Ha Noi-Sapa link road gets Lao Cai approval

The People's Committee of the mountainous Lao Cai Province has approved a plan to build a link road from Noi Bai – Lao Cai Highway to Sapa district, officials said last week.

Chairman of the committee Doan Van Huong asked relevant units and locals to complete the necessary procedures to start the construction work soon, an official said.

The 27 km-long link road is expected to be constructed with technological standards suitable to mountainous areas.

According to the plan, the entire route will have nine bridges, including five viaducts, and four flyovers over streams.

About 275 households will be shifted from 104 ha that will be used to build the road.

The total investment under a BOT model (build-operate-transfer) is expected more than VND2.5 trillion (US$116.6 million).

The payback period of the project is expected to be 24 years and eight months via toll collection.

The construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year.

The provincial chairman has asked the transport department to quickly assess and submit the project to the committee for approval to issue a tender.

The construction units have been asked to work closely with relevant sectors and local agencies to complete the project on schedule, Chairman Huong said.

The transport and construction sectors will work together to deal with issues of environment and tourism impact, compensation, land clearance as well as resettlement.

Southwest patients to get free treatment

An association to sponsor the medical treatment of disadvantaged patients in the southwest region was launched on Saturday.

The association consists of 104 members who are in charge of mobilising public support for the deprived section.

It has thus far raised more than VND63 billion (US$2.9 million), of which VND5 billion ($230,000) will be used for building shelters, VND500 million ($23,000) to sponsor five heart surgeries, and VND100 million ($4,608) will be utilised to support poor children, among others.

The association plans to mobilise a total of VND200 billion ($9.2 million) within the first three years of its operation.

Condition of rescued fishermen stable

Eight fishermen who were on a ship that sank after getting caught in strong waves last Saturday are now in stable condition, said Hoang Minh Luyen, chief of staff of the Thanh Hoa Border Guard.

The ship that was engaged in fishing sank t 8.30pm near Da Lat Gate in the northern province of Thai Binh.

Fishing boats shun Diem Ho Harbour

The Diem Ho harbour was completed at the end of last year in the northern province of Thai Binh, but few ships are using the facility.

It took two years to complete the harbour in Thai Thuong Commune, Thai Thuy District, with investment of VND106 billion (US$5 million) funded by the State and provincial budget.

Thai Thuy District has a 30km coastline and the number of fishing boats increases each year, so in 2012, the Thai Binh People's Committee decided to build the harbour.

The harbour can house over 100 vessels with a capacity of under 300CV.

When Typhoon Kujira hit last month with wind speeds of 75-88km per hour, the coastal districts Tien Hai and Thai Thuy called their fishing vessels back to safety, but none of them took cover in Diem Ho.

Instead they went to old harbours in Diem Dien Town and Tan Son fishing port.

Do Khac Bang, chairman of the Thai Thuong Commune People's Committee in Thai Thuy District, said that fishing boats refused to berth in the new harbour because it did not have trees to block the wind.

Heavy rains together with flood-tides and strong winds could also capsize the boats, he said.

The harbour is also situated far from market, making it difficult for fishermen to sell their catches.

Bui The Dan, director of the Thai Thuy District Infrastructure Management Board, said that local seamen refused to go to the new harbour because they were used to berthing along the Diem River.

The river is near the market, main roads and residential areas which is much easier for trade and transport.

Bang said the commune would ask provincial authorities to plant trees to provide shelter.

The commune will also inform local residents about the benefits of the new harbour.

New blood donors sought on Ly Son

More than 30 volunteers and celebrities will travel to Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai for the Red Journey, a campaign to sensitise people to the need for donating blood in an emergency.

The potential blood donors are like a "mobile blood bank", Prof Dr Nguyen Anh Tri, head of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and head of the campaign, told the media in HCM City yesterday.

They are a vital source, especially on islands — the country has nearly 3,000 islands — because transporting blood to these places in an emergency is very difficult.

Moreover, limited resources and electricity supply are a hurdle to equipping all these places with refrigerators to store blood, he said.

People who volunteer to become blood donors will be tested to ensure their blood is suitable for donation.

Subsequently, if someone needs a blood transfusion, these donors will be called to directly provide blood to the patient, he said.

The campaign started yesterday and will go on until July 26 in 22 provinces and cities with activities also to educate people about communicating thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder.

The campaign this year also aims to collect at least17,000 units of blood to meet a shortage, especially of A and O groups throughout the country.

The campaign, in its third year, is carried out by the institute in co-operation with Nhan Ai Vong Tay Viet Joint Stock Company and Vietnam Television's channel 24.

The two previous campaigns saw more than 50,000 people turn voluntary blood donors and 28,436 units collected.

Many blood donation programmes followed in provinces and cities and managed to collect more than 40,000 units.

Moscow workshop on East Sea situation

The Vietnamese Students Association in Russia held a workshop on the situation and solutions in the East Sea on July 4 in Moscow.

Tran Phu Nhuan, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese People Association in Russia, briefed the participants on recent sovereignty disputes in the East Sea, emphasizing that Chinese illegal acts in the East Sea not only negatively impact peace, friendship and cooperation in the region but also provoke strong reaction from the international community.

