Sustainable plan for Mekong region

Provincial authorities in the Mekong Delta provinces of Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Trà Vinh and Vĩnh Long have developed a strategic vision for the sustainable development of the Delta’s Eastern Coastal Sub-region.

Dr Nguyễn Đức Lộc, from the Centre for Sustainable Development for the Southern Region, said that agriculture and rural areas in the south and the delta’s eastern coastal region would focus on coconut, fruits and seafood, all of which are considered “strong” products of the area.

The four provinces would work together to develop material production zones with big companies from Việt Nam and other countries..

The eastern coastal sub-region would also work with other groups to promote socio-economic development and environmental protection.

Other areas of focus would be major farm produce in the region; infrastructure development, especially road and waterway transport; and logistics and irrigation works.

Other concerns are the protection, management and exploitation of natural resources including sand and water; mobilisation of investment for agricultural and industrial production, with a focus on the processing industry, and the promotion of tourism and trade.

The provinces will issue regulations about sustainable development for the region, and map out common programmes in response to climate change, coastal and river bank collapse, and water resource protection.

The provinces in the Mekong Delta’s eastern coastal sub-region have targeted reaching these goals by 2030.

They also aim to have the sub-region’s residents’ per capita income reach the average income of all Vietnamese residents; new employment opportunities for the sub-region’s residents; and a reduction in the poverty rate to a level compared with the average rate of the country.

The sub-region’s also wants to improve ecological production and farming with the use of advanced technologies; and develop infrastructure for irrigation works.

It targets economic growth combined with social development, poverty alleviation, employment opportunities, social welfare, and environmental protection.

Dr Trương Minh Huy Vũ, from the National University in HCM City, said the Mekong Delta’s eastern coastal sub-region, which includes the provinces of Bến Tre, Tiền Giang, Vĩnh Long and Trà Vinh, is located in the coastal area of the estuary of the Mekong River, covering a total area of 8,788.9 sq. km, accounting for 21.5 per cent of the total area of the Mekong Delta of Việt Nam.

A steering board for the eastern coastal sub-region was established at the seminar. Trà Vinh Province was appointed the head of the steering board for the group in 2019. 

Association collects half a million blood units over past 25 years

The Hà Nội Association of Young Blood Donors has collected nearly 500,000 units of blood to help save thousands of lives over the past 25 years.

A meeting in Hà Nội celebrated the 25th anniversary of the launch of the blood donation movement for young people and students in the capital city and the establishment of the Hà Nội Association of Young Blood Donors on Saturday.

At the event, the association president Chử Nhất Hợp said that the Hà Nội Association of Young Blood Donors, as a force uniting young people and students, has played a key role in the blood donation movement.

“Since its establishment, the association has played an important role and position in ensuring blood transfusion in Hà Nội as well as of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT),” said NIHBT director Bạch Quốc Khánh.

“On January 24, 1994, the first ever blood donation event was organised successfully in Hà Nội by the NIHBT and the Hà Nội Youth Union, marking an important foundation for the expansion of the blood donation mobilisation movement across all corners of the country in following years,” said Khánh. 

Khánh said that from that difficult start, the country developed a voluntary blood donation movement. The amount of blood collected has risen consistently each year.

In 1994, Việt Nam received 138,000 units of blood, of which 15 per cent came from voluntary blood donors. In 2018, the country received 1.4 million units of blood and 98 per cent of them were donated by voluntary blood donors, meeting more than 70 per cent of the country’s blood demand for emergency and treatment, according to NIHBT.

To date, Việt Nam has formed a blood transfusion network that operates closely with the health sector and the Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation Mobilisation at all levels and agencies and organisations. In all regions of the country, youth union members, youngster and students are always the core force, actively participating in blood donation festivals and mobilising people to voluntarily donate blood. Many models of voluntary blood donation were established and expanded successful to many provinces and cities nationwide, according to the health sector.

The association received the Labour Medal, third class, from the State President for its contribution to the voluntary blood donation movement in the city and in the country over the past 25 years.

Police bust football pools gambling ring

The Thanh Hóa City Police on Saturday smashed a football pools internet betting ring which has raked in more than VNĐ300 billion (US$13 million).

Initial investigations reveal the ring was led by 40-year-old Phạm Quân Dũng who lives in the city’s Đông Thọ Ward.

In November last year, he is accused of setting up a website with others in the city and Hậu Lộc, Hoằng Hóa and Thiệu Hóa districts to operate illegal football gambling.

The police seized 12 people, 17 mobile phones and other evidences. Investigations are continuing.

Quảng Ngãi village gets support to build flood-proof houses

People in a small village in central Quảng Ngãi Province are very familiar with dealing with floods that sweep through their houses from the Vệ River.

Located near the river, the village floods at least three times per year. Each time, much of the property of the residents, including basic furniture, is lost.

However, the Government’s programme to help impoverished households build flood-resistant houses has changed the lives of the villagers.

Nguyễn Văn Cúc, a resident of Hành Thiện Commune’s Phú Lâm Tây Village, is one of the people receiving financial support to build a flood-proof house. 

Standing in front of the house, Cúc said it has helped his family live through floods.

“All of us, from children to the elderly, had to be ready at any time,” he said. “When we are warned about an upcoming flood, we had to rush to bring animals and property to high positions to avoid losses.”

Cúc said he was afraid of not being ready for floods.

The flood-resistant house has helped his family save their possessions and keep basic furniture to survive until the water recedes. 

One villager, Nguyễn Thị Minh Nhung, said she put rice and some furniture on the top of the house to prepare for the floods.

“We used to be frightened as the water was too fast to move our property,” she said. “Things are much better now.”

The pilot programme was approved by the Government in 2012. It will help as many as 700 poor households in 14 flood-prone communes in seven provinces, including Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi and Phú Yên. 

Each house, with a minimum floor area of 10 square metres, costs at least VNĐ30 million (US$1,290).

VNĐ10 million ($430) in funding for the house comes from the State budget, a further VNĐ10 million comes in the form of a favourable loan from the Bank of Social Policy, and the rest is provided by the household.

Hồ Kim Việt, local official working to implement the programme, told Việt Nam News Agency that previously, many households lived in poverty after a flood. 

The historic flood in November, 2013 was an example. Four people were injured and 1,690 houses were submerged, causing losses of nearly VNĐ 25 billion ($1.07 million).

Since the province was chosen to implement the programme as a trial, as many as 450 flood-resistant houses have been built.

Việt said local residents hoped the programme would expand to all households near the poverty line and those who just got out of poverty to help them avoid a relapse.

“A flood can turn a normal family into an impoverished one,” he said. “I hope all the households are supported to build their own flood-proof houses.”

Trần Duy Cường, director of the provincial Bank of Social Policies, said the bank has asked the provincial People’s Committee to combine financial support from non-governmental organisations with the programme’s fund to help more people build the houses in the near future. 

Cần Thơ to provide agricultural training to 1,400 people

The Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ plans to provide training in agriculture for at least 1,400 people in rural areas this year, focusing mostly on crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

Of the figure, 25 per cent will be reserved for people covered by the Government’s preferential policies for contributions to the country’s revolution, those with disabilities, poor people, and women who lost their jobs, according to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

After completing the training, the trainees will have adequate knowledge and skills to do agricultural work effectively with at least 85 per cent of them getting jobs.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Nguyễn Ngọc Hệ, Director of the department, said the city was changing its agricultural vocational training strategy from basing it on the capacity of training schools to demand from workers and the market.

The department and the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs would revamp training to improve quality and effectiveness this year, he said.

They would create favourable conditions for rural workers to learn vocational skills appropriate for their education level, economic situation and requirement, he added.

This year they have instructed vocational schools to provide counselling on agricultural training to secondary and high school students and advocate through the media and social organisations to improve workers’ awareness.

They have also urged them to diversify their training methods, including providing courses for workers based on agricultural companies’ needs and organising training courses at companies and craft villages so that trainees can both learn and work at the same time.

Last year, the city provided training in agriculture for more than 1,000 rural people, 3 per cent more than it had targeted.

Of them, more than 85 per cent have now been employed. Around 30 per cent of the trainees helped set up agricultural groups or co-operatives to improve their incomes and generate jobs for more people. 

Free foot-and-mouth vaccines provided to Hà Tĩnh

The Vetvaco National Veterinary Joint Stock Company will provide 50,000 free doses of vaccine against foot and mouth disease in the central province of Hà Tĩnh.

The deal is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s decision to help Hà Tĩnh prevent an epidemic.

The provincial Department of Livestock and Veterinary will be taken responsibility for receiving and distributing the vaccine to local farmers.  

Foot and mouth disease was reported in Kỳ Văn Commune, Kỳ Anh District, last month, and spread quickly to the neighbouring districts of Cẩm Xuyên, Can Lộc and Thạch Hà.

According to provincial authorities, Cẩm Xuyên District had the highest number of cases, and 1,470 pigs had been culled in just over a month.

Immediately after the disease was discovered, provincial authorities deployed 20,000 doses of vaccine and 1,780 litres of antiseptic to stop it from spreading province-wide.

Experts are keeping a close watch on the animals to monitor newly affected areas and prepare prompt responses. 

Transport sector must boost safety: Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng yesterday requested the transport sector to increase its efforts to prevent and reduce traffic accidents.

Speaking at a year-end review meeting with officials from the Ministry of Transport, Dũng acknowledged the severity of several road accidents that took place across the country in 2018.

He asked the ministry to review road traffic regulations and collaborate with other sectors to tackle the issue in a comprehensive manner.

“The transport ministry needs to work in close collaboration with the National Traffic Committee, the Ministry of Public Security and localities to have tougher measures to reduce traffic accidents this year, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday,” he said.

He requested the ministry to shake up the management, maintenance and exploitation of transport infrastructure, as well as put tighter controls on vehicle loads and driver training and testing.

The Deputy PM said the Vietnamese Government would continue to provide support to the transportation sector in tackling the obstacles and challenges it is facing.

He stressed the important missions the sector will take on this year as a “pioneering sector” in the country’s industrialisation and modernisation process.

“The transport sector should provide the Government with advice and recommendations on developing infrastructure, make sure ongoing projects finish on time and restructure transport services to reduce logistics costs and increase the competitiveness of the country’s economy,” he said.

Dũng asked the sector to focus on building and perfecting institutions, policies and regulations in the field of transportation.

They should be considered a leading factor in creating an environment for economic development and a decisive factor in calling for investments and mobilising resources to develop the infrastructure system, he said.

The transport ministry should review and make adjustments, if necessary, to current development plans, he added.  

They should also take deliberate action to develop comprehensive plans for the 2021-30 period that involve roads, railways, aviation, seaports and inland waterways, he said.

“The plans must ensure connections among different transport modes, as well as between economic zones, industrial parks and seaports,” Dũng said. “They should also connect local transport networks with the national one.”

The implementation schedule of those plans must also be planned carefully; their capital structure, capital sources and investment priorities must be identified, he said. 

Conference discusses funding of traffic infrastructure in Southern Key Economic Region

Many solutions were put forth for raising funding for building traffic infrastructure in the Southern Key Economic Region at a conference in Bình Dương Province on Thursday.

Dr Phạm Phú Quốc, member of National Assembly’s Economic Committee, said the Southern Key Economic Region includes the provinces of Bình Phước, Tây Ninh, Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Long An, and Tiền Giang and HCM City.

Its existing technical and social infrastructures do not meet its socio-economic development needs, and so its potential for growth and competition are not maximized, he said.

Since the Government’s finances are limited, looking for other sources of capital is a solution, he said.

Dr Dư Phước Tân, head of the urban management and research division at the HCM City Institute for Development Studies, said the Southern Key Economic Region needs a large amount of fund each year to develop traffic infrastructure.

While the Government allocates funding for this, it is insufficient, he said.

According to statistics from Ministry of Transport, around VNĐ300 trillion (US$12.9 billion) is estimated to be spent on traffic infrastructure in the region, including on inter-provincial streets and waterways only.

Tân said existing policies for financing traffic infrastructure linking the provinces and the city in the Southern Key Economic Region and elsewhere in the country are limited, and the Government should issue more breakthrough policies.                  

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Minh Kiều of the HCM City Open University suggested that the provinces and HCM City should jointly set up a bank for investment in and development of traffic infrastructure to attract idle gold and dollars held by the public.

It is estimated they are worth around US$30 billion, he said.

According to a report by the Đồng Nai Province People’s Committee, the region contributes more than 40 per cent of the country’s total GDP and 60 per cent of the Government’s revenues every year.

It also attracts more than 50 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment.

A plan for transport development in the Southern Key Economic Region by 2020 envisages building more new expressways such as between Biên Hòa city in Đồng Nai and Vũng Tàu city in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, between HCM City and Bình Phước Province’s Chơn Thành District passing through Bình Dương Province’s Thủ Dầu Một city, between Long An Province’s Bến Lức District and Đồng Nai’s Long Thành District, and between HCM City and the Mộc Bài international border gate in Tây Ninh Province.

Many other waterway transport projects are set to be added to the plan.

The conference was held by HCM City Open University. 

Conference discusses funding of traffic infrastructure in Southern Key Economic Region

Many solutions were put forth for raising funding for building traffic infrastructure in the Southern Key Economic Region at a conference in Bình Dương Province on Thursday.

Dr Phạm Phú Quốc, member of National Assembly’s Economic Committee, said the Southern Key Economic Region includes the provinces of Bình Phước, Tây Ninh, Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Long An, and Tiền Giang and HCM City.

Its existing technical and social infrastructures do not meet its socio-economic development needs, and so its potential for growth and competition are not maximized, he said.

Since the Government’s finances are limited, looking for other sources of capital is a solution, he said.

Dr Dư Phước Tân, head of the urban management and research division at the HCM City Institute for Development Studies, said the Southern Key Economic Region needs a large amount of fund each year to develop traffic infrastructure.

While the Government allocates funding for this, it is insufficient, he said.

According to statistics from Ministry of Transport, around VNĐ300 trillion (US$12.9 billion) is estimated to be spent on traffic infrastructure in the region, including on inter-provincial streets and waterways only.

Tân said existing policies for financing traffic infrastructure linking the provinces and the city in the Southern Key Economic Region and elsewhere in the country are limited, and the Government should issue more breakthrough policies.                  

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Minh Kiều of the HCM City Open University suggested that the provinces and HCM City should jointly set up a bank for investment in and development of traffic infrastructure to attract idle gold and dollars held by the public.

It is estimated they are worth around US$30 billion, he said.

According to a report by the Đồng Nai Province People’s Committee, the region contributes more than 40 per cent of the country’s total GDP and 60 per cent of the Government’s revenues every year.

It also attracts more than 50 per cent of the country’s total foreign investment.

A plan for transport development in the Southern Key Economic Region by 2020 envisages building more new expressways such as between Biên Hòa city in Đồng Nai and Vũng Tàu city in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, between HCM City and Bình Phước Province’s Chơn Thành District passing through Bình Dương Province’s Thủ Dầu Một city, between Long An Province’s Bến Lức District and Đồng Nai’s Long Thành District, and between HCM City and the Mộc Bài international border gate in Tây Ninh Province.

Many other waterway transport projects are set to be added to the plan.

The conference was held by HCM City Open University. 

Leader calls on whole society to support disadvantaged

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong called on agencies, organisations, businesses and people from all social strata to join hands in supporting disadvantaged people, while addressing an event in Hanoi on January 13. 

The “Strength of humanity 2019” prorgamme, themed “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange victims”, was organised by the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) to call for assistance to the people with disadvantages in the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday – the biggest annual traditional festival of the country.

The leader, who is also Honorary Chairman of the VRC, said humanity is a precious tradition of Vietnam that has been passed down from generation to generation.

He emphasised the VRC’s role in humanitarian activities and spoke highly of its annual “Strength of humanity” programme.

Most of the poor, underprivileged and vulnerable are in mountainous, remote and disaster-prone areas, he noted, adding that the Party and State will push on with concerted economic and social solutions to help the groups improve their lives.

In these efforts, the community holds a critical role, General Secretary and President Trong stressed.

VRC Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu said the organisation, founded in 1946 by then President Ho Chi Minh, has established itself as the core and the coordinator of humanitarian activities across the country.

Notably, the “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange victims” movement, launched in 1999, has so far raised nearly 6.7 trillion VND (287.5 million USD) to support over 22 million impoverished and welfare beneficial households and Agent Orange victims. 

Aid has been offered in various practical forms, including the provision of cash and cows, helping to build houses, and providing free medical check-up and medicine, she noted.

On this occasion, the VRC Central Committee launched a text message campaign to mobilise support for less privileged people. Donors can text TET to 1407 from now to February 12 to contribute 20,000 VND per message to the fund.

Notably, organisers also auctioned the ball and the jersey with the autographs of players and coaches of the national men’s football team who recently won the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018. These were the gifts from the team to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who later handed them to the VRC Central Committee to auction for fundraising purposes. The result of the auction will be announced in May.

At the programme on January 13, 51.2 billion VND and over 2 million gift packs were donated while more than 2,100 text messages sent to help poor people and Agent Orange victims.

Scientists’ association contributes to Vietnam’s sustainable development

The Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global) reaped many impressive results in its key sectors in 2018, according to its President Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duc Khuong.

He made the statement during a congress for the 2019-2021 tenure of the association, which took place in Paris on January 12.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Thiep said activities of the AVSE Global have greatly contributed to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

Notably, the second Vietnam Sustainability Forum is set to take place in late January, which will create an international exchange platform for global leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists and experts to present and discuss worldwide initiatives, practices and visionary trends about sustainability.

In the previous tenure, the AVSE Global joined hands with Vietnam’s relevant agencies to hold seven workshops and policy forums on digital economy, leadership, public policy, and finance – banking, among others.

It also organised various training programmes, particularly those designed for technical officials and future leaders. Nearly 20 policy reports were submitted to the Vietnamese Government and relevant agencies. 

Meanwhile, 10 strategic projects have been launched, including those related to the Van Don Special Economic Zone, education networks, economic policy, and strategies to attract Vietnamese talents across the world.

Established in May 2011, the France-based AVSE Global brings together about 250 scientists and experts who are living in many parts of the world. It aims to connect intellectual sources in a systematic way to identify ideas, strategies, and implementation in all fields of science and techniques in foreign countries and at the same time orient to make contributions to the development of Vietnam. 

Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia, RoK welcome Tet

Art performance in Cambodia to welcome Tet. 

The Vietnamese nationals in Cambodia and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have embraced the spirit of Tet as the Lunar New Year draws near with various activities.

A cultural event was held in Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese students in Cambodia on January 13, during which Charge d’ Affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia Nguyen Trac Toan spoke highly of the celebration, and congratulated the Vietnamese students for their robust achievements in 2018.

He took the occasion to thank the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for their support for the Vietnamese students. Also, Toan asked the students to use their studying time in Cambodia to make contributions to the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Mom Sochanna, an official from the Cambodian ministry, for her part, hailed the efforts made by the Vietnamese students in the country. She wished them a happy new year, and hoped that they will excellently complete their study, helping consolidate the bilateral relations.

Currently, there are more than 100 Vietnamese students in Cambodia. Over the past years, generations of Vietnamese students have become important human resources for agencies and areas related to Cambodia, and served as a bridge to further the flourishing the two countries’ ties.

The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK organised a grand celebration to welcome the New Year, drawing the participation of several Vietnamese and RoK businesses, and some 200 Vietnamese expatriates.

Briefing the thriving Vietnamese economy in 2018, with significant contributions made by RoK enterprises, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Vu Tu underlined that Vietnam and the RoK are enjoying robust cooperation in various sectors in the past years.

As the Vietnamese community in the East Asian nation has developed unceasingly, they should join hands with the embassy to elevate the Vietnam-RoK relations to a new high, especially when both sides are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the strategic cooperative partnership in 2019. 

He thanked the Vietnamese and RoK companies for assisting activities of the Vietnamese people in the recent time.

RoK, Vietnam lawmakers to hold first friendly football match

Lawmakers of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam will have their first friendly football match in Hanoi later this month, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Twenty-five RoK lawmakers, including members of the RoK-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Association, will make a four-day trip to Hanoi, beginning on January 17, to hold various exchange events, the agency quoted officials from the RoK Embassy in Vietnam as saying. 

Notably, lawmakers from both countries plan to hold a friendly football match at Hang Day Stadium in the Vietnamese capital on January 18.

It will be the first time that RoK and Vietnamese lawmakers play football together. It will also be the first time that Vietnamese lawmakers play football with their counterparts from other countries.

Embassy officials said the two countries' friendly relations, attributed largely to the popularity of Park Hang-seo, the RoK head coach of the Vietnamese national football team, appear to be spreading to the political circles.

RoK lawmakers have so far held 11 friendly football matches with their Japanese counterparts but have never engaged in football diplomacy with lawmakers of other countries.

Quang Ninh installs solar panels for island residents

The Quang Ninh Electricity Company is carrying out the installation of solar panels for 15 households residing on Tran island, Thanh Lan commune, Co To Island district, the northern province of Quang Ninh. 

These solar panels with capacity of 1kWp will enable these households to have sufficient power for their daily activities, while they are waiting for being connected with the national power grid.

Solar panels will also be installed for 178 households in Mong Cai, Hai Ha, Tien Yen, Ba Che, Binh Lieu, and Hoanh Bo, given they live in remote areas, far away from the national power grid, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

Experts said solar panels bring the highest efficiency in terms of investment and environmental protection.

The installation, which has a total investment of 55 billion VND sourced from Quang Ninh’s budget, is expected to complete before January 28, 2019.

Solar power is attracting great attention from the Government and businesses as the development of solar energy, one of the renewable energy sources, is a new orientation in Vietnam.

In April 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a decision on mechanisms for encouraging solar power development.

Young workers need preparation: experts

Young people in the workforce need to be better prepared for competing in a knowledge-based economy, experts said at a conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 11. 

Pham Van Chat, a lawyer with the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), said that human resources in Vietnam had not been trained well enough to meet work requirements in the new economy.

Students, lecturers and professionals from colleges, universities, institutions and agencies in southern cities and provinces attended the conference, which examined the impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which took effect on January 1.

Vietnam’s labour productivity remains low compared with many members of the CPTPP and ASEAN countries.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has said that only 11 percent of the workforce of nearly 56 million labourers have high-level skills.

Chat noted that Vietnam’s both training and facilities have shortcomings.

“Labourers will be at risk of being replaced by machines and automation if they are not interested in training and developing skills to meet the requirements of the digital era,” he said.

To meet requirements in the 4.0 industrial era, teaching and research need to improve, and creativity and innovation should be emphasised, he said.

“It’s necessary to find solutions to overcome weaknesses in economic development, apply new technology in production, and develop supporting industries,” he said.

Pham Huy Tien from HCM City Open University said that workers with limited knowledge of the labour laws would be at a disadvantage.

Besides having professional and soft skills, knowledge of labour law is also needed. “If not fully understood, young workers and even society as a whole could both be jeopardised,” he said, adding that such knowledge protects labourers’ benefits.

The conference was organised by the Centre for Science and Technology Development for Youth in collaboration with HCM City Open University.

utstanding scientific articles submitted at the conference will be awarded two first prizes, two second prizes, two third prizes and other consolation prizes. 

Programme nurtures Vietnam-Cambodia friendship

A programme called “Nurturing seeds of friendship” has proved effective in supporting Cambodian students studying in Vietnam, both materially and spiritually.

The statement was made by Tran Tan Ngo, member of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) Central Committee, at an activity held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 11 to mark 40 years of the Vietnam-Cambodia traditional friendship.

Initiated by the VCFA in 2012, the “Nurturing seeds of friendship” programme have helped enhance the strong attachment between Cambodian students and their sponsors, Ngo said.

Since 2012, as many as 100 Cambodian students have received enthusiastic supports and sponsors from the programme. 

Initiated as a model of individuals sponsoring students, now the programme has expanded with more types of sponsorship.

True to its name, the programme is step by step nurturing the seeds that make the relationship between Vietnam and Cambodia grow in depth with higher efficiency.

Speaking of the outcomes of the programme, Cambodian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Im Hen thanked the VCFA and sponsoring families for their care for Cambodian students.

He expressed his hope that the programme will receive the engagement of more sponsors to support more Cambodian students learning in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the VCFA granted certificates of merits to outstanding sponsors and Cambodian students for excellently fulfilling the programme’s activities.

Cultures of ASEAN and dialogue partners exhibited in Quang Ninh

An exhibition featuring cultures of ASEAN member countries and their dialogue partners was opened in northern Quang Ninh province on January 12 on the occasion of the 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum.

Over 200 documents and objects depict vividly cultures of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Russia.

They introduce visitors to natural landscapes, people, culture, handicraft making, costumes, cuisines, traditional costumes, festivals, and folk rituals of each country. 

There are spaces for interaction with visitors where Henna art of Malaysia and Batik art of Indonesia are introduced.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 (ATF 2019) will take place in Ha Long city, Quang Ninh, from January 14-18. 

With the theme of “ASEAN – The Power of One”, the forum is in line with ASEAN cooperation, towards a “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” bloc.

In the ASEAN community, Vietnam’s tourism is closely linked with other member countries, aiming at prosperity and sustainable development.

The ATF, established in 1981, is a regional effort to promote ASEAN as one tourist destination. The annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member states.

This year, the event will also include India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Russia and China.

Its main activities include the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meetings, ASEAN Tourism Conference, Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) and tours discovering UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage Ha Long Bay and neighbouring destinations.

Activities held to bring warm Tet to policy beneficiaries, the poor

Many activities have been organised nationwide to support disadvantaged people and policy beneficiaries on the threshold of the upcoming lunar New Year (Tet) holidays which fall in early February.

On January 12, a programme called “Humane Tet” kicked off in Trung Son commune, Quan Hoa district, the central province of Thanh Hoa, with National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu and President of the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu in attendance.

With a motto of bringing a warm Tet to locals affected by disasters, the two-day programme includes a series of activities, including inaugurating charity houses and a bridge across Tim stream, providing free medical check-ups and medicine for residents in Trung Son commune, presenting 300 gifts to locals in Trung Son, Trung Thanh and Thanh Son communes, and granting overcoats and gifts to students in Trung Son Primary School.

In addition, breeding pigs are expected to be presented to 22 families in Nam Tien commune.

NA Vice Chairman Luu appreciated efforts to surmount disaster consequences in Quan Hoa district as well as the assistance from organisations and enterprises.

On this occasion, he also joined a delegation to present gifts to policy beneficiaries and households severely affected by disasters in the district.

According to a report by the district’s People’s Committee, a historic flood occurred in Quan Hoa from August 28-31, sweeping away 858 houses, and damaging 12 schools with the Trung Son Primary School collapsed totally.

On January 11, the Veterans’ Association of the Vietnam News Agency, the agency’s Economic News Department, and Vnapacific Joint Stock Company held a programme in Primary School No. 2 in Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district, the central province of Nghe An.

Under the programme, warm clothes were granted to students in the primary school, so that they can feel warmer during the winter.

On the Tet occasion, the central city of Da Nang plans to present aid and gifts totaling nearly 44 billion VND (1.88 million USD) to 90,000 policy beneficiaries and poor households.

Embassy hosts Tet event for Vietnamese community in Argentina

The Vietnamese Embassy in Buenos Aires held a gathering on January 12 for the local Vietnamese community to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet), the most important festival in a year for Vietnamese. 

Ambassador Dang Xuan Dung took the occasion to update the overseas Vietnamese on the great achievements that Vietnam had recorded in the past year, including a 11-year high GDP growth of 7.08 percent. 

He highlighted that Vietnam and Argentina marked the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2018 with many activities. Bilateral trade almost reached 3 billion USD last year, the highest in trade between Argentina and a Southeast Asian country. 

Ambassador Dung reiterated the consistent policy of Vietnam towards overseas Vietnamese and urged the expatriates to contribute to the development of the homeland.

The gathering brought warm moments for participants with traditional Tet dishes and songs about the motherland.

Thousands donate blood on Red Sunday nationwide

Red Sunday in the central city of Da Nang draws nearly 1,000 youngsters 

The blood donation campaign “Red Sunday” was held at 70 places in various localities nationwide on January 13, aiming to collect about 50,000 blood units.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the event gathered more than 3,000 local students, workers and public servants who donated more than 6,000 blood units.

Addressing the opening of the event, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said that the campaign is of humanitarian significance as the demands for blood at hospitals normally increase during the Lunar New Year holiday which is coming in about three weeks.

The campaign was initiated by the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper in 2009. Last year, it was held in 25 cities and provinces, collecting more than 32,000 blood units.

Also on January 13, the northern province of Bac Giang held the Red Sunday programme and launched the Red Spring Festival 2019, which will run through March 15. The province targets at least 6,000 people engaging in the event and 3,000 blood units, completing 20 percent of the goal for the whole year.

This is the fourth year that Bac Giang has opened the Red Spring festival by the Red Sunday event.

The same day, nearly 1,000 youngsters in the central city of Da Nang flocked to the local Red Sunday site. The city expected to receive about 800 blood units in the day.

At the same time, in Thanh Hoa city of central Thanh Hoa province, 1,500 volunteers also donated about 700 blood units during the Red Sunday event.

Major pagoda in Hai Duong province gets upgrade

The three-door gate of Vinh Quang Pagoda in Hung Son commune of Thanh Mien district, the northern province of Hai Duong 

The first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion of Vinh Quang Pagoda in Hung Son commune of Thanh Mien district, the northern province of Hai Duong, has completed, making it one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the locality.

A ceremony marking this completion was held on January 13.

Today’s Vinh Quang Pagoda, covering about 10,000 sq.m., was rebuilt in 2004 on the ground of the old one. It was recognised as a provincial architectural and artistic relic site in 2010.

After five years of rehabilitation and expansion, the Three Jewels hall – also the main hall of the pagoda – now covers about 1,000 sq.m.

Many other facilities have also been built, including a house for the Mother Goddess worship, two corridors of Arhat statues, a Mercy Goddess statue, a three-door gate, and bell and drum towers.

The pagoda also features streams, lakes and a hill of fruit trees.

The rehabilitation and expansion are hoped to help Vinh Quang Pagoda better meet Buddhist followers’ religious demand and become an attraction for tourists from nationwide.

Fourth school traffic safety contest launched

At the launching event 

The National Committee for Traffic Safety coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training to launch the fourth school traffic safety contest in Hanoi on January 10.

The contest is running from January to May with a view to raising awareness of traffic safety among students.

It includes three rounds of competition: at the school level (from January 7 to March 29); at the provincial and municipal level (from April 15 to 24), and the final national level in May.

The contest is held in the form of multiple choice questions on the internet, targeting junior and senior high school students throughout the country.

There are more than 1,000 questions about road traffic rules, 600 questions about traffic culture, and nearly 200 video situation questions.

Candidates have to answer 30 questions (instead of 35 in previous years) in 15 minutes.

The results of the contest will be announced on the website: http://giaothonghocduong.com.vn. 

The organising board will present one special prize worth 10 million VND, two first prizes each worth 5 million VND, three second prizes each worth 3 million VND, and five third prizes each worth 2 million VND.

The first contest was held in 2014 with the participation of over 200,000 students nationwide.

Vietnamese passport remains a low flyer

The Vietnamese passport continues to be among those with the least visa free access at 87th among 104 economies.

On the Henley Passport Index 2019, a Vietnamese passport is only slightly more powerful than Myanmar among Southeast Asian neighbors, with visa free access to 51 destinations, three more than the latters’ 48 countries.

Laos has surpassed Vietnam to claim the 86th in the global index, gaining two positions from last year.

Singapore and Malaysia have the most powerful passports in the region, the former standing second in the world with visa exemption from 189 countries and the latter 12th with 179 countries.

The region’s biggest economy, Indonesia has gone down from 69th last year to 72nd this year.

 

Globally, Singapore shares its second spot with the Republic of Korea.

Japan has overtaken Singapore to have the most powerful passport in the world in 2019, with its citizens able to visit 190 countries and territories without applying for a visa.

France and Germany share the third rank; Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden share the fourth; followed by Luxembourg and Spain in fifth.

With the Donald Trump administration pursuing a more hostile immigration policy than his predecessors, the US has lost its throne as the most powerful passport in the world.

This year, the American passport has fallen to sixth, down one place from last year and five from top rank in 2015.

 

The world’s weakest passports come from poor countries mired in conflict like Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Passport holders from these nations can only visit between 32 and 39 other countries without visas.

The Henley Passport Index, released early this month, ranked passports of 199 countries and territories in the world based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of travel information.

"The latest ranking shows that despite rising isolationist sentiment in some parts of the world, many countries remain committed to collaboration," Christian H. Kälin, group chairman of Henley & Partners, said in a statement.

He said the growing trend towards visa openness is unlikely to slow down. Overall, 2019 looks set to hold "some surprises in the travel freedom space as more countries and citizens embrace the benefits of global mobility," he said.

VN strives to erase maternal transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis

At the workshop (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

 

The Ministry of Health (MoH) organised a workshop in Hanoi on January 8 to launch a national action plan on the eradication of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the 2018-2030. 

The country is striving to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis by 2030.

According to the MoH’s Department of Maternal and Child Health, Vietnam has an average of nearly 2 million pregnant women each year, with the HIV infection rate in pregnant women standing at 0.19 percent. As a result, up to 1,520 babies are born with HIV annually as without intervention, the mother-to-child transmission rate could reach about 40 percent.

The number of infants born with syphilis has also shown signs of increasing. However, only less than 16 percent of expectant mothers take screening tests for syphilis. 

Meanwhile, the rate of hepatitis B infection in pregnant women in Vietnam is relatively high, ranging from 9.5 percent to 13 percent. Hence, women are advised to take a test for the hepatitis B virus before pregnancy and re-take the test when they are expecting if necessary. 

Participants at the workshop also shared experiences from other countries in efforts to end the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis, as well as devised a process to carry out the national action plan in localities and proposed activities for the time ahead. 

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that in the Western Pacific region, about 180,000 children are infected with the hepatitis B virus annually, while 13,000 and 1,400 others are diagnosed with syphilis and HIV infections, respectively.

The WHO Western Pacific Region have devised a planning framework to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis in the 2018-2030 period, part of a bid to contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health 2016-2030. In addition, the WHO advised members to build respective national action plans on the triple elimination of those diseases in 2030.

Northern Cao Bang province taps tourism potential

Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang province

 

2018 was considered a successful year for Cao Bang’s tourism sector, as the northern mountainous province welcomed a record 1.2 million tourists, a year-on-year rise of 30 percent.

The local tourism industry grossed 360 billion VND (15.5 million USD) in revenue, up 90 percent against the previous year.

In 2018, Non Nuoc Cao Bang received the global geopark status from UNESCO, while Ban Gioc waterfall tourism site was approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to become a national key tourist attraction.

The historical relic of Dong Khe victory was also recognised as a national special relic site.

Located in the northeastern region of the country, Cao Bang is endowed with breathtaking natural scenery, including majestic mountain ranges and beautiful terraced fields.

It is also home to the unique cultures of eight ethnic minority groups, namely Tay, Nung, Mong, Dao, San Chi, Lo lo, Kinh and Hoa.

Cao Bang is home to 214 cultural and historical relic sites, encompassing three national special ones, namely Pac Bo, Tran Hung Dao and Dong Khe.

It has a special geological structure with Non Nuoc Cao Bang recognised as a global geopark. 

Non Nuoc Park was established in 2015. It is now the second UNESCO-recognised Global Geopark in Vietnam after Dong Van Karst Plateau, which was accredited in 2010. The park is also the eighth of its kind in Southeast Asia to receive the status.

Located about 300km from Hanoi, Non Nuoc Cao Bang covers more than 3,000 square kilometres in the districts of Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang and Phuc Hoa and part of Hoa An, Nguyen Binh and Thach An districts. 

It is home to fossils, ocean sediment, volcanic rocks, minerals and karst landscapes, which can give researchers an insight into an over-500-million-year history of the Earth. It is also known for rich biodiversity and many indigenous fauna and flora species.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Sam Viet An, Cao Bang has the opportunity to develop various kinds of tourism such as cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, adventure tourism, ecological tourism and geological tourism.

The province is exerting efforts to reform administrative procedures and to help businesses to invest in tourism infrastructure development. 

Local authorities proposed the Government enact a special mechanism for the province to promote tourism cooperation with foreign businesses and enable more international tourists to visit border tourism areas, he added.

Health care a highlight in Vietnam–Cuba cooperation

The Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospitals in Hanoi and the central province of Quang Binh are a symbol of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

In September 1973, during a visit to Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces, President Fidel Castro decided to give Quang Binh a spacious and modern hospital to serve local people and injured soldiers. 

The construction of the hospital began on May 19, 1974 and it was put into operation on September 9, 1981 with nearly 500 beds.

The Cuban Health Ministry has sent three experienced doctors who have expertise in tumour surgery, traumatology and cardiovascular intervention to help doctors in Vietnam-Cuba Dong Hoi hospital in technological transfer and treatment. 

The Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospital in Hanoi was put into operation in June 1969, specialised in otorhinolaryngology and odonto-stomatology.  The hospital is equipped with modern facilities and has conducted tooth implants and treatment of malignant facial tumors.

The Vietnam-Cuba hospitals in Hanoi and Quang Binh province are a valuable gift that Cuba has given to the Vietnamese people and a beautiful symbol of the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

Can Tho targets to provide agricultural training for 1,400 rural people

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho plans to provide training in agriculture for at least 1,400 people in rural areas this year, focusing mostly on crop cultivation and animal husbandry.

Of the figure, 25 percent will be reserved for people covered by the Government’s preferential policies for contributions to the country’s revolution, those with disabilities, poor people, and women who lost their jobs, according to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

After completing the training, the trainees will have adequate knowledge and skills to do agricultural work effectively with at least 85 percent of them getting jobs.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Nguyen Ngoc He, Director of the department, said the city is changing its agricultural vocational training strategy from basing it on the capacity of training schools to demand from workers and the market.

The department and the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will revamp training to improve quality and effectiveness this year, he said.

They will create favourable conditions for rural workers to learn vocational skills appropriate for their education level, economic situation and requirement, he added.

This year they have instructed vocational schools to provide counselling on agricultural training to secondary and high school students and advocate through the media and social organisations to improve workers’ awareness.  

They have also urged them to diversify their training methods, including providing courses for workers based on agricultural companies’ needs and organising training courses at companies and craft villages so that trainees can both learn and work at the same time.

Last year the city provided training in agriculture for more than 1,000 rural people, 3 percent more than it had targeted.

Of them, more than 85 percent got jobs. Especially, around 30 percent of the trainees joined hands to set up agricultural groups, teams and co-operatives to improve their incomes and create jobs for more people.

Dien Bien: Pa Khoang hosts second cherry blossom festival

Thousands of visitors flocked to the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien for the second cherry blossom festival that kicked off in Pa Khoang commune, Dien Bien district, on January 12. 

The two-day festival features an array of activities, including Vietnamese and Japanese cultural and artistic performances, folk games and a farm produce market. 

Special dishes of Vietnam’s northwestern region and Japanese tea culture are introduced on this occasion. 

Nguyen Huu Khoi, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien district, said the festival aims to honour the beauty and values of cherry blossom - a symbol of Japan, and preserve and promote values of cultural heritage of Dien Bien province. 

The festival helps promote land, people and tourism potential of Dien Bien province, enhance solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Japan, and lure more Japanese investments in Vietnam, he added. 

It forms part of activities marking the 65th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory and the 110th founding anniversary of Dien Bien province, according to the official. 

UN programme benefits over 6,000 locals in Lao Cai

The second stage of the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) has benefited over 6,000 residents in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai. 

Of the beneficiaries, 98 percent are of minority ethnic groups in 45 villages in seven communes of the districts of Muong Khuong, Bao Thang, Bao Ha, Si Ma Cai, Sa Pa, Bat Xat, Van Ban and Bao Yen. 

This was reported by Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development To Manh Tien during a conference reviewing the outcomes of the programme in Lao Cai on January 11. 

Over the past five years, product value of Bao Yen forestry company in Bao Yen district has increased by 10-15 percent thanks to the UN-REDD’s support in Forest Stewardship Council certification. 

Bao Ha persimmon output in Bao Yen district also rose by 10-15 percent each year thanks to technical support in orchard upgrade and food safety and hygiene certification. 

Together with Bac Can, Ha Tinh, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong and Ca Mau, Lao Cai has created jobs and raised income of hundreds of local households, as well as reduced the risk of forest loss and degradation via the pilot programme. 

Firms were connected together in providing technical instruction on growing and marketing medicinal herbs for local residents, thus helping meet the goal of biodiversity preservation via livelihood development. 

Nearly 200ha of forests were grown along the Lao Cai – Hanoi highway in Bao Yen and Van Ban districts. 

Many households in Bao Yen district’s Bao Ha, Cam Con and Kim Son communes, and Van Ban district’s Tan An and Tan Thuong communes were encouraged to plant 1,800ha of forest. 

Besides, another 360ha of protective forests were planted in Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai, Bao Thang and Sa Pa districts. 

Funded by the UN Environment Programme, the UN Development Programme and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the programme also contributed to the forestry restructuring scheme and the annual forest development plan of the locality.

Film on history of Lao People’s Army handed over

A ceremony to hand over a film about the history of the Lao People’s Army (LPA), a joint work between the Vietnamese and Lao defence ministries, took place in Vientiane, Laos on January 11. 

Speaking at the event, Director of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) Cinema Centre Pham Tien Cuong said the film, entitled “70 years of strong development under the Party flag”, was co-produced by the centre and the Department of Propaganda and Training under the LPA’s General Department of Politics. After five months in the making, it was completed in time to mark the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of the LPA. 

He said the film features the nature of the revolutionary army and proves a vivid manifestation of cooperation between the two armies, contributing to tightening solidarity and special friendship between the two parties, states, and people. 

Under the authority of Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Director of the VPA’s General Department of Politics Luong Cuong, Vietnamese defence attaché in Laos Tao Van Thai presented 35 Dell computers, 25 laptops, 35 HP printers, 25 Viewsonic projectors, and 25 70”x70” projector screens to the LPA’s political theory school, contributing to improving its teaching and learning quality. 

Saisamone Salapseng, head of the Department of Propaganda and Training, said the film will help strengthen the LPA in political thought education, as well as further tighten the tradition of solidarity between the two nations and armies. 

He pledged to use the film effectively in raising the Lao army’s and general public awareness about political theory, as well as use the gifts from Luong Cuong towards further studies and research. 

Healthcare project in Central Highlands reviewed

The implementation of the second phase of a health care project in the Central Highlands provinces was reviewed at a conference held in Da Lat city on January 11. 

Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project aims to support the development of medical systems in the five provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Lam Dong during 2014-2019, towards meeting the increasing demand for medical checkups of regional residents, especially impoverished and ethnic people. 

Addressing the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien underlined the need to pay attention to improving the quality of human resources, medical examination and treatment activities. 

The project mainly focuses on enhancing communal-level heath care, fine-tuning the quality and access to medical services at hospitals and the management capacity in health care establishments at all levels in terms of basic construction, facility procurement, consultation, training, communication and project management. 

After more than 4 years of implementation, all activities such as purchasing ambulances, medical and office equipment; consultation work; basic construction; training human resources, and communication campaigns, have been implemented synchronously at both central and local-level medical establishments. 

During the period, Over 21.4 million USD were spent on building and upgrading 83 commune health centres, general health clinics, and district hospitals, while long and short-term training courses were organised for doctors and management staff at both district and commune levels. 

A wide range of communication campaigns were also arranged to raise public awareness of disease prevention, effective use of medical services, and medical insurance benefits. 

Participants to the event pointed out difficulties and obstacles in implementing the software-based management of information related to patients, health insurance, health records, and vaccination of people at all levels.

Participants proposed the Ministry of Health to provide synchronous management software to better the management of health and examination and treatment activities, and payment of health insurance at health stations. 

The 76.6-million-USD project, which gets 70 million USD as loan from the ADB, seeks to develop health care system, particularly in provinces with poor, ethnic minority and other disadvantaged people.

In its first phase, 200 doctors were trained, 12 district health centres, four health education centres and two medical vocational training schools were built. Meanwhile, new equipment was provided for the local hospitals.

Quang Ninh strives to become regional high-quality services centre

The northern port province of Quang Ninh has made quality and efficiency of services the main theme of 2019 towards the target of becoming a service and tourism centre of the region in 2020. 

To that end, the locality is stepping up administrative reform and other measures to improve the business and investment environment, thus maintaining its rankings in the national Provincial Competitiveness Index and Public Administrative Reform Index.

At the same time, Quang Ninh is actively implementing the smart city project to meet the demand of visitors and investors.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Doc stressed that Quang Ninh will carefully select investment projects, with priority given to those using less land area and fewer labourers, but creating high value products and contributing much to the budget. The province is firm in withdrawing licences of projects with slow progress and law violations.

The province is synchronously implementing measures and projects to boost tourism development till 2020 with a vision to 2030, in which it strives to continuously create high-quality tourism products and services meeting international standards, diversify markets, and improve the capacity of human resources working in this field.

Quang Ninh has tightened management over tourism activities on Ha Long Bay, and at Cua Ong temple and Yen Tu relic site.

Last year, the province welcomed over 12 million tourist arrivals, of whom more than 40 percent are foreigners. Total revenue from tourism rose by 28.1 percent year-on-year, and the proportion of the sector’s contribution to the local budget increased to 9 percent, 1.4 percent higher than that of 2017.

The locality served 200,000 tourists during the four-day New Year holiday of 2019, including 135,000 foreigners, up 30 percent and 25 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Quang Ninh is also preparing to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 (ATF 2019 from January 14-18. The event’s main activities include the ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meetings, ASEAN Tourism Conference, Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) and tours discovering UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage Ha Long Bay and neighbouring destinations. Around 1,900 international delegates are expected to attend the event.