High-rise buildings are indispensable trend in Hanoi: Mayor

Hanoi`s landscape has changed a lot with projects in urban areas, buildings and commercial centers.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said at the meeting with voters on October 8 that it is indispensable to build high-rise works in the capital to meet rising demand for housing.

The city's population has increased by 1.4 million over the past ten years, or 140,000 per year on average, to 7.6 million.

Since May 2016, Hanoi has issued regulations on the construction of high-rise buildings in the inner city. Accordingly, height and density of all works built on roads are clearly defined, Chung added.

In the past years, Hanoi has also focused on the management of planning and construction, including the rearrangement of construction inspection team. The percentage of buildings granted permits increased to 98.6%. As a result, violations of construction regulations in Hanoi have been reduced significantly, the chairman said.

Chung stressed that the city’s landcape has changed a lot with projects in urban areas, buildings and commercial centers. In particular, high-rise buildings are constructed in accordance with the city’s planning and orientation, as well as the general trend of urban areas in the world.

The mayor also noted that building high-rise works must be accompanied by development of transport infrastructure, but there still remain some shortcomings due to resource constraints. Meanwhile, personal vehicles are constantly increasing, with 6.5 million motorcycles and nearly 650,000 cars, putting great pressure on roads.

The city has made many solutions to reduce traffic congestion, the most recent work is An Duong flyover bridge and dykes have been strengthened with concrete. Besides, Hanoi will accelerate investment in transportation infrastructure, including the system of trains and buses, Chung added.

Chung said that the Vietnamese government should encourage companies to build high-rise buildings or multi-storey basements by technical assistance and interest rate support.

It is the trend in the coming time and Hanoi will study how to make it suitable and accelerate the investment in traffic works, tram and bus systems, he added.

HCMC petitions gov’t to complete Ring Road No.3

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee office yesterday said that Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen has sent his petition to the Ministry of Transport on the completion of the Ring Road No.3.

The ring road trough the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Long An, Binh Duong and HCMC has the length of over 90 kilometer.

In the petition, People’s Committee asked People’s Council for approval of advancing the city’s budget for site clearance while awaiting the Ministry of Transport consulted formalities and project investment plan.

State-owned Cuu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Transportation Infrastructure said the Ring Road No.3 includes three sections through Tan Van - Nhon Trach in Dong Nai province; My Phuoc - Tan Van in BInh Duong province and Ben Luc in Long An.

The first phase of the Ring Road will build a four-lane section or six-lane sections.

Total cost of the first phase is over VND20 trillion ($856.8 million) ; of which the state budget will be VND10,697 billion. It will be built under the private-public partnership (PPP) format with the government’s support.

Site clearance cost is about VND5,633 billion. Localities are considering to advance the cost including VND2,939 billion for HCMC; VND2,055 billion for Binh Duong and VND639 billion for Long An and then the government will refund them by loans from the Asian Development Bank.

It is scheduled that technical design will be completed by 2020.

The project which was approved by the Prime Minister in 2011 and adjusted in 2013 includes four sections. The section one running from Nhon Trach to Tan Van in Dong Nai Province with over 30 kilometers in length.

The second section, with a total length of 16 kilometers, running from Tan Van in Dong Nai to Binh Chuan in Binh Duong Province, has been put into operation.

The third section, Binh Chuan to the National Highway 22, is 17 kilometers long, while the remaining National Highway 22-Ben Luc section is 30 kilometers long.

Outstanding university graduates honoured

Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai and Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Mass Mobilisation Nguyen Nam present certificates of merit to outstanding graduates. 

As many as 88 outstanding graduates from universities and educational institutes in Hanoi in 2018 were honoured at a ceremony at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature).

The event was attended by Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai.

Of the honourees, 50 gained excellent academic results and 38 achieved good results, with 47 of the group being Party members.

The top graduates studied various ologies, ranging from engineering (24 students), management – culture – society (22), economy (14), pedagogy – medicine and pharmacy (12), and armed forces (16).

This is the 16th time Hanoi honoured outstanding graduates from universities and academies. So far, over 1,700 individuals were honoured and received certificates of merit from the municipal People’s Committee.

Many of them have succeeded in their careers, significantly contributing to the cause of national construction, protection and development.

Outstanding Hanoi citizens honoured for their good deeds

Ten outstanding Hanoi citizens honoured at the event (Photo: congly.vn) 

The Hanoi city authorities hosted a ceremony on October 9, to honour ten outstanding citizens for their positive contributions towards the development of the capital and the country in general.

The honouring programme was held in celebration of the 64th anniversary of the Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2018).

Nine coaches and 29 athletes who contributed to the joint success of the Vietnamese sporting delegation at the recent 18th Asian Games, and 20 businesses who won the 2018 Thang Long Cup, also received awards at the event.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of Hanoi city People’s Committee, Nguyen Van Suu, said that, apart from the honourees, there are many other people who have promoted the fine tradition and culture of Hanoi.

He expressed his hope that Hanoians would continue turning their love for Hanoi into practical actions in order to facilitate the development of their community, the city, and the country in general.

Also on the occasion of the Hanoi Liberation Day’s celebration, a photo exhibition on Hanoi’s traditional crafts opened at the Temple of Literature on the morning of the same day.

The four-day exhibition displays 80 photos capturing the lives of artisans and craftsmen in the traditional craft streets and villages in the capital city.

Vietnam strives to reduce sex imbalances at birth

At the ceremony (Photo: giadinh.net.vn)

A ceremony was held in the north central province of Thanh Hoa on October 9 in response to International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), focusing on the theme of no sex discrimination and no selection of unborn babies.  

The event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Vietnam and the People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa province. 

Addressing the event, Vo Thanh Dong, Deputy General Director of the Health Ministry’s General Office for Population and Family Planning, called on ministries, agencies and people from all walks of life to join efforts in controlling and reducing gender imbalances at birth in Vietnam. 

Actions that guide the sex determination and selection must be banned at medical centres and in society, he said. 

Statistics show that sex imbalances at birth in Vietnam increased from 107 boys per 100 girls in 1999 to 110.5 in 2009, 113.8 in 2013 and 112.2 at present. The imbalances are increasing and spreading in all areas and regions  nationwide. 

Up to 55 out of 63 cities and provinces have sex ratio at birth exceeding 108 boys per 100 girls. In Thanh Hoa province, the ratio was 111 in 2009 and 114 in 2017, higher than the country’s average. 

Sex imbalances at birth in Vietnam are mainly caused by the longstanding habit of preferring males to females. Besides, people have easier access to affordable sex determination and sex selection technology, which allow couples to pursue their desire for sons.

Vietnam is expected to lack from 2.3-4.3 million women by 2050 if no prompt interventions are taken. 

International Day of the Girl Child aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Under the theme, With Her: A Skilled Girl Force, this year’s International Day of the Girl Child will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.

Australian Consulate General to host Women in Vietnam Conference

The Australian Consulate General in HCMC, in collaboration with Multimedia JSC and EO Vietnam, will hold the Women in Vietnam 2018 Conference at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers on October 16, coinciding with Vietnam Women’s Day (October 20).

The conference will bring together leaders and opinion-makers from Vietnam and Australia to share their experience and expertise, and provide a forum for discussion of two main themes, including women in leadership and mentoring women, and women’s health and well being.

It aims to enhance participants’ understanding of the importance of women’s representation in leadership and their critical role in the economy, and will also highlight health and well-being challenges facing women.

Women in Vietnam 2018 Conference will also launch a women’s internship program providing over 30 internships with top organizations operating in Vietnam, and a #WomenVN2018 Facebook competition to win a 10-week study tour to Australia.

In addition to the opportunity to meet, share experiences and network with inspiring leaders and opinion-makers, each participant will receive a free women’s health check, with the support of Marie Stopes Vietnam.

Attendance is free and is open to the public.

Brainworks Asia holds Beauty Contest Vietnam-Japan

Japanese firm Brainworks Asia and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) jointly organize Beauty Contest Vietnam-Japan to find ambassadors responsible for introducing the economy and culture of Vietnam, particularly of the Mekong Delta, to Japanese businesses.

Addressing the qualification round in Can Tho City on October 7, Midori Takemori, director of Brainworks Asia, said this is the sixth edition of the Beauty Contest Vietnam-Japan, which is a side event of the Fourth Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange program.

According to Midori Takemori, two winners of the contest will go to Japan and visit local businesses and authorities to promote the economy and culture of the Mekong Delta and Vietnam as a whole.

Nguyen Phuong Lam, vice director of VCCI Can Tho, said: “To lure Japanese investors, Mekong Delta provinces have to help them understanding more about the delta’s culture and people.” This is what the contest aims at.

In the qualification round on October 7, the judges picked up eight outstanding contestants from among 30 candidates to compete in the final round that is slated for November 3. They will show off their talent by dancing, singing or performing musical instruments on the stage of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange program.

Hue aims to develop smart tourism

The central coastal province of Thua-Thien Hue, especially Hue City, is projected to become a smart tourist destination in the years to come, having invested in technology, infrastructure and relevant services based on a recently approved smart tourism plan.

Le Huu Minh, acting director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said the department has prepared a project titled “Smart Tourism” on developing a smart tourism ecosystem as a core business to provide essential services for locals and tourists. For instance, visitors traveling between historical sites or popular destinations will require convenient transport modes, standard infrastructure facilities and tourism products.

The project is part of the provincial government's larger scheme to develop smart urban services in the province until 2020, with a vision toward 2025, with investment capital of VND325 billion.

To get the project off the ground, the tourism sector will have to develop a system that supports tourists in searching for necessary information, give them counsel on tour packages for the city and help them plan itineraries, Minh added. Software will be developed, based on artificial intelligence, to operate independently, answer tourists’ questions automatically and help them solve problems, Minh explained.

Apart from this, the project will include the creation of an application that enables tourists to find smart tours, make decisions and work out traveling costs. In addition, it will offer multiple options for visitors, such as types of tourism (adventure, families, leisure) and types of residences (hotels, home stays, resorts), and will allow users to enter details on the number of adults and children on the trip, the planned budget and preferred tour itineraries to find out the most suitable options. The application will be integrated with a website promoting Hue tourism.

Hue has seen limited applications of technology to the tourism sector, according to tour operators, as visitors can only book available tours offered by travel agencies. Meanwhile, those who want to design their own tours, particularly expats, have difficulty finding the necessary information to plan for their trips, except for sightseeing at the Hue Imperial Citadel.

Therefore, the project should be launched as soon as possible to create more favorable conditions for tourists visiting Hue City as well as attract additional visitors in the future.

Trade unions’ role in promoting female workers’ rights promoted

Trade unions at all levels have played an important role in protecting rights of female and unofficial workers, experts said at an ongoing regional conference held in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, former Chairwoman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, trade unions at all levels have organised a line-up of activities to ensure rights for workers in general and female workers in particular. However, they still face challenges in assuring jobs, living quality and social security for employees.

She said that the conference, which lasts from October 8-16, will help improve women’s position in workplace while affirming that gender equality, a criterion to measure social development in one country, is an important goal for Vietnam and other countries around the world.

Meanwhile, Andre Edelhoff, head of North-South Network Division under the Confederation of German Trade Unions’ education institute DGB Bildungswerk, spoke highly of the project on female workers and unofficial labour in Vietnam, in which the Vietnamese trade union made concerted efforts to popularise the need to improve working and living conditions for female labourers.

After three years of implementation, the project has completed its basic targets, including bettering livelihoods for workers, especially female labourers, and enhancing trade unions’ roles in building sound and stable relations between employers and employees.

Also, it helps promote friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese trade union and Bildungswerk and members of the North-South Network.

Over the past 13 years, the Confederation of German Trade Union has supported the Vietnamese trade union in carrying out various projects to assure the rights of the workers, he added.

A wide range of issues were on the table at the conference, including female workers and unofficial labour in Vietnam.

International Day of the Girl Child observed in Vietnam

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam held a ceremony in the central province of Thanh Hoa on October 9, to mark the International Day of the Gird Child (October 11), under the theme of “No sexism, no sex selection at birth”.

An imbalanced sex ratio at birth (SRB) is currently one of the big challenges to population work in a number of Asian countries. In Vietnam, the SRB increased from 107 boys per 100 girls in 1999 to 110.5 boys in 2009, 113.8 boys four years later, and near 112.2 boys per 100 girls at present.

The imbalanced SRB is continuing to grow and is spreading across all regions, with 55 out of the 63 cities and provinces nationwide reporting a SRB higher than 108 boys per 100 girls.

The SRB imbalance will negatively affect Vietnam’s future population structure, leading to an excess of males in society. Without timely intervention, it is predicted that by 2050, Vietnam will suffer a lack of between 2.3 to 4.3 million women. The SRB imbalance threatens to cause serious consequences for the country’s socio-economic development and long-term social and demographic consequences, such as an increased pressure on girls to get married early, increased prostitution and HIV/AIDS, increased trafficking in women and girls, and increased gender inequality.

Addressing the event, Vo Thanh Dong, deputy director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning, affirmed that the Health Ministry calls for the involvement and support from all levels, sectors and people from all strata of society aiming to accelerate communication, education, awareness-raising and behaviour changing activities in implementing the resolution of the 12th Party Central Committee on population work in the new situation, in order to make effective intervention and contribute to reducing the SRB imbalance in the future.

He also stressed the need to strongly step up the serious enforcement of laws on dealing with the imbalanced SRB, while prohibiting acts of providing advice and sex selection services in medical establishments and in the whole of society.

After the celebration ceremony, delegates, invitees and hundreds of students and young people in marriage age across the province participated in a propaganda parade in response to the International Day of the Girl Child.

Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl Child. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges that girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Under the 2018 theme, “With Her: A Skilled GirlForce”, the International Day of the Girl Child will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.

HCMC hosts int’l conference on high-tech application in agriculture

An international conference on the application of high technology to agriculture in Vietnam will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 10.