Sea erosion damages homes in Binh Thuan

The southern Binh Thuan Province's authorities and experts from the Central Natural Disaster Prevention Department are working out measures to cope with coastal landslides caused by sea erosion.— Photo vov.vn

Southern Binh Thuan province's authorities and experts from the Central Natural Disaster Prevention Department are working out measures to cope with coastal landslides caused by sea erosion.

Deputy Director of the department Tang Quoc Chinh said on February 24 while checking the eroded area that this was the second time the experts had come here to conduct a survey. "However, this time, we invited by Pro Marcel Stive from the Delft Technology University of the Netherlands to join the delegation to take advantage of his opinions on measures and orientations in preventing erosion in this area," he said.

Lien Huong town in Tuy Phong district is among the three places that has been hit the hardest by sea erosion, with 29 households having completely collapsed.

In addition, strong waves caused landslides along one kilometre of the coastline, intruded 10m into the coastal land and damaged 41 houses in Duc Long ward and Tien Thanh commune in Phan Thiet city.-

President promotes pioneer spirit at VNU

President Truong Tan Sang has urged the Ha Noi-based Viet Nam National University (VNU) to revamp its teaching and learning methods, and employ advanced international education models to produce outstanding achievements.

During his visit yesterday to the leading educational institute in Viet Nam, the President said that the VNU should become a base to assess the country's industrialisation and modernisation with the goal of international integration.

He stressed that to meet this goal, it would require the resolve of the entire political system, policy makers and intellectuals.

Regarding the Viet Nam-Japan University, VNU's new member located in the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park in the west of Ha Noi, the leader asked VNU to partner with relevant ministries and agencies to speedily complete a feasibility study to take advantage of the support and assistance from the Government and businesses of Japan.

The Viet Nam-Japan University, the concept of which was born from the hopes and ideas of high-ranking leaders from Viet Nam and Japan, will offer courses in Japanese, English and Vietnamese. Its course model focuses on the close connection between training and research, businesses and the university, and public-private partnerships.

As a graduate and post-graduate training facility, and as a research centre, VNU plays an important role in national higher education.

Staffed by nearly 1,900 lecturers, the university organises over 360 training courses every year, attracting some 36,000 students.

With its marked performance, VNU has been placed in the top 200 universities in Asia by the QS World University Ranking and is the leading university in Viet Nam.

JICA helps rural development in Yen Bai

A working delegation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on February 25 had a working session with leaders of the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai in preparation for a JICA-funded project to develop rural areas in the locality.

According to the head of JICA’s investigation team Takuya Nakagawa, in October and November 2015, the agency sent investigation delegations to collect data on improving agricultural productivity in the six northern mountainous provinces of Dien Bien, Son La, Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Lao Cai and Yen Bai.

The estimated investment is from 300-350 billion VND (13.4-15.7 million USD) for each locality.

In Yen Bai, the working delegation will conduct surveys and collect data on sub-projects, and hold working sessions with several local departments from February 26 to March 12.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Chien Thang thanked JICA for their cooperation with and support for Yen Bai province.

JICA-funded programmes and projects have previously produced positive results, facilitating agricultural production for local farmers.

The locality wishes to continue receiving support from the agency to boost its agricultural and rural development and improve locals’ livelihoods, thus contributing to its socio-economic development.

Quang Nam presents new high capacity offshore vessels

Fishermen in Tam Giang fishing port, Nui Thanh district in the central province of Quang Nam presented 14 new high capacity offshore vessels on February 25.

The new vessels are built under the Government Decree No 67/2014/ND-CP on offshore fishing development policies

In accordance with the decree, the district was instructed to construct 50 new vessels with advanced equipment. After one year, 49 local ship owners were granted ship-building licences.

At present, Quang Nam has 22 high capacity fishing vessels, of which 14 are wooden boats and eight steel-hulled. The remainder of the 50 ships will be built with funding from credit loans worth a total of nearly 200 billion VND ( 9.1 million USD).

Decree 67, which took effect in August 2014, stipulates policies in investment, credit, insurance, and tax incentives in support of fishermen and ship owners who wish to build new fishing boats, upgrade their existing ones or buy fishing and marine equipment. Its aim is to earn fishermen higher incomes.

Health sector receives congratulations on doctor’s day

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and head of the Party Central Committee’s Information and Education Commission Vo Van Thuong have congratulated the health sector on the occasion of Vietnam Doctors’ Day (February 27).

Visiting the Ministry of Health’s headquarters in Hanoi on February 25, Nhan praised the outstanding achievements made by doctors and physicians, saying that their services contribute to improving the health of the people.

Thanks to the efforts of the health sector, many advanced technologies have been applied to medical examinations and treatments, the rate of qualified medical staff has increased and the number of people joining social insurance is improving, he noted.

He affirmed that the Front will continue working closely with the sector to implement its supervisory role related to social and health insurance in enterprises and legal execution of private medical establishments, as well as food safety.

Nhan hoped medical staff would continue bettering their profession, promoting initiatives and creativity, further contributing to the nation’s development.

Congratulating medical workers on their day, Vo Van Thuong hailed the strong development of the sector over the past years, saying that this contributed to the country’s achievements, including realising millennium development goals (MDGs).

Sharing Nhan’s opinion, Thuong said Vietnam’s health sector had reached many positive advancements with the health network at all levels becoming better and better.

He spoke highly of the close links between the Commission and the Health Ministry in recent times, saying that the two sides should further boost their coordination in health related matters.

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien affirmed the sector’s determination to fully tap its strength and called for even greater attention by the two agencies on healthcare work going forward.

Hanoi welcomes Asia's second EkoCenter

The Women's Union of Thuong Tin district in cooperation with the People's Committee of Duy Thai commune and Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Limited on February 24 officially launched Asia's second EkoCenter in Hanoi.

The EkoCenter is located at the cultural house of Ha Thai hamlet, Duy Thai commune in Thuong Tin district. It is equipped with a roof covered entirely with solar panels, supplied by Solarkiosk.

The green energy produced by the center's solar panels produce approximately 8kW of electricity per day, enough to power all of the center's activities. This includes the EkoCenter's water treatment system that daily can purify about 6,000 liters of water to serve the needs of 3,000 local people.

On the same day, the Vietnam Environment Administration and Coca-Cola Vietnam signed a partnership agreement on the environment to extend environmental activities already being implemented and further consolidate the partnership between the parties.

The agreement will encourage companies, the community and other organisations to actively participate and pay attention to environmentally sustainable activities.

Those wishing to support the Agent Orange/dioxin-affected community can make text-message donations from now through to April 19.

By texting DACAM to 1409, an individual can donate 18,000 VND (0.8 USD) to the victims of chemical-warfare.

Speaking at the texting campaign launch ceremony on February 25, President Nguyen Van Rinh of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) said over the past five years, the programme has mobilised over 13 billion VND (580,360 USD) from 700,000 messages delivered.

As a result of the donations, homecare has been provided and care facilities constructed, along with financial support that has improved living conditions for AO victims, Rinh said.

The building of the Association’s Centre for Social Protection, which was approved three years ago is scheduled to be completed in March, according to Rinh.

The facility, sitting on 16.7 hectares in Yen Binh commune, Thach That district, Hanoi is expected to accommodate and care for AO victims from nearby provinces, Rinh said.

On the occasion, the Association also introduced its Da Cam Magazine, which was previously known as “Ban tin Da cam” (AO News).

Numerous activities are scheduled to take place this year to mark the 55 th anniversary of the use of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam, which is also the national day for AO victims (August 10).

Vietnamese Doctors’ Day marked in Hanoi

Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan has asked the Hanoi Medical University (HMU) to pour more investment into laboratories and links with other hospitals in and outside the country to equip its future physicians with more practical knowledge and skills.

Speaking at a ceremony at the university on February 25 to mark Vietnamese Doctors’ Day (February 27), the Vice President stressed caring for public health is a prioritised task and objective of the Party, the entire political system and each family.

HMU should work harder to improve its teaching and learning methods, apply the world’s scientific achievements and state-of-the-art technologies, and train doctors who have both good professional qualifications and good medical ethics, Doan said.

The official hailed comprehensive achievements the health sector has recorded over the past 21 years, which, she said, have seen the marked contributions of the Hanoi Medical University and its hospital.

As one of the country’s key educational facilities, HMU has become a reliable supplier of human resources for the health sector and a leading scientific centre nationwide, the Vice President noted.

On this occasion, a statue of French Doctor Alexandre Yersin, the first headmaster of HMU which was established in 1902 under the French name École de Médecine de l’Indochine, was inaugurated.

February 27 was designated as Vietnamese Doctors’ Day as it is the day when President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the health staff across the country.

Agencies, companies active for environmental protection

The Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Coca-Cola Vietnam have agreed to jointly implement a green programme in Vietnam.

The programme, signed in February 24 comprises numerous activities, including a smart litter bin design contest, green festivals, and environmental protection activities at schools and universities.

The Administration has also actively worked with other organisations and enterprises on a wide range of initiatives contributing to raising the public awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Among the initiatives are the “one million trees for Vietnam” initiated by the Vietnam Diary Vinamilk Company, the “Panasonic – for a green Vietnam” Programme by Panasonic, and the “green creative contest” by the Friesland Campina Vietnam.

Northwestern provinces work to enhance regional tourism

The steering committee for tourism cooperation in eight northwestern provinces held a session in Phu Tho on February 25 to set tasks for 2016 and discuss the organisation of the 2017 National Tourism Year Northwest-Lao Cai.

The committee considered developing tourism products among its prioritised tasks with a focus on building exemplary community-based spots and signature products of each locality.

It also put stress on fostering connection with the northeast region, China’s Yunnan province and Laos.

Meanwhile, the hoa ban festival in Dien Bien, Hung King Temple festival in Phu Tho, Lai Chau tourism week and Vietnam International Travel Mart are top promotional activities.

The committee also mentioned the reception for FAMTRIP and MEDIATRIP delegations in promoting the tourism year.

As scheduled, the 2017 National Tourism Year Northwest-Lao Cai, themed “colours of the northwest”, will open in Lao Cai city in February next year.

Its events will be held across the extended northwestern region and in other provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Notable activities include the Vietnam tourism village festival and a cultural, sports and tourism festival among Vietnam, Laos, China and Cambodia.

In 2008, a tourism cooperation pact was signed between eight extended northwestern provinces – Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, and Ha Giang.

Dengue alarm raised in Central Highlands

Hygiene and epidemic prevention authorities in the Central Highlands provinces have raised the alarm of a serious dengue fever epidemic hitting the region due to unexpected changes in the weather conditions since the beginning of the year.

The alarm was sounded on Monday after the Central Highlands Institute of Epidemic Prevention reported nearly 900 cases in the region so far this year, up over 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, the largest numbers of dengue infections were recorded in the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak.

The institute also requested provinces and local people enact measures to prevent the disease's spread, such as raising public awareness and spraying mosquito repellent in high-risk areas.

Health experts say that the rapid variation in weather conditions and erratic temperature fluctuations are resulting in a rise in dengue cases.

Localities have launched responses to the outbreak, including establishing inspection groups in high risk areas, providing necessary equipment, opening training courses for medical staff and destroying mosquito larva.

According to the World Health Organization, around 100 million people are infected with dengue fever each year around the world, mostly children below 15. The disease is circulating in more than 100 tropical countries with about 3.5 billion living in high-risk areas.

Data from the Western Pacific Region of the WHO revealed that the number of dengue cases in Viet Nam last year increased over the previous year. In 2015, about 97,400 cases were reported, more than triple the 32,000 cases reported in 2014.

The dengue-related death toll also tripled with 61 deaths in 2015 compared to 20 in 2014.

The number of dengue cases was higher than any year since 2010 (109,304). The years following were 2011 (64,532), 2012 (79,485) and 2013 (60,588).

The disease, once called "break-bone fever", is contracted through bites from dengue-infected mosquitoes. Its symptoms include headaches, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rashes. There is no medication to cure the disease, only to ease the symptoms.

Dengue fever of multiple types is found in most countries of the tropics and subtropics, particularly during and after rainy season.

Ha Noi holds year's first job fair amid labour shortages

More than 670 people had a chance to find jobs at the first job fair of the year, which was held in Ha Noi yesterday, said the Ha Noi Job Service Centre, which is under the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Thirty-two enterprises took part in the fair and displayed their information about jobs that require several levels of degrees.

Forty per cent of the jobs are offered to manual labourers, while graduates accounted for 10.2 per cent and the lowest recruitment rate is offered to post graduates with only 0.6 per cent, the centre said.

There is a rise in recruitment demand since the end of last year but few workers registered for jobs at the centre, Nguyen Toan Phong, the centre's director said.

The shortage of labourers has happened in Ha Noi for many years, particularly manual labourers, because people here tend to study at universities and colleges, he said. So they have a stable job after graduating, he added.

Deputy director of the centre, Vu Thi Thanh Lieu, said many enterprises in the industrial zones and small and medium-sized companies sent their recruitment notice to the centre in the first working days after the long Tet (Lunar New Year) festival holiday, but few workers registered for jobs at the centre in the last few days.

The centre would host 102 job fairs to meet the high demand of employers this year, she said.

High risk of deforestation across country

Prolonged dry weather has raised the risk of fires in 12 provinces to Level V (extremely dangerous).

The alert was issued by the Department of Forest Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Tuesday.

These central, western highlands and southern provinces include Lam Dong, Tay Ninh, Khanh Hoa and Gia Lai, as well as Dong Nai, An Giang, Binh Phuoc and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Also on the list are Ca Mau, Kon Tum, Long An and Ninh Thuan. These are areas where forests catch fire easily because of low rainfall over the past few months.

Besides this, the risk of forest fires in three provinces Binh Thuan, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc, is at Level IV (dangerous).

The authorities have urged localities to implement preventive measures and be prepared to tackle forest fires by using on-site resources to ensure minimum damage.

Additionally, foresters need to instruct locals on farming in forests, banning them from burning the trees to clear land.

Businesses seek four times as many employees online after Tet holiday

Employers were looking to fill four times the vacancies on JobStreet.com Viet Nam in the week after Tet (Lunar New Year) as in the whole of January, the online jobs company said in a report earlier this week.

In the website's poll of 350 employers, 75 per cent said most recruitment activities during the year occur in the first two quarters, with 68 per cent saying the peak period is just after Tet.

The skewed situation could lead to much more competitiveness in recruitment, Angie Phang, general manager of Jobstreet.com Viet Nam, said.

Recruitment costs would also be higher as a result, she said.

In January the sales, marketing, and information and communication technology sectors were the top hirers, with a whopping 29.5 per cent of the jobs on the site pertaining to sales and marketing.

A survey of 2,000 jobseekers last December found that around 68 per cent of employees hoped to find better jobs in the next 12 months since 66 per cent expected the 2016 bonus to grow by less than 3 per cent.

Companies should develop their own talent banks and adjust salaries according to market trends to retain employees, Phang said.

"Employees have changed in the way they select the job. They want to work at honest companies rather than big ones."

60,000 victims identified in multi-level marketing scam

The Ministry of Public Security has ordered police in 27 cities and provinces to join an investigation into a fraudulent multi-level marketing company that managed to scam more than 60,000 people.

Colonel Tran Quang Huy said the ministry had initially identified about 45,000 victims, but the number quickly surged to 60,000.

“There are still more victims and the amount of money involved is not only VND1.9 trillion (US$85.2 million) as previously thought,” he said.

The ministry arrested seven members of Hanoi-based Lien Ket Viet JSC, including chairman Le Xuan Giang, deputy general director Nguyen Thi Thuy and five of their employees.

Police said since late last year, many people have reported that they paid deposits to join the company but never received any commission as promised.

A photo provided by the Ministry of Public Security shows Le Xuan Giang (2, L) of Lien Ket Viet JSC in an army uniform to cheat his customers.

The minimum requirement was VND8.5 million (US$380) a person, but many put down more in hopes of earning huge returns. The largest single deposit was a staggering VND6 billion (US$270,000).

“These people have borrowed money from relatives and friends to join the company after being promised high commissions,” he said.

Huy said Giang and his accomplices have spent more than VND100 billion to pay commissions to a number of people and kept the rest for themselves.

According to investigators, Giang, 45, used to serve in the military in the early 1990s and then studied at a vocational school of the Ministry of Defense.

In 2005, he opened a private company to sell supplements and healthcare devices.

He obtained a license for multi-level marketing in June 2014 and has since used army uniforms and fake shoulder marks to impersonate as a military officer, falsely claiming that his company was managed by the Ministry of Defense.

He also forged certificates of merit awarded by the prime minister to win the trust of customers.

Investigators also said that the company’s deputy general director Thuy, who used to be a hairdresser in Hai Duong Province, was actually the mastermind of the scheme.

Three Koreans arrested for scheme to smuggle 100 Vietnamese into Busan

Police in the Republic of Korea (RoK) port city of Busan on February 24 said they have arrested three people who attempted to smuggle 100 Vietnamese into the city by sea.

The trio, aged 52 to 60, tried to lease a 500-ton cargo ship to smuggle all the illegal immigrants from Vietnam into Busan, the Korea Times quoted the municipal Police Agency as saying.

They had earlier colluded with a group of brokers in Vietnam in the plot, police said, adding that the Korean trio receives 8 million won (US$6,500) for every Vietnamese they could successfully bring over.

In total, the group of three could have made around US$490,000 if they had managed to smuggle all 100 Vietnamese into their country, after spending US$160,000 to hire the ship and crew.

The oldest member of the trio, identified only as S., was also wanted on charges of smuggling around 100 Chinese men into the country in an earlier case. Another also faces charges for bringing nine Koreans into Japan illegally in March, police said in a statement, adding that further investigations are ongoing.

Earlier this month, authorities in the resort island Jeju arrested 33 Vietnamese among 59 tourists who allegedly disappeared after arriving on a trip in January. Two brokers, both are Vietnamese, were also arrested for allegedly helping the fleeing tourists overstay and work illegally on the island.

Vietnam court jails crane operator for 5 years for causing 3 deaths

A Vietnamese crane operator has been sentenced to five years in jail for his fatal irresponsibility at work that resulted in the deaths of a mother and her two children, a local court ruled on Wednesday.

The convicted 30-year-old construction worker, Nguyen Thai Quynh, stood trial on February 24 at the People’s Court of Hong Ngu District in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

Quynh was charged with “accidentally causing human death due to breach of professional regulations.”

The accident occurred on May 5, 2015 at the construction site of the Hong Ngu 2 Bridge, supervised by Truong Loc Constructions JSC.

According to the indictment prepared by the People’s Procuracy of Dong Thap, Quynh was in charge of operating the crane to move a cement tank at the time of the incident.

He had asked three workers to help re-direct traffic moving in the range of the crane, but was found to have started the work before the others could get into position.

The crane bent under the weight of the overloaded cement tank before finally giving way and collapsing onto the moving traffic below.

A 32-year-old mother, Cao Tuong Van, and her two children, six-year-old Tran Cao Cong Danh and three-year-old Tran Ngoc Thao Vy, were killed instantly.

Quynh gave vague answers in court when asked repeatedly by the judges whether he knew the maximum capacity of the crane and the weight of the cement tank at the time.

“Cranes in general can lift things weighing up to six, seven or eight metric tons,” Quynh said. “About the tank, I heard it weighed four metric tons or so, plus some hundred kilograms of cement inside.”

Inspection results proved otherwise, showing the crane could lift up to seven metric tons while the cement tank weighed 10.6 metric tons in total, exceeding its maximum capacity by 1.5 times.

In addition, Quynh confessed that the construction manager was not present at the site and had not given prior instructions on moving the tank.

The sentence for Quynh was five years in prison, while Truong Loc Constructions JSC is now required to pay VND8 million (US$350) in indemnification to the victims’ family.

Hanoi passenger bus operators stall, cram, overcharge travelers

It is becoming common for passenger bus operators in Hanoi to wander the streets looking for more guests, cram travelers into their vehicles, or overcharge them.

A recent investigation by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters at My Dinh Bus Station showed that many of these buses were parked illegally on busy streets or ran at very slow speeds in order to gather more passengers – even after reaching capacity.

At around 12:00 pm on February 20, Tuoi Tre correspondents spotted a parked passenger bus with plate number 20B-001.80.  The bus, whose route connects Hanoi and the northern province of Thai Nguyen, was parked for an extended period on a section of Pham Hung Street, where ‘no parking’ signs were visible.

The vehicle then started to travel below the minimum speed, approximately seven kph, along the road in the hope of catching more passengers, even after all the seats had been filled.

The driver of the 20-chaired bus only operated his vehicle in accordance with the schedule after cramming 50 people into the bus, leaving many passengers, several of whom were elderly or pregnant, unable to find a proper seat for the 80 kilometer long journey.

“This might be the first time I’ve traveled on a bus like this one. Why do operators keep cramming guests into the bus and maintain high fares after the Lunar New Year season is over?” an elderly woman boarding the bus complained.

Que, a 56-year-old commuter residing in Thai Nguyen, said that he had to travel back and forth between the two localities on a daily basis. As a worker employed in Hanoi, Nguyen noted that he had no other option besides taking the bus though he is well acquainted with the situation.

On February 19, the reporters arrived at My Dinh Bus Station and got in a vehicle operated by the Duc Phuc passenger bus line, noticing that the bus waited over an hour for passengers.

The vehicle continued to receive more travelers as it was running at a snail’s pace along its route from the capital to the northern province of Quang Ninh, despite the concern of the people on board.

As the driver stopped gathering more passengers, the journalists noticed that nearly 70 people had boarded the vehicle designed for 40.

Thanh, a 19-year-old passenger, told the reporters that he had made a deal to pay the operators VND40,000 (US$1.79) for his ticket, but was later forced to pay an extra VND100,000 ($4.47) before getting on the bus.

“Besides overcharging, these operators also waste my time when they wait for more passengers. It takes nearly three hours to arrive at my workplace on these buses while it only takes about an hour by motorbike,” Thanh said.

In the afternoon, illegally parked buses stalling and competing for passengers blocked the vehicles of local citizens and increased the risk of traffic congestion and accidents, according to the reporters’ observations.

Some of the operators even used their time at traffic lights to recruit more travelers, or yell at bikers to make way for them to approach passengers.

Within six days from February 16 to 21, the Tuoi Tre correspondents gathered evidence of nearly 50 of such buses.

The management of My Dinh Bus Station will cooperate with relevant agencies to rectify the situation based on the proof submitted by Tuoi Tre, Nguyen Quoc Uy, manager of the bus station, asserted.

CITES Vietnam, authorities say rhinos at Vinpearl Safari of legal origin

The operator of Vinpearl Safari, a semi-wildlife park off the southern province of Kien Giang, is following all regulations with respect to animal origin and zoo management, according to representatives from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and CITES Vietnam.

The safari park, spanning 500 hectares on the province’s Phu Quoc Island, has been accused by some online sources of causing the deaths of thousands of animals and purchasing animals of questionable and illegal origin.

The agriculture department, which inspected the operation of the zoo earlier this week, refuted the allegations, asserting that Vinpearl Safari has not violated any regulations regarding the importation, care, and management of animals of foreign origin.

The safari park currently raises and cares for 104 different species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, according to Wednesday’s official inspection results.

Fifty-six species were imported and the remaining 48 animal types have been domestically raised.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty designed to protect endangered wildlife from extinction, has licensed the zoo to import 25 of the foreign species, according to the report.

There are 14 rhinos at Vinpearl Safari, which the Phu Quoc park borrows from an under-construction zoo in the southern province of Long An, the agriculture department said.

In 2011 My Quynh Zoo Corp. was licensed to open a zoo of the same name in Long An, some 300km from Phu Quoc, but the facility will not officially open to visitors until next year.

The company has a license from the Vietnamese unit of CITES to import the 14 rhinos and some other species from Africa, which it lent to Vinpearl Safari last year, according to director Lam Phuc Hoanh.

Hoanh confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday that the company has closed an animal lending agreement with Vinpearl Safari.

A representative of CITES Vietnam also told Tuoi Tre the same day that all of the animals in question have clear and legal origin.

In December 2015, the Long An forest management agency permitted My Quynh to transport 14 rhinos, six tigers, and eight lions to Phu Quoc.

“The animals belong to My Quynh, so the firm has the right to transfer or lend them,” the agency head Do Van La told Tuoi Tre on Wednesday.

The animals were kept at a facility in Ho Chi Minh City before being taken to Phu Quoc, La added.

“Our duty is to check if standards are met for the license and transport of the animals,” he said.

La added that there are two white tigers, two rhinos, and one lion left at My Quynh Zoo.

Vinpearl Safari, developed by Vietnamese realty conglomerate Vingroup, opened to visitors last Christmas.

Several unverified sources have held Vingroup responsible for mass animal death at the facility and alleged that hundreds of the animal caretakers had fled the safari in a show of protest against the situation.

The official inspection by the Kien Giang agriculture department found that Vinpearl Safari had imported 2,236 animals, 108 of which died during the transporting process.

Other animals are in poor health after their failure to adapt to the new climate and environment, but no rare animals have died at the safari, according to the report.

The dead animals have been treated as per regulations.

The report also said that 135 macaques had managed to escape from their cages, which are designed to host larger monkeys, according to the agriculture department .

In the meantime, 12 animals were born at the zoo since opening, so the total number of animal at the park is currently 2,005, it added.

The department also rebuffed online reports that some animal caretakers had fled the safari park.

Vinpearl Safari had earlier sought permission to import some exotic plant species, but the Vietnam Administration of Forestry rejected the proposal.

There are now only domestic plants at Vinpearl Safari, according to the report.

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