Ministry, Swedish embassy launch smart water innovation contest

Sweden's Ambassador to Viet Nam Camilla Mellander gives an opening speech at the contest launching ceremony. — Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

The Swedish Embassy in Ha Noi and the natural resources and environment ministry yesterday launched a national smart water innovation contest.

The competition is being held in response to pressing water-related challenges that Viet Nam is facing today and will face in the future.

The contest aims to inspire young, local students of higher educational institutions to take on sustainable development and climate change issues and develop innovative water-related solutions that will bring real change.

The contest is open to first-year to fifth-year university students across the nation. Contestants will need to form teams comprising two to four members and work together on the ideas and possible proposals. All team members must be Vietnamese nationals enrolled at a Vietnamese University and have good English language skills.

The contest hopes to generate ideas and possible products, services and solutions that contribute to sustainable use of water. The innovations may fall within fields such as reduction in the consumption of water, managing water pollution as a result of industrialisation and chemical usage, impact on water flows and storage due to the construction of hydropower plants, and acid rain caused by ashes from fossil fuel-dependent industries, besides combating increasing salinity and saline intrusion

All entries must be in English, with a length of three to five written pages.

The entries should be emailed to ambassaden.hanoi@gov.se by April 17 this year.

Sweden's Ambassador to Viet Nam Camilla Mellander said she hoped to create dialogues between different countries to share experiences related to water access and protection.

The contest was a part of the efforts, she said.

She highly appreciated Viet Nam's contribution and impressive achievements in preparing strategies towards a greener planet, especially the country's participation in the 2015 COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.

Nguyen Minh Khuyen, deputy director of the department of water resources, said Viet Nam faced several challenges related to water.

The challenges will become more serious as Viet Nam is said to be one of five countries that will be affected the most by climate change and rising sea water.

Finding solutions was an urgent need to meet the demand for water in the future, he said.

Anna Bratt, a representative of the jury, said by joining the contest, Vietnamese youth could compete in a healthy manner with their creative ideas and thus get real and professional experience in contributing towards making long-term changes for the community.

Doctors at the HCM City University Medical Centre have successfully performed a TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implementation) operation on two elderly patients.

TAVI is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that can be done through very small openings that leave all the chest bones in place.

The TAVI procedures were done on December 30 on an 81-year-old man from HCM City's District 12 and a 78-year-old woman from Gia Lai Province.

On December 28, the man was sent to the hospital's emergency ward due to breathing difficulties. He was diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis. He also had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney failure.

The woman patient had suffered from aortic valve stenosis for several years. She had not undergone standard valve replacement surgery due to poor health conditions.

The two patients are in stable condition.

VNRC to give gifts to poor, AO victims

The Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) has launched a humanitarian campaign to help poor families and Agent Orange victims prepare for the coming traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

The annual campaign aims to present at least one million gifts, worth at least $15 each, to poor and Agent Orange families in the country.

People can support the campaign by texting TET to 1409 till February 26, 2016. Each SMS costs VND18,000 (US$0.8).

Ten organisations, enterprises and individuals donated more than VND10.4 billion (US$462,000) to the VNRC fund for poor and Agent Orange victims at a ceremony today in Ha Noi.

The VNRC statistics said the campaign has mobilised more than VND3,700 billion ($164.5 million) to help nearly 16 million poor and Agent Orange families in the country during its 17-year-long implementation.

Last year, the campaign mobilised nearly 1.97 million gifts, worth more than $719 billion (nearly $32 million), which were donated by 33,800 organisations and individuals to help disadvantaged people in the country.

Police seize five tonnes of fish products

The southern Vinh Long Province's market management sector in collaboration with Vinh Long City's traffic police confiscated five tonnes of dried air bladders of fish

The authorities inspected a truck driven by Huynh Phi Hai, 48, of the southern An Giang Province, when it was travelling on National Road 80 in Vinh Long Province. The truck was travelling from An Giang Province to An Lac Market in Tan Binh District, HCM City.

The authorities found 162 boxes containing dried air bladders of fish, weighing nearly five tonnes in the vehicle. The truck driver failed to produce valid papers about the place of origin of the products.

Hai said he had been hired to transport the goods from An Giang to An Lac Market in HCM City.

The authorities confiscated the goods and were waiting for its owners to show up and deal with the case.

Vinh Long Province authorities have advised people to be cautious while consuming animal innards and food of unclear origin to avoid food poisoning, because trading in these types of goods is becoming more frequent as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches.

Police uncover drug trafficking ring

HCM City's Drug Crime Investigation Police, the public security ministry and Tan Binh District's Police have jointly smashed a ring that smuggled 18.5kg of drugs from China to Viet Nam.

The police captured 25-year-old Do Thai Dung of Hai Phong City, the alleged leader of the ring; 36-year-old Tran Quang Hung, a teacher from the northern Hung Yen Province; 37-year-old Vuong Duy Hien of Hung Yen Province; and 47-year-old Vo Xuan Tu of Ha Noi; besides alleged drug users 54-year-old Dao Thi Hong and 43-year-olds Le Thi Bao Anh and Nguyen Tuan Kiet, all residents of HCM City.

Dung hired Tu, who has been previously convicted for drug trafficking, and Hung to join the ring.

Hung then invited his friend Hiem to join the gang.

Dung ordered Tu to receive a suitcase containing drugs and transport it to the southern region on January 9.

Dung went to H T hotel in Ton That Tung Street, District 1, on January 9 to receive the suitcase from Tu, and then took it along with him to a restaurant in Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, where he went to have a meal.

Police caught Dung and his accomplices at the restaurant and confiscated 18.5kg of crystal meth, 120gm of heroin, 99 ecstasy pills and VND565 million (US$25,200) in cash.

The police are investigating the case further.

Social, health insurance to cover 72.4 million people

Social and health insurance is expected to cover 72.4 million people in 2016, heard a conference of the Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) in Hanoi on January 18, to put forth tasks for the sector this year.

Over 12.4 million people are projected to join compulsory social insurance, 10.5 million to participate in unemployment insurance and 72 million to use health insurance, while the number of voluntary insurance participants will exceed 300,000.

The VSI has also set the target of collecting 235 trillion VND (10.6 billion USD) from social, health and unemployment insurance, and to spend nearly 237 trillion VND (10.7 billion USD) on the work.

According to VSI Deputy General Director Nguyen Minh Thao, 70.2 million people partook in social, health and unemployment insurance in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent.

The number of health insurance users rose sharply last year, especially in localities which used to experience low coverage, he said, citing the national average at 77 percent, 1.6 percent higher than the rate set by the Prime Minister.

Thao added that the sector collected more than 216 trillion VND (9.72 billion USD) from social, health and unemployment insurance in 2015, up 6.2 percent compared with the Prime Minister’s target and 9.5 percent against the previous year’s figure.

The sector also paid attention to administrative reform, as well as the application of scientific and technological advances, the official said.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh praised achievements the sector recorded in 2015.

The VSI has joined hands with ministries and agencies in issuing laws, including Social Insurance Law and Health Insurance Law, which have been amended to meet people’s legitimate requirements, he said.

Alongside the reforms, the agency has also performed outstandingly in expanding and managing insurance participants, controlling collections and expenditures, and reducing debts, the official noted.

The Deputy PM stressed the need for the sector to make greater efforts in communication work, and for localities to support poor and near-poor households to join health insurance, in order to fulfill the target of universal health insurance.

Campaign launched to give Tet gifts to the poor, AO victims

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) has launched a humanitarian campaign to help poor families and Agent Orange (AO) victims prepare for the coming traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

The annual campaign aims to present at least one million gifts to poor and Agent Orange families in the country.

People can support the campaign by texting TET to 1409 till February 26, 2016. Each SMS costs 18,000 VND (0.8 USD).

Ten organisations, enterprises and individuals donated more than 10.4 billion VND (462,000 USD) to the VNRC fund for poor and Agent Orange victims, at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 18.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society’s statistics show that the campaign has mobilised more than 3,700 billion VND (164.5 million USD) to help nearly 16 million poor and Agent Orange families in the country, during its 17-year-long implementation.

Last year, the campaign distributed nearly 1.97 million gifts, worth more than 719 billion VND (nearly 32 million USD), which were donated by 33,800 organisations and individuals to help disadvantaged people in the country.

Occupational education prepares for ASEAN integration

A conference to discuss opportunities and challenges in occupational education amid ASEAN integration opened in Hanoi on January 18.

The General Directorate of Vocational Training and the Ministry of Labour- Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) organised the event, aiming to collect suggestions for succesful integration in the area from occupational social organisations, experts, and vocational education units.

Delagates acknowledged that the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) targets creating a single market with a free flow of goods, services, investment ,capital and skilled labour. It will help increase competitiveness and bolster prosperity in the region.

Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) allow skilled labourers in eight recognised occupations to move freely among countries. These include engineer, nurse, architect, surveyor , accountant, doctor, dentist and tour guide.

The ASEAN Community’s formation has brought more favorable opportunities and challenges for Vietnam’s occupational education and other sectors. However, Vietnam’s work force quality is considered relatively poor, with low labour productivity and an irrational labour structure.

They suggested that Vietnam reinforce its educational system with higher requirements set for learners after graduation, in order to prepare the country for its integration into ASEAN in terms of occupational education.

In order to implement the Prime Minister’s decision 2448/QD-TTg dated December 16, 2013 on international integration for education and vocational training, the ministry has planned several programmes to impove the country’s occupational education network, aiming to meet regional and international standards.

New park to green up capital

Construction began on Mai Dich Park in Hanoi’s Cau Giay and Nam Tu Liem districts on January 18.

The park with a lake inside encompasses approximately 15 hectares.

It costs around 957 billion VND (42.7 million USD) and will become operational in September 2017.

The build-transfer project between the capital’s authorities and the VinGroup’s Hong Ngan Company is expected to address demand for green space in the two districts.

The Hanoi People's Committee approved the Department of Planning and Architecture's proposal to build more than 100 public parks and playgrounds with a total area of 59 hectares around the city. Construction on 118 public parks and playgrounds is planned to begin this year.

Currently, there are about 200 public parks and playgrounds in the city, 29 of which were built in four districts in the inner city.

EVN to not adjust power price in 2016

The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has no plans for electricity price adjustment despite difficulties forecast for this year, announced the group’s Deputy General Director Dinh Quang Tri on January 17.

He said the group will face a number of obstacles in 2016 in power production, as El Nino has led to hydropower reservoirs running out of water. Currently, there’s a shortage of about 6.5 billion cubic metres of water compared to the normal level.

Compounding the problem, in order to serve the water demand for agricultural production activities during the 2015-2016 winter-spring rice crop in the northern region, the EVN will need to let out about 5.16 billion cubic metres from the Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba hydropower reservoirs, Tri added.

However, the group has pledged to direct related units to overcome difficulties in order to maintain a stable power price, he said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently released a draft decision about the mechanism for retail power price management and adjustment, which is now put up for comment, Tri said, adding that the draft decision demonstrates the ministry’s openness and transparency in the issuance of normative regulations related to power prices.

He said the EVN pledges to offer detailed suggestions to the draft decision to ensure that it will be in line with the group’s power production process.

Construction of int’l-standard hospital begins in Binh Phuoc

The construction of a hospital that will meet international standards began in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on January 18.

The Hoang Long International General Hospital in Tien Hung commune of Dong Xoai township will cover almost 40,000 square metres of ground with 450 patient beds.

The 11-storey hospital will be built in three phases at a cost of over 2.5 trillion VND (111.6 million USD).

The first phase, with 200 patient beds, is expected to be complete by September 2017. Facilities housing the remaining 250 beds will be constructed in phase two and inaugurated three years later.

Hoang Long Hospital is expected to become one of the leading infirmaries in Vietnam.

New flowers grown for Tet

Farmers in the Mekong Delta will offer new varieties of flowers for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls on February 8 this year.

In Sa Dec flower village in Dong Thap province's Sa Det city, which is one of the largest flower villages in the delta, many farmers have grown new varieties of flowers and ornamental trees.

The new varieties of roses, lilies and zinnias are in high demand.

Tran Van Phuong, who is growing about 10,000 lily pots in Sa Dec City's Tan Quy Dong ward, said traders from Can Tho City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Vinh Long provinces had contracted to buy his lily pots for Tet.

Last Tet, Phuong planted more than 8,000 lily pots, all of which sold out.

Besides lilies, Phuong has also planted new varieties of flowers ordered by traders.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Chairwoman of the Tan Quy Dong Ward People's Committee in Sa Dec, said before farmers began their flower crop for Tet, local authorities worked with co-operatives and flower associations to warn flower farmers to reduce the cultivation areas of traditional flowers such as chrysanthemums.

Farmers have been told to grow more roses and ornamental plants.

With this shift, flowers farmers are expected to have good sales for this Tet, she said.

The Dong Thap Province Hi-Tech Agriculture Centre has supplied farmers with 150,000 seedlings produced by a tissue-culture method. Most of them are chrysanthemum varieties.

Pham Huu Phuoc, the centre director, said the centre had improved more than 22 varieties of roses and lotuses and collected beautiful flower varieties.

The centre has also provided planting techniques to farmers, and plans to produce about 1-2 million tissue-cultured seedlings a year.

Do Van Tham, head of the Sa Dec City's Economy Bureau, said tissue-cultured flowers sold well and had stable outlets because of high quality and reasonable prices.

"Instead of relying on traders, many farmers here have also contracted directly with companies and partners to grow flowers," he said.

The weather is favourable this year so the flower quality has been good, according to farmers.

The prices of flowers are expected to be similar to last year's Tet season, they said.

Farmers in the Sa Dec flower village expect to supply more than 3 million pots of various kinds of flowers this Tet.

Similarly, farmers in Ben Tre province's Cho Lach district, which is famous for its flower and ornamental plants, are also expected to provide millions of flowers and ornamental plants for Tet.

Last November, about 30 farmers in Cho Lach district and the Sa Dec flower village cooperated in finding outlets at home and abroad.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet Thu, who grows ornamental plants in Cho Lach district's Hung Khanh Trung commune, said her family had focused on planting ornamental plants for indoor decoration and exports for the Tet season.

Thu said her family had exported about 5,000-10,000 ornamental plants to Japan a month.

In Tien Giang province's My Tho city, farmers have also planted new varieties of flowers for Tet.

Truong Van Nhung, chairman of the My Phong Flower and Ornamental Plant Co-operatives in My Tho City, said this was the first year that My Phong Flower Village had planted lisianthus.

The village has planted about 80,000 pots of lisianthus.

The My Tho Economy Bureau has given farmers seedlings for new plant and flower varieties, including tomato, bell chilis and strawberries.

Bac Lieu utilises green energy

The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu inaugurated a 99.2 MW wind-power plant on January 17.

The facility, covering more than 100 hectares, is situated in Vinh Trach Dong commune, Bac Lieu City.

Construction began in September 2010 with an investment of over 5.2 trillion VND (234 million USD), which was sourced from the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).

With 62 wind turbines, the plant is capable of generating 320 million kilowatt hours per year. It joined the national grid in May 2013 when its first 10 turbines were completed.

According to BIDV, the large-scale project plays a pioneering role in promoting the use of renewable energy across the Mekong Delta.

Country donates blood to save lives

A blood donation campaign called “Red Sunday” was launched nationwide on January 16 and 17.

This is the eighth time the “Red Sunday” event was organised, and its management board is aiming for a collection of between 18,000 and 20,000 blood units.

In addition to the main donation activities, the board members will come to hospitals, visiting needy patients and presenting gifts to them.

Speaking at the event held in Hanoi on January 17, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc lauded its societal meaning and effective outcome.

He urged individuals and organisations to support the programme.

Previously, the campaign collected 2,700 blood units in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam has launched blood donation campaigns over the past 21 years. In 2000, the Prime Minister issued a decision encouraging locals to join the campaigns.

In 2015, these programmes brought in 1.1 million blood units, which account for 60 percent of the country’s blood demand.

Work starts on Can Tho-Kien Giang road

Construction on a road linking Can Tho and Kien Giang province in the Mekong Delta region began on January 17 in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The 53.34km Lo Te-Rach Soi Road will run from Thot Not district in Can Tho to Kien Giang province’s Chau Thanh district with a maximum speed of 100km/h.

Using Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Republic of Korea (RoK) through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, the project is significant to socio-economic development and transportation in the region.

Its first phase will cost 6,694 billion VND (roughly 301 million USD). Of this, 4,167 billion VND (200 million USD) came from the RoK government. Construction will last 30 months.

Addressing the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the road forms part of the Ho Chi Minh Highway running from Pac Po in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang to Ca Mau Cape in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

The Ho Chi Minh Highway, along with National Highway 1, was built in service of national defence, and to protect national security and socio-economic development in regions across the country, he added.

The Lo Te-Rach Soi section plays an important role in socio-economic links between Ho Chi Minh City and other localities in the Long Xuyen Quadrangular area, which covers Kien Giang and An Giang provinces, and Can Tho, the leader stressed.

It will also help form a regional transport network, consolidate national defence and security in the region, and fully tap the Southern Coastal Corridor, he said.

The PM used the occasion to thank the RoK government and investors for their support for Vietnam’s infrastructure development.

On January 16, PM Nguyen Tan Dung attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a facility symbolic of the Hanoi flagpole in Ca Mau Cape, the last point of the Ho Chi Minh Highway.

The flagpole will be built at a cost of 140 billion VND (6.3 million USD), funded by the capital city of Hanoi and through other resources.

The same day, work started on the construction of a wind-power plant on Khai Long beach in Dat Mui commune, Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province in the presence of PM Nguyen Tan Dung.

The 100 MW plant is part of the country’s clean energy development programme in line with national industrialisation and modernisation, adapting to climate change.

Vietnam, Indonesia foster friendship solidarity

A delegation of the Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Association (VIFA) made a visit to Indonesia to nurture relations with the country from January 11-15.

VIFA President Nguyen Dang Tien, who is also General Director of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) radio station, joined a working session with President of the Indonesia-Vietnam Friendship Association (IVFA) Budiarsa Sastrawinata in Jarkarta on January 13 as part of the visit.

During the meeting, the host expressed his wish to tighten the cooperative ties between the two Associations in a bid to strengthen the exchanges and connection between Jakarta and Hanoi, in areas such as culture, education and economics.

Budiarsa highlighted the significant contribution Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Mayerfas had in the formation of the IVFA, as well as the commitment made by Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan to serve as a bridge connecting the two nations.

He expressed belief that the cooperation between the two Associations will be further strengthened in the future.

For his part, Tien congratulated the establishment of the IVFA and he believes that with the two Associations working together they will continue to deepen the traditional friendship between the two nations.

During the stay, the delegation met with the Mayor of Jakarta and shared their experience in handling traffic jams, and later visited the Voice of Indonesia radio station.

The two radio stations joined a ceremony to mark the one year anniversary of their cooperation agreement where they discussed upcoming tasks - with a focus on cross-promotion of the two nations’ culture, tourism and cuisine - in the context of the fresh formation of the ASEAN Community.

1,080MW power plant connected to national grid

A ceremony was held on January 16 in the northern Quang Ninh province to celebrate the commercial operation of the 1,080 MW Mong Duong 1 thermo power plant, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Hai said the facility marks the first thermo power plant of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) group to utilise Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler (CFP) technology, which reduces greenhouse gas emission.

The operation of the plant’s two turbines is expected to raise backup electricity capacity by 20 percent, thus ensuring the electricity supply at a time when droughts are hindering electricity generation of hydro power plants in the central and Central Highlands regions, he said.

According to Duong Quang Thanh, Chairman of the EVN Council of Members, the plant makes Quang Ninh the nation’s biggest centre of thermal power, with its total capacity accounting for 18 percent of the nation’s.

Located in Mong Duong ward, Cam Pha city, in northern Quang Ninh, the EVN-funded Mong Duong 1 thermo power plant, began construction in October 2011 at a cost of 37.4 trillion VND (1.67 billion USD).

With an annual output of 6.5 billion kWh, it was one of the more urgent projects to be completed in the National Electricity Development Plan for 2011-2020.

Vietnamese Cambodian assoc convenes Congress for 2015-2020

The Association of Vietnamese Cambodian People in Phnom Penh convened the sixth Congress for the 2015-2020 tenure on January 15, with 126 delegates from 12 chapters taking part.

The association’s executive board reported at the event that from 2012-2015, three chapters were built, raising the total to 12 in the capital city, with 144 officials at all levels.

Raising members’ awareness of the host country’s law and Khmer customs is a priority of the association, besides humanitarian activities such as offering free health check-ups and medicine, presenting gifts to disaster and Agent Orange victims and raising funds for the poor and families of ex-revolutionaries.

In the last tenure, the association raised more than 3.300 USD for disaster victims and those living in need, as well as calling on families to enroll their children in Vietnamese and Khmer language classes.

Huynh Minh Phu was re-elected as Chairman of the association for the new tenure.

Islet of Ly Son Island to get power access before Tet

Be Islet of Ly Son Island, 30 km off the coast of central Quang Ngai province, will get power access before the Lunar New Year, according to Pham Thi Huong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of the island district.

About 500 residents of the islet have been using oil and private electricity generators for lighting for years.

Be Islet, also known as An Binh Islet, will be given full-time electricity from a system of diesel-fueled power generators at the end of January. Construction on a solar power system will be underway soon.

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) invested 17 billion VND, or approximately 758,400 USD, in the two projects.

Deputy Director of the Provincial Power Company Cao Chuc said the construction of power lines, transformer stations and operation buildings has been completed.

Solar power will be the islet’s main source of electricity, while diesel-fueled systems would be used during the rainy season, he added.

Public consultations held on draft Law on Associations

Recommendations on the draft Law on Associations were collected from social organisations during a consultation workshop in central Thua Thien-Hue province on January 15.

The involved organisations described how the current laws affect their ability to provide important social services to vulnerable groups in their region.

“The Law on Associations will be the legal basis to ensure and create favourable conditions for citizens to exercise their right of forming association, and enhance the effectiveness of State management, while ensuring the implementation of Vietnam’s international commitments on human rights” explained Dr. Nguyen Tat Giap, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics at the consultation.

Meanwhile, Scott Ciment, UNDP Policy Advisor on Rule of Law and Civil Society, highlighted that getting feedback from the citizens and associations at local level will help the Government understand current constraints which make it difficult for the associations to provide social services locally.

“Their insights will help the Government draft a final version of the law that empowers civil society and provides clear and simplified rules for registering and operating nationally and locally”, he added.

The consultation workshop is one of activities of the UNDP-funded project “Legal framework for social organisations in some countries and experiences for Vietnam”, which aims to prepare a report on the draft Law on Association and other laws related to the creation of a legal framework for non-profit association to register and operate in Vietnam.

Other consultations will be organized in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Can Tho and Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh Highway’s last section in Ca Mau opens to traffic

The section of the Ho Chi Minh Highway running from Nam Can Bridge to Ca Mau Cape in the southernmost province of Ca Mau was opened to traffic on January 16.

This is the last section of the route that stretches across the country from Pac Bo in northern Cao Bang province to the southernmost Ca Mau Cape.

Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the completion of the highway brings great joy to the nation in general and people in southern province and Ca Mau in particular.

The Nam Can - Dat Mui road was built at a cost of more than 3.9 trillion VND (177.2 million USD). It stretches 58.7km, crossing Nam Can and Ngoc Hien districts.

The same day, the PM attended a ceremony to put into operation the Hoa Trung Bridge across Ganh Hao River, also in Ca Mau province.

The bridge was built in just over six months with a total investment of roughly 383 billion VND (17.4 million USD). With a length of 1,268m, it connects Ca Mau city with Dam Doi district.

Both the road section and the bridge were investments by the Transport Ministry, and will be managed by the Ho Chi Minh Highway management board.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the Hoa Trung bridge construction is significant to local socio-economic development as well as the Mekong Delta and the country’s national defence-security, amid global economic integration.

He hailed the Transport Ministry and contractors for exerting utmost efforts for the projects and asked Ca Mau and southern localities to utilise their socio-economic strengths after these works are put into operation and contribute more to the country’s common achievements.

Localities care for social welfare beneficiaries

A number of activities have been taking place across the country to bring a warm traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) to local people.

The southern province of Kien Giang spent over 8.2 billion VND (369,000 USD) presenting gifts to social welfare beneficiaries and national revolutionary contributors, including Vietnamese heroic mothers, and soldiers on missions in island and border areas.

Meanwhile, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho spent 93.8 billion VND (4.2 million USD) to support social welfare beneficiaries and poor families.

The Association for Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin Victims in the central city of Da Nang on January 14 presented 50 gift packages, each worth 600,000 VND (27 USD) to AO victims in Hoa Vang district.

The city is now home to over 5,000 AO victims, including 1,400 children born deformed as a result of the toxic chemical, said President of the association Nguyen Thi Hien.

The same day, the Association for AO/Dioxin Victims in the southern province of Tay Ninh honoured organisations and individuals who made contributions towards taking care of AO victims.

In 2015, the association raised over 4 billion VND (180,000 USD) to help the victims repair houses, and present hundreds of wheelchairs.

Pre-Tet gifts dispatched to marine defence platform soldiers

Nearly five tonnes of pre-Tet gifts were sent by two vessels of the Navy Zone 2 High Command to on-duty officers and soldiers at the marine defence platform DK1 off the southern coast of Vietnam on January 15.

The two vessels would bring warm sentiments from the land to the DK1 officers and soldiers, who are day and night safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, during the Lunar New Year, Deputy Commissar of the High Command Colonel Truong Cong The said.

The gifts include pork, chicken, rice, beans, “banh chung” (square glutinous rice cake), sweets, books and other necessities for them to enjoy the traditional holiday.

As planned, two delegations from the High Command will pay Tet visits to 15 structures in the DK1 Platform including Que Duong, Ba Ke, Huyen Tran, Tu Chinh and Phuc Nguyen.

Regarded as a “live” sovereignty market at sea, DK1 is a complex of structures of large steel pipes which strike root deep into dry coral reefs. The establishment of the platform in 1989 was seen as a milestone in the cause of protecting the nation’s sovereignty over its southern continental shelf.

Central artery’s upgraded section sees traffic

The upgraded section of National Road 19 between the central province of Binh Dinh and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai opened to traffic on January 15.

The Defence Ministry’s Corporation No. 36 upgraded the 56.7-km section over two years at a cost of 2 trillion VND (89.2 million USD) under the build-operate-transfer format.

It is 12 to 15 metres wide and allows vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 80 km per hour – 60 km per hour in residential areas.

National Road 19 is 240 km long from Binh Dinh’s Quy Nhon Port to Gia Lai’s Le Thanh Border Gate, which is contiguous to Cambodia.

It is an artery linking the Central Highlands and the central coast of Vietnam, and also plays an important role in boosting the border connectivity among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Australian fell from 3rd floor terminal in Tan Son Nhat airport

A foreigner fell from the third floor of the terminal area (about 15 metres from ground) for international passengers in Tan Son Nhat Airport, in the evening of January 15.

According to temporary information, the 38-year-old Australian fortunately fell into a parterre and sustained only minor injuries. Immediately, the victim was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital for treatment.

A witness said that after the fall, the passenger could still move, did not appear concussed and actually only got a nosebleed.

The accident is under further investigation.

Thanh Hoa province has island communes

The Prime Minister has recognised three island communes in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

They are Hai Binh, Nghi Son in Tinh Gia district, and Ngu Loc in Hau Loc district.

Nghi Son commune has a total area of 354 hectares with four hamlets in its island areas.

Meanwhile, Hai Binh and Ngu Loc communes have some island areas.

Under Decision 569/QD-TTg, dated April 22, 2014, an island commune must meet two criteria on natural square and settlement of citizens or armed forces.

Relevant authorities need to draw up socio-economic development for the recognised communes while carrying out other preferential policies for island communes issued by the Government.

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