During Tet, expatriates get into the holiday spirit too

The years of every store closing during Tet are long past, with a brave few expatriates keeping their doors open for the community in aid of a prosperous Tet holiday.

From his narrow storefront on Xuan Dieu street in Hanoi, Marco Sarli, the owner of Oasis Deli, has been busy arranging goods and processing orders for his customers.

The Oasis Western grocery is well known to most of the expats who call Hanoi home. Sarli is proud that Oasis offers Hanoi’s largest selection of fresh cheese, cold cuts, imported and local groceries, sandwiches, daily special homemade pasta, ravioli, lasagna, sauces, freshly baked bread, and other gourmet items that appeal to the eclectic international tastes expats bring with them.

Having lived in Vietnam for more than 15 years, Sarli has always stayed in the country for Tet with his Vietnamese wife. He likes the quiet atmosphere during Tet, the couple days without noise and traffic.

Tet time is always good for business at Oasis Deli, when households need many things to prepare for the long holiday ahead.

“Our location at 24 Xuan Dieu will be open according to our normal trading hours. The other locations will close for the two New Year days,” Sarli told VIR.

“We are also selling quite a few Tet baskets, which we put together upon request. The customer tells us what they would like to have in the baskets and we prepare them.”

Tet is also a special occasion for hotel managers. Vincent Gernigon, executive assistant manager at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, has been in Vietnam for four years. He has had the pleasure to experience Tet indirectly, staying on duty so his Vietnamese colleagues are able to celebrate with their families.

“I have therefore had the pleasure to observe it in Hanoi and at the hotel. Large families regrouping together and enjoying a delectable meal,” Gernigon said.

Gernigon was impressed the first year he discovered the Tet culture in Vietnam. “It is a celebration shared among family, friends, and colleagues. You feel the energy of Tet coming in the streets, a special moment that you cannot explain but need to experience,” he told VIR.

Tet is one of the most important days of the year for managers and staff at the hotel. At this time of year, the hotel is beautifully decorated with Tet ornaments, lanterns, peach blossoms, and kumquat trees.

“We have also been organising our traditional Tet market for more than 10 years now to offer a unique Tet experience for locals, expats, and our in-house guests. Visitors are also welcomed to savour our authentic Tet menus at Spices Garden during these festive days,” Gernigon said.

The Tet market aims to bring an authentic and traditional Tet experience to the hotel’s in-house guests as well as residents in Hanoi.

“We have managed to incorporate the most important customs of a country market, such as dragon dance, calligraphy, banh chung making. We hope that through this market, foreign visitors will have a better understanding of Vietnamese culture and also an unforgettable experience while travelling and living overseas,” Gernigon said.

There are many foreigners who go to restaurants, bars and pubs, and hotels and recreation areas throughout the country during Tet.

And those who serve them have a good understanding of the country’s traditional customs, and have been doing their best to make the foreign community in Vietnam feel that they are at home and part of the Vietnamese community.

Bosch’s eScooters built to rideshare

Three eScooter Sharing Systems have recently been launched at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnamese-German University (VGU), and Danang University of Science and Technology (DUT).

This is the result of a joint project between Bosch Vietnam and the three universities. Students working in this project had won the Green Challenge contest which was co-organised by the German engineering giant and the universities in 2015.

Bosch engineers worked alongside the students to turn their winning ideas from the competition to practical use.

Bosch sponsored more than VND4 billion ($182,000) for this pilot project. Students of these three universities are able to use 18 eScooters free of charge within their campuses, after registering online.

These quiet, emissions-free eScooters are expected to be part of a development strategy to create eco-friendly transportation in large cities across Vietnam.

In order to rent an eScooter, users must create an account online at http://bosch-green-challenge.com.vn. Once logged in, a user can find an available eScooter, located at one of several docking stations around the city. After an eScooter is chosen, a code and a control card are given to the user, which can be used to activate the eScooter once at the station. The control card acts as a key for the eScooter, allowing users to lock, unlock, and open the seat compartment.

The eScooters are electrically charged at the docking stations, which are powered by solar panels located on the roof. When fully-charged, an eScooter can go up to an 80km distance, at a maximum speed of 45km per hour. Users must be at least 18 years old and have a valid motorcycle driver’s licence. The eScooters can be rented hourly for a minimal fee.

The potential for these eScooters are endless. For example, let’s say a person who lives in Ho Chi Minh City’s centre needs to go to an outlying district. At the moment, the easiest way to do so would be to catch a bus that would make frequent stops.

Community eScooter stations can be set up at bus stations and other key locations across the city, to help alleviate air and noise pollution by reducing the number of motorbikes on the road. This will also decrease fuel consumption while giving riders a sense that they are contributing to a cleaner environment.

Then there is the concern that the use of community eScooters may actually contribute to the traffic burden. According to Vo Quang Hue, managing director of Bosch Vietnam, for now, the push for less frequent use of motorbikes has not produced any positive results on reducing traffic. People are creatures of habit who cannot leave their motorbikes at home, because having these vehicles give them convenience and flexibility.

“Now, with community eScooters for rent, Bosch offers an alternative to help people gradually adapt to a new way of transport without getting out of their habit. Gradually, as people are able to rent a motorbike, they will not need to own one anymore. Then, the burden of motorcycles on traffic will be relieved,” Hue said.

Bosch wants to initiate stronger co-operations and collaborations between businesses and academia to boost research and development activities.

Hue added that if this eScooter rental system was properly implemented in large cities, it would help solve challenges in public transportation and in environmental protection. Furthermore, the system could be one of the building blocks for future smart cities.

Vietnamese village organizes 40 weddings during Tet

Residents of La Ma Hamlet in Vinh Truong Commune believe that their village would set up a world record of throwing the most wedding parties this Tet, or the Lunar New Year.

Over 40 La Ma households have notified officials in An Phu District that administers the hamlet of their wedding receptions from January 28 to February 2, which coincide with the first six days of the Year of the Rooster.  

Forty is still not a record in this village as La Ma people organized 50 weddings en masse in 2015, Abubaco, a dignitary at the Anromah mosque, said.

The young couples work at factories in industrial parks in the provinces east of Ho Chi Minh City all year round so they are trying to take their Tet days off to get married, local authorities explained.

La Ma, located in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, has 536 households with 1,696 people, according to the latest statistics. Most of them are members of the Cham minority and follow Islam.

The weddings have simple meals, including biscuits, fruits, and soft drinks, with some featuring beef curry. No alcoholic beverages are served at the weddings.

The Muslims here ban alcohol use so no drunkard-related scuffles have ever happened in the wake of their wedding receptions, an An Phu policeman said.

One integral part of the weddings in La Ma is music and singing. Music bands here are so important that couples are willing to delay their weddings if the bands are too busy to play at their receptions.

After their wedding, the groom often stays at the bride’s family home for a while before they leave their village to return to work.

Spring festival draws tourists to Bac Ninh

Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to Phat Tich pagoda in the northern province of Bac Ninh for a local annual spring festival, held on January 31 (the fourth day of the first lunar month).

Nguyen Thi Hao, Vice Chairwoman of the Tien Du district People’s Committee and head of the organising board, said the locality has taken measures to ensure safety for the festival goers while protecting the environment.

The Phat Tich pagoda, a special national relic site located just 25 kilometres northeast of Hanoi, was built in 1057 on a mountain called Lan Kha during the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong (1054-72). It was reduced to ashes by French colonialists in 1948 and restored in 1987. 

During the excavation of the pagoda from 1949-51, archaeologists found numerous old stone sculptures carved with flowers and dragons, bird goddess statues from the 17th century, and a piece engraved with the head of a fairy, all of which are now on display at the National History Museum. 

A giant Buddha Amitabha statue, 27 metres tall and weighing 3,000 tonnes, was installed outside on the Lan Kha Mountain in 2010. It was adapted from a similar structure from the Ly Dynasty. 

The Phat Tich Pagoda is associated with Tu Thuc’s meeting with a fairy. As the legend goes, there were endless peonies on Lan Kha Mountain and in the pagoda, leading a young woman to visit the pagoda one day to see the flowers. She carelessly broke a tree branch and was fined by the monks, but a local scholar, Tu Thuc, was also visiting the pagoda and offered his coat to compensate for the broken branch. They became friends and continued to meet at the pagoda. The woman ultimately invited Tu Thuc to visit her house, leading him to a peony forest and into a cave on the mountainside with an imperial palace with high walls and stone footsteps. She revealed that she was a fairy and they got married. 

Every year, people visit the pagoda to take part in the peony festival, where they enjoy looking at the flowers, listening to quan ho (love duets) and poem recitations, and playing traditional games. The festival usually lasts two days.

The pagoda was recognised as a national relic site in 1962 and a special national relic site in 2014.

Illegal imported food items destroyed

More than 10 tonnes of sweetmeat without original and hygiene-related certificates have been destroyed in Da Lat.

The items were sweetened dried fruit packed in sacks with Chinese printed stamps, which had a foul odour and appeared decayed.

The owner of the food items is Nguyen Van Toan from HCM City.

On January 10, the economic police of Lam Dong discovered this amount of goods at house No 26 on Ngo Thi Sy Street in Da Lat city.

Toan said he rented the house as a store to keep products imported from China, which were to be sold in Da Lat city for Tet.

When the police checked the store, Toan was unable to show any papers relating to the food items. The goods were, therefore, destroyed according to regulations.

Tay Ninh: Clemency granted to over 600 prisoners

As many as 621 prisoners in the southern province of Tay Ninh have their jail terms shortened on the occasion of Lunar New Year, according to the provincial People’s Court.

Of the total, 93 inmates were released ahead of scheduled and the remaining 528 received a reduction of their time from 1-19 months.

The amnestied prisoners are those who had shown good conduct and had successfully repented while serving their sentence.

The amnesty policy of the Vietnamese Party and State reflects the humanitarian tradition of the Vietnamese nation, which encourages offenders to rehabilitate and become useful member of society.

Nghi Son commune – bright spot of Thanh Hoa’s island tourism

Nghi Son island commune in Tinh Gia district, 50km to the south of Thanh Hoa city – the capital of the northern central coastal province of the same name, has all optimal conditions to develop tourism sustainably. 

On more than 10km stretching from Hai Binh to Nghi Son island, there are white sandy beaches with crystal blue water and mild waves. A system of caves and natural landscapes are judged to be suitable for ecological, cultural and spiritual tourism. 

Bordering Tinh Gia’s Hai Hoa beach and Nghe An’s Cua Lo beach makes it easier for Nghi Son to develop inter-regional cruise tourism products appealing to visitors at home and abroad. 

From Nghi Son island, travellers could explore other attractions in Tinh Gia district, such as Truong Lam cave, Hao Hao lake, climb to Am Cac pagoda to enjoy leisure and serenity, or travel to Me island by vessels. 

Arriving in Nghi Son, they could not resist the natural beauty of Lach Bang relic complex, Ba Lang worship house, temples dedicated to Le Dinh Chau and Dao Duy Tu, Hai Hoa beach and Do Xuyen fish sauce village. 

An overview of Nghi Son economic zone – a multi-sectoral economic zone with a focus on basic and heavy industries such as an oil refinery complex, a thermal power centre, a deepwater port and cement plant, which is expected to become one of modern industrial centres of the north central region and the country, is worth seeing.

Tourist routes have been facilitated when inner areas are connected with Nghi Son peninsula – Truong Lam cave – Ba Lang craft village, Hai Hoa – Me island – Nghi Son and six district tourist routes. 

Potential in local culture and landscapes could bring a big source of revenue to the tourism industry coming from those foreign workers and experts who are working in Nghi Son economic zone. Statistics showed that as of 2015, 35,000 foreign workers and experts worked in the zone and the figure is estimated at nearly 45,000 by 2018.

Thanks to strategic economic location and tourism potential, Nghi Son has lured a large number of investors to projects in Nghi Son economic zone, including those involving tourism. Currently, it records tens of projects worth trillions VND, including resorts and hotels of four stars and above such as Nghi Son tourism and resort complex, Anh Phat and Nghi Son hotels, Bella resort, which not only provide high-quality accommodation for experts working in Nghi Son economic zone but also attract more tourists to the province. 

In order to form close liaison to effectively tap Nghi Son’s tourism potential, the provincial Tourism Association partnered with Tinh Gia district to establish the Nghi Son tourism chapter with 15 members, including business owners and tour operators in Nghi Son economic zone. 

The establishment of the Nghi Son tourism chapter lays an important foundation for businesses to build a professional tourist environment, improve service quality and hospitality skills, contributing to attracting more domestic and foreign tourists to Nghi Son economic zone and Thanh Hoa in general. 

A representative from Nghi Son communal authorities said tourism is a new profession here and defined it as a spearhead economy.

The commune also offers favourable conditions for investors in terms of procedures, mechanisms and call on individuals and collectives to work for tourism businesses. 

Covering only 3.8 square kilometers, Nghi Son peninsula has five historical sites recognised as provincial cultural-historical relics. 

On the island lie Don temple in the northeast, Huu temple in the southeast and Ngoc temple in the southwest. Fortresses on Bien Son island dating back to the Le dynasty were used by Tay Son soldiers during their stay. Most of them suffer serious downgrade due to time and limited awareness of relic preservation by local residents. Their vestiges still hold valuable historic messages and serve as a depository of live history to be handed down to younger generations. 

In order to uphold the potential of tourism, local authorities are calling for the involvement of businesses, organisations, individuals and collectives to restore and upgrade debilitating relics and improve the scale of local traditional festivals such as fish worship and Quang Trung festivals, as well as provide all possible support for businesses to promote local tourism.

48 killed in road accidents on Tết holiday

Traffic death toll amounted to 48 on the first two days of the Lunar New Year (Saturday and Sunday). 

On Sunday alone, 42 road accidents took place, leaving 25 people killed and 36 others injured. 

The same day, the police recorded 176 traffic violators across the nation, of which 14 people having driving licences revoked and 69 having vehicles temporarily seized. 

The death toll increased day by day between Thursday and Sunday.

Rice/shrimp rotation a hit in Bac Lieu

Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu have had bumper harvests of paddy rice and shrimp with higher profits and yields than in previous years.

Farmers who take part in the rice/shrimp rotation model on the same field have also seen fewer outbreaks of disease.

Lương Ngọc Lân, head of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the 2016-17 rice/shrimp rotation crop covered more than 31,000 ha, an increase of more than 10,000 ha compared to the last crop.

The harvest, which ends in mid-February, is expected to bring profits of VNĐ50 million (US$2,202) per ha, he added.

The rice/shrimp rotation model uses no chemicals or fertilisers for paddy rice, while shrimp are not fed, which saves costs.

Lân said that safe and clean shrimp and rice would sell easily as they are favoured by customers

Mai Văn Thiết of the province’s Hồng Dân District, who has expanded his field to two hectares, said that he had received training in modern cultivation techniques, including shrimp breeding and selection of seeds for paddy rice.

Irrigation systems have also been built in the fields.

Last year, the result was a good harvest, leading to profit of more than VNĐ250 million ($11,013) from two crops of shrimp and one for paddy rice, Thiết said.

Tăng Văn Định of the province’s Phước Long District , who had a bumper harvest of shrimp, operates a farm that covers more than one hectare, generating profit of more than VNĐ20 million ($879).

Phạm Thanh Hải, chairman of Phước Long District People’s Committee, said his district had more than 9,000 hectares for rotating rice-shrimp, an increase of more than 2,000 ha compared to the last crop.

Shrimp production was nearly 0.2 tonne per ha and nearly five tonnes per ha for paddy rice, he said.

He expects profit of more than VNĐ50 million per hectare for shrimp and paddy rice, double compared to rice monoculture in the past.

By 2020, the province aims to expand rice-shrimp farming to 40,000 ha, mostly in Hồng Dân and Phước Long districts and Giá Rai Town.

President Tran Dai Quang extends Lunar New Year greetings

President Tran Dai Quang has sent best wishes to people in Vietnam and around the world on the occasion of the Year of the Rooster.

In his New Year letter, the President, on behalf of the Party and the State, offered the best wishes to Vietnamese people, both at home and abroad, and wished people around the world a new year of peace, happiness and prosperity.

He wrote that the entire nation of Vietnam made efforts to overcome numerous difficulties and challenges in 2016, harvesting important achievements in various spheres.

He called on each Vietnamese people to bring into full play patriotism, traditions, self-reliance, solidarity and creativeness to successfully realise the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, thereby opening up a new phase of development in which the country will be affluent and everyone will be happy.

With the confidence in the strength and the bright future of the nation, Vietnamese people are determined to gain even greater victories in the cause of reforms, protecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and building Vietnam into a strong and wealthy country that is comparable to other nations around the globe, he stressed.

“With the consensus of the entire nation, we will definitely be successful!”, President Quang wrote.

President Tran Dai Quang visits on-duty forces on Eve night

President Tran Dai Quang on January 27 visited and extended New Year wishes to forces who were on duty on the Eve night of the Year of the Rooster.

Via live television, the President were briefed on security in Lai Chau, Gia Lai and Kien Giang provinces, HCM City and Hanoi.

The localities said that they dispatched thousands of security employees to ensure security and order and safety, including in remote areas, during the New Year days.

President Quang highly appreciated the sense of responsibility of the security force on duty and recommended them to have effective plans to handle emergencies.

Visiting and extending New Year wishes to the Party, authorities and people of Hanoi, he congratulated the Party, authorities and people of Hanoi on their achievements over the past year.

The President also visited Saint Paul Hospital and praised efforts and results the hospital’s staff have made in the last year, while presenting gifts to patients who were being treated in the hospital.

President Quang met environmental workers who were on duty at the Lenin square in Dien Bien Phu street and the police of Ly Thai To ward, Hoan Kiem district who were on duty in Dinh Tien Hoang street.

Party leader wishes Hanoi a successful New Year

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid a visit to the Party, government and people of Hanoi on January 28, the first day of the Lunar New Year, during which he wished the capital city success in completing all tasks of 2017.

The Party chief lauded the city’s achievements in the past year, noting that the capital is experiencing a flourishing period with high economic growth and improved infrastructure system as well as local’s living conditions.

With an area of 3,300 square kilometres and a population of about 9 million, last year, Hanoi reached a GDP growth of 8.2 percent and 186 trillion VND of budget collection or 110 percent of the estimate. As many as 66 percent of local rural communes were recognised as new-style rural areas.

The Party chief highlighted that there is room for the city to further grow, asking the locality to continue focusing on boosting economic development and fulfilling all socio-economic targets, thus assuring its important role as the major economic hub of the country.

At the same time, Hanoi should maintain and promote its cultural identity and unique characteristics, while boosting tourism and showing better performance in urban management as well as security and social order protection, he stressed.

The Party leader also underscored the need for the city to take pioneer role in the building of Party and political system as well as administrative reform.

On behalf of the city, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai pledged that Hanoi will exert every efforts to overcome all shortcomings and limitations to successfully fulfill all set targets, thus building an elegant, civilized and modern city.

The same day, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also offered incense to Kinh Ly Thai To at his statue in the Ly Thai To Garden, visited Ngoc Son Temple and King Le Thai To’s Monument in Nam Huong Temple historical relic site, and walked around the Hoan Kiem Lake.

Boat services to Ly Son island increased

The central provincial port authority of Quang Ngai has assigned nine passenger boats and 15 cargo ships to serve commuters and islanders traveling to Ly Son island ahead of Tet (lunar New Year).

Deputy director of the port authority, Le Van Luong, said the latest boat would leave Ky Ha port in Quang Ngai province for Ly Son island on January 27, and the augmented boat service would resume on January 29 (the second day of the new lunar year) and run until Februảy 8 as islanders travel back to the mainland after the Tet holidays.

On regular days, boats transport about 1,500 passengers four times daily between the island and Quang Ngai province.

Last summer, the island district added more high-speed boat trips to meet demand of people on vacation.

Last year, a Coast Guard ship was called to carry 660 people to their homes on the island on the eve of Tet due to high waves and strong winds.

Ly Son Island, 30kms off the Quang Ngai province coast, is home to about 21,000 residents. Most make their living fishing and farming garlic and spring onions.

The island is also a favourite destination during holidays, with 100,000 tourists visiting annually.

Khanh Hoa: New Year wish extended to residents, soldiers in Truong Sa

New Year wishes were sent to residents and soldiers in the Truong Sa (Spratly) island district via a live television programme organised by Khanh Hoa province authorities on January 24.

The event took place at the April 2 Square, Nha Trang city, Truong Sa town and Sinh Ton commune in Truong Sa island district.

Le Thanh Quang, Khanh Hoa province’s Party Committee Secretary, asked people and soldiers in Truong Sa town and Sinh Ton commune about their preparations for Tet.

Do The Tuyen, chairman of the Truong Sa town People’s Committee, said with investment from the Party, State, and the Vietnamese People’s Navy’s Regional Command, buildings like the cultural house, tradition house and parks have been built.

Half a month before, necessities for Tet like food, flower, pork, and beef were transported from the mainland to the islands while people on islands began decorating their houses for Tet.

Culture, art and sports programmes were practised to prepare for Tet performances.

Luong Quoc Anh, chairman of the Sinh Ton People’s Committee, said that his commune had received all necessities from the mainland.

Quang wished soldiers and people of Truong Sa town and Sinh Ton commune in Truong Sa district a warm, happy, safe Tet but urged them to remember their responsibility to protect the sea and islands.

Via live television broadcast, on behalf of people and soldiers in Truong Sa district, Tuyen and Anh wished people on the mainland a happy Tet.

EVN supplies electricity for over 9.2 million customers in the north

The Northern Power Corporation under the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN NPC) supplied electricity for over 9.2 million customers across 27 northern localities in 2016.

Chairman and General Director of the EVN NPC Thieu Kim Quynh said the group’s total commercial electricity output surpassed 51.1 billion kWh in 2016, a year-on-year increase of 14.12 percent, the highest level among five EVN corporations.

The rate of electricity loss last year was calculated at 6.09 percent, an annual decline of 0.59 percent, he said, adding that 98.6 percent of rural households were connected to the national grid.

At the end of 2016, three members of the EVN NPC, namely the northern electricity information-technology company, Thai Binh and Quang Ninh power companies, completed the building of the Balance Scorecard (BSC) and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to improve the operational efficiency.

In 2016, the EVN NPC fulfilled its labour productivity target of 2.9 million kWh per head, a yearly rise of 15.7 percent.

This year, the corporation strives to ensure safe and stable electricity for domestic customers.

Workers nationwide get free Tet treats

Disadvantaged workers at industrial zones nationwide are treated to entertainment activities and gifts from their companies and authorities to ease their loneliness when they are not able to reunite with families on the lunar New Year festival (Tet).

In Ho Chi Minh City, the management board of the local industrial zones held a worker festival at the Suoi Tien cultural tourism site on January 25 for more than 600 workers, who could not go home on Tet. 

The workers were given free tickets to the park, partied with municipal officials and each participant also received a gift worth 600,000 VND (26.5 USD).

Doan Thanh Phu, a worker from the southern province of Kien Giang who has been through many Tet holidays away from home, said events like this are meaningful to people like him, adding that assistance from the local authorities has encouraged workers to devote more energies to their work in the year ahead.

The trade union organisation in the Mekong Delta province of Long An also held similar events for poor workers. The provincial Labour Union said local public agencies and companies have so far channeled nearly 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) into Tet bonuses for workers, of which 3 billion VND (132,810 USD) were spent on 7,000 free bus tickets.

Meanwhile, in the northern province of Hai Duong, companies and individuals have donated over 11 billion VND (486,970 USD) to support the local needy during Tet, with more than 20,000 gifts reaching the disadvantaged community.-

Cooperative groups connect fishermen at sea

Fishing and fishery logistics cooperative groups have proved to be effective, benefiting fishermen in Ganh Hao town of Dong Hai district, the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu.

The cooperative groups were set up in 2012 with a view to sharing experience, helping fishermen sell products, and minimising risks at sea.

Many fishermen said the cooperative groups have brought about practical benefits. Through the groups, they share information about fishing grounds, support their peers with fishing tools and fuel, and help one another avoid risks during long offshore trips, thereby raising productivity and ensuring stable income for group members like boat owners and the crew.

As a result, cooperative groups have attracted fishermen, boat owners, fishery logistics providers, and seafood buyers.

There are more than 60 fishing and fishery logistics cooperative groups in Dong Hai district at present.

Lam Van Luom resides in Ganh Hao town and has fished at sea for more than three decades. He said before joining the cooperative groups, fishermen like him had to work on their own and needed dozens of days to find fishing grounds. Their boats also quickly ran out of fuel and supplies after starting to fish, forcing them to return to the mainland.

Heading back to the mainland took much time and reduced profits, he said.

However, everything has changed since he became a member of a cooperative group, he said, adding that when one boat in the group detects fish, it will notify other vehicles in the same group. If it runs out of fuel, it will get help from other boats.

Luom said members of his group have done well and rarely suffered from losses like they did in the past.

Nguyen Truong Han, head of the agriculture and rural development division of Dong Hai district, said such cooperation models have developed strongly in Bac Lieu recently. It has encouraged fishermen to fish farther off the coast as they can deal with risks at sea together.

Alongside fishing cooperative groups, similar groups which provide fisheries logistics services and buy seafood at sea have also flourished.

Nguyen Dang Tuan, a fisherman in Ganh Hao town, said thanks to logistics cooperative groups, fishing boats don’t have to bring seafood back to the mainland anymore but can sell products at sea. Fuel, tools and basic supplies are also provided in fishing grounds thousands of nautical miles offshore where boats are working. That has cut costs and helped their fishing trips be uninterrupted.

According to the agriculture and rural development division of Dong Hai, cooperative groups in this district have attracted nine vehicles providing fisheries logistics services and purchasing seafood at sea. As a result, most of the haul has been sold offshore, thus slashing expenses and raising profits.

Lt. Col. Nguyen Van Binh, head of the border guard station of Ganh Hao town, said cooperative groups now not only help maximise economic benefits but also unite fishermen. As group members, they assist each other to avoid and cope with unexpected risks during fishing trips. Notably, with longer offshore trips, fishermen can also assist authorised agencies to protect the country’s marine sovereignty.

To improve the effectiveness of the cooperative group model, local authorities are going to create favourable policies to promote the foundation of more groups, according to Vice Chairman of the Dong Hai district People’s Committee Nguyen Xuan Thuy.

Once fishermen join in such groups and gain profits, they contribute to the wealth of not only their own families but also of the nation while playing an important role in safeguarding the Fatherland’s sacred sovereignty, he added.-

Vietnamese in Cambodia, Egypt celebrates traditional New Year

Vietnamese communities in Cambodia and Egypt are celebrating the traditional New Year, which falls on January 28.

Vietnam’s Embassy in Egypt on January 28 organised a gathering for Vietnamese in Egypt and northern African countries to celebrate the traditional New Year.

Speaking at the event, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Egypt Do Hoang Long reviewed key points in the Egypt-Vietnam relationship as well as the bilateral relationship in the past year.

He was pleased that Vietnamese in Egypt always assist each other and look forwards to the homeland.

In Cambodia, the Vietnamese community of around 700 households living in Tonle Sap, a seasonally inundated huge freshwater lake in Cambodia, celebrated the Lunar New Year in the traditional way.

2,300 workers out of a job when Tet is imminent

A Taiwanese firm operating in the northern province of Quảng Ninh recently made an unexpected announcement that it was shutting down, leaving nearly 2,300 workers out of a job just before Tết (Lunar New Year).

Trần Danh Chức, Chairman of the Quảng Ninh’s Labour Federation, confirmed the information to Thanh Niên newspaper (Youth).

Last week, Everbest Việt Nam Co. Ltd., an exports footwear manufacturer located in Cẩm Phả City’s Cẩm Sơn Ward, submitted documents to the Quảng Ninh People’s Committee announcing its decision to terminate investment and operations in the province, Chức said.

The reason cited was failing business – the company has not received enough orders to keep the manufacturing operations running.

Authorities in Quảng Ninh has met Everbest representatives to discuss the problems the company has faced and to ensure that the company fulfils all its obligations towards 2,300 workers under its employment.

The company has been asked to give workers all the benefits they are rightfully entitled to. Authorities have ordered the company to submit a detailed plan on realising this responsibility prior to February 15.

In the meantime, the company has to pay the full salary and remuneration packages for workers, including their Tết bonus (the 13th month salary), as well as bus tickets for going home.

The Quảng Ninh Labour Federation has contacted and referred these workers to other firms operating in the province that are in needs of labour.

Railway sector runs 2 hotlines during Tết

The Việt Nam Railway Authority has published two hotline numbers to receive complaints from passengers about railway traffic safety during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.

People can call on the numbers 1676.623.357 and 1668.963.750 to register their complaints.

The railway authority has ordered Việt Nam Railways Corporation to run the two hotlines at every train station in the country.

The Tết holidays fall between January 26 and February 1.

Hải Phòng General Hospital project approved

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has approved investment undertaking for phase 2 of the project involving construction of the Hải Phòng General Hospital.

This phase will be executed using South Korea’s ODA loans.

The project is scheduled to be completed in four years, with total investment of US$104.8 million, of which 91 per cent, or some $95 million, comes from the Economic Development Co-operation Fund as South Korea’s representative aid fund via the Export-Import Bank of Korea as the credit agency.

The goal is to build a new and modern General Hospital in the northern city of Hải Phòng, which will be capable of providing high-quality medical services to the city’s citizens and people in the northern coastal region, helping to partly relieve the burden that is straining central-level hospitals in Hà Nội City.

Historian Lâm dies at 92

Professor Đinh Xuân Lâm, one of the country’s great historians, passed away in Hà Nội on Wednesday at the age of 92.

Lâm, former vice-president of the Việt Nam Association of Historical Sciences, was born on February 2, 1925, in Sơn Tân Village in the central Hà Tĩnh Province’s Hương Sơn District.

He was part of the famous quartet of historians in Việt Nam, including Phan Huy Lê, Hà Văn Tấn and Trần Quốc Vượng.

Lâm has published seven important research papers and authored 90 historical books and 370 articles.

His years of tireless teaching and research and his huge contribution to the country earned the professor honours and awards from the Party and the State, including the Labour Medal, first class, Independence Medal, third class, and the title of People’s Teacher.

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