Environment projects to get 3.6% loans

The Viet Nam Environment Protection Fund has announced loans at 3.6 per cent interest for environment protection projects, according to a media report.

Thoi Bao Kinh Doanh (Business Newspaper) reported that the loans would be for up to 10 years and worth 70 per cent of the project cost.

The fund, managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, will also give priority to projects to treat waste at industrial parks, factories and workshops, domestic waste, and exhaust emissions.

Projects using environment-friendly and energy-efficient technologies and equipment are also eligible for the preferential loans.

The VEPF normally lends at 5.4 per cent to environment protection activities.

Insiders said that the loans at 3.6 per cent interest are meant to support enterprises and investors involved in environment protection since projects of this nature always require huge investments.

Thus, the loans could play a key role in the setting up of waste treatment plants at industrial parks.

Since it was established in 2002 the fund has provided loans and grants worth VND1 trillion (US$46.083 million) for 184 projects in various sectors.

Of them, 32 costing VND383 billion involved building wastewater treatment plants at industrial parks in the central and southern regions.

HCM City to replace 29 unsafe buildings

Ho Chi Minh City will pull down 29 dilapidated or ageing apartment buildings and build new ones in their place by 2020, according to Deputy Director of the municipal Construction Department Nguyen Van Danh.

He said priority would be given to buildings assessed at below 55 per cent safety.

They include Nguyen Tat Thanh and Truc Giang Buildings in District 4, Tan Da-Ham Tu in District 5, 148 Nguyen Dinh Chieu in District 3, 96 Ngo Gia Tu in District 10, Co Giang in District 1, and Thanh Da in Binh Thanh District.

According to a construction department report, in 2011-15 the city demolished 270,000 square metres of dilapidated apartments, but this accounted for only 60 per cent of the target.

Danh blamed the slow progress on several reasons like residents' delay in moving out of old buildings, the prolonged housing market slump, the economic situation, and lack of housing for resettlement.

The city now has 1,244 apartment buildings, of which 533 with over 50,000 units predate 1975 and need to be renovated or demolished.

Thousands of families live in dread of a building collapse and endure leaking roofs.

Many of the apartments, some dating back to the early 1960s, are too small and families have to cook in hallways, creating potential fire hazards, and hang wet clothes dangerously close to electricity cables.

Faced with the situation, Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, has instructed the construction department to seek policies from the city administration for attracting non-state economic sectors to participate in renovating ageing apartment buildings.

Truck driver arrested for killing 4 on bike

The central Quang Ngai Province police arrested a 29-year-old driver on Saturday, after his truck crashed into a motorbike killing four of a family, including two children.

The accident occurred on Friday when the truck, which was carrying timber, crashed into the motorbike, which was coming from the opposite direction carrying four people, on National Highway No. 24 in Ba To District. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, a container truck collided with a motorbike, killing a middle-age couple on National Highway No. 5 in northern Hai Duong Province's Nhi Chau Ward.

Lai Chau power plant begins to store water

Viet Nam Electricity closed a valve and effectively began storing water at Lai Chau hydropower plant on June 20.

The move is designed to facilitate the upcoming operations of the first turbine this December and to ensure the completion of the entire plant by 2016, a year ahead of schedule.

Pham Hong Phuong, Head of the project management board, noted that early completion will save up to VND5 trillion (US$230.4 million).

Significant efforts were made to resettle locals outside the scope of the dam and finish the Nam Nhun-Muong Te-Pac Ma road for smooth traffic flow.

The plant, located on the upper Da River, can store 1.2 billion cubic metres of water and generate 1,200 megawatts of power when all of its three turbines become operational.

Northern arterial highway officially sees traffic

The first section of the highway linking Hanoi and Hai Phong city, the two northern economic hubs, officially opened to traffic on June 20.

The two-way section starts at the highway’s intersection with National Road 10 and ends at another intersection with Provincial Road 353 in Hai Phong. It is 22.7 kilometres long and 33 metres wide, and has six lanes and two shoulders.

Vehicles are allowed to travel on this section, which went into temporary use on May 27, at the maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

Tolls on this section have been collecting since June 1 with a maximum of 180,000 VND (8.5 USD) per vehicle, varying by vehicle type.

The Hanoi-Hai Phong highway, the construction of which commenced on May 19, 2008, begins at Belt Road 3 in the capital city, traverses Hung Yen and Hai Duong provinces, and ends at the Dinh Vu port of Hai Phong.

The 105-kilometre road cost 30 trillion VND (1.42 billion USD) under a build-operate-transfer contract, said the project’s investor – Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDFI).

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said the highway is an artery linking Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ha Long city and connecting the northern key economic region with the largest seaport complex in northern Vietnam in Hai Phong.

Once completed, the road and its counterparts will form a highway network, saving considerable travel time and expenses as well as reducing traffic accidents, he added.

The entire highway is expected to be put into use before December 30 this year, the VIDFI said.

HCMC to supply all households with clean water this yearend

Ho Chi Minh City promises providing clean water to 100 percent of households by the end this year, said the city People’s Council chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam on Saturday.

Vo Van Ho from Binh Hung Hoa ward, Binh Tan district said that many households in the ward including his family were using drilled wells because there was no tap water pipe.

Most of the drilled wells have been polluted and smelly for the last three years but local people have no choice besides using them for daily activities, he said.

Some have to ask for tap water from their neighbors while some buy bottled water to do the cooking, he added.

The issue is prevalent in suburb areas, where people have to use polluted drilled water or canal water.

According to the Department of Transport, over 1.5 million out of 1.87 million households in the city are accessible to clean water. About 358,351 others have to take water from drilled wells, rains and canals in outskirt districts.

Water quality has been tested substandard at 1,400 spots in seven outlying districts including Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Nha Be, Binh Tan, Thu Duc and 12, the department reported. The water quality standards are set by the Ministry of Health.

HCMC needs as much as VND5 trillion (US$229.3 million) to provide 100 percent of households with clean water this year. Therefore, it has called on investment from individuals and organizations for the program.

The city has also permitted Saigon Water Infrastructure Corporation to invite private investors to carry out the program in Cu Chi district in the phase 2016-2019.

HCMC Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company, Saigon Clean Water Business and Investment Joint Stock Company, and Phu My Vinh Construction and Investment Company have proposed to implement some projects with a total capacity of 300,000 cubic meters a day.                            

The program has faced with difficulties in human resources and capital, forcing the city to apply different measures in order to get the target by the end of this year, said HCMC People’s Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Huu Tin.

For instance, they would build water supply and distribution networks to provide water to an extra of 129,700 households, install a maximum of 1,500 water tanks and water treatment facilities in areas inaccessible to tap water.

Whatever water sources would be provided, their quality must meet the Health Ministry’s quality standards and price must be same at VND5,300 a cubic meter, Mr. Tin added.

Lotus lakes open as a lovely summer locale

Owners of blooming lotus lakes in Hanoi are earning good money as they open for visitors and set up sideline services including photography settings and food to enhance the experience.

Visitors are paying VND50,000 as the entry fee to a lotus lake in Nhat Tan Ward. To enhance settings for taking photograph, the owner has placed rice mortars and small wooden houses by the lake, and offers tea and lotus-related foods.

Thuy, owner of the lotus lake said, "We are professional. There are changing rooms and resting places for visitors. We have discounts during weekdays."

Due to urbanisation, the area of lotus by West Lake is shrinking, but still retain the special fragrance that visitors come to enjoy.

Lotus tea is especially popular, if expensive; it costs VND6-10m a kilogram.

Other owners of lotus lakes in Quang An Ward have incorporated restaurants with the scenery to attract customers. During the season peak, they can earn more than VND100m a day. Enjoying food by a lotus lake

Neighbours rally to help old woman in Ha Tinh

Residents of a commune in central Ha Tinh Province are pitching in to help an elderly woman who has been tormented by her mentally ill daughter.

To Thi Tu, 87, from Thai Hoa Hamlet in Phu Luu Commune lives with her daughter Tran Thi Hong, 43. Due to suffering from mental illness, Hong is afraid strangers will kidnap her mother, so she locks her up in the house.

Hong goes into fits of rage and destroys anything within reach, which worries neighbours.

On the morning of June 17, local authorities and residents in the commune joined hands to repair Tu's house while they looked for ways of getting her into a safe old people's home.

“We intended to repair house for Tu for some times but were worried that Hong may destroy it right away, so we did nothing. Now we decided to raise funds for the house repair and are seeking ways to take Tu to old people’s home,” said Nguyen Thi Huan, head of the Thai Hoa Hamlet.

Duong Hai Trieu, deputy director of the Ha Tinh provincial centre for social support, said that Tu had been in care for a year until her daughter came and took her back home.

Phan Tien Dung, chairman of the Phu Luu communal People’s Committee, said an application was being prepared to ensure Tu can get proper care.

Dung said Hong would be sent to a nearby medical centre for treatment of her illness, and her son to Ha Tinh SOS Village.

“We’re aware that separating their family is not the best solution, but we have no other viable choice if we want to ensure they all have better lives,” Dung said.

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has devised a number of incentives for local farmers to re-plant coffee trees in a bid to enhance the quality and productivity of the sector, according to a local senior official.

The province aims to have 13,500 hectares of coffee trees re-planted or upgraded as part of its sustainable development plan for the coffee sector from 2015-2020, said Dao Xuan Lien, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

It will focus on plantations within Grai, Chuprong and Chupah districts and Pleiku and Chu Se cities.

In 2015, local farmers will receive preferential loans worth between 80-150 million VND (3,700 - 7,000 USD) for each hectare to re-plant coffee trees on some 2,000 hectares.

Farmer Nguyen Van Ho from La Sao commune, Grai district has two hectares of coffee plants but more than half of them are 30 years old, yielding low productivity and quality.

With a 150 million VND loan, he can re-plant his fields, applying new seedling varieties and farming techniques and technologies.

Additionally, the province has urged localities and relevant bodies to ensure an adequate supply of 16 million coffee seedlings in line with local conditions.

Training will be fostered and a number of piloted projects will be implemented to ensure the plan’s success.

Director of the Gia Lai branch of the Bank of Agricultural and Rural Development Phan Tien Thu said the bank facilitates preferential loan access for local farmers under the programme.

Gia Lai has nearly 80,000 hectares of coffee trees, a majority of which were planted between 1995 and 2000.

Statistics showed that more than 18,500 hectares of coffee plants have aged sufficiently and need to be re-planted.

Media agencies honoured to mark Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day

Journalists are the major force guiding public opinion, contributing significantly to the fruitful outcomes of the national construction process, said Politburo member and Party Central Committee Secretary To Huy Rua.

Rua, who is also Head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation, made the statement while visiting the headquarters of the Nhan Dan newspaper, the Vietnam News Agency, the Vietnam Television and the Academy of Journalism and Communication in Hanoi on the occasion of the 90th Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).

He said he hoped the establishments would continue their meaningful coverage of domestic and international news to serve information demand in Vietnam and abroad.

He noted press agencies nationwide ought to prioritise manpower training and technology application in their future development.

When visiting the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Rua lauded the national organisation’s efforts since it was established 70 years ago.

The VNA has long offered rapid, high-quality and comprehensive stories to a wide range of viewers including research institutes, other press agencies and local citizens, Rua declared.

Quang Ngai benefits from reforestation project

A reforestation project in central Quang Ngai province has made significant contributions to local socio-economic development and efforts to fight climate change.

Under the Japanese-funded project, which has been carried out in An Tho village of Pho An commune in Duc Pho district, dozens of hectares of willow forests were planted, stimulating local agricultural production and livelihoods.

Pham Thi Cuc from the commune said thanks to the willow forest, local residents are spared from flying sand and saltwater intrusion.

More than 2400 hectares of protective forest have also been planted along coastline in the commune, improving local biodiversity and protecting the coastal environment.

Deputy Chairman of the Pho An communal People’s Committee Nguyen Tan My hailed the benefits of the project, saying the locality will involve local residents in forest management to ensure long-term outcomes of the project.

The project also invested in building facilities, including roads and guard towers, as part of the forest protection work.

New sluice gate helps water rice fields in Ben Tre

An irrigation sluice gate officially began operating in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on June 19, aimed at preventing salinisation and supplying fresh water for local farmers.

The Son Doc 2 sluice, located in Hung Le Commune, Giong Trom District, is part of the Northern Ben Tre Irrigation Project.

Project director Do Van Nhan said the Son Doc 2 sluice, built with an investment of 150 billion VND (roughly 6.8 million USD), is a very important component of the bigger project, helping supply fresh water for 11,000ha of agricultural land in the districts of Giong Trom and Ba Tri.

Overall, the Northern Ben Tre Irrigation Project is expected to prevent saline water intrusion while irrigating 140,000ha of crops and providing 20,000ha of water surface for aquaculture in the districts of Binh Dai, Ba Tri, Giong Trom and Chau Thanh, and Ben Tre City.

Cao Van Trong, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said at the sluice inauguration ceremony that in recent years, the province has built several irrigation works benefiting hundreds of thousands of local households and facilitating socio-economic development.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Manh Thang said the Delta in general and Ben Tre province in particular face many water resource management challenges as a result of large-scale hydropower dams as well as irrigation works built upstream on the Mekong River.

Climate change and resultant rise in seawater levels compounded the problems, he said.

The ministry has been working with local authorities to find suitable solutions, Thang added.

It is also coordinating with relevant offices to arrange funding for the completion of key irrigation works in Mekong Delta provinces, including the Northern Ben Tre Irrigation Project, he said.

Speed urged for national one-stop shop mechanism

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has asked ministries and agencies to speed up implementation of the national one-stop shop (OSS) mechanism by 2016 following the recent fifth meeting of the National Steering Committee for ASEAN and National OSS.

The Government Office issued a report on June 19 on the Deputy PM’s instructions regarding the matter, which urged swift cooperation between numerous involved ministries and agencies towards the goal.

The one-door customs mechanism is a new online system that will update and unite the current cargo, port and customs information systems. Involved ministries, agencies and business across the country will share the same software system as a way to increase efficiency, transparency and communication.

Deputy PM Ninh requested that ministries and agencies submit to the steering committee a list of administrative procedures to be carried out via the national OSS portal.

In the second quarter of next year, ministries and state organs that fail to join the mechanism will be forced to review and amend all of their legal documents to make it compatible to the one door system.

The Ministries of Industry and Trade, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development, Defence, Health, Environment and Natural Resources were ordered to work together to establish an inter-disciplinary mechanism in June to deal with administrative procedures for vessels at sea ports and international river ports.

The Ministry of Finance is authorised to work with other ministries to accomplish a master plan for carrying out the OSS mechanism for 2016-20 period.

A concrete plan for next year must be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval by the end of this year. The Deputy PM also asked the Ministry of Finance to team up with relevant bodies to complete procedures in June for the signing of a protocol on the legal framework for the implementation of the ASEAN OSS mechanism.

Son La’s forest coverage rate increases

The rate of forest coverage in the northern mountainous province of Son La is set to rise to 45.7 percent by the end of 2015, according to adjusted provincial plans on local forest protection and development in 2015.

The province is striving to plant 35,000 hectares of forest in the next five years and develop special use forests, protective forests and productive forests. By 2020, 55 percent of the province’s land will be aforested, an annual increase of 1.43 percent.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lo Mai Kien said 86,292 hectares will be zoned off for special use forests, 398,710 hectares for protective forests and 439,310 hectares for productive forests.

He added that forest planning and development will be carried out along the Da River, mountainous areas and border areas.

The initiatives aim to serve the demand of population expansion and economic growth, protect the Son La hydroelectric plant and irrigation system and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The provincial blueprint on forest planning and development also covers raising public awareness of the forest protection law, controlling forest exploitation and decreasing the damage caused by forest fires.

Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri shares 260 km of land border with Laos’ provinces Savannakhet and Salavan. Since a program to establish Vietnamese-Lao twin was signed in 2005, 24 twin communes have been set up, making the shared border a land of friendship.

Peoples in such communes have helped each other in not only economic development, but also border security maintenance.

Today women of the Phuong commune in Laos’ Savanakhet and Duy Tan commune in Vietnam’s Quang Tri gathered at the house of the chief of Duy Tan’s women’s union.

They talked about many things from experiences in growing cassava, bananas, raising fowls, pigs, cows, or building a new house or organizing a wedding party for their children.

Kongmani, the leader of Phuong commune’s women’s union, said since the two communes were twinned three years ago, villagers of both sides turn closer than ever.

Kongmani said “Phuong and Duy Tan villagers always protect and help each other, especially in terms of planting. Our trading is in pursuant to the law of each country. We also respect one another’s traditional customs.”

Nguyen Viet Sinh, Duy Tan head, said that most women of the two localities now can speak each other’s language due to their periodical exchanges.

Sinh explained that at such a meeting both sides inform each other of their situations for mutual support. In the past we lived in thatched houses and didn’t have enough rice for daily meals. Now the living conditions have improved with up to 4 new storey houses built a year.

Sinh noted that the shared borderline used to see trans-border crime, especially drug smuggling and unplanned migration.

Besides, a number of people with poor understanding of national border issues didn’t abide by regulations on cross-border traffic for visiting relatives, tilling land, immigration, and getting marriage.

Over the past few years since the twin ties were established, the political and defense situations along the shared border have experienced significant progress. People have been educated not to break the law, not to use drugs, and be united to ensure social order at the border area, according to Sinh.

Located in Quang Tri’s Lao Bao town, Ka Tang commune was the first to have formed twin ties with Densavan commune of Laos’ Savanakhet province a decade ago.

Nguyen Thi Thuong, head of Ka Tang women’s union, said many households in the two communes have age-old blood relationship, adding that since the program was launched, villagers of both sides have been more united and considered each other siblings.

"On Vietnamese Teachers’ Day or Women’s Day, for example, we invite Densavan villagers to join the meeting or exchange. At Laos’ holidays, they also invite us to participate in though in such meetings there are only some bottles of beers. But we all feel happy, ” Thuong said.

To date 24 couples of communes have been set up along the borderline between Vietnam’s Quang Tri and Laos’ provinces.

Vietnam needs to raise workers' skills to promote tourism industry

Skills mismatch and the relevance of skills to business needs are major concerns in Vietnam's tourism industry, experts have said.

At a recent workshop co-organized by the General Department of Vocational Training and the International Labor Organization, a new survey has been released, pointing out that graduates from vocational schools do not meet the requirements of the industry.  

“A tourism skills council involving the representatives of businesses, the government, training institutions and other stakeholder could help identify the way forward to improve training and skills development in this promising industry in the context of economic integration and increasing competition,” said ILO Vietnam Director Gyorgy Sziraczki.

Tourism is one of the eight occupations that have been identified by mutual recognition arrangements within the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which will be introduced at the end of this year.

Workers with adequate skills and qualification in this industry will be able to better serve the growing number of tourists or move to work in the industry elsewhere in the ASEAN region.

Duong Duc Lan, general director of the General Department of Vocational Training, said the training quality of some professions, including tourism, will have to reach the level of developed countries in ASEAN and the world, and a well-trained workforce is needed to lift the country’s competitiveness.

With almost 3,300 kilometers of coast line and 7.8 million international visitors a year, tourism has been one of the driving forces of Vietnam. The significant growth of this US$10.7 billion industry has been a major source of income and job creation, according to ILO.

According to the Vietnam Administration of Tourism, this sector employs about 1.7 million workers, including 550,000 direct jobs.

Volunteer group takes free wedding photos for disabled

A young, voluntary team of Vietnamese was founded with the aim of bringing happiness to disabled people by offering them free wedding photo shoots.

The team, led by Phung Tuan Dung, an alumni of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, wants to make flashy, beautiful photos dedicated to disabled youngsters who have no chance to take wedding photos due to shyness.

It includes five active members and other temporary members who have cameras and are able to do makeup and hairdressing, as well as share the same goal of bringing happiness to would-be couples.

While other wedding photography teams stay in luxury hotels and eat at restaurants, Dung’s team often brings bread, cakes and tea with them, intended to save time to be able to take beautiful photos for the couples.

The bride and groom only need to arrange their schedule for the photo shoot, while other steps will be set up by Dung’s team.

The group is also in charge of carrying and supporting disabled people who have difficulties moving.

The number of wedding gowns and “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional long gowns) has increased to more than 100 from only one or two when they first started their project.

They also received two wedding bouquets made of clay flowers for long-term use.

“We received these clothes from benefactors who know of our voluntary project. I lend my own business suit to the groom,” Dung smiled.

Phung Tuan Dung (right) and his voluntary wedding photography team are seen taking photos with a couple with disabilities.

Disabled young couples can contact Dung via his Facebook page or mobile phone. They are required to send their own photos to Dung’s team in advance, then together they will arrange a suitable time and choose the most preferable, convenient venue for shooting.

“I want to see their photos in advance in order to prepare plans for makeup and hairdressing, selecting wedding dresses, and thinking about the most appropriate shooting angles that can hide the couple’s weaknesses,” Dung explained.

“We are students at a vocational training school for disabled people, where Dung’s team often visits to organize summer vacations for us. We initially planned to take only one or two photos during the ritual and didn’t expect that we could have such a big, beautiful wedding album,” Xuan Hao, a person whose wedding photography was taken by Dung, said.

The ‘fee’ for the photo shoot is also special as the couple later brought fruits and chickens from their hometown to give to the team as a way to say thank you.

“There are things that we consider as normal but to some people they are such a big dream,” Dung said, adding that after the shoot, he often sees tears of happiness from the couple.

Vietnamese culture shines in Argentina

A seminar on Vietnamese culture took place at the Salvador University in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 20.

At the seminar, Chairperson Poldi Sosa from the Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV) shared her experience during several Vietnam visits, stressing the country’s rich history and cultural diversity.

Vietnamese people are friendly and have impressive cuisine, she said, adding that her agency has twinned with a university in northern Quang Ninh province to step up Vietnam-Argentina cultural exchange efforts.

A representative from the Vietnam Embassy in Argentina presented major Vietnamese features, including a range of UNESCO-recognised heritages and appealing destinations.

According to Pablo Maersk Nielsen, Head of Salvador University’s history, geography and tourism faculty, the seminar enhanced his students’ knowledge about Vietnam, an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN).

At the event, a documentary on the Vietnam War and the aftermath of dioxin, a chemical sprayed in the country by the US during war time, was screened.

PCCCE and TRAFFIC sign MoU to protect wildlife

The Party Central Committee's Commission for Communication and Education (PCCCE) and the wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Hanoi on June 19 to boost co-ordination in reducing the use of illegally traded wildlife products in Vietnam.

Deputy Head of the PCCCE Bui The Duc said that as an organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam in directing communications activities, the PCCCE wants to inform all Vietnamese people and the international community of the role of Vietnam in the wildlife protection.

He noted that the PCCCE and TRAFFIC would implement joint activities to contribute to the conservation of nature for the sustainable development of Vietnam through addressing illegal wildlife trade and consumption.

TRAFFIC would hold exhibitions and training courses to convey messages on reducing the demand for wildlife products such as rhino horns, and raising the capacity of communications staff to change behaviour and enhance awareness of the people.

Head of Office for TRAFFIC in Vietnam, Madelon Willemsen said that “One of Vietnam’s busiest airports, Noi Bai, is a major transit site for illegal wildlife products, as we have seen a large number of seizures by Customs officials.”

She added that “With the high volume of visitors and these kinds of goods moving through Noi Bai International Airport, it is an opportune place to prevent illegal wildlife trade through both law enforcement and public education designed to change travelers’ behaviour and attitudes about rhino horn consumption.”

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