China’s top legislator visits under-construction friendship palace

Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, visited the construction site of the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace in Hanoi on November 10 as part of his official visit to the Southeast Asian nation. 

The building of the friendship palace, initiated by then Prime Ministers Phan Van Khai and Wen Jiabao in 2004, officially started on March 4, 2015. It is scheduled to be put into use in 2017. 

Don Tuan Phong, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations – the project’s investor, thanked the two countries’ Parties, States, parliaments, Governments, relevant ministries and authorities, and the Chinese Embassy for creating favourable conditions for the construction. 

He asked the project’s contractor, China’s Yunnan provincial construction holding group, to continue working closely with the project’s management board to ensure work progress as well as the safety and quality of the building. 

Phong said the palace will be a venue for cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the countries. He believed that activities held there will help them enhance mutual understanding so as to further treasure their amity – a precious common asset of the two peoples. 

Meanwhile, Zhang, who is also a member of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, said the palace construction itself is a symbol of the bilateral friendship, adding that the two Parties and States pay great attention to this project. 

He also told the Chinese contractor to ensure the project’s quality and schedule while asking for Vietnam’s close coordination and best possible conditions for the building. 

The Vietnam-China Friendship Palace, located at No.188 Le Quang Dao street in Hanoi, covers 3.3ha with facilities built on over 13,900 square metres, including a 1,500-seat grand hall. 

On November 9 evening, Politburo member and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan hosted a banquet in honour of Zhang Dejiang. The event was also attended by Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien, Vice Chairman of the Chinese National People’s Congress Wang Chen and other officials of the two countries.

Fish death-affected central provinces helped with restoring tourism

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) will carry out many practical activities to support tourism development in four central provinces hit by the recent sea environmental incident, including Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue. 

Among those activities are conferences promoting tourism in the north central region in Hanoi on November 17 and in HCM City on November 18 to introduce new tourism products and connect the region’s tourism enterprises with travel companies in the two big cities. 

The VNAT will also introduce tourism potential of the north central region and Vietnam in general in Bangkok and Udon Thani province of Thailand from November 22-26. 

A seminar on developing tourism products in the north central region will be held in Thua Thien-Hue from November 28 to December 4. 

The administration will also hold training classes for tourist guides in Ha Tinh province on December 12-18. 

Responding to the mass fish death seriously affecting tourism activities in the four north central provinces in April, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a project to assist the affected provinces to restore tourism after the sea environmental incident. 

The regional tourism sector suffered losses of thousands of billions of dong from the incident, according to the VNAT.

The administration also said that it will organise Vietnam tourism promotion events in three Chinese provinces of Dalian, Guilin and Changchun.

Vietnam, Italy look to enhance multilateral partnership

Vietnam and Italy should strengthen their cooperation in all areas, especially trade and investment, heard a seminar in Hanoi on November 10. 

The seminar, themed “Vietnam-Italy cooperation and friendship in the new situation,” was held by the Vietnam-Italy Friendship Association (VIFA). 

Addressing the function, VIFA President Nguyen Van Nam said the bilateral collaboration is growing robustly after the two countries elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership. 

Italian Vice Ambassador to Vietnam Natalia Sanginiti noted that Vietnam has become an important partner of her country in ASEAN, adding that an increasing number of Italian firms is choosing Vietnam as their potential investment destination. 

Italy, meanwhile, is also a top EU partner of Vietnam in multiple fields from politics and development cooperation to trade and technology, she said. 

The diplomat stressed both sides need to enhance trade-investment ties and prioritise a number of joint projects, particularly in the sectors of health and food safety. 

Tran Thanh Hai, Vice Director of the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, called on Italy to encourage the EU to soon recognise Vietnam’s market economy status and help the country build capacity in implementing the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement. 

He said Vietnam and Italy should improve their cooperation in high-tech and support industries. 

Hai noted that Italy, with its more advanced technologies, can help develop manufacturing, farming and climate change adaptation in Vietnam. 

Both governments should devise policies to promote Italian investments in Vietnam, particularly in infrastructure, garment, footwear, support industry, energy and tourism, he said. 

The same day, the VIFA also held a get-together in celebration of its 30th founding anniversary. 

At the event, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni lauded the operation of the VIFA and its collaboration with her agency in making Vietnam-Italy ties thrive.

Chinese students impressed by youth festival in Vietnam

Chinese students attending the third Vietnam-China Youth Festival in Vietnam have showed their impressions at the three-day event, which concluded successfully on November 10.

“I and my friends met and set up friendship with many Vietnamese peers during the festival,” Xu Shao Dong, a student from Shanghai, said before leaving Vietnam. 
Xu added that he was moved and impressed by the new look of Vietnam and the friendliness and perseverance of young people here. 

Meanwhile, Chen Huang Hui from Guangdong said he had participated in a number of youth exchanges in India, Japan and the Republic of Korean, but this time in Vietnam was a special experience. 

Vietnam has its own characteristics and the locals are very hospitable, he noted. 

Chen expressed his hope that the friendship between Vietnamese and Chinese youths, which was nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong, will continue to grow. 

The festival took place across 7 provinces and cities in Vietnam. Participants discussed their experience in the promotion of trade, culture and tourism as well as environmental protection.

Algerian reporters win VN’s external information service awards

Algerian reporters Aoura Racha and Ryad Abada on November 10 received a third prize of Vietnam’s National External Information Service Awards 2015 for their article on Ho Chi Minh City. 

The article, titled “Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s economic heart”, gave insights into the Vietnamese southern economic hub and how the local reform policy had changed it since 1986. 

At the awarding ceremony held at the Vietnam Embassy in Algiers, Aoura Racha expressed her honour to win the prize, saying it is a remarkable milestone in her career as a reporter. 

She said she got unforgettable memories through 10 days travelling across Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang and Can Tho, which were later articulated in her writing. 

She expected to return to Vietnam to pen more articles in the coming time. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru said the two reporters have done an excellent job, hoping the prize will inspire them to write more valuable articles. 

He also wished Algerian reporters will continue to write about Vietnam to boost mutual understanding. 

The National External Information Service Awards 2015 attracted approximately 800 entries in 11 languages, including Vietnamese, French, Chinese, English and Japanese.

Hai Duong aims to build smart city

The northern province of Hai Duong is determined to build a smart city, said Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Manh Hien at a seminar on November 10.

He also assigned the provincial People’s Committee to devise a roadmap for smart city building, focusing on priority areas such as education, health and environment.

At the workshop on smart city management model, experts said that smart city is a model in which modern information technology is applied in every unit and organisation to create a smart management system to improve the quality of public services, thus benefiting socio-economic development and locals’ lives.

Head of the National Institute of Information and Communications Strategy (NIICS) Nguyen Minh Son highlighted that the nature of a smart city is information connection, intensive urban development and comprehensive mechanism reform.

The institute will join hands with international organisations and experts to help Hai Duong build a smart city, he said.

Representatives of Microsoft, global educational organisations and partners from Germany, Japan and Singapore shared smart city building experience in many countries and gave recommendations for Hai Duong province.

They suggested the province focus on the fields of education, health, environment, transport, technology, agriculture and construction.
According to Vice Chairman of the Hai Duong People’s Committee Nguyen Anh Cuong, over the past years, the province has focused on streamlining administrative procedures, improving the investment climate and raising competitiveness.

However, he noted despite efforts, the province’s application of information technology in State management is yet to meet requirements, he said, adding that experience shared at the event will help the province in its path of building a smart city.

Joint efforts needed for UN Agenda implementation

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong has called on related ministries and agencies to join hands in building a feasible national action plan for implementing the UN Agenda 2030.

Speaking at a workshop in Hanoi on November 10, Phuong stressed the need to collect opinions and suggestions to the draft national action plan for the implementation of the agenda.

Vietnam has realised the agenda through Resolutions approved by the National Assembly and instruction documents of the Government, he noted.

The workshop served as a forum for relevant agencies to give opinions to the draft national action plan, which proposed a list of sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as measures and specific actions of the Government to reach the targets by 2030. 

UN Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director in Vietnam Louise Chamberlain praised the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI)’s move to mobilise contributions of relevant parties, especially the private sector and civil social organisations, to building the draft plan.

The implementation of the agenda requires a change in the role and operation mode of Governments, she stressed, adding that governments need to create favourable conditions for the people, enterprises and civil social organisation to join the process.

The action plan should point out priorities for vulnerable groups, while clarifying the coordination and participation mechanism among involved parties as well as the importance of data concerning the agenda implementation.

The national action plan was outlined basing on reviewing existing policies, strategies and development plans of Vietnam, with comparison with 17 global SDGs and 169 specific targets.

The building of the plan was carried out from July-September this year, with the participation of ministries, sectors, agencies, UN organisations, Vietnam’s development partners and domestic and international organisations.

The MoPI is working to finalise the draft plan for submitting to the Prime Minister for approval. The draft plan is hoped to help Vietnam have right orientations to achieve the SDGs by 2030, and define the responsibility and coordination among relevant parties.

It will also serve as a legal foundation for Vietnam to perform its commitments with the international community, responsibly contributing to the sustainable development-related global efforts.

Drug, prostitution-free localities on the rise

The number of drug and prostitution-free communes, wards and towns have been increased in recent years after the 10-year implementation of the resolution on regulations and guidelines on building communes, wards and towns with healthy lifestyle. 

A report by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), which was released during a conference in Hanoi on November 10 to review 10 years of carrying out the resolution, showed that 2,818 communes and nationwide have no drug abuse. 

Meanwhile, 8,659 communes and wards have eradicated prostitution, and 3,556 communes, wards and towns successfully eliminate drug and prostitution, said the report. 

Many measures have been applied in localities, along with various good models, including self-management models. 

So far, 40 provinces and cities have coordinated with local sectors, unions and social organisations in conducting communications and preventive education on drug, prostitution and HIV/AIDS prevention and control, while supporting drug addicts as well as rehabilitated addicts and prostitutes to access health care services and integrate into the community. 

According to Le Minh Tan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the city has built and run 122 self-management models in maintaining social security and order. 

After 10 years of realising the resolution, the city has 213 communes free from social evils, while the number of hot spots has been reduced to 12 communes and wards, he noted. 

MOLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam urged localities to review their performance in the work during the past 10 years, while working harder to reduce hot spots of drug and prostitution. 

He also asked localities to continue multiplying the models of communes and wards with healthy lifestyle as well as other social services for prostitute and assist drug addicts in community-based detoxification.

Restoration, upgrade prepare for Hung Kings temple festival

The management board of the relic site Hung Kings Temple in the northern province of Phu Tho is accelerating preparations for the 2017 Hung Kings Temple festival. 

Luu Quang Huy, Director of the relic site, said the board has stepped up the restoration and upgrade of Gieng Rong (Dragon well), a reception area and revamped the temple gate. 

The site is continuing with two projects on infrastructure for the Mau lake and the third stage of the festival’s centre from October 2016 until 2020. 

Since 2009, the relic site has invested more than 1 trillion VND (45.4 million USD), sourced from government funds and philanthropists, into upgrading temples and pagodas on Nghia Linh mountain, building a temple dedicated to Great Father Lac Long Quan and landscape around the temple.

Month for gender equality, gender-based anti-violence to be launched

A ceremony to launch an action month for gender equality and fight against gender-based violence will take place on November 13 at the Hanoi Opera House. 

The event is organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the United Nations in Vietnam and the People’s Committee of Hanoi to carry out the Prime Minister’s decision approving the national action plan on gender equality in 2016-2020. 

Vietnam has made tremendous progress on removing the gender gap in the past 20 years, particularly in jobs and health care due to numerous policies and laws on gender equality, said Nguyen Trong Dam, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at a press conference on November 9.

However, the gender gap is still prevalent in many fields, he added. 

The biggest challenge faced by Vietnam in achieving gender equality is gender-based violence, especially violence against women and female children. 

Female children are not only the victims of domestic violence but also human trafficking, sexual abuse and violence from outside the family. A national survey on domestic violence against women and children reported that there was an average of 1,000 cases of girl child sexual abuse every year.

Themed “Joining hands to remove violence against women and girl children”, the month-long campaign, starting from November 15, aims to encourage the involvement of agencies, organisations and people in efforts to ensure gender equality and prevent violence against women and girl children.

Localities urged to promote external information service

Local officials must heed the importance of external information work amidst rapid and complicated changes in regional and world situations and strengthen the guidance, monitoring and inspection of activities in the field, a Party official in charge of the work said. 

Addressing a conference on November 10 reviewing external information work in northern cities and provinces, deputy head of the Steering Committee for External Information Work Pham Van Linh also required local administrations to ensure budget for the work. 

Linh, who is also deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Informations and Education, underlined the need to provide training for those working in the field, particularly staff in local agencies, as well as the supply of sufficient and timely information for communication purposes. 

The sector itself should try to renew working style and content of coverage, with more attention paid to services in foreign languages, he said. 

Members of the central steering committee and representatives from 25 steering committees for external information work in northern cities and provinces agreed that after five years implementing the Politburo’s conclusion 16 on the strategy for external information development for 2011-2020, remarkable progress has been recorded in many localities. 

Thanks to improved awareness of local officials about the importance of the work, external information work has been carried out in a planned and systematic manner with quality and on larger scale. The work has contributed to increasing social consensus and winning support of the international community and overseas Vietnamese, thus creating favourable conditions for national development, maintaining political stability and national security, firmly defending national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, enhancing the country’s position in the regional and international arena while timely countering false and distorted information about Vietnam. 

Participants also shared the view on shortcomings that should be addressed promptly, particularly the poor planning work and weak coordination among different agencies operating in the field.

WB supports Vietnam build water-supply plants

The World Bank (WB) will help Vietnam build water-supply plants, according to an official at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at a conference on water resources. 

Statistics show about 250,000 households in the Mekong Delta face shortages of water for daily use. 

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Tien, head of the Department of Technical Infrastructure under the Ministry of Construction said the ministry is coordinating with agencies and the WB to study building water-supply plants for the Mekong Delta region. 

Five plants are expected to be built with a total capital of 1.3-1.7 billion USD in three stages. 

The capital for the first phase from 2017-2023 is estimated at 440 million USD. 

Le Duy Hung, WB’s Senior Urban Specialist, said the Vietnamese government’s corresponding capital in the first phase will be 40 million USD, while the WB will lend Vietnam the rest. 

The WB dispatched a loan worth seven million USD to prepare a feasibility study for phase one.

Plan to turn Son Tra peninsula into tourism destination approved

The Prime Minister has approved an overall planning on the development of the Son Tra National Tourism Area in the central coastal city of Da Nang through to 2025 with a vision to 2030. 

The planning aims to turn the area into a high-quality ecological tourism centre and an important destination for tours by road and by sea. 

The designated Son Tra National Tourism Area, covering 4,439 hectares, is located on the Son Tra Peninsula in Tho Quang ward, Son Tra district, and is around 10 kilometres northeast of Da Nang city’s downtown. 

The area is projected to welcome 3.5 million tourists and earn revenues of 1.9 trillion VND (85 million USD) by 2025 and 4.6 million tourists and 4,300 billion VND (193 million USD) by 2030.

New planning to ensure Mekong Delta water supply

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved water supply planning for the Mekong Delta region to 2030 with a vision to 2050, aiming to reduce average clean water loss to 18 percent in 2020. 

The Mekong Delta region has a total natural area of over 40,604 square kilometers, covering Can Tho city and 12 provinces of Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, An Giang, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. 

By 2020, 90-100 percent of locals in level-three urban areas will have access to clean water, while the ratio in level-four and five urban areas 90-95 percent will have access. 

In 2030, the percentage of residents in urban areas using clean water may reach 98-100 percent, while the ratio of rural residents accessing clean water from the trans-provincial and urban water supply system is hoped to increase to 35 percent. Clean water loss is targeted to be kept below 12 percent, according to the planning. 

The planning also divides water supply systems in the region into three smaller regions basing on terrain, development and the need for water as well as the planned water supply expansion. 

Region one covers Long An and Tien Giang provinces and parts of Dong Thap province, while region two comprises Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and the other parts of Dong Thap province, and region three includes Can Tho city, and An Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces. 

The planning also includes the construction of five regional-level water works, aiming to ensure water supply to localities facing saltwater intrusion and water shortages. 

The coverage and capacity of trans-provincial water works will be expanded in line with water requirements and climate change and salinity in specific periods, said the planning. 

According to the Water Resources Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the region has experienced a sharp drop in rainfall. 

In the 2015-2016 dry season, the rainfall level was lower than historical levels by 0.2-0.4m, while salinity was much higher than average. 

Salinity of 4 gram per litre was recorded on 45-65km of Tien River and 55-60km of Hau River and 60-65km of Cai Lon River . 

In addition, climate change has caused floods in the upper Mekong Delta and droughts in the centre of the region. Meanwhile, coastal areas have suffered from sea level rises that ravage agricultural production.

Chinese students impressed by youth festival in Vietnam

Chinese students attending the third Vietnam-China Youth Festival in Vietnam have showed their impressions at the three-day event, which concluded successfully on November 10.

“I and my friends met and set up friendship with many Vietnamese peers during the festival,” Xu Shao Dong, a student from Shanghai, said before leaving Vietnam. 
Xu added that he was moved and impressed by the new look of Vietnam and the friendliness and perseverance of young people here. 

Meanwhile, Chen Huang Hui from Guangdong said he had participated in a number of youth exchanges in India, Japan and the Republic of Korean, but this time in Vietnam was a special experience. 

Vietnam has its own characteristics and the locals are very hospitable, he noted. 

Chen expressed his hope that the friendship between Vietnamese and Chinese youths, which was nurtured by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong, will continue to grow. 

The festival took place across 7 provinces and cities in Vietnam. Participants discussed their experience in the promotion of trade, culture and tourism as well as environmental protection.

Exhibition of Vietnamese painter begins in Japan

An exhibition of Vietnamese painter Pham Luan’s works opened in Tokyo, Japan on November 10. 

This is the first exhibition of a Vietnamese painter in Japan, featuring 25 oil-paintings of Japanese landscapes and people. 

The highlight of the exhibition is the triptych of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. 

At the opening ceremony, Luan said the paintings show his love for Japan, a country that has become his inspiration. He also hopes that more works about Japan will be displayed in Japan and in Vietnam. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong expressed his hope that the exhibition will mark a new height in cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan.

Vietnam to ink ASEAN mutual recognition deal on bioequivalence reports

Vietnam will sign the ASEAN Sectoral Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on Bioequivalence (BE) Study Reports on Generic Medicinal Products. 

Under a recently issued resolution on the deal, the Vietnamese Government agreed on the draft MRA and allowed an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to sign the document. 

The Ministry of Health was ordered to comply with Vietnam’s law on international treaties when making amendments and supplements to the MRA’s annex. 

The health ministry was also requested to propose a representative to sign the deal. 

The MRA will be involve intra-regional acceptance of reports of BE studies conducted by BE centres in ASEAN. It aims to minimise the repetition of BE studies required for marketing authorisation from one ASEAN member state to another.

Hanoi sees strong growth in international arrivals

Hanoi welcomed 3.2 million international tourist arrivals in the first ten months of 2016, up 23 percent year-on-year and close to the figure recorded in 2015 (3.36 million), according to the municipal Department of Tourism. 

Of which, 2.3 million tourists made their stay in the capital, an increase of 24.4 percent from the same period last year. 

Hanoi’s leading tourist sources included China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, France, the United States, Germany and Thailand. 

If domestic holidaymakers were included, Hanoi received over 18 million visitors during the period, earning nearly 50.7 trillion VND (2.27 billion USD) in revenue. 

Hanoi’s tourism markets have been expanded, with international arrivals from 160 countries and territories. The capital city has been a destination of around 40 percent of foreign tourists to Vietnam. 

Moreover, Hanoi is making efforts to diversify its tourism products and services based on its advantages and potential, including culture tourism, MICE, eco-tourism and farm stay. 

Cultural tourism is now a strength of the city with tours of historical sites, the Old Quarter, French architectures, museums, craft villages and traditional art forms. 

Hanoi has also focused on improving tourism infrastructure. It boasts 72 hotels from three to five stars with 9,844 rooms. 

Promotion activities have been carried out in order to introduce tourists to a friendly and appealing Hanoi. 

According to the department, in 2016, Hanoi hopes to welcome 4 million international visitors, up 22.6 percent from last year, and 17.8 million domestic tourists, up 8.5 percent. Total revenue from tourism is expected to reach 62.3 trillion VND (2.8 billion USD).-

Da Nang welcomes 2,300 tourists at port

Genting Dream, a cruiser of the Hong Kong-based luxury cruise line Dream Cruises, with 2,300 passengers on board, docked at Tien Sa port in the central city of Da Nang on November 10. 

This was the maiden voyage of the modern ship that is capable of accommodating 3,400 passengers. Genting Dream was scheduled to visit three major ports in Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Da Nang during its November 8-10 tour of Vietnam. 

Tran Chi Cuong, deputy head of the Da Nang Tourism Department said the arrival of modern luxury cruise liners to the city has helped exploit the potential of local beaches and resorts. 

According to the agency, Da Nang hosted 58 cruisers with 81,271 international passengers in 2016, 3.6 times higher than the figure of 2015.-

HCM City lawmakers direct Zika fight

People’s Council members of HCM City will work with municipal authorities to identify potential breeding grounds for the Zika virus at project sites where construction has been suspended.

This was agreed at a meeting between the Standing Board of the HCM City People’s Council and city’s People’s Committee late last week.

Once the work is done, the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment will report results to district and grassroots councils who will oversee the spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes and larvae at the identified sites and other areas, said Nguyễn Thị Quyết Tâm, Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Council.

Tâm said the city People’s Council was keeping a close watch on the situation in order to help prevent an outbreak of the Zika virus.

Nguyễn Thị Thu, deputy head of the People’s Committee, said at the meeting that every district has sites where construction has been suspended, and the builders had not kept the sites clean. District administrations lacked sufficient funds to monitor and clear the sites, she said. 

Tâm advised the municipal administration to co-operate with the city-based Việt Nam Fatherland Front and other departments as well as organisations to launch campaigns to spraying chemicals and kill both larvae and mosquitoes.

She said leaflets about ways to prevent Zika infections and their spread should be distributed to all households in order to improve public awareness about the need to kill mosquitoes and their larvae.

Dr Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of the city’s Department of Health, reported that 29 patients had tested positive for the Zika virus as of November 6. Districts with the highest Zika incidences were 12, 9, 2, Bình Thạnh and Tân Phú, he said.

As of November 5, 36 patients had tested positive for the Zika virus in HCM City and the provinces of Khánh Hòa (1), Long An (1), Bình Dương (2), Đắk Lắk (2), and Phú Yên (1), according to the General Department of Preventive Health.

Department head Trần Đắc Phu told the Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that five of the patients were pregnant women.

The Preventive Health Department had on October 30 confirmed the country’s first case of microcephaly, or abnormal smallness of the head, in a four-month-old baby in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk. It said the condition was likely related to Zika.

The Ministry of Health has prioritised efforts to ensure the health of pregnant women and reduce the risk of fetal microcephaly caused by the Zika virus.

Thu said she has asked district authorities to compile lists of pregnant women in their areas and advise them about preventive methods.

Six hospitals and institutes in Hà Nội, HCM City, Nha Trang and the Central Highlands region can provide testing for the Zika virus, with results available in seven days.

At a meeting with the Emergency Operation Centre in Hà Nội on November 5, Dr Trần Danh Cường, deputy head of the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said the country’s prenatal diagnosis system requires pregnant women to have ultrasound checks at 12, 22 and 32 weeks.

If patients follow the ultrasound schedule, fetal microcephaly can be detected and treated early, Cường said.

However, many women are unaware of the importance of these examinations and fail to comply with the recommended schedule, she said.  

Bắc Giang province goes digital

For the first time in years, Lương Văn Hữu feels happy after completing procedures for land use right certificates. In the past, the processing of certiificates attesting to land and house rights could take as long as a month. People had to travel great distances in order to hand in documents and get the required papers.

But since his home province of Bắc Giang, just east of Hà Nội inaugurated the Bắc Giang Centre for Public Administration in the beginning of September, local residents no longer need to travel far because the offices charged with administrative procedures are all concentrated under one roof.

“Now it takes me only from five to ten days to have land and house use right certificates,” said Hữu.

Simpler documentation, such as driving licences, take no more than five days, he said.

Nguyễn Thanh Huyền, another resident of Bắc Giang City who came to the centre to change her motorbike driving licence, said the staff at the centre was enthusiastic and hospitable.

“All of them help residents reduce travel time and complete administrative procedures, making people feel happier in their contact with officials,” she said. “We receive careful advice from the centre’s workers about the papers we need.”

Visitors to the centre are greeted by a sign directing them to take a number and await their turn.

Waiting could take 10-15 minutes, but the room is large and cool and visitors feel comfortable, Huyền said.

The inauguration of the Bắc Giang Centre for Public Administration was part of the province’s administrative reform for the period of 2016 to 2020, said Lại Thanh Sơn, standing deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

The centre is spread out over 1,300sq.m on two floors. About VNĐ14.9 billion (US$662,200) was invested in its construction.

The first floor has a post office, photocopying service, snacks and automated teller machines. The second floor has more than 20 offices of various departments and sectors of Bắc Giang Province.

Deputy Chairman Sơn said that the centre had improved workers’ professional skills and also helped officials at different levels in the province check and supervise administrative procedures and resolve problems as they arise.

Province authorities have targeted 170 administrative procedures for reform in order to simplify and shorten the time it takes to complete them, said Sơn.

Typically, completing procedures for land hire and transfer currently takes 15 days, half the time it took in 2014. Investment certificates are issued within seven days, three days fewer than in 2014.

Last year, the province ranked 10th of 63 provinces and cities in terms of public administration reform.

Currently, all State offices at provincial and district level have internal computer networks. More than 500 schools and more than 140 enterprises in the province have websites.

Document are sent via email, saving nearly VNĐ12 billion ($533,300) in annual postal costs, said Sơn.

Nguyễn Hữu Dũng, deputy chief of the Bắc Giang Department of Construction Secretariat, who directly receives documents related to the department, said that with modern infrastructure, the centre provides good conditions for organisations and individuals to efficiently conduct administrative procedures.

It also provides a good working environment for staff, enabling them to improve their skills on information technology and communication and apply them to daily work on computer systems, he said.

“The province is striving to digitalise all information and procedures to better serve residents and enterprises by applying technology to administrative reform,” said Sơn.

The province has set a 2020 target of having 90 per cent of official documents of administrative organisations in electronic form.

All of staff workers will use email in carrying out their work, he said.

Most administrative services will be supplied online on websites to meet the real demand of residents and enterprises everywhere, said Sơn. 

In the first nine months of this year, Bắc Giang’s economic growth reached 9.8 per cent, the highest since 2013, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The province contributed to the state budget more than 2.7 trillion (US$120.9 million), an increase of more than 20 per cent compared with the same period last year.  

It ranks ninth out of 63 provinces and cities in terms of attracting foreign investment.

More than 80 per cent of communes in the province reached national health norms.

VN gov’t steps up efforts to prevent "social evils"

Labour departments in provinces and cities will continue to work with local authorities to carry out community-based social evils prevention in an aim to eliminate sales of recreational drugs and prostitution in wards and communes.

At a conference reviewing prevention activities over the last 10 years, Lê Minh Tấn, deputy head of the central Department of Prevention for Social Evils under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), said that prostitution and drug use and sales were becoming more prevalent in communes and wards throughout the country.

Some areas have been able to eliminate the activities, but prostitution and drug use had often re-emerged, he said.  

A report by the MOLISA, which was released during a conference in Hà Nội yesterday, showed that 2,818 communes and nationwide have no drug abuse.

Meanwhile, 8,659 communes and wards have eradicated prostitution, and 3,556 communes, wards and towns successfully eliminate drug and prostitution, said the report.

Many drug addicts, about a third of the total in the country, voluntarily attended community-based rehabilitation programmes between 2006 and 2010.

Between 2011 and 2015, 23 provinces and cities set up 35 establishments for counselling, care and treatment for drug users. They also provided education and treatment to thousands of prostitutes from 2006 to 2010.

In the period from 2011 to 2015, 6,862 prostitutes received vocational training, jobs, and loans to develop businesses.

As of last year, interdisciplinary inspectors had carried out nearly 300,000 inspections among service establishments. They found that more than 89,400 establishments were providing prostitution.

Of the establishments, 2,452 were suspended and nearly 61,000 were fined a total of VNĐ232 billion (US$10.3 million).

More than 60,400 drug trading cases were discovered within this period.

Breeders face woes of yet another mass fish death

Fish in breeding farms in central Thừa Thiên - Huế Province died en masse under unclear causes, leaving breeders potentially bankrupt.

Fish have been dying since Tuesday in 500 cages laying in the brackish water environment in Cầu Hai Lagoon and Lăng Cô Bay for breeding vẩu, a fish species that yields high economic value.

The breeding association of Vinh Hiền Commune said yesterday that there have been 50 tonnes of dead fish taken from the cages.

Last year, the fish fetched VNĐ250,000 (US$11) per kilogramme on the market, but the price dropped almost by half after the environmental disaster in Central region ocean caused by Formosa toxic spill in April, causing huge losses for breeders.

The situation worsened and sent local breeders into bankruptcy, said Nguyễn Thiết, the association chairman.

Trần Văn Đích, a breeder, said the fish died in four out of 15 of his breeding cages, causing an estimated loss of VNĐ200 million.

The province’s Department of Fishery have taken samples at the site for tests, and they suspect that rainwater from downpour since Monday in the province has dropped salinity level required for the fish, leading to fish death.

The department’s deputy head Nguyễn Minh Đức told a local newspaper that fish death for the same reason took place in previous years in these breeding farms.

Hà Nội police announce karaoke fire causes

The capital city police have confirmed carelessness by a welder during his work on a billboard as one of the main causes of a karaoke bar fire that killed a total of 13 people earlier this month.

The confirmation was part of the police’s initial investigation results announced on late Wednesday about the fire, which occurred at 1.30pm on November 1 at No 68 Trần Thái Tông Street in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District.

Police said the welder was working on a billboard covering the bar’s second floor facade when he caused some sparks to shoot up the bar’s walls and dropped on to the floor.

As the bar’s walls were covered with inflamable materials, they caught fire immediately. The flames spread quickly through the whole building, according to the police.

The bar was also built without any emergency exit on the second floor. Thus, most of the customers who were hiring a karaoke room could not get out and were killed mostly due to suffocation before being burnt.

It took more than seven hours for firefighters to stamp out the fire.

The young welder later was found to be a free-lancer working without any professional licence.

Nguyễn Thị Diệu Linh, 30, owner of the bar from Hà Đông District’s Văn Quán Ward, said she hired the building for ten years from July this year to July 2026 to run a karaoke service business.

Linh then signed a contract with the Thiện An Phú Investment Join-stock Company based in Hoàn Kiếm District’s Phúc Tân Ward to design and install fire fighting accessories for the bar.

The design and installation plan for fire fighting was licensed by the local police on October 13, and the company started to implement it right away.

By October 31, about 90 per cent of the plan had been finished, except a connection for the operation of the fire fighting system, the investigation result revealed.

The implementation of the bar’s firefighting system plan had not totally been completed, but the bar owner still let customers use the room on the second floor on the day when the fire occurred.

The Hà Nội police said they would prosecute those responsible for the deadly fire when they receive a final results of the investigation.

Following such serious damage, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc instructed the city police to determine the cause of the blaze and deal strictly with any violations. All karaoke bars and restaurants in the city that fail to meet fire prevention and safety regulations must be closed immediately, he said.

VN prepares action plan to tackle poverty, inequality

In order to successfully reduce poverty and improve gender equality, education, food security, climate change adaptation and long-term equitable economic growth as committed with the world community, Việt Nam must prepare a detailed action plan.

This was the message delivered yesterday by Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Nguyễn Thế Phương, at a workshop in Hà Nội that brought together representatives of ministries, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, research institutes, political and social organisations, province-level agencies and the private sector.

“Implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a common business of every one,” he said, calling for responsible contribution of all stakeholders and individuals to ensure that a highly practical and feasible National Action Plan (NAP) is developed.

UNDP Country Director Louise Chamberlain agreed that “Việt Nam’s SDGs need to be owned by all people, all ethnic groups, women as well as men, and those who are socially excluded. This further emphasises the need for partnerships with civil society, the private sector, communities and citizens - this applies in target setting, planning, implementation efforts and monitoring and evaluation – and requires voluntary and active participation.”

The UN agencies are committed to do its part and to offer experiences, technical expertise, and development solutions to support Việt Nam during this process, she said.

The consultant workshop on a draft NAP to implement 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was hosted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the lead agency for sustainable development in Việt Nam.

Phương said the draft NAP was developed based on key development policies, strategies and plans of Việt Nam in order to provide a guidance framework for sustainable development goals and coordinate among different stakeholders in implementing them. This NAP will play a role as the legal basis for Việt Nam to fulfil its commitment to the international community, and to responsibly contribute to the global common efforts to achieve sustainable development, he said.

Nguyễn Lệ Thủy, deputy head of the MPI’s Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment, said that draft NAP contains 17 SDGs and 115 targets, including goals on poverty reduction, gender equality, education, food security, climate change adaptation, sustainable economic growth. The plan also assigns tasks to stakeholders to effectively implement the goals over the next 14 years.

Thủy said that the MPI plans to set up a fund supporting sustainable growth to mobilise internal and external resources.

The blueprint will be submitted to the  Prime Minister by the end of this month. It will be discussed at the 14th National Assembly’s third session in May next year.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted at the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York. The SDGs build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and aims to go further to end all forms of poverty. 

Baptist dignitaries attend the church’s congress

The Việt Nam Baptist Churches (Southern) opened its 3rd general congress in HCM City on Wednesday, with the participation of 500 Baptist dignitaries and followers from 22 localities.

Speaking at the event, Trần Tấn Hùng, deputy chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, praised the contribution of the Baptist dignitaries and followers of charity programmes, and the poverty alleviation movement.

During the 2012-2016 period, the Việt Nam Baptist Churches (Southern) has consolidated the organisation and encouraged its followers to abide by legal regulations, becoming an integral part of great national unity.

The two-day congress reviewed the operation of the last term, elected a new executive board for the third tenure, and passed the 2017-2020 plan.

The Việt Nam Baptist Churches (Southern) was established in November 1962 in HCM City and was officially recognised by the Government as a religious organisation in 2008.

The number of Baptist followers has reached more than 43,000 in 44 cities and provinces.

Hà Nội recalls unqualified drugs

Hà Nội Health Department reported that it will recall three kinds of unqualified medicines sold in the city’s market following the directive of the Drug Administration.
The three drugs to be withdrawn are PV detox capsule of Phúc Vinh Medicinal Herbal Joint Stock Company, Ciprofloxacin tablets USP 500mg of Indian company Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Enalapril maleat tablets USP 10mg of Medicinal Herbal Joint Stock Company 3/2.
The Health Department has also asked companies producing and importing such medicines to withdraw them in November and to report the recall to the department.
Health centres and drug retail stores in the city and districts were required to quickly recall all unqualified medicines mentioned above. 

Stale cow viscera trade to Laos stopped

Traffic police in central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province this morning stopped a passenger bus travelling on National Highway 1A and found two big boxes containing internal organs of cows on board.

Policemen said the cow viscera looked stale and produced a foul odour.

The bus departed from Đà Nẵng City and was heading to Laos’s Vientiane. Bus driver Nguyễn Hữu Hiệp told the police he was hired to carry those boxes. He, however, failed to show documents of the boxes’ origin and hygiene condition.

Police seized the boxes and transferred them to the local environmental police unit for investigation. Vietnamese use cattle viscera as an ingredient in a number of dishes. There are many Vietnamese who live as temporary workers in Lao provinces near the border.

Cooking show for kids to be aired

A new cooking show for kids, “Little Apron”, will be aired from November 13 every Sunday on VTV2.
This is a reality show for Vietnamese children or foreigners speaking fluent Vietnamese, aged 6-10.
The show is a platform for children to showcase their cooking skills, gain soft skills and perform the job of a breadwinner. It will help children be more active and have a higher sense of responsibility.
Participants will buy the required items for an assigned dish on their own, handle situations set by the organisers along the way and cook the dish under the observance and support of a chef.
Parents can also send pictures of their kids with their favourite dish or while cooking in the kitchen to be posted on the fanpage of the show, Tạp dề tí hon VTV2. Every week, three pictures with the most likes and shares will be announced during the show and awarded a gift from the organisers.
There are 52 episodes and each show is 15 minutes.

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