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Festival promotes cultural values of ethnic groups in Quang Ngai
The fourth festival on gong, traditional instruments and folk songs of ethnic groups in the central province of Quang Ngai opened on August 15.
The two-day festival features nearly 150 artists of the Hre, Cor and Ca Dong ethnic groups.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cao Van Chu stressed that the festival aims to create a cultural space for artists from local ethnic groups to meet and share experience. It also encourages creativity and conservation of ethnic groups’ cultural values.
Quang Ngai is home to more than 180,000 ethnic minority people from the Hre, Cor, Ca Dong and other groups living in the six mountainous districts of Son Ha, Tra Bong, Minh Long, Ba To, Son Tay and Tay Tra.
People of the three ethnic groups of Hre, Cor and Ca Dong have a number of cultural values which have been maintained for generations, such as ta lia flute, ta leu and ca choi folk songs of Hre group, a traditional dance and songs of Cor people and gong sets and musical instruments of Ca Dong group.
Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa province
The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) has put into operation an Area and Approaching Control Centre at Cam Ranh International Airport from 7 am on August 16.
According to VATM, Cam Ranh International Airport serves not only civil aviation with some 100-150 flights per day but also military aviation activities such as training or cargo transport using many types of aircraft including helicopter. Thus, the establishment of the centre will help improve coordination in flight operation in the airport.
The centre is responsible for providing air traffic control service (area control service, approaching control service, air traffic counseling, and alarm service), flight information service, and meteorological service.
Also, it will work to improve quality of air services, enhance proficiency of civil flight operation as well as coordination in organising military training flights, and increase capacity to receive more aircraft.
This is the fourth Area and Approaching Control Centre in Vietnam, following those in Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat and Da Nang International Airports.
The VATM also operates two air traffic control centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and aerodrome control towers in all domestic airports.
Cam Rank airport was constructed by the US army for military purpose during the war. In 2004, it was turned into a civil airport, and five years later it was upgraded to an international airport.
The airport has been witnessing hectic activities, with the number of arrivals increasing substantially in recent years. Statistics from the airport revealed that in 2011 the number of passengers reached 1 million, and the figure nearly doubled to almost 4.9 million in 2016 and was estimated at 6 million in 2017.
Earlier this year, the airport put into use a new terminal for international services to ease the serious overloading of Terminal 1. It is the first airport terminal in Vietnam built with four-star international standards.
UNICEF project helps promote children’s rights in Vietnam
At the ceremony to launch the project
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will help Vietnam build a legal environment with comprehensive policies which are able to protect children and ensure their rights through the “Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Children in Vietnam” project, launched in Hanoi on August 16.
The project is financed by the UNICEF’s non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) worth more than 17 million USD. It will be carried out during 2018-2021 in Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dong Thap provinces, and Da Nang city.
It aims to promote law enforcement and programmes to assure the implementation of children’s rights in Vietnam as well as renew social security measures to address multidimensional poverty. In addition, the project will build and effectively operate child protection systems including social work for children while developing child protection and justice services.
Also, it will pay heed to communication work to raise public awareness and change cultural practices which are billed as bars to children’s development.
Speaking at the launch workshop, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha thanked UNICEF for its contributions and support for Vietnam to ensure children’s rights in the past time.
Talking about challenges in promoting their rights, Ha stressed that the nation’s legal framework based on international standards still has many voids that need to be filled, comprising a lack of standards, regulations and processes for a comprehensive health care system, different statistics of children’s rights among ministries and branches, and limited allocation and use of human resources to carry out children’s rights.
Currently, millions of Vietnamese children are in short of or have no access to education, health care, nutrition, housing, clean water, environmental hygiene, and social integration.
Meanwhile, the social security system and social support in particular have shown limitations, which lead to the ineffective implementation of measures to protect children with special circumstances, she said, noting that public awareness of children’s rights and social involvement in handling child-related issues remain limited.
Settlement of such challenges is of utmost importance when Vietnam becomes a mid-income nation. Promoting children’s rights means helping deal with inequality and carry out the Sustainable Development Goals, making contributions to realising the country’s socio-economic development plan during 2016-2020, she said.
Director General of Child Affairs under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Dang Hoa Nam, who is also director of the project, expressed his belief that the project will help resolve child violence and abuse.
“Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Children in Vietnam” is a collaborative project between the MOLISA and UNICEF. It was approved by the Prime Minister in 2018.
Seminar discusses building Industry 4.0 action plan
Scene at the seminar
International experience in building an action plan serving the Fourth Industrial Revolution was shared at a seminar held in Hanoi on August 16.
The Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) co-organised the event.
According to CIEM Director Nguyen Dinh Cung, the perception of the importance of Industry 4.0 amongst relevant authorities, businesses, and the wider public has become much clearer since 2016. The Party and Government have demonstrated a strong commitment to enhancing the nation’s readiness for the trend, tackling challenges and capitalising on opportunities toward sustainable development.
Cung highlighted that seizing opportunities and building a business climate suitable to Industry 4.0 were some key measures to overcome potential challenges.
Dang Quang Vinh from CIEM also said that with the efforts to apply advanced sciences, Vietnam must study policies geared for Industry 4.0 which could help facilitate a leap in technology, productivity, and economic growth.
He suggested policymakers come up with a suitable roadmap with specific targets on various matters, such as the number of enterprises involved, technology export value, and IT workforce. An implementation method that requires the State to encourage or make direct investment is also necessary.
Sing Meng Leong from the National University of Singapore shared the country’s experience in maximising benefits brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, stressing that society needs creative and smart approaches to compensate for the lack of human resources.
He recommended the establishment of a national-level internal audit agency to help operate a smart economy.
VTVcab owns the English League Cup rights four consecutive seasons
VTV Pay TV branch has been licensed to broadcast the English Football League Cup, also known as League Cup (Carabao Cup) for four consecutive seasons.
English football tournaments like the English Premier League, the League Cup - Carabao Cup and Championship are hugely popular in Vietnam.
Accordingly, VTVcab will broadcast the entire League Cup - Carabao Cup, the tournament for the teams playing in the top four classifications of English football including English Premier League, Championship, League One League and League Two with a total of 92 teams.
VTVcab will own Carabao Cup broadcast rights for 4 consecutive seasons (2018/19, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022).
The 2018/2019 Carabao Cup will kick off on August 15th (time in Vietnam) and will be broadcast on VTVcab's sports channels.
The Premier League’s teams will play the League Cup from the second round and those competing at the European Cup will play from the third round onwards. Since its inception in 1960, League Cup has helped many young talents to shine and become stars.
In the 2017/2018 season, Manchester City side won the League Cup’s title after beating Arsenal.
It is estimated that over one million people visit stadiums across England each year to see the League Cup matches and the number of people watching the League on TV is definitely higher.
Railway companies in the south will start selling tickets for Lunar New Year 2019 (falling in early February of 2019) from October 1, 2018.
Railway companies in the south will start selling Lunar New Year 2019 tickets, the biggest and longest holiday of Vietnamese people, on October 1 this year.
The information was announced on Wednesday by Lê Quốc Trung, deputy director of Sài Gòn Railway Transport Company.
On the occasion of Lunar New Year 2019, which falls in early February of 2019, besides sixteen Thống Nhất passenger trains (trains running from North to South and returning), the railway company will put into operation six more trains on the routes: HCM City – Quảng Ngãi, HCM City – Quy Nhơn, HCM City – Nha Trang and HCM City – Phan Thiết.
A number of trains that typically run on less popular routes will temporarily stop during the Tết period and will be mobilised to supplement busy routes, including HCM City – Tam Kỳ, HCM City – Huế, HCM City – Đà Nẵng, HCM City – Diêu Trì, HCM City – Nha Trang and Nha Trang – Huế.
Currently, the railway sector is working with partner companies to speed up the construction of 30 new modern-style train wagons, aiming to replace old ones. As expected, the company will put into use 15 new-style train wagons during the Lunar New Year.
On the upcoming National Day (September 2), in addition to the daily trains, the railway sector plans to increase trains on two-way routes from HCM City to Phan Thiết, Nha Trang, Quy Nhơn and Quảng Ngãi; and from Nha Trang to Huế. The extra trains will only run from August 31 to September 3 and the price of a ticket will reduced by between 10 and 20 per cent, according to the railway company.
Yên Bái to receive financial support for road restoration
The National Highway No 32C was severely damaged by the flood.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) on Wednesday, decided to allocate more than VNĐ23 billion (US$989,000) to help the northern province of Yên Bái restore its road systems damaged by floods last month.
At the meeting with the MoT delegation led by minister Nguyễn Văn Thể, Đỗ Đức Huy, head of the provincial People’s Committee said that the disaster caused enormous casualties and property loss.
Therefore, the province asked the MoT to support it financially to maintain normal traffic flows on damaged roads and simultaneously to increase the annual assistance allocated from the Central Road Maintenance Fund for the province.
Regarding the project of upgrading the National highway No 32C connecting Hiền Lương Commune, Hạ Hoà District in Phú Thọ Province and Yên Bái City, which needs additional capital of VNĐ440 billion ($18.9 million), local authorities asked to receive funding from the MoT to complete it in the shortest possible time.
The project of connecting Nghĩa Lộ Town with the Nội Bài – Lào Cai Highway was also proposed given its potential to accelerate the northern mountainous area’s economy.
Responding to those demands, Thể asked related agencies to provide Yên Bái Province with the requested number of gabions and Bailey bridges as soon as possible. He also tasked the Việt Nam Directorate of Roads with managing the roads’ repair process especially on National Highways No 32C, No 37 and No 2D.
In the third quarter of 2018, the province will be funded with VNĐ23 billion to maintain its traffic system.
The minister agreed to generate capital to complete the two projects and asked the Prime Minister to feature them in the 2015-20 medium-term capital plan.
The flood in July caused total losses of VNĐ912 billion ($39.2 million); damage to traffic construction accounted for VNĐ256 billion ($11 million). Eight hundred landslide spots were recorded with total volume of displaced rock and soil reaching as much as 1.6 million cu.m.
Hải Phòng to build eight new coach stations
A coach station in Hải Phòng City.
The northern coastal city of Hải Phòng plans to mobilise investment from the private sector to build eight new coach stations in the period from 2018-20.
The planned stations are Hải Thành Station in Dương Kinh District, Vĩnh Niệm Station in Lê Chân District, a southern station in Kiến An District, an eastern station in Hải An District, Minh Đức Station in Thủy Nguyên District, Tiên Lãng Station in Tiên Lãng District, Đại Hợp Station in Kiến Thụy District and Cát Hải Station in Cát Hải District.
Deputy Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Xuân Bình said that the move aims to reduce pressure on the State budget and increase competitiveness in investing and operating stations and parking lots.
Investment allocation from the private sector will ensure transparency and community supervision on the operation of coach stations and parking lots, he said.
The city will study a call for investment in coach stations and parking lots under the public-private sector or operate the stations and parking lots combined with commercial and service activities, he said.
The city has proposed building underground parking lots combined with commercial and service activities under parks and tree areas on the ground. During the 2021-25 period, three coach stations will have their functions changed to serve buses and commercial services.
They are the old Đồ Sơn Station, old Kiến Thụy Station and old An Lão Station. Seven coach stations will be constructed during this period in the districts of Đồ Sơn, Thủy Nguyên, Tiên Lãng, Hà Phương, Vĩnh Bảo, Kiến Thụy and An Lão.
As part of coach station and parking lot plans, the city prioritises smart parking areas in the city centre districts of Hồng Bàng, Ngô Quyền and Lê Chân with a regularly high density of vehicles.
TÜV SÜD launches its hardlines testing laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City
TÜV SÜD, the German testing, inspection, auditing and certification giant, launched its hardlines testing laboratory in HCM City in Viet Nam on August 8.
The laboratory, expanded within the existing facility is fully equipped with world class services to cater to the hardlines testing needs of the manufacturers and exporting companies. Consumer products such as furniture, candles, toys, jewellery, stationery, tableware and decorative items will be tested in the laboratory for their quality and safety compliance.
The hardlines testing laboratory will be fortified with superior capabilities such as physical performance testing that assesses product compliance with the US and EU standards.
Static Load, Stability, Impact test, Durability, Strength test, Upholstery Flammability Test (BS & California Technical Bulletin), Corrosion Resistance Test, and Transit Packaging Test with ISTA full series (Pre-Conditioning, Vibration, Drop Test, Compression Test) will also be rendered to enable sourcing companies and manufacturers to anticipate how products will behave in shipping and strengthen customer satisfaction.
The new laboratory is further equipped to carry out chemical testing as well, to analyse the content of harmful substances in the products.
Richard Hong, CEO, TÜV SÜD ASEAN, said “This is an exciting opportunity for us to be present among the hardlines manufacturing and exporting companies in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam at large. In today’s world, most contributors of the value chain of hardlines products are faced with challenges in evaluating the quality and safety of their goods.
“As a result, they require a variety of customised testing and assessment solutions to comply to a broad range of standards. Adding to the complexity, is the need to identify and meet regulatory requirements for multiple markets in which the products will be distributed.
“To address these challenges and stay ahead amidst this dynamic business environment helps businesses mitigate risks, reduce costs and comply with regulatory requirements in accordance with European, American and other standards.
“Our new laboratory is a one-stop solution provider for testing and regulatory requirements for furniture and hardlines products. Our technical experts will further ensure that stipulated timelines are met, rising from quality and cost pressures, while safeguarding your brand reputation.”
TÜV SÜD partners with businesses to provide the right insights required to become a global leader. With its wide network of labs and experts across key markets including ASEAN, European Union, the US, the UK, and South Asia, TÜV SÜD has in-depth familiarity with compliance in exporting and importing nations.
Across the globe, TÜV SÜD works with leading international brands of repute to help them focus on quality and consistency.
TÜV SÜD, in its expanded facility, offers a one-stop solution for testing, inspection, and certification on regulatory testing standards for furniture and furniture products.
The proximity of the laboratory to the manufacturers and sourcing companies will assist in better market access, reduced time to market and mitigating production risks.
K Hospital unveils new statue of Marie Curie
Hanoi’s K Hospital held an unveiling ceremony for a new statue of Marie Curie on August 9, in recognition of the groundbreaking work of the Polish-born French physicist and chemist.
The event was part of activities to mark 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and France and 25 years since the countries governments signed their agreement on health cooperation.
Those in attendance at the event included President of the Voice of Vietnam Nguyen The Ky, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and the French Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Sigaud.
At the unveiling, K Hospital set itself the goal of becoming a special class hospital and the largest cancer treatment facility in Vietnam.
Professor Tran Van Thuan, director of K Hospital expressed his hope that the hospital will develop in every aspect, especially when it comes to using advanced technology in cancer treatments. He also wants to see the hospital improve its training activities to expand the network of cancer prevention units as well as disseminating information on the disease to reduce the mortality rate in Vietnam.
Addressing the event, Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, the Minister of Health, emphasized the heavy burden cancer has weighed upon many nations in the world, especially in poor and developing countries.
In Vietnam, this burden has increased throughout the country and turning the tide will require a special effort from the whole of society. According to statistics from GLOBOCAL — a project by the International Agency for Research on Cancer —there are more than 126,000 newly-contracted cases of cancer and about 94,000 deaths every year in Vietnam.
Ms Tien said most of the cancer diagnoses are late phase, making them difficult to treat. She expressed her wish that K Hospital will develop to become a special class hospital soon.
Deputy Ambassador of France to Vietnam Olivier Sigaud said in the 25 years since signing the government agreement on health cooperation, France has provided training for more than 3,000 resident physicians in France and 1,500 doctors with post-graduate degrees in Vietnam.
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