Selfish selfie hunters

From December 25-27, Nghệ An welcomed all selfie lovers.. ahem.. sunflower lovers to come and take pictures for free at a blooming field in the central province. The field in question had already become popular among the youth as the flowers blossomed towards the end of the year. The authorities were only institutionalising the trend in order to boost the local tourism industry.

Images of the sunflower field and people taking selfies were duly carried by several online publications and the social media, but they did not capture the havoc wreaked on the field by the visitors.

The 100-hectare field was cordoned with bamboo fences, but these offered little resistance as hordes of people rushed to find vantage points for their pictures. They crushed the plants, stomped on the flowers and used leaves to protect themselves from the sun.

At the end of the day, local authorities were forced to announce that those who destroyed the plants and flowers would be penalized.

It so happens that the field belongs to a dairy farmer who uses sunflower meals as cattle feed.

While the farmer was game to his field being milked for tourism benefits, he would have surely balk at it becoming fodder, not for his cows, but for ruthless selfie hunters.

Bike lost & found in an accident

A woman in Hà Nội’s Tây Hồ District was idly surfing the web when a story about a police station’s parking lot overloaded with vehicles taken from traffic violators caught her eye. Then she caught her breath.

No, she was not seeing things. Among the bikes in the picture accompanying the news item was her own SH motorbike (costing about VNĐ100 million) that she’d lost a year ago.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Huyền followed up on the report, completed the paperwork, and retrieved her motorbike.

The police are now hunting for the robber. He had reportedly driven the wrong way on a one-way road at the Đại Cồ Việt-Giải Phóng Crossroads and been stopped by the police, but failed to show proper papers. The police seized the motorbike, and the man never bothered to return to collect it.

Finders Keepers, Loosers Weepers, they say. This looser’s smiling, though.
HCMC spends up to US$105 million on annual waste treatment

HCMC spends VND2.2-2.4 trillion (US$96.8-105.6 million) annually on treatment of nearly 7,000 tons of garbage discharged a day in the city, HCMC Urban Environment Co said on Monday.

Although the waste treatment sector calls for private sector investment, 90% of funds are still sourced from the city’s budget.

The city set a target of recycling 40% of waste, burying 40% and incinerate the rest last year. However, 75% of waste was still buried.

The central Government has issued a decree providing administrative sanctions in the field of environmental protection. Those discharging waste into drainage systems in urban areas will be fined VND5-7 million while those dumping household waste illegally in residential areas and public places would pay a fine of VND3-5 million.

Tunnel planned under Ton Duc Thang road in downtown HCMC

The government of HCMC is planning to build a tunnel under Ton Duc Thang Street stretching from Ba Son Shipyard area to a bridge connecting districts 1 and 4.

The planned tunnel would run along the Saigon River from Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, which is under construction, to Khanh Hoi Bridge. It is part of a broader project to upgrade Bach Dang Wharf Park just adjacent to the Nguyen Hue pedestrian square.

In an urgent announcement issued last week by the Office of the HCMC People’s Committee, the city had given approval in principal to Saigontourist Holding Company to draw up a plan for upgrading Bach Dang Wharf Park.

Municipal authorities noted the investor should design approach roads to the tunnel for Ham Nghi and Nguyen Hue boulevards, as well as Khanh Hoi Bridge.

The investor would be able to expand the wharf park in a way that would not narrow the width of the Saigon River.

The city government requires the investor to factor waterway taxi, metro and rapid bus transit services into the project.

In mid-2013, the city assigned Saigontourist to prepare a plan for developing Bach Dang Wharf Park into a tourism complex which included piers for tourist boats and other recreational services.

In July this year, the city government allowed District 1 to overtake the wharf park upgrade project and call for investors. However, after a meeting with relevant departments and agencies on December 12, city chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong took Saigontourist back on board.

The city banned hydrofoils and restaurant boats from anchoring at Bach Dang Wharf in April 2015 to pave the way for the upgrade of the wharf park. However, the project has yet to get off the ground since.

Marine sovereignty-themed exhibition comes to Bac Kan province

The northern province of Bac Kan is the next destination of an exhibition on Vietnam’s archipelagos in the East Sea, giving locals an insight into historical and legal evidence testifying to the country’s marine sovereignty.

The display, opened on December 29 by the Ministry of Information and Communications, features many documents, objects and nearly 100 maps which were collected and publicised by domestic and foreign researchers.

The exhibits include copies of documents written in Chinese, Nom (a Chinese-like script of Vietnam), Vietnamese and French issued by Vietnam’s feudal regime and the French administration the Indochina from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. They confirm Vietnam’s establishment and exercise of sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

Copies of administrative documents issued by the Republic of Vietnam’s administration in the south of the country between 1954 and 1975, and by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since 1975 also affirm Vietnam’s administrative management and exercise and protection of sovereignty over Hoang Sa, Truong Sa and some other sea areas.

Among the items on display are publications compiled and published by some western countries from the 18th to the 19th centuries which relate to Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the Bac Kan provincial People’s Committee Pham Duy Hung said the exhibition is an important communication activity helping to raise public awareness and sense of responsibility in protecting the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos.

The exhibition, lasting through January 2, 2017, is a continuation of 74 displays previously organised in 51 provinces and cities, 10 islands and island districts, and 13 armed forces units nationwide.

Fair treatment needed to attract OV intellectuals

Policies and mechanisms that give fair treatment to overseas Vietnamese (OV) intellectuals and their domestic counterparts are needed to encourage OV scholars to work for the country, participants said at a workshop in Hanoi on December 28.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) Nghiem Vu Khai said a big number of Vietnamese intellectuals are working in the fields of education and science-technology abroad, but only several hundred of them return home each year to work or to implement research projects.

Participants recommended bringing into play the role of OV intellectuals in connecting foreign researchers, training and research establishments as well as investors with domestic counterparts to support the training of experts and investment in high technology and scientific research.

They proposed building a network of OV scientists and technical experts as a solution to engage OV intellectuals in national development.

In recent years, OV intellectuals have made significant contributions to the country’s development. 

Annually, about 300 scholars return to Vietnam to participate in cooperative programmes in science-technology and education-training. Around 55 percent of them work with State agencies and the other 45 percent give lectures and join in research at universities and research institutes.-

Vietnam Red Cross provides relief aid to DPRK’s flood victims

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) has provided commodities and necessities worth 70,000 USD to help victims who were affected by a devastating flood in September in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The aid aimed to help the flood victims overcome consequences and stabilise their lives.    

VRCS Vice Chairman Doan Van Thai symbolically handed over the goods to DPRK Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Myong Gil on December 28.

The ambassador expressed his gratitude to the VRCS, stressing that the assistance is a great source of encouragement to people affected by natural disasters in the DPRK.

Hanoi aims to lure over 23 million visitors in 2017

Hanoi tourism sector is set on attracting 23.39 million visitors, including 4.08 million foreign tourists, in 2017, with a revenue of over 66 trillion VND (2.89 billion USD), according to the municipal Tourism Department.

To 2020, the city aims for a rise of 15-17 percent in yearly tourism revenue to reach 120 trillion VND in 2020, added the department.

It reported that the capital city has welcomed 21.8 million visitors in 2016, including 4 million foreigners, earning over 62 trillion VND (2.72 billion USD), up 13 percent year on year. 

However, the department noted that the result has yet to match the city’s potential and position as a tourism centre of the country and region, as the sector’s revenue remains far lower than that of other countries’ capital such as Tokyo of Japan, Bangkok of Thailand and Seoul in the Republic of Korea.

Average spending of foreigners during their stay in Hanoi is about 110 USD per day, while that of domestic visitor is 55 USD per day.
Meanwhile, Hoppa, a website on aviation transportation, listed Hanoi as the world’s fourth cheapest destination after Budapest in Hungary, Tenerife in Spain and Bangkok in Thailand.

Recently, Hanoi is striving to increase earnings from tourism by attracting tourists with generous spending and keeping them stay longer, while developing additional tourism products and infrastructure serving the sector.

The city will focus on tourism promotion in promising markets of Western Europe, Northeastern Asia and Northern America.

Vietnam to boost enforcement of civil court decisions next year

The Ministry of Justice will step up the enforcement of civil court decisions next year, especially those related to the banking sector.

To this end, the ministry will focus on improving regulations on implementation of civil and administrative court decisions, consolidating staff, improving receipt of complaints from citizens, and boosting the use of advanced technology, according to a newly-issued plan for 2017.

Deputy Minister Tran Tien Dung said the successful execution of civil court decisions concerning the banking sector will help facilitate provision of credit for enterprises and citizens.

One of top solutions for next year’s plan is to boost administrative reform and application of high tech to cut time and cost and ensure transparency of information.

According to the ministry, nearly 530,430 civil court decisions have been enforced this year, up 8.53% higher than the original target.

Website launched to promote Quang Nam festival

The organising board of the Quang Nam Heritage festival 2017 has launched a website in a bid to promote the festival to domestic and international visitors.

The website in both Vietnamese and English provides information on the Quang Nam Heritage Festival 2017 including schedule, ticket spots, local specialties and previous festival’s information, among other.

Visitors can get essential information at http://disanquangnam.vn and quangnamheritagefestival.com as its English version. 

Besides, social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are also used for this purpose.

Themed “Connecting Cultural Heritage”, the Quang Nam Heritage Festival 2017 is a big culture and tourism event of the locality, with an aim of attracting tourists as well as domestic and foreign investment to boost local socio-economic development, said Pham Hong Quang, Head of the provincial Department of Information and Communication.

The opening ceremony will be held on June 9 on Tam Thanh beach in Tam Ky city while the closing event will take place on June 14 at Hoai River Square in Hoi An City. 

The festival, the sixth edition, will start with the Hoi An light festival on January 27 to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2017, followed by a series of art programmes, competitions and exhibitions.

Vietnamese sailor left in South Africa returns home

Vietnamese sailor Nguyen Van Thanh, who was left in Cape Town by a Taiwanese fishing ship two months ago, returns home on December 28 on a Kenya Airways flight, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa.

Thanh was born in 1977 in the central coastal province of Ha Tinh. He left Vietnam on April 21, 2015 to work on a Taiwanese ship, which docked at Cape Town port on October 20. 

After being left in the city, he had to depend on sailors of Taiwanese and Chinese vessels as all his money and documents were kept by the ship owner.
With prompt assistance of the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa, Thanh has completed all necessary procedures and bought an air ticket to return home.

70 temporary drug stores to open on Tết

Hà Nội’s Health Department has asked pharmaceutical companies and drug stores of central hospitals to arrange 70 temporary stores to sell medicine on New Year’s and during the Tết holiday.
Specifically, Hà Tây Pharmacy JSC will set up 15 temporary drug stores in 14 districts in the west of the capital city. Hà Nội Pharmacy and Medical Device JSC will arrange 19 temporary drug stores in the inner city and in some suburban areas.
As many as 37 drug stores of central hospitals in the city will be open round-the-clock to serve patients’ demands.
Deputy director of the department Trần Văn Chung has also asked the drug stores to be prepared with special drugs and for infusion in case of an unexpected requirement in treatment and disease prevention.

Don’t eat poultry meat with unclear origins: Ministry

The health ministry has recommended that people avoid buying and eating poultry meat that does not have clear origins, to prevent an outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) and A(H5N6).

The advisory has been issued as over the past few years there have been outbreaks close to Tết (the Lunar New Year) as during this occasion, the consumption of poultry meat is higher than usual.

The ministry has also warned people not to slaughter and transport poultry without clear origins. Breeders have been asked to alert authorities if there are unexplained poultry deaths.

If people suffer from symptoms such as high fever and difficulty in breathing, they should go to the nearest health centre without delay, the ministry said.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), avian influenza has been recorded in many countries this year. Since June, wild birds and poultry have been found with A(H5N8) in Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India and Russia. Scientists have also confirmed a connection between dead wild birds and bird flu found in poultry farms in these countries.

The World Health Organization has recorded cases of A(H5N1) and A(H5N6) infections among the Chinese and Egyptians in 2016.

Vietnam Institute for Green Urban Research and Development makes debut

The Vietnam Institute for Green Urban Research and Development debuted on December 27 at a ceremony held by the Vietnam Fine Art Creation and Design Association in Hanoi.

At the launch ceremony, Prof. Dr. Le Huyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Fine Art Creation and Design Association officially announced a decision to appoint architect Nguyen Huu Hieu, General Director of the Architecture Consultancy – Construction Investment, as the Director of the Institute.

Architect Truong Duy Anh, journalist Pham Minh Duong, architect Nguyen Hai Long, and graphic lecturer Le Van Duan were appointed as Deputy Directors.

Also at the ceremony, the Science Council and the Advisory Board of the Institute, including numerous professors, doctors and experts in the fields of architecture, planning, green works, communication and foreign affairs, were launched, aiming to support and promote the development of the institute in the future.

Speaking at the ceremony, Director Nguyen Huu Hieu emphasised that the Vietnam Institute for Green Urban Research and Development was expected to become a major centre for scientific research and technology transfer in the field of urban development in the country.

The unit will consult and implement projects related to green urban areasand environmental works with efficient use of energy, as well as research and propose measures to improve microclimate conditions for architectural works and raising the quality of the life for people.

Currently, the Vietnam Fine Art Creation and Design Association consists of 20 subsidiary units with nearly 400 members across the country. It has established co-operation with numerous foreign countries around the world.

HCMC chairman presides over citywide meeting to tackle traffic jam

Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong yesterday afternoon presided over a citywide meeting to implement measures to reduce traffic jam in the yearend month and next year. 

Reporting at the meeting, director of the Department of Transport Bui Xuan Cuong said that next year the department would build 40 key traffic works, develop public transport, control individual vehicles and intensify science and technology application in urban traffic management to solve the issue.

The department proposed the city Police Department to mobilize human resource to regulate traffic during peak hours and strictly handle traffic law violators especially those parking in streets.

Deputy head of the HCMC Traffic Safety Board Nguyen Ngoc Tuong said that one of reasons for traffic jam in HCMC was from spontaneous markets where citizens had encroached roadbeds to do business.

Chairmen of all 24 city districts in 2012 pledged to restore street order along 159 routes but no significant change has been seen.

Therefore, Mr. Tuong proposed the city People’s Committee to review street order works in the 159 streets to see which districts have well implemented their commitments and which have not. The city should consider launching the program in all streets not only some major routes.

Deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee Le Van Khoa instructed the board to assume the review job and make clear how the situation has changed there. “It is unacceptable that districts have promised with the city to settle the issue but not kept their word,” said he.

Reducing traffic jam is the responsibility of not only the Department of Transport but also other agencies and districts, he affirmed and proposed media to accompany the city to seek the best solutions to settle traffic gridlock at 37 spots in the city now.

Agreeing with the proposal, Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said that he would have a meeting with leaders of newspapers , TV and radio stations early next year to seek their supports to the city’s programs in reducing traffic congestion. He hoped that they would contribute opinions of them and citizens to solve the issue and develop the city.

He required agencies and districts to drastically implement their assigned tasks. The Department of Information and Communications should send SMS messages informing citizens of traffic jam spots to prevent them from traveling into congested routes and worsening the situation.
 
Districts and agencies who have registered to restore street order along the 159 streets but yet to implement their commitments will see leaders held responsible.

Mr. Phong prompted relevant agencies to crack down on illegal parking as well as illicit operation of coaches and stations.

Locals in central provinces make efforts to restore production after flood

Inhabitants in the central provinces have made all efforts to restore production for the winter-spring crop after floods hit the region; accordingly it has seen the excited atmosphere in paddy fields hoping for a prosperous Tet holiday (the Lunar New Year).

In Ha Tinh Province, 1,500ha of crops had been destroyed, rice farmers converted to cultivate veggies. In Thach Ha District, over 100ha of vegetables died in the flood; local government encouraged farmers to increase land for growing veggies from 400ha to 600ha.

Director of Quang Binh Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Phan Van Khoa said that nearly VND4 billion was allocated for farmers in the mountainous districts to buy seeds and seedlings of corn, rice and veggies to soon restore production. 

Meantime, locals in Cam Lo District in the central province of Quang Tri are facing shortage of seeds. Head of the district Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Thanh Binh said that his department called for financial aids from People’s Committee and relevant agencies to assist farmers and restore drainage system, irrigation, canals, and pumping station. 

Leaders of Dai Loc District in Quang Nam Province urged the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant agencies to support cash to farmers to buy seeds.

In Thua Thien-Hue, thousands of farmers flocked to fields to plant flowers and veggies. This year, farmer Le Van Lu in Tien Non village in District Phu Vang has planned to grow 40,000 varieties of flowers. If successful, his family’s life will be better.

In Ha Tinh, corn and vegetable fields look green. As per the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, 1,010ha of corn, 558ha of vegetables and 130ha of sweet potatoes have been mostly restored.

Currently, the number of qualified seeds may satisfy half of locals’ demand, said director of Seedlings Center in Quang Ngai province Doan Van Nhan although Vietcombank branch in Quang Ngai also provided 12 tons of rice seeds, 150 bags of chilli to locals in districts Tu Nghia, Nghia Hanh, Mo Duc, Duc Pho  and Binh Son. 

Southern provinces need stronger links

Provinces and cities in the Southern Key Economic Region should strengthen their linkages to enable the region to capitalise on its development potential, a recent seminar heard in HCM City.

The region, which consists of a city and seven provinces – HCM City, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Long An and Tien Giang - plays an important role in the country’s economy, accounting for more than 42 percent of GDP, 40 percent of exports and more than 60 percent of tax collections.

Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee and chairman of the Southern Key Economic Region Council for 2016, said the region was also the pioneer in industrial and services development, especially high-tech, electronics, oil and gas, tourism, telecom, finance and banking, commerce, and logistics.

In 2001-15 the region consistently grew at 1.5 times the national average, he said.

However, the development fell short of potential since the growth quality remains unsustainable while human resource quality is low, he said.

Beside, its infrastructure development has not kept pace with development, and there is a lack of co-operation between its component localities, he added.

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Van Phuc, principal of the HCM City Open University, said regional connections have been built over the last 10 years, but the linkages between localities in the region remain poor.

He blamed this on the lack of a strong and capable coordinating board that could assess the development potential of each locality and make a master development plan for the region as a whole.

Phong said the region council chairman’s role stops with receiving feedback from member localities and submit to the Government.

The Government set up a steering committee for the development of the region with former Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai as its head.

But the committee has not convened any meeting so far while is head has moved to another position and no successor has been found.

Therefore, feedback from the region no longer reached the Government, he said.

Ngo Dong Hai, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economics, said “each locality is an independent financial body but assigned common targets such as ensuring growth in the economy, production and foreign investment, improving residents’ lives and others.”

This will mean overall development trumps local interests, he said.

Specific legal framework needed.

Prof Dr Mai Hong Quy, principal of the HCM City University of Law, said to enable the region to develop as it expects, the Government needs to have a specific legal framework for the region with specific policies related to land use and investment attraction.

She and many others urged the Government to increase localities’ share of tax and other revenues to enable them to reinvest and develop.

The Government should allow the region to establish two finance companies to mobilise funds for its development, they said.

They also said the region should focus on improving training to supply to the market qualified workers meeting international standards.
 
Nguyen Dinh Trung, deputy director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Planning and Investment, said the member localities should jointly suggest ways to the Government and relevant agencies to complete land, waterway, railway and air travel infrastructure in the region.

Dinh La Thang, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, said a regional data centre should be established to make it easy for the region to research and support foreign investors.

In the long run, the Government should have suitable policies for developing the region into an open economic zone, he said.

It should review the master zoning and other plans of each locality in the region to avoid overlaps, he said.
 
It needs to adopt policies to strongly develop localities with great potential to create a momentum for others with less potential, Phong said, adding that China has such a policy.

Vietnamese ticketholders win US$7 million lottery jackpot

Vietlott, the operator of an American-style lottery, on December 25 announced that two ticketholders have won a total of nearly VND160 billion (US$7 million).

The winning numbers are 05 - 12 - 20 - 29 - 34 – 36 and for the first time there will be two winners to claim the much-sought prizes, according to the company's website. This means that each winner will take home around VND72 billion, or 3.2 million, after paying a 10% income tax.

Vietnam’s average annual income was US$2,100 last year, according to the World Bank.

They are the seventh and eighth winner of the Mega 6/45 since mid-October. The value of previous top prizes ranged from US$2.4 million to more than US$4 million.

Vietlott in early December officially expanded to Hanoi with 150 agents, hoping to replicate its success of the past few months in the country’s south.

In January, Vietlott signed an exclusive 18-year contract with Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya to launch computerized lottery games.

The Mega 6/45 is the company's first foray into the market. Players select six numbers from 1 to 45 and win a jackpot that starts at VND12 billion (US$538,000) by matching all six numbers from the draw. Each ticket costs VND10,000 (40 cents).

The prize will keep growing until there is a winner. The odds of winning have been estimated at around one in 8.14 million.

Vietnam generally does not allow its citizens to gamble, but lottery tickets are popular across the country.

Traditional lottery tickets in Vietnam have predetermined numbers printed on them, with the highest prize set at VND1.5 billion (US$65,900).

Facing tough competition from Vietlott’s Mega game, the companies behind these traditional tickets have decided to raise the top prize by 33% to VND2 billion, starting next year.

Red tape slows health insurance signup

The Government has targeted over 90 per cent of nationwide population covered with health insurance by 2020. Despite preferential policies to encourage citizens to buy health insurance, the number of health insurance card holders, especially household health insurance, remains low due to red tape.

Without health insurance, Hoàng Thị Yến, renting a house in HCM City’s District 2, had to pay over VNĐ60 million (US$2,700) for leg surgery, Tin Tức (News) reported.

“To buy household health insurance, I have to bring the family register book of my landlord and all health insurance cards of the family members to the ward authority. Then I have to register for temporary residence. However, my landlord’s family has yet to buy health insurance cards so I cannot buy it,” she said.

Prolonged waiting time is another challenge for health insurance card holders.

Trần Thị Bốn from Thủ Đức District in HCM City, said “I have to wait for the whole day for each health check-up.”

Getting bored of waiting, she decided to buy a health check-up service without health insurance.

To increase public access to health insurance and to meet the above target, Hà Văn Thúy, the deputy head of the Health Insurance Department under the Health Ministry, said that the ministry has issued a set of hospital quality criteria which place patients at the centre of hospital services.

Health insurance covers almost 80 percent of Việt Nam’s population now.

According to Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, director of the HCM City Health Department, the city’s healthcare sector has worked with the city’s health insurance to cut down unnecessary procedures so as to improve healthcare examination and treatment but still ensure quality.

The waiting time of patients to see a doctor has been cut from 120-480 minutes to 30-120 minutes.

According to Tin Tức newspaper, hospitals in HCM City have bought state-of-the-art technology to better serve patients. Eighteen hospitals in the city have newly installed health check-up booking via a hotline. “We are looking forward to smart health insurance cards (electronic) to replace current paper cards,” Bỉnh said.

Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Gia Định Nhân Dân Hospital and the hospital of Thủ Đức District in HCM City have installed automatic queue ticket dispenser machines and have staff to instruct patients at health check-up rooms.

According to Doctor Nguyễn Minh Quân, director of Thủ Đức District hospital, to reduce waiting time, prescriptions are typed out on computers. Also, the doctors’ consultation time for patients is longer.

In addition, the Việt Nam health insurance sector made amendments to the health insurance regulations to provide card holders with additional benefits, Thúy said.

Accordingly, low-income card holders will enjoy 95 to 100 per cent of health insurance. Near-poor people will have coverage of 80 to 95 per cent.

Since January 1 this year, new regulations state that patients who register for health insurance cards at a ward-level medical clinic can enjoy health insurance benefits at any district clinic or hospital in the country.

Under household health insurance, the first card holder of the household will have to pay 100 per cent of the insurance cost. The second one has to pay 70 per cent. The third, fourth and fifth card holders have to pay 60, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively. 

Household health insurance will cover 80 per cent of hospital fees for health examination or hospital beds. In case of serious diseases and high treatment cost, the health insurance will cover 50 to 75 per cent of expenses.

High fines for Hanoi express bus lane violations

Vehicles can be fined ranging from USD38 to USD57 if caught going into the bus lane on the Bus Rapid Transit corridor which is planned to operate from January 1.

The 14-kilometre route linking Kim Ma Station in Dong Da District and Yen Nghia Station in Ha Dong District is expected to take only 30 minutes.
  
Hanoi has designed a separate bus lane with 21 stops located on the median strips of the streets within the route.

Under Government Decree 46 on traffic violation fines, vehicles can be fined between VND800,000 and VND1.2 million (USD38-USD57) if going into the lane for the high-speed bus route.

The lane has traffic signs and street lines while cameras are installed at bus stops along the route to detect violations.

Many doubt that the buses will reduce traffic congestion and instead believe that it will only worsen traffic jams on many of the busy streets it runs on.

Speaking with DTiNews, Doan Minh Tam, Former Director of the Institute of Transport Science and Technology, Vietnam has already spent a decade discussing the implementation of the high-speed bus service. “The biggest difficulty for Hanoi’s plan is having suitable separate lanes as they are too narrow,” Tam added.

“Hanoi will pilot the plan. If the trial is successful, we will open more routes. We’ll learn from the experience if it is a failure and consider that when implementing other routes later,” he noted.

A rapid bus route is only one small measure to ease traffic jams, but it can’t help the city to deal with major congestion, Tam said. 

The important thing was that local authorities have to do a far better job at urban planning, and set aside more land for transport infrastructure.

It would be difficult for Hanoi and HCM City to improve traffic if the city authorities simultaneously allow more and more high-rise buildings to be built in inner-city areas, Tam said.

Uncle Hồ to take centre stage

Veteran and young artists of the 5B Small Theatre will perform for free a historic play about late President Hồ Chí Minh for students and migrant labourers in HCM City.  

The play will be staged at local universities and export processing zones and industrial parks as part of activities to celebrate the New Year.

Dấu Xưa (The Leader) portrays the revolutionary career of the President, a communist and patriot who devoted his life to the country’s independence.

It highlights the works of the President in the 1950s and 60s. 

Directed by Meritorious Artist Trần Minh Ngọc, Dấu Xưa has veteran actor Thanh Điền playing the President, and several young actorsl like Quốc Trung, Kim Tùng and Việt Hưng.

"President Hồ Chí Minh is in the hearts of Vietnamese people. Though I’m experienced, I have worked several hours each day to perfect my performance. I don’t want to make a mistake on stage,” said Thanh Điền, who has been a theater artiste for more than 40 years. 

“Through my performance, I have gained deeper insights into patriotism and have greater respect for national heroes and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country."  

Dấu Xưa was first staged in 2011 in Hà Nội and left a very strong impression on audiences. It has been restaged several times by leading art troupes and theatres.    

Director Ngọc and his troupe will begin their tour next month.

“We want to entertain and educate young people through our art,” he said.

Da Nang cancels fireworks shows for supporting poor people

People’s Committee in the central city of Da Nang yesterday announced it decided to remove firework show from the list of festive activities to commemorate its 20th anniversary of becoming central city and the upcoming New Year Eve.
 
The decision aims to implement the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s directive No.11-CT/TW issued on December 20 for the upcoming Tet holidays or the Lunar New Year. As per the directive, the Secretariat  required all provinces and cities not to hold fireworks displays during Tet holidays; instead, local authorities were  asked to spend time and funds for taking care of low-income families and beneficiaries of social welfare policies.

Da Nang People’s Committee also decided to allocate expenditure to support flood-ravaged central provinces including Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen; each will receive VN1 billion and Binh Dinh will get VND2 billion. The amount will be used for restoring production,  helping locals in these provinces settle down.

Lam Dong & Danang sign to supply safe agricultural products

Da Nang City People’s Committee signed with the central highlands province of Lam Dong in supplying safe agricultural products (safe agro-products) in the period of 2017-2020, yesterday.

As per plan, from now till 2020, Da Nang and Lam Dong will build and develop safe agro- product chain, aiming to promote agricultural production in the central highlands province and protect Da Nang City’s consumers.

Besides, it will strengthen the socioeconomic development cooperation between two locals; creating favorable condition for enterprises, cooperatives to develop models for safe food production.

Mr. Dang Viet Dung, Deputy chairman of Da Nang city People’s Committee said Danang covers as little as agricultural areas and it is not to supply enough for the market while unsafe vegetable source is flocking to the city, therefore the city hopes this cooperation will ensure safe agro- products meeting the locality’s consumption demands.

Mr. Pham S, deputy chairman of Lam Dong People’s Committee said Lam Dong is home to many agricultural areas specializing in flower, vegetable and fruit growing and the province has been planning to produce safe agricultural chain with high technology, ensuring consumers’ health in Lam Dong and Danang.

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