HCM City hopes for continued Japanese investment

A Ho Chi Minh City leader has expressed his hope that Japanese businesses will continue to see the city as an attractive investment destination that brings interests to both sides.

Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem made the wish while chairing a roundtable between the city administration and the Japanese business community on December 18.

HCM City has always taken on board suggestions from foreign businesses, including Japanese, for improving its investment environment and living conditions and adopting appropriate policies to enable foreign investors to operate here, he said.

According to Liem, Japan is one of the city’s important partners in several fields. As of last November, it was the fifth largest foreign investor in the city with 1,247 ongoing projects worth a total of nearly 4.2 billion USD.

“This figure is very impressive but still not commensurate with the potential and strategic partnership of the two countries,” he noted.

The roundtable has been held annually for the past 17 years to facilitate direct dialogue between Japanese entrepreneurs and city authorities, a testament to the city’s desire to resolve difficulties faced by foreign investors in general and Japanese firms in particular, he said.

The results of the roundtable and efforts to improve the investment climate by the city would “enhance the confidence of the Japanese business community in the city administration.”

Takahisa Onose, chief of the finance-tax and customs committee at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City (JCCH), said the city had made significant improvements in customs and tax procedures, helping businesses save cost and time.

At a dialogue between the JCCH and the city customs department last month, the head of the latter presented new policies and promised to further simplify customs procedures, he said.

Pham Thiet Hoa, Director of the Investment and Trade Promotion of HCM City (ITPC), said to prepare for the event, the ITPC had been working with the JCCH since June to find out what difficulties Japanese firms face.

The roundtable organisers gathered 38 questions related to four fields: environment - life; law - labour; tax; and customs. Between October 29 and November 1, the ITPC coordinated with 19 departments and agencies and held meetings with the JCCH to answer 34 of the questions.

The remaining relate to a decree guiding the Environmental Law, water quality audit, noise pollution, and social insurance for foreign workers, and would be clarified at the roundtable, Hoa said.

Kawaue Junichi, Japanese Consul General to HCM City, appreciated the city’s efforts to improve its investment environment.

With its consistent politics, abundant human resources and improving infrastructure, Vietnam had attracted more and more Japanese investors who are investing in various sectors, he said.

PM chairs meeting on economic future

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc presided over the second meeting in Hà Nội yesterday of the Socio-Economic Subcommittee, one of several subcommittees to prepare for the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc presided over the second meeting in Hà Nội yesterday of the Socio-Economic Subcommittee, one of several subcommittees to prepare for the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

The function aims to outline a roadmap to realise the subcommittee’s key tasks, which are to build two documents to serve to the congress: the 10-year socio-economic development strategy for 2021-2030 and the five-year socio-economic development plan for 2021-2025.

The PM, who is head of the subcommittee, underlined the need to envision future fluctuations the country may encounter over the next five to 10 years.

He suggested pooling the intelligence of organisations and individuals, especially think tanks and research institutes.

The Government leader urged the subcommittee to complete detailed drafts for the documents by April next year.

He said a deep analysis of the Vietnamese economy is necessary to identify problems, such as shortcomings of the capital market and land market, the inappropriate allocation of resources and ineffective operation of State enterprises, with a view to proposing solutions.

The PM asked that the documents clarify the relations between the economy, society and the environment, the connections between rapid and sustainable development as well as between comprehensive development and the development of key sectors.

The 13th National Party Congress is scheduled to be held in the first quarter of 2021.

Prime Minister welcomes Holy See delegation

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) on December 18 receives a delegation from the Holy See, led by Under-Secretary for Relations with States Antoine Camilleri 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 18 received a delegation from the Holy See, led by Under-Secretary for Relations with States Antoine Camilleri, who are in Vietnam to attend the seventh meeting of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group.

The PM spoke highly of positive exchanges between Vietnam and the Holy See over the past and expressed his pleasure with the organisation of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group’s seventh meeting.

He said he believes that this meeting will mark important progress in the relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, satisfying the common interests of both sides as well as those of the Vietnamese Catholic community.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government will continue to promote national solidarity and is consistent in respecting and ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion of all people. He appreciated the active and effective contributions of the Vietnamese Catholic community towards national development, underlining the Government’s policy of encouraging and facilitating the operation of religions, including Catholicism, in line with legal regulations.

The PM urged the Holy See to continue its work on guiding the Vietnamese Catholic community to engage in national development, contributing to promoting the image of the Vietnam Catholic Church and fostering Vietnam-Holy See relations.

For his part, Antoine Camilleri asserted that Pope Francis and the Holy See are looking to further develop bilateral relations and encourage Catholic followers in Vietnam to be good citizens and actively contribute to national development. 

He said the Pope has always paid special attention to Vietnam and wishes that the Vietnam Catholic Church will make more contributions to national prosperity.

Under-Secretary Camilleri thanked the Vietnamese Government for creating favourable conditions for the non-resident Vatican representative to work in the country, expressing his belief that the two sides will witness new developments in their relations.

On the occasion, PM Phuc conveyed Christmas and New Year greetings to the Vatican’s Pope Francis and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. He conveyed his warm welcome to Secretary of State Parolin to soon visit Vietnam. 

PM chairs subcommittee meeting on national Party congress preparations

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) speaks at the meeting 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presided over the second meeting in Hanoi on December 18 of the Socio-Economic Subcommittee, one of several subcommittees set up to prepare for the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The function aims to outline a specific roadmap to realise the subcommittee’s important tasks, which are to build two documents to serve to the congress: the 10-year socio-economic development strategy for 2021-2030, and the five-year socio-economic development plan 2021-2025.

The PM, who is head of the subcommittee, underlined the need to envision future fluctuations that the country may encounter over the next five to 10 years, in order to design appropriate response. 

He suggested pooling the intelligence of organisations and individuals, especially think tanks and research institutes.

The Government leader urged the subcommittee to work hard so as to complete the detailed drafts for the 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy and the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan by April next year.

He said it is necessary to make deep analysis of the Vietnamese economy at present to identify problems such as shortcomings of the capital market and land market, the inappropriate allocation of resources and ineffective operation of State enterprises, with a view to proposing solutions.

The PM required that the documents should clarify the relations between the economy, society, and the environment, the connections between rapid and sustainable development as well as between comprehensive development and development of key sectors along with which are the key sectors, so as to ensure a self-reliant and open economy alongside international integration.

The 13th National Party Congress is scheduled to be held in the first quarter of 2021. 

Party chief hosts Communist Party of Japan leader

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with Chairman of the Presidium of the Communist Party of Japan Central Committee Kazuo Shii 

The Party, State and people of Vietnam always treasure the cooperation and traditional friendship with the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ), Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has said. 

He made the statement in Hanoi on December 18 while receiving Chairman of the Presidium of the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) Central Committee Kazuo Shii, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam.

At the meeting, the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) proposed the two parties to bolster partnership, theoretical exchanges, and experience sharing, as well as effectively cooperate in regional and international forums, thus contributing to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development. 

He congratulated his guest on the achievements of the CPJ over the years and thanked the CPJ for its support during the revolutionary cause of the CPV and Vietnamese people over the time. 

He also spoke highly of the significant contributions by the CPJ to the two countries’ relations, voicing his belief that the CPJ will reap further success in the implementation of the 27th Congress’ resolution towards its 100th founding anniversary in 2022.

Congratulating Trong on his election as the President of Vietnam, Shii highly valued the achievements of the Vietnamese people in national construction under the leadership of the CPV.

He also hailed the positive growth of the Japan-Vietnam ties, affirming that the CPJ will spare no efforts in strengthening the countries’ relations.

He briefed his host on the policies and activities of the CPJ, and noted that various exchanges between the two parties, especially theoretical exchanges, hold important meaning in completing the parties’ theoretical systems.

Earlier, a delegation of the CPV, led by Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong, held talks with the visiting CPJ delegation, led by Shii.

The two sides briefed each other on the current situations of their respective parties and nations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They also discussed orientations and measures to enhance cooperation and the traditional friendship between the two parties and to contribute to the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership. 

The delegations also agreed to maintain theoretical exchanges, as well as increase information exchange and collaboration at multilateral political party forums. 

Myanmar’s USDP delegation visits Vietnam

At the meeting 

A delegation from Myanmar’s Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by Chairman U Than Htay, is paying a visit to Vietnam from December 17-22.

The delegation was received in Hanoi on December 18 by Tran Quoc Vuong, Politburo member and standing member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Secretariat.

At the reception, U Than Htay informed his host about the outcomes of talks between the USDP and CPV delegations. He congratulated the Vietnamese people on their socio-economic development achievements made during the renewal process.

He also noted with pleasure the fine development of the relationship between the two Parties, States, and peoples, stressing that the USDP will do its utmost to continue enhancing the bilateral ties, including support for Vietnamese firms’ business and investment activities in Myanmar.

Vuong welcomed the delegation, saying the visit takes place at a time after the two countries have set up their comprehensive cooperative partnership during General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Myanmar in August 2017. He expressed his belief that it will practically contribute to fostering the friendship between the two parties and states.

He spoke highly of the results of the talks between the two party delegations as well as orientations and measures to strengthen CPV-USDP relations in the time to come. 

As Vietnam and Myanmar share many similarities and boast long-lasting relations, they should continue to step up collaboration and experience-sharing in national construction and development, especially in economic development, he said.

He voiced his hope that the USDP will make active contributions to strengthening the comprehensive cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Myanmar.

Earlier, the CPV delegation led by Hoang Binh Quan, member of the CPV Central Committee and head of the committee’s Commission for External Relations, held talks with USDP guests.

The two sides informed each other about the situation of their respective parties and the socio-economic development of their countries; discussed measures to solidify the relations between the two parties and states in the future; and shared views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Quan said that the CPV is ready to share experience with the USDP in such fields as party building, personnel training, and the building of socio-economic development strategies and polices. He added that the CPV also hopes to increase coordination in multilateral forums of political parties.

USDP Chairman Than Htay affirmed that Myanmar will work together with Vietnam to forge ties between the two parties, helping develop the countries’ relationship in an intensive and effective manner, and in the spirit of the Vietnam-Myanmar comprehensive cooperative partnership, for the interests of the two countries’ peoples and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world at large. This also contributes practically to the building of a united and strong ASEAN community, he said.

Vietnam accelerates implementation of sustainable development goals

Vietnam has gained a lot of significant achievements in SDG on poverty reduction 

The National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam coordinated with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to hold a meeting in the central city of Da Nang on December 18 on realising challenges posed for Vietnam in the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The event is part of a conference themed “The National Assembly and sustainable development goals”.

A wide range of issues were discussed at the meeting, such as climate change adaptation, poverty reduction and elimination, food security guarantee, sustainable agriculture development, gender equality, and female and youth empowerment.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan said that Vietnam is considered one of the countries bearing the most brunt in terms of climate change impact. According to Vietnam’s climate change research, if the sea level rises by one metre in the late 21st century, about 10-12 percent of its population will be directly affected and the country could lose around 10 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Therefore, Vietnam will face a lot of significant challenges in the implementation of SDGs on climate change, he said, adding that Vietnam has to realise its goals on emissions reduction as committed from 2021 while still maintaining high economic growth. 

In addition, climate change in Vietnam has become more complicated and unpredictable, unraveling quicker than predicted and impacting heavily on the people and climate change-sensitive sectors.

The use of water and the development of hydropower plants for countries in the upper part of the Red River and Mekong River have been exerting great impact on Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta. These have been exacerbating the effects of climate change by increasing floods, droughts and salt water intrusion, Nhan said.

Realising these challenges, the Party, National Assembly and Government of Vietnam have promulgated many important policies to cope with climate change.

Vietnam has been consistent in improving its institutions, policies and laws to actively respond to climate change, promote green growth, and reduce carbon emissions.

The Government has issued a national action plan on implementing the UN agenda 2030 for sustainable development; a resolution on the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta in adaptation to climate change; a target programme and national strategies on climate change and green growth; and a plan to implement the Paris agreement in Vietnam.

Vietnam also has gained important outcomes in poverty reduction thanks to the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam; the regular directions of the National Assembly and Government; and the joint efforts of all sectors and society, according to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung.

He cited that the rate of poor households throughout the country reduced from 58 percent in 1993 down to 7 percent in 2017. Essential infrastructure in poor districts, communes and ethnic minority-inhabited regions have been improved, as well as the locals’ living standards and assessment of social services.

Vietnam’s achievements in this field have been recognised by the international community. The UN evaluated Vietnam as one of the countries with the most impressive poverty reduction accomplishments during the implementation of the organisation’s Millennium Development Goals.

Besides the positive outcomes, challenges in poverty reduction and social welfare still lie ahead, especially in the realisation of the SDGs on poverty elimination through 2030, the official said.

Specifically, the speed of poverty reduction is uneven and unsustainable, particularly in the northern mountainous and Central Highland regions.

Ethnic minority households accounted for 52.66 percent of the total number of poor households nationwide, according to statistics in 2017. The average income of ethnic minority households was equal to just 40 percent of the national average.

To further the achievements that Vietnam has gained in poverty reduction and social welfare, the country will continue reviewing and supplementing policies in the field; focusing on supporting production development; increasing incomes for poor households; and helping needy people gain access to social services, healthcare, education, accommodation, clean water, information, and infrastructure development.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, agriculture plays an important role in Vietnam in ensuring food security for nearly 95 million people, as well as livelihoods for nearly 65 percent of the country’s population living in rural areas, making up 15.34 percent of the GDP.

Vietnam exported a variety of agro-forestry products in 2017 worth 36.52 billion USD, and the figure is projected to hit 40 billion USD in 2018. There are 10 groups of commodities having the annual export turnover of 1 billion USD or more, with fruit, cashew nuts, coffee, shrimp and timber products registering export values of more than 3 billion USD. Vietnamese farm produce are now sold in 180 countries and territories around the world. Vietnam ranks second in the Southeast Asian region and 15th in the world in exporting agriculture products.

However, the agriculture sector has been faced with a lot of difficulties and challenges in ensuring food security and sustainable development, Doanh said, adding that small-scale production remains a major challenge to realising the country’s targets of modernisation and industrialisation, as well as increasing the quality of agriculture products for nearly 102 million people in 2025, and 107 million people in 2030.

The complicated development of climate change has exerted negative impact on agricultural production and threatened food security, not to mention the increasingly scarce land, labour and capital sources. This requires long-term strategies to mitigate damage, Doanh said.

To address difficulties, the ministry will focus on restructuring the agriculture sector, reforming growth models, and building new rural areas towards developing high-tech, clean and organic agriculture in association with the processing industry and sales of agriculture products.

The ministry will boost the transfer and application of high technology to create breakthroughs in the productivity and quality of animals and plants; ensure food safety and hygiene; and increase the competitiveness of the sector, Doanh said.

President of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa said that in recent times Vietnam has gained positive outcomes in implementing the SDGs on children, women and gender equality. 

Vietnam continues to use 20 percent of the State budget spending on education. All children under six years old are granted free health insurance cards. The rate of malnourished children has been reduced to 13.1 percent. 

Women make up over 48 percent of the labour force in Vietnam, with 31.6 percent of business owners being female. The current rate of female National Assembly deputies in the ongoing 2016-2021 term is 26.71 percent, 2.62 percent higher than the previous tenure.

The Government has promulgated a number of programmes and projects to promote gender equality, including consideration over reducing the retirement age gap between men and women.

In the coming time, Vietnam will fine-tune its legal system and policies for child protection, Hoa said. 

Apparatus streamlining takes time: Party chief

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the event. 

Streamlining the apparatus is a hard, sensitive, and complex task that takes time, said Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong. 

The leader made the statement at a meeting in Hanoi on December 18 that reviewed the performance of five working groups inspecting the implementation of Resolutions No. 18 and 19 of the 12th Party Central Committee and Conclusion No. 64 of the 11th Party Central Committee. 

Resolution No. 18 stipulates streamlining the apparatus of the political system in an effective and efficient manner while Resolution No. 19 prescribes the revamp of organisation and management and the improvement of the quality and efficiency of public agencies. 

Conclusion No. 64 targets the renovation and perfection of the political system from central to grassroots levels. 

The Party Central Committee’s Secretariat established five working groups to monitor the realisation of the documents at 15 Party committees and organisations in 2018.

The initial inspection is intended to create changes in awareness and actions and find out obstacles needed to be tackled for the smoother implementation of the work, the Party chief added.

He called for more efforts in reviewing the function of agencies, reducing intermediary units and cutting personnel.

The five working groups’ reports show that the Party committees and organisations inspected have reaped initial results in reducing personnel and changing awareness and actions of officials, Party members and the public. 

Public agencies have basically been planned towards a more reasonable structure, and the autonomy and self-responsibility mechanisms have proven effective in these agencies. 

However, there remain limitations in the implementation work, especially in the fields of health care and education. Coordination between ministries, agencies and localities has also remained loose. 

The reports pointed out the irresolute leadership and the lack of solutions and roadmaps in some agencies, leading to the poor results in deploying the documents. 

Delegates at the event suggested focusing the apparatus rearrangement in the administrative and services sectors, reducing the position of deputy heads and applying technology in the work.

Party official hails visit by Japanese Communist Party leader

Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Chairman of the Presidium of the CPJ Central Committee Shii Kazuo 

Politburo member and head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh hailed Chairman of the Presidium of the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) Central Committee Shii Kazuo for his visit during a reception in Hanoi on December 17. 

Chinh, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, said the visit is of significance to strengthening the traditional friendship between the two Parties, contributing to enriching the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership. 

According to him, traditional ties between the CPV and CPJ have been further deepened in the new situation via the regular exchange of visits and cooperation at multilateral forums. 

He expressed his belief that the CPJ will continue supporting exchange between the two legislatures, thereby making contributions to the development of bilateral links. 

Kazuo believed that under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people will continue reaping greater achievements in the renewal process and successfully realise the 12th National Party Congress’ resolution towards turning Vietnam into a modern-oriented industrialised nation. 

Expressing his delight at the growing ties between the two parties over the past five decades, the guest affirmed that the CPJ highly values the development of ties between the two nations and people via information and ideological sharing for the sake of peace and stability in Asia and the world. 

Earlier, head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan also hosted a reception for Kazuo. 

Both sides spoke highly of the close and effective cooperation between the Commission for External Relations and the CPJ’s Department of International Affairs and agreed to increase exchanges, maintain an ideology-sharing mechanism, work closely together at international forums, an make active contributions to communist and international labour movements.

UN looks to back Vietnam’s sustainable socio-economic growth

Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam and National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong (R) 

The UN wants to support Vietnam in its development of a sustainable and inclusive economy, said Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam.

He made the statement at a meeting with National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong in Da Nang on December 17, on the sidelines of a two-day conference titled “The National Assembly (NA) and sustainable development goals (SDGs)”, which opened in the city on the same day.

Lauding Malhotra’s participation in the event, Phong informed her guest that the NA’s recent sixth session had discussed investment and growth contents that closely followed the country’s commitments to the UN SDGs.

She stressed that activities held by the NA always receive assistance from UN’s associated agencies and organisations in Vietnam. 

She said Vietnam is facing challenges in mobilising funds for climate change adaptation and difficulties in carrying out its investment policies on infrastructure, electricity, water, and transport development in areas populated by ethnic minorities, particularly mountainous, border, and island locations.

The NA Vice Chairwoman hoped that the UN and UN Development Programme (UNDP) in particular would support Vietnam in assessing the impacts of climate change and putting forth urgent measures to handle the issue along coastal areas from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau.

Phong said she hoped the UNDP will work with Vietnam in organising capacity-building programmes to help NA deputies boost their skills and knowledge on international laws.

For his part, Malhotra highlighted that the UN is committed to assisting and sharing experience with Vietnam.

He said he hoped that both sides will soon establish a working group to run field trips in the northwestern region, particularly Son La province, to study local ethnic minority communities. 

Underscoring climate change response as a top priority, Malhotra said the UN has built short-term action plans for it and will collaborate with the Vietnamese Government in tackling the challenge. The UN’s Green Climate Fund is willing to support related short-term solutions, including the building of houses for Vietnamese people in flood-hit locations.

NA Chairwoman asks Da Nang to become smart city

 National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at the meeting

Politburo member and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has asked the central city of Da Nang to become a smart city featuring rapid yet sustainable development. 

Addressing the ninth session of the municipal People’s Council on December 17, Ngan said the meeting took place following a working session between the Politburo and the standing board of the municipal Party Committee to discuss the 15-year implementation of the ninth Politburo’s Resolution No.33 on the city’s construction and development during the process of industrialisation and modernisation, where they agreed to issue a new resolution on the city’s development for 2030 with a vision to 2045. 

She hailed Da Nang for improving its competitiveness and administrative reform, as well as for its progress in new-style rural development and national defence-security towards affirming its role as a pillar of growth in the central region. Its position as a key economic zone has  contributed to promoting regional connectivity and global integration, she added. 

Da Nang is now a must-see destination for domestic and foreign visitors, gradually proving itself as a centre for major international events, notably including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2017, she said. 

According to her, the city urgently needs to devise a comprehensive strategy with new development models and breakthrough mechanisms and policies so that its growth rate will not level off. 

In order to successfully implement the 14th NA’s resolution adopted at its sixth session, the municipal People’s Council needs to intensively discuss key measures for 2019; step up administrative and judicial reform, and the fight against corruption; and stimulate production and trade, she said. 

She stated that the NA Standing Committee will continue to support Da Nang in carrying out the Politburo’s upcoming resolution, particularly its special policies and mechanisms. 

The top legislator pledged to consider the council’s suggestions regarding special policies and mechanisms to smoothen the city’s conditions for sustainable development, allowing it to become a driving force for the central and Central Highlands regions, as well as a centre of the key economic zone in the south-central and central coastal regions.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Nho Trung said the meeting will discuss 54 reports on the city’s socio-economic performance and national defence-security this year, thereby outlining appropriate measures for 2019 and giving feedback on 28 draft resolutions on other important fields.

The council will also cast confidence votes on positions elected by its members for the 2016-2021 tenure and conduct personnel work for several key positions. 

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Truong Quang Nghia said it recently held the 15th conference to review the year’s activities and devise tasks for 2019. 

Almost 2018 socio-economic development targets have been met, he said, adding that city’s gross domestic product expanded by 7.86 percent from 2017. 

Home Minister extends Christmas greetings to An Giang Catholics

Home Minister Le Vinh Tan conveys his wishes to Long Xuyen Diocese’s dignitaries and Catholic followers for a joyful, peaceful, and happy Christmas and upcoming new year 

A delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs led by Minister Le Vinh Tan visited and extended Christmas greetings on December 17 to bishops and priests of Long Xuyen Diocese and Catholic followers in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

Minister Tan conveyed his wishes to Long Xuyen Diocese’s dignitaries and Catholic followers for a joyful, peaceful, and happy Christmas and upcoming new year.  

He recognised and hailed the contributions of bishops and priests, as well as Catholics in Long Xuyen Diocese to socio-economic development in the locality over the years and the reinforcement of a great national unity bloc.

The official affirmed the Party and State’s consistent policy of respecting and observing the right to belief and religious freedom of the people, while encouraging and creating favourable conditions for people in practicing their religions and improving their living conditions.

He said that he hopes in the future, the government of An Giang will design more policies to support the diocese and local Catholics in religious activities, as well as boost economic development, thus building a prosperous province.

Huynh Phuoc Lam, chief representative of the Long Xuyen Diocese, said that the visit showed the Party, State, and local government’s attention paid to religious organisations in the province.

Lam noted that so far, the Long Xuyen Diocese has raised more than 30 billion VND (1.29 million USD) to support the needy and joined hands with the local government in building new-style rural areas.

He pledged that local Catholics will continue implementing policies of the Party and State, while working with the local government to reinforce the great national unity bloc.

During the visit, Minister Tan presented gifts to bishops and priests at the Long Xuyen Diocese.

Vietnam commits interdisciplinary efforts to implementing SDGs

At the event (Source: baotainguyenmoitruong)

Vietnam pledges to mobilise all resources, including the involvement of ministries, sectors, localities, and people towards successfully implementing the UN’s 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals (SDGs), Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang has said. 

Thang made the statement at a general meeting held by the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the UN Development Programme in Vietnam on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the central city of Da Nang on December 17, which also underlined the role played by national parliaments in realising the SDGs. 

During the event, which is part of the conference on NAs and SDGs which opened on the same day, Thang presented Vietnam’s national action plan towards implementing the 2030 Agenda, while mentioning challenges facing the country in mobilising financial resources for the work, as well as the role of the NA in supervising the implementation of the agenda. 

The action plan outlines Vietnam’s 17 SDGs for 2030 with 115 specific targets that touch on 150 of the 169 global targets. Some targets are not included as they do not match the context and development level of Vietnam.

Thang said Vietnam has already implemented a number of key activities, such as setting up an inter-agency working group on SDGs; as well as developing and joining the presentation of Vietnam’s voluntary national review report at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) of the UN in New York, the US. 

The report has been highly appreciated by countries for its preparation of content and presentation, along with the development of an action plan to implement the agenda of ministries, sectors, and localities, he noted. 

To date, 10 ministries and 29 localities have issued action plans and built roadmaps for implementing the SDGs, which are expected to be submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation this month, Thang added. 

In the time to come, more efforts will be made to raise public awareness and mobilise the participation of all stakeholders; continue to improve institutions and policies on sustainable development; develop guidelines to integrate SDGs into the socio-economic development plan; and guide the supervision and evaluation of SDGs, promulgating them throughout 2019.

He emphasised that the biggest challenge in this work is how to mobilise financial resources as there is currently no full report on the need for financial resources for implementing all SDGs in Vietnam. 

Green growth and response to climate change are considered one of the key ways to achieve SDGs.

According to estimates by the National Strategy on Climate Change and the Green Growth Strategy, Vietnam needs 5 percent of its annual GDP to cope with climate change and another 30 billion USD to achieve its green growth goals for 2030. 

Thang also underlined the pivotal role of the Vietnamese NA though activities such as monitoring the implementation of strategies, plans, and policies related to SDGs and the budget expenditure at a national and local level for relevant programmes and activities.

The NA and People's Councils at all levels are also representatives of the people, conveying the voice of the people in monitoring activities of the State, he said. 

Talking about the participation of the IPU and its member parliaments in realising SDGs, Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU stated that the implementation of SDGs aims to "leave no one behind", in which parliaments will act as a mechanism from the national, regional, and global levels towards the implementation of SDGs.

He emphasised that Vietnam is a leading nation in its efforts to integrate SDGs, adding that the conference on the NA and SDGs shows the importance of the Vietnamese NA in monitoring the implementation of strategies, plans, and policies related to SDGs.

Martin Chungong said that in the coming time, Vietnam should mobilise the strong participation of the Government in implementing SDGs.

Vietnam calls for inclusive Mekong – Lancang cooperation

Foreign ministers of the Mekong – Lancang Cooperation nations 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on December 17 joined FMs of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and China at the fourth Mekong – Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos.

Speaking at the event, Minh appreciated efforts made by MLC nations to carry out the Sanya Declaration and the five-year Plan of Action for 2018-2022 approved at the second Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in January 2018.

Cooperation between Mekong-Lancang countries should ensure projects are inclusive and bring about equal benefits for all member states, while paying attention to boosting coordination between MLC and other Mekong and regional cooperative mechanisms such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong River Commission (MRC).

It is necessary to concentrate resources on implementing the five prioritized fields which are water resource connection, production capacity, cross-border economic collaboration, agriculture and poverty reduction, he stated, suggesting the parties address bottlenecks in commodity circulation, work to open up the Chinese market for farm produce from Mekong countries, help enterprises understand more about import-export regulations, step up technology transfer to help Mekong countries develop rice and food crop varieties adaptive to climate change, and intensify management over cross-border labour.

The Vietnamese representative also underlined the need for the six MLC nations to reform the way of thinking and working methods in their cooperation in the management and sustainable use of Mekong River water source so as to successfully respond to common challenges in the region.

The fourth MLC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, themed “Enhancing Partnership for Shared Prosperity”, acknowledged the positive outcomes in MLC cooperation in 2018.

The ministers agreed to step up the implementation of the five-year Plan of Action, and consider initiatives to boost cooperation in production capacity, regional connectivity, trade, energy, customs, health, education and the building of a MLC economic corridor.

They also reached a consensus on strengthening MCL’s connectivity with national development strategies and relevant regional and sub-regional cooperative mechanisms such as ASEAN, MRC, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

For Mekong River water cooperation, the delegates welcomed the agreement reached by the six countries’ experts on an Action Plan on Water Resource Cooperation for 2018-2022, while urging the countries to proactively carry out the plan.

Concluding the event, the ministers approved a joint press communiqué and agreed that the next MLC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be held in China in 2019.

NA Chairwoman hosts IPU Secretary General

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Martin Chungong 

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan hosted a reception for Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Martin Chungong on the sidelines of a conference themed “The National Assembly and the sustainable development goals” held in the central coastal city of Da Nang on December 17. 

The NA leader praised Martin Chungong for his attention to promoting the role of the parliament in monitoring the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). She noted that the IPU Secretary General had proposed and supported Vietnam’s organisation of the IPU Asia-Pacific conference on response to climate change – action of legislators to realise SDGs in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2017.

According to Ngan, the NA Committee for External Relations held the conference on “The National Assembly and the sustainable development goals” in coordination with the United Nations (UN) and IPU agencies with the aim of enhancing the role of the parliament in implementing SDGs in each country and disseminating a toolkit for self assessment in this field. The toolkit was jointly developed by the IPU and the UN Development Programme, and was announced last year.

Besides studying the toolkit, the Vietnamese NA has learned experience from some countries, the NA Chairwoman said, adding that the conference is the first step for deputies of the NA and local People’s Councils to start building action plans to promote the implementation of SDGs that suit the priorities, requirements and development context of each locality.

The top legislator took this occasion to thank Martin Chungong for his active contributions to the relations between the Vietnamese NA and the IPU, especially enhancing the participation of the NA in this important forum.

She thanked the IPU Secretary General and the IPU Executive Committee for their approval of the Asia-Pacific group’s nomination of Nguyen Van Giau – Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations, as Vice President of the committee for the 2018-2019 tenure.

Chungong said Vietnam is a model in the implementation of SDGs programmes and projects. 

He noted that Vietnam, as an active member of the IPU, has been selected as one of the Asian-Pacific countries to popularise the SDGs self-assessment toolkit among deputies of the NA and all-level People’s Councils.

The IPU is willing to support Vietnam in using the toolkit to supervise the implementation of SDGs, he affirmed.

The IPU Secretary General mentioned the nutrition matter as part of the SDGs, noting that the IPU is ready to partner with Vietnam in this area.

Chairwoman Ngan informed her guest that at this conference, Vietnamese ministries will affirm their commitments to implementing the SDGs, including that on nutrition.

During the process of striving for fulfilling the SDGs, each ministry, agency and locality will use the toolkit to assess their progress, which she said will help the NA in deciding priorities towards achieving the SDGs.

Vietnamese NA working for sustainable development: Chairwoman

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan addresses the conference in Da Nang city on December 17

A conference highlighting parliaments’ role in realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was opened in Da Nang city on December 17 by the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Addressing the two-day event, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stressed that the 2030 Agenda features 17 SDGs and 169 targets, including those on poverty reduction, ensuring health care, education and security, and building peaceful and inclusive societies. They show all countries’ determination to create a better future for the people worldwide so that they can live in a cooperative, peaceful and prosperous environment, she added.

The SDGs are both the targets and opportunities for lawmakers to demonstrate their commitments to improving people’s lives and protecting the planet. To achieve them, the participation of the NA, parliamentarians and members of all-level People’s Councils on whom the people entrust their aspirations and power is critically important, especially in perfecting legal frameworks and supervising the implementation and allocation of budget for activities to realise the SDGs, the NA leader noted.

She said for more than 15 years, since Vietnam began to carry out the Millennium Development Goals – the foundation of the SDGs, its parliament has built and fine-tuned important legal frameworks for the sake of sustainable development, including more than 300 laws and the 2013 Constitution.

Through bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities, Vietnamese parliamentarians have exchanged experience in relevant fields, thus reflecting the NA’s active role in realising the SDGs.

The law-making body has also paid attention to improving public awareness of the SDGs and turn them into national goals in the long run, thereby mobilising resources to and people’s engagement in this work, Ngan added.

The Chairwoman said the Vietnamese NA highly values the coordination between the IPU and the UNDP in developing a self-assessment toolkit for parliaments in terms of the SDGs implementation.

At the conference, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong applauded the Vietnamese NA’s efforts to achieve the SDGs. He stressed Vietnam is the first Asian-Pacific nation to have held a meeting on this issue, expressing his belief that with the Vietnamese parliament’s cooperation, fruitful outcomes will be attained in the coming time.

The official also affirmed the IPU’s pledge to assist its member parliaments, including the Vietnamese NA, in fulfilling the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator and head of UN representative agencies in Vietnam Kamal Malhotra highlighted the global priorities for sustainable development, noting that it is necessary to have international collective actions with the participation of the entire governments and societies.

He also voiced his delight that Vietnam has made strong commitments to translating the SDGs into action plans, highlighting that these activities have been warmly welcomed by the international community.

Underlining parliaments’ role in promulgating laws, approving budget and ensuring the fruitful implementation of the commitments, the UN official said the engagement of parliaments is a strong driving force towards the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.

At the conference, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong presented the Vietnamese version of the SDGs self-assessment toolkit for parliaments to NA Chairwoman Ngan.