Programme to update disaster risk and warning

The scope of the programme will be concentrated in hurricane prone areas in remote islands and inland areas. 

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved a programme to update disaster risk and warning mapping, especially for natural disasters resulting from storms, flash floods, floods, landslides, droughts, and saline intrusion.

The programme aims to assess the risks of natural disasters in each region of Vietnam, with special attention given to annual natural disasters such as typhoons, storm surges, floods, flash floods, landslides, droughts, and saline intrusion.

The scope of the programme will be concentrated in hurricane prone areas in remote islands and inland areas.

The programme focused on the classification of natural disaster risks, the mapping of tropical pressure warning, storms and sea level rise caused by storms, disaster risk mapping and flood warning mapping, and landslides in midland and mountainous areas.

Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the relevant agencies and localities to implement the programme.

Ha Tinh people work in Thailand

Many people from the central province of Ha Tinh have flocked to Thailand to earn a living, transforming their locality.

Previously, My Loc Commune in Can Loc District was poor as local residents only depended on farming, while they have to face severe climate.

Before the 2000s, most of the local houses are cottages which were often seriously damaged whenever it rained heavy or had storms. 

However, over the past ten years, the commune has greatly changed. Now, there are a lot of big houses in the commune.

Nguyen Khanh, head of Nhat Tan Village, said initially only a few people went to Thailand to work. Then, others followed them.

Khanh said he himself worked in Thailand for four years. Like other people in My Loc, he tried a variety of jobs. According to Khai, men often work as builders or for parking lots, while women can serve at restaurants. 

People in My Loc Commune earn around VND15 million (USD681.8) each a month on average.

Nhat Tan Village has 360 households and up to 460 local people are now working in Thailand. Each household has 1-2 people working there on average.

Luxurious raincoats for leaders

The Thái Bình Province’s Steering Committee for Flood and Storms Prevention and Control has proposed to use VNĐ300 million (US$13,300) from the provincial budget to buy 300 sets of raincoats for leaders.

Raincoats cost on average around VNĐ10,000 for a basic design, and up to VNĐ100,000 ($4.5) for a better put together one. 

Besides the raincoats, the committee also proposed buying 300 pairs of rubber boots, 300 hats and 300 pairs of sandals for the leaders. Thus, the total budget for all items will be VNĐ396 million ($17,600).

The proposal was signed by Phạm Văn Dụng, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and deputy director of the provincial steering committee for flood and storms prevention.

Much to the approval of local residents, the Thái Bình Province People’s Committee temporarily stopped the proposal. The committee gave instructions to the provincial DARD to better research prices, and then report to the committee.

Cows make a home in US$1.5 million public office

The People’s Committee office in Kỳ Anh Town in the central province of Hà Tĩnh cost a whopping VNĐ33 billion (US$1.5 million), and was expected to become a local landmark.

However, rather than housing public officials, some alternative inhabitants have taken shelter: buffaloes and cows.

The new occupants have failed to upkeep the maintenance of the building, and doors, windows and tiles are hanging in disrepair.

Phan Duy Vĩnh, deputy chairman of Kỳ Anh’s People’s Committee, claimed that the state of the building was due to Typhoon Doksuri that hit in September. last year, and that the town did not have the funds for repair work.

In the meantime, the buffaloes and cows can make the most of their new home. 

Annual blood-donation campaign targets 30,000 units of blood

At least 30,000 units of blood are expected to be collected from volunteers in 26 provinces and cities via the annual blood-donation campaign Hành Trình Dỏ (Red Journey) 2018. Source www.hanhtrinhdo.vn

At least 30,000 units of blood are expected to be collected from volunteers at 26 provinces and cities in the country via an annual blood-donation campaign called Hành Trình Đỏ (Red Journey) 2018.

The campaign will begin on June 14 when blood donors in the country will be honoured. It will last until July 15.

The campaign will start in the Mekong Delta province of Cà Mau and then take palce in 25 provinces and cities including Kiên Giang, Cần Thơ, HCM City, Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khánh Hòa, Phú Yên, and Bình Định.

The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, in co-operation with Việt Nam Red Cross Society and others, is organising the campaign. 

Nguyễn Tấn Khởi, standing deputy chairman of Việt Nam Red Cross Society’s Sponsor Council, said the amount of blood donations had met 60 per cent of demand, while the donations before 2013 when the campaign was first organised provided 40 per cent of patients’needs.

More than 120,000 units of blood were collected via the campaign over the last five years, Khởi said.

A 29-year-old patient from HCM City’s District 12, who has thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder that can lead to heart failure and liver problems, told Việt Nam News: “Thanks to the campaign, I don’t have to wait for many days like I did in the past to have a blood transfusion.” 

Her siblings, who also have the disease, need blood transfusions every month.

The C.P. Việt Nam Corporation is carrying out a programme in response to the Red Journey campaign, called Hành Trình Chia Sẻ Yêu Thương (Journey to Share Love), in which the company’s staff and managers will donate 2,500 units of blood.

As many as 250 gifts will be presented to patients with thalassemia who live in  provinces and cities where the campaign will take place.

Criteria issued for model rural commune

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has signed a decision issuing criteria for model new-style rural commune in 2018-2020.

There are four groups of criteria that a rural commune should meet in order to earn the title.

The first group of criteria deal with production, income and household poverty rate. Accordingly, a model rural commune must have concentrated production areas for local key products that meet quality and food safety standards, ensure profits and resilience to climate change. It also must have at least two new-style profitable cooperatives.

The per capita income at the commune must be at least 1.5 times higher than the level at the time it was recognised as a new-style rural commune.

The commune also has no households living under the poverty line, except for those who are beneficiaries of social welfare or who fall into poverty due to natural calamities, accidents and serious illness.

The second group criteria is on education, health care and culture, under which at least 90 percent of children in the commune should go to kindergarten, and 100 percent of six-year-old children go to elementary school. At least 95 percent of local 11-year-old children must complete elementary education and the remaining should be attending elementary school. Also, at least 95 percent of youths from 15 to 18 years old in the commune must be attending general secondary school, regular educational centre or vocational school.

The commune’s clinic must meet requirements to provide medical check-ups and treatment for patients covered by health insurance; at least 95 percent of the local permanent residents participate in health insurance and at least 90 percent of residents have their health regularly checked.

The commune must regularly hold cultural and sport activities that attract the participation of at least 60 percent of permanent residents, and each village in the commune must have at least one art group or cultural-art club that operate regularly.

The third group of criteria deal with environmental protection, which require that at least 90 percent of solid waste is collected and treated in accordance with regulations, and at least 50 percent of daily waste is classified and treated.

At least 60 percent of roads in the commune should have water drainage ditches, with trees and flowers planted along.

The commune must have some forms of environmental protection organisations such as cooperatives, groups or clubs operating regularly in collecting waste, cleaning up the environment and carrying out communication activities on the environment.

At least 90 percent of local households engaging in animal husbandry must have hygienic breeding facilities, and 100 percent of households engaging in production and business activities must meet standards on waste and waste water discharge.

Under the fourth group of criteria, during the three consecutive years before the year the commune applies for the title of model new-style rural area, the commune should not have any case of illegal petitions involving large numbers of people and any local resident committing crimes. The local administration must ensure transparent and effective administrative procedures.

The Prime Minister requires relevant ministries and agencies to issue guidance on implementing the criteria for model new-style rural communes. The People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces are instructed to select suitable communes for the building of model new-style rural areas.

Portal of youth innovation ideas launched

First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee Le Quoc Phong 

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) held a ceremony in Hanoi on June 11 to launch a portal of creative ideas by Vietnamese youths and a competition on innovation ideas for administrative reform. 

The portal comes in two forms, including the website www.ytuongsangtao.net and the app “Sang tao tre” (Youth creativity) featuring innovation ideas, a forum, news, statistics, creative stories and library. 

It will collect and share youth innovative ideas and connect them with agencies, businesses and investors, update the State policies and regulations on supporting scientific studies, honour outstanding examples in youth creativity campaigns, and launch contests seeking ideas in fields of interest to young people. 

Meanwhile, the competition launched the same day should seek feasible ideas to popularise administrative reform, improve personnel quality, and adopt modern technology in management. 

Contestants should be young people aged 18-35 and send entries from October 6-30 via the website or app. 

The jury board will honour one first prize, one second prize, three third prizes and 10 consolation prizes by the late 2018. 

First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee Le Quoc Phong expressed his hope that HCYU members and young people nationwide will uphold their creativity and suggest ideas with different perspectives, contributing to nation building.

Vinh Long launches swimming course to students, teachers

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapter in the southern province of Vinh Long and Australia’s Water Safety Vietnam charity group launched a swimming course for 90 students and teachers in Vinh Long city on June 11. 

The course, lasting till June 21, will offer theoretical and practical guidance on swimming skills and rescue for drowned children.

Permanent Vice Secretary of the provincial youth union Bui Van Chieu said it is the third year the union has held such a swimming course for teachers and students with an aim to protect themselves in water or rescue drowned victims, thereby improving their health. 

During summer this year, the union will open similar courses in remote and mountainous areas. 

Since early this year, Vinh Long has recorded nine deaths from drowning, mostly those below six years old.

Quang Tri upgrades 12 reservoirs

Inspecting a reservoir in Quang Tri 

The central province of Quang Tri has begun repairing and upgrading 12 reservoirs in order to increase their resilience, especially during the rainy and flood season. 

The province expects the repair and upgrading of the reservoirs, estimated to cost over 226 billion VND (9.9 million USD) with 214 billion VND coming from World Bank (WB) loans, will be completed by 2022.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, the upgraded reservoirs include Kinh Mon and Dap Hoi in Gio Linh district; Khe Muong in Hai Lang district; Ho Km6 in Dong Ha city; Co Kieng 2, Ho Tram, Khe Na, Khom 2 and Duc Duc in Vinh Linh district; Khom 7 and Tan Vinh in Huong Hoa district; and Da Cua in Cam Lo district.

Among those, Kinh Mon is a second-level reservoir which has a designed capacity of 21 million cu.m.

Quang Tri province has 131 reservoirs serving irrigation for more than 25,000 ha of farming land, aquaculture, daily use and industry. Of them, 48 have degraded seriously, posing risks during the rainy and flood season.

The locality needs about 1.2 trillion VND (52.8 million USD) to repair and upgrade the degraded reservoirs.

Vietnam improves capacity in non-communicable disease treatment

Only 43.1 percent of high blood pressure patients were diagnosed. 

Early diagnosis, treatment and management of non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes at communal medical stations were updated at a training course workshop for lecturers major in the field held in Hanoi on June 11.

The event, the second of its kind organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), aimed to strengthen health care at the grassroots level, and reduce workload at central hospitals.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan, statistics in 2015 showed that in Vietnam, only 43.1 percent of high blood pressure patients were diagnosed and 13.6 percent were treated in medical stations. Meanwhile, 31.1 percent of diabetes patients and 28.9 percent were diagnosed and treated, respectively.

The Health Ministry issued Decision No.2559/QD-BYT dated April 20, 2018 on the management of hypertension and diabetes in line with the family medicine principle at communal health stations for 2018-2020. Accordingly, the organisaiton of training courses for regional lectures in the field is put at the first line of the plan.

However, Tuan said that local authorities and health departments must involve in the model so that it can be carried out in 11,000 communal infirmaries nationwide.

WHO chief representative in Vietnam Kidong Park said that better management of non-communicable diseases must be accompanied with enhancing capacity of hospitals at grassroots level. 

High blood pressure and diabetes could be easily diagnosed and treated at grassroots medical stations, which helps prevent the risks of cardiovascular in the country, he added.

Under Resolution No.20-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 by the Party Central Committee on the protection, care and improvement of public health in the new situation, 95 percent of medical stations in wards, communes and townships will prevent, manage and treat several non-communicable diseases by 2025 and the rate will reach 100 percent by 2030.

VN welcomes environmentally friendly waste treatment technologies

The Vietnamese Government, ministries and localities always welcome advanced and environmentally-friendly waste treatment technologies at reasonable prices, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said.

Dung made the statement while receiving Sebastian Rose, sales director of Germany’s INTEC company, which has 30-year experience in industrial waste treatment, in Hanoi on June 11.

After being introduced to the German company’s technology to turn solid waste into gas and energy, the Deputy PM lauded the INTEC’s idea of investing in a waste-to-energy plant in Vietnam, saying the country is in need of modern and suitable waste treatment technologies to protect the environment.

However, he held that modern technology is normally expensive and not suitable to the condition of Vietnam as most of the technologies require waste classification.

Currently, waste in Vietnam is basically treated by burying, which is harmful to the environment. Meanwhile, the pilot of other technologies following the models applied in many countries was not successful due to failure in waste classification, he noted, adding that high price is another concern of Vietnam.

He asked the Ministry of Science and Technology to coordinate with other ministries and sectors to verify and assess economic-technical indications of the waste-to-energy technology of INTEC company.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade was assigned to work with relevant ministries and agencies to calculate the price of power provided by solid waste-to-energy plants.

Deputy PM Dung also underscored the need to design specific projects for pilot implementation, while reminding enterprises to consider the possibility of producing lines and equipment domestically to reduce costs.

Vietnamese students in Beijing active in charitable activities

Participants in the congress in Beijing on June 10 pose for a photo 

Vietnamese students in Beijing, China, have performed well not only in their study but also in charitable activities in support of disadvantaged people in the home country.

The information was revealed at a congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnamese Students and the Association of Vietnamese Students in Beijing on June 10.

Reviewing activities of Vietnamese youths in Beijing, Dinh The Phuc, President of the Executive Committee of the Association of Vietnamese Students in Beijing, said aside from upholding their strengths in study, scientific research, and sports and cultural activities, the association has also stepped up charitable work. 

Notable activities included a programme on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) in 2017 that collected donations worth nearly 100 million VND (4,400 USD) to support flood victims in central Quang Binh province, and a Tet celebration in Duong Thuong commune of Yen Minh district in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

The association, consisting of nearly 400 members from almost 30 universities, colleges and academies, has done a good job of learning about its members’ aspirations and supporting them, Phuc said.

Addressing the congress, Pham Thanh Binh, Envoy of the Vietnamese Embassy in China, spoke highly of the association’s achievements, noting that the embassy will create the best conditions for their activities and help expatriate students deal with procedures and obstacles in their study and lives.

He also called on the association to reform its activities to attract more Vietnamese students.

At the congresses, participants elected new executive committees of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnamese Students and the Association of Vietnamese Students in Beijing for the 2018-2020 tenure.

HCM City triumph at national team chess event

The National Team Chess Championship’s organising board gives awards to the winners. — Photo zing.vn

HCM City won the National Team Chess Championship, which concluded in the northern province of Bắc Giang on June 10.

The team brought home three golds, two silvers and three bronze medals. Host Bắc Giang and Hà Nội were the runners-up with two golds.

More than 200 chess players from 17 teams across the country participated in the championship, competing in men’s and women’s rapid and blitz chess, mixed doubles’ standard chess and individual categories.

Vietnamese chess players will next compete in the Asian Team Chess Championship from July 27 to August 4 in Iran. 

Conference debates sustainable energy obstacles

Many experts agree that wind power is the energy for future

Renewable energy does not need to be imported and will help Vietnam save lots of money in the future, according to Bui Vinh Thang, Business Developer at Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd.

Many experts in Vietnam and overseas attended the conference about wind power held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Embassy of Denmark, the Embassy of Germany and the German International Co-operation Agency (GIZ) on June 7.

Wind power is the world's fastest-growing energy source in the past 15 years. More and more countries are developing wind powers because of its socio-economic benefits and positive environmental impacts on reducing greenhouse gas and other air pollutant emissions. Wind power is the answer when Vietnam needs an affordable and clean energy.

Bui Vinh Thang, Business Developer at Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd, said, "We have to import a large amount of coal, and hydropower exploitation is reaching its limits. Solar and wind power are renewable so in the future, solar and wind power will be much cheaper than coal power."

The banks in many countries have stopped providing loans to coal power projects while renewable energies are encouraged.

Steve Sawyer, general secretary of Global Wind Energy Council, said they wanted to help Vietnam enjoy the benefits of wind power in boosting economic development, ensuring energy security, generating jobs and developing modern technologies.

According to the experts, even though Vietnam already has its national energy policy framework, it needs to work more to improve the effectiveness and transparency of various regulations. Once the legal problems are dealt with, the wind power sector will experience rapid growth and attract international investors to Vietnam.

The Global Wind Energy Council advised Vietnam to complete the power purchase agreements' terms, clarify and simplify project approval processes, build a grid development plan and establish a national wind power association. 

Thang said currently, the investment risks in Vietnam is high. For example, the investors want a 20-year operation plan but it is stated in the power purchase agreements that EVN can cancel the contract anytime and only need to compensate for the revenue earned in one year.

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnam had issued many policies to encourage renewable energy development such as solar, wind and biomass energy to replace the fossil fuel. However, the growth is slow as only seven wind power projects with total capacity of 190 MW had been put into operation.

Thanh went on to say that the Ministry of Industry and Trade wanted to gather opinions from both firms and experts about their experiences in power development with new technology and in different terrains and climate in order to build Vietnam Power Development Plan to 2030 with a view to 2050.

National Day of Philippines celebrated in Hanoi

Delegates at the meeting (Photo: baoquocte.vn) 

The Vietnam – Philippines Friendship Association (VPFA) hosted a meeting in Hanoi on June 11 to celebrate the 120th National Day of the Philippines (1898-2018).

Addressing the event, VPFA Vice President Vu Xuan Truong congratulated the Philippine people on their achievements in national construction and development, particularly on their successful role as ASEAN Chair in 2017.

He noted with pleasure that since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1976, Vietnam and the Philippines have seen encouraging development in bilateral ties.

He also briefed the participants on activities hosted by the VPFA to boost economic and cultural links and mutual understanding between the two countries.

For his part, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon expressed his thanks to the VPFA for hosting the celebration, affirming his belief that the two countries have huge potential to further develop cooperation activities.

Exhibition on Con Dao Island opens in Vinh Long

Visitors at the exhibition  

An exhibition entitled ‘Con Dao Island - Past and Present’ opened in Long Ho district in the southern province of Vinh Long on June 11.

The exhibition was jointly held by Vinh Long province’s Committee on Communication and Education and the Con Dao Museum.

Before the opening ceremony, leaders of Vinh Long province and delegates at the event offered incense at the commemorative house of late Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pham Hung, an outstanding revolutionary cadre and excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh.

The exhibition focuses on three main topics, including: Con Dao prison and the struggle of political prisoners during the 1862 - 1975 period, the construction and development Con Dao Island (1975 - 2016), and the Con Dao vision to 2030.

The exhibition also features more than 300 photos and documents honouring exemplary revolutionaries in the colonial prison.

Three businesses fined due to violation in medicine quality

The Drug Administration of Vietnam (under the Ministry of Health) announced yesterday that it had just imposed formal sanctions of administrative violation to three drug and cosmetics producers / traders who had violated quality regulations.

Accordingly, the Drug Administration of Vietnam fined Ba Dinh Biotech Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (located in Que Vo Industrial Park in Que Vo District of the northern province of Bac Ninh) VND150 million (approx. $6,574) for producing low-quality Misoprostol tablets.

The company is also deprived from the certificate of satisfying drug-trading requirements, issued by the Ministry of Health, in 3 months. The company is to cooperate with related bodies to withdraw and then destroy all the batch of mentioned

The company to be fined this time is USAPHA Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (located in Tien Son Industrial Park in Tien Du District of Bac Ninh Province). It is fined VND40 million ($1,753) for manufacturing products which are not medicine in the drug production line. The company is also deprived from the certificate of satisfying drug-trading requirements, issued by the Ministry of Health, in 4.5 months

The company is to cooperate with related bodies to withdraw its Livganic, and then send a sample of the mentioned product to any Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-qualified organizations in the country for examination and report.

The last company to be fined by the Drug Administration of Vietnam is L-Beauty Vietnam Co. Ltd. (located at Stall 17-02 B on Floor 17 of Vincom Center Dong Khoi in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City). It is fined VND85 million ($3,726) for trading ‘Dior Homme Sport very cool spray fresh eau de toillete’ and ‘Dior J’Adore L’or Essence de Parfum’, which do not have matching ingredients with what have been approved. It is also fined because of running a disapproved advertisement.