Families affected by mining to receive compensation

The main cause of damage done to houses in Trại Cau Township and Cây Thị Commune was the mineral exploitation activity of three local enterprises.— Photo dantri.com.vn

In a Wednesday announcement, authorities in the northern province of Thái Nguyên revealed that the main cause of damage done to houses in Trại Cau Township and Cây Thị Commune was the mineral exploitation activity of three local enterprises.

The three involved companies were Thái Nguyên Iron and Steel Joint-stock Company (TISCO), Thái Nguyên Black Metallurgy Joint-stock Company and Anh Thắng individual enterprise, reported Dân Trí online newspaper.

These enterprises must be responsible for compensating affected households, local authorities said.

Five years ago, many households in Trại Cau Township and Cây Thị Commune (Đồng Hỷ District) started complaining to local authorities about their houses subsiding and about the lack of clean water. They also suspected that the cause was mineral exploitation activities. An iron mine belonging to TISCO is located in Trại Cau.

The  Đồng Hỷ District People’s Committee invited experts from the Việt Nam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources to identify the cause of the issues.

According to the research results published by Thái Nguyên Province authorities on Wednesday, the main causes of subsidence, water shortage and cracking of buildings in the area were the Thái Nguyên Iron and Steel Company’s mining activities.

This phenomenon occurred in a wide area. The area has cracked limestone and underground caverns, so geological hazards are more likely to happen in the presense of mining activities.

Experts also recommend measures to ensure the safety of future mining.

Museum devotes room to portraits of heroic Vietnamese mothers

Visitors at the room dedicated to heroic Vietnamese mothers 

The Southern Women’s Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on November 1 inaugurated a room dedicated to heroic Vietnamese mothers in the southern region, with 70 portraits and 60 objects on display. 

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, said the launch of the room demonstrates people’s sentiments to and respect for the heroic mothers who contributed greatly to the nation’s revolutionary cause. 

Using smart-museum technology, the room has vividly captured images of the mothers during their past struggle for national independence and reunification, said the museum’s Director Nguyen Thi Tham. 

On this occasion, the museum also showcased 150 big-bellied jars from ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands region, which have been collected over the past 20 years. 

Last July, HCM City presented the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother to 44 women on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 2018), for their sacrifices towards national independence and reunification. 

The city currently has around 5,500 Vietnamese heroic mothers. 

Vietnam makes progress in atomic energy utilisation: official

At the conference (Source: vtv.vn)

Vietnam has made great strides in researching and applying radiation and radioactive isotopes to serve socio-economic development, an official said on November 1.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung made the remark in Hanoi at a two-day conference on the utilisation of atomic energy in socio-economic development.

Back in 2002, Vietnam approved a strategy on applying atomic energy for peaceful purposes until 2020. This strategy classifies the research and application of radiation and radioactive isotopes as important tasks.

Over the years, thanks to efforts by various ministries, sectors, scientists, science-technology organisations, and businesses, as well as cooperation with foreign partners such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in particular, the country has made considerable progress in the work, he noted.

However, application outcomes have yet to match the full potential and real development demand, Tung admitted.

At the event, Hoang Anh Tuan, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology, reported on atomic energy utilisation in different fields, particularly success in the healthcare, industry, agriculture, and environmental sectors.

He added that the conference is important for enhancing cooperation and the implementation of plans on applying radiation and radioactive isotopes in socio-economic development. It also aims to prepare its review of 15 years of the atomic energy utilisation strategy and building utilisation plans for different sectors after 2020.

Speakers at the symposium focused on such issues as using ionising radiation in healthcare; the safe, effective, and environmentally friendly application of nuclear technology in industrial production; and the application of radiation therapy using the TrueBeam-Varian system at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital.

The event, lasting through until November 2, also features booths introducing atomic energy research and application outcomes, as well as relevant equipment and services.

EP Fisheries Committee delegation visits northern port

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries visits Ngoc Hai fishing port in Do Son district of the northern port city of Hai Phong on November 1 

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries led by its spokesman Gabriel Mato visited the northern port city of Hai Phong on November 1 to learn about the locality’s efforts in fighting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Speaking at the working session with the delegation, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Khac Nam said that Hai Phong has a coastline of 125km in length and around 4,000sq.m of ocean surface area, with abundant natural resources and plentiful species of seafood. 

Seafood exploitation has connected closely with the fishing grounds in the Gulf of Tonkin and the shared Vietnam-China fishing area.

The province has more than 2,000 fishing vessels, including over 700 ships conducting offshore fishing with a capacity of at least 90CV, Nam stated.

He pointed to several difficulties in seafood production facing the city’s management office and fishing community, such as narrow consumer markets and the fishing port system and concentrated aquatic farming areas in need of investment and technological reform.

He expressed his hope that during the visit, the working delegation will come to know the determination of the entire political system and people in the fight against IUU fishing and towards building and developing sustainable and responsible fisheries in conformity with international principles.

Gabriel Mato acknowledged that Vietnamese authorised offices have revised policies and laws to increase the efficiency of IUU fishing combat.

He said he believes that with the Government’s determination, the country’s ministries and sector will achieve these goals.

On the day, the delegation visited Ngoc Hai fishing port in Do Son district and a shrimp farming establishment that complies with VietGAP standards in Duong Kinh district.

12-year jail sentence upheld for Dinh Ngoc He

Dinh Ngoc He (front, right) at the court 

The Central Military Court upheld a 10-year imprisonment sentence for Dinh Ngoc He – also known as “Ut troc”, former Deputy General Director of Thai Son Corporation – for “abusing position and power while performing official duties”, and another two years for “using falsified documents of agencies and organisations”, as heard at a court of appeals on November 1. 

The jail sentence started from the detention date on December 3, 2017.

Former Director General of Thai Son Corporation Tran Van Lam is undergoing five years behind bars, also charged with “abusing position and power while performing official duties”, which began from his detention date of March 13, 2017. 

Phung Danh Tham, former Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Thai Son Corporation, received a two year non-custody sentence for “lack of responsibility causing serious consequences”.

He and Lam were also banned from taking on corporate leadership roles following their jail terms for four and three years, respectively. Tham is also prevented from holding the top tiers of management for any business for two years following the verdict’s effective date.

Defendants in the case were required to compensate over 3.4 billion VND (147,000 USD) to the State budget. 

The indictment said during 2011-2016, He used his position – as a representative of Thai Son Corporation’s stake in the Thai Son JSC, as well as Chairman and General Director of the Thai Son JSC – to make inaccurate reports on the Thai Son JSC’s operations, falsely claiming its functions and tasks in order to gain contracts in key national projects. 

The man also instructed his subordinates to get military and official number plates for the company’s automobiles, then used them as collateral or for lease in violation of regulations. They pocketed more than 6 billion VND from these acts alone. The military inspectorate stated that the illegal use of the vehicles with military and official number plates violated rules on public automobiles, triggering denouncement from the public and affecting the prestige of the military.  

Regarding other accomplices, the military inspectorate said Lam was made General Director of the Thai Son JSC after its name was changed to Thai Son Development and Investment JSC-Defence Ministry. After the market management agency of Binh Duong province detected more than 20,000 litres of sub-standard petrol at Thai Son JSC, Lam, at the instruction of He, signed a document sent to Binh Duong People’s Committee on July 17, 2014, claiming that Thai Son JSC was a military company doing business alongside defence duties in order to ask for an exemption for the fine. 

Later, Lam, together with former commander of the Air Defence-Air Force Service’s Division 367 Bui Van Tiep and former Director of Thai Son JSC’s Binh Duong branch Tran Xuan Son, fabricated contracts on petrol deposits and storage, as well as other documents to claim that the sub-standard petrol belonged to Division 367, not for the purpose of sales. This act was said to cause a loss of more than 1.4 billion VND in fines that would have been contributed to the State budget. 

Meanwhile, as General Director of the Thai Son Corporation, Tham showed a lax in management responsibility and a lack of supervision and inspection, as he failed to detect the illegal use of vehicles with military and official number plates by He. Tham also did not notice the other illegal acts of He and his accomplices. 

The indictment affirmed that although He did not admit to the charges, the military inspectorate found the documents and evidence collected during the investigation process constituted sufficient ground for the charges. 

He was also found to have bought a false university score record and degree, using them in his Party membership dossier and for the purpose of a promotion and salary raise. 

Also according to the indictment, the defendants voluntarily asked to repair the consequences of their acts, handing over a total of 1.28 billion VND to the Ministry of Defence’s criminal investigation agency. Of the money, He paid back 500 million VND, Xuan Son 500 million VND, Tiep 250 million VND, Tham 20 million VND, and Lam 10 million VND. 

Nghe An province marks Truong Bon victory

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc offers incense to commemorate martyrs at Truong Bon historical site 

A revolutionary victory in the fight against the Americans was commemorated at a ceremony at the Truong Bon historical site in the central province of Nghe An on November 1.

The 50th anniversary was marked by an artistic programme Truong Bon-Mien Dat Huyen Thoai (Truong Bon- The Legendary Land), highlighting the sacrifice of soldiers and volunteers who made great contribution to the nation’s victory against foreign invaders.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, and other Party and State officials attended the event, as well as former youth volunteers, historical witnesses, and family members of war martyrs who fought on the battlefield in Truong Bon.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the celebration remembered the glorious history and honoured the service, sacrifices and dedication of war veterans.

He spoke highly of the achievements of the people and authorities of Nghe An province in the cause of socio-economic development as well as in preserving the historical revolutionary value by actively and effectively implementing Government policies to pay tribute to the heroes, invalids and martyrs, and supporting their families.

The celebration included a series of cultural and art performances about the nation’s resistance with songs and dances in commemoration of heroes and martyrs who sacrificed themselves for national salvation and unification, performed by artists from the Vietnam Contemporary Arts Theatre and Nghe An province’s follk singing and dancing art troupes.

Nearly 3,000 bombs were dropped on the Truong Bon Historical Site located in My Son ward, Do Luong district, between June and October, 1968 during the war.

A group of 14 members of the Volunteer Youth Force was established to fill bomb craters alongside the roads and guide trucks across the danger zone. In the early morning of October 31, 1968, 13 youth volunteers were killed by a bomb while they were at work.

Hoi An preserves sustainable tourism development

Visitors stroll down a street in Hoi An city. 

Preserving intrinsic values of local cultural heritages and accelerating tourism promotion should be included in Hoi An city’s mechanisms to support sustainable tourism development, according to a local official.

Speaking at a meeting held in the ancient city on November 1, which drew the participation of many travel agencies, Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee Nguyen Van Son said that last year, the locality welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors, and earned over 3.57 trillion VND (153 million USD) from tourism revenue.

Meanwhile, over 4.5 million travellers chose Hoi An to spend their holidays during January-October this year, up nearly 77 percent from the same time last year. Among the visitors, 3.4 million were foreigners, he said.

However, the local tourism sector is facing tough challenges as rapid urbanisation and integration have exerted pressure on local transport infrastructure and environment. Meanwhile, the so-called “zero VND” tours have catered to an increasing number of tourists to the city who caused huge losses to local tourism revenue, though.

Shortage of new tourism packages and quality human resources in the sector also impacts the city’s tourism development, he pointed out.

Vo Van Van, Chairman of the Quang Nam Tourism Association, described loose connection among travel companies as another challenge to form alluring tourism products. 

Hoi An city would magnatise more vacationers if the city can stop street vendors from cheating tourists or soliciting them to buy their wares, and ensure order in the tourist hub, he underlined.

Van suggested developing high-quality tourism products by enhancing cooperation among travel firms and improving capacity of staff as a significant measure to attract visitors from traditional markets and those with big pockets. 

Participants at the event recommended the city consider accelerating electronic entrance ticket selling, and providing tourists with necessary information about the city, including maps and introduction of cultural relic sites.

Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam has been ranked the 14th best place in the world for expatriates to live by The Travel website, thanks to the ancient town’s “cheap cost of living”.

According to the Canadian travel site, Hoi An is the best destination for budget-conscious foreigners who want to settle down in Vietnam, and monthly living costs can be managed within 1,000 USD.

British newspaper The Telegraph in September named Hoi An among the world’s cheapest global destinations, citing the Post Office’s annual Long Haul Holiday Report.

Meanwhile, in June, Hoi An gained the second place in a list of the safest and most exciting places on this Earth for solo travellers compiled by travel editors at UK travel site Momondo.

Two years ago, the town was hailed as the cheapest travel destination by budget tourism site Price of Travel, with daily expenses for a backpacker estimated at 22.29 USD.

Thousands of fishing boats to be equipped with monitoring devices

Fishing boats at Ba Hon Estuary in Kien Luong district, Kien Giang province 

Vietnam will finish installing monitoring devices on nearly 3,000 offshore fishing boats in early 2019, a move to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.

These devices are compulsory for vessels with length of 24 metres or more under European Commission (EC) regulations.

The Directorate of Fisheries said Vietnam has sufficient legal tools and strictly enforced rules on the management, licensing and registration of fishing boats, and for ensuring the security and safety of those vessels at sea.

It has also issued resolutions and mechanisms to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure security and safety for fishing boats at sea.

The EC imposed a “yellow card” warning on Vietnam in October last year after the country had failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing. 

Countries that fail to meet EC standards are given a "yellow card", followed by a "green card" if the problems are resolved, or a "red card" if they are not. A red card can lead to a trade ban on fishery products.

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries has made a fact-finding tour of some coastal provinces of Vietnam to inspect efforts to address IUU fishing.

National Ca Tru Festival opens in Ha Tinh

A performance by Ca Tru artists from Ha Tinh province 

More than 300 artists and instrumentalists from 13 cities and provinces are gathering at the National Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) Festival that kicked off on November 1 night in the central province of Ha Tinh. 

The festival is held on the occasion of the 240th birthday of Nguyen Cong Tru, a poet and scholar under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) who greatly contributed to the development of Ca Tru. 

It also aims to affirm Vietnam’s full implementation of its commitments to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to protecting and promoting values of the traditional genre of music. 

Furthermore, the festival’s outcomes will serve as a foundation for Vietnam to propose UNESCO remove the singing from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

The 13 participating localities are Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Phu Tho in the north, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh in the central region, and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The best troupes will be honoured at a ceremony on November 5. 

Ca tru was included in the UNESCO list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009. It is one of the most uniquely genres of folk music in Vietnam’s treasure of traditional music.

Ca tru features a female singer accompanied by a small group of musicians. The art genre appeared in the North around the 15th century and thrived until the early 20th century. Since then, it has decreased in popularity due to the spread of modern recreational and cultural activities.

Fast urbanization and planning weaknesses have put HCMC in front of many challenges in traffic, environmental hygiene and flooding, said deputy chairman of HCMC People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen yesterday.

At a workshop on HCMC planning, Mr. Tuyen pointed out weaknesses in three phases including plan building, management and implementation organization.

Currently, the Government considers plan adjustments every five years. If plan quality is good as in European nations, it will be no need to change up to a decade.

In the upcoming time, HCMC will improve its planning quality to suit common development and extend adjustment period to ten years instead of five years as present. Mr. Tuyen said that HCMC would be able to do that because it has already had necessary tools. The city might get assistance from international consultants.

Talking about development targets, Mr. Tuyen said that HCMC will continue developing Thu Thiem new urban area, settle relevant problems and make the area to be an international financial hub.

HCMC now invites policy consultancy experts in attracting international financial sources. The municipal authorities are intended to develop smart cities in Districts 12 and Cu Chi, eco city in Can Gio, port cities in Districts 9 and Nha Be, hi-tech park and innovative districts in Districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc.

Answering investors’ questions concerning to the first metro line Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien, Mr. Tuyen said that the work is still under construction as normal, HCMC is now awaiting the Government’s approval to increase funds for the project.

HCMC has advanced on its budget to build the metro line, said Mr. Tuyen adding that the city is affordable for the project implementation. So far, 70 percent of the work volume has been done. It is scheduled to come into operation in the end of 2019 or early 2020.

Because total investment capital has been changed according to the reality of the project, HCMC has signed loan agreements and had available funds for ongoing construction. The city now just waits for competent authorities’ approval to use the funds.

About anti-flooding project invested by Trung Nam Company, Mr. Tran Vinh Tuyen said that the project is being implemented but it has a problem in unprecedented disbursement mechanism relating to three sides.

Traditionally, investors of BT (Build-Transfer) projects must prepare capital to implement projects. Afterward, relevant agencies will check and take over the work and make payment.

The city is making efforts to solve congestion for the company to get bank loan.

At the workshop, Mr. Ly Khanh Tam Thao, acting head of technical infrastructure management division under the Department of Architecture and Planning, said that the city is adjusting its common plan to meet development demand and adapt to sea level rise.

Currently, urban structure is spreading from the center area with separate housing model. That has resulted in inefficient land use,  put heavy pressure on traffic system and caused environmental pollution and flooding.

Still, the city will not adjust the entire construction plan but determine priority targets for each phase. It will continue upgrading the existing center area and develop Thu Thiem new urban area to regulate and rationalize residents and housing.

Experts at the event said that HCMC has faced lot of challenges including old and new ones. Besides fast population increase, flooding, traffic jam, environmental pollution, the city has faced depression, increasing energy demand for new production fields and infrastructure development need for digital industry.

Mr. Michel Fanni, in charge of urban development and improvement for French Marne la Vallee new urban area, said that the urban model of oil slick will raise difficulties for residents’ travel. Their houses are in suburban area while economic and amusement activities concentrate on the center area.

France has developed new cities surrounding Paris to tackle the issue.

Mr. Michel Fanni stressed that planning solutions do not come from an individual or an consultant firm but from collective intelligence. It is an important factor for HCMC development in the future.

Việt Nam strives to join ASEAN countries with developed statistics

Representatives attend the seminar on the ASEAN Community Statistics Committee.

The ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) made a great contribution to the ASEAN economy, said Nguyễn Thị Hương, deputy director of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO).

Hương spoke on the subject at a seminar on the ASEAN Community Statistics Committee, held in Hà Nội on Wednesday by the GSO and its partners.

Hương said that with a population of over 640 million people, accounting for 8.5 per cent of the world population with an economy reaching more than US$2,760 billion last year, ASEAN was currently the third-largest economy in Asia and fifth largest in the world.

ACSS has been a big part of the achievements, she said.

ACSS strives to consolidate and improve institutional frameworks, build capacity and harmonise data at the regional and national levels to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

“As a member of ASEAN, Việt Nam has co-operated with other members to build a strong ASEAN community, strengthen relations with partners and maintain and consolidate the important role of ASEAN,” said Hương.

In 2015, the GSO coordinated with relevant ministries to compile and submit to the Government the Decision on the ASEAN Statistical Integration Scheme for 2016-20. It aims to implement national activities and co-ordinate with the ACSS to perform the responsibilities of Việt Nam’s statistics office.

Hoàng Thị Thanh Hà, deputy director of the Foreign Economy and International Cooperation Department under the GSO, said that if the scheme was successful, the Vietnam Statistics Institute would be able to meet basic requirements and be compatible with the ASEAN statistical system by 2020.

This would put Việt Nam into the group of ASEAN countries with developed statistics, she said.

To carry out the plan, the General Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance has implemented initiatives related to import and export statistics.

It increased the amount of information on its website, organised two training courses on statistics for officials and helped Lao Customs with import and export statistics, said Hà.

Anang Laksono, senior statistics officer of the ASEAN Statistical Office, said the ACSS’s principles of practice were passed in 2012.

ACSS ensured the highest level of trust, accountability and professional standards in production, gave education on ASEAN statistical products and services and enhanced user satisfaction, he said.