Buddhist followers in a prayer ritual at Quan Su pagoda in Hanoi

Freedom of religion has been the most frequently discussed human rights issue. The right to practice religion has been widely acknowledged in Vietnamese and international legal documents on human rights.

Some foreign media outlets said that civilized nations don’t have the Law on Belief and Religion and Vietnam’s Law on Belief and Religion approved by the National Assembly doesn’t support human rights. Here are some facts:

Freedom of religion was defined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, the first international document on human rights prohibiting religious discrimination. 

Contents of the UDHR were specified in Article 18 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the UN in 1966. 

Vietnam ratified the Convention in 1982. Article 18 says: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.” 

In March, 1993, the UN Human Rights Council issued resolution 25 including an article calling on countries to ensure freedom of ideology, conscience, and religion in accordance with their Constitutions and laws, and possible measures to avoid intolerance of or discrimination against religion.

Article 1 of the 1905 French law describes the purpose of the act, which is to ensure freedom of conscience and to guarantee the free exercise of religion under the provisos enacted hereafter in the interest of public order. 

Article 25 declares that all worship services organized in headquarters of religious organizations are under the government’s oversight in the interests of public security. 

The German Constitution defines that activities of a religious organization might be restricted or banned if its purposes and activities violate the criminal code or threaten the regime.

Countries have agreed that there is no absolute freedom of belief and religion. It’s not true that countries don’t have a law on belief and religion as some foreign media have said.

Freedom of belief and religion was acknowledged in Vietnam’s first Constitution in 1946 and was reaffirmed in the Constitution in 1959, 1980, and 2013. 

The 1946 Constitution said: “All people have freedom of belief”. The latest 2013 Constitution declares: “All people have freedom of belief and religion, to follow or not follow a religion. Religions are equal before the law. 

The state respects and protects the right to belief and religion. No one is allowed to violate the freedom of belief and religion or take advantage of belief and religion to violate the law.”

The Law on Belief and Religion adopted by the National Assembly on November 18, 2016, has improved Vietnam’s legal system and showed Vietnam’s responsibility to international law, including the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

Religious dignitaries told the National Assembly that the approval of the law was a turning point in Vietnam’s religious policy which encourages religious followers to promote the values of religions and patriotism and combat hostile forces’ intention to sabotage socialism.

Volunteer activities to serve the nation

December 5th is observed as Global Volunteering Day. Activities have been held across Vietnam to honor volunteers and social activities for the community.

The Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign is a key activity of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union. This year’s campaign, themed “Young people work together to build new rural areas and urban civilization”, targets 111 extremely poor hamlets in 12 poor provinces, provinces frequently affected by saline intrusion and droughts, and on islands. The campaign has provided vocational training to 30,000 people in rural areas and free medical check-ups for 400,000 people. 

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications and Education, Vo Van Thuong, said: “We have 6 million youth union members and over 20 million young people. Although they have different family conditions and educational levels, they share a strong enthusiasm. Young people nationwide have joined the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign, which sends teams of volunteers to remote areas. We have cooperated with international volunteer organizations to have a bigger impact.”

A number of ministries and sectors host regular volunteer programs. The Vietnam Red Cross Society, which has conducted blood donation drives in Hanoi and 16 other cities and provinces, expects to collect 7,000 units of blood this year. Duong Thi Thu Tham, a student at the Hanoi University of Mining, recently donated blood for the first time: “Blood donations help people in need. I’m happy that my blood can help someone. It’s meaningful.”

Volunteer activities have been part of several international events in Vietnam. At the 5th Asian Beach Games (ABG5) in Da Nang in September, young volunteers were on hand to provide assistance to foreigners and athletes. 

Nguyen Thi My Huyen, a student at Da Nang University of Foreign Languages, said: “I’m proud to have been a part of volunteer activities at ABG5. It was an opportunity for me to contribute to the nation and improve my knowledge of foreign languages.”

Young Vietnamese deem volunteering a social responsibility. Their good deeds have rallied other people to national construction and development.

International arrivals expected to reach 10 million in 2016

Vietnam expected international arrivals to reach 10 million in 2016, a landmark for the country,  as the number of foreign tourists has surpassed 9 million so far this year.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the 11-month figure represented an increase of 25.4 percent against the same period last year, and well surpassed the set yearly target of 8.5 million.

The number of local tourists in 2016 has reached 57.7 million and revenue from tourism in 11 months was 368.6 trillion VND (16.6 billion USD), up 18.6 percent from 2015.

China leads the top ten countries with most tourists to Vietnam with 2.48 million arrivals (a surge of 53.9 percent), followed by the Republic of Korea with 1.38 million (39.2 percent), and Japan, 677,000 (10.5 percent).

The number of UK visitors surged 20.8 percent to 235,557 in the period. The UK is one of five European countries benefiting from Vietnam’s 15-day visa exemption policy.

Conference discusses ’designer’ cancer treatment

Significant progress has been achieved in understanding the molecular basis of cancer over the past 30 years, leading to new interventions suited to each patient, Professor Nguy?n Ch?n Hùng, chairman of the Vi?t Nam Cancer Association, has said.

"The accumulation of this basic knowledge has established that cancer is a variety of distinct diseases and that defective genes cause these diseases," Hùng said at a two-day oncology conference that ended on Thursday in HCM City.

The gene defects are diverse in nature and can involve either loss or gain of gene functions, he said, adding that this knowledge has been exploited recently to develop strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.

Dr Lê Hoàng Minh, head of the city’s Oncology Hospital, said the country had seen an increase of cancer incidence. The hospital has admitted 27,000-28,000 new cancer patients every year, he said.

According to Th?ng Nh?t Hospital’s oncology ward in Tân Bình District, 2,754 cancer patients have been treated there since 2012.

Of these, the proportion of patients with colorectal cancer was the highest, with 26.37 per cent.

Lung cancer ranked second with 22 per cent, followed by cancer of the stomach, liver, breast and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

The city’s cancer statistics in 2014 showed that the ratio of cancer in men was 172 per 100,000 and 138.7 per 100,000 for women.

The five most common cancers in men were lung, liver, colon and rectum, stomach and larynx.

Cancer of the breast, cervix uteri, colon and rectum, lung and thyroid were the most common among women.

The diagnosis of most common cancers in both men and women increased rapidly from the age of 40.

A survey of 27,092 cancer patients at three oncology hospitals in Hà N?i conducted in 2014 showed that 63 per cent were diagnosed and treated at a late stage.

Of these, patients with late-stage liver cancer accounted for the highest proportion, followed by gastric and bronchopulmonary cancers.

Tang Chí Thu?ng, deputy head of the city’s Department of Health, said that a network of health facilities had been set up throughout the country to prevent and treat cancer.

In the city, the network is available at grassroots health centres and specialised hospitals.

It has helped detect nearly 25,000 new cancer patients in the city between 2011 and 2015.

Many doctors have been trained by experts from the city’s Oncology Hospital and the Vi?t Nam Cancer Association, Thu?ng said.

At least 100 new medical school graduates have been sent to the Oncology Hospital for training and will work at its new branch now under construction.

The network has also sped up research to solve shortcomings in treatment, he said.

Via the network, doctors are trained in palliative care which has helped improve the quality of life for patients who are critically ill.

According to a study of the Oncology Hospital’s doctors conducted from June 2013 to September 2014, palliative care focuses on making the patient comfortable and controlling pain.

The conference also discussed advanced technologies used in treatment by oncology hospitals in the country.

Endoscopic thyroidectomy via a unilateral axillo-breast approach, for instance, is used for treating thyroid goiters at the city’s Oncology Hospital.

A study of this technique conducted by the hospital’s doctors in 2014 showed that it was a feasible and safe procedure with good cosmetic results.

Moreover, advanced radiotherapies such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy are used at 108 Hospital, Hu? Central Hospital and the city’s Oncology Hospital.

VNÐ500 billion road incomplete after seven years

Provincial Road 675A, the section that passes through Kon Tum Province, from Sê San 3 Hydroelectric Plant to National Road 14C, remains incomplete and barely usable.
Construction of the road, with total investment of VNÐ 530 billion, (US$23.4 million), was expected to be finished by June 2014.
The project was approved by the Kon Tum Province People’s Committee seven years ago, with the People’s Committee being the investor, and there were three constructors -- Tru?ng Long JSC Co., Duy Tân Investment & Development JSC Co. and Tu?n Dung Co. Ltd.
For the most part of the road, only the rough grading of the roadbed has been completed and the first layer of gravel stones laid; in particular, on the section from Ia Toi DSpring to Sê San 3, only the grading process was done, Nông Nghi?p Vi?t Nam newspaper (Vi?t Nam Agriculture) reported.
In addition, construction was poor on many portions of the road that passed over rivers or springs, which meant the road could easily be washed away by floodwaters.
During the hot days, wind and passing traffic kick up the dust and sand, making for an unpleasantly suffocating atmosphere; while during the monsoon, mud and floodwaters rendered the road hardly passable.
“I had barely crossed a kilometre when my bike’s tyres got punctured by the sharp gravel. A flat tyre occurs often. In the rainy season, the road is cut off at many sections. The road is nowhere near finished,” a frequent driver on this road, Hoàng Tu?n Anh, said frustratingly.
Along the road, only a handful of machines are seen operating. Most are grading the sections that got overrun with floodwater as a temporary measure to keep the route accessible.
Nguy?n H?u D?, deputy head of Sa Th?y District’s Investment & Construction Management Board, said merely a quarter of the total investment, or VNÐ139 billion ($6 million), was disbursed to all three constructors.
Also, according to D?, the designed length and width of the road is 58km and 3.5m, respectively, but in reality, the road is only 54km long since the remaining 4km have already been used for a road leading to hydropower plant Sê San.
Due to insufficient funds, only the road surface and water drainage system have been completed, plus, only sections of high slope were covered with asphalt. 
Bridges have not been constructed. A temporary dirt road was built so vehicles could cross the rivers, but the floodwaters have washed it away.
“This road was not used much earlier; it mostly serves national defence purposes. If the road is completed, it will be used for the increasing traffic from Ia Dom Commune. However, due to disorganised investment, barely had the road’s base been laid, when it was destroyed by rainwater erosion,” D? said.
He also added that every year, he still had to deploy machines to carry out temporary maintenance and repairs of the road, while waiting for the next disbursement of capital from ADB funds to finish the job and hand over the works.
According to Kon Tum Province Department of Transportation, the manager and investor of the project are the Sa Th?y District authorities. Prior to construction, the department offered advice and consultancy regarding initial investment, while maintaining that construction progress or site-clearing were the investor’s responsibilities.

Clarify responsibilities for 44 manager appointments: PM tells H?i Duong

Prime Minister Nguy?n Xuân Phúc has ordered the People’s Committee of H?i Duong Province to quickly inspect and clarify the responsibilities of individual or organisation related to the case that there are 44 managers in its Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department.

The large number of managers in the department - 44 managers and just 2 staff has sparked public reaction after it was reported by the media in late October.

Phúc asked the H?i Duong administration to cut down unnecessary managerial positions. The recruitment and appointment of officials must be in compliance with the government policy of downsizing the number of public officials and staff, he said.

He also tasked the Ministry of Home Affairs to work with the committee to public the responsibility of all the individuals and organisations involved in the case after the inspection finished.

At the government’s regular press conference on November 22, Mai Ti?n Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, said: “One local department with a total of 46 people but having up to 44 managerial officials is unacceptable.”

Also at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tri?u Van Cu?ng said the appointment of up to 44 managers in the department violated rules.

The number of managerial positions would be cut down to 27, Cu?ng said.

120 workers stricken with food poisoning

Some 120 workers at an industrial zone in the province were hospitalised last night after they fell ill with food poisoning symptoms.
The mass food poisoning occurred to workers at the Yakin Sài Gòn Co. Ltd., located in the Ð?ng Phú Industrial Zone, Ð?ng Phú District, southern Bình Phu?c Province.
According to the workers, who are under care at hospital, upon having the extra-shift meal last night, many late-shift workers started to show symptoms of food poisoning, such as nausea, dizziness, stomache, and even fainting.
These workers were promptly rushed to Thánh Tâm General Hospital and other hospitals in the Ð?ng Xoài Commune, Bình Phu?c Province.
Nguy?n Th? Ánh, a worker of Yakin Sài Gòn Co. Ltd., said that normally, late shift workers were provided with standard meals of rice. However, last night, the canteen decided to switch he menu and serve pork noodles and instant ramen with eggs instead. Some workers complained that the noodles and the broth were rather lukewarm.
By 10pm last night, the number of workers suspected to be affected by food poisoning had reached over 120.
Lê H?u Huy, director of Thánh Tâm General Hospital, said last night, upon being admitted to the hospital and receiving first-aid treatment for half an hour, health conditions of some of the workers had stablised. This morning, while some had recovered and were discharged from hospital, many others were still either unconscious or needed constant watch and intensive treatment.
The provincial Food Hygiene and Safety Department in conjunction with the provincial police and relevant authorities will meet with Yakin Sài Gòn Co. Ltd. representatives to investigate the case.
The increasing number of food poisoning cases occuring in industrial zones throughout the years have triggered public concerns over the quality of meals for workers.

Ten fishermen rescued from boat capsize

A fishing boat with a crew of 10 fishermen on board was rescued from the waters of Phú Qu?c yesterday.
A hole was discovered on the boat while it was out catching sea animals off the Phú Qu?c coast, some 20 nautical miles from Mui Hà Tiên. Water entered the boat’s hull and there were fears that the strong waves at the time could capsize the boat. 
Colonel Ph?m Quang Oánh, commander of Zone 4’s coast guard force of Kiên Giang Province, said after communicating the incident the force sent a boat coded CSB2002 to rescue the fishing boat.
The boat was then pulled to the port of Zone 4’s coast guard force in An Th?i Town of Phú Qu?c District.
The boat, called Huy Phúc, was captained by Nguy?n Thanh Hùng, living in Kiên Luong Town of southern Kiên Giang Province.

Dance contest puts ethnic culture on show

The first Vietnamese professional minority ethnic dancing contest was held last week in Hà N?i.

The contest was held by the Vi?t Nam Dancing Artists Association and Literature and Art Association of Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities to showcase the dances of Vietnamese ethnic minorities.

Thirty dances of different ethnic groups were displayed in the contest, mostly group dances.

They were performed by the Vi?t Nam National Song and Dance Theatre and other provincial dancing troupes.

Nguy?n H?i Tru?ng from the Vi?t Nam Dance College and choreographer of one of the three first prize winners, Bru People Festival, said it was a privilege to win the contest, "It was such an honour for me to win first prize among other young talents. To create the dance, I have spent time studying the daily customs of Vân Ki?u people to learn how to transmit their habits into dance. Although they are a minority, they are large in population, and less known by the public. I hope in coming years, young choreographers will learn how to combine traditional and modern factors of minority ethnic, so we can preserve the old and promote the new in this kind of dance," he said.

At the closing ceremony, 15 selected dances of Dao, Bru, Lô Lô, Mông, Pà Th?n, Tày, Si La people, which reached the final round, were awarded by the judges.

Three first prizes were given to Playing the Drums, Bru People Festival and Praying for Rain, while five second and seven third prizes were also awarded, respectively. The first prize was VNÐ13 million ($573), second prize was VNÐ10 million ($440) and third prize was VNÐ7 million ($308).

Professor Tr?n Ng?c Canh, who has studied national folk and minority ethnic dance for many years, said contemporary dance has inherited the cultural values of folk and minority ethnic dance, and is also a useful guide for choreographers.

Chàm Island launches photo contest

The Chàm Island Maritime Protection Centre has launched a photo contest, the Chàm Island-H?i An World Biosphere Reserve in My Eyes, to mark the 8th anniversary of world recognition in 2017.

The centre said the contest, which opened from May this year, is open for Vietnamese and foreign photographers till next March.

The organising committee said photos can feature landscapes, people, nature, relics, environmental protection, crafts, festivals and biodiversity in Chàm Island, the biosphere reserve’s buffer zone and H?i An city.

Contestants can send up to 15 photos each.

The best 50 photos will go on display in an exhibition next May, and the award ceremony will be held on May 25th.

The contest winner will get a cash prize of VNÐ8 million (US$356), while the runner and third place will take VNÐ5 million ($222) and VNÐ3 million ($133), respectively.

Five encouragement prizes will also  be awarded.

Competitors can send original photos to khusinhquyenculaocham@gmail.com.

The Chàm Island-H?i An World Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 2009, is home to 3,000 inhabitants living in eight islets with vast ecological diversity

The island, 20km off the coast of H?i An city, is a favourite eco-tour site for tourists, and was the first locality in Vi?t Nam to ban plastic bags and promote the 3-R (reduce, reuse and recycle) programme in 2011.

It hosts about 100,000 tourists annually, of which 10 per cent are foreigners.

The island is home to 1,500ha of tropical forests and 6,700ha of sea featuring a wide range of marine fauna and flora, including many endangered species such as salangane (swallows), the long-tailed monkey and the crab-eating macaque.

Ban on small boats a big worry for fishermen

The central coast city’s plan to get rid of 1,100 small vessels (under 20CV) engaged in small-scale and near-shore fishing has sparked anxiety among fishermen whose sole means of livelihood is threatened.

Ðà N?ng authorities say the move aims at protecting sea resources, promoting offshore fishing, and sea tourism, but the fishermen are not convinced.

They say the plan does not offer sufficient compensation for owners of demolished boats, or access to capital for investing in offshore fishing, no support for difficult job transitions and the chances of finding gainful employment are slim.

Hu?nh B?n, a resident of Thu?n Phu?c Ward, said his five-member family’s livelihood relies entirely on using a 20CV boat to dive for chíp chíp (a type of clam).

“For many years, clam diving has provided for our family. It’s a backbreaking job, but every day I can earn between VNÐ300,000-500,000 (US$13-22), enough to live on,” B?n told the Tu?i Tr? (Youth) newspaper.

 “If the city terminates small boats, I don’t know what I would do. We adults are too old now. Learning other trades is impossible for us.”

From the same ward, 46-year-old Tr?n Minh Kh?n shares similar worries. He doesn’t think he has the strength or experience to pursue a new trade.

“The authorities have said they will pay a couple of millions to buy back our boats, but that will only be enough to cover living expenses for a few months. Then what are we going to do for a living?” 

Nguy?n Van Ng?, 57, of Th? Quang Ward, will have no part of the city’s proposal.

Ng? is illiterate and has poor eyesight, but he still earns over half a million a day from fishing, enough to provide for a seven-member family, and he’s determined to “stick with my cheap basket boat for the rest of my life.”

But most of the affected fishermen are despondent.

Ph?m Van Tuyên, 45, resident of Mân Thái Ward, said if the plan is carried out, he will have no choice but to relocate elsewhere with his small vessel.

Tr?n Van Thành, an official with the Son Trà District Economy Committee, said that this year, so far, they have received 11 applications to have the boats taken, mostly from old fishermen and households without successors to continue in their trade. A few others want to use the payment to buy fishing nets and co-operate with other fishing vessels, he said.

Thành conceded that the compensation offered was not sufficient and the free vocational training classes are for jobs that fishermen don’t find suitable.

Ð?ng Công Th?ng, Chairman of the Ðà N?ng Farmers’ Association, said he has received many complaints from fishermen.

“They want appropriate policies that will offer employment opportunities that match their qualifications, health, and age.”

The city’s labour department has been tasked with providing free vocational training courses for fishermen.

Ki?u Th? Thanh Trang, head of the department’s vocation training division, said free training was being offered for 42 different jobs now, but the fishermen could propose others that better suit their needs. Her office will submit these suggestions to the city’s People’s Committee for review and appropriate follow-up, she said.

The Ðà N?ng administration feels it has valid reasons for the plan to do away with small boats.

According to Vi?t Nam Fisheries Society (VINAFIS), near-shore waters are where parent fish come to spawn, and the young fish will also live there until adulthood.

Therefore, the small boats that catch these fish are exacting an expensive environmental toll.

Curbing fishing in shallow waters is the right move to prevent exhaustion of fishereies resources, the society argues.

In addition, most of the 1100 small boats are equipped with outdated machinery and communication systems, and some are just crude basket boats that are unsafe.

The city has announced that registered small boats will be bought back for between VNÐ10 million ($440) and VNÐ30 million ($1,320), depending on the size, build, and capacity; while unregistered small boat owners will be paid significantly lower amounts of between VNÐ5 million ($220) and 10 million ($440).

The authorities are also pledging financial support of VNÐ10 million ($440) per worker to transition to other jobs, but this support will not be available to workers of unregistered boats.

The protests against the move, though loud, are mostly from unregistered boat owners, said Nguy?n Ð? Tám, Deputy Director of the Ðà N?ng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He said authorities had devised the support packages following numerous meetings with fishermen and relevant agencies that were organised after the plan was first conceived in 2014.

Hu?nh Ð?c Tho, Chairman of the Ðà N?ng City People’s Committee, has directed the city districts to properly use the allocated budget of VNÐ25 billion ($1.1 million) in the next five years.

“The plan holds significant meaning for the city’s target of sustainable development of seafood exploitation and economic restructuring. Its implementation will follow a carefully laid roadmap with people’s opinions taken into consideration,” he said.

However, VINAFIS also said an outright ban without proper consideration for pressing livelihood issues would be unwise.

It said the best way would be to identify and inform the fishermen of which shallow water areas are open to fishing, which areas are off-limits, and at which time of the year, for example, during breeding seasons.

The association has suggested a scheme similar to forest tenure, which will assign parts of the near-shore areas to local people, both to manage and to exploit. 

Because their livelihoods depend on the sustainability of the near-shore ecosystem, the fishermen would be more conscious and welcoming of protection efforts; and the role of the government would be to ensure proper oversight and provide fishermen with guidance on best practices.

New ao dai designs for festive season

Veteran designer Dao Le Dieu Anh has introduced her latest ao dai (Vietnamese long dress) collection in celebration of the upcoming festive season and Lunar New Year (Tet).

The collection is based on shiny velvet and soft denim, the two trendy materials in the world for this Fall-Winter season 2016. According to Anh, velvet with its soft texture helps augment the beauty and elegance of women.

Ao dai in this new collection maintains traditional and basic features with raglan shoulders and shallow necks and button lines along the body.

A highlight of this collection is a combination of ao dai and Western-style wide pants suitable for women in casual and special occasions.

HCM City pins hopes on food hygiene management board

Director Nguyen Tan Binh of the HCMC Department of Health believed the management of food safety and hygiene in the city would be better with a specialized board to be up and operating next year.

The Prime Minister has recently given his nod to a pilot plan to set up a management board for food safety and hygiene in HCMC, which groups members from the departments of health, trade-industry and agriculture in the city. The Department of Home Affairs is preparing for the establishment of this board, expected to start operation early next year, said Binh at a question and answer session of the third meeting of the HCMC People’s Council on December 8.

Earlier, many voters had proposed the health department and relevant agencies regularly inspect and strictly handle the trade of contaminated and hazardous food with unclear origin at wholesale markets across the city.

The city is a hub for trade of large volumes of food made at home or imported, and for supply of food to other parts of the country. Statistics show that the daily meat demand in the city is 1,000-1,200 tons, including 8,000-10,000 pigs, 800-900 buffalos and cows, and 100,000-120,000 poultry.

In addition, frozen food imports amount to some 264,000 tons per year. Furthermore, the city each year demands up to one million tons of vegetables and 170,000 tons of seafood.

In the past, the management of food safety in the city was overlapping, with many agencies involved such as industry-trade, health and agriculture. However, none of them took the central role, thus no one assumed the responsibility when problems occurred. 
Meanwhile, quite a few production and business establishments are ignoring standards, ready to produce and process food that is unhygienic for a profit, belittling the health of consumers.

Statistics of the HCMC government reveal the city has in the year to date recorded six cases of food poisoning with 512 victims, none of them life-threatening.

To prevent food poisoning right from the stage of production, the city will organize training and certification exams for food producers and traders for nearly 56,000 people. In addition, a scheme on pork management, identification and traceability at the two wholesale markets Hoc Mon and Binh Dien will be piloted.

The food safety and hygiene management board will undertake the functions of state management and specialized inspection on food safety during the processing, storage, transport, circulation, distribution and trading of all kinds of food, additives, processing aids, instruments and packaging material.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE