Vietnam, Japan boost coordination in helping AO/dioxin victims

A delegation from the committee of religions for peace of Japan had a working session with representatives of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) in Hanoi on December 3. 

During the event, VAVA President Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Van Rinh said between 1961 and 1971, US troops sprayed some 80 million litres of herbicides which contain Agent Orange (AO) over southern Vietnam. About 4.8 million Vietnamese people are exposed to AO/dioxin, of whom over 3 million are victims and hundreds of thousands of children are in the third and fourth generations. 

Apart from attention and help from the Vietnamese Party, State and sectors, the AO/dioxin victims receive assistance from organisations and individuals in and outside the country, including those from Japan, Rinh said.

The Japanese guests affirmed to continue cooperating with the VAVA in caring and help AO/dioxin victims.-

Scooter thief gets death penalty for murdering “street knights” in HCMC

Nguyen Tan Tai, who killed two “street knights” in HCMC in May this year, gets capital punishment – PHOTO: PLO

The HCMC People’s Court on Thursday sentenced a man to death for murdering two “street knights” and injuring three others while stealing a scooter in HCMC in May, reported the local media.

Street knights are private citizens who help patrol the streets to protect the community from criminals.

Nguyen Tan Tai, 23, of District 12 was given the death penalty for murder, six years for theft and two years for attempted assault while committing theft.

Meanwhile, his accomplice of the same age, Nguyen Hoang Chau Phu of Hoc Mon District, received a sentence of life imprisonment for his involvement in the crime.

According to the indictment, Tai and Phu had scouted Cach Mang Thang 8 Street in District 3 late on May 13 with the intention of stealing motorbikes.

A group of seven street knights had noticed them behaving suspiciously and decided to tail them.

The suspects stopped at a store at around 8:30 p.m. to steal an expensive Honda SH scooter parked in front of a nearby house.

The knights attempted to apprehend the thieves but were overwhelmed in the ensuing fight.

Tai pulled out a knife and stabbed some of the vigilantes. He then attempted to stab two others who had captured his accomplice.

Nguyen Van Thoi, 42, and Nguyen Hoang Nam, 29, succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while the other three who were severely injured were rushed to the hospital.

The criminals fled the scene on their motorbike and later hid out at the house of Ngo Van Hung, 32, one of Tai’s friends, before being arrested the following evening.

At the police station, Tai and Phu claimed responsibility for three other motorbike thefts in District 12 and Hoc Mon District from January to March.

Tai had previously served one year and six months in jail for theft in 2016. Phu was also slapped with a one-year-and-three-month prison term, but his sentence has yet to be executed.

Aside from the two defendants, Hung was given a sentence of four years behind bars, while his 27-year-old wife, Trinh Thi Nhu, received a one-year suspended sentence, with a probationary period of two years, for concealing the criminals.

Hanoi asked to investigate encroachment of protective forest land in Soc Son district

Part of Soc Son protective forests misused.

The Vietnamese government has asked Hanoi authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the management of protective forests in Soc Son district which are repeatedly reported to be wrongly used for other purposes over the past time.  

The city is required to submit to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc prior to February 1, 2019 a comprehensive and objective report of the use and management of Soc Son district’s protective forests to strictly handle violations.  

According to the Government Office, the misuse of protective forests in Soc Son district has been covered by many news outlets and widely spread on media, causing public indignation. 

In a recent request made by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Hanoi, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Public Security, needs to report to the Government Office before December 15, 2018 the implementation of land use post-investigation in the district following the prime minister’s request made in May 2006. 

Earlier in 2006, the Government Inspectorate disclosed a number of violations in the use and management of forests in Soc Soc Plantation and nine communes including Minh Phu, Minh Tri, Hien Ninh, and Phu Linh. 

Notably, an area of 11 hectares within the protective forests are dectected to have houses and farms owned by 650 households.  

Some famous artists like singer My Linh and painter Thanh Chuong are also among offenders of protective forest regulations, according to media reports. 

Work on Mong Cai-Van Don expressway to begin in December

A section of Halong-Haiphong expressway 

The Quang Ninh government is in the process of completing site clearance and investment procedures to begin work this month on the Mong Cai-Van Don expressway project, VietnamPlus news site reported.

The projected 80.2-kilometer expressway, which is set to link with the Halong-Haiphong and Halong-Van Dong expressways, will have four lanes and a designated top speed of 100 kilometers per hour. The expressway is designed to cover some 456 hectares across the Van Don, Tien Yen, Dam Ha and Hai Ha districts, as well as Mong Cai City.

The project will be developed by the consortium of Long Van Infrastructure Investment and Development Co., Ltd; Van Don Sun JSC; and Cong Thanh Transportation and Construction Corporation, under the public-private partnership and build-operate-transfer formats.

The Mong Cai-Van Don expressway project, with a total cost of over VND11 trillion, is slated for completion within 22 months.

When put into service, the expressway will raise the total coverage in the northern province of Quang Ninh to some 200 kilometers. The Mong Cai-Van Don expressway is expected to connect with the Hanoi-Haiphong and Hanoi-Lao Cai expressways to complete the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong-Mong Cai expressway system, which will be the longest in Vietnam.

Quang Ninh Province will benefit from the expressway, making it the country’s leading service hub and gateway for domestic and international transactions.

According to the management board for investment and construction of the Quang Ninh transport project, the competent agencies are assessing technical designs.

In addition, the province will put into service the Halong-Van Don expressway from December 25. Earlier, the Halong-Haiphong expressway and Bach Dang Bridge, which connects Quang Ninh Province and Haiphong City, were opened to traffic on September 1.

FrieslandCampina conducts second nutrition survey on Southeast Asian children

FrieslandCampina, one of the world’s largest dairy companies, has announced the initiation of the second Southeast Asia Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS II), giving an insight into the nutritional status of more than 18,000 children in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The survey will be conducted in collaboration with research institutes and universities.

The objective of the SEANUTS II is to provide comprehensive research on the growth, dietary intake, physical activity and biochemical parameters of children aged from six months to 12 years.

Due to the extent and severity of malnutrition in the region, this second edition of the survey will put extra focus on insights into protein consumption. Protein is a critical building block for children’s growth.

In Vietnam, the survey will be implemented with the coordination of the National Institute of Nutrition. The findings will be announced in 2021 and will be used as references to develop national nutrition programmes and projects to enhance scientific knowledge and policy-making processes.

Le Danh Tuyen, Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, highlighted the significance of the survey, which is expected to give an in-depth insight into growth trends, nutrition habits and the nutrition status of Vietnamese children.

The first edition of survey, which was conducted in 2010-2011, showed that many children in Vietnam and other regional countries suffer from malnutrition, obesity and nutrition deficiencies, he noted.

President of FrieslandCampina Specialised Nutrition Berndt Kodden said that good dietary intake is significant to the growth and health of children. 

Over the past years, the FrieslandCampina has coordinated with governments, non-governmental organisations and healthcare experts to conduct nutrition education programmes to inspire families towards a healthy lifestyle.

In this survey, the firm aims to find out the nutrition demand and real intake of children, thus developing dairy products exclusively for children to meet their nutrition needs, he said.

Vietnam works to improve skills of young labourers

Training workers with new skills in the context of international integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the top priority of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said at a conference held in Hanoi on December 3.

The conference on international integration, the future workforce and skills for young labourers was held by ManpowerGroup Vietnam, in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

At the conference, experts agreed Vietnam’s progress in integration and the emergence of Industry 4.0 have made a high quality workforce the main factor in developing the country’s economy.

With a total of 56 million workers, Vietnam has a great advantage in attracting foreign investment. However, ManpowerGroup’s report for the second quarter of this year showed that only 11 percent of the workers had high-quality skills.

Simon Matthews, country director of ManpowerGroup Vietnam, Thailand and the Middle East, said that businesses, the Government and schools should join in helping the young generation adapt to the new world of labour, as the rate of growth is higher than ever.

ManpowerGroup hoped to connect the three sides to help Vietnamese workers develop necessary skills and improve their competitive capacity, he said.

Drug traffickers arrested in Binh Duong

Three suspects at the police station

Three men have been arrested for selling drugs by Binh Duong police on December 2.

The suspects are Nguyen Thanh Tu, 23, Nguyen Trung Hieu, 25, both currently residing in Ho Chi Minh City, and Nguyen Trung Nhat, 30, who at present is residing in Tien Giang province.

The men were caught red-handed when selling drugs at a motel located in An Binh Ward, Di An District of Binh Duong province.

Local authorities seized 5 bags containing methamphetamine at the scene.

The suspects confessed that they transported the drugs from Ho Chi Minh City and resold them to other drug addicts.

Upon examination of their accommodation, the police discovered a total of 145 grams of methamphetamine, two ecstasy pills, and a number of other relevant exhibits.

 A further criminal investigation into the case is now underway.

Areca trees improve livelihoods in Nam Dinh's commune

The Hai Duong commune, of Hai Hau district in the northern province of Nam Dinh has been a long-standing home to areca trees. In recent years, the plant has helped local people improve their livelihoods thanks to their abundant crops at profitable prices. 

When arriving to Hai Duong these days, you will witness the beautiful countryside landscape, full of green areca trees. Areca are everywhere and blossoming out of every corner. Local people say they pocket some 50 to 60 million VND for each crop.

Hai Duong has nearly 150ha of land for planting areca. As the trees require little care, all local households plant at least 100 trees each. Many of them are growing thousands of trees.

Thanks to the high economic value gained, the coastal district of Hai Hau now has a large area for plating areca. However, local growers are still dependent on wholesale buyers, leading to unstable revenue. As such, local farmers are looking forward to new policies that support the sustainable development of the tree. 

Delta provinces help farmers improve coconut value

Workers husk mature coconuts in Bến Tre Province.

Provinces in the Mekong Delta that grow coconut are setting up cooperative teams and finding buyers to help farmers recover from low prices over the last 12 months.

The delta has about 130,000ha of coconut, accounting for nearly 79 per cent of the country’s total. Bến Tre and Trà Vinh provinces have the largest coconut areas in the delta.

As prices have been very low for around a year, coconut farmers are making little profit.

The price of mature coconuts in Bến Tre and Trà Vinh is currently between VĐ20,000 and VNĐ45,000 (US85 cents– US$1.9) per dozen, compared to about VNĐ80,000 per dozen last year.

Nguyễn Hữu Lập, deputy chairman of Bến Tre Province People’s Committee, said the province was building a coconut value chain to improve incomes.

The province has set up co-operative teams and co-operatives that now have a combined 2,139 households that plant 1,600ha of coconuts.

Companies have guaranteed outlets for the coconut output of these households.

The province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in co-operation with agencies is acting as a link to connect farmers and companies.

Three Bến Tre-based companies, Lương Qưới Coconut Co., Ltd, Bến Tre Import and Export Joint Stock Corporation (BETRIMEX), and Asia Coconut Processing Joint Stock Company, have promised to buy coconuts from farmers with contracts at a minimum price of VNĐ50,000 ($2.1) per dozen for mature coconuts.

Since last year, the three companies have purchased 10.5 million mature coconuts and 217 tonnes of fresh mature coconut meat from farmers.

According to Nguyễn Văn Trọn, head of the Hưng Lễ Commune co-operative team to renovate coconut orchards in Bến Tre’s Giồng Trôm District, the co-operative has 59 members who grow a total of 62ha under organic farming methods.

All coconut output of the co-operative teams is purchased by BETRIMEX.

“Participating in this co-operation model, coconut farmers now have many advantages, including guaranteed outlets and stable prices.”

The organic farming method, which has helped improve the soil, does not pollute the environment.

Huỳnh Quang Đức, deputy director of the Bến Tre Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that it was important to raise awareness of farmers about coconut value chains, and that farmers should use advanced techniques to improve yield and quality.

Bến Tre has more than 72,000ha of coconut with annual output of more than 600 million nuts, accounting for 42 per cent of the country’s total area, the country’s largest coconut producer, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of the province’s coconut area, 80 per cent are planted to harvest mature coconuts, while the rest is for young coconuts that can be used for drinking.

Coconut farmers in Bến Tre have an average income of VNĐ68 million ($2,910) per hectare a year.

Trà Vinh has nearly 20,000ha of coconut, second to Bến Tre. The province has identified coconut is one of its key agricultural trees.

The province is applying advanced farming techniques and developing markets.

Starting this year to 2020, it will spend more than VNĐ12 billion ($514,000) for coconut varieties that can survive in drought and saltwater intrusion, as well as for assistance to farmers who grow coconut under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards.

Phạm Minh Truyền, deputy director of the Trà Vinh Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province would use available resources to help coconut processors diversify their products.

It would call for investors to build a plant to produce canned coconut water, coconut powder, and handicraft products made from coconuts, he said. 

Hospitality staff need personal touch

Customer experience management is quickly becoming one of the most important factors in the hospitality industry. — Photo soha.com

Customer experience management is the most vital competitive advantage for hospitality businesses today, according to experts and professionals.

A seminar was held on Thursday to discuss customer experience management in the hotel business, attracting the participation of the managers of top hotels and resorts such as JW Mariott, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and Silk Path Hanoi.

According to chairwoman of the Việt Nam Hotel Association (VHA) Đỗ Hồng Xoan, factors like location and price are no longer the primary competitive advantage they once were.

"Quality of service will be the next key competitive value of the accommodation industry in Việt Nam and around the world,” she said.

There are 27,600 accommodations nationwide with 548,000 rooms.

It is necessary to upgrade the infrastructure, facilities, workforce and service, she said.

“To satisfy customers, we should apply new technologies in managing and serving guests, set up a reasonable price policy and enhance promotions,” said Xoan.

“Bringing a great personalised experience to customers will become the core factor which will determine the position of the business,” she said.

Nguyễn Anh Thư, director of Outbox Tourism Development Consulting Company, agreed.

The arrival of Industry 4.0 has led to the emergence of new accommodation models for travellers. Thư suggested some new technologies including Standard Operating Procedure Mapping, which helps manage customer experience.

“We provide centralised management of customers,” she said. “The demands of each customer are personalised. According to Forbes, 86 per cent of customers are willing to pay extra for a quality service experience that is comfortable and memorable.” 

Đắk Lắk to reduce coffee-growing area

Đắk Lắk Province is preparing to harvest the 2018-19 coffee crop. 

Đắk Lắk, the country’s largest coffee growing province, plans to reduce the area under the crop from 204,800ha now to 180,000ha by 2030, according to the permanent deputy chairman of its People’s Committee, Nguyễn Hải Ninh.

The Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province will continue to advise farmers to replace coffee trees aged over 15 years, affected by diseases or have low yields, he said.

More than a third of the province’s trees are at least 15 years old.

Many grow in unzoned areas, on slopes of more than 15 degree or lack irrigation and suitable soil and climate for coffee.

The province had sought to replace more than 41,580ha of old coffee trees in 2011-20.

Farmers and companies have so far replanted around 26,800ha.

Hùynh Quốc Thích, deputy director of the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said most replanted areas have nine high-yield and -quality robusta coffee varieties: TR4, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, TR9, TR11, TR12, TR13.

They yield 4.2 – 7 tonnes per hectare and are resistant to coffee leaf rust, a fungal disease which can cause loss of leaves and affect fruiting.

TR9, TR11, TR12, TR13 have their harvests in the dry season, meaning the quality of the coffee is not affected by rain during the process of drying.

Farmers and companies have been meticulous with their replanting, choosing high-quality strains, preparing the land and tending, according to the department.

But the task has been slow, with farmers lacking resources and the high prices of some fruits like avocado and durian tempting many to intercrop them in their coffee plantations.  

As of last August the province had farmers growing certified coffee on a total area of 43,660ha.   

Their certifications are from various international organisations such as the Common Code for Coffee Community, the Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee and the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO).

Y Loan Niê, who plants coffee to FLO standards in Cư M’gar District’s Cư Dliê M’nông Commune, said previously his family grew coffee using traditional techniques and earned a low income.

Over five year of growing to FLO standards, he has been trained in growing clean coffee and earns higher incomes and has regular buyers.

The province is entering the 2018-19 coffee harvest season and hopes to harvest 464,175 tonnes of beans, up nearly 4,400 tonnes from the last season though the area has shrunk by nearly 4,204ha this year.

In the previous season it exported more than 191,100 tonnes of coffee beans, accounting for 10.6 per cent of the country’s total. 

Dien Bien targets more than 800,000 tourists in 2019

A performance at the bauhinia flower festival 2018 in Dien Bien 

The northwestern province of Dien Bien has set a target of attracting up to 870,000 visitors in 2019, up 17 percent over 2018, including 180,000 foreign tourists.

The province, famous for the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory against the French colonists, aims to earn 1.36 trillion VND (58.48 million USD) from tourism in the year, a rise of 17.7 percent over 2018.

In 2019, Dien Bien will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, 110 years of its establishment and 70 years of the founding of the provincial Party Committee with various activities.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the locality will hold 15 major cultural activities, including a Muong Lay boat racing, a cherry blossom festival, a bauhinia flower festival and a culture, sport and tourism day.

The department reported that so far this year, Dien Bien has welcomed more than 700,000 visitors, 103.67 percent of its yearly target, including more than 150,000 foreign tourists. Tourism revenue has exceeded 1.15 trillion VND (49.45 million USD).

Currently, Dien Bien has 145 tourism accommodation facilities and five travel firms. The tourism sector has created jobs for more than 13,000 labourers, including 5,000 direct employees.

Along with beautiful natural landscapes, Dien Bien is also rich in historical relic sites.

The Dien Bien Phu battlefield complex features 45 relic sites, of which eight have been put into operation to serve tourists.

In the future, the province will encourage various economic sectors to invest in tourism, while supporting local firms to design unique products to lure more visitors and lengthen their stay.

At the same time, the province will develop community-based tourism in remote and border areas, while working with eight other northwestern localities as well as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Laos and Thailand to boost its tourism growth.

Vietnam represented at International Bazaar 2018 in India

The Vietnamese mission at the International Bazaar 2018  

Vietnam joined 49 others diplomatic missions in India to attend the International Bazaar 2018 in New Delhi on December 2.

This is the biggest annual fundraiser held by the Delhi Commonwealth Women’s Association. Foreign embassies put up stalls with their national delicacies, clothes, home décor items and other items.

The Vietnamese mission brought conical leaf hats, coffee and traditional dishes like spring rolls and pho (noodle soup) to the 30th edition of the event.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau, the embassy has joined the event for years, helping bring Vietnamese culture closer to international friends. 

He hoped the country’s renowned tourist attractions would be introduced at next year’s event.

The International Bazaar 2018 attracted a large number of visitors. A substantial amount of funds, used for the running of a medical centre, a playground and a centre for children with special needs, were raised on the day.

Thua Thien-Hue serves more than 4 million tourists in 11 months

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue welcomed more than 4 million visitors between January-November, up 19.7 percent year-on-year. 

The figure includes more than 1.7 million foreign tourists, with the largest amount from the Republic of Korea (RoK) who account for a third of the total foreign arrivals. 

During the period, the province saw stable growth in the number of holidaymakers from traditional markets like France, the US, Germany and the UK. 

Notably, the number of tourists visiting Thua Thien-Hue by cruise ships rose sharply to 126,000, with cruises like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Tui Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, Small Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises anchoring at Chan May Port. 

Following studies launched in late November by the provincial Tourism Department, the locality plans to open more tours to Phuoc Tich ancient village, Ngu My Thanh community-based tourism area and some craft villages. 

According to the provincial Tourism Department, the locality this December will host a conference on tourism promotion in the central coastal region, covering 11 localities in the central key economic area. 

The event will see the participation of ambassadors and counsellors from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the US, representatives from the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), along with domestic and foreign investors and businesspeople. 

The province earned more than 4 trillion VND (172 million USD) from the tourism sector in the January-November period, 128 percent of the yearly target. 

The locality aims to serve 4-4.2 million tourists in 2018, up 10-12 percent against the previous year, with turnover from the sector up about 15-16 percent to 4-4.2 trillion VND.

Hue, the provincial capital, is the former capital of Vietnam’s last feudal dynasty. It is home to five heritages recognised by UNESCO, namely the ancient citadel relic complex, the Hue royal court music, the Nguyen Dynasty wood blocks, the Nguyen Dynasty royal administrative documents and the literature on Hue royal architecture.

Lai Chau supports sustainable poverty alleviation

Lu ethnic women in Hon village, Tam Duong district, Lai Chau, weave fabrics and sew clothes 

The north-western mountainous province of Lai Chau has implemented various measures to boost local living standards in line with the provincial Party Committee’s resolution on sustainable poverty alleviation for 2016 – 2020.

The resolution includes support policies to encourage agro-forestry-fishery development and technology use in agricultural production.

Between 2016 and 2018, Lai Chau has provided 53,000 households with more than 86 billion VND (3.7 million USD) worth of saplings, animal breeding, fertiliser and pesticides. More than 72,000 families have taken charge of protecting more than 296,000 hectares of forests, while 36,000 poor and near poor households have received loans.

Giang A Tinh, Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau People’s Committee, said the province has allocated a large amount of funding for districts with high poverty rate and a number of border communes. The financial assistance came from not only the provincial authorities but also individuals, organisations and businesses.

Vocational training has been prioritised, particularly in the farming, garment-textiles and electricity sectors. As of November 2018, Lai Chau had created jobs for nearly 21,000 people and sent 276 others to work overseas.

During 2016-2018, the province has invested in improving infrastructure in poor areas, including the building of rural roads, irrigation systems, school facilities, health centres and a FM radio station, to help residents better access educational and health services, information and clean water.

To date, 1,030 of 1,169 local villages have roads suitable for motorbikes and 92 percent of households have access to electricity from the national grid.

In reviewed period, the rate of poor and near poor households annually decreased by 4.95 percent and 0.08 percent, respectively, meaning 12,000 families escaped poverty.