Social News 8/8 Ministry announces three consecutive days off on National Day Government workers will have three consecutive days off on the National Day (September 2) holiday this year, announced the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.  The National Day will fall on Friday this year. So those working in party, state and government agencies will enjoy a three day long vacation. Employees of organizations and businesses that still work on Saturday will have only Friday off. The ministry has also proposed the people’s committees in provinces and cities to organize the Mid-Autumn Festival for children healthily, safely, meaningfully and practically. They should mobilize individuals and organizations to pay attention to disadvantaged children in border and island areas. Conference to discuss joint work between Vietnamese, French localities The 10th conference discussing cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities will take place in the southern city of Can Tho from September 14-16. During a working session on preparations for the conference on August 5, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam said following a meeting in Paris on July 4, both sides decided to choose the theme: “Towards effective and sustainable economic partnership” for the conference. As of August 2016, France has invested 1.9 billion USD in Can Tho in the fields of pharmaceuticals, health care and agriculture. The city’s general hospital and the Can Tho river embankment were among the key projects funded by France, receiving 55.8 million EUR in investment. The conference is expected to open up economic cooperation opportunities and raise understanding between the two countries, as well as between their cities and provinces; during which five thematic discussions covering ecotourism cooperation, education and health care, the environment, climate change, agro-fisheries, urban development, and culture and heritage will be held. Other events such as the Vietnam-France international conference, Vietnam-France cultural days, and eco-tours of Can Tho are also planned. As of August 3, 397 representatives from 35 Vietnamese localities, and 132 delegates from 11 French localities and 26 French organisations have registered for the conference. HCMC to sacrifice more trees for subway Two more old trees on one of Ho Chi Minh City's most beautiful streets will be felled to make way for urban development. The cIty authorities have approved the cutting down of two African mahogany trees on Ton Duc Thang St. to give space to the country’s first metro line, officials said at a press conference on Thursday. They are the tallest of the 16 African mahogany trees affected by the project, measuring 16 meters and 17 meters in height and 1 meter and 1.3 meters in diameter. Workers at the city's Tree and Park Company have succeeded in moving and replanting the other 14 trees to Gia Dinh park in Go Vap Dist. However, moving the two tallest trees would inevitably require repositioning of not only underground cables near their roots but also overhead power lines and cables along the transport route to Gia Dinh park, representatives of the urban metro management board said at the conference. The felling of the trees will take 2-3 days, and timber will be used to make public chairs and tables, they said. Ton Duc Thang is considered one of the most beautiful streets in Vietnam’s southern metropolis thanks to its massive canopy of trees. Experts said most African mahogany trees on this street are more than 60 years old. Several were cut down in late 2014, also as part of the metro line construction. The city authorities said in March that they planned to move or cut down even more trees on Ton Duc Thang St. to make space for a bridge connecting districts 1 and 2. Electricity supply to be affected by late flood, suspended gas supply The low water level in hydroelectricity reservoirs in the Central Highlands and central regions and the temporary suspension of gas supply to thermal power plants could affect electricity supply to the south, according to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).  As the annual flood is coming late this year, the water volume flowing into most reservoirs is only reaching 70 percent compared with the average of previous years, with the water volumes along the Se San and Srepok rivers reaching only 23-50 percent of the typical averages.  At the same time, gas supply from the PM3-CAA and 46-Cai Nuoc gas fields for the Ca Mau thermal power plant has been suspended from August 1-16, forcing the EVN to use DO oil to operate turbines at the plant or use other diesel-fueled power stations to supply enough electricity to the southwest region.  According to the EVN, the group will make the best use of hydroelectricity reservoirs to ensure sufficient water is still supplied to agriculture in downstream localities.  The company said that it will also boost the output of coal- and gas-fueled power plants if the water level at hydroelectricity reservoirs continues to remain low.  In July, the EVN ensured a stable and safe supply of electricity for the daily needs of people and for socio-economic development.  The electricity output, including purchased electricity, in July reached 101.79 billion kWh, up 12.05 percent from the same period last year. Of which, hydropower plants generated 30.86 percent, coal-fueled plants 38.93 percent and gas-fueled plants 28.16 percent of the total volume.  The company suspended the purchase of 220kV electricity from China in July.  The whole country’s commercial electricity output reached 90.45 billion kWh, up 11.56 percent from one year ago, in which electricity for industry-construction makes up 52.7 percent and electricity for government and households accounts for 34.9 percent. Deputy PM asks for ensuring progress of new Viet Duc, Bach Mai hospita Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked the Health Ministry to direct the progress of constructing branches of Hanoi-based Viet Duc and Bach Mai hospitals, which are located in the northern province of Ha Nam.  Construction on the two branches started on December 13, 2014. Both will meet international standards and become the most modern in Vietnam. Each sits on a site of 21ha and is slated for operation in late 2017.  Deputy PM requested the ministry to make monthly reports on construction progress to submit to the Prime Minister.  The ministry is told to direct thorough preparations for the two new buildings and to devise an autonomous management mechanism that combines accountability, openness and transparency.  The Ministries of Finance, Construction, Planning and Investment, Natural Resources and Environment, and the provincial People’s Committee should report to the Prime Minister in case of any contingency outside their jurisdiction.  Bach Mai hospital’s second facility will be built into a general hospital which specialises in treating cardiovascular, tumour and respiratory diseases, serving about 5,000 patients per day.  Meanwhile, Viet Duc hospital'branch will work as a surgical centre treating brain and bone injuries, and rib-cage and spine injuries serving 3,500 patients per day.  These two new hospitals are part of a project to build five new central hospitals outside of Hanoi, as approved by the government, in a bid to reduce overcrowding in existing ones.  Ha Nam has been chosen for the construction thanks to its location in the centre of provinces in the north and on the north-south route, which will facilitate the transport of patients from the north and central region to the hospitals. Ministry outlines area to preserve revolutionary war relics, promote economy An area covering three northern provinces – Thái Nguyên, Tuyên Quang and Bắc Kạn – has been designated for the conservation of cultural and historical values and revolutionary war-zone relics, as well as the development of an agroforestry economy. The area’s establishment, scheduled to open by 2030, is a part of the inter-provincial master plan of the ATK revolutionary war zone, issued by the Ministry of Construction yesterday. AKT is the name of the area – including the three provinces of Thái Nguyên, Tuyên Quang and Bắc Kạn – that late President Hồ Chí Minh selected as a safety zone to build a revolutionary base during the Anti-French resistance war (1946-1954). The area, covering nearly 5,700sq.km, is expected to become the national-level ecotourism, culture and history centre. It is scheduled to attract about 4.5 million tourists when it opens. Under the master plan, the area is divided into four sub-areas, with the first located in the districts of Định Hóa, Đại Từ, Sơn Dương and part of Chợ Đồn. This area will be scheduled to conserve revolutionary war-zone relics, boost the tourism sector and develop a high-quality agriculture sector. The second sub-area will be constructed in Chiêm Hóa District and a part of Chợ Đồn to enhance forestry production. The third sub-area, placed in the districts of Sơn Dương, Yên Sơn, Phú Lương and Đại Từ, is set to promote tea processing for export and the lighting industry. The last sub-area, situated in Tuyên Quang City, is planned to foster service and industry. Deputy Minister Nguyễn Đình Toàn said the construction of the area is expected to play a key role in socio-economic development for the three provinces by 2030. To reach these targets, each locality was tasked with actively preparing suitable plans and policies, Toàn said. Drama project preserves cải lương classics The cải lương (reformed opera) historical play, Trung Thần (Loyalist), a well-known production by scriptwriter Hoàng Song Việt, will be performed in a new version designed to attract younger audiences.  The 90-minute tragedy depicts the controversial life and death of Lê Văn Duyệt, a national hero who contributed to the growth of South Việt Nam in the 19th century. Duyệt was born in 1764 in Tiền Giang Province’s Cù Lao Hổ (now Hòa Khánh Village). He began his career by supporting Emperor Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh), founder of the Nguyễn Dynasty, when he was 17. Trung Thần focuses on the period between 1813 and 1820, when Duyệt was the commander of Gia Định Citadel, which included Biên Hòa City and the present-day HCM City. Besides working to build dike and irrigation systems, he was known for his military talent and fight against corrupt officials and sycophantic courtiers. Thanks to Duyệt’s management, Gia Định developed into a populous and prosperous area. Directed by Meritorious Artist  Hoa Hạ, the play is staged by veteran artists Trường Sơn, Tú Sương and Lê Tứ, who have worked with younger actors Võ Minh Lâm, Điền Trung and Lê Trung Thao on the production.  The performance is part of a new drama project called Tôi Yêu Cải Lương (I Love Cải Lương), launched by HCM City Theatre Association in co-operation with IDECAF Stage, one of the region’s leading private drama troupes.  The project will offer historical shows at affordable prices, ranging from VNĐ100,000 (US$4.5) to 200,000 ($9) a ticket, to attract audiences, particularly students and labourers.     It has attracted cải lương stars such as People’s Artist Kim Cương and Lệ Thủy, and Meritorious Artist Minh Vương, top talents who have developed cải lương for more than four decades.   “Our project Tôi Yêu Cải Lương preserves cải lương by restaging famous plays which have been performed by different generations. We want to offer quality performances for young people and encourage them to learn more about traditional theatre,” said Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, director of IDECAF Stage, one of the project’s founders. Tuấn and his staff have worked with several organisations and sponsors that invested in the project. “After staging Trung Thần, we will release two plays on social problems written by Trần Hữu Trang staged in the 1930s by cải lương pioneers Phùng Há and Út Trà Ôn, both of which received the title of People’s Artist from the Government,” he said.    The first show of Trung Thần will be staged on August 26 at Bến Thành Theatre at 6 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street in District 1. It will be staged every Saturday and Sunday through September. More than 200 free tickets are available at the HCM City Theatre Association at 5B Võ Văn Tần Street in District 3. Contest showcases fishing village art The central province of Quảng Nam has launched a photo contest on murals in the fishing village of Trung Thanh in Tam Kỳ City’s Tam Thanh Commune on August 17-20. Tam Kỳ City’s information centre said the contest, entitled ‘Next Journey-Follow Your Dream’, is open for all Vietnamese and foreign residents in Việt Nam as well tourists visiting the city. The contest’s organising committee said competitors can send as many original photos as possible. Competitors can take photos and post them on their facebook page to join the contest before sending original photos to tamthanh.langbichhoa@gmail.com, or the Centre of Culture and Information at 56 Trần Cao Vân Street in Tam Kỳ City in Quảng Nam Province.  As scheduled, the contest jury will select the best photos for an exhibition in Tam Kỳ City on August 20. The organising committee said all awarded photos will be under ownership of the province’s People’s Committee, and the winning photos would be enlarged and published publicly. The winners will walk away with VNĐ5 million (US$222) and one night voucher at Tam Thanh Beach Resort. Two runners-up will pocket VNĐ3 million ($133) and one night free at the resort. The organising committee will also present two third place awards and five runner-up prizes. The village was decorated with colourful murals on the moss-covered walls under the Korea Foundation Community Art Exchange Programme last month. Five artists from South Korea and 12 volunteers from both Việt Nam and Korea had turned the old walls of 100 houses in the village to colourful murals, depicting portraits of villagers and local scenes and more regional panoramas. Earlier, photographers from South Korea, the Philippines and Turkey visited the mural village to take photos for an exhibition in Seoul and other cities later this year. According to the contest organising committee, the mural village would lure tourists from Hội An, Đà Nẵng, Huế and neighbouring provinces as well as locals from Tam Kỳ City.   VN to consolidate dyke systems in the north More than VNĐ 112 trillion (US$5.02 billion) will be spent to improve flood prevention measures and dyke systems along the Hồng (Red) River and Thái Bình River in northern Việt Nam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced on Thursday. The money will come from various sources including national and local budgets, Official Assistance Development and private sector or public-private partnerships from now to 2050. Both the Hồng and Thái Bình rivers are key river systems in northern Việt Nam, playing a crucial role in irrigation and waterway traffic. The scheme, approved by the prime minister in February, aims to help localities along the two rivers in coping with floods and storms, boost socio-economic development and strengthen security in the region. “The scheme is very important. Local authorities will use it to build detailed plans on flood prediction and prevention, dyke construction and other issues relating to resident management and land usage,” Hoàng Văn Thắng, MARD deputy minister, said at the meeting to announce the scheme. “At national level, the scheme helps to come up with ways to deal with floods over the whole area of the two rivers.” The scheme covers 15 cities and provinces, including 11 in the Red River Delta and four in the northern midland and mountainous region. It urges a focus, from now to 2020, on setting up border landmarks to define dyke protection corridors along the two rivers, and improve the quality of dyke systems in the low-land areas of Thái Bình River in addition to dyke systems that protect Hà Nội and urban areas. It also aims to set up a centre to co-ordinate measures for disaster prevention. Thắng said flood-prevention construction had received much investment in recent times. A system of large upstream reservoirs was almost completed while dyke systems downstream had been upgraded. The ability to forecast floods in the short and long term had been considerably improved. However, he said over-exploitation of natural resources, like soil and forests, badly affected flood prevention work, in addition to an increase of radical weather due to climate change, rapid growth of population and economy in downstream regions, as well as the construction of upstream reservoirs in China. Thắng urged local authorities to set forth detailed plans to implement the government’s scheme. He called for an emphasis on increasing non-construction solutions such as afforestation, and improving flood forecast and reservoir-operation capability. Tightening control of sand exploitation in river beds was needed as illegal exploitation would damage river banks and dykes, he said. Local authorities were also asked to intensify management on lands along riverbanks with high population density. MARD estimates that more than 2,000 households, most of which are in Hà Nội, must be removed from the 143 riverbank areas under the scheme. The whole region currently has 56 dykes, covering 2,200km. The dyke system along Hồng River is the longest at 1,314km. It currently can withstand flood water level of 13.1m in Hà Nội, while the dyke system of the Thái Bình River can withstand a level of 12.7m in Hà Nội. Hospital struggles to deal with polluting waste Medical and domestic waste from Nghe An Oncology Hospital has heavily polluted the local channel in Nghe An Province because of dilapidated infrastructure and out-dated treatment plant. The dumping ground of the hospital is located right beside the pavement. Medical bottles, syringes and dirty bandages are mixed with other domestic waste. The locals living by Cua Bac Channel in Hung Loc Commune, Vinh City, said they had to co-exist with medical waste for years. The water has already turned black and at some sections, the smell is unbearable. The hospital discharges waste water two to three times a day and it makes the water boils with white foam every time. Du Xuan Ke, a local, said the smell was worst in summer. They had to close all doors to have sufficient appetite to eat. And during monsoon, the polluted water can run into residential areas. "We signed and submitted many letters of complaint to the hospital and local authorities but nothing has been done," he said. As of March last year, statistics from Nghe An Centre for Environment Monitoring and Technology showed the hospital had exceeded six out of 15 criteria on medical waste. The hospital's waste water treatment plant is out-dated and insufficiently serviced. Even the treated water is still toxic. The hospital also admitted to dilapidated infrastructure and broken equipment. Nguyen Cong Khanh who is in charge of dealing with hospital's waste said they knew the rubbish collecting and classifying were wrong and the waste would cause pollution if being discharged into Cua Bac Channel but they had no other choice. They are still waiting to build new waste treatment plant. "Patients have also complained to us about the dilapidated infrastructure but currently, we can only repair one thing at a time. We don't have the fund to renovate the whole hospital," he said. Bach Hung Cu, vice head of provincial Environmental Protection Agency said they had worked with the hospital multiple times but the waste discharging couldn't be stopped. The hospital's vice director Pham Vinh Hung said they submitted several reports and the Nghe An People's Committee had already approved the hospital’s upgrade but nothing has been started. Major beach party in Vung Tau to come back in Sept The fourth edition of the RSVP Beach Party will come back at the Imperial Beach Club Vung Tau on September 3. Some talented and beautiful DJs of the country like Oxy, Summer Huynh, Tyty and KingLady and other faces will show up at their spinning table. The event will also feature beach games with exciting prizes and a bikini party. For ticket bookings, visit https://ticketbox.vn/event/rsvp-beach-party-2016-62160/36634# or call 0908 303 418. The Beach Party, which was launched in 2012, attracts around 4,000 people. Doctors perform hybrid cardiovascular surgery Doctors at the HCM City Medicine Centre have saved the life of a Japanese man after successfully performing hybrid cardiovascular surgery. The 43-year-old man, a director of a Japanese company in HCM City, was transferred on July 27 to the hospital’s emergency department from FV Hospital after experiencing sudden severe back pain and weakness in his legs.  The man, who has a medical history of hypertension and obesity, was diagnosed with an acute type-B aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition that requires timely surgical intervention. The patient is in stable condition. For patients who develop complications, mortality from type-B aortic dissection is significant, ranging from 10 to 25 per cent, according to Dr. Nguyễn Hoàng Định, head of the department of cardiovascular surgery. Hybrid cardiovascular surgery combines cardiac surgery with an interventional (catheter-based) approach. Đắk Nông battles dengue fever surge The Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông has seen an increase in dengue fever cases since the beginning of 2016, whereas in Hà Nội, the number of cases has fallen, Vietnam News Agency reported. Đắk Nông has had nearly 1,300 dengue fever cases this year, an increase of nearly 1,000 cases year-on-year. It was also the largest number of cases so far in the province, the provincial Preventive Medicines Centre said. The disease was reported from 61 out of 71 communes and wards of the province. Gia Nghĩa Town, Đắk Rlấp and Đắk Mil districts had the largest number of patients. Sang Quốc Hà, deputy director of the Đắk Nông Preventive Medicines Centre, said the centre co-operated with local preventive medicine centres to spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes. But the number of patients did not fall because it was the rainy season and the larvae multiplied and grew quickly. Hà said the centre needed more co-operation from all localities and residents to control the disease. In Hà Nội, nearly 500 dengue fever cases were reported in the first seven months of this year, a 12 per cent year-on-year fall. Five districts with the largest number of patients are Hoài Đức, Đống Đa, Thanh Xuân and Hoàng Mai, besides Hai Bà Trưng. Hoài Đức District had the largest number with 57 cases. Nineteen patients are under treatment at present. Ten of them are from Hoài Đức District. The rest of the patients have recovered. Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Health Hoàng Đức Hạnh said the situation was still a complex one. Although the number of cases has fallen, residents should be vigilant in preventing the disease. The Hoài Đức District Medical Station co-operated with local authorities and residents in cleaning the environment. Residents were educated about measures to prevent the disease. Hoi An joins ‘Vegetarian Day’ campaign Hoi An has joined the Vegetarian Day campaign to encourage people to commit to improving their personal health and that of the planet by going meat free one day a week. Vegetarian Day is celebrated in many big cities around the globe such as San Francisco, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in the US – inspiring chefs, schools, parents, and students to make conscious choices to change their eating habits. More than 40 countries worldwide have adopted their own versions of choosing one day a week to go meatless, meaning no meat, poultry or fish, but allowable foods do include dairy items and eggs. In support of the campaign, the City will host a food fair on August 16 at the Hoi An Statue Garden featuring a wide range of vegetarian dishes. At the event guests will get an intimate chance to chat with chefs and get great tips on how to adopt a vegetarian diet. The world average of annual meat consumption (excluding dairy and eggs) is 38.7 kg per person. This number varies largely from 3.2 kg per capita in India to 125.7 kg per capita in the US. It is estimated that meat production will almost double by 2050, reaching 455 million metric tons if current dietary trends and population growth were to continue. This means that 75% of total expected harmful global greenhouse emissions by 2050 will be attributed to meat consumption alone. It is time to take action said Hoi An city officials, and encourage individual actions on climate change by encouraging people to take the meat out of their plates at least one day a week for the sake of humans, animals and the planet. HCM City needs 25,000 labourers in August Ho Chi Minh City needs 25,000 labourers in August, according to a survey conducted by the Ho Chi Minh City Centre of Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information (FALMI). Vice Director of the centre Tran Anh Tuan said the local labour market needs skilled and experienced labourers. In particular, the demand for low-skilled workers accounts for 30 percent of the total market demand while that for technical workers with vocational training accounts for 40 percent. Skilled workers make up of 30 percent of the labour market. In July, the city’s demand for labourers with university degrees made up of 46.75 percent, reports show. Positive contributions made to traffic safety: experts The co-operation between National Traffic Safety Committee and VAMM in 2015 has resulted in numerous contributions towards traffic safety in Viet Nam, NTSC Executive Vice Chairman Khuat Viet Hung said. During a signing ceremony yesterday inked by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) on a co-operation programme on traffic safety, while announcing achievements within the framework of the programme in 2015, Hung said that it helped to raise the people's awareness on traffic safety. He noted that the results from the independent and objective scientific research will be the valuable base for proposing solutions to ensure security and safety of traffic. Policy changes should be proposed to improve traffic safety on a national scale. Outstanding among these changes are results of three important research projects on traffic safety in HCM City and Thai Nguyen province, under the sponsorship of the Fund for Research on Traffic Safety for Motorcycles in Viet Nam of VAMM, he said. With the message "Together for a safe traffic environment in Viet Nam", NTSC and VAMM have established a sustainable co-operation programme on traffic safety (launched on 4, February, 2015) to jointly conduct research, dissemination and training activities to raise people's awareness in compliance of the road traffic laws, share experiences on management and development of modern urban traffic, reduce traffic accidents involving motorcycles, and improve traffic safety skills for the Vietnamese. In 2015, VAMM founded the Fund for Research on Traffic Safety for Motorcycles in Viet Nam, which aims to implement research, evaluation and important suggestions about urban traffic management and to resolve traffic safety issues involving motorcycle riders nationwide. Also at the signing ceremony, Yano Takeshi, chairman of VAMM told participants that with their long-term commitment to Viet Nam's market, they are determined to continue the deployment of useful programmes and activities to improve traffic safety environment in general, and reduce the number of motorcycle accidents in particular. Besides, VAMM always looks forward to co-ordinating with government departments in sharing experiences, and contributing opinions in building Viet Nam traffic planning and development policies in the near future, in order to provide comprehensive and beneficial solutions for people. After one year of co-operation, the programme has made many remarkable achievements. Some outstanding results during 2015 were the series of traffic safety propaganda and education programmes to raise awareness about road safety for 1,225,198 students in primary, secondary and high schools, 55,994 youth unionists and university students, and 1,102 officers and traffic police officers. They donated 65,000 standardised motorcycle helmets along with the deployment of 446,431 safe driving instruction programmes for hundreds of thousands of people nationwide. New products and new technology which are safer for users, and friendlier with the environment, were also researched and introduced into the market. Last year, the Fund for Research on Traffic Safety for Motorcycles in Vietnam", co-founded by VAMM and NTSC, has worked efficiently through the sponsorship for three research projects with the topics: research about ownership and use of motorcycles in HCM city; causes of child traffic accidents and safety measures for children in HCM city; causes of traffic accidents related to motorcycles, and solutions to improve traffic situation in Thai Nguyen. The research results have provided important statistics on traffic safety for motorcycles in HCM City and Thai Nguyen, and have been the base to propose solutions for traffic safety improvement, a valuable source of references in planning policies and orienting the development of the motorcycle industry in Viet Nam. Following the positive achievements from the co-operation programme in 2015, VAMM and NTSC have signed another Agreement on Co-operation Programme in response to traffic safety in Viet Nam in 2016. Accordingly, members of VAMM have shared the action plan for road safety in 2016, affirmed to implement the recommendations given by the three research projects, and announced the funding package of VND1 billion, focussing on the project: "Research on the situation of participating in traffic of high school students in Hanoi and suggestions of improvement solutions".  Work to start on An Suong tunnels this month Work will start on two tunnels under An Suong Intersection in the southwestern gateway to Ho Chi  Minh City this month to solve traffic jam in approach routes to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, announced the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport yesterday afternoon. In the first phase, two tunnels will be built from Truong Chinh Street to national route 22 and vice versa with the total funds of VND550 billion (US$24.71 million). The second phase will construct two concrete bridges alongside the existing An Suong flyovers, broaden surrounding roads for instance Highway 22, Truong Chinh street and national highway 1A which will be enlarged to 120 meters with ten lanes. The department will implement other projects this year to upgrade Nhi Thien Duong 1 bridge in District 8, build a branch from Nguyen Tri Phuong bridge to Vo Van Kiet boulevard and a flyover above Truong Son Street - the road to Tan Son Nhat Airport. In addition, HCMC will invest in many major projects under public private partnership form including Thu Thiem 2 bridge, D3 road linking up to Saigon-Hiep Phuoc port, approach roads connect Vo Van Kiet boulevard with HCMC-Trung Luong expressway and Pham Van Dong street with Go Dua intersection. Other works include Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho intersection, a road stretching from An Lac Intersection to the area adjacent to Long An province, two waterway passenger transport routes, a parallel road on the right of HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway. This year, HCMC scheduled to build and open to traffic 15 key projects with the total capital of VND2.3 trillion (US$103.32 million) such as Tran Nao street upgrading, approach roads from Nguyen Van Huong street to Hanoi Highway and Ba Chiem bridge intersection to Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park, a steel flyover above Go Vap crossroads and Phan Van Tri street broadening. Việt Nam workers can't make ends meet: survey More than half the Vietnamese employees polled in a recent survey conducted by Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour said they cannot make ends meet with their wages, even with the addition of pay for extra hours and allowances.  The survey interviewed workers in 60 enterprises in nine provinces and cities of four wage regions nationwide. About 37.8 per cent of those polled said they could hardly live on their wages, and 14.2 per cent said the wages are “not enough to survive”. Only 33.8 per cent said the wages are just enough to live and 14.2 per cent said they could save money. The surveyed firms agreed that the basic wages they pay are 33 to 44 per cent higher than the minimum wage set by the Government in 2016 and the minimum wage increase this year has not affected their production and business. The National Wage Council (NWC) last year agreed on a hike of region-based minimum wages in 2016 by 12.4 percent. Accordingly, minimum wages rose to VNĐ3.5 million (US$156), VNĐ3.1 million ($138), 2.7 million ($120) and 2.4 million ($107), respectively, for workers in regions I, II, III and IV. However, up to 62.3 per cent always ask to work overtime in order to augment their base pay, the survey revealed. The survey also pointed out that the minimum wage changes this year have cut down allowances given to about 5 per cent of workers. Mai Đức Chính, vice chairman of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour and NWC vice chairman said that many enterprises were paying less allowances to offset the wage increases. “The income in the leather footwear sector for each worker in southern Đồng Nai Province reached VNĐ6-7 million ($267-311) per month, but the firms pay social insurance for workers as if their incomes are only VNĐ3.6-3.7 million ($160-165),” he said.  Normally the rate of social insurance is 26 per cent of the worker’s income - so these firms avoid paying a higher premium for social insurance by stating that the works only earn VNĐ3.6-3.7 million. In a related move, the NWC this week also agreed to raise the minimum wage in 2017 by 7.3 per cent in the private sector, which equals an extra VNĐ180,000-250,000 ($8-11) a month, depending on the region. Harsh penalty issued on surgeons mistakenly breaking neonate's thighbone The Ministry of Health has asked the Department of Maternal Health and Children under the Ministry of Health to report a case in which surgeons of a Mekong Delta hospital mistakenly broke neonate’s thighbone, said department’s Director Nguyen Duc Vinh yesterday. Public anger was raised after a neonate’s thighbone was broken in a cesarean delivery in Nhat Tan General Hospital in the Mekong delta province of An Giang, Moreover, the Department must have explanation and give apology to the newborn baby’s relatives. A scientific council must be set up for further investigation from which the health authority issue penalty on medical workers. Pregnant H was taken to the hospital on July 30 when she began to deliver. However, after the cesarean delivery, relatives detected the newborn baby had deformity in the thigh. Confused, they took the baby for check. Doctors confirmed the newborn baby’s thighbone was broken, doctors provided first aid and then transferred the baby to Children Hospital No.2  in Ho Chi Minh City. Nhat Tan Hospital director had confirmed the case. New decree on conditions to establish tissue bank The Prime Minister has issued Decree No 118/2016/ND-CP to adjust or supplement some articles of Decree No 56/2008/ND-CP on the organisation and operation of tissue banks and the National Coordination Centre for Human Organ Transplantation. Accordingly, from July 1, 2017, a tissue bank can only operate after being granted a licence by the Ministry of Health and it should meet conditions as stipulated in the decree. Necessary conditions for ensuring the operation of the tissue bank, including projected personnel, payroll, operating fund, working office, professional equipment and facilities and other necessary equipment of the tissue bank are also stated in the decree. Tissue banks have the legal status, functions, tasks and personnel as regulated in Article 35 of the Law on Donation, Removal and Transplantation of Human Tissues and Organs and Donation and Recovery of Cadavers. Existing tissue banks which were granted operating licences under Decree No 56/2008/ND-CP dated April 29, 2008 will have their operations extended until the end of next June. Land-use hotlines in 47 localities Forty seven provinces and cities in the country now have hotlines on violations related to land-use right and management, the Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment reported. Thanks to the hotlines, the ministry has received 1,304 reports from April 22 to June 30, of which 402 reflected land-use and management violations and having clear addresses. For these reports, the ministry has requested authorities of localities to inspect and handle the cases. 851 reports did not involve land violations and 49 reflected issues irrelevant to land-use and management. Additionally, working-teams responsible for solving difficulties and problems in granting certificates related to land-use rights and assets-on-land ownership were set up following a Decision dated 6 May, 2016 signed by the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.   These teams’ officials have discovered 51 violations at eight cities and provinces of Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Nam Định, Thái Bình, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu and HCM City. Lê Văn Lịch, deputy general director of the General Department of Land Administration said through inspections, the rate of land-use rights certificate granting at all eight localities was high. Up to May 15, 2016 the rate was 96.97 per cent in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, 92.5 per cent in Thanh Hóa, 90.4 per cent in Nghệ Anh, 97.8 per cent in Nam Định, 91.3 per cent in Thái Bính, 88 per cent in HCM City, 85.5 per cent in Hà Nội and 85.3 per cent in Hải Phòng.   However, working-teams found a number of existing restrictions on the first registration and granting certificate to households. There were a large number of cases that were granted certificates for agricultural land but were no longer valid, and haven’t yet re-granted a new certificate. For example, Nam Định Province has 436,000 cases that weren’t re-granted land-use rights certificate and 204,000 other cases that weren’t registered for the first granting certificates. Besides, there were a number of remaining applications for land-use rights certificates in Hà Nội, Nghệ An, Hải Phòng.   Authorities of some localities didn’t implement new regulations on land registration and certificate granting, such as electronic cadastral books and certificates of land acquisition, according to the teams’ officials. On the basis of summarising the inadequacies and shortcomings related to the certificate granting in these localities, working-teams have proposed amendments and supplements to the relevant offices, aiming at solving the problems and speeding up the implementation of land registration and certificate granting.  Danang launches contest on Han River architectural plan The Danang City People’s Committee has launched an international contest developing initiatives for architectural plan and design on the two banks of the Han River. overall solutions for landscape architecture along the Han River as a contribution to further promoting the image of Danang city.  The judging panel includes leading international and domestic experts and the cash prize amounts to US$75,000. It is worth noting that another community-voted prize is designed to honour pragmatic initiatives in line with local residents’ expectation for preserving the traditional values of Han River. HCM City traffic black spots remain headaches for travelers, policymakers In Ho Chi Minh City, black spots on roads, or dangerous areas where traffic accidents consistently occur, remain a fear for travelers, with policymakers yet to find a solution. Eighteen black spots were recorded in the first six months of 2016 in the southern metropolis, distributed evenly from the inner to outer parts of the city. Those traveling through the Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach Intersection in Tan Binh District have recently been witness to two fatal accidents. Large trucks often go through the narrow street filled with potholes to get to Truong Chinh, creating long lines of the vehicles that force motorcycles to stay close to the sidewalk. Careless motorcycle drivers can easily lose balance and fall if they come into contact with large trucks, leading to dangerous accidents. Similarly, an accident black spot on the Country Lane No. 2 in Binh Tan District has haunted travelers for a long time. “The road is narrow, traffic is always congested, and yet the turn is extremely sharp. Drivers are always anxious whenever we drive on this road,” one truck driver complained. Infrastructure changes have been implemented to improve the situation at these accident black spots. At the Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach Intersection, two-phase traffic signals have been replaced by three-phase traffic signals, ensuring more safety for travelers. At the An Suong Intersection in District 12, more traffic lights have been installed and the road has been expanded. Other accident black spots are also undergoing changes in officials' hope of reducing future accidents. Dr. Tran Quan Thang, head of Ho Chi Minh City’s Institute of Economics and Management, claimed that in addition to basic infrastructure and other technicalities, an important cause of traffic accidents has been travelers’ poor awareness of basic safety rules. A comprehensive solution, therefore, must include the traffic safety education of road users. Dr. Pham Sanh, an expert in the field of transportation, argued that due to a lack of serious research, Vietnam’s procedure for identifying and resolving accident black spots is backward, leading to an urgent need for rigorous standards and important technological tools. Now is the time to focus on solving the problem of accident black spots, Dr. Sanh concluded. 18 accident black spots in Ho Chi Minh City (Jan-Jun 2016): District 1 - Vo Van Kiet Street: 2 accidents, 1 dead, 1 injured District 2 - My Thuy Intersection: 3 accidents, 3 dead, 1 injured - An Phu Intersection: 1 accident, 2 dead, 1 injured            District 4 - Nguyen Tat Thanh: 3 accidents, 3 dead District 6 - Hong Bang Street: 2 accidents, 1 dead, 1 injured District 9 - Le Van Viet Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead - D400 Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 1 injured - Nguyen Duy Trinh Street: 1 dead, 1 injured District 12 - An Suong Intersection: 8 accidents, 9 dead Thu Duc District - Thu Duc Intersection: 2 accidents, 3 dead, 3 injured - National Highway 1: 3 accidents, 3 dead - 81 Tam Binh Street: 2 accidents, 3 dead - National Highway 1A: 1 accident, 2 dead Binh Tan District - Provincial Road 10: 2 accidents, 2 dead - Backroad 2: 2 accidents, 3 dead Tan Binh District - Truong Chinh Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead - Truong Chinh - Pham Van Bach: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 2 injured Phu Nhuan District - Phan Dang Luu Street: 2 accidents, 2 dead, 2 injured Ben Thanh in HCM City turns into safe-food market A pilot project implemented by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade in 2016-20 has recently turned two large markets into safe-food suppliers. According to the project, Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Hoc Mon Produce Wholesale Market in Hoc Mon District have been transformed into model markets that ensure food safety. The model has been applied to food service as well as the trade of certain farming produce, including vegetables, pork, and more. Food sold at those markets must include receipts, invoices, and safety certificates. Vendors are required to have business registration certificates, certificates of food safety knowledge, an annual health certificate following the regulations by the Ministry of Health, and personal protection equipment during the production and trading process. The markets must ensure hygiene and complete infrastructure. Based on the results achieved by the two model markets, 12 other marketplaces in Ho Chi Minh City will follow suit between 2017 and 2020. The project is expected to be applied citywide after that. Situated in the heart of the southern metropolis, Ben Thanh Market is an attraction popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, ao dai (Vietnam’s traditional long gown), souvenirs, and local cuisine. Vets urgently curb diarrhea amongst swine in central province Vets in the central province of Quang Binh yesterday said that diarrhea in swine in Van Ninh Commune are under control. Vets work as quickly as possible to curb the disease, aiming to calm down pig breeders and improve consumption of pork meat in the locality. In Van Ninh Commune, residents throw away hundreds of dead pigs in fields causing serious pollution.  Head of the province’s Department of animal Health Pham Hong Son said  that dead pigs currently have been buried as per the regulation. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that districts Quang Ninh, Le  Thuy, Dong Hoi, Bo Trach are allocated each 200 liter of chemicals to disinfect to curb spread of the disease.  Moreover, Quang Ninh District will be supplied with over 17,000 vaccine dozes against diarrhea on pigs and Van Ninh Commune will be 12,000 dozes of vaccine. Mr. Son added the local government has set up five vet stations in Van Ninh Commune to prevent residents in Van Ninh carrying dead pigs out of the commune for consumption in other districts. Three more emergency-aid stations open in HCM City Three more satellite 115 emergency aid stations opened in HCM City this week, according to the city’s Department of Health. The stations are located at Phúc An Khang International Hospital in District 2, District 7 Hospital on Nguyễn Thị Thập Street, and Triều An Hospital in Bình Tân District. The city has six stations that provide emergency aid to patients and to accident victims, transporting them to the nearest hospitals. Three more stations are expected to open by the end of the year in districts Bình Chánh and Cần Giờ.  Hà Nội police uncover tax evasion case Hà Nội police yesterday announced that they had detained two men for investigation in a serious case involving the illegal trade of fake VAT bills and tax evasion. Trần Văn Toàn, 42, who lives in Hà Nội’s Tây Hồ District, director of the Toàn Hiền Investment Trading Joint-stock Company, and his accomplice Phạm Văn Hưng, the company’s chief accountant, were taken into custody. The police are also looking for several other people in connection to the case. Police allege that in 2013 and 2014, Toàn asked Hưng to make a false declaration of payment of many workers’ salaries, evading taxes of nearly VNĐ382 million (US$16,900). Toàn and Hưng’s accomplice, Phạm Hồng Lâm, director of the Sơn Lâm Transport and Construction Joint-Stock Company allegedly helped them create illegal VAT bills to evade taxes. The Huy Hoàng Company, managed by Lâm, is accused of selling 22 VAT bills to the Toàn Hiền Company with the total VAT of more than VNĐ1.5 billion ($66,600). To help Lâm, Chu Văn Dũng, Đặng Văn Quyền and Đỗ Văn Tuyền are reported to have founded fake companies to provide these bills. Tuyền himself has established 14 so-caleed "gosh companies" for fake VAT bills since 2004. Police said that Phạm Hồng Lâm and Nguyễn Tuấn Huy had fled. – VNS HCM City to implement vocational training project The HCM City People’s Committee today decided to implement a VNĐ67.86-billion (US$3 million) project for giving vocational training to ethnic minorities in the 2016-20 period. The project aims to provide vocational training, create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of ethnic minorities in the city. About 11,700 people of working age from ethnic minority communities would be trained. After the training, based on their wishes and capacity, the project will introduce the people to suitable enterprises. Statistics of the People’s Committee showed that the city had 51 ethnic minority groups, comprising more than 462,000 people, making up 6.4 per cent of the city’s total population. About 280,000 of them are of working age. 4 decades on, Agent Orange still ravages Vietnamese During the Vietnam War, the US Air Force sprayed more than 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides over parts of southern Vietnam and along the borders of neighbouring Laos and Cambodia. The herbicides were contaminated with dioxin, a deadly compound that remains toxic for decades and causes birth defects, cancer and other illnesses. To this day, dioxin continues to poison the land and the people. The US has never accepted responsibility for these victims, and it’s unclear when this chain of misery will end. To commemorate the 55th anniversary of the first time the deadly toxin was first sprayed in Vietnam, August 10, 1961, the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) has launched a photograph exhibition at the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi. Through the more than 400 items and photos on display, the exhibition hopes to provide guests retrospective and continuing insight into the atrocious devastation the US Air Force inflicted upon the Vietnamese people. An estimated 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical, said Major General Le Hien Van, deputy director of the General Department of Politics (GDP) of the Vietnam People Army in reference to the event. While tens of thousands have died as a result, said Major General Van, millions more of their descendants are still living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects. It is my hope that through this exhibition, said the Major General, many will find it in their hearts to reach out and help support AO victims in their everyday struggles coping with the horrific inhumanity caused by Agent Orange. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE