Tra Vinh to hold Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange

A Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange will be held at Tra Vinh University over October 24-25 as part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.

The program will include a presentation of traditional music instruments, folk games, a reenactment of a rural market, performances in Kimono and Ao dai, Yosakoi dance, musical instrument performances by record holder Truong Dinh Chieu, an art display, a promotion of Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines and a photo exhibition.

The cultural event aims to foster the ties of friendship between Vietnam and Japan and helps to promote the culture and people of Tra Vinh and the wider Southwestern region.

Car seatbelt uses must be seriously enforced

Seatbelts save lives, so laws mandating they be worn in cars must be obeyed, said experts.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently issued an instruction to enhance traffic safety measures.

The PM called for stronger enforcement of existing regulations that require all automobiles to have seatbelts and the belts be worn by all passengers.

Government Decree 46/2016 made wearing seatbelts mandatory for passengers in the backseats of cars from August 2016.

Violators can be fined VND100,000-200,000 (US$4-8). The old regulation only required the driver and the front-seat passenger to wear seatbelts.

However, regulations on seatbelts have been neglected by both drivers and passengers.

The main reason was a lack of safety awareness, while many people said they felt uncomfortable when wearing belts.

According to Dr Xuan Thuy, a traffic expert, wearing seatbelts in cars must be compulsory.

“Wearing seatbelts in cars is the same as using helmets on motorbikes. This is a life protection measure”, Thuy told Kinh Te & Do Thi (Economic and Urban Affairs) newspaper.

“However, the regulation was not properly disseminated so people have been ignoring it”, he said.

The expert said that state of traffic in Vietnam has considerably changed in recent years.

Development of transport infrastructure has helped cars move faster, leading to a higher risk of casualties in traffic accidents.

Thus, measures protecting road users must be urgently and seriously implemented, he said.

“At present, Vietnam has 700-800km of highways. The permitted car speeds are high. So regulations on wearing seatbelts in cars are necessary”, Thuy said.

Many experts said that the issue needed close monitoring by authorities and strict sanctions for violators.

According to the World Health Organisation, seatbelts help reduce 45-50% of deaths and 20-45% of serious injuries for people seating in front seats, and 25-75% of deaths and injuries for passengers in backseats in an accident.
Annual Fun Run for the poor

The 18th annual Fun Run for Charity will take place in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of September 30 to raise funds for people with financial difficulties in Vietnam.

Addressing a press conference to introduce the event on September 19, the British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV) as an organizer said over the last 17 years, BBGV has collected around VND10 billion for charity organizations in Vietnam and attracted more than 100,000 participants. Last year’s event which involved more than 10,000 runners raised nearly VND1 billion.

This year’s run is expected to lure more than 10,000 runners and mobilise over VND1 billion for the charity fund.

The organizer said BBGV has donated nearly VND1.4 billion to charity projects in Vietnam in 2017 and 2018.

Japanese environmental technology brings new hope for wastewater treatment in Quang Ninh

Japanese experts introduce Bakture technology in Quang Ninh province.

Quang Ninh is using a Japanese water treatment technology which was piloted in several localities in Vietnam last year and has proved effective.

For the past two weeks, the engineers of the Japan-Vietnam Environment Improvement Company have tracked water treatment at Hung Thang equalizing reservoir using Bakture powder.

Hung Thang reservoir is near Ha Long Bay. Bakture powder is made from natural materials such as pumice stone that help the environment clean itself by maximizing decomposition of contaminants and harmful substances by beneficial microorganisms present in the environment.

The product has been patented in Japan and recognized by international organizations. The technology has succeeded in cleaning up 300 contaminated sites in Japan and has been introduced and tested in Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand.

In Vietnam, Bakture powder was used effectively at Hanh Phuc Lake in Hai Phong last year. Mass fish deaths had occurred in lakes near Ha Long Bay, causing serious environmental pollution. Levels of dissolved oxygen, microorganisms, and ammonia were higher than accepted standards, due to unprocessed household wastewater being discharged into lakes and into to Ha Long Bay.

Tran Van Tuyen, a representative of the Japan-Vietnam Environment Improvement Company, says after a year using the Japanese technology, the quality of water of the 900-square-meter Hung Thang reservoir has measurably improved.

“I can say that the smell of foul water has disappeared. The wastewater no longer has a mossy color and there is no more excessive plant growth. We have sent water samples to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,” Tuyen said.

Pham Thi Huyen, who lives close to Hung Thang reservoir, said that recently the pollution level has significantly dropped, which is noticeable on hot, muggy days.

“Since the water was treated, fewer fish have died. Pollution has been decreasing recently. I hope the reservoir will continue to be treated so that we can have a healthier environment,” Huyen said.

Experts say the current water treatment is only a band-aid solution because lakes and reservoirs continue to receive wastewater discharged by residential areas. It’s necessary to deal with the root cause of the pollution in each locality.

Currently, 4 wastewater treatment stations in Ha Long City are capable of collecting and treating only 40% of the total sewage. The rest is directly discharged into lakes or into Ha Long Bay. The wastewater systems of many new residential areas haven’t yet been connected to treatment stations.

Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said, “In the short term, we will coordinate with Ha Long City to tightly control discharge sources. New investment projects are being asked to build independent wastewater treatment systems meeting Vietnam’s standards before they are allowed to discharge water into Hung Thang reservoir or Ha Long Bay.”

Mr. Cuong said Quang Ninh is trying to secure ODA loans from Japan for a US$150-million wastewater treatment project to rebuild wastewater collection and treatment system and stations in Ha Long city.

Better, universal payment system needed for public transit: experts

A contactless payment system for public transport in HCM City could save costs and increase customer satisfaction, experts said at a conference on modern payments systems for public transit on September 21.

Le Hoan of the HCM City Management Centre of Public Transport said that buses satisfied only 4.7 percent of the city’s travel needs, and that most passengers still used printed tickets.

The city has been developing a smart card system which allows passengers to use cards issued by bus companies that are topped up with money to purchase digital tickets, without using cash.

However, he said the city should focus on linking different ticketing systems together into a more universal one.

Tran Dang Thanh, a representative from HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways, said that many of its ongoing public transport projects are being carried out by many investors under different policies.

“Currently different public transport systems use different types of smart cards, which can be inconvenient for passengers. A single type of card that can be used for all public transport is needed.”

However, this can be a difficult process due to the lack of research into a universal, central server that could process different transportation data, as well as a lack of universal standards for ticketing policies among different public transit systems.

Manoj Sugathan, senior director of Visa Asia Pacific’s Chip, Contactless and Transit Programmes, said that an open-loop contactless payment system (which is being used or piloted in many developed cities and countries) can be applied to public transit in HCM City

The EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) contactless payment technology can be used for debit, credit, and prepaid cards, allowing users to pay for tickets on different public transport systems quickly, without the need to buy specific tickets.

This saves ticket printing and management costs as well as time, and not much infrastructure changes are needed.

The conference was organised by HCM City Department of Transport and Visa, and was attended by over 100 representatives from different companies and city authorities.

Vietnam present at Int’l Fair of Caen in France as guest of honour

Vietnam is a guest of honour at the International Fair of Caen underway in Calvados, Normandie, France from September 21 – 30, according to Ambassador of Vietnam to France Nguyen Thiep.

The fair is an opportunity for Vietnam to promote cultural exchange with France, bridge the two countries’ markets and deepen mutual understanding between the two countries’ people, Thiep said.

The 860-sqm pavilion of Vietnam features areas for promotion of culture, tourism and trade, a performance stage and a restaurant. Visitors can learn about the country’s distinctive culture through various folk performances, traditional foods and sophisticated handicrafts and souvenirs.

Vietnamese sophisticated handicrafts and souvenirs are available at the International Fair of Caen. (Photo: VNA)

Visitors can enjoy music performances at the Vietnamese pavilion at the fair. (Photo: VNA)

It is part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam – France diplomatic ties and the 5th year of the two nations’ Strategic Partnership.

This year has seen remarkable steps made by the two countries to boost the bilateral relations, particularly the visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong to France in March and the upcoming visit of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to Vietnam this November, the Vietnamese ambassador said.

A number of agreements and business contracts have been inked this year, alongside the hosting of many cultural exchange events, he added.

The International Fair of Caen is a platform to foster cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Normandie as the two sides expect Phu Tho of Vietnam and Caen of France will soon achieve fruitful cooperation results, contributing to the success of the 11th locality cooperation conference between the two nations to be held in Toulouse in April 2019. 

Vietnam trade unions to reform towards worker-centred approach

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Bui Van Cuong. 

Vietnam trade unions at all levels will reform towards a worker-centred approach with more focus on capacity building for trade union members and officials and providing support to scale up successful business models in the next five years, said a trade union leader.

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) will work to enhance its capacity to protect rights of labourers and their social welfare interests and take a more active role in formulating policies for workers and balancing the employee-employer relationship from 2018 – 2023, VGCL President Bui Van Cuong told Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the 12th VGCL Congress, which will open on September 24.

Talking about the VGCL’s performance over the last five years, Cuong said its biggest success was to hold annual dialogues between the Prime Minister and workers since 2016. To date, three dialogues have been held, during which workers had their opinions and proposals heard by the government leader, thus contributing to increasing trust and ties between the Party, State and the working class, he noted.

The VGCL has carried out various programmes to benefit its members. It has cooperated with nearly 1,160 groups, corporations and businesses to provide goods and services for workers at softer prices. 

It has also given free bus rides to disadvantaged workers across the country to help them reunite with their families during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday in a programme named “Tet Sum Vay” (Reunited Tet). The programme, worth over 8.5 trillion VND (364,600 USD), has benefited more than 8 million workers so far, according to Cuong.

From 2013 – 2018, the VGCL has spent over 500 billion VND building or repairing houses for more than 20,000 impoverished employees, he added. 

As many as 950 Vietnamese delegates and seven international delegations will attend the 12th VGCL Congress, which is scheduled to take place in Hanoi from September 24-26.

The congress will look to accelerate organisational reform and trade union activities, focus on protecting and taking care of trade union members and labourers, as well as enhancing popularity to build a strong working class that can contribute to building and protecting the country.

The congress will discuss and adopt various reports of the VGCL, including reviews of the last five years in implementing the 11th Congress’s resolution and missions for the 2018-2023 tenure, and the amendment of the Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union, among others.

Participants will work to pass the resolution of the 12th Congress, with missions, solutions, and breakthroughs in the 2018-2023 tenure, and elect an executive board of the 12th VGCL with 175 members.

“The VGCL accompanying the Government to improve the national competitiveness and sustainably develop the country” forum will be held on September 26, creating opportunities for participants to express their wishes and affirm their determination in joining hands with the Government to boost socio-economic development. 

Ho Chi Minh City – bright spot in Vietnam-Japan cooperation

Ho Chi Minh City has bolstered its cooperative ties with Japan on the foundation of the thriving Vietnam-Japan relations over the past 45 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973. 

At present, more than 1,100 Japanese firms with total registered capital of nearly 4 billion USD, are doing business in the city, the greatest economic hub in southern Vietnam. They mainly operate in processing-manufacturing, and infrastructure construction. 

Japan is the third largest trade partner of HCM City, with bilateral trade turnover surpassing 5 billion USD in 2017. 

The East Asian country is also the fifth largest source market of HCM City’s tourism sector. 

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem appreciated Japanese firms for introducing modern technology to Vietnam, training skilled workers and technicians and generating jobs for local workers, thus contributing to the city’s industrialisation and modernisation cause. 

In addition, HCM City has benefited greatly from Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA). Japan’s ODA provides important funding for the city’s major infrastructure projects such as the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line, and the water environmental improvement scheme.

Ties between the city and Japanese localities have also been expanded, with the city signing friendship agreements with seven prefectures and cities of Japan, which are Aichi, Hyogo, Osaka, Shiga, Nagano prefectures and Yokohama and Osaka cities. 

In the first eight months of this year alone, HCM City welcomed nearly 30 delegations of Japanese officials, and the municipal officials also made three trips to Japan. 

The partnership between HCM City and Japanese localities focused on areas of mutual interest such as water resource and environment management, and investment promotion, alongside cultural exchange and educational collaboration. 

Last year witnessed the HCM City Days event in Osaka, and several Japan-Vietnam festivals in HCM City. This year, the city has joined hands with Japanese partners to hold a Vietnam Festival in Aichi under the theme of “HCM City – Integration and Development, and the Feel Japan Festival and the Japan Festival “Holding Hands Tightly” in HCM City. 

During their meetings, officials of both HCM City and Japanese localities shared the view that there is still great potential for the two sides to expand their partnership, particularly in trade, investment, education and health care. 

The city has recently signed several deals with Japanese localities, including one on training and supply caregivers with Yokohama city, and trade and investment promotion programmes with Aichi, Osaka and Saitama prefectures. 

According to city officials, the stable increase in the number of Japanese companies investing and doing business in HCM City over the past years reflects their real interest in the city as well as the city’s appeal. 

HCM City is embarking on seven breakthrough programmes towards turning itself into a smart city, which will open up new opportunities for cooperation between the city and Japan, especially in fields Japanese companies are strong such as support industry, high-tech production and human resources training. 

Japan’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Kawaue Junichi said as the biggest metropolis in Vietnam, HCM City plays a key role in expanding cooperation between Japan and Vietnam, as well as in implementing joint programmes to enhance mutual understanding and solidarity. 

In fact, as the most populous city and a leader in multi-lateral external relations, HCM City is the place of choice for exchange activities between Vietnam and Japan, from cultural events to youth exchanges and friendship sport games. The HCM City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the municipal Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association have played the central role in organising such activities, contributing to tightening the relationship between the city and the Japanese people.

Thua Thien-Hue struggles to move residents from citadel walls

An ongoing project to reinforce a section of the citadel wall, which is under threat from illegal housing as well as the ravages of time. 

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is having a headache removing illegal residents from the citadel’s walls located in Hue city.

The problem stems from a lack of land sources for resettlement as well as budget to compensate relocated residents.

A report by local authorities said the city is struggling to find land to resettle the residents. Most do not want to settle far from the city centre.

During a visit by Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Ngoc Tho, members of the community told Tho that the resettlement apartments built in Huong So ward did not meet living standards, so they refused to move.

Tho ordered related agencies to speed up the work as earlier this year the central government defined it a major task for the local government in Thua Thien-Hue in 2018.

Meanwhile, the provincial People’s Committee said the estimated cost to evacuate about 15,000 people from the wall is 2.2 trillion VND (95 million USD), a significant burden on the local budget.

A report prepared by the committee said there are total 3,800 families living on top of the walls, which were built by the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) to protect the former citadel.

Social surveys show that these communities appeared around 1975, as residents attempted to settle after the war and Independence Day. In 1999, heavy flooding hit Hue and sent more families to the citadel walls after their homes and boats were destroyed.

According to Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, a local government body that manages relics built by the dynasty, the citadel wall is recognised by UNESCO as part of the heritage status offered to the monument system belonging to the dynasty in Hue.

The centre’s director Phan Thanh Hai said living on the wall is a violation of laws protecting heritage sites. “The weight of the families living on top of the walls causes damage and subsidence,” he said.

The residents have different ways of occupying the wall. The majority of them construct temporary houses on top and erect wooden ladders to reach them. Many others have built concrete structures, with some even looking likes villas, breaking part of the wall to make entrance alleys.

Others have made use of collapsed sections, clearing the debris for housing or demolishing the wall themselves to construct homes. Residents living near the wall have also used space on top for farming.

The wall was originally built with thick brick walls, at a width of 2m, with soil in the middle.   

Local authorities designed measures to evacuate the residents from the wall in 1993, when Hue first received the UNESCO title for its monuments. However, such efforts have been unsuccessful.

In 2011, the province People’s Committee allocated funds for the conservation centre to move more residents, but it managed to relocate just 220 families.

Hai Phong hosts Dutch Days event

More than 100 cyclists ride to spread the message on environmental protection. (Photo: haiphong.gov.vn)

The northern port city of Hai Phong was the centre of the Dutch Days event on September 21-22 with a wide range of cultural activities held by the city’s People’s Committee and the Dutch Embassy to Vietnam to mark 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations (April 9, 1973).

A bike ride, led by Chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tung and Dutch Ambassador Elsbeth Akkerman, opened a series of activities. 

More than 100 cyclists started their journey from Hai Phong Opera House and rode through Nguyen Du flower garden and Tam Bac lake to spread the message on environmental protection.

Also, local peoples and visitors to the city had chances to experience the Dutch culture, including live music, dance performances, food corners, and quizzes.

According to Ambassador Elsbeth Akkerman, the “Dutch Days” event aimed to not only share knowledge in macro-economic issues like building smart port toward a circulated economy, but also connect people through an extravaganza of cultural events.

Chairman of the city People’s Committee Tung said that Dutch investors have poured 128 million USD in ten projects in Hai Phong so far. Regarding education and training, the Vietnam Maritime University and the Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy have set up cooperative ties with Dutch counterparts.

Hai Phong city appreciates Dutch partners’ contributions to the local socio-economic development, he said, adding that the city always rolls out red carpet for Dutch business and friends to land investments and live in the city.

The Dutch Days are an initiative from the Dutch Embassy and Consulate-General to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands, and were successfully brought to Da Nang city and Lam Dong province’s Da Lat city. 

The same event will be organised in Can Tho city in November.

Ukraine-Vietnam centre for education, research cooperation launched

Vice Rector of ONPU Shobnik Vyacheslav 

 The Ukraine-Vietnam Centre for Education Cooperation and Scientific Research has been set up at the Odessa National Polytechnic University of Ukraine (ONPU) under the leadership of Dr. Nguyen Thi Khanh Tien, a lecturer of the ONPU Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.

Addressing the launching ceremony, ONPU representatives said that the centre aims to coordinate cooperation activities between the university and Vietnamese universities and education organisations.

The major tasks of the centre include supporting science-technology collaboration activities as well as the exchange of scientific research outcomes with partner universities, and promoting affiliation in students and lecturer exchange between ONPU and Vietnamese universities.

It will also cover cultural and social cooperation and exhibition events, and connect the ONPU and the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine.

Addressing the event, Vice Rector of ONPU Shobnik Vyacheslav recalled the process of cooperation education and science research between Ukraine and Vietnam. Since 1967, the university has helped Vietnam train engineers.

Many engineers trained in the university have held important positions in Vietnam, he said, adding that he hopes to receive more Vietnamese students in the future.

The establishment of the centre will help the two sides foster collaboration in researching and training, while giving chances for scientists of both countries to work together.

Pham Duc Nghia from the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine said that Vietnam highly values the quality of Ukraine universities and the ONPU in particular.

Nghia lauded the idea of founding the centre, describing it as a practical work and a symbol for the sound partnership between the two countries, which will contribute to promoting the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Ukraine in the future.

8.5 billion VND in Lawrence Ting scholarships presented to students

At the scholarship award presentation ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on September 22 (Source: http://voh.com.vn)

 

The Lawrence S. Ting Memorial Fund and Phu My Hung Development Corporation on September 22 presented nearly 8.5 billion VND (365,500 USD) worth of scholarships to 371 students in Ho Chi Minh City and a number of charity and study encouragement organisations.

The Lawrence S. Ting scholarship aims to support the needy students with outstanding academic performance and strong engagement in social activities, and inspire them to give a helping hand to other people, thus contributing to developing a charitable society.

This is the 16th time that the fund has presented scholarships to Vietnamese students.

Last year, the fund donated scholarship worth 8.5 billion VND to students nationwide.

Over the past 16 years, the Lawrence S. Ting Memorial Fund has organised numerous charity activities to support the community in Vietnam, especially in education and health care.

So far, the fund has delivered total support of nearly 285 billion VND (12.25 million USD) in Vietnam.