The workshop helps the students understand better the situation in the East Sea.

Experts Lokshin G and Kobelev E from the Far East Institute of the Russian Science Academy made presentations on history, and legal, economic and military context in the East Sea and analyzed China’s illegal acts and their impacts on international relations in the Asia Pacific region and Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperation.  

Workshops highlights Vietnam-RoK labour cooperation

Officials from Vietnamese labour management agencies and labour consultants were u pdated on the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme in the Republic of Korea and the country’s new regulations for foreign labourers at a recent workshop in Seoul.

Held by Vietnam’s Management Office for Labourers under the EPS Programme and the Overseas Labour Management Department under the Vietnamese Embassy to the RoK, the event aims to enhance skills for settling issues arising in the labour relationship, ensuring legitimated rights of workers.

There are over 47,000 Vietnamese labourers having stable jobs in the RoK under the EPS programme, according to Head of the Management Office for Labourers under the EPS Programme Le Manh Hung.

However, many newly arriving workers do not have much understanding of the country’s legal regulations and rules of RoK firms, and meet difficulties in daily activities, he noted.

Addressing the event, Deputy Head of the Overseas Labour Management Department Nguyen Nhu Tuan updated participants on the implementation of Vietnam’s legal regulations applied for labourers working in the RoK.

He said he hope labour consultants of the Management Office will help in persuading expat workers to abide by the Vietnamese State’s policies and regulations in the field.

During the workshop, participants shared their experience in consulting and supporting Vietnamese labourers, while discussing measures to manage Vietnamese workers working in the RoK.

Vietnam and the RoK recently have decided to extend a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on supplying and receiving Vietnamese workers to the RoK under the EPS.

The MoU presents jobs opportunities in the RoK for new Vietnamese employees as well as workers with concluding labour contracts, especially in the context of the RoK’s initiatives to reduce illegal residence in the country

National Emulation Congress promotes creativity

On July 5, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) hosted the 9th National Emulation Congress of state employees, attended by National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, together with 486 representatives from across the country.

From 2010-2015 the VGCL has launched several emulation movements, which have encouraged enterprises to overcome their difficulties and achieve growth.

VGCL Chairman Dang Ngoc Tung addresses the congress, “Emulation movements have promoted talent and creativity of organizations and individuals who have excelled in their tasks and helped their enterprises exceed their set targets. They are the exemplary role models of patriotism and revolutionary spirit of Vietnamese workers.”

NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said trade unions at all levels have to intensify emulation movements for workers at major projects and replicate outstanding models, good people, and good deeds nationwide.

The NA leader conferred the Labor Orders on exemplary role models at the congress.

War martyrs commemorated in Dien Bien

A three-day requiem for war martyrs is taking place in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien through July 5.

The event has gathered some 7,000 war veterans and Buddhist dignitaries, monks and followers.

Delivering his opening speech, Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council, affirmed that Vietnamese people, including the Buddhist community, always remember and proud of the soldiers’ glorious sacrifice with great respect.

According to Mua A Son, Chairman of the Dien Bien People’s Committee, the requiem is a practical and meaningful activity to mark the upcoming 68th War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

At the event, the VBS Executive Council has gifted a number of local disadvantaged families and received an insignia from the Vietnam Veterans’ Association.

Switzerland-based NGO offers medical checkups to Phu Yen kids

The Switzerland-based Children Action organisation on July 3-4 provided free medical check-ups for nearly 200 children in central Phu Yen province to select dozens of them with disabilities for surgeries.

Children Action will fund all costs for the surgeries.

The children are all under 16 years old from disadvantaged backgrounds across the locality.

For those who cannot receive surgeries, the organisation will provide wheelchairs and crutches.

This is the fifth time the Swiss non-governmental organisation has provided disability screening check-ups for local children. Each year, around 30-40 children receive free surgeries and treatment.

US university provides scholarships for Vietnamese students

Representatives of Eastern International University (EIU) in southern Binh Duong province and Portland State University (PSU) in the US’s Oregon State signed a memorandum of understanding on granting scholarships to Vietnamese students to learn at the PSU on July 3.

PSU President Wim Wiewel said that this is part of the university’s scholarship fund for Vietnamese students worth US$6 million.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Nam spoke highly of cooperation between the two universities.

He hoped that the connection will help train high-quality human resources for Binh Duong province, pledging to create favourable conditions for the cooperation.

The PSU now partners a number of Vietnamese universities, including the EIU, Hanoi University of Foreign Trade, and National Economics University.

Vietnam to continue strong measures against MERS

Vietnam's health authorities will not lower their guard against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-Cov), even though an outbreak in the Republic of Korea has appeared to slow down recently, an official said on July 3.

Tran Dac Phu, chief of the Department of Preventive Health under the health ministry, was quoted as saying in news website VietNamNet that they are keeping a close watch on the virus and strengthening preventive measures.

People are still required to go through temperature screenings when entering Vietnam, and those who are from MERS-stricken places including the Middle East and