Shop blaze kills four family members

 

 

 

Four members of a family were killed after their general store suddenly caught fire in southern Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province's Toc Tien Commune yesterday morning.

The victims are a couple, their 15-year-old son and 74-year-old father. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.

Rescue teams failed to save the victims because it took time to break down the family's automatic rolling door, which was tightly closed, when the blaze occurred at 1am.

The case is under investigation.

Dozens survive passenger bus fire

Dozens managed to escape a passenger bus with bunk beds after it was on fire in Ha Tinh province early on November 4.

The North-South express bus caught fire when it was travelling past Phu Viet commune, Thach Ha district, at 04.00am.

The blaze was said to break out at the rear-end of the bus and quickly spread across the vehicle.

Passengers managed to get out of the bus before local fire fighters put out the roaring fire within 30 minutes.   

Investigation into the cause of the incident is under way.

Students win American Academy scholarships

As many as 28 students in the central city were awarded scholarships worth a total of VND1 billion (US$48,000) yesterday.

Funded by the American Academy, an English training centre in Da Nang, the scholarships went to 10 outstanding students at colleges and universities of sport, arts, culture and social sciences and 18 students in underprivileged areas.

Petechial fever hits central province

An outbreak of petechial fever is spreading through Thua Thien-Hue Province, with 606 cases and one death reported in the last two months, according to the provincial Health Department.

The department is working with local authorities to wipe out the unsightly skin disease, including dredging sewerage and spraying chemicals to stamp out the mosquito population.

The fever was spreading because of an increased number of mosquitoes due to favorable breeding conditions brought on after nearly a dozen storms saturated region, director of the department Nguyen Dung said yesterday.

Surgeon prosecuted for dumping body

Ha Noi Police on Thursday prosecuted and remanded in custody Nguyen Manh Tuong, a surgeon from Bach Mai hospital, who was accused of malpractice resulting in the death of his patient.

According to the police, Tuong performed cosmetic surgery on a woman without a licence to do so.

On October 19, he and his accomplice, Dao Quang Khanh, threw the body of his patient into the Red River after the botched breast surgery resulted in her death.

Da Nang launches private bus route

The central city launched its first privately financed bus route on Thursday in an effort to ease the personal vehicle use in the area.

The 60km route will connect main streets and industrial parks in Son Tra peninsula in Da Nang city and Quang Nam Province's districts.

 It will operate 12 hours a day, from 5am to 5pm and help transport 16,000 commuters monthly, connecting Da Nang's Tho Quang ward and Dai Chanh in Quang Nam province.

The city plans to develop five Bus Rapid Transit routes and 14 regular bus routes by 2020.

Japan helps Vietnam develop eco-cities

 The Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Traffic, and Tourism (MLITT) has discussed solutions to implement the Vietnam-Japan inter-governmental project on developing eco-cities in Vietnam.

Accordingly, a cooperation document on the project has been by the two ministries with the intention of formalizing and speeding project implementation, Deputy Construction Minister Nguyen Thanh Nghi said.

The document identified project targets for the short, medium and long-term, implementation methods, and each side’s responsibilities for providing and dealing with information.

The MLITT will provide technical support for the project based on standards related to Vietnam’s eco-cities.

The two sides discussed project implementation feasibility for selected sites including Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Binh Duong and HCM City.

They will set up a joint working group to discuss in detail plans to carry out the project in 2014.

Australia provides free eye tests to poor people

 

 

 

More than 530 economically disadvantaged residents of Don Duong district’s Tu Tra Commune in Lam Dong Province have received free eye tests as part of the Australian Fred Hollows Foundation’s (FHF) “comprehensive eye care model”.

Lam Dong Social Diseases Prevention Centre (SDPC) Deputy Eye Department Head Doctor Pham Thi Hanh said the SDPC has invested more than VND1.1 billion in ophthalmology equipment and facilities.

The centre also trained six eye specialists for assignments in provincial districts.

The SDPC will continue to offer eye tests to Lac Duong, Da Teh, and Don Duong district residents. One hundred poor people are due to receive free cataract surgery this November.

The FHF is an Australian non-governmental eye health organisation with branches in many countries.

The “comprehensive eye care model” has been introduced in 15 Vietnamese provinces and cities.

350kg fish caught in Ha Tinh

A local fisherman on October 31 netted a giant fish near a beach of Ky Loi commune, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province.

The fish, weighing approximately 350kg and 4.5m in length, looks like a shark species with eye-catching white dots on its body.

Some local elderly people believed the fish belongs to a whale shark, others said this is a strange species of fish that swam ashore 50 years ago.

In August, a local fisherman in Nghe An province also caught a 800-kg whale shark in the waters, about 140 nautical miles off the central coast.

He donated the giant fish to the Vietnam National Museum of Nature for research purposes.  

Quang Tri seizes five drug traffickers

Police and customs officials in Quang Tri province have arrested five drug traffickers following a raid in Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district on October 30.

Searching the house of Truong Minh Duc, a local resident in Lao Bao town, law enforcers also seized almost 500 ecstasy pills, VND68 million in cash, a passport, an ATM card, and other assorted images.

The offenders were identified as Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, Le Loc, Ho Van Dung, and Truong Minh Duc—all residing in Lao Bao town—and Le Minh Duong, a resident of Huong Hoa district’s Bich La Dong commune.

Duc confessed he has used drugs for 10 years and employed Hoang, Loc, and Duong to smuggle narcotics from Laos.

Further investigations are underway.

Korean company donates scholarships to Vietnamese students

Doosan Vina has recently presented 110 scholarships worth VND400 million (about US$19, 000) to University students in Vietnam.

Beneficiaries are universities in Ho Chi Minh City, the central provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, and the central city of Danang.

Every year, the Republic of Korean company gives scholarships along with generating a number of jobs for graduates.

Since its first programme launched five years ago, Doosan Vina has spent more than US$2 million on its voluntary work focusing on health care and education contributing to Vietnam’s sustainable development.

Pre-school offers free ‘multi-sensory' course

The Saigon Academy International Pre-school is offering free "Multi-sensory training courses" on four weekends this month for children from 18 months to 5 years old.

The courses are designed to help the children develop their thinking and language skills, their aesthetic sense, attitude as well as several other life skills.

The approach is based on the early education principle of "learning through playing," so class time is a really interesting time for children.

Teachers only guide, inspire and help, while the kids are happy and excited to engage themselves in exploring the world around them. Interested parents can call the school and register for one free course on November 2, 9, 17 or 24.

Music show celebrates Vietnam’s 90 million population event

Vietnam welcomed its 90 million population event by an impressive music show at Hanoi Opera House on November 2.

The music show entitled “90 million hearts love Vietnam” aims to popularise all people with opportunities and challenges when Vietnam’s population hits 90 million as well as promote love and pride of the nation.

Addressing the event, National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said Vietnam’s population growth reaching the level of 90 million is an important event, opening up new opportunities for national development.

The country has officially entered a period of “golden population structure”, once in a lifetime for any nation’s demographic development. As a matter of fact, Vietnam should seize the opportunity to speed up socio-economic development, Ngan emphasised.

With more than 62 million people in the working age, accounting for 69 percent of total population, Vietnam now enjoys abundant labour force.

Vietnam’s large population and abundant labour force have created both opportunities and challenges for the country.

The NA Vice Chairwoman also highlighted the importance of population and family planning which is one of the important factors in ensuring a rapid and sustainable national development.

Vietnam’s achievement in population and family planning work over the last half century has contributed to implementing millennium development goals (MDGs), said Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.

Population targets have been met with the ratio of birth replacement maintained for years (2.05 children), life expectancy of 73 and population growth dropping to 1.06 percent.

The Health Minister also affirmed that population and family planning has played an important part in the national development strategy.-

Ha Noi boosts administrative reform

 

 

 

Ha Noi's Department of Natural Resources and Environment is granting land use and home ownership certificates online as part of a series of administrative reforms in land management, said the department's vice director Nguyen Trong Dong.

In May, the department launched a pilot programme to grant certificates online. Of the 921 certificates granted in the first nine months of the year, 155 were done online.

Moreover, 40.6 per cent of nearly 19,250 land plots were certified online, according to the department.

The department asked organisations to apply for land use certificates by the end of this year. After that, organisations that fail to report the current situation of their land will be fined or face higher rents. Those who found using land ineffectively or renting illegally will be evicted.

Vice director Dong said that the department sought to create a "one-stop shop" to simplify administrative procedures.

Working with the department leaders last month, Ha Noi People's Council chairwoman Ngo Thi Doan Thanh asked them to take drastic measures to improve access to land as well as stable land use by people and organisations in the city.

She asked for regular inspections in order to detect land use violations.

Land auction to add VND2 trillion to city budget

To collect more money for the city's budget, the Ha Noi People's Committee auctioned land use certificates, mostly farming land plots in residential areas.

In the first eight months of this year, the city collected VND2.47 trillion ($117 million), accounting for only 20.7 per cent of the target. Out of VND772 billion ($36 million) collected from auctioning land use certificates, nearly VND450 billion ($21 million) came from 2.5 hectares of farming land in residential areas.

Despite the gloomy real estate market, land could still attract buyers by being sold for farming. Vice director of Natural Resources and Environment Department Nguyen Trong Dong said that such land was still available in rapidly urbanised suburban districts such as Hoang Mai, Hoai Duc, Tu Liem and Thanh Tri.

Dredging firms in hot water

Two commercial sand dredging enterprises operating in Tra Khuc River causing serious erosions have been suspended following protests by affected locals this week.

Hundreds of residents in Tu Nghia District's Nghia An Commune caused general disorder and traffic jams on National Highway 1A on Sunday morning as they gathered to protest against the disruptive activities of the companies.

According to the locals, intensive sand mining by Truong Phat Loc Joint Stock Company and Ngoc Viet Production, Trading and Service Co, Ltd had caused serious erosion and blocked waterways used by hundreds of local fishing vessels, undermining the safety of nearby residents.

The protest was taken to the office of the district's People's Committee, where the leaders of provincial government and relevant authorities in central Quang Ngai Province took the grievances into consideration.

After talks held with the locals on Monday the chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Cao Khoa, said the authority now required the two enterprises to stop the dredging and to repair damage caused by resulting landslides.

He also asked the relevant authorities to promptly clear out the river mouth in the next four days.

Vo Thi Anh Dao, a resident in Nghia An Commune, said that the commercial sand extraction had begun in March and the resulting activity by the two companies had caused landslides altering the river mouth with thick silt deposits.

The impact of the dredging had also disrupted the daily activities of local fishermen by preventing more than 100 fishing vessels from accessing anchorages previously used, she added.

Regarding the landslides, the provincial Party Committee Secretary Vo Van Thuong urged relevant agencies to build a temporary embankment to prevent further damage.

The province would then establish a project to build a permanent embankment that would effectively avoid further sand encroachment.

Viet Nam to observe Law Day nationwide

Viet Nam Law Day will be observed nationwide for the first time from November 4-10 in order to raise a public sense of respect for the Constitution and the law.

The theme will be "All people build, follow and uphold the Constitution with the goal of a prosperous people and a strong, democratic, just and civilised country." This theme reflects the philosophy that "all State power belongs to the people" set in the Constitution.

The launch ceremony, to be broadcast live from Ha Noi, marks the adoption of the Constitution in 1946.

The mass media will also run articles and documentaries about legal documents as part of the "Studying and following moral examples of President Ho Chi Minh" campaign.

Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian students increase exchanges

An art and culture exchange was held in the southern province of Dong Nai on November 1 for local students to better understand those from Laos and Cambodia.

Themed “Circle of Friends 2013”, the programme included a series of activities such as cultural, art and cuisine exchanges, sports events and a camping contest.

Over 100 Lao and Cambodian students are pursuing higher education in Dong Nai as part of cooperative programmes on human resources training between the province and localities from Laos and Cambodia .

On this occasion, the southern province hosted a ceremony to honour 57 outstanding young people in 2013.-

Co-operatives are useful yet limited

 

 

 

Agricultural co-operatives play a key role in farm produce processing and sale, reducing product cost and ensuring quality, Phan Xuan Thang from the Institute of Co-operative Economic Development told participants at a recent workshop.

There are more than 10,000 agricultural co-operatives nationwide with over 7 million members. By providing services such as irrigation and product consumption, co-operatives help their members speed up the sale of more than 57 per cent of farm produce, Thang said.

Many co-operatives also serve to link the State, scientists, farmers and businesses. Co-operatives in the Mekong Delta's An Giang Province, for example, signed contracts with businesses both inside and outside the province to help their members sell thousands of tonnes of food and crops.

Chairman of the HCM City Union of Co-operatives Nguyen Duy Hieu said co-operatives were good partners for businesses, supplying them with agricultural raw materials and rice for export.

Many rice exporters co-operated with co-operatives to purchase thousands of tonnes from farmers and help them build stable material areas.

However, a representative from the Union of Co-operatives in northern Hai Duong Province said there were many systemic shortcomings.

Many co-operatives only provided services for certain kinds of farm produce and at certain periods of the year, creating an unstable consumption market for farmers.

Thang from the Institute of Economic Co-operation Development explained that many co-operatives lacked capital, which consequently limited their ability to provide services.

Moreover, management staff rarely put forward effective business plans or sought out markets.

Workshop participants agreed that in order to improve the efficiency of co-operatives' services, it was essential to provide more training for members, mobilise different sources of capital to increase business co-operation and create a stable chain of farm produce consumption.

Farmers need help to build new rural areas

Farmers in new rural areas lack support, warn local and international experts.

Nearly half of households in these areas, where the average household income is only VND60,000 ($2.8) per day, said they were "not satisfied."

"Many localities have focused on building roads, cultural houses and medical clinics but paid little attention to helping farmers improve their lives," said Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Farmers' Union Lai Xuan Mon.

Farmers in these areas have to pay for local infrastructure construction out of their own pockets, which constitutes a significant financial burden, Mon said.

PhD Vo Tong Xuan of the Australia Academy of Science and Technology said that many farmers didn't know about new technology, consumption patterns or income management, so their agricultural products were substandard and could not compete.

If farmers were trained in proper production methods, they could obtain global and national Good Agricultural Practices certification, which would bring them higher profits.

While a national programme on new rural construction has been in place for three years, it has done little to boost productivity. The annual turnover of agricultural production remains only VND50 million (US$2,350) per hectare, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The VND100 trillion ($4.7 billion) programme was implemented in more than 9,000 communes, 0.7 per cent of which are recognised new rural areas.

Osaka study, job fair underway in HCMC

A study and job fair opened in Ho Chi Minh City on November 3, creating a chance for Vietnamese students to explore information on study and employment in Japan.

The 2013 Japan Osaka Study and Job Fair, part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, draw the participation of 25 businesses and 18 education establishments from Japan’s Osaka prefecture.

Nakano Eriko, head of the cultural and information section of the Japanese Consulate General in the city, said over the years, Vietnam has been an attractive destination for Japanese investors.

Economic relations between the two countries have also been developed robustly, she said, adding the number of enterprises joining the Japanese Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City has increased to 660.

Vietnam takes the lead in Southeast Asia in the number of students in Japan, with 4,400 students.

The number of Japanese language learners has also risen, with more than 10,000 taking part in Japanese speaking contests every year in the city, she noted.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Hua Ngoc Thuan said Japan is now one of the city’s five largest foreign investors, its third largest trade partner and top tourism market.

Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka have signed a number of cooperation agreements since 2007, facilitating delegation exchanges and investment and trade promotion and cooperation activities between the two sides, especially in human resources and water treatment, he said.

The two sides are focusing their cooperation on education and personnel training, he added.

A series of activities will be organised as part of the event, including a music show and an eloquence contest.

Osaka is the second largest economic hub of Japan after Tokyo. The locality is considered an ideal education centre with 380 universities.

Vietnamese students in UK aid storm victims

Vietnamese students in the UK cities of Norwich, London, Liverpool and Edinburgh have launched a fund-raising campaign to help people affected by recent storms and floods in the central region.

Their sentiment towards their homeland has been highly valued by Vu Ngoc Hoang, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Education and Information.

At a ceremony on November 1 in London where the students presented the funding, Hoang said he hopes that the young Vietnamese generation in the UK will exert more efforts to contribute to further developing their home country.

In September and October, the central region was hit by two strong storms, Wutip and Nari, which claimed the lives of more than 40 people and injured hundreds of others.

The disasters also destroyed about 900 houses and unroofed more than 200,000 others, affecting millions of people in the central region.

Scholarships awarded to shining students

 

 

Doosan Vina has awarded scholarships worth VND400 million (US$20,000) to 109 students from universities in HCM City, Da Nang, Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai.

It's the sixth year in a row that Vietnamese students have received scholarships from Doosan Vina's Corporate Social Responsibility programme, which focuses on education and health.

In addition to the student support, nearly $2,400 was given to central Quang Ngai Province's Pham Van Dong University and Quang Nam University to help the schools purchase much needed equipment.

Private health pitches in on TB monitoring

The inclusion of the private health sector in detecting cases of tuberculosis through a public-private mix (PPM) programme has had success in recent years.

As a result of successful PPM implementation, HCM City, Hai Phong, Can Tho and Nghe An Province are planning to expand implementation of the PPM referral model until the end of 2016.

The three cities and province will implement the PPM diagnosis or diagnosis/treatment models in selected private and non-national TB facilities.

In 2011, HCM City's TB control programme was provided technical assistance from Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in co-operation with the private health sector in the city's districts 8, Binh Tan, Thu Duc and Binh Chanh.

As a result, cases detected with positive sputum smears jumped by 19 per cent. These cases are highly contagious and can potentially transmit TB to the community.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Viet Nam ranks 12th out of 22 countries globally with a high rate of tuberculosis.

While the WHO estimated the prevalence of pulmonary TB cases confirmed by positive sputum smears at 89 per 100,000 in 2006, a national prevalence survey in 2007 suggested a rate of 1.6 times higher at 145 per 100,000.

More than 100,000 TB cases are detected and treated at health facilities nationwide each year, according to Tang Chi Thuong, deputy head of HCM City Department of Health. Of that number, 17,000 cases die from TB each year.

These data indicated that case-finding activities must be enhanced in order to increase the case detection rate, he said.

One of the biggest challenges for Viet Nam's National TB programmes was to find people with TB early so they could receive early TB treatment and help limit exposure to other people, Thuong said.

According to US Consul General Rena Bitter, creating strong links between the private and public sectors helped this innovative project engage hospitals and clinics at all levels that lie outside the formal TB system.

Between 2008 and 2010, PATH and USAID carried out the project in Hai Phong. Based on its success, the project was expanded to HCM City, Can Tho and Nghe An Province in 2011.

As of September, there were 1,125 PPM facilities participating in the PPM network, including 522 pharmacies, 571 private clinics and hospitals and 32 public non-national TB programme hospitals in three cities and one province.

The 1,125 PPM facilities identified 31,955 people with presumptive TB. The national TB programme facilities received and tested 21,191 people and diagnosed 3,501 of them with TB.

Of these people, 1,975 TB cases had positive sputum smears.

In addition, of those confirmed with TB, 2,938 were tested for HIV and 105 of them tested positive.

Experts gather for blood conference

More than 900 domestic and international clinicians and professionals in blood and marrow transplantation are attending the 18th Congress of the Asia Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group that opened yesterday in HCM City.

A total of 120 scientific papers are being presented by Vietnamese and foreign experts during the three-day event, the first held in Viet Nam.

Scientific topics at the Congress are in 11 categories, including leukemia, lymphoma/myeloma, hemo-globinopathies, autoimmune diseases, infections, pediatric transplantation and conditioning regimens.

The exhibition with 22 booths is showcasing state-of-the-art equipment and technology in the field.

In Viet Nam, the first case of an allogeneic bone marrow transplant was successfully performed in 1995, according to Phu Chi Dung, director the HCM City Blood Transfusion-Hematology Hospital.

To date, more than 250 patients have had stem cell transplantation across the country, Dung said, adding that Vietnamese doctors were able to perform all procedures of stem cell transplantation.

The annual scientific meeting is co-organised by the HCM City Hematology Association and the HCM City Blood Transfusion-Hematology Hospital.

Funds approved for Kon Tum power project

More than VND621 billion (US$29.6 million) will be poured into a 220kV transformer station and 220kV connection lines in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum to ensure a stable power supply in the region.

The National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) will provide more than VND282.2 billion ($13.4 million), with VND300 billion ($14,300 million) to come from the Viet Capital Commercial Joint Stock Bank, according to a loan contract signed in Da nang on Wednesday.

The remaining funds will come from the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV).

Construction is set to start in November, with the 220kV transmission lines scheduled for completion by the end of 2014. The transformer station has been earmarked for completion by mid-2015.

Kon Tum province is currently powered by a single 110kV transmission line, which has been in place for more than 15 years.

The single power source means any breakdown would leave the province without a connection to the national power grid.

The new 220kV network will aim to diversify the province's connection to the national power grid, while allowing local hydro power plants to sell electricity to the national grid.

The network will be connected to the 220-500kV transmission network in the Central Highlands and the 500kV transmission line running from Laos to Viet Nam (the Hatxan-Pleiku line), accelerating power connectivity in the ASEAN region.

HCM City enhances its efforts to combat floods

 

 

 

The Steering Board for Combating floods and Victim Rescue of HCM City has asked relevant authorities to carry out plans to prevent floods caused by heavy rains, rising tides and water discharge from reservoirs in the upper sections of rivers in the region.

The board asked the authorities of districts 12, Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon to better control flood-prone spots and inspect embankments, dykes, sewers and culverts, and to prepare materials to prevent embankments from breaking.

The People's Committees of Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Cu Chi and 12 Districts were asked to cooperate with the Sai Gon Industry Corporation to minimise floods in these districts.

According to forecasts from the Southern Hydro-Meteorology Station, water levels in rivers and canals in the city are expected to rise sharply, exceeding the alarm level No 3 in coming days.

The highest tide will be reached on November 5 and 7 between 3am and 7am and from 4pm and 8pm.

Under the station's forecasts, the rising tide at Phu An Station on Sai Gon River will reach 1.51 metres (exceeding the alarm level No 3) and 1.53 metres on November 3.

On November 4, the rising tide will reach 1.53 metres at 5 am and 1.59 metres at 4:30 pm.

On November 5, it will continue to reach 1.57 metres at 5:30am and 1.62 metres at 5:30 pm.

Project to improve rural living

A project to support sustainable rural livelihoods and community-based disaster risk management was launched yesterday in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Vinh Long.

The US$580,000 programme, titled "Livelihood Improvement for Building Resilient Communities", is funded by New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Viet Nam.

According to the New Zealand Embassy, the project's activities will be implemented over four years from July 2013 to June 2017 in four communes, including Trung Thanh and Hieu Phung in Vung Liem District and Tich Thien and Vinh Xuan in Tra On District.

These communes were selected based on the criteria of having a high rate of poverty, and a propensity for natural disasters as well as related issues that have no proper mechanism in place to address them.

The project is expected to help the farmers thrive after the immediate impact of natural disasters.

According to the Embassy, approximately 30,000 people will benefit from risk-reduction activities and 2,000 of them will benefit from income-generation models output.

Priority will be given to poor women and female-based households, it said.

Key activities of the project include improving knowledge of community-based disaster risk management and encouraging locally developed schemes; providing training on market-based economic development and a value-chain approach, involving the cow bank initiative, credit schemes and various husbandry methods.

ADRA Viet Nam is a co-partner with Vinh Long Union of Friendship Organisation and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with other related local authorities that take part in project implementation.

Vinh Long has been seriously affected by climate change and natural disasters. Every year, seven out of eight districts in the province are inundated by more than one metre of floods, directly affecting around 350,000 local people.

The most immediate impact of natural disasters, including inundation, riverbank collapse and tree diseases due to weather changes, has been the gradual loss of traditional livelihoods such as cultivation and aquaculture. This has lead to a food-security risk for vulnerable groups.

Vinh Long's economy is predominantly based on agriculture (50 per cent) with farmers accounting for 58 per cent of the population.

UNDP renews support for public administration reform

 

 

The Ministry of Home Affairs kicked off its public administration reform project yesterday, which aims to provide better administrative services to people in Bac Giang, Ha Tinh, Can Tho and Da Nang in the next three years.

The US$832,500 project, which includes $750,000 of non-refundable official development assistance, aims to support the implementation of ongoing public administration reform (PAR) projects funded by the United National Development Programme (UNDP) in the four localities in the 2013-16 period.

The project's activities focus on providing PAR-related technical support to improve the calibre and performance of civil servants, as well as improve public administration services through an innovative one-door policies.

Results from a UNDP project implemented between 2009 and 2013, which aimed to strengthen the capacity of Viet Nam's government agencies, was also reviewed at the project's launching ceremony yesterday.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang said that with the ministry's efforts and UNDP's support, the project had created significant PAR changes, including the establishment of a set of indicators to monitor PAR performance (PAR Index) and criteria for measuring the satisfaction of people using the services.

Addressing the launch of the project, Thang stated that key learnings from PAR in the four localities would be shared with other localities and central policymakers, in an effort to facilitate a dialogue on policy between localities and central-level institutions.

UNDP Assistant Country Director to Viet Nam, Patricia Barandun, stressed that a more efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable public administration would produce high quality services to citizens.

"A better serviced population will be able to achieve higher levels of development, hence the reform of public administration is an important means towards equitable growth and better living standards," she said.

Vietnam to host 2014 Vesak

Vietnam will host the 2014 United Nations Day of Vesak (the Buddha’s Birthday, Enlightenment and Passing Away) in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

At a meeting on October 31, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council, said the VBS is making thorough preparations for the 2014 Vesak and other ceremonies such as the 705th anniversary of the attainment of Nirvada of King – Monk Tran Nhan Tong.

Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan asked the VBS to finalize plans at an early date and coordinate with relevant agencies to push for the upcoming Vesak.

This will be the second time Vietnam hosts the event. In 2008, the Vesak celebration in Hanoi was attended by over 600 Buddhist delegations from around the world.

German bank funds power, healthcare projects in Vietnam

The Ministry of Finance and the German Reconstruction Bank (KfW) on October 31 signed agreements totalling EUR140 million for two projects to develop power supply and enhance capacity for the provincial hospital system.

The bank will provide EUR120 million in loans for Vietnam to construct and upgrade its 110 kV power system and expand low-voltage and middle-voltage power systems in rural areas, reducing power loss and increasing electricity quality and safety, ensuring an equal electricity service for customers in both rural and urban areas.

Meanwhile, EUR20 million will be poured into a project upgrading the capacity of provincial hospitals, which was launched in 2010.

The loan will be used to provide necessary equipment to a number of hospitals in Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Yen Bai, and improve the management of waste in hospitals in Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Yen Bai, Thai Binh, Nghe An and the Vietnam-Germany Hospital in Hanoi.

The German Government, through the KfW, is Vietnam’s third largest bilateral donor after Japan and France.

Czech Senate Vice President visits HCM City

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan has hosted an October 31 reception for Czech Senate Vice President Miluse Horska, currently conducting a working visit to Vietnam.

The Czech guest told the reception her delegation’s visit contributes to consolidating the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Highlighting the Czech Republic’s remarkable healthcare and education advances, Vice President Horska urged attending officials to investigate increasing cooperation with HCM City in these fields.

Quan agreed, noting HCM City’s more than 110 universities and colleges makes it a centre of Vietnamese education and healthcare. He mentioned the extensive opportunities for HCM City-Czech cooperation in oncology, trauma treatments, orthopedics, and obstetrics.

Horska and her host compared notes on assorted issues of mutual concern. Quan passed on his hopes Horska will help HCM City establish a twin city relationship with Praha.

Nine billion VND raised for students in Truong Sa

Nearly nine billion VND (423,000 USD) has been raised for students in Truong Sa Archipelago since a programme was launched two months ago.

The second stage of the “For beloved Truong Sa students” is jointly implemented by the Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund, the Ho Chi Minh Law newspaper and Ho Chi Minh City Television, with a target to raise 12 billion VND for the construction of a school on Sinh Ton island, Truong Sa district, southern coastal Khanh Hoa province.

Former Vice President Truong My Hoa, who is head of the programme, said many kind-hearted individuals and groups have joined hands in the programme, showing their warm sentiments and responsibilities towards students in Truong Sa.

As much as six billion VND was handed over to leaders of Truong Sa district island after the first phase of the programme, she said, adding that the programme is expected to receive more support from donors so that children on the island can enjoy a new school in the 2014-2015 academic year.-

Disabled’s inclusion in disaster management discussed

Malteser International, a German non-Governmental organisation, held a seminar in central Da Nang city on October 31 to introduce how to include people with disabilities into community-based disaster management.

Participants were introduced to Malteser International’s materials, which focus on the problems of disabled people in disaster risk management, and recommendations to help them participate more effectively in this field.

The materials also bring out specific instructions on the inclusion of the group in disaster management as well as ways to evacuate them if a natural disaster occurs.

Disabled people are one of the most vulnerable groups during disasters. However, the organisation’s recent survey of 730 Vietnamese people with disabilities showed that 74 percent of them don’t know the disaster risk management plan, 69 percent don’t take part in the process of deciding and establishing the plan, and 76 percent face difficulties when evacuating.

Vietnam is prone to natural disasters, with losses each year accounting for 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP.

In 2008, it approved a project on enhancing the community’s awareness and community-based disaster risk management, with the goal to help 6,000 disaster-affected communes nationwide receive support to deal with disasters.-

Heifers presented to help AO victims in Hung Yen

Vietnam Red Cross Society’s Hung Yen provincial chapter has launched a programme to present heifers to local Agent Orange victims in hopes to partly improve their lives.

Under the programme, which is part of the ‘Cow bank’ project, 20 heifers worth 10 million VND (500 USD) each will be given to selected disadvantaged households in 10 local districts.

The heifers have all received vaccines against possible diseases.

From now to 2014, the provincial Red Cross will strive to mobilise as many as 200 cows worth 2 billion VND for AO victims and poor households.-

Quang Ninh workshop discusses journalism, globalisation

An international workshop discussing opportunities, challenges and the prospects for the journalism sector in the context of globalisation was held in the northern province of Quang Ninh on October 31.

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA), Austria’s Vienna University, the Vietnam Academy of Journalism and Communication, and the provincial broadcasting station.

In his opening speech, VJA Vice President Ha Minh Hue underlined the important role played by the journalism sector in disseminating information of all social aspects and promoting society’s development.

The widespread application of modern communication means, cross-border information transmission and the development of the global information network contributed to bringing news to the public quickly, while narrowing geographical distance, he said.

The issues put pressure on journalists, therefore they need to better themselves to adapt to globalisation, thus keeping pace with society’s development, Hue stressed.

At the workshop, participants focused their discussion on issues such as the impact of new communication means on journalists’ operations today, investigative journalism and challenges for press agencies and training schools in the era of information globalisation.

They also proposed measures to improve the skill and professionalism of journalists, while pointing out the prospects for the journalism and communication sectors in the future.

Kon Tum offers aid to Cambodian storm victims

A delegation from the Military Command of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum has presented aid to people in Cambodia ’s Ratanakiri province, who have suffered from the damage caused by recent storms.

The delegation, led by Deputy Commander - Colonel A Tieng, gave 300 aid packages to the locals in Ta Veaeng Kraom commune on October 28-29.

He said he hopes the aid will support them in surmounting difficulties and settling their lives.

An official of Ta Veaeng district thanked Kon Tum province for the material and spiritual support to the natives. The help manifests the strong bond between Vietnam and Cambodia in general, as well as between Ratanakiri and Kon Tum provinces in particular.

More than 1,600 people in Ta Veng Kraom have encountered difficulties when their houses were swept away by floods following the 8 th and 9 th storms. The commune’s authorities are recently taking measures to overcome the consequences.

Community-based disaster mitigation project pays off

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is benefiting from a project on community-based natural disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation.

The project has been carried out since last July by the Red Cross Societies of Vietnam, Germany and Australia .

Students from Vinh Phuoc B1 Primary School in the locality’s Go Quao district have been attending a first aid course as part of the project.

It is an important skill that can help injured people, and even save lives.

However, not everyone is able to carry out the work in a correct way.

Teacher Le Xuan Phuc from Vinh Phuoc B1 Primary School said the course helps students better understand the importance of giving first aid to people involved in accidents.

Through the course, students are equipped with basic first aid skills that can be given in an emergency, especially during natural calamities.

It not only helps students protect themselves but also raises their awareness of the significance and necessity of the work.

In additional to disseminating information about natural disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation for local people in remote areas, as well as the Khmer ethnic group, the project also concentrates on developing their resistance ability to minimise human and property losses.-

Ho Chi Minh City promotes OVs’ role

Ho Chi Minh City’s Liaison Boards for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs need to hold regular meetings with overseas Vietnamese to reflect their aspirations and suggestions towards competent agencies as well as promote their role in promoting people-to-people exchanges and introducing Vietnamese culture to international friends.

The proposals were made by the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in HCM City chapter at an October 30 meeting to review the 10-year implementation of Resolution 36-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs issued by the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Politburo.

The standing board also asked for more attention to supporting overseas Vietnamese youth around the world to return to their homeland and make their contributions to the country.

Around two million Vietnamese expatriates have come from HCM City or have relatives in the city. The majority of them reside in developed countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam has issued many policies to exempt overseas Vietnamese from visas, encourage registration to keep their Vietnamese nationality, call for their investment in the homeland, and support them to buy a house, with the view to encouraging them to return and strengthening the connection between Vietnam and other countries.

More than 5.3 million overseas Vietnamese arrivals to Vietnam were recorded through Tan Son Nhat International Airport between 2004 and June 2013. Most of them registered to reside temporarily in the city, heard participants at the meeting.

To date, over 3,000 Vietnamese expatriates have returned to their roots in the city. The local authorities also granted long-term temporary residence permits to 9,234 overseas Vietnamese workers and investors.

More than 33 billion USD in remittances have been transferred through banks and credit institutions nationwide to help stabilise the economy in the last 10 years. Overseas remittances to the city is estimated to reach 11 billion USD this year.

Vietnamese living and working abroad have also financed 70 billion VND (3.29 million USD) to realise social and charitable programmes in 24 districts in the city.

A peaceful Catholic commune in Ha Tinh

Thach Ha, a suburban commune of Ha Tinh City in the central province of Ha Tinh with 60 percent of its locals following Catholicism, is having a facelift thanks to the ongoing model “Safe, united and cultural parish”.

Five years since the model kick-started, local lives have improved both materially and spiritually.

Nguyen Huu Hung, Thach Ha communal Party Committee Secretary, said the model is designed to forge great national unity, maintain the good relations between the Catholics and the non-Catholics, develop good ethical values and ensure social security and order.

In collaboration with the Parish Pastoral Council and villages’ religious board, the communal authorities have actively worked to educate the locals about how the model will benefit them.

The villagers thus become closer and closer through weekly meetings where they pray together as well as talk about daily matters and settle any disputes. Social vices like gambling, drinking and domestic violence have dropped dramatically while the rate of school dropouts is falling.

Following the spirit of the saying “ The good leaves protect the worn-out leaves ”, Catholic followers have assisted each other in poverty reduction by actively raising funds for the poor.

Vo Ta Hoang, head of the police in Thach Ha commune, said the local socio-political situation is stable. Each Catholic fully grasps the teaching “A good Catholic is also a good citizen” and “Living out the Gospel in the midst of the Nation”.

The commune has also made it easier for poor households to access social funding so that they can rebuild and revamp their houses.

While deploying the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, the locality has devised multiple successful business models, such as fish farming in cages in Rao Cai River . As the locality has been chosen as a model in the campaign, it is working to fulfil set goals this year.

Catholic followers form the second largest religious community in Vietnam . Based on the number of followers, main religions in Vietnam include Buddhism, with Mahayana and Hinayana branches having a total of about 6.8 million followers, Catholicism (5.7 million), Hoa Hao sect (1.4 million), Cao Dai sect (808,000), Protestantism (734,000), Islam (73,000) and Balamon (56,000).

Int’l conference discusses school curriculum, textbook renovation

An international conference has been held in Hanoi to discuss the sustainable renovation and modernisation of school curriculum and textbooks in Vietnam.

The October 30 conference focused on four main topics, including reorienting and modernising school curriculum, developing electronic textbooks, building and developing a new and modern textbook model, and assessing and using textbooks in modern schools.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien stressed that textbook is one of the most decisive factors to the country’s education quality.

Vietnam is on the initial stage to shift its education programme from content approach to learners’ capacity approach, and from imparting knowledge and skills to comprehensively developing learners’ capacity, he added.

Hien underscored the need to build a system of standards and criteria, which will serve as a basis to compile and a tool to appraise textbooks.

Nearly 30 educators from the Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine, Germany’s Georg Eckert Institution for International Textbook Research, Sweden’s Uppsala University and Netherland Utrecht University attended the event.

They shared views and experience in designing curricula and the current orientations of compiling textbooks.

Quang Ngai fishermen get support

Many organisations and individuals nationwide have joined hands in assisting fisherman in the central province of Quang Ngai in overcoming difficulties caused by natural disasters to continue fishing at sea.

Dinh Van Giau in An Hai commune, Ly Son district on November 2 had a new fishing vessel, which was built with the support by Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Quang Ngai Fishermen Support Fund.

He said he is very happy to have the new boat to continue his fishing activities in the waters of Hoang Sa archipelago, thus contributing to developing the local economy and protecting the national sea and island sovereignty.

The same day, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Commit tee presented 90 fish-detectors and long-distance communication devices worth over 2 billion VND (94,000 USD) to members of the An Hai and An Vinh fishing trade unions in the district.

The gifts will make local fishermen’s catch more effective, thus increasing outputs, said Duong Minh Lanh, a fisherman in Ly Son district.

Since its establishment two years ago, the provincial Fishermen Support Fund has received over 5 billion VND (235,000 USD) from many agencies, businesses and individuals inside and outside the country as aid for local fishermen.

With a total of 40 billion VND (1.88 million USD) raised, the fund has helped build seven fishing vessels and provided assistance for over 300 fishermen, who met with accidents while operating offshore.

The timely support has helped fishermen in Quang Ngai stabilise their lives and maintain operations at sea, contributing to protecting the national sea and island sovereignty.-

Lam Dong province improves lives of ethnic people

 

 

 

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has eradicated hunger and curbed illegal deforestation for cultivation as a result of local efforts to settle ethnic minority people through building infrastructure, contracting them to take care of forest and providing them with assistance in farming.

Lam Dong is home to 40 ethnic minority groups totalling 286,258 people, accounting for 24.1 percent of the province’s population.

According to reports of the provincial People’s Committee, ethnic communities are currently growing coffee, tea, rice, corn and cashew on nearly 50,000 hectares, or 18 percent of the total agricultural land in Lam Dong. On average, each ethnic household has 1.08 hectares of farm land.

In addition to the State’s programmes and policies that support production in rural and ethnic areas, the province has assisted locals in accessing science and technology advance to enhance plant and animal productivity and quality, thus allowing them to escape from poverty and settle lives on their own.

At the same time, relevant authorities have signed contracts with 16,397 ethnic households on the management and protection of 319,855 hectares of forest, giving them stable income.

Besides agriculture and forestry, handicraft making has become a source of income for ethnic communities. As many as 1,055 ethnic and rural households in the locality are making work tools, wooden goods and brocades, mostly to serve local demand.

In the coming time, to drive the development of ethnic areas, Lam Dong will continue to prioritise building rural infrastructure, the road network, markets, health care and education facilities. More efforts will be made to promote the application of technology to agricultural production, support the development of traditional craft villages.

At the same time, the provincial authorities plan to organise more vocational training courses and create jobs for ethnic people, while encouraging ethnic students to study by reducing school fees and giving out financial support.-

Kien Giang to bring electricity to island communes

The southern coastal province of Kien Giang has invested over 1 trillion VND (47 million USD) in a project to build power infrastructure in 9 island communes in the locality in the 2013-2020 period.

Through the project, the locality hopes to bring electricity to 98 percent of residents in the communes by 2015 and the rate is expected to be 99 percent by 2020.

Towards this goal, the province will install 6 diesel power stations in six islands, including Lai Son, Hon Tho, Tho Chau, Hon Nghe, Hon Heo and Tien Hai by the end of this year.

By 2015, Hon Tre commune, Kien Hai district will be connected to the national grid electricity through a 13-km long 22kV power line running from Tho Son commune in the mainland district of Hon Dat.

Between 2016-2020, the province will focus on upgrading old power stations and building two new ones in Hon Thom commune, Phu Quoc district to ensure power supply to populated areas.

In a separate project, a undersea cable is being built to bring electricity from Ha Tien commune to Phu Quoc Island, which is expected to be completed and put into use in the first quarter of 2014. The project is being implemented by Italy’s Spysmian Powerlink SRL Group at an investment of 2.4 trillion VND (114 million USD) funded by World Bank loans.

March marks Vietnam’s 90-million population

Over 2,000 people, including students, workers, armed forces and retirees on November 2 joined a march in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion the country’s population reached 90 million a day earlier.

Organised by the Ministry of Public Health, the event aims to raise public awareness of the important role by the population and family planning work in the country’s sustainable development.

It also serves as a call for solidarity among the Vietnamese to safeguard the country’s sovereignty over the sea and islands, while demonstrating their determination in the national construction and defence.-

Bamboo, rock dykes built in Quang Ngai

A bamboo dyke is being built in the central province of Quang Ngai to prevent coast erosion and landslides on the northern bank of Cua Dai estuary.

Locals in Co Luy hamlet, Tinh Khe commune, Son Tinh district, have joined hands to build the over-500-meter dyke.

The Truong Phat Loc Company has also helped them build a 200-meter-rock dyke.

The work is expected to complete by the end of November with a total cost of 5 billion VND (250,000 USD).-

Water supply facilities built in Dong Van Karst Plateau

The construction of water supply and environmental sanitation facilities, funded by the Vietnamese and Finnish Governments, began in two towns on the Dong Van Karst Plateau on November 1.

The karst plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang is a global geo-park, where three quarters of natural area is rock mountains and droughts are frequent all the year round.

An investment of 30.2 billion VND (1.4 million USD), including 16.6 billion VND (790,000 USD) from Finland , will be spent on building the facilities in Tam Son town, Quan Ba district.

Meanwhile the facilities in Yen Minh town of the district with the same name will cost total 34 billion VND (1.6 million USD) of which Finland will finance 18.1 billion VND (862,000 USD).

The projects, each has a water supply capacity of 1,000 cu.m per day and night, are part of a water supply and sanitation programme for small towns in Vietnam that fall under the two Governments’ cooperation.

Director of Ha Giang Water Supply and Drainage Ltd. Co. Vu Huu Duc said that the facilities will improve household water quality and environmental sanitation, thus driving local socio-economic growth.

They will also help Ha Giang achieve the target of ensuring access to safe water for all urban residents and 70 percent of rural households, he added.

INGOs make contributions to Thua Thien-Hue development

 

 

Foreign non-governmental organisation (NGO)-funded projects have made significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The assessment was given during an October 31 conference on the mobilisation and management of aid from NGOs in the province.

Ngo Huy Hoa, Vice Standing Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, said assistance comes to the locality in the form of sponsored programmes, projects and emergency aid.

Over the past years, projects funded by foreign NGOs have timely met the needs of the beneficiary localities and communities, while involving more local staff, he said.

The projects also helped Thua Thien-Hue in a wide range of areas including healthcare, education, culture, agro-forestry, environmental protection, infrastructure, and agricultural and rural development, with many new and effective production models and methods, he said.

Hoa noted that the management and disbursement of assistance has been effectively implemented in all localities in the province, while cooperation efficiency between the NGOs and the locality has been facilitated.

So far, as many as 130 foreign NGOs are operating in Thua Thien-Hue. In the 2003-2013 period, the organisations provided the locality a total of 75.7 million USD in assistance. In the first nine months of this year alone, aid from foreign NGOs hit 900,000 USD.

The foreign NGOs have also carried out practical activities in the province, especially in humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education, culture and environmental protection.

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