A police officer is instructing a citizen to carry out an online public service (Photo: SGGP)

Project 06 is considered the key to deciding the success of the national digital transformation process, to help simplify administrative procedures via shared databases, and to improve the quality of 53 essential online public services.

Statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications show that in the first 6 months this year, 3.6 million new accounts in the National Public Service e-Portal were created, making a total of 7.7 million. There were over 6.8 million online-payment transactions with an amount of more than VND2.4 trillion (US$100 million). This is an increase of 3 times compared to this time last year.

The handling of administrative procedures in certain localities has seen significant improvements. For instance, in June 2023, Quang Ninh Province delivered permits for two projects with a total investment of nearly US$250 million in only 12 business hours. This is a reduction of 14 working days compared to the usual time.

However, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has lately stressed that the quality of online public services as being simple, convenient, quick, safe, and secure is still rather low because the integration and sharing functions among national databases are not as expected.

Therefore, the Prime Minister asked that any public services related to daily operations of citizens and manufacturing activities of businesses must be prioritized. The development of necessary platforms and national databases as well as cyber security, information safety must also be a focus.

Director of the Tay Ninh Province Department of Information and Communications Nguyen Tan Duc admitted that there are still problems in the operation of public service e-portals, such as limited features, uncompleted functions, unintegrated and inconsistent data. These obstacles have prevented the community and businesses from accessing and using those valuable data.

Most province-level, ministry-level public services are still not user-friendly except essential nation-scale ones like tax procedures, passport and citizen ID card issuance, driver’s license change, customs declaration.

The Government has asked that by 2025, 20-25 percent of unnecessary administrative procedures will have been eliminated. This is a huge challenge.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung has recently requested an identification of the real proportion of current online public services. No matter how low this percentage is, it must become a motive force for a better result in the future so that citizens and businesses will find it easier to access and use online public services, which are more convenient and money-saving.

Vietnam wins gold at 1st World Taekwondo Demonstration Team Championships

The Vietnamese team on August 20 won a gold medal in the preliminary round of the Freestyle poomsae event at the first World Taekwondo Demonstration Team Championships hosted by the Republic of Korea.

The Freestyle class requires a higher level of difficulty than the Recognized class, in which the Vietnamese team had earlier won a silver in the preliminary round and a bronze in the final.

A total of 20 teams, including 18 from the host country, one from Italy, and one from Vietnam, competed in the Freestyle class.

Vietnam defeated the Italian team to take the gold in the preliminary round. In the final, both Vietnam and Italy clinched a bronze, ranking after two Korean teams.

The 2023 World Taekwondo Demonstration Team Championships is one of the four events held at the 2023 Gangwon-Chuncheon World Taekwondo Cultural Festival, which is taking place from August 18 to 24.

Binh Duong named among Top 7 Intelligent Communities for third time

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has named the southern province of Binh Duong among the top 7 Intelligent Communities (Top 7) for the third time in a row.

The Top7 Communities are chosen from among the Smart 21 Communities in 2023. Binh Duong has been honoured among the Smart 21 in five consecutive years.

The title is expected to strengthen investors and businesses’ confidence in the locality, helping lure more foreign direct investment and high quality human resources, paving the way for its high technology service and industry development in the future.

According to Standing Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Mai Hung Dung, being honoured in the Top 7 Intelligent Communities for three consecutive years proves the effectiveness of its smart city development strategy, helping promote its growth and bringing prosperity to local residents as well as economic success and international recognition to the locality.

The ICF gathers nearly 200 prosperous smart cities in the world, studied and assessed hundreds of cities around the world to select the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities based on six factors including broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability, and advocacy. 

Binh Duong has implemented the Binh Duong Smart City project since 2016 which always sticks to the concept of economic transformation towards innovation and digitisation.

Supported and inspired by the ICF Smart Community of the Year in 2011 - Brainport Eindhoven of the Netherlands, Becamex IDC Corporation and Binh Duong's authorities have been applying digital transformation and innovation in all specific projects to make Binh Duong smarter, better, and more livable.

In the heart of Vietnam’s southeastern region, Binh Duong province is a brand new city in development.

The ICF is a global network that connects hundreds of cities and regions on the five continents for collaboration on economic development and for exchange of expertise and information that drives progress. Through this network, it researches how Intelligent Communities use information and communications technology to build inclusive prosperity, solve social problems and enrich their quality of life.

ASEAN Family and Friends Day 2023 held in Hai Phong

The ASEAN Family and Friends Day 2023 was held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN Community Women's Circle of Hanoi (AWCH) in the northern port city of Hai Phong on August 20, on the occasion of the 56th founding anniversary of ASEAN and the 28th anniversary of Vietnam’s ASEAN membership.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet affirmed that the annual event presents an opportunity to further strengthen the foundation of friendship and cooperation among members of the ASEAN family and between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi said the regular organisation of the event reaffirms the Vietnamese Government and people’s commitments and efforts to nurture the friendship between ASEAN member states and their partners.

As part of the event, delegates visited Bach Dang River - a renowned relic site associated with three naval battles against invaders in Vietnam's history.

They also joined in various cultural exchanges, sports and folk games, and tasted traditional dishes of member states.

On-demand medical examination, treatment prices drop sharply

While several services are seeing price increases in line with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s regulations, a notable decrease in prices has been observed for many technical services, particularly on-demand surgery.

This change comes in the wake of the MoH's Circular 13/2023, which details the pricing for medical examination and treatment services, and became effective this past Tuesday.

At the Hà Nội-based Việt Đức Hospital, close to 1,500 medical services are clearly displayed, with their prices listed both before and after the implementation of this circular.

A reporter from the Người lao động (The Labourer) newspaper noted that the majority of the service prices are either equal to or less than the maximum rates established by the MoH. These prices are substantially lower compared to the rates that this hospital previously charged.

Under the new pricing scheme, the cost of on-demand medical examinations at the Việt Đức Hospital has been set at VNĐ500,000 (US$21) for various types of requests. For individuals with health insurance, the fee is reduced to VNĐ461,000 ($19).

In the past, the maximum charge for an on-demand medical examination and treatment at the Việt Đức Hospital, when requested from experts, was VNĐ2 million ($84).

There have also been significant reductions in the prices of numerous other technical services. For example, the cost of a thyroid ultrasound has decreased from VNĐ300,000 ($12) to VNĐ291,000, an ovarian ultrasound from VNĐ500,000 to VNĐ287,000, and treatment for disc herniation from VNĐ13 million ($549) to nearly VNĐ2.4 million ($101).

Furthermore, the prices for many surgical services, which are a specialty of the Việt Đức Hospital, have been substantially lowered. For instance, the price for chronic ischemic surgery has been reduced from VNĐ43 million ($1,800) to nearly VNĐ13 million ($548).

Dương Đức Hùng, the director of the hospital, confirmed that the hospital had not increased the price for any on-demand services.

Despite these significant price reductions, the quality of service provided by the hospital remained unchanged.

"The hospital will improve quality to ensure patients’ interests, the quality of medical examination and treatment is the priority," said Hùng.

Similarly, at the Hà Nội Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, starting from August 15, the cost of a caesarean section for a first delivery has been reduced from VNĐ16 million ($675) to just over VNĐ6.7 million ($283), while for a second delivery, the price is now set at VNĐ7.6 million.

For normal births, the service price has been lowered from VNĐ14 million to VNĐ4.3 million.

A medical expert, explaining the considerable drop in prices for many on-demand services, suggested that previously, hospitals might have been charging for the highest-quality supplies and fully accounting for inflation in their calculations.

This is the first time the MoH has issued a circular concerning prices for on-demand medical examination and treatment. As such, the expert anticipated that these prices would likely be adjusted annually, taking into account the minimum salary and inflation.

The prices of on-demand medical examination and treatment services at various hospitals in HCM City remained unchanged after Tuesday.

A representative from HCM City Children's Hospital No 1 stated that the hospital was applying its old price list. The unit was in the process of reviewing the prices in order to make adjustments, after which it would submit the proposed new prices to the municipal Department of Health for approval.

Trần Văn Khanh, the director of Lê Văn Thịnh Hospital in Thủ Đức City, mentioned that the hospital was maintaining its old price list and had also installed new amenities, such as televisions and air conditioners, to enhance patient comfort.

Considering the ongoing hardships faced by residents after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Khanh said that the hospital had opted not to increase prices at this time. 

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell welcomes good reviews since its premiere in VN

Three months after winning the Camera D'or award for the first feature film at Cannes Film Festival, director Phạm Thiên Ân and his crew debuted the movie in their homeland.

Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) received good reviews from Vietnamese critics and on social media.

“Minimalist but subtle, natural but refined, realistic but transcendent, Ân has shown the top talents of a film director in the genre of slow cinema, poetic cinema, and meditative cinema,” journalist and film critic Lê Hồng Lâm wrote on Vietcetara.

In the opening scene, which is comparable to the filmmaker's previous shot in 2019 Hãy Tỉnh Thức và Sẵn Sàng (Stay Awake, Be Ready), a roadside accident at a street corner interrupts a conversation between three friends enjoying dinner in a beer restaurant. Yet, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell goes beyond the pointless conversation during drinking as in Stay Awake, Be Ready to examine a man's unfulfilling life.

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell tell a story about Thiện, who is working as a wedding videographer in HCM City. After Hạnh, his sister-in-law is tragically killed in a motorcycle accident, Thiện returns her back to his former countryside hometown with his nephew, Đạo, who miraculously survived the crash. Thiện then starts looking for his older brother, Tâm, who disappeared years ago.

The film has a simple plot, however, Ân's cinematic language implies more than those.

Amid the magnificent landscapes and mystical fog of Bảo Lộc city, Lâm Đồng, the journey of Thiện takes us far from a usual geographical ride - it is a journey through the domains of mind concerning past and present lifetime, reality and dream, to find his “Tâm” (tâm means soul in Vietnamese).

Director Ân creates a fantasy cinematic space, where he and the DOP Đinh Duy Hưng enrapture the audience with long-held shots, one that even lasts up to half an hour. The audience forgets the presence of the camera and accompanies the character to become a part of that slow atmosphere.

The image of the golden cocoon shell as well as the scene of the white butterflies in the dream-like forest reminds the audience of Chuang Tzu's philosophical question of who we are: "Was I - Chuang Tzu - dreaming that I was a butterfly or am I really a butterfly dreaming that I am Chuang Tzu?"

Whether you believed in a higher power or not, the oneiric film softly prompts us to ask questions about what we are here for, and how to escape the routine rhythm that society bounds us in.

“I do not force the audience to believe in any meaning. At the end of the film, each person will have a different experience based on the connection between themselves and the character,” Ân said.

The film still has non-perfect points: the slowness and length can be a challenge for the audience, as well as the unnatural dialogue. As Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is an arthouse production, it is predictable that the film does not appeal to the tastes of the mass audience.

According to boxofficevietnam.com, ten days after its premiere in Việt Nam, the box office performance slowed behind other commercial films when it only gained more than one billion đồng.

Yet, cinephiles have given the film mostly thumbs-up because they have seen the dedication of the non-professional crew with a low budget to present quality work.

The success of the film combines the versatility and essence of two features: earlier generation of directors that influence Ân such as Bela Tarr, Theo Angelopoulos, Kenji Mizoguchi, Tsai Ming-Liang, and Bi Gan, and his own originality of cinematic language.

“The film is a godsend and it has a life of its own. Our team tries to refresh to the beginning, and move on to the next project," Ân shared.

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell is shown at cinemas in Việt Nam until August 24 and will be released in France on September 13.

Schoolboy’s photos of US on show at HCM City exhibition

A photo exhibition on urban life in the US has opened to the public at Nguyễn Văn Bình Street, dubbed the Book Street, in District 1, HCM City.

“Tones of America” features 30 photos taken by Nguyễn Huỳnh Bách, a 11th grade student at Đinh Thiện Lý High School (Lawrence S.Ting School) in District 7, during his first visit to the country.

Rather than famous spots and that country’s majestic natural scenery, he was attracted by its colourful, multi-polar urban life.

According to photography curator Hải Thanh, Bách “sees this series as a small picture book, unable to reveal all of the ‘personalities’ of a country as large as America or cover all of the stories that occurred [during] the trip, but it will provide an uncommon point of view.”

Bách skilfully uses various photographic techniques to increase the visual effects through colours, space, lines, and light.

Bách, 16, likes design and graphic design and has a talent for photography.

While in 10th grade, he and his friends created a photobook titled "Saigon around Chợ Lớn," which was exhibited at an exhibition in their school.

“Tones of America” opened on Saturday and will go on until August 25.

Bách is planning a series of projects including free photography classes for children in schools and groups to spread positive energy and confidence about expressing one’s passions. 

Runners to discover national park beauty during Cà Mau Marathon 2023

The second Cà Mau Marathon 2023, the PetroVietnam Cup, will feature around 6,000 runners in a non-overlap route in the U Minh Hạ National Park, part of the UNESCO's world-recognised Cà Mau Biosphere Reserve.

The number of runners has more than doubled compared to about 2,500 last year.

The opening ceremony will be on November 25 at the Văn Hóa Square while the runs will begin early morning on November 26, both will be broadcast live on local TV.

Athletes will take part in the full marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km on non-overlap routes. This year, organisers opened two more categories of 2.4km and 1,2km in the Kid Run event, creating a playing ground for the children.

In addition to elite and amateur runners, the race will also welcome famous people such as actor Lý Hùng who will run 5km and taekwondo martial artist Châu Tuyết Vân who is the brand ambassador for the tournament. 

A big purse of cash and many gifts are available for the winners in which the 42km champions will walk away with VNĐ17 million (US$714).

The organisers will also present awards to top runners of different age groups, winning teams and runners with most favourite cosplay.

The tournament, which was initially named Đất Mũi Marathon - Cà Mau in 2022, is one of cultural and sporting event aiming to popularise the southern-most destination and specialities of the country to local and international friends.

"Athletes will have the opportunity to admire one of the unique ecosystems of Việt Nam, and experience the great hospitality of the extremely friendly people of the western region," said Trần Hiếu Hùng, director of the Cà Mau Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

"In particular, they will be able to cross the forest and enjoy the fragrant, shimmering and fanciful Melaleuca trees, a specialty of the southernmost land."

He said in addition to bring great experience in discovering Cà Mau's wild and attractive nature, typical culture and economic potential, the marathon is a useful channel to push people's awareness about sport training to improve stature, fitness and quality of life.

At the same time, through the marathon entitled U Minh Forest Scent the local authority want to alert the community about the responsibility of joining hands to preserve the nature while protecting wildlife and biodiversity in the context of the global-scale complicated climate change.

Organisers will also raise fund to build 300 houses at a cost of VNĐ24 billion ($1 million) in total for the poor people in Ngọc Hiển District

Runners can register for the marathon at https://actiup.net/event/ca-mau-marathon-2023. 

Tiền Giang Province to repair eroded river banks, coastal areas

Tiền Giang Province estimates it will spend nearly VNĐ165 billion (US$6.9 million) to repair 69 eroded areas with a total length of more than 12km which were damaged this year.

They are located mostly in Cai Lậy, Cái Bè and Châu Thành districts.

Erosion along rivers and coastal areas has complicated the lives of local people and agricultural production, according to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The section of the Ba Rài River between Cai Lậy District and Cai Lậy Town, for instance, is often severely eroded.

It faced four instances of erosion with a total length of 155 metres in the past two months, blocking travel at the eroded places.

The section of the Tiền River near Tân Long ferry dock in Tân Phú Đông District has been eroded along nearly 1km, threatening the safety of local people and agricultural production.

Many households near the ferry dock have had to move to safe areas because some infrastructure facilities and farming areas fell into the river.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has spent VNĐ5 billion ($210,000) to repair 50 metres eroded at the ferry dock and the rest of the eroded section will be repaired in the coming time.

On the Tiền River, a tributary of the Mekong River, Tân Phong riverine island in Cai Lậy District and Thới Sơn riverine island in Mỹ Tho City are erosion hotspots.

On August 3, severe erosion happened at the Tiền River in Cái Bè District’s Hoà Hưng Commune, forcing six houses into the river and dozens of houses urgently relocated to safe areas.

The province is spending VNĐ857 billion ($36 million) from central and local Government budgets to repair six seriously eroded places with a total length of 14.7km in 2022-23.

In 2020-21, it spent VNĐ265 billion ($11 million) to build 10 erosion prevention embankments with a total length of 5.9km along river and coastal areas.

They have helped stabilise the lives of local people and agricultural production, according to the department.

Ưng Hồng Nghi, deputy director of the department, said the province was urgently implementing its plan of preventing erosion along rivers and coastal areas from now to 2030.

The plan sets up prevention measures, strictly implements regulations on preventing and controlling erosion, and evaluates the efficiency of erosion prevention projects which have been built since 2020, according to Nghi.

The department has proactively co-operated with relevant departments, agencies and localities to evaluate erosion cases and their causes to set up repair measures.

It has tightened inspections of illegal sand mining in rivers and canals and the building of houses and other facilities on the safety corridor of rivers and canals.

It has petitioned the Government to support the urgent implementation of nine erosion prevention projects costing a total of VNĐ2.9 trillion ($121 million).

The projects prevent erosion on Gò Công coast, the Tiền River sections in Chợ Gạo, Cái Bè and Tân Phú Đông districts and Mỹ Tho City, and the Cái Bè River and Nguyễn Văn Tiếp Canal in Cái Bè District. 

VN receives positive results in reduction of greenhouse gas emission

Determinedly implementing Resolution No.24-NQ/TW, Vietnam has achieved impressive results in the process of decreasing the greenhouse gas release into the environment. 

Accordingly, the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP of Vietnam in the years of 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 witnessed a drop of 17.27 percent, 16.37 percent, 16.72 percent, 19.7 percent, and 14.3 percent respectively, compared to 2010.

In comparison with the set target of 10-percent greenhouse gas emission reduction, this is a truly promising result. It shows the great determination of the whole country in developing its national economy in parallel with decreasing harmful gas release into the environment.

The above achievements have been wholeheartedly appreciated in the meeting to summarize the results of 10 years implementing Resolution No.24-NQ/TW about responses to climate change. Director Tang The Cuong of the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) stressed that these encouraging data are one of the highlights in the adoption of Resolution 24.

Diverse ecosystems turn Nui Chua World Biosphere Reserve into tourist attraction

Covering a total area of more than 106,646 hectares, the Nui Chua World Biosphere Reserve in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan has become a popular tourist attraction thanks to its rich and diverse ecosystems. 
      
Nui Chua National Park consists of three natural areas of forest, sea and semi-desert, including many rich and diverse ecosystems.
It is in the core of the reserve, the Nui Chua National Park that covers 15,752 hectares and consists of three natural areas of forest, sea and semi-desert, that visitors will find around 1,500 plant species, including 10 endemics and 54 that are recorded in the Vietnam Red Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.

The fauna is also very rich with 756 species of wild animals, more than 350 types of coral and hundreds of marine animals.

The Nui Chua coastal area is a rare place on the mainland where protected sea turtles come to lay eggs every year.

In recent years, provincial authorities have strengthened measures to conserve endangered and rare species of marine fauna and flora, and sustainably restore and develop the ecosystem of the Nui Chua National Park Marine Protected Area.

The provincial People's Committee has spent more than VND3.3 billion (nearly US$145,000) on a management plan of the Nui Chua National Park Marine Protected Area in the 2021-25 period, which focuses on activities to preserve the value of natural resources and cultural and historical heritage, and rationally exploit and promote the value of the marine protected area.

One of the special features of the national park is that this area has a dry and hot climate similar to many places in Africa (the highest temperature is approximately 42 degrees Celsius). Therefore, this place is also called "Phan Rang Dry Forest".

The harsh climate and diverse topography have created a standard for the most typical and unique dry forest ecosystem of Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

The national park was recognised by UNESCO as a global biosphere reserve at the 33rd session of its International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB-ICC) held in Nigeria in September 7, 2021.

Along with preserving and researching biodiversity, the Nui Chua National Park management board and the province in general have been focusing on developing various types of ecotourism to attract tourists.

From the beginning of this year, the park has greeted more than 130,000 local and foreign tourists.

Educational students not receiving financial support

The policy of giving monthly financial support for pedagogical students has been implemented from 2021, but after two years, many have not received any money.

The Government’s Decree 116 regulated that from 2021, students at pedagogical schools are supported with tuition fees and VNĐ3.63 million (US$152) per month to pay for living expenses during their studies.

The support period is regulated to not exceed 10 months per school year with the money coming from the State budget.

However, until now, students in many educational schools in different localities have received nothing.

A report of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) sent to the Prime Minister in February this year said that planned fund for the work by the end of last year were more than VNĐ1.6 trillion (US$67 million).

The State budget allocated to schools was more than VNĐ1.1 trillion ($46.1 million), meeting 73 per cent of the demand.

The remaining money needed is about VNĐ438 billion ($18.3 million).

The MoET asked the Ministry of Finance to appraise and report to the Prime Minister to make up the shortfall.

In schools, learners constantly complained that for many months they have not received their allowance.

One pupil at the Nha Trang National College of Pedagogy said that students at this school received support every three months from 2021 to the end of last year.

"But in 2023, the payment for students has stopped,” she said.

Nguyễn Trung Triều, principal of the Nha Trang National College of Pedagogy, told Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper that the school had 387 students that enrolled in 2021 and 293 last year.

Students enrolled in 2021 received allowance till the end of November last year, but are now six months out of pocket.

Those enrolled last year received the support until the end of February this year, and have not been paid the allowance for four months.

"The cause of this late payment is that the college is being funded slowly,” he said.

A student of the Sài Gòn University also said that most of the students entered the university in 2021, now are in their third year at the university, had not received any support from Decree 116 even though they applied a long time ago.

All pedagogical students entered the university last year are in the same situation.

The university's representative confirmed with the Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper that up to now, the school's students have not received any allowance.

Preschool teachers should benefit from more preferential policies

The Ministry of Education and Training has recently proposed adding kindergarten teachers to the list of hazardous occupations, which may allow them to retire with benefits up to five years earlier than other occupations.

Most parents, teachers and experts agree that kindergarten teachers should be granted better benefits.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Kim Sơn recently said there are 16,000 independent preschools across the country. Many teachers of those schools have not participated in social insurance and need to join the insurance to have their benefits ensured.

According to Labour Code 2019 and Social Insurance Law 2014, labourers taking difficult jobs and working in hazardous and dangerous environments will benefit from more rights than those working in normal conditions, especially in terms of annual leave and sickness benefits.

If the proposal is approved, preschool teachers will receive allowances for difficult, toxic and dangerous jobs and can retire at an earlier age.

Phạm Thị Bích Ngọc, a kindergarten teacher in Hà Nội, said teachers at the preschool level face specific hardships compared to other levels.

“We have to work early at 6:30 to clean classrooms and welcome children. In the afternoon we only leave when all children are picked up, sometimes later than the school’s closure time,” she said.

“While those taking other jobs spend eight hours per day at work, preschool teachers have to work 12 hours a day,” she told Voice of Việt Nam (VOV) newspaper.

“Teachers almost have no time to take a nap at noon as we have to care for children or use nap time to prepare curriculum. Preschool teachers have little time for family,” she said.

Bích said children in kindergarten, aged one to six, mostly have not developed self-care skills so they need assistance in all activities like eating, sleeping and playing.

Despite being a hard job, preschool teachers receive a low salary. At private schools, a higher salary for teachers comes with more requirements from parents, putting more pressure on teachers, she said.

Bích said many of her colleagues leave jobs before retirement age and ask for lump-sum social insurance.

Nguyễn Thị Hoa, a preschool teacher in northern Hải Dương Province, said teachers have to face whining children, vomiting and spitting.

Teachers have to focus totally on every child's activities. Just a minute of distraction can lead to unfortunate incidents like fighting and injuries, Hoa said.

She said most preschool teachers hope that this profession will be classified as a difficult and hazardous occupation, so teachers will have an earlier retirement age than usual.

“Preschool teachers must organise activities such as dancing and singing. When we are 60 years old, how can we dance and sing? We can not guarantee the quality of teaching. But if we ask for early retirement, it will affect social insurance benefits and pensions,” she said, adding that classifying preschool teaching as a difficult and toxic profession would reflect the real demands of many teachers.

Nguyễn Thị Tân, a teacher in Đông Anh District, Hà Nội, said occupation pressure affects teacher’s psychology.

When children hurt each other and teachers do not interfere quickly enough, some parents show sympathy, others do not and post on social network forums and give feedback to the principal, putting more pressure on teachers, Tân told Lao Động (Labour) newspaper.

“I really hope that preschool teachers are considered as hazardous jobs so that we can benefit from more favourable policies to compensate for our disadvantages,” she said.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết, a mother of a 19-month-old child in Hà Nội, said she really sympathises with preschool teachers’ hard job.

“I know how hard it is to take care of a small child who is only one and a half years old like my daughter. Preschool teachers should get access to more preferential schemes for their hard job to give them motivation to do the job better,” she told Việt Nam News.

Lê Đình Quảng, deputy head of Policy and Legal Department, Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), said if the retirement age of male and female workers increases to 62 and 60 years old, respectively, it is difficult for preschool teachers to work until that age due to the specific characteristics of their profession.

The proposal of recognising preschool teachers as a hazardous profession aims to allow them to retire five years earlier than other jobs.

Since amending the Labour Code 2019, VGCL has consulted with officials and employees working in the education sector and made a proposal to authorities but it has not received approval, he said.

VGCL will continue to submit the proposal to ensure the teachers’ benefits, he said.

Hanoi museums, relic sites strive to provide new experiences to visitors

Various new products and services have been provided by museums and relic sites in Hanoi with an aim to lure more visitors, especially youngsters, and promote their values at the same time.

Recently, Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam relic site has entertained young visitors with an exciting journey of “finding mascots on ancient architecture”, which is designed in the form of games on an iPad.

The game consists of six doors equivalent to six architectural styles of the relic sites, including Four Pillars, the Gate of the Temple of Literature, Dai Trung Gate, Khue Van Cac, Dai Thanh Gate and Bai Duong House. 

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum has focused on building the iMuseum VFA multimedia voiceover application, which is available on both Android and iOS, using QR codes or identifiers for art works. The iMuseum VFA has outstanding features such as allowing visitors to view high-quality images of the works, read the contents of the introductions, locate artifacts, see display system diagrams, and distinguish rooms by colour.

With only a mobile phone or tablet with an internet connection and a fee for an application download, visitors can freely explore 100 typical works on the regular display system of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, in both direct and online forms, with multiple language options including Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian and German.

Based on the iMuseum VFA system, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum has been developing many themed tours such as "Vietnamese Lacquer Painting" or "National Treasure", to help visitors easily access and “chat” with museum artifacts in a new way.

Duong Ngoc Ha from the Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities under Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) said the linkage between the displayed artefacts and the method of visiting and studying in the museum is undergoing a strong shift. It is a shift from being aware of a cultural experience as a form of information that a museum holds and transmits to visitors, to something that can be discussed and shared. A memorable experience is always a strong attraction because it gives visitors not only knowledge but also skills and emotions.

Director of the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities Huynh Thi Anh Van said, in the context of the 4.0 revolution, the application of high technology to display and exhibit activities is one of the indispensable tools of advanced museums.

Currently, the trend of display and interpretation combined with interaction is now becoming popular in the world. New experiences for visitors can be enhanced with different forms of interpretation through interactive applications, or a combination of real artifacts and appropriate design images, thereby helping viewers feel the connection between personal perception and what they are seeing.

However, according to experts, technology is only a means to an end. They stressed the need for creative ideas, deep content and resources to carry out the ideas. They advised museums and monuments to focus on developing the quality of personnel and seeking suitable ways to call for economic and technological resources to jointly create attractive interactive products.

Organic rice farming yields results

The National Agricultural Extension Centre (NAEC) has initiated several organic rice production projects in localities, which are gaining more favour for their clean products, lower production costs, and contributions to land improvement as well as enhanced grain value.

The organic rice production model, coupled with product consumption links, has been deployed in the north-central provinces of Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, and Quảng Trị, spanning an area of 240 hectares.

Yields have hit 6.38 tonnes per hectare, a 10 per cent increase in efficiency compared to conventional methods. By employing organic production processes and using biologically-based products, safe rice is produced, leading to a 20 per cent increase in profits for farmers compared to traditional rice cultivation.

One of the active participants in organic rice production, the Quế Lâm Group has expanded this model nationwide. Tôn Thất Thạnh, a representative of the enterprise, has elaborated its no-chemicals production began in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế.

Now, the group is capable of cultivating 200 hectares of organic paddy per crop in the locality. It has also invited cooperatives and farmers from various regions to visit and learn from its experience, aiming to replicate the practice on a broader scale. By now, Quế Lâm has produced organic rice on around 1,000 hectares in such provinces as Hà Tĩnh in the central region, Vĩnh Phúc and Thái Nguyên in the north, and Đồng Tháp and Đồng Nai in the south.

Assessments showed that organic rice farming in the central region not only generated clean and environmentally-friendly products thanks to the avoidance of chemical usage but also increased average profits by VNĐ1 million (US$44.66) per "sào" (a traditional Vietnamese unit of land measurement, one sào is equivalent to roughly 500 square metres for the region) for local residents.

However, transitioning to organic rice cultivation didn't immediately gain the support of farmers.

Nguyễn Hữu Ngọc, Deputy Director of the Hà Tĩnh Agricultural Extension Centre, said farmers had been accustomed to using chemical fertilisers and pesticides for a long time, and switching to organic standards could bring about challenges. They also needed access to reputable suppliers of organic biological fertilisers.

The price of organic rice in the market was not significantly higher than conventionally produced rice, so farmers might not be willing to adopt the new practice.

NAEC Director Lê Quốc Thanh noted that Việt Nam was moving towards green and clean agriculture. Therefore, producing rice using organic standards would be one of the prominent solutions. To make this a reality, he suggested localities raise farmers’ awareness on the matter and establish mechanisms to encourage the participation of enterprises for effective and widespread implementation.

“Enterprises can help farmers access scientific techniques, inputs, and ensure market outlets," he said.

"If enterprises collaborate with farmers, it will undoubtedly boost their confidence in production and ensure the quality of the final product."

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development, 62 localities nationwide are participating in organic farming or are in the process of transitioning to the practice. The total area of organic arable land now exceeds 175,000 hectares, including 63,536 hectares for crops. 

HCM City views Japan as important partner: Official

Ho Chi Minh City considers Japan one of its most important partners, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen told Chief Representative of the New Komeito Party of Japan Natsuo Yamaguchi in their meeting on August 21.

Thanking the New Komeito Party’s significant contributions to strengthening Vietnam-Japan cooperation in its capacity as the ruling coalition party of Japan, Nen proposed Yamaguchi continue promoting the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership in the near future.

HCM City attaches importance to developing cooperative relations with Japanese partners in various fields, including trade, investment, culture, people-to-people exchange, and particularly skilled and young workforce training, he said.

The host hoped to further enhance cooperation with Japanese localities and partners, suggesting Yamaguchi help Japanese firms and investors step up long-term business activities in the city, as well as tourism, cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy to match their potential and aspirations. This effort will contribute to the continuous development of the Vietnam - Japan relationship, making it more effective over time.

Yamaguchi, for his part, expressed his impression of the dynamic development of HCM City, which serves as Vietnam's economic locomotive.

He said his working trip coincides with the celebrations of the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties this year, and ahead of the 15th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership and the 10th anniversary of the extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia next year, with the aim of further fostering cooperation between Japan and Vietnam, including HCM City.

As a partner of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) within the ruling coalition, the New Komeito Party supports activities aimed at bolstering Japan-Vietnam relations, especially in infrastructure building and human resources training for coast guards, he said, adding that alongside political, economic and trade ties, there is a strong need to further intensify cultural exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy.

According to the official, Japan is now home to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese students and workers, including around 170,000 apprentices and 80,000 skilled workers. The country allows highly-skilled workers to extend their working period in Japan and even bring their families along, thus enabling them to feel secure when working there. After returning to Vietnam, they could also contribute to the Vietnamese economy.

Vietnam puts forth opinions on economic cooperation directions between ASEAN, partners

Vietnam has actively contributed its opinions on future economic cooperation directions between ASEAN and its partners, aiming to achieve practical benefits for Vietnam in particular and ASEAN as a whole, as part of the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM-55).

At the consultations between ASEAN economic ministers and their counterparts from the US, China, Russia, India, East Asia and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministers' Meeting in Semarang city, Indonesia, on August 21, Vietnam offered feedback to strengthen regional supply chains and foster sustainable economic development.

The RCEP Ministers’ Meeting welcomed the entry into force of the RCEP Agreement for Indonesia and the Philippines.

The ministers endorsed the Terms of Reference of the RCEP Support Unit (RSU) and the Funding Arrangement of the RSU, thus laying a foundation for its establishment and promoting the effective implementation of the deal in the future.

On the sidelines of the event, officials also witnessed the signing of the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement among Indonesia (ASEAN Chair 2023), Brunei (ASEAN Coordinator for ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Economic Relations), Australia, and New Zealand. The remaining countries are expected to sign the protocol sequentially after completing their domestic procedures.

National job, property exchanges needed: Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha urged authorities to establish national job, and real estate and land use right exchanges, at a meeting with representatives from concerned ministries and agencies in Hanoi on August 21.

The job exchange will perform the State management over workforce and employers in both public and private sectors, and provide relevant information, he said, asking the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to coordinate with other ministries and agencies to standardise data and bring together job centres, making it easier for localities, businesses, and labourers to access services.

The Deputy PM stressed the need to step up the online job exchange model and take solutions to enable brokerage centres to join it in order to ensure rights and interests of guest workers.

MoLISA Deputy Minister Le Van Thanh reported that the country counts 82 public job centres and about 500 businesses offering private services in this regard.

He also pointed to obstacles to the sector regarding the legal system, infrastructure, IT, personnel and data; and suggested the issuance of regulations on data and information standardisation, and the enhancement of supervisions over job transactions, especially those conducted online.

Regarding the national property and land use right exchange, Ha said it should be opened for both public and private sectors, noting that private exchanges should receive favourable conditions to grow healthily.   

There should be mechanisms to encourage organisations and individuals to conduct real estate transactions and exercise land use rights not for business purposes on the trading floor, he added.  

According to the Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh, as of the end of 2020, Vietnam had more than 1,600 real estate exchanges, which have played a role in preventing informal transactions and tax losses, and providing information for state management agencies.

The construction ministry will work harder to ensure a healthy, transparent investment environment, and form State information management tools to regulate the market in a timely manner, he said.

Hanoi seeks stronger partnership with Ile-de-France region

A delegation of Hanoi, led by Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the city People’s Council Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, has paid a working visit to France to seek stronger partnership with French partners.

On August 21, the delegation had a working session with the Institute for Urban Planning and Development - Ile de France (IPR), during which the two sides discussed a number of cooperation projects in the time to come, including those on public transport, planning and expansion of pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake, and the planning and preservation of Duong Lam ancient village.

Tuan highlighted the fruitful partnership between Hanoi and the Ile-de-France region since the two sides set up their relations in 1989, as well as the efficiency of joint programmes and projects in various fields, which have greatly contributed to the Vietnamese capital city's socio-economic development.

He said Hanoi hopes to continue receiving close cooperation from the French region in the time to come.

For his part, IPR Deputy General Director Sébastien Alavoine welcomed the Hanoi delegation’s visit which aimed to specify the joint action programme signed between the two localities for the 2022-2025 period.

He said that the collaboration between Hanoi and Paris over the past 34 years is a diverse cooperation model, allowing IPR to carry out effective activities such as engaging in the amendment of the master planning project of Hanoi.

Alavoine said that the new cooperation period between the two countries has started with "Moov’Hanoi" project which is significant amid the current climate change situation. It is expected to make Hanoi's public transport more attractive and promote multimodal travel, thus contributing to reducing pollution and environmental protection in the city, he said.

The two sides discussed the efficiency of bilateral cooperation in urban planning, especially urban traffic, and sought potential projects in the future, including the Moov’Hanoi project, a project to design planning and expand pedestrian spaces around the Hoan Kiem Lake, and another to preserve the Duong Lam ancient village.

During their stay, Tuan and the Hanoi delegation also attended the Hanoi-France investment, trade and tourism promotion conference, which drew the attendance of Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, representatives from the Vietnam Trade Office in France, the Vietnamese Business Association in France (AB Viet-France), Business France, the Hanoi Promotion Agency, and a large number of enterprises from Hanoi and France.

Hanoi has been considered a safe, attractive and promising destination for foreign businesses and investors, Tuan said, affirming that the city has always focused on improving its investment environment, while creating optimal conditions for enterprises and investors to explore investment opportunities in the city.

Ambassador Thang pledged that he will accompany businesses of Hanoi and France during their cooperation, contributing to bolstering the Vietnam-France strategic partnership.

Jean-François Ambrosio from Business France said that the event was a good chance to encourage Vietnamese and French firms to foster their partnership, thus putting Vietnam into the development strategy in Asia of French companies, and turning France into a gateway for Vietnamese enterprises to enter the European market.

AB Viet-France Chairman Nguyen Hai Nam said that businesses need to focus on areas where France has strengths and Hanoi has demand, including developing sustainable tourism and increasing trade through international fairs.

Concluding the event, the two sides witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Hanoi Promotion Agency and AB Viet-France in connecting businesses of Hanoi and France, as well as cooperation agreements among businesses of the two sides.

The delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in France before concluding the trip on August 22.

Vietnam attends ASEAN meeting on trans-border crime

Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Duy Ngoc led a Vietnamese delegation to the 17th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Trans-border Crime (AMMTC), which kicked off on August 21 in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

In his opening speech, National Police Chief of Indonesia General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who chaired the event, highlighted the importance of ensuring security, saying that this is a crucial element contributing to the prosperity of ASEAN.

He urged ASEAN member nations to work more closely in preventing transnational crimes, ensuring the safety of victims and witnesses, as well as raising public awareness of threats from transnational crimes.

Speaking at a plenary session after the opening session, Ngoc suggested strengthening the building of political trust in security cooperation and in preventing and fighting trans-border crimes; and committing to not allowing any individuals or organisations to use the territory of any country to undermine the security of other countries and engage in criminal activities in another country.

He underlined the need to set up a mechanism to promptly share information regarding the situation, trends, methods, and tactics of transnational crimes;  as well as experiences in preventing and combating transnational crimes among law enforcement agencies in ASEAN countries.

It is also necessary to coordinate in implementing joint investigations and concerted efforts in tackling common cases, Ngoc stressed.

Participants adopted ASEAN statements in enhancing cooperation in protecting and supporting witnesses and victims of transnational crimes, developing a regional system to proactively respond to and provide early warnings for the prevention and combat of violent extremism and arms trafficking; an ASEAN Plan of Action against trafficking in persons (2023 – 2028); and a Joint Statement of AMMCT 17.

The same day, Vietnam and Indonesia signed an amended and supplemented Protocol to the Agreement on preventing and combating human trafficking.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes