Social News 19/9 Tougher administrative punishments for flood prevention and control violators   The Government has released Decree 104/2017/ND-CP on sanctioning of administrative violations in the operation and protection of irrigation works; dykes; and flood and storm prevention and control. The new decree regulates violation behaviors, forms of sanctions, rates of sanctions, remedial measures on administrative violations; punishment authority. Depending on nature, levels of violation, individuals or organizations will be imposed supplementary punishments including withdrawal of business licenses in limited time; seizure of exhibits and means of administrative violation. In addition, violating organizations will be forced to restore initial situation; dismount violation projects; tackle water pollution. Sanctions on administrative infringements will be applied from VND 50 million for natural disaster prevention and VND 100 million on irrigation works. The new decree also regulates that illegal exploitation of sand and gravel will be subject to fines worth VND 25-40 million. Decree 104 shall take effect since November 1, 2017, replacing Decree 139/2013/ND-CP, dated October 22, 2013 on sanctioning of administrative violations in the operation and protection of irrigation works; dykes; and flood and storm prevention and control. 5-alarm fire tears through high rise office building in Hanoi More than 150 firefighters battled a five-alarm blaze that destroyed the 9th floor of a high-rise office building on Thuy Khe street in the district of Tay Ho in Hanoi, reported local officials. The blaze was reported at 8:10am on Monday, September 18. It took firefighters about one hour to get the inferno under control. A fire official said crews would stay on the scene throughout the day spraying water on the building.  Local officials said they were extremely grateful and relived that no one sustained serious injuries.  Thanks to the leadership and determined actions of the fire department the very real potential to severe damage to other structures and people were avoided. Investigators are already interviewing witnesses and have begun the search for physical evidence of the cause of the fire. HCM City cops arrest petrol thieves at Nhà Bè Petroleum General Depot The HCM City police have arrested 13 people for allegedly stealing aviation fuel that was being transported in tanker trucks from the Nhà Bè Petroleum General Depot on the city’s outskirts. After two months of investigation officers last Friday afternoon surrounded three places around the depot and caught three truck drivers red-handed along with 10 other accomplices while on the way to Tân Sơn Nhất airport. At number 33 Đặng Nhữ Lân Street in Nhà Bè town, Lê Anh Tuấn had stopped his truck with 25,000 litres of fuel allowing his assistant Nhan Tấn Trí and Trần Văn Thành to siphon off 19 cans of 30 litres each. The owner of the house and alleged ring leader Ngô Thị Thanh Huỳnh was also arrested. The police said the gang would have stolen another 30 cans of fuel if they had not turned up. Huỳnh was to have paid VNĐ240,000 (US$10.7) to the driver for a can, which she would then sell for VNĐ270,000 ($12). At exactly the same time at Dương Cát Lợi Street nearby, five others were arrested after Phạm Trí Hùng stopped his truck also with 25,000 litres to allegedly sell stolen fuel to Nguyễn Minh Trí, 45. The police discovered 14 cans with petrol, 63 empty ones and some incriminating papers. They said around 2,300 litres of fuel were to have been sold with the driver getting VNĐ18.4 million ($822) and the middlemen, VNĐ2 million ($90). A four-member ring led by Vũ Thị Thu Nguyệt was arrested at 24/3, Đào Tông Nguyên Street in Nhà Bè. The police said Nguyệt confessed to starting the illegal business early this year, buying petrol from three or four trucks every day. Stealing petrol from trucks is thought to be going on for a long time in the area. Investigations are continuing. HCM City provides tap water to neighbours About 8,300 households households with more than 31,000 individuals in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An’s Cần Giuộc District have begun to get tap water from HCM City under its programme to provide water to neighbouring provinces. The Nhà Bè Water Supply Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of the Sài Gòn Water Corporation, is supplying tap water to the communes of Long Hậu, Phước Lại, Phước Vĩnh Tây and Phước Vĩnh Đông where groundwater has been polluted by industrial waste, farming activities and untreated household waste. The households here used to get water from private treatment plants. The new project, which cost VNĐ11 billion (US$484,500), supplies tap water from HCM City to centralised water supply stations in Long An, which in turn supply the households. Last week, a clean water plant for poor residents was inaugurated in Cái Đôi Vàm Town, Phú Tân District, in the southern-most province of Cà Mau. The plant has a total investment of more than VNĐ550 million (US$24,400). Some VNĐ500 million ($22,200) comes from the HCM City Fund for the Nation’s Island and the remainder comes from sponsors solicited by the Cà Mau Fatherland Front Committee. The plant will supply clean water to more than 100 households. Local residents must hand in a small fee to maintain the plant, which is about half the market price for clean water.   ‘Innovate Like a Swede’ competition launched A competition entitled “Innovate Like a Swede”, launched in Hanoi on September 18, is designed to inspire Vietnamese college and university students to brainstorm ideas for environmentally sustainable production and responsible consumption in Vietnam. Co-hosted by the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam, and the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Science and Technology, the competition runs from September 18 to November 11. It encourages the participating students to find solutions to help Vietnam reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). It focuses on Goal 12: sustainable consumption and production patterns. Participants will generate ideas and possible products and services that contribute to the sustainable production and responsible consumption. Their submissions to the competition can be technical solutions or concepts. “For Sweden, reaching the SDGs is very high priority and as an embassy we work to promote these values in Vietnam and to encourage an exchange of knowledge and ideas between our two countries," said Johan Alvin, the Swedish Embassy’s second secretary, at the competition’s opening ceremony. “Vietnam faces many challenges, but with these challenges comes the opportunity to be innovative and to think outside of the box,” Alvin said. “This is something that we want to encourage through ‘Innovate Like a Swede’.” Entries may comprise anything from completely new ideas that have not been developed to innovative ways of using existing solutions. A jury consisting of representatives from the Swedish companies and universities in Vietnam will judge the entries on the basis of feasibility and commercial viability, degree of innovation and potential level of impact. The winning team will be awarded a study visit to Swedish companies’ regional headquarters in Singapore in 2018. Runner-up teams will get internships at Swedish companies in Vietnam.  ‘Innovate like a Swede’ will be a chance to show participants’ science creativity and a rewarding experience for Vietnamese students from all universities and colleges, said Pham Quang Hung, deputy head of the Education Ministry’s International Cooperation Department. “I hope many students will join the competition and win the awards.” Khmer people’s traditional festival observed in An Giang The Mekong Delta province of An Giang is observing Khmer people’s traditional Sen Dolta festival from September 19-21. Various activities, including cow racing, will be held during the event, according to head of the provincial department of ethnic affairs Tran Quoc Thanh. Earlier on September 12-18, leaders of the provincial Party Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee visited Khmer people to congratulate them on the occasion of Sen Dolta festival. While visiting monks at Pray Veng, Soai So Tum Nop, and Phnom Ta Pa pagodas in Tri Ton district, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Vo Anh Kiet wished them good health to better do Buddhist affairs. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh visited monks at Tho Mit, Cha Rat, and My A pagodas in Tinh Bien district. He recognised the efforts of Khmer people to develop the house-based economy and join the new-style rural development movement. He affirmed that local authorities will continue supporting Khmer people to improve their living standards and enable their children to pursue education and training.  Sen Dolta is one of the largest annual festivals of ethnic Khmers in the southern region, along with Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) and Ok Oom Bok Festival (long boat race), which give thanks to the moon for good harvests. It is also called Phchum Banh, meaning family gathering and virtue. The festival is held from the last day of the eighth lunar month to the second day of the ninth lunar month each year. The Khmer express their gratitude to ancestors, parents and relatives, and pray for good luck. During the three-day festival, many religious rituals and several cultural activities take place at Khmer pagodas. Malaysia gathering celebrates Vietnam-Laos relations The embassies of Vietnam and Laos in Malaysia together have hosted a gathering to mark the 55th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and the 40th year of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. The gathering was attended by about 100 Vietnamese and Lao diplomats and embassy staff, featuring cultural performances and badminton events. Opening the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Quy Quynh said it provides an opportunity for people from the two embassies to meet and strengthen their coordination at work. Lao Ambassador Houmdaophone Soukhaseum, for his part, recalled the long-standing relations between Vietnam and Laos nurtured by late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and late Lao Presidents Kaysone Phomvihane and Suphanuvong.  The friendship has been a valuable asset of the two Parties, States and people, he said, adding that it will stay forever, contributing to the two countries’ development and the global and regional peace, stability, cooperation and growth. VN Red Cross request help for Doksuri victims The Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) has released an emergency appeal to help victims of Doksuri typhoon in the central region, especially hardest-hit Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh provinces. “We call on our members, local organisations, individuals and the community to donate at least one day’s salary to help victims overcome difficulties in the wake of the disaster, chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Xuân Thu said at a ceremony on Monday in Hà Nội. The appeal aims to mobilise financial and material support to help thousands of typhoon victims overcome difficulties and stabilise lives and production following the disaster in the central provinces. Thu also asked Red Cross societies of provinces and cities to evaluate losses and demand better emergency aid for victims, with priority given to worst-hit families and localities. Thu added that the appeal for aid will continue until the end of October this year. All financial and material donations will be distributed to families affected by Doksuri. The VNRC has already released emergency aid of VNĐ1.56 billion (US$68,000), comprising money and goods, to help affected victims in the six central provinces of Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình, as well as Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên - Huế. Doksuri, the 10th typhoon in the East Sea so far this year, has killed eight people and injured 215 others in six central provinces of Việt Nam. More than 200,000 houses have had their roofs blown away, 2,440 electricity poles have collapsed and more than 20,000ha of rice have been destroyed. The VNRC estimated cost of total damages due to Doksuri typhoon had reached VNĐ10,174 billion ($442 million). 4th Vietnamese Community Festival opens in RoK’s Daejeon city A string of activities highlighting the culture of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) was included in the fourth Vietnamese Community Festival held in Daejeon city on September 17. Under the auspices of the Vietnam Embassy in the RoK, the event aims to create a space for Vietnamese people in the host country to enjoy and experience cultural exchange while nudging Vietnamese gorgeous features closer to international friends.  The festival is also part of the activities to mark 72nd anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day and the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Folk games, traditional cuisine, contest for children from multicultural families and traditional costume show were the larger part of the festival. Counsellor Tran Anh Vu from the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK lauded the festival organisation in Daejeon - the city of technologies, an ideal environment for Vietnamese students and labourers. He thanked Daejeon city’s authorities for supporting the Vietnamese community in the past years, affirming that the Vietnamese Embassy is willing to connect the RoK city with Vietnamese organisations and localities to promote the strategic partnership relations between the two countries. The Vietnamese People Community in Daejeon has joined hands with the Vietnamese People Community and the Vietnamese Students Association in the RoK to organise a line-up of activities, including teaching Vietnamese for children of multicultural families, raising money to help disadvantaged Vietnamese in the host country and arranging the Tet celebration for Vietnamese expats, to connect the Vietnamese in the RoK. Hanoi aids storm victims in central region Hanoi authorities on September 18 decided to allocate more than 7 billion VND (308,000 USD) from the local fund for emergency aid to people in the central region hit by storm Doksuri. The financial assistance is set to be delivered for Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien – Hue provinces.  Ha Tinh and Quang Binh, which bore the full brunt of the typhoon, will each receive 1.5 billion VND (66,000 USD). The other localities will get 1 billion VND (44,000 USD) each.  On the same day, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee organised an event in the capital city to raise funds for the storm-hit victims, with over 240 million VND (10,560 USD) collected. Doksuri, the 10th storm arising in the East Sea and the strongest one hitting Vietnam in many years, claimed nine lives and left four missing and 112 injured, according to reports from affected localities by 10pm on September 16.  The typhoon destroyed 1,185 houses, blew away roofs of 152,599 houses, and submerged 10,923 others. It also inundated 4,473ha of rice and 8,277ha of other crops, affected 16,108ha of aquatic farming, and ruined 10km of national highways and 17.9km of local roads. Int’l conference talks safe, green, integrated transport The 12th International Conference of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS), themed “Vision and Action Programme for Safe, Green and Integrated Transport”, opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 18.  Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said over the past years, Vietnam has completed construction of 831km of highways while airports have been upgraded to serve 75 million passengers a year and the country’s seaport capacity has reached almost 500 million tonnes of cargo per year.  However, traffic congestions and accidents have not been fully addressed due to limited public transport services and quality, he said, adding that the Transport Ministry will direct agencies concerned to review and propose measures to deal with existing flaws.  Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem said the event affords a chance to share experience and seek highly practical ideas to ease traffic concerns faced by Ho Chi Minh City and other urban areas in Vietnam.  The conference will have 110 discussion sessions about more than 40 different topics regarding planning, construction, operation and management of transport systems and services, including eight special sessions on safe, green and integrated transport system, urban railway, personal transport demand and smart transport development.  The event attracted around 800 domestic and foreign experts and scientists. It will last till September 21 in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Binh Duong.- Vietnam Social Security strengthens international cooperation The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) will step up bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international organisations and other countries between now and 2020 in order to assert its prestige and position, said VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh.  Anh made the statement during a conference held by VSS in Ho Chi Minh City on September 18 to review its external information work in the 2013-2020 period.  He said VSS is now a member of the ASEAN Social Security Association (ASSA) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA). It has also worked with domestic ministries and agencies to negotiate bilateral and multilateral agreements with the Republic of Korea, Germany, Japan, the US, the UK, France and Russia.  In the near future, it will also continue partnering with the World Bank (WB), the European Union (EU) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In collaboration with the WB, the VSS will issue e-social security cards to replace social insurance books and health insurance cards.  The agency has also published a Vietnamese-English bilingual book about the VSS, leaflets introducing social and health insurance policies for foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises and held dialogues to popularise relevant policies.  In August, the VSS piloted an English language portal which is scheduled to be put into operation in late 2017. It is an important tool to interact with international organisations in social welfare, foreigners working in Vietnam and Vietnamese living and working abroad. Progress on mineral resource maps remains slow Only five of 35 planned mineral resources maps have been completed, making it challenging for the government to reach its 2020 deadline for completing the map projects, officials have said. The Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission (CEC) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) discussed the progress on the maps at a recent meeting titled “Evaluation of five-year- implementation of guidelines, policies and legislation on minerals”. The mapping of mineral resources over a total area of 62,380 sq.km, divided into 35 projects, is supposed to be completed by 2020. Fourteen projects over an area of 14,500 sq.km area were begun in 2016 and are still underway, while seven others accounting for 18,124 sq.km are behind the schedule.    If the continuing projects are completed on schedule, by 2020, 80 percent of Vietnam’s land will be presented on mineral resources maps. Moreover, the geological and mineral surveys of the coastal area up to 30 metres of water depth are almost completed. Only two surveys of coastal areas are being conducted. The surveyed areas are the coasts between Hai Phong city and Thanh Hoa province’s Nga Son district, and between Nga Son district and Nghe An province’s Dien Chau district. In addition, 3,000 individuals and organisations are being allowed to explore and mine minerals, according to the MoNRE’s data. Speaking at the meeting, Cao Duc Phat, deputy head of CEC, said that after five years of guidelines, policies and legislation on minerals, the status quo has several major disadvantages. To effectively manage the mineral resources, it is important to adjust some provisions in the mineral law to align with common world practice. Representatives of related agencies also need to initiate solutions to effectively manage, protect, and explore minerals for the sustainable development of Vietnam, he said. Dong Nai revokes land to build Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway Deputy chairman of Dong Nai province People’s Committee Vo Van Chanh has signed a decision to revoke over 13,000 square meters of land in Vinh Thanh commune, Nhon Trach district for implementation of Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway. The above area which are being used by organizations, households and individuals will be handed over to the People’s Committee of Nhon Trach district to conduct site clearance and compensation works. Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway stretches over 27 kilometers, comprising 22 kilometers in Nhon Trach and five kilometers in Long Thanh district. According to plan, the expressway will be built in 2019 but so far site clearance work has not been done. The project is in danger of running behind schedule. Fresh water reservoir makes available for residents in border crossings Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front Committee and committee to manage the fund for island support and soldiers in border crossings yesterday gave fresh water reservoir, a well, a pump and a 2km pipe to residents in the southern province of Binh Phuoc’s Loc Ninh District. The fresh water construction cost VND300 million funded by the fund and soldiers from calling social contribution. On the occasion, the Fatherland Front Committee in HCMC also gave 100 presents to locals and scholarships to poor students of Thanh Phu Village. The village has 138 households with 486 residents including 78 households belonging to ethnic minority groups. Most locals are poor and they have difficulties with fresh water supplier especially in dry season. Int’l medical exhibition to open in HCMC The 12th Vietnam International Exhibition named Pharmed & Healthcare Vietnam – PHARMEDI will open in Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 from September 20-23. The Ministry of Health, ADPEX, the National center for Health Communication and Education, Vietnam Pharmaceutical Companies Association and Vietnam Medical Import Export JSC (VIMEDIMEX VN) have jointly organized a press brief on the exhibition. The event has five main themes with 600 booths of 400 companies from 25 nations and territories. The exhibition will display products, equipment, supplies for medical, pharmaceutical, medical waste treatment system, beauty care. This year, visitors will be provided free consultation on diseases and heart problems, diabetes by medical workers from district 2, Medicine University Hospital for the first time. Can Tho hosts Phong Dien Ecotourism Festival 2017 The Phong Dien Ecotourism Festival 2017 will take place on September 22-25, announced the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. The event aims to promote Phong Dien district’s ecological tourist sites and orchards that have attracted a large number of local and international visitors to Can Tho City over the recent years. The festival will include a series of activities, such as fruit arrangement performance, releasing lanterns into the river, Vietnamese High-Quality Goods Fair, boat racing, reviving floating market, folk and sport games. There will be a seminar on sustainable tourism development and a launch of the club of Phong Dien’s fruit gardens. Visitors will have also a chance to enjoy local dishes at food fair and Don Ca Tai Tu Nam Bo (southern amateur traditional music) which was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. HCMC makes Hoang Hoa Tham overpass one-way for certain hours The HCMC Department of Transport on September 16 began a trial project to make the steel overpass at Cong Hoa-Hoang Hoa Tham Intersection, Tan Binh District a one-way road for certain hours per day. In specifics, the overpass is made one-way from Ap Bac Street to Ut Tich Street from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and one-way in the opposite direction from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The 30-day trial is aimed at gauging how traffic would be on the overpass at rush hour. According to the HCMC Department of Transport, traffic from Ap Bac Street to Ut Tich Street is often heavy in the morning when people commute from outlying districts to the city center for work. When they come back home in the afternoon, the overpass is often crowded in the opposite direction. Experts also proposed using moveable median barriers on Cong Hoa Street to flexibly regulate traffic at rush hour. HCMC supplies clean water for neighboring Long An Saigon Water Corporation (Sawaco) began supplying clean water for residents in neighboring Long An Province last Friday. Around 31,000 residents from roughly 8,100 families in Long An’s outlying district of Can Giuoc can receive a combined 7,800 cubic meters of treated water a day from HCMC, according to Sawaco. These people have long relied on well water for daily activities, but the quality of well water does not meet safety requirements. They often suffer a shortage of clean water in the dry season. Can Giouc’s water pipelines are now connected to those of HCMC’s suburban district of Nha Be. Water for Can Giuoc is sourced from Sawaco’s plants in the east of the city. Sawaco said the total capacity of HCMC’s water treatment plants is 2.4 million cubic meters a day. Meanwhile, the city’s daily demand is only 1.8 million cubic meters. A majority of residents in HCMC have access to clean water, according to Sawaco. Binh Duong looks to become smart city by 2030 Binh Duong Province has set a target of becoming a smart and livable city by 2030, heard a news briefing last week. The National Traffic Safety Committee joined hands with the Binh Duong government to organize the news briefing to introduce a meeting on Vietnam traffic safety in the framework of the 12th International Conference of Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS). Binh Duong vice chairman Tran Thanh Liem said the province had been paying special intention to safe, green and integrated transport system development and working with experts and scientists to make the province safe and livable. In order to obtain the target, Binh Duong authorities have established a committee responsible for implementing the smart city project. At a discussion during EASTS 2017 in Binh Duong, a provincial official will present transport models, and solutions and policies to cope with traffic accidents and jams to keep pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Local and international experts and managers will also share their experience with Binh Duong delegates and vice versa. In addition, the National Traffic Safety Committee will introduce the latest solutions based on opinions of the Government and central agencies to smart transport development and traffic safety. EASTS 2017 will take place in HCMC and Binh Duong from September 18 to 21 with the participation of 1,000 domestic and foreign experts and scientists in the transport sector. VNN