First dioxin detoxification centre opens in Danang

The Danang Association for Victims of Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin on February 20 inaugurated a detoxification and rehabilitation centre for AO victims, the first of its kind in the central city of Danang.

Funded by the US Harris Freeman Foundation with a total investment of nearly VND2.3 billion (US$108,000), the two-storey centre includes steam and rehabilitation rooms.

Danang is home to over 5,000 AO victims, more than 1,400 of whom are children.

From 1961 to 1971, the US Army sprayed more than 18.2 million gallons of Agent Orange onto more than 10 percent of the land in southern Vietnam.

It is estimated that more than 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to AO/dioxin. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases due to its effects.

Entire hydrofoils fleet unsafe

All nine hydrofoils operating on the HCM City-Vung Tau route pose a threat to passenger safety, an official inspection has found.

The inspection, launched following an accident last month when a hydrofoil suddenly burst into flames, detected multiple faults in the entire fleet of nine hydrofoils.

In operation for over 20 years, all the boats had hulls in "extremely bad condition" in addition to many other technical problems, inspectors said in a report.

They also detected oil leaks in four of the nine hydrofoils and broken fuel pipes in six. Three vessels were found having water leaks in the cockpit, cabin and engine compartments, and four of them carried poor quality lifebuoys.

The hydrofoils operated between HCM City and the coastal city of Vung Tau.

The inspectors have recommended that the Ministry of Transport carry out a comprehensive inspection of the hulls and have all technical problems fixed before the vessels can resume operations. They have also advised HCM City authorities to inspect fire safety facilities on all tourist boats, floating restaurants and other passenger vessels inthe city.

Last month, a hydrofoil carrying 92 people, 85 passengers and seven crew members, was travelling from HCM City to Vung Tau when it suddenly burst into flames.

The captain of the Vina Express hydrofoil attempted to control it and steer it to the shores of the Sai Gon River in District 7.

The accident forced all the passengers to jump into the river to escape from the fire. Luckily, they were all rescued by passing ships and rescue teams.

The final conclusions regarding the accident will be announced at the end of this month.

From 2008-13, there have been two cases in which the hydrofoils have caught fire. During this period, engine failures, waves breaking glass windows and hydrofoils running aground have been fairly common occurrences, the inspectors' report said.

The hydrofoils have for long carried a reputation for not meeting safety standards, it added.

One killed, 5 injured in accident

One person was killed and five were injured when a coach crashed into a container truck on Highway 1A before dawn today.

The accident took place in Xuan An Town in the central province Ha Tinh's Nghi Xuan District. The coach, travelling in the south-north direction, crashed into the container

truck which was going in the opposite direction. The coach was seriously damaged whereas the container truck hit an electric pole and tilted.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Doctor faces jail for surgery death

Nguyen Manh Tuong, director of a cosmetic surgery centre, faces up to 10 years in prison following a botched operation on a woman patient that led to her death.

Tuong has been charged with violating regulations on examination and treatment and infringing on the rights governing human remains.

The charges follow an indictment issued on Tuesday by the Ha Noi People's Procuracy.

Tuong's accomplice, Dao Quang Khanh, 18, a security guard at the centre, was also charged for infringing on the rights governing human remains.

According to the indictment, Tuong, 41, a doctor at Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital and director of his own private cosmetic surgery centre, and Khanh, allegedly threw a woman patient's body into the Hong (Red) River after she died on the operating table during breast surgery on October 19 last year.

Khanh also admitted stealing an Apple iPhone 5 smart phone, worth VND12 million (US$560) from the victim's body before wrapping it and throwing it into the river.

The two suspects were arrested two days after throwing the patient's body into the river. Police said that despite extensive searches, the victim's body had still not been found.

Young Vietnam, UK scientists discuss development policy

Nearly 100 young scientists from Vietnam and the UK gathered at a February 20 dialogue in HCM City focusing on strengthening sustainable national development.

The event, part of a British Council initiative, aims to create a global link among young scientists and harness their talents to boost international cooperation.

Participants examined ways of fostering the relationship between governments, the business community and universities for sustainable national development.

They also touched upon issues relating to intellectual property, commercialization, scientific research, innovation, as well as the development of science and technology inVietnam.

External relations and scientific research are essential for a global knowledge-based economy, said Vietnam-based British Council Director, Chris Brown.

The reality has is that scientists who are dynamic in the international arena have proven more proficient in conducting research, he added.

The “Connecting young scientists” initiative has attracted scientists from renowned universities and organizations in the world.

It has selected the Danang University of Polytechnics of Vietnam and the University of Leeds of the UK for its first dialogue on telecommunications.

The Aston University of the UK and HCM City Bio-technology Centre have been selected to centre on vaccine development.  

Japanese aid improves healthcare, education services

The Japanese Government has agreed to provide US$352,080 in non-refundable aid to help Vietnam implement three projects on education and health care.

Under a sponsoring contract signed in Hanoi on February 20, the aid will be channeled into Bac Kan, Ha Nam and Hanoi – all in the northern region of Vietnam.

A privately-run elderly care centre in Hanoi’s outlying district of Dong Anh will receive financial support to purchase medical equipment.

Additionally, medical workers at the clinic will be afforded the opportunity in the future to train in Japan as part of a Japan-Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) programme.

The Japanese Government will also provide funding for the construction of Cap Trang primary school in Khang Ninh commune, Ba Be district, Bac Kan province and Duc Ly primary school in Ly Nhan district, Ha Nam province.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Japanese Envoy to Vietnam Hideo Suzuki stressed that Japan gives priority to Vietnam’s education sector.

The three Japanese-funded projects are expected to help Vietnamese localities improve education and healthcare services, he said.

Environment police join illegal poultry trade fight

The environment police nationwide will lend a hand in preventing the dangerous avian influenza currently striking other nations entering the country.

Bird flu strains H7N9, H10N8, H5N2, H6N1 and H5N1 are circulating in many countries and territories in Asia and those neighbouring Vietnam. The disease is developing in a complicated manner in both poultry and humans.

In Vietnam, A/H5N1 flu had by February 18 affected poultry bred in 11 provinces and cities and shows signs of spreading fast.

The Environment Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security on February 20 said its force continues to deploy measures to put off the trade and transport of smuggled poultry and related products.

It will work closely with other forces such as customs and market management to reinforce inspections at breeding farms, markets selling live poultry and areas where a bird flu outbreak could occur to promptly take measures to prevent the disease spreading.

Earlier, the northern border provinces were asked to intensify prevention measures against avian influenza strains H5N1 and H7N9, which are likely to spread in the coming time.

At an online meeting with localities on February 18, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said the dangerous H7N9 strain has been identified in

several neighbouring countries, requesting ministries and forces to work closely with border areas to thwart cross-border poultry smugglers.

According the Veterinary Department, no H7N9 cases have been recorded in Vietnam so far.

Anti-corruption initiative introduced in Vinh Long

Anti-corruption officials in the southern region met and exchanged ideas and information at a conference in the southern province of Vinh Long on February 20.

The event was held by the Government Inspectorate to introduce the 2014 Vietnam Anti-Corruption Initiative (VACI) programme themed “More Transparency, Integrity and Accountability”.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director General of the Department for Anti-Corruption of the Government Inspectorate Ngo Manh Hung said the VACI has had positive impacts on the effectiveness of the corruption fight.

Delegates also shared experience on the implementation of projects relating to the programme’s theme in the education sector in Vinh Long and the neighbouring province of Ben Tre .

The 2014 VACI, jointly co-organised by the World Bank (WB) and the Government Inspectorate, encompasses an innovation contest and a knowledge exchange forum. The

best initiatives will be announced in May.

This year’s programme is the fourth event of the VACI series. The 24 best initiatives out of the 130 proposals received last year were selected and successfully implemented in the 2013 programme.

Poverty reduction policies to be reviewed

Members of the Central Steering Committee on Sustainable Poverty Reduction have suggested policymakers review assistance policies on the issue carefully to support Vietnam ’s long-term comprehensive poverty reduction and growth strategy.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, was held in Hanoi on February 20 to contribute to a Government draft report on the implementation of legal polices on poverty reduction in the 2005-2012 period and results achieved in 2013.

A report presented by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) revealed that the country saw an annual average poverty rate reduction of 2% and a 5% fall in disadvantaged districts and communes from 2005-2012.

In 2013, 621,000 poor households were provided with preferential loans for production development, and 13 million disadvantaged and ethnic people were granted health insurance cards, according to the report.

The poor had full access to preferential policies, thus helping reduce the poverty rate and improving their living conditions, it added.

However, the achievements were unstable, especially in mountainous and ethnic minority populated regions where the number of poor households accounted for 50% of the country’s total, said the report.

Deputy PM Ninh also asked related ministries to reach a common view on making suitable policies to ensure sustainable poverty reduction and strengthen people’s awareness on the topic.

The localities should apply the policies in a creative and effective manner based on their own socio-economic conditions, he said.

Australia supports Vietnam’s climate change project

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT/AusAID) has committed AUD200,205 to a climate change project in Vietnam.

The AUD224,065 project will be implemented over 2014-2015 in Mekong and Red River Delta provinces, as well as those most vulnerable to climate change.

The project was announced at a workshop in Hanoi on February 20 by the Vietnamese NGOs and Climate Change (VNGO&CC).

Vu Thi Bich Hop, Executive Director of Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) and chief coordinator of VNGO&CC, said approximately 100 civil society organisations that are members of the VNGO&CC network in 23 cities and provinces across Vietnam will join hand to take action against climate change.

About 20 poor and ethnic minority communities will benefit indirectly from the project she said.  

VNGO&CC was established in 2008 with the aim of coordinating and complementing the Government's efforts in assisting poor Vietnamese people to cope with climate change.

Vietnam, US strengthen humanitarian cooperation

Over the past 10 years, the US Red Cross (USRC) has helped Vietnam implement eight humanitarian projects in 21 provinces, benefiting more than 500,000 people.

Nguyen Hai Duong, President of the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) Central Committee, unveiled the figures at a meeting between the two Red Cross organisations in Hanoi on February 20.

Duong noted bilateral relations have developed significantly, especially since USRC set up its representative office in Vietnam in 2002.

The US organisation has supported disabled people and Agent Orange victims in 9 provinces and cities, provided nutrition and hygiene knowledge for school children in 6 provinces, and cared for HIV patients in 4 provinces and cities.

It has provided US$3.3 million for a climate change adaptation project in Nam Dinh and Long An provinces.

For its part, VRC has actively taken part in movements launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and assisted Japan, Laos andCambodia in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters. Notably, in 2005, the association together with Vietnamese people supported victims of Hurricane Katrina in the US.

The aid projects have contributed to strengthening friendship and relations between Vietnam and the US, Duong said.

Duong stressed Vietnam has suffered heavily from the consequences of the past two wars and it is one of the top ten countries seriously affected by climate change and rising sea levels, with dozens of storms battering its coast each year.

He expressed hope international aid organisations, including USRC, will provide additional assistance to help Vietnam overcome war aftermath and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters.

USRC Vice President Harold Wayne Brooks shared experiences in carrying out humanity program. He said the two organisations should further promote cooperation, especially in natural disaster mitigation, climate change response and raising public awareness of climate change.

USRC is committed to further supporting Vietnam in humanity work, he said.

USRC delegates inspected two projects on disasters’ risks mitigation and HIV care services in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Ha Tinh, Hanoi, Haiphong, Thai Nguyen and Son La.

Domestic workers need more skills

Many domestic workers needed special vocational training to meet the current demands of the job in big cities, according to experts.

Ngo Ngoc Anh, director of the Research Centre for Gender, Family and Community Development, said many workers were from rural areas, unemployed and often lacked the skills to do housework or take care of the elderly and children.

However, she said not many career introduction centres had the ability to arrange training. They usually only handled those who had working experience and introduced them to prospective employers.

Anh said some centres had organised quick courses for middle-aged women, but achieved little because of a lack of know how.

For example, about 110 labourers took a week-long vocational training course in a centre in northern Phu Tho Province, but only one-third met the centre's requirement that trainees have experience with modern machines.

Tran Duc Day, head of the Hai Phong-based Industrial Career and Tourism Vocational Training Centre, said the need for facilities to train professional domestic workers was urgent, but there were no standard curriculum in the field.

"Many centres, including us, must bear the responsibility for devising a course and its content," he said.

"However, the effectiveness of training will be restricted until an official curriculum is launched."

Day said that as far as he knew none of the vocational training centres in the city had courses on the subject.

Tran Manh Hung, head of a private career introduction centre in Ha Noi's Trung Kinh Street said the demand for domestic helpers in Ha Noi was remarkably high. His centre supplied about 30 persons a month, but there was always an urgent need for more.

Hung said he usually hired students, graduates, retired people and middle-aged women to do the job, but there were not enough to meet demand. However, he said only afew could do the work smoothly and professionally.

"These people prefer going to work in Taiwan, Malaysia or Saudi Arabia as they can earn up to VND8.4 million (US$400 plus) a month and have all their insurance paid," he said.

Figures from the centre show that by the end of next year, the number of domestic workers would be 63 per cent above that of 2008 – from 157,000 to 246,000. Most of them will be women. Most employers get their domestic workers from their acquaintances instead of asking professional centres. There are no checks on quality or competence.

Nguyen Thu Trang, from Ha Noi's Tay Son Street, said she was willing to pay more to get skilful and disciplined people as she was tired of replacing domestic workers twice a month.

"Few know how to do the housework. It takes them at least a month to get used to my family's daily schedule and habits," she said.

Experts in the field said that an official outline of job training and specific criteria for granting certificates, would help vocational centres build identical training programmes.

They agree that this should be done before the Law on Labour is launched in the near future.

Employees look for far more than an increase in pay

Apart from salary, a fair bonus, opportunity for career growth, competent leadership, and working environment are also major factors in attracting and retaining talented employees, human resource executives have said.

Speaking at a forum held last Friday in connection with an awards ceremony to honour "The 100 Best Places to Work," Bui Thi Thanh Thuy, deputy director of HR at Prudential Vietnam, said: "Payroll as well as benefits should be based on fair performance assessment."

Talented and young employees would consider growth opportunities as important as the pay, she said, adding that her company has a talent management programme for promising employees.

Vu Minh Tri, general director of Microsoft Vietnam, said: "Human resources is a major factor in the operation of companies.

"Strong leadership will make profits for businesses, resulting in good salaries and bonuses."

Truong Quoc Anh Vu, director of the human resource management department at HSBC Vietnam, said career growth opportunities and training are factors that make employees devoted and loyal to their companies.

His company offers opportunities for employees to work in other countries and territories where it has operations, Vu said.

An active and creative working environment where employees can learn from each other and nurture aspirations for professional growth is also very important, he said.

Total rewards, growth opportunity, culture and values, leadership, work and life quality, and company reputation are the six main criteria for rating employer brand value, Thanh Nguyen, CEO of Anphabe, a HR company, said.

Anphabe has created a framework to evaluate Employer Brand, the first of its kind in Viet Nam, based on 46 factors under the six criteria.

It was used as a benchmark for 100 Best Places to Work survey.

Unilever, P&G, Vinamilk, Nestle, IBM, Abbott, HSBC, Vietcombank, Microsoft, and Coca Cola head the list of best employers.

It also nominated leading companies in 25 industries - like HSBC in banking/ financial services, Microsoft in IT-software, Unilever in FMCG, Samsung in electronics/ electricals/ components, and Prudential in insurance.

The online survey was done in October – December with support from global market research company Nielsen, polling more than 9,000 professionals working in more than 1,000 companies in 25 industries in Viet Nam.

The survey would be useful to companies in carrying out practical innovations to create better working places and satisfy employee expectations, Thanh said.

Ha Noi to upgrade major bus terminal

Ha Noi's most crowded bus terminal, My Dinh in Tu Liem District, will be upgraded to ease traffic congestion and chaos, the municipal administration has decided.

It has approved a project estimated to cost US$2.47 million that will cover an area of 13,000sq.m. The project will build new parking lots, internal roads and service houses, and install new lighting and fencing. It will also plant trees in the station.

The Ha Noi Transport Corporation, appointed project investor, will draw funds from the State Budget. The upgrade is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of this year.

When the My Dinh Station opened in 2004, it was receiving about 300 buses a day. However, sharp increases in travelling demand and urbanisation pushed this to about 1,200 buses a day in 2009 and 1,300 buses a day last year.

According to the Ministry of Transport, poor management and application of technology has led to improper ways of controlling departures and arrivals at the terminal, leading to severe congestion, especially during peak hours.

Volunteer doctors sought for poor areas

The health sector will launch a project encouraging young doctors to volunteer to work in the country's 62 poverty-stricken districts in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

This is part of activities to celebrate the Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27) this year, announced Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long at a press conference in Ha Noi yesterday.

On the occasion, it will also hold an online conference on the sector's 2014 tasks with the participation of leaders and officials nationwide, Long said.

Japanese firms meet Ba Ria-Vung Tau students

Representatives from Japanese enterprises provided an overview of their country’s development and talked about job orientation with students of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau at two seminars on February 18 and 20.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the northern port city of Hai Phong were approved to build two support industry zones for Japanese enterprises.

At the events, they also discussed issues related to culture, foreign languages and professional skills with students of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau University and the provincial vocational training college.

The seminars enabled the two institutes to better understand Japanese enterprises’ demand for suitable education and training plans in the future.

At present, 120 students of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau University are pursuing Japanese studies. Meanwhile, the provincial vocational training college is offering training courses following Japanese standards.

Poor students in Tra Vinh receive support

The Department of State Reserves in the Mekong Delta region on February 20 presented 146 tonnes of rice to disadvantaged students in Tra Vinh province.

Tra Vinh is the only locality in the region to benefit from the programme, under which each of the 2,000 beneficiaries received 75 kg of rice in the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year.

The programme forms part of activities launched in the province to assist students in difficulty.

Last year, over 32 billion VND (1.5 million USD) was collected from various resources in order to encourage poor and ethnic students to attend school.

Tra Vinh has more than 160,000 students, of which 31.4 percent are Khmer and 32 percent belong to poor families.

Red Cross highlights climate change cooperation

The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) and the American Red Cross (ARC) should develop their cooperation programmes, particularly in disaster prevention, climate change adaptation and community awareness improvement, Senior Vice President of ARC’s International Operations Harold Wayne Brooks has said.

Brooks made the suggestion at a working session with the VRC in Hanoi on February 20, where he shared his experiences in providing humanitarian aid in many countries like the US and the Philippines.

The ARC pledged to continue its collaboration and assistance to Vietnam together with boosting relations between the two organisations as well as both Vietnam and the US in humanitarian activities.

According to VRC Chairman Nguyen Hai Duong, since the ARC set up its representative office in Vietnam in 2002, it has aided the country in eight humanitarian projects in

21 provinces with over half a million beneficiaries. It has also provided more than 3.3 million USD for the Vietnam Forests and Delta Programme to assist climate change resilience.

As one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, Vietnam hopes international humanitarian organisations, including the ARC, will expand their support to the country in this field, along with that for people with disabilities, war victims and HIV/AIDS prevention.

On this occasion, the ARC reviewed the implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Expanded Programme in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Ha Tinh provinces, and

another giving support to HIV patients in Thai Nguyen and Son La provinces, Hai Phong city and Hanoi.

Activities celebrate Vietnamese Doctors’ Day

A number of activities will be held to respond to the Vietnamese Doctors’ Day (February 27), said Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Long at a press conference in Hanoi on February 20.

The health sector will launch a project encouraging young voluntary doctors to work in 62 poor districts of the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai , and hold an online conference setting out the sector’s 2014 tasks with the participation of leaders and officials nationwide.

The sector focuses on bettering its healthcare system and services at all grassroots level, enhancing medical staff training, and simplifying administrative procedures while raising the public awareness of healthcare.

In 2013, the United Nations acknowledged Vietnam’s success in fulfilling its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the field.

Latest data from the UN shows that the rate of malnourishment in children under five is declining by around 1.5 percent a year in Vietnam .

Despite encountering numerous challenges posed by infectious and new and unpredictable outbreaks, last year the health sector took swift measures to prevent the spread of diseases, as well as ensured environmental sanitation and intensified monitoring work.

Hanoi takes action against measles, bird flu

The Hanoi Department of Health on February 20 convened an urgent meeting, calling on drastic actions against measles, and A/H7N9 and A/H5N1 avian influenza.

As a large tourism centre, the capital city welcomes about 2,000 visitors from China, where bird flu is striking.

Hanoi is also at a high risk of an A/H7N9 outbreak as poultry is continuing to be imported illegally from the neighbouring country.

A/H5N1 bird flu has struck 11 cities and provinces across the country, including Hanoi’s adjacent province of Bac Ninh.

A/H5N1 has so far this year killed two people in the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc and Dong Thap.

The municipal health sector has tightened inspections at the Noi Bai international airport and among the community, detected suspected cases as soon as possible, strengthened anti-bird flu teams and increased public awareness.

Regarding measles, Deputy Director of Health Department Hoang Duc Hanh said the disease has broken out in the city with 145 cases recorded since December last year.

Most of them are under-five-year-old children who have yet to be vaccinated or failed to receive a repeat vaccination, the official said.

In order to stop the disease from further spreading, the municipal health sector has conducted environmental detoxification and prepared chemicals against the disease.

Children who have not yet been vaccinated will be inoculated this month.-

Environment police join illegal poultry trade fight

The environment police nationwide will lend a hand in preventing the dangerous avian influenza currently striking other nations entering the country.

Bird flu strains H7N9, H10N8, H5N2, H6N1 and H5N1 are circulating in many countries and territories in Asia and those neighbouring Vietnam. The disease is developing in a complicated manner in both fowl and the human population.

In Vietnam, A/H5N1 flu had by February 18 affected poultry bred in 11 provinces and cities and shows signs of spreading fast.

The Environment Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security on February 20 said its force continues to deploy measures to put off the trade and transport of smuggled fowl and poultry products.

It will work closely with other forces such as customs and market management to reinforce inspections at breeding farms, markets selling live poultry and areas where a bir 

flu outbreak could occur to promptly take measures to prevent the disease spreading.

Earlier, the northern border provinces were asked to intensify prevention measures against avian influenza strains H5N1 and H7N9, which are likely to spread in the coming time.

At an online meeting with localities on February 18, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said the dangerous H7N9 strain had been identified in several neighbouring countries, requesting ministries and forces to work closely with border areas to thwart cross-border poultry smugglers.

According to Head of the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pham Van Dong, no H7N9 cases have been recorded in Vietnam so far.

Abattoirs cause concern in fight against bird flu

The management of food markets and abattoirs in the northern border province of Quang Ninh was tabled at a meeting on February 20 in a bid to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza.

The function heard that there are now 136 markets across Quang Ninh. Some 80 percent of slaughtered cattle and poultry are inspected to certify they are fit for consumption, yet a large proportion of meat on sale is infected with bacteria.

As many as 978 private abattoirs are dotted among residential areas and markets, most not meeting hygienic standards while the province has only three centralised abattoirs at present.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Vu Thi Thu Thuy said to cope with the risks of bird flu, it is of critical importance to intensify control of live poultry, prevent and severely punish those trading smuggled poultry or selling meat of unknown origin or poor quality.

Localities also need to overhaul their market and abattoir planning, she added.

As of February 18, 11 provinces nationwide had reported 24 outbreaks, with more than 50,000 infected poultry being destroyed.

CanCham hosts logo design contest

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CanCham) has opened a contest to anyone working or living in Vietnam to redesign its logo.

  CanCham is looking for a logo that is unique and also contemporary and captivating. As CanCham is a professional business association,  the logo should also convey a related theme. The organizer seeks innovative ways to capture the brand of Canada and the brand of Vietnam, which is subtle and not obvious, while appropriate and understandable. The logo will be used on all CanCham documents and materials including website, business cards, folders, event flyers and more.

  First prize winner will bring home a prize package worth VND15 million. The top three runners-up will receive recognition and a prize valued at VND3 million.

  Online voting will take place on CanCham’s Facebook page with the logo receiving the most unique “Likes” automatically entered into the final round.

  There is a jury of Vietnamese celebrities, designers and Canadians to judge the winners, including David Devine, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, Nguyen Dang Khoa, vice director of Becamex, Antony Nezic, vice president of CanCham, actress Mai Thu Huyen, Nguyen Ngan, design director of Caudex Strategies, Le Hong Thuy from HTV and Tran Van Viet, chairman of DD Group Architecture.

  Deadline for registration is March 10. The results will be announced on March 27.

  For further information, visit www.canchamvietnam.org.

March opening for Hong Kong Airlines’ HCMC route

Hong Kong Airlines is planning to launch a three day a week route between Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City on March 17 flying Airbus A320s on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The new route will bring the carrier’s weekly flight total in Vietnam to 10, including its daily flight to Hanoi.

“The new service marks an important milestone in our development in the Vietnamese market, where we opened our first route to Hanoi in 2010,” said Hong Kong Airlines’ commercial director Li Dian Chun in an announcement on February 18.

The flights will depart Hong Kong at 12:20pm, arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 1:55pm, return to Hong Kong at 3pm with wheels down set for 6:30pm, all local times.