Scammers bait victims with cheap plane tickets

Many people have been tricked out of money in a rush to buy low-cost plane tickets as the busy year-end season approaches.

Vietnam Airlines allows rescheduling if seats are available and return the tickets at a charge VND600,000 (USD29). Taking advantage of this rule, some scammers offer their services as agents during peak periods around Tet, at half the regular prices. The victims of such scams often provide their private information in order to get the cheap tickets, which is then used by the scammers to cash in on refunds for the return tickets.

Airlines such as VietJetAir and Jetstar do not have a refund policy for tickets, but allow customers to assign their tickets to other customers with a fee of VND310,000. This policy also allows for fraud. Even though a ticket normally costs only VND3 million, service providers offer cheaper prices. After making sales, they sometimes wait a short period before transferring the ticket to another customer. This way, with only one ticket several people could be tricked.

Duong Vinh Trung from Vinh Phuc Province said, "I bought a VND2.6 million Vietnam Airlines ticket through a third party for a flight on January 26. After checking online it seemed everything was fine, but when I re-checked the information, the system showed that my ticket had been returned. I called Vietnam Airlines but the situation was never resolved."

In addition, travel agents said that not many people know how to check on the information for their tickets.

Nguyen Thi Lan, who works in DakLak Province, also discovered she was tricked in early November. Her husband booked tickets online but waited for a long time without receiving them. At first, the agent asked for more time, then refused to answer his phone, she said.

According to Quy, a travel agent in HCM City's District 1, customers must be careful when buying cheap tickets. Le Hieu, the manager of a travel website said, "It's best for customers to know how to book ticket themselves. Moreover, Tet won't come for another two months, so they can easily book a ticket for around VND3 million. The tickets are not as scarce as many people might have thought."

Vietnam, Mongolia promote trade union cooperation

Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) President Dang Ngoc Tung welcomed a delegation from the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Union (CMTU) to Hanoi on November 18.

He expressed his hope that the political visit would contribute to strengthening cooperative relations between the two trade unions, thus fostering solidarity and friendship between the two states.

VGCL President emphasized that the country’s international economic integration has made it difficult for Vietnamese trade unions to protect the legal rights and interests of

labourers, build strong trade union organisations or attract youth union members in the non-state economic sector.

He  highlighted the Mongolian trade union’s solidarity, assistance and cooperation, stressing that the union will continue to support  the labourers’ mutual plight and the world’s trade union movements for peace, development and social advancement.

For his part, CMTU President ,Amgalanbaatar Khayankhyarvaa, said that the trade unions of both nations have cooperated successfully for years and hence mutually beneficial relations have been firmly established.

Amgalanbaatar Khayankhyarvaa was briefed on the country’s socio-political situation and CMTU’s current activities. He said that CMTU is working hard to enlist trade union members.

CMTU has set four major goals for the future, aiming to improve living standards, protecting safety for labourers, strengthening international cooperation and working collaboratively with Vietnamese trade unions.

Future generation tackle issues of climate change

A competition on climate change was launched at Phan Chu Trinh Junior Secondary School in Hanoi, on November 18, by the British Council, the Ministry of Education and Training, the UK Embassy and Live &Learn Centre.

The event was set up in response to Haiyan Typhoon, the recent historic storm which killed thousands of people in the Phillipines.

The contest will run until January 2014  and aims to raise pupils’ awareness of climate change, aswell as encourage them to become actively involved in government initiative’s to cope with the issue.

Further details will be announced on the websites of the British Council, the MoET, education and times newspaper and http://www.thehexanh.net.

The organising board expressed how today’s children and future generations are those most vulnerable to climate change, it is therefore vital they be given the opportunity to speak out and contribute to the fight against global warming.

 It hopes that education on climate change will eventually become an essential part of the school curriculum and activities.

The national strategy on climate change was approved by the Prime Minister in 2011, outlining the serious impacts of climate change on poverty reduction and sustainable development targets.

OV General Association opens its doors in Belgium

The Overseas Vietnamese General Association was set up in Belgium on November 16 with 12 founding members presided over by Huynh Cong My.

The organization’s aim is to meet OVs desires for an official body to promote mutual support, solidarity and contributions to the homeland.

In his speech, ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Pham Sanh Chau highlighted the association establishment as a major task of fulfilling the Politburo’s decree 36 on OV affairs.

He expressed his hope that the society will be a way for OVs in Belgium to promote partnership and bilateral ties between the two countries.

There are now approximately 13,000 OVs living and working in Belgum but this is the first time in over 40 years that the OV community in Belgium has an official organisation.

The association is already preparing various activities in honour of their homeland, including preparations for the upcoming Traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet).

Disputes over land clearance delay river dredging project

Slow land clearance has delayed a project to dredge a stretch of the Day River in Ha Noi's districts of Hoai Duc and Phuc Tho by five months.

The project, worth VND349 billion (US$16.5 million), started in late 2008, and was set to reopen a 25.6km stretch in June.

However, over 2,600 households in Hoai Duc District's Duong Lieu Commune had not received compensation for nearly 4.3ha of land, Tran Anh Tu, head of the Agricultural

Project Management Board under the capital Agriculture and Rural Development Department, told Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) newspaper.

People were only entitled to compensation when their land was identified as agricultural land given by the State to households or individuals for long-term purposes, he said.

The Land Clearance Steering Committee organised a meeting last week to resolve the situation, but the People's Committee of Hoai Duc District failed to prepare full reports and recommendations, he said.

Ngo Manh Cuong, head of the Land Clearance Committee of Phuc Tho District, told Ha Noi Moi newspaper that six households, who owned over 5.100 square metres in Lien

Hiep Commune, had not handed over their land to the project's contractor, although they had received compensation.

The reason for which seemed to be that compensation for local households was inconsistent, he said.

At first, each household was meant to receive compensation for each 13 square metres of land, but that changed to 9.5 square metres, he said.

According to the head of the district's Natural Resources and Environment Office, meetings had been held to resolve the problem, but a solution was yet to be found.

In a related move, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has ordered the Ha Noi People's Committee to speed up the progress of the project to reopen the river

before the 2014 flood season between July and November.

Australia, World Bank fund VN governance

The Australian Embassy and the World Bank in Viet Nam yesterday launched a new round of the Viet Nam Blended Learning Programme with a focus on strengthening good governance.

The WB said in a release that the programme's small grant aims to support institutions in developing knowledge management activities and training programmes that ultimately contribute to more efficient local and central governance through the use of innovative learning technologies and blended approaches.

Being provided for the seventh time, the grants are for up to US$30,000 each.

Police arrest doctor for false diagnosis

Police in southern Long An Province have arrested Truong Chi Si, a doctor at Long An General Hospital for allegedly assisting an offender.

Initial investigations found Si had created a medical record for an offender, stating that the HIV infected patient had progressed to full-blown AIDS.

In accordance with the current law, the offender was let out of jail to receive care from his family. However, the man re-offended during that time and was caught by police in southern An Giang Province.

The offender was tested and found to be free from the HIV virus.

General Giap's family to visit grave site

General Vo Nguyen Giap's grave on Vung Chua- Yen Island in central Quang Binh Province will temporarily close to the public on Thursday morning for his family to commemorate the 49th day since his death.

The grave will continue to welcome tourists from 2pm that day.

General Giap died at Ha Noi's Central Military Hospital 108 on October 4.

Regional cities unite to work on urban planning

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai yesterday called for further co-operation among Asian cities in urban planning and effective use of energy for sustainable development.

He was addressing the 12th plenary meeting of Asian Network of Major Cities in the 21st century (ANMC 21) that opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

Hai said that the 21st century had created new development opportunities for mankind, with great scientific and technological achievements and increased economic links.

However, to achieve strong economic growth, major cities had to face environmental and social challenges including urban planning and management, he said, noting that one of the key solutions to the challenges was solidarity and co-operation.

He also urged measures to promote the engagement of the private sector in urban development and the use of new renewable energy sources.

Chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee Nguyen The Thao said that fast urbanisation in Asia created enormous pressure on cities.

The combination of urban planning and development with low carbon economy through effective use of energy and enhanced response to natural disasters should be focused upon for solutions to green city development.

Director of Ha Noi's Bureau for Urban Planning and Architecture Nguyen Van Hai said that Ha Noi had expanded in 2008 from 921 to 3,000 square kilometres, and the population had increased from 4 million to 6.4 million people.

Planning activities in the city face difficulties including limited human resources and funding, the gap between planning and construction investment management, the conflict between demand to develop new facilities during the process of urbanisation and the conservation of historical cultural buildings.

He said that to address such problems, the city targetted innovative methods of planning, with priority given to develop green belt areas and eco-towns, with respect fornatural values and landscapes as well as tailored management regulations for specific areas such as the Citadel, Old Quarter and colonial streets.

Mikio Ono, senior director for the Cityscape Project from the Tokyo Metroplitant Government's Bureau of Urban Development, said that harmonising urban development with nature, environment, history and culture were key viewpoints for the city.

It delivered policies or support to maximise creative ingenuity of private sector entities, turning the sector's advanced know-how into urban development.

For example, policies to encourage the private sector to restore historic buildings and manage them as art galleries/museums, and support the implementation of projects to reduce carbonic emissions through the use of natural lighting or energy efficient air conditioning in office buildings.

Representatives from other network members including Bangkok, Jakatar and Singapore also shared their experiences and solutions at two policy dialogues yesterday, discussing urban planning and energy efficiency.

As an international network of Asian capitals and major cities, the ANMC21 - established in 2001, now has 13 member cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, New Delhi and Ha Noi.

It undertakes joint projects on common tasks regarding crisis management, environmental countermeasures and industrial development, and applies the outcomes for the prosperity and development of the Asian region.

The annual meeting aims to promote co-operation among its members.

The last meeting held in Singapore had a policy dialogue on the theme of "Balancing Cities' Economic Growth with Social and Environmental Needs", and adopted the

Singapore Declaration, reaffirming member cities' agreement to share knowledge, experiences and technology for the development of sustainable cities.

Flood death toll rises to 16 in Binh Dinh

The National Search and Rescue Committee updated its death toll on Sunday evening, declaring 16 people had been killed and one missing, after flood waters swept through central Binh Dinh Province on Thursday.

Nearly 100,000 houses were flooded, with 84 sustaining damage and six collapsing from the heavy rains. Over four kilometers of road were destroyed in the floods.

The total damage bill is estimated to be more than VND1.8 billion (US$86,000).

Many residential areas in Tuy Phuoc, Phu Cat and Hoai Nhon districts have been inundated, while local authorities are working with the armed forces to assist residents in the area.

Students say thank you to teachers on Facebook

A group of 20 students, including a film personality, has set up a Facebook page to pay tribute to teachers on Teacher's Day, November 20.

Led by Le Hoang Thach, 25, also Viet Nam marketing director of an international contest to make films within 48 hours, it has worked hard for a month to also create a photo album and video clip to post on the page to solicit "thanks" from young people for their teachers.

"Thay co oi! Em cam on" (Dear teacher! Thank you) at https://www.facebook.com/ThayCoOi has got 44,000 ‘like's from students who have also been exchanging and sharing memories of school besides saying thanks to their teachers.

A ten-minute and three-minute clip features interviews of teachers and a touching story involving teachers and students.

There is a contest calling for students to share clips and music clips made by themselves to express their gratitude to teachers.

It was Thach's brainchild to start with, and the others offered to join on Facebook.

Climate change comp launched in the capital

Climate Change and You, a nationwide competition for junior secondary school students in Viet Nam, was launched in Ha Noi yesterday.

The event is taking place in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan, the strongest recorded tropical cyclone to hit Viet Nam. The storm killed thousands in the Philippines.

The competition is part of a joint project between the British Council and Viet Nam's Ministry of Education and Training.

The competition, open until January, aims to raise awareness among students for junior secondary schools about climate change and encourage their inititatives to tackle the problem.

New programme help Vietnam’s governance efficiency

The World Bank (WB) and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam have announced a new round of their Vietnam Blended Learning small grant programme for good governancein Vietnam.

The programme, which now enters the seventh year, will allow organisations in the country at all levels to exchange knowledge and work with international experts to improve their efficiency, management style and research ability.

Under the programme, coordinated by the Vietnam Development Information Centre, each grantee will receive a maximum of 30,000 USD to conduct the work. To date, 18 organisations and agencies have been funded, benefiting 1,278 learners.

Improving governance has been a key programme in the WB and Australian government’s support for Vietnam with the aim of increasing the public’s engagement and responsibility in combating corruption.-

Tuyen Quang invests 27 ml USD in poor district

The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang has decided to invest 580 billion VND (27.26 million USD) to boost socio-economic development in Lam Binh, one of its poorest districts, for the 2013-2017 period.

Of the total investment, 346.5 billion VND is from the state budget and the local budget will shoulder 140 billion VND, while the remaining will be funded by Government bonds and ODA capital.

The project will focus on building necessary infrastructure system for sustainable agro-forestry development and the effective exploitation of the local potential and strengths, thus improving living conditions for local residents, mostly ethnic minorities.

The province aims to reduce the ratio of poor households in the district to 50 percent by 2015, raise per capita income to 14.6 million VND per year and 21 million VND by 2017, and bring the rate of malnourished children down to below 18 percent and 16 percent by 2017.

The project will also provide vocational training to more than 4,000 rural labourers and create 18,500 new jobs.-

Local military command offers aids to flood victims

The Military Command of the central province of Quang Ngai on November 18 sent four military medical teams to localities hard hit by recent floods to help them stabilise their lives.

The teams gave free check-ups and medicine to more than 1,000 people in the province’s Nghia Thuan and Duc Hiep communes.

They conducted sanitation activities at 300 households and sterilised over 100 wells.

In the days to come, the command plans to send similar teams to other localities to offer health checks and environmental sanitation, helping locals overcome the floods’ consequences and bring their lives back to normal.

Japan helps Thua Thien-Hue provide safe water

A Japanese funded water supply project was launched in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on November 18.

The Yokohama Waterworks Bureau will provide 600,000 USD to the three-year project, which will be carried out by the Thua Thien-Hue Construction and Water Supply One Member Limited Liability Company (HueWACO).

Under the project, the two sides will exchange relevant technologies in order to improve the management of water supply in Thua Thien-Hue.

Since 2002, the Yokohama Waterworks Bureau has dispatched experts and helped the locality train officials in this sector while implementing various water supply activities in the central province.

The bureau has funded many projects for the locality, including a 4.6 million USD project on human resources development in the water supply sector in the central region of Vietnam during the periods of 2007-2009 and 2010-2013.

Thanks to the assistance, HueWACO has been successful in managing water quality and water pipelines, personnel training and improving its services.-

Decrees drive urban development in Vietnam

Cities and towns worldwide are facing major sustainability challenges. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi told Kinh te - Do thi (Economics and Cities) newspaper what Vietnam is doing to aid urban systems.

* In the context of rapid urbanisation, has Vietnam adopted any pro-active plan to cope with climate changes?

According to assessments by foreign organisations, Vietnam is one of the countries being the most impacted upon by climate change. Our cities are facing challenges from storms and typhoons, heavy rains, flash floods, land erosion, droughts and rising sea levels.

Climate change is impacting on our urban systems in more and more obvious ways these days, it is affecting our economy, infrastructure, society and our natural environment.

Facing such a situation, it is imperative for us to adopt a workable strategy and development orientation, including appropriate planning and solutions to become resilient to climate change for the time being and also for many years to come.

The Vietnamese government has issued many legal documents guiding urban development in our country in the context of climate change, including the National Strategy on Climate Change, the Strategy on National Environment Protection (2003), Strategic Orientation for National Sustainable Development (the Vietnam Agenda 21 which was

adopted in August 2004) and the National Strategy on Green Growth from 2011-20 and a document on the overall vision by 2050.

To turn these legal documents into reality, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has been in the process of developing a framework relating to guiding the construction and urban development sector.

Of course, during the compiling process, climate change is an essential element integrated into all documents, particularly in the field of Construction Law, Housing Law, the Law on Urban Planning and others.

At present, MoC is compiling the Green Building Development Strategy from now till 2030 and a vision to 2050.

In addition, MoC has also submitted to the Prime Minister the proposal - Urban Development in Vietnam in Response to Climate Change - and is waiting for approval.

The proposal will serve as an important reference for the implementation of various programmes or projects gearing toward the development of green and resilient cities in the context of climate change.

* Government Decree 11/2013 is considered as a breakthrough in urban development in Vietnam. So in your opinion, what is the document's impact on urban development?

This decree has an immense significance. It comprehensively regulates all investment activities on urban development, including the work of planning to build a new urban area or to renovate, restore or upgrade the old towns.

The decree also regulates the establishment of Regional Urban Development Management Board with specific duties, including supervision tasks to ensure the project owners follow the blueprint designs which have been approved.

I'm confident the decree will help to make construction activities in our country more law abiding in future.

* Does the decree cover the idea of "community consultation" in urban development planning?

Under the decree, information disclosure on any urban development plan becomes a must. As a result, the community will be consulted right from the planning stage to construction.

Information disclosure will ensure the best use of available urban resources while limiting the negative impact of lawless development.

At the same time, the decree will serve as a solid foundation for the introduction of the urban green growth model.-

Tokyo offers support to Hanoi

Tokyo hopes to support Vietnam in environmental protection, water drainage, athlete training, and education, which are all Japan’s strengths.

Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose said at his meeting with Nguyen The Thao, Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee, on November 18 in the framework of the meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities in the 21 st century (ANMC21) in Hanoi.

In the time to come, Tokyo is ready to organise seminars to seek ways to address air pollution in Hanoi, provide training for staff working in water drainage as well as highly qualified athletes to attend regional competitions, and seek to generate jobs for Vietnamese students in Tokyo.

Chairman Thao valued the long-lasting cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, and Hanoi and Tokyo in particular, especially when the Tokyo-initiated ANMC21 was set up.

He recommended a joint statement and memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the aforesaid four areas, saying they are all the most pressing issues facing the city.

Gala brings together Vietnamese students in UK

The annual gala was held at the Logan Hall by the Vietnamese Students’ Association at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (VNLSE) , drawing Vietnamese students across the UK.

The 12th event featured a host of performances, blending contemporary and traditional culture and attaching to topical issues that drew the attention of the youth.

At the beginning of the show, all participants held a minute’s silence to commemorate victims of super typhoon Haiyan, which swept through the Philippines and Vietnam in early November.

The event coincides with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the UK.

Money raised from ticket sales will be donated to charity organisations in Vietnam and help the victims of Vietnamese Agent Orange and natural disasters, and disadvantaged children.

The VNLSE show also paid special attention to raise donation for the fund Com co thit (Rice with meet), with the hope to help improve the quality of meals for the needy children in the remote areas in the homeland.

Logan Hall with capacity of 933 seats was full of Vietnamese and international students in the UK, manifesting its significant role to the spiritual life to the Vietnamese student community in the UK.-

Mekong Delta farmers grow rice in green model

Mekong Delta provinces are encouraging local farmers to grow rice sustainably by following a model which will earn them higher profits and contribute to environmental protection.

In 37 pilot areas across ten southern provinces, farmers reported that they have saved 45kg of seedlings and 5kg of fertiliser per hectare during winter-spring crops since 2007.

The rate of crop disease is low, failing to significantly harm growth.

Under this model, the total cost in seeding, tilling, fertilisers, pesticides and pumping systems per hectare is 9 million VND (420 USD), 2 million VND (100 USD) lower thanthe sum used in normal cultivation.

The per-ha output during two crops per year amounts to 5.6 tonnes, reaping 13.4 million VND (600 USD), up 3 million VND (150 USD).-

Germany transfers shoreline database, guidelines

German organisations launched a geospatial database and a paper titled “Shoreline Management Guidelines: Coastal Protection in the Lower Mekong Delta” in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18.

The database was built by the Vietnamese – German technical cooperation project on management of natural resources in the coastal zone of Soc Trang province and the German International Cooperation (GIZ).

German experts said that the geospatial database is compiled using information from various sources in Vietnam and contains maps dating back to 1904, which are stored in France .

Shoreline changes can only be recognised after a long period of time, therefore this database will provide policy makers and planners with an insight into the changes that have taken place over many years. This knowledge will allow them to propose site-specific measures to protect the shoreline.

Deputy General Director of Water Resource Directorate Nguyen Van Tinh spoke highly of the German partners’ efforts, saying that the documents will help improve shoreline management in Vietnam and the Mekong Delta region in particular.-

HCM City hosts SE Asian zoological conference

The 21 st Conference of the Southeast Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18, drawing nearly 200 delegates from 20 countries and territories.

The three-day conference, themed “Southeast Asian zoos grow together”, offers an opportunity for participants to share their experience, ideas and initiatives for the interest

of zoo communities in SEAZA.

They are focusing discussions on raising animals and veterinary medicine in zoos, zoo marketing and education, biodiversity and preservation, zoo design, ethics in caring for animals, and animal breeding.

The Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens is one of the official members of SEAZA, which was established in Indonesia in 1990 with the aim of increasing Southeast Asian zoos’

capacity in wildlife conservation, public education and entertainment, and promoting their images to the world.

Vietnamese MoET and Microsoft’s cooperation agreement inked

Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (MoET) and Microsoft today signed a training agreement serving the ICT human resource development strategy in the education sector.

The signing ceremony held in Hanoi was witnessed by Dr. Nguyen Vinh Hien, the MoET’s Vice Minister, Vu Minh Tri, general manager of Microsoft Vietnam, Mark East, senior director of Business Development for Education and Stefan Sjoestroem, PS lead of Microsoft on the occasion of his visit to Vietnam.

The agreement deployment will be of great beneficial for staffs in education and training sector, lecturers, students and pupils to enhance their ICT usage from elementary to advance in their management as well as teaching and learning skills. Apart from that, the agreement will also be seen as the premise for a wide range of activities under ‘Partners in Learning’ programme in Vietnam within the period of present till 2016.

As much as it may recall, the first agreement had been signed in June 2005 on the former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s visit to the US. On this basis, Microsoft has firmly and effectively coordinated with Vietnam’s MoET in providing ICT tools for Vietnam teachers and students with the aim of raising teaching and learning capacity in schools throughout Vietnam.

Since then, the agreement has been re-signed and certain achievements have been gained as a result. So far 65,000 teachers and 2.1 million pupils in 5,150 schools have been reported with typical success from the programme. The project itself also created solid linkage with many departments of Education and Training from Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang, Hau Giang, Tien Giang, Haiphong, Hue, Hai Duong, Bac Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

“We treasured Microsoft’s efforts in supporting education activities in Vietnam,” said MoET’s Vice Minister Hien at the signing ceremony.

As agreed, the two sides will boost their cooperation in fundamental and expanded elements relating to this Microsoft global initiative. These elements might be selected and applied in each province’s developing programmes depending on actual needs. Some of these elements can be named as ICT & Communication application in enhancing pedagogic capability for teachers, ICT & Communication application in school’s organisation and management, ICT equipment for national education programme.

Vu Minh Tri, Microsoft Vietnam’s general manager said: “Supporting Vietnam human potentiality and human resource is among one of Microsoft strong commitments. It is our great honor to witness many Microsoft programmes particularly the projects in the education sector have been bringing lots of benefits for teachers and students all over the world as well as in Vietnam.”

As part of the agreement, Microsoft will equip ICT tools for Vietnam’s education sector via the programmes of funding free Microsoft Office 365 software licences for schools to help expanding their teaching and learning activities, digital approach via Shape the Future programme and the comprehensive training programme to support IT education and provide recognised certificates for students, pedagogues and Microsoft IT Academy (ITA) staffs.

The signing of this agreement will hence allow Microsoft and the MoET to employ latest ICT initiatives in education reform as well as funding ICT equipment for the national education to keep going on the journey of turning ICT into the concrete power transforming Vietnam education system comprehensively.

Administrative punishments in advertising sector

The Government on November 12 promulgated Decree 158/2013/ND-CP, under which advertising products that are banned from being advertised shall be fined up to VND 100 million (nearly US$5,000).

Specifically, a fine between US2,000 and US$2,500 shall be imposed on those who carry out advertisements on tobacco, liquor with alcohol content exceeding 15 degree, breast-milk substitutes for children under 24 months of age, nutritional supplements for children under six months, and others.

Advertising products that stimulate sexuality, shotguns and ammunition, sporting weapons shall be punished with a fine from around US$3,500 to US$5,000.

A fine between US$2,500 and US$3,500 shall be imposed for confused and deceived advertisements.

The Decree is scheduled to take effect since January 1, 2014.

HCM City education agency wants to cut expenses on teachers’ day

The HCM City's Department of Education and Training said they would prefer virtual flowers and e-cards over fresh flower and gifts on Vietnamese Teachers' Day on November 20.

The department made this clear in an official document which was recently sent to departments, branches and agencies citywide.

Le Hong Son, Director of the department, said, “On the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers’ Day, we expect to receive the courtesy of many organisations and agencies, we would just like them to come through email.”

According to Son, the request is aimed at showing their affection and the will to cut expenses.

Previously Vietnamese often had the tradition of presenting teachers flowers and other presents they thought teachers would need in their work like pens, notebooks or teaching accessories.

In recent few years though, instead of choosing traditional gifts for teachers, many people spend millions of VND on presents such as luxury cosmetics, bags and high-tech devices.

Several parents admitted to giving money in envelopes with a gift to their children's teachers.

Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri