Vietnam joins tea, coffee festival at UN headquarters

Vietnam and 14 other world leading tea and coffee exporters, including China, the Philippines and India took part in a tea and coffee festival at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 18.

The event was organised by the UN Correspondents Association (UNCA) and the association of wives of Arab diplomats in the UN.

Products such as tea, coffee, candies and cookies were sold at 1 USD each. However, visitors did not pay in cash but in tokens sold by UNICEF at the entrance to the festival. All the proceeds will be used to support children in famine-ravaged Yemen. 

UNCA President Sherwin Bryce-Pease said the festival was an occasion for countries to advertise their tea and coffee products, and for diplomatic workers to learn more about one another’s cultures.

An The Dung, Director of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade’s trade promotion centre in New York, said it was a good chance for the country to popularise its beverage products in the US. 

About 158 million people drink tea in the US, but Vietnamese tea has only a 2-percent market share.

Monument of Ho Chi Minh and his father inaugurated in Binh Dinh

A monument of late President Ho Chi Minh, known as Nguyen Tat Thanh in his early years, and his father Nguyen Sinh Sac, was inaugurated at the central square of Quy Nhon city, central coastal Binh Dinh province on May 18.

The inauguration took place to celebrate the 127th birthday of the late president (May 19, 1890) with Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac in attendance.

The 15.5-metre-high bronze monument was created by sculptor Vu Dai Binh. Binh said it is Vietnam’s only monument portraying Nguyen Tat Thanh with his father. The pair stand side by side, looking to the East Sea.

According to historians, Nguyen Tat Thanh followed his father, a Confucian scholar and teacher, to Binh Khe, a small district of Binh Dinh, to work as an imperial magistrate. Sac was later demoted, an event that greatly influenced Thanh’s thinking. At the age of 20, he was aware of the country’s political deadlock which led to his decision to travel to the West to win his nation’s freedom.

Binh Khe is also the last place Thanh and his father were together, after which the young man embarked on a long-journey and never saw his father again.

When Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam in 1941, 30 years after he left the country, his father had died.

Secretary of the provincial Party’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Tung said the monument was built to mark the late President’s young days when his revolutionary outlook emerged.

HCM City confiscates 70 tonnes of smuggled sugar

The HCM City Market Management Department on Tuesday discovered 70 tonnes of smuggled sugar in Bình Tân District.

The 2A team of the agency checked the Thành Phát Business Establishment’s warehouse in Bình Tân District’s Tân Tạo A Ward.

The inspectors found about 70 tonnes of smuggled sugar with Thailand and Cambodia brand names in the warehouse.

The inspectors also checked two trucks parked outside the warehouse and detected hundreds of sugar bags hidden by waste.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Xiêm, 30, from the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang, was the owner of the smuggled sugar.

The sugar was smuggled from Cambodia to the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang and then brought into HCM City for sale, according to market managers.

An Bình islet to boost solar power

The Central Rural Power Project Management Board--in co-operation with the HCM City-based SolarBK company--will start construction of a solar power system on An Bình Islet of Lý Sơn Island next month.

Đoàn Yên, director of Lý Sơn Power sub-department, told Việt Nam News on May 15 that the solar system, with a capacity of the 96 kWp (kilowatt peak for a solar module), will supply power 24 hours a day for 400 islanders living in An Bình Islet.

Yên said the renewable energy will provide enough power for islanders’ consumption from the third quarter of this year.

He said each household will have access to ‘clean and green’ power for lamps, TV sets or battery chargers within 24 hours.

Yên said the renewable energy will fill the area’s power void; for years, residents have only been able to use power 12 hours a day from two diesel-driven generators.

The solar power system, which will be built with an investment of VNĐ10 billion (US$442,000), will generate around 166kWh of electricity and reduce 93 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

The 1sq.km Islet, three miles off the main Lý Sơn Island, is home to 400 fishermen and farmers of garlic and onions.

As scheduled, the solar power system will be completed this September before operation in October. According to SolarBK, the company plans to build up a solar power system for operation of the 2012-built seawater desalination station in the islet.

The company also helps to build a monitoring system, SSOC (Solar System Operation Centre), that aims to monitor a combined solar power and diesel power network for better use on the An Binh Islet.

SolarBK has built a lighting project for Trường Sa (Spratly) Islands and seawater desalination stations in Song Tử Island, island communes of Sơn Chà in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Mê Island  in Thanh Hóa Province and Trần Island of Quảng Ninh Province.

An Binh Islet, which used fresh water from a 2012-built desalination station with funding from the South Korean heavy industry group Doosan Vina, has limited operation due to a continued, years-long lack of power. 

Tired of dust and noise, locals block road

Several residents of Điện Nam Trung street bloc in Quảng Nam Province on Wednesday blocked Provincial Road 607 to protest the constant movement of heavy, noisy construction trucks.

Residents of the south central province’s Điện Bàn Commune laid concrete drain pipes and other materials on the road to block traffic, in what they claimed was a “last-resort measure,” after repeated complaints to authorities led to no action.

Locals complain that trucks carrying construction materials such as sand drive through the road several times a day, spreading dust on the road and in the nearby areas, and causing a huge amount of noise. Also, because of the constant passage of heavy trucks, the road has started getting damaged and has developed potholes.

The police had to persuade protesters to clear the obstructions so that traffic could resume.

On the same day, Phan Minh Dũng, vice-chairman of Điện Bàn Commune, told online newspaper Zing that commune authorities “are aware of people’s complaints,” and would hold a meeting soon with affected residents to discuss measures to address the dust and noise pollution. 

Futsal event for disadvantaged kids to start

The 18th Futsal Tournament for Disadvantaged Children is scheduled to kick off on May 27 in Bình Định Province, the event’s organising board announced yesterday.

The tournament will see the participation of eight teams divided in two groups.

The winning team will receive a cup and VNĐ30 million (US$1,300). The runners-up will get VNĐ25 million ($1090) and VNĐ20 million ($870). In addition, the organising board will also give awards to the best player, best goal keeper and coach.

The event will end on June 1.

Symposium on building smart cities in Vietnam

Establishing smart cities will make urban areas better places to live and work due to their economic, social and environmental aspects, Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Minh Hong said at a symposium in Hanoi on May 18.

As Vietnam faces many obstacles to developing smart cities, the ministry will work with agencies to build mechanisms, policies and instructions in the field, he said.

Trends and global experience in building smart cities were outlined to participants.

They proposed building a set of criteria to evaluate the efficiency of the project while encouraging using information-technology and database sharing.

Vietnam should design regulations on infrastructure development in association with smart urban management, the participants said.

They urged the Ministry of Information and Communication to coordinate with ministries, departments and businesses to helps cities and provinces build smart cities.

In Vietnam, urban areas make up 10 percent of the country’s land but contribute more than 70 percent to gross domestic product (GDP). Five centrally-run cities account for 50 percent of GDP.

Nearly 20 cities and provinces have launched projects to build smart cities, while information, technology and communication businesses have signed deals with localities in this sphere.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s Decision No.1819/QD-TTg approved as part of the national programme to apply information-technology in State companies aims to build at least three smart cities. 

Meanwhile, Government Resolution No.5/NQ-TW outlines policies to push ahead with growth model reform and improve growth quality, labour productivity, and competitiveness of the economy as well as some priorities in developing smart cities.

The PM has directed the Ministry of Information and Communication to work with the Ministry of Construction to issue criteria to evaluate and recognise smart cities, whilst guiding localities to ensure effective investment to avoid waste and economic losses.

PM urges Thanh Hoa to draw investment

With its ample advantages, the north central coastal province of Thanh Hoa should work to become a model in attracting investment.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the statement at an investment promotion conference in Sam Son city on May 18.

He said that the Government will provide opportunities for Thanh Hoa to become an exemplary locality to achieve its investment targets.

The PM described Thanh Hoa as a miniature Vietnam, with a dynamic economy full of potential.

He urged the locality to improve the investment environment to ensure equality for businesses, and provide land in an effective manner.

He agreed with local plans to develop oil refining, aquatic processing, and tourism.

The PM suggested studying developing hi-tech agriculture and focusing on products with high economic value.

He encouraged businesses to invest in agriculture, services and infrastructure while diversifying services and taking advantage of heritage sites such as Ho Citadel, Lam Kinh historical relic site, community-based and craft village tourism.

To increase enterprises’ competitiveness and to build a strong business community, the province should train skilled workers and help businesses make long-term investments and join the global value chain, he said.

He also noted that the province could not do business without protecting the environment.

Various Government projects are planned for the province, including the Hanoi-Thanh Hoa-Nghe An expressway and a coastal route to prevent natural disaster.

At the conference, Thanh Hoa granted investment licenses to 32 projects with a total estimated investment of 135.3 trillion VND (equivalent to 6.1 billion USD), mainly in processing and manufacturing.

Earlier, the PM had a meeting with local authorities, during which he stressed that Thanh Hoa is one of Vietnam’s key investment destinations.

The province has eight industrial parks, attracted big companies and deployed policies to lure social investment, he said.

He hailed local efforts to build synchronous infrastructure for investment projects, offer competitive land lease prices and labour costs, and promptly address difficulties for businesses.

Thanh Hoa covers more than 11,000 square meters and has a population of 3.6 million people, ranking fifth nationwide in natural area and third in population.

The per capita average income was 1,620 USD at the end of 2016, the highest level in the north central region. It is expected to reach 1,750 USD in 2017.

The province is striving to record economic growth of 12 percent this year.-

Hanoi customs agency discuss ways to prevent drug trafficking

The Hanoi Customs Department held a conference on boosting drug detection and prevention at border gates and customs clearance points in the capital city on May 18.

Besides customs officers, the event drew the participation of representatives from the Police Department on Anti-Smuggling (C47) and the Institute for Crime Science (C54) under the Ministry of Public Security.

Necessary skills to early detect drug trafficking via road, air transport or fast delivery and to differentiate drug types were among topics tabled.

Participants especially emphasized how to recognize suspicious activities at international airports, particularly among passengers of flights departing from drug hotspots.

Nguyen Truong Giang, vice director of the Hanoi Customs, said the agency has worked to simplify clearance procedures and apply risk management techniques. 

He noted that with the launch of the Vietnam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System and Vietnam Customs Information System (VNACCS/VCIS), customs personnel cannot check every single passenger, vehicle and goods as before, adding that traffickers have used more tricks to take advantage of the condition.

C47 representatives brought to the seminar methods to recognise and capture traffickers.   

The Hanoi Customs Department busted about 10 drug trafficking cases in 2016, including the illegal transportation of 2.2 tonnes of dried “Khat” leaves into Vietnam via international postal services and air route. 

“Khat” leaves, a new type of drugs making it way to Vietnam, contain Cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant, which is said to cause strong euphoria and is 500-fold more dangerous than normal drugs.

Science, technology information access place opens to public

The National Agency for Science and Technology Information on May 17 opened a place providing free access to science and technology information at No.24, Ly Thuong Kiet street, in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district.

The establishment of the information access place aimed to encourage not only scientists and students but also all members of the public to search for and acquire science and technology information of the country and the world.

The information sources include about 7,700 domestic and foreign magazines, 380,000 books and 17,000 monographs, as well as 23,000 research projects at the national, ministerial and provincial levels.

People can also access 220,000 Vietnamese scientific reports and 40 million international documents over the world.

Measures mitigating climate change impacts on children sought

Measures to mitigate impacts of natural disasters and climate change on children were discussed at a conference jointly held by the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Hanoi on May 18.

Participants also shared knowledge and experience in children-oriented disaster risk mitigation, while seeking ways to intensify cooperation in this field.

Based on the outcomes of a national conference on children-oriented disaster risk mitigation held in the central province of Ninh Thuan in December 2016, this conference continued promoting cooperation within the framework of the Law on Disaster Prevention and Control, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Mitigation and sustainable development goals.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, head of the central steering committee, said that Vietnam annually suffers a variety of natural disasters which cause huge asset and human losses.

In 2016, disasters left 264 people dead or missing, and 431 others injured, causing an economic loss of 39.7 trillion VND (1.74 billion USD).

UNICEF Chief Representative Youssouf Abdel-Jelil said that climate change impacts are unavoidable, but the Sendai framework gives priority to investing in reducing the impacts on children at their early ages as this is an important period for their development.

Decreasing vulnerability of children is a long-term strategy to improve the community’s resilience, he said, calling on the Vietnamese Government and its development partners to maintain investment in children-oriented disaster risk mitigation.

Since August 2016, the UNICEF and the Vietnamese Government have provided emergency aid for children and women hit by drought and saline intrusion in 10 provinces of the Central Highlands, the coastal south central region and the Mekong Delta sourcing from the Japanese government and the CERF. 

Nearly 140,000 Vietnamese people have benefited from the effort.

Vietnam has 325 new rural communes

An additional 325 communes were recognised as new style rural areas in January - April, 2017, a rise of 3.6 percent compared to end of 2016, announced the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD).

The country has a total of 2,656 new style rural communes, 29.7 percent of the total.

The MARD devised a plan to develop 15,000 efficient agricultural cooperatives by 2020 and worked with localities to implement the cooperative renovation campaign.

In mid-April, the ministry issued criteria and classification of agricultural cooperatives. It has been working on policies to link agricultural production with consumption.

The national programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, includes 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics and defence, aiming to improve rural areas.

The criteria cover infrastructure development, production capacity improvement, environmental protection and cultural value promotion.

Argentine media spotlights late President Ho Chi Minh

The media in Argentina has published work praising late President Ho Chi Minh’s contribution to national liberation on the occasion of the 127th anniversary of his birthday (May 19, 1890).

The article "Ho Chi Minh: One of the greatest leaders of the anti-imperialism struggle" on the Latin American Summary magazine (Resumen Latinoamericano) highlighted his revolutionary activities when he traveled to the West in search of national liberation under the name Nguyen Ai Quoc.

It described the late President as a symbol of the cultural values and wisdom of the nation, while he was also an example of simplicity, love and faith in humans.

Meanwhile, another article on Argenpress.info said that, unlike many other Vietnamese patriots of his time who focused on the East, Uncle Ho headed West and did all kinds of work, for example, a cook assistant, waiter and journalist, to pursue the revolutionary path.

In the last moments of World War II in 1945, he took advantage of a unique historical conjuncture, leading Vietnamese people on a triumphant general insurrection. He then proclaimed the independence of Vietnam before the world on September 2, 1945, wrote the article.

Ho Chi Minh led Vietnamese people to put an end to the domination of France and opened a new era for Vietnam, the era of a new, independent and free Vietnam.

The page acercandonaciones.com of Argentina dedicated a large space for a portrayal of late President Ho Chi Minh with Vietnam’s national flag in the background alongside the article "Ho Chi Minh, a man of Peace."

According to author Jorge Tuero, Uncle Ho sacrificed his life to the struggle for national liberation and his death was a deep pain for Vietnamese hearts.

Tuero hailed Ho Chi Minh as a great leader and politician and a hero of Vietnam. To generations of Vietnamese, President Ho Chi Minh will forever be remembered as the founder of modern Vietnam and the father of the nation, called by Vietnamese from all ages Uncle Ho or Uncle, he said.

Can Tho to launch model of controlling non-infectious diseases

A model to control non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will be launched in Can Tho with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The information was heard at a working session between the People’s Committee of the southern city of Can Tho and representatives of the WHO on May 18 in the locality.

The project aims to enhance NCDs detection and management capacity of local healthcare facilities by providing new equipment and training courses, said Lokky Wai, a representative of the WHO in Vietnam, adding that it is expected to reduce pressure on higher-level facilities.

After training, local facilities are hoped to able to assess, consult and track NCD cases such as obesity, diabetes and high-blood pressure, he noted.

The model will initially be carried out in Long Tuyen and Thoi An Dong wards of in Binh Thuy district and Co Do district’s Thoi Xuan and Trung An communes, before expansion to other six units by 2018.

Non-infectious diseases claim the lives of about 400,000 Vietnamese people each year, according to Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long at a recent conference seeking to prevent and control the diseases.

The number of suffers are rising at an alarming level, he stated, revealing that 70 percent of deaths each year are caused by non-communicable diseases, of whom 40 percent are under 70 years old.

He attributed the fact to the unhealthy lifestyle of many Vietnamese, adding that there are currently 49 percent of males smoking cigarettes, and 77 percent of the population consuming alcohol.

The Health Ministry has set a target of decreasing the rate of deaths caused by non-infectious diseases to 20 percent by 2025.

It also aimed to reduce 30 percent of smokers, 10 percent of alcohol users, while cutting down the amount of salt used by 30 percent, controlling the rate of obesity under 15 percent and the rate of high blood pressure patients under 30 percent.-

Cambodian cyclist wins 9th Countryside stage

Yoeun Phi Yuth of Cambodia won the penultimate stage of the Return to the Countryside cycling tournament yesterday.

Yuth took the lead in the 117km race from Rạch Giá to Châu Đốc City with a time of 3:04.06. Nguyễn Minh Luận of Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long and Trần Nguyễn Duy Nhân of the Military Zone 7 finished second and third.

Yuth retained his green jersey as the best sprinter with 123 points.

The yellow jersey belongs to Quàng Văn Cường of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời-An Giang, with the best overall time of 22:28.55 after nine stages. Cambodian Yuth came in second and Luận finished third.

In the amateur event, Nguyễn Hoàng Sang of Lê Đoàn Kiên Giang won the stage and took the green jersey award with 106 points.

Bùi Văn Sành of Hiệp Nhất-Tịnh Biên held the yellow jersey with a time of 22:30.53. Sang’s teammate, Huỳnh Văn Thuận and Đặng Văn Bảo Anh of Vĩnh Long were the runners-up.

This morning, cyclists will compete in the 10th and final stage from Châu Giang ferry in Tân Phú District to Thuận Giang ferry in Phú Tân District, An Giang Province, lasting 56km.

In the afternoon, they will cycle 25 laps around Long Xuyên City to gain local awards. 

VN tie with Indonesia in Asia futsal event

Việt Nam tied 1-1 with Indonesia in the second match of Group B of the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Futsal Championship Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. The two sides played conservatively in the first half, and the block was broken in the 36th minute when Dương Ngọc Linh opened the score for Việt Nam.

After taking the lead, Việt Nam played defensively. However, Indonesia leveled the score in the last minutes, thanks to Samuel Eko.

Indonesia temporarily grabs the lead in the group with seven points after three matches. Vietnam rank second with four points after two matches.

With this result, Việt Nam must to try their best in remaining matches to raise their hope to reach to the event’s quarter-finals.

Today, Việt Nam will face Chinese Taipei.

More Chinese visitors welcomed in Vietnam

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has called on provincial authorities to take efforts to sustain the strong growth in the number of Chinese tourists.

In a letter this week the ministry said the industry, especially service providers catering to Chinese visitors, must improve their capacity at popular destinations and during the high season.

It noted that many destinations and countries in the region and around the world are adopting policies to attract Chinese travellers.

Some 1.27 million Chinese came to Vietnam in the first four months this year, a 60 per cent jump from the same period last year.

Last year 2.7 million Chinese tourists arrived, up 51 percent from 2015. The average annual growth between 2010 and 2016 had been 20 per cent.

Hạ Long Bay and the central cities of Đà Nẵng and Nha Trang are among the places most visited by Chinese tourists.

Tourists to Ha Long Bay will have to pay double for cruise terminal

The only tourist wharf in Ha Long Bay has announced to double the entrance fee for visitors to the famous destination to around US$2 starting May 28.

Tuan Chau Corporation, which manages Tuan Chau Wharf, said tourists who want to take a cruise trip on Ha Long and the nearby Bai Tu Long Bay will have to pay VND40,000 (US$1.76) for a ticket.

This entrance fee does not cover the expenses for their trip afterward but tourists will be offered free water and Wi-Fi at the terminal.

The current fee is VND20,000, which was only introduced last November, several months after the wharf opened and replaced the degrading Bai Chay.

The terminal can handle about 2,000 boats, 10 times more than the old one, and it can receive large vessels.

Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage, and Bai Tu Long to the northeast, are popular destinations in northern Vietnam and the main attractions in Quang Ninh Province, which drew 8.3 million tourists last year, 42% of them foreigners.

Last month, the bay managers bundled many attractions together, forcing tourists to pay more for a full package. Many visitors were upset and some just canceled their trip as they just wanted to visit a couple of places.

HCM City honors 350 outstanding children

A ceremony honoring 350 outstanding children with the "Uncle Ho's Good Nephews and Nieces" title was held in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday by the City's Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. 

The event aims to recognize children’s outstanding performance in studying, taking  extracurricular activities at school, and honored young artists and talents.

Attending in the event were Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh city Party Committee Tat Thanh Cang; Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, Deputy Secretary of the city Party Committee and Chairwoman of the City People’s Council;  Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Secretary Nguyen Long Hai.

On the same day, the  HCMC University of Technology (BKU)  was presented the first prize at the award ceremony of the 9th Olympic contest on Marxism-Leninism philosophy and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

The competition attracted more than 40,000 contestants from schools, universities and colleges throughout the city.

The Olympiad aims to enhance the education of Marxist-Leninist philosophy and Ho Chi Minh Thought, contributing to raising political awareness and fostering revolutionary ideals for youth union members and students.

Photo exhibition legendary Truong Son trail opens in Quang Nam

An exhibition on the legendary Truong Son trail was launched at Quang Nam Museum in the central coastal province of Quang Nam on May 19.

The event aims to mark the 127th birthday of the late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19); 55 years of the traditional day of the 559 Army Corps, one of the units that took part in the construction of the legendary Truong Son trail (also known as the Ho Chi Minh trail) during wartime and is part of the Quang Nam Heritage Festival 2017.

The exhibition also displays a sculpture describing the beauty of the grandiose Truong Son mountain range and Uncle Ho in Dong Khe Battlefield in the Autumn-Winter Border Campaign, 1950.

The art work called “The legendary Truong Son” by artist Dinh Gia Thang of the Vietnamese Fine Arts Association is 5.59m high, 18m wide and 6.5m thick also honoring the special relationship between Laos and Vietnam.

The event co-organized by the Quang Nam Museum, Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum under the Ministry of National Defense runs until May 24.

HCMC kickstarts school milk program

From the school year 2017-2018 onwards, school children from one year old to the second grade in HCMC will be given at least 180ml of pasteurized milk a day.

The city government has issued a three-phase program intended to improve the stature of preschool and elementary school children in the city from 2017 to 2020.

Preschools in the city’s 24 districts will implement the project in the first phase from 2017 to 2018. First and second graders will be respectively included in the program in the second and third phases in the next two school years which last nine months each.

The city government will finance 30% of the program cost while 50% will come from parents and society and the remaining of 20% from dairy producers.

The city government will invite competitive tenders to supply milk for the program. Local dairy processing enterprises having facilities in HCMC and contributing to the city’s budget revenues will be prioritized. They have helped develop dairy farms in the city, purchase cow milk from local farmers and offer a price of about VND6,875 (US$0.3) a box.

Go May overpass opened to traffic

Go May overpass on a National Highway 1A section in Binh Tan District, HCMC was opened to traffic on May 17, three months ahead of schedule.

Developed by domestic infrastructure development firm IDICO at a total cost of VND511 billion, the overpass is 538 meters long and 24 meters wide.

Faced with limited space and heavy traffic around the construction site, the company had to quicken work on the project. Therefore, a branch of the overpass was put into use in January to cut traffic congestion there.

The project was originally expected to be up and running in August, meaning the construction duration was shortened by three months.

Go May Intersection is where National Highway 1A and Nguyen Thi Tu and Le Trong Tan streets meet. The area has two large industrial parks, Tan Binh and Vinh Loc, so traffic is heavy there.

Go May Intersection is part of a build-operate-transfer project to upgrade a 14-kilometer section of National Highway 1A from An Suong Intersection in District 12 to An Lac Roundabout in Binh Tan District. The three-phase project is scheduled for completion by 2033.

The section is an artery road connecting HCMC and southeastern and southwestern provinces, as well as central and northern regions. That is why many road users travel in the area, leading to traffic congestion at intersections there.

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