Security in Vietnam tightened ahead of Obama's visit

All necessary steps to heighten security in Vietnam have been completed, ready to serve the visit to the Southeast Asian country of US President Barack Obama.

The Guard Command under the Ministry of Public Security has mobilized all of its force, as well as those from other security units, to be on 24/7 duty during the May 23-25 trip of the US president.

“We have had the best equipment and personnel ready to ensure the absolute safety for the visit of President Obama,” Luong Van Khang, deputy head of the Guard Command, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on May 21 afternoon.

Obama will officially begin his visit in Hanoi on the morning of May 23 and leave the capital for Ho Chi Minh City on May 24, according to a schedule announced May 20 by the White House. He will then depart from the southern metropolis for Japan to attend the G7 Summit.

Similar measures to tighten security have also been taken in Ho Chi Minh City.

Khang said his command had carefully discussed the security plans with forces in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and taken many rehearsals to prepare for the important duty.

The Vietnamese and US security agencies have also worked together before the trip, according to the major general. The Guard Command officers have also accepted many requests by the US Secret Service, he added.

Many US officials have also examined carefully the destinations included in the tentative itinerary of Obama during his three days in Vietnam, especially the streets he will travel on and hotels he will stay.

The Guard Command and the US Secret Service have had five working sessions, with the latest on May 16 and 17. A team of dozen of secret agents will be on 24/7 duty at hotels where Obama will stay during his time in Vietnam.

Two of the presidential state cars, the armored The Beast, are now parked at a five-star hotel near the My Dinh National Convention Center.

Houses along the streets Obama will travel by are required to keep their windows shut, Khang said. Local residents, however, can stand along the streets to welcome the US president.

“But they should not have any behavior or action harmful to the safety of the trip of Obama,” Khang pressed.

At 5:20 on May 21, the US Air Force (C17) plane arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, bring necessary equipment to serve the Obama’s trip.

As it was raining in the city then, the plane had to hover around for a while before the equipment was taken out.

Vietnam, Norway to reinforce marine economic partnerships

Vietnam and Norway agreed to foster cooperation in marine economic activities during the eighth political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level in Hanoi on May 20.

The annual consultation was chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and the State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tone Skogen.

They informed each other about their respective country’s situation and discussed measures for enhancing bilateral relations as well as regional and international matters of shared concern.

The Norwegian side said it is impressed with Vietnam’s socio-economic development and increasing role in Southeast Asia, adding that Norway attaches importance to strengthening the friendship and effective cooperation with Vietnam.

The officials rejoiced at the progress in the two countries’ amity and multi-faceted partnership while agreeing to hold more all-level delegation exchanges, especially between senior officials.

Both sides will press on with implementing the agreements reached during the official visit to Vietnam by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in April 2015, particularly bolstering collaboration in marine economic activities such as shipbuilding, fishing and aquaculture, along with energy, oil and gas, green technology and information technology.

They concurred in continuing close coordination to promote negotiations on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association, so as to boost bilateral trade and investment activities.

At the consultation, Vietnam acknowledged Norway’s ODA provision over the past years, stressing that the ODA has been used effectively and has greatly contributed to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and international integration.

Norway is ready to continue helping Vietnam build and implement action plans to realise the Sustainable Development Goals, including climate change response, forest protection and natural resources management, Tone Skogen said.

The two sides were unanimous to work for stronger cooperation in education, culture and tourism through scholarship granting, manpower training and cultural exchanges.

They also mulled over ways to tighten affiliation at multilateral forums and international organisations, including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia – Europe Meeting (ASEM).

UNICEF engages with disadvantaged youth

Two teams of blind young people living in a HCM City shelter have created websites for job search and providing resume consultancy targeted at blind people that have won funding from a UNICEF programme to commercialise them.

The seven members of the two teams live at the Thien An Shelter in Tan Phu District.

Nguyen Minh Tuan of the team that set up the jobs website said from his own experience he knows the difficulties blind people have in seeking jobs.

Though the country has several employment centres for people with disabilities including visual impairments, only 20 percent of blind people have jobs, according to the Vietnam Blind Association.

A survey of 80 people with visual impairments the team carried out found 90 percent of them complaining about the difficulties in looking for employment.

Desiring to help people like them, he and three other set up the website www.jobsforblind.com to link up prospective employers and blind people looking for jobs.

It also shares the working experience of many blind people, Tuan said.

According to the Vietnam Blind Association, 10,000 of the country’s million blind people have the ability to browse the internet, and the others could ask family or friends to help access this website, he said.

“People with visual impairment can work as IT engineers, teachers and others in addition to being masseurs. Enterprises and organisations should give them the opportunity to show their capabilities.”

When the website was still in its beta stage, seven blind people found jobs through it, he added.

UPSHIFT, part of the larger ‘By Youth, For Youth’ UNICEF programme and which aims to engage and empower disadvantaged young people to realise their role as agents of social change, gave the two teams from the shelter and two others 20 million VND (888 USD) each for their innovations.

But Tuan said to run the jobs website another 70 million VND (3,111 USD) is needed this year.

The other two teams’ innovations involved educating primary school students about respiratory health and helping people with disabilities use public transport.

The four were chosen from 10 entries in late 2015 by the UNICEF Innovation Lab in partnership with the city-based Viet Youth Entrepreneurs.

UPSHIFT teaches transferable career skills in leadership and collaboration and communication, provides training in entrepreneurship and gives young people the opportunity to define a problem in their community and help develop its solution.

Its organisers met with 681 young people in the city during the course of the programme.

HCM City to organise many summer activities for children

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee said that it would organise numerous summer activities for children, with special attention paid to disadvantaged children, suburban children and children in new-style rural communes.

Summer activities will be organised from May 28 to August 10 with four major events “For lovely children”, “Join hands to build a civilised, clean and safe city”, “Repay revolutionary heroes” and “For suburban friends.”

An “Attaching dreams with wings” camp will be organised for children in special circumstances as well as a camp for Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia children.

Summer trips to the families of war veterans, martyrs and heroic mothers will also be held to educate children on the historic tradition of Vietnam.

A “The city’s children follow Uncle Ho’s five teachings” campaign will also be launched to educate children on manners, culture and family tradition.

In order to encourage reading, a mobile book truck will bring books to children in remote areas.

Departments and localities are encouraged to organise activities for children as well as to encourage children to improve the environment and landscape surrounding them.-

Bus passengers reduce 5.5 percent in HCMC

The number of bus passengers reached 225.7 million in the first five months this year down 5.5 percent over the same period last year, reported the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center to chairwoman of the city People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam last night.

According to the center, the reduction was because the attitude of drivers and ticket collectors has not been good and passengers still have their pockets picked.

The city has met difficulties in finding suitable places to build bus stations. Downgraded vehicles and traffic jam have slowed bus speed and throw routes off schedules, which are major reason causing a lot of residents not use this transport service.

In addition, many bus drivers have quitted because of high work pressure leaving difficulties for transport firms.

So far, HCMC has 107 subsidized and 33 unsubsidized bus routes. The number of routes increased by four compared to last year but the number of buses reduced by 213 to 2,599.  Since early this year, transport firms have equipped 23 new buses using compressed natural gas.

Chairwoman Quyet Tam said that bus time for students should be increased by half an hour to 9:30 p.m., urged transport companies to remedy the attitude of their drivers and staff as well as keep security on board and renew bus fleet to lure passengers.

Summer tour prices cut, promotions launched to increase number of travellers

Summer tours are expected to be busy this year as travel firms have launched several promotions, including tours priced 15-40 per cent lower than the previous summer.

As of Monday, the number of tourists booking tours at several travel firms had increased by 80-90 per cent against last month. Domestic tours to Phú Quốc, Nha Trang and Đà Lạt have been the most popular.

In HCM City, train tours from the city’s outlying areas to neighbouring Bình Dương Province attract about 2,000 tourists a day during the week. The number of tourists doubles on the weekend.

Southeastern lacquer village’s products sold around the world

The Tương Bình Hiệp lacquer village in the southeastern province of Bình Dương is an attractive tourism destinations as its lacquer products are famous nationwide and exported to many countries, including Germany, France, Canada and Japan.

Located in Thủ Dầu Một City, the village activities began in the 1860s when people from the central region arrived in Tương Bình Hiệp and established the lacquer handicraft.

The lacquer works are available in various designs, models and colours. The most common products are paintings, boxes, vases and pots, made with mother-of-pearl or eggshell, or painted works.

Last month, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognised the lacquer handicraft of Tương Bình Hiệp Village as a national intangible heritage.

Mekong Delta floating market to get a $2.8-million upgrade

The Cái Răng Floating Market, one of the largest floating markets in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, is a must-see destination in Cần Thơ City as it reflects the delta’s colourful river life.

Located in Cái Răng District about 4km away from Ninh Kiều Wharf, the floating market is open all day but is busiest from 5am to 9am. Hundreds of small and large boats sell all kinds of goods, mostly agricultural produce.

Many of the boats are the houses of traders whose families live on them year-round.

Cần Thơ City has approved a project worth VNĐ63 billion (US$2.8 million) to upgrade the market and improve tourism services.

Non-stop toll collection to be launched in major national highways

Tien Phong Technology Company has signed a procurement and construction (EPC) contract with VETC Vietnam Joint Stock Company to launch an electronic toll collection and truck weight control system at 19 stations in National Highway 1A across the country and Ho Chi Minh Highway in the Central Highlands this year.

Director General of Tien Phong Company said that the project is expected to compete this year at a total investment cost of VND200 billion (US$8.96 million).

Automobiles will be installed with e-tags free of charge and connected with an online payment system via banks.

The project will help save VND70 billion in ticket printing cost a year, VND233 billion fuel cost, and VND360 billion traffic management cost and shorten travel time worth VND2,800 a year, according to Mr. Quan.

Vietnamese and Japanese artists join in marionette performance

Artists of Vietnam’s Tuoi Tre Theater and Edo-Yukiza Marionette Theater of Japan are joining hands for a marionette performance program in Vietnam and abroad, according to the Government website chinhphu.vn.

They premiered the “Poisoned Mallards” play last week at Tuoi Tre Theater in Hanoi. There will be four performances in Hanoi and one in Haiphong City. After that, the Vietnamese and Japanese artists will bring the play to Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania in June.

Poisoned Mallards, which is based on a play written by Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828-1906), a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director and poet, is edited and choreographed by Japanese Sakake Yoji.

It is the first time Yoji has choreographed a play that features both actors and marionettes. He also brings Noh, a genre of traditional Japanese play, into Poisoned Mallards. The play deals with a question about the environment, which both Vietnamese and Japanese people are concerned about.

Poisoned Mallards is sponsored by the Japan Foundation and Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. Before coming to Vietnam, there were six performances of Poisoned Mallards in Metropolitan Theater in Tokyo, Japan, which attracted a huge number of viewers.

General Vo Nguyen Giap park inaugurated on Son Ca Island

A park named after legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap was inaugurated after two months of construction on Son Ca Island in Truong Sa (Spratly) district, Khanh Hoa province.

The idea of constructing the park was suggested by painter Nguyen Thu Thuy after her visit to the island in May 2014. Her idea received much support from the Vietnamese Naval High Command.

The park covers over an area of 400 square metres with its centre displaying a bust of General Giap.

The monolithic sandstone bust, 1.76 metres high, was carved by sculptor Le Dinh Ban in December 2015.

Behind the statue is an arc ceramic wall, displaying 300 documentary photos on the life and career of the General Giap as well as his close relationship with the Vietnam People’s Army and well-known battles and victories in the resistance wars against French colonialists and the US imperialists.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony on May 15, Deputy Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy Ngo Si Quyet said the construction of the park reflected the deep sentiments of Truong Sa soldiers and the Vietnam People's Navy in general toward General Vo Nguyen Giap – the Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam’s armed forces, and the Eldest Brother of the Vietnam’s people army.

It also helps educate the public about the country’s traditions, and undaunted fighting spirit of the army and people for national liberation and defence, he added.

For her part, painter Nguyen Thu Thuy stressed that the park reaffirmed Vietnam’s strong determination to defend the national maritime sovereignty while illustrating Vietnamese people’s respect and gratitude to the great General.

New overpasses proposed for HCM City

Quang Trung Industry Group Joint Stock Company has submitted a proposal to HCM City’s Department of Transport to allow the construction of new-style overpasses for pedestrians as traditional ones have failed to attract local residents.

Under the proposal, the new-style overpasses will be equipped with lifts and escalators as well as public toilets. The overpass will be widened to have places for souvenir and school equipment stalls.

In addition, the pedestrian overpass will be installed with air conditioners and ambient music will be played.

Quang Trung JSC proposed to construct the overpasses in the form of a public-private partnership. Accordingly, the State will invest 80 per cent of the capital and the company will provide the rest. After the overpasses are complete, Quang Trung JSC will take on management and maintenance duties.

The company will also be responsible for electricity and water costs and wages for workers and managers to lessen the burden on the city budget.

According to Quang Trung Industry Group JSC, a number of steel overpasses already cross the main traffic routes for pedestrians, reducing traffic congestion and improving safety.

However, the overpasses have been criticised for their height, equivalent to a three-storey building, discouraging old and disabled people from using them.

HCM City’s Department of Transportation is planning to build overpasses on Hoàng Minh Giám Street (Gia Định Park area), Trương Định Street (in Tao Đàn Park), Kinh Dương Vương Street (in front of An Lạc Secondary School) and Nguyễn Văn Cừ Street (in front of  Lê Hồng Phong High School).

Vietnamese students’ project helps senior, disabled people

The project “Diverse Terrain Wheelchair for senior people and disabled people” by two twelve graders Nguyen Hoang Ngan and Pham Thanh Truc from the Senior High School for gifted students Le Hong Phong in Ho Chi Minh City also won third prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF 2016) held in the US.

This year’s competition attracted approximately 1,800 high-school students from 77 countries and territories worldwide with 1,334 projects. Vietnam has four projects and earned four third prizes. The project “Diverse Terrain Wheelchair for senior people and disabled people” not only impressed the jury board but also caused interests among international students.

The project’s uniqueness is the wheelchair with crawler and utilities can climb ladder and move in complex terrain, giving the safety to elderly people and the disabled; accordingly the jury board decided to award wheelchair project third prize.

Additionally, the project is cheaper than other available products in the market. It costs US$800 while other product each worth US$17,000.

From the thought to help elderly people and disabled people in the country integrating into the community’s activities when the country has no roads special for these people, the two students had spent most of their time making the device.

For one year, the “two young scientists” won from the prize in the national scientific competition to the Intel ISEF 2016, they mutually worked hard from collecting documents about the wheelchairs available in the world to making it true.

Thanh Truc had to read a huge load of documents in English of wheelchairs of the same kind sold in the world and Hoang Ngan spent time designing and understanding more about technique of the wheelchair. They both have time studying for the senior high school graduation examination. At last, their efforts were rewarded when they captured the third prize for the country.

Talking about the competition, Hoang Ngan said that with the theme “THINK BEYOND”,  the competition has given the inspiration to all students who love science in the world.

Through partaking in the competition, the two students expected schools in the country should light up passion for science amongst students because students in other countries are offered good condition to do scientific invention from which their science passion is nurtured at early time.

The two students hoped that Senior High School Le Hong Phong will be invested in more to become one of the leading schools in the city in carrying out scientific researches.

Medical sector target not finished yet

The health sector has not yet completed many targets which the Prime Minister approved for the period 2011-2015, reported the ministry at a meeting to review its targets  and set new targets for the next period 2016-2020.

The health sector has just taken care of 85 percent people with leprosy while the sector targeted to treat most of these patients. Similarly, the rate of people accessing to tuberculosis treatment is 30 percent, half of disabled kids under six received early detection and treatment to fix their disabilities. 65 percent of pregnant women were tested HIV while the Ministry planned 90 percent.

Though the sector has not completed its target, the expenditure for the national four major targets including medical, population and family planning ; food safety and hygiene and HIV/ AIDS prevention program is up to VND17,132 billion (US$769,693) for past five years.

On the same day, Health Minister visited country’s leading Cho Ray Hospital to thank and gave medals to relatives of those who have been organ, tissue or cornea donors. The minister also lauded the hospital for their efforts of contributing to the growth of transplantation.

From April, 2008, the hospital has used organs of 46 people who voluntarily donate organs after deaths.  So far, 46 people had been saved through transplantation. Additionally, the hospital received letters of 1,848 people who voluntarily donate their organs after deaths.

HCMC caps land limit at 300 square meters per household

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a regulation on land limit per household in districts.

According to the regulation, the land limit does not exceed 160 square meters per household in Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Go Vap, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Tan Binh, Tan Phu.

The limit is not more than 200 square meters a household in Districts 2, 7, 9, 12, Binh Tan, Thu Duc and towns in Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi and Nha Be; and 250 square meters in areas under urban development plan.

The largest area is 300 square meters per household in Can Gio and rural areas in Binh Chanh, Hoc, Mon, Cu Chi and Nha be.

The limit is applied to land delivery to households and individuals to build houses, determination of financial obligations, assistances to those with reclaimed land and recognizing of housing land use right in case which property include gardens and ponds.

HCMC jobs growth rising

More than 41,400 new jobs were created in Ho Chi Minh City in the first four months of 2016, up 0.49 per cent year-on-year, the city’s Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs reports.

Many companies have been expanding, resulting in 20,000 workers being needed in May, of which 30 per cent are college and university graduates, said Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the city’s Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labor Market Information. Workers with vocational training and unskilled workers will account for 35 per cent each, he added.

High demand is seen in textiles and garments, information technology, architecture, construction, real estate, transport, and foreign trade.

The number of job seekers, especially highly-skilled workers, is estimated to sharply increase over the next few months as new graduates enter the jobs market.

Some 25,360 workers will be in demand this year at companies based in industrial parks and export processing zones, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA).

Around 14,600 are needed for companies to expand their operations, said Mr. Tran Cong Khanh, Head of HEPZA.    

Most vacancies will be in the footwear, electronics, and textiles and garments sector, with the majority being manual jobs.

Demand for mid-level and senior managers saw a significant year-on-year increase of 48 per cent in the first quarter, according to a report from Navigos Search, a provider of executive search services.

Those in the manufacturing sector ranked first, with 29 per cent, followed by consumer goods and retail with 16 per cent and banking / insurance / securities / finance with 12 per cent.    

Sales and marketing, IT engineering, electrical-electronic engineering, and human resources have the most vacancies.

Demand will continue rising in the second and third quarters, a survey by recruitment website JobStreet.com found.

The survey, which polled more than 370 companies in the first quarter, found that more than 80 per cent planned to engage more staff this year than last year.

Many households in city have no access to running water

An extra 28,115 households gained access to running water in the first four months of this year while the total number planned for all of 2016 is 228,665, according to the municipal Department of Transport.

At a meeting on water supply for local residents on Monday, the department attributed the slow development of water pipelines to time-consuming data reviews, water supply planning, and preparations.

Statistics of the department showed about 89.45% of the households in HCMC had had access to clean water by April 29. However, the proportions of households without running water is still high in many districts, with only 52% of the households supplied with clean water in Binh Chanh District, 54.9% in Hoc Mon District, 52.7% in Cu Chi District and 72.9% in District 12.

By end-2015, 1,672,107 out of 1,900,772 households had been provided with clean water, 87.97% of the total. The remaining 228,665 families mainly live in the outlying districts.

In December 2014, the HCMC People’s Council issued Resolution 28 setting a target of supplying clean water for all households in the city. However, this goal had not been met last year as pipe installment, selection of water purification equipment, location adjustments for water tanks took time, the department said.

The department also said many households still prefer underground water to running water due to their concern over the smell of chlorinated water, water quality, and high prices.

The department urged the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment to work out a plan to restrict and ban underground water pumping in the city. In addition, district authorities need to help people understand the benefits of running water and complete procedures to buy it.

To achieve the goal of all households in HCMC using running water this year, the city government plans to build about 1,282 kilometers of water pipes, upgrade and expand 21 water supply stations, install 433 water tanks and 1,193 water purification equipment for households in need.

Ministries urged to gear up for high school exams

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Saturday signed an order asking concerned ministries, people’s committees and sectors to prepare well for the national high school exam this year.

As part of the order, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is responsible for completing the exam’s guidance documents, anticipating possible problems and proposing suitable measures in collaboration with provincial and municipal people’s committees and the Association of Việt Nam’s Universities and Colleges.

The MoET was also asked to supply information and regulations for the exam to candidates and residents, and resolve any questions related to the exams.

Prime Minister Phúc asked the Ministry of Information and Communications to give guidance to media to publish ample and accurate information about the exam. Information technology enterprises must ensure good infrastructure for the announcement of exam results, online enrolment registration and processing of candidates’ documents, he said.

Universities, academies and colleges were asked to assign enough workers to serve during the exam. The institutions must organise training for their workers regarding their duties throughout the exam.

The Ministry of Public Security will provide instructions to provincial police to ensure public security during the exam, especially the security of exam questions.

The Ministry of Health must prepare enough necessary medicines in case of epidemic disease or food poisoning incidents at exam stations.

The HCM Communist Youth Union is responsible for implementing the volunteer student programme to give support to the candidates and their families.

The order said that last year’s national high school exam basically met expected targets, but the announcement of exam results and the usage of results in enrolment still faced several obstacles leading to dissatisfaction.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bùi Văn Ga told the Thời Báo Kinh Tế Việt Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) that the number of registered candidates this year decreased from last year, so the exam’s organisation would be easier.  

The exam’s regulations this year were issued after learning from experiences of last year’s exam and consulting experts, said Ga.

The MoET will go to several provinces to inspect the exam’s preparation and resolve obstacles in a timely manner, he said.

PM urges stronger drug prevention effort

The Prime Minister asked ministries, sectors and People’s Committees at municipal and provincial levels to carry out a drug prevention action month in June 2016.

The PM asked for campaigns to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of drugs, especially methaphetamine, cannabis and new psychotropic drugs.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was asked to direct mobile and internet service suppliers to spread information related to drug prevention to their customers, while eliminating illegal drug marketing on the internet.

Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency and other press agencies were urged to increase the frequency of content on drug prevention.

The Ministry of Public Security ought to focus on cracking down on major drug trafficking rings in domestic hot-spots, while strictly dealing with people abusing the Internet to showcase, sell, and encourage drug use.

The Defence and Finance Ministries should work with the Ministry of Public Security to prevent drugs from entering the country via international border gates, seaports and airports.

The Ministries of Health and Industry and Trade are responsible for managing addictive medicines in the pharmaceutical market.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is to direct localities to renovate detoxification work, and improve detoxification centres.

The PM also requested the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the Supreme People’s Court and people’s courts at all levels to collaborate with police to speed up the investigation, prosecution and trial of drug cases.

2015 marked the first year in more than two decades that the number of drug addicts in Vietnam decreased by more than 4,000 compared to the previous year.

As of January 2016, there were about 200,000 drug addicts in the country.

HCM City projects aim to reduce road congestion

To improve transport flows between District 12 and other districts in HCM City as well as other provinces, the Ministry of Transport plans to carry out multiple projects this year.

They are also meant to reduce congestion around a city gateway and make access to the north and the central and Central Highlands regions easier.

The projects include the elevated railway Line 5 under the public-private partnerships model. A joint venture formed by Yên Khánh, Cái Mép, Vinaconex, and Vinaconex – PVC companies has been seeking approval to develop it.

Another is the VNĐ514 billion (US$23 million) An Sương Tunnel, which, despite being approved by the transport department last October, has yet to see work begin. Thái Sơn, Khánh An, Vinaconex, and Vinaconex – PVC companies have formed a joint venture to execute the project.

The others include construction of the Vàm Thuận Bridge and widening of Vườn Lài Street. Việt Nam Infrastructure Investment and Development Company, HPCI Investment and Construction Consultant Company and Sông Đà Corporation have been entrusted with the two projects, but again work is yet to begin.

Licogi, Vingroup and other companies have been urging the city to take control of these projects and adopt the build-transfer model.

The ministry is pondering over it too.

Free concert for migrant workers

Dressed in their most beautiful clothes, more than 12,000 migrant workers in Bình Phước Province’s Bắc Đồng Phú Industrial Park attended a special concert last Sunday featuring a message of sharing and happiness.

Nearly 50 singers, dancers, comedians and pop bands participated in the concert, including pop stars Phương Thanh, Lam Trường and Noo Phước Thịnh.      

The artists performed popular songs and dances in praise of the country and love, such as Thì Thầm Mùa Xuân (Spring Whisper) and Tình Yêu Của Tôi (My Love).

Young cải lương (reformed opera) artists of the Trần Hữu Trang Theatre performed extracts from popular dramas like Lá  Sầu Riêng (Durian Leaf).

This was the first time many of the audience members saw these icons on stage.

Nguyễn Thị Thảo, 22, who moved from her home village in Thanh Hóa Province to work in the city, said that "hearing traditional tunes on the radio through the voices of cải lương performers keeps our soul at peace".

The event is part of a cultural programme, called Festival for Workers, organised by city’s Youth Union in co-operation with its partners, aiming to offer free performances in music and theatre for more than 100,000 migrant labourers in tens of cities and provinces across the country.

"Through the programme, we hope to encourage people to pay more attention to the lives of poor and migrant labourers, who work hard but have no chance to enjoy entertainment," said pop star Phương Thanh.

"We are here to share our music, love and support to you," she added.

The artists will perform in other industrial parks in HCM City as well as in neighbouring Đồng Nai Province this weekend. They will later tour in Nghệ An, Thanh Hóa, Vĩnh Phúc, Bắc Ninh, Quảng Ninh and Hà Nội.

Central Highland province criticised for top-heavy staffing

Some departments in the central highlands province of Gia Lai have the same or more managers than there are employees.

The mountainous province of Gia Lai largely relies on agriculture. The province is so poor it often receives government subsidised rice. But these issues haven’t stopped the province of employing large numbers of people in top positions within the province’s civil service.

Speaking to DTINews, Nguyen Cong Phuong, office manager of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the department employed 45 people, including one director; five deputy directors and 15 head and deputy heads of divisions.

Meanwhile, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ regulations, all departments of culture, sports and tourism nationwide are allowed to have one director and three deputy directors.

The Department of Construction has 33 people, but 17 are managers, comprising one director, four deputy directors and 12 head and deputy heads of divisions.

Regarding the designation of management positions against the Ministry of Internal Affair’s regulations, a representative from the Department of Construction said that this is in charge of the provincial standing committee of the party and the Department of Internal Affairs.

Speaking to a DTI News reporter, Huynh Van Tam, Director of Gia Lai Province’s Department of Internal Affairs, denied the regulation violation in the appointment of mangers at local state agencies. He also refused to answer the reporter’s questions about the issue.

The same problem is also seen in some localities. For instance, Nghe An Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has six deputy directors against the regulated number of three.

The figure is seven for the same department in Thanh Hoa Province.

Attempting to answer the question Thanh Hoa agriculture department, Director Ho Ngoc Sy said that some deputy directors had been appointed before the Ministry of Internal Affair’s regulation came into effect.

Sy also added that the additional appointed deputy directors was in preparation for for those who are going to retire in the near future.

Hanoi tackles summer diseases

Hà Nội health authorities have taken precautions to prevent epidemics and diseases that frequently occur in the period over spring and summer during the hot weather.

Nguyễn Văn Thường, deputy director of Saint Paul Hospital, one of top general hospitals in the capital city, said common summer epidemics involved acute diarrhoea, food poisoning, acute respiratory illnesses, virus infections, Japanese encephalitis, chicken-pox and meningitis.

In April and the first 15 days of May, hospitals in the city reported a normal number of patients, but saw increases in chicken-pox and mumps. In April, there were 10 children hospitalised due to the above diseases.

Doctor Thường said adults should have preventative measures in place for children, especially for acute respiratory ailments that are common during the hot, muggy weather when the development and spread of viruses and bacterium is prevalent.

There are about 200 types of common viruses that cause summer diseases. Most were benign diseases except for chicken-pox and petechial fever.

“Adults need take children with symptoms to a hospital early to prevent complications,” the doctor said. Such symptoms include a sore throat, rhinitis and tonsil infections, the first signs of fever, body pains and head-aches, snivels, vomiting and exhaustion.

He warned people to continually apply preventative methods such as hand washing before eating and after using the rest-room, the safe processing of food, keeping a clean living environment and destroying mosquito larvae.

Adults also need take children to health centres to make sure their vaccinations were up-to-date.

Director of Ba Vì District general hospital, Nguyễn Quang Hùng, said since early April the number of patients was still normal.

Aiming to create favourable conditions for local people, the hospital has arranged health check-ups at an early time and have prepared a considerable amount of medicine for the summer, as well as sending health staff to central hospitals for training.

The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting have predicted that prolonged hot spells will hit the north of Việt Nam in the coming period.

To lessen the harmful effects of the hot weather, the city’s Health Department has asked all State and private hospitals to train health staff specifically on summer diseases, and to upgrade their infrastructure.

The city’s Preventative Medicine Centre and districts’ health centres have organised emergency training courses on sunstroke.

Districts’ education and communication centres have guided people on hot weather preventative methods and the health benefits of personal and environmental cleanliness.

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