US doctors treat hearts of underprivileged Vietnamese children

A programme offering free check-ups and surgeries to underprivileged children suffering from heart disease is underway in Hanoi from January 18 to 22, according to Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper.

The initiative was organised by a heart expert group from the US, the Gift of Life organisation and MD1 World, also aiming to exchange knowledge in pediatric cardiology with Vietnamese doctors.

On the occasion, the group and doctors from the Hanoi Heart Hospital delivered surgical evaluations and treatments to disadvantaged children currently receiving heart treatment at the hospital.

MD1 World, through the Vina Capital Foundation and the International Paediatric Specialists Alliance for the Children of Vietnam (IPASC), serves children and youth in Vietnam by providing opportunities for growth through health and education projects.

IPASC also helps Vietnamese healthcare practitioners enhance their hospitals’ pediatric surgical capacity and increase access to surgical care for Vietnamese children.

Deadline set for transport fee cut

The transport ministry will require transportation businesses to slash transport fees within five days of the fuel price reduction, a senior official from the ministry said.

The move was made following many transport firms' failure or slow attempt to reduce their fees after the petrol price fell, Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tho told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper.

The retail price of petrol dropped sharply by VND590 to reach a five-year low of VND15,442 (68 US cents) per litre on Tuesday, the second price reduction since early this year.

As fuel costs account for some 35 per cent to 40 per cent of transport fees, falling petrol prices should lead to reductions in these fees.

Tho said transport fees were normally regulated by the market, but in reality, many transport firms had failed to cut their fees in line with the fuel price reduction, causing great public concern.

Vuong Thu Hang, Head of the Ha Noi Finance Department's Price Division, told the newspaper that the department would continue reviewing, inspecting and encouraging transport businesses to register to lower their transport fees following the latest fuel price reduction.

After the last fuel price adjustment earlier this month, five taxi companies and nine transport businesses failed to slash their fees, she said.

However, a representative of a taxi company said the last fuel price reduction had not been significant enough and only helped to reduce production costs by 1.5-2.5 per cent, while transport companies had to face increases in other costs such as the minimum wage and road maintenance fees.

Deputy Minister Tho said the ministry would continue instructing the relevant agencies to adopt measures to keep transport fees under control for all means of transport, including road and rail transport and aviation.

According to Pham Van Hao, Deputy Head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam, the national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, and other airlines have reported their transport fee reduction plans, which will be made public in the next few days.

Doan Duy Hoach, Deputy Director General of the Viet Nam Railway Corporation, said the railway fares had been on the path of reduction since early 2015 to date.

In 2015, the railway sector cut transport fees by 10-15 per cent.

Deputy PM urges less bureaucracy

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked for overlapping regulations to be amended as part of administrative reform efforts.

Chairing a meeting of the Steering Committee for Administrative Reform in Ha Noi on Tuesday to review its 2015 activities and launch 2016 tasks, Phuc said administrative procedures are one of the four areas under major reform, including judicial affairs, education and wages, which were set by the 10th and 11th National Party Congresses.

In his capacity as head of the committee, the Deputy PM hailed its members, including the Ministry of Home Affairs for directing the 2015 action plan and achieving expected results.

The institutional reform also proved successful with the promulgation of 27 laws and hundreds of decrees and circulars, alongside new regulations on personal identification and civil registration.

Phuc asked ministries, agencies and localities to continue executing the programme on State administrative reform and improving the efficiency of the administrative system.

Stressing the need for institutional reform, he demanded that the Law on Government Organisation, and the Law on Local Administration, which came into force from January 1, 2016, must be put in place; adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs must ensure the progress and quality of the government restructuring.

On administrative reform goals, he urged the need to improve the capacity of civil cadres, and the quality of one-stop shop models using technological advances.

He suggested establishing a public administrative service centre, inviting private investment into public services, as well as piloting autonomy mechanisms in several units concerned.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan, deputy head of the committee, reported that as of December 2015, more than 4,400 out of 4,700 procedures were simplified.

The customs clearance duration was reduced from 21 days to 14 days for exports, and 13 days for imports.

Total tax filing time was cut to 117 hours from 537 hours.

The Viet Nam automated cargo and port consolidated system, and the Viet Nam customs intelligence information system, were also instrumental in overhauling Viet Nam's customs procedures to a level on par with ASEAN+6 countries in late 2015.

HCM City to spend US$13 million fixing century-old sewers

Ho Chi Minh City has earmarked around VND300 billion (US$13.26 million) for a project to repair downtown sewers which have been deteriorating after being in use for more than a century, local media has reported.

Although the plan is mainly to focus on fixing the underground conduits under Dong Khoi, Pasteur and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, parts that have seriously broken down will be completely replaced, news website VnExpress said, citing Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung, deputy director of the city's center for flooding prevention.

Ho Chi Minh City's oldest sewer was built in 1870 under Dong Khoi Street in District 1. Photo credit: VnExpress

Work will not start until the end of this year due to a complex preparation process, according to Dung.

The sewers are part of a system built during French colonialism with the oldest under Dong Khoi Street dated to 1870, VnExpress reported.

With a vault design similar to that of famous underground tunnels in Paris, the system covers nearly 100 kilometers under districts 1, 3, 5 and 6. The biggest sewer is 2.35 meters wide and 1.8 meters high, while the smallest is around 0.5 meter high, it said.

Over 4,600 units, people punished for violating environment rules

More than 4,600 units and individuals violating natural resources and environment regulations have been punished over the past decade, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) Chu Pham Ngoc Hien said.

The information was revealed at a conference reviewing the ministry’s 10-year implementation of the Law on Corruption Prevention and Control, which took effect in 2006.

Hien said the MoNRE proposed punishments on 4,687 units and individuals with fines totaling almost 208 billion VND (9.28 million USD).

It also collected 135 billion VND (6 million USD) in environmental protection fee arrears, and revoked 259 licences for mineral-related activities and over 23,000 hectares of misused land.

The ministry also asked competent agencies to correct their management and use of natural resources and environment, the official added.

A report at the conference said that the MoNRE has conducted 123 inspections and examinations over 134 subordinate units since 2006. It has also coordinated with other ministries, sectors and localities, to carry out 960 specialised inspections and examinations over nearly 15,000 units and individuals with activities involving natural resources and environment.-

Vietnam to increase speed limit in residential areas in March

The speed limit in urban areas in Vietnam will be increased by 10kph from the current level in March, when a Ministry of Transport circular takes effect.

Besides the speed increase, the circular, released on December 31, 2015, also stipulates that speed limits will vary based on the types of road, rather than vehicle like the present.

Specifically, the 60kph limit will be applicable to roadways with median strips and one-way two-lane roads, whereas the restriction for two-way roads without median strips and one-way one-lane roads will be 50kph.

Both of the new limits are 10kph faster than current levels.

As per current regulations, speed limits are different between trucks, cars and motorbikes even though they travel on the same road.

The Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) today handed over four kindergartens and two community houses as study halls and storm and flood shelters to authorities in the southern Ninh Thuan Province.

The facilities were built as part of a US$100,000 project funded by Coca-Cola Viet Nam, under the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent's disaster-resistant house model.

"Co-operation between Coca-Cola Viet Nam and the VNRC aims to improve the effect of disaster response activities and to reduce the disaster's impact on residents in Viet Nam," Coca-Cola Viet Nam Communications and External Relations Director Nguyen Khoa My said.

The buildings will be used as places for daily study and community activities by the 500 local residents, including more than 100 students from the three districts of Ninh Phuoc, Ninh Ha and Thuan Bac of Ninh Thuan Province.

They will also be a safe shelter for nearly 1,400 households living in the area during storms and floods.

Two died in train-car collision

Two people were killed and one was injured in a train accident yesterday in Quang Nam Province.

A North-South SE1 train hit a four-seater car, when it was crossing DH10 road in Binh Chanh Ward in the province's Thang Binh District.

Fifty-year-olds Nguyen Cong Tien, deputy manager of Thang Binh department of education, and Tran Ngoc Thanh, a teacher, were killed in the accident. Both were residents of Thang Binh District's Ha Lam Town.

The district and provincial police rushed to the site to investigate the accident.

The injured victim was taken into Quang Nam General Hospital.

Phan Thanh Hong, deputy chief of the province's traffic police office, said the accident occurred in a residential area, where there were no barricades and automated railway signs.

The local authorities had reported the problems to the railway sector, but no improvements had been made.

"The train continued its journey after the accident," Hong said. "The cause of the accident is unclear at the moment because the car driver is dead, and one passenger is badly injured."

"We will investigate further to find out why the car did not notice or did not see the train when it crossed the railway track," he said.

In another incident yesterday, a van carrying six passengers fell into a 200m-deep chasm in Cao Bang Province's Ban Diem Commune, killing three people and injuring three.

Duc Giang Hospital's upgrade work completed

The Ha Noi Department of Health yesterday held the inauguration ceremony of Duc Giang Hospital's upgrade project in Long Bien District on the outskirts of Ha Noi.

The upgrade work is considered to be a key construction project to welcome the 12th National Party Congress, which will take place from January 20 to 28.

The upgrade work started in 2013, increasing the number of beds in the hospital from 230 to 500, spread over nearly 35,000sq.m, at a cost of more than VND860 billion (about US$38.3 million)

With one basement and seven floors, the hospital gives priority to treating patients coming from the northern part of the city.

The hospital was expected to not only care for Hanoians, but also to help reduce pressure on national hospitals and those in neighbouring provinces, a representative of the Ha Noi health department said.

The hospital is scheduled to become a level 1 general hospital with 42 departments in 2016.

Pesticides destroy thousands of flowers grown for Tet

More than 10,000 yellow daisy pots in Phu Thuong Commune, Phu Vang District, in this central province have failed to bloom after being sprayed with pesticides.

"In November last year, my family sprayed some kind of chemicals, sold in the local market, to kill harmful insects feeding on the daisies. After 10 days, the plants stopped growing, and their leaves became yellow and curled. The flower buds did not develop," Nguyen Huu Tien, the owner of 800 yellow daisy pots, said.

These daisies were planted six months ago to serve Tet (the Lunar New Year) 2016, and they had grown well to a height of one metre before being sprayed with pesticides.

The owner had planned to sell these daisies a week before the coming Lunar New Year, from late January to early February.

However, despite his best efforts, his daisy plants failed to bloom, causing losses of VND80 million (US$3,560).

Like Tien, half of the 1,200 daisy pots belonging to Tran Manh Hung have not bloomed, causing losses of VND60 million ( $2,670).

"There are more than 20 households in the commune planting yellow daisies. More than 10,000 flower pots have not bloomed. The largest amount lost by a single family is 800 pots, while the least is 100 pots," Pham Thanh, Vice President of Phu Thuong Commune's Farmer's Union, said.

According to the residents, Phu Thuong Commune is not the only one affected. Flower growers who used the same pesticides in the La Y, Phu Duong and Vy Da communes in the district are facing the same problem.

The local authorities visited the flower gardens to investigate the case and found that the farmers had mixed the wrong combination of pesticides.

These pesticides appear in the lists of chemicals used for eliminating a kind of insect commonly found in rice. They are licensed by the agriculture ministry and are allowed to be sold on the local market, according to the report submitted by the authorities.

Moreover, many people here said they had used these types of pesticides on their daisies for many years, without any problems.

The case is under investigation.

Hau River navigable for large vessels

The Hau River in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has now become navigable for large vessels.

The Ministry of Transport held a ceremony in the province on January 20 to open the waterway, which is 46.5 km long and worth over 9.7 trillion VND (436.5 million USD).

Deputy Minister Nguyen Nhat said the waterway will be capable of serving vessels of up to 20,000 tonnes and will handle 21-22 million tonnes of goods per year, as well as 450,000-500,000 TEU container ships per annum, through to 2020.

The construction of the waterway commenced in 2009, but it was put on hold from January 2013. In early 2014, the National Assembly approved to restart the project.

First Thai shopping festival comes to Ho Chi Minh City

The first Thailand shopping festival got underway in Ho Chi Minh City on January 20, with nearly 80 exhibitors taking part.

On display until January 24 will be consumer and household goods, cosmetics, garments, jewelry, accessories, food, confectionary and beverages.

Naronk Summat, Chairman of the Thai Business Association in Vietnam, said the festival is one of the initiatives to stimulate demand for quality Thai goods sold at preferential prices.

It also affords Vietnamese a chance to taste a variety of Thai food.

Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Promotion’s southern office Bui Thi Hoang Yen, said Vietnamese and Thai firms are encouraged to seek business opportunities to raise two-way trade this year.

The event also launches a series of activities to promote trade between Vietnam and Thailand.

Disaster-proof facilities unveiled in Ninh Thuan province

Multifunctional facilities serving as shelter from natural disasters were inaugurated in the south central coast province of Ninh Thuan on January 20.

The facilities were originally four kindergartens and community houses in Thanh Hai, Nhon Hai and Ho Hai communes in Ninh Hai district, and Cong Hai commune in Thuan Bac district. They were re-built under the storm-and-flood-proof house design of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

They can also be used as study areas for over 100 children and venues for over 500 people in community activities.

The construction cost nearly 2.8 billion VND (124,800 USD), over 2.2 billion VND (98,000 USD) of which was funded by Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd.

Nguyen Khoa My, Director of public relations of Coca-Cola Southeast Asia, said Coca-Cola Vietnam’s coordination with the Vietnam Red Cross Society is part of the parent company’s cooperation with the International Federation to help improve the effectiveness of global climate change response and mitigation activities.

Support for workers in Hanoi industrial parks in lead-up to Tet

Workers in industrial and processing zones across Hanoi have been given all possible support to enjoy the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, according to the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

As many as 1,200 workers living in need were granted free train tickets to reunite with their families and each receive gifts worth 300,000 – 1,000,000 VND (13.6 – 45.4 USD).

Thousands of Tet gifts worth hundreds of thousand VND are also planned for workers.

Since January, businesses in Hanoi industrial parks have raised the minimum wage as stipulated by the government, to an average of more than 5.6 million VND, inclusive of allowances per month.

Head of the department’s labour-employment office Pham Van Thanh said the Tet bonuses this year will be nearly 1.5 percent higher, with 100 million VND (4,500 USD) being the highest bonus and 450,000 VND (20 USD) the lowest, both awarded in foreign-invested firms.

In state-owned one-member limited liability companies, the bonus averages 3.77 million VND (171 USD), with the biggest one valued at 38.2 million VND (1,730 USD) and the lowest at 500,000 VND (22.7 USD).

In joint stock enterprises with State-owned stake, the average figure is 3.5 million VND. The highest bonus is 20 million VND and the lowest is 500,000 VND.

Meanwhile, private joint stock companies offer an average bonus of 3.7 million VND, equivalent to last year’s. The highest and lowest figures are 25 million VND and 550,000 VND, respectively.

Vietnamese, French archives offices ink cooperation deal

The State Records Management and Archives Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs, and the French Ministry of Culture and Communication’s Directorate of Archives, signed a cooperation agreement on January 20.

Under the agreement, the two offices will exchange information and experiences in managing archives, especially in collecting, preserving and restoring the documents, and training officials in this field.

They pledged to provide each other with information about archive collections relating to their history and the two countries’ relationship, intensify the exchange of copies of documents in conformity with each country’s laws, and coordinate in publishing documents related to bilateral relations and in organising joint exhibitions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trieu Van Cuong expressed his hope that the two sides will maintain comprehensive and effective cooperation in the archives field, so as to better the work.

According to the head of the Vietnamese department, Dang Thanh Tung, the offices have seen effective collaboration over the years, through the exchange of delegations, information and experiences.

The French Government also granted short-term scholarships to tens of Vietnamese archivists, while the French Embassy in Hanoi supported the department in publishing guide-books on archives preserved at the department and at national archives centres.

Labour minister requests support to the needy ahead of Tet

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen has asked centrally-run cities and provinces to offer all possible support to the poor, the elderly, the disabled, ex-revolutionaries and children living in need to bring them a warm and happy Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

The ministry’s officials will visit several care centres for war invalids in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Ha Nam; the central province of Thanh Hoa; and the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau. They will present gifts worth 500,000 VND to individuals and 3 million VND to units.

Municipal and provincial authorities were also asked to regularly check Tet bonuses for workers, particularly those working in mountainous, border and island areas, while ensuring occupational safety and injury prevention – particularly for children.

Localities that are provided rice aid for Tet must conduct regular inspections to ensure fair distribution.

To Duc, deputy head of the ministry’s Department of Social Protection, said the ministry has received requests to grant 12,000 tonnes of rice to nearly 815,000 households in 11 cities and provinces.

The Prime Minister has so far given a nod to Tuyen Quang and Nghe An’s support proposals.

The ministry will continue submitting other requests to the Prime Minister this week.

Blueprint for realising ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community goals approved

The Prime Minister has approved a master plan to meet ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) goals by 2025.

By the end of this year, ministries, sectors, centrally-run cities and provinces will have their action plans for the blueprint with a view to raising public awareness about the ASCC and mobilising resources to ensure efficient implementation of targets to build a united, sustainable, self-resilient and dynamic ASCC.

The blueprint will enhance capacity for all levels, branches and localities to improve the public involvement in building, implementing, examining and evaluating ASCC programmes, policies and activities.

It will help reduce barriers and inequality in all sectors of life, as well as fostering equal access to social welfare and services and developing human resources. It will also enhance public capacity to respond to major threats to people’s health.

Thua Thien-Hue: 72MW-hydropower plant put into operation

The A Roang hydropower plant in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s A Luoi district was fully put into operation on January 20, helping the locality access the national grid.

The plant is designed to have 7.2 MW and generate an annual average electricity output of about 30 million kWh.

The project has a total investment of 240 billion VND (10.9 million USD), of which 60 percent was funded through a loan by the Asia Development Bank (ADB), the rest came from the Central Power Corporation (EVNCPC).

The plant, located about 25 km from the district’s centre, is built in upper Bo river.

The project has a significant role in supplying electricity to locals and improving electricity quality for mountainous areas, as well as generating jobs for local ethnic people.

Authorities of the southern province of Long An have warned local farmers to be on guard against selling dragon fruit flowers to illegal Chinese traders to avoid affecting their crop output.

The move came after eight Chinese nationals were deported from Chau Thanh District last year for violating regulations that require foreigners in Viet Nam to get a permit from local authorities before they do business in that area.

These people had applied for a temporary residence permit in the district under tourist visas but had conducted business activities, such as visiting dragon fruit plantations to buy fruits and flowers and to conduct market surveys.

The local people were also urged to report to police immediately if they saw any Chinese nationals with tourist visas coming to dragon fruit trading zones to buy the fruit, as it is against the law.

The district's authorities called on the relevant agencies to collaborate with police and keep a close watch on the activities of Chinese nationals.

Some farmers in An Luc Long Commune said there were a number of foreigners visiting their dragon fruit plantations but none of them had asked to buy the fruit. They said they would not sell their fruit to traders from other countries to mitigate risks.

Farmer Nguyen Van Ut said local farmers chiefly sold their fruit to Vietnamese traders who would then export it to other countries or resell it to other customers.

Farmer Vo Thi Kim Lien said some farmers used to sell dragon fruit flowers, but this has now changed and they currently only sell fruit.

Nguyen Van Thinh, Chairman of Chau Thanh District's People's Committee, said apart from the Chinese nationals who were deported from the district for violating regulations, local authorities had not yet found any Chinese traders directly making deals with local farmers to buy dragon fruit or flowers.

Rumours that Chinese traders have caused prices to fall and manipulated the market are unfounded because at present, the price of dragon fruit, particularly red dragon fruit, is high and has been stable for the past few months, he said.

Last year, local farmers flocked to sell their dragon fruit flowers to traders, but they then stopped the practice as the sales affected their crop output, according to Thin.

There are more than 6,400ha of dragon fruit plantations in the district.

Vietnam still has more than 1.3 million illiterate people.

Nguyen Cong Hinh, of the Education Ministry, said, "Most illiterate people are old, from mountainous areas or ethnic groups, and don't want to travel too far to go to classes."

Finance Ministry claims anti-corruption success

Finance Ministry officials uncovered 125 cases of corruption over the past decade, prosecuting 2,634 individuals and recovering more than VND90.7 trillion.

Deputy Finance Minister Vu Thi Mai said corruption had been contained.

"We should have a rule where assets are frozen as soon as bribes are detected (and) repayment should be mandatory, not something done to reduce sentences," Mai said.

Authorities of Hanoi and HCM City claimed no evidence of corruption was found in the first nine months of 2015.

Tests for motorbike driving licenses in Vietnam to be scored by electronic sensors

Starting from July, tests for motorbike driving licenses in Vietnam will be automatically monitored and judged by sensors installed underground instead of by a board of judges as is the case now.

Several Vietnamese localities will proceed with the new form of testing for A1 driving licenses (for under 175cc motorcycles) and the A2 level (for over 175cc motorcycles), according to the Ministry of Transport’s new regulations, which will come into force on July 1.

Authorities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and the south-central province of Khanh Hoa have been investing in their testing centers that will apply the new automatic scoring system while maintaining the existent examination fee as per the regulations.   

In Ho Chi Minh City, the new testing system has been piloted at Tien Bo Driving School in Tan Phu District for A1 and A2 driving licenses, said Nguyen Anh Dung, vice principle of the school.

The pass rate of the new form of examinations is just about 50 percent, while the average of the traditional tests is 80 to 85 percent, according to Dung’s observation.

“I am quite worried about the rather low pass rate. However, this is also considered a way to improve the quality of driving tests in Vietnam,” the vice principle said.

Besides the replacement of the judging board with the underground sensors, other procedures of the examination will be maintained, Dung elaborated.

If test takers make any mistake, the sensors will detect it and the electronic system will automatically read out the fault through a loudspeaker.

The results of the tests will also be announced by the system right after the examinees finish their driving tasks, Dung explained, adding that the whole process will be machine-operated.

It is advisable that test takers practice their driving at local driving schools before the real exam as the lack of practice is the main reason for failure, according to several experts.

Out of 20 testing centers in Ho Chi Minh City, only Tien Bo Driving School has been applying the new testing system in accordance with the schedule set by the Ministry of Transport, said Tran The Ky, deputy director of the municipal Department of Transport.

The enforcement of the regulations has encountered several difficulties that arise from shortages in the supply of the automatic scoring devices, Ky added.

As there is only one manufacturer of the devices, they have been sold at a whopping VND2 billion (US$89,220) per item, he said.

Only a few testing centers in the city are expected to be ready for the new form of tests in July, which might not be enough to offer the tests to motorbike drivers, the official said, adding that the number of test takers in Ho Chi Minh City in 2015 increased by 52 percent compared to that of 2014.

Authorities in the southern city have urged the Ministry of Transport to introduce additional manufacturers of the scoring devices to prevent any inflation of their prices, as well as to adopt suitable solutions to the emerging problems, he added.

Employment at Long Thanh airport prioritized for affected people

The southern province of Dong Nai is drawing up a plan to provide vocational training for residents affected by the Long Thanh international airport project so that they can be employed at the airport.

Dong Nai is now working on compensation, resettlement and vocational training plans for affected households, which are designed to help them settle down and land a job at the multi-billion-dollar project, heard a press conference on the province’s socioeconomic performance last week.

The province has reviewed nearly 5,000 households in the 5,000-hectare area where the airport will go up, and worked with local vocational schools to design suitable vocational training courses for them.

The provincial government is working on two resettlement areas near industrial parks like Long Duc, Amata and Nhon Trach.

In the short term, affected people can get immediate support to attend training courses so that they can find jobs at the local industrial parks. In the long run, they will be trained to work for the airport, Tran Van Vinh, vice chairman of Dong Nai Province, said at the press conference.

Vinh said as the Long Thanh airport is a project of national importance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the province are coordinating to build a compensation plan for submission to the Prime Minister for approval.

Around 5,000 hectares in Long Thanh District will be cleared to make room for the project.

Last year, the province sought approval from the Government to implement site clearance and resettlement plans for the airport as soon as possible so that the project can get off the ground in 2019 as scheduled.

On June 25 last year, the National Assembly gave the nod to the Long Thanh airport project, which is envisaged becoming a major aviation hub not only in Vietnam but also in the region.

Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the project, reckoned that it would take 15 months to select a consultant and complete the feasibility study from the time the project won approval from the legislature.

The corporation expected the feasibility study to be completed in 2018 and the legislature will have to approve the study before work on the project commences in 2019.

The airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo a year when it is fully completed in 2050. It would require a total of around VND336.6 trillion (over US$16 billion), with VND114.45 trillion (US$5.45 billion) going to phase one.

ACV plans to put into use one runway and one terminal able to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year in phase one in 2023.

Who's the thief?

People's Procuracy in Buon Don District, Central Highland Dak Lak Province last week prosecuted two police officers allegedly for abusing power as they gave a stolen motorbike to a colleague to use.

In February 2009, the head of Ea Nuoi Commune Police Staion – Dang Tu Quang was informed about two motorbike thieves and reached the spot with a police officer Truong Cong Ha. The two suspected thieves ran away, leaving the stolen motorbike before the police arrived.

The stolen mortorbike, instead of being added to public property, was given to Ha to use until last October when the case was revealed.

The real owner of the motorbike, also in Buon Don District, said he lost his bike in early 2009.

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