Horse racing course to be built in Hanoi

Hanoi will spend more than 420 million USD to build  a horse racing course in Soc Son district, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said on December 11.

He released the information at a meeting with citizens in Hoan Kiem district following the 7th session of the 15th Hanoi People’s Council.

At this event, voters asked authorities to consider zoning land unsuitable for agricultural production and far away from populous areas for developing new services to help improve local living standards.

Chung said the course has been part of the city’s planning for a multifunctional complex including a park, tourism and entertainment centres and many other facilities.

The project was first put on the table in 1999. It was initially planned to be built in Dai Kim ward of Hoang Mai district and Thanh Liet commune of Thanh Tri district. However, as the legal framework for sports betting and horse racing hadn’t been completed at the time, the foreign partner withdrew from this project in 2005.

In 2007, the Hanoitourist Corporation and the Republic of Korea’s Global Consultant Network proposed the project again.

In August 2016, they inked a joint venture contract to invest in the project, which is set to meet five-star standards.

The project is expected to create jobs for about 1,000 direct labourers and tens of thousands of indirect ones and contribute up to 1.5 trillion VND (64 million USD) to the local budget each year.

The Vietnamese Government issued a decree on doing business in the horse and dog racing betting and piloting the international football betting in 2017. Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved a law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Physical Training and Sports that includes an article on sports betting. With this move, the legal framework for sports betting has been upgraded from the decree level to the law level. 

Catholic solidarity committee holds Christmas gathering

The Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics (CSVC) presents relief to flood-hit residents in Thanh Hoa province. (Photo: ubdkcgvn.org.vn)

The Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics (CSVC) held a gathering in Hanoi on December 12 on the occasion of the coming Christmas.

Attending the event, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Ngo Sach Thuc shared joy and extended greetings to the Catholic dignitaries and followers throughout the country.

Meanwhile, CSVC Chairman, Priest Tran Xuan Manh sent his best wishes to the Vietnamese Catholics on the occasion. 

He underlined that the committee will stand side by side with the nation to bring happiness to the people from all backgrounds while actively engaging in humanitarian activities.

Also, the committee will do its utmost to fulfill its mission in 2019, and act for the interest of the followers, which is in line with Pope Benedict XVI’s words that a good Catholic is a good citizen.

In the past year, the Catholic associations have proactively joined in the patriotic movements, and enhanced charitable activities with classes for street children and people with disabilities, care for leprosy and AIDS patients, fundraising for the impoverished and support for disaster victims.

The CSVC has set up a network covering 42 cities and provinces nationwide.

Returnee victims of human trafficking get support

Le Duc Hien, deputy head of the Department of Social Vices Prevention and Combat under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said most of the victims bore mental and physical scars as they were subjected to exploitation, torture and sex abuse.

Nearly 7,500 victims of human trafficking were rescued by competent agencies between 2012 and 2017, and all of them have received support to reintegrate into the community, heard a workshop in Hanoi on December 12. 

Le Duc Hien, deputy head of the Department of Social Vices Prevention and Combat under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), said most of the victims bore mental and physical scars as they were subjected to exploitation, torture and sex abuse. 

Not only the victims but their relatives also suffer from consequences of human trafficking, he added. 

Many models have been formed in localities to assist the returnee victims, he said, adding that the MoLISA has also set up anti-human trafficking hotlines in the border provinces of An Giang and Ha Giang, which are connected with the switchboard hotline 1800 1567/111 in Hanoi. 

Delegates at the workshop shared the views that thanks to the closer coordination between departments, agencies and organisations, many victims have accessed social support services. 

Besides, the above-said models have helped improve the spirit and health of the victims, and provided them with means of livelihood such as loans and breeding animals for starting production, they said, noting that attention has been paid to law dissemination in order to raise public awareness of the issue. 

However, there remain various difficulties in the work as most of the victims have disadvantaged backgrounds and low levels of education, making it hard for social workers in giving consultation and vocational training. 

The shortage of social workers in this field and the limited numbers of social support services and models have also hindered the work. 

The delegates suggested establishing coordination mechanisms between competent Vietnamese and foreign agencies to exchange information about victims, intensifying training for social workers and stepping up communication work. 

Statistics from the Ministry of Public Security reveal that more than 3,000 cases of human trafficking were detected between 2010 and September 2018, with nearly 7,000 victims, who were not only women, children but also newborns and men.   

Human trafficking occurred in all cities and provinces, with nearly 85 percent cross-border cases, mostly via borders with Cambodia, Laos and China, the ministry said.

Career talk connects Vietnamese youths in Japan

Scene at the talk 

The non-profit organisation Vietnamese Professionals in Japan (VPJ) organised a career talk for youths in Tokyo on December 12.

Fourteen speakers from leading companies in Japan and in the world shared information about novel technologies, and job trends and opportunities, especially in the IT sector.

The talk attracted nearly 300 guests, making it the biggest event hosted by VPJ since its establishment in 2016. The organisation was founded to link Vietnamese youths who are studying and working in the East Asian country.

According to the Vietnam – Japan Friendship Association, more than 260,000 Vietnamese are working, studying and living in Japan, up by almost four-fold in the last five years and making the Vietnamese the fifth largest foreign community in Japan.

Kien Giang increases investments in transport infrastructure

The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has injected more than 9.9 trillion VND (426.5 million USD) into transport infrastructure in service of local socio-economic development, the provincial Department of Transport said. 

Nguyen Van Dung, director of the department, said the province has coordinated with the Ministry of Transport to implement the six-lane Lo Te-Rach Soi road project, and the locality has 5,587km of asphalted and concretised roads.  

Apart from roads on its islands, the province has invested in ports, wharfs, vehicles and vessels, meeting the increasing demand for transport, according the official. 

Phu Quoc international airport and sea port on Phu Quoc Island have been connected with cities of many countries such as China, Russia, Sweden, the UK, Thailand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Cambodia. 

During the 2019-2020 period, Kien Giang will continue to mobilise resources for major transport projects and publicise its public investment plan in order to call for direct investment and investment under the public-provate partnership (PPP) model. 

The province will also increase investment promotion and create the best possible conditions for different economic sectors to invest in transport infrastructure, he said. 

Kien Giang targets becoming a well-developed locality and a transportation and tourism service destination in the Mekong Delta, and a development hub of the southern key economic region.

The province is expected to generate an average Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of 7.5-8 percent per year by 2020.

Kon Tum’s culture, tourism week features various activities

Nha Rong, an ethnic minority communal house, in the ancient village of Kon K’Tu in Kon Tum province

Kon Tum province will organise a culture and tourism week from December 14 to 17 with the participation of over 700 artists from Central Highlands localities, along with central Quang Nam and Quang Ngai and southern An Giang provinces.

The week, the fourth of its kind so far, will be an occasion to honour and popularise the culture, tourism potential and other advantages of the central, Central Highlands and southwestern regions.

Organisers said the week’s opening ceremony will be held at the March 16 Square in Kon Tum city on December 14 evening, featuring performances by many famous artists.

A variety of activities will take place as part of the week, including a culinary culture festival, a folk wood carving festival, the introduction of local tourism products, an exhibition of cultural heritage items, folk games, and a street festival.

[Video: Diversity of Central Highlands’ culture introduced at ethnic village]

Tours of destinations across Kon Tum province, including in Kon Tum city and the districts of Kon Plong, Kon Ray, Ngoc Hoi, Tu Mo Rong and Sa Thay, will also be organised for visitors to the week.

Meanwhile, traditional costumes of different ethnic groups will be shown at the closing ceremony on December 16.

Kon Tum, a border province in the Central Highlands, has a population of nearly 500,000, over 50 percent of which are people from more than 20 ethnic minority groups. As a result, it is home to diverse traditional ethnic culture. 

Hanoi sets 24 goals for 2019

Hanoi has set 24 goals for 2019, with one in budget collection and spending, 22 in socio-economic development and the last in personnel work.

The targets were announced the launching during a meeting on December 10 to summarise the emulation movement of 2018 and start socio-economic plan for 2019.

Next year, the capital city aims to record at least 8.7 percent in the growth of the gross regional domestic product (GRDP), improve the local investment and business environment in line with economic restructuring, and build city planning for the 2020-2030 period.

It will work to preserve and promote cultural values and ensure social security, while continuing efforts in administrative reform, enhancing the city’s Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), and stepping up the building of smart city.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, all of the 20 socio-economic goals of the city in 2018 have been fulfilled, with eight of them surpassed.

Hanoi’s export revenue has grown 21.6 percent, while the rate of malnutrition children under five years old has been reduced by 0.3 percent, that of trained labourers raised to 63.18 percent, and 90 more public schools reach national standards.

Up to 55.5 percent of the rural population has enjoyed access to clean water, while 30 more communes have been recognised as new-style rural areas. The city’s percentage of poor households has been reduced by 0.5 percent compared to 2017, and the coverage of social insurance increased to 86.5 percent.

In 2018, Hanoi’s GRDP growth is projected to hit 8.56 percent or 7.37 percent following the new calculation method, the committee reported.

In this year, the city is likely to complete 17 targets for the 2016-2020 period.

At the same time, the committee also pointed to a number of problems facing the city, including traffic jam, flooding, violations in construction, and low PAPI ranking.

At the meeting, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung launched a patriotic emulation movement for 2019 among the Party organisation, administration and locals of the capital city, with an aim to complete and surpass all the socio-economic targets for the whole year.

ADB helps Vietnam improve health care in disadvantaged areas

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved 100.6 million USD in financing to support the Vietnamese Government’s reform effort to improve health service delivery and the quality of health care providers, especially in poor, border areas

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved 100.6 million USD in financing to support the Vietnamese Government’s reform effort to improve health service delivery and the quality of health care providers, especially in poor, border areas.

The financing package includes an 88.6 million USD policy-based loan, which will provide budget support to the Ministry of Health as it implements complex reforms nationwide in key areas such as public investment governance, health service delivery, and health workforce quality in the local health care (LHC) system.

A 12 million USD grant, meanwhile, will complement those reforms by piloting health service delivery models in 12 districts in six provinces with high poverty rate, large minority populations, and susceptibility to health security threat.

“The programme is part of ADB’s coordinated effort to help the Government of Vietnam achieve universal health coverage, including access to essential health care services,” said ADB Senior Health Specialist Mr. Gerard Servais.

“The grant, in particular, will fund critical investments to help ensure quality health service delivery in remote, disadvantaged areas, with a strong focus on women’s health,” he added.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members, of which 48 from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled 32.2 billion USD, including 11.9 billion USD in co-financing.

Vietnam to complete legal corridor for remote sensing activities

Tam Coc-Bich Dong, a popular tourist destination in Ninh Binh province and part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex UNESCO World Heritage site from above 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) recently proposed a draft decree on remote sensing activities.

The decree aims to complete policies on the use of high technology in managing natural resources and the environment.

Remote sensing technology has been an important tool for the assessment and management of natural resources, environmental pollution, natural disaster prevention and security and defence in Vietnam for years.

However, State management of this field was only officially applied in 2013 with a decree regulating the function, rights, obligations and organisation of MONRE, including the official establishment of the Department of National Remote Sensing.

After five years, a system of legal documents has been reviewed and supplemented. But it still lacks a legal basis for remote sensing, according to the ministry.

MONRE is drafting a decree on remote sensing, specifying principles in these activities such as providing remote sensing images for basic and professional survey and mapping, regularly updates of data and information, monitoring natural resources and the environment, search and rescue, disaster prevention, response to climate change and ensuring national defence and security.

The national remote sensing database will be maintained, operated and updated regularly and used to update the national geographical spatial system.

According to the ministry, the policy framework, legal documents, standard system and technical regulations of remote sensing will be formulated by 2025 and legal framework will be completed by 2030.

MONRE will build and develop a network of remote sensing data receivers (fixed stations, mobile stations and virtual stations), control stations, remote sensing data processing and remote sensing data transmission networks to provide remote sensing data to ministries, sectors and localities.

Human resource development, scientific research, the development of remote sensing technology and expanding international cooperation on remote sensing with other countries will be strengthened.

The ministry will publicise the planning and list of investment projects to encourage domestic and foreign organisations and individuals to participate.

There will be preferential policies to attract domestic and foreign investors to carry out projects in Vietnam.

The draft will be proposed to the National Assembly to promulgate the Law on Remote Sensing and submit to the Prime Minister a master plan on development of the national remote sensing.

21 provinces feel flushed with success in improving locals' health

A boy washes his hands with tap water in Ninh Thuan province 

In an attempt to improve health for local residents, more than 400,000 household toilets and more than 235,000 water supply works have been set up in a total of 21 mountainous provinces of northern, Central Highlands and south-central regions in the past two years.

Additionally, some 2,650 public toilets were also constructed in these provinces.

The provinces consist of Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yên Bai, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan.

It was initial results of a five-year programme, implemented by the Ministry of Health under financial supports of the World Bank, the online newspaper VietnamPlus reported.

The programme is expected to contribute to the reduction of diseases in residential areas, especially those related to water and sanitation, thereby increasing the productivity, and improving the quality of life for thousands of local people.

It is also designed to improve personal hygiene, environmental sanitation as well as strengthen access to clean water in rural areas.

The programme, worth 225.5 million USD, was approved under the Government decision No 1415/QD-Ttg, issued in August 2015.

It has three components. The first is rural water supply; the second is rural sanitation; and the third is improving capability of communication, monitoring and evaluation for relevant agencies. 

Lo Van Tien, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien province and head of the provincial steering committee to implement the programme, said it had begun to change the behaviour of locals.

Local people were step by step familiar with standard toilets, tap water and setting up a habit of washing their hands after using toilets, Tien said.

When the behaviour of local residents was changed, it meant that the environmental sanitation was also improved, he added.

Statistics from the local administration show the province has set up 45 public water supply works between 2016 and June 2018.

The province plans to provide tap water for a total of nearly 402,000 local residents by 2020.

In the meantime, Ha Giang province has built 38 water supply works for nearly 9,600 households and constructed more than 3,400 household toilets since 2016.

The province also organised training courses for local staff, who participated in implementing the programme, and strengthened dissemination to raise public awareness of clean water and environmental sanitation.

Nguyen Minh Tien, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the committee had ordered relevant agencies to finish the programme’s targets as soon as possible.

Pham Thi May, a local resident in Yen Bai province’s Dai Phac commune, got a new toilet thanks to financial support from the programme.

“The new toilet is hygienic and convenient,” she added.

May said her family used an old-style toilet before. It was not only unhygienic and inconvenient but also posing negative impacts on the environment.

She felt thankful because of the programme, she said.

Hoang Kim Chung, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of the commune said the programme was believed to improve the health for local residents and protect the environment.

The committee planned to boost dissemination to local residents so that it could more effectively implement the programme in the future, he said.

According to associate professor Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, director of the Health Environment Management Agency under the health ministry, infectious diseases with the highest number of patients were those related to clean water and environmental hygiene.

In Vietnam, infectious diseases with more than 100,000 patients are flu, diarrhea, dengue fever, foot-hand-mouth disease, mumps and chicken pox.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said 88 percent of childhood fatalities are related to weak sanitation and clean water shortages.

ADB helps Vietnam boost inclusive tourism in secondary towns

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on December 10 that it had approved a 45 million USD loan to help Vietnam transform secondary towns into more economically inclusive, competitive tourism destinations (Source: www.adb.org)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on December 10 that it had approved a 45 million USD loan to help Vietnam transform secondary towns into more economically inclusive, competitive tourism destinations. 

“Tourism is growing rapidly in Vietnam, but most growth and corresponding socioeconomic benefits are concentrated in a few gateway destinations. To promote more inclusive and sustainable growth, it’s important for Vietnam to increase public and private investment in secondary towns,” said ADB Project Administration Unit Head for Vietnam Steven Schipani.

According to him, the Second Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth Project will construct climate-resilient transport and urban infrastructure needed to boost tourist arrivals and tourism services investment in Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue provinces.

It will also develop urban green spaces and public beaches in these provinces, where the project is expected to benefit about 168,000 residents and more than 8 million visitors annually, he added.

Specifically, the project will upgrade about 31 kilometers of urban-rural roads and 13 passenger piers to provide visitors and residents with convenient access to cultural and historic sites in all participating provinces. 

To help Cua Lo town in the central province of Nghe An attract more and higher-spending visitors year-round and adapt to climate change, the project will rehabilitate a 5.5-km seawall and beachfront drainage, improve public recreation areas, and expand market space for local vendors. 

Quang Tri province’s Cua Viet and Cua Tung beaches will benefit from similar investments.  

Using training, certification programmes, and policy incentives, the project will also help ensure that tourism management in project areas meets standards set by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The integrated project design incorporates lessons from more than 15 years of ADB support to foster inclusive and sustainable tourism in Vietnam. This includes the ongoing 2014–2019 GMS Tourism Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth Project and the successfully completed GMS Sustainable Tourism Development Project and GMS Mekong Tourism Development Project.

Students’ talent contest Express Yourself 2019 launched

At the Express Yourself 2018 (Photo courtesy EF Education First)

Express Yourself 2019 – a talent contest for students – was launched on December 10 by the international education organisation EF Education First.

The contest has three categories – “voice up”, “step up” and “speak up”, which seek talents in English singing, dancing and English eloquence, respectively. Contestants can choose one category or more to take.

The theme of the “speak up” category this year is “What are your hopes for the future of our society?”

Meanwhile, “step up” is a new section of the annual contest, which was first launched four years ago and has drawn nearly 40,000 contestants so far.

Cao Phuong Ha, CEO of the EF Education First, said that the contest is organised to the global standards with the engagement of prestigious jury members who are ambassadors from the English-speaking community, domestic and international experts in music and dance.

It is a chance for contestants to challenge and express themselves, while accessing experience education activities to improve their language ability, she said.

Along with the skills in dancing, singing and language, one of the major criteria of the competition is the contestants’ ability to express their emotion and passions on the stage, said Phuong.

The winner of the contest will be awarded a study tour to New York and an opportunity to participate in the Global Young Leaders’ Conference.

Students interested in the competition can register from now until January 31, 2019 at website https://www.ef.com.vn/hub/asia/express-yourself/. Fifteen most outstanding contestants will compete at the final round slated for May 2019.

Forum: human resources governance a strategic factor of sustainable growth

Human resources governance is a strategic factor for sustainable corporate development, heard the Vietnam Business Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 12. 

Speaking at the event, President of the Vietnam Business Coalition for Women's Empowerment (VBCWE) Ha Thu Thanh, who is also Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Deloitte Vietnam, said promoting gender equality at workplaces will both strengthen internal capacity and bring sustainable values to businesses. 

She urged them to devise specific strategies and action plans as well as apply technological advances to improve fairness and transparency in recruitment and training. 

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick said the Australian government always strives to partner with leading Vietnamese enterprises, adding that firms need to take appropriate measures to improve their business efficiency and achieve growth targets. 

Experts said amid the fourth industrial revolution, businesses could offset social welfare costs by dominating the market and gaining consumers’ popularity when it comes to building trademarks. 

On the occasion, the organising board presented the EDGE Certification and the Global Business Certification Standard for Gender Equality, to Vietnamese companies, including the Southern Airports Services Jsc, the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation and the Maritime Bank. 

The forum was co-organised by the Vietnam Economic Times and the VBCWE.