Vietnam, Laos boost anti-drug cooperation in border areas

At the meeting 

Vietnam and Laos agreed to strengthen coordination to crack down on drug crime in their border areas at the 12th meeting of drug prevention and combat units in Hanoi on December 26.

The involved parties include the department of drug crime investigation under Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security; the drug and crime prevention department of the Border Guard High Command under Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence; and the drug prevention department of the general department of police under the Lao Ministry of Public Security.

Vietnam and Laos share a borderline of nearly 2,340 km that runs across through 10 Vietnamese provinces: Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, and Kon Tum. 

The line also appears in 10 Lao provinces: Phongsaly, Luang Prabang, Houaphan, Bolykhamsay, Khammoune, Savannakhet, Salavan, Xiengkhouang, Sepon, and Attapeu.

This line is among the hot spots of drug trafficking, according to Major General Pham Van Cac, head of the department of drug crime investigation.

In recent times, the department has discovered complicated situations in Lao areas bordering Vietnamese provinces of Dien Bien, Son La and Thanh Hoa, along with areas in Vietnamese border provinces of Nghe An and Kon Tum, he said.

Traffickers are mainly ethnic minority people. 

To prevent the crime, the three units have deployed a number of programmes such as joining forums and joint activities of countries in the world, particularly in the Southeast Asian region and the West-East economic corridor.

Vietnamese and Lao anti-drug forces have conducted 255 bilateral border patrols and cracked down on 4,254 cases, capturing 5,768 people involved and seizing over 496.91kg of heroin, 584kg of synthetic drug, and more than 560,300 meth pills.

Delegates from the three units discussed specific measures to promote their achievements over the past time as well as further deepen the trilateral cooperation in the field, Cac said.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Inpong Chanthavongsa, deputy head of the Lao drug crime prevention department, said Lao anti-drug forces will continue coordinating with Vietnamese counterparts to implement anti-drug measures, contributing to building a Vietnam-Laos borderline of peace and friendship.

Hanoi reaches poverty reduction target ahead of schedule

Social policy beneficiaries in Dong Lac commune, Chuong My district, are completing procedures to get loans at a transaction site of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies' Hanoi branch. 

The rate of poor households in Hanoi dropped to 1.16 percent at the end of 2018 from 1.69 percent recorded at the end of last year, helping the city meet the target of poverty reduction two years ahead of schedule.

Of note, the inner districts of Thanh Xuan and Ba Dinh have successfully wiped out poverty in 2018, raising the total number of districts with no poor households in Hanoi to four, along with Cau Giay and Tay Ho.

At the beginning of 2018, Ba Dinh had 435 poor households with 1,271 people. Given this, the district has helped them upgrade their houses, access production loans and vocational training, and find jobs. 

In 2018, the Hanoi People’s Committee allocated more than 108 billion VND (4.6 million USD) from the municipal budget, which was channeled through the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, and more than 26 billion VND (1.1 million USD) mobilised from different sources to aid families with housing difficulties. Organisations and individuals have also donated hundreds of billions of VND.

The funding has helped 4,166 families in the city build or upgrade houses, 120 homes higher than the set target. No households in Hanoi now suffer difficulties in terms of housing.

To realise the target programme on sustainable poverty reduction for the 2016-2020 period, Hanoi has asked districts and agencies to take a range of solutions. 

The city has monthly provided 350,000 VND (15.05 USD) as allowance for each out of 5,000 old people and free health insurance cards for the poor, near-poor people and other social policy beneficiaries. 

Besides, Hanoi has also implemented programmes aiming to spur socio-economic development in rural and mountainous areas which have still faced difficulties such as Ba Vi, Thach That and My Duc districts, while organising mobile job fairs in districts and towns. 

To ensure rapid, sustainable poverty reduction, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung has asked districts to continue reviewing the list of poor households in order to set forth specific support plans. 

Poverty reduction should be uninterrupted work for all-level authorities so that disadvantaged people will not be left behind, he said.

Ho Chi Minh City commits no price hikes in key staples during Tet

Ho Chi Minh City vows to stabilise prices of goods during the Tet holidays - Illustrative image 

Price hikes in key staples will not happen in Ho Chi Minh City during the lunar New Year (Tet) holidays, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem has affirmed.

At a working session with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai on December 24, Liem said that the city will coordinate with the ministry to maintain price stability during this festival and in the first months of 2019, thus helping ensure social welfare.

Hai stated that over the past months, Ho Chi Minh City has well ensured the stability in prices of essential goods.

Therefore, the city should continue keeping a close watch on supply-demand developments, inform the upper level of price management, intensify the fight against smuggling and trade frauds, and ensure food safety and hygiene.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Huynh Trang, food and products circulated on the city market mainly come from wholesale markets and enterprises participating in the price stabilisation programme.

To date, enterprises have initially completed preparations of goods for Tet, which can meet demands of consumers in the city and surrounding provinces.

The volume of prepared commodities increases by 13.2 – 16.8 percent compared with the target set by the city, Trang said.

Meanwhile, the volume of goods coming to three wholesale markets near Tet is expected to rise by 80 percent against that of normal days from 9,000 tonnes a day to 15,000-16,000 tonnes a day.

Trang added that the enterprises which are joining the price stabilisation programme commit to maintaining prices of goods one month before and after Tet, and offer big discounts on several essential goods such as pork, chicken and eggs on two days before Tet.

The nine-day Tet festival will fall on February 2-10, 2019.

Project to build Da Lat into smart city announced

At the ceremony 

The People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong hosted a ceremony on December 25 to announce the project “Building Da Lat into a Smart City” in the 2018-2025 period.

This was one of activities celebrating the 125th establishment anniversary of Da Lat city.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Van Da said the project’s objective is to build Da Lat into a smart city by applying information-telecommunication technology and other means in a bid to improve the lives of local residents, better the operation efficiency of the municipal administration, promote the city’s comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development and enhance its competitiveness edge.

The building of Da Lat into a smart city will be based on four major pillars: management, the life, the environment and economy.

The project will focus on different fields such as e-government, urban planning and land management, smart lighting system, public wifi system, tourism information, hi-tech agriculture, e-learning system, e-medial record, smart parking, and e-transport tickets.

Accordingly, the province will pilot a Tourism Information Port, City Planning Information Port, Smart Lighting System and Public Wifi System as part of its plan to construct Da Lat into a smart city.

The Tourism Information Port and smart tourism mobile application have been implemented in 100 percent of tourism businesses within the province. The application will connect tourists, locals, businesses and administrative organisations. Tourists only need smartphones or internet-connected computers to conveniently search for information about tourism destinations, accommodations or recommended restaurants in Da Lat city.

The City Planning Information Port, launched by Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications Group, provides public information about the city’s land use plans. The city has also completed the installation of a smart lighting system in Hoa Binh – Da Lat market and the area around Ong Dao Bridge and Lam Vien Square. The lights are integrated with a free wifi system and security cameras.

Da Lat is one of the country’s first cities to build themselves into mart cities. It now ranks 3rd out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide in terms of applying IT in building e-government.

Lam Dong province has applied smart technologies in agricultural production on 50,000 ha, equivalent to 20 percent of its total farming land.

Switzerland supports Vietnam in sustainable tourism development

Tourists on Quy Nhon beach

The Swiss Sustainable Tourism Programme (SSTP), the first of its kind funded by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for Vietnam, has officially kicked off, according to the programme’s management board.

Specifically, the programme, which aims to raise the competitiveness and sustainability of Vietnamese tourism, will be implemented from late 2018 to May 2022, targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and training establishments through technical assistance.

It will popularise sustainable tourism models to SMEs, small hotels, homestay services suppliers, so that they can expand the presence of sustainable tourism models and products to newly-emerging destinations and those which are less attractive to tourists.

The programme comprises of sub-projects that are built in conformity with the private sector’s demand as well as cooperation of seven training establishments in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang city, Can Tho city, and Ninh Binh, Quang Nam and An Giang provinces.

SSTP is carried out by a joint venture of consulting companies, including the Germany-based GFA Consulting Group, Vietnam’s Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI), and Switzerland’s International Management Institute (IMI). It has received support from Hilton Hotels, Victoria Hotels, and Exotissimo Tour Operator.

HCM City needs 90,000 labourers in 2019’s first quarter

Around 90,000 workers are needed in HCM City for the first quarter of 2019 the year, with 26 percent of them being unskilled labourers, according to the HCM City Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information (Falmi) Centre.

Most of new jobs are available in marketing, tourism service,restaurant, sales and mechanics, among others.

Recruitment demand will increase in January and February as businesses need more employees for seasonal jobs during the calendar and lunar New Year holidays, mostly cashier, warehouse staff, gift-wrapping and processing worker at supermarkets, waiter and security personnel. 

Nguyen Trong Hoang from the HCM City Student Assistance Centre said as many as 100 units in the city have offered nearly 3,000 Tet jobs for students, up 20 percent year-on-year. 

Falmi said the recruitment demand in March will focus on skilled labour in the fields of manufacturing, food processing, garments and textiles, footwear, import-export activities, plastic and packaging. 

According to Tran Tuan Anh, deputy director of Falmi, HCM City has planned to recruit 320,000 workers, with 130,000 for new jobs. The demand of skilled workers will account for 79.17 percent. 

Vietnam National Mekong Committee to strengthen organisation

At the conference (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn)

The standing office of Vietnam National Mekong Committee should focus on implementing a project on strengthening the organisation of the committee after the project receives the Prime Minister’s approval, according to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh. 

Giving directions on the operation of the committee in 2019 at a meeting in Hanoi on December 25, the Deputy Minister said the office needs to promote information exchange among the committee’s members and experience sharing with international partners in the management of water resources.

He also urged the office to keep a close watch of activities of countries in the Mekong River basin such as Laos and Cambodia.

Representatives from other agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment proposed that the committee continue to closely monitor the exploitation and use of water resources and other resources in the Mekong River basin while promoting international cooperation. 

They also recommended enhancing negotiation capacity for the committee’s staff who directly involves in the Mekong River cooperation activities so as to protect national interests.

Chief of the office Le Duc Trung reported that in 2018, the office coordinated with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to organise successfully the 25th meeting of the MRC Council and the 23rd meeting with the MRC’s development partners.

The office also fulfilled its leading role in bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives including the Mekong – Lancang cooperation on water resources, training and experience sharing activities, the Mekong-US downstream cooperation and Mekong-Japan cooperation initiatives, he noted.

More efforts urged to prevent baby trading

The Ministry of Public Security has directed local-level police agencies to intensify their struggle against the trading of babies.

The ministry said over the past time, human trafficking crime continues to be complicated, notably the trading of babies (bringing pregnant women to China to give birth and sell their children), while the detection and handling of authorized forces are meeting with difficulties. 

The ministry requested police units and localities to focus on giving advice to the Steering Committee for the National Programme on Crime Prevention and Control (Steering Committee 138)at all levels to continue promoting the implementation of the Government’s programme on fighting human trafficking in the 2016 - 2020 period. 

It asked for attention to popularising laws to the public, especially people from ethnic minority and remote areas, and regularly  updating relevant information to keep people alert. 

Police units and localities have been requested to keep a close watch on the baby trading, and cross-border human trafficking rings and brokers; and strictly handle violators, especially those related to the cases in Ky Son district, the central province of Nghe An. 

The police forces must pay more heed to strengthening management of the entry and exit of citizens, and coordinate with the border guard forces to patrol, control and manage border areas and border gates. 

The ministry also asked relevant agencies to review and remove difficulties in handling violations concerning the trading of fetuses, and promote the implementation of the agreements on mutual legal assistance and cooperation in preventing and controlling human trafficking between Vietnam and China.

Minister inspects helmet safety programme for children in Hanoi

Transport Minister Nguyen Van The (centre) at the inspection in Hanoi 

Transport Minister Nguyen Van The visited a unit of the traffic police in Hanoi on December 24 to inspect their implementation of a communications programme to improve helmet safety amongst children.

The programme, scheduled for December 17-31, is offering helmet-wearing guidance and 35,000 helmet vouchers, each worth 100,000 VND (4.3 USD), to residents in An Giang, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh provinces, as well as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The vouchers can be used in outlets authorized by Honda Vietnam across the country.  

At the inspection, the minister, who is also the permanent chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, joined the unit to handle violations, talk to violators about the benefits of wearing helmets for themselves and their children, and present vouchers to them. 

The programme is part of activities within a campaign on presenting helmets to children entering their first grade in the 2018-2019 school year that started in July. The campaign is coordinated by the National Traffic Safety Committee, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Japanese-invested Honda Vietnam. 

Statistics showed that only 35-40 percent of children aged from six and above wear helmets, while the rate among adults is more than 90 percent. Many parents have not made their children wear helmets or just provided them with unsafe ones.

Market fair highlights culture of northern mountainous region

A market fair showcasing products of the northern mountainous region will be held in the Culture-Tourism Village for Vietnamese Ethnic Groups from December 29 to January 1.

A market fair showcasing products of the northern mountainous region will be held in the Culture-Tourism Village for Vietnamese Ethnic Groups in Hanoi’s outskirts district of Son Tay from December 29, 2018 till January 1, 2019. 

Within the programme, the Mong ethnic minority group from the northwestern province of Dien Bien will perform traditional blacksmithing techniques while Lao ethnic minorities will introduce their brocade weaving. 

Along with art performances and folk games, visitors to the event will have a chance to taste special dishes of ethnic minority groups at a joint year-end meal on December 30.

The Khang ethnic minority group from Son La province will host a festival of “ruou can” (wine drunk out of a jar through pipes) with the aim of praying for favourable weather conditions, good health and prosperous business. 

Cultural and tourism activities have been still maintained in the village daily and during weekends to promote the culture of 13 ethnic minority groups. They help increase exchanges among the ethnic groups and attract tourists to the village.

Vietnamese-funded broadcasting facility in Laos inaugurated

The Vietnamese-funded radio and television broadcasting station was put into operation in Laos’ central province of Savannakhet on December 25 after three years of construction.

The 10,000-square-metre facility was built at a total cost of nearly 115 billion VND (4.9 million USD) sourced from the Vietnamese government’s non-refundable aid. It comprises a 135m-high antenna pole, working offices, and TV and radio broadcasting systems.

The project is one of the key cooperation activities between Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Savankhone Lazamunti said that the station helps increase radio and TV broadcast coverage in central Laos so that local residents are able to get a deep insight into the Party’s guidelines and the State’s regulations.

Also, it will make contributions to developing the special relations between the two nations, he said, expressing his gratitude for the Vietnamese Party, State and people for supporting Laos in the past years.

This is the fourth broadcasting station in Laos sponsored by the Vietnamese Government, following three in Champassak province in the south, and Luang Prabang and Udomxay provinces in the north.

Khmer commune in Soc Trang becomes new-style rural area

A road in An Hiep commune (Source: http://baosoctrang.org.vn)

An Hiep, a poor commune in Chau Thanh district, the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, with 66 percent of its population being Khmer ethnic minority people, has become the third commune of Chau Thanh to be recognised as a new-style rural area.

According to Chairman of the An Hiep communal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hau, over the past years, locals has contributed over 20 billion VND (860,000 USD) in cash, along with lands, construction materials and working days to the new-style rural area building programme.

Therefore, all rural transport works have been completed as scheduled, he said.

In 2010 when the locality started the new-style rural building programme, An Hiep met only five out of 19 criteria of the programme. Thanks to support of the provincial leaders and efforts of the local Party Committee, authorities and people, the commune fulfilled all the criteria, said Hau.

He noted that all roads to residential areas are concretised, while all local households access power services, and 99.5 percent of them enjoy clean water.

Five out of six schools in the commune have met national standards, while political security and social order and safety have been ensured.

Particularly, the ratio of locals having a stable job reached 93.4 percent, with average income of 42.1 million VND per person each year, resulting in a drop in poverty ratio to 3.4 percent from 26.3 percent in 2010.

So far, Soc Trang has 25 out of total 80 communes finishing all 19 criteria of a new-style rural area, many of which are home to Khmer people.

Under its plan, the province has 32 new-style rural areas at the end of 2018, accounting for 40 percent of its total communes.

Protestants join efforts in national development

With about 80 organisations, sects and groups under the State management and about one million followers, Protestantism has significantly contributed to national socio-economic development over the past 100 years. 

The Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) (ECVN North) gathers over 100,000 followers who practice the religion at 15 chapters, according to the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. 

The church’s charter prescribes social responsibility of each protestant who should support needy people, join efforts in building the society, participate in social work in their localities, maintain solidarity, respect law and fulfill citizens’ obligations. 

Pastors and protestants have united and engaged in patriotic movements as well as major campaigns launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, along with humanitarian activities. 

During its 35th General Assembly in October 2017, the ECVN North reported that the church has enthusiastically responded to programmes on ensuring social welfare, building a new life in residential areas and reducing poverty. 

Between 2013 and 2017, it presented 8,500 gifts to children in mountainous provinces and donated land, money and 1,300 working days to the construction of 16 roads in the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen. 

According to the Hanoi Evangelical Church, 52 drug detoxification centres of evangelical churches nationwide were established over the past 21 years, helping more than 1,900 people escape from drugs. 

The evangelical churches have also contributed to fighting domestic and school violence, encouraging HIV carriers to access medical services and assisting disabled children and orphans. 

Bui Thanh Ha, deputy head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs said the State has recognised or granted operational licences to 41 organisations of 15 religions, with about 25.3 million followers. 

Religious people have actively contributed to national socio-economic development, construction and defence and ensuring social welfare, the official said.

Elevated section of Nhon-Hanoi Station railway connected

The elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Station urban railway has been connected after 30 months of construction with the last concrete beam being successfully installed on December 23. 

The elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Station urban railway has been connected after 30 months of construction with the last concrete beam being successfully installed on December 23. 

According to the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board, the first of 572 concrete beams of the section was placed on June 27, 2016. 

The railway, connecting Nhon in the city's western suburbs and the Hanoi Railway Station, spans 12.5km. It consists of 12 stations, including eight elevated and four underground.

The elevated 8-km route is scheduled to be put into the commercial operation in 2021. The remaining 4.5-km underground section, through Nam Tu Liem, Bac Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh and Dong Da district, will be operational by the end of 2022.

The total investment for the project is nearly 36 trillion VND (1.5 billion USD). It will be part of a rail network that aims to ease traffic congestion and reduce emissions.

Meanwhile, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway began a trial run on September 20. According to the project’s management board, the trial run will last 3-6 months until the railway is ready for official operation.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway project has total adjusted investment of more than 20 trillion VND (886 million USD) sourced from official development assistance loans from China.

The 13 kilometre railway will have 12 stations and one depot area. It is set to operate trains with carrier frequency of every two minutes and a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour.

Exhibition on smart city products opens in Da Lat

Bao Loc’s silk weaving business is key to the economy of Lam Dong province (Photo: bizlive.vn)

An exhibition displaying smart city products and solutions opened on December 24 in Da Lat city of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The event formed part of activities celebrating the city’s 125th establishment anniversary.

It provides an opportunity for organisations, enterprises and individuals to meet, exchange experiences, introduce new technological solutions and promote the development of technological and communication applications to meet the province’s socio-economic development demands.

There are 20 stands representing domestic and international enterprises, and some of which exhibit IT products used to construct a smart city. The rest showcase advancements in high-tech agriculture and Da Lat’s representative food and agricultural products.

On the occasion, the province will pilot a Tourism Information Port, City Planning Information Port, Smart Lighting System and Public Wifi System as part of its plan to construct a smart city.

The Tourism Information Port and smart tourism mobile application have been implemented in 100 percent of tourism businesses within the province. The application will connect tourists, locals, businesses and administrative organisations. Tourists only need smartphones or internet-connected computers to conveniently search for information about tourism destinations, accommodations or recommended restaurants in Da Lat city.

The City Planning Information Port, launched by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, provides public information about the city’s land use plans. The city has also completed the installation of a smart lighting system in Hoa Binh – Da Lat market and the area around Ong Dao bridge and Lam Vien Square. The lights are integrated with a free wifi system and security cameras.

Aside from the smart city plan, the province will also push on with agricultural restructuring, forest management and protection, and attracting investment into farm produce processing and environmentally-friendly manufacturing.

Minister urges official operation of Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway

The 13 kilometre railway will have 12 stations and one depot area. It is set to operate trains with carrier frequency of every two minutes and a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour. 

Transport Minister Nguyen Van The has asked for the prompt operation of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated urban railway in the capital city of Hanoi, saying that it is of important significance for cooperation between Vietnam and China.

The made the request at a working session with Tang Hong, executive manager of the project, who represents the China Railway Sixth Group Co. Ltd - the engineering – procurement – construction (EPC) contractor, in Hanoi on December 24. 

He affirmed that the ministry will direct the department of construction and transport works quality management and the management board for railway projects to coordinate with relevant agencies in Hanoi to in helping the contractor check and take over the work in the earliest time in line with legal regulations.

The minister asked the contractor to complete its dossiers on origin of equipment and materials and completion of each part of the project so that the railway can be put into operation soon. 

After hand-over, the contractor should continue support for human resources training to ensure the smooth and safe operation of the project, he said.

At the working session, Tang mentioned several difficulties in putting the work into operation on schedule, saying they come from different viewpoints and legal regulations in procedures between the two nations. He expressed his wish that the minister will create conditions for the contractor to address these difficulties.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway began a trial run on September 20. According to the project’s management board, the trial run will last 3-6 months until the railway is ready for official operation.

The Cat Linh – Ha Dong railway project has total adjusted investment of more than 20 trillion VND (886 million USD) sourced from official development assistance loans from China.

The 13 kilometre railway will have 12 stations and one depot area. It is set to operate trains with carrier frequency of every two minutes and a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour.