Hoi An authorities seek solution to noisy bars, diners

Authorities in Hoi An, an iconic tourist town in central Vietnam, are seeking solutions for dealing with loud music from local bars in an effort to restore a peaceful atmosphere to the vintage destination.

Located in the namesake city in Quang Nam Province, Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and has long been famous for its tranquility and unique charm.

Recent complaints by tourists, however, have local authorities worry that the destination may lose its tranquil charm due to loud music from local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.

The Hoi An People’s Committee announced on February 7 that it will invite local bar and hotel owners to reach a common ground on ensuring that business operations at certain venues do not compromise the interests of local residents and visitors.

The meeting will be chaired by Nguyen Van Son, vice-chairman of the city’s administration and the man responsible for urban and tourism management in the locality.

According to a local official, many bars have recently been fined for breaking opening hour rules and exceeding noise limits following an inspection by local authorities.

“Several facilities have repeated their violations despite the penalties. We are focusing on dealing with this matter as many citizens and tourists have expressed their dissatisfaction,” the official continued.

Vice-chairman Son added that physical confrontations arising from late-night bars and drinking are also a growing problem in the town.

As a specific law regarding the operations of these venues has not been established, it is difficult for local authorities to impose punishments, Son elaborated.

“We are not abetting anyone,” the official asserted, adding that the administration will work to find an assertive way to resolve the situation.

There are about 100 bars and coffee shops across the ancient town, many of which feature bright lights and upbeat tunes.

The Hoi An administration has required that bars and coffee shops in the town close at midnight, while noise should be kept under a specific level.

However, few seem to abide by this requirement, at least on Nguyen Phuc Chu Street, where some bars and coffee shops stay open till 2:00 am.

Health Ministry warns people of Streptococcus suis infection

The Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health has issued a warning concerning Streptococcus suis infection.

Statistics from the department showed that some 171 cases of Streptococcus suis (a kind of bacteria from pigs) were reported throughout the country last year, including 14 deaths. These cases are rampant during Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

A study on these cases pointed out that seven out of 10 people infected with the bacteria ate raw pork or pork products, such as tiết canh (blood pudding).

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology also cited the same reason, saying that most cases involved patients dealing with the slaughter of pigs and consuming raw pork.

The disease occurs throughout the year in Việt Nam. However, it tends to increase during the year-end when people celebrate the Lunar New Year. During this holiday, many families slaughter pigs and eat blood pudding with the hope that it will bring luck to them.

According to the department, once people are infected with Streptococcus suis, the disease develops quickly, causing septic shock, coma and multiple organ failure. Patients have symptoms such as high fever, nausea, vomiting and it is often mistaken for digestive disorder.

In severe cases, Streptococcus suis infection can manifest itself into meningitis, toxic shock and septicemia.

A Streptococcus suis infection can be cured with antibiotics but it requires long-term treatment.

A patient with Streptococcus suis meningitis might be hospitalised for at least three weeks. The infection can prove fatal if patients receive treatment too late.

To prevent the disease, the Ministry of Health has advised people not to eat blood pudding or raw pork.

Residents were also advised to cook pork meat properly to eliminate the risk of infection, as no vaccination against the disease is available at the moment.

They should avoid purchase, transport or slaughter of pigs that are sick or dead, and practise personal hygiene by using protective gloves when in contact with pigs.

Tết cheer blankets HCM City

Two thousand children living in social welfare centres in HCM City will enjoy the Tổ Ấm Ngày Xuân (Spring Loved Home) programme on Saturday (Feb 10) at Tao Đàn Park in District 1 to celebrate Tết.

In the annual event organised by the Youth Social Work Centre of HCM City, the children will play traditional games, enjoy meals, and get shoes and gift packages.

Since January 21 the centre has organised similar programmes in other districts in the city and rural areas in the neighbouring provinces of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu and Bình Phước.

Patients at the city Paediatrics Hospital 2 also enjoyed the programmes, called Xuân Yêu Thương (Loved Spring), on February 1, in which they took part in games and other amusement activities.

As part of their annual community activity, from the end of last month to February 9, Central Group Việt Nam and Big C supermarket chain in collaboration with Unilever Việt Nam are giving away Tết gifts worth VNĐ792 million (US$34,900) to 3,600 poor families in provinces and cities where Big C has stores.

The gifts are worth VNĐ220,000 each and consist of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce, seasoning, and others.

On February 6 the city Department of Industry and Trade together with many businesses, including Lotte Mart, gave Tết gifts to 440 families in many communes in Long An Province under the Government’s preferential treatment policies for poor households.

Each gift was worth VNĐ400,000-VNĐ500,000 and consisted of essential daily items and confectionery.

On February 2 People’s Committee leaders visited and gave gifts to 400 poor patients in the city’s Paediatrics Hospital 1 and 2.

Of the patients, 80 per cent are from other provinces.

The committee’s vice chairwoman, Nguyễn Thị Thu, said: “Though they are from other provinces, the city’s leaders take care of them since they are being treated in the city’s hospitals.”

The city has a policy of ensuring everyone, especially disadvantaged people, enjoys a “warm” Tết, she said.

This year for the Lunar New Year the city has earmarked VNĐ700 billion (US$30.8 million) to help poor people and those covered by its policies to celebrate the New Year.

Nguyễn Thị Vui of Đồng Nai Province, whose three-month-old daughter was treated for artery stenosis at the city’s Paediatrics Hospital 1 and received a gift from the city authorities, said she felt the “warmth” behind the gift. She and her daughter will remain at the hospital during Tết.

Dr Nguyễn Thanh Hùng, head of the hospital, said nearly 1,000 patients are admitted every day during Tết every year.

The HCM City Traditional Medicine Institute in Phú Nhuận District on February 4 provided free treatment and gave gifts to people with financial difficulties and families covered by the city’s policies and employees of enterprises based in the district.

During the February 10-11 weekend the institute will provide free examination and treatment to people in disadvantaged communes in Bình Phước and Lâm Đồng provinces.

Enrollment at Bến Tre vocational centres jumps

The number of students attending vocational training courses in the southern province of Bến Tre has been on the rise since 2015, indicating that people are increasingly interested in gaining work skills to compete in the internationally integrated economy.

The information was released by Trần Anh Dũng, director of the Vocational Training Division under the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA).

His division estimates that the province had more than 7,700 vocational trainees in 2015, just over 8,500 trainees in 2016 and 9,470 last year.

For the first time in 2017, the number of people enrolling in vocational training centres amounted to 92 per cent of the figure the province had aimed for.

Most of the trainees studied for careers in mechanics, automobile technology, electricity and garments.

More than 90 per cent of the trainees can find jobs after the training, according to the provincial DOLISA.

Dũng said that since last year, vocational training centres in the province have focused on providing education for careers that currently have large numbers of job openings.

The centres also partnered with high schools to give vocational consultancy and guidance to students, and worked with enterprises to create jobs for graduates of the centres.

Võ Thành Phước, standing principal of the Bến Tre Vocational Training College, said that the electronic technology department had a particularly strong job placement record.

In 2012, only about 60-70 per cent of the trainees could find jobs after graduation, but now the figure stands at 95-97 per cent.

The college worked out agreements with several companies in HCM City to take in trainees during a trial period after graduation.

This year, vocational centres in the province are scheduled to enroll 10,500 people to train for careers in nursing, aquatic product processing, animal breeding, animal health and mechanics.

Director Dũng said that to ensure that trainees could find jobs after graduation, close cooperation between vocational centres and businesses is needed.

HCM City health insurance coverage tops 83 per cent

Health insurance coverage in HCM City climbed to 83 per cent last year, exceeding the Government’s target of 80.7 per cent, according to city-based Việt Nam Social Security.

Phan Văn Mến, head of the agency, said 6.87 million people in the city had bought health insurance cards last year, a 12 per cent increase from 2016.

Until last year, the card had to be bought every year, but this year it has been made a one-time issuance.

Nguyễn Thị Thu, Mến’s deputy, said this was possible due to good communication with regard to encouraging people to buy health insurance and the benefits of the insurance.

The Government’s plan to hike hospital fees has caused more and more people to buy the insurance, she said.

With premiums and the red tape that prevented people from buying family insurance policies reduced, nearly 1.6 million people had bought them as of last year.

The total premiums collected last year were worth VNĐ9.032 trillion (US$396 million) while the total claims settled were worth VNĐ9.003 trillion ($394 million), meaning there was a surplus of VNĐ28.8 billion, the lowest ever, Mến said.

It had been VNĐ821 billion in 2016 and VNĐ1.141 trillion in 2015.

The new policy allowing people in provinces to go to district-level hospitals as well as private hospitals in other cities and provinces that came into effect in 2016 saw an increase in the number of patients going to HCM City by 73 per cent to more than 3.4 million last year, Mến said.

The average cost of treatment increased to VNĐ2.3 million. Some patients abused their health insurance by getting checks done at several different hospitals, increasing the cost for the fund, he said.

To safeguard its financial health and insured patients’ benefits, the Việt Nam Social Security will this year work closely with hospitals and the city Department of Health to eliminate unreasonable costs flagged by an electronic assessment system.

Blood bank stores 16,000 units, sufficient for Tet

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) currently has about 16,000 units of blood in its blood bank, including over 6,000 units of blood type O, according to Director Bach Quoc Khanh.

The total blood volume is sufficient to meet medical treatment needs in Hanoi and northern localities from now to at least three weeks after Tet (Vietnam’s traditional New Year) holiday, he said. The Tet holiday lasts from February 14 to 20.

The NIHBT needs a minimum of 1,500 units of blood daily to provide for emergencies and medical treatment at 180 hospitals in Hanoi and northern provinces. Of the amount, 45 percent need to be Type O, equivalent to about 700 units. 

On January 5, the institute reported to have only some 6,000 units of blood available, raising concern over a severe blood shortage during Tet. Blood type AB accounted for the smallest proportion of 5.8 percent, of 352 units, followed by type O which made up 16.8 percent. Meanwhile, there were over 3,370 units of blood type B, representing 56 percent.

It has called on agencies, organisations and particularly those with blood Type O to take part in blood donation campaigns. The appeal has met with warm response from the public.

Following Tet, the annual Red Spring Festival will be held in a week, starting from March 10, Khanh noted. The blood bank expects to collect 1,000 – 2,000 units of blood each day of the festival.

KOICA helps Vietnam build social housing policy

The Ministry of Construction and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have signed a minutes of discussion on the technical assistance project for building policies on social housing in Vietnam in 2021-2030. 

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Hanoi on February 8, Deputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh said KOICA has effectively cooperated with the ministry’s Housing and Property Market Management Department – the beneficiary of the project, to reach consensus on major contents of the document. 

The project is vital to the ministry’s State management work in the housing field, especially in the context that the ministry plans to revise the Housing Law and outline the national strategy of social housing development in 2018-2020, Linh stressed. 

She hoped KOIKA will share its experience and support the ministry and the department in amending the Housing Law and in building policies on social housing.  

The project will make it easy for the Government to devise appropriate polices, standards and regulations on social housing, towards benefiting low-income people, she said. 

Director of KOICA Vietnam Office Kim Jin-oh highlighted that the signing is a good beginning of cooperation between KOICA and Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction in 2018, expressing his hope that the two sides will coordinate more effectively in the coming time. 

According to Kim Jin-oh, both sides reached consensus on the main contents of the project, which is very meaningful to Vietnam’s social housing development policy building. 

With its experience, KOICA will promote the effective implementation of the project, he said.

Over 4,100 households of Son La to access power before Tet

About 4,100 households in the northern mountainous province of Son La will gain access to power before the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet), according to the Son La Power Company.

The company has implemented a 378 billion VND project to supply electricity to 6,158 local households in four districts of Thuan Chau, Muong La, Bac Yen and Phu Yen since 2017.

As part of the project, on February 8, a power supply work was launched in Nui Hong village in Huy Thuong commune, Phu Yen district, providing electricity for 81 local households.

In 2018, the project, funded by the Northern Power Corporation, aims to give power to 6,000 households. 

Le Quang Thai, Deputy General Director of the Northern Power Corporation said that as many as 93.35 percent of local households in 27 localities covered by the firm have accessed national power grid. However, the figure is only 91.5 percent, he said, noting that over 25,000 households of Son La have yet to enjoy electricity.

Since 2016, the Vietnam Electricity and the Northern Power Corporation have launched three projects to supply power to nearly 13,000 households of Son La at a total cost of over 600 billion VND.

Vietnamese books at India’s international book fair

Vietnamese culture and people have been introduced to international readers through 300 English publications displayed at the ongoing 42nd International Kolkata Book Fair in West Bengal State, India.

The Vietnamese booth also featured traditional fine art products and pictures illustrating Vietnamese landscapes.

Visiting the booth, Governor of West Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi spoke highly of the publications introduced at the fair. He also stressed that relations between Vietnam and India have been built based on peace, development and advancement.

The International Kolkata Book Fair is one of the world’s largest book fairs, attracting over 2 million visitors every year. This year’s event, which takes place from January 31 to February 11, drew the participation of publishers from Bangladesh, China, Japan, Russia, the UK, the US and Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Day was held on February 2 in the framework of the fair with art performances delivered by artists of the India-Vietnam Solidarity Committee.

Khanh Hoa province supports flood victims to enjoy Tet

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa – one of the hardest hit localities by typhoon Damrey in 2017 – is carrying out various programmes and policies to help people overcome flood consequences and enjoy a warm Tet holiday.

The storm, which raged through the south central coast of Vietnam in November 2017, caused severe damage to Khanh Hoa with more than 1,700 houses collapsed.

After the storm, many businesses in Van Ninh district and Ninh Hoa town had to halt production, forcing more than 400 workers to stop working due to damaged factories. 

Given this fact, the provincial Labour Federation has launched programmes to support employees, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and seriously affected by the natural disaster.

Many firms in the province pledged to fully implement policies to help workers enjoy Tet. 

According to the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the average Tet bonus by State-run enterprises will be 5.9 million VND (260 USD) per worker, the highest 44 million VND (1,940 USD) and lowest 500,000 VND (22 USD). 

For joint-stock companies with State capital contribution, the figures will be 6.4 million VND (282 USD), 60 million VND (2,646 USD) and 200,000 VND (8.8 USD) respectively.

The average bonus paid by private enterprises and foreign ones will be 4.7 million VND (207 USD) and 2.6 million VND (114 USD) per worker.

Warm Tet gathering held for Vietnamese in New Zealand

A gathering was recently held in Auckland by the Embassy of Vietnam for Vietnamese students and expats and foreign friends living in the country to together celebrate Tet, Vietnam’s traditional New Year festival.

The event also marked the 88th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Viet Dung extended his greetings and best wishes to all his guests on the occasion of Tet. He wished all Vietnamese people in New Zealand health, happiness and success so they can build a stronger community and preserve their traditional culture and mother language overseas.

The ambassador hoped that Vietnamese expats will continue fostering people-to-people exchanges and ties between the two countries.

The two countries inked the 2017-2020 Vietnam – New Zealand Action Programme on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang last November to deepen bilateral relations and to upgrade their strategic partnership in the future, Dung said.

Vietnam is New Zealand’s 16th largest trade partner with the two-way trade hitting about 1.2 billion USD. The two nations aim to raise bilateral trade to 1.7 billion USD by 2020, making economic cooperation a pillar of their relationship, he noted.

The gathering took place at Asian Ruby, a Vietnamese cuisine restaurant, in Auckland, which is home to two-thirds of a total of 6,000 Vietnam people living in New Zealand. 

Stamps marking 50th anniversary of General Offensive and Uprising issued

The Vietnam Post Corporation (VPC) issued a special set of stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Spring General Offensive and Uprising in Hanoi on February 8. 

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan signed and sealed the set. 

At the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong recalled Vietnamese history, saying that on early January 31, 1968 morning (the first day of the Lunar New Year), Vietnamese armed forces and people launched attacks in four out of six major cities, including Sai Gon – Gia Dinh and Hue, 37 out of 44 townships and hundreds of towns and districts in the south.

The Tet Offensive upset strategic posture on the battlefields, forcing the US to deescalate the war and paving the way for the next attacks, ultimately the Great Spring 1975 Victory that ended the American war in Vietnam, contributing to the liberation of the south and national reunification, he said. 

Over the past 50 years, the event has become a symbol of the strong will and determination and aspiration for peace and independence of the entire Vietnamese nation. 

The 31mm x 46 mm stamps, designed by painter Tran The Vinh, depict monuments dedicated to loyal soldiers and people in the south with doves of peace and bandanas flying in the wind. 

Each costs 3,000 VND and will be sold on the VPC’s website from February 8, 2018 to December 31, 2019.-

Vietnam aims to prevent risk of falling back into poverty

The National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction during 2016-2020 has reaped positive rewards. However, the achievements have been hampered by natural disasters and the burden of coping with the consequences of extreme weather events poses a great challenge for eliminating poverty.

The implementation of the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction during 2016-2020 is more difficult due to environmental calamities in 2017. Many supports in the socio-economic infrastructure, which are the results of hunger eradication and poverty alleviation efforts in previous years, have been affected, forcing localities to exhaust their budgets in the recovery.

According to statistics, in 2017, natural disasters resulted in 386 dead and missing people, damaged 352,943 ha of rice and crops, killed 65,350 cattle and 2 million poultry, and washed away 59,603 ha and 41,920 aquaculture cages. Total economic losses were estimated at about VND60 trillion. Typhoon Damrey alone, which landed in the southern central provinces early November last year, left 123 dead and missing, damaging more than 165,000 houses and over 11,000 ha of cultivated areas. Total losses caused by Damrey were about US$1 billion.

The figure is a huge millstone for progression that forced many disadvantaged provinces to suffer. It is a great impact to push those advancing households who had previously escaped from poverty back into destitution. Compared to the capital allocated for the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction during 2012-2015 (at VND27.5 trillion), the losses due to natural disasters in 2017 is more than double the figure.

The reality of post-flood areas in Quang Binh and northern central provinces shows that a rapid decline in poverty reduction efforts has taken place. For example, Tan Hoa commune (Minh Hoa district, Quang Binh province) was the typical model for hunger eradication and poverty alleviation as it was the first commune in the district to withdraw from the Government's 135 Programme, which provides supports for the most disadvantaged communes across the nation. However, after the last two major floods, Tan Hoa immediately fell back into poverty.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, there are many reasons for falling back into poverty, as State investment has been lower than the set plan and the requirements of each locality, or funds are not really used to address the most pressing causes of poverty, while the income of the near-poor households is still uncertain.

To overcome the recent disasters in the central region, Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, said that at least US$54 million is needed. Remedial work can last for many years, he stressed.

Vietnam has been praised by the international community for its rapid hunger eradication and poverty alleviation but the result is still unsustainable. Therefore, hunger eradication and poverty reduction are easily affected when there is the impact of natural disasters without a response of timely and adequate capital provision.

By 2016, there were nearly two million households in poverty (accounting for 8.23%) and over 1.3 million near poor households (accounting for 5.41%). The Steering Committee for National Target Programmes for 2016-2020 set a goal of reducing the rate of poor households during this period from 1-1.5% per year according to the 2016-2020 national poverty line.

Under the current conditions, it is a big challenge to achieve the set poverty reduction target. It will require a lot of parallel solutions; first and foremost is calling on national and international organisations to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of typhoons and floods in central provinces in 2017.

Concurrently, Vietnam should have a specific plan to focus its finances on every rural area for job creation, upgrading infrastructure, and providing basic services and social security for the most vulnerable groups. These measures need to be implemented consistently throughout the medium and long-term socio-economic plans for each locality.

On the other hand, it is necessary to speed up the implementation of specific mechanisms in the management of construction investment for a number of projects under the national target programmes at local level, combined with shaping value-chain farming links and pushing up the emulation movement "The whole country joined hands for the poor – Leaving no one behind" set by the Prime Minister.

BUV announces VND34-billion scholarship fund

British University Vietnam (BUV) introduced a scholarship program worth VND34 billion for Vietnamese students with outstanding academic records to mark the opening of its new branch at Ecopark new urban area in Hanoi City.

The launch of the scholarship fund is aimed to provide an opportunity for Vietnamese students to study at the university with modern facilities and an educational environment of British standards.

Each scholarship will be valued at VND85 million to VND700 million, equivalent to 100% of tuition fees, depending on students’ achievements.

The scholarship is intended to encourage students to not only gain good academic performance but also foster a passion for the fields of music, sports and art and take active part in social community and extracurricular activities.

Those achieving high scores at the national high school graduation examinations, bagging top prizes at international Olympic competitions or studying at the prestigious high schools are given priority to the scholarship program.

Steph Lysaght, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Hanoi, said the scholarship program will help to create favorable conditions for the young Vietnamese generation to gain access to British education.

Registrations for the scholarship program are open at www.buv.edu.vn.

The new facility at the Ecopark branch is scheduled to put into service this year after completing the first phase of construction with an investment of US$25 million.

When in place, the university is capable of accommodating more than 7,000 students.

Uber, Canon team up to promote Vietnam’s ‘hidden gems’

Uber on Tuesday announced its partnership with Canon to discover and introduce beautiful sites likened to hidden gems in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

By analyzing passenger drop-off and pickup information in Southeast Asian destinations like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta and HCMC, Uber has identified hidden gems in these populous cities.

For instance, the gems discovered in Vietnam are Thanh Da peninsula, an ancient house in Binh Chanh District’s An Phu Tay Commune, and Phu An bamboo village in the neighboring province of Binh Duong. These three spots found from data of Uber users are not often visited.

According to Charity Safford, Uber’s general manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, people tend to explore faraway places and miss unique places nearby. With the cooperation with Canon, Uber wants to inspire residents to explore their own city.

Uber and Canon have also unveiled videos showing journeys of photographers Stumax, Hai An and Maika Elan, held a photo exhibition and presented a photo book on the campaign.

Further information about the #HiddenCities campaign and beautiful photos of Southeast Asia’s hidden gems can be found at www.uber.com/hidden-cities.

Vietnamese engineers get lower pay than regional peers

While Japanese businesses pay US$46,373 for a Singaporean engineer a year on average, the amount that a Vietnamese engineer earns is US$7,315, news website Dan Tri quoted a recent report by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

As viewed by Japanese firms in the report, Vietnam’s advantage is cheap labor.

In the manufacturing sector, the average wage for Singaporean engineers is 6.3 times higher than that for Vietnamese engineers. Besides, the figures are US$14,903 in China, US$12,599 in Thailand, US$12,179 in Malaysia, US$8,453 in India, and US$8,066 in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, pay for a Vietnamese worker is US$3,673 a year, compared to Singapore’s US$26,516, China’s US$10,131, Thailand’s US$6,997, Malaysia’s US$5,900, Indonesia’s US$5,421, the Philippines’ US$4,102, and India’s US$3,982.

With managerial posts, a Vietnamese is paid US$15,218, whereas the amount a Singaporean receives is 4.6 times higher, US$70,387. Other countries also record higher figures, with US$26,304 in Thailand, US$25,093 in China and US$24,174 in Malaysia.

As for the non-manufacturing sector, a Vietnamese employee earns US$8,487 a year, much lower than US$38,234 in Singapore, US$17,674 in China, US$13,709 in Malaysia, and US$11,880 in Thailand.

Despite Vietnam’s low labor costs, the report pointed out that increasing labor costs are a major risk, following a rise of 8.4% last year, ranking third among the 12 surveyed countries. 

According to Japanese businesses, the incomplete legal system, vague law interpretations, complicated administrative procedures are what Vietnam needs to work on.

Vietnam’s Buddhism stays side by side with nation

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) will continue joining hands with other religions and the entire society to create a great national unity to contribute to further developing the nation, affirmed Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Standing Vice Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu made the pledged while meeting head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai in Hanoi on February 9 ahead of the lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Mai stressed that with over 14 million followers, more than 30,000 dignitaries and over 40 training establishments, Buddhism plays an important role in Vietnamese people’s spiritual life.

She hailed contributions made by the VBS to the nation as well as its efforts to help ethnic minority groups, poor people and disadvantaged students with good learning performances.

She took the occasion to extend New Year wishes to Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, other dignitaries in the VBS’s Executive Council.-

Lao association presents gifts to flood-hit central localities

The Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association of Laos’ capital city of Vientiane has offered gifts to locals in localities in the central region that affected by the storms and floods that occurred in 2017.

A ceremony to hand over the gifts to representatives of the localities was held in the central city of Da Nang on February 9, several days ahead of the traditional New Year. The event drew Lao Consul General in Da Nang Khamsene Phommaseng.

At the event, Anouphap Tounalom, President of Vientiane’s Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association presented 77 tonnes of glutinous rice, 500 T-shirts to Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces. 

Of which, Quang Tri received 10 tonnes; Thua Thien-Hue, 10 tonnes; Da Nang, 5 tonnes; Quang Nam, 16 tonnes; Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh, 18 tonnes each.

He said that right after learning of the localities’ losses due to Typhoon Damrey, the 12th of its kind in 2017, the association called for donation from Laos’ community as part of its efforts to give a helping hand to those hit by the storm to overcome difficulties and enjoy a warm Tet festival.

Typhoon Damrey hit Vietnam on November 4, affecting more than 4.3 million people and damaging some 303,500 houses.

HCM City leader pays pre-Tet visit to Holy Cross Lovers

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan visited the Congregation of the Holy Cross Lovers of Thu Thiem in District 2 on February 9 on the occasion of the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year (Tet).

He hailed the congregation’s involvement in taking care of disadvantaged people, opening vocational training courses, and introducing jobs to locals, which contributed to ensuring the city’s effective implementation of social welfare policies.

The party official hoped the congregation will promote such activities to bring better lives for needy people.

While visiting the congregation’s nursing home for elderly nuns, the official wished them health and happiness.

Superior of the congregation Nguyen Thi Ngoan wished local authorities a New Year of luck, health and happiness.

She said the congregation will do its utmost to help the local governance reap more achievements in this year.

The same day, Nhan visited officials and people in An Loi Dong ward, District 2.

Hanoi enhances preservation of Co Loa relic site

Hanoi needs to accelerate the preservation and restoration of the ancient citadel of Hanoi and the Co Loa Citadel, said Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung.

The official made the statement during a conference to review activities of the Co Loa – Hanoi Scientific Advisory Council in 2017 and launch its tasks this year held on February 8 by the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre.

In 2017, the council helped the centre expand excavation area east of the Kinh Thien Palace (the Thang Long Imperial Citadel) to more than 980 square metres. It also mapped out a plan on a spiritual tourism area in line with the preservation of Co Loa historical relic site.

Various exhibitions and educational programmes on Hanoi’s cultural heritage were also held last year by the centre.

At the event, participants discussed measures to enhance heritage preservation, focusing on management, land clearance and handover of exhibits, among others.

The Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee also asked the centre to cooperate with relevant agencies to supervise the handover of exhibits and seek counselling on preservation measures from domestic and foreign experts.

He also instructed the centre to accelerate the process of significant projects such as the restoration of the Kinh Thien Palace and the Co Loa Citadel, as well as the organisation of cultural events of the city and country.

Co Loa, the biggest and most ancient citadel in Vietnam, was built by King An Duong Vuong between 214 and 208 BC as the capital of Au Lac, one of the earliest Vietnamese kingdoms.

It is believed to be comprised of nine concentric circles, yet only vestiges of three circles can be found at present. They include an 8km exterior wall, a 6.5km polygon-shaped inner wall and a central 1.6km rectangular wall.

Ninh Thuận struggles with farm production

Residents of Thuận Nam District in the south-central coastal province of Ninh Thuận are forced to abandon hundreds of hectares of cultivated land when local authorities inspect cases of encroachment of cultivation land.

According to a report on e-newspaper zing.vn, farmers suspend agricultural production because local authorities cut off water supply to crops whenever they inspect encroachment on 610ha of cultivated land in the region.

Lê Huyền, chairman of Thuận Nam District, said they were discussing proper crop varieties that can be used when the water supply is cut off to recover land in Nhị Hà Commune.

“We have instructed the local government to quickly find suitable crop varieties for conversion”, Huyền said.

However, while the local government has not identified the proper crops, dozens of households are still waiting for water for production.

Based on their experience, residents consider the two months prior to Tết (Lunar New Year) the best time to sow winter-spring crops. Cultivation later than that can be harmed by strong sunshine.