Social News 16/8 Hanoi to plant 45,000 trees along Thang Long Avenue   Hanoi plans to plant about 45,000 trees along Thang Long Avenue, the longest of its kind in Vietnam, stated Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung at his meeting with voters in Hoan Kiem district on August 15.  The tree planting will help green up the city from Ba Vi outlying district to the National Convention Centre, Chung said.  According to him, in the short term, around 20,000 trees will be planted.  The capital city hopes to make a progress in managing trees in 12 inner districts, including a plan to grow one million new trees by 2020. To achieve the target, the city has consulted scientists and relevant offices about which types of trees should be planted.  Thang Long Avenue has the length of 30km and the width of 140m for six lanes of vehicles.  It connects Hanoi’s inner part with satellite urban areas, such as Xuan Mai, Mieu Mon, and Son Tay, and tourist sites, including Ba Vi, Suoi Hai, and the Vietnam Ethnic Cultural Village. With its one end at Ho Chi Minh National Highway, it also links Hanoi with other localities. Can Tho seeks cooperation in clean agriculture with New Zealand The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho wishes to deepen cooperation with New Zealand in the farming sector, especially clean agriculture, in order to raise the locality’s export value of safe agricultural products, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thanh Thong. At a working session with New Zealand Ambassador Haike Manning in Can Tho on August 15, the official said his city is facing difficulties in ensuring food safety, particularly clean agricultural products. Therefore, he said, the city needs New Zealand’s cutting-edge production, preservation and processing technologies. Highlighting collaboration between Can Tho and New Zealand in trade and education, Thong said the two sides still holds substantial potential for cooperation. Can Tho welcomes New Zealand’s efforts to facilitate the affiliation between the two sides’ businesses, he said, noting the city’s hopes that New Zealand will help universities based in the locality with personnel training in a bid to meet the labour demand of the locality and the Mekong Delta at large. Ambassador Haike Manning said Vietnam and New Zealand are targeting a strategic partnership in the time ahead, adding his country wishes to enhance the collaboration with the Southeast Asian nation. He said New Zealand has developed the world’s leading food safety system and up to 80 percent of its farm produce have been shipped abroad. New Zealand can help Vietnam in animal husbandry, fruits and vegetables, and intellectual products, he said. At the working session, the two sides also compared notes on climate change in the Mekong Delta region. Food safety inspections intensified during Mid-Autumn festival Six teams have been set up to inspect food safety during the Mid-Autumn festival in 12 cities and provinces, according to the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA).  The targeted localities are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the northern provinces of Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai and Lai Chau, central Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces, the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, and the southern provinces of Binh Duong, An Giang and Vinh Long.  For other cities and provinces, local Health Departments should consult local People’s Committees and steering committees on food safety and hygiene about intensifying inspections at food production, business and import facilities and restaurants during the festival.  The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which falls on September 15 this year. In Vietnam, this festival is primarily for children, who are the centre of activities. Vietnam Buddhist Sangha congratulated on Vu Lan festival The Government’s Religious Affairs Committee visited the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) at Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi on August 15 on the occasion of Vu Lan (Ullambana) – a major Buddhist festival.  Deputy head of the committee’s standing board Bui Thanh Ha wished the VBS dignitaries health and progress in their religious life.  Appreciating the VBS’s contributions, he said he hopes the Sangha will continue standing side by side with the nation during the development process.  On behalf of the VBS, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Vice Standing Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council, said Vu Lan festival, which falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month (August 17 this year), is an occasion to pay tribute to parents, teachers, the nation and the Three Refuges (the Buddha, the Dhama and the Sangha).  It also marks the end of the three-month summer retreat, which lasts from the 15th of the fourth lunar month to the 15th of the seventh lunar month. On that day, monks and nuns who reside in one place and devote themselves to their practice during the retreat will become one year older in the Order, he noted.  He said the VBS will continue making good practices of the Buddhism to help bring about peace and happiness for all people.  Vietnam is now home to more than 48,000 Buddhist monks and nuns who are practicing the religion in over 17,000 Buddhist worshipping sites. Binh Thuan broadens Phan Thiet-Mui Ne road to boost tourism The southern province of Binh Thuan has decided to launch a project to upgrade a road linking its capital city of Phan Thiet to Ham Tien-Mui Ne area at a cost of 286 billion VND (12.8 million USD), aiming to boost its tourism.  The road, which is 4km in length and 25m in width with 3m-wide pavement, is the only one connecting Phan Thiet and the area, which is also known as the “capital of resort,” as well as coastal roads to urban areas and tourist destinations in the north of the province.  It is also the main road from Phan Thiet airport to Binh Thuan’s downtown when the airport becomes operational.  Currently, the road is in bad condition, with its surface width of only 6m, leading to frequent traffic congestion.  Under the project, the 131m Phu Hai bridge, part of the road, will also be upgraded.  According to Pham Van Nam, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, the province is calling for bids for the project. Con Son–Kiep Bac festival to feature various activities The 2016 Con Son – Kiep Bac Autumn Festival will be held in the northern province of Hai Duong from September 10-20 with a wide range of activities.  The 10-day festival will feature a ceremony to commemorate Tran Quoc Tuan (or Tran Hung Dao), one of the most revered figures in Vietnam’s history for his leading role in the country’s victories over three major Mongolian invasions in the 13th century.  It will also include a military parade on boats on Luc Dau River, which re-enacts the Tran Dynasty army during the second struggle against Mongolian invaders, and a ceremony to release flower garlands and lanterns to pray for peace and prosperity.  Numerous traditional games and culture-art activities such as folk music, water puppetry and boat racing are expected to draw visitors.  During the festival, travel agencies will offer a number of promotion programmes for tourists.  Covering an area of more than 8 hectares in Chi Linh town, the Con Son - Kiep Bac historical site is closely associated with the lives and careers of Tran Hung Dao and great poet Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), who was recognised as a Great Man of Culture of the World by UNESCO in 1980. Con Son - Kiep Bac was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012.  The Con Son - Kiep Bac spring and autumn festivals were recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2012. Reservoirs unsafe rainy season Signs of cracking, subsiding and leaking water have been found on 16 irrigation reservoirs in northern Phú Thọ Province, falling short of safety standards during rainy reason. The reservoirs are Cây Quýt, Rôm, Ðát Dội, Ðầm Gai, Vỡ, Núi Ðẫu, Nhà Giặc, Chòi, Ðá Ðen, Trằm Cạn, Vinh Lại, Trầm Sắt and Ba Gạc. The provincial Irrigation Division said they were degraded as they were all built 3-4 decades ago. A lack of funds to repair and upgrade the reservoirs was another problem, the division said. The division’s statistics revealed that no reservoir in the province was equipped with devices to observe and measure meteorological data. This resulted in inaccuracy of data and difficulties in controlling water levels in the reservoirs, the division said. Lâm Việt Tuấn, head of the division, said the division made plans to minimise risks caused by degraded reservoirs during the rainy season. Senior experts were told to be ready to take action in emergencies. The division also proposed the provincial People’s Committee allocate funds for repairing and upgrading the reservoirs. Nguyễn Văn Lợi, director of the State-backed Phú Thọ Irrigation Work Exploitation One Member Co Ltd – the company assigned to operate all irrigation works in the province, told Phú Thọ newspaper that it attempted to fix damaged reservoirs step by step. From early this year, the company began assessing the degradation of local reservoirs. After the assessment, it repaired six damaged reservoirs with money from the provincial Natural Disaster Prevention and Control’s funds, he said. The company also assigned teams on duty 24 hours a day at each irrigation works to ensure safety during the rainy season, he said. The province now has 420 irrigation reservoirs. Hundreds of households forced to use contaminated water Nearly 800 households in central Bình Định Province’s Ghềnh Ráng Commune have been living without clean water for years, with most residents using contaminated water from wells. Although the commune is only some 2km away from the central city of Quy Nhơn, these households cannot access tap water because the water pressure in the city’s water pipelines is not strong enough to pass the Quy Hòa Pass to reach them. Meanwhile, most wells in the area are contaminated with alum. Nguyễn Thị Hồng Thanh, a resident of Ghềnh Ráng Commune, said the water had a yellow tinge and smelled horrible. “I’ve filtered it before use, but it still has a yellowish colour. I’m worried about the health of my family,” she said. Phan Văn Sơn, head of the local Fatherland Front Steering Committee, said the committee had reported the situation to the authorized agencies many times, but the problem remained unsolved. Sơn said in dry seasons, the wells were dry, forcing local residents to buy clean water at high prices. Võ Chí Thiện, chairman of the communal People’s Committee, said the province had planned to build a pressurised station to pump water from the city to these households in 2012. However, due to the high cost, amounting to some VNĐ18 billion (US$818,000), the city had asked the province to propose a solution to mobilise investment capital but had received no reply. Reporters contacted Ngô Hoàng Nam, Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, but Nam refused to comment. Japan-Vietnam festival in HCM City expected to attract 180,000 The fourth annual Japanese festival will take place between November 18 and 20 in HCM City. The Japan-Vietnam Festival 2016, to be held at the September 23 Park, is a cultural exchange program aimed at promoting tourism in Việt Nam and Japan. Apart from art and entertainment performances, the festival will feature investment and trade events. Takebe Tsutomu, a special advisor to the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, and head of the organizing committee, said he expected the number of visitors to the upcoming festival to reach 180,000, up from 150,000 last year. Book on the history of Hà Nội reprinted A research series on Hà Nội in the first half of the 20th century by veteran researcher Nguyễn Văn Uẩn has just been reprinted by Nhã Nam Publishing and Communications Company. Entitled Hà Nội in First Half of 20th Century, the two-volume book is the result of serious study that Uẩn has done throughout his career of teaching and researching history. However, it was not till 1975 that he was able to start writing it. The series have an appendix on Hà Nội’s streets, the names of Indochina General Governors between 1884 and 1945 and maps.  The first draft of the book was completed in 1985, and it was first published in 1995. The book won the Thăng Long Book Award in 1996. Nguyễn Văn Uẩn, (1912-1991) had compiled various important books including Lịch Sử Việt Nam Sơ Khảo (A Brief of Vietnamese History, 1946) and Lịch Sử Thủ Đô Hà Nội (History of Capital Hà Nội, 1962). New book on President Hồ Chí Minh and NA released A new book on the late President Hồ Chí Minh and National Assembly of Việt Nam (NA) has been published in HCM City by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House. Titled Bác Hồ Với Quốc Hội Việt Nam (Uncle Hồ and National Assembly of Việt Nam), the book aims to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). It is co-written by Hà Minh Hồng, Trần Thuận and Lưu Văn Quyết. It features the history of the National Assembly, including stories about the first democratic election in the country (January 6, 1946). It also covers the founding of the NA (1946 to 1960) and the period of building Social Republic in the north (1946 to 1969).  The first President and his works are featured through these historical events.  Bác Hồ Với Quốc Hội Việt Nam reviews and highlights the role and contributions of the NA and President Hồ Chí Minh during the process of building and protecting the country. The 100-page book includes different sources of books, reports and documentaries stored by institutes, libraries and museums in the country as well as personal collections of national leaders. PM asks Nghe An to optimise strength for growth Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has underscored the need for the central province of Nghe An to change its thinking about socio-economic development and optimise its strength to grow further. The Prime Minister made the request at a meeting with the provincial leaders on August 15 to review the province’s socio-economic development over the past seven months as well as its three-year implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW, which outlines development orientations for the locality by 2020. Nghe An should continuously diversify its development model and resources, especially from the private economic sector, he said. Notably, economic development must be paired with environmental protection, he reminded, citing the recent environmental incident relating to Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Co Ltd as a lesson in this regard. To that end, the PM asked the provincial Party Committee to raise the capacity and virtue of local officials and Party members. The province was also requested to seek more sustainable and comprehensive measures in an effort to become a centre of the country’s north central region. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised Nghe An’s achievements in building new-style rural areas, and maintaining political security, social order and safety over the past time. He, however, pointed to the province’s limitations in effectuating the resolution such as low per-capital income, high poverty rate and weak competitiveness. Nghe An has failed to create major breakthroughs in socio-economic development, he noted. Leaders of ministries and agencies suggested Nghe An generate more jobs for local labourers, especially in education and health care, and prioritise investments in infrastructure, especially seaports and airports. The same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his entourage visited Nam Giang, a new-style commune in Nam Dan district, where he urged efforts to restructure local agricultural production. While in Nghe An, the PM inspected the construction of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP Nghe An), which began in September last year and is expected to create a big breakthrough for the provincial industrial development, and visited the Vissai seaport project. He asked the investors to ensure the quality and progress of the projects to soon put them into operation, helping boost socio-economic development of the locality and the region at large. India’s Independence Day marked in Hanoi The Indian Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony to celebrate the 69th Indian Independence Day (August 15, 1947) in Hanoi on August 15. Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish highlighted India’s close relations with Vietnam, which originated from struggles for liberty led by Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh. Bilateral cooperation in defence–security, economics, science–technology, human resources–training, and culture are all thriving, he said. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam congratulated the Indian government and people on their achievements over recent years. He expressed his belief that the 1.2-billion-strong country will reap more achievements under the leadership of President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nam underlined the two nation’s cultural similarities and strong connectivity as firm foundations for friendship. In the 1960s Vietnam’s President Ho Chi Minh and India’s Prime Minister Jawarhalal Nehru set a foundation for bilateral relations, which were nurtured by later generations of leaders and people of the two countries, he said. Vietnam and India have demonstrated their long-standing amity at regional and international forums by supporting each other and sharing common ground in several issues, including strategic security matters in Asia-Pacific, he added. Since the establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership in 2007, the two nations have deepened collaboration, he said, citing two-way trade reaching more than 5 billion USD in 2015, and 2.6 billion USD in the first six months of 2016. India is running 128 investment projects in Vietnam, in fields such as oil and gas, energy, information technology, banking and finance, he noted. Young Vietnam, Singapore servicemen join in exchange Young Vietnamese military officers arrived in Singapore on August 15 to take part in an exchange with local peers, reported Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) daily.  This is the fourth such exchange, which aims to enhance solidarity, friendship, and mutual trust between young Vietnamese and Singaporean officers.  It is hoped to help reinforce their determination to develop amity, cooperation and partnership between the two States, peoples and armies.  The Vietnamese delegation, led by Senior Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Quoc Hung, head of the army’s board of youth, will engage in exchanges with officers of Singapore’s naval, air and ground forces.  They will also visit some famous destinations in the city nation during their stay until August 20. National sovereignty protected in all 44 border localities The partnership between the Border Guard Party Committee and Party committees in 44 border provinces and cities have helped safeguard national sovereignty and border security.  A meeting to review border security was held in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, on August 15.  Lieutenant General Pham Huy Tap, Secretary and political commissar of the Border Guard Party Committee, said the partnership ensured peace and stability along the national borderline and information exchange was well maintained.  A project to increase the number of national border markers was implemented from 2008 to 2015. Along the border with Laos, Vietnam worked with the country to plant 1,002 border markers and stakes.  Tap added that the border guard force coordinated with border localities to enforce Party resolutions and State legal documents on national sovereignty and border security.  It has also engaged in numerous social activities such as providing check-ups and medication for thousands of people, presenting gifts to rural children, and building houses for the poor, Tap noted.  Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defence Minister, said aside from border protection, the cooperation has proved effective in crime fighting, socio-economic development, and emergency search and rescue missions.  Vietnam’s national boundary comprises nearly 4,660km of land border with China, Laos and Cambodia, along with 3,260km of coast. Moon cakes hit the market early A variety of moon cakes have hit the market with more than a month to go for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unlike in previous years, famous confectioners like Kinh Do Mondelez, Dong Khanh, Bibica, Huu Nghi, and Givral have this year come to the market even before the seventh lunar month. Kinh Do Modelez began its moon cake season nearly a month ago by exporting a batch of products to the US. At home it has launched 62 varieties ranging from traditional style cakes to modern variations with abalone, Alaska shrimp, and crab. They cost 35,000 VND (1.6 USD) to 460,000 VND (21 USD) for a box. Without disclosing the planned volume of supply, Vu Quoc Tuan, the company’s deputy director of the foreign relations and communications division, told Vietnam News “It will be higher than last year. The market this year will surely grow and consumption will rise in all segments.” Dong Khanh Food and Foodstuff Company Ltd told Vietnam News that it has introduced nearly 20 kinds of moon cakes this year. Mai Thi Loc, head of its marketing department, said “We have just launched the new products and are waiting for consumers’ reactions. The plan may change then.” Bibica Corporation has increased supply 11 percent this year to 550 tonnes. It has set up some 500 kiosks in addition to 12,000 shops that would sell its cakes, the company said. There will be 50 products in three lines - luxury, nutrition and tradition – besides fruit moon cakes for online customers, it said. The prices are 5 percent higher than last year at 37,000-140,000 VND, with a luxury selection priced at 370,000-1.3 million VND (16.5 – 58.29 USD) per box, it added. Bibica plans to gift 10,000 moon cakes and other confectionery to disadvantaged children and those living in remote areas around the country. Like in recent years amateurs too are offering moon cake by posting many kinds on Facebook and other social media. They have become very popular due to their unique designs. Moon cakes imported from Hong Kong and sold on social media have also attracted many buyers this year. Many of the confectionary firms predict demand for moon cakes to gift relatives and business partners will increase this year. Loc of Dong Khanh told Vietnam News that the full-moon festival this year falls at the same time as Independence Day, another occasion on which Vietnamese give gifts. “The demand will surely increase,” she said. Seeing the potential, Dong Khanh decided to produce some high-end products. “This segment will account for up to 10 percent of our company’s total output and its production will be 15 percent higher than last year.” Concurring, Tuan of Kinh Đo Mondelez said “Demand for moon cakes used as gifts for companies and partners will surely increase.” His company has worked to improve quality and design to capitalise on the opportunity, he said. Ethnic minorities a focus in Kien Giang’s development policy Ethnic minority affairs have always been a focus in development policies of the Party organisation and government of the southern province of Kien Giang, which is home to 249,000 ethnic minority people, accounting for 14.3 percent of the local population.  According to Permanent Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council Dang Tuyet Em, the provincial Party Committee has intensified educational activities to raise the political system’s awareness and sense of responsibility about ethnic affairs.  At the same time, the Party Committee also paid attention to expanding the membership of the Party and other socio-political organisations among ethnic communities and training ethnic officials.  The provincial government has concentrated resources on essential socio-economic infrastructure facilities in ethnic areas to assist with local development, thus increasing ethnic people’s incomes and reducing the poverty rate.  Investment has also been poured into education and vocational training for ethnic people. The province currently boasts five boarding schools for ethnic students, while 35 schools in the locality offer Khmer language classes and two others teach Hoa (Chinese) language as part of their curricula. Besides, around 4,600 ethnic people receive vocational training each year, with some 3,000 of them finding jobs after graduation. As a result of those efforts, the poverty rate according to old criteria among the local 51,000-household Khmer community dropped to 6.5 percent at the end of 2015 from 18.5 percent in 2010.  Lam Hoang Sa, head of the provincial Party Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Board, said the province will continue to instruct the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other mass organisations in reforming their activities in the direction of assisting ethnic people in applying new farming and breeding techniques and developing household economy to escape poverty.- Over 12 million people join compulsory social insurance Around 12.4 million people have joined compulsory state social insurance as of the end of July this year, while 10.57 million are covered by unemployment insurance, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) Nguyen Luong Son reported at a working session on August 15. Health insurance coverage has reached 79.2 percent of the population or nearly 73 million, but the membership of voluntary social insurance is negligible at just 192,000. Son also said the VSI has pushed administrative procedure reform towards the goal of reducing the time for businesses to complete social insurance procedures to 49 hours per year by the end of this year, which is equivalent to the time in the four leading nations in the ASEAN. The time will be further reduced to 45 hours by 2020, in accordance with the target set by the Government in Resolution 19-2016/NQ-CP. In addition, the VSI has taken other measures to facilitate the participation in social, unemployment and health insurance, including the reception and delivery of social and health insurance documents by post with cost paid by the insurance agency. Representatives from other ministers and agencies acknowledged the insurance sector’s resolve, but noted that not all insurance agencies are making the same efforts. Addressing the working session, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said the insurance sector should intensify administrative procedure reform in order to persuade more people to take social insurance. He urged the sector to take drastic measures to achieve the goal of having 50 percent of the labour force covered by social insurance by 2020. The Deputy PM required the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to think up solutions to get more than 2 million workers under short-term contracts to join social insurance. He also told the Health Ministry to improve medical services for patients covered by health insurance.- Private firms can open tissue banks The Government has given private enterprises the greenlight to establish tissue banks as long as they meet all technical and personnel requirements and are licensed by the Ministry of Health. The new regulation is provided in Government Decree 118/2016/ND-CP which was issued on Wednesday to amend and supplement some articles of Decree 56/2008/ND-CP dated April 29, 2008 on organization and operation of tissue banks and the National Coordination Center for Human Organ Transplantation. The new rule aims to attract more private investment in the healthcare sector, particularly to encourage domestic and overseas organizations and individuals to invest and collaborate in research, donation, harvest, transplantation, storage and preservation of human tissues and body parts. To be licensed, private tissue banks must first have business certificates while state-run tissue banks must be named in documents by competent authorities. Private facilities must satisfy infrastructure conditions including a technical room covering at least 12 square meters for receiving, processing, storing and supplying tissues and a laboratory with a minimum area of 12 square meters. Tissue banks under medical facilities can share existing laboratories. The area for administration, document management and consultation must be at least 12 square meters. Tissue banks are required to have dust-proof ceilings, and walls and floors made of easy-to-clean materials. They must also ensure medical waste treatment, infection control, fire prevention, adequate electricity and water and other conditions to serve professional activities. As for manpower, each bank must have a professional manager who is eligible under the provisions of Article 35 of the law on donation, harvest and transplantation of tissues and human organs and donation and harvest of cadavers; a certified laboratory doctor with a medical degree; two medical technicians or nurses who graduated from vocational schools or higher-level institutions and earned medical certificates; and an administrative staffer. Employees at tissue banks under medical facilities can do the multi-tasking, except for medical technicians and nurses. The banks must be fully equipped in accordance to regulations. The new degree also stipulates conditions for eye banks which focus on corneal transplantation. In addition to the aforementioned requirements for tissue banks, these banks must have sufficient equipment and staff members trained for retrieving and storing eyes for cornea transplants and research. Tissue banks which have been licensed in line with Decree 56 are allowed to operate until June 30, 2017. From then on, all tissue banks must be licensed in accordance with Decree 118. Passenger trains to have extra seats during Tết Việt Nam Railways Corporation is seeking the transport ministry’s approval of a plan to add seats in passenger trains to meet the rush during the Lunar New Year in 2017. The railway transport units will be responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of service for passengers under the current regulations. According to the corporation, it mobilises the maximum of passenger trains during holidays every year, but is unable to meet the demand for seats. Decree No 46, dated May 26, 2016, of the government stipulates that selling of tickets in excess of the seats available on passenger trains will attract fines ranging from VNĐ1 million to VNĐ2 million (US$44.8-$89.6), unless such agents have licences. Over the years, the corporation has prepared many solutions to meet the demand during peak periods, while ensuring the safety of passengers. HCM City orders clean-up for new school year Ho Chi Minh City schools have been instructed to work with ward-level health centres to disinfect classrooms and devices used to serve children eating lunch, taking a nap and attending extra classes ahead of the new academic year.  The District 10 Education Division has ordered all schools to check water containers for mosquito larvae, ensure they have health officials, install first aid devices and hygiene tools for students and staffs and make plans for quarantine in case epidemics break out.  It has urged health officials to propagate information to schools about diseases such as hand-foot-mouth, dengue fever, chicken pox and others.  The District 7 Education Division has ordered school principals to spray classrooms and other rooms used by children every Saturday or Sunday to kill mosquitoes.  It also told them to cut all brushes in school campuses.  Kindergartens should clean their toys each week, and teachers should teach children to wash their hands before and after eating to avoid transmission of diseases, it said.  The HCM City Preventive Health Centre has instructed its workers in districts to speed up surveillance of diseases, including hand-foot-mouth disease, at schools to provide timely treatment.  The centre’s report showed that no diseases broke out during the summer.  In the summer many kindergartens remained open. But, with the new school year beginning on September 5, children will have to stay at home for the kindergartens to be cleaned and disinfected.  According to the Department of Education and Training, the city will have nearly 1.2 million students this school year, 59,000 higher than last year. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE