President commends judicial reform plan

The Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform held a conference in HCM City yesterday (Dec 9) to discuss a draft report reviewing a resolution on the judicial reform strategy for 2020 in the southern region.

Speaking at the event, President Truong Tan Sang, who is also head of the committee, lauded the opinions of leaders of ministries, sectors and localities participating in the conference, which he said will help the committee complete the report, to be submitted to the Party Politburo.

He stressed that after eight years of implementation, the resolution has gained remarkable results. The judicial reform strategy has been put forth by Party organisations from the grassroots to central levels.

The awareness by officials, Party members and the public about the position and role of judicial offices, rights and activities, has increased significantly, he said.

However, he also noted several shortcomings, including the lack of a system and uneven implementation of the strategy.

President Sang said that the implementation of the strategy has an important meaning, as it seeks to build a clean, strong and democratic judiciary to serve the country and protect the public. This is also one of the basic tasks needed to build a socialist rule-of-law state, he added.

HCM City People’s Council opens 12th session

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on December 9 convened its 12 th session to review the implementation of this year’s socio-economic goals and set development targets for 2014.

The council’s Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam said the session will focus on the municipal People’s Committee’s reports on the year’s socio-economic and cultural situation, the city’s budget management and the outcomes of tackling voters’ suggestions.

A report presented by Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong noted the city’s GDP is estimated at 764.4 trillion VND (35.93 billion USD) in 2013, a year-on year increase of 9.3 percent.

Looking back the first three years of its five-year plan from 2011-2013, the city has maintained an annual average GDP growth of 9.6 percent, Hong said, adding that the economic structure has been adjusted in a right direction and the control of inflation has been boosted.

The city targets a GDP growth rate of 9.5-10 percent next year and raises export turnover by 10 percent from this year’s estimated 26.3 billion USD./

Tribute paid to South Africa’s late President

Organisations and individuals who love late President Nelson Mandela can leave their words for the eminent leader in a funeral book placed in the South African Embassy in Vietnam from December 9-13.

On the afternoon of December 9, more than ten delegations went to the embassy to pay tribute to the late South African leader, including the World Bank, Cuban Embassy, Indian Embassy and Venezuelan Embassy, among others.

Mandela passed away on December 5, leaving the world’s people saddened.

He was a staunch soldier and a prominent hero of the South African people, who devoted his whole life to the fight against oppression, injustice and apartheid, and constantly sought freedom, justice, equality and social progress for South Africa and the world.-

Vietnam, Morocco boost bilateral ties

Morocco has recognized Vietnam as a market economy.

This was affirmed at the third meeting of the Vietnam-Morocco Joint Committee and the fourth Political Consultative Meeting between the two foreign ministries in Rabat on December 9-10.

Morocco Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mbarka Bouiada spoke highly of Vietnam’s recent achievements in the process of national construction and development and pledged to help strengthen bilateral cooperation within the framework of South-South cooperation.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Nga emphasied that the two countries should focus on creating the best possible conditions for exchange of goods, such as coffee, pepper, seafood, telephones and components, footwear, and garment from Vietnam as well as DAP fertiliser, seafood, computers, clothes, and pharmaceuticals from Morocco.

The two sides agreed to implement the existing agreements, sign new ones related to investment and customs, and share experience in seaport and aviation security, as well as in other fields of transport, agriculture, seafood, construction, education and training, health care, environment, information technology and communications, culture and sports.

During the meeting, Nga met with Mohamed Faouzi Allal, First Vice-President of the Moroccan House of Councillors and Mohamed Nabil Banabdallah, Minister of Housing, Town Planning, & Urban Policy.

Vietnam’s amended Constitution announced

The Presidential Office on December 9 hosted a press conference in Hanoi to announce the orders of the President to promulgate the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the National Assembly’s Resolution stipulating the implementation of a number of the Constitution’s points.
 

President Truong Tan Sang signed the order to promulgate the Constitution. (Source: VNA)

On behalf of the President, Vice Chairman of the Office Giang Son announced the Orders, No. 18/2013/L-CTN and No. 19/2013/L-CTN, on the promulgation of the Constitution and the NA’s resolution respectively.

The Constitution, which was revised on the basis of the 1992 document, was adopted at the freshly-ended sixth session of the 13th National Assembly with nearly 98 percent of votes.

Speaking at the event, Phan Trung Ly, Chairman of the NA’s Law Committee, announced the basic contents of the amended Constitution, saying that the document was thoroughly and strictly prepared.

The Constitution is the result of the hard work and enthusiastic discussions of all lawmakers, based on crucial input from people from all walks of life, NA deputies, experts and scientists. It reflects the intelligence, will and aspiration of the greatest majority of people and presented the will of the Party and heart of the people and the unanimity of the whole political system, Ly added.

The revised Constitution is divided into 11 chapters with 120 articles (one chapter and 27 articles fewer than the previous version) and will come into force from January 1, 2014.

Along with the Constitution, the NA also issued a resolution to stipulate a number of points on the implementation of the Constitution. In order to ensure that the Constitution is abided by and strictly executed in all aspects of social life, the Resolution defined the responsibility of State agencies at all levels and concerned agencies in implementing the Constitution as well as propagating the content of the document.

Answering reporters’ questions related to the Constitution, Ly said relevant agencies have made plans to build additional draft laws to meet the demand of enforcing the Constitution.

A number of questions on related issues were also addressed at the press conference.

VNU plays key role for science research

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said Viet Nam National University, Ha Noi (VNU), must be a cradle of basic scientific research, providing scientists for education-training and the science-technology sectors.

At a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday (Dec 9) to mark the 20th anniversary of VNU, Party chief Trong lauded what the university has accomplished over the past 20 years, saying it has gradually established itself as the core of Viet Nam's educational system, with an expanding role in the region and beyond.

Directing its tasks for the coming years, he insisted on better performance and employability among students by engaging them in practical curricular activities.

To this end, VNU must develop a contingent of staff with a solid professional background, working in a friendly and democratic environment, Trong noted.

He further asked for concrete measures to attract talent and able scientists, both at home and abroad, who should also be entitled to additional incentives. According to him, those who show a strong sense of responsibility and fulfil their assigned tasks, should be rewarded.

VNU Director Phung Xuan Nha reported that the research-orientated university, based on the restructuring of several universities, is now an entity of 28 departments.

It groups six universities, three research institutes and other units in the natural and social sciences, technology, economics, law, foreign languages, medicine and pharmacy.

HCM City People’s Council opens 12th session

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on December 9 convened its 12 th session to review the implementation of this year’s socio-economic goals and set development targets for 2014.

The council’s Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam said the session will focus on the municipal People’s Committee’s reports on the year’s socio-economic and cultural situation, the city’s budget management and the outcomes of tackling voters’ suggestions.

A report presented by Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong noted the city’s GDP is estimated at 764.4 trillion VND (35.93 billion USD) in 2013, a year-on year increase of 9.3 percent.

Looking back the first three years of its five-year plan from 2011-2013, the city has maintained an annual average GDP growth of 9.6 percent, Hong said, adding that the economic structure has been adjusted in a right direction and the control of inflation has been boosted.

The city targets a GDP growth rate of 9.5-10 percent next year and raises export turnover by 10 percent from this year’s estimated 26.3 billion USD.

PM urges Hai Phong to support development

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the northern port city of Hai Phong to combine industrial development with restructuring, prioritising high-tech and higher value-added products and exports.

At a working session with key municipal leaders in Hai Phong on December 9, the PM described industry as the locality’s advantage along with its seaports, an airport and relatively synchronous infrastructure.

He asked the city to heed domestic and foreign investment attraction while giving more importance to agricultural development with the application of science and technology in this field in order to yield high value-added products.

“The city needs to roll out policies to lure investors in rural areas, thus attracting labourers and contributing to the restructuring of the rural economy,” he said.

The leader also suggested the building of specific policies and mechanisms to spur the development of modern services for tourism and human resources development.

Hai Phong was requested to implement the new-style rural area building programme more drastically and continue poverty reduction, rural job generation, enhancing national defence and security, and ensuring social safety and order.

At the meeting, PM Dung highly valued the city’s efforts in handling difficulties and extracting its potential and advantages for development over the past three years.

Apart from increased capacity of seaports, positive results have been seen in various fields, ranging from foreign direct investment attraction, services, agriculture and new-style rural area building to administrative reform, ensuring social order and reducing traffic accidents, he said.

In order to fulfil the five-year plan (2011-2015), PM Dung underlined the need for the city to comprehensively evaluate the implementation of socio-economic tasks over the past three years.

According to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Dien, the locality’s gross domestic product growth reached 7.51 percent, about 1.4 times higher than the national average this year.

Foreign direct investment hit a record of over 2.6 billion USD, ranking third nationwide, he said.

The “National Tourism Year of the Red River Delta-Hai Phong 2013” has helped to polish the city’s image, attracting more than five million visitors to the city, up 11.2 percent against the same period last year.

The municipal official said Hai Phong has set a target of addressing difficulties in production, boosting growth and economic recovery in line with renewing its growth model, urban economic restructuring, socio-cultural development, ensuring social welfare and improving people’s living standards.

Urban management and development, new-style rural area building and environmental production, will also receive more attention, he said.

At the same time, the city will give more importance to scientific and technological development, the improvement of personnel quality, administrative reform, anti-corruption and wastefulness, external affairs and international integration, national defence and security, political security, social order and safety.

The city strives to reach an economic growth rate of 8-9 percent next year, he said.

Viet Nam, Czech Republic beef up defence links

Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh hosted a reception for Czech Ambassador to Viet Nam Martin Kalepko in Ha Noi yesterday, Dec 9.

Vinh praised the relationship between the two Governments, emphasising new developments in military links, including defence and personnel training.

The two representatives reached a consensus on increasing delegation exchanges, boosting collaboration in humanitarian relief, defence, bomb and mine clearance and sharing knowledge on participation in UN peacekeeping forces.

Party chief hears issues of public concern

On Saturday, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met with voters in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem in Ha Noi and listened to their issues of concern.

Several people expressed doubts over the performance and attitudes of some State officials who are also Party members, and called for greater training and supervision, particularly for those working at grassroots levels.

Criticisms were also raised over the construction and operation of hydro-power plants in some parts of the country which have damaged thousands of hectares of forest and disrupted the lives and property of those living nearby due to poor or irresponsible administration.

The management of urban planning and construction also posed a problem, voters said, claiming that they had asked for illegal or damaged buildings to be dealt with on numerous occasions, but to no avail.

They also touched on education shortcomings, including the lack of pre-schools in contrast to the number of universities, many of which have with few students.

The Party chief said he hoped that voters would continue to provide feedback and ideas to the NA, Party and State in the future.

NA Vice Chairman visits Norway

Senior Norwegian officials have made clear their intention to improve trade and investment with Viet Nam in addition to pursuing bilateral partnerships in line with environmental issues.

This was announced when Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam National Assembly (NA) Uong Chu Luu held talks with First Vice President of the Norwegian Parliament Marit Nabykk; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Tore Schei; and top officials of the Norwegian Prosecution Authority; as well as parliamentary committees on justice, scrutiny and constitutional affairs, external affairs, and defence, during Luu's visit to Norway late last week.

Nabykk suggested that both countries embrace new co-operative fields, such as adapting to climate change, forestation and negotiations on a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

It was the first visit by a high-ranking Vietnamese parliamentary delegation since the two nations established their diplomatic ties in 1971.

Thai National Day celebration in HCM City

Vietnam and Thailand have regularly exchanged visits to promote cooperation in all fields, especially in economics, national security and defence, culture, tourism, education and training in recent years.

Truong Hoa, President of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association in HCM City made the statement at a meeting on December 9 to mark the 86th birthday of Thailand’s King and National Day (December 5).

Hoang said bilateral trade turnover hit US$5.4 billion in three quarters of this year, up 14.2% compared to the same period last year. Thailand currently ranks ninth among foreign investors in Vietnam with 315 projects with a total capitalisation of US$6.38 billion. HCM City alone has more than 100 Thailand-invested projects worth more than US$127 million.

Vietnam has invested more than US$12 million in nine projects in Thailand.

Thai Consul General Panpimon Suwannaponge said 2013 is an important year as the two countries have officially lifted their relations to the level of strategic partnership and ready for closer cooperation in the coming period.

She presented more than VND100 million and 800 bath to the Vietnam-Thailand Charity Fund.

On the occasion, the Thai Business Association in HCM City granted 20 scholarships to disadvantaged students.