Binh Duong to become a smart urban area

Binh Duong province, 30 km from Ho Chi Minh city, aims to become a modern, smart urban area as it is one of Vietnam’s most dynamic localities with an attractive investment environment.

During the past 30 years, Binh Duong has grown rapidly with the mushrooming of industrial parks. The province has attracted 3,400 FDI projects with total registered capital of more than 30 billion USD, ranking third in FDI attraction Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

To become a smart city by 2021, the province will focus on improving human resources, modernizing urban planning, enhancing services, expanding resources for development, and developing trademarks and international marketing programs.

Mai Hung Dung, Vice Chairman of the Binh Duong provincial People’s Committee and Head of the Binh Duong Smart City Management Board, says “In our Smart City Development project, we have 50 specific activities, 14 of them have been implemented this year. They concern the application of technology, coordination between the state, institutions, and enterprises, and activities to stimulate production and encourage workers to engage with technology.”

Binh Duong province is researching the smart city building model of Eindhoven city in the Netherlands. After signing a cooperative deal in 2015, Binh Duong has received generous support from Eidhoven in establishing modern laboratories at universities and research institutes. The province wants to become a destination for high-tech industries and innovation.

Nguyen Van Hung, Director General of the Becamex IDC Corporation, said "We will continue to build sci-tech industrial parks to attract high-tech investors in order to increase added value and meet the requirements of rapid, sustainable development.”

In its efforts to develop smart urban areas, the province has particularly focused on human resource development, education and training, administrative reform, and attracting talent. Local authorities have worked closely with enterprises.

Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of the Binh Duong provincial People’s Committee, said “Local authorities always support enterprises. We listen to them and help them address their problems promptly. We want to create the best conditions for enterprises to grow.”

Bến Tre gets $6.3m from Govt to fight landslides

Bến Tre suffers from frequent landslides, and the Government has provided the province with VNĐ140 billion (US$6.3 million) to shore up dykes in vulnerable areas. 

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre has received VNĐ140 billion (US$6.3 million) from the Government to repair two embankments to prevent landslides along rivers and upgrade another on the coast.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said, however, that there are five spots vulnerable to landslides and erosion and require urgent repairs or upgrades.

The funds provided by the Government are going to be used to fix a 200m stretch of coastal dyke in Thạnh Phú District’s Cồn Bửng area at a cost of VNĐ60 billion ($2.7 million) and two river dykes in Chợ Lách and Ba Tri districts.

The remaining two vulnerable areas have to wait for more funds from the Government, Nguyễn Hữu Lập, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said.

The next instalment of funds would be used to repair two stretches of river dykes and build new residential areas to move people living in erosion-prone areas.

The province’s authorities are struggling to prevent landslides and move people to safer areas because of budget constraints besides which some people living in vulnerable places are reluctant to move because of a lack of jobs in resettlement areas.

Bến Tre People’s Committee chairman Cao Văn Trọng said the incidence of landslides has worsened in recent years, especially in Ba Tri District’s Bảo Thuận Commune, Thạnh Phú District’s Thạnh Hải Commune, Chợ Lách District, Mỏ Cày Nam District’s Thành Thới Commune and others.

More than 120ha of land have been lost every year for the past five years, and more than 55ha of forests have been damaged, he said.

In recent times, the province has seen landslides happening in 112 locations along rivers while 138km of coast have also been eroded.

Two die, six injured in traffic accident

Two people died on the spot while six others were injured in an accident in the early Sunday morning on Highway 55 in Xuyên Mộc District, the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.— Photo zing.vn

Two people died on the spot while six others were injured in an accident in the early Sunday morning on Highway 55 in Xuyên Mộc District, the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu. 

An initial investigation showed that a seven-seat automobile crashed into a four-seat automobile running in the opposite direction. Two people on the four-seat automobile died and six others on the remaining automobile were injured.

Now three of them have been discharged from the hospital while the remaining three are under treatment at the Bà Rịa Hospital in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province and Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City.

The cause of the accident is under further investigation.

Former Vietnamese teachers in Thailand praised for preserving Vietnamese culture

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, Truong Thi Mai and delegates at the meeting

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, Truong Thi Mai, received a delegation of 81 former overseas Vietnamese teachers in Thailand on September 28.  

The Politburo member affirmed that the Party and State always appreciate the contributions of the overseas Vietnamese community, including the Vietnamese community in Thailand.

She thanked the former Vietnamese teachers in Thailand for participating in preserving and promoting the Vietnamese language, culture and identity in Thailand, contributing to nurturing the youth’s affection for their native land and culture.

The Party official expressed her wish that the former Vietnamese teachers in Thailand and the overseas Vietnamese community in general would continue to unite to promote the national culture and contribute to the cause of national construction.

Deputy Chairman of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese, Dang Tran Phong, said that the Vietnamese community in Thailand has a long history of hundreds of years. They were presented with the Independence Order, first class, in 2007 for their great contributions to Vietnam.

Despite difficulties during the two national resistance wars, the overseas Vietnamese in Thailand tried to open Vietnamese language classes in the country to teach Vietnamese to the overseas Vietnamese community, contributing to preserving Vietnamese tradition and culture, Phong noted.

Scaffolding falls down onto street, killing one

Part of a suspended platform fell down onto Lê Văn Lương Street in Hà Nội’s Thanh Xuân District from the 16th floor of a building. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

Part of a suspended platform fell down from the16th floor of an under-construction building on Hà Nội’s Lê Văn Lương Street late Thursday afternoon, killing a female motorbike driver who was passing by at that time. scaffolding

The falling object also injured another motorbike driver and damaged their vehicles.

Hà Nội’s Thanh Xuân District People’s Committee announced on Friday morning that workers at the construction site made mistakes in operating the suspended platform.

About 6pm on Thursday, some workers were assigned to install glass outside the 5th, 6th and 7th floors of the building. When they were set to finish their working day, they operated the suspended platform, which was at the 16th floor, to come down and pick them up.

The suspended platform is used to help workers move outside the building.

Because of mistakes in operation, part of the suspended platform fell down.

Construction of the building for mall and rental offices on Lê Văn Lương Street was granted a licence by the city’s Construction Department for 16 floors and two basements. Its investor is Sao Mai Import, Export and Investment Ltd Company based in Ba Đình District. DHP Hà Nội Technology Development Joint Stock Company based in Hoàng Mai District is a subcontractor responsible for the building’s glass installation. 

52 students get food poisoning after eating school lunch

A student of Ninh Xá Primary School is given medical care at Bắc Ninh General Hopsital after having lunch at school on Thursday. 

Authorities in the northern province of Bắc Ninh are testing food samples taken from Ninh Xá Primary School as 52 students of the school suffered from food poisoning after eating lunch at school on Thursday.

After eating the school lunch, the students were reported to have headache, stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea.

They were taken to Bắc Ninh General Hospital and Bắc Ninh Province Maternity and Pediatric Hospital.

Doctor Nguyễn Văn Dũng, head of Communicable Diseases Department at Bắc Ninh General Hospial, said that the students were infected with bacteria or gastrointestinal disturbance.

All the students were discharged from the hospitals on Thursday night and Friday morning.

As many as 945 students of Ninh Xá Primary School ate lunch at school on Thursday. They had chicken noodles and grilled pork. 

“Know Safety No Accidents” campaign launched in HCM City

Traffic safety awareness among drivers should be raised to minimise the risk of serious accidents.

The British Embassy launched a safe motorbike riding campaign called “Know Safety No Accidents” on Thursday in HCM City.

The campaign aims to raise traffic safety awareness among drivers and minimise the risk of serious accidents.

Ian Gibbon, the British Consul General in HCM City, said at the launch ceremony that the campaign was one of the British Embassy‘s efforts to reduce accidents among its citizens living and working abroad.

Every hour, there is one death from traffic accidents in Việt Nam, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death, serious injuries and emergency room visits for foreigners in Việt Nam.

Most accidents are caused by one or both involved parties not following traffic regulations.

Trần Hữu Minh, deputy chief of the Office of National Traffic Safety Committee, spoke about the Government’s latest standards for helmets, and converting international driving licences for foreigners in Việt Nam. 

Attendees to the event included representatives from Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Family Medical Practice, National Traffic Safety Committee, Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, and Saigon Motorcycles.

As part of the campaign, the British Business Group Việt Nam plans to organise the annual Fun Run event in HCM City on Sunday and in Hà Nội on November 4, expecting to attract about 10,000 people in each city. 

Buddhist cultural exchange of Vietnam, Russia, India held in Moscow

The Gyalwang Drukpa (R) presents a gift to Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh at the exchange 

A Buddhist cultural exchange of Vietnam, Russia and India was held at the Hanoi-Moscow multifunctional complex (Incentra) in Moscow on September 29.

The event was attended by a delegation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee, the Gyalwang Drukpa – head of the Drukpa Order, and representatives of the Buddhist community in Russia and the Drukpa Lineage in India.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh said throughout Vietnam’s history, Buddhism has always stood side by side with the nation. The Vietnamese Government always respects the religion’s beautiful ethical values that suit the country’s traditional culture and moral standards.

Vietnamese people in Russia have always turned their hearts to the Buddha and the Fatherland, he noted, adding that thanks to the support of the VBS and Vietnamese and Russian authorities, the community has built some pagodas and places of worship in Moscow and other localities of Russia.

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Standing Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the VBS Central Committee, said the cultural exchange was an occasion for Buddhist followers of the three countries to enhance cooperation and solidarity to popularise the Buddha’s teachings to bring happiness and peace to all people.

On behalf of the VBS, he thanked the Russian Government and people for supporting the relationship in Buddhism with Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Gyalwang Drukpa expressed his hope that through this exchange, Buddhist followers of the three countries would have closer cooperation and jointly hold activities to disseminate Buddhism, which would generate major benefits for the Vietnamese, the Russian as well as people around the world.

Korean language speaking contest launched in Hai Phong

Prizes are presented to winner of the fourth Korean language speaking contest – Hai Phong 2018 

The fourth Korean language speaking contest – Hai Phong 2018 was launched on September 29 by the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Associations’ Hai Phong chapter and the Korean people association in Hai Phong.

The event aimed to create an environment of learning and exchanging Korean language while promoting friendship between people of Hai Phong and the Republic of Korea.

Nguyen Thi Bich Dung, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the Vietnam - RoK relations over the past 25 years with achievements in various areas such as economics, culture, education, healthcare, thus contributing to the two countries’ development. The RoK is the biggest investor in the northern port city of Hai Phong with 114 projects worth 5.56 billion USD, she added.

At the contest, participants, mainly from high schools, showed their understanding on the relations between Vietnam and the RoK as well as their wish for sustainable connection between the two countries in their presentations.

Le Khanh Huyen from Nguyen Trai High School in An Duong district won the first prize with her presentation on the Vietnam – Rok ties and an overseas study dream.

Life-long learning week launched in HCM City

At the launching ceremony 

A life-long learning week was launched in Ho Chi Minh City on September 30, with multiple activities. 

The week, to last from September 30 to October 7, will feature training courses for officials and workers, vocational training for rural labourers, activities to raise public awareness of law, health care and environmental protection, exchanges, contests and seminars on study promotion. 

The campaign aims to popularise the significance of building a leaning society and offer more chances for life-long learning to people from all walks of life. 

Le Hong Son, Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, called on local residents to engage in life-long learning and join hands in building a learning society, thus turning HCM City into a civilized, modern and smart urban area that develops sustainably. 

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do said over the past years, the life-long learning week has been held in many localities nationwide and attracted the participation of departments, agencies, organisations and individuals.

Timber farmers should think big to boost growth: experts

Household-owned timber plantations must be substantially reformed in order to yield sustainable profits for their owners.

Plantations owned by households account for 38 per cent of the total area of timber plantations in the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The case of Hồ Đa Thê, a farmer in a mountainous commune in Phú Lộc District in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, shows that forestation on barren hills could be profitable for the growers.

“I have earned around VNĐ200 million (US$8,800) on one hectare of the plantation since 2015,” he said. Thê added he started his planting in 2007 thanks to a funding programme by World Bank.

According to a report by the Việt Nam Academy for Forest Sciences, the total area of plantations in Việt Nam grew from one million hectares in 1990 to 2.7 million hectares in 2005. The increase meant that the country’s plantation area is among the largest in the world.

The report also said the area has grown gradually since 2005 thanks to innovation in policies for forestry development, including granting forest land to locals.

The country’s turnover from timber exports has enjoyed year-on-year increases since 2008, with timber exploited from localities of HCM City, Bình Dương and Đồng Nai in the south; Bình Định, Quảng Trị and the Central Highlands in the central region; as well as Phú Thọ, Tuyên Quang and Yên Bái in the north.

The localities consumed timber from plantations around the country to serve the production of woodchips, wood materials for mining, carpenter and construction industries.

Dr Vũ Tấn Phương of the Academy for Forest Sciences said Việt Nam is the biggest exporter of woodchips in the world, but to maintain the position, the timber sector needs to ensure the sustainability and profit growth of the plantations.

“The Government should have policies to foster the large timber plantations, using preferential loans, as well as facilitate the collaboration between households owning forest land and businesses working in timber processing and export,” he said.

“The sector also needs to give proper incentives to those households and encourage them to stop harvesting early from the plantation,” said Phương, adding that experts believe families should focus on growing large timber that can sell at a higher price but requires more time.  

Experts at a workshop on the topic held in Huế City in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế last Friday agreed that large-timber cultivation is a key component for the sustainable and profitable growth for household-owned plantations.

Dr Bùi Chính Nghĩa of the Việt Nam Administration of Forestry said one of the keys was to educate farmers working in household-owned plantations about the benefits of growing large timber. Preferential investment as well as technical support would also be useful, he added.

Experts also suggested the formation of cooperatives involving households owning the plantations to assist them in the business.

Currently, the plantation sector is well supported with expertise from international organisations including FAO and Food and Forest Development Finland as well as local agencies of the Academy for Forest Sciences and Việt Nam Cooperatives Alliance. 

Quảng Ngãi struggles to lift farmers out of poverty

Hồ Văn Xoay, a farmer in Tây Trà District’s Trà Phong Commune, has had empty cages for two years after a herd of rabbits given to him as part of an aid programme all died. - Photo nhandan.com.vn

Poverty alleviation programmes aiming to help people in mountainous areas of central Quảng Ngãi Province are ineffective and unsustainable, local authorities said.

Lương Kim Sơn, director of the province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the many social aid programmes carried out over the past few years had helped improve lives, especially of ethnic minority people in remote mountainous areas.

However, he said the established model for providing poor people with Zebu cows, Bách Thảo goats, rabbits, wild boars, Đồng Nai bananas, and other crops have shown shortcomings.

Phạm Văn Na, a farmer in Ba Tơ District’s Ba Giang Commune, was among six households given 11 goats by local authorities to develop goat farming in the commune. But shortly after they were handed out, the goats were all dead.

Na told vov.vn the weather of the mountainous area was not suitable for the animals. He and other farmers had no experience raising goats and received little instruction, leading to the deaths of the animals.

A farmer in Tây Trà District’s Trà Phong Commune, Hồ Văn Xoay, has kept empty iron cages in his garden for nearly two years. The cages, together with 10 rabbits, were given to him to develop a rabbit farm in the commune.

Xoay said the herd of rabbits died after just three months. Other households in the commune had similar experiences, with total losses comprising more than 50 animals worth a combined VNĐ 50 million (US$2,100).

Xoay and other farmers did exactly as local officers instructed, and did not know what caused the deaths.

Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Trà Khê Commune Hồ Văn Trực said these attempts failed because of the loose management of local authorities, which provided animals and seedlings without educating farmers on the basic skills needed to care for them.

He pointed out that farmers were not provided with crops and animals suitable for the area’s climate and the farming habits of local people.

Sơn agreed, saying that providing aid without any education would only make people dependent on local government. These shortcomings had seen successive programmes fail and the rate of poverty remained high.

Huỳnh Thị Thanh Thuý, head of Tây Trà District’s Office for Agriculture and Rural Development, said the office wanted the programmes to have a lasting economic effect on participating farmers, but did not carefully consider weather and local customs in deciding what help to provide.

The province has approved a new programme that will give financial and technical support to those who produce certain high-value agricultural products, especially in poverty-hit Sơn Tây and Tây Trà districts.

Between 2011 and 2016, VNĐ 2.2 trillion ($92.4 million) went into programmes to fight poverty in six districts of the province.

The province plans to spend an additional VNĐ 10.7 trillion ($449.4 million) on aid by 2020. 

HAGL easily beat Nam Dinh in V.League 1

Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) beat Nam Dinh 2-0 on September 28 in the 24th round of V.League 1 at Thien Truong Stadium in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

Facing pressure to win and escape the bottom of the table, hosts Nam Dinh entered the match with strong determination.

Although the visiting team played aggressively from the opening whistle, they were unable to break through Nam Dinh’s defense.

In the 26th minute, Minh Vuong failed to capitalise on a great chance created by Cong Phuong, scuppering a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Quoc Thien Esele from Nam Dinh.

HAGL again had an excellent chance after a pass by Phuong to Viet Hung, but he missed.

Soon after that, Vuong managed an easy header into Nam Dinh’s net, after a pass by Le Van Son, scoring for the visiting team.

However, HAGL started losing players as injured Duc Luong was replaced with Osmar, and Phuong got a yellow card after crashing into Ha Long from Nam Dinh.

In the first 30 minutes of second half, the hosts missed a number of chances.

Nam Dinh almost equalised, but efforts by Pereira, Dinh Manh, Sy Minh and Viet Tu were wasted, with their shots wide of the target.

In the 76th minute, Phuong failed to score another goal as the ball hit Thien Esele’s shoulders.

However, he manage to put the ball away after HALG were awarded a penalty in the first extra minute of the second half.

With this victory, HAGL are at ease at ninth in the table, while Nam Dinh will struggle to leave the bottom again in the last two matches of the 24th round.

Elsewhere, XSKT Can Tho beat Hai Phong 2-0, Sanna Khanh Hoa beat Ho Chi Minh City 2-0, while Thanh Hoa easily defeated SLNA 1-0.