NA Chairwoman pays Tet visit to Ben Tre’s police, border guard

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan addresses at a working session with the public security force of Ben Tre province. 

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan paid a Tet visit to the public security and border guard forces of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on February 4.

The top legislator acknowledged efforts of the forces to overcome difficulties to fulfil tasks assigned by the Party and State.

Extending her Tet greetings to members of the forces, Chairwoman Ngan said she wishes they continue standing side by side with Ben Tre authorities to successfully implement socio-economic development tasks, ensure local defence and security in 2019 as well as fulfil all assigned tasks.

Earlier the same day, Chairwoman Ngan made a Tet tour of the public security force and doctors and patients at Tien Giang General Hospital in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. 

Traffic accidents kill 15 on first day of Tet

According to the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, the whole country saw 21 traffic accidents with 15 deaths and 13 injuries on February 5, the first day of the lunar New Year.

Compared to a day earlier, those figures fell by 15, 9 and 13, respectively, the office said about the peak time of traffic accidents, during which people from all corners of the country often rush home for family reunion in the longest and most important festival in Vietnam.

It is also reported that the force and local authorities dealt with 2,300 cases of violation, collected fines totaling over 1.13 billion VND (nearly 49,000 USD), detained 26 automobiles and 432 motorcyles.

Dak Lak: Mural Street wows highlands visitors

A corner of the mural street in Buon Ma Thuot city (Source: daktip.vn)

Tay Nguyen mural street in Buon Ma Thuot city, the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, has become an attractive destination for many local residents and visitors.

This street was known as a trade venue where social vices took place. Now it has changed, with a new and colourful appearance.

Hoang Bich Thuy, a resident in Cu Kuin district said she found the street very beautiful, very meaningful after it was redecorated.

Cao Tien Quang, an artist from Cao Hong Quang Decorative Art Company, said “We decorate this road based on the Ede culture and the closest things to Ede spiritual life.” 

Depicting the beauty of Dak Lak, the symbol of the Central Highlands, the street turns out to be a favoured spot by young people.

The mural street is one of three phases of the Buon Ma Thuot road project that has been completed. The next phase of the project will deal with the installation of book stalls and free coffee booths.

This street will also be devoted to folk art and cultural activities, cultural exchanges and performances of the Central Highlands gongs.

It looks to contributing to promoting reading culture, coffee culture and traditional culture of local people.

Da Nang, Quang Ninh welcome first foreign visitors in Lunar New Year

The ceremony welcoming the first visitors to Da Nang city held at Da Nang International Airport on February 5 (Photo: sggp.org.vn)

The first international flight carrying 180 passengers landed at the Da Nang International Airport on the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 5). 

The guests came to the central city on a VietJet Air flight coded VJ881 from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.  

Upon their arrival, they were treated to an enticing welcome ceremony with flower bouquets, gifts, lucky money, art performances, an introduction to Vietnam’s traditions to mark the beginning of a lunar year, and a lucky draw.

According to the municipal Tourism Department, as of December 2018, there were 23 direct international routes to Da Nang, with more than 328 flights per week. The central hub hosted some 2.35 million visitors by air last year, up 48.7 percent from 2017.

Also in 2018, the Da Nang International Airport served 80,745 commercial flights and 13.2 million passengers, representing respective annual increases of 17.2 and 22.5 percent. It set a target of pushing the figures to 87,853 flights and over 14.8 million passengers this year.

The same day, about 400 ships carrying 8,000 tourists, mainly foreigners, to the UNESCO-recognised world natural heritage Ha Long Bay in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.

Vietnam’s handicrafts, traditional costumes introduced in Bangladesh

A Vietnamese booth at the festival (Source: http://quehuongonline.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) -  Handicraft products and Ao dai (traditional long dress) of Vietnam have been introduced to people of Bangladesh and international friends at the 3rd international craft festival, which was held recently in Dhaka. 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Bangladesh brought to the event handcrafts bearing the characteristics of Vietnamese culture such as brocade bags, silk scarves, hand-embroidered pictures, Non la (conical hats), and long dresses for men and women.

Especially, the show of Ao dai has surprised and delighted the audience because of the similarity between the traditional costumes of Vietnam and Bangladesh. 

Md. Manzur Qader, advisor of the Bangladesh Heritage Foundation and member of the festival’s organising board said the performance of Vietnam’s traditional costume at the event is very impressive and has a special appeal to Bangladeshi visitors. 

He hoped that there would be more opportunities for people of both countries to be decked out in each other's traditional costumes. 

Addressing the festival, Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Van Khoa highlighted similarities in culture between the two nations, saying that the culture exchange event like this will contribute to reinforcing and strengthening the friendship and mutual understanding between the countries’ people. 

The 3rd international craft festival also attracted exhibitors from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bhutan, and Brazil. It served as a bridge promoting connection and friendship among countries.

Around 25,000 people visit Hue ancient capital on Tet

Tourists visit the Hue Imperial Citadel in Thua Thien-Hue province 

The Complex of Hue Monuments in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue welcomed 25,000 tourists, including 170 foreigners, on February 5 (the first day of the lunar year).

The complex – a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in Hue city – is open with free admission for domestic visitors during February 5-7, the first three days of the 2019 Lunar New Year (Tet). The occasion features royal games, calligraphy performances, concerts, and dragon dances, among others.

According to the provincial Tourism Department, the number of travellers to Hue city is estimated to reach 230,000 during the Tet holiday (January 31 to February 11), of whom about 70,800 are foreigners. The average occupancy rate is about 59.6 percent, while tourism revenue of the entire province is estimated at 140 billion VND (6 million USD).

In 2018, the complex earned 381.7 billion VND (16.4 million USD) from 3.5 million visitors, including 2.27 million international arrivals. It is expected to attract 4.5 – 4.7 million tourists, with 40-45 percent foreigners, and earn 4.7 – 4.9 trillion VND (202.8 – 210.6 million USD) from tourism this year.

The same day, people from across the country also visited the relic site commemorating late President Ho Chi Minh in his hometown of Kim Lien village, Nam Dan district, the central province of Nghe An. They came to pay respect to their beloved leader, who was the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

President Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) founded and led the Vietnamese revolution to victory with the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 1945.

Singing to help people in need

The SV07 volunteer group recently held a singing competition for blind children in Tây Ninh Province. Photo courtesy of Châu Thành Toàn

SV07 is not a professional music group, but they regularly sing for love.

Their story is simple: the humble volunteer group sings on the streets to bring warmth, shelter, food and support to people in need.

Established in 2007, the group initially started with 10 student members who had all participated in the annual Mùa Hè Xanh (Green Summer) programme.

Châu Thành Toàn, 35, the leader of the group, has been through thick and thin with SV07 since the very beginning.

“I’m very particular when it comes to recruiting members for the group. They have to be sincere and should not do it for fame or a school grade,” Toàn told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper, adding that more people joined the group as the years passed.

The volunteers have travelled to many places and carried out numerous activities to collect funds for the poor and unfortunate.

For some cases that need immediate funding, Toàn and his members sing on the street.

“We’re not great singers, but we try to sing from our hearts. We sing multiple genres, such as nhạc vàng (golden music) and pop music, and even songs that we compose,” he said.

So far, the group has produced more than 10 songs.

Toàn recalled the first time when SV07 “debuted”.  “Though I had rehearsed two to three days before the show, I was so nervous I forgot the lyrics during my performance.”

“That time, we sang to help a poor couple Lượng and Đào. Since Đào was pregnant and her fetus was diagnosed with Down syndrome, we ended up raising VNĐ6 million for her hospital check-up,” he said.

“Some aunties who listened to our music joked that no one would give us money because we sang badly, and some uncles asked if we had nothing to do but sing on the streets,” Toàn added.

“It was a nerve-wracking experience and we were afraid of being penalised by the police. Luckily, we’ve never been caught!”

Hải Nhi, who has been with SV07 for five years, has some unusual experiences to tell.

“There was one time when some men yelled at us ‘Get out!’ Of course, I was embarrassed but what I did was just smile, apologise and leave,” she said. “However, another time when we visited Long Hoa Market in Tây Ninh District, we got lucky and raised VNĐ7 million after three hours of performance.”

“A kind auntie at the market gave us VNĐ500,000 and said that her child, who had passed away, used to do volunteer work like us,” Nhi added.

On Christmas Eve, while many dressed up and went out for the occasion, the SV07 volunteer group performed at an eatery on Street 7 in Hiệp Bình Chánh Ward in Thủ Đức District in an effort to buy 13 Martin 107 bicycles for poor students in Hưng Phong Ward in Bến Tre Province’s Giồng Trôm District.

The group brought a microphone, speaker box, a certificate from the Central Committee of the HCM City Communist Youth Union, and an empty donation box which said “Tây Ninh Red Cross, SV07 Volunteer Group”.

Toàn started off the show with the message: “SV07 would love to send our warmest regards to everyone: VNĐ2,000, 5,000 or 10,000, though little, might help poor students in need. We appreciate all your support!”

Toàn, dressed up in rolled-up khaki pants, t-shirt and checkered scarf, is usually the main vocalist, while Đình Phúc, having joined the group for over six years, performs as backup.

Phương Hoa, who recently graduated from the HCM City University of Economics, and Hải Nhi, 27, who is working in Gò Vấp District, are other members of the SV07 group.

Two of the members were at a Christmas Eve event where Hoa was responsible for showcasing the certificate and Nhi for holding the donation box.

Hoa said that they had to bring along the certificate to assure people that SV07 was not a scam.

“I had never seen a volunteer group singing to collect donations, until now,” said Lan Anh, a student from Sài Gòn Gia Định College, who witnessed the Christmas Eve show

After that event, SV07 collected VNĐ2.1 million.

Besides singing, the group also organises singing competitions for blind or visually impaired students, cooks for patients at rehabilitation centres and students living in rural areas, and encourages locals not to litter on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street, among other tasks.

Toàn and the group have supported thousands of cancer patients and people who need prosthetic legs at the HCM City Hospital of Trauma and Orthopedics in District 5, and have helped build 14 charitable houses.

They have gifted 130 Martin 107 bicycles to poor students and collected VNĐ1.456 billion to buy gifts for patients who are in rehabilitation, among other achievements.

“I’m glad we have some generous sponsors who’ve helped us realise our targets,” Toàn said.

SV07 has a Facebook page (@SV07volunteerclub) that is updated regularly and followed by more than 1,500 people.  Take a look and be ready to be touched by SV07’s great but humble stories. 

HCM City to ensure quality health services during Tết

Hospitals in HCM City are ensuring quality health services during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. — Photo courtesy of thanhnien.vn

HCM City’s Department of Health Department has asked directors of public and private hospitals to ensure sufficient amount of medicine, equipment and staff during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

The department has assigned the 115 Emergency Aid Centre to assist in medical emergency cases while HCM City Preventive Medical Centre and district-level health centres will be responsible for monitoring potential epidemics and collaborate with the HCM City Food Safety Management Board to assure food safety.

Dr Nguyễn Duy Long, director of the 115 Emergency Aid Centre, said the centre would assign eight ambulance cars on New Year’s Eve and five emergency crews to be available around the clock.

Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Quốc Anh, director of Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội, said that during Tết, the number of patients receiving general check-ups usually declines compared to the number of people admitted for serious or emergency cases.

Doctors should take good care of every patient and must not refuse or delay any cases, he said.

Doctors should also be ready for the increasing number of poisoning and stroke cases during this time of the year, Anh added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bùi Vinh Quang, director of the Hà Nội Oncology Hospital, said the hospital would offer free meals for certain patents who will be hospitalised during the Tết holiday period. 

Nghệ An commune in need of concrete bridge

Students in Yên Tĩnh Commune, in the central province of Nghệ An cross a bamboo footbridge to get to school. — Photo nongnghiep.vn

Hundreds of students from Yên Tĩnh Commune in the central province of Nghệ An have to cross the Chà Hạ River over a makeshift bamboo footbridge to get to school each day.

During the rainy season when flash floods often hit the area, they are given days off from school because the crossing is too dangerous.

Lương Thị Xoa, head of Cành Toong Hamlet, one of most disadvantaged areas in the commune, said that the hamlet had 98 families with 428 people living along the Chà Hạ River.

Local residents have used bamboo to make a footbridge across the river to go to their farms on the other side.

The bridge often wobbles when groups of people cross.

Lữ Chuyên, an elder from the hamlet, said he had crossed the river dozens of times a day since he was a child.

“It’s hard enough for adults to cross the river let alone the kids,” he said, adding that local residents had been asking for a concrete bridge for years.

Chà Lúm Hamlet, 15km from Cành Toong Hamlet, is home to 137 families.

Pay Văn Thông, head of the hamlet, said that each day parents helped small children cross the bridge to get to school.

 Local resident Kha Thị Hoa said she wished there would be a concrete bridge so that the way to school became easier.

Kids are often soaked when they get home from school, she said.

Vi Văn Lướng, a teacher at Chà Lúm Primary School, said that after school, he usually accompanied the students to the bridge to make sure they cross safely.

Thông said that a flood in 2016 isolated nearly 50 local families for nearly a week.

Vi Văn Khiêm, chairman of Yên Tĩnh Commune People’s Committee, said that local authorities had been looking at where to build concrete bridges to solve the issue.

The bridges are part of an investment plan in Tương Dương District, but as yet there is no indication of when the funds will be released.

Soc Trang protects marine fish stocks

Local authorities and people release black-tiger shrimp juveniles into the sea in Soc Trang province’s Tran De district to improve stocks (Photo: baosoctrang.org.vn)

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang said it has achieved outstanding results in conserving fisheries resources by effectively preventing the use of banned fishing methods and increasing public awareness of the need for protecting fish stocks. 

It has organised more than 3,000 advocacy activities to enhance public awareness of the impacts of climate change on fisheries resources and the need for protecting those resources in the past five years, according to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the period, the province also released more than 16.4 million shrimp and fish fry into the sea and rivers.

It has adopted many fisheries conservation models like protecting aquatic species carrying eggs and establishing zones to protect breeding clams.

Activities that affect fisheries resources and the environment like using electricity and toxic chemicals to fish have been effectively checked.

Speaking at a recent meeting to review the efforts to protect and develop fish stocks in 2012-20, Le Van Hieu, deputy chairman of the province People’s Committee, said public awareness is the main factor in protecting fisheries resources.

He urged the department to completely prevent banned activities that deplete fish stocks, while expanding effective fisheries management models to protect the livelihoods of people living on the coast.

Many households living near the coast derive their income mainly from fishing near shore since they do not have or have little farming land.

The province has adopted many models that help protect fisheries resources and provide livelihoods for fishing households such as breeding aquatic species in mangrove forests, raising sea ducks, breeding shrimp and tilapia together, breeding goats for bearing kids, and making nylon bags.

These have improved incomes for fishing households and reduced fishing near shore.

A visit to the Central Highlands city of Da Lat in 2007 marked a milestone for a couple from the northern province of Tuyen Quang after they brought the Da Lat daisy back to their home town.

They were the first farmers to grow the Da Lat daisy in the province and in the past few years have managed to earn about 300 million VND (13,000 USD) thanks to the flower.

Pham Ngoc Hai and his wife Tran Hong Ly live in Thang Quang commune in the province’s Yen Son district. They are known as the ‘daisy-growing billionaires’.

When they started growing the daisy on the dry soil, local people were sceptical about the venture because the daisy prefers cool weather, while in Tuyen Quang it’s very sunny in summer and very cold in winter.

It was also unlikely that people in this poor area would buy the expensive flower.

Hai said that during a visit to a relative in Da Lat in 2007, he first learned about daisy farming. After one week of learning the techniques from Da Lat farmers, he bought 3,000 daisy seedlings to plant in his garden in Tuyen Quang.

Day by day, he carefully followed instructions, throwing his whole heart into nursing the seedlings.

Three months later, his family harvested the first crop, which fortunately coincided with Tet (Lunar New Year). This meant they could sell the flowers at a surprising 7,000 VND per tree. As the result, they earned profit of nearly 12 million VND (518 USD).

“We were so surprised and happy because of the profit which was much more than the profits from other crops like corn or cassava,” Hai said.

Hai and Ly gradually expanded their flower farm – from 5,000 seedlings to 40,000 seedlings per year.

These days they plant about 60,000 daisy seedlings, varying in type. On average, they sell each plant for 5,000-7,000 VND, earning up to 300 million VND in profit per year.

According to Hai, it’s easy to take care of Da Lat daisies. The flower is resistant to diseases so it requires little fertiliser. Low production cost, stable prices and little land requirements are other advantages of farming daisies.

Hai said that one “sao” (equal to 360sq.m) of daisy could generate as much income as 2ha of cassava or corn.

Hai’s daisies are not only sold in Tuyen Quang but also neighbouring provinces of Ha Giang and Yen Bai.

Hai’s family has been prospering thanks to the flower. From a poor family struggling to make ends meet, Hai now can build a new house, have money to invest in 3ha of acacia, grow more than 1,000 grapefruit, orange and tangerine trees plus dig 0.5ha of fishing pond.

Pham Van Ngoc, a farmer in Thang Quan commune, said that he was one of the local farmers with whom Hai shared his daisy technique.

Ngoc said that last year, his family started growing 40,000 daisy seedlings instead of corn.

Last month, Ngoc’s family harvested 20,000 daisy trees, selling them for 100 million VND and gaining profit of 70 million VND, Ngoc said, adding that with favourable conditions, they would harvest another 20,000 trees for Tet.

Nguyen Duc Quyen, Vice Chairman of the Thang Quan Commune People’s Committee, said that daisy farming generated high profits, thus helped many local families get out of poverty including Hai’s.

“It’s a key crop for local development when the commune is implementing agricultural restructuring for higher efficiency and income,” Quyen said.

World Vision funds 3.31 million USD to support children in Quang Tri

The central province of Quang Tri has recently approved a financial aid of more than 3.31 million USD from the World Vision International (WVI) to improve sustainable welfare for vulnerable children in the locality.

Accordingly, over 1.52 million USD will be used to support children in four mountainous communes and towns of Huc Nghi, Ba Nang, Ba Long and Krong Klang. Meanwhile, children in Hai Lang district’s 11 communes of Hai Truong, Hai Thuong, Hai Thanh, Hai Xuan, Hai Quy, Hai Thien, Hai Hoa, Hai Duong, Hai Tho, Hai Vinh and Hai Son will benefit from the WVI’s 2.79 million USD programme.

The programmes are being carried out during 2019-2022.

Earlier, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the World Vision Korea sponsored nearly 1 million USD for Trieu Phong district to develop the value chain of natural farming based products.

More precisely, in the years 2017 - 2019, the project focused on consolidating and expanding the model of natural farming to 1,000 households in five communes of Trieu Trung, Trieu Tai, Trieu Son, Trieu Trach and Trieu Thuong.

The province also got 1.8 million USD in financial support from the WVI to better local livelihoods in Dakrong, Hai Lang, Trieu Phong and Vinh Linh districts.

World Vision started working in Vietnam with emergency relief assistance in 1988 and opened an office in Hanoi in 1990.

Since 1990, World Vision has implemented many relief, development and advocacy programmes, partnering with the Vietnamese government, other non-governmental organisations and communities.

World Vision Vietnam works for the well-being of children and their protection. Every year, over 200,000 children directly benefit from World Vision Vietnam’s programs which are operated in 14 provinces and cities throughout the country.

Hue expects to welcome 230,000 visitors during Tet

Tourists visit Thua Thien-Hue province 

The number of visitors to Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue is estimated to reach 230,000 during the Tet festival. 

Of the visitors, about 70,800 will be foreigners, said the provincial Department of Tourism.

The average occupancy rate is about 59.6 percent while tourism revenue of the whole province is estimated at 140 billion VND (6 million USD) during the 12-day holiday from January 31 to February 11 (the 26th day of the last lunar month to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year).

Notably, the Hue ancient citadel relic complex – a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site – will be open with free admission for domestic visitors during the first three days of the 2019 Lunar New Year (February 5-7).

Holidaymakers to the Hue ancient capital city on those days will have a chance to participate in royal games and enjoy calligraphy and martial arts performances, along with traditional dragon and lion dances.  

As part of activities welcoming the arrival of Tet, the biggest and most important festival year-round in Vietnam, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre re-enacted the Neu tree planting ceremony, a traditional ritual practised under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) on January 28 (the 23rd day of the last lunar month).

There are also an array of activities such as wrapping chung cake (a traditional Tet novelty cake made from glutinous rice).  

In 2018, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre earned 381.7 billion VND (16.4 million USD) from serving over 3.5 million tourists, up 19 percent compared to the target set.

The centre has implemented 24 restoration projects with total investment exceeding 278.8 billion VND (11.9 million USD).

Hue, the formal imperial capital of Vietnam for hundreds of years, is home to five heritages recognised by UNESCO, including the ancient citadel relic complex (a World Cultural Heritage site), Hue royal court music (an intangible cultural heritage item), Nguyen Dynasty’s wood blocks (a documentary heritage item), Nguyen Dynasty’s royal administrative documents (part of the Asia-Pacific Register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme), and literature on Hue royal architecture (another documentary heritage).

The Hue imperial citadel relic site has been ranked second among the top seven tourist attractions of Vietnam in 2017. 

Quang Tri aims to attract visitors to sea-island tourism

A view of Con Co island 

The central province of Quang Tri is looking to turn sea and island tours, especially to Cua Tung-Cua Viet-Con Co beach tourism triangle, into the major product to lure the highest number of visitors to the locality.

The province aims to attract 2 million visitors in 2019, including about 175,000 foreigners, thus earning about 1.74 trillion VND (74.82 million USD) from tourism.

According to Vice Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Chien, the province is offering preferential policies to enterprises investing in the Cua Tung-Cua Viet-Con Co triangle.

Currently, Vietnamese FLC Group is considering investingin a tourism-resort-entertainment-urban complex in Quang Tri, while AE Group has implemented the 490 billion VND AE Resort Cua Tung project covering more than 36 hectares which is expected to complete in 2021.

Since late August 2018, the People’s Committee of Con Co island district has operated high-speed ships to carry tourists from Cua Viet to the island, shortening the travel time to 45 minutes from 2 hours. In 2020, Con Co expects to operate 2-3 such vessels to serve tourists.

In 2019, Quang Tri will carry out a number of activities to lure visitors, including a performance featuring the art of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, while organizing a Thach Han riverside festival, a pedestrian and nigh market in Dong Ha city, as well as tourism sites in the East-West economic corridor.

Alongside, the province will popularize its tourism trademark of “War memory-peace desire” with more than 500 revolutionary and historical relic sites, including four special national sites of Hien Luong-Ben Hai, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Vinh Moc tunnel and Vinh Linh tunnel village, and Quang Tri ancient citadel, among others.

In 2018, Quang Tri welcomed 1.82 million visitors, up over 10 percent compared to 2017, with a turnover of over 16.2 trillion VND (69.99 million USD).

Vietnam-Cuba hospital, a highlight in bilateral healthcare cooperation

Salvador Valdes Mesa (front, second, left), First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba, visits the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Dong Hoi Hospital on September 14, 2018 

The Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospitals in Hanoi and the central province of Quang Binh are a symbol of the close friendship and cooperation in healthcare between Vietnam and Cuba.

In September 1973, during a visit to Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces, President Fidel Castro decided to give Quang Binh a spacious and modern hospital to serve local people and injured soldiers.

The construction of the hospital began on May 19, 1974 and it was put into operation on September 9, 1981 with nearly 500 beds.

Doctor Duong Thanh Binh, Director of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi, Quang Binh, recalled late President Fidel Castro was among the first foreign leaders to visit the liberated zone in South Vietnam.

”The hospital is a valuable gift, a symbol of friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba,” he said.

The Cuban Health Ministry has sent three experienced doctors who have expertise in tumour surgery, traumatology and cardiovascular intervention to help doctors in the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi in technological transfer and treatment. 

Doctor Piter Marti’nez Beni’tez, in the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi, expressed his hope that in the future, there will be more Cuban experts in other fields to come to Vietnam while Vietnamese doctors will visit Cuba for experience sharing.

The Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Hanoi was put into operation in June 1969, specialised in otorhinolaryngology and odonto-stomatology.

The hospital is equipped with modern facilities and has conducted tooth implants and treatment of malignant facial tumors.

Nguyen Dinh Phuc, Director of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Hanoi wished that more Cuban doctors would come to cooperate with doctors in the Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospitals.

The Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospitals in Hanoi and Quang Binh province are a valuable gift that Cuba has given to the Vietnamese people and a beautiful symbol of the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

Bạc Liêu to continue expansion of large-scale rice fields

Harvest in a large-scale rice field in Bạc Liêu Province’s Hồng Dân District. 

The Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu plans to create five large-scale rice fields with a total area of 25,000ha this year and six more with a combined area of 31,000ha next year, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province hopes by next year to have 10,000ha of large-scale rice fields, created by pooling individual farmers’ lands to achieve economies of scale, adopting Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards.

Lương Ngọc Lân, director of the department, said the province was implementing policies to stimulate consumption of agricultural produce, create large-scale rice fields, create tie-ups between farmers and companies to guarantee sales of their produce, and restructure agriculture towards value addition and sustainability.

To achieve the targets it would invest in infrastructure for large-scale rice fields, including electric pumping stations, roads, irrigation systems, drying facilities, and rice processing and preserving facilities, he said.

The province plans to set up co-operatives and co-operative teams that can instruct farmers in growing crops and represent them in negotiations with companies.

It will help adopt advanced farming techniques and use machinery at all stages of growing and preserving rice.

It has encouraged large and prestigious companies to invest in its large-scale rice fields and adopt VietGAP standards and guarantee purchase of more rice from the large-scale fields.

The department has petitioned the province People’s Committee for funding to create efficient rice farming models using VietGAP and organic standards.

It also wants the People’s Committee to get research institutes and universities to improve the quality of local speciality rice varieties and create new fragrant and high-quality varieties that suit local conditions and can cope with climate change.

The province has 21 large-scale rice fields with a total area of 11,400ha.

Most rice grown there are high-quality and fragrant varieties.

Individual farmers with contiguous fields will grow the same variety and follow the same schedule and techniques. The entire harvest of large-scale fields is guaranteed purchase.

The province has some 183,000ha of land under rice and produces 1 million tonnes of paddy annually.

Rice is the main source of income for farmers, but most grow on a small scale and lose out on the advantages offered by scale.

Bắc Ninh authorities aid workers left in the lurch

Bắc Ninh Province authorities on Thursday delivered Tết (Lunar New Year) gifts to employees of a YesTech Vina whose owner fled the country last year. —Photo vneconomictimes.com

Bắc Ninh Province authorities on Thursday delivered Tết (Lunar New Year) gifts to employees of a South Korean-invested manufacturer whose owner fled the country last year.

Each gift worth VNĐ500,000 (US$21.5) would be given in person to the employees, while those who are absent would have the money sent via bank transfer, said Nguyễn Thị Vân Hà, chair of the northern province’s labour union.

YesTech Vina, a manufacturer of mobile phone parts, began operations in January 2013 at the province’s Quế Võ Industrial Zone.

The owner of the company has not shown up to official summons or work since August last year and is suspected to have fled the country.

The company employed 275 people, including 11 South Koreans.

The company has incurred about VNĐ100 billion (about US$4.3 million) in debt, including the August salary (which takes up VNĐ1.5 billion) as well as VNĐ4 billion in overdue payments for social security, health insurance, unemployment benefits, occupational safety and occupational hazard insurance since 2017 December through 2018 August.

Late tax fines cost the company VNĐ1.3 billion, bank debt is VNĐ39 billion and late payment for service providers stands at about VNĐ63.5 billion.

In addition, 10 female workers at the company have not received their maternity benefits since the company still owes social security payments.

Regarding the late payment of August salary for the employees, the provincial labour union said currently there is no legal document that outlines in detail how to deal with an employer fleeing.

To pay the overdue salary, legal procedures must be underway for the company to be declared bankrupt and its assets liquidated.

The resulting money would then be used to pay the legal fees, the overdue salary, the unemployment benefits and insurance.

Bắc Ninh labour union is working with concerned agencies to guide the employees on how to entrust higher-grade unions with due authorisation to proceed with bankruptcy procedures.

Three companies owing debts to YesTech Vina have transferred about VNĐ3.7 billion into the company’s union bank account, which will be used to pay the overdue fees and salary once bankruptcy procedures are completed.

Bắc Ninh industrial zones’ management board said in September last year, it found new jobs for all YesTech workers who wished to continue working there.