Nearly 8, 000 Vietnamese people die in road traffic crashes

Nearly 8,000 people died, 19,000 people injured in road crashes in 20, 628 traffic accidents nationwide from January to November, reported the National Traffic Safety Committee on November 25.

The number of deaths and injuries nationwide decreased 11, 3 percent, 3, 6 percent and 15, 8 percent respectively in comparison to the same period last year.

From January to November of this year, traffic police nationwide handled 288, 167 vehicle registrations and 2, 6 million motorbikes registrations.

Currently, traffic police forces impound 5, 352 cars, 465, 787 motorbikes and 318,554 driving- licenses. The state budget collected VND 2.495 billion from penalties imposed on traffic violations.

Government increases student loans

Under a guideline of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, students from low-income families may borrow VND1.35 million (US$59.4) per month instead of VND1.1 million (US$48.4).

The government office has announced the Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh’s guideline that requires the Ministry of Finance to increase student loans from VND1.1 million (US$48.4) to VND1.35 million (US$59.4) per month.

The program’s aim is to help needy students to pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs.

After 9 years of implementation the student loan program has set up a VND25,000 billion fund (US$ 1,110,523,857) to lend to 3.2 million students for their study and living cost during their study in universities.

Each student might borrow only VND800,000 per month at 0.65 per cent interest rate in 2007. The Prime Minister decided to raise the loan to VND1.1 million per month per student in 2013 and now the Government raised student loans again.

Checking all batches of seafood imported from Taiwan

The Department of Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance under Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that from December 1, authority will tighten supervision on all batches of seafood imported from Taiwan (China) into the country.

Following a seven-day trip of the Ministry’s inspection team to Taiwan (China) to inspect the food checking network of the foreign country, Vietnam’s authority decided to check food safety quality of batches of seafood which were imported from Taiwan (China) into Vietnam.

Before, in late September, 2015 the Department of Animal Health detected  23 batches of breed Mu fish, shrimp carrying germs; accordingly, Vietnamese authority asked to destroy all the batches. Additionally, tests of frozen fish batches in border gates carried out by departments of animal health showed that the amount of heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) in 2 batches of Taiwan-imported cuttle-fish have exceeded the allowable limits.

Millennials in Vietnam spend over 15 hours weekly on mobile devices: study

Vietnamese millennials, who are aged 16-30, devote an average of 15 hours per week to their mobile devices to mainly access social media and online videos, according to findings from a global study.

The average millennial in Vietnam spends 2.2 hours a day, equivalent to over 15 hours per week, on their digital handsets, global research consultancy TNS said in a press release on November 19, citing its Connected Life study.

The figure is relatively lower than the global level, which is 3.2 hours a day, or 22.4 hours a week.

Young smartphone users in Vietnam prioritize social over other forms of media, with 53 percent using social media daily – including Facebook, Twitter and others – followed by 41 percent watching online videos, the study said.

The Vietnamese millennials are also likely to adopt mobile payment methods, as six percent of the people in the age group use their phones for online shopping every day.

The group still continues to consume media in traditional ways including TV, radio, newspapers and others, but with much lower frequency than previous generations, according to the study.

Brands across the globe understand the trend and are trying to figure out a way to approach the millennials market through the stated forms of media, TNS said in its study.

However, focusing on the market of young users is considered an expensive distraction as brands can risk losing the older consumers who are changing their pattern of behaviors but with a slower pace, the firm explained.

Vietnamese consumers aged 46 to 65, who spend an average of two hours watching TV and 10 minutes reading newspapers daily, are beginning to use online platforms on a much more regular basis, the study pointed out.

The older age group spends 1.5 hours a day on their mobile devices, of whom 24 percent have access to Facebook every day.

This dual pace in consumer adoption rates is creating a growing ‘digital divide’, leaving many businesses struggling with how they can tailor content for different audiences.

Brands need to address two challenges in order to bridge the gap between the two markets to catch up with all consumers and stay up-to-date in the industry, Joseph Webb, global director of Connected Life, was quoted as saying in the press release.

“Firstly, they need to make sure they are focusing on the content-driven, shareable campaigns that really cut through with this user group,” Webb said.

Businesses should not assume that older consumers can only be targeted through traditional media as more people in this age group are increasingly adapted to new technology, he added.

Connected Life is a leading global study of the digital attitudes and behaviors of 60,500 internet users across 50 countries, which was conducted between May and August 2015.

The study offers essential insights and uncovers new opportunities for marketers to connect with their consumers through media.

TNS is part of Kantar, the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups, according to the press release.

It advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and customer strategies, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions.

Ho Chi Minh City eatery calls for probe into rat-in-hotpot allegation

A restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City has been accused of serving a group of diners a crab hotpot containing a large rat, and is calling on authorities to look into what it says is a false allegation.

On November 21, a woman named T. L. H. Tr. posted a photo showing a rat lying at the bottom of a bowl on her Facebook account, plus a lengthy caption explaining the shocking picture.

Tr. said the rat was found by her family when they finished eating the crab hotpot at the Lau De & Cua 245 (Goat and Crab Hotpot) in Phu Nhuan District the night before.

The family members had been enjoying the food until they “found a dead rat at the bottom of the pot after eating all the vegetables and broth,” according to the viral Facebook post.

“When my uncle reported the incident to the restaurant manager, he apologized to us and said we would not have to pay for the meal,” the post reads.

“When my uncle asked him about the possibility of food poisoning, the manager appeared very angry, while the chef alleged that it was us who put the rat into the hotpot.”

In the end, the diners agreed to pay half the bill because they “did not want to argue.”

However, their story is quite different from that told by Ly Trieu Van, the restaurant owner, who was contacted by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday.

Van confirmed that there was a rat found in the pot of a group of 18 diners on November 20.

“However, the rodent was found in full shape, rather than stewed,” he said.

Van said footage from a surveillance camera shows that the diners had been enjoying the meal normally until a group of women left and there were only a few men at the table.

“After a while a man also left the table and then returned around two minutes later, when he called over the manager to complain about the rat,” Van said.

The restaurant owner said it was impossible for a rat to remain invisible until the pot was emptied, as the level of the broth was only 2cm, while the rodent measured around 12cm.

“It is impossible that they did not see the rat when they began eating the hotpot,” he said.

“If the rat had been in the hotpot during the cooking process, it would have been stewed.”

Van said he is working with relevant authorities to clarify the issue.

The Facebook account of T. L. H. Tr. was deactivated when Tuoi Treattempted to reach her on Tuesday afternoon.

Loc, the restaurant manager, said he had agreed to sign a written guarantee that the eatery would be fully responsible if any of the diners suffered food poisoning.

The manager also asked for the mobile phone numbers of the customers, but they refused to give them, he said.

“None of the diners have returned to ask for compensation since the incident happened,” Loc added.

Number of foreigners to Vietnam up 20% in November

The number of foreigners to Vietnam witnessed a year-on-year increase of 20.4% in November, reaching 723,740, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The figure also represented an increase of 12.9% compared to the previous month and raised the total number of foreigners to 7.07 million, slightly down 2% against the same period last year.

As many as 53.8 million domestic visitors were recorded over the reviewed time, including 26.6 million using accommodation services.

The nation earned VND312, 936 billion from tourism in 11 months, up 5.2% in comparison with the same period in 2014.

New policies on visa exemption are regarded as the key factor to attract more investors from Europe to Vietnam. In addition, more travelers from China and Russia also helped raise the number of foreigners to Vietnam over the recent months.

The Government issued Resolution No. 46NQ-CP declaring visa exemption for citizens from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italia when visiting Vietnam.

The nation also unilaterally exempts visas for citizens from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Russia.

Foreign NGO aid poured into Ben Tre

The southern province of Ben Tre has received 171,000 USD in non-project aid from foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 2015.

The information was disclosed by the provincial Department of Planning and Investment at a workshop in the province on November 25.

Currently, 37 NGOs have registered for aid activities in the Mekong Delta province, including the Japanese cleft lip and palate association, the Japanese association for supporting Vietnamese children and the United Nations Population Fund in Vietnam.

The aid has brought pragmatic benefits to local people, especially those living in poor rural areas.

In March 2015, the provincial People’s Committee decided to establish the Union of Friendship Organisations of Ben Tre Province (BTUFO) to call for foreign NGO aid in the fields of agro-forestry production, rural development, healthcare, education, vocational training, settlement of social issues, climate change adaptation, mitigation of natural disasters’ impacts, and emergency relief.

Vietnamese youth send climate change messages to COP21

More than 1,500 students and young people participated in a climate action arts festival entitled “Power Up” in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday night, with a view to conveying their strong messages on climate change issues.

The festival was co-organised by the Center of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) and a global climate movement, 350.org Vietnam, in response to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) to be held in Paris, France later this month.

Joining the global message “Keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050”, “Power Up” sought to inspire the Vietnamese community, especially the youth and leaders of domestic businesses, on the issues of climate change and energy as a whole and environmental protection in particular, thereby driving them to raise their voice and partake in practical actions aiming to convey Vietnam’s strong messages ahead of the Congress.

The “Power Up” festival used creative artistic forms and gathered the participation of famous artists in Vietnam, which made information on climate change easier to be understood and brought a stronger influence, according to CHANGE Director Hoang Thi Minh Hong.

The event updated young people and students with information on climate change and environmental pollution in four sections: fossil fuels, renewable energies, arts and movies. The participants also had a chance to experience communication activities on climate change in many new and unique forms, and explore information on coal, a fossil fuel serving energy production but also causing adverse impacts on climate change.

The youth participants and artists also posed for photos together holding banners and shouting slogans calling on governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by limiting investment in fossil fuels and enhancing investment in renewable energy, and calling for support from developed countries to developing nations in implementing this process. Photos and videos on these moves will be extensively communicated on global channels, thereby conveying Vietnamese people’s voices to the COP21 in Paris.

Prime minister approves renewable energy development strategy

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the renewable energy development strategy until 2030 with a vision towards 2050.

The strategy is designed to provide households with reliable and sustainable energy sources at reasonable prices; and promote the use of renewable energy as part of green economic development goals.

Under the strategy, the amount of energy produced by hydropower plants will increase from 56 billion kilowatt-hours in 2015 to around 96 billion kilowatt-hours in the next 15 years.

Priority will be given to the harnessing of wind power on land to raise the current output of 180 million kilowatt-hours to 53 billion kilowatt-hours in 2050, equivalent to 5% of total electricity output.

The government also seeks to increase the share of solar energy to one fifth at 210 billion kilowatt-hours by the half-century to supply to remote areas and contribute to the national power grid.

As part of the strategy, focus will also be given to the generation of power from biomass, biogas and waste from plants, animals and households.

Vietnam will become a 'super-aged' nation in 2050: officials

More than 70% of older people have to keep working and financially depend on their families.

Rapid drops in both birth and death rates, combined with a much longer life expectancy, have created a new set of challenges for Vietnam as its inadequate healthcare and welfare systems are failing to catch up with an aging population, officials said.

They warned at a recent conference that Vietnam’s population is aging faster than the world’s average speed. It is set to become an "aged" nation within the next two decades and a "super-aged" country in 2050.

A "super-aged" country is defined as one with one fifth of its population above the age of 60.

Doctor Mai Xuan Phuong from the General Department of Population and Family Planning said Vietnam’s life expectancy has increased 33 years to 73 over the past 50 years, much faster than the global average increase of 21 years.

Most old people in Vietnam suffer from chronic diseases and only half can afford medical treatment. Photo credit: VnExpress

Phuong said, as cited by news website VnExpress, that longevity is a “great achievement,” but it can pose certain challenges.

There is now a heavy burden on healthcare, considering that around 95% of old people in Vietnam are suffering from chronic diseases, he said.

Statistics showed that more than 70% of elderly people have to work and depend on extra support from their children. Only 25.5% live on pension or social support.

Many old people in Vietnam depend on income from their family’s agriculture activities but that has been threatened by urbanization and industrial development taking up farmland.

“The healthcare and social welfare systems have not met the demand,” Phuong said. “Besides, not many old people understand their social welfare rights.”

He said half of the elderly population cannot afford medical costs for their health conditions and around 30% are not covered by any health insurance, he said.

Phuong said elderly people in Vietnam also face the problem of having to deal with the common mindset that they are social burden.

“Old people need to be given opportunities to contribute to social development and get a fair share. We need long-term strategies to slow down the aging of the population and to expand and diverse healthcare services for old people,” the doctor said.

Urban water supply sector to improve infrastructure

An estimated VND72,000 billion (US$3.3 billion) will be needed for supplying water to urban areas in the 2016-2020 period, the Co-operation in Viet Nam-Finland Water Sector forum, held yesterday, said.

The forum was organised by the Vietnamese construction ministry.

The Vietnamese urban water supply sector would give priority to improving and expanding the water distribution system, the technical infrastructure department under the construction ministry said.

Investment will focus on facilities such as raw water collection pipelines, water transmission pipelines, and transport and distribution pipelines.

The Vietnamese water sector has to handle delays in the development of these facilities and ensure that the efficiency of the systems was maximised, the department said.

The construction ministry will offer support in implementing public private partnership (PPP) projects in the water supply and drainage and urban solid waste treatment sectors in the near future.

It was necessary that a complete mechanism for PPP projects in this sector and appropriate reciprocal capital were available, the department said.

Given that ODA and the state budget are shrinking, it is essential to mobilise capital from domestic and foreign individuals and businesses for water supply investment and development.

The Finnish side said they would continue to offer preferential projects in water supply and drainage to Viet Nam.

Besides water supply projects in small towns in the northern provinces of Dien Bien, Hung Yen and Bac Kan, Finland will continue to implement other projects in the near future.

Finland has revised its regulations on preferential credit, but Viet Nam continues to be its priority partner.

Keeping the environment clean is a key responsibility of every mineral exploitation company, especially as pollution recently made its way to the top of the government's agenda.

A conference in Ha Noi yesterday discussed companies' social responsibilities in the field of mineral exploitation. The environmental police found 6,500 cases of violations in the field this year, the event heard.

"The mineral exploitation field is a special one, when its activities have an impact on many aspects of people's lives," said Nguyen Quang Vinh, Deputy Secretary General of Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). "It uses a lot of mineral resources, and might force people to resettle or cause environmental pollution during its operations. Therefore it is vital to raise companies' awareness about their responsibilities when it comes to sustainable development."

Viet Nam Association for Mineral Processing Chairman Nguyen Minh Duong said that no company could survive in a locality without fulfilling its responsibilities to that community.

The latest related incident was a protest by dozens of people at Hoi Loi hamlet in Binh Dinh province against Thanh An Company in September. The titan-exploitation company was accused by locals of polluting water sources, producing thick layers of dust on the residents' houses and blocking roads. Authorities later suspended the company from operation.

Bim Son Cement Co. Deputy Director Nguyen Van Chau agreed that all companies should be responsible for contributing to the community, but the local authorities must also support the enterprises, especially regarding red tape and corruption.

Handicapped children to benefit from Hanoi Run

The Hanoi Run for Children (HRC), an annual community event to raise a fund for underprivileged children with cancer and heart disease, is set to take place at the main gate of Thong Nhat (Reunification) Park in Hanoi on December 6.

The event is co-organised by the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association (VCFA), the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (HAUFO), the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam, Manulife Vietnam, and the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

Addressing the press conference on November 24, Canada Ambassador to Vietnam David Devine stated every child in the country deserves to enjoy a healthy life, adding that together with the event, Hanoi residents and members of the international community living and working in the capital can make that happen.

“The Hanoi Run for Children is an excellent example of how we as a community can work together towards a common goal. It is also a demonstration of the strong friendship between our two countries and peoples”, said the Canadian diplomat.

Also at the event, Mrs Nguyen Thi Thu Giang, the Secretary-General of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association described the HRC as an effective people-to-people activity helping deepening mutual understanding and friendship between people of Vietnam and other countries, including Canada.

People’s Artist Le Khanh, singer Tung Duong, female singer Thai Thuy Linh, and famed footballer Hoang Vu Samson of Hanoi T&T were among those in attendance.

According to the organising board, on December 6 morning, attendees can warm up with the Nshape professional coaches’ instructions, and have chance to enjoy music performances by famous singers and young talents from Taca Emca and Sao tuoi tho Clubs, and watch a martial art performance by VOVINA.

All the proceeds of the HRC will be used to treat underprivileged children with cancers and heart diseases at the National Hospital of Pediatrics, the Hanoi Heart Hospital, and the Heart Beat Vietnam programme of the VinaCapital Foundation.

Hanoians and foreign residents can buy a HRC T-shirt to donate VND30.000 to the fund at 3 Joma Bakery Café locations in 43 To Ngoc Van Street, 22 Ly Quoc Su street, and 38 Lieu Giai Street), and 1 HAUFO location in 15B Phan Chu Trinh street.

T-shirts will be on sale 8 days prior to the event.

Food and beverage stalls from Joma Bakery Café will also be set up around the stage and all profits will go to the fund-raising activities.

Established in 2000 (formerly known as the Terry Fox Run Hanoi before a change of format in 2009), the event is recognized as a popular corporate/family team building activity that promotes social responsibility while increasing awareness of healthcare issues in Vietnam.

The HRC raises around VND 1 billion on average each year.

Waste treatment plant to go up on Phu Quoc

The first central waste treatment plant on Phu Quoc Island is scheduled to come online late next year, thus helping solve a chronic problem faced by some parts of the resort island off mainland Kien Giang Province.

Huynh Quang Hung, vice chairman of Phu Quoc District, said the local authority is allocating 10 hectares of land in Ham Ninh Commune to Toan Cau Company to construct the garbage treatment facility.

Apart from the waste treatment plant project, the district has picked a consulting group from Kobe City of Japan to make a pre-feasibility study for a central wastewater treatment facility on Phu Quoc Island. The study will be completed soon.

Phu Quoc is emerging as an attractive destination for tourists, so it is unacceptable if the environment is unclean, Hung told the Daily. “We want our tourism sector to develop strongly but sustainably. Therefore, we are focusing on building waste treatment facilities to make the island environmentally friendly.”

Hung said due to the absence of a central waste treatment facility, garbage on the island is transported to a landfill. This does not ensure sanitation for the island and there have been complaints about garbage on the island.

He noted that garbage in some places on the island have not been collected properly but local government will try to collect all garbage on the streets and in residential and tourist areas.

Phu Quoc welcomed around 700,000 domestic and foreign tourists in the first ten months of the year. Visitor arrivals in all of 2015 are expected to reach around 900,000, up 40% year-on-year.

Fatal electrical accidents on the increase in shrimp ponds

Potentially fatal electrical accidents are on the rise around shrimp ponds in the southern province of Bac Lieu, Vietnam News Agency reported.

However, the management of power cables and local awareness of their dangers remains low, the agency quoted local authorities as saying.

Figures from police in Dong Hai District showed that at least four people died from electric shocks in the past two months.

In August, Pham Van Sang, 30, and Nguyen Thanh Toan, 41, in Dong Hai District's Long Dien Dong Commune, were killed near their shrimp ponds. Sang had been using worn electrical electric wires on his farm, while Toan died while he was trying to fix an engine in his shrimp pond.

In July, Le Thi Nhanh and Ngo Thanh Trung, both 32 and also residents of the same commune, were killed following a short circuit.

A father and a son in Dien Hai Commune also died from an electric shock last February while turning on a pump in their shrimp pond.

These are not isolated cases. Vinh Trach Commune's Party Committee Secretary Phan Minh Kha said eight people had died in his commune from electric shocks since 2013.

Huynh Loi Nguyen, head of Long Dien Dong Commune's Police Department, said that a lack of understanding about electricity had led to the deaths of local residents.

Most victims tried to connect electricity from their houses to their shrimp ponds, which could be hundreds of metres away, he said. After a short time, the wiring gets worn and dangerous.

According to Nguyen, the electricity sector must take part of the responsibility for the increase of electrical accidents in the past months. The sector must inspect the use of electricity and fine those who violate safety regulations.

Tran Quyen Du, director of the Bac Lieu Electricity Company, said the company had worked with the media and circulated fliers to inform local people about the safe use of electricity.

Du said residents should use two electrical wires that were both insulated safely.

Tran Danh Tuyen, deputy director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said that as regulated, the Bac Lieu Electricity Company must report accidents to the department every month.

However, none of this year's fatalities were reported.

Tuyen said the province had not invested in power grid for shrimp farms, so the department would revise the use of electricity at shrimp farms to ensure the safety of local residents.

Resettled villagers suffer more challenging life

The lives of many people in Moc Chau District in this province have become more difficult a decade after they moved to this region upon surrendering their native lands.

In early 2004, 61 households in the Lot and Penh villages of It Ong Commune, Muong La District, had to move to Tan Lap Commune to cede land to the construction project of the Son La hydroelectric plant.

People in Nam Khao Village, located 15km from Tan Lap Commune, mostly live on small plots of land used as cassava plantations. However, over the last few years, the decline in the price of cassava has created financial difficulties for the locals. In 2014, they also attempted growing maize, but its low price did not improve their finances.

Lo Van Hop, from Nam Khao Village, said the fertile land in their old village had given the locals an abundant harvest of maize and cassava. But when they moved here, they were unable to live on their maize and cassava plantations.

Lo Thi Yen, a mother of four, said she used to live near the river and had a rice field near her old house, which was convenient. Now, she needs to find a job in order to feed her children, but she has no job skills.

Tong Van Phuong, head of Nam Khao Village, said many people wanted to find jobs to improve their lives but could not find one as they had no prior training. The locals want to grow tea to improve their livelihoods and have also requested the authorities to provide cows, pigs and goats.

Vang A Thao, chairman of Tan Lap Commune's People's Committee, said the commune intends to convert inefficient agricultural land into tea plantations and will launch classes for the locals, so they can learn to grow tea.

Facilities to be exposed for packaging violations

Authorised agencies will publicise lists of facilities and businesses found violating regulations on quality and measurement standards, Tran Viet Thanh, deputy minister of science and technology told a workshop last week.

A recent inspection campaign, launched by the ministry, has examined 16 kinds of packaged products from 2,900 facilities and businesses in 63 cities and provinces.

Nearly 600 facilities and businesses were found violating regulations on labels and measurement standards with drinking and agricultural products accounting for 50 per cent of violation cases.

The most common violation was that the actual weights of the products were less than ones written on the packing.

Nghe An Province had the highest number of violation cases. Among 37 samples of bottled mineral water tested, 23 were found seriously violating quality standards, according to a representative of the province's department of science and technology.

Owners of the these facilities have used fake quality testing certificates to sell their products in the domestic market.

Tran Minh Dung, chief of the ministry's inspectorate said that the current punishment was not strong enough to solve the problem.

"The total collected fine for violations of quality and measurement standards of nearly 600 facilities and businesses was only VND1.7 billion (nearly US$76,000)," Dung said.

The ministry has proposed a considerable increase in administrative fines for violators.

"We need stronger punishment to address the problem. Those who seriously violate quality standards, posing risks to consumers' health should be considered as criminals," Thanh, the deputy minister, said.

The ministry's plan to publicise lists of facilities violating regulations on quality and measurement standards will protect consumers' rights and help them make better choices in purchasing packaged products.

"This is also a warning for facilities and businesses who only care about their profits regardless of consumers' health. People will protect their health by boycotting low-quality products," Thanh said.

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