Natural disasters wreck havoc on aquaculture in Ca Mau

More than 52,400 hectares of shrimp in the southernmost province of Ca Mau were damaged by the recent prolonged drought and saltwater intrusion.

The natural disasters occurred from February 1 to May 15, 2016, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Hai said on May 26.

The districts worst affected were Thoi Binh, U Minh, Phu Tan, and Cai Nuoc, according the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Many hectares of fish and shellfish were also ruined. Total economic loss due to El Nino amounted to over 260 billion VND (11.7 million USD).

Chairman Hai said the province will support aquatic breeders in resuming production by providing them with breeding varieties.

Local authorities are also supporting rice farmers with a sum of over 86 billion VND (3.87 million USD), he added.

WB-funded green transport project to begin in Ho Chi Minh City

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Le Van Khoa and the World Bank (WB)’s Transport and ICT Practice Manager for East Asia-Pacific Michel Kerf discussed the WB-funded green transport development project during a working session in the city on May 26.

Under the project, a 23km bus rapid transit (BTR) on the Vo Van Kiet – Van Chi Tho thoroughfare will be built, crossing seven districts and wards, along with a terminal, parking areas and a pedestrian bridge.

The BTR system will also connect with other metro lines in gradual replacement of personal vehicles.

Khoa said the city assigned the management board for urban transport infrastructure to approve the project’s technical design and estimated investment.

The Department of Planning and Investment was also asked to assess the project to submit to the municipal authorities for approval, so as to call for contractors before June 10.

Compensation will be paid for displaced residents within June, he said.

Kerf, for his part, hailed the project for meeting the WB’s requirements on public consultation and resettlement policy.

He also requested the approved detailed planning for the project be submitted to the WB in August.

Da Nang to begin fining those littering in public places

Litterers in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang will be subject to new regulations to tackle the issue of littering.

People caught throwing garbage on beaches and in public bathrooms will be fined between VND50,000 (US$2) and VND500,000 ($22), the Da Nang People’s Committee announced on Tuesday after issuing the new regulations.

The new rules apply to all individuals and tourism services at all the beaches in the city.

Law enforcers will observe public spaces and fine litterers on a regular basis during the tourism season, from May to September, at beaches in Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son Districts, local officials said, adding that the regulations will be piloted at Xuan Ha Beach in Thanh Khe District and Hoa Khanh Bac Beach in Lien Chieu District from July to September.

Specifically, those caught discarding cigarettes, including cigarette ash, in public places and service areas will be fined between VND50,000 and VND100,000 ($4.5).

Anyone found getting rid of domestic waste in inappropriate locations in public places and service areas will be required to pay between VND100,000 and VND200,000 ($9).

Those discovered publicly urinating or defecating will receive a fine of between VND200,000 and VND300,000 ($13).

Anyone discarding domestic waste on sidewalks, streets, or in the city’s drainage systems will be fined between VND300,000 and VND400,000 ($18).

Those who collect domestic waste in a way that violates the environmental protection regulations will be charged between VND400,000 and VND500,000.

Vietnam promotes tourism in Germany

The Embassy of Vietnam in Germany held a workshop in Berlin on May 24 to promote the potential of Vietnamese tourism in the country, with the participation of representatives from the Embassies of ASEAN, the Vietnam – Germany Friendship Association, overseas Vietnamese and local students.

The workshop themed “promoting Vietnamese cultural tourism” forms part of the activities in the framework of the on-going 11th Asia-Pacific Week Forum (APW).

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung underlined the growing relationship between the two nations, highlighted by the visit of President Truong Tan Sang to Germany in 2015.

The two nations will celebrate the 5 th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2016, the Ambassador said.

Vietnam wants to introduce to German people a friendly and safe country, an attractive destination for international tourists, Hung said.

Echoing the Vietnamese diplomat on the growing relationship between the two nations, President of the Forum Gert Bruche expressed his belief that the bilateral relations, particularly in economic cooperation will achieve greater success in the future.

Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Vietnam – Germany Friendship Association Wilfried Lulei hailed the sound leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the struggle for liberation as well as in nation building and development.

Several video clips were screened during the workshop, featuring the renowned destinations and cuisine of Vietnam, such as Ha Long Bay, Son Doong cave, Hoi An ancient City, and the Vietnamese signature: Pho (noodle soup).

APW is an annual event hosted by the Berlin Ministry of Technology and Research under the auspices of the German President.

The forum comprises an “Embassy Day”, when the Embassies of Asian-Pacific nations in Berlin can promote the potential for socio-economic and environmental development, and investment and trade.

Deputy PM urges completion of business-related legal document

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung called for coordination among ministries and sectors to reach a consensus on drafting documents concerning the revised Investment and Enterprise laws.

While chairing a meeting in Hanoi on May 26 to review the work, the Deputy PM highlighted goals set by the Government relating to improvement of the national investment and business environment.

It is necessary to create favourable conditions for businesses and individuals to access resources to promote production and business, he stated.

He praised ministries and sectors for their work to implement Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s guidelines, saying that drafting Governmental decrees had met the planned schedule.

He urged ministries to work hard to resolve issues related to drafting legal documents for the enforcement of the revised Investment and Enterprise laws, asking for practical performance, towards harmonising the interests of the State, enterprises and people.

The drafts need to be completed within the time set by the Government and Prime Minister and be high quality, he noted.

Ministries and sector should make necessary studies and amendments after the legal documents are approved or are issued, he remarked.

The revised Investment and Enterprise laws, which will take effect on July 1, are hoped to improve the country’s investment environment. They were designed to respect and uphold business freedom while focusing on equal treatment between domestic and foreign investors to ensure compliance with international treaties Vietnam has committed to.

The Investment Law features administrative overhauls, including cutting the time to process foreign investment registration applications to 15 working days from 45 days as well as raising the responsibility of investors through deposit requirements and equipment quality appraisals.

New points in the Enterprise Law include business registration certificates with information regarding business codes, headquarters addresses and legal representatives. It also abolishes requirements on professional certificates, shortens business registration timelines, adds criteria for State business executives and requests the release of transparent information from firms with State capital up to international standards.

Son La to organise third annual plum festival

A festival showcasing man hau (plum), a specialty of Moc Chau district in the northern province of Son La, will be organised on May 28, according to the district administration.

Moc Chau plum is famous for its sweet, delicious taste. The harvest season usually begins at the start of summer.

Visitors can join farmers harvesting their plums and enjoy the fruit right off the plant. Traditional games will also be seeking participants in a 100ha valley where the plums are grown.

For the more sedantry visitors a trivia contest about the Moc Chau plum and how to plant and harvest the plum will be organised.

The third annual event will also serve as a forum for farmers to meet and share experiences.

Bac Giang police awarded for busting elephant tusk trafficking

Eight traffic police in northern Bac Giang were awarded a bonus for uncovering the illegal transport of more than 500 kg of elephant tusks.

On May 21, when patrolling national highway 1A, the officers stopped a lorry, on which they discovered 553.5 kg of tusks.

The driver Nguyen Quang Huy, born in 1988, admitted he was transporting the goods from Hanoi to the northern province of Lang Son for sale.

The large volume of tusks seized was valued at billions of VND.

Vietnam banned trading elephant tusks in 1992.

Another 33 fishermen repatriated from Indonesia

Indonesia on May 26 repatriated another 33 Vietnamese fishermen who were reportedly arrested in late 2015 and early 2016 for violating Indonesia’s seas.

The released fishermen, who were returned to Vietnam from Soekarno Hatta International Airport, are from Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Tien Giang, Can Tho, Tra Vinh, and Dong Thap provinces.

Most of them had been detained in the archipelago country for two months. Several were detained for 8-9 months.

Meeting with the fishermen before they returned home, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia reminded them to strictly abide by the laws of both countries, and not to repeat violations of Indonesian waters or other countries’ waters.

Earlier on May 22, the embassy collaborated with the Indonesian authorities to complete procedures to repatriate 10 Vietnamese fishermen.

The Vietnamese embassy worked to send about 670 fishermen back to the homeland in 2015.

Last year, Indonesia detained about 60 ships and boats and arrested 660 fishermen from Vietnam, much higher than the 2014 figures, according to the embassy.

Labour training holds key to meet industrial zones’ demand

Vocational training quality should be revamped to grapple with the demand of industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs), heard a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26.

More than 2 million labourers are working at some 300 industrial parks and export processing zones nationwide, Dr. Bui The Duc, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education said, noting that only 20 percent of the workers have professional skills and the remainder must be trained by enterprises after they are hired.

Experts at the conference highlighted that enterprises do not want to recruit trained workers as the quality of the workforce is not living up to their expectations.

Regarding vocational training quality in the past few years, Dr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Director General of the General Directorate of Vocational Training, underscored that the quality has been improved, which was demonstrated through the employment rate after graduation of 70 percent in 2015.

However, the vocational training sector still fails to meet the demand of the labour market as there is a shortage of connection and cooperation between enterprises and vocational training schools, he said.

In a bid to increase training quality, Minh recommended setting up in-house training centres at IPs and EPZs, increasing the involvement of enterprises in the training process as well as grouping the vocational training centres into high-quality and popular training schools.

According to Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, head of the department of occupational education under the Ministry of Education and Training, soft skills are vital to developing high-quality labourers. He stressed that skill training should be privatised to increase the autonomy of the training centres in response to labour market requirements.

Teams draw in test match for coming events

The Việt Nam national football team and the U-19 squad played a goalless test match in Hà Nội yesterday.

The match was one of the activities for both sides in their preparation for their upcoming events.

The national teams with almost all their best players failed to find a way to breach the net of the juniors even when experienced midfielder Phạm Thành Lương pleaded in the box for a penalty.

Lương was given a yellow card.

The nationals had several chances through Nguyễn Văn Toàn and Nguyễn Văn Quyết but they all failed to score.

Both teams changed players in the second half but the score remained unchanged until the end of the game.

The U-21s will have two more tests before they depart for the Summer Cup in Malaysia.

The nationals will continue training and will meet Syria in an international friendly on May 31.

Japan group eyes waste treatment project in HCM City

The Japan-based Toyobo Group met with Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on May 26 to discuss investment opportunities in waste treatment in the city.

Speaking to Koji Koji Chiba, a member of Toyobo’s board of directors, Phong said Ho Chi Minh City disposes about 6,500 – 7,000 tonnes of household waste daily, most of which is buried in landfills.

The city has considered applying Japan’s advanced technologies in waste treatment, including waste-to-energy technology, the chairman was quoted by Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper.

Chiba briefed his host on the firm’s waste treatment technology which does not require waste classification at home, suitable for Vietnam.

Toyobo uses waste treatment that involves a sorting facility designed to process household waste, some of the waste will then be used to produce energy, he added.

Its waste-to-energy technology has been used in Singapore, the Philippines and India, he said.

In addition to waste treatment, Toyobo also wants business opportunities in chemical technology and healthcare.

Phong asked the municipal Department of Environment and Natural Resources to work with Toyobo Group and study the feasibility of the waste treatment project.

The city has received a number of proposals for waste treatment projects from overseas investors and the best clean technology will be selected to protect the local environment, he stressed.

State’s weaponry management discussed in Thanh Hoa

A workshop on strengthening State management of firearms, explosive materials and supporting equipment in an attempt to ensure security for socio-economic development was held in Thanh Hoa province on May 26.

Deputy Chief of the General Police Department, under the Ministry of Public Security Tran Van Ve said the management of armaments, explosive materials and supporting equipment has achieved remarkable outcomes over the past years.

He stressed that police have so far collected over 70,000 guns of different types, 150,000 bullets, 46 tonnes of dynamite, 43,000 primitive weapons and 8,000 pieces of supporting equipment, among other dangerous weapons, surrendered by people nationwide.

Participants at the event discussed ideas to complete a system of legal documents and procedures on firearms, explosive materials and supporting equipment and develop communications campaigns to encourage people to surrender unwanted firearms.

Difficulties and shortcomings which need prompt solutions such as regulations on firearms and supporting equipment, and internet information management were also addressed at the event.

Delegates proposed an early promulgation of a law on weapons, explosive materials and supporting equipment with a view to strengthening the State’s management competency in this area.

Vietnam, Japan promote publication copyright

A two-day festival promoting publication copyright compliance and the publishing industry, organised by Vietnam and Japan, began in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26.

The event gathers 16 Japanese and 19 Vietnamese publishing houses, all members of the two countries’ book publishing associations.

The festival enables the firms to meet and form partnerships.

On May 28, the two delegations will attend a seminar on publishing and copyright in Vietnam and Japan.

Then they will tour District 1’s Nguyen Van Binh street – the local book street – as well as bookstores selling Japanese books from the HCM City Book Distribution JSC (Fahasa), Youth Publishing House and Nha Nam book company.

Toyota junior football camp launched

The Toyota Motor Vietnam Company (TMV) launched the “Toyota Junior Football Clinic and Camp 2016” for boys aged 9 to 11 on May 26 in Hanoi.

This is the second time the company has organised such an event, which will be implemented in four major cities – Hanoi, Vinh in Nghe An province, Da Nang and HCM City - from June 5 to August 31 with assistance from the Ministry of Education and Training.

The boys will have a chance to participate in professional football training classes with former football star Nguyen Hong Son as coach.

The camp includes three major stages: the selection round will take place from June 5 to July 2 in the four cities to select the 30 best players.

The training stage will take place from July 16-22 in HCM City.

The 18 most outstanding junior players will attend the final stage featuring a trip to Japan from August 23-29 to play friendly matches with Japanese and Thai youth teams.

According to the event organisers, boys who want to participate in the football camp can register at the website www.toyota.vn or TMV agents or sports youth centres nationwide from June 6 to July 2.

FM broadcasting station inaugurated in Ly Son island

Current events and weather forecast will now be available to some 20,000 people on Ly Son island, the central province of Quang Ngai, after Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) inaugurated an FM broadcasting station in the locality on May 26.

Built at a total cost of more than 7 billion VND (312,900 USD), the facility includes an FM transmitter system with a capacity of 5KW, and auxiliary equipment. FM signals can cover a radius of about 60 kilometres from the transmitter site.

The station was built in the Ly Son district broadcasting and television station. The VOV and Vietnam Television have shared infrastructure and equipment systems to enhance network coverage in sea and island areas.

The Ly Son FM broadcasting station is part of the VOV’s project to enhance its network coverage in islands near the shore, which has a total cost of over 95 billion VND (4.2 million USD).

To date, the project has been carried out on Cat Ba and Bach Long Vy islands (Hai Phong city), Truong Sa Lon island (Khanh Hoa province), Ly Son (Quang Ngai province) and Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang province).

2016 Golden Spoon cooking contest kicks off

The Chiec Thia Vang (Golden Spoon) competition, which seeks to find the country's best chefs and dishes, was launched in the southern province of Binh Duong on May 26.

With the theme “Huong vi que nha - Hanh trinh gia vi Viet” (Homeland tastes - Journey of Vietnamese Spices), the contest is taking place in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, with the qualifying round from June 7 to September 29.

The semi-final rounds in the north and in the south are scheduled to take place in Hanoi on October 11-12 and Ho Chi Minh City on October 25-27, respectively. The final round will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 6-7.

Co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Binh Duong-based Minh Long I Company and the Business Support Academy, the cooking contest aims to seek talented chiefs who can create world-class Vietnamese dishes from each region across the country.

The total prize this year will exceed 3 billion VND (135,000 USD).

Vietnam promotes anti-smoking campaign

The Health Ministry and its Fund for Tobacco Harms Prevention organised a meeting to mark World No Tobacco Day (May 31) in Hanoi on May 26.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien reminded state agencies of their commitment signed with the Health Ministry last year to build a smoke-free workplace.

He said each public servant should be a model of saying no to tobacco products in society.

According to Head of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment Luong Ngoc Khue, Vietnam is among 15 countries with the highest number of smokers worldwide.

Smoking can cause a host of non-communicable diseases, these diseases are the cause of more than 75 percent of fatalities in Vietnam every year, he noted.

Initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1987, World No Tobacco Day has been celebrated annually to inform the public on the dangers of smoking and the tobacco business.

This year, WHO is calling on countries to get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products, meaning the restricted use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on packaging.

In response to the initiative, Vietnam has launched a national tobacco-free week that is running from May 25 to 31.

Heavy downpour covers much of Dak Lak

Heavy rain hit Buon Ma Thuot city and most districts and towns in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on May 25.

The rain, the longest and heaviest shower since the beginning of the dry season in Dak Lak, watered 200,000 hectares of coffee trees and 21,000 hectares of pepper trees, which have faced prolonged drought.

It also helped reduce the risk of fire to thousands of hectares of forest.

The rain also helped ease shortages of daily water for locals and allows cultivation of 100,000 hectares of summer-autumn trees.

In the dry season, around 70,155 hectares of trees in Dak Lak lost between 30 and 70 percent in terms of output due to water shortages and over 6,700 hectares of trees were destroyed completely, mostly coffee trees, causing losses of 2,186 billion VND (96 million USD).

VBSP to manage HCMC poverty-reduction fund

The Bank for Social Policies will be responsible for managing HCM City’s poverty-reduction fund in an additional 21 districts, the HCM City People’s Committee said on Tuesday (May 24).

In October 2015, the city piloted the bank as the managerial authority of the poverty-reduction fund in the three districts of Tân Phú, 11 and Bình Chánh.

The additional 21 districts will begin managing the fund in June, and disburse money in July.

The fund gives loans to poor families and those near poverty line to help them start a business or take vocational training.

Nguyễn Thị Thu, the committee’s deputy chairwoman, said that the poverty-reduction fund was usually managed by each district’s Board for Poverty Reduction. The Women’s Union helps the boards as well.

Thu, who spoke at a workshop about the pilot programme held on Tuesday in the city, said the fund would be eventually managed in all of HCM City’s 24 districts by the Bank for Social Policies.

Thu said that poor residents had lost trust in the management, and that there are many overdue debts.

Because of ineffective management, disbursement of loans, which have often been of low value, has been delayed.

“Giving authority to the Bank for Social Policies to manage the fund is to ensure benefits for the poor,” she said.

She said that local authorities must have speedier disbursement, and clearly explain loan procedures to borrowers, including loan amounts that fit their ability to pay.

Counselling on how to use the money for business should also be given to borrowers, she added.

“Many poor people are confused about what business they should do to escape poverty,” Thu said.

Trần Phi Long, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee in District 11, said the Bank for Social Policies in District 11 provided flexible options for loan amounts and repayment terms for borrowers in the programme.

Nguyễn Văn Xê, deputy head of both the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Steering Committee of Poverty Reduction, said that the Bank for Social Policies in the pilot districts had been carrying out loan procedures in a timely fashion.

Xê said the bank had helped the poverty reduction board carry out other activities related to multidimensional poverty reduction, which is part of the new poverty reduction programme for the 2016-2020 period.

The bank has disbursed VNĐ13.8 trillion (US$613 million) to 708 poor families and those near the poverty line in three districts.

The fund has provided loans at an interest rate of 0.5 per cent per month to more than 2 million poor families and those near the poverty line for 23 years.

The money is used for vocational training and for new businesses.

The city’s poverty rate by the end of last year was 0.5 per cent of the total population. Each poor household has an annual income of VNĐ16 million (US$710) or under per capita.

Households with an income between VNĐ16 million and VNĐ21 million ($933) per capita per year are defined as being near-poor.

Int’l conference on obstetrics and gynecology held in city

The 16th Vietnam-France-Asia-Pacific conference on obstetrics and gynecology took place on May 19 and 20 in HCMC with the sponsorship of the Friso brand of FrieslandCampina Vietnam.

The event was co-organized by Tu Du Maternity Hospital, and France’s obstetrics and gynecology society and cross-border gynecology society.

The conference was attended by professors from the University of Paris, and representatives from the French society for women’s health and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

Aside from nine official sessions, five workshops on care of women’s health, more than 30 Vietnamese and foreign professors, doctors and experts from France, Italy and England delivered over 40 scientific reports at the event.

The event also offered opportunities for knowledge exchange between Vietnamese and foreign doctors and medical experts to improve the quality of health care, especially reproductive health care.

In the past 16 years, the organizers have received over 1,000 speeches and reports related to the issues.

Experiences shared in those papers have been applied at Tu Du hospital and transferred to district-level hospitals to improve the quality of diagnosing, treating and taking care of mothers and children in HCMC and other southern provinces.

Mark Voncken, marketing director of FrieslandCampina Vietnam, which has sponsored the conference in the past 16 years, said: “Apart from providing high-quality nutritional products meeting international standards, FrieslandCampina has always supported relevant State agencies to study and develop nutritional solutions for Vietnamese mothers and children.

“We are proud that we have accompanied such a national- and regional-level medical event for the past 16 years. It has proven our long-term and sustainable commitment and our wish to contribute further to the community, especially to the care of mothers and children.”

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