Health minister visits HCM City health facilities

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến yesterday instructed the preventive health sector to focus on effective prevention and control of both contagious and non-communicable diseases such as cancers on her working visit to the HCMC Pasteur Institute.

On this occasion, the health minister also worked with other institutes the HCM City-based National Institute of Malariology-Parasitology-Entomology, the Municipal Institute of Hygiene and Public Health and the HCMC Preventive Health Centre.

The preventive sector should do more research into ways to reduce outbreaks of emergent contagious diseases and the incidence of cancers, she said.

Saying workers’salaries in the sector are now low, she said the sector should help the Government completely change policies to raise their salaries.

The Minister also said that the ministry yesterday approved proposals for building a centre for bio-medicine and a warehouse to store vaccines at the HCM City Pasteur Institute.

A day earlier a Ministry of Health team led by Minister Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến visited the HCM City Traditional Medicine Institute.

The institute’s head, Huỳnh Nguyễn Lộc, said the ministry should make traditional doctors part of the family doctors development programme it is carrying out to ensure primary healthcare to people.

Members of the Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners live and work in 322 communes and wards throughout the city.

"If the ministry adopts policies to help them improve their professional skills, they will be useful to the programme in the city," he said.

They would also help prevent diseases more effectively, he said.

“Demand for traditional medical treatment is enormous.”

Tiến approved this suggestion and tasked the city Department of Health to implement it.

Tradition medicine offers great advantages like treatment without drugs for many ailments, using acupuncture instead for conditions like those related to the spine, according to the minister.

"People in the country have great trust in traditional medicine," she said.

Lộc said more and more foreigners came for examination and treatment, but the institute cannot oblige them because it has no permission from the ministry.

He sought the minister’s approval to treat foreigners, saying it would be an advertisement for the country’s traditional medical systems.

The minister again gave approval, even promising support for the institute in this effort.

Her ministry wants to develop traditional medicine, and having a network of traditional medicine facilities throughout the country will help in this.

She instructed the city Department of Health to co-operate with the Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners and traditional medicine hospitals in the city to train aspiring doctors to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment.

They should begin providing training on demand, she said.

For instance, they could provide training to monks and nuns at pagodas to develop more and more charity healthcare clinics, she said.

“The Traditional Medicine Institute should strengthen research to make popular herbal medicines and sell in the market instead of only at the institute.”

People in the city liked its herbal remedies, she said appreciatively.

To make drugs, it should also focus on finding lands to grow herbs, she said.

Lộc said the city had rehabilitation centres for addicts with large areas of unused lands that could be used for the purpose.

Dr Phạm Vũ Khánh, head of the ministry’s Department of Management of Traditional Medicine, said the institute should take the initiative to contact these centres.

“The institute should study the soil to ensure it is suitable for growing herbs.”

Tiến also suggested that the institute should equip itself with modern equipment like CAT and MRI scanners for effective co-operation with western medicine.

Last year the institute was one of the country’s top 10 hospitals in terms of quality based on the ministry’s criteria.

The number of patients last year increased to 186,000 from 172,000 in 2015.

Lâm Đồng farmers yet to grasp hi-tech concept

Many farmers in the nation’s most advanced province in hi-tech agricultural production have a limited understanding what it actually means, experts say.

This also limits the province’s ability to fully tap the potential for hi-tech agriculture, they add.

With its considerable advantages in land and climate conditions, the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng is leading the country in developing hi-tech agricultural production.

However the province lacks comprehensive “technology planning,” leaving its potential for higher productivity and better product quality untapped, says Nguyễn Trúc Bồng Sơn, director of the province’s Agriculture Extension Centre.

He said the “hi-tech agriculture” term has only been understood properly by policy makers and researchers; most farmers are still confused about it.

“Many farmers think as long as they grow flowers in a glass house they can call it hi-tech agriculture. No. Hi-tech agriculture requires a lot more than that, be it quality seedlings, cultivation technology, or human skills to attain high yielding, good quality produce,” he said.

Sơn said that farmers in the province were pursuing different hi-tech production models without any official orientation from authorities or experts as long as they earned a good profit.

Phạm Thị Cúc, owner of the Bạch Cúc Farm, grows vegetables using hydroculture, which she said she learnt from her peers.

“I don’t know which method gives higher quality, but my friends said customers like it better, so I chose this model,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Văn Thành, chairman of the An Phú Đà Lạt Company, has been planting his crops on nutritious soil, applying fixed-bed technology.

“My partners from Japan and Canada ask for crops that are planted in the ground; they say these are better.”

Nguyễn Văn Sơn, director of Lâm Đồng Province’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said that while farmers had their right to choose their cultivation method in a market economy, the lack of proper oversight by the State could prove damaging in the long run.

 “Relevant State agencies need to properly analyse the pros and cons each cultivation model,” he said.

Đoàn Văn Việt, Chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, acknowledged at a recent meeting that a weakness in the province’s agriculture sector was that it lacked proper technology planning.

He also said that after many years applying hi-tech agriculture, Đà Lạt City still doesn’t have a post-harvest processing factory or a trade and evaluation centre.

“These are the biggest hindrances that keep Đà Lạt from having agriculture products of higher quality,” he said.

The city needs to foster post-harvest technology in the coming time, he added.

Phạm S, Vice Chairman of Lâm Đồng, said the province had included technology planning in its agriculture production planning.

Lâm Đồng Province currently has more than 43,000ha dedicated to hi-tech agriculture, equal to 16.4 per cent of cultivable land. Of this, 11,900ha is for vegetables, 2,400ha for flowers, 11,300ha for coffee, 2,500ha for tea and 300ha  for specialty trees.

The province recently started co-operating with the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) on a promising comprehensive agriculture development project with multiple approaches. The overall aim of the project is to turn the province and the Central Highlands region into a high-value agriculture hub in Southeast Asia.

JICA has sent experts to counsel and help Lâm Đồng access new production and post harvest technologies, as well as achieve vertical and horizontal integration for production, consumption and export.

VietGap a windfall for shrimp farmers

Led by high-tech methods, the VietGAP-compliant shrimp farming project is bringing previously unseen wealth to the southernmost province of Cà Mau.

The extensive white-legged shrimp growing model – part of the Coastal Resources For Sustainable Development Project (CRSD) – is supported by CRSD’s management board with funds from World Bank.

In Tân Điền village, Tân Duyệt Commune, Đầm Dơi District, the white-legged shrimp farming model is deployed at 161 households taking up over 100 hectares, and it’s expected to expand further to another 90 households.

Head of one of the piloting households, Tô Hoài Thương was upbeat about the results, saying that 100 per cent of stock shrimp cost and 30 per cent of food cost for shrimps are subsidised by the government. After four months of raising shrimp at a density of 100 shrimps per square metre, his household harvested some 2,800 kg.

“Besides the financial support, the thing we appreciate the most is technical support we have received,” Thương told Nông thôn ngày nay (Countryside Today) newspaper. “During the whole farming process, I tried to stick to the breeding schedule that experts recommended. We also grow tilapia in the same shrimp ponds, which helps create better water circulation and limits white-spot or yellowhead diseases.”

He added that the shrimp farms were carefully constructed, following experts’ instructions to best protect the environment.

“Subtracting the expenses, I earn a profit of VNĐ200 million a crop (US$8,800), considerably higher compared to when I used the traditional method,” Thương said.

“Plus, it gives a comfortable peace of mind,” he added, referring to the new model’s benefits in reduced risks of diseases and ensured food safety of the products.

In Cái Nước District, the VietGap model has also brought about positive results.

Local Phan Văn On said the benefit of joining the piloting project is receiving instructions from “very helpful technical experts.”

Thanks to their expertise, On said he was aware of the needs to invest into clean production that abides by VietGAP standards, “With initial investment of 70 million per hectare, each crop yield total output worth of VNĐ200 million ($8,800), for a profit of 80 million ($3,500). Each year I can grow two crops like this.”

According to years of research and social surveys on farming, experts file the difficulties of shrimp farming into three main groups: environment, economy, and social issues. These sorts of difficulties arise in all elements of production, from stock supply and breeding, to technical management, caring, and transporting.

“Households joining the project will receive technical assistance, especially regarding the fact that after each crop, a month of ‘rest’ is a must-have to ‘regenerate’ the shrimp ponds, sun-drying and cover the pond’s bottoms with lime,” On said.

“Compliance with VietGAP standards not only brings us better income and profits, it also opens up a direction into sustainable production,” he added.

According to Nguyễn Văn Tèo, an agriculture extension official in Phú Hưng Commune, the project reached out to some 240 households in the commune, who were beneficiaries of technical knowledge and skills regarding extensive shrimp farming.

“With the new model, a crop can yield as high as 550-600kg per ha, while with the traditional method, it’s lucky if the output is some 350kg a year,” Tèo said.

According to the project assessment team, all participating households complies fully with the VietGAP standards.

These households’ production sites are all located within the area already planned for shrimp farming; environment protection standards and food safety and hygiene regulations are followed through.

Quách Ngọc Bình, deputy head of the CRDS project’s board of directors in Cà Mau Province, said that the “biggest result” of the project is a change in farmers’ production mindset.

“From separate household production, farmers are now operating in groups, complying with recommended crop schedule, bearing the environmental protection and technology-integrated sustainable production in mind,” he said.

Bình also added that the project also put an emphasis on the linkages between export seafood manufacturers to ensure that farmers’ clean products will be sold and reach the market, guaranteeing their livelihoods.

The CRSD project implemented in Cà Mau Province involves 10 farming zones with 2,200 households, and a total area of 2,230 hectares. The component conducting GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) in sustainable shrimp farming – implemented starting from 2012 throughout 2017 in 5 districts, Đầm Dơi, Cái Nước, Năm Can, Phú Tân, Ngọc Hiển – has provided 3,000 farmers with necessary GAP knowledge and skills.

HCM City urges Pennisula land clearance

All the land needed to develop the Thủ Thiêm urban area in HCM City’s District 2 must be acquired this year, People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Thành Phong has told the project management board.

Nguyễn Thế Minh, deputy head of the New Thủ Thiêm Urban Area Project, said acquisition of 84 properties had been delayed, and early last year the People’s Committee had instructed relevant authorities to settle their owners’grievances.

The delay in acquiring the lands affected local residents, hindered investment promotion and construction works, and increased expenses related to resettlement, he said.

It also delayed construction of Thủ Thiêm Bridge No 2, he said.

The Thủ Thiêm Area includes 150 plots of land measuring 185ha earmarked for investment projects and public works.

Some of the investment projects are already underway, including infrastructure work at a 38.4ha resettlement area in Bình Khánh Ward, four major roads on the peninsula, the central square and riverside park, and a model eco-park.

Other projects that have been approved are an embankment around the peninsula, Thủ Thiêm Bridge No 2, an artificial central lake and canals.

Minh sought the People’s Committee’s instructions on what to do with unsold apartments built for households moved out of the area.

The project management board plans to build 10,529 apartments, of which  4,903 have been completed and handed over to the District 2 People’s Committee.

But only 3,296 have been bought by resettled families, with the rest remaining unsold, causing a huge financial and administrative burden for authorities.

Phong said city authorities would find a solution to the problem.

Phong instructed the management board to identify investors for 26ha of land the city owns on the peninsula.

He called for linking the peninsula’s infrastructure with those of other areas in District 2.

Turin gathering highlights Vietnam-Italy relations

The Office of Vietnam’s Honorary Consul in the Italian city of Turin held a gathering on February 17 on the occasion of Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year.

Addressing Turin officials and a large number of Italian people and Vietnamese expatriates, Vietnam’s Honorary Consul Sandra Scagliotti praised the beauty of the Southeast Asian nation, which boasts a diverse culture, and recalled her memories of the Vietnamese people.

She also took this chance to call on Italian people and the Vietnamese community to continue their efforts to strengthen the two countries’ friendship.

At the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien presented his country’s recent attainments, including those in external ties and social, economic and cultural development.

He underlined the sound bilateral relations which have been affirmed and solidified during recent high-ranking visits, including a State visit to Italy by President Tran Dai Quang in November 2016. Those visits illustrate both sides’ political resolve to intensify the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership.

He expressed his belief that the countries will have more practical cooperation activities in the time ahead.

Regarding economic ties, Thien noted bilateral trade has risen sharply in recent years, especially since the strategic partnership was set up in 2013, reaching 4.6 billion USD in 2016. Italy is the fifth biggest EU trade partner of Vietnam, which in turn is the largest partner of the European nation among ASEAN countries.

Turin is a big city in the northwest of Italy and also a mechanical and manufacturing hub of the country. It is also the only Italian city with an honorary consul office of Vietnam.

PM heaps pressure on Ministry of Construction

The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Construction to clarify six problems which are of great public concern.

The request was delivered to the ministry on February 17 by Minister and head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung. Dung, also head of the PM’s working group, led a group to inspect the ministry’s implementation of tasks assigned by the Government and the PM.

Dung relayed the PM’s desire to build a transparent, constructive, action-minded and serving Government which eliminates hindrances to enterprises.

According to the Construction Ministry, from the beginning of 2016 until February 10, 2017, the ministry has been assigned 311 tasks. 233 of these tasks had been fulfilled while 74 are in the process of being completed. Four are overdue.

The first problem that needs clarification relates to building mechanisms. According to Dung, the Law on Construction in 2014 should be reviewed in terms of its relevance with the Law on Land, Urban Law, Trading Real Estate Law and Public Investment Law.

He asked the ministry to propose changes to the law to the Government and National Assembly.

The PM also urged the Ministry of Construction to submit the amended Decree 59 on construction investment management to the Government.

According to Dung, ministries, sectors and localities have complained that the disbursement of public investment is slow due to Decree 59.

“Design assessments for multiple-floor buildings is under the management of construction departments, however, regulations force the public and enterprises to apply for documents at the ministry, causing nuisance and waste,” Dung said.

Explaining slow progress in supplementing and amending the decree, Construction Minister Pham Hong Ha said that the decree “asks ministries, sectors and localities to reorganise management boards of projects”. However, there are more than 1,000 Official Development Assistance project management boards nationwide, making this a huge task.

"There are many complications in the decree," he said, adding that changes would be considered and submitted to the Government soon.

The second issue raised during the inspection was planning and management of planning and construction order. This process has had failures resulting in planning breakdown or adjustments.

The PM called on the Construction Minister to clarify the roles of the ministry and localities. Localities can be authorised to issue construction licences but the ministry must supervise construction.

The PM also asked the ministry to prioritise the third issue, which relates to house construction, saying that the ministry should pay attention to houses for low-income people, social beneficiaries and workers at industrial parks and hi-tech zones.

Regarding the fourth issue, Minister and head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung pointed out that the ministry has fixed construction material prices; however, they are adjusted at local levels.

The ministry should reach an agreement with localities to impose the fixed prices and stop investors hiking them, he said.

The Construction Ministry was also asked to study new materials, recycled materials, environmentally-friendly materials and substitute materials used domestically to cut down on the import of construction materials.

The last issue is the ministry’s State-owned enterprise equitisation. The progress has been on schedule; however, the number of equitised firms set to be listed on the stock market is low.

The ministry was requested to speed up equitisation and avoid self interest in the progress.

Construction Minister Pham Hong Ha said that the ministry would continue completing mechanisms, work with State and local agencies in construction investment and pay attention to decentralised administration.

“Decentralised administration must be conducted strongly, including assigning tasks to each locality, sector, corporation and group in the construction sector,” Ha said.

President highlights improving execution of sentences

President Tran Dai Quang has underscored the need to ensure the accurate and impartial execution of criminal, civil and administrative sentences in line with the law, helping strengthen the socialist legal system and the rule of law. 

During a working session in Hanoi on February 17 with sentence execution agencies of the Ministries of Public Security, National Defence and Justice, the State leader urged them to work closely with Party committees, local authorities and residents, armed forces and socio-political organisations to implement policies and laws on convicts, respect their human rights, and improve education and vocational training for them to turn over a new leaf when they return to society. 

The President also required the agencies to play a proactive role in reviewing existing laws and building new ones on the execution of sentences, in line with the 2013 Constitution, the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code. 

It was reported at the meeting that last year, the force in charge of execution of criminal sentences, in collaboration with the Presidential Office and relevant aggencies, submitted proposals to the President to grant amnesty to 4,179 prisoners. 

2016 was also the first year that the force in charge of execution of civil sentences over-fulfilled assigned tasks, with 530,428 cases settled, accounting for 78.53 percent of total cases, or 8.53 percent higher than the target set by the National Assembly, and collected over 29 trillion VND in fines, surpassing the NA’s goal by 3.74 percent. 

The execution of administrative sentences has also been improved.

Sentence execution forces also took drastic actions to thoroughly settle delayed and complicated cases. Law building work was strengthened, creating a legal corridor for the execution of sentences in all criminal, civil and administrative fields.

German-funded project improves living conditions for Binh Thuan women

The living conditions of thousands of women in the south central coastal province of Binh Thuan have remarkably improved as a result of a project funded by German organisation Terre des Hommos in 2013-2016.

After three year of implementation in 15 communes and towns of Tanh Linh, Duc Linh, Ham Thuan Bac and Tuy Phong districts, the project helped more than 800 women rise out of poverty while around 1,300 others became better off thanks to loans and training courses on cultivation and animal husbandry.

More than 10 billion VND (438,700 USD) was disbursed in loans under the project during 2013-2016.

Le Thi Hai Yen, Chairwoman of the provincial Women’s Union, said that the project will continue providing support for disadvantaged people in 2017-2019, and coordinate with local authorities to organise vocational training courses for rural women.

Red Spring Festival 2017 kicks off in Hanoi

The 10th Xuan Hong (Red Spring) Festival was launched at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on February 18.

The event is expected to see 30,000 people and receive at least 8,000 units of blood for over 170 hospitals in the northern region.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said he hoped provinces and cities nationwide continue to response and organise the festival while calling on people to participate in blood donation campaigns in the year to save lives.

A conference was also to review the annual festival over the past ten years.

The festival also included several activities such as a music festival, an exhibition on 10 years of the festival and game shows, with the performance of many famous artists and singers.

In response to the call for post-Tet (Lunar New Year) blood donations and to celebrate 10 years of the Red Spring Festival, on February 17, more than 600 health workers from 20 Hanoi-based hospitals joined a parade along streets in the capital to call for blood donations to save lives.

Earlier on February 12-13, about 1,000 volunteers from the Hanoi Association of Youth Blood Donor Recruiters took to the streets to encourage people to involve in the festival.

The festival has received nearly 51,000 blood units from voluntary donors since its first in 2008.

Nguyen Hoang Nam and inventions for farmers

With no formal mechanical training, only diligence and creativity, Nguyen Hoang Nam of Tra Vinh province, has invented several pieces of technical equipment for farmers. His electronic and mechanical innovations are really practical and useful for agricultural production.

A multi-functional machine and a robot vacuum designed to clean sewage lines received two patents and won Nguyen Hoang Nam the second and third prize at a Technical Innovation Contest in Tra Vinh province. 

Nam’s invention creeps through sewer sections sucking out clogged sewage. The robot uses hydraulic power, not electricity, so it can be operated safely in water. It is already being used by a number of enterprises. 

Mr. Nam said “The robot can do the work of 6 or 7 people. It is unsafe for workers to crawl into drains to dredge the sewage. With the robot, the workers just need to operate it and then take the waste away”.

Nam has also invented electricity-saving equipment for aquaculture which is inexpensive, easy to use, and can reduce power consumption by 50%. 

Mr. Mai Dung Tien, Vice Chairman of the Farmers’ Association in Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province, said “Many locals here are involved in aquaculture, and their equipment has often led to overloads and power outages. Thanks to Nam’s invention, considerable electricity is now being saved, increasing economic efficiency and reducing poverty in the area”.

For shrimp breeders, it’s important to have a clean pond. To kill harmful aquatic species, shrimp breeders have often used a plant called derris elliptica benth. But collecting the plants by hand breaks their roots. Nam has invented a machine that collects derris elliptica benth less destructively. 

Le Van Minh, a farmer in Hiep My commune said “It’s a very useful invention. It reduces over workload and is very easy to use”.

Tra Vinh province’s Department of Science and Technology helped Nam register a patent and arranged a loan of US$13,000 to help him develop his invention. 

Mr. Le Van Truyen of Tra Vinh province’s Department of Science and Technology said “Nam is hard-working and has a great passion for technological invention. In addition to his robot vacuum, Nam has invented equipment to reduce electricity overloads, and power consumption for aquaculture. His inventions are very practical”.

Nam continues to work on new inventions. He is close to completing a design for a smart home built with lighter material on unstable land. He is also working on equipment that uses wind energy and recycles waste water. 

Ho Chi Minh City considers encouraging residents to walk to work

The Ho Chi Minh City administration is considering calling on its residents, particularly public servants, to walk to school or work to contribute to the joint efforts to curb traffic congestion.

City-dwellers should take up walking if they live within 3km from schools or workplaces, the city’s deputy chairman Le Van Khoa suggested at a meeting on February 16.

Khoa put his proposal up for feedback from the meeting delegates, who are representatives of municipal departments and agencies and district-level administrations, and received 100 percent supporting votes.

The deputy chairman said walking will help residents strengthen their health and reduce their transportation cost, while bringing in many benefits for the society such as reducing traffic jams and air pollution.

Nguyen Van Danh, deputy director of the city’s Department of Construction said he totally supports the idea but is concerned about its feasibility.

Danh elaborated that it is difficult to get people to go to work on foot because most of sidewalks citywide are either occupied by street stalls or improperly used as motorbike parking spaces by shops and restaurants.

Danh thus suggested that the city should first try to clear the sidewalks on selected streets before carrying out the proposal.

In the meantime, Bui Thi Diem Thu, deputy director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, is concerned that walking in the hot and humid weather is inconvenient for female teachers as they have to wear ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese long dress.

She also added that most parents will not feel comfortable letting their children walking to school on fears of robbery or kidnapping.

Responding to Thu’s concerns, Khoa said that female teachers can wear casual clothes while walking and get changed when they arrive at schools.

Other delegates suggested that the required distance be lowered to 2km or 1km.

Despite these concerns, as the majority of delegates already voted support of the idea, Khoa tasked the city’s traffic safety committee with preparing the official draft of the proposal to submit to the municipal administration for consideration by the end of next month.

“We should have things get done as soon as possible,” he pressed.

Also at Friday’s meeting, Khoa suggested that in 2017, 50 percent of schools in the city must have school buses to transport students instead of having them go to school on their own vehicles to further reduce traffic congestions.

The city’s deputy chairman also addressed the controversial installations of barriers to prevent motorists from crossing over to the sidewalks on many streets in District 1 over the last few weeks.

The barriers have been complained for causing inconvenience for pedestrians, especially the disabled and elderly.

Responding to these concerns, Khoa asked the city’s transport department to review the appropriate distance between barriers and install them accordingly so that people on wheelchairs can access and move along the sidewalk more easily.

Vietnam wary as China grapples with deadly bird flu outbreak

China has reported 340 human cases of the H7N9 virus while another dangerous strain is taking its toll in Cambodia.

Health officials have warned that there is a very high risk of the H7N9 bird flu virus spreading to Vietnam from China.

The Ministry of Health said the most vulnerable areas are those along the border with China where trade activities are concentrated.

Human infections with the avian influenza A H7N9 virus were first reported in China in March 2013.

The World Health Organization said that China has reported 340 human cases in 13 provinces and cities nationwide so far this year. Almost all these cases had a history of exposure to live poultry in markets or areas with infected birds.

This has been the fifth outbreak in China since 2013.

Meanwhile in Cambodia, the H5N1 virus has recently been found in poultry in Svay Rieng Province, near the Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh. So far, 68 birds have died of the virus in Cambodia and 322 others have been culled, according to official data.

Vietnam has not reported any human infections of the two virus strains over the past two years. The H5N1 virus is highly dangerous, causing 65 deaths in Vietnam between 2003 and 2014.

Health officials are urging the public to avoid consuming poultry with unknown origins and immediately seek help when they find sick or dead poultry.

Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, chest pain or breathing difficulty should also be taken seriously.

Hundreds fined as Saigon puts the brakes on sidewalk driving

Over 100 motorbike riders in Ho Chi Minh City were fined on February 15 for driving on sidewalks as the local administration looks to reestablish order on its streets.

The administration of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City is cooperating with traffic police and urban order management in its campaign to put an end to sidewalk-driving in the city’s downtown area.

Local police camped out on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street and the Ly Tu Trong-Nguyen Trung Truc intersection in District 1 between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm on February 15, looking to book anyone riding on sidewalks to avoid traffic congestion.

A total of 108 riders were stopped over the course of two hours, with each violation carrying a VND350,000 (US$15.63) fine and a temporary driver’s license confiscation.

Some violating riders got off their motorbikes or made a U-turn upon seeing law enforcers, while others pretended to stop by a nearby house to justify their offense.

Doan Ngoc Hai, deputy chairman of the District 1 People’s Committee, said district authorities would continue their campaign until order is restored to the city’s streets and the sidewalks are returned to their initial purpose of serving pedestrians.

“It is a danger to pedestrians and an eyesore to foreign tourists for motorbikes to roam freely on the sidewalk,” Hai said. “Some violators asked to be let go without a fine as it was their first offense, but we insisted on using the law as deterrence. Only when each citizen is aware of and follows the law can our city become civilized.”

The municipal Department of Transport stirred debate earlier this month when it installed fences and anti-motorbike barriers on multiple pedestrian walkways in District 1.

Young Makers launch third annual competition in Vietnam

Young Makers has announced the opening of the third annual edition of its competition that provides Vietnamese youth an opportunity to show their innovative talent.

A ‘maker’ is a term coined in Germany and the US for a growing breed of young inventors and tech savvy professionals that are constantly working on the next ‘big thing’.

This year’s competition is not only for budding inventors or tech savvy youth, but for artists, movie makers, engineers or anyone with a love of tinkering, designing, hacking, and innovating, say the organizers.

The competition brings together a community of young people with mentors and a space to make. In small groups, participants work together to design and make a youth-chosen, open-ended project that they will showcase at a Maker Fair.

Complete details on the completion and registration can be found online at www.youngmakers.vn.

The top winning team will a receive cash prize of US$875 (VND20 million), with second and third places getting US$440 (VND10 million) and US$220 (VND5 million), respectively.

Other prizes include a 10-day Silicon Valley Immersion Trip to California in the US valued at US$6,000. 

Vietnam world’s fourth cheapest countries to live for expats: survey

Vietnam has been ranked among the top five countries with the lowest living cost for expats, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said on February 16, citing a recent survey.

Vietnam secured the fourth spot at the Cost of Living index, just behind Taiwan, Thailand and leader Ukraine, according to the Expat Insider 2016 survey by InterNations, the world’s largest network for people living abroad.

InterNations said they reached out to members of their global community and other expats worldwide, asking them to share their motivations for moving and evaluate their life abroad.

More than 14,000 respondents representing 174 nationalities and 191 countries and territories took part and had their say on moving, living and working abroad, according to the VNAT.

Expat Insider 2016 also called Vietnam “the biggest winner” as the country had advanced the furthest in the year.

According to the survey, Vietnam has made the biggest jump in the Top Expat Destinations index, rising up an astounding 24 places, from 35th out of 64 countries in 2015, to come in 11th out of 67 countries.

It also made the biggest gains in the Best & Worst Countries for Working Abroad – jumping from 36th to 12th place – and the Ease of Settling index, from 35th to 29th place.

Expats in the Southeast Asian country were also more satisfied with their jobs in general, with about 61 percent saying they are generally content in their jobs in 2015, and almost 74 percent stating the same in 2016.

“The Vietnamese are kind, caring and very considerate, with a good sense of humor,” the survey quoted a comment on Vietnam.

“Life is good here, one of the nicest places I have ever lived.”