deputy
General Director of VAAC, Mr. Hoang Dinh Canh, addressed the conference on
the prevention and fight against HIV/AIDS in 2015. Since the first HIV case
was identified in
Mr.
Canh also highlighted that the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS has seen major
achievements over the last ten years. By June 2015 the number of HIV-positive
people who had been treated with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs reached 96,000, a
significant increase from 500 people in 2004. The care and treatment of
HIV/AIDS has been actively expanded and integrated into the general health
system and decentralized to local health care facilities to ensure
sustainability, increase accessibility, and reduce travel costs while
enhancing treatment adherence among patients.
Fifty
per cent of districts in the country have treatment facilities for HIV/AIDS
and 500 medical aid stations have allocated ARV for patients. ARV treatment
not only significantly reduced the number of AIDS deaths annually but also
decreased the possibility of HIV transmission to others to approximately 95
per cent. Activities in
To
further curb the disease local authorities and related departments and
ministries need to direct and organize the implementation of HIV/AIDS
awareness and prevention programs.
Work
starts on kindergarten in Ly Son island
Work
started on the construction of a kindergarten in Ly Son island district,
central Quang Ngai province on August 8.
The
project, including a two-storey building with four classrooms, was built at a
total cost of 5.3 billion VND.
Of the
amount, some 2 billion VND (91,700 USD) was sponsored by the Vietnam General
Confederation of Labour (VGCL) via the programme “Nghia tinh Hoang Sa, Truong
Sa” (Love for Hoang Sa, Truong Sa archipelagos) and 2.2 billion VND (100,500
USD) was sourced from the People’s Committee of central Quang Ngai province
while the remaining was donated by lecturers of Ton Duc Thang University in
Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking
at the ground-breaking ceremony, VGCL President Dang Ngoc Tung said the
project aims to offer children on Ly Son island better childcare facilities
and helps grow them into good citizens.
Tung
also presented the Ly Son kindergarten an audio system and an electronic
organ, worth 26 million VND.-
Security
guards skate for faster patrol in downtown
Security
guards for the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, a new get-together destination
in
Members
of the security team tasked with ensuing safety for the walking street in the
heart of
Robert
Sura, 32, and his family from the
Sura
has previously police rollerblading in
Members
of the security team in
While
it normally takes around five minutes to cover the 600m area he is in charge
of, Vu Minh Truong, 22, now needs much shorter time thanks to the skating
shoes.
His
teammate, Nguyen Tan Thai, said he would never forget the first time he
practiced the sport, when his legs suffered terrible pains.
“But I
got improved after two weeks, and can now perform fluent moves,” the
27-year-old confidently said of his ability to quickly handle such situations
as robbery or pickpocket.
Truong
and Thai are among 15 members of a team, including two women, who have
practiced roller skating for nearly two months before officially using the
skating shoes for patrol, Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, head of the city’s tourist
protecting force, revealed.
The
patrol team can handle situations faster and more effectively when skating
than they do when walking, he said.
Those
with advanced skating skills will conduct patrols in other places in the
downtown areas such as the Ben Thanh night market, the Saigon Notre-Dame
Basilica, the Saigon Central Post Office and the
Support
activities for AO victims nationwide
A
detoxification house in the Central Highlands
The
first facility of its kind has two rooms that seat 24 clients and uses
imported equipment.
Before
and after each treatment session, which lasts 21 consecutive days, clients
are offered health check-ups and vitamin and mineral drinks.
On
August 9, the Association for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims of the central city
of Da Nang held a number of activities to mark the Day for Vietnamese Agent
Orange/Dioxin victims (August 10).
These
included performances, folk games, and culinary activities. The organising
board presented gifts and financial support for five families of Agent
Orange/dioxin victims.
On
August 6, the
In the
The
provincial AO/Dioxin victims association has recently opened vocational
training courses for victims and their relatives.
This
year, it opened industrial sewing and weaving classes in Thai Thuy and Tien Hai
districts, attracting 270 trainees.
Additionally,
a project to improve the health of AO/dioxin victims by the Hubbard method
has benefited numerous sufferers.
On the
occasion, more than 19,000 AO victims have received gifts, each worth 200,000
– 300,000 VND (9.17-13.76 USD).
Since
late 2011, 1,200 victims in Thai Binh have undergone the detoxification
process, lasting 22-24 days.
In the
southern
Since
its establishment, the association has raised almost 40 billion VND (1.84
million USD) for house construction, capital and scholarships for those
affected by the toxic agent.
About
1,800 war revolutionaries and their relatives exposed to the toxic chemical
are entitled to monthly State subsidies.
Dong
Nai was the hardest-hit by AO with 13,000 exposed to the chemical, more than
8,000 of which are sufferers.
Areas
around Bien Hoa airport and its vicinity are still contaminated with the
toxin.
On the
occasion of the Day for Vietnamese AO/Dioxin victims, the Vietnam Association
for Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims held medical check-ups and treatment,
presented gifts and financial support for the victims in Dong Ha city, Quang
Tri province.
Nam
Dinh province received more than 20,000 USD donated by individuals and
organisations in and outside the province to support the livelihood of 158
victims and their families.-
ASEAN
Economic Community boosts labour growth in Vietnam
Thai
Phuc Thanh, deputy head of the Bureau of Social Protection under the Ministry
of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said that once the
community is established, ASEAN may become the most dynamic economic area
with fast growth and strong economic structure transformation, which leads to
a change in employment structure towards a decrease in the percentage of the
labour force in agriculture and an increase in the percentage of the labour
force in industry and services.
The
number of additional jobs generated in
The
country is also forecast to see a rise in labour productivity. However, Thanh
said, the increase rate is not fair, focusing on the industrial sector.
Experts
stated that the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community will cause a severe
competition in labour. Vietnamese workers cannot compete with others in the
region unless their professional qualification, foreign languages and soft
skills are improved.
According
to deputy head of the Institute for Vocational Studies Nguyen Quang Viet, at
present, most of
As
such, MoLISA is working with the Ministry of Education and Training in
designing a national vocational qualification framework, based on the ASEAN
Qualifications Reference Framework and other frameworks of developed
countries around the world.
The
framework will help mutual recognition of professional qualification between
At the
workshop, participants also discussed how to fine-tune laws on labour,
employment, migrant workers, and social welfare, and to connect information
on labour market with other countries in the region.-
Millennial
development goals for improved wellbeing
Active
implementation of UN millennial development goals (MDGs) in
Despite
economic difficulties, the Government and relevant agencies have dedicated
substantial resources to enhance education and health care in the last 15
years, especially for women and children, and to alleviate poverty.
Accordingly,
The
nation has universalised primary education and is striving to gain similar results
with secondary education.
The
country has also made the MDGs part of its socio-economic development master plan
from 2011-2015, focusing on assisting impoverished localities, upgrading
infrastructure and adapting to climate change, among others.
Through
accumulated experience,
The
Information and Communications High Command of the Royal Cambodian Armed
Forces (RCAF) inaugurated a Vietnamese-funded army camp at its headquarters
on August 7.
The
camp is built on a 1,000 square metres land plot and includes facilities to
serve local personnel’s training and daily life.
At the
inauguration ceremony, RCAF Deputy Supreme Commander General Mok Sarun said
he appreciates the Vietnam Defence Ministry’s assistance towards the
Cambodian military force.
According
to him, the newly inaugurated building reflects the friendship and close
cooperation between the two countries’ armies and contributes to cementing
the two nations’ traditional ties.
Under
a protocol signed between the Vietnamese and Cambodian defence ministries,
Mass
mobilisation commission head meets OVs in New York
Ha Thi
Khiet, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass
Mobilisation, worked with the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the United
Nations and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in
Khiet
lauded efforts of the Vietnamese permanent delegation to the UN and
Vietnamese representative agencies in
She
urged staff to further disseminate guidelines of the Vietnamese Party towards
overseas Vietnamese.
Ambassador
Nguyen Phuong Nga, Permanent Representative of
Younger
Vietnamese have also established a youth association in
She
said community work will be step up to encourage Vietnamese expatriates to
contribute to national construction and development.
Hoa
Binh preserves Vietnam-Laos friendship relic site
The
People’s Committee of northern mountainous Hoa Binh province hosted a
workshop on August 7 to discuss ways to preserve a relic site proving the
Vietnam-Laos friendship located in the locality.
The relic,
located in Cham Mat ward, Hoa Binh city was where political training classes
and preparations for the second Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary
Party took place in 1971 and 1972.
It has
been recognised as a national relic site for its outstanding historical
values related to the Vietnam-Laos relationship.
At the
event, the committee urged relevant bodies to plant markers to protect the
relic site and erect a stele introducing it.
It is
also necessary to collect documents determining the size and architecture of
the site while maintaining its original values, the committee stressed.
The
workshop, which drew the participation of the Lao envoy to
Rural
road lit up in Bac Ninh
Once
dark and dangerous, a rural road in the northern
With
costs exceeding 200 million VND (9,216 USD), 10.5 kilometres of the road have
been lit up, contributing to safer transportation in the locality, which is
attributed to a project initiated by Canon Vietnam Co. Ltd.
Michio
Motohashi, Deputy Director General of the company, shared that the village
road lighting project is part of Canon
Implemented
over three years, the project has thus far covered 30 kilometres of street
lamps across the province’s Que Vo, Tien Du, Thuan Thanh and Gia Binh
districts.
Local
residents are donating to extend the lighting system.
Bridge
built to reach flood-isolated Dong Nai
The
construction of
The
360-metre bridge will link the southern province’s Dac Lua commune in Tan Phu
district and Quang Ngai commune in the Central Highlands
According
to Ngo Sy Bang, Chairman of the Tan Phu People’s Committee, Dac Lua is an
impoverished mountainous locality. Local trade with the outside has long been
carried out via a small ferry port. During the rainy season, 1,000 households
here are frequently isolated due to floods and a lack of transportation
infrastructure that connects the commune to other locations.
Build
at a cost of 40 billion VND (1.84 million USD), the long-awaited Dac Lua
bridge will become operational in 2016. About 9.5 metres wide, it can
accommodate two lanes of traffic.
An
Giang spends big on restructuring agricultural sector
The
Mekong Delta
The
project aims to maintain a yearly growth rate of 3.35 percent for the sector
from 2015-2020, increasing effectiveness and competitiveness via
productivity, quality, efficiency and added value to better meet the demands
and tastes of consumers and for export.
The
first phase of the project will be implemented from now to 2017 with a cost
of more than 1 trillion VND (45 million USD) and the second from 2018 to 2020
with 1.3 trillion VND (60 million USD).
The
restructuring will focus on increasing the proportions of the fishery and
livestock sectors and reducing the portion of farming. The forestry sector is
intended to be kept stable.
It
also aims to develop the service sector in rural areas and increase incomes
and living standards for rural residents, contributing to stabilising the
political system, ensuring national food security and fulfilling poverty
alleviation goals.
Under
the project, the province will zone off 22,000 ha of land for rice variety
production in an effort to become the largest provider of rice varieties in
the Mekong Delta region and the country.
Nationwide
expanded vaccination campaign reels in success
The
nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign for eight months from
September 2014 to May 2015 has provided free-of-charge immunisation shots to
nearly 20 million children aged 1-14 years, or 98.2% of the child population,
as heard at conference in
The
campaign has contributed to containing the measles outbreak in
She
recalled that with the motto “prevention is better than cure”, Vietnam has
carried out a national expanded immunisation programme since the early 1980’s
which helped reduce the rate of communicable disease infections and
fatalities.
The
ministry hopes to receive further assistance from the Government and relevant
ministries, departments and socio-political organisations in persuading
parents to take their children to vaccination sites to prevent dangerous
communicable diseases.
Director
of the ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department Tran Dac Phu reported that
all districts across the country achieved the target vaccine coverage of 95%.
However, 23 communes in the five mountainous provinces of Binh Phuoc, Dak
Lak, Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Cao Bang are still below the target rate.
The
largest-ever campaign was carried out in over 66,000 sites nationwide,
including mobile sites in mountainous and remote areas. More than 325,000
health workers and 645,000 volunteers have been involved in the campaign, Phu
reported.
He
noted that no serious incidences occurred during the vaccination campaign. A
mere 0.08%, or 15,000 vaccinated cases, had slight reactions such as fevers
or headaches.
The
Ministry of Health is setting up a science council to address the
psychological reaction reported in some groups of children in localities such
as Lao Cai, Thanh Hoa,
Representatives
from the World Health Organisation in
Vietnamese
bank supports
The
Vietnam Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV) has provide aid in cash
and in kind worth US$50,000 to help the people of Myanmar overcome the
devastating aftermath of the recent floods, reported Lao Dong newspaper.
Heavy
seasonal rain, which has pounded the Southeast Asian nation since late June,
triggered severe floods that affected over 210,000 people in 12 regions and
states, killing 60 people and evacuating approximately 6,000 households to
emergency camps.
It is estimated
that nearly 344,500 hectares of farmland were damaged by the floods.
Domestic
tourism promotion programme proves effective
Over
34,000 visitors have registered for tours to popular destinations across the
country so far this year under a domestic tourism promotion programme
launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) late last
year.
According
to statistics from the ten southern travel agencies joining the programme, as
many as 68,392 tourists have booked their all-in-one tours to Phu Quoc, Con
Dao, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Danang,
According
to Tran The Dung, Deputy Director of the Young Generation Travel Company – a
member in the promotion group in the south, the figure shows signs of
recovery.
Southern
travel firms are using various advertisement methods to attract tourists and
prepare to serve visitors, Dung said.
In
July alone, the city raked in estimated revenue of VND7.5 trillion (US$345
million), up 5% from the same period last year.
To
maintain its tourism growth,
Municipal
authorities will also enhance links with those from other localities
nationwide to intensify tourism promotion activities and boost service
development in the field.
Popular
central
The
number of Chinese visiting Mui Ne in
Binh
Thuan has attracted more than 2.3 million visitors so far this year, a 7.4%
increase over last year, including 258,200 foreigners.
According
to an official report from province authorities this week, Chinese tourists
accounted for 20% followed by Russians at 16.5%.
Other
visitors came from the
Revenues
from tourism topped VND4.2 trillion (US$193 million), an 18.5% increase.
Tran
Van Binh, deputy chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said Chinese
tourists stay in all categories of hotels, from unranked to five-star.
“They
also visit Mui Ne during weekdays instead of only on weekends like most local
tourists. That is good for the province’s tourism.”
But
many Chinese came to the province for sightseeing rather than relaxing on the
beach, he said.
“Many
of them visited Mui Ne for the first time and it is important to make them
return.”
The
Binh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced plans to
organize many tourism activities in the second half of this year when it also
celebrates the 20th anniversary of Binh Thuan Tourism Day.
The
province is also applying for recognition of Ham Tien - Mui Ne as one of
But
the number of international visitors so far this year has reduced to 4.4
million, a 9.4% drop from last year.
Ca
Mau farmers ditch sugarcane for ginger
Sugarcane
prices have fallen for the past three years, prompting farmers in the
southernmost
The
mass shift from sugarcane to ginger has local authorities worried about
uncertain future output.
Thoi
Binh District used to be a main collection area for Thoi Binh-Ca Mau Sugar Factory
which could close down due to low profits and a lack of environmental
protection measures.
"In
recent years the prices of sugarcane came down, while sugar factory's
production has become sporadic," said Phan Chi Cong, chairman of the
district's association for farmers.
"Due
to the uncertain income from sugarcane, many farmers have spontaneously
destroyed their sugarcane fields and started cultivating ginger."
Cong
said nearly 200 hectares of ginger were being grown, mostly in Bien Bach Dong
and Tri Luc communes.
"Last
year the farmers had a bumper harvest of ginger," Cong said. "Some
households even earned billions of dong, so others gravitated towards
it."
Nguyen
Trang Nghiem, chairman of Bien Bach Dong Commune's People's Committee, said
the area for ginger cultivation increased from 50 hectares in 2004 to 100
hectares in 2015, while sugarcane decreased from 160 hectares last year to
nearly 90 hectares now.
Farmer
Pham Van Ua in Bien Bach Dong Commune's 6 La Cua Hamlet, who started growing
ginger in 2011, said in March he made VND1.6 billion (US$73,400) from his two
hectares of ginger, bringing him VND1 billion ($45,800) in profit.
According
to Nguyen Minh Chu from 6 La Cua Hamlet, sugarcane prices have fallen to
between VND500 and 800 per kilo, so many farmers would rather see their crops
die than hire labourers for another profitless harvest.
"To
harvest a tonne of sugarcane, farmers have to spend around VND200,000 to
500,000 ($9.10 to $23), and then they can just sell the sugarcane at
VND500,000, not to mention extra expenses like pesticides and seeds," he
said.
While
farmers remain optimistic about ginger, local authorities caution the mass
shift could lead to unstable prices and uncertain output.
Nguyen
Van Sinh, a longtime ginger farmer, said diseases spread quickly among the
roots and couldn't be stopped in the event of an outbreak.
Farmers
must make relatively high investments to start growing ginger – VND30 to 40
million ($1,300 to $1,800) per 0.1 hectare – so the line between
"rich" and "bankrupt" was very narrow, he said.
Su
Quoc Hung, chairman of Bien Bach Dong Commune's Association for Farmers, said
most farmers just saw those around them gaining short-term benefits from
growing ginger and immediately got rid of their sugarcane.
"Ginger
prices have been unpredictable and unstable in recent years, so we do not
encourage farmers to increase their growing areas and we don't hold training
courses for them," he said.
He
added that the locality would warn farmers and teach them about planning
their cultivation to avoid sudden losses when prices fall.
Poor
control leads to fever outbreak
Local
districts' ineffective management of dengue-fever preventive activities has
contributed to the rise in the number of dengue fever cases in
At a
meeting with the city's Department of Health on Wednesday, Dr Nguyen Tri
Dung, the centre's head, said that dengue fever outbreaks had occurred nine
weeks earlier than last year. The peak is expected in October.
The
city's outlying districts of Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Binh Tan, Cu Chi and Nha Be
have had high incidences but the inner districts of 1 and 3 had seen a rise
in the number of cases as well.
Since
the beginning of the year, 6,104 people have been hospitalised.
In
June, only 583 people contracted the disease, increasing to a total of 848 in
July.
Dung
said that the centre's inspections showed that the larvae index was still too
high.
"That
is why the disease has spread and not under control," he said.
He
told localities to sign a commitment between health agencies and authorities
as well as residents there on ending dengue fever outbreaks.
He
said that teams should be created to kill larvae in certain areas.
Areas
with high risk should be checked once every seven to 10 days, he said.
After
the second check, if these areas still have larvae, they will be fined.
BIDV
okays funds for new bridge
The
Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) on Thursday signed a
contract to lend real-estate developer Dai Quang Minh Corporation VND4.2
trillion (US$193 million) to build the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge and a project on
Mai Chi Tho Street in the new Thu Thiem urban area.
The
Thu Thiem 2 Bridge connects the new urban area to the centre of District 1.
Scheduled for completion in 2019, the bridge will play an important role in
the development of the city's socio-economy and help reduce traffic
congestion.
Last
year, Dai Quang Minh was appointed to implement the project under a
Build-Transfer (BT) model.
Also
on Thursday, the property developer signed a contract with BIDV's South Sai
Gon branch to provide financial guarantees to Dai Quang Minh's customers who
buy houses and apartments in the Sala Urban Area in District 2.
The
signing follows the recently amended Housing Law, which requires real estate
developers to have a bank guarantee in case projects are not handed over in
time.
Dai
Quang Minh is a pioneer in the development of the Thu Thiem Urban Area. The
company is building the Sala urban area and surrounding infrastructure.
Insects
destroy sweet potatoes in Vinh Long
Insects
are damaging sweet potato crops in Binh Tan District in the Mekong Delta
Le Van
Trung, head of Thanh Loi Safe Vegetable Co-operatives in the district's Thanh
Loi Commune, said that a strange insect that local farmers called "tan
mat" was first detected in the district in 2012.
It is
difficult to find because it is very tiny and able to move fast, he said.
Farmers
usually found it after it pierced part of a sweet potato.
By
this time, it was too late to spray chemicals to kill the insect, Trung said.
He
said that wholesalers paid only VND 400-850 (US1-2 cents ) per kilolgram of
damaged sweet potato.
Earlier
this year, sweet potatoes were priced up to VND680,000 ($31) per 60 kilos or
50 cents per kilo.
Huynh
Van Giau, a local farmer, said that the breakeven price for each kilo of
sweet potato was about VND 6,000 (27 cents).
Giau
said that he grew about 5,000 sq.m of sweet potato and would probably suffer
a loss of VND50 million ($2,300).
Another
farmer Vo Van Manh said that his family would switch to growing another crop.
Tonnes
of sweet potato have been left abandoned in local fields as farmers don't
want to harvest. Vice director of the province's Agriculture and Rural
Development, Nguyen Van Liem, told Nong thon ngay nay (Countryside Today)
newspaper that the department had worked with a research institute to seek
ways of killing the insects.
The
department's officers have started instructing farmers how to combat the
pest.
The
department is also applying Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practices (VietGap)
in sweet potato cultivation in Thanh Dong Commune.
Forty-three
households have joined the scheme.
Director
of Thanh Dong Co-operative, Ngo Van Tua, said farmers grew potatoes all year
round, but didn't treat the soil well, leading to crop diseases.
To
deal with this problem, the local authorities have encouraged farmers to grow
different crops, improve soil quality and eliminate disease after each
harvest.
Tua
said that sweet potatoes grown with VietGap standards sold at a higher price.
Binh
Tan District has about 9,000 ha, or about 90 per cent of sweet potato farm in
the province.
The
Binh Tan- Vinh Long sweet potato has been registered with the National Office
of Industrial Property and Trademarks Protection in
Tra
Vinh supports production models adaptive to climate change
The
Climate Change Adaption in the Mekong Delta (AMD) project in Tra Vinh will
finance the multiplication of 28 production models deemed adaptive to climate
change from now until end of 2015.
Director
of the project’s coordinating board Huynh Nghia Tho said at a meeting on
August 4 that the assistance is line with the project’s goal of improving
local capacity to adapt to climate change and developing sustainable
livelihoods for rural agricultural communities.
Among
the selected production models, 13 are in farming, 7 in animal livestock and
eight in aquaculture.
Organisations
and individuals who wish to adopt the verified production models will be
assisted with non-refundable aid worth up to 50 percent of the total production
or business costs under the conditions of the Climate Change Adaption (CCA)
fund.
Households
will be provided with maximum assistance of 30 million VND (1,375 USD) each
while maximum aid for groups or teams reaches up to 750 million VND (34,387
USD).
The
AMD Tra Vinh project is being implemented from 2014-2020 in 30 communes in
seven districts, benefitting 15,000 households living under or just above the
poverty line.
The
total investment capital of the project is 521 billion VND (23.88 million
USD), a blend of a 233.5 billion VND (10.8 million USD) loan from the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a non-refundable aid
package of 126.5 billion VND (5.86 million USD) and 79.5 billion VND (3.68
million USD) in corresponding capital from the Vietnamese Government, while
beneficiaries are to contribute 81.5 billion VND (3.77 million USD).
Nationwide
vaccination campaign stops measles spread
The
nationwide measles-rubella immunisation campaign for all children aged 1-14
has helped
He
added that the Ministry of Health will review the largest-ever vaccination
campaign on August 7 in
The
campaign, which took place from September 2014 to May 2015, aimed to reduce
the incidence rates of measles-rubella in Vietnam by offering free
vaccinations to over 20 million children, or about 98.2 percent of the child
population aged 1-14 including those from ethnic minority groups in far-flung
areas.
A
report by the Preventive Medicine Department unveiled that all districts
nationwide achieved vaccine coverage of 95 percent. The country targets to
bring all communes to the same rate by August this year, requiring focused
efforts on the 23 communes in remote areas below the target rate.
Over
325,000 medical workers and 645,000 volunteers including teachers were
involved in the campaign, the report said.
Vinacomin
to tackle Quang Ninh flood aftermath
The
Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) will take several
measures to deal with the worst rainstorm and floods in four decades in the
northern coastal
The
record downpour from July 26 to 31 in Quang Ninh – with rainfall of 800mm in
Ha Long and Cam Pha cities on July 26 and 27 – severely affected the
state-run group's production and business activities.
Vinacomin
halted all coal production in Quang Ninh, which is known for its large coal
reserves, to focus on prevention of floods and post-flood recovery.
In the
next few days, the firm will focus on ensuring the safety of vulnerable dams,
mines and tunnels and draining of flood waters from its facilities to resume
operations as soon as possible.
It
will repair roads and railways meant for coal transport to ensure supply,
especially to power plants. Meanwhile, the company will also reinforce the
walls in coal storage sites, dredge drainage systems and prepare personnel
for emergencies.
Vinacomin
is also deploying forces to help Quang Ninh address the consequences of the
floods, by evacuating residents, accommodating evacuees and donating money.
Incessant
rains and floods have claimed at least 17 lives and left eight injured in
Quang Ninh.
The
National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control said on July 31 that
the costs of flood damage exceeded 2.2 trillion (US$109 million). The coal
sector in Quang Ninh suffered losses of up to VND1.2 trillion ($55.8
million).
Thai
Nguyen: Over 1 trillion VND for new-style rural area building
The
northern mountainous
Of the
sum, 100 billion VND (4.58 million USD) comes from Government bonds and 226
billion VND (10.36 million USD) has been sourced from the provincial coffers.
Thai
Nguyen is striving to have 42 communes, or 29.4 percent of its communes,
fulfil the new-style rural area criteria this year.
Hoang
Cuong Quoc, Head of the provincial Coordination Office for the new-style
rural area building programme, said the implementation has involved the
participation of agencies, localities, local residents and businesses.
The
province has also mobilised different resources for the programme, he said,
adding that capital from credit institutions, enterprises and the community
worth over 6.4 trillion VND (293.3 million USD) has been rallied over the
past three years.
This
year, 81 communes in difficult circumstances will receive double funding.
Capital sourced from Government bonds will be prioritised for building
headquarters of communal People’s Committees.
According
to the steering board of the provincial new-style rural area building
programme, Thai Nguyen will integrate programmes and projects in the locality
from 2015-2016 to bring their effectiveness into full play with special heed
paid to production activities.
The
province will also focus on building brand names for local products to raise
their competitiveness, expanding large-scale production facilities and trade
promotion.
Thai
Nguyen has also suggested disbursing the Government’s aid package worth 15 trillion
VND (687.5 million USD) for new-style rural area building and increasing
investments in agricultural production models.
The
national target programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the
Vietnamese Government in 2010, includes 19 criteria on socio-economic
development, politics and defence, with the objective of boosting
The
criteria include infrastructure development, production capacity improvement,
environmental protection and cultural value promotion.
The
country aims for 20 percent of all communes nationwide to fulfil the
requirements by the end of 2015, reaching 50 percent by 2020.
Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri
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Thứ Hai, 10 tháng 8, 2015
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