Social News 30/9 Police arrest women with rare turtles in luggage Two women have been caught while transporting nearly 100 endangered turtles, Nam Tu Liem District police said yesterday.  The pair was arrested near the My Dinh Bus Station in Ha Noi on Sunday after the police found the turtles in their possession, hidden inside four backpacks.  The turtles were identified as rare Indochina box turtles, whose numbers are reportedly in sharp decline as they are extensively hunted for their meat, for use in medicines and for being kept as pets, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources said.  The police also arrested a woman in Ha Tinh Province, who allegedly supplied the said turtles and a number of other wild animals.  The case has been transferred to the prosecutor's office.  Rumours hit big-drumstick chicken trademark   Concerns have been raised after a story of Chinese merchants buying a large amount of Dong Tao big-drumstick chicken’s eggs and chicks at steep prices was spread in the media.  Distinctive for its rough, gigantic drumsticks, Dong Tao chicken in the northern province of Hung Yen features heavy figures, thick skin and red meat. The delicacy has long been popular among gourmet groups across the country and recently become a collective trademark.  Some say the massive transaction is for breeding purposes that could harm the trademark’s competitiveness while others have linked it with damaging speculations in the past.  In Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, there is considerable anxiety among more than 1,500 households who have cared for the distinguishable farm bird for years, as they consider the whole story to be a detrimental rumour.  Vu Dinh Trieu, a local farmer, declared there were Chinese men visiting and learning about the chicken but there was no such massive purchase. Sharing Trieu’s opinion, Le Quang Thang, head of an association for Dong Tao chicken farming and trade, informed that in recent years, tourists from Japan, Thailand, Laos, Belgium and China have toured the locality and purchased chicken and eggs with at a limited amount.  In fact, it often takes months after pre-orders to deliver the local products, which are only crossbred for commercial purposes.  According to Nguyen Van Phu, Vice Director of Hung Yen’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, his agency learned through working sessions with local authorities that in the past three months, prices have maintained normal levels and the chickens have expanded through good genetic preservation programmes.  Egg prices are between 50,000 and 80,000 VND (2.2-3.5 USD) each, while the chick costs range from 250,000 – 300,000 VND (11-13.3 USD). Funding shortage hinders Viet Nam HIV/AIDS fight Medical experts are concerned that an outbreak of the HIV virus is likely to return to Vietnam any time due to a lack of funds. A funding shortage could open the way to a potential health catastrophe, said Nguyen Hoang Long, director of Ministry of Health's Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, at a workshop held in Ha Noi last week to design an HIV/AIDS Prevention for the 2016-2020 period. It is estimated that Viet Nam will need at least VND7.4 trillion (US$329 million) for the programme for 2016-20 period but it will lack about 11 per cent of the capital. Because the HIV prevention programme will not be a national target programme, it will suffer a big reduction in budget allocation. About 80 per cent of funding for HIV response in Viet Nam comes from external donors but the funding will be gradually lowered because Viet Nam has now been classed as a middle-income country. For example, Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS will cease funding by 2015, the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by 2018. Statistics from the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control showed that as of June, there were 227,114 people living with HIV in Viet Nam. Of these, 71,115 HIV carriers had progressed to AIDS and 76,588 people had died. The HIV epidemic had spread to 99.8 per cent of districts and over 80.3 per cent of wards and communes across the country. Long said ARV drugs could suppress the HIV virus, stop the progression of HIV and reduce HIV infections in the community. During the 2011 to 15 period, the country saved 150,000 people living with HIV from fatalities and helped 400,000 people avoid HIV infection. Long said about 98,000 people with HIV had received free ARV treatment in the country to date. He said it cost about VND420 billion (US$19 million) a year to treat 98,000 people with HIV. Thus, the cost for medical treatment for one person treated with ARV was about VND4 million (US$181) a year. "As funds dry up, many HIV carriers may abandon treatment because they cannot afford it, raising the risk of those with HIV progressing to AIDS. "Finding alternative sources to maintain the provision of HIV related goods and services is crucial," he said. Long stressed the need for increased budget allocation for HIV/AIDS prevention in the coming years. According to the HIV/AIDs prevention plan for 2016 to 2020, Viet Nam will focus on keeping the rate of new HIV cases below 0.3 per cent by 2020, while reducing the impact of HIV/AID on socio-economic development. The plan includes national targets of 80 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 49 having adequate knowledge of HIV, 80 per cent of the population not discriminating against people living with HIV, and 90 per cent of people living with HIV understanding their condition and receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. HIV/AIDS prevention in the future will focus on providing sterile syringes for drug users, especially those in mountainous and far-flung areas, expanding the use of new and traditional medicine in detoxification. It also concentrates on studying and applying preventive measures against HIV and expanding the number of HIV testing clinics nationwide. Thousands live in danger of floods Thousands of households in the central province of Quang Nam are still living in danger of flooding. This is despite government programmes to build flood and storm protected houses, in place since 2014. The provincial People's Committee plans to help more than 3,560 households living in disaster prone areas build solid houses to protect against storms and floods. Each household will receive a grant of VND12-16 million (US$533-711) and loans up to VND15 million ($667) from the Social Policy Bank. However, many households have not started building work, the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported yesterday. In Tam Ky City, at least 30 households had been approved to receive money, but no households had started building due to a lack of support, the report said. Nguyen Thanh Lam, chairman of Tam Thanh commune, said many households had refused to receive the grant because it was not enough to build a solid house and they would not be able to pay their debt if they take a loan. Similarly, only three of over 100 eligible households received money in Hoi An city worth VND30 million ($1,330). Head of the Depart-ment of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in Hoi An City, Le Viet Phuc, said most poor households were unable to build a new house with the support available. It is estimated that a minimum of VND60 million ($2,700) is needed to build a new house but State support and bank loans only amount to VND30 million, according to poor households in Nong Son District's Que Trung Commune. A survey found about 67 out of 702 households in Nong Son district have been approved to receive funding this year. Local authorities said that only a few households would build new houses with low support, so they are mainly helping them to repair and upgrade their houses. A disaster prevention programme has been running in Dai Loc district's Dai Lanh commune since 2013, helping residents build safer houses. However, many households remain in debt as they invested VND30-50 million ($1,330-$2,220) in building their houses. Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Dinh Van Thu, said the province would offer more funding besides State grants and loans. The province would also mobilise additional capital from the Fund for the Poor to help poor people to build houses, he said. The Social Policy Bank is guiding bank branches at districts and cities to create good conditions for borrowers and quickly expedite loan procedures.  HCM City to Thap Cham railway to open Railway service between HCM City and Thap Cham City will begin on October 3 to meet demand for travel between HCM City and Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. According to Sai Gon Railway Company, the STC1 railway line, which will depart from Thap Cham Station in Ninh Thuan Province at 12:50pm, will stop at Ca Na, Song Mao, Binh Thuan and Bien Hoa Station, before arriving at Sai Gon Station at 7:15pm. The STC2 line will depart from Sai Gon Station at 10:25pm and arrive at Thap Cham Station at 5:40AM. The new train service will also stop to pick up more passengers at stations along the route. The price will range from VND198,000 to VND451,000. The company will reduce fees by half on the two first days of service on October 3 and 4.  Thanh Hoa to fight against child marriage The central Thanh Hoa Province's People's Committee has approved a project to end child marriage and marriages between blood relatives among ethnic people. The project will be implemented in the province during the 2016-20 period, with a total capital of VND9.974 billion (US$443,500). Statistics from the province's Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs showed that there were 1,207 child marriages and 86 marriages between bloods relatives in the province between 2011 and June this year. Most of the above-mentioned marriages occurred within ethnic minority communities and remote areas such as Muong Lat, Quan Hoa, Quan Son and Ba Thuoc. Pham Van Do, acting head of policy and information office under Thanh Hoa Province's Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs, said the maximum number of child marriages was in the districts of Muong Lat, Quan Son, Quan Hoa and Ngoc Lac. Most of marriages between bloods relatives take place among Mong and Thai ethnic people. He also said the number of child marriages might be higher due to difficulties in collecting information. Every year, 250 to 400 child marriages and more than 20 marriages between bloods relatives are recorded in the province. The province is home to the six ethnic minority communities of Muong, Thai, Tho and Mong, besides Dao and Kho Mu. Once the project implemented, it will help the local residents to understand better the effects of child marriage and marriages between bloods relatives on their lives.  Orbis funds 1 million USD for eye care in Can Tho, Ca Mau Orbis, a US-based non-governmental organisation, will launch a project in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and southernmost province of Ca Mau to offer care for visually-impaired children from 2016-2018.  The project costs 1 million USD, 700,000 USD of which will be spent on building paediatric eye care facilities in Can Tho Children’s Hospital and Can Tho Eye Hospital as well as improving refraction services and the professional skills of medical staff, Orbis representatives told Can Tho authorities during a working session on September 29.  Orbis estimates that nearly 300,000 children in the Mekong Delta are suffering from eye problems and about 1 million have refractive eye disorders.  The ratio of ophthalmologists per one million individuals in the region is 7.6 percent, the second lowest nationwide.  Le Van Tam, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, pledged all possible support for the project.  Founded in 1982, Orbis is devoted to blindness prevention and treatment in developing countries. It implemented its first hospital-based programme in Vietnam in 1997 and previously gave assistance to the National Institute of Ophthalmology from 2003 to 2010. German state grants scholarships to poor students in Thai Nguyen The Hessen State Ministry for Science and Art (HSMSA) and the German World University Service (WUS) presented scholarships to 20 needy students from the northern province of Thai Nguyen on September 29.  The recipients are from remote or ethnic minority inhabited areas and boast outstanding academic performance.  Each scholarship was worth 5.1 million VND (226.8 USD) and prioritised girls.  Over the past 23 years, the German ministry has granted 200-300 scholarships to students across Vietnam.  The scholarships are part of an education cooperation programme between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the HSMSA which aims to encourage disadvantaged students and those from ethnic minority groups to study hard and perform well in school.  The Vietnam-Germany University project, the first of its kind implemented by Vietnam and the Hessen state since 2008, is considered the most remarkable result of the two countries’ education partnership.- Prospect of Vietnam, ASEAN-India ties takes centre stage at seminar Current developments and the prospect of Vietnam and ASEAN cooperation with India were the theme of an international seminar held in Hanoi on September 29.  Professor Ta Ngoc Tan, President of the Hanoi-based Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said Vietnam and India continually attach importance to deepening their strategic and comprehensive partnership across politics, economics, energy, national defence-security, culture, education, science and technology.  According to Professor Tan, ASEAN lies in a geo-political location of strategic importance to India in its integration into East Asia and the Asia-Pacific. So far, ASEAN and India have established 25 cooperative mechanisms, including six at the ministerial level.  Bilateral political ties have paved the way for ASEAN and India to develop a vibrant and comprehensive partnership covering politics, national defence-security, economics, trade, investment, energy, socio-culture, education-training, science-technology, transport and people-to-people exchange.  For her part, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Preeti Saran said the ASEAN-India relationship has extended into strategic areas for the sake of prosperity, peace and stability.  She commented that India-Vietnam trade, which hit targeted figures ahead of schedule, is likely to play a more significant role once ASEAN establishes a common Economic Community later this year.  Participants extensively analysed achievements and hindrances to links between Vietnam, ASEAN and India over the past 20 years and the impacts of their collaboration on peace, stability and development in the region and the world.  During the three discussion sessions, they also forecast the prospects of the Vietnam, ASEAN – India ties in different areas.  Measures to increase the efficiency of Vietnam, ASEAN-India affiliation were also tabled at the event which was hosted by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Government Inspectorate opens training course for Lao officials The Government Inspectorate’s Training School opened a three-month course for Lao Government Inspectorate officials on September 29.  The course aims to enhance the officials’ theoretical knowledge and practical capacity as well as skills in inspecting, dealing with complaints and combating corruption.  During the course, the Lao trainees will take part in several fact-finding tours to a number of Government Inspectorate agencies and localities.  Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Inspector General Nguyen Duc Hanh said training is a highlight of the sound cooperation between the two Government Inspectorates.  So far, the Vietnamese side has organised three training courses for 47 Lao officials together with a number of visits to exchange experience on professional activities, he noted.  The course is scheduled to conclude on December 26. Flood-proof measures sought in Ho Chi Minh City International experts and Ho Chi Minh City authorities met on September 29 to seek flood prevention measures in the city.  The experts suggested the city install larger piping in flood drainage systems and expand and upgrade the sewage system across the city while zoning off specific areas for temporary water facilities, such as lakes, reservoirs and tunnels.  Long-term facilities with visions through 2050 were also advised to be taken into account.  A German expert shared experience in water management, saying Germany and a number of European nations have invested more than 5 billion USD in developing space for water storage.  In order to ensure safety for residents, communication systems have been developed to help inform the community of flood risks and infrastructure facilities have been built at least four metres above sea level, the expert said.  Others from Japan and Malaysia recommended approaches to storing water and regulating traffic in case of floods.  Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Thanh Hai highly valued the experts’ consultations and urged the local authorities to review current counter-flooding projects to effectively tackle problems in flood-prone areas.  The city's sewage system, which was built in 2005, are no longer able to handle such a large amount of water during the rainy season, according to Do Tan Long, an official from the HCM City Anti-Flooding Centre.  The city will continue with its anti-flooding effort by upgrading the current sewage system, which stretches over 200km in length throughout the city, dredging canals and building at least three more reservoirs in the next five years, he added. Measures discussed to develop manpower Measures to develop human resources in Vietnam were discussed at a conference, held by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in Hanoi on September 29. Speaking at the conference, CIEM Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Tue Anh highlighted that Vietnam has to improve its human resources for prioritised sectors, saying sustainable economy is premised on human resources development. Meanwhile, Toma Massaski from the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam underscored that Vietnamese Government and relevant ministries and agencies need to pay attention to the human resources education quality while identifying fields that require advanced qualifications and technology. He stressed that high-quality manpower has a crucial role in increasing productivity and contributing to the nation’s industrialisation, adding that it is necessary to find key sectors where workers and employers are harmonised. Regarding solutions to human resources development, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh from the Hanoi University of Industry recommended the Government supplement and complete regulations to encourage collaboration between universities and enterprises as well as ask enterprises to join vocational training through tax and land use policies. According to statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, graduate and post graduate unemployment jumped from 162,000 to 178,000 people during the first three months of this year. The highest unemployment rate was seen among those with college degrees (7.2 percent), followed by vocational graduates (6.9 percent) and labourers without certificates (1.97 percent). The country’s average unemployment rate stood at 2.43 percent. Euro Presse Image hails Vietnam’s economic achievements The Euro Presse Image on September 26 ran an article on Vietnam’s preparations for the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) with a positive social-economic record.  According to the article, Vietnam has undergone an almost complete makeover caused by a fast economic growth combined with continuous industrialised and modernised process.  Vietnam’s socialist-orientated market economy has been accelerated, contributing to improving the living standard of its citizens, placing the country in the middle-income group.  The article underlined Vietnam’s signing of an agreement on the establishment of a free trade zone with the European Union (EU) which will, according to EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, promote trade ties between the EU and the Southeast Asia, and may serve as a model for EU’s similar agreements with other developing economies.  Vietnam is also participating in negotiations with 11 other countries on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  At the same time, the article analysed weaknesses of the Vietnamese economy in the short and medium terms, especially administrative reforms and lack of capital for infrastructure projects.  It said falling oil prices will affect Vietnam’s income, and the budget deficit is predicted to reach 6 percent, surpassing the government’s five-percent goal.  The country also needs to improve the efficiency of social-economic management, environmental protection and income gap.  The article highly appreciated Vietnam’s political stability which it said is an important and indispensable factor for development. It quoted the Financial Times as saying that thanks to the stable political environment, Vietnam has been one of leading destinations for foreign investors.  According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vietnam is among countries with fastest economic growth from now to 2050.  The article came to the conclusion that Vietnam’s Doi Moi policy since the late 1980s has been strengthened through years and will be the main guidelines at the upcoming National Party Congress. Hanoi Book Festival attracts people of all ages Thousands people of all ages flocked to the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi on September 29 to enjoy the 2015 Hanoi Book Festival which featured 167 booths with more than 20,000 books of various genres on display.  Themed “Books and Heritage”, this year’s festival was among the capital’s key events to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation (October 10, 1954).  In his remarks at the festival’s launching ceremony on the same day, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said the literary event aimed to contribute to a strategy for the development of a reading culture in Vietnam that the ministry has been implementing.  The Deputy Minister hoped Hanoi and other provinces nationwide would pay greater attention to developing a reading culture among communities and that more book events would be held for not only readers but also writers and publishers to exchange ideas and promote their work.  Different sections were organised for calligraphy writing, book colouring, and “ca tru” and “trau van” singing while dozens of panel discussions and talks between readers, authors and book researchers were also hosted on the sidelines of the event.  The organiser is collecting book donations during the week-long festival, which runs through October 5. The donated books will be presented to schools in mountainous communes and naval solders on Truong Sa and Ly Son Islands. Con Son-Kiep Bac autumn festival begins in Hai Duong The Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival commenced in the northern province of Hai Duong on September 29 in memory of General Tran Hung Dao, one of the most revered figures in Vietnam’s history. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 715 th death anniversary of Tran Hung Dao (or Tran Quoc Tuan), Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Hien recalled the General’s life and career. Under the Tran Dynasty (1225 – 1400), the Supreme Commander led the Dai Viet (Great Vietnam) army to victories over three major Mongolian invasions, making him one of the most accomplished military strategists in world history. He passed away on August 20 (lunar calendar) in 1300 at the age of 70. To commemorate the hero, local residents built Kiep Bac temple, which was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012. Following the ceremony, a military parade was held on boats on Luc Dau River, re-enacting the Tran Dynasty army during the second struggle against Mongolian invaders. The festival, which will run through October 2, will feature a range of traditional rituals and cultural activities such as incense-offering ceremonies, a water puppetry festival and a boat race. Located in Chi Linh district, Con Son – Kiep Bac relic was the site of many important battles between the Tran Dynasty army and the Yuan-Mongolian invaders. It was also closely associated with the lives and careers of Tran Quoc Tuan and the Great Man of Culture of the World Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), one of Vietnam's most famous poets and writers. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism accredited Con Son-Kiep Bac spring and autumn festivals as national intangible cultural heritages in 2013. Central region seeks responsible tourism Developing responsible and sustainable tourism in central Vietnam came to the fore at a workshop held in Quang Nam province on September 29.  The event was jointly organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the Labour Newspaper; and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).  Present at the workshop were over 120 delegates from international organisations such as UNESCO, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) along with representatives from the central cities and provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh.  A number of reports were presented at the function, underlining the pros and cons of responsible and sustainable tourism development and proposing measures to develop this form of tourism in the central region and Quang Nam in particular.  Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dinh Hai said the local tourism industry has grown strongly in recent years thanks to the support of international organisations and cooperation with other cities and provinces.  The number of tourists to Quang Nam increased to over 3.6 million last year from 1.3 million in 2005, he noted.  Responsible tourism, which is common in western countries, is still in its infancy in Vietnam.  Featured in Vietnam’s tourism strategy for 2020, responsible tourism aims to protect and care for the country’s diverse cultures and environment whilst optimising business processes and ensuring economic sustainability.  Some travel operators are embracing responsible tourism practices, including electricity and water savings, waste treatment, sourcing food locally and providing job opportunities for disadvantaged members of society, including women and ethnic minorities.  The central province of Quang Nam is home to three famous attractions: the World Cultural Heritage Sites of Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and the World Biosphere Reserve surrounding the Cham Islands.  Hoi An, recognised by UNESCO as a heritage site in 1999, is an old trading port that dates back to the 15th century. Its architecture and layout reflect the indigenous and foreign influences that melted together to produce the unique character of the town.  My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Cham temples. Constructed between the 4th and the 13th century AD, it was once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom.  Meanwhile, the Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham) constitute a group of eight islets, which form part of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, a World Biosphere Reserve also recognised by UNESCO. The islands are well-known for their rich marine ecosystems with more than 300 species of coral, as well as beautiful sand beaches and forested hills. Japan, Vietnam augment cooperation in HR training Vietnam needs to focus on training human resources (HR) to meet the requirements of  the sectors the country places priority on development, said Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Vice Director Nguyen Thi Tue Anh at a seminar in Hanoi on September 29. The seminar is intended to assess the real situation and causes and propose measures to further cooperation between training units and businesses to satisfy the the needs of national industrialization process. Toma Massaski, Japanese counsellor stressed HR training is a vital issue for Vietnam if the nation wants to become an industrialised country. The government and relevant departments should pay more attention to training highly skilled workers who can master state-of-the-art technologies, he noted. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), in the first quarter of this year, the number of unemployed graduates increased from 162,000 to 178,000 while that of the unemployed who graduated from junior colleges climbed from 79,000 to 100,000. In regard to solutions for HR development in the future, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh from Hanoi University of Industry said the State should revamp regulations to encourage closer HR cooperation between universities and enterprises. PhD. Yoichi Sakurada from Japan’s Mitsubishi Research Institute emphaszied business - school- state connectivity is a prerequisite for HR development that also needs more support from the State through institutional reform and model projects. Drug administration withdraws 60 low quality medicines The Drug Administration of Vietnam, under the Ministry of Health, said that responsible agencies have withdrawn its registration permission of sub-standard medications including foreign–made kinds to ensure drug quality in the market. According to the Vietnam Drug Administration, from beginning of September, around 60 drugs have been withdrawn. Deputy Chief of the administration Do Van Dong said that not all of them violated the regulation or were confirmed low quality. 52 of these drugs have been voluntarily withdrawn by its producers.  Producers have withdrawn the registration because they do not want to make drugs any more, said Mr. Dong. As per the present regulation, they can have right to withdraw the registration.  Additionally, the administration decided to remove 6 drugs of Sanofi-Aventis, the French pharmaceutical group including  No-spa, Telfast BD, Telfast HD, Amaryl (Glimepirid 1mg), Amaryl (Glimepirid 2mg), Amaryl (Glimepirid 4mg). All of them were patented and manufactured in Sanofi-Aventis in Vietnam.  Through tests, the pharmaceutical administration discovered drugs’ standards made in the country were not fixed with the same kinds made in other countries and had lower quality than what had been registered.  Additionally, the administration removed license of three manufacturers as their product quality is different from what registered. The pharmaceutical controllers have made concerted efforts to reduce substandard medication from 3.45 percent in 2006 to 2.3 percent in 2014. Moreover, the rate of fake drugs has also been reduced from over 7 percent in 1990 to 0.04 percent in 2014 thanks to strong measures carried out by related agencies. According to the World Health Organization, Vietnam is one of the nations having low rate of fake and substandard medicines (below 1 percent fake medications and 3 percent low quality drugs). HCM City to complete multiple key roads next year The HCMC government will focus on completing 26 major traffic infrastructure projects next year to ease increasingly severe traffic congestion in the nation’s southern economic hub. The city will set aside funding equivalent to 30% of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) for development investment next year as part of its plan to put into use the projects on schedule. The city is expected to thoroughly solve traffic jams lasting over 30 minutes in 2016. The key projects scheduled for completion next year include four main roads in Thu Thiem New Urban Area in District 2, the entire Pham Van Dong Street, Rach Chiec bridge on the eastern ring road, and a road linking Nguyen Duy Trinh and Phu Huu Industrial Park in District 9. The city will open to traffic D3 Hiep Phuoc road and a road linking Nguyen Van Huong Street and Hanoi Highway, Luong Dinh Cua Street, Le Duc Tho and the Phan Van Tri Street section from Hang bridge to Pham Van Dong Street. Traffic jams have become nightmarish for citizens in HCMC, and the frequently congested sites in rush hour are Nguyen Thai Son-Pham Van Dong Roundabout in Go Vap District, Hang Xanh Roundabout in Binh Thanh District, and Thu Duc Intersection. Traffic congestion would worsen if heavy rain and high tides cause flooding in peak hours from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The local government is exerting effort to solve nine out of 17 flooded areas caused by rain, including those on Go Dau Street, Truong Vinh Ky, Tan Quy, An Duong Vuong, Nguyen Xi, National Highway 13, Me Coc 2, Luu Huu Phuoc and Luong Dinh Cua. In mid-September, rainfalls of up to 142 mm submerged 77 streets in HCMC. Severely flooded roads were Nguyen Huu Canh, Kinh Duong Vuong, Go Dua, Do Xuan Hop, La Xuan Oai, Ho Van Tu, To Ngoc Van and Quoc Huong. Denmark to strengthen economic cooperation with Vietnam Denmark and Vietnam will enter into a new era of economic cooperation with a focus on trade and investment ties after the projects financed by the Nordic country’s official development assistance (ODA) funding are complete in late 2015. New Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen heralded the new chapter in Denmark’s ties with Vietnam at a press conference in Hanoi on September 28. The ambassador said Denmark has established a strong relationship with Vietnam and given much priority to this ASEAN nation. Since 1994, Denmark has provided total ODA funding of over US$1.3 billion for Vietnam, thus contributing significantly to socio-economic development in this country. Denmark remains one of Vietnam’s major European ODA donors of grants. Two-way trade between Denmark and Vietnam has increased by almost 100% since 2010 and 135 Danish firms are active in Vietnam, a significant number for a small country like Denmark. Laursen said one of her targets is to foster trade and investment ties between the two countries. She expected that Vietnam will become a potential export market for Danish companies in the coming years. Laursen said the Vietnam-Denmark agreement on comprehensive partnership and the free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Union will lay the foundation for the two countries to strengthen cooperation in different fields including political dialogue, trade, investment, green growth, education, food and culture. Laursen was deputy head of the Mission at the embassy of Denmark in Vietnam from 2004 to 2007, according to Nhan Dan Online. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri