Social News 23/1 Vietnam Veterans of America members honoured   The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) has presented certificates of merit and “For peace, friendship among nations” insignia to the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and some of its members in recognition of their contributions to the normalisation and development of the Vietnam-US relations. Among the honoured individuals were VVA President John Rowan, VVA Vice President Marsha Four, Chair of the POW/MIA Committee Grant Towsend Coats, and VVA Public Relations Director Margaret Pratt Porter. Addressing the ceremony in Hanoi on January 22, VUFO Vice President and General Secretary Don Tuan Phong hailed efforts of the VVA and its members in normalising, building and developing the Vietnam-US relations, especially through the veterans’ initiative programme (VIP). Phong noted that since 1994, through the programme, the VVA has handed over to the Defence Ministry of Vietnam 300 dossiers and information of about 12,000 Vietnamese soldiers who died and went missing during the war, while helping search and gather remains of about 1,500 Vietnamese martyrs. At the same time, the VVA has worked with some US TV channels to screen documentary films of the results of search for missing in action soldiers of both Vietnam and the US, as well as the war aftermath and the situation of Vietnam at present. The honoured individuals have also supported victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam, he said. On behalf of the VVA, Grant Townsend Coasts thanked the VUFO for the recognition. He pledged that in the coming time, the VVA and its members will continue exerting efforts for the growth of the relationship between Vietnam and the US. USAID helps with dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will cooperate with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to design and implement a project on dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai.  A document of intent to this effect was signed by the USAID and the Department of Military Science under the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence on January 23.  The US side committed to handling post-war consequences while further promoting economic, cultural and security ties between the two countries.  Addressing the signing ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Toxic Chemical Consequences, said the signing of the document is one of the concrete activities to realize the Vietnam-US joint statement issued during the official visit to Vietnam by President Donald Trump in November 2017.  This is an important, humanitarian activity that will contribute to strengthening the comprehensive cooperative relations between the two countries, he said.  US Ambassador to Vietnam Kritenbrink said the US is looking toward cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence in the project, thus helping to deepen the partnership between the two countries and build a more prosperous future for both sides.  The US has joined hands with Vietnam in addressing humanitarian issues and post-war consequences since 2000 through various activities.  The two sides will soon complete a five-year project on dioxin decontamination valued at 110 million USD at Da Nang International Airport.  The Bien Hoa Airport is considered as one of the dioxin hot spots in the country due to its high level of the chemical. According to assessments from Vietnam and the US, some 500,000 cubic metres of dioxin contaminated land in the airport need to be treated, requiring a large amount of capital and technology. Vietnamese expats in Hong Kong gather for Tet celebrations Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region gathered to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet) at a celebration held by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau on January 22. At the event, Vietnamese Consul General Tran Thanh Huan highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic and diplomatic achievements in 2017, saying that they were significantly contributed by the Vietnamese expatriates worldwide, including those in Hong Kong. The Vietnamese Party and Government always attach much importance to the OVs’ role in national construction and protection, Huan noted. Together, the Vietnamese people delivered Tet greetings as well as enjoyed traditional dishes and art performances. There are some 8,000 Vietnamese people living and working in Hong Kong. The Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau holds Tet celebrations for the OVs annually. Cambodia hopes to send more students to Thai Nguyen Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Prak Nguon Hong has proposed that Vietnam’s northern province of Thai Nguyen continue receiving more Cambodian students and expanding fields of training for them. At a meeting with provincial leaders on January 22, the Cambodian diplomat lauded socio-economic development achievements as well as education and training development policies of Thai Nguyen. Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Thai Nguyen People’s Committee Trinh Viet Hung said that Thai Nguyen always creates optimal conditions for Cambodian students. Currently, nearly 60 Cambodian students are studying in a number of training facilities of Thai Nguyen, including the Thai Nguyen University for Industrial Technology, Thai Nguyen College of Economy and Finance, and Thai Nguyen University of Pedagogy, noted Hung. At the meeting, the provincial leader also asked the Cambodian Embassy to help connect businesses of Cambodia with their peers in Vietnam and Thai Nguyen in particular, thus boosting bilateral cooperation in economy, education, tourism and culture. Quang Ninh, Vietnam Airlines Corporation ink strategic cooperation A cooperation deal was inked between the northern province of Quang Ninh and the Vietnam Airlines Corporation on January 22 to boost tourism promotion, expand flight network from and to Van Don International Airport and popularise local tourism and Vietnam Airlines’ services. Quang Ninh will prepare facilities and support mechanisms for new air routes to lure more tourists while introducing local destinations in key markets like the EU, Australia and Northeast Asia. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will study and increase flights to and from Van Don airport in 2018 and beyond. It will work with Quang Ninh to carry out tourism and investment programmes and sponsor cultural and tourism activities during 2018-2021. At the signing ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long stressed that various key transport works will be put into use in June, including Ha Long-Hai Phong and Ha Long-Van Don expressways and Van Don International Airport. They have a crucial role in local socio-economic development, especially the establishment of the Van Don special administrative-economic zone, he added. The cooperation deal with Vietnam Airlines will open opportunities for the development of air transport in the province, Long noted. General Director of Vietnam Airlines Corporation Duong Tri Thanh committed to coordinating with Quang Ninh province to promote local cultural and tourism potential.  He expressed his hope that the cooperation will help develop tourism in the northern region.  The corporation has enjoyed long-standing collaboration with Quang Ninh province via tourism, trade and investment promotion activities. The province’s images have been introduced at Vietnam Airlines’s offices inside and outside the country and its Heritage magazine. Productivity key to economic growth Renovating the growth model and raising productivity are the key tasks to develop Vietnam’s economy, said Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), at a conference held in Hanoi on January 22. The issue of competitiveness is increasingly receiving the attention of governments in many nations. Raising Vietnam’s competitiveness is also a major concern of the Vietnamese Party and the State. A country’s overall competitiveness is affected by many factors, such as the brands, market share, productivity, living standards and institutional quality. However, according to VCCI’s research results, productivity is the core driving force that accounts for the difference in competitiveness among nations, Loc said. Despite the increase in its competitiveness ranking, Vietnam’s labour productivity is only equal to 87 percent of that in Laos. In addition, exports of Vietnamese rice are lower than in Cambodia, although Lao and Cambodia are two of the least developed countries in the region. Loc said this situation is a big problem for Vietnam. Because many criteria affect the economy’s competitiveness, VCCI proposes to formulate an analytical framework for Vietnam’s national competitiveness, including economic factors and the strengths of the country. This framework will aim not to create a new ranking but to provide solutions to promote the productivity and competitiveness of Vietnam, Loc added. VCCI’s chairman also proposed to conduct research on six issues to improve productivity for the national economy. The first issue is policy. Currently, the Government has taken drastic action on legal reform and reform of administrative procedures. The second area is industrial policy and the development of markets, which are ineffective and unable to lead the economy at the moment. The third topic is the transfer of public services. Fourthly, the equitisation and restructuring of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) is an important issue because SOEs are currently not operating effectively. Fifth, shifting agricultural activities to industry and service is a key factor because 40 percent of GDP and 60 percent of labour is in agriculture. If the shift is to be successful, it is important to promote productivity. The sixth issue is the transformation of individual business households into enterprises, as this could help improve labour productivity in the country. Loc also suggested training programmes to enhance the management capacity of the leaders of small and micro businesses, as such enterprises will be the drivers of the world economy, especially with the development of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The event was organised by VCCI in cooperation with the Central Theoretical Council. National fund gets 4.2 million USD to support poor children The National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) received nearly 96 billion VND (4.2 million USD) raised from 40 organisations, individuals, businesses and sponsors at home and abroad to support underprivileged children during the 11th Spring for Children programme in Hanoi on January 21. Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, also Chairwoman of the NFVC, said the fund has raised 5.5 trillion VND (247.5 million USD) over the past 25 years to support more than 33 million children with free health check-ups, medicines and heart, eye and cleft palate surgery. In 2017, domestic and foreign organisations, individuals, enterprises and benefactors contributed more than 210 billion VND (9.2 million USD) to the fund to help some 200,000 children, she added. At the programme, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs presented certificates of merit to collectives and individuals that made significant contributions to child care and protection in 2017. A special art programme was held as part of the event. Since it began in 2008, the “Spring for children” programme has raised hundreds of billions of VND to assist poor children nationwide. The same day, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh met with sponsors for the NFCV in 2017 to call for more assistance to create better lives for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Director of the fund Hoang Van Tien reported the NFCV spent over 79 billion VND (3.5 million USD) supporting 106,400 children via health care, nutrition and education programmes. In 2018, the fund aims to mobilise about 10.5 billion VND (463,000 USD) to support nearly 120,000 children. Tiền Giang to invest $4.84m in rural traffic development Tiền Giang Province plans to invest VNĐ110 billion (US$4.84 million) in 270 traffic projects to further the National Target Programme for New Rural Areas and improve traffic conditions in the Đồng Tháp Mười area. Trần Văn Bon, director of the provincial Department of Transport, said the department would work closely with local authorities to raise funds from various sources and oversee the traffic projects, which will cover a total of 200km. Local residents will also be encouraged to contribute their land to traffic projects and irrigation infrastructure. The department is prioritising certain traffic projects to help 22 communes reach the standards set by the National Target Programme for New Rural Areas by the end of the year. The National Target Programme for New Rural Areas is developing rural areas, focusing on areas such as infrastructure, education and health care, and reducing poverty and crime. A number of standards are being used to determine whether a commune, district or city can be classified as new rural areas. In 2017, Tiền Giang invested VNĐ120 billion for rural traffic development, which helped 17 communes reach the standards of the programme. Việt Nam, Singapore launch haemodialysis care project More than 5,000 kidney patients in the north of Việt Nam will benefit from a healthcare training project launched on Monday by the Hà Nội Medical University (HMU). The project has been launched in collaboration with Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). The haemodialysis care project aims to improve the overall quality of haemodialysis care and help meet the increasing demands of haemodialysis care in the north of Việt Nam. “We are pleased to partner with SIF and TTSH in our continuous efforts to improve the standards of healthcare, especially haemodialysis care in Việt Nam,” Professor Nguyễn Đức Hinh, rector of the Hà Nội Medical University, said. “Singapore is among one of the leading nations in advanced healthcare training and services. By working together with the Singaporean team, our medical staff will benefit from new perspectives in this field. We look forward to building stronger professional and personal ties with our Singaporean counterparts in the coming years,” said Hinh. “Through this project, we will bring together our Singapore International Volunteers (SIV) and their Vietnamese counterparts to share insights and impart ideas, skills and resources with each other. We hope to collectively enhance haemodialysis care in the region for long-term sustainability,” SIF Chairman Ong Keng Yong said. The 30-month project will focus on activities to enhance the training of Vietnamese caregivers to ensure the delivery of safe healthcare practices to kidney patients and update caregivers on the current standards of care in this speciality. The project will have five components, including clinical training workshops and lectures; leadership engagement sessions; a study visit to Singapore; a symposium; and the development and distribution of professional guidelines on haemodialysis care. The collaborative project will see a specialist team of SIV, including TTSH doctors and nurses from the department of renal medicine, working together with healthcare professionals from HMU, Bạch Mai Hospital, Việt Đức Hospital and other dialysis centres in Hà Nội. The SIVs will share their experience, knowledge and skills with their Vietnamese counterparts to train a core group of 60 master trainers. Since 1994, the SIF has collaborated in projects with various institutional and individual partners in Hà Nội and HCM City in the fields of healthcare, education, arts and culture, and social entrepreneurship. Live broadcast marks 50th anniversary of 1968 General Offensive and Uprising The HCM City Television (HTV) on Sunday organised a live broadcast to celebrate the 88th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (Feb 3, 1930) and the 50th anniversary of the Mậu Thân General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1968. The broadcast, titled Bản hùng ca mùa xuân: Chân Trần – Chí Thép (The Spring Saga: Bare Feet – Iron Will), was held at three locations significant to the historic event, including Thống Nhất (Reunification) Conference Hall in HCM City’s District 1, Tân Nhựt Ward in Bình Chánh District, and Bình Mỹ Ward in Củ Chi District. Politburo member and Secretary of the HCM City’s Party Committee Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, together with former leaders, seniors, and officials from the HCM City People’s Council, People’s Committee and Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee, among other agencies, attended the event. Other participants included Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, veterans and representatives of forces that took part in the offensive, as well as locals. The event comprised three sections, including “Chân Trần” (Bare Feet), “Chí Thép” (Iron Will), and “Khát vọng hoà bình” (The Desire for Peace). Speakers during the broadcast praised the significant contributions, strong will and commitment to peace of the soldiers who took part in the historical offensive in Spring 1968, one of the largest military campaigns launched by the northern People’s Army of Việt Nam and the southern National Liberation Front during the Vietnam war. Among other people interviewed during the live broadcast were: Đỗ Thị Kim Liên, Đỗ Mạnh Hùng, Đỗ Anh Chiến, Đỗ Thị Thơm and Đỗ Thành Công, who are the children of Đỗ Văn Căn, builder of an armoury in 183/4 Trần Quốc Toản Street in District 3 (now 3/2 Street, District 10); Trần Kiến Xương, a son of Trần Văn Lai, builder of an armoury in 287/70 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street in District 3; and Phan Văn Hôn, former member of Unit 5 under the Sài Gòn – Gia Định Liberation Army Commandos. Though 50 years have passed, the General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1968 remains a significant milestone that emphasised revolutionary heroism, providing valuable historical lessons for today’s society. HCM City’s environment department sets 2018 targets The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment plans to improve waste and water management as well as land-use management this year. Nguyễn Toàn Thắng, director of the department, revealed the four main targets for 2018 at a meeting on January 22 in the city. They include reducing groundwater exploitation, from 716,000cu.m to 487,000cu.m per day, a decrease of 31 per cent, and having 100 per cent of solid waste treated in accordance with environmental standards. Figures from the department show that between December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017 the city treated around 3.2 million tonnes of domestic waste. Other targets would ensure that 95 per cent of industrial waste water and 100 per cent of medical waste water will be treated this year. The city has also been assigned 17 tasks in total this year. Among them are better monitoring of the conversion of land-use purposes and relocation compensation; submitting lists for the climate-change adaptation programmes; enhancing garbage sorting at source and encouraging international cooperation in sharing information on climate and environmental issues; and calling for investment in waste treatment projects. Some of the tasks are built on last year’s targets, according to Thắng. Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, vice chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, praised the department for achieving last year’s targets, saying it was a “tough job”. “This year, we achieved a very high GRDP growth rate of 8.25 per cent. This is very exciting as it helped us reach our budget target in 2017,” he said. According to the city’s State treasury, the total State budget revenue in HCM City reached VNĐ347.98 trillion (US$15.32 billion) in 2017, slightly more than the year’s target, and up 13.5 per cent compared to 2016. “The good results that we achieved last year were because of the joint efforts of the entire political system, including the natural resources and environment department,” he said. He spoke highly of Thắng for clearly dividing the tasks, which made it easier to monitor and evaluate the results. He instructed the department to send its draft proposals on fees for industrial waste water treatment and restrictions on groundwater exploitation to the HCM City Fatherland Front Committee and related enterprises and business associations for feedback before submitting it to the city’s People’s Council. Regarding the conversion of land-use purposes, Tuyến said: “As the city does not play a role in ensuring food security for the country, it should allow switching some agricultural land for commercial use to increase the State budget revenue.” He asked the department to ensure appropriate land-use fees for enterprises and promptly issue land-use certificates, saying that lending land to businesses would help generate revenue for the city budget. Regarding environmental management, Tuyến asked the department to adopt more new air and water pollution monitoring technologies. He said the department should voluntarily provide information on pollution issues, including, for example, Ba Bò Canal pollution, at meetings of the city People’s Council, rather than wait until the city administration requests for a report. Though the department has always been a pioneer in raising public awareness about environmental protection, some of its activities last year did not bring good results, he added. Next month, the city will hold a workshop calling investment for projects that will relocate residents in 20,000 houses in slums along canals and rivers. Tuyến asked the department to take part in the workshop and to share its thoughts and comments. “Settling this issue not only means these people will have a new place to live, but it will also help improve their environmental hygiene and health,” he said. Once the slums are removed, river tourism will have more potential to develop, he added. BOT project on National Highway No.53 stopped The Ministry of Transport (MoT) and people’s committees of Mekong Delta provinces of Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh agreed Monday to cancel the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) project on National Highway No.53. The investors said they were struggling with capital arrangement and project implementation. The construction project of upgrading and renovating a 45.797km stretch of National Highway No.53, connecting Long Hồ City, Vĩnh Long Province and Ba Si Bridge in Trà Vinh Province has an investment of more than VNĐ1.2 trillion (US$52.8 million). The tentative toll collection is 21 years and eight months. The project was started in May 2015. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Nhật said after the National Assembly Standing Committee’s decree on BOT projects’ management, MoT decided to stop implementing the Long Hồ -- Ba Si project in the form of BOT and turn it into a public-invested project instead. He also asked the leaders of Vĩnh Long Province to give their opinion on the BOT project cancellation besides describing the obstacles they were facing.  Trần Hoàng Tựu, deputy head of Vĩnh Long Province People’s Committee, said the local authorities had agreed to stop the BOT project on the highway and switch to public investment. “We request MoT to repair the road for smooth traffic as it is severely damaged,” he said. The investors’ representative told e-newspaper zing.vn that they found it difficult to accelerate capital since banks had tightened credit grants to the project. Nhật directed the Cửu Long Project Management Board to cooperate with the investors in checking and evaluating costs shouldered by them due to the project’s cancellation. The Việt Nam Directorate for Roads is responsible for repairing National Highway No.53 in preparation for Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. Previously, MoT had worked with Trà Vinh Province People’s Commitee on the Long Hồ -- Ba Si BOT project cancellation. Quảng Trị gets $2mn to resume wartime bomb defusal The central Quảng Trị Province will receive US$12 million to resume the search for and defusal of unexploded explosive devices left by the United States Army after the war in the province. The fund comes from the US Department of State and other international sources, according to the province People’s Committee. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) will conduct a programme from 2018 to 2020 to further the investigation on wartime mines and bombs. The project investigation will cover 50 million square metres of land in a locality that was not searched previously for explosive devices. The project targets the defusal of at least 42,000 devices and holds 350 courses to train some 4,000 people in the areas that are likely to still contain unexploded bombs . It is expected to benefit an estimated 85,000 residents in the province and help build a digital database of areas prone to wartime explosive devices. The project will include 21 search teams; three teams for community work; and six teams for assistance, training and logistics work. This is the sixth project for MAG in the province since 1999. During the previous five projects, MAG searched some 45 million square metres of land, locating and defusing some 176,179 explosive devices. Quảng Trị was on the border between North and South Việt Nam during wartime. It, thus, received tonnes of bombs released by the US Air Force, making the province the top locality for unexploded devices both on land and underground. Wartime explosive devices occupied 83 per cent of its total land area. The province also has the highest percentage of disabled people caused by post-war explosive devices in the country, that is more than 80 per cent. VNN