Fire destroys workshop in Gia Lam

A scene of the fire which destroyed three stores of a workshop in Gia Lam District in Ha Noi.

More than three goods stores in a 1,000-square-metre workshop were destroyed in a fire at 2.20pm today in Da Ton Commune, Gia Lam District in Ha Noi.

Some workers said that the fire could have originated from a place behind the workshop where some welding was being done.

Six fire engines rushed to the scene and the blaze was brought under control by 4pm.

Witnesses said that the workshop belonged to the Trung Hanh Pottery Co Ltd.

Reasons for the fire and the losses suffered were being ascertained.

Giant sink hole filled with soil, rocks

The giant sink hole in Cho Don District's Bang Lung Town in the northern Bac Kan Province was filled last night.

The hole was filled with 1,500cu.m of soil and rocks, District Party Secretary Nong Quang Nhat said.

Highway 254 from Cho Don District to Ba Be District was immediately reopened for motorbikes and bicycles after the road was repaired.

However, the road was still not safe for cars and trucks, he said.

As Viet Nam News reported, the sink hole, measuring 12m in length and 20m in depth, appeared on Saturday in Bang Lung Town, forcing the evacuation of at least six families.

The provincial authorities blocked the movement of traffic on Highway 254, as the hole was located quite near to the road linking Cho Don and Ba Be districts.

The cause of the appearance of the sink hole has not been identified so far.

The local authority decided to evacuate people living close to the sink hole.

According to local people, sink holes have appeared earlier too in the area, but this one was the largest hole.

Fortunately, the giant sink hole did not cause any damage to human life and property.

Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Co. Ltd has been allowed to resume construction of a 32m-high tower in Vung Anh economic zone, in the central Ha Tinh Province's Ky Anh Town.

This was announced by Hoang Thanh Tung, vice-head of the managing board of Ha Tinh economic zone, on January 3.

The company started building the VND6-billion (about US$267,000) tower at its gate in October 2015.

However, Ha Tinh's Department of Construction ordered suspension of the work on December 8, 2015, as the firm did not have a permit, and asked it to get the permit within 60 days.

"The company has obtained the building permit as per Vietnamese construction laws," Tran Dinh Tue, chief inspector of Ha Tinh's Department of Construction, said, while explaining why the company has been allowed to resume construction of the tower.

"The construction is just at the company's gate, not for any other purpose," Tue said.

Thanh Hoa to shut down lime kilns

About 200 manual lime kilns in the central Thanh Hoa Province will be shut down by 2020.

Among the 200 kilns, 40 operated regularly while 160 worked seasonally, local authorities said, after eight residents died and one person was affected by carbon monoxide poisoning in an accident at a kiln on Friday.

Ngo Van Tuan, deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said the workers of the lime kilns would be assisted in shifting their workplaces and in the search for new jobs.

The provincial construction department has been asked to collaborate with districts to plan on building modernised lime kilns to ensure labour safety, mitigate environment pollution and increase productivity.

Currently, the lime kilns in the locality are mainly used to improve the soil quality and the fertility of fields. Not many of them are used for construction purposes.

The decisions follow a serious accident that occurred at a lime kiln owned by the family of Le Van Thong, 56, in Nong Cong District's Hoang Giang Commune on Friday.

A kiln worker named Pham Van Tuyen, 53, suddenly fainted while he was inserting materials into the kiln. Thong ran into the kiln to save Tuyen, but didn't come out.

Thong's neighbours later had to smash a side of the kiln to bring them two persons out, besides seven others who had tried to rescue those inside the kiln.

Tests by the provincial preventive health centre showed the emissions in the area near the lime kiln were eight times the legal limit. Residents continue to be restricted from entering the kiln to ensure their safety.

The people's committee of Nong Cong District immediately banned operations of seven lime kilns in Hoang Giang Commune's Yen Thai Hamlet.

Le Sy Hieu, deputy head of Hoang Giang Commune Police, said the seven kilns employed about 30 to 50 local workers for more than VND700,000 (US$31) per worker per day.

This morning, Thong's wife Le Thi Nguyen, the only one who survived the accident, showed signs of recovery after being treated at Thanh Hoa General Hospital, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported.

Colonel Le Trung Hieu of Thanh Hoa Police said they would not prosecute anyone in the case as Le Van Thong, the lime kiln's owner, and his two daughters had died.

Former NA deputies set example for next tenures: top legislator

National Assembly deputies from previous terms have left a tremendous example for future tenures to follow, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said at a meeting with more than 100 former NA deputies in Hanoi on January 5.

According to the Chairman, since the first legislature, there have been a total of 5,976 NA deputies who have been proud to represent the people’s wills and aspirations and shape important national matters.

Encouraged by national unity and the nation’s will, the deputies have performed their tasks well, he said.

At the meeting, the top legislator paid tribute to the NA deputies from the first to the fifth tenure who scarified their lives for national construction and defence.

Since the sixth tenure, the NA has worked to better serve the public for a wealthy people, a strong nation and an equal and civilized society.

Stressing the significance of the first General Election Day (January 6, 1946), NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said decisions made by the first legislature laid the foundations for the operation of the NA in the following years.

The NA Chairman also attributed the success of the first general elections to the strength of national unity.

He called on future NA deputies to carry forward the achievements recorded by their predecessors and elevate the role and position played by the legislature.

Representatives of former NA deputies noted with pleasure the Party’s fine leadership over the years.

They voiced their hope that the NA will continue to overhaul legislative activities, fulfil the target of completing the legal system by 2020 and further raise the role and position of the highest State body, deserving the confidence of the people.

Southerners’ vivid memories of first general election

Southerners who experienced the first general election in Vietnam seven decades ago still have vivid memories of the historic event, which took place amid the enemy’s fierce sabotage in the south.

In her memoirs, Ngo Thi Hue – a deputy to the first-tenure National Assembly – wrote that the Bac Lieu provincial Party Committee was notified that the general election would be held on January 6, 1946, when French invaders already occupied almost all southern provinces and were about to flock to Bac Lieu.

When the first general election took place, Phan Minh Tanh – former Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee – just turned 17 and was eligible to vote in Bac Lieu.

“At first, people like me did not know what a National Assembly election was. After hearing explanations, we came to understand that the election was to select representatives of people and exercise the right to democracy”, he recalled.

He added, “That was the first time people had practiced their rights, they voted for the sake of independence – the sacred right that they had not heard about during their life.”

Although former Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Pham Hoc Lam was just 16 years old then and not eligible to cast the ballot, he still remembers the event very clearly as he was assigned to act as the electoral council’s secretary in a commune in Bac Lieu’s Ngoc Hien district.

People at that time were very excited and almost all of them eagerly came to polling stations, he said.

In Bac Lieu, there were six or seven candidates for the first National Assembly deputies, and the three most prestigious persons (a teacher, a religious representative, and a revolutionary) were elected, Lam said, adding that the result demonstrated the democracy as the elected came from different social strata.

In many other southern areas, people also braved danger caused by France’s occupation and suppression to cast their votes.

For their parts, the elected deputies of the south could not imagine how hard their journey to attend the first National Assembly sitting in Hanoi was.

Ngo Thi Hue, one of the southern region’s three female deputies to the first National Assembly, said it took them over six months to travel by sea to Hanoi.

“Thanks to the help of the patriotic Vietnamese expatriates’ association, I disguised as a Chinese national to go from Bangkok (Thailand) through Hainan Island and Beihai to Dongxing (China), which is near Mong Cai (Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh)”, she recounted.

Hue added it was until October 1946, when the second sitting of the first National Assembly was about to commence, the southern deputies, who had been summoned to attend the first sitting, just arrived in Hanoi.

The high resolve and enthusiasm of the deputies like Ngo Thi Hue led to the success of the first-tenure National Assembly, which went down into history as the first parliament of the independent Vietnam and a landmark in the democratic institution of the newly-founded Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Hanoi man criminally charged for breaking $120 wine jar

A Vietnamese man has been charged with “destroying assets” for breaking a big jar of wine at a restaurant in Hanoi, even though he and the eatery owner had agreed upon a way for compensation.

An official from police in Bac Tu Liem District confirmed to Tuoi Tre(Youth) newspaper on Monday that Hung had been indicted.

Police officers had received a complaint from the restaurant owner, and officers also found out that besides breaking the jar, Hung also hurt somebody at the eatery, he said.

They decided to file the charge since the jar was worth more than VND2 million ($89), he added.

Hung also has a criminal record, according to Bac Tu Liem police.

On December 24, the family of Nguyen Do Hung, residing in Bac Tu Liem, lodged a petition to the district’s procuracy to protest the charge, but prosecutors forwarded the complaint to the local police unit, according to documents seen by Tuoi Tre News.

In November 2015, Hung, 36, accidentally broke a 100-liter jar containing wine at an eatery owned by Nguyen Thi Hien, and later recompensed her with a new one.

Hien agreed to receive the new jar, which Hung had bought at VND1.8 million (US$80), and the customer believed that the incident was settled.

However, on December 3, Hung received an announcement from the Bac Tu Liem police, saying he was indicted for “destroying assets,” as the jar was valued at VND2.7 million ($121) by police officers.

As per the current Vietnamese law, an individual will face criminal charges if he causes property damage worth VND2 million and above, otherwise only a civil penalty will be imposed.

Nguyen Van Dung, who is Hung’s father, said the family had heard nothing about the case until the announcement was sent all of a sudden.

“I believe that there are signs of justice miscarriage in the way Bac Tu Liem police officers handled this case, where objectivity was not ensured,” he said in the petition submitted to prosecutors.

Upon receiving the petition, the Bac Tu Liem Procuracy said valuing the broken jar was the authority of the district’s police, so it had forwarded the complaint to the police.

As the crucial factor to file a criminal charge is the value of the broken jar, Dung said the evaluation of the police was “non-objective and groundless.”

Dung said he had bought the new jar to recompense the restaurant owner, and it is impossible for the container to cost as much as VND2.7 million.

The jar fetches from VND1.2 million ($54) at retail stores, and at the ceramic village of Bat Trang in Gia Lam District, the price is much cheaper, according to the petition.

“So I would like to know on which grounds Bac Tu Liem police have valued the jar my son had broken, especially when Hien had agreed to take the new jar as compensation,” Dung said in the document.

Authorities in Bac Tu Liem are still clarifying the case.

Live television broadcast marks first General Election

A special television programme themed “Representative” was broadcast live on Vietnam Television on January 4, recalling the nation’s glorious history and looking back the development of the National Assembly over the last seven decades.

As part of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first General Election, the programme took audiences back to the eve of the August Revolution, when the Communist Party of Vietnam - under the ingenious leadership of President Ho Chi Minh – laid the first bricks of the democratic institution in Vietnam.

On January 6, 1946, Vietnamese nationals cast their ballots to elect the first NA deputies. The success of the general election opened a new period in the country’s history, with a National Assembly, a unified Government and a government system with full legal status to represent the people in external and internal affairs.

As guests of the event, historian Duong Trung Quoc, General Secretary of the Vietnam Science and History Association, Nguyen Si Dung, Deputy Head of the NA Office and scientist Nguyen Lan Dung underlined the significance of the first general election, highlighting the election campaign mechanism, the first NA question-and-answer session and the legislative and constitutional functions of the NA.

Documentary films screened at the event featured a number of places such as Lung Co Airport – the first international airport in Vietnam , and Tan Trao communal house, where a national congress was convened on August 18 and 19 in 1945.

The NA has continued to develop over the last 70 years as the highest representative body of the people and nation, implementing legislative and constitutional rights, deciding important national issues and supervising the nation’s activities.

The body is also expanding parliamentary external relations in the context of integration, having hosted the 132 nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU 32) in 2015.-

Memory of Hanoi programme attracts 120,000 visitors

Nearly 120,000 visitors including about 5,000 foreigners visited the “Ky Uc Ha Noi” (Memory of Hanoi) programme which took place at the Thang Long Royal Citadel in Hanoi from December 30 to January 4, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

The event was the highlight of activities welcoming the New Year in the capital city.

It featured part of old Hanoi , including architecture, bonsai, craft products, Hanoi cuisine, old Hanoi costume, folk games and festivals and flower arrangement.

The programme aimed to create a unique tourism product of the city, attracting local and foreign visitors.

Mekong Delta Province violates bidding regulations

The health department in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Province of Tien Giang has been found violating bidding norms for medical equipment and medicines, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported today.

The government inspection agency said in 2012 and 2013, the department classified the bidding packages of medicines themselves, violating the bidding regulations of the health ministry.

Under the classification, similar drugs with similar effects but of different origins will lead to great differences in the prices of medicines.

For instance, the Cefaclor 250mg tablet is manufactured by a joint venture and costs VND3,200 (1.5 US cents) each, while its locally manufactured counterpart costs VND1,705 (0.8 cent).

Last year, the department organised the bidding process, but no firm won the bid because the offered prices were much higher than those recommended by the department.

Search for missing fisherman continues off Hai Phong

Rescuers at Hai Phong Port are searching for a missing fisherman off the northern Hai Phong Province, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (Vietnam MRCC) said yesterday.

The fisherman, 49-year-old Dinh Van Thong, went missing after his boat, 1800HP, sank on Sunday evening, after colliding with Phuc Khanh, a boat owned by Global Logistics Services limited company.

The SAR273 boat and five other boats have been sent to the scene to join the rescue efforts that stretch across 50 nautical miles.

Two other fishermen who were onboard 1800HP -- 49-year-old Dinh Van Kiem and 48-year-old Cao Van Tuan -- were pulled out of the water a few hours after the collision and are recovering.

The Hai Phong Port Authority said the rescue of the victims was given priority over salvage of the boat.

Exhibition highlights National Assembly’s 70-year history

More than 1,000 documents on the National Assembly of Vietnam are being displayed at an exhibition that opened at the Hanoi National Library on January 4 to mark the 70th anniversary of the First General Election Day (January 6, 1946).

The exhibits feature the National Assembly’s birth, role, power and general elections as well as Constitutions ratified by the legislature over the past 70 years.

Visitors will have a chance to get an insight into the legislative body’s contributions to national liberation and reunification in the past, and the present cause of reform.

During the periods, the National Assembly have made important decisions and approved major laws, decrees and resolutions.

The exhibition aims to raise public awareness of the National Assembly which represents people’s will, aspirations and mastery.

It will run until January 12.

Truc Lam Dai Giac temple in Ha Tinh inaugurated

A temple named Truc Lam Dai Giac in Nghi Xuan district, the central province of Ha Tinh, a place for worshipping Tran Dynasty’s kings and generals, was inaugurated at a ceremony on January 3.

The event was attended by National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu, provincial leaders, representatives from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and a crowd of Buddhist monks and nuns.

The construction of the temple was started in April, 2014 on an area of 5,000 sq.m in Xuan Pho Commune.

The cost for the project - 120 billion VND (533,520 USD) - was funded by the General Director of Thanh Thanh Dat company, Tran Cong Luan, who was born in Ha Tinh.

The temple includes three sanctums for worshiping the Three Refuges, Tran Dynasty’s kings and generals and the Tran family in the central region.

The project is expected to provide a venue for local people to show respect for their ancestors. It also serves as a spiritual tourist site for Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers.-

Police seize illegal foreign liquor

Thanh Hoa Police have seized more than 500 bottles of foreign liquor that were being illegally transported in a lorry on Highway 1A in Bim Son Town.

The liquor bottles of the Royal Salute and Ballantine's brands were not accompanied by any valid papers that showed their place of origin.

The driver of the lorry, 33-year-old Tran Kim Phap, told the police that he was hired to transport the liquor to Ha Noi for sale.

Earlier, on Saturday, the provincial police seized 250 bottles of Chivas 18 that were not accompanied by any valid papers.

The driver of the vehicle told the police that he was transporting the liquor to Ha Noi for sale.

Also on Saturday, the provincial transport police discovered a vehicle illegally transporting nearly 8cu.m of mahogany. The driver failed to show any papers related to the wood. The wood was passed on to the concerned police for further investigation.

HCM City court jails 4 for smuggling $5.3 million worth of luxury cars

A Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced an immigration officer and three people to 9-16 years in prison Thursday for smuggling in luxury cars worth over US$5.3 million with the help of dozens of overseas Vietnamese.

At the trial, the city People's Court also ordered prosecutors to investigate the role played by other customs officers and overseas Vietnamese who allegedly abetted Nguyen Quang Vinh, 33, and his accomplices in illegally importing 54 cars between January 2011 and December 2012.

The cars were declared as belonging to 54 overseas Vietnamese who were returning to Vietnam for permanent residency, thus getting exemption from import and valued-added taxes.

However, their supposed owners had never sought permanent residency in the country, but allowed Vinh and his accomplices to use their names for a fee of US$1,000-10,000 each.

Prosecutors said 36 of the overseas Vietnamese involved were introduced to Vinh by Nguyen Giang Lam, 40, then an officer in the city's immigration department.

Lam also approved their residency paperwork and was paid US$10,000 each time for his services, they said.

The rest were found by Vinh himself and Tran Phuoc Thanh, 48, and Tran Thai Nguyen, 33, providers of import and export services.

The cars were all luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Rolls Royce, and the unpaid taxes are estimated at VND218 billion (US$10 million), according to prosecutors.

Vinh and Lam got 16 years each while Thanh and Nguyen got nine.

Prosecutors said the 22 of the overseas Vietnamese have turned in to authorities a total of US$44,500 they got from Vinh, and 38 of the illegal vehicles have been confiscated.

Kien Giang seeks to build more golf courses in Phu Quoc: report

Authority in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is looking to build another four golf courses on Phu Quoc Island, one of its main tourist attractions, local media reported on January 2.

The island is now home to a 99-hectare 27-hole golf course, which was opened over a year ago as part of a tourist complex run by hotels and resorts chain Vinpearl, Tuoi Tre newspaper said.

The provincial authority plans to develop five golf courses with a total area of 820 hectares by 2030, it said.

Under Vietnam's existing laws, local governments can license golf course projects, but they are still subject to the scrutiny of the central government, which has tightened the control over the development of golf courses in recent years.

Huynh Van Lac, spokesman of Kien Giang People's Committee, told Tuoi Tre that the provincial authority had proposed the government add the five courses to the national master plan for golf courses development.

In its latest plan in 2014, Vietnamese government restricted the number of golf courses to 96 by 2020.

The government first opposed restrictions on golf courses in 2009 as environmentalists raised concerns about reports that 166 projects were being planned around the country. It then axed the number of golf course projects to 89.

More than 30 golf courses are currently operational across Vietnam, according to local media.

3 Chinese arrested for abducting Vietnamese man in Quang Ninh

The Quang Ninh Province police have coordinated with their counterparts in China’s Guangxi Province to arrest three Chinese men for allegedly abducting a Vietnamese man last November.

The men, all aged 26-32, were arrested near Qinzhou Port in China where they had held the victim, Pham Van Phuong, in a container, the police said December 31.

According to investigators, on November 27 Phuong and a friend were having dinner at a restaurant in Quang Ninh’s Mong Cai town when the trio forced them into Phuong’s car and drove to China.

They released Phuong’s friend and left the car near the border after finding out he was Chinese.

Phuong was released on December 2.

The three Chinese told the police they had taken VND30 million (US$1,355) from Phuong and held him for ransom.

Phuong told them that he had done business with a Chinese partner, identified only as Quy, who owed him around VND3.5 billion.

After failing to get the money from him, Phuong had hired some Chinese men, including one of the kidnappers, to help find Quy.

But he was unable to pay them after failing to get the money from Quy.

The police in the two countries are coordinating for further investigations.

4 shoeshiners fined for overcharging foreign tourists in Hanoi

The Hanoi police recently fined four shoeshiners VND2 million (US$90) each for forcing foreign tourists to use their services and extorting high prices.

On December 30, news website Zing carried a video about a shoeshine and repair scam targeting foreign tourists in the popular old quarter.

In the video, the shoeshiners suddenly yank off the shoes of three tourists from the Republic of Korea who are walking on Cau Go Street, polish them and demand money.

As the tourists disagree with the prices, a shoeshiner grabs one of them by the shirt. The tourists then decide to pay and leave.

Also in the video, an American named Chris says he was charged VND850,000 (US$38) after his sandals were forcefully taken off and given running repairs.

The four shoeshiners in the video are Pham Van Chung, 32, Pham Van Quynh, 28, Vien Dinh Nam, 32, and Tran Van Chien, 22 from the northern provinces of Thanh Hoa and Hung Yen.

Chung and Quynh had been summoned by the police in September and again fined VND2 million for the same offense.

Major Tong Dang Cong, the crime police chief of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District, told Zing that VND2 million is the maximum for harassing and overcharging tourists.

But since it does not deter shoeshiners like Chung and Quynh, the police have urged relevant authorities to increase the fine, he said.

The police have not investigated the shoeshine scam much because foreign tourists typically do not report cases, he said.

Even in this case, when the police did step in following the video, the foreign victims had left the city, he added.

Public called on to obey traffic rules

The National Committee on Traffic Safety yesterday launched the Traffic Safety Year 2016 in the central Nghe An Province in an effort to engage the public and improve awareness of traffic safety nation-wide.

The committee called on drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic rules strictly and responsibly. It also urged agencies and organisations to outline detailed actions to help reduce the number of traffic accidents and deaths.

This year, the committee expects to develop a better traffic culture in Viet Nam in which police and relevant authorities are urged to work with higher responsibility.

According to the committee, more than 22,400 traffic accidents were reported across the country last year, killing almost 8,700 people and injured over 20,550 people. The number of accidents, death toll and injured toll fell by 11 per cent, 3.6 per cent and 15.8 per cent, respectively, compared with that of 2014.

The latest committee report reveals that 124 traffic accidents claimed 65 lives and injured 94 people in the first three days of this year.

During that time, police on roads detected almost 25,000 traffic violations and collected fines of VND12.8 billion (US$570,000). Waterway traffic police cracked down on over 1,000 violations.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Huyen, general director of the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam, has urged road operators and transport departments in cities and provinces to tighten traffic control, especially because the travelling demand is expected to increase sharply from now until the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

He also asked relevant agencies to remove illegal roadside stalls, advertisements and trees to ensure clear vision for drivers.

Unnecessary traffic signs will be removed while more "No parking" signs will be placed along narrow or crowded streets.

Thousands of people rushed back to Ha Noi and HCM City following the new year holiday, causing traffic jams on several streets and overwhelming coach stations.

Traffic jams occurred yesterday afternoon on the streets near the major coach stations of Ha Noi—Pham Hung, Pham Van Dong and Giai Phong—as well as at the major intersections of Cau Giay–Kim Ma and Nguyen Trai–Khuat Duy Tien.

Mien Dong coach station (Binh Thanh District, HCM City) was flooded by a sea of people yesterday.

There was no room for the entry of buses returning from nearby provinces. Instead, they lined up in four rows outside the station and waited for their turn to enter.

Conflicts broke out constantly between the buses, coaches and taxis crowded at the entrance gate.

Many exhausted passengers fell asleep on the station's stone benches.

Traffic jams occurred on Dinh Bo Linh Street and on roads leading to Mien Dong Station, blocking the flow of thousands of vehicles.

Several more buses approached the station as rush hour drew near. Traffic then got even heavier as the city's residents started leaving for work.

Da Nang starts building new library

The Da Nang Culture, Sports and Tourism department started work on a new municipal library building on Saturday.

The two-storey building, designed by Korean firm Jina Architecture, will be built on a 7,200sq.m area with a total investment of VND42.5 billion (US$2 million).

It's scheduled to be completed next August.

Vietnamese bakers head to France

Vietnamese bakers and pastry enterprises will present at the Europain & Intersuc 2016 international trade show held in France next year.

Nguyen Truong Kim Phung from ABC Bakery Company will join 23 competitors from 17 countries in the Bakery Masters contest.

In addition, Tran Thi Thuy Van and Nguyen Quoc Dung will participate in the International Confectionery Art Competition with couples from 15 countries including Russia, Spain, France and Italy.

Taking place in Paris on February 5-9, the event showcases both French savoir-faire and international innovations in terms of products, equipment and services.

Held biennially, it offers an opportunity for professionals, artisans and industrial players to find solutions to satisfy new expectations and new consumer habits in the bakery, pastry, chocolate-making and confectionery sector.

Some Vietnamese enterprises have registered to attend the show, as well. The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Viet Nam is in charge of providing information and entrance procedures.

"We expect that many Vietnamese enterprises and bakers will attend this event because it's a chance to exchange with colleagues, seek partners in the world and update new trends," said Le Minh Phuong from the French Chamber.

Workers short changed with Tet gifts

With the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays approaching, workers from the public and private sectors throughout the country are eagerly awaiting their Tet bonuses. The bonus could help them to buy things to decorate their houses and prepare for a warm and happy Tet.

But now things have changed. Workers at a building materials firm in Thai Nguyen Province do not know what to do with their Tet gifts after the company decided to give each worker 200 bricks instead of a bonus. The decision was made after the company suffered a difficult year.

The same situation happened at a garment and textiles company in Ha Noi, where workers received 70 pairs of shorts each.

Maybe workers from the building materials company should think about building a fireplace, and in the meantime, the garment workers should be praying for hot weather over Tet.

Choosy thieves

Police in Quang Ngai Province recently arrested a gang of thieves for stealing 10 motorbikes.

The thieves told police they were gaming addicts and needed money to play, so they stole motorbikes and sold them to pawnshops.

The special part of this case is that the gang was particularly selective about which bikes they stole. They admitted to police that they always opened the motorbike seats and checked for the registration certificate before stealing them. If they did not see a registration certificate, they ignored the bike.

The lesson drawn from this story is that people should leave their registration certificates at home to keep their motorbikes safe from choosy thieves!

A long road to completion

Normally, it takes contractors about six days to complete one kilometre of road. However, in Thai Nguyen Province, a project to build a 1.5km road connecting Bac Son and Minh Cau is still under construction although it officially kicked off in 2008. It means that more than eight years have passed and the road is still incomplete.

A former official of the provincial People's Committee explained that delays to the project were mainly because local authorities and the contractor had failed to persuade local residents living on land allocated for the project to move to resettlement areas. Persuasion really does take time!

VietinBank funds social works in Hau Giang

More than a dozen social works totalled 40.1 billion VND (1.79 million USD) funded by the Vietnam Industrial Bank (VietinBank) were handed over to the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang at a ceremony on January 4.

The facilities, including five kindergartens, six communal infirmaries and three charity houses were built in remote areas in the province.

They are expected to help promote local education and health care services and realise the province’s targets that all local schools and medical stations meet national standards.

Over the past years, ViettinBank has funded the building of hundreds of social works in Hau Giang, worth nearly 117 billion VND (5.22 million USD), said VietinBank Chairman Nguyen Van Thang.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lu Van Hung said last year, the province created jobs for more than 20,000 labourers and provided vocational training for 8,600 people, contributing to bringing the rate of local poor and near poor households to below 6.3 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.

Feedback on public services project launched in Quang Binh

The People’s Council of the central province of Quang Binh in collaboration with Oxfam GB on January 4 launched a project to score the quality of public services via mobile phones.

Accordingly, the Mobilephone Scorecard (M-Score) project will be implemented in the People’s Committee of Minh Hoa, Tuyen Hoa, Quang Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Ninh and Le Thuy districts, Ba Don town, and Dong Hoi city.

The M-Score aims to enhance the quality of public services at the grassroots level as well as strengthen transparency and accountability of services provided by local administrative agencies.

Local people who complete transactions at one-stop-shop offices will get a message/call from the switchboard asking them to provide feedback on the quality of service and the attitude of the staff.

Citizens can also make calls to hotline 18008081 to inquire about their document process and comment on staff attitude.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong said the initiative aims to set up a mechanism for local residents to score and give feedback on the quality of administrative services in local agencies.

Thanks to public opinions, local authorities will take measures to address shortcomings and improve administrative services, she said.

The provincial People’s Council pledges to facilitate the implementation of the project and use its results to ensure high quality public service while assessing the one-stop-shop offices’ performance every three months and honouring outstanding units and individuals in the field annually.

The project will run until 2018.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri