New Zealand-funded project helps ensure dam safety

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on April 24 launched a project to ensure the safety of dams in Vietnam, which is funded by the Government of New Zealand. 

Vietnam is one of countries vulnerable to natural disasters, especially storms and floods which cause serious damage in humans and assets, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.

Amidst climate change, extreme weather phenomena become more and more complicated, causing negative impacts, he noted.

He added that Vietnam is also facing difficulties in operating and managing flood prevention systems in river basins as well as in ensuring dam safety.

The country has about 7,000 water reservoirs, with many of them have been downgrading, failing to meet requirements of safety in the operation process. 

Many dam failures and incidents have been reported in the country in recent years, causing serious human and property losses in lower areas. This poses an urgent need for efforts made by the Government and localities to better ensure dam safety and manage natural disasters. 

Along with a similar project funded by the World Bank, the project is hoped to help Vietnam in improvement of dam quality and operation of dams and water reservoirs, thus reducing damage caused by natural disasters. 

According to Tuan, trade between Vietnam and New Zealand saw strong growth in recent times, hitting 1.15 billion USD in 2016, doubling the figure recorded about five years ago. 

New Zealand has provided official development assistance to Vietnam in many projects, especially in agriculture and natural disaster risk management, Tuan added.

Vietnam, Cambodia inaugurate cross-border bridge

The Long Binh – Chrey Thom Bridge connecting the southern province of An Giang in Vietnam and Cambodia’s Kandal province was inaugurated on April 24.

The inaugural ceremony, which took place in Kandal, saw the attendance of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Cambodian counterpart Samdech Techo Hun Sen along with tens of thousands of people living in the two countries’ shared border lines.

PM Phuc highlighted the accomplishments in bilateral cooperation, including positive outcomes in economics, trade, investment, security-defence, culture, education and tourism.

He noted that the collaboration between Vietnamese and Cambodian localities, especially cross-border ones, has been enhanced.

The PM stressed the significance of the bridge, saying that it will become the shortest route connecting Cambodia’s Phnom Penh capital with Vietnam’s borderline, thereby promoting bilateral trade and contributing to poverty reduction in disadvantaged border areas.

The two PMs agreed that the bridge is not only significant in terms of economy but also politics, culture, society, security and defense, and described it as a symbol of solidarity, friendship and sound cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

PM Hun Sen took this occasion to thank the Vietnamese Government and people for supporting Cambodia to escape from the Khmer Rouge genocide regime.

At present, Vietnam still assists Cambodia in the cause of national building and sustainable development, he added.

The construction of Long Binh – Chrey Thom Bridge commenced in January 2014. 

The Vietnamese Government provided a credit package worth 18.76 million USD to help the Cambodian government build the bridge.

This is the second biggest transport project in Cambodia following the construction of Highway 78 using the Vietnamese Government’s preferential credit.

The inauguration of the bridge also marks the two countries’ efforts to complete the land border demarcation and marker planting.

Lawmakers act to end gender, racial discrimination in workplace

Vietnam is aiming to improve its workplace environment with amendments to the law that will for the first time ban sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

Draft amendments to the Labor Law, which are now open for public discussion, ban abuse and sexual harassment at work, as well as the exploitation of workers on internships and vocational training courses, said Tieng Chuong, the news site run by the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control.

The revised law also bans discrimination based on gender and race; social, marital and religious status, and against pregnant workers and those living with HIV or disabilities, it said.

It is not clear when the amendments will be submitted to the National Assembly, the country's legislative body, for approval.

Vietnam currently has no laws in place to protect workers, particularly women, from sexual harassment. In many places the crime continues to be treated simply as an ethical violation. 

Around 1,000 sexual assaults are reported each year in Vietnam, and surveys have found girls and women are regularly victims of sexual harassment in public places and the workplace.

The country developed its first ever code of conduct on workplace sexual harassment in 2015 with support from the International Labor Organization (ILO).

A 2015 study by the ILO and recruitment firm Navigos Search also found that many job ads in Vietnam contain gender bias. The study found 20% of 12,300 job postings on Vietnam’s four largest job portals included gender requirements that favored male applicants, shutting women out of highly-skilled and better-paid jobs.

Men were often targeted for highly-skilled jobs or jobs that required more outdoor work, such as architects, drivers, engineers and IT professionals, the study said.

Women were preferred for office and support occupations, such as receptionists, assistants, accountants, human resources and general affairs.

Up to 83% of management job postings with gender preferences required male applicants. 

It’s not easy for people with living HIV or disabilities to find a job in Vietnam, so the government has issued a policy providing tax incentives to any businesses that hire them.

UXO victim works to educate in Vietnam

A young man from central Vietnam who lost three of his limbs and vision to unexploded ordnance left from the US war in Vietnam when he was ten years old is now actively working to protect others from the same fate.

Ho Van Lai, 27, from Cua Viet Town in Quang Tri Province, has come a long way since sustaining multiple serious injuries because of unexploded ordnance (UXO) 17 years ago.

His injuries, which affect 86% of his body, include missing both legs and his right arm, as well as seriously impaired vision in both eyes.

“I was a UXO victim because of a lack of understanding. That’s why I’m here to make sure none of you will suffer as I do,” Lai said during one of his regular education sessions with school students, initiated by a group called ‘Nguoi Van Dong’ (Activists).

The young man used his left hand, which has only four fingers left, to roll up his trousers and reveal his prosthetic legs.

He then recalled his devastating accident, which occurred on a morning in June 2000 while he was playing around with three cousins near his home.

The then 10-year-old came across what were several cluster bombs buried in some sand. 

Out of curiosity, he smashed one to see what was inside, and the ordnance went off without warning.

When Lai regained consciousness a few days later in the hospital, he was devastated to discover he had lost his limbs, vision and two of his cousins in the explosion.

Struggling to overcome extreme physical agony, his mental anguish as a severely disabled person and recurrent feelings of remorse, he eventually recovered enough to resume his education two years later.

Lai went on to obtain a degree in information technology from a university in nearby Danang City.

Upon his graduation, Lai volunteered to join ‘Nguoi Van Dong,’ founded in 2012 to connect UXO victims and their relatives in Quang Tri, raise awareness of the unexploded ordnance problem and heal the wounds of war.

Six group members, all UXO victims and their relatives, including Pham Quy Thi, have traveled throughout the province to hold talks with residents.

Thi, in his early 60s, who lost his hand in an explosion 40 years ago, is now an international ambassador who has traveled to 30 countries around the world to give lectures and raise awareness of the consequences of explosive remnants from the US war in Vietnam, and campaign against the production, sale and storage of explosives.  

Like other group members, Lai is happy that his efforts are helping his neighbors and countrymen.

“I trembled uncontrollably and was at a loss for words on my first public speaking occasion. It was the children’s encouragement that helped me regain my confidence,” he recalled. 

“The education sessions have now become heart-to-heart,” Lai said.

Nguyen Thanh Phu, a senior member of Renew, an unexploded ordnance removal initiative in Quang Tri, who has frequently worked alongside Nguoi Van Dong volunteers, was filled with admiration for Lai’s persistence.

“He is not only a great educator, but also inspires the younger generation with his touching life story,” Phu remarked.

Quang Tri was one of the most heavily bombed regions in Vietnam during the US military campaign, which came to an end in 1975.

Over the past 20 years, with funding from the US government, NGOs have helped clear 8,399 hectares of land in Quang Tri and safely removed and destroyed 556,448 UXOs.

Since the war ended in 1975, the Vietnamese government has spent US$80-100 million resolving UXOs every year and has received support from both domestic and international organizations.

According to the Vietnam Ministry of National Defense, there are still 800,000 tons of explosive material left to be cleared, which will take the country 300 years.

Since 1975, unexploded bombs, landmines, and other weapons have killed more than 40,000 people and maimed about 60,000 others in Vietnam.

Competency-based training at community colleges

Competency-based training will be applied this year at three community colleges to improve employment skills for students as part of a Việt Nam Skills for Employment Project (VSEP).

The colleges are located in the provinces of Bình Thuận, Hậu Giang and Vĩnh Long.

The training will be used in the food technology programme at Vĩnh Long Community College, as the province is in the Mekong Delta, one of the main food producers in the country.

Trần Thanh Tùng, principal of the college, told the Việt Nam News that an advisory council of enterprises would be established to reform curricula and make it more practical.

“The college’s lecturers have been trained in methodologies which encourage students to be more creative and take the initiative in class discussions,” Tùng said.

The college staff also has been taught ways to enhance enrollment.

“Many high school graduates do not want to study at the college level,” he said.

Leaders and staff at the college have also been trained in management of enrolled students, particularly new students who are often under stress.

“We have not provided them with help in reducing stress. This is necessary,” Tùng said.

If the programme succeeds, it will be used in the other majors at the college.

At Bình Thuận Community College, the programme will be applied to the programme for restaurant, hotel and tourism business administration.

The province needs more highly skilled staff in tourism and hospitality to achieve its development goals.  

At Hậu Giang Community College, the training will be used in the food and pharmaceutical technology programme.

The three colleges have also set up more labs to assist in competency-based training.

Huỳnh Thành Đạt, director of Việt Nam National University-HCM City, said that the VSEP would help Việt Nam develop a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the ASEAN Economic Community, which went into effect in 2016.

The project was developed cooperatively between the governments of Việt Nam and Canada.

Strengthening technical and vocational education and training is one of Việt Nam’s key strategies to reduce the gap between labour supply and labour demand, producing highly skilled graduates with skills that meet the demands of a modern economy.

Today’s workers need a blend of high-level practical skills and theoretical knowledge to meet the challenge of a complex workplace.

They also need life skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking in order to keep up with the fast pace of change and to continue to learn for the rest of their lives.

Based on the Canadian Community College Model, VSEP adapts best practices of the Canadian College system to fit the realities of Việt Nam.

The VSEP has two components: building two training centres for advanced management in HCM City and Hà Nội, and developing a sample model of technical vocational education and training programmes at three community colleges in the provinces of Bình Thuận, Hậu Giang and Vĩnh Long.   

VUS-HCM City dominate team time trial stage

VUS-HCM City won the 15th stage of the HCM City Television Cycling Tournament yesterday.

The five-member crew finished first in the team time trial event. They completed the 48km stage around Nha Trang City of Khánh Hòa Province in a time of 55min 17.43sec. 

The win pushed them up in the team ranking, narrowing the gap to 29sec with the leading crew of Military Zone 7, who finished in fifth place.

Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang and Domesco Đồng Tháp were second and third, respectively.

Bikelife Đồng Nai tried their best to enter the top three to maintain their athlete Nguyễn Văn Dương’s leading position in the overall ranking.

However, with the crew coming fourth, Dương keeps his yellow jersey (33hr 53.51min), but his gap with the others has been narrowed from more than four minutes to only 41.34sec. The Laotian cyclist is currently in second place, followed by Nguyễn Hoàng Giang of Hạt Ngọc Trời An Giang.

The riders will have the day off today. They will be back tomorrow to cycle a long 129km route from Nha Trang to Phan Rang, during which they will climb the Vĩnh Hy Pass.

Sơn, Ngọc claim blitz chess gold medals

No 1 seed Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn won the National Chess Championships’ blitz chess event title in Hà Nội yesterday.

The Grandmaster from Cần Thơ Province secured 9.5 points from eight wins and three draws to top the men’s class.

He was followed by International Master Lê Tuấn Minh of Bình Dương who scored 8.5 points and HCM City’s FIDE Master Đặng Hoàng Sơn with eight points.

In the women’s competition, Phạm Thị Bích Ngọc from HCM City bagged the first position.

Women’s IM Ngọc displayed an outstanding performance with seven wins and four draws to get nine points. On her way to victory, Ngọc tied with stronger rivals such as Women’s GMs Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng (Bắc Giang), Lê Thanh Tú (Hà Nội) and Nguyễn Thị Thanh An (HCM City).

No 1 seed Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên from Cần Thơ, who also drew with Ngọc, claimed a silver medal. She earned 8.5 points. 

WIM Hoàng Thị Như Ý of Bình Dương, the No. 2 seed, pocketed a bronze with similar points but a lower parameter.

The Masters will compete in the rapid chess event today.

GM Sơn is the No 1 seed in the men’s pool and his wife Nguyên is No 1 in the women’s pool. 

Yunnan advance to VTV Cup volleyball tourney

China’s Yunnan Club are the first team to enter the semi-finals of the International Women’s Volleyball Tournament, VTV9-Bình Điền Cup, after their second win yesterday in Tây Ninh Province.

Yunnan defeated host VTV Bình Điền Long An 25-19, 25-15, 13-25, 25-23 in Group A.

It was their second win here. Previously, they beat Lienviet Postbank 28-26, 23-25, 26-24, 28-30, 15-10.

In the earlier match of the group, Lienviet Postbank trounced Altay Club of Kazakhstan 25-19, 25-11, 25-18.

Lienviet Postbank and VTV Bình Điền Long An will meet each other tomorrow. The winner will secure the second semi-final ticket.

In today’s Group B matches, Bangkok Glass of Thailand will see Fujian of China, while North Korean 4.25 Club will meet Vietinbank.

Thai Nguyen, RoK organisation sign cooperation deal

Authorities of the northern province of Thai Nguyen inked a cooperation deal on agriculture and rural area development with the Saeumaul Globalisation Foundation from the Republic of Korea (RoK) on April 24.

The project will be carried out in Phu Nam 1, Phu Do and Phu Luong hamlets of the province, building model rural areas for tea growing in 2016-2021. It will provide technical training courses and build tea brands for the locality.

The project will also improve distribution and supply of local tea products, raising income for tea growers.

Doan Van Tuan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, lauded the support of the RoK organisation for Thai Nguyen province over the years. He also asked the organisation to help people in Phu Luong and Dinh Hoa communes adopt effective farming methods and accelerate new-style rural area building.

Local authorities also pledged to create favourable conditions to fulfil the project’s targets and turn Phu Nam 1 into a model commune for new rural areas.

History of Dong Thap to be on display

More than 100 photos and documents about the history of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap will be showcased in an exhibition on April 29 for the first time.   

The History of Dong Thap Province Before 1975 through the archives exhibition will be held at Van Mieu Park in Cao Lanh City. This is part of the activities to celebrate the 42nd Reunification Day on April 30, promote the valuable documents kept at the National Archives Centre and the provincial tourism.

Many documents from Dong Thap provincial History Science Association show the provincial establishment process and the changing of its administrative boundaries.

The exhibition will be divided into three parts including the Nguyen Dynasty, before French colonisation and during 1945 to 1975. 

Doan Tan Buu, vice chairman of Dong Thap Province said, "Displaying the archives including maps and official documents will help state officials as well as the public understand more about the province and have their love and responsibility towards their home. This is also a tourism promotion plan in accordance with the provincial tourism promotion scheme.

The exhibition was held by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Dong Thap People's Committee and will last from April 29 to May 31.     

Winners of Biennale contest announced

An installation work named Nhung doi mat phu sa (Alluvial eyes) by three female students - Nguyen Phuong Quyen, Nguyen Ngoc Giang Thanh, and Tran Thi Suong from Hoa Sen University triumphed over 188 other artworks last Thursday to win the first prize of the fourth Biennale of Young Artists 2017 competition.

The contest was held by the HCMC Association of Fine Arts in cooperation with the Vietnam Fine Arts Association to look for young artist talents.

The winning work is mainly composed of bamboo basket in combination with dried water hyacinth, evoking good things in the eye and conveying the message of environmental protection.

The judging panel consisted of famous artists such as Nguyen Trung Tin, Huynh Van Muoi, Huynh Phu Ha, Bui Hai Son, and Hoang Tuong Minh.

In addition, there were two second prizes including a lacquer painting called Nha tho (Church) by Ho Thi Ngoc Anh, and an installation called Pho (Town) by Nguyen Hoai Huyen Vu.

Besides, the competition included three third prizes which went to Le Xuan Cang for his work named Khoa II (A second course), Le Dinh Chinh with a lacquer painting called Buoi sang (Morning), and Le Quoc Hoan for a video art called Cau chuyen dan ba 1 (A story of a woman 1). Moreover, the contest also offers five consolation prizes.

After the awards ceremony, 145 artworks have been chosen for display at the HCMC Museum of Fine Arts in HCMC’s District 1 from April 20 until May 1.   

Not yet ready to ride a radical change

The issue of banning motorcycles in HCMC is once again put forth, with much public controversy aroused following a scientific seminar on the topic in the city last Thursday. At the seminar titled “Controlling the demand for individual vehicles in HCMC,” it was stressed that now is the high time for the city to impose an all-out ban on motorcycles.

While it is generally agreed that the massive number of motorcycles in circulation in the city are causing numerous problems, from chronic traffic congestion and accidents to pollution, the big question is whether current conditions are available for such a radical change. The answer is unseen.

Dr. Pham Xuan Mai, a key speaker at the aforesaid seminar, asserts that what HCMC leadership needs to do now is to quickly remove motorcycles from circulation. Mai says that the city is now home to 7.5 million motorcycles. The total space for traffic circulation in the city is some 26 million square meters, just enough for 70-80% of the total number of motorcycles.

Worse still, motorcycles account for 71% of traffic accidents, killing hundreds of people a year, and initial estimates put the total damage caused by motorcycles to the city’s economy at US$6.18 billion a year, or up to 13.4% of the city’s GDP, Mai notes.

But, the radical change – if any coercive measures are taken to completely ban motorcycles from the city’s roads – will be an unbearably painful process, not only for the poor who rely on motorcycles as their primary transport means to the workplace, but for the whole city as well. The street may be relieved of the traffic chaos caused by rule-unconscious motorcycle riders, but the whole city life will be turned upside down.

A sizeable number of people in the city are manual workers who do the kind of errand jobs, such as taxi-bikers or shippers who must use motorcycles to deliver goods to buyers in all corners of the city, including small alleys that are not accessible by buses.

Many enterprises may be forced to organize own bus fleets to transport their workers, if their workplaces are not convenient traffic-wise. And for many it is unthinkable to do so, as the parking space for such fleets is extremely difficult to secure.

The city will rely on bus services to shuttle the people to and from work, but imagine the huge number of buses required to transport tens of millions of travelers a day. The city’s commuter service network is far from meeting the people’s travel need, and even if huge resources are drawn to add 50,000 to 100,000 new buses, the infrastructure is inadequate to accommodate such a surge in public transport.

The key restriction is that the traffic space is too limited for a city with a population of roughly 13 million, and road expansion in the city has neared its limit. That is not to say the cash-strapped city has found itself unable to expand roads to develop commuter services.

In a quick survey of some 23,000 readers as of 2 p.m. on April 23, Tuoi Tre newspaper shows that some 40.2% uphold the “ban-motorcycles” scheme, while 50.4% reject it. In Nguoi Lao Dong, 63% of surveyed readers say no to the ban. Such data point out that conditions in the city in general and the public are not ready to allow for such a radical change.

Anniversary syndrome

Budget overspending has long been a big headache for the Government, as the deficit – hovering around 5% or more a year – makes inroads into investment for development. In fact, investment as a percentage of the State budget has been continuously falling over the years because regular expenses have devoured the better part of State coffers. However, a sizeable part of such regular expenses has wastefully gone to anniversaries.

So, when it is unveiled that the provincial government of Vinh Phuc has spent up to VND65 billion on gifts for delegates and residents on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the province’s reestablishment, the province comes under heavy criticism in local media. It is worrying that such wastefulness is not a single phenomenon, since many other State organizations have done similar things in the recent past, despite repeated calls by the Government for all State agencies to practice thrift.

As covered in local media, Vinh Phuc Province’s government admits that authorities have purchased a huge number of ceramic tea sets as gifts for thousands of delegates attending the celebration event last December. All families in Vinh Phuc have also been given one set each.

Bui Minh Hong, manager of Vinh Phuc Province’s Office, says in Lao Dong newspaper that funds used to buy the gifts are from the provincial budget and other private sources, but the provincial government advanced money for districts to buy the gifts for the people. Each of the tea sets given to families in the province is worth VND200,000 while those gifted to delegates attending the 20th anniversary cost VND350,000 per unit, according to Thanh Nien newspaper.

The big worry is that such wastefulness has become commonplace.

Months earlier, Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) had spent dozens of billions of Vietnam dong on silver souvenirs for all its workers. To mark the debt-laden corporation’s 80th anniversary, its management decided to spend over VND70 billion to make souvenirs for its 120,000-strong workforce. Lao Dong newspaper says the majority of Vinacomin’s workers have not been happy with the pricey gift, costing VND640,000 each, and many of them have sold such gifts to other people at a price just a tiny part of the cost.

Criticizing the move, Lao Dong refers to an inspector’s report of Vinacomin’s performance in 2015, pointing out that financial obligations payable at the holding company and five subsidiaries amounted to over VND100 trillion, or roughly US$4.5 billion, including VND37.6 trillion of short-term debts.

Tuoi Tre, in an editorial titled “Don’t let wastefulness become a chronic disease,” says that while anniversaries and festivals are necessary to enrich the spiritual life of the people, wasteful spending to show off one’s achievements or development must be avoided.

According to the newspaper, the State budget overspending is not only caused by revenue shortfalls. Rather, the culprit is the rampant increase in regular expenses, including the huge costs for anniversaries, while investment for development is ever dwindling.

“The Government has to borrow funds to cover the budget deficit… (Therefore), lavish spending cannot be ignored, especially at festivals and anniversaries,” says the paper.

On the same tune, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper says anniversaries have become not only a disease, but a syndrome at many localities and organizations.

Referring to the anniversary at Vinh Phuc, the newspaper says that it seems anniversaries are taking place every week at centrally-governed agencies as well as in provinces and cities, let alone numerous such events at district-level bodies. The paper cites a report years ago as saying that the total number of anniversaries in Vietnam amount to 428. At many anniversaries, the spiritual merits are overshadowed by wasteful decorations.

Early this month, the Government issued a new decision reiterating its stance to fight wastefulness and encourage thrift. Under Decision No. 398/QD-TTg, the Government will tighten the financial-budgetary disciplines this year to ensure that budget spending is effective, and all expenses for festivities such as groundbreaking events, inaugurations, and similar events will be completely choked off, Lao Dong reports.

Echoing on the decision, Tuoi Tre says that there must be tough measures to force all localities to practice thrift. “Localities must be forced to make public all expenses on festivals and anniversaries before executing such festive plans, and this lesson should apply to all other expenses drawn from the State budget,” says the paper.

How to cure the disease remains to be seen.

If a little leak can sink a great ship, then wasteful anniversaries among others can be likened to numerous leaks that can wreck the economy. Budget overspending will remain a hard nut to crack, surging public debt will be a huge problem to solve, and falling investment for development will be a long-term threat to sustained economic growth if thrift is not practiced in the entire country, from grassroots organizations to central bodies.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong, Decision No. 398/QD-TTg can be likened to a bitter pill prescribed by the Prime Minister to prevent the disease from becoming chronic. “The disease has been diagnosed, the medicine has been prescribed, but the problem is whether (localities and State agencies) are willing to take the medicine,” ponders the paper.

Businesses can still donate autos to State agencies - draft law

State agencies can still receive autos donated by enterprises and individuals according to the draft amendments to the law on management of State assets.

At a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee last week, National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien said the fact that enterprises and individuals donate cars to State agencies should be treated as normal.

What should be done is to make sure that donated vehicles are used for right purposes, he noted, so a flexible approach should be adopted when it comes to setting rules for receipt of donations from businesses and individuals.

But the use of donated assets for private purposes would be prohibited as provided by Clause 4, Article 10 of the draft amended law.

A couple of local governments recently returned expensive cars to corporate donors after the issue made big headlines in local media given concerns over conflicts of interest.

General Secretary of the NA Nguyen Hanh Phuc said car donations by companies and individuals to State agencies should not be banned but these vehicles should be used for charitable and humanitarian activities.

Phuc said it would be fine if recipient agencies put up these cars for auction to raise money for the poor.

However, the head of the National Assembly People’s Aspiration Committee, Nguyen Thanh Hai, said voters had expressed concern over conflicts of interest. Certain enterprises donate cars to State agencies because they expect they can get something back, such as preferential treatment. Therefore, transparency should be ensured, he added.

Chairman of the NA’s External Relations Committee Nguyen Van Giau said he had seen companies in foreign countries donating cars to State agencies. But he noted such donations in Vietnam seem to have gone unchecked.

“There should be specific regulations on donation of specialized vehicles such as ambulances. Meanwhile, receiving a Mercedes from an enterprise is unacceptable,” Giau said.

A fairy tale, no fairly tale ending

What do fairies with wings and halos do? They fly. Or they stand motionless on street corners, wearing masks. Well, sometimes, they might fidget a bit, but not much.

A few days ago, commuters in the capital city were startled to see several fairies standing on small boxes at crowded intersections. 

They stopped (for the red light) and stared, trying to divine the meaning of this angelic presence. Were the heavens lending a hand to solve traffic jams? Were they fairy godmothers sent to prevent accidents or help accident victims?

The mythical creatures, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural, turned out be creatures of the flesh, hired by a coffeemaker to promote its brand, at VNĐ200,000 (US$9) for four hours.

Was this an airy-fairy marketing strategy cooked up by someone who’s away with the fairies?

Time will tell. For this moment, this story does not have a fairy-tale ending. 

HCMC cracks down on waste of public resources

The HCM City People’s Committee has instructed government offices to improve their work quality and efficiency.

It wants all departments, industries, districts, and State-owned enterprises to tighten collection and spending of funds, ensure accuracy in collection and reduce tax evasion and delays.

It has instructed them to not increase their regular spending except for salaries and allowances, improve oversight of borrowing and efficiency in use, have clear plans for borrowing and repayment, stop overspending and keep public debts at the local level low.

It wants them to mobilise more funds for investment and development at appropriate interest rates and focus on building modern infrastructure.

It has ordered them to eliminate wastage in using labour resources, reduce staff and improve efficiency.

It wants them to reduce squander of natural resources and prevent pollution through precise land use plans and water and forestry resources master plans.

It calls for inspection and severe penalties to ensure there is no squander.

The long and shorts of creative thinking

All of us have heard of absent-minded professors.

It is said that Einstein once called directory information to find the address to his own house after he’d lost his way.

Something on these lines seemed to have happened in HCM City last week.

A large crowd of students and guests had gathered for the lecture on “Innovation Roadmap” at the Hoa Sen (Lotus) University in HCM City. It was to be delivered by Prof. Trương Nguyện Thành, deputy principal of the university.

There was an audible gasp as the distinguished professor entered the lecture hall. He was wearing a pair of shorts and T-shirts! Had the professor forgotten to change his clothes before setting out from his house? Early onset of Alzheimer’s?

The good professor soon put such fears to rest. He said his sartorial preference for the day was dictated by his desire to teach creative thinking.

While some students demurred, saying there could be other ways of doing it, others made the point that wearing what is considered appropriate does not by itself denote respect for others, and, vice versa, “inappropriate” attire does not indicate a lack of respect.

The professor clarified further: “I would like the students to remove all barriers and prejudices from their mind. Think. No one forbids you to do anything, no one says what you should do and should not do. 

“You can say the elephant can fly, the fish can walk. If your thoughts say all that is possible, then you can dream of things that are out of the old reality. This is how creative thinking develops.”

The prompt to think outside the box seems to have worked, with the professor saying several students got excited and came up with unique ideas.

Last we heard, some students were hoping that some attractive female professors also get to teach the course.

Shades of creative thinking, what?

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