Conference looks to improve Vietnam’s labour market

At the event (Photo: vov.vn)

 

Creating jobs and improving workers’ skills in the context of international integration are important goals for Vietnam, which holds a large workforce, said Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Doan Mau Diep.

He made the statement while attending the conference on “Labour Market Policy and Upskilling Needs in Context of International Integration” jointly held by the MoLISA, the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The development of the labour market will make significant contributions to forming market economy institutions, he said, underlining that Vietnamese labour market policies are being currently being completed.

More people have joined the labour force over the past year, with the proportion of agricultural labourers among the total national workforce is estimated at around 40 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of people within the working age remain high at 76 percent of the local population. Other positive developments in the labour market include improvements in workers’ income and working conditions, as well as the narrowing gap between male and female payment.

However, Diep described that unqualified workers in the agricultural sector and the significant percentage of people engaged in unskilled work are some of the shortcomings of the labour market.

Citing labour productivity as one of the challenges facing Vietnam’s sustainable development, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser said that both state-owned and private companies should make efforts to improve workers’ skills in response to radical changes in technologies.

Free trade agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific (CPTPP) and the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will accelerate the automation and digitalisation processes, imposing new requirements for the labour force. 

In that context, Vietnam is working to finalise labour regulations and a labour relation system towards creating sustainable jobs for all, said participants at the conference.

With three working sessions, the conference discussed Vietnam’s labour market policies and focused on experience sharing between Vietnam and Switzerland in labour market institutions.

The attendants said that Vietnamese business should themselves build strategies and a risk management system, improve the quality of the workforce, and set up a rational wage system to ensure that both employers and employees work for mutual benefits.

Media responsible for providing scientific knowledge of food safety

At the media workshop “Food Safety and Importance of Science Communications” 

As food safety has reached the headlines in recent years, science communications has played an increasing role in helping consumers make their proper choices, said Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) Ho Quang Loi.

At a media workshop “Food Safety and Importance of Science Communications” jointly held by the VJA and CropLife Vietnam on November 26, Loi laid stress on the media’s significant contributions to raising public awareness of food safety and nutrition while pointing out that the media can easily take the profit motive out of news by popularising gross distortion.

Providing the participants with principals to evaluate food safety for agricultural inputs, Jason Sandahl, a Food Safety Technical Advisor from the US Department of Agriculture, clarified information on plant protection chemicals, including maximum residue level (MRL) and acceptable daily intake (ADI).

He said that the failure to give the public accurate information is a constant source of worry as it leads to misunderstanding that “pesticides are not safe”.

Sandahl stressed that advanced plant protection measures are crucial to ensure sufficient food for the population across the five continents.

According to Country Director of Syngenta Foundation in Vietnam Dao Xuan Cuong, who was also a representative from CropLife Vietnam, some 24.5 million Vietnamese farmers depend on plant protection methods to prevent diseases from crops. Imports of low-quality products and shortage of traceability are believed to affect food safety.

The communications work should pay due attention to changing farmers’ cultivation habits as well as increasing their consciousness of safe agricultural production chain, Cuong added.

ADB helps improve Vietnam’s irrigation systems

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved aid worth over 100 million USD to help the Vietnamese Government install eight modernised irrigation systems in five drought-affected provinces, according to the bank’s November 27 news release.

The bank’s move is expected to contribute to improving agricultural productivity, especially among farmers growing high-value crops such as coffee, peppers, grapes, dragon fruits, and mangoes.

Its support for the upgraded irrigation systems, which will supply water on-demand through pressurised pipe systems, will cover policy measures to help Binh Thuan, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan provinces improve irrigation management services, including the operations and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure. It will also assist the development of improved groundwater and water productivity assessments, as well as micro-irrigation systems based on the type of crops and farmer demand.

“Modernised irrigation systems maximising the potential of Vietnam’s agricultural sector are crucial to the country’s goal of pursuing inclusive and sustainable growth,” ADB Senior Natural Resources Economist Sanath Ranawana said. “The project’s focus on climate resilience, particularly by providing water on-demand to farmers, will help smallholder farmers increase crop yield and boost their incomes.”

Agriculture plays a significant part in the Southeast Asian nation’s economy, contributing 18.3 percent of its gross domestic product and 44 percent of the labour force from 2008–2016. However, despite having one of the best irrigation coverage in Southeast Asia, covering about 50 percent of the country’s arable land area, more than half of its irrigation systems remain under capacity due to outdated infrastructure. This affects the productivity of farmers in drought-affected provinces in Vietnam, especially given the effects of climate change.

ADB’s assistance is composed of a 100 million USD concessional loan and a 300,000 USD non-refundable aid from the Climate Change Fund, established in May 2008 to facilitate greater investments in ADB’s developing member countries to effectively tackle climate change.

ADB will also administer another 750,000 USD grant from the Netherlands Trust Fund under the Water Financing Partnership Facility, which was established in November 2006 to improve access to water resources among people living in the project area. The grant will support the development of water resource assessments and a water allocation framework, water productivity assessments, and a crop water monitoring platform.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled 32.2 billion USD, including 11.9 billion USD in co-financing.

Vietnam, US boost people-to-people exchange

Chairman of the Vietnam-US Society Nguyen Tam Chien (fourth, right) and representatives of the delegation (Source: http://vufo.org.vn)

A US delegation from the “2 Sides Project” (2SP) is on a visit to Vietnam to enhance the exchange between the two nations’ people. 

The delegation was received by representatives from the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-US Society in Hanoi on November 26.

Representatives from the 2SP and the Vietnam-US Society recalled important milestones in the Vietnam-US relations since the normalisation of their diplomatic ties in July 1995. 

They affirmed that people-to-people exchange activities, especially among youths of the two countries, have contributed to strengthening the message of peace and friendship and further promoting the Vietnam-US relationship. 

The 2SP aims at connecting sons and daughters who lost fathers on both sides of the Vietnam-US war.

Launched in 2015, the project encourages exchanges between children of fallen Vietnamese and US soldiers to share losses and difficulties.

Vietnam-US relations have developed significantly since the two countries set up diplomatic ties in 1995. From enemies at war, the two nations improved their relations to become comprehensive partners in 2013, opening the way for expanded cooperation in multiple fields – from politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, and investment, to security and defence, culture, education, science and technology, to the settlement of war aftermaths, and people-to-people exchange.

Since 2015, the two sides have accelerated the exchange of high-level visits, which have deepened the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership and fostered the development of ties on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and with respect for each other’s independence and political regime.

Two-way trade between the countries soared from 500 million USD in 1995 to 50 billion USD in 2017. Vietnam is the US’ biggest export market in Southeast Asia, meanwhile the US remains in the top 10 investors in Vietnam.

Coordination in addressing the aftermaths of war is of special concern to the two sides, contributing to trust-building in their Comprehensive Partnership. Vietnam has worked effectively with the US in searching for missing US soldiers in the country while the US has also taken steps to assist in the clearance of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) and Agent Orange/dioxin detoxification. 

Vietnam and the US have also expanded cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, and people-to-people exchange. It was estimated that about 30,000 Vietnamese are currently pursuing degrees in universities and colleges in the US.

Denmark shares sustainable city solutions with Vietnam

A city in Denmark

A series of activities under the theme of “Danish Week – Sustainable City Solutions” are being held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from November 26-30.

The highlight of the event will be a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 29, which will be attended by two famous Danish architects, namely Prof. Dr. Tom Nielsen from the Aarhus School of Architecture and Tina Saaby Madsen, Chief City Architect of Copenhagen.

The two architects will share with Vietnam their experience in carrying out urban planning policies and solutions.

Denmark is among the world’s leading nations in terms of green technology and green growth is an important area in the comprehensive cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese and Danish Governments.

Last year, the “Danish Week – Sustainable City Solutions” was held in Hanoi from December 12-17, and in Ho Chi Minh City from December 14-19.

VACNE convenes seventh congress for 2018-2023 tenure

VACNE Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Sinh

The Vietnam Association for the Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) convened its seventh congress for the 2018-2023 tenure in Hanoi on November 26 and marked its 30th founding anniversary. 

The congress elected a 130-member central executive committee and Nguyen Ngoc Sinh was re-elected as its chairman. 

As of late December 2017, its total number of chapters rose to 200, which helped with raising public awareness of environmental protection and fighting legal violations in the field. 

With the involvement of ecological scientists, VACNE has made active contributions to national environmental goals via scientific studies, technological transfer, technical consultations, and the launch of sustainable production models. 

It also offered feedback on the construction of a section of the Ho Chi Minh Road that runs through Cuc Phuong and Phong Nha-Ke Bang national parks during 2001-2002, and the Son La hydropower plant in 2000-2002. 

Seminars on global climate change and Vietnam’s response, as well as biodiversity preservation in Truong Son Range were also held to raise opinions on the 2013 amended Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Biodiversity, the Law on Environment Taxation, and a number of legal regulations on environmental protection and sustainable development. 

Since the launch of the Vietnam Heritage Trees event in 2010, VACNE has recognised over 2,000 heritage trees from 70 different species, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development and biodiversity preservation. 

In the coming years, VACNE will continue making practical contributions to ecological protection and climate change response towards the goal of eco-friendly, sustainable growth in the country. 

Hanoi Run for Children 2018 to be held in early December

The Hanoi Run for Children 2018, an annual event calling for support for disadvantaged children with cancer and congenital heart diseases, will take place at Thong Nhat Park on December 2.

At a press conference on November 26, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association Nguyen Thi Hoi, a representative of the organising board, said the funds raised through the Run since 2009 have helped more than 350 children nationwide to overcome their diseases.

The Run has attracted increasing attention from Hanoians and international friends, she said, adding that this is also a people-to-people diplomatic activity between Vietnamese and Canadian people.

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul said all children deserve a healthy life, and people can make a difference in the life of less privileged children by helping them to receive treatment and realise their dreams.

She added that a highlight in the two countries’ relations is people-to-people diplomacy. There are more than 250,000 Vietnamese in her country, while over 180,000 Canadians visit Vietnam each year. Community activities like the Hanoi Run for Children are very important to bilateral relations.

The Run raises about 1 billion VND (42,800 USD) every year. Deducting organisation expenses, all the donations will be spent on supporting disadvantaged children with cancer and congenital heart diseases at the Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, the Hanoi Heart Hospital, and the Heartbeat Vietnam of VinaCapital Foundation. 
Quang Ninh fellow countrymen association debuts in Czech

The Quang Ninh province Fellow Countrymen Association in the Czech Republic has made its debut at a ceremony held recently in Prague. 

Addressing the November 24 ceremony, President of the temporary executive board of the association Nguyen Duy Nhat said the association aims to create conditions for people from the northern province of Quang Ninh who are living and working in the Czech Republic to support each other and contribute to their homeland. 

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan expressed his hope that the association will promptly complete procedures to organise its congress, becoming a member of the Vietnamese Association in the country. 

Highlighting the traditional friendship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic as well as cooperation between Quang Ninh and Karlovy Vary province of the Czech Republic, the diplomat called on Quang Ninh people in the country to contribute to promoting the relations. 

Media responsible for providing scientific knowledge of food safety

At the media workshop “Food Safety and Importance of Science Communications” 

As food safety has reached the headlines in recent years, science communications has played an increasing role in helping consumers make their proper choices, said Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) Ho Quang Loi.

At a media workshop “Food Safety and Importance of Science Communications” jointly held by the VJA and CropLife Vietnam on November 26, Loi laid stress on the media’s significant contributions to raising public awareness of food safety and nutrition while pointing out that the media can easily take the profit motive out of news by popularising gross distortion.

Providing the participants with principals to evaluate food safety for agricultural inputs, Jason Sandahl, a Food Safety Technical Advisor from the US Department of Agriculture, clarified information on plant protection chemicals, including maximum residue level (MRL) and acceptable daily intake (ADI).

He said that the failure to give the public accurate information is a constant source of worry as it leads to misunderstanding that “pesticides are not safe”.

Sandahl stressed that advanced plant protection measures are crucial to ensure sufficient food for the population across the five continents.

According to Country Director of Syngenta Foundation in Vietnam Dao Xuan Cuong, who was also a representative from CropLife Vietnam, some 24.5 million Vietnamese farmers depend on plant protection methods to prevent diseases from crops. Imports of low-quality products and shortage of traceability are believed to affect food safety.

The communications work should pay due attention to changing farmers’ cultivation habits as well as increasing their consciousness of safe agricultural production chain, Cuong added.

Drastic measures have been taken in localities hit by Storm Usagi

More efforts have been made in central and southern localities to overcome the consequences of Typhoon Usagi, which killed one person and damaged many houses, boats and roads.

Authorities of the south central and southern localities have evacuated people in affected area to safer places and rescued fishermen in distress at sea.

Meanwhile the telecommunication and electricity sectors resumed operation to provide essential communications for locals.

Typhoon Usagi, the ninth entering the East Sea this year, landed in coastal areas from Ba Ria-Vung Tau to Ben Tre on November 25, bringing winds and gusting up to 102 km/h along with 150mm of rainfall.

The North-South railway service was disrupted as two sections on the route in the central province of Ninh Thuan were damaged.

Airlines also had to reschedule or cancel many flights to and from localities in the region affected by the storm.

Initial reports from localities said more than 2.6km of dykes were damaged, 46 ships were sunken, more than 1,000 ha of rice and other food crops were inundated due to the storm.

Many Vietjet flights affected by storm Usagi

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has rescheduled many flights from or to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on November 25 due to bad weathers caused by storm Usagi, which landed in central and southern localities the same day. 

Incessant heavy downpours at the airport forced two flights between Ho Chi Minh City and the central city of Da Nang to change their departure times from late November 25 to the morning of the next day. 

Four flights between the southern city and Buon Ma Thuot city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and Vinh city of central Nghe An province, initially scheduled to take off in the evening of November 25, were also delayed to the next morning. 

Many other flights of the airline were also adjusted as a domino effect.

Vietjet Air had informed its passengers of these adjustments at the airports and through telephone calls and messages and its hotline 1900 1886.

Other airlines also had to reschedule or cancel many flights to and from localities in the region affected by the storm on November 24 and 25.

 Storm Usagi, the ninth of its kind to enter the East Sea, made landfall in the southern central and southern coast of Vietnam at November 25 noon before weakening to a tropical depression.

When landing, it brought winds measuring 40-60km/h and gusting up to 89-102 km/h along with 150mm of rainfall. One person was killed by a falling tree in HCM City during the storm. 

The North-South railway service was also affected after two sections of the railway in Ninh Thuan province were damaged by floods.

Room to Read libraries – favourite place of students

Students at the library of Truong Dong A Primary School (Photo: vtv.vn)

Friendly libraries funded by Room to Read, a non-governmental organisation based in the US, in 22 primary schools in Vietnam have helped develop reading habit and life-long learning skills among local students since they were established in early 2017.

In the southern province of Tay Ninh, ten libraries were formed in Duong Minh Chau and Hoa Thinh districts under an agreement signed by the provincial Department of Education and Training and the Room to Read organisation in the beginning of this year. 

Local students have shown their excitement when visiting the libraries which offer not only books but also creative activities like painting. 

Le Minh Tri, Principal of Truong Dong A Primary School in Truong Dong commune, Hoa Thanh district, said the model is a useful playground for students as the school, located in a rural area, does not have many entertainment activities for students. 

With 4,375 book titles, the library can serve students from first to fifth grades, according to the principal. 

Le Hoang Cuong, head of the primary education office under the provincial Department of Education and Training, said another 24 libraries have been formed in Tan Bien, Tan Chau, Chau Thanh and Ben Cau districts under the project in 2018.

Aware of the model’s efficiency, Tay Ninh is building nine libraries outside the project, he added. 

According to the Primary Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, the model has helped build up reading habit for more than 83 percent of students in the project’s 12 beneficiary provinces, while improving their reading, writing and living skills.

Dance for Kindness” programme promotes gender equality

“Dance for Kindness” programme promotes gender equality. (Photo: dangcongsan.vn)

More than 1,000 people, including students and foreign diplomats in Hanoi, joined the “Dance for Kindness” programme to promote gender equality at the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi on November 25.

The event was jointly held by the Youth Magazine under the Ho Chi Minh Communist Union Central Committee, the Youth Connection Club, the UN Women Vietnam and many other organisations in honour of the World Kindness Day (November 13) and the Action Month for Gender Equality.

A series of activities were organised to convey the message of preventing and responding to violence and abuse of women and children, including flashmob, painting and parade.

The first “Dance for Kindness” programme in Vietnam was held in 2014. It aims to inspire, empower and educate people from all walks of life to lead a life of kindness. It proves that regardless of differences in race, religion, ethnicity or background, the common thread that unites all people is kindness.

Traditional medicine shop raided

Police in Hải Phòng and the Department of Health on Saturday conducted a surprise inspection on a traditional medicine shop and discovered a number of violations.— Photo zing.vn

Police in Hải Phòng and the Department of Health on Saturday conducted a surprise inspection on a traditional medicine shop and discovered a number of violations.

The owner of the shop, Ngô Quý Khắc, failed to show any qualification certificates, and any papers about the origin of the medicine on sale.

The shop, in Hải Thành Ward, Dương Kinh District, sells traditional medicines to different provinces across the country such as Hưng Yên, Thanh Hóa, Đắk Lắk and Quảng Bình without permission.

Khắc’s three stores contained about 3.5 tonnes of medicines without trademarks. The drugs were mixed with dead mice and other insects. Most had signs of mould.

The inspectors temporarily suspended operations of the shop, and will punish the owner based on the law. 

Quảng Trị to urge environmental protection

The central province of Quảng Trị has approved a plan to help businesses deal with pollution problems.— Photo baoxaydung.vn

The central province of Quảng Trị has approved a plan to help businesses deal with pollution problems.

A fund of VNĐ161 billion (US$7 million) has been set aside to help companies over the next three years.

More than VNĐ144 billion ($6.2 million) is from the State budget whereas the remaining is from local budget.

The province now has more than 100 enterprises causing serious pollution, according to the provincial people’s committee, including rubbish dumping, local traditional markets, slaughterhouses, hospitals and traditional handicraft villages. The places are in different districts such as Gio Linh and Cam Lộ.

Most of the enterprises lack waste water and solid waste treatment system.

Under the project, the province will set up environmental supervision plans, improve inspection to prevent wrongdoings, and encourage high-tech application to environmental protection. 

Mekong Delta uses high-tech methods to raise tra fish

Harvesting tra fish in An Giang Province. 

Tra fish breeds producers in the Mekong Delta have been urged to closely work with research institutes, universities and scientists to apply advanced farming techniques to produce high quality seeds.

Trần Đình Luân, deputy head of the Directorate of Fisheries, said that such seeds were needed to meet breeding requirements.

Luân said that tracing the origin of bred fish was also important.

Tra fish, a freshwater fish bred in the delta, is one of the country’s top seafood exports, following shrimp.

The country exported US$1.8 billion of tra fish in the first 10 months of the year, an increase of 24 per cent year-on-year, with more than $2 billion expected by the end of the year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

China, the US and EU are the country’s three largest tra fish importers.

Tra fish breeders in the delta, the country’s largest tra fish producer, have farmed 4,472ha of tra fish as of the end of September, up 10 per cent against the same period last year.

In the delta, tra fish breeders have applied advanced farming techniques to improve yield and quality.

Many tra fish breeders in the delta have applied VietGAP or GlobalGAP standards.

To ensure traceability, Delta provinces and Cần Thơ City that breed tra fish have been granted identification numbers for tra fish ponds that meet required conditions.

Đồng Tháp Province has granted identification numbers for 349 tra fish breeders who had raised a total of 1,500ha as of July.

Many provinces in the delta have been breeding more tra fish since the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development released an instruction to increase production of tra fish in the remaining months of the year.

Đồng Văn Lâm, chairman of the Trà Vinh Province People’s Committee, said the province plans to develop tra fish farming areas to 470ha in 2020 and 580ha in 2025.  

It will also spend about VNĐ4.6 trillion ($194 million) to build infrastructure for breeding, processing and sale of tra fish.

The province, in cooperation with research institutes and universities, is using high-tech methods to produce tra fish seeds and raise tra fish.

The province has 52ha devoted to raising tra fish, down by 50 per cent against 2016.

Solidarity Day with Vietnam held in Zurich

The Switzerland-Vietnam Friendship Association has recently held a Solidarity Day with Vietnam in Zurich city to raise funds for its charitable activities.

Speaking at the event on November 24, Ngoc Dung Moser, member of the association’s Executive Board, said that on average, the association collected 8,000 CHF (8,010 USD) per year.  

Anjuska Weil, the association’s President, said that since its foundation in 1982, the association has organised many activities to support victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, and bombs and mines, leprosy patients, and children living in difficulties in different localities in Vietnam.

This year, the association starts granting long-term scholarships to nearly 30 girls in Chau Thanh A district in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang to help them pursue their learning.

Attending the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Pham Hai Bang thanked the association for its assistance given to needy people in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the association published its magazine named Hoa binh (Peace) comprising articles on the East Sea and the lawsuit of Vietnam’s dioxin victims against the US’s chemical companies which provided herbicides for the US army to use during the wartime in Vietnam.