Government News 6/3 NA Vice Chairman pays working visit to Yen Bai   Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien presents gifts to local poor families affected by flooding in 2017. (Source: yenbai.gov.vn)  Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien has asked Nghia Lo town in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai to consider trade, services and tourism as the core of the local economy, given its important position in the Northwestern region.  During his visit to the town on March 5, Hien praised Nghia Lo’s growth in trade and services, as well as its building of a smart town and maintenance of outstanding economic models.  As a cradle of ancient Thai people’s culture, Nghia Lo should step up the promotion of its culture and people, he said, asking the locality to promote agricultural production towards high quality and pay attention to industry-craft industry.  While building the town, Nghia Lo needs to roll out both a master plan and specific planning schemes of residents, embankments and roads, the legislator noted.  He used the occasion to laud Nghia Lo’s performance in poverty reduction and settlement of natural disaster consequences.  At the working session, Nghia Lo leaders proposed the legislature soon ratify the plan on administrative expansion for Nghia Lo in order to turn the town into a centre of culture, services and tourism of Yen Bai’s western region and a third-tier urban area.  The local leaders also called for the NA’s support for the building of resettlement areas for families in natural disaster-prone areas, and the construction of bridges, embankments and roads destroyed by downpours and floods. Nghia Lo also proposed the NA and the Government invest in the section connecting National Highway 32 in Nghia Lo with the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway the IC 14 intersection.  On this occasion, Hien presented 20 gifts to local poor families affected by flooding in 2017 in Ban Cong commune, Tram Tau district, and Nghia Lo town.  The same day, Hien and his encourage made fact-finding trips to road sections from Mau A town in Van Yen district to Nghia Lo and from Yen Bai’s Tram Tau districtto Bac Lien district of Son La province.  Yen Bai was among localities that had suffered great losses from flood and landslides in October 2017. The disasters killed six people, left 16 others missing and injured seven others. In addition to that, the disasters also ruined 1,251 houses, 73 of which collapsed or were swept away completely, badly affected road traffic, and broke six kilometres of embankments. Deputy PM hosts Sumitomo Mitsui Bank’s senior official   Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (right) shakes hands with Shosuke Mori, head of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)’s Asia Pacific Division.   Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue received in Hanoi on March 5 Shosuke Mori, head of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)’s Asia Pacific Division, describing the bank as an effective credit channel and a gateway for foreign investors, including those from Japan, to enter Vietnam. The SMBC, one of the largest and oldest banks in Japan, is pursuing the new “Asia-centric” strategy which seeks to strengthen its business in Asia and Vietnam is an important part of the strategy, Mori told the Deputy PM. As the Government of Vietnam has been restructuring the local banking system, the SMBC wants to take part in that process by sustainably developing Eximbank and supporting other local banks’ reforms in the coming time, he said.  As a global bank, the SMBC expects its clients worldwide will invest in Vietnam and the bank hopes to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s banking industry with its new banking management system, he added. Deputy PM Hue welcomed the presence of SMBC in Vietnam and the role it is playing to restructure Eximbank.  He noted that a new scheme for restructuring credit institutions was adopted to improve capacity of commercial banks and accelerate the resolution of non-performing loans. Though the restructuring process has harvested some positive outcomes but many challenges are waiting ahead, Hue said. The government is committed to continue improving local business climate and providing favourable conditions for both domestic and foreign investors, he stated, adding that it will do it best to support SMBC in Vietnam. The SMBC has made present in Vietnam since 1994 with two branches in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Last year, both of its branches posted no non-performing loans and a total of 291.6 billion VND (over 12.8 million USD) in net profit. It is also Eximbank’s strategic investor who currently holds 15 percent of the Vietnam-based bank’s charter capital. Vietnam to develop multi-tiered social security system: Deputy PM   Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue meets with Julian Adams, Group Regulatory and Government Relations Director of life insurer Prudential in Hanoi on March 5. The government is developing a scheme for reforming Vietnam’s social insurance policy aiming to establish a multi-tiered social security system which will be submitted for approval in May, said Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on March 5. Hue made the statement when meeting in Hanoi with Julian Adams, Group Regulatory and Government Relations Director of the UK-based life insurer Prudential, noting that it is part of the government’s strategy to sustainably develop the social security as well as the life insurance system. The Government of Vietnam is committed to stablise the macro-economy, control inflation and pursue investment attraction policies to facilitate foreign investors, including those from the UK, doing business in Vietnam in the long term, he told Prudential’s director. Adams said next year will mark the 20th year of Prudential’s presence in Vietnam and the firm wants to be a good “citizen” of Vietnam as it plans to continue operating in the country in the long run. It is also ready to work alongside the government to address challenges of the aging population in the country, reducing burdens on the State budget, he added. The Deputy PM affirmed that they are the issues of great interest of the government as Vietnam is experiencing a “golden population structure” but also sees the rapid population aging. The nation is striving to shift its population policy’s focus from birth control to population and sustainable development and to maintain a reasonable fertility rate, which is declining in big cities, he noted. At the same, the government is pursuing the public debt restructuring plan and the issuance of long-term government bonds is the key to the plan, Hue stated. He expected Prudential will continue investing in the G-bond and develop more new products. The government also plans to expand the social insurance coverage by encouraging people to buy life insurance. PM holds working session with Nhan dan newspaper   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Nhan Dan Editor-in-Chief   Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a working session with Nhan dan (People) newspaper in Hanoi on March 5 on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the issuance of its first publication (March 11).  The PM hailed the newspaper as a “flag of thoughts” in Vietnam’s revolutionary press as many of its articles deal with important scientific evidence on the Party guidelines and the State’s legal policies.  He said amidst the fourth industrial revolution 4.0, the paper needs to continue building on the past achievements and tap the existing multimedia model to contribute to the Party and State’s leadership and directions on the press work.  The leader suggested further improving the quality of publications to increase readership and building a staff with political firmness and professionalism.  In the lead-up to the 13th National Party Congress, the paper is required to closely grasp social developments and raise new initiatives to make practical contributions to the nation.  Editor-in-chief of the paper Thuan Huu said the outlet has always well performed its political tasks, raised public awareness of the Party guidelines and State policies, as well as covered domestic and foreign affairs.  As an official news channel of the Party, State and people, Nhan dan newspaper now boasts 10 publications with a staff of over 750 editors, reporters and officials, focusing on raising public awareness of Party building, fighting corruption and preventing wastefulness, behaviors of degradation in political thoughts, self-evolution and self-transformation, sabotaging wrongful and distorted allegations by hostile forces and political opportunists. Vietnamese localities seek stronger cooperation with US   Delegates to the conference.   Potential and advantages of localities in Vietnam’s central key economic zone were introduced at the “Meet The USA 2018” conference which took place in the central city of Da Nang on March 5.  The event was jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Da Nang People’s Committee, the US Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham).  In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son highlighted tangible and effective cooperation between Vietnamese and US localities and businesses across fields.  The US has shown its wish for and commitment to boosting cooperation with Vietnam and other nations in the Asia-Pacific. In response, Vietnam has affirmed its resolve to step up open-door policy and international integration, considering the US a leading important partner, he said.  Vietnam has also highly valued initiatives and endeavours of the US and other countries to maintain peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region, he added.  The official stressed that Vietnam and the US have maintained their trade ties, with stable investments and increasing two-way trade revenue.  Vietnam attaches importance to the relationship with the US and is ready to cooperate with the country in order to continue its reform and renovation process, and create a favourable business environment, Son noted.  He described cooperation between Vietnamese localities and US businesses, partners and localities as a pillar of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership which was established in 2013.  Collaboration at the local level has been a supportive channel for cooperative mechanisms at the Government level, especially in accelerating the implementation of joint projects, he said.  At the conference, Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho introduced potential and advantages of Da Nang in the fields of economics, trade, and international investment, especially its ties with US localities and businesses.  Tho expressed his hope that US partners will continue to accompany the municipal authority and create more cooperative opportunities in investment, trade, smart city building, start-up and education-training with the city.  US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink congratulated Vietnam and Da Nang in particular on the successful hosting of the APEC 2017 Economic Leaders’ Week.  US firms will stand side by side with their Vietnamese partners in development, he said, calling on Vietnam to further push international integration and facilitate the operation of US enterprises in Vietnam.  The “Meet The USA” conference featured four sessions, focusing on Vietnam-US trade and investment prospects 2018 – 2020, smart cities – high technology,  start-up,  education and workforce.  On this occasion, the External Affairs Department under the Foreign Ministry and Coca-Cola Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation. Police asked to follow President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings to build strong force   At the scientific workshop  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong has called on public security officials to continue following teachings of late President Ho Chi Minh to build a strong and transparent force. He made the statement in his letter sent to a scientific workshop held in Hanoi on March 5 and delivered by Senior Lieutenant General To Lam, Minister of Public Security. The Party leader recognised the police’s efforts over the past seven decades to defeat all sabotage plots and activities of hostile forces in addition to crime prevention to ensure national security, social order and safety in any circumstances. He stressed the significance of the workshop and hoped the event make practical contributions to the protection of national security, social order and safety. The event forms part of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the movement of “Public Security Force follow six teachings of Uncle Ho” (March 11, 1948) and 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s call for patriotic emulation campaign (June 11, 1948). During the workshop, participants analysed theoretical and practical values of President Ho Chi Minh's teachings to build and strengthen the Party, and promote the public supervision in the field. Concluding the workshop, Minister To Lam asked the police force to define the continuous implementation of Uncle Ho's teachings as a political task in order to build a strong public security staff in terms of politics, ideology, organisation and morality. Uncle Ho’s six golden letters for the public security force are: “For myself, to be a frugal integrity; For the colleagues, to kindly help; For the government, to must be absolutely loyal; For the people, to be respectful and polite; For the work, to be devoted; For the enemy, must be firmly smart against.” VNN