UNDP supports Vietnam’s drug trafficking fight

Vietnam is becoming a hotspot for trafficking large amounts of drugs and drug substances to overseas markets.

Zhuldyz Akisheva, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) country manager in Vietnam, said that illegal drug trading within Vietnam and abroad is increasing through international airports and seaports

Since 2010, amphetamine (ATS) has become the second most used drug in Vietnam. New substances are sold publicly in the country, even via the internet, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to control.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has supported the Vietnamese Government in developing a new strategy and relevant policies to deal with drug users and traffickers.

These documents prioritise implementing the national programme of actions against drug and drug-related crimes, boosting cross-border cooperation, dealing with emerging, new crimes and strengthening the efficiency of community-based detoxification.

The UNDP has also assisted mountainous provinces, such as Son Lan, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, and Lao Cai, in drug abuse and HIV prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for ethnic minority people.

Akisheva said to effectively fight against illicit drug activity in Vietnam, UNODC and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are implementing a pilot project on voluntary detoxification.

UNODC also supports national efforts to control the spread of HIV and infectious diseases in prisons and communities, through raising public awareness of HIV and encouraging drug user involvement in policymaking.

Furthermore, it assists in international cooperation by sharing information with neighboring countries through border liaison offices, about transnational crimes in trafficking drugs, wild animals, timber, ozone depleting chemicals and harmful wastes.

Fourteen border liaison offices have been set up on Vietnam’s borders with Laos, Cambodia and China.

PM gets tough on highway site clearance

The northern provinces of Hung Yen and Hai Duong, plus Ha Noi City have told to hasten site clearance for the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Highway Project.

The northern provinces of Hung Yen and Hai Duong, plus Ha Noi City have told to hasten site clearance for the Ha Noi-Hai Phong Highway Project.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung requested Ha Noi authorities to complete site clearance in Gia Lam District's Long Bien Ward.

This means forcing 17 remaining local households to hand over their land to the project.

The PM's message also focused on encouraging residents in the provinces of Hung Yen and Hai Duong to move out of the project area.

Minister of Transport and Viet Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company have been asked to work closely with local authorities on clearance to ensure the project makes progress.

The Ha Noi-Hai Phong Highway project started in 2009 with an investment capital of more than VND24 trillion (more than US$1 billion). The 105 km highway was designed for speeds of up to 120km/h.

Sustainable employment programme in place

A June 25 seminar was held in Hanoi to discuss preparations for the implementation of a national sustainable employment cooperative program over the 2012–2016 period.

Addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan said both the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) global framework for 2012–2015 and the UN’s Joint Plan in Vietnam will support Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy and its focus on social security and employment.

The cooperative program will allow the ILO and other partners to fine-tune their plans annually and mobilise resources in a manner that furthers Vietnam’s progress towards its sustainable employment goals.

The seminar’s participants also reviewed the first year of the Vietnam-ILO sustainable employment cooperative program for the 2012–2016 period.

Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs Vice President Nguyen Ba Ngoc reported the program has helped state management agencies to improve transparency, encourage the labour market’s development, and legislate favourable conditions for recruiting and training human resources.

WB-funded water supply project to benefit Thanh Hoa people

A four-year rural water supply and sanitation programme costing nearly 26.7 million USD was launched in central Thanh Hoa province on June 25.

The programme is part of a wider 200 million USD project implemented by the World Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which targets Thanh Hoa and the seven Red River Delta provinces.

It will provide clean water for 45,800 local households and help 114,500 people access a sustainable supply between now and 2017.

Over 175,000 households in the province are also to be fitted with hygienic toilets by 2017.

This year, 2.15 million USD will be used to carry out the work in 24 coastal communes in Hau Loc, Nga Son and Hoang Hoa districts.

AO victims receive Italian aid

The Italian Bolzano office in northern Hai Duong Province on June 25 presented EUR20,000 to local Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims.

The money will be used to build new houses and provide equipment, medical assistance and scholarships for the victims.

Bolzano Office has been mobilising resources from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals to carry out the project “Joining hands to ease AO pains”.

In 2012, the office granted VND504 million to provincial AO victims to assist them in production and medical check-ups and treatment.

At the granting ceremony, the office signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to sponsor the sufferers.

From 1961 - 1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides - 44 million litres of which were AO that contained nearly 370kg of dioxin - over southern Vietnam.

As a result, between 3.5-4 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxic chemicals. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases due to the effects of AO.

US$748 million for national power transmission project

The National Power Transmission Corporation will allocate about US$748 million for the national power transmission project, nearly 27 percent higher than last year’s level.

Over the past five years, the corporation has mobilised almost US$1.74 billion including, US$796 million from domestic financial institutions and banks, and US$943 million from international organisations, namely the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

With additional funding it hopes that key hydro-electric and thermal power plants in the country will be completed as scheduled.

Conference highlights women’s integration role

A conference was held in Hanoi on June 25 to discuss the women’s role in the process of sustainable development and international integration.

The conference marked the conclusion of a two-year programme of cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to improve the leadership capacity of women in the context of economic integration.

Within the programme’s framework, the ministry joined efforts with local authorities and relevant agencies to raise public awareness of gender equality and accelerate the progress of Vietnamese women.

The ministry also coordinated with the UNDP to promote international cooperation in this connection to help formulate policies aimed at improving gender equality.

Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Representative in Vietnam highlighted Vietnam’s efforts to promote equal contributions by both sexes.

Addressing the event, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Ngan said the Party and Government have always paid due attention to gender equality.

Resettlement area not suitable for farmers

When the Serepok 3 Hydro-electricity Project forced many residents of this Central Highlands province out of their homes, Hoang Thi Hanh moved to the resettlement area but found the land too dry for any vegetables or trees to grow.

For this reason, dozens of Hanh's former neighbours still refuse to move to the VND30 billion (US$1.43 million) resettlement area in Cu Jut District. To date, only five of the 70 households in the area have made the move.

While the resettlement area includes buildings, schools, power and water, health stations and entertainment centres, much of this infrastructure has been destroyed since the neighbourhood was abandoned more than five years ago.

"Doors have fallen off and equipment worth billions of dong has broken," said Dinh Cong Xoan, chairman of the district's Ea Po Commune People's Committee.

Additionally, residents complained that households were given only a 400sq.m lot for accommodation, with barely any compensation for production or business losses.

Nguyen Thi Hue said her family received 400sq.m for accommodation and a scant VND20 million (US$952) as compensation for their hectare of arable land.

As a result, they had no money to build a new house and were forced to live in the home of relatives, as well as to work in part-time jobs that could not even pay tuition fees for their two children.

Being a farmer used to mean poverty; now, it meant desperation, said Dinh Minh Ninh, another local resident.

Xoan said measures to help Ninh and others would soon be implemented.

The 220MW Serepok 3 Hydro-electricity Project was built in 2005 in Buon Don District's Ea Nuol and Tan Hoa communes and Chu Jut District's Ea Po Commune and came into operation in 2010.

Creating jobs for disabled people in spotlight

How to create jobs for people with disabilities was discussed at a seminar in Hanoi on June 24.

The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the International Labour Organisation.

According to a report released by the MoLISA, Vietnam is home to 6.7 million disabled people, of whom 67 percent are of working age.

The Vietnamese Party and State have devised a host of laws and policies in a bid to create conditions for people with disabilities to work. However, only 5,000-6,000 of them have a chance to engage in vocational training each year.

Nearly 36% of disabled people are illiterate, while 20.7% have finished primary education and 24.5% secondary education. About 70% of people with disabilities are unable to live on their own.

Delegates at the event attributed limitations in vocational training and job creation to financial problems and the inadequate attention of some relevant ministries, branches and localities.

They underlined the need for the ministries and branches to accelerate information work to bring policies and laws closer to localities, businesses, the community and disabled people themselves.

The move aims to provide vocational training and jobs for 300,000 disabled people by 2020.

Millions of dong raised for rural roads

A total of over VND400 million (US$19,000) was raised to upgrade roads in southern Binh Phuoc Province's Hon Quan District's Tan Hung Commune, according to local authorities.

As many as 259 households in Hung Lap A hamlet contributed both money and labour to build an inter-hamlet road stretching 2.7km, which will benefit local infrastructure, resident Le Thanh Cong said.

Previously, local people were forced to travel along small and narrow tracks.  

Gas tank blast kills manager in Ha Noi

An explosion at a brewery in Ha Noi's Gia Lam District killed one person instantly yesterday morning, June 27.

The victim has been identified as the beer factory's manager from northern Bac Ninh Province, whose carelessness was allegedly the cause of the accident.

The case is under further investigation.

Four kids get vital genital operations

Italian doctor Roberto De Castro started operations on four children suffering from genital malformations in the central region on Tuesday, June 25.

The Italian is providing three days of examinations and surgery for children at Da Nang city's Hospital for Women and Children.

Last year, he also conducted examinations on 50 children with genital defects in central provinces and cities, following the genital reconstruction campaign of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.

The surgeon from Bologna will provide operations for kids at HCM City's Paediatrics Hospital from Thursday.

Dodextro capsules taken off market

The Drug Administration of Viet Nam has ordered the withdrawal from circulation of a batch of Dodextro capsules commonly used to relieve pain and reduce fever.

The decision was made after a drug sample taken from HCM City-based Codupha Pharmaceutical Center was tested and found to be substandard.

The batch, which has an expiry date of Feb 7, 2015, was produced by the Dong Nam Manufacturing Trading Pharmaceutical Corporation.

The producer and other distributors have been asked to promptly remove the batch from markets across the country and report to the administration before July 5.

Thousands of home-made arms surrendered

Over 35,000 home-made shotguns and nearly 20 tonnes of explosives including bombs and bullets were handed to authorities in northern mountainous Dien Bien Province by residents.

The success comes after authorities first launched a campaign to persuade local residents to voluntarily give up their arms and explosive materials in 2005.

The campaign was in response to the Government's instruction on preventing illegal use of weapon and explosive materials.

VNN/VOV/VNS/VNA