Malaysian man nabbed for exchanging fake money in Nha Trang

Police in the resort town of Nha Trang have arrested a Malaysian man for allegedly exchanging fake ringgit notes into Vietnamese dong.

Wong Giao Lian, 29, reportedly exchanged ten MYR100 bills for VND5 million (US$223) at a shop on Biet Thu Street in the town on January 9.

Wong Giao Lian admitted to the police that all of his ringgit notes were fake. Photo: Ba Khanh

After Wong left, the shop owner noticed that the bills were counterfeit and called the police.

Wong was detained soon after. When searching his room at a hotel in Nha Trang, police found 679 more 100-ringgit notes. Wong admitted to the police that all of them were fake.

Social insurance to offer new incentives

Voluntary social insurance participants will enjoy more benefits including government subsidies of up to 30 per cent of premiums, more choices in payment terms, and no age limit on participants, said a Government resolution.

Voluntary social insurance is available for employees in order to enjoy retirement and have a funeral allowance. This insurance allows participants to choose between stipulated premiums and payment terms, according to the resolution 134/2015/ND-CP.

Starting from 2018, the government will also subsidise 30 per cent of the voluntary social insurance premium for the insured who are from poor households, 25 per cent of those from near-poor household and 10 per cent for the rest of the participants.

The government will adjust the rate in accordance with the country's economic situation.

The subsidy is given to participants in a period of 10 years. The policy takes effect from January 1 of 2018.

In addition, the insured can pay the voluntary social insurance premium either monthly, every three months, every six months, every year, or pay once for a period of less than five years.

The insured whose period of premium payment is less than 10 years (120 months) may continue paying premium until the payment reaches 20 years in order to get pension. A one-time payment can be made for the remaining years on the condition that participants meet retirement age.

Participants who meet retirement age and fall short of more than 10 years of insurance premium payment may continue paying until the remaining payment period is no more than 10 years. One-time payment can be made for the remaining years.

The premium is calculated on 22 per cent of income.

The resolution takes effect from January 1 of 2016.

Chinese man fined for using another person’s passport to fly in Vietnam

Vietnamese aviation authorities have fined a Chinese airline passenger for using another person’s passport to board a flight, Tuoi Tre reported.

The Central Region’s Airports Authority said Xue Bao, 30, was ordered to pay VND7.5 million (US$333) for his violation.

At 9 a.m. on January 8 officers at Danang International Airport found the man using a passport under the name of Yang Di, a 35-year-old Chinese national, before boarding the Vietnam Airlines flight from Danang to Haiphong.

He was then detained for investigation.

Xue told Vietnamese authorities he entered Vietnam by road and came to Danang for business purposes.

He planned to fly to Haiphong from which he would come back to China by road via Mong Cai Border Gate in Quang Ninh Province.

Vietnamese authorities are still investigating his motive.

It is the first time Vietnamese authorities detected a foreigner using another person’s passport to board a plane, according to the report.

Tet gifts come to officers, people on southwestern islands

Representatives from the High Command of Naval Zone 5 and several southern localities and businesses on January 10 started visiting and presenting gifts to military officers and people on southwestern islands on the threshold of the Lunar New Year (Tet).

In five days until January 15, the delegation plans to stop at Phu Quoc, Tho Chu, Nam Du, Hon Khoai, Hon Chuoi and Hon Doc islands.

According to Deputy Military Commander Nguyen Van Dong, the annual activity aims to encourage officers who are safeguarding islands in the southwestern part of the nation.

To improve the spiritual life of the officers during the holiday, Chung cake (Vietnamese square glutinous rice cake) making, singing and sport competitions will be organised.-

Hanoi urged to be model in smuggled, counterfeit product prevention

Hanoi should be a pioneer in the fight against crime, smuggled and counterfeit products, suggested Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

At a working session with representatives from the municipal Party Committee and People’s Committee on January 9, Phuc said that as the capital and centre of the country, Hanoi has to excellently perform all tasks, especially those relating to security order, traffic safety and planning and construction, towards becoming a smart city.

To that end, Hanoi needs to renovate itself with high resolve and its administrative reform must be the best in the country, he stated.

The prevention of smuggling and the combat against criminals should be implemented regularly and drastically, he said, asking for harmonious coordination between departments and sectors.

The Deputy PM also urged Hanoi to prepare sufficient high-quality products for the market as a means to prevent counterfeit goods, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

The city should also pay more attention to the material and spiritual lives of officers in charge of fighting smuggling, trade fraud and fake commodities, he added.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that Hanoi will spend 400 billion VND (17.8 million USD) buying goods for poor people in remote areas, while ensuring sufficient goods supplies during Tet and encouraging business households to sign a commitment to saying no to smuggled and counterfeit products.

According to the committee’s Deputy Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, from the beginning of 2015, Hanoi has conducted more than 41,000 inspections of goods, with 24,000 cases handled. It has also started legal proceedings against 83 cases involving 114 people and collected over 5.5 trillion VND (247.5 million USD) in fines.

Hospitals achieve quality standards

More and more public and private hospitals in HCM City have taken efforts to reach criteria for quality standards issued by the Health Ministry, according to the city's Department of Health.

The 83 criteria in five categories cover quality improvement, professional activities, human resource development, patient-centred health examination and treatment, and specialised criteria for each ward.

Sixty-two of 93 hospitals in HCM City have received an average score of three of the five categories, an increase of 23 compared to last year.

The ministry has published on its website a ranking of hospitals based on the 83 criteria. The rankings will help the public make decisions about their healthcare.

A score of four was received by People's Hospital No.115, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, Paediatrics Hospital No.1 and 2, Tu Du, Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, Thu Duc District Hospital and Traditional Medicine Institute.

Ten hospitals had achieved effective quality management, Dr Nguyen Thi Thoa, deputy head of the department's medical affairs, said at a conference reviewing the management of hospital quality held yesterday in HCM City.

For instance, People's Hospital No. 115 and Hoan My Hospital had used bracelets with different colours to help identify patients.

The Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital had set up a system to report errors, and the Paediatrics Hospital No.1 had used videos to train for infection control.

The remaining 31 have a score under three, Thoa said, adding that hospital leaders should strengthen implementation of quality improvement.

"If not, they could face difficulties," he said.

Dr Vuong Anh Tai, head of the department's board for survey of patient satisfaction, said that, thanks to the programme on quality improvement, patient satisfaction this year was higher than last year's.

Dr Tang Chi Thuong, the department's deputy head, said the council for management of quality at hospitals, which was set up two year ago, helped it monitor, discover and offer warnings for errors at hospitals in order to improve quality.

Under this programme, more and more hospitals were expected to raise their quality in the future, Thuong said.

Plasma waste treatment plant proposed

The HCM City Department of Planning and Investment has petitioned the municipal People's Committee to allow Trisun Green Energy Co. to conduct research about the use of thermal plasma technology at a solid waste treatment plant.

Under the company proposal, the plant will use plasma technology to incinerate waste and create heat at temperatures above 3,000 degrees Celsius. The heat will be used to produce electricity.

The plant, which will cost about US$520 million, will be built on an area of 13 ha in Tay Bac Solid Waste Treatment Complex in Cu Chi District's Hiep Phuoc Commune.

The plant will have a daily capacity of treating 2,000 tonnes of household waste, 700 – 1,000 tonnes of industrial and hazardous waste and 1,000-2,000 tonnes of sludge.

The company has proposed that if the city assigns the company to treat 1,000 tonnes of solid waste a day, the price will be $31.88 per tonne; 2,000 tonnes of solid waste a day, $30.88 per tonne; and 3,000 tonnes of solid waste a day, $29.88 per tonne.

The project has advanced technology, requires less land and meets environmental protection standards, according to the department.

Union plans to nurture Vietnamese creativity

The ninth congress of the Viet Nam Union of Literary and Arts Associations (VULAA), has set its key tasks for 2016-2021 as helping Vietnamese artists develop in both quantity and quality.

The aim is to boost creativity in artworks that will help nurture Vietnamese people's souls by focusing on the values of morality, personality and lifestyle.

More than 475 delegates representing over 40,000 writers and artists nationwide attended the congress in Ha Noi, which ended Saturday.

Addressing the event, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the achievements Vietnamese writers and artists reached over the past seven decades, noting that they had continually aided the nation in the revolutionary cause.

He cited late President Ho Chi Minh as saying that "culture and arts are also a battlefield, and artists are soldiers on that battlefield."

"Readers want literary and art works that sincerely and profoundly reflect the lives and people of Viet Nam and promote humanistic values while uncompromisingly combating the bad," he said.

He asked VULAA to make comprehensive reforms in its organisation and operations so as to provide a "favourable environment for creation" for its members.

The leader pointed out that hostile forces and political opportunists are trying to conduct the "peaceful evolution" scheme, with the aim of inciting some writers, artists and journalists to run counter to the nation's revolution.

The union must be well aware of this threat to strengthen its structure and members, Trong said.

He also told VULAA to thoroughly prepare for popularising the 12th National Party Congress, slated for late January, and internalise guidelines to be approved at that event in order to apply them to its activities, thus helping to create unanimity in society for the sake of an affluent and strong Viet Nam.

The congress approved a 25-member presidium for VULAA in the 2016-2021 tenure with poet Huu Thinh re-elected as the chairman.

People's Artist titles awarded

President Truong Tan Sang yesterday attended a ceremony to present the People's Artist title to 102 artists at the Ha Noi Opera House.

The Meritorious Artist title was also awarded to 377 artists.

The honoured artists work in a variety of fields including music, film, architecture, dance, fine arts, photography, theatre, folk culture, literature and broadcasting.

The President affirmed that these titles are the Party's and State's noble rewards for outstanding artists who have contributed greatly to building and developing the cultural sector and who are respected by their colleagues and fellow citizens.

He expressed his hope that in the context of extensive international integration and cultural exchange, Vietnamese artists in general will continue improving their knowledge and capacity to create high-value works and help promote Viet Nam's cultural values to the world.

Outstanding scientist, students, social contributors honoured

The 13th annual KOVA Awards honoured 29 individuals and groups of people, who are outstanding scientists, students and community contributors, in Ho Chi Minh City on January 9.

Doctors of Cho Ray Hospital receive KOVA Awards. (Source: phapluattp.vn)

Awards were presented to five researches on applied science, six people who have done great works to benefit the society and 18 students with outstanding research performance.

In her remarks at the award ceremony, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan spoke highly of the winners. The awards are sources of encouragement to these people and more importantly, nurture the future of the country, she said.

KOVA Awards Committee should also work closely with media agencies, research institutes, universities and localities from across the nation to look for more outstanding individuals and groups, especially those in far-flung areas, Doan added.

Among the winners, was a study paper on ‘building and applying antibiotics use management’ at Cho Ray Hospital by a team of 50 doctors at the hospital.

Thanks to the work, misuse of antibiotics at the hospital dropped 57.8 percent while antibiotics use, length and cost for treatment and infection rate were also reduced.

It has then been applied to about 60 other hospitals in more than 20 southern provinces and cities.

The award would be a motivation for the doctors to further dedicate themselves for the country, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khoi said in his acceptance speech on the behalf of the team.

This year’s KOVA also presented 100 scholarships, worth 8 million VND each, to impoverished students with excellent academic performances from 50 public universities nationwide.

The Awards were initiated by Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Thi Hoe, who is also Chairwoman of KOVA Paint Group, in 2002.

Many land use certificates yet to be issued

Nearly 216,000 land plots still haven't been issued usage rights certificates in Ha Noi, a city official has claimed .

Vice Director of Ha Noi Department of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Van Khanh said at a conference held on Wednesday that Ha Noi authorities issued more than 43,000 land use rights certificates to individuals and organisations in the city in 2015.

Of these, the natural resource department authorised nearly 22,000 ownership certificates for households in urban zones, while district and town authorities issued more than 21,000 certificates.

In 2014, the department issued some 40,500 land use rights certificates.

Khanh said, although the land management process had improved, difficulties remained.

In some cases, developers, when handing over an apartment to purchasers, violated land use regulations, making it problematic for homebuyers to complete the documents required for receiving a land usage rights certificate.

"Violations of land management and usage laws for uncultivated land, land used for the wrong purpose or land with unclear origins are ongoing," Khanh said.

Besides this, owners and investors who have not registered their land with the authorities are contributing to the problem.

Therefore, the authorities need to actively deal with the difficulties and take firm action against individuals and organisations that violate the land laws, a representative of Ha Noi People's Committee said at the conference.

According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, land revenue contributes 10 per cent to the city's resources, but this income is only part of its total value.

Therefore, the city needs to enhance the land value through investment and public auctions.

In 2015, the city auctioned more than 18.9ha of land, earning nearly VND4.4 trillion (US$195.7 million).

The city also revoked and changed the usage purposes of 897 projects, with a total area of 2,028ha, accounting for 52 per cent of the land use plan for 2015.

Ha Noi People's Committee reviewed its land use plan for the period ending in 2020 and identified 18 targets for land use approved by the government.

For instance, 6,796 ha has been designated for forests, 4,603ha for national defence, 3,246ha for industrial zones, 4,610ha for urban areas and 2,920ha for rural areas.

“The Sea and Islands in Spring” 2016 to take place in Vung Tau City

An art program themed “The Sea and Islands in Spring” honoring officials and naval soldiers, border guards will be held in the southern coastal city of Vung Tau in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province on January 13.

More than 300 officers, naval soldiers, border guards, marine polices, soldiers of surveillance force, and best students of soldiers, together with local people  will participate in the event.

Around 70 artists, such as People’s Artist Tran Hieu; Meritorious Artists Ta Minh Tam, The Hien, Quynh Lien and Thanh Thuy; cai luong actor Kim Tu Long, musician Pham Dang Khuong, singers Duc Tuan, Vo Ha Tram and more will perform in the event.

There will be many activties , including music performance, visiting and offering gifts to disadvantaged soldiers’ families and more.

Launched in 4 years ago, the 2016 program aims to show the love of people to soldiers those contributed in protecting the country’s islands sovereignty.

Submarine power cable project starts

Construction of a 15.5km submarine cable connecting the Cham Islands to the national power grid began on Saturday.

The VND485 billion (US$22.7 million) project, which is 85 per cent funded by the State budget, will be built by Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN)'s Central Power Corporation.

The project will also include nearly 30km of lines over the island and six transmission stations.

Chairman of the central Quang Nam provincial people's committee Dinh Van Thu said the project would help boost socio-economic development as well as the country's security and defence of islands and the sea.

About 98 per cent of the province's 1.4 million residents have access to power, but only Cham Island and two districts in the mountainous region have connected to the national grid network so far.

Chairman and General Director of the Central Power Corporation Tran Dinh Nhan said the project was scheduled to be completed in June.

"We are committed to complete the project on June 30, and local islanders can use electricity starting summer," Nhan said at the ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday.

The project will provide power to local islanders 24 hours a day and limit emissions from diesel-driven generators on the island.

Islanders currently use power from diesel generators seven hours per day, while renewable energy sources are falling short of demand.

In 2010, a solar power station with a 28KW capacity was built on the island. Although it supplied power to 100 households in Bai Huong Commune and received funds from SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), it was unreliable due to a lack of sunlight.

Wind power is also an option, but turbines are only able to power single households with a limited supply.

In 2013, the island was given access to fresh water for the first time when an 80,000 cubic metre reservoir was built to service the island and its eight surrounding islets.

Cham Island was recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009. It welcomes about 100,000 tourists annually, 10 per cent of whom are foreigners.

The Central Power Corporation completed a submarine cable to connect Ly Son Island in the central Quang Ngai Province to the national power grid last year.

PVN encouraged to expand gas, oil exploration activities

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai requested the National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) to continue to search for new sites, and produce more oil and gas in 2016.

He described these activities as a key task for the sector in 2016.

Speaking at a conference in Ha Noi on Saturday, the Deputy PM praised the group for its achievements during the last five years, and suggested that an even greater future effort will see greater results.

He said PVN also needed to keep a close watch on market developments to provide reasonable forecasts of oil prices for 2016 and in the future, adding that the group should pay attention to cutting expense to optimise its operation.

PVN was also advised to focus on expanding scientific and technological applications, and fully taking advantage of its high-quality workforce.

Hai asked PVN's subsidiaries to make concrete plans for the group's business management, and to improve the qualifications of its staff.

PVN's General Director, Nguyen Quoc Khanh, reported that the group still earned VND560.1 trillion (US$25.56 billion) in revenue in 2015, in spite of falling oil prices, representing a rise of 4 per cent against the set target, and 2.4 times higher than earnings from 2006-2010.

Also, the group contributed VND115.1 trillion ($5.2 billion) to the State budget this year, up 19.8 per cent against the year's target.

PVN also fulfilled its plan to increase reserves for the two months ahead of schedule, reaching 40.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 8 per cent higher than its yearly target.

Further, its exploitation output reached 29.42 million tonnes, exceeding 10.6 per cent of the plan set by the Government. Of this number, crude oil reached 18.75 million tonnes, while gas exploitation hit 10.67 billion cu.m, respectively up 11.6 per cent and 9 per cent against its yearly plan.

Petrol, electricity and nitrogen production also recorded high growths, exceeding the set plan by 10 to 24 per cent.

Khanh stated that PVN would continue accelerating its restructuring and divestment capital, while increasing investment for its key business and production projects in 2016.

It will also expand coordination with relevant agencies in exploring and developing deep water and offshore areas, he said.

Vietnamese press history exhibited

A 10-day exhibition showcasing 300 covers and pages of Vietnamese newspapers published in the last 150 years has opened to the public in HCM City.

The exhibition entitled Gio Chong Bao Cu (Opening the Piles of Old Newspapers) organised by Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Nha Nam company aims to help the public retrace the establishment and development of the industry since the first newspaper, Gia Dinh Bao (Gia Dinh Newspaper), was founded in April 15, 1865 in Sai Gon.

After scholar Truong Vinh Ky, known as Petrus Ky, founded the newspaper and became the paper's chief editor, the country's press industry experienced ups and downs as the country witnessed many changes.

A page from history: A copy of Gia Dinh Bao (Gia Dinh newspaper), the country's first newspaper founded by scholar Truong Vinh Ky on April 15, 1865.

Over a century and a half, the Vietnamese press has acted as the "secretary of history" by recording events about the political, cultural, and social situation of the country.

The 300 newspapers, together with important autographs of Viet Nam's first generation of journalists, provide an overview of the long development path of the Vietnamese press.

The exhibition displays original copies of newspapers contributing to the formation of the country, including Gia Dinh Bao, Nam Phong Magazine, Tieng Dan and Luc Tinh Tan Van, to the first generation of revolutionary newspapers such as Su That, Nhan Dan and Doc Lap.

It showcases original copies of newspapers' spring editions printed decades ago, as well as keepsakes of famous journalists.

The newspapers can be seen until January 19 at the Southern representative office of Vietnam News Agency at 116-118 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3, HCM City.

Customs officer in HCM City arrested over alleged corruption

Vietnamese police have apprehended a customs officer in Ho Chi Minh City on suspicion of taking bribes and found several envelopes containing cash worth a total of about VND1 billion (US$44,520) at his house.

Nguyen Tuong Duy, 48, who is an anti-smuggling officer at the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, has been detained for abusing positions and powers while on duty, Hoang Viet Cuong, deputy head of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, said on January 9.

Officers from the Ministry of Public Security escorted Duy to the police station after he had just arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the southern city on December 30, following his trip to China.

After an urgent arrest and a search warrant was then issued, police confiscated several envelopes that contained a total amount of nearly VND1 billion at the suspect’s residence.

An initial investigation showed that Duy took advantage of his authority in goods management and smuggling prevention to ask for extra money from businesses that wanted their clearance procedures to run smoothly, with tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = US$445.2) demanded for each shipment.

Duy previously worked for the customs office in the southern province of An Giang and was dismissed, along with several other officials, for his violations in 1991, an official at the An Giang Customs Department affirmed.

The suspect and three of his brothers, who also worked for the An Giang customs office, then continued performing the same duty in Ho Chi Minh City, the official said.

Duy was first employed by the Customs Office at Tan San Nhat International Airport before being recruited by the anti-smuggling team under the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department.

The Ministry of Public Security is coordinating with the General Department of Vietnam Customs to clarify the alleged wrongdoings of Duy and other individuals responsible, deputy head Cuong said.

In a recent survey carried out by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to evaluate the level of satisfaction among businesses when working with Vietnamese customs officers, over 50% of the participants said that they had to pay additional fees to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department.

The majority of the businesses said they felt worried when they refused to pay those extra expenses, saying that the compulsory procedures for their imports and exports would be prolonged in that case, Dau Anh Tuan, head of the Legal Department of the VCCI, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Central Highlands grows despite difficulties

Despite the negative impacts of prolonged drought, the Central Highlands region still saw positive socio-economic development in 2015, with its gross domestic product (GDP) valued at nearly 140 trillion VND (6.16 billion USD), up 7.06 percent from the previous year.

According to the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region, investment mobilisation for social development reached approximately 74 trillion VND (3.25 billion USD) in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 13.17 percent, while credit activities were stepped up, contributing to production, developing infrastructure and improving living conditions in disadvantaged and border communes.

The completion of the Ho Chi Minh Highway running through the region, the upgrade of airports and the implementation of numerous transport projects also helped promote the region’s economic growth.

Last year, regional enterprises made optimistic progress. The number of newly-established companies rose, while the number of businesses that had to dissolve or stop operating decreased remarkably.

Over the year, 2,417 new enterprises were registered with a total capital of 10.2 trillion VND (448.8 million USD). It also attracted 131 investment projects totaling 19.3 trillion VND (849.2 million USD), including 13 foreign-invested businesses.

Many socio-economic development targets such as the industrial production index and total retail sales of consumer goods and services were reached, and per capita income reached 36.15 million VND (1,668 USD), up 12 percent year-on-year.

The value of agro-fishery and forestry products rose by nearly 6 percent from 2014.

In 2015, Central Highlands provinces spent a total of 88.4 trillion VND (3.89 billion USD) on building new-style rural areas.

They also provided vocational training for 85,800 locals, and jobs for 101,000 labourers.

A total of 35,000 households received assistance to successfully escape from poverty, and as a result the region’s poverty rate dropped to 8.5 percent.

According to the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region, in 2016, the region will strive to maintain socio-political stability, strengthen national unity, accelerate economic growth and speed up economic restructuring in order to fulfil its socio-economic development targets.

Transport sector urged to strengthen state management

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the transport sector to continue improving the capacity, validity and efficiency of its state management as this is a decisive factor for the sector’s better regional and international integration.

Attending a conference in Hanoi on January 4 to review the sector’s four-year implementation of Resolution No.13-NQ/TW on building a synchronous transport infrastructure system to turn Vietnam into a modern industrialised nation by 2020 and put forth 2016 tasks, the PM suggested the sector better mechanisms, policies, and strategies relating to transport, and speed up administrative reform, especially in procedures involved in people and businesses.

Along with the effective management and use of investment from the State budget, the sector should focus on mobilising and efficiently utilising resources from society to develop transport infrastructure synchronously in order to meet the country’s development requirements.

The Government leader also requested for tightened management of transportation business and control over vehicles’ loading capacity, as well as intensified transportation restructuring.

Attention should be paid to ensuring traffic safety and order, and reducing traffic accidents in terms of the number of cases, and the number of fatalities and the injured, he added.

After four years implementing the resolution, the country’s transport system has seen positive progress, with numerous major rojects put into operation, including the expanded Highway 1A, Ho Chi Minh Highway running through the Central Highlands regions, and Hanoi-Thai Nguyen, Hanoi-Hai Phong, Noi Bai-Lao Cai and Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressways, and Nhat Tan bridge.

In 2015, the country saw decreases in the number of traffic accidents, deaths and injuries. The number of fatalities reduced to below 9,000 for the first time after years.

This year, the sector strives to further tighten transportation business activities, while controlling vehicles’ loading capacity, cutting down the number of traffic accidents by 5-10 percent at all localities, and reducing traffic jams in major cities, particularly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnamese expatriates support national growth

Vietnamese expatriate communities worldwide have contributed significantly to socio-economic development back home in recent years, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam.

There are approximately 4.5 million Vietnamese living and studying abroad across 109 countries and territories.

According to Nam, who is also Chairman of the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, overseas Vietnamese have established 6,300 enterprises in 51 out of 63 Vietnam’s cities and provinces. These firms are operating 2,000 projects focusing on commerce, tourism, construction, real estate and agriculture.

Overseas Vietnamese are also major shareholder in many leading domestic companies like Techcombank, VinGroup, Eurowindow and SunGroup.

Their investments have created jobs, provided vocational training, improved socio-economic growth, and contributed to the State budget, said Nam.

The official reiterated the Party and State policies that consider the OV communities are an indispensable part of the nation, valuable human resources, and a bridge connecting Vietnam to the rest of the world.

The Government has devised favourable policies to assist their business activities at home. The amended 2014 citizenship law allows expatriates to keep or re-gain Vietnamese nationality, while new laws on land and housing permit them to buy and own properties in Vietnam.

Most recently, Decree 82/2015/ND-CP has approved visa exemption for not only overseas Vietnamese but also their spouses and children.

The Chairman noted his agency is constantly update information to promptly assist the communities and has received positive feedback from them on the implementation of the State’s macroeconomic policy.

He added that the OV businesses can be an effective channel to bring Vietnamese goods to foreign markets, underscoring their advantages that include in-depth understanding of both domestic and foreign market as well as supply-demand potential.-

Vinh Long to develop rural electricity network

The Electricity Company of Vinh Long Province in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region plans to spend VND35 billion (US$1.6 million) to develop the rural electricity network.

The investment will be spent on 26 power projects, such as installation of 10km of mid-voltage lines and 30km of low-voltage lines, and setting up of transmission stations with a total capacity of 4,700kVA.

The plan will help to improve the lives of rural people as well as reduce power losses during transmission.

The company will also complete the 500kV Duyen Hai – My Tho line, the 220kV Duyen Hai-Mo Cay line and 110kV transmission station in Long Ho District's Hoa Phu industrial zone this year.

In 2005, the company spent VND159 billion (US$7.2 million) to implement key projects on connecting rural areas to the national grid.

The projects, funded by the German Development Bank, were implemented in the province's 92 wards and communes, providing power to nearly 3,000 households.

Thanks to the projects, the percentage of local people getting electricity has risen to 99.62 per cent.

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