PM approves assessment council for national programmes

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the establishment of an Assessment Council to assess all national target programmes on rural development and sustainable poverty reduction for the period of 2016-20.

The council will be responsible for organising the assessment of investment plans for various programmes and submitting them to the Prime Minister for consideration and to the National Assembly for approval. Its tasks will also include organising the feasibility studies of various programmes and submitting their reports to the Prime Minister for consideration.

The council will have the authority to ask organisations or units preparing investment plans to provide relevant documents and information on various programmes to serve the assessment process. If necessary, the council can also ask organisations or units to complete their documents to meet assessment demands and consider and make decisions on assessment plans and other related issues during the process.

Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh and deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Trung will be the council's chairman and deputy chairman, respectively.

The members of the council will comprise the heads of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Transport Ministry, Health Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will be a permanent body in the council.

Fifty one jailed for attempted murder

The Can Tho Provincial People's Court yesterday convicted 51 defendants of attempted murder and one defendant of failing to report the crime to the police.

The verdict was announced following a four day court session.

Among the defendants, Truong Phong Hien from Trung Kien Ward received a life sentence, Le Phuong Vu got 19 years, Dang Chi Tam got 17 years, and Tran Ngoc Tuan received 30 months for failing to report the crime to authorities. The rest received sentences of 2-10 years in prison.

In addition, the defendants will have to pay VND 120 million ($5.700) to the victim.

Tuan and his friends visited Che Thi Chinh's karaoke bar in Thot Not Precint to eat and sing on the night of May 30, 2013. While they were there, an argument broke out between Tuan's group and the owner after Tuan accused him of providing poor sound equipment. A fierce fight ensued and Tuan was seriously assaulted by Chinh's group. He was taken to Can Tho Hospital for treatment.

Hien called for backup and more than 50 men armed with scimitars and petrol bottles arrived on motorbikes to take revenge for Tuan.

When they got to Chinh's bar it was locked, but they saw Che Hoang Viet (Chinh's brother) and To Van Tuan Em (Viet's friend) in the house opposite. Hien and his men used scimitars to attack Viet and Tuan Em, but local residents shouted "police" and Hien and his accomplices made their escape.

Viet and Tuan Em were then taken to Thot Not General Hospital for treatment. The damaged caused to Chinh's karaoke bar was estimated at about VND 20 million ($ 920).

The four day trial was conducted under tight security due to the complexity of the case.­

HCM City plans more kinders for migrant workers' children

The chairwoman of the HCM City's People's Council said the city would build more kindergartens for children of workers at industrial parks and export processing zones.

Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, National Assembly deputy and chairwoman of the city's People's Council, said the need was urgent to meet the workers' increased demand.

She spoke at a meeting with workers at Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in District 7 on Sunday.

Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee in District 7, said the district in March began building a kindergarten in Tan Thuan Industrial Park. It is expected to open by the end of the year and will accommodate 400 to 500 children.

Hieu said that one or two more preschools should also be built to meet demand.

Student openings at public kindergartens in large cities like HCM City and Ha Noi are often restricted. Priority is given to children of local residents, not to migrant workers from other provinces without permanent residential status.

A residential permit would give migrant families legal access to public preschools, which are cheaper than private ones.

However, if a migrant workers' landlord is willing to agree to sign a document verifying where they live, the workers can then obtain "temporary residential" status.

This allows them to apply at a public school. But such agreements are not very common. Therefore, the workers have to choose licensed private schools, which are scarce and unaffordable.

More than 26 million migrant workers are employed at more than 300 industrial parks and export processing zones, according to figures from the city's People's Committee.

Manufacturers tend to hire workers from remote provinces because the employees are willing to be flexible and work for low pay. Businesses, in turn, benefit from lower costs and higher productivity.

The provision of daycare for migrant workers' children has become a thorny issue for both businesses and government.

HCM City authorities have encouraged investors to reserve land to build daycare facilities and kindergartens for workers' children.

The city government has also reduced taxes and offered long-term, no-interest loans and free teacher training as part of its pre-school education privatisation policy.

One of the most pressing concerns for workers is rent.

Huynh Huu Phuoc, a worker at Nidec Tosok Company, said though the city leaders had encouraged landlords not to increase their rent and provide electricity and water support, only a few landlords had obeyed.

Workers have asked city administrators to build dormitories in industrial parks and export processing zones, as the southern province of Binh Duong has done.

Worker Au Lap Dan from Nidec Tosok Company said that the city should also build kindergartens in Tan Thuan Park.

Workers have also asked the city to impose harsh penalties on companies that collect social insurance from workers but do not pay the government.

Another worker, Huynh Tan Tai, said their salaries should guarantee workers a decent standard of living.

At the meeting, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, chairwoman of the city's People's Council, listened to workers' ideas and asked the district authorities in industrial parks and export processing zones to help workers with rent, electricity and water costs.

On this occas-ion, Tam offered 20 gifts to low-income families.

The People's Committee of HCM City has approved a plan for the immediate relocation of 300 families living in the Co Giang apartment building in District 1's Co Giang Ward.

The city's construction department has been authorised to coordinate with the District 1 People's Committee to provide resettlement areas to the affected residents before June 30.

The Co Giang apartment building was built in 1968 and was home to 900 families.

According to competent agencies' inspections, the condition of the building has been deteriorating seriously and it is likely to collapse any moment, posing a risk to people's lives and property.

The city authorities have approved a project to build a shopping mall and a residential block at the Co Giang apartment building site, spanning more than 1.4ha, with 30 storeys and nearly 1,100 apartments since 2006. The total compensation package was estimated to be more than VND1.5 trillion (US$71.4 million).

Eximbank's former branch director arrested

The public security ministry has ordered the temporary arrest of former director of the Sai Gon branch of the Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank) Huynh Thi Trinh.

Trinh is accused of alleged "violation of regulations in lending activities of credit institutions".

Police also prosecuted and took into custody Pham Duy Hien, 34, who is former vice-head of the bank's custom service unit, for further investigations.

In 2012, Trinh signed a loan contract worth more than VND100 billion (US$4.7 million) with Gia Phat Thanh Company, without asking for any collateral. Gia Phat Thanh is reportedly involved in a smuggling case too.

Trinh and Hien reportedly caused a huge loss to Eximbank Sai Gon.

Forbes Vietnam hosts Under 30 Summit

Around 800 people, including young entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, activists, professionals and students gathered at the Under 30 Summit themed “the Next Generation” in Ho Chi Minh City on May 12.

The programme was organised by Forbes Vietnam Magazine.

Attendees included Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly’s External Relations Committee; Truong Gia Binh, Co-founder and Chairman of FPT Group; Le Hong Minh, Co-founder and Chairman of VNG Group; KhaiLee, Managing Partner at 500 Startups; and Do Hoai Nam, CEO of SeeSpace, Inc. alongside outstanding people under 30 years old listed in Forbes Vietnam’s “30 Under 30”.

Also present at the event was Katy Perry, a well-known American singer and songwriter who is also UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador and a former member of Forbes’s “30 Under 30” list.

The Under 30 Summit featured three panel discussions, The Next Generation: What defines us?; The Business World is Your Oyster; and Building Your Personal Brand, Changing the World.

Through keynote speeches, seminars, discussions and interviews, young speakers and entrepreneurs discussed opportunities and challenges for today’s younger generation and shared their dreams, goals and future visions.

Start-up showcases and art performances were also part of the programme.

Activities arranged to mark President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday in Hanoi

A wide range of art performances and live television shows will be held between May 18 and 19 in Hanoi to mark the late Vietnamese leader’s 125th birth anniversary (May 19, 1890).

Municipal authorities have planned the activities to include the wide participation of local residents, said Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the capital’s People’s Committee.

Many campaigns will also be launched across the city to encourage local residents to work and study hard and to follow the late President’s moral example.

The city has been working hard to repair and maintain relic sites linked to the late leader.

Publicity campaigns have been conducted to encourage patriotism and enhance the local community’s understanding of the nation’s heroes.

In May, several exhibitions and seminars have been organised across 30 districts and communities in Hanoi exploring the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh. A book on his life and a documentary on his rise to prominence have also been released.

Son La collectives receive Lao friendship titles

Six collectives of the northwest province of Son La were presented with the Lao Friendship Order and Medal on May 12 for their substantial support to their neighbouring country in personnel training.

The collectives included the provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Education and Training, the Department of External Relations, the Tay Bac (Northwest) University, the Son La Junior College and the Son La Medical School.

They were praised for helping northern Lao provinces in training personnel and building schools.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Deputy Governor of Laos’s Luang Prabang province Saysamone Khomthavong expressed his thanks to Son La and noted those who studied in Vietnam have since worked at Lao State agencies.

Chairman of the Son La People’s Committee Cam Ngoc Minh said it was their honour to receive the Lao titles, adding that the presentation also illustrates the special relationship and multifaceted cooperation between Son La and Luang Prabang and between the two countries broadly.

Water aid sent to drought-affected areas in Ninh Thuan

About 15 million litres of clean water has been delivered to the drought-affected districts of Thuan Nam and Bac Ai in southern central Ninh Thuan province as part of the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC)’s urgent relief to local residents.

The water is donated by an affiliate of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and the Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Co. Ltd. It was transported to Ninh Thuan’s Thap Cham train station free-of-charge by a subsidiary of the Vietnam Railway Corporation.

The water will be distributed to households in Thuan Nam and Bac Ai districts.

Ninh Thuan is also one of the four drought-affected provinces receiving 900 water tanks with a capacity of 300 litres each from the VRC.

The province has a population of 560,000 with 10 percent of the total households at or below the poverty line.

Acute drought from January to April this year has dried up local reservoirs, rivers and streams. Only 19 million cubic metres of water remains at 20 reservoirs across the province, comprising less than 10 percent of the water volume in years past.

The most heavily-affected areas are located in agricultural districts such as Bac Ai, Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Son, Thuan Nam , and Ninh Hai. Thuan Nam and Bac Ai have suffered from two consecutive years of drought.

Dozen martyrs reburied in Thanh Hoa

The authorities of central Thanh Hoa province on May 12 held a memorial and burial ceremony for the remains of 12 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and specialists who sacrificed their lives in Lao battlefields during the war.

Ceremony attendees included representatives of the Government’s Special Task Board, the High Command of Military Zone 4 and the Lao province of Huaphan.

The remains were among 161 sets of martyr remains found during searches conducted by the Martyrs Collection Team of the Thanh Hoa Military Command during the 2014-2015 dry season.

Another 13 identified sets of martyr remains have been handed over to the martyrs’ relatives and local authorities to lay them to rest in their homeland.

Nearly 35,000 Vietnamese soldiers died on Lao soil and 60,000 others returned home as war invalids.-

Phap Van–Cau Gie highway to open

The upgrade of Phap Van–Cau Gie highway, the southern gateway to Hanoi, is to be completed by late June, six months ahead of schedule.

Under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) project, a fee of 1,500 VND per km per passenger car unit will be collected from July, which will last for 17 years and three months.

The upgrade in the first phase, with a total capital of more than 6.7 trillion VND ($315 million), includes revamp of the current four-lane, 25m-wide road.

The second phase, worth more than 4.7 trillion VND (223 million USD), involves the expansion of the four-lane highway to a six-lane one, with the width of 33.5m.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said the six-lane highway was expected to cater to 60,000 vehicles per day, double its current capacity, after it gets completed in early 2018.

It is also expected to improve traffic safety and ease congestion on national highway 1A.

The new road will be linked to Cau Gie-Ninh Binh highway, allowing vehicles to travel at 100-120km per hour on the entire route.

The Phap Van-Cau Gie highway project is being carried out by the Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No1 (CIENCO1), the Minh Phat Investment and Development Jsc and the Phuong Thanh Transport Construction and Investment Jsc since last July.-

MoLISA, Manpower Group extend cooperation

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United States’ Manpower Group, an American multinational human resources consulting firm, agreed to expand their cooperation on exchanging experience during 2015-2018.

The extended cooperation, based on the results achieved by the two sides during 2008-2011 and 2014, is intended to promote the creation of more jobs, build a better labour market to support economic development, improve competitiveness and meet skill requirements during Vietnam’s international integration.

Specifically, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding which will see them work together to build a legal framework to regulate the labour market, create policies on job placement service activities and offer training for soft skills in Vietnam.

The Manpower Group will be responsible for providing technical assistance for cooperation activities.-

Taiwanese organisation donates to poor children in Quang Binh

The Zhi Shan Foundation from Taiwan (China) has recently provided an aid package worth 2.6 billion VND (120,000 USD) to the central province of Quang Binh to support poor and disadvantaged children in the province.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, the province will allocate the funding to scholarships and free orthopaedic surgeries. Libraries will also be built in eight local schools.

The People’s Committee has asked relevant agencies to determine the details of the scholarships, orthopaedic surgeries and assistance to school education to ensure the activities practically support the lives of a large number of disadvantaged and disabled children.

Established in 1995, Zhi Shan Foundation is one of Taiwan’s most successful non-governmental organizations engaged in long term humanitarian international aid and development work.

The Foundation has thus far carried out a number of programmes for children in the central region of Vietnam.

Thua Thien-Hue: Two thirds of rural residents use clean water

Almost 68 percent of people living in rural areas in central Thua Thien-Hue province have gained access to clean water thanks to preferential loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.

The bank’s credit programme for clean water and rural environment sanitation has provided needy households with loans up to 12 million VND (552 USD) to dig wells or build hygienic toilets, water tanks and biogas systems which produce biogas from farming waste.

In 2014, more than 10,200 households borrowed a combined 107 billion VND (4.92 million USD) from the bank to build or upgrade approximately 7,100 clean water facilities and 500 sanitation facilities.

The programme has helped reduce water-borne disease rates, including eye and skin diseases, and decrease environmental pollution in rural areas.

The province targets 75 percent of rural residents accessing clean water by 2015.

PM urges stronger technological invention

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged additional scientific research, technological application and inventions in the field to create helpful technologies and products for national socio-economic development.

During his meeting with 63 outstanding nonprofessional inventors in Hanoi on May 7, the PM said the Party and State continually attach importance to promoting scientific research and technological application and encouraging people to create and invent.

He also stressed its relevance to the socio-economic development of the country, adding that the Party and State focus on education in order to train high-quality human resources to contribute to science and technology.

This will help improve living conditions and enhance production capacity as well as boost national defence and security, the leader stressed.

Appropriate policies will be designed to stimulate scientific research and technology application and facilitate inventions, he stated.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan said his agency has worked to implement concrete activities to support nonprofessional inventors, including forming ideas, conducting research studies, and manufacturing and promoting products.

Enterprises specialising in science and technology have been established to develop manufacturing and business activities in the field, Quan added.

Conference seeks ways to prevent emerging diseases

The Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) jointly held a conference in Hanoi on May 12 to review the Asia-Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases (APSED) and the International Health Regulations (IHR) to draw lessons for future operations in the field.

The IHR, in effect since June 15, 2007, is a legally binding document for all WHO member countries. The regulations aim to prevent and respond to acute public health risks that have the potential to cross borders and threaten the global population.

Meanwhile, the APSED, which was launched for the first time in 2005 and amended in 2010, is a regional strategy targeting improved capacity in managing and responding to emerging and existing diseases.

Addressing the event, Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department Tran Dac Phu said after the IHR was approved the department was assigned to coordinate in its implementation.

An emergency operations centre (EOC) was set up to cope with dangerous pandemics including Ebola, he noted, adding that this year the ministry approved a plan to deal with emerging diseases and organise public health events.

As part of efforts to realise the APSED in preventing the transfer of diseases from animals to humans, the ministry has assessed the general risk of bird flu H7N9, while safeguarding against Ebola, he said.

Phu revealed the health sector will continue coordinating with other sectors in the “one health” direction, completing the EOC model and increasing supervision over a number of diseases spreading from animals to people.

During the conference, participants also discussed a number of issues, including the implementation of the IHR in Vietnam, preparations for coping with urgent public health conditions, and the prevention and control of bacterial contamination.

Cao Bang, Guangxi work together in biodiversity conservation

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on biodiversity conservation in border areas was inked on May 12 during a conference between the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of northern Cao Bang province and China’s Guangxi Environmental Protection Department.

Conference attendees included representatives from Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) along with a number of experts in the field.

Under the MoU, the two sides will establish a cooperative mechanism and a long-term strategy for trans-boundary biodiversity conservation, research and supervision as well as build and manage a network of trans-boundary biodiversity corridors.

Additionally, they will work together to improve the capacity of government workers in biodiversity preservation and in raising public awareness of the issue.

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Cao Bang provincial People’s Committee Dam Van Eng said biodiversity conservation should support locals to ensure their livelihoods and engage with their rights in environmental protection initiatives.

Cao Bang is home to a wide range of endangered fauna and flora, including medicinal plants. It has two natural reserves, Phja Oac-Phja Den Natural Reserve in Nguyen Binh district and Cao Vit Gibbon Reserve in Trung Khanh district.

The locality shares a border line with China’s Guangxi province which has rich biodiversity and has impressive achievements in biodiversity conservation. The two have been working together to preserve biodiversity in the border areas, particularly to protect endangered Cao Vit gibbons.

Scientists discuss measures to prevent erosion on Cua Dai beach

Scientists from domestic universities and Japan’s Tohuku University made practical proposals to prevent erosion along Cua Dai beach in central Quang Nam province’s Hoi An city at a workshop on May 12.

The ongoing serious destruction occurring along the 7-kilometre coastline is posing direct threats to nearby tourism facilities and residential areas and intruding into cultivated land. In recent years, the sea has encroached on the mainland from 30 to 50 metres annually.

Professor Dr. Hitoshi Tanaka from Tohuku University said that erosion along Cua Dai beach is a consequence of the lack of sand in the Thu Bon River caused by illegal dredging activities and the construction of reservoirs for hydro-power plants.

Participants proposed using sand from other areas of similar quality to replace the deficiency.

They also stressed the need for a research study to measure the degree of erosion in the region.

The proposals made at the workshop will be submitted to the Hoi An city authorities for consideration.

On the occasion, the city also installed a seawater measuring post and cameras donated by the Japanese Government to monitor the rising seawater level.

Cua Dai beach, located 5 kilometres from Hoi An's old quarter, is a favourite location for tourists visiting the UNESCO-recognised ancient city.

Erosion has inched closer to the main section of the 1.5 kilometre road connecting the beach with Hoi An, threatening dozens of resorts. Rising sea levels have already washed away a 20-hectare area of Cua Dai beach.

Ca Mau finally receives rainfall

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau had finally enjoyed rainfall after a storm hit on May 11, ending a prolonged period of drought extending over several months.

It rained heavily for hours in Ca Mau city, the districts of Tran Van Thoi, Thoi Binh and U Minh, and across the U Minh Ha cajuput forest area.

However, according to Nguyen Van Hai, Head of the provincial Forest Management Department , one instance of rainfall is not enough on its own to overcome the impacts of the long-lasting drought.

The 75,000-hectare forest, which includes large swathes of primeval forest, remains on full fire alert, with 1,300 people standing ready to extinguish any outbreaks.

Director Le Van Su from of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the rain has alleviated the water shortage issue for thousands of households. However, local businesses, especially farmers, cannot restart their work until the end of May when rainy season is expected to arrive.

Sand miners kill protective trees

Illegal sand exploitation by villagers is destroying 300ha of casuarina forest, much of it planted under a Japanese aid programme to protect Pho An commune in the central province's Duc Pho district.

Vice-chairman of the commune's people's committee, Nguyen Tan My, said yesterday that despite many efforts to curb illegal sand mining, villager continued to remove sand for building.

"We have been struggling against mining along the beach near the commune. The over-exploitation of sand is starting to affect the trees that have protected the communal farm and people from storms and sand encroachment," My said.

The vice-chairman said the communal administration could only impose a VND2 million (US$95) fine for illegal sand mining case.

However, the district people's committee or the provincial department of natural resources could impose heavier penalties.

My said the communal administration had asked the district and province to consider to consider stronger penalties, such as imprisonment.

"Illegal sand mining activities has been going on for years as residents dig sand for construction. Each truck of sand sells for about VND600,000 ($29)," said Huynh Van Tui, a resident living in An Tho village.

"The sand mining has deeply encroached on a large area of the protective forest. Miners often work quietly at night to escape detection," he said.

The vice chairman said the commune could possibly assign some areas for sand mining in the future.

"We have been in discussions with residents about the problem. Demand for sand is increasing. We will allow some businesses to mine for sand at allocated areas under strict controls by the administration," My said.

He said that illegal sand miners were now being asked to backfill the areas that they had exploited rather than pay a fine.

Vietnam police further probe rhino horn trading ring after $1mn seizure

Vietnamese police have expanded their investigation into asuspected rhino horn trading ring after capturing nearly 40 kilograms of horn en route to the north from the south last week.

Police officers in the north-central province of Nghe An are working on the case after catching two men illegally transporting 31 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 37 kilograms in total, by train on Saturday.

The capture took place at the Si Market train station in Dien Chau Districtafter police officers received a tip-off about wildlife horn being transported from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

At the scene, police caught Doan Duy Dinh, 32, from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, and Le Thanh Trung, 32, from the capital city, red-handed transporting the rhino horns in three traveling bags.

After an inspection, police officers confirmed that all the horns were from rhinos and were estimated to be worth about VND22 billion (US$1 million), according to news website Cong An Nghe An (Nghe An Police) Online.                                                

Dinh told police that a stranger met him last Tuesday in Nghe An and asked him to travel to Ho Chi Minh City to ship the horns to the province for VND40 million.

After accepting the offer, Dinh asked Trung to accompany him and went to the southern city by train before getting on another train to go back.

Vietnamese state agencies have discovered many illegal rhino trading and smuggling cases in the year to date.

In the middle of last month, customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi discovered over 65.4 kilograms of suspected rhino horns and elephant tusks hidden in two packages sent from France, chinhphu.vn reported.

The customs force at the airport, in coordination with the anti-smuggling bureau under the Vietnam Customs and the Customs Department of Hanoi, inspected the entire shipment following a tip-off about its suspicious signs.

Customs officers then found the shipment containing wild animal products suspected to be rhino horns and elephant tusks, including 18 pieces of animal tusks weighing more than 60kg, and three animal horns.

This was the first time customs had discovered a shipment of wildlife products sent from Europe to the airport, signaling that smugglers are finding new routes to transport such banned items to Vietnam, customs officers said.

Earlier, such smuggled shipments were often transferred by air from African countries to the Southeast Asian country.

The price of rhino horns on the black market can be up to $133 per gram, while that of ivory is around $2,100 per kg.

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