Local authorities recall deadly spurious liquor

Local authorities have recalled three deadly spurious liquor brands made by 29 Hanoi Import and Export Joint Stock Company after several people died from consumption, informed the Vietnam Food Administration on December 9.

Tests showed that methanol levels in the liquor were much higher than acceptable limits.

Fifteen people in the northern province of Quang Ninh had been hospitalized after drinking the liquor, with six reported deaths.

Local authorities have now seized around 6,000 two liter cans of sticky rice alcohol packaged on October 12.

In Hai Duong Province, relevant agencies checked two wine agents and detected that Hung Thuy on 120 Bach Thi Nang Street still sold two of the deadly spurious liquor brands, which the inspectors seized immediately.

In Hanoi, authorities have ordered the company to freeze production of all liquor and sealed the company warehouse at 29 Vu Xuan Thieu Street in Long Bien District. In the warehouse, there are in stock 371 bottles of liquor including 20 of sparkling red wine, 26 two liter cans of 29 Hanoi sticky rice alcohol, and five cans of sticky rice vodka.

Former executives get life sentences for fraud

Le Hoa Binh, former chairman of the May 1 Construction and Service Co. management board, and Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, the company's former vice CEO and chief

accountant, were sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for fraudulent appropriation of property.

The final judgment was reached yesterday at the Ha Noi People's Court after five days of prosecution. According to the verdict, the two men appropriated property worth nearly VND800 billion (US$38 million) from more than 460 victims. Their accomplice, Nguyen Manh Cuong, the company's former CEO, was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment.

Two former employees, Huynh Nguyen Quoc Duy and Dao Duy Phong, were sentenced to five and six years in jail respectively for using their professional positions for illegal purposes.

In 2010, Cuong signed a contract with Cienco 5 Real Estate Development Co Ltd under Civil Engineering Construction Corporation 5. The contract allowed Cienco 5 to borrow VND200 billion (over $9.5 million) from May 1 Company for project investment during a term of 18 months with interest of 1 per cent per month.

With the contract signed, May 1 Company had the right to participate in the implementation of an investment cooperation contract in the Thanh Ha A Urban Area – of which

Cienco 5 is the chief investor. The leaders of May 1 Company then took advantage of the contract to mobilise funds from individuals, promising them the land use rights.

Yet the May 1 company failed to transfer the funds following the signed contract. As a result, Cienco 5 decided to terminate its loan contract with the company.

Binh, former chairman of the Management Board, however, concealed the information and continued to use the terminated contract to mobilise funds. He and his accomplices signed 463 fund transfer contracts, collecting about VND790 billion ($37.6 million) from investors. The group then used the money to purchase shares from several companies, pay back debts from banks and make personal purchases.

The court concluded that Binh was the mastermind behind the crime, while Thoa was the active accomplice.

Prior to judicial proceedings, the police froze the bank account of May 1 Company to return the victims' money, but more than VND200 billion ($9.5 million) has not yet been repaid.

Binh and Thoa were asked by the court to pay the remaining money to the victims.

Vietnam hosts 2014 ASEAN skill competition

Hanoi’s National Convention Centre will play host to the 10th ASEAN Skill Competition from October 19-29, 2014.

Competitors from ASEAN member countries are expected to compete in 23 skill and two performing areas.

The information was revealed at a conference in HCM City on December 9-10 to examine preparations for the event.

The first competition of this kind was held in 1995 and it has since taken place every two years, aiming to raise regional vocational skills to global levels.

The age limit for ASEAN entrants is a maximum of 22 years.

The scale and quality of the competition has improved significantly over the years, from only six skill areas in 1995 to 22 last year.

Nguyen Ngoc Phi, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs expressed hope hosting the event will provide an excellent chance for Vietnam to demonstrate its skills, achievements and quality of human resources.

When Vietnam last hosted the event in 2004, it ranked first with 13 out of a possible 18 gold medals. Last year, in Indonesia, Vietnam came in second with 44 contestants competing in 22 areas.

False addresses cost companies licenses

The Ministry of Transport has withdrawn business licenses from two vehicle GPS tracking device providers because of their submitting false office addresses.

Accordingly, the Viet Hong Technology Co, Ltd and BYNS Co, Ltd, were found with no addresses registered in Ha Noi during a recent inspection campaign by the ministry on 52 companies that provide and produce GPS devices.

Further, the ministry has asked departments of transport nationwide to inform transportation companies not to use GPS devices provided by the two companies. During the inspection campaign, 16 others lost licenses due to various violations.

Nearly 12,000 children get support for heart surgery

Nearly 12,000 Vietnamese children with congenital heart diseases received financial support for surgery as of November this year since a programme to call for donation to this group was launched in 2002.

The targeted children were supported with more than VND500 billion (US$23.8 million) for surgery, said a workshop to review 10 years of the programme’s implementation that was held in Hanoi on December 9.

On this occasion, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children and the Sunny Korea Foundation from the Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding on financial support for Vietnamese children’s heart surgery from 2014 to 2020.

Accordingly, Sunny Korea will bring some 20 children with heart diseases to the Republic of Korea for surgery each year. The aid is worth approximately US$17 million.

Government launches anti-corruption initiative

Vietnam Anti-Corruption Initiative Programme 2014 (VACI) was launched in Hanoi on December 9, with the aim of encouraging strategies to minimise corruption and strengthen transparency, integrity and accountability.

VACI 2014, co-organised by the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam the World Bank and various other donors, consists of two parts: an innovation competition and a knowledge exchange, policy and linking forum.

The innovation competition is an open competition whereby the most innovative and feasible proposals will be selected by a judging panel and awarded a start-up grant to assist with implementation..  

Knowledge Exchange is a forum for sharing experience and knowledge on the legal framework of anti-corruption and issues related to improving transparency, integrity, and accountability.

All organisations that have legal status can take part in and submit their projects, except for inspection agencies, World Bank agencies, army and police.

Foreign organisations are also welcome to join the program if they coordinate with Vietnamese units.

The organising board will choose the best 20 projects to fund for implementation.

Agencies which won awards at previous competitions are encouraged to participate in the the program or expand their former projects.

Entries should be sent to the VACI organising board by March 21, 2014 at D29 Tran Thai Tong, Cau Giay, Hanoi or email giv.ic@thanhtra.gov.vn.

Japan associations grant scholarships to students

As many as 48 poor students with outstanding academic achievements at Hue University have received scholarships from Japanese organisations.

The scholarships, each worth 200 USD, were presented at a ceremony in the central city of Hue on December 9.

Over the past 13 years, the Japan Business Association and the Japanese Economic Association have channelled support to the university’s poor students in order to help them overcome difficulties.

They have also encouraged Vietnamese students to pay more attention to Japan and its economy while contributing to enhancing the linkage between the two countries.

The imperial capital city has set up relations with many major cities in Japan , especially Fukuroi, in order to promote Japanese language learning in the locality.

Vice President presents gifts to storm victims

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan on December 9 presented gifts to storm victims in the central province of Quang Tri to help them soon stabilise their lives.

The gifts, which each include two million VND (94 USD) in cash and some commodities, were given to local people in Vinh Nam commune in Vinh Linh district, and Gio My commune in Gio Linh district, who were hard hit by the recent natural disasters.

She also handed over five million VND to Vinh Nam nursery school to help it overcome flood consequences and buy new teaching and learning equipment.

Vice President Doan used the occasion to praise the great efforts made by authorities and people in the two communes in the post-flood response, requiring local authorities to ensure hygiene for people.

They were requested to pay special attention to education and training, healthcare and social allowances towards families that have contributed to the revolution.

October’s Wutip and Nari, the tenth and eleventh tropical storms to hit Vietnam this year, ripped roofs off 385 houses, blew down 40,000 industrial plants and injured five people in Gio My commune.

At the same time, they also tore roofs from 387 houses, destroyed 90 percent of rubber acreage, left one dead and another injured in Vinh Nam commune.

Ho Chi Minh City urged to step up crime fight

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged Ho Chi Minh City to fiercely step up measures to deal with crime as the Lunar New Year approaches.

The Deputy PM made the order on December 8 at a conference to review the prevention and combat of crime in the southern city in 2013 and plans for the next period.

According to deputy chief of the Anti-Crime Police General Department under the Ministry of Public Security Major General Nguyen Phi Hung, emerging crimes in Ho Chi

Minh City include economic crimes, smuggling, and those using high technology.

Particularly, violations in the fields of the environment and drug use are of deep concern, he added.

Reports from the municipal police reveal that 6,218 criminal cases occurred in the city in 2013, 290 cases more than the year before. In which, 133 people were killed,

another 758 were injured and property damages cost almost 90 billion VND (4.23 million USD).

To address the increase of criminal cases, Deputy PM Phuc asked the municipal authority to intensify preventive measures, timely settle the contradictions in the community, while mobilising all citizens to participate in the combat against crime.

He requested the maintenance and better coordination between Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring localities to ensure social security for people not only in the city but for the whole nation as well.

The Deputy PM also asked local police forces to prioritise improving traffic safety and help prevent the smuggling and trading of fake and poor quality products in the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Japan associations grant scholarships to students

As many as 48 poor students with outstanding academic achievements at Hue University have received scholarships from Japanese organisations.

The scholarships, each worth 200 USD, were presented at a ceremony in the central city of Hue on December 9.

Over the past 13 years, the Japan Business Association and the Japanese Economic Association have channelled support to the university’s poor students in order to help them overcome difficulties.

They have also encouraged Vietnamese students to pay more attention to Japan and its economy while contributing to enhancing the linkage between the two countries.

The imperial capital city has set up relations with many major cities in Japan , especially Fukuroi, in order to promote Japanese language learning in the locality.-

Many issues need work in City

HCM City needs to address shortcomings like low and unstable growth in some sectors and tardy progress in restructuring its economy, the head of its legislature has said.

In her speech at the opening session of the People's Council yesterday, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, its chairperson, said a number of cultural, educational and social issues and some urgent public matters remain unresolved.

She said these issues remain though the city has achieved "rational" economic growth rates and restructure of its economy is on the right track.

In a report, the People's Committee said the city had achieved stable and rational economic growth and "positive" cultural and social achievements in the past three years.

Despite the global economic turmoil, the city is set to reach per capita income of US$4,513 this year, according to a report tabled at a meeting of the city Party Committee last week.

The city economy grew at an average annual rate of 9.6 per cent in 2011-13.

Its services sector achieved a 7.5 per cent growth rate, and the agricultural, forestry, and aquaculture sector, a 5.7 per cent rate.

Services continued to make a big contribution to the city's economy with the development of nine sectors including finance -banking - insurance; tourism, post and telecom; transport and logistics; science and technology; and education and health services.

One of the most important targets was achieving an annual per capita income of $4,800 by 2015, the report said.

But the People's Committee admitted to unstable economic growth, low competitiveness, the small number of industries and services with high value addition and low economic productivity.

In addition to the poor and overloaded infrastructure, flooding and environmental pollution adversely affect efforts to improve people's living standards.

Pham Van Dong, head of the council's Economy and Budgets Division, said in 2013 the city's economic growth failed to fulfil its potential.

The committee's report said gross capital formation this year was VND225 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 4 per cent as compared to 7 per cent last year.

Dong said the city suffers huge losses of clean water equivalent to 34.32 per cent of its total supply.

"The percentage of residents using clean water is one of the measures for quality of life," he said.

Food safety violations rampant as Lunar New Year approaches

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat urged relevant agencies to step up food safety inspections as consumption increased ahead of the lunar New Year Festival (January 31).

"The plant protection section authorities should send staff to help educate farmers how to produce clean and safe food. Taking samples at markets for testing is not enough

and not effective. All the products would be sold before the test results came back," Minister Phat said at a conference yesterday.

Recent inspections in the northern region showed that four of 54 chicken samples contained campylobacter, a bacterium that causes intestinal infections, said Nguyen Nhu

Tiep, head of the Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department. Six of 40 contained chloramphenicol and furazolidon, two banned chemicals, and four contained

more tetracycline than the allowed level. The ministry's inspectors have also caught many smugglers illegally importing buffaloes and cattle from Thailand.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, vice head of the Livestock Breeding Department, said that authorities largely failed to scrutinise produce for dangerous substances. About 8.3 per cent

of 96 imported samples of vegetables contained an excessive amount of plant protection substances.

Tunnels planned at An Suong, Thu Duc intersections

The HCMC government is weighing projects to build tunnels at two big intersections, which are An Suong and Thu Duc, to ease the heavy traffic load at these major gateways during rush hours.

An Suong intersection is where National Highway 22, Truong Chinh Street and National Highway 1A meet. There is currently one 18-meter-wide flyover here lying in the direction of National Highway 1A.

However, this area is often congested in rush hours due to a high volume of vehicles flocking from the city center to the outlying districts of Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh and Thu Duc.

According to transport experts, the area at An Suong intersection needs a tunnel lying along Truong Chinh Street and National Highway 22 with four lanes to ease traffic congestion.

Early this year, the Urban Traffic Management Unit No. 3 presented to the HCMC Department of Transport a plan of building a tunnel at An Suong intersection at a cost of nearly VND550 billion.

For the other intersection in Thu Duc, transport experts said that there should be a 1,000-meter tunnel along the section of Hanoi Highway to reduce congestion at this eastern gateway.

The study on constructing these two tunnels has been assigned to the city’s Department of Transport and the Department of Planning and Investment.

High toll fees for HCMC-Long Thanh Expressway

The developer of the HCMC-Long Thanh expressway has asked the Ministry of Transport for permission to collect higher toll fees on vehicles running on the road that will be opened to traffic on December 28.

Vietnam Expressway Corporation in a recent report to the ministry proposed to collect at least VND2,000 per kilometer for small vehicles running on the 20-km road linking HCMC’s District 2 with Long Thanh in Dong Nai Province.

The road is part of a 55-km expressway linking HCMC with Long Thanh and on to Dau Giay Intersection. The remaining section is expected to be opened to traffic in late 2014.

The project owner said it would start collecting toll fees right after opening the first section to traffic this month.

This expressway project, whose total investment amounts to VND20.63 trillion, or some US$1 billion, is a crucial part of the north-south expressway system. It will help shorten the distance between HCMC and Dong Nai and Baria-Vung Tau provinces.

In related news, the HCMC government has just sent a report to the municipal People’s Council asking for approval to raise the toll fees at some stations by up to 50% effective from early January.

Vehicles of under 12 seats and trucks of less than two tons will be charged VND15,000 each time passing through the toll stations on Hanoi Highway and Binh Trieu Bridge, or a fee increase of 50%.

For bigger passenger buses and trucks, the fee increase will be between 16% and 35%, while heavy-duty vehicles like trucks of up to 18 tons and container vehicles will be charged the same as now.

Ca Pass tunnel project shifts to local funds

The investor of Ca Pass tunnel will take out loans from local banks to implement the project instead of foreign funds due to prolonged negotiations.

Ca Pass tunnel connecting Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces is a major project on National Highway 1A which aims to reduce traffic accidents, especially those caused by

rockslides in rainy weather, and shorten the traveling time along Ca Pass by three-fourths. The Ministry of Transport has picked a local contractor to implement the project.

Ho Minh Hoang, general director of Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company, told the Daily that negotiations to borrow foreign loans normally lasted long while local banks had abundant credits.

In August, the project owner said it would borrow funds from two French banks, Société Générale and Calyon, and would issue bonds on the international market to secure funds for the project.

On October 22, the company signed a credit agreement with a local bank to borrow VND5.420 trillion for the project. Besides, it is preparing to start constructing the tunnel’s gate this month and the tunnel is scheduled for opening in 2016.

To ensure the implementation progress, the project is not constructed under the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) contract but a capable local contractor is picked to implement the project.

According to the Government Office’s announcement on December 4, the Government allowed Deo Ca Investment Joint Stock Company to borrow loans from local banks instead of foreign ones like before.

Although work started on the project last December, the project has fallen behind schedule. Therefore, the Ministry of Transport has proposed the Government to replace the contractor and change the component developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) format.

Regarding BOT capital, the project’s investment approved initially was VND10.555 trillion but then it was lowered to VND6.5 trillion, with bank loans accounting for 83.43%.

Meanwhile, with BT capital of over VND4.5 trillion, the investor has borrowed from Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade instead of from Goldman Sachs International as planned at first.

The Ca Pass tunnel project on National Highway 1A is constructed under the BOT and BT formats at a total cost of VND15.603 trillion. The entire project has a total length of 13.4 kilometers, with Ca Pass tunnel alone stretching 3.9 kilometers, Co Ma tunnel 500 meters, and linking roads and bridge over nine kilometers.

The project consists of two tunnels running in parallel, with each tunnel having a width of 8.5 meters and two lanes.

Source: VNA/VNS/SGGP/VOV/VGP