Government News 23/2 President Quang kicks off New Year tree planting festival   President Trần Đại Quang (right) launches the New Year tree planting festival in Bạch Thông District, the northern mountainous province of Bắc Kạn on Wednesday. President Trần Đại Quang launched the New Year tree planting festival in Bạch Thông District, the northern mountainous province of Bắc Kạn on Wednesday (the sixth day of the Lunar New Year).  On November 28, 1959, President Hồ Chí Minh wrote an article which was published in the Nhân dân (People) newspaper, stressing the significance of tree planting to each person, each family and the entire nation. It has since become an annual Vietnamese custom each Lunar New Year.  According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 235,000ha of concentrated forests and over 60 million scattered trees were planted nationwide last year. Meanwhile, 6.1 million ha of forests were protected and 335,000ha were zoned off for forest regeneration.  The number of violations in forest management and protection decreased by 23 per cent, the total acreage of damaged forests fell by 68 per cent annually, and forestry exports hit US$8 billion. The rate of forest coverage reached 41.45 per cent, making contributions to the common growth of the agricultural sector.  In accordance with the Target Programme on Sustainable Forestry Development for 2016-2020, the sector targets raising forestry production value by 6-6.5 per cent, increasing forest coverage to 42 per cent and forestry exports to $10 billion by 2020, contributing to mitigating natural disasters and reducing poverty in combination with new-style rural development and ensuring national defence-security.  Speaking at the event, President Quang underlined the strategic significance of tree planting and forestation amidst the threats of global warming and climate change.  He called on ministries, agencies, localities and people nationwide to raise public awareness of forest protection and prevent illegal logging. Tree planting festivals were also held yesterday in many localities across the country. Prime Minister attaches importance to Party’s leadership   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (front, centre), Chairwoman of the Mass Mobilisation Commission Truong Thi Mai (front, third right) and other officials at a gathering on the occasion of the Lunar New Year on February 22   The Government leader made the statement at a gathering on the occasion of the Lunar New Year in Hanoi on February 22 with the participation of officials and employees of the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission, the Party Committee of the Central Agencies Bloc, the Party Committee of the Central Businesses Bloc, and the Party Committee of overseas Vietnamese agencies. PM Phuc recognised the committees’ efforts in their work and giving timely advice serving the Party in leading the country and State agencies in implementing their functions and duties.  He said the Party committee of the Central Businesses Bloc plays an important role in facilitating and promoting national development, as the Central Businesses Bloc is crucial in directing the socialist-oriented development of State-owned enterprises, which greatly contribute to GDP growth and national development. The Party Committee of the Central Businesses Bloc should coordinate closely with the committee for managing State capital in enterprises to manage State capital and Party members in these firms well, the Government leader said, noting that he will spend more time working with the Mass Mobilisation Commission and other Party agencies to address problems arising. Chairwoman of the Mass Mobilisation Commission Truong Thi Mai shared PM Phuc’s view on continuing to bring about people’s role in building the Party and reforming operations to meet growing requirements set by the Party. She also congratulated the Government, the PM and all-level authorities on their successes in 2017. PM requires Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park to form startup ecosystem   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has expressed his wish that the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in the outskirts of Hanoi will make great contributions to the fourth Industrial Revolution and serve as a place where Vietnam’s startup ecosystem is formed. Visiting the park on February 22, PM Phuc said he hopes that it will be filled with investment activities at an early time, and become a big production centre of the capital city, thus contributing to the country’s science and technology development and bringing the added value to the economy.  He asked ministries, sectors and the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee to speed up its construction so as to avoid missing any science-technology development opportunities. Specifically, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) need to carry out measures to realise policies to attract more high-quality human resources, while the Hanoi People’s Committee should help speed up the land clearance process to quickly complete the park’s construction, he said. The Government leader also requested the MoST and related offices to soon grant investment licences to NIDEC Group, which decided to pour 400 million USD into the first phase of its two projects and plans to invest in three more projects with a total registered capital of 1 billion USD in the next stage.  Located in Hanoi’s Thach That and Quoc Oai districts, the 1,586ha Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is expected to become a science city hosting investors in biotechnology, information – communication, new material technology, and automation. Modern infrastructure is being built at the park using the State budget and the official development assistance (ODA) provided by the Japanese government. As of late 2017, the park had 81 valid investment projects, with a total registered capital of over 66 trillion VND (2.9 million USD), on an area of 358ha. Last year, the park attracted many big technological projects, including the Hamvha Techwin company’s 200-million-USD Hamvha Aero Engines project. PM lauds workers’ contributions to national development   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third, right) and officials of Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc applauded contributions of workers to the country’s development in 2017 during his visit to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) on February 22, the second day after the Lunar New Year holiday. The leader also hailed the VGCL’s efforts to bring a warm Tet holiday for all workers, particularly those in disadvantaged circumstances. He commended the VGCL and the southern province of Dong Nai for their coordination to timely handle wage-related problems of 1,800 workers in the province after their employer left Vietnam without paying salaries.  He asked the confederation to make thoroughly preparation for a programme of dialogues between the PM and workers in the northern region.  Recalling similar dialogues held in the southern and central regions in 2016 and 2017, PM Phuc said he heard workers’ proposals for institutions of culture, housing, kindergartens and canteens.  Since then, a number of such facilities have been built, initially bringing tangible benefits to workers, he noted.  As the VGCL will hold a national congress later this year, the PM said trade union congresses at all levels should include the fourth industrial revolution in their agenda in order to seek ways to improve professional skills for Vietnamese workers, helping them catch up with scientific and technological advancements in the new context.  PM Phuc also noted that labour and trade union issues are part of negotiations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and asked the confederation to take the initiative in assisting workers in enhancing their skills and proposing suitable legal institutions to protect rights and interests of the worker class amidst the competitive environment.  The PM also requested the VGCL to coordinate with competent agencies to develop more trade union institutions for workers, which, he said, have remained limited.  Earlier, the PM approved the VGCL’s project on building trade union institutions at industrial parks and export processing zones. VFF leader highly evaluates role of member organisations   President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man works with the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man on February 22 visited the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) and the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics – two member organisations of the VFF. Praising the outcomes of collaboration between the VFF and the VUSTA, Man noted that the union has effectively implemented joint projects between the two sides. He acknowledged the VUSTA’s contributions, expressing his wish for more bilateral cooperation programmes to capitalise on capacity of intellectuals and scientists in science-technology, education-training, and environment-climate change adaptation. The VFF and the VUSTA should work together to compile outstanding works and publications, and to launch the Vietnam Innovation Golden Book. Visiting the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, Man expressed his delight at the work done by the committee in promoting policy and law abidance, and patriotic campaigns among VFF’s members. He lauded the committee’s participation in charity activities, human resources training, and environmental protection. Man said in the coming time, the committee must continue its contributions to increasing public awareness of the government’s policies and consolidating national solidarity. Equatorial Guinea keen on expanding ties with Vietnam   Vietnamese Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea Nguyen Manh Cuong (L) presents his credentials to President of the host country Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Vietnamese Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea Nguyen Manh Cuong has presented his credentials to President of the host country Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who affirmed his country is interested in expanding ties with Vietnam. President Mbasogo underlined the warm feelings he and people of the central African country have for Vietnam, while recalling his memories of Vietnam’s past struggle for independence. He lauded the achievements of Vietnam during the country’s development as well as regional and international integration, expressing his pleasure at the growth of ties between Vietnam and Equatorial Guinea. He said the experience of Vietnam in economic reform and development are helpful for his country in restructuring and diversifying its economy to reduce dependence on oil exports. Ambassador Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted the hope to intensify ties with Equatorial Guinea of President Tran Dai Quang and other senior leaders of Vietnam. He also pledged to work hard to bolster links between the two countries. VNN