Can Tho asked to foster human trafficking fight

Authorities, departments and sectors of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho were urged to focus on combating human trafficking in the locality, with reports of the crime increasing. 

Addressing a working session with representatives from local authorities, departments and sectors on April 13, deputy head of the National Assembly’s Justice Committee Nguyen Van Pha urged Can Tho to intensify campaigns to raise public awareness of relevant laws to increase public vigilance.

While hailing efforts made by the city’s agencies in addressing crime, he asked for closer coordination among relevant departments and sectors to tackle human trafficking and to provide legal and financial support to victims of the crime. 

According to a report from the municipal People’s Procuracy, the number of human trafficking-related crimes surged in Can Tho recently, especially in Thoi Lai, Vinh Thanh and Co Do districts. 

As many as 16 cases of human trafficking were reported in the city from 2011-2016, with 129 victims, mainly women and children. 

Colonel Nguyen Van Thuan, deputy director of the municipal Police Department attributed the situation to the naivity and economic difficulties of locals in rural areas, saying human traffickers take advantage of these people. 

Victims are usually brought to China and Malaysia to work as labourers or prostitutes, he said. 

Tran Thi Xuan Mai, director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said her agency has coordinated with other agencies to raise public awareness of the crime.

Attention was also given to organising vocational training programmes and providing loans to help victims find jobs and improve incomes, she said. 

However, Mai also mentioned difficulties in the work, saying that in many cases, traffickers were foreigners or overseas Vietnamese and ineffective coordination among localities made investigations difficult.

Ho Chi Minh City Days held in Osaka

The Ho Chi Minh City Days in Osaka 2017 began in the Japanese port city on April 13, with the attendance of a delegation from HCM City led by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh La Thang.   

The two-day programme features a musical concert, a fashion show, an exhibition on Ho Chi Minh City’s socio-economic achievements and the Vietnam-Japan friendship; and an installation display of rice/gem paintings and fruit carving by Vietnamese artists.  

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem said the event aims to celebrate the 10th and 20th founding anniversaries of HCM City’s friendly and cooperative relations with Osaka prefecture and Osaka city.

He said the all-round partnerships have produced effective outcomes, particularly in cultural exchanges.

The same day, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Dinh La Thang met with Osaka Prefecture’s Governor Ichiro Matsui and Osaka City’s Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura.

Thang acknowledged Osaka as a key adviser for his city on environmental solutions for water management, solid waste classification and climate change adaptation.

Regarding a letter he received from Matsui on sending a group of local students for an exchange in the city, the official said HCM City welcomes and is willing to facilitate their activities.

He also took the occasion to thank Osaka leaders for favorable assistance toward Vietnamese expatriates who are living, working and studying here.    

Matsui lauded the rich programme of the Ho Chi Minh Days in Osaka 2017, saying he believes they will foster the close friendship between the localities.

He informed his guest on the World Expo 2025 hosted by Osaka, expecting that HCM City would participate and make contributions to the event.

Lai Chau leader delivers New Year greetings to Lao students

Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau provincial People’s Committee Tong Thanh Hai visited and conveyed greetings to 30 Lao students studying at the provincial medical school on the occasion of Laos’s traditional Bun Pi May (New Year) festival).

Lai Chau province opened an intermediate-level medicine training course for 20 students from Phongsaly province and ten from Oudomxay province in 2014 as part of a programme to help northern provinces of Laos enhance quality of the health sector’s human resources. Those students are going to graduate from the three-year course, sponsored by Lai Chau province.

The provincial leader expressed his hope that the Lao students will gain considerable knowledge from the course so that they can accomplish their mission in caring Lao people’s health.

Plan for Dong Van geopark development approved

A plan has been approved by the Prime Minister to develop the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in the northernmost province of Ha Giang to 2030.

The UNESCO global geopark covers 232,606 hectares in the districts of Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh and Quan Ba. It was home to a population of about 283,000 in 2014, which is forecast to reach 320,000 – 325,000 by 2020 and 370,000 – 375,000 by 2030.

It welcomed 600,000 tourists in 2014. The figure is expected to increase to 700,000 – 800,000 by 2020 and 1 – 1.1 million by 2030.

Under the plan, areas in the geopark will be zoned for different purposes, including an area for geological heritage preservation, an area for nature and biodiversity conservation, one for developing sustainable natural resources and another for landscape protection.

Part of the geopark will be used to develop urban areas and tourism centres while another zone will specialise in agricultural and forestry production and hi-tech processing. An area for rural communities and another for farming high-quality herbal plants are also planned.

The area for geological heritage preservation will include 30 heritage clusters in the four districts. The area for landscape protection will cover Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Can Ty commune, and Thai Phin Tung commune.

Meanwhile, four urban areas are set to become tourism centres, namely Dong Van town – centre for cultural and historical tourism; Meo Vac town – centre for science and adventure tourism and border gate trade; Yen Minh town – centre for eco-tourism and green growth; and Tam Son town – centre for tourism and entertainment services.

In those areas, the construction of new structures must be restricted while existing cultural and historical facilities should only be upgraded. Meanwhile, infrastructure in residential communities, production activities, along with ecological and homestay tourism services need to be developed without harming the natural landscape and environment, according to the plan.

Dong Van plateau was recognised as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks in 2010, becoming Vietnam’s first geological park and the second in Southeast Asia.

Vietnamese embassy in Indonesia greets Laos on traditional New Year

Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan has visited the Lao Embassy to congratulate the embassy’s diplomats and staff on their traditional New Year festival, Bun Pi May.

The Lao host greeted the ambassador and his companions with garlands of flowers, blessings and a “water spraying” ritual.

In a warm gathering, Lao Ambassador to Indonesia Phavanh Nuanthsing thanked his guests for their visit and wishes bringing lucks and joy to the Lao New Year 2560 in the Buddhist calendar. 

He lauded the long-standing friendship between the two countries and hoped that the two embassies in Indonesia would further deepen the bilateral ties.

For his part, Ambassador Tuan wished Ambassador Phavanh and other Lao diplomats a New Year of happiness, health and prosperity and expected the two embassies would work their best to nurture the Vietnam-Lao relations.

The two sides later joined the “thread tightening” ritual, a traditional practice of Laos to pray for luck, health and success and enjoyed traditional foods and music performance of Vietnam and Laos.

Ha Tinh seeks measures to recover sea tourism

A seminar took place in the central coastal province of Ha Tinh on April 13 to discuss solutions to help the local tourism sector recover from the consequences of the marine environment incident last year.

In April 2016, illegal wastewater discharged by Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Corporation polluted the sea along more than 200km of coastline in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, causing fish to die en mass and devastating the environment, robbing thousands of people of their livelihoods and severely damaging the local economy, including the tourism industry. 

At the seminar, tourism officials and scientists made recommendations on what the province should do to aid the recovery of the tourism sector as the local marine environment has fully been restored. 

They stressed Ha Tinh’s great tourism potential as it is home to a series of historical and cultural heritage sites as well as a 137-km coastal line.

Vu The Binh, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said Ha Tinh should cooperate closely with other central provinces in tourism development.

Participants pointed to the underdeveloped infrastructure and poor management and planning of tourism, saying that they are the causes that hinder the province from taping its full potentials.

Restricted range of tourism products and low level of competitiveness are also other shortcomings.

In a bid to improve the local tourism, Ha Tinh has attracted a number of projects, including the Vinpearl – Cua Sot resort-entertainment complex, a dog race facility and the Xuan Thanh golf course.

Vietnam plans to teach foreign language from first grade

Vietnam is drafting a new education program to introduce foreign languages into its first grade curriculum, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Nguyen Minh Thuyet, head of the program, said it will mean primary school pupils would be taught at least one foreign language from a younger age.

Classes could start from third grade, but areas "with sufficient conditions" could start teaching from first grade, he said.

No details have been discussed about which foreign language should be selected for the young learners, but given current programs, the option is likely to be English. A number of schools also teach French, Russian or Chinese as their primary foreign language.

Obligatory foreign language lessons in Vietnam currently start from sixth grade, but many children in big cities are sent to foreign language centers from as young as three years old.

Thuyet said primary school pupils should only study a foreign language for about an hour a week, because any more would overwhelm them.

Other core parts of primary education will continue to be math, Vietnamese and education about life, nature, society and technology. Computer studies, arts and sports will also be obligatory.

The new program aims to provide early vocational orientation, and will include classes about laws and economics from 10th grade, Thuyet said.

He said the draft will receive public feedback before taking effect next year.

Photobook on VN’s former president released

Journalist and photographer Giản Thanh Sơn has recently released a new photobook entitled Vị Thế Việt Nam (Việt Nam’s Status in the World), featuring the diplomatic work of Việt Nam’s former President, Trương Tấn Sang during his five-year term (2011-2016).

The book also showcases the diplomatic achievements of the country within President Sang’s term, which has contributed to peaceful, stable and favourable conditions for the development of diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and other countries.

Such achievements have also contributed to the socio-economic development, the preservation of sovereignty, national defence and the nation’s status.

To finish the book, Sơn, had to closely accompany President Sang during his official visits to more than 30 nations worldwide and international conferences across the globe during his five-year term.

“I worked on this book with the responsibilities of the journalist, and moreover, of a citizen in the context of national development. I put all my heart into the compiling process. It is a bilingual book with international elements so I felt even more responsibility. It took nearly ten months, both days and nights, to finish,” Sơn said.

According to him, the book features more than 400 photos and nearly 70,000 words, both in Vietnamese and English.

“After this book, I will publish Vòng Quanh Thế Giới (Around the World) book to introduce the culture, architecture and daily activities of the countries I have set foot in. I have nurtured the idea for the book for over ten years now. As soon as it is released, I will present it to museums, public libraries and schools so that more people will learn about Việt Nam’s diplomatic achievements,” he adds.

Giản Thanh Sơn was born in 1957 in the southern province of Long An. He is a member of the Vietnam Journalists Asociation and the Vietnam Lawyer Association. As a journalist for more than 40 years, he has travelled to 60 countries and participated in many United Nations conferences and summits.

Sơn has set four national records recognised by the Vietnam Books of Records for photography. He is currently working as a correspondent covering the President of Việt Nam.

Tâm wins fifth stage of HCM City Television Cycling

National team member Nguyễn Thành Tâm won the fifth stage of the HCM City Television Cycling Tournament on Thursday.
The cyclist from Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang sprinted to the finish line of the 127km stage, from Gia Nghĩa Town (Đắk Nông Province) to Buôn Mê Thuột (Đắk Lắk Province), in a time of 3hr 5.47min.
He outclassed Nguyễn Tấn Hoài (Domesco Đồng Tháp) and Lê Văn Duẩn (VUS HCM City) to bag his first win, which pushed him to second position with 21 points in the green jersey race.

Huỳnh Thanh Tùng (Military Zone 7) is leading with 28 points.

After five stages, Nguyễn Dương Hồ Vũ of HCM City’s youth squad is still the overall leader, clocking a total time of 10hr 12.25min.
He is followed by Giang Thanh Tuấn of Army and Nguyễn Hoàng Thái of Calytos Đồng Tháp.
BTV Đại Nam Bình Dương lead the team ranking. Military Zone 7 and Domesco Đồng Tháp are second and third, respectively.
In today’s sixth stage, riders will tour 80km --\ from Buôn Mê Thuột City to Buôn Đôn District and back.

Hà Nội eyes top ranking

Hà Nội FC will host rivals Sông Lam Nghệ An on their home turf in an early match of the V.League’s round 13 today.

Coach Chu Đình Nghiêm has fully prepared his team for the meet because in their 16 matches since 2009, Hà Nội have not had positive results against their rival. They have three wins, 10 draw, and three losses.

However, Nghiêm, who took charge of the team last year, has led his team to a win in both matches last season.

Today, he will not have midfielder Cao Sỹ Cường who got a red card last week, but captain Phạm Thành Lương is ready to play after he was sidelined owing to a foot injury.

Sông Lam Nghệ An will also miss two players — Khắc Ngọc and Ngọc Toàn — in their team in Hà Nội due to a ban and injury. However, the good news for them is that midfielder Xuân Thắng is back in action after he was out with an injury, and defender Ngọc Đức has completed his ban period. Together, they will strengthen the left wing that has been the weak point of the team in several matches recently.

In this match, Sông Lam Nghệ An will have a huge number of supporters who are all set to paint the Hàng Đẫy Stadium yellow — the  colour of their club’s uniform.

About 4,000 fans, who have come from Nghệ An Province, and live and study in the city, are expected to put up a demonstration from the Kim Liên Hotel — where the players are staying — to the venue.

In this match, both sides will play according to a plan.

Third-placed Hà Nội, who have not lost their last nine matches, are eyeing the top position after they lost it to FLC Thanh Hóa last week due to an unexpected draw with Sanna Khánh Hòa.

In case of a win, they will top the tournament for at least a day before Thanh Hóa play their game against Sài Gòn FC.

On the other hand, Sông Lam Nghệ An, the former champions, are keen to improve their position. They are currently at No. 10 and have never been in the upper half of the ranking this season.

They also have a poor record in their away games. In the last three matches, they were able to garner just one point.

Thanh Hóa need only a point from their match with Sài Gòn to champion the first leg of the tournament. Thanh Hóa’s performance has been unstable with two wins which were sandwiched between two draws and one loss. Meanwhile, Sài Gòn are in good form with two draws and three wins.

Elsewhere this weekend, Hải Phòng will visit former champions Becamex Bình Dương; Sanna Khánh Hòa, who have not lost in their last five matches, will travel to HCM City; Quảng Nam will entertain bottom-placed Long An; SHB Đà Nẵng will play Cần Thơ; Hoàng Anh Gia Lai without their best players will see Quảng Ninh Coal.

Gia Lai requested to develop hi-tech agro-forestry

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng has requested the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to use its strengths to develop hi-tech agriculture and forestry along with the processing industry. 

Speaking with provincial leaders on Thursday, the Party leader mentioned several advantages of the province, including a total area of more than 15,500sq.m – the second largest locality of Việt Nam and favourable climate and basalt soil for coffee, rubber and pepper plants. 

These advantages are strengths in the short and long term, he affirmed, emphasising the importance of links between the State, scientists, enterprises and farmers in utilising them. 

He asked Gia Lai to focus on new-style rural building, forest and eco-environment protection and resident resettlement. 

Attention should be paid to developing industry, tourism, education and human resources training, while maintaining cultural identities yet changing out-of-date practices. 

Party chief Trọng also reminded the locality to deal with land issues, implement social welfare policies and maintain defence and security. 

It is also necessary for the province to better Party building, he stated, requiring extra efforts to be put into the Ayun irrigation project in Chư Sê District to bring benefits to residents. 

According to a report by Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Dương Văn Trang, in 2016, Gia Lai enjoyed a GDP growth rate of 7.48 per cent, with annual per capita income reaching VNĐ38 million (US$1,675).

State Audit urged to focus on corruption

President Trần Đại Quang has urged the State Audit of Việt Nam (SAV) to focus more on sectors and areas with high risks of corruption and cases of public concern to better advise agencies on policies and legal regulation to prevent corruption.

At a working session with SAV leaders on Thursday, the State leader suggested the agency pay attention to areas like land use, natural resources, mining, environment and capital construction.

The SAV should include programmes and projects using foreign loans in its annual auditing programmes, and advise the President, Government and ministries on how to effectively use foreign loans, he said.

Along with giving alerts on arising issues related to fiscal, financial, credit and banking policies, the agency should also consult the Party and State on major procurement and investment projects and annual budget estimates, said the President.

The leader also requested the State Audit speed up drafting documents guiding the implementation of the Law on State Audit 2015, and asked ministries and localities to work with the State Audit and help the agency.

President Quang urged the audit agency to expand international relations and successfully hold the 14th Congress of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in 2018.

Last year, the State Audit conducted 276 audits and proposed financial corrections related to VNĐ38.3 trillion (US$1.68 billion), the highest figure in its 22 years of operation. It also recommended the adjustment, supplementation, replacement and withdrawal of 150 legal documents to prevent losses and wastefulness.

The agency helped re-evaluate State capital in seven enterprises and revise up the amount by VNĐ20.8 trillion ($917 million). Also, after examining 27 build-operate-transfer projects in the transportation sector, the State Audit proposed cutting the combined duration of toll collecting by 107 years.

This year, the agency will increase the use of advanced technology in its operation to improve working capacity and effectiveness.

It will also perform its role as a member of the ASOSAI Executive Board, while joining working groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

Ben Tre fights against mumps, measles in schools

The Center of Preventive Medicine  in the Mekong delta province of Ben Tre has said mumps and chicken pox are spreading in schools.

As per the initial figure, the province had 126 cases of mumps in first three months, an increase of 64 cases compared to same period last year and 96 cases of chicken pox, a soar of 28 people compared same period last year. Of the people with mumps and chicken pox, 85 and 50 students have mumps and chicken pox respectively.

At present primary and junior high schools in the province’s districts Mo Cay Nam, Giong Trom, Thanh Phu, Binh Dai, and Cho Lach have many students with the two diseases.

Accordingly, the Department of Education and Training asked its sub-departments and school to increase prevention information of the diseases to students and parents. Schools should enhance monitoring and isolate infected students and inform the nearby medical clinics.

The center said that the two diseases can spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions or saliva or through fomites. Accordingly, patients should be isolated to curb spreading.  Medical workers arrived in localities and schools to help preventing; parents are advised to take their children to infirmaries for vaccination.

Hot weather sickens more elderly, children in HCM City

More elderly people and children have been hospitalised in HCM City due to the hot weather.
The number of patients going to big hospitals in HCM City has increased by 10% including the People’s Hospital 115, with the majority being the elderly and children.
   
Children taken to  HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No.1 for medical checks-up
Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phu, deputy director of the hospital, said that the hospital received around 3,500-4,000 patients who came for medical checks-up per day on average. However, over recent days, the figure has grown by 10%.
According to Phu, most of the patients faced diseases related to digestion, blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and asthma.
Doctor Truong Quang Anh Vu from Thong Nhat Hospital said that the hot weather could lower children’s immunity to common illnesses due to perspiration and lack of water and electrolytes. The sudden change in temperature between air-conditioned rooms and outside also makes children vulnerable to illnesses.
The Southern Regional Hydro-meteorological Centre forecast that the south will continue facing the temperature of 35-36 degrees Celsius. 
People are advised to wear masks, glasses and sun-proof clothes when going out in the sun to protect themselves. Children who develop fevers or coughs should be sent to the hospital for diagnosis and medical treatment.

War veteran unveils “Strange land” painting exhibition

The HCMC Museum of Fine Art has recently launched a “Strange land” painting exhibition by Bui Quang Lam, reports Sai Gon Giai Phong. The show features 55 oil-on-canvas paintings which have been created over the past 30 years.

Lam, born in HCMC in 1960, won a prize at an art contest sponsored by Japan when he was a junior student. While he was still a high school student, he joined the military and went to Cambodia during the war against Khmer Rouge. He came home afterwards as a wounded soldier.

He was demobilized and studied at the linguistics-literature faculty of the HCMC University, the present-day HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The artist is known for his paintings inspired by poetry, music and diary.

This is the 6th solo exhibition of Bui Quang Lam.

Dong Nai enhances wastewater treatment

As many as 30 out of 32 industrial zones of the southern province of Dong Nai have built wastewater treatment plants with combined capacity of more than 135,000 cubic metres per day, said the provincial People’s Committee.

According to the Industrial Zone Management Board of the province, those 30 industrial zones produce about 96,000 cubic metres of wastewater a day.

The province has set up 25 automatic wastewater monitoring stations, which connect to a centre at the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Statistics of environment quality will be sent to the centre, helping monitoring work.

Vo Van Chanh, Vice Chairman of the province People’s Committee said that six additional monitoring stations will be set up in six industrial zones, ensuring the constant operation of wastewater treatment system.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment will coordinate with the Industrial Zone Management Board and relevant agencies to monitor the operation of existing monitoring stations and supervise the construction of six new ones.

Japan company proposes building a power plant in Quang Ngai

The Japanese Electric Power Development Co (J-Power) has submitted Quang Ngai provincial leaders its plan to construct a 4,400MW thermal power plant at Dung Quat Economic Zone in the central province.

JAHANA Takashi, J-Power representative, said after conducting a preliminary survey the company hopes that Quang Ngai will allow it to carry out further surveys for a pre-feasibility study on building a coal-fired power plant at Dung Quat EZ.

The project will be divided into two phases. In the 1st phase, a plant with a capacity of 2,400MW and using ultra-super-critical generation technology will be built and and put into commercial operation in 2028. In the 2nd phase, another plant with a capacity of 2,000MW using IGCC technology will be constructed and put into commercial operation in 2030.

Coal imported from Australia, Russia and Indonesia and domestic coal will be used for electricity generation.

J-Power has committed to use state-of-art technologies to protect the environment and implement measures to prevent air, water and noise pollution.

Dang Ngoc Dung, vice chairman of QuangNgai provincial People’s Committee, has asked the investor to give specific suggestions concerning the use of land, total investment capital, the number of workers and environment protection commitments.

Only after receiving all those information from J-Power, Quang Ngai will let it conduct surveys to make the project’s pre-feasibility study, said Mr Dung.

Two Vietnamese break into Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list

Vietnamese rapper Suboi and young businessman Nguyen Hoang Trung have made it onto this year's Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia, an annual list issued to recognize the most influential people of the moment in Asia.

Born Hang Lam Trang Anh, 27-year-old Suboi was listed in the Asia's 30 Under 30 in the Entertainment & Sports category.

Nguyen Hoang Trung, 24, secured a spot in Consumer Tech.

Suboi is considered the first female rapper in Vietnam and has been dubbed Vietnam’s “Queen of Hip Hop” by prestigious global news agencies such as The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and CNN.

This rap queen from Ho Chi Minh City became the first Vietnamese artist ever to be invited to the world-famous SXSW Music Festival in the U.S., according to Forbes.

She also famously rapped for US President Barack Obama when he visited Vietnam in 2016.

“I was just talking about some people having a lot of money, having big houses, but actually are they really happy?” she said of her rap.

Nguyen Hoang Trung is the founder of Lozi, a Craigslist-like food finder app operating in Vietnam.

The startup has a network of more than 2,000 registered restaurants and almost three million users. Founded in 2012, it raised a seven-digit round of funding from Golden Gate Ventures and DesignOne Japan in 2015, said Forbes.

The other eight categories in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia are Arts, Media, Market and Advertising, Retail and Ecommerce, Finance and Venture Capital, Enterprise Tech, Social Entrepreneurs, Manufacturing and Energy, and Healthcare and Science.

Forbes launched its 30 Under 30 Asia list last year, when seven Vietnamese were honored in four categories.

Men to play at national tennis champs

The National Men’s Tennis Championship will be organised in Đà Nẵng on April 17-23.

Nearly 170 athletes from 12 teams, such as Hà Nội, HCM City, Army and Bình Dương, will participate in the event.
They will play under different age categories, ranging from U12 to over-18 for singles and two doubles disciplines of U18 and over-18.
The matches will be aired live on Thể thao TV and Thể thao Tin tức HD channels everyday from 8am. 

Party leader suggests economic focuses for Kon Tum province

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has suggested the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum focus on developing high-quality agriculture and border gate economy and making use of forest advantages to attain faster and sustainable growth.

At a working session with provincial officials on April 14, he applauded the province’s efforts to brave difficulties to develop.

Kon Tum shares more than 280km of borderline with Laos and Cambodia. More than 53 percent of the local population are ethnic minority people while 42 percent are religious followers.

In 2016, its gross domestic product exceeded 11 trillion VND (485.1 million USD), up 8.06 percent from the previous year. While annual per capita income reached 32 million VND (over 1,400 USD), more than 1.9 trillion VND (nearly 83.8 million USD) was collected for the State budget last year.

Kon Tum has set up Mang Den – a 150-hectare agricultural area using high technology – along with some zones specialising in industrial trees (such as rubber, coffee) and herbal plants (such as Ngoc Linh ginseng).

Industrial production value increased by 14 percent while export revenue hit 113 million USD in 2016. In the first quarter of 2017 alone, the province earned 57 million USD from exports, shooting up more than 300 percent from a year earlier.

Poverty reduction has been stepped up, reducing the household poverty rate from 26.11 percent in 2015 to 23.03 percent in 2016 according to the multidimensional poverty measurement.

The Party leader, who is touring the Central Highlands, lauded Kon Tum’s performance in ensuring defence, security, social order and safety, fighting crimes, and strictly handling deforestation cases.

However, it remains a poor province with untapped development potential, modest economic growth and per capita income, limited human resources quality, and underdeveloped infrastructure, he noted.

Suggesting several fields that Kon Tum should pay heed to, General Secretary Trong said the province should invest more in high-quality and large scale agriculture. 

He took Ngoc Linh ginseng as an example, saying that Kon Tum should expand the cultivation and processing of this indigenous species while applying technology in processing and surveying the market to ensure the sale of ginseng products. Clean vegetable and sugar canes are also suitable for farming here, he added.

He told local officials to boost border gate economic activities to capitalise on the province’s location, which is favourable for trade with Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.

It is also necessary to protect forests and optimise forest advantages to improve local living standards and conserve the environment, the leader said, stressing the must for keeping political security and social order and safety, doing a good job of external activities, and maintaining peace and stability for development.

On April 13, the Party chief visited Kon Ro Bang 2 hamlet of Vinh Quang commune and the Kon Tum Sugar Joint Stock Company in Kon Tum city.

Disabled people get rights ensured to help themselves: Deputy PM

People with disabilities should not be viewed as unfortunates and need help, but those with equal rights and that rights must be ensured to enable them to help themselves and contribute to society, said Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam.

He made the remark at the 5th Congress of the Vietnam Association for Support to People with Disabilities and Orphans in Hanoi on April 14.

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Dam spoke highly of the leaders and members of the association who have provided care and protection of rights for people with disabilities and underprivileged children over the past 25 years.

Thanks to such efforts, millions of them have overcome their disabilities and disadvantages and become models of success, Dam lauded.

He noted that state agencies should take account of factors affecting disabled people in policy-making decisions and in developing action plans to protect their rights due to the increasing social pressure on these people.

The Deputy PM also applauded progress made by the association, in which it has not only performed charity works but also strives to protect disabled people’s rights. He hoped that the association will continue taking part in making policy and supervising the enforcement of laws and policies for people with disabilities and underprivileged people.

He called on Vietnamese people to actively participate in the association’s campaigns while the business community was urged to practise corporate social responsibility for the society’s sustainable development.

The association estimated that it has raised more than 1.86 trillion VND in cash and gifts and offered assistance to over 6 million people during 2012 – 2017.         

In the congress, the association sets to raise about 1.65 trillion VND for 2017-2022. It plans to offer employment opportunities for about 7,000 people; provide free eye surgeries for 38,000 people as well as free heart surgeries and rehabilitation for 5,000 others; and purchase 30,000 health insurances for disabled people, orphans and poor households in the period.

The congress has voted 73 members for the association’s executive board and elected Vice President of the association’s 4th Central Committee Luong Phan Cu as the new President for the 2017-2020 term.

Deputy PM urges Quang Ninh’s effective reshuffle of public units

Quang Ninh needs to thoroughly research the unification of posts and the merging of departments, strengthen inspection and assessment of staff promotion and appointment, and review and rearrange public units to streamline and make it effective.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh made the request at a working session with the northern province of Quang Ninh on the renovation of the Party’s leadership method and the building of the Van Don special administrative-economic unit on April 13.

Addressing the session, Politburo member Binh emphasised that renovating the Party’s leadership method and building a streamlined and effective apparatus (the Central Project 6) is a both immediate and long-term task, requiring persistent and drastic implementation.

He recognised the outcomes attained by Quang Ninh in downsizing, merging agencies, unifying posts and building the Public Administrative Centre model, hailing the province’s experience as a lesson for other agencies and localities as well as a precious documentation for the Central Project 6 Steering Committee to build projects on the Party Central Committee’s Party building and the political system building.

With regards to the project, “Van Don special administrative-economic unit”, the deputy PM noted that the construction of the Van Don special administrative-economic unit requires working towards a modern, streamlined and efficient government strongly decentralised in management competency.

He stressed the need to establish administrative, investment and trade institutions for Van Don in line with international norms, which are able to compete against similar models in the region and around the world, aiming to attract foreign investment and ensure accordance with Vietnam’s Constitution, international commitments and realistic conditions.

These policies and institutions must be consistent, stable and long-term, Politburo member Binh added.

He asked Quang Ninh to promptly build and recommend specific preferential policies for Van Don to be regulated in the law, aiming to ensure its superiority and competitiveness against other regional and international models.

The institutionalisation of policies for Van Don into law needs to be in accordance with the Constitution and the current law, but must have superiority in terms of infrastructure, tax, credit and finance in order to attract investors and high-quality human resources, the deputy PM emphasised.
 
Promoting positive changes in public healthcare services

Vietnamese people are more satisfied with public healthcare services compared with previous years, including better quality of public hospitals at grassroots level and healthcare for under six-year old children, acknowledging significant efforts of the health sector.

Positive trends in public service delivery were announced at the 2016 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index, known as PAPI, released in early April. It assessed experiences and feelings of over 14,000 citizens from 63 provinces and cities with national and sub-national government performance in governance, public administration and public service delivery.

In the area of health sector, people are more satisfied with public health services than they were earlier, and the rate of people taking bribes to access public healthcare services dropped from 43% in 2015 to 39% in 2016.

Despite significant disparities in the assessment of respondents from different localities, their positive response is a good sign for the health sector.

The quality of public health services has always been a hot topic in recent years with many emerging issues such as drug safety, medical accident, attitude and behaviour of medical workers, and monitoring and caring patients, among others.

In 2016, the health sector concentrated efforts on implementing solutions to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment and to renovate the style of service towards the satisfaction of the people. One of the solutions said to be effective is the set of criteria on the quality of Vietnamese hospitals issued by the Ministry of Health, which has become the quality assessment tool for hospitals applied to all medical establishments nationwide.

After applying this set of criteria, a majority of hospitals have made positive changes including better care for patients, improved quality of human resources and working conditions at hospitals, and better spiritual and material life for medical workers, among others.

The improvements to quality of public health services will contribute significantly to the quality of healthcare for the people.

Improving public health service is not only an important task but also a big challenge for Vietnam in the current difficult conditions.

Besides promoting accomplished achievements, the health sector also needs a comprehensive reform on organisation, human resources, and finance to further improve the quality of health services, reach universal health insurance, and renew patient feedback mechanism for better healthcare services and so on.

In addition, all medical workers need to improve professional skills and focus on the aspect of moral qualities to better care for patients.

Hai Phong Hoa Phuong Do Festival 2017 to feature various activities

The Hoa Phuong Do (red flamboyant) Festival 2017 will be held in the northern port city of Hai Phong, from May 12-14. The theme of the festival this year is “Hai Phong vuon ra bien lon” (Hai Phong reaching out to the sea).

The announcement was made by the Hai Phong Municipal People’s Committee at a Press brief to announce the launch of the event this morning.

Accordingly, the festival activities will take place in the downtown and centres of several districts. The main event of the festival, the gala night, "Hai Phong reaching out to the sea," will be held at 8pm on May 13 at the Hai Phong Opera House Square, coinciding with the 62nd anniversary of the liberation of Hai Phong (May 13, 1955-2017).

In addition to the gala night, about 60 events are scheduled on this occasion, such as the Hai Phong Tourism Festival, exhibitions on Vietnam Artworks 2017, May Colours Paintings and books and pictures on Hai Phong’s integration and development, as well as Carnival, traditional art performance, street music and sporting events.

At the same time, Hai Phong Department of Culture and Sports is in charge of organising activities in two tourism areas of Do Son and Cat Ba Island.

Deputy Chairman of Hai Phong People's Committee, Le Khac Nam, affirmed that the annual event is held to introduce domestic and foreign tourists to Hai Phong – a land of heroism in Vietnam’s history and a port city with distinctive culture of a well-known symbol that have become familiar with friends all over the world – the red flamboyant.

The festival is expected to create an exciting atmosphere and improve the quality of cultural life for locals. It is also an opportunity for visitors, businesses and investors to learn more about the favourable position in business development and the friendly investment environment of the port city, especially in the tourism development.

According to the city’s official, Hai Phong is focusing on perfecting its infrastructure and modernising urban areas with large corporations such as Vingroup, Sun Group and Him Lam investing in local tourism infrastructure, thus opening up opportunities for Hai Phong tourism to take off and become an important economic sector for the city.

Named after the symbol of Hai Phong – the red flamboyant tree grown across the city, the annual event was first held in 2012 as a new tourism highlight of Hai Phong, to promote the city’s culture and tourism and attract investment for its socio-economic development.

Lixil Vietnam donates more for children’s heart surgeries

Lixil Vietnam’s INAX sanitary ware brand on Friday donated VNĐ1 billion (US$44,000) to support Việt Nam Television’s Tấm Lòng Việt (Vietnamese Heart) Fund’s heart operation programme.

The programme will provide free surgeries for poor and underprivileged children in Việt Nam with congenital heart diseases. The fund will be used to perform 30 surgeries on under-16 children whose families are too poor to afford the operation.

“We consider the donation to the healthy heart operation programme as our corporate responsibility and a business guideline in joining hands with the society to help needy people, especially children in Việt Nam,” Lixil Vietnam’s general director Masahiko Hiramoto said at the event.

The donation has brought the company’s total contribution to the fund to VNĐ7.2 billion ($315,000), bringing the total children to have been helped by Lixil Vietnam in the past seven years to 200.

“Next year, the programme will celebrate its 10th anniversary. To date, the fund has raised around VNĐ91 billion ($4 million) and provided heart surgeries nationwide to more than 3,500 poor children with congenital heart disease. The programme has also supported many hospitals in strengthening their professional capacity and medical facilities,” said Việt Nam Television’s deputy chief office and the Vietnamese Heart Fund deputy director Đỗ Tiến Hùng.

The programme was initiated by the Vietnamese Heart Fund, Việt Nam Television and Viettel Group in 2008.

As per health ministry statistics, 8,000 to 10,000 infants are born with congenital heart defects every year in Việt Nam, and around 20,000 children in the country are still waiting for surgery. 

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibition opens in Hai Duong

An exhibition opened today (Apr. 14) in the province of Hai Duong chronicling the historical and legal evidence proving the sovereignty of Vietnam over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

On display are 150 documents, photos and other items along with 100 maps collected by Vietnamese and foreign experts evidencing that Vietnam has exercised sovereignty over the two archipelagos dating back to feudal times.

Among the vast amount of materials in the exhibit are original copies of Nguyen-dynasty official documents that directly establish the sovereignty of Vietnam over the archipelagos.

The exhibition unequivocally demonstrates that from ancient times forward, Vietnam has exercised sovereignty over the archipelagos.  

Ministry moves to tackle aquatic animal diseases

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has approved a national plan on monitoring diseases on shrimp and tra fish for export in 2017-2020.

The plan is to improve the quality of prevention and warning of diseases affecting aquatic animals, contributing to sustainable shrimp and tra fish farming and boosting exports.
It has a total cost of over VND106 billion (US$4.6 million), including VND77 billion (US$3.4 million) from the State budget and the rest from localities and businesses.

The plan is carried out in all major shrimp-raising provinces such as Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Bac Lieu.

In 2017, aquatic animal health officials at all levels will receive training on disease monitoring. Test laboratories meeting ISO 17025 standard and the World Organisation for Animal Health’s process will be used for testing.

The plan is expected to increase shrimp and tra fish exports and raise locals’ income, contributing to ensuring social welfare and food security as well as maintaining the natural environment.

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