Advance compensation paid for riot-striken firms in Dong Nai

Insurance companies on June 22 made advance payment of compensation worth VND39.65 billion in total to 35 enterprises affected by the recent incident in the southern province of Dong Nai.

Of the total, VND38.5 billion was handed over to 30 Taiwanese firms, while VND700 million was given to two Chinese companies and the rest VND400 million to three Vietnamese enterprises.

The firms were affected by the incident caused by some individuals who took advantage of the protests by workers in some local industrial zones against China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnamese waters to incite others to destroy the property of foreign and domestic firms, disrupting social order and business activities.

According to the provincial Industrial Zones Authority, almost all the firms have resumed their normal operations.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Deputy Finance Minister Tran Xuan Ha said the Vietnamese Government is always determined to ensure a safe and favourable investment environment for enterprises, especially foreign-invested ones.

Many prompt support activities have been carried out with joint efforts of many ministries, including tax and customs agencies, he said.

He stated that the advance payment of insurance compensation is another evidence proving the determination of insurance firms in realising their commitments and responsibilities towards their customers, helping the affected firms stabilise their production.

Pham Xuan Nam, manager of Johnson Wood company – a Taiwan-invested enterprise based in Tam Phuoc Industrial Park, Bien Hoa city – said he is delighted to receive the advance compensation, which will be helpful to recover the operation of his company.

HCM City customs officers seize ivory shipment

Ninety kilos of ivory worth more than VND4 billion (US$187,840) was detected yesterday by custom officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

They were 39 ivory pieces and 100 pieces of craft made from ivory.

According to custom officials, it was imported from Africa and transferred without detection through a number of countries before arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport. The sender and receiver are two unidentified companies and the consignment was labelled as food.

Viet Nam strictly prohibits the trading of ivory under CITES - (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Coast Guard arrests thieves in Vung Tau

The Coast Guard said it caught 11 people red-handed stealing scrap steel from a Malaysian barge in the southern city of Vung Tau on Saturday.

The theft was discovered at 5.30am when a patrol by a combined team including drug enforcement officers at G4 Port in Front Beach found two boats moored beside the Malaysian barge.

The officers caught four of the men loading scrap from the barge into the two boats.

Around 150kg of steel was found in their boats.

The officers took the men and the stolen goods to the Coast Guard base for questioning.

Smugglers caught with endangered pangolin

Custom Control officials in Quang Ninh, yesterday, detected 220kg of pangolin illegally being transported in a car entering the area of Bai Chay, Ha Long.

According to Nguyen Van Hoan, head of Custom Control Team No. 2, the car was being driven by Bui Van Nghiep and Le Thanh Nghi, both residents of Mong Cai, Quang Ninh.

Four students drown while oyster fishing

Four middle-school students drowned on Saturday in the Dao River in Ky Anh District of Ha Tinh while fishing for oysters.

Some witnesses said the students climbed onto the drainage pipe and fell into the river. Apparently, none of them knew how to swim. Rescuers only managed to recover their bodies a day later.

Vietnam repatriates US servicemen’s remains

A ceremony was held at Da Nang International Airport on June 22 to repatriate the possible remains of three US servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam.

The remains were recovered during the 115th Joint Field Activities from May to June, 2014.

Vietnamese and US forensic specialists concluded that the remains might be associated with the US servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam. The remains will be brought to Hawaii, United States, for further review.

Addressing at the Repatriation Ceremony, a representative of the US Government expressed deep gratitude and high appreciation for the steadfast humanitarian policy, good-will and the increasingly efficient cooperation of the Vietnamese Government and people.

The seeking of the remains of US servicemen missing during the war in Vietnam is humanitarian cooperation between Vietnamese and US governments.

This is the 131st hand-over of American missing servicemen’s remains since 1973.

500kV transmission line to put into operation in south

The Vietnam National Power Transmission Corporation (EVN NPT) on June 21 put the 500kV Phu Lam-O Mon transmission line (Phu Lam-Long An section) into operation for trial purpose, according to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN). The project, with an investment of 384.2 billion VND (about 18 million USD), is project invested by the EVN NPT- an arm of the EVN.

The 34.3km line is expected to facilitate transmission from electricity plants in the southwestern region to the national grid.

Along with the Nha Be- O Mon 500kV transmission line, the project will contribute to enhancing commercial operation capacity of the electricity systems in the southeastern and southwestern areas, ensuring supply to the southern localities.-

Authorities take tough stance on drink-driving

The National Traffic Safety Committee has called on relevant authorities to prevent road accidents amid the increasing use of alcohol and drug use by drivers, which is thought to be the main cause of most serious accidents.

In the first six months of this year road safety has improved in terms of major accidents involving heavy trucks, containers, and buses, but there is a long way to go yet.

According to a report from the committee, around 11,000 accidents have occurred this year, killing nearly 4,000 in the first five months and injuring over 10,500 others, representing a year-on-year reduction of 1,600 in the number of accidents and 210 and 2,000 in the number of fatalities and injuries.

But more significantly, in the first two months - coinciding with Tet, the most stressful time for traffic when millions return home – safety and congestion in HCM City and Ha Noi were much better than usual.

"Ha Noi has adjusted 50 traffic lights and is implementing a project to connect all traffic lights to make a grid to reduce congestion," Nguyen Quoc Hung, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, was quoted as saying in Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper.

Most accidents in Ha Noi occur at the intersection of national roads with commune and district roads. To improve the situation, over 200 speed bumps and 300 boards were put up and this reduced accidents by 13 per cent.

The reduction in the incidence of accidents this year may not be sustainable because of the increasing use of alcohol and dugs, the committee warned.

Nguyen Van Huyen, head of the Viet Nam Road Administration, said: "In rural areas the occurrence of accidents due to alcohol is rife; in urban areas, the number of people wearing low-quality helmet is increasing."

Poor traffic infrastructure also hinders efforts to reduce congestion and accidents, he said.

Alcohol and drug use was found to be behind many serious accidents, he added.

According to statistics from traffic police, alcohol figured in around 6 per cent of traffic accidents, but an international seminar placed it at over 40 per cent, and even higher during festivals.

The most serious problem is the increase in the number of drivers using drugs and causing mayhem.

Earlier this year, during a crackdown, the northern city of Hai Phong caught 217 drivers high on drugs.

HCM City police officers had reported 117 such cases by the end of May.

Around 11,000 drivers in 16 provinces were tested —when not driving — and 99 of them were found to use drugs.

"We can find out if a driver has drunk alcohol, but not if they are high on drug," a Ha Noi police officer said.

It is the responsibility of transport operators to ensure their drivers do not use drugs, he said.

"Annual health tests are needed for drivers and are very important in reducing traffic accidents."

Deputy PM orders stricter management of food safety

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has called for tighter management of drinking water in residential areas, an area that has not been touched on regularly in food safety management.

Chairing an inter-ministerial meeting to review food administration in the first six months of this year, Dam said that relevant agencies were coordinating quite well in inspecting and cracking down on food safety violations.

According to the National Inter-sector Steering Committee on Food Safety, at least 24 deaths from food poisoning were recorded nationwide in the first six months.

In the first four months of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had inspected more than 1.4 million tonnes of imported foodstuff of plant origin, 35,700 tonnes of imported foodstuff of animal origin and 85,000 aqua-products.

At the meeting, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that many localities were still not focusing on implementing pilot models on food safety management and street food. They were also lax on punishing food safety violators and raising awareness on the issue at the community level.

Dam asked the Health Ministry to draft supplementary regulations on regular sampling of drinking water in residential areas for lab tests and public announcement of results. He requested the media to promote communications on food safety to raise public awareness on the issue.

So far, food safety management had yielded notable results as the public is being more proactive in protecting themselves from toxic food, Dam said.

"More must be done to ensure that food safety is always on top of the agenda and well-coordinated among health, agriculture and trade ministries," he said.

With Ha Noi considering setting up of a mobile car for random food safety checks, Dam said that other localities could well learn this model, in addition to studying ways for quick food checks at markets and supermarkets.

Journalists receive national honours

A ceremony was held in Ha Noi on Saturday to honour 115 outstanding works by journalists across the nation, which won the National Press Awards for 2013.

The works covered various topics including politics, economics, national sovereignty over seas and islands, as well as other hot and major socio-economic issues.

Many winning pieces of journalism, 11 in particular, focused on topics of the national boundary and territorial sovereignty.

Addressing the ceremony, which marked the 89th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Education and Communications, Dinh The Huynh hailed the role of the press in the national struggle for liberation in the past as well as the current national construction and defence.

He said in the current world and domestic context, the press plays an increasingly significant role in the implementation of national reforms under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, protection of the sacred and inviolable national sovereignty and maintaining of a peaceful and stable environment for the country's development.

Huynh also asked journalists to continue fighting against corruption, wastefulness and other social evils with a constructive and responsible spirit, while rejecting the enemy's wrongful arguments and information.

Organised by the Viet Nam Journalists' Association (VJA), the annual National Press Awards this year attracted 1,665 entries, the largest number so far.

Major State-run media outlets such as the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA), Viet Nam Television (VTV) and radio and The Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) have reaffirmed their position at the forefront of journalism.

The VNA won four prizes, including a second prize in the online newspaper category.

Family Day focuses on value of shared meal

This year's Vietnamese Family Day (June 28) will take the theme "Family Meal with Love and Compassion", Huynh Vinh Ai, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a press conference on June 20.

He said the ministry is encouraging all households in the country to organise a family meal on the afternoon of June 28.

Twenty families representing the coast guard and fisheries surveillance forces will be invited to attend various cultural activities for the Family Day celebration in Hanoi. They will also meet with host families at the ministry headquarters on June 23, he said.

The Vietnam Culture and Arts Exhibition Centre will host several events from June 26-28, including a photo exhibition titled "Four Seasons of Love" featuring 100 moments of reunion from different parts of the country.

Nearly 150 families from various ethnic groups in Hanoi will be feted at a conference organised at the centre.

A workshop on community healthcare models, another on enhancing men's role in family life, quiz shows for family members and children, as well as a doubles table tennis tournament (to encourage team work between family members) will also be held.

On the afternoon of June 28, participating families will sign on a huge map made of dozens of family photos, aiming to set a national record.

The Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in Dong Mo, 40km to the west of Hanoi, will host a series of events under the themes of "Great Family of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups" and the "Fatherland's Sacred Sovereignty" on June 28 and 29.

"The events will attract more than 200 people from 32 ethnic groups from eight cities and provinces as well as around 500 representatives from Vietnam People's Army and 300 Youth Union members from the Ministry of Culture," said Lam Van Khang, deputy head of the village's management board.

Three traditional worship ceremonies will be held at the village, including the Po Riyak Sea God Worshipping Ceremony of Cham ethnic group in NinhThuan province.

The "Le Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa" (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers), will be organised by fishermen from Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai province, in tribute to the men enlisting for the flotilla patrolling the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos to tap natural resources and defend the nation's sovereignty.

An exhibition displaying different materials including paintings and photographs of Vietnam's seas and islands will be organised at the village together with documentary screenings on the same theme.

The Family Day has been organised every year since 2001.

Bac Ninh takes measures to punish polluting firms

The northern province of Bac Ninh will require its polluting guild villages to adopt adequate waste treatment methods and facilities or move the trade to industrial zones.

Polluting enterprises will not only be subject to administrative punishments, but can also have their business licences revoked.

These are among several measures that provincial authorities mention in a recent regulation that they have passed in an attempt to improve environmental protection in the province, said Nguyen Tu Quynh, Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh People's Committee.

The new regulation requires owners of businesses, production and investment projects to make environmental protection plans at the same time as they conduct feasibility studies and submit them to authorised agencies.

It also requires firms to apply advanced technology in production and business activities, classify different kinds of waste and take steps to store and treat them according to prescribed standards.

Quynh said that industrial zones in particular are required to build waste treatment facilities before discharging waste and allocate specific areas for the storage and transport of solid and harmful waste. The province is set to have 24 industrial zones covering 739ha by 2020.

It will focus on completely ending environmental pollution at six high-risk guild villages that specialise in waste paper recycling, rice vermicelli production, aluminum and steel recycling and bronze casting.

Guild villages not certified to have standard waste treatment methods will be required to move to industrial zones or have their operations suspended.

At present, the province has 62 guild villages, most of which are suffering from serious air, water and land pollution.

The province targets having all these villages meet environmental protection requirements by 2030.

Binh Dinh hit by prolonged drought

As many as 27 hectares of white-legged shrimp have succumbed to disease, while half of the total farm area in the central province of Binh Dinh are low on fish due to prolonged drought over the past six months.

The statement was made by the Head of the Aquaculture sub-department under the provincial department of agriculture and rural development, Vo Dinh Tam.

The prolonged period of scorching temperatures has wreaked havoc on the province's aquacultural sector.

At a farm in Dinh Binh reservoir, around 50 tonnes of red tilapia fish had been lost to the heat.

At a fresh water fish farm run by the My Chau aquaculture experimental centre, around 15 tonnes of fish raised over a ten year period were at risk due to a lack of fresh water from reservoirs in Dong Deo, Hoc Hom and Hoc Lach. The school of fish is reportedly worth VND1.9 billion (US$90,000).

The dearth of fresh water has also wilted white-legged shrimp production in the province, reducing farming area from 2,243ha to 1,891ha.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Ho Ngoc Hung said the delayed shrimp production would lead to long lasting damage and put aquatic farms at risk of suffering from salinity.

"We have dredged channels, lakes, ponds and reservoirs to limit the loss of production. The department is trying to supply water for aquaculture farms as a top priority," Hung said.

"The province is also subsidising fuel costs incurred by local farmers pumping at their farms.

Water from Dinh Binh reservoir, which boasts a capacity of 226 million cubic metres, has been scheduled to help supply water to aquatic farms first," he said.

The My Chau aquaculture experimental centre also planned to move its fish farm to Thiet Dinh dam as an emergency measure.

More than 21,000 islanders in Ly Son district, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province, have also been struggling against the worst drought in its history, with water levels at Thoi Loi reservoir sinking to their lowest on record.

The extreme drought has endangered crops and salinised wells, threatening the lives and livelihoods of local residents.

As many as 73 per cent of the population derive their living from growing garlic and spring onion, and fishing, but farmers have been forced to switch their traditional crops to water melon.

"Garlic and spring onion farms need daily watering, while melon gardens can go two or three days without water. It's the best solution to avoid a complete loss of farm production," said vice chairwoman of the district's people's committee, Pham Thi Huong.

"An Hai commune still has enough water for farming with a reservoir of 270,000 cubic metres, but An Vinh commune is facing the worst drought," she said.

Head of the district's rural infrastructure office, Nguyen Van Le, said there was only enough water to supply 20ha of the total 456ha farm.

The vice chairwoman said 50 per cent of the crops were estimated to be lost. "We always have our preparations for the annual dry season, but the worst drought has hit the island and pushed the onion crops to a terrible harvest this year," Huong said.

"Half of total 200 wells for farming have been salinized, which has raised alarm bells for the onion crops. Even a 20,000 cubic metre reservoir has declined to its minimum level," she added.

She said local people would be able to salvage water for daily use, but that the remaining wells would not be able to be used to water crops.

"We have asked for a fund of VND300 million from the province's budget to improve irrigation and dredge water wells," the vice chairwoman said.

A further 310ha of maize, groundnuts and water melon crops have also suffered from a lack of water. Many farmers have been unable to sow seeds because of a shortage of water.

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