Banking industry receives award for aiding renewal


Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday, April 27, awarded the Ho Chi Minh Order, the second highest distinction of the State after the Gold Star Order, to Viet Nam's banking industry for its 60th anniversary celebrations (May 6, 1951-May 6, 2011).

HTML clipboard Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung awards the Ho Chi Minh Order to the Viet Nam banking industry for its 60th anniversary celebrations. (Photo: VNS)
Dung said he highly appreciated the great contributions of the banking system to development during the past 60 years, especially in supporting multi-sector economic growth in the Doi Moi (renewal) era and controlling inflation.

He added that the State Bank of Viet Nam had done a good job managing the monetary system and improving the banking system in line with international standards.

To achieve the target of creating an industrialised nation by 2020, Dung told bankers to complete legal frames for business, develop banking services and improve foreign exchange management.

In the short term, he told the State Bank to thoroughly combine monetary policy with fiscal policy to implement the Government's six sets of policy measures to restore macro-economic stability and maintain social security.

The central bank must strictly monitor monetary and forex markets to ensure bank safety and liquidity, establish credit quality to encourage exports, improve trade balances and to increase foreign reserves. He said it must also restrict the use of gold as a payment tool.

Viet Nam's banking system has three State-owned banks, two policy banks, 39 joint-stock commercial banks, five joint-venture banks, five foreign banks, 53 branches of foreign banks, and 18 financial companies.

Average credit growth of the system in the past 10 years has been 31 per cent.


Chief judge chosen for council of the Supreme People's Court


Tran Van Co, a judge of the Supreme People's Court, has been selected as a member of the Council of Judges of the Supreme People's Court.

The decision was finalised on the last day of the 39th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee in the capital city yesterday.

At an official request submitted by the Supreme People's Court and in accordance with Clause 2, Article 21 of the Law on the Organisation of the People's Court, the numbers of the Court's Council of Judges will be increased to 17 from the present 13.

Law makers attending the meeting agreed with the proposal and unanimously selected Judge Co as one of four additional members with 81.18 per cent of votes in favour.

Co is the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal at the Ho Chi Minh City Supreme People's Court. He served in the position for 24 years at provincial courts. He has been appointed to the position as a Judge of the Supreme People's Court and then the Chief Judge of the HCM City Court of Appeal.

On the same day, committee members discussed a draft decree on registration and management of activities by international non-governmental organisations in Viet Nam.


Assembly election plans well in hand


The total number of candidates for seats at the 13th National Assembly is 827, said Minister of Home Affairs Tran Van Tuan at a press briefing yesterday, April 27.

Tuan said localities had already set up election boards to oversee the elections to the assembly and to the People's Councils for the 2011-16 term.

A total of 306,454 deputies at all levels, including provincial, district and communal levels, were nominated for seats at People's Councils nationwide.

Three consultation reduced this list to 5,965 candidates for the People's Council at all levels.

Female make up 34.4 per cent of candidates; young, 20.3 per cent; non-Party members, 14.62 per cent; ethnic minority people, 19.21 per cent, and self-nominated contestants, 0.41 per cent.

To handle the elections, 91,438 polling stations will be set up across the nation.

To thoroughly prepare for the elections, seven training courses have been held for members of election boards from April 21 to today.


Tay Ninh to open more auxiliary border gates


The southwestern province of Tay Ninh has decided to open three more auxiliary border gates and 10 paths along the boundary of Cambodia’s Svay Rieng and Kompong Cham provinces.

The aim is to facilitate local residents’ travel and enhance the friendship between the three provinces.
So far they have to date opened two international border gates on the common borderline, namely Moc Bai – Ba Vet and Xa Mat – Trapeng Plong, and four main and 10 auxiliary border gates. Two-way trade through these border gates reaches almost US$1 billion each year.


Vietnam marks South Africa’s 17th National Day


Vietnam will promote cooperative ties with South Africa in all fields for the benefit of sustainable cooperation and development in both countries, said Deputy Foreign Minister Doan Xuan Hung during a reception in Hanoi on April 27.

Hung said that the Vietnamese people were delighted at South Africa’s great achievements under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress during national construction and defence, raising the country’s role at international and regional forums.
He added that the South African Vice President’s visit to Vietnam last October and the upcoming visit of Vietnamese State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan to South Africa are proof of close bilateral relations.
At the reception, South African Ambassador to Vietnam, Ratabatsi Super Moloi underlined that the National Day marks a milestone in the South African people's history of struggle for independence, paving the way for building a democratic country without racial and sex discrimination.
The diplomat extended thanks to international friends for their support during the fight to eliminate the apartheid regime, as well as during the current process of national construction and defence.


VNN/VOV/VNS