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Image: New agricultural products all the rage
ahead of Lunar New Year
Vegetables grown in Da Lat using seeds imported mainly from
Japan and the US and using high technology are becoming a big hit with
customers for their quality and safety.
They are all grown to VietGap
standards using drip and spray irrigation and other techniques.
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper quoted Ngo
Phuong Thao, director of Thom Food Company, as saying her company has
received more than 200 orders for tomatoes and other vegetables.
All information about the products,
including variety and growing standards, is on the packaging, she added.
Nguyen Cong Thua, general director of
Anh Dao Co-operative, said more than 500 Tet gift hampers to be delivered by
his co-operative on orders would have these vegetables.
The new mini vegetables would make up
30 tonnes out of around 6,000 tonnes of agricultural products meeting VietGap
standards his co-operative plans to supply to Co.op Mart for Tet, he said.
Since they were still new to customers,
they carried careful directions on the packaging, he said.
According to Nguyen Thi Dien Thuy of
Phong Thuy vegetable farm in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong,
besides supermarkets, small stores supplying vegetables to restaurants also order
the new products as do small traders selling gift hampers at traditional
markets.
The products are popular at
supermarkets and agricultural retail stores.
Da Lat now has around 100ha of land
cultivating under 50 varieties of mini vegetables like tomato, carrot,
beetroot and others, according to the Da Lat Department of Economics.
Nguyen Van Luc, head of the Lam Dong
Province agricultural-forestry-fishery quality inspection agency, revealed
that many surprise inspections of farms failed to find any samples of the new
products with excessive residues of plant protection chemicals.
Besides, all the fertilisers used
were biological, he added.
At least 50 new flower varieties
grown using high technology in Da Lat will be also supplied for Tet.
While they are flowers traditionally
preferred during the New Year like daisy, rose, gerbera, and lily, they are
cross-bred to get unusual colours and sizes and grown in glass houses.
Lam Dong has more than 2,000ha
growing flowers, with the new varieties accounting for 30 per cent, according
to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The plants have begun to bud.
According to growers, each pot of the
new flowers is sold for between VND30,000-100,000 (USVND28,899 - VND97,812).
Tran Huy Duong, director of Langbiang
Farm Company Limited, said his company decided to import Japanese daisy
because it is disease-resistant unlike domestic varieties.
But the company plans to supply 20
different kinds of flowers of which half will be daisies of different colours
like yellow, red, white, and blue.
Nguyen Van Bao, deputy director of
Agrivina Company Limited, said his company imported only from reputed global
bio-tech companies, which have a large flower gene bank.
According to DaLat flower producers,
the flowers will hit the market 10 days before Tet which falls on February 8,
including HCM City and the rest of the southern region.
VNS
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Chủ Nhật, 31 tháng 1, 2016
Mini pumkins.
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Social News 31/1
Hospital
could face fine for environmental damage
The
environmental crime prevention office of Binh Phuoc Province has asked
authorities to impose a fine of more than VND1,700 billion (US$76,330) on
Binh Phuoc General Hospital for toxic emissions.
The
hospital buried more than 66 tonnes of toxic waste on its campus and
discharged more than 160 m3 of untreated wastewater into the environment per
day, exceeding the permissible limits of toxic waste and wastewater
discharges.
The
waste was found during an investigation in November 2015, which was conducted
by the departments of the police department, health, and the environment of
the province.
HCM
City plans 2nd largest flower fest
A
flower festival will be organised in the first week of February to welcome
Lunar New Year in Phu My Hung City Centre in District 7 of HCM City with many
entertainment events.
Considered
as the second biggest flower festival in HCM City following the Nguyen Hue
Flower street, the flower festival in Phu My Hung will showcase trees and
flowers familiar to village life in three regions of north, south and centre.
Many
hundred-year trees will also be displayed at the festival.
The
festival has been organised since 2009. This year, it will have 500 booths
and hope to attract over 1.6 million visitors.
Can
Tho aims for 1.7m visitors
The
Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Can Tho this year will further develop river
tours and tours visiting craft villages and historic sites as well as city
tour, according to the city's People's Committee.
With
these efforts, the city aims to attract 1.7 million visitors, earning VND1.8
trillion (US$80 million) from tourism.
Last
year, the city welcomed over 1.6 million visitors, increasing by 18 per cent
year-on-year. Currently, around 40 tour operators are operating in the city
and 226 hotels and hostels as well as 11 home-stay destinations.
In
2015, many investors have poured money to the city such as Vingroup, Novaland
and Muong Thanh.
Da
Nang expecting more visitors
The
volume of visitors coming to the central city of Da Nang in the coming Lunar
New Year which comes next week is predicted to increase by 20 per cent to 30
per cent in comparison with the same time last year, according to the city's
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Preparation
has been well done, he affirmed.
Da
Nang is among the top destinations of tourism vessels which came from
Northeast Asia to Southeast Asia so that visitors coming by vessels at that
time will likely increase by about 1,500 to 2,000 visitors.
According
to the department, many new services will be introduced at this Lunar New
Year. The department also affirmed that service suppliers in the city have
committed not to increase the price.
VN
named among happiest nations
The
UK's online site www.telegraph.co.uk has recently selected Viet Nam as one of
the world's happiest places.
It
said that "the backpacker paradise of Viet Nam came second in the most
recent Happy Planet Index, ahead of Colombia, Belize and El Salvador.
Highlights
include the dramatic coastal scenery of Ha Long Bay, the picturesque town of
Hoi An, the bustling population centres of Ha Noi and HCM City and its sandy
beaches".
The
list also includes Valparaiso in Chile, Juzcar in Spain, Little India in
Singapore and Andorra.
Three
teenagers drown in Dak Lak pond
Three
teenage girls drowned while swimming in an irrigation pond in the Central
Highland province of Dak Lak yesterday.
The
girls were identified as 14-year-old Le Thi Nhung, 12-year-old Nguyen Thi
Thanh and 13-yer-old Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung, all students of the seventh grade
A3 class in Ngo Quyen junior high school in Cu M'gar District.
Dang
Van Hoan, chairman of Cu Sue Commune where two of the three girls lived, said
the teenagers went to swim in the pond together with two other classmates.
A
resident living nearby managed to save only those two after the students
accidentally slipped into the deeper part of the pond and called out for
help.
Hoi
An opens Cam Kim Bridge to traffic
The
ancient city inaugurated the Cam Kim Bridge on the Thu Bon River, a crucial
connection for people living along the river banks and in Hoi An City, before
Tet.
The
VND32.5-billion (US$1.4 million) steel bridge, which was completed in five
months, is for two-wheelers and is 3m wide and 620m long.
Residents
of Cam Kim Village can now travel more easily, instead of crossing the river
by boat for their daily activities.
The
bridge will also allow eco-tours and tourists to explore craft villages and
rural life along the Thu Bon River.
Chairman
of the city's people's committee Nguyen Van Dung said the bridge was a dream
of the local people for centuries as it would help the residents of Cam Kim,
Kim Bong carpentry village and Duy Xuyen District to travel and avoid the
risky ferry service.
Currently,
hundreds of boats, which are modified fishing vessels, carry local residents,
tourists and cargo between Hoi An and Duy Xuyen District. However, travel on
these vessels is risky during the rainy and flood season between October and
April.
Last
year, the central Quang Nam Province also put into operation the
VND3.4-trillion ($151 million) Cua Dai Bridge, connecting Hoi An with Duy
Xuyen and Thang Binh districts.
Hoi An
City hosted 2.1 million tourists last year, of which one million were
foreigners.
Vietnamese
people to run for health
Seven
million Vietnamese people are expected to take part in the Olympic Run Day
for Public Health 2016, which will begin at 7am on March 26.
The
event will take place simultaneously in provinces throughout the country for
the second time.
The
targeted number of participants for 2016 is double the 2015 figure of three
million, posing a huge task for the sports administration.
More
than 40 localities have already started preparing for the event. Many plan to
combine this event with other local activities.
The
general department of sports and physical training will coordinate with
ministries to get students, teenagers and military personnel to participate
in the Olympic Run Day.
The
event aims to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Viet Nam Sports Day on
March 27, as well as to encourage people to exercise regularly for better
health.
Vietnam
joins FAO-funded project on sustainable aquaculture growth
The
Prime Minister has approved a proposal for Vietnam to take part in a project
funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
to facilitate sustainable aquaculture growth in the country.
The
project “Regional Initiative Blue Growth – Pilot application of aquaculture planning
and management tools for sustainable growth in selected Southeast Asian
countries” in Vietnam will be funded by non-refundable aid from the FAO.
It
aims to support sustainable growth of aquaculture in the region through
improved planning and more effective management at different levels and help
boost seafood supplies to meet rising demand and improve livelihoods and
economic development in Asia.
The
Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development to prepare all project documents and sign them with related
parties.
The
project’s main activities involve selecting tools to solve key issues in
aquaculture planning and management, providing training on planning and
management tools for trainees and farmers, and piloting these tools in
reality.-
Deo
Ngang Tunnel to be widened
The
Prime Minister has approved the widening of Deo Ngang Tunnel under a BOT
(Build-Operate-Transfer) model.
The
transport ministry will be responsible for controlling and implementing the
project.
The
tunnel opened to traffic in August 2004 and has a speed limit of 60km per
hour.
It is
2.76km long and 12m wide, stretching from Km591 550 National Highway 1 in
central Ha Tinh province to Km594 339 National Highway 1 central Quang Binh
province.
The
tunnel is equipped with drainage and water supply systems, lights,
ventilators and a managing station.
The
tunnel widening project is expected to meet the demand for travel on National
Highway 1 through Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, contributing to
socio-economic development, national defence and security in the two
provinces as well as the central region.
The
investor will use the toll station at Deo Ngang to collect toll to recover
its capital.
The
project is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2016 and will be ready
by the second quarter of 2018.
National
Highway 217 upgraded to boost Vietnam-Laos economic ties
Nearly
90 kilometres of National Highway 217 (the first phase) connecting Dong Tam
intersection in central Thanh Hoa province with the Na Meo-Nam Xoi border
gate at the Vietnam-Laos border line is scheduled to be opened to traffic on
January 30.
According
to the Ministry of Transport, National Highway 217 is of special significance
in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Economic Cooperation Programme as the
road, together with routes 6, 6A and 6B of Laos ’ Houaphan province, links
Northeastern Laos with Northern Vietnam , heading towards Thanh Hoa
province’s Nghi Son sea port.
Therefore,
the ministry said, the upgrading of the routes has won the strong support of
the Vietnamese and Laos Governments in order to maximise economic potential brought
about by the GMS Northeastern Corridor and will help northern Lao provinces
easily access the Nghi Son port.
The
first phase of the project began in June 2013 with a total investment of 97.4
million USD with 75 million USD coming from the Asian Development Bank’s
preferential loans and the remainder sourced from the Vietnamese Government.
The
195.4 km National Highway starts from Do Len bridge in Thanh Hoa province’s
Ha Trung district through Vinh Loc, Cam Thuy, Ba Thuoc and Quan Son
districts, and ends at the Na Meo international border gate.
Technical
design and land clearance work in preparation for the second phase of the
project is underway.
Health
sector strives to improve mother, child care
The
Ministry of Health has worked hard to enhance maternal and child health
services in Vietnam in recent years.
The
ministry has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to step up
supervision of mother and child health care establishments, including private
clinics; provide professional support for local-level hospitals to reduce
obstetrical emergencies; provide training on midwifery and essential care for
newborns; and improve the skills of midwives in rural villages.
Maternal
and child health services have been expanded at rural communes and districts
nationwide between 2011 and 2015, especially essential services such as
caesarean section, blood transfusion and care of the preterm and
low-birth-weight newborns, in an effort to help reduce maternal and neonatal
morality rates.
Vietnam
has already achieved the Millennium Development Goals for decreasing maternal
mortality and mortality of children under one, with respective reductions of
58.3 per 100,000 live births and 14.73 per 1,000 live births in 2015.
Skilled
attendance at birth was 98.2 percent and about 90 percent of mothers and
newborns received postnatal care during the first week.
More
than 1,730 village-based midwives have been trained for the improvement of
maternal and child care in far-flung areas.
The
country has also lowered the number of children suffering acute malnutrition
from 17.5 percent in 2010 to 14.1 percent last year, while the rate of
children with chronic malnutrition dropped to 24 percent last year from 29.3
percent in 2010.
Since
the Law on Marriage and Family legalised surrogacy on January 1 last year, as
many as 65 successful surrogacy operations have been recorded, including 46
in the Hanoi-based Central Maternity Hospital and 19 in the Ho Chi Minh-based
Tu Du Hospital.
The
first surrogate baby was born at the Central Maternity Hospital on January
22, weighing 3.6 kilogrammes, while another 10 surrogate babies are expected
in the next three months.
In
2016, the health sector plans to continue improving the quality of mother and
child care as well as recovery practices in obstetrics and expanding the
network of trained village-based midwives in remote areas where out-dated
midwifery practices are still common.
Forest
info system application reviewed
The
Vietnam Administration of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development reviewed the mid-term outcomes of the project Development of
Management Information System for Forestry Sector – Phase II (FORMIS II).
The
Finland-funded five year project is being carried out from April 2013 through
to April 2018 with a total investment of 9.7 million EUR.
According
to the Administration, the FORMIS II project aims to develop a management
information system for the forest sector and expand the application of the
system nationwide in a bid to ensure sustainable management of forestry
resources.
Deputy
Director General of the Administration Nguyen Ba Ngai highlighted the
positive achievements the project has made over the past three years, saying
that it helps raise the awareness of developing an information system for
forest management at all levels.
The
system has also facilitated the management of forest resources and helped
enhance the capabilities of the staff involved.
The
system has updated the forest coverage data of 15 localities, namely Bac Kan,
Ha Tinh, Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Dak Nong, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang,
Tien Giang, An Giang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Ca Mau and Long An.
It is
expected to connect the data of all localities by the end of 2016.
The
first phase of the project was carried out from 2009 to 2012.
Thua
Thien-Hue: Construction of Mediterraneo Resort begins
The
construction of a five-star resort complex named Mediterraneo began in the
central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s Lang Co town on January 28.
Covering
an area of more than 7.7 ha with a total investment capital of over 600
billion VND (27.2 million USD), the resort includes 52 luxury villas, hotel
rooms, halls and apartments.
The
sea-viewed Resort is designed by well-known Italian architect Marco Ferrera.
Vicoland’s
Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director Bui Duc Long said the
resort complex will help generate jobs for local workers and bolster
investment to the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone, contributing to the
province’s socio-economic development.
The
project is expected to be completed within 24 months.
US
ambassador advises students to study English
At a
January 29 meeting with students at Quang Binh University during his cycling
tour from Hanoi to Hue, US Ambassador Ted Osius answered many questions of
Quang Binh students.
“Young
Vietnamese students who want to study abroad should learn English well and
watch Hollywood films to gain a better understanding about American culture
and people,” said Ambassador Osius.
He
revealed nearly 19,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the US, much
higher than the figure of 800 students of 20 years ago.
At the
end of the exchange, the ambassador presented English learning and teaching
documents to Quang Binh University and promised to further support the
university’s research activities and students in seeking opportunities to
study in the US.
Tapping
the potential of the OVs community
Millions
of Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) have made remarkable contributions to the
homeland’s national development, says the National Committee for Overseas
Vietnamese Affairs (COVA).
Citing
statistics from the World Bank, COVA said OVs in 2015 contributed US$13
billion to the national economy, ranking the nation as one of the top 10
countries receiving remittances— money sent home to help support family
members.
In
addition, OVs invested roughly US$20 billion in 2,000 business ventures in
the homeland during 2015. In HCM City alone, OVs invested businesses have cumulatively
registered funding of US$1.59 billion.
Nearly
1.35 million OVs returned to the homeland to visit their relatives during
2015, boosting tourism and more and more OVs are making the decision to
permanently return to the homeland to live and raise their families.
Thanks
to their knowledge and experience gained working abroad, upon their return,
OVs had made unparalleled contributions to the national development in terms
of advancing scientific and technological knowledge.
It is
estimated that the number of OVs working in Ho Chi Minh City totals in the
hundreds, including many professors, associated professors, and those
possessing advanced doctoral and master’s degrees.
OVs
serve as an important link to the world, says COVA and for the aforementioned
reasons, the government should devise proper policies and measures to
encourage their continual contribution to the homeland’s betterment.
Localities
hold events to celebrate National Party Congress’s end
Celebrations
took place across the country on the night of January 28 to round off the
12th National Party Congress.
Ho Chi
Minh City hosted a musical concert highlighting a strong belief in the
Party’s leadership.
Popular
songs about late President Ho Chi Minh and the Party were performed by local
children’s choruses, and artists from the city’s Ballet Symphony Orchestra
and Opera.
Delivering
a speech at the ceremony, President of the Fatherland Front’s HCM City
Charter Nguyen Hoang Nang said that the successful end of the National
Congress has demonstrated the political belief and patriotism of Vietnamese
people from all walks of life.
They
believe that new development policies on socio-economics and culture would be
devised, helping the country move toward global integration, he added.
Similar
concerts also took place in the northern province of Hai Duong, while a Lunar
New Year gathering was organised in the northern province of Bac Ninh.
The
get-together in Bac Ninh was an occasion for workers in industrial parks to
unwind, share their wishes and be heard by employers, with 1,500 gifts and
5,000 bus tickets given out.
Man
fined for keeping endangered bird in central Vietnam
Wildlife
protection officers in the central province of Nghe An have fined a local man
VND5.25 million (US$235) for keeping an endangered bird illegally.
Nghe
An Park Rangers found the black kite (Milvus migrans), a rare medium-sized
bird of prey, in Chu Van Cuong's house during a raid last week.
Cuong,
27, was investigated after he posted several graphic pictures on his Facebook
page, showing a neighbor slaughtering six monkeys.
The
black kite seized at Chu Van Cuong's house in Nghe An Province.
The
man responsible for the slaughtering, Le Ba Thuan, 50, has been fined
VND12.75 million for buying and killing the protected animals.
Thuan
confessed that he bought the monkeys for VND3 million and killed them,
together with 12 cats, to make a glue-like product, which some people believe
can have medicinal properties.
The
case was detected after the environment protection group Education for Nature
Vietnam (ENV) reported to local authorities that it had seen terrifying
photos of many monkeys being killed.
Le
Ngoc Huu, chief park ranger of Hoang Mai District in Nghe An, said they could
not connect the case to any organized wildlife trafficking ring.
Almost
2,000 cattle die in cold weather in northern Vietnam
Residents
in mountainous provinces in the north of Vietnam have lost thousands of
cattle after days of extreme wintry climate, the Central Committee for Flood
and Storm Control has said in a report.
Nearly
2,000 cattle have died due to severely cold weather conditions since Sunday,
according to the report.
A
biting cold snap is hammering the northern region, bringing snow to many
places, including some that have never had it before.
Northwestern
provinces have been suffering the greatest damage, especially Son La and Lao
Cai, which have lost 367 and 354 cattle, respectively, followed by Dien Bien,
Yen Bai, and Lai Chau, where 311, 134, and 46 cattle have died due to the
hazardous climatic events, the committee said in the report.
A
buffalo died in a barn because of cold weather conditions in northern
Vietnam.
The
frosty conditions have also inflicted a severe impact on localities in the
northeastern region, leading to myriad livestock deaths in Cao Bang, Quang
Ninh, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, and Lang Son.
In Lao
Cai, the bizarre climate has threatened 4,473 hectares of cultivars, causing
217 hectares of industrial crops to wither and snow to envelop over 150,000
hectares of forest.
All
vegetation areas in Mu Cang Chai, a district of Yen Bai Province, were
completely covered with snow.
In Ha
Giang, 150 hectares of vegetables, including lettuces, beans and potatoes,
were severely damaged by the frigid weather.
Over
1,500 hectares of herbs cultivated in Hoang Su Phi and Vi Xuyen – two
highland districts of Ha Giang – were also blanketed with snow.
About
407 hectares of rice paddies in Xiu Man District of Ha Giang are very likely
to wither under freezing temperatures.
The
National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that the cold spell
has weakened after wreaking havoc on northern Vietnamese regions so it will
be warmer from January 29 onward.
Smuggled
cigarettes pour into Vietnam from Cambodia ahead of Tet
Large
volumes of cigarettes are being smuggled from Cambodia to Vietnam as the
Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday approaches, despite Vietnamese authorities’
efforts to deter the situation.
Officers
in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have recently busted the largest
ever cigarette smuggling operation, confiscating 18,500 packs of tobacco,
Colonel Le Quoc Viet, captain of the local border guards, affirmed on January
24.
At
9:00 pm on January 23, police spotted two speedboats with suspicious signs
traveling from Cambodia to Vietnam in the waters off of An Phu District, An
Giang. They decided to surround the targets and carry out an inspection.
Four
suspects quickly escaped after they noticed the officers, leaving behind
their boats loaded with smuggled cigarettes, worth a combined value of VND320
million (US$14,345), according to local police.
The
suspects gathered their illegal goods in Takeo Province, Cambodia then
disguised themselves as fishery product traders to enter Vietnam, officers
said.
A
recent Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper probe showed that Takeo is a hub where
smugglers often prepare shipments of cigarettes and other products to be
illegally transported to the Vietnamese city of Chau Doc or to An Phu
District in An Giang.
Border
guards in Kien Giang Province are seen handling smuggled cigarettes on
January 26, 2016.
“As
the Tet holiday is coming, anti-smuggling officers have tightened security in
the area. Thus, we can only operate late at night,” a member of the smuggling
ring said.
Tet
falls on February 8, with shopping, festive preparations, and celebratory
activities going on one week before and after that date.
The
smuggled goods are carried by small speedboats traveling through several
canals to a market at the Tinh Bien International Borger Gate in An Giang,
before being distributed throughout Vietnam.
The
Tuoi Tre investigative reporters also pointed out that similar smuggling
rings operate at border areas in Tan Chau Town, An Giang, and the neighboring
provinces of Dong Thap and Kien Giang.
An
increasing volume of cigarettes is being smuggled into Vietnam from Cambodia
by sea instead of by land like in the past, said Major Su Van Thong, vice
captain of the border guards at the Ha Tien International Border Gate in Kien
Giang.
“It is
easier to smuggle larger packages and avoid police officers or escape if
detected when traveling by sea,” Major Thong explained.
Meanwhile
in the southern provinces of Long An and Tay Ninh, contraband cigarettes
undergo several phases of transportation before being distributed in Ho Chi
Minh City.
It is
common for local people to spot men carrying smuggled tobacco and driving
their motorcycles at high speed on several streets in the area, according to
Luong Xuan Tai, a former smuggling ring member.
When
the Tuoi Tre correspondents attempted to approach the smugglers’ usual
workplace, the group was on high alert and quickly cleared from the scene.
“If
you don’t look familiar, they will notice and swiftly flee the area. The
smugglers have eyes and ears everywhere,” Tai stated.
Police
officers have faced many difficulties in their efforts to break up these
rackets.
The
officers are constantly being watched by members of the smuggling rings, said
Captain Le Trong Tinh, vice chief of the border guards in My Quy Tay, Long
An.
Customs
officers hold container of foreign-made alcohol
Customs
officers are checking the contents of a container have found containing
foreign-made alcohol bottles, milk, and used electronic products shipped from
the US without customs declaration.
The
customs force in the northern province of Haiphong detected the container
when it was about to be transported out of the Haiphong port, officers said.
Hundreds
of bottles of foreign alcohol, milk, dietary supplements, used electronic
devices, and others were found in the container that weighs 10 metric tons in
total.
Customs
officers check the container they found being shipped from the U.S. without
customs declaration in Haiphong City, northern Vietnam, on January 27, 2016.
The
value of the goods is estimated at billions of Vietnamese dong (VND1 billion
= US$44,900).
Officials
have said they are still checking the contents of the container.
A
customs spokesperson said competent agencies will inspect the goods to decide
on how to punish those responsible after the check is finished.
The
owner of the container has yet to be identified.
Ministry
urges precautionary measures to control bird flu
The
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has warned of a possible
outbreak of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, caused by complicated
weather patterns.
The
warning was made at a meeting of the national steering committee for cattle
and poultry epidemic prevention, held in Ha Noi on Wednesday.
Vu Van
Tam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the blue-ear
pig disease had reappeared after 26 months, along with the return of H5N6
avian flu and the high-risk spread of the H7N9 virus from China, so
localities shouldn't neglect disease prevention initiatives, especially in
border provinces.
Tam
has ordered local authorities nation-wide to roll out precautionary measures
against the spread of the disease as the Lunar New Year approaches.
He has
asked the People's Committees of cities and provinces to instruct their
agricultural and rural development authorities to tighten supervision for
early discovery of all bird flu outbreaks and to handle any new outbreaks
promptly.
Pham
Van Dong, head of the Department of Animal Health under MARD, said last year
the number of bird flu hotbeds and the amount of dead poultry, including
those forced to be culled, had dropped remarkably compared with the year
2014.
Dong
said the disease primarily occurred in poultry birds that hadn't been
vaccinated and were being raised in households.
Statistics
from the Animal Health Department showed that 27 foot-and-mouth disease
outbreaks were reported in cattle from the provinces of Ha Tinh, Lang Son,
Son La and Dac Lac, as well as Cao Bang and Bac Giang, as of Wednesday.
As
many as five H5N6 avian flu outbreaks were recorded in the provinces of Quang
Ngai, Kon Tum, Tuyen Quang and Lang Son, over the last 21 days, with a total
of 3,540 poultry infected and 6,720 culled.
Logo
highlighting Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic ties introduced
The
Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an awarding ceremony of the contest on
logo marking Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations on January 28.
Deputy
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Panyarak Poolthup, who is also former
Ambassador to Vietnam, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Tat Thanh,
and President of the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association Prachuab
Chaiyasan, were among others at the event.
The
contest was launched in late 2015, receiving 83 entries by 53 designers from
23 provinces and cities across Thailand.
Thanh
and Panyarak Poolthup presented the award to the winner of the contest,
Jiraporn Panomsuay, who is a student from the Chulalongkorn University.
Jiraporn
Panomsuay told the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents that she looked into
the histories of the two nations’ relations, as well as the culture of the
Vietnamese people for her inspiration.
She
expressed her hope that the logo will help highlight the friendship and close
relations between the two nations, adding that she will continue studying
more about the Vietnamese culture and language.
On the
occasion, numerous events were introduced to mark the event in 2016,
including a photo exhibition, book launches and conferences.
BIDV
provides financial support for cold-hit localities
The
Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) has granted urgent
financial support worth 2.6 billion VND (116,948 USD) for localities hardest
hit by the recent cold snap, including Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Lao Cai,
Dien Bien, Son La, Lai Chau and Ha Giang provinces.
Earlier,
the bank gave 9,000 Tet gifts to those localities as part of the programme to
present 50,000 Tet gifts worth 15 billion VND (674,700 USD) to deprived
people nationwide.
The
cold spell, which took place accross the northern region of the country from
January 22-27, has caused serious damage to both crops and livestock.
According
to the National Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control, by
19:00 January 28, the freezing weather had spoiled 9,453 hectares of rice,
8,472 hectares of rice seeds and 16,149 hectares of vegetables. It also
killed 9,409 heads of cattle and 43,242 heads of poultry.
19,000
employees needed for next month
Enterprises
in HCM City are expected to need to recruit an additional 19,000 employees
next month, an increase of 7,299 compared to January, according to the city's
Centre for Human Resource Forecast and Labour Information.
Experts
forecast that the city's economy will grow strongly in the beginning of the
year, Trần Anh Tuấn, the centre's deputy head, said.
Of the
19,000 employees, 30 per cent are for part-time and seasonal jobs. Most of
these will be in marketing, tourism-hospitality, event organisation,
industrial hygiene-civil engineering, landscape design-bonsai care, market
research and other fields.
In
January, the city People's Committee told agencies and enterprises to give
bonuses and other allowances for employees before the Lunar New Year holiday.
This
was done to ensure that employees return to their jobs after the Tết holiday.
Unlike
previous years, the number of people who will not return to their jobs after
Tết is forecast to be between 3 per cent and 4 per cent of the total
workforce, according to the centre.
Demand
for seasonal Tet workers on rise
The
rising demand for part-time workers as the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday
approaches is creating more opportunities for workers and students to earn
money and gain work experience.
Tran
Quang Trung, a fourth year student of the Ha Noi University, said he had been
offered a part-time job to deliver cakes during the holiday, expecting to
earn VND3 million ($130) a month, plus an additional bonus.
"With
the money, I can help my parents a little," he said.
The
HCM City Student Assistance Centre (SAC) said it received lots of students
searching for job information over the past few days.
A
representative of the SAC said the centre strives to introduce work to 5,000
students before and during the holiday which falls on February 8.
Nguyen
Manh Tu, a fourth year student of the HCM City University of Social Sciences
and Humanity, said he found a part-time job wrapping presents at a
supermarket and earned VND2 million ($80) per month.
In
previous years, Tu returned to his homeland to enjoy the holiday with his
family. But this year he stayed in the city to earn some money for his school
fees.
The
demand for part-time work during the holiday increased by 20 per cent
compared with the previous year, Tin Tuc (News) reported. Most frequently,
employers sought product promoters, security guards, restaurant servers and
cashiers.
A
presentation from the Viet My Mechanics Company in Ha Noi said the company
received more orders by January, the end of the 2015 lunar year, so it needed
to hire about 20 business workers for a salary of VND4.5 million ($200) per
month plus commission.
Nevertheless,
experts warned that workers should be vigilant to avoid being swindled by
illegal middle men.
Nguyen
Thi Ha, from Ha Noi, said she was introduced to a job as a restaurant
receptionist by an online centre, but in reality, she had to work as a
server. She also must pay a VND300,000 ($13) deposit to the centre.
Vu Thi
Thanh Lieu, deputy director of the Ha Noi Job Introduction Centre, said
workers should carefully read the information from recruitment companies and
should not fall for attractive advertisements such as easy jobs with a high
salary.
Workers
should reach an agreement with companies regarding the work, the number of
working days and salary, Lieu said.
Part-time
work often ends right before the holiday, so if the parties do not reach an
agreement before then, conflicts would be difficult to resolve, Lieu added.
The Ha
Noi Job Introduction Centre has advertised a great number of part-time jobs
for students and other people who want to work before and during the
festival.
Tran Anh
Tuan, deputy director of the HCM City's Centre for Human Resources and Labour
Market Information, said the demand for seasonal workers in the two last
months of the lunar year has increased because the retail market and the
economy have been rapidly developing.
However,
Tuan said, some people and students did not study the recruitment information
carefully, so they were defrauded.
The
workers should find jobs via reputable centres and complete all procedures
related to contracts, he said.
VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri
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PM encourages
preparations for safe, prosperous Lunar New Year
HA NOI - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung requested ministries
and all-level authorities to gear up to provide a happy Tet (Lunar New Year)
festival for all people at the Government's monthly meeting yesterday.
The meeting took
place with little more than one week left until Tet.
The Cabinet leader
asked that the supply of goods be balanced with the extra demand, that goods
be high quality with stable prices, that food hygiene and safety ensured, and
that the drastic fight against smuggling and counterfeits strengthened.
He instructed the
relevant authorities to pay special attention to low-income earners, rural
residents, and social policy beneficiaries – so as to give all people a happy
Tet.
While the
transport sector has to ensure sufficient vehicles to meet the surging travel
demand before and after Tet, public security forces must be ready to
safeguard political security, and social order and safety, and strictly deal
with the storage, transportation and use of firecrackers during the festival.
The police were also ordered to step up fire and explosion prevention and
ensure traffic safety.
Minister of
Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang cited preliminary data that by December 31,
2015, 48 of the 63 provinces and centrally-run cities had designed measures
to help companies ensure goods supplies for Tet. Meanwhile, the Ministry of
Planning and Investment confirmed that ministries, sectors and localities
were working hard to prepare for the year's biggest festival.
At the meeting, PM
Dung urged special heed be given to the treatment of the consequences of the
recent severe cold spell by helping farmers resume agricultural activities.
Ministries,
sectors and localities were also asked to keep control of inflation and
prices, consolidate macro-economic stability, continue seeking export markets
while containing the trade deficit, and support businesses in expanding
operations.
He also asked them
to be more active in international economic integration and optimise
opportunities provided by free trade agreements, particularly the
new-generation accords that Viet Nam has signed with big partners.
Also at the
function, the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported that in January,
the Consumer Price Index remained unchanged compared to the previous month,
while industrial and agricultural production and services continued
developing.
Export revenue
rose, which helped reduce the trade deficit. Viet Nam also recorded growth in
FDI attraction and disbursement, as well as the disbursed sum of ODA and
preferential loans.
The ministry also
highlighted the absolute safety guaranteed during the 12th National Party
Congress. - VNS
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