RoK limits Vietnam guest workers again

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Doan Mau Diep on March 18 announced the Republic of Korea (RoK) has once again placed a 3,500 cap on the number of guest workers for the year.

Over the past three years, the RoK has only agreed to accept 3,000-3,500 workers annually, said Diep, as a result of the failure of workers to comply with the labour laws and return to Vietnam on schedule.

“Around 32% of guest workers quit their jobs in violation of their contracts or illegally overstay their work visas,” Diep said, which has resulted in the RoK drastically curtailing the number of workers given visas each year.

Diep said several years ago, the RoK was admitting 10,000-12,000 workers on average annually into the country on the guest worker program.

“We expect that workers will this year obey the laws so that we can resume a regular labour cooperation agreement with the country,” said Diep.

Tien Giang hailed for coping with saline encroachment

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hailed the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang for its achievements fighting saltwater intrusion when he was on a working visit to the locality on March 16.

Drought and saline encroachment have affected the Go Cong fresh water project, in which the Xuan Hoa sluice was shut down on January 5, two months earlier than it did last year, to protect 30,000ha of the 2015-2016 winter-spring crop.

More than 500ha of winter-spring crop in coastal communes of Go Cong Dong district were killed before the Lunar New Year holiday. Thousands of households are without fresh water.

The Tien Giang irrigation company - operator of irrigational facilities for the Go Cong freshwater project - assigned their staff to work around the clock to update the public on the situation through the mass media.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Irrigation and Flood Prevention Branch deployed 16 mobile water pumping boats capable of pumping 32,000 cu.m of water per hour.

Across the province, 21,600ha of winter-spring crop are being watered in 666 locations.

Under the direction of Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Huong, two water pipelines in Go Cong township were built quickly, easing the thirst of more than 5,300 households, not to mention another 7,000 households that benefited from 122 public faucets.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Danh said only 1,160ha out of 30,000ha of winter-spring rice have been damaged so far.

Emergency aid delivered to drought-hit provinces

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) began sending emergency relief on March 18 to residents in 11 central, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta provinces suffering from acute drought and saltwater intrusion.

The beneficiaries are 11,000 families in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan in the central region; Gia Lai in the Central Highlands; and Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang and Long An in the Mekong Delta.

VRCS Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu said each family will be given two 20-litre cans of drinking water, two 20-litre water containers and a box of Aquatabs water purification tablets.

The aid is part of a campaign calling for assistance to help address the consequences of drought and saltwater intrusion. The drive was launched in early March by the VRCS and the Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

The VRCS plans to work with the Vietnam office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to release a message asking for the international community’s support to help solve the problem, Thu added.

Forty-three of the 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam have been seriously affected by drought. Twelve have declared a state of emergency due to drought and saltwater intrusion.

Cash and other forms of assistance can be given to local VRCS chapters, or the VRCS Central Committee at No. 82 Nguyen Du Street in Hanoi or No. 201 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in Ho Chi Minh City .

Money can also be sent to the bank account of the VRCS Central Committee, 1201 00000 36656, at the Hanoi-based Hoang Mai branch of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mekong Delta improves post-harvest rice quality

Thousands of high-capacity rice-drying stations have been built across the Mekong Delta region in a bid to increase post-harvest quality.

Tra Vinh province boasts all high-capacity rice-drying stations while An Giang province has 1,200 out of 2,000 rice driers, Can Tho city has 300 out of 870 stations and Kien Giang province has 256 out of 1,600 stations.

Four years ago, the Government assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement a 7 trillion VND (315 million USD) project on enhancing rice quality and competitiveness in the Mekong Delta region.

It aims to develop technology to dry 7 million tonnes of summer-autumn rice each year, thus reducing post-harvest losses.

Under the project, the National Agricultural Promotion Centre developed 35 rice-drying systems with a capacity of 30 to 50 tonnes per batch in Long An, Tien Giang, An Giang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Soc Trang and Kien Giang. They cost 12.6 billion VND (567,000 USD), one third of which was sourced from the State budget.

According to Ngo Van Day, deputy head of the centre’s office in Ho Chi Minh City, the rice-drying models, with a full capacity of 53.5 tonnes per batch, were put into operation in 29 districts and towns, including 25 new-style rural communes, contributing to the effective preservation of local rice.

So far, they have dried 10,300 tonnes of rice in 300 batches.

He added that financial and technical assistance from the project has also helped local farmers apply and expand the models, thus increasing their incomes.

Co To wins new-style rural area status

Co To island district of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh has been recognized as a new-style rural area.

The district People’s Committee organised a ceremony on March 18 to announce the Prime Minister’s recognition decision.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh lauded achievements Quang Ninh and Co To in particular have recorded in building new-style rural areas, and called for greater effort for this programme, along with economic growth, and industrial and service development.

Quang Ninh and Co To should boost agricultural production using scientific and technological advances, and raise public awareness of new-style rural area building, he said.

He urged Co To to fully tap its potential and advantages to become a smart, modern maritime urban area and a firm base for national defence and security.

Since the national target programme on building new-style rural areas launched more than four years ago, the island district has been given a facelift. It has mobilised more than 2.8 trillion VND (126 million USD) for the drive so far.

Both communes in the district have satisfied all programme criteria. Co To’s annual per capita income in 2014 hit 2,050 USD. By the end of last year, Co To was among districts nationwide recording the lowest household poverty rate, with only 0.26 percent.

The district’s strategic planning to 2020 with a vision towards 2030 was also released on this occasion.

Consumer voices heard in HCM City

Every year, more than 80 percent of consumer petitions yield sound outcomes with authorities’ support in Ho Chi Minh City, as heard at a workshop in the southern hub on March 18.

The event, themed “customers’ rights to safety”, was organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s competition management department.

According to Phan The Thang, deputy head of the department’s consumer protection office, Vietnam has 51 associations and organisations that shield buyers across the country.

However, their work has been challenged by violations of consumers’ rights occurring in various arenas, including food safety, information confidentiality and product quality, Thang said.

At the workshop, Sakai Toshifumi, head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City , pointed to a relevant cooperation pact between his agency and the competition management department signed in 2014.

The pact’s agenda includes updating knowledge of Consumer Protection Law for different agencies, associations and individuals, and operating training courses in Japan for local consultants, he noted.

He stressed that more measures are needed to ensure Vietnamese buyers’ rights and interests during the country’s global integration process.

Tran Vinh Nhung, Vice Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said it will organise meetings and hang a thousand banners on major streets and in public spaces to support consumers’ rights.

The department also established a helpline – (08) 1081 – and information can be found on its website: www.quyennguoitieudung.hcm.vn.

President backs hi-tech plans to offset drought

President Trương Tấn Sang yesterday asked residents of Lộc An Commune of Lộc Ninh district in the southern Bình Phước Province to employ high technology for agricultural production in order to minimise the dependence on weather conditions.

He noted that it is also local authorities’ responsibility to usher in socio-economic development and promote better living conditions.

He spoke with provincial leaders and local residents during his visit to the province yesterday.

Speaking to the president, Bình Phước Province authorities asked the Government to support the creation of a national electricity network programme for the province’s rural areas. Authorities said the ongoing severe drought has caused huge water shortages in local reservoirs, adding that the agriculture sector needs timely plans to support local residents.

In order to increase the province’s GDP from 6.5 to 7 percent, local authorities said they hope the Government would start the border patrol path early at a cost of VND630 billion (US$28 million) and increase investment capital for bordering economic zones. They also called for upgrades to irrigation systems to ensure an ample water supply for agricultural production.

President Sang asked relevant ministries and sectors to study these requests in order to facilitate development in the province while avoiding the creation of more ODA loans or burdens on the State budget.

He also said the province should be aware of the integration process and of its own potential and strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities that the process would bring in the future.

Mexico, Vietnam cooperate in state auditing

Vietnam Deputy Auditor General Hoang Hong Lac arrived in Mexico on March 16, leading a delegation to cooperate with the Mexico State Auditor’s Office regarding matters pertaining to the oversight of the State budget process.

At meetings on March 17 and 18, Roberto Salcedo Aquino, deputy auditor general of Mexico, briefed the delegation on the Mexican State Auditor’s Office organization structure and operational fields.

Mr Aquino said the seven-day event is an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on State budget management issues and share experiences, focusing on the coordination between the legislative bodies.

He said his hope is that the two sides would continue to strengthen cooperation through joint programs and activities under the framework of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and provide each other mutual support at international forums.

The Vietnamese delegation also visited and worked with the Supreme Audit Institution of the State of Puebla to share professional experience and seek opportunities to establish long-term cooperation.

Vietnam, Indonesia enhance tourism cooperation

Vietnam’s newly-appointed Ambassador to Indonesia Hoang Anh Tuan on March 18 met with Indonesian Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya in Jakarta to find a way forward to enhance tourism cooperation.

The last memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation was signed in 2006 and they discussed updating the agreement and seeking mutual tourism investment opportunities as both countries have experienced increased tourist flows in recent years.

They both expressed hope that a new MOU would catalyse new areas of cooperation in the tourism sector and they talked about including a provision to work closely with other ministries to soon open direct flights between Hanoi and Jakarta.

They also agreed that Vietnam and Indonesia should continue to explore new opportunities to work together, particularly in the cultural, sports and people-to-people areas to promote tourism between the two nation’s peoples.  

Ho Chi Minh City’s boosted anti-crime efforts turning out well

Different forces and units with the Ho Chi Minh City police have handled more than 200 cases of crimes, one week after they launched a campaign to strengthen anti-crime efforts on March 5.

The mobile police unit has dispatched more than 1,650 officers to boost crime-fighting efforts in the southern metropolis, according to a report to sum-up the first week of the campaign.

Multiple cases of robbery, illegal weapon use, and drug trafficking have been detected by the police.

For instance, at first light on March 11, a group of mobile police officers stopped a man suspected of driving a stolen motorbike in Binh Tan District to check his papers.

The young man eventually gave in as he failed to prove it was his vehicle.

On March 10, another group of mobile police on a patrol also caught two young men as carrying 14 bags of crystal meth inside their motorbike in District 11. The men were immediately arrested whereas the drugs were transferred to local police.

The criminal police unit has also sent plain clothes officers to patrols across the city to handle crimes on time.

On March 15, a video was posted on YouTube and Facebook, showing a couple of robbers hunting for motorbike drivers along Hoang Sa Street in Tan Binh District to steal their assets.

After verifying the suspects in the video in the morning, plain clothes police caught them red-handed as they were looking for victims on streets in District 5 in the afternoon.

Nguyen Hung Cuong, 20, and his accomplice Nguyen Ngoc My Linh, 30, admitted that they used to target victims as seen in the video to have money to buy drugs.

Le Dinh Long, who runs a mobile phone store in Binh Thanh District, was also arrested as he would buy the stolen assets from these robbers.

Police said they have also busted many rings that have stolen assets of many people by making up accidents with them on the streets.

A group of vigilantes in Ho Chi Minh City, thanks to reports sent to their Facebook page, have also helped fight against may thefts and robberies, according to police.

In the year to date, the number of criminal violations in Ho Chi Minh City has dropped 15.31 percent compared to the same period last year. The number of robberies also dropped 12 percent, and burglars, down 25.06 percent.

Two giant cranes made domestically were shipped to Nghi Son Oil Refinery Port in the north-central coastal province of Thanh Hoa.

Each of the two rail-mounted quay cranes (RMQC) are 850 tonnes in weight, 58 metres high, 86 metres long and 27 metres wide.

They are able to lift 50-tonne containers, much more than the rubber-tired cranes, said Kim Yong Soo, Deputy General Director of the Doosan Heavy Industries Vietnam Co. Ltd (Doosan Vina).

The cranes were produced using advanced technologies by Doosan Vina workers over the course of 17 months. This is the first time the firm has made RMQCs for a Vietnamese partner, he noted.

Earlier, Doosan Vina manufactured four rubber-tired gantry cranes for Saigon Port in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang Port in Da Nang.

Located at Dung Quat Economic Zone in the central province of Quang Ngai, Doosan Vina is one of the largest overseas manufacturing factories established through joint investment from the Republic of Korea-based Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, and Doosan Engineering and Construction.

Can Tho disseminates information on FTAs

A conference to disseminate information on a number of the free trade agreements (FTAs) to which Vietnam is a signatory was opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on March 18.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam said the event aimed at presenting the content of three FTAs which Vietnam signed in 2015 and early this year, namely the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Vietnam- Eurasian Economic Union.

The event is an occasion for relevant entities and interested parties to study the results of the FTAs, the opportunities and challenges they present, as well as to hear recommendations and commitments on tariffs under the framework of the trade deals, he added.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh revealed his ministry will continue to work with provinces and cities to hold such event events in the Central Highlands and South Central regions.

The conference, the seventh of its kind, was part of the ministry’s FTA dissemination programme which takes place from December 2015 to the end of the first quarter of this year.

Following the programme, the ministry and relevant authorities will organise conferences giving details information on the FTAs to associations, sectors and businesses.-

Four illegal brick kilns to be demolished in Sóc Sơn

The Hà Nội Department of Construction has demanded that local authorities in Sóc Sơn District promptly demolish four newly-built brick kilns, which were found to be operating illegally by local press, and re-examine the total number of brick kilns in the district.

Previously, Vietnamplus reported that tens of brick kilns kept operating in Sóc Sơn District, despite an order from the municipal authority to cease operations in late 2013. Their operations polluted the environment and affected local people’s health and production.

Many of the kilns were operating without construction permits. Some even expanded their kilns to yield higher profits.

At the meeting with the district’s People’s Committee on Tuesday, Võ Nguyên Phong, deputy director of the department, required the committee to cut power and water supply to these illegal brick kilns and suspended their operations.   

The committee was asked to work with the owners of four kilns to dismantle their construction projects within the month.

Of the four kilns, two have been operating in Đức Hòa and Bắc Phú communes, and the rest were under construction.

Phong also asked the committee to revise regulations on the number of brick kilns upgraded from craft kilns. It must also clarify the land management and financial obligations, such as taxes and environmental fees for the brick kilns in the province. For craft kilns, Phong required the committee to quickly dismantle them according to the city’s decision in late 2013.

Đỗ Minh Tuấn, vice chairman of the district’s People’s Committee, said that craft brick kilns kept reappearing in Lam Sơn, Bắc Sơn and Bắc Phú communes, although owners were instructed to demolish them many times.

He said the committee would re-examine the inspection of these kilns and clarify the responsibilities of those charged with the task.

Figures from the district’s authority show that 57 brick kilns were operating in the district.

Search for youth goodwill ambassadors launches

The National Youth Commission has announced the start of the annual search for youth goodwill ambassadors who will join this year’s Ship for Southeast Asian and Japan Youth Program (SSEAYP).

“We are looking for 28 outstanding Vietnamese youth to join other youth delegates from Japan and ASEAN Member States,” said Le Quoc Phong, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

Mr Phong, who is heading up the selection committee said the delegates will not only represent Vietnam; they will also embody Vietnamese Excellence and values that we are known for, and share that with their fellow youth.

Chosen participants, said Mr Phong, will embark on a journey that will take them to Japan and six other Southeast Asian nations in 52 days on board the luxury cruise ship Nippon Maru.

Dubbed as the ‘ultimate cruise experience’ SSEAYP gives an opportunity for the youth delegates on board the MV Nippon Maru to discuss issues affecting young people in the ASEAN region and propose measures to address them.

Aside from the activities on board the ship, participating youth are also treated to unique country programs in each port of call where they get to immerse with local youth and share best practices to foster youth development.

Now in its 43rd year, the SSEAYP is a flagship program of the National Youth Commission. It is annual cultural exchange program that started in 1974 as a joint statement between ASEAN Member States and Japan.

Participated by young people from these countries, the program’s objective is to promote friendship and mutual understanding among them and the local youth in their respective countries.

The Japan Government is the main sponsor of the yearly implementation of the program.

We have made available on our website all application requirements and we encourage young Vietnamese to grab this once in a lifetime chance to represent our country, said Mr Phong.

This is a rare opportunity to do something meaningful and enjoy the experience at the same time is truly amazing, he said in closing.

Application forms for National Leader and Participating youth may be downloaded from the National Youth Commission Official Website at http://nyc.gov.ph/. Deadline of submission of application forms for the 43rd SSEAYP is April 15, 2016.

They should be sent to the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee at the following address: P305, 62 Ba Trieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Tel: (04) 62631999; Fax: (04) 62631938; Email: vietnamsseayp@gmail.com .

KOICA funds metro projects in HCM City

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has granted HCM City a fund of US$5 million to make a feasibility study of the 14.5km long Metro Line No5 in stage 2's construction phase, connecting Bay Hien Intersection and Can Giuoc Bus Terminal in the city.

Meanwhile, according to the Municipal Management Authority for UrbanRailways (MAUR), the Korea Eximbank (KEXIM), as the consultative agency, has begun making a pre-feasibility study of a 2km long metro line from Lang Cha Ca crossroad in Tan Binh district to Tan Son Nhat airport  in February this year after the Korean Government agreed to give US$1 billion for the study.

The Republic of Korea is the fourth country taking part in metro projects in HCM City.

RMIT Vietnam will fully fund two new annual scholarships to enable Vietnamese women to gain doctorates, its President Professor Gael McDonald has said.

Making the announcement at a special staff celebration on last week’s International Women’s Day, she said the Women’s Enhancement Scholarships will enable recipients to obtain PhDs.

“I have spoken many times in Vietnam to women’s business organizations about the critical and influential role of women leaders in Vietnam,” she said. “One of the keys to success is educational attainment without the cost of being away from one’s family. RMIT Vietnam underpins that tenet with these significant full-fee scholarships for female Vietnamese citizens, each valued at $10,250 a year for four years.”

The scholarship programs will be delivered at RMIT Vietnam and fields of study include business, management, engineering (electrical and electronics), education, and communications and design, with opening dates in April and October 2016.

Professor McDonald told the women at the gathering that in working at an education institution such as RMIT Vietnam they have experienced the power and value of education first hand.

“These scholarships will enable aspiring women leaders to obtain an international Australasian PhD without spending large amounts of time overseas,” she said. “The program is designed so that women can continue to work, care for their families, and achieve their educational goals.”

Project enhances ethnic minority cadres’ capability

The Prime Minister has approved a project to develop the resources of cadres who are of ethnic minority origin in state management and public services in the new age.

The project aims to complete a legal framework and policies on recruiting, training and managing ethnic-minority cadres in a bid to build a sound and capable contingent, thus contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of state management.

It is also expected to increase the rate of ethnic-minority personnel in state-run agencies and governmental bodies at all levels, particularly in mountainous areas.

Other objectives include developing a database on the quantity and quality of ethnic-minority cadres who are serving at state-run establishments across the nation.

Toll rates to increase for new expressway

Vehicles passing through the newly-built Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway and the National Highway No5 will soon have to pay between 25 per cent and 50 per cent more as toll. The new fees will be applied from early next month, the Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment JSC has said.

Đào Văn Chiến, chairman of the Managing Board of the company said that the increase was on the roadmap of the Ministry of Finance to serve the repair and maintenance of the National Highway No 5 and the fund payback of the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway.

Currently, the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway collects VNĐ1,500 per kilometre (per km) per car. The increase will be VNĐ2,000 per km per car, equivalent to the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway.

Replying to a question of the continuous increase of toll fees on the National Highway No 5, Chiến said the route had been damaged on numerous occasions by overloaded vehicles.

In 2014, the Ministry of Transport had invested VNĐ100 billion ($4.5 million) for the repair work of the route, of which VNĐ60 billion ($2.7 million) was paid by the company.

This year, the repair work on the route was estimated to be VNĐ300 billion ($13.5 million), and the Road Directorate had only allocated VNĐ20 billion ($900,000). Thus, the increase on fees was necessary, he said.  

To help ease financial difficulties for vehicles on the National Highway No 5, Chiến said the investor would discount monthly tickets for the first time. This will be the last fee hike on the route, he said.

Many transport companies said they were shocked by the new fees.

Khúc Hữu Thanh Hải, director of the Đất Cảng Transport Company, said the company operated 80 vehicles on the two routes. On average, it had to pay up to VNĐ800 million (US$36,000) as toll fees each month. He said with the new rate, the company would suffer quite a large additional financial burden and would only make profit on weekends and holidays due to the small number of passengers travelling on the two routes.

He said National Highway 5 had a policy of reducing the toll by 10 per cent, if transport enterprises purchased monthly tickets, but the policy did not apply to the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway.

The toll fee for this route was worth about eight passenger tickets, he said.

Lê Văn Tiến, chairman of the Hải Phòng Freight Transport Association, said the fee hike would cause more problems for transport enterprises.

He said the transport businesses did not plan to increase the fares as fuel prices were stable.

Bùi Danh Liên, chairman of the Hà Nội Transport Association, said the BOT fee was inconsistent with the purchasing power of the people and might put financial pressure on the socio-economic life.

The Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway, the most modern of its kind in Việt Nam, passes through Hà Nội, Hưng Yên, Hải Dương and Hải Phòng with a total length of 105kms, a width of 33m with six lanes and an intended speed of 120km per hour.

Invested by the Việt Nam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment JSC, the road is built at a total cost of nearly VNĐ45.5 trillion ($2 billion) under the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

The National Highway No 5 is the key route in northeast of Hà Nội with more than 11,000 vehicles travelling per day, and half of which are container trucks. The route has been upgraded many times, but the quality has remained low.

Youth be key role in economic development: leader

Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải yesterday said he hoped youth would play a key role in developing the capital’s economy.

Speaking at a conference commending outstanding youth union secretaries held in Hà Nội on Wednesday, Hải emphasised youths’ roles in development.

The conference attracted nearly 600 secretaries of wards and district youth unions in the capital. It was held in response to the Month of Youth, and to welcome the 85th ceremony of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union’s founding on March 26.

Hải said he highly appreciated young people’s contributions in blood donations, environmental protection, keeping traffic order and helping candidates with the university entrance exam every year.

He said that Việt Nam had joined the 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) member countries, so the youth union’s activities must be reformed, attractive and suitable to the period of international integration.

“Youth should be cadres in economic restructuring by studying hard, working hard and being more creative to raise the capital’s competitive capacity,” Hải said.

Hải asked concerned organisations to pay more attention to youth affairs, and create good conditions for youth unions at different levels to join economic and political activities in their localities.

Organisations should assign work to young people that is suitable to their capacity, educational level and individual skills, he said.

At the conference, 85 outstanding youth union secretaries were awarded for the positive examples they set in terms of studying, working and volunteering in the community.

The youth union secretaries expressed their determination to uphold their achievements and continue to contribute to the city’s industrialisation and modernisation.

Prime Minister orders easing of hospital overcrowding

Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng has urged the Health Ministry, provinces and cities to take measures to improve the efficiency of satellite hospital networks and ease hospital overcrowding.

Two years ago, the Prime Minister initiated a project to build and develop satellite hospitals through 2020. As part of this project, satellite hospitals must be provided with technical and surgical training by core hospital staff. This additional training will enable satellite hospitals to better serve their patients, as well as increasing the professional qualifications of satellite hospital staff.

Associate Professor Lương Ngọc Khuê, head of the Medical Examination and Treatment Department, said that during the past two years of implementing the project, the health minister -- and People’s Committees of provinces and cities across the country -- recorded several improvements.

A network of 15 core hospitals and 53 satellite hospitals in 38 provinces and cities have been established. Numerous hospitals have been upgraded. And many new hospitals have been constructed.

But some satellite hospitals participating in the project have seen a lack of adequate investment in medical equipment, facilities, and technical training conducted by core hospital staff.

The health ministry must oversee the training of satellite hospital staff by core hospital staff. The health ministry is responsible for ensuring that core hospital staff train satellite hospital staff appropiately.

Dũng also asked the health ministry to publish a list of eligible core hospitals -- and to enforce regulations requiring experts and doctors working at core hospitals to conduct examinations and treatments at satellite hospitals -- as soon as possible.

He emphasised that both private and State-owned hospitals should be considered equally for core and satellite hospital designation.

Other urgent tasks include: calling for investment to build new private hospitals, in co-operation with State-owned hospitals; fostering the use of information technology; developing telemedicine, in which telecommunications are used to provide remote healthcare; and cultivating the family-doctor model of care.

According to the new regulations, the Ministry of Planning and Investment must prioritise the purchase of medical equipment and facilities, using Official Development Assistance money. The Ministry of Finance must prioritise its spending to ensure that hospital overcrowding is solved.

New fees ’good for patients’

Two weeks after the Ministry of Health increased prices for medical services at public hospitals on March 1, State-owned and private hospitals are enforcing the new fees.

Nearly 1,900 different services and products at public hospitals became about 30 per cent more expensive as of March 1.

The new fee policies require patients to pay for things that used to be subsidised by the Government — such as power, water, equipment maintenance, waste treatment facilities, training, research, and more.

Patients are very concerned about this new 30 per cent rise in medical costs. Patients wonder: Will the quality of medical services rise with the fees? How will the fee hike affect patients, especially old people and poor people?

Đặng Thị Lan, a resident of Lê Chân District of Hải Phòng City, worried that the sharply increased medical service fees would be a financial burden for her.

However, Tăng Xuân Khoa, deputy director of Hải Phòng’s Kiến An General Hospital, says that the fee hike will not affect patients, especially not poor people or children. Poor patients are still eligible for free healthcare insurance, according to the doctor. And those who do not have insurance will still be offered low fees.

Higher medical service fees will also help hospitals get more funding to invest in new equipment, as well as improve the quality of healthcare services, according to  Khoa. Increased fees will also encourage people to buy healthcare insurance, according to the doctor.

Meanwhile, doctors at other hospitals agree that the new regulations will allow State-owned and private hospitals to compete on an equal footing. Now patients can choose any hospital they wish. Before patients could only go to the specific hospitals for which they registered when they bought healthcare insurance.

Lê Quang Võ,  director of Cần Thơ General Hospital, agrees with Khoa about why increased medical service fees mean hospitals will improve the quality of their services.

Before the recent medical fee increases, the State budget paid the salaries of healthcare workers. But now healthcare salaries will also be subsidised by patients. So hospitals and healthcare workers must change their attitude to patients now. "Patients are their clients," Võ said.

But while increasing fees in keeping with the new regulations, most hospitals have been facing problems with insurance payments.

According to Khoa, during the first two weeks of higher fees since March 1, his hospital divided patients into categories, such as healthcare insurance and non-healthcare insurance, plus those who were given medical treatment before and after the higher fees went into effect.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Văn Hương, director of General Hospital of southern Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province, says that the new pricing regulations apply to more than 1,900 services and products. But like many hospitals, his hospital offers many other services and products which remain unregulated by the new rules.

So hospitals still have to set some patient fees themselves, Hương said.

Legal harmonisation in ASEAN crucial

Legal harmonisation in ASEAN is so necessary that each member state should be required to make active contributions to establish a common legal framework, so the group can reduce legal differences and barriers, heard a workshop in Hanoi on March 17.

Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Truong Hoa Binh highlighted the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on December 31, 2015, as a new stride by member states to promote deep and comprehensive integration in the global market.

The AEC will boost the trade and investment flow within the bloc, he said, adding that along with opportunities, difficulties and challenges lie ahead, including those relevant to legal and judicial issues.

In that context, legal harmonisation in ASEAN has become the top concern of ASEAN judicial agencies, he said, adding that there are certain challenges in harmonising the interests of each country due to their diversity in economics, politics, society and legal systems.

Therefore, it is necessary to promote mutual assistance and solidarity, to make the proper moves and promptly deal with any disputes, to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of relevant individuals and organisations, he said.

Legal harmonisation in ASEAN will bring member countries closer and reduce legal disputes in civil procedure, he added.

The Vietnamese court, in particular, plays a crucial role in ASEAN integration and legal harmonisation, participants said.

The court has made active contributions to the field, such as promoting the recognition of multinational arbitrators and executing their verdicts, and proposing the National Assembly review and supplement laws – especially the Law on Procedure, in accordance with international standards.

It also actively participates in regional forums that enhance judicial cooperation and prepares the infrastructure and human resource conditions necessary to join the judicial integration of ASEAN.

The 4 th conference for ASEAN Chief Justices will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 31 to April 1.

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