Industry and trade sector urged to restructure

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) should focus resources on restructuring industries, trade and businesses which are operating in this field, the government leader has said.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the request while attending a conference to launch the industry and trade sector’s tasks this year, which took place in Hanoi on January 3.

The MoIT needs to examine and review investments made by State-owned economic groups, corporations and businesses in order to speed up the equitisation process and dissolve enterprises which have suffered prolonged losses and invested outside their core business, he said.

The Government leader suggested the ministry increase international integration activities to facilitate the firm penetration of Vietnamese goods into foreign markets.

PM Dung praised the sector’s achievements in 2011, highlighting industrial production value increase of 12.7 percent and export growth of 33 percent, making important contributions to stabilising the macro economy.

The sector should take the advantage in terms of agricultural production, retail market, workforce and mining industry to develop further, especially foster the development of the supporting industry, he noted.

Speaking at the conference, MoIT Minister Vu Huy Hoang said that in 2011 the ministry recorded positive results in all aspects, especially in building development plans, expanding the domestic market and ensuring a balanced supply-demand of essential goods.

The ministry stepped up business and investment activities while improving production capacity to serve domestic consumption and export, he said.

The minister said 2011 continued to be a busy year for international integration activities when the MoIT coordinated with other ministries and branches to actively participate in important international events and enhance cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations.

Many bilateral economic and trade agreements came into force, creating opportunities and favourable conditions for boosting production, export and investment attraction, Hoang said.

The ministry actively implemented plans to restructure and equitise its wholly State-owned businesses on schedule, especially completing the equitisation of the Vietnam Steel Corporation and the Vietnam Petroleum Corporation, he added.

NA Standing Committee sets up science council

The Science Council under the National Assembly Standing Committee for the 2011-2016 tenure made its debut on Jan. 3 in the presence of NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Chairman Hung said that the establishment of the council is an important event to better the NA Standing Committee’s apparatus and organisation, helping to improve the quality of operations of the committee and the legislature.

The legislator stressed that the council must take the initiative in forecasting and giving consultancy and in-time assistance to the NA in building scientific research programmes as well as scientific and practical foundations, with a focus placed on the theoretical foundation for the amendments and supplements to the 1992 Constitution.

The NA Chairman asked the council firstly to complete its organisational structure, build working methods and regulations to effectively promote its operations.

Under the resolution, the NA Standing Committee’s Science Council has 19 members with NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu as its head.

Traffic safety measures to rise

This year, dubbed Traffic Safety Year, will see more drastic measures taken to re-establish traffic safety rules across the country and prevent traffic jams in big cities, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Despite the efforts of authorities at different levels, traffic accidents and jams had become more and more serious, he said at a ceremony launching the year's action plan in Ha Noi yesterday.

One focus would be strengthening education to improve residents' awareness of traffic safety. This should be considered a vital task for schools and families.

Phuc also requested that agencies and sectors intensify their patrol to hand out stricter punishments for traffic violations.

"The police should take the initiative to ensure traffic safety," he said.

 

Vehicle owners face new fee The Ministry of Transport has submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for approval that would charge local personal vehicles circulation fees. Under the proposal, motorbikes would have to pay between VND500,000-VND1 million (US$23.8-47.6) per year, while cars would be asked to pay between VND20-VND50 million yearly ($952-2,380). Meanwhile, cars, with the exception of public transport and buses, would also have to pay fees between VND30,000-VND50,000 ($1.4-2.4) when entering or leaving local city centres during rush hour.

Phuc also expressed his desire that Ha Noi be the vanguard during this traffic safety year, better managing vehicles and more strictly punishing road, railway and waterway traffic violators.

Chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee Nguyen The Thao said that the city aimed to reduce the number of traffic accidents by at least 10 per cent, and the number of traffic jams by 20 per cent, as well as prevent motorbike racing and pavement encroachment.

Last year the city saw more than 1,000 traffic accidents which killed 749 people and injured nearly 450 others, according to statistics of the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Thao asked the city's authorities at different levels to focus their political duties around ensuring traffic safety and preventing traffic jams this year.

The municipal Department of Transport should join hands with the city police to assign more forces to hot spots of traffic jams and traffic regulation violations to give guidance and enforce the rules.

In the short term, the city police would launch a campaign to punish violators from now until after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, he said.

Political training course for Lao lecturers ends

Eighteen lecturers from Lao political schools have graduated a training course at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration (HCMA) in Hanoi.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Jan.1, HCMA Deputy Director Le Quoc Ly said Vietnam and Laos have cooperated in organising training courses for the two countries’ officials in order to improve quality and professional skill for leaders and managers in general and lecturers in political schools in particular.

Participating in the three-month course, the Lao lecturers were updated in knowledge and teaching and managing experiences.

They were also sent on a fact-finding programme in seven provinces and cities of Vietnam.

VNN/VNS/VNA