Rent soars on new pedestrian street

Rent at the high-rise office buildings and private residences on and near Nguyen Hue Boulevard have shot up since this downtown road was turned into a promenade last month, sources said.

The sources said the monthly rent of offices has risen by at least US$6 per square meter compared to the charge applied before the pedestrian street was complete.

A real estate consultant in HCMC estimated the existing monthly office rent at the Harbour View Tower at US$20 per square meter, the Sunwah Tower at US$24 and the Bitexco Financial Tower at US$23.

Other buildings along the street charge US$18-20 per square meter per month. These rentals are exclusive of service fees which are about US$4-5 per square meter per month.

The manager of B.O. building on the street said the monthly rent of a 67-square-meter area overlooking the street on the sixth floor is over US$2,000.

Meanwhile, an 18-square-meter office which does not overlook the street costs US$600 per month, and the rent of a 40-square-meter rooftop area of the building is US$1,000 per month. These rents are 30% higher than before.

Demand for apartments for lease along the street has surged despite higher rent.

An entrepreneur told the Daily that he had contacted the landlord of a 210-square-meter apartment overlooking the street and near Mac Thi Buoi Street to bargain for a lower rental when he read an advertisement that it was leased at VND1.41 million (US$64.73) per square meter per month.

However, the apartment had been leased out, he said, adding that he has asked to lease several other apartments located on alleys on nearby streets and the average rent is US$16 per square meter per month.

Space rentals have jumped as more companies and individuals are rushing to open shops along the street, which is often crowded with pedestrians at night.

Government to promote Vietnam-Laos-Thailand caravan

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism today launches a parade in the central region of the country as a promotion for the new caravan  tours through Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

The parade will run till next Friday to attract more international vacationers to join the caravan, especially in the East-West Economic Corridor and  the central provinces. The promo is being joined by officials of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and by over 20 central region travel  agents.

Vietnam will meet with relevant departments in Laos and Thailand to solve problems caused by the economic slump and to promote the caravan.  

54 Vietnamese travelers joined the Caravan ASEAN Family Rally 2009 organized by Thailand’s tourism agency last month.

Winners of contest for HIV-infected people to be announced soon

An award ceremony of the “Red Ribbon” contest held for people infected with HIV/AIDS will take place in HCMC on May 22 two months after the event was launched.

Popular local artists will hold hands of the winners when they come to the stage to call for the society to give more sympathy to those infected with  HIV/AIDS.

The celebrities include the second runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2008, Truong Thi May, artist Kim Cuong, photographer Pham Hoang  Nam, designer Sy Hoang, and actresses Hong Anh, Le Khanh, and Kim Tuyen.

Tuyen has been chosen as the first goodwill ambassador of the contest, which is organized by the Vietnam National Network of People Living  with HIV (VNP+) in partnership with the Vietnam Administration for HIV and AIDS Control (VAAC) and by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan  for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She has donated VND30 million (US$1,380) to activities of the program.

Designer Sy Hoang said he has joined the program in order to help call for the community to give HIV-infected people a helping hand.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, U.S. diplomats Claire Pierangelo and Rina Bitter, and representatives of other foreign consulates  in Vietnam are expected to attend the award ceremony at Aroda Phu My Hung in District 7.

VietJet Air increases domestic flights in summer vacation

Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air is increasing flights on domestic tourism routes to meet high demand in summer vacation.

VietJet Air will offer more than 1,500 flights on its Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang, HCMC-Hanoi, Hanoi-Da Nang, Can Tho-Da Nang, Da Lat-Vinh  routes.

It also supplies additional 270,000 tickets costing at VND199,000 for short distance routes and VND399,000 for over one-hour flights if  customers book tickets before May 30, 2015.

This fare will be applied for flights from now to August 30, 2015.

The carrier will increase 10 flights for HCMC-Da Nang route; 20 flights for HCMC-Hanoi route and 11 flights for Hanoi-Da Nang route.

For international routes, the carrier will increase more flights. For instance, it will increase two return flights a day from HCMC to Singapore; three  return flights a day from HCMC-Bangkok and two return flights per day from Hanoi to Bangkok.

In addition, since May 27 the carrier will operate HCMC-Chu Lai route with the fare of VND480,000 (US$22.06) a ticket and four flights a week.  

The air fare for between two major cities Hai Phong-Da Nang is VND580,000 (US$26.68) starting on June 1, 2015.

Morning fire destroys central market kiosks

Police are investigating the cause of an early Monday fire that destroyed several confectionery kiosks in a central market in Ha Noi.

At least four people caught in the fire suffered severe burns, said officials.

The fire was reported around 6am at bread-selling kiosk No26 in Phung Khoang Market, Thanh Xuan District and rapidly spread to surrounding  kiosks that sold clothing and dried food.

It was reported that five people lived at the site of the fire, including a couple with two children and a home-helper.

The couple, owners of the bread kiosk, a seven-month child, and a home helper reportedly suffered burns. Only the older daughter escaped from  the fire, fleeing the home to seek help.

Tens of fire trucks and firefighters were sent to the scene whilst Thanh Xuan District police, in co-ordination with the Ha Noi City's transport  police, worked to control traffic in the area around the fire.

The fire was brought under control after two hours, with no casualties reported among those putting out the flames.

Quang Nam farmer killed after finding bomb

At the scene of accident, the victim house's glass window is damaged. — Photo vov.vn

A 45-year-old farmer living in central province of Quang Nam's Tam Xuan Commune was killed over the weekend by an exploding fragmentation  bomb.

While returning home from work, the man reportedly found the bomb at the construction site of the Da Nang central city-Quang Ngai Province  Expressway.

Officials said the man brought the bomb home, where he attempted to strip it down. However, he did not have knowledge about bombs and,  apparently, the bomb struck the floor and exploded. Witnesses reported that glass windows and the tiled roof were damaged.

The Tam Xuan Commune People's Committee reports that local authorities, in co-ordination with the victim's family, held a burial service for the  man on Sunday evening.

Lightning claims woman's life in Quang Tri

A woman in central Quang Tri province died yesterday when she was struck by lightning on her way back home from a farm field.

Authorities in the province's Trieu Long Commune announced in the morning that the 54-year-old woman was struck dead by lightning. The woman, who was working on her rice field, was rushing home as it was about to rain, but  was hit by a lightning bolt.

Although some locals took her to a hospital, she reportedly died on the way.

The commune authorities said that lightning has been occurring in high frequency these days and cautioned farmers to avoid fields or tall trees.

Husband, wife charged with $2.2m fraud

A married couple in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have been charged with fraudulent business practices and receiving more than  VND48 billion (US$2.2 million).

Nguyen Van Giap and his wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Dung, both age 52, were founders of the My Tho Town-based Bay Giap Company that  specialised in selling fertilisers and plant protection products.

They were found to have taken advantage of the ‘buy now pay later' policy of several fertiliser and plant protection products manufacturers in HCM  City to fraudulently amass $2.2 million.

Over $7.8 mln for Central Highlands social security

Over 170 billion VND (7.82 million USD), including 100 billion VND (4.6 million USD) from bank donations, was raised for social welfare  activities in the Central Highlands region during an arts performance programme held in Da Lat city, Lam Dong province on May 17.

The programme, part of the 3 rd Conference for Investment Promotion and Social Security for the Central Highlands, was organised by the  Steering Committee for the Central Highlands and the State Bank of Vietnam.

It called on organisations, individuals, donors and enterprises within and outside the country to work together in ensuring social security  initiatives, contributing to alleviating hunger and poverty, raising living standards and promoting socio-economic development in the region.

According to the event’s organising board, the funds will be used in remote and disadvantaged areas in the Central Highlands.

From 2008 to 2014, banks spent around 556 billion VND (23 million USD) on social welfare activities in the region.

At the 2nd Conference, commercial banks signed 20 credit contracts to provide over 23.8 trillion VND (1.1 billion USD) for the region.

The Central Highlands consists of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, and Lam Dong provinces.

Vietnam's male dolphin believed dead on female’s 1st death anniversary

A dying male dolphin was found off the coast of Binh Dinh Province on May 17, near a temple where a dead female dolphin was buried exactly a  year earlier.

Fisherman Nguyen Minh Ty said the creature nuzzled his coracle repeatedly while he was fishing some 200 meters off Bai Xep Beach in Quy  Nhon town early that morning.

“It continued to stick to my boat though I tired to take him out to sea several times. Finally, I decided to take him to shore.”

The village head, Vo Loi, 80, and other fishermen then attempted to take the dolphin to sea again but it kept swimming to shore.

The fishermen then decided to take the dying dolphin, which weighed about 100kg, to the nearby Nam Hai Temple, where they worship dolphins  and whales.

The dolphin was about 2.5 meters long and had several infected injuries, Loi said.

It died in the afternoon and the fishermen buried it in the temple yard.

Loi said a female dolphin was found dead a year ago and they had buried it near the temple.

“According to local rituals, today is the 1st anniversary of her [the female dolphin] death and burial at Bai Xep, and we held a reburial ceremony to  move her remains to the temple to worship.

“Maybe he [the male dolphin] was somehow aware of it and decided to swim here to die.”

Final segment of Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway opened to traffic

The first two lanes of the last remaining segment of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, from Binh Minh ward in the bordering northern city of Lao  Cai to the Kim Thanh International Border Gate - the gateway to China’s Yunnan province - opened to traffic on May 18.

Construction on the 19-kilometre section began in the the fourth quarter of 2010, and cost over 4 trillion VND (185 million USD).

It comprises of two intersections connecting the expressway with the 4E and 4D national roads, a 700-metre tunnel, and a system of bridges  stretching 3.6 kilometres.

The road, with a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour, will help connect the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway to China’s Kunming-Hekou highway.

It is expected that the last two lanes of the section will be opened to traffic at the end of this year.

The construction of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway started in 2009 with a total investment of over 1.2 billion USD. It has a total length of 245  kilometres and links Hanoi and the northern border province of Lao Cai.

As an important project of the Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong road corridor, the highway is a key component of a cooperation programme  between Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China.

Spain Red Cross pledges aid to Vietnam counterpart in disaster response

The Spanish Red Cross (SRC) pledges the highest level assistance to its Vietnamese counterpart’s activities including disaster prevention and  response, said Chief Representative of the Hanoi-based SRC office Ignacio Garcia.

The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) has played a key role in humanitarian activities as well as in disaster prevention and response, Garcia continued  at a workshop jointly held by the VRC and the SRC office in Hanoi on May 18.

As Vietnam is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, the VRC needs to include disaster prevention and response activities in its long-term  action programmes, he added.

He also suggested the society increase communication, deepen coordination with relevant agencies, and call for support from domestic and  foreign organisations.

The workshop drew representatives of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), State agencies, and the  disaster-prone provinces of Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai in central Vietnam.

They were provided with information on the IFRC’s international disaster response tools, Vietnam’s Law on natural disaster prevention and  control, and the Government’s coordination mechanisms with social organisations in the field.

Participants reviewed ways to promote the efficiency of disaster response coordination between IFRC forces and Vietnamese local authorities  and to expand the activities and efficiency of provincial disaster response teams.

Founded in 1946, the VRC is currently a member of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. It has set up a  national disaster response team, 26 provincial and district teams, and 158 others at the communal level.

It implements nearly 30 international projects on community-based disaster risk management every year and has called for some 9 million USD  worth of relief for other countries to assist in disaster aftermaths thus far.-

President Ho Chi Minh’s press career shown in exhibition

An exhibition portraying the late President Ho Chi Minh, who founded Vietnam’s revolutionary press and penned over 2,000 articles throughout  his lifetime, opened in Hanoi on May 18.

On exhibit are over 200 photos, materials and objects featuring his press activities, many of which are released for the first time, including a  collection of 40 photos of his meetings with foreign journalists or his images on foreign cover pages.

The event is a tribute to a talented leader, a world cultural figure and a great journalist who trained a staff of Vietnamese revolutionary press  reporters, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said in his opening remarks.

President Ho Chi Minh used the press as a sharp and effective tool to support the national revolution. He established and directed various press  agencies, leaving a substantial press legacy behind and valuable teachings for us to follow, Tuan added.

The display, as part of celebrations for the 125th birth anniversary of the late President (May 19) and the 90 th anniversary of Vietnam  Revolutionary Press Day (June 21), will run through June 21.

The Vietnam Journalists’ Association is curating the event.

Exhibition featuring late President Ho Chi Minh opens

As many as 79 outstanding masterpieces, symbolising the late President Ho Chi Minh’s 79 years of life, are on display at the Ho Chi Minh  Museum.

The late President’s image is portrayed through paintings, sculptures, poetry and music. The showcased art upholds great historical and cultural  values, drawing the public’s attention.

Notably, a painting of the late President is on display, drawn in blood by Ngo Quang Nam after hearing the President had passed away in 1969.

Numerous international artists such as Erik Johansson (Swiss), Vladimir Efimovich Tsigal (Russia) and Salendre (France) also brought their  works to the exhibition.

The event, which opened on May 18, is part of activities to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the late President’s birthday (May 19).

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha chapters present gifts to ethnic groups

The charity boards of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s chapters in central Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces presented 200 gift packages  to Pako and Van Kieu ethnic minority households in a commune of Quang Tri’s Dakrong district on May 18.

Each gift package is worth nearly 300,000 VND (14 USD).

The money was raised by Buddhist followers, monks and nuns together with domestic and foreign donors.

Ta Long is an impoverished mountainous commune in Dakrong district with 28.3 percent of its households in poverty and 10.3 percent falling  near the poverty line.

The Quang Tri charity board also handed over 1,000 gifts to the impoverished, disabled and Agent Orange/Dioxin victims in the province.

As many as 500 gifts were presented to the elderly and 200 scholarships were provided for to disadvantaged students.

The board is also supporting a nutrition programme for a number of kindergartens in the locality, benefiting nearly 2,000 children.

Thanh Hoa to promote cooperatives

Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Nguyen Thien Nhan, praised recent efforts by the central province of Thanh  Hoa to improve the effectiveness of local cooperatives while pushing for a thorough assessment on their operations in order to prepare for further  development plans.

Nhan was speaking during a field trip to the province in mid-May.

Although provincial authorities last year issued a five-year cooperative development plan towards 2020, nearly 1,000 cooperatives are still facing  problems.

Those co-operatives run business in various sectors, including agriculture, industry, commerce and fisheries and transport services. Small size  and a lack of infrastructure result in the low effectiveness of most cooperatives in the province, representatives said at a meeting with Nhan.

Difficulties in borrowing loans from banks to expand operations was also another obstacle, said Hoang Kim Trung, chairman of the Trung Nghia  Cooperative.

"Many cooperatives did not even have sufficient documents to borrow loans as required under the amended Law on Cooperatives 2012," he  said. "We suggest that the authorities allow banks to accept our current situation for easier loan processing," Trung said.

Nhan acknowledged the importance of the cooperative sector in the socio-economic growth of Thanh Hoa and asked the authorities for a better  management at cooperatives to gain higher profits and raise farmers' incomes.

"The cooperatives should research the market, give farmers advice about which plants and animals to grow, and help make their products  accessible to consumers," Nhan said.

Charity walk organised to support school sports

A charity walk themed “Green energy journey” was held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 17, drawing the participation of about 10,000 primary  students and their parents.

T he programme aimed to raise funds to provide sports equipment for 10 local primary schools with inadequate facilities.

About 600 million VND (27,700 USD) is expected to have been mobilised at the event.

In 2014, the first “Green energy journey” attracted over 7,000 students.

Russia symposium looks into Ho Chi Minh ideology values

A symposium was held in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on May 18 to gain an insight into applying the ideology of the late Vietnamese  President Ho Chi Minh in the contemporary era.

Opening the function, Director of the Hanoi-based Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration Ta Ngoc Tan said the  late President was a great man due to his role in and enormous contributions to the history of Vietnam and the world.

He directed Vietnam to be an independent nation, encouraging a global national liberation movement, Tan noted.

The symposium, held on the occasion of Ho Chi Minh’s 125th birthday anniversary, was designed to express respect for him and make  Vietnamese and Russian scientists and people more aware of the value of his ideological legacy.

Welcoming the event, an official of Saint Petersburg said President Ho Chi Minh used to spend time in the city and added the municipal  authorities hope Vietnam and Russia will realise the late leader’s testament more effectively and intensify their comprehensive strategic  partnership.

Speeches dug into the values of the Ho Chi Minh ideology regarding the national liberation revolution, culture, morality, peace, cooperation  between nations, and friendship between Vietnam and Russia.

The symposium was organised by the Ho Chi Minh Academy, the management board of the President’s relic site in Hanoi and the Saint  Petersburg State University.

Earlier, they opened an exhibition of more than 200 photos and documents on the life and revolutionary activities of the leader.

Vietnam social insurance e-portal launched

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha chapters present gifts to ethnic groupsPrime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung officially launched an e-portal of the Vietnam  Social Insurance (VSI) in Hanoi on May 18.

The e-portal, found at http://kekhai.baohiemxahoi.gov.vn , enables individuals and entities to make online social, unemployment and health  insurance transactions, forming part of the VSI’s efforts to reform its administrative procedures.

The VSI has so far cut 263 procedures down to 115, saving nearly 3.67 trillion VND (174 million USD) in the State budget, surpassing the goal  set by the government.

It also applied the “one-stop shop” mechanism and ISO 9001:2008 quality management standards at 63 provincial and 700 district offices to  better serve nearly 65 million health insurance and 12 million social insurance cardholders, reported VSI General Director Nguyen Thi Minh.

In his speech, the PM hailed the VSI for ensuring welfare through social, health and unemployment insurance policies.

Looking forward, the VSI is striving to trim yearly tax payment time requirements to 49.5 hours in late 2015, on par with the ASEAN-6 group’s  level, he said.

The leader also expressed a more ambitious goal of cutting another 1-2 hours to be comparable to the ASEAN-4 group in the future.

The VSI was asked to regard administrative reform as a key political task since it brings immediate benefits to the population, and focus on  embracing technological advances.

Together with taxation and customs, the VSI is improving administrative overhaul at the direction of the government to improve the business  climate and national competitiveness.

Various activities mark late President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday

A variety of activities were organised on May 17 across the country to mark the 125th birthday anniversary of the late President Ho Chi Minh,  founder and first president of modern Vietnam.

On the evening of May 17, Hanoi’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union held an event at the Thong Nhat Park, honouring 125 outstanding  workers.

The union also awarded 20 scholarships to disadvantaged workers and 20 gift packages to impoverished workers’ children.

The 2015 Summer of Voluntary Youth was also launched at the event.

An art performance, ‘Ha Noi connects five continents’, was organised at the Ly Thai To Flower Garden at Hoan Kiem Lake to mark the birthday  of the late President.

On the same day in HCM City, a brand-new statue of President Ho Chi Minh was unveiled and a special art performance, ‘Ho Chi Minh – Your  Name is Best’, was organised.

In another token of remembrance, the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long launched a Planting Trees Festival to plant 1,000 trees along the main  streets in Binh Hoa Phuoc commune, Long Ho district.

Road expansion project kicks off in Mekong Delta

A road project to upgrade and widen some 50 kilometres of National Road 53, which links the two Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long and Tra  Vinh, was begun yesterday.

The upgraded road begins at Km 11+295 in Vinh Long's Long Ho District and will continue to Km56+00 in Cang Long District in Tra Vinh  province.

Plans call for widening the road so vehicles can travel at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour in cities and 80 kilometres per hour in rural areas.

The construction work was carried out under the BOT (Build-Develop-Transfer) plan, with investments totalling more than VND1.22 trillion  (US$56.7 million).

The project was expected to be completed in two years, and officials will begin collecting tolls in May 2017.

National Road 53, which stretches more than 172 kilometres, is the key route connecting Vinh Long and Tra Vinh provinces and is a part of the  national road network within the Mekong Delta region.

The expanded National Road 53 is expected to help meet transportation demands and ease traffic congestion on the road, contributing to the  socio-economic development of Vinh Long and Tra Vinh provinces, as well as the entire Mekong Delta region.

Married couple charged in fraud worth billions

A married couple in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have been prosecuted by the provincial police for fraudulent business practices  which earned them more than VND 48 billion (US$2.2 million).

Nguyen Van Giap and his wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Dung, both age 52, were founders of the My Tho Town-based Bay Giap Company that  specialised in selling fertilisers and plant protection products.

They were found to have taken advantage of the ‘buy now pay later' policy of several fertiliser and plant protection products manufacturers in HCM  City to fraudulently amass $2.2 million.

Polluted water kills thousands year

A new law was needed to tackle water pollution a workshop has been told in Ha Noi.

The new law, together with another call for the National Assembly to exercise its supervision of the water environment, came after a health  ministry report that each year 9,000 people die and 200,000 others were diagnosed with cancers because of using polluted water.

Nguyen Ngoc Ly, director of the Centre for Environmental and Community Research (CECR), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in  Ha Noi, said water pollution had been institutionalised in several legal documents, however the problem had not been solved and now seemed to  have gone out of hand.

She said the Law on Environmental Protection and the Law on Water Resources, which govern this issue, were too generic and this led to poor  enforcement.

"Further, inconsistent provisions on ways to control water pollution in these laws created confusion about whom, what and how they target," she  said.

Ly added another problem was that the current laws did not detail the technology to be used for water pollution treatment, which was a loophole  where State money could be spent on outdated technology. Corruption was also often involved.

Nguyen Van Bay, director of Department of Water Resources Management (DWRM) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the  Environment (MONRE) admitted that limited human and financial resources and poor awareness and law compliance were to blame for water  pollution.

He suggested the Government add criminal penalties for acts of polluting water resources, increase fines, build a national system for monitoring  activities, and publicise the names of establishments that caused pollution or threatened the environment.

A DWRM report shows that most of the main rivers in Viet Nam are polluted. It also says that agricultural chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and  fertilisers) and animal feeds and their residues were deposited on the beds of rivers and ponds.

It said these were the breeding ground for pathogens and harmful algae in surface water and their percolation through the soil contaminated  groundwater.

DWRM statistics show that 70 per cent of industrial parks in Viet Nam have no waste facilities or substandard waste-water facilities.

Out of the nation's 639 industry clusters, which are a smaller version of industrial parks or industrial estates, only 42 possess a concentrated  waster-water system.

Almost all craft villages throughout the country discharge waste water directly into rivers, canals and ponds.

Viet Nam has 3,450 rivers that are longer than 10 kilometres, containing a total 830 to 840 billion cubic metres per year. It also has 2,900 lakes  and reservoirs with a total holding capacity of 65 billion cubic metres.

The workshop titled "Policy and Law on Controls of Water Pollution" was held on May 8 in Ha Noi by the National Assembly's Committee for  Science, Technology and Environment, the MONRE and the Coalition for Clean Water, a Ha Noi-based NGO.

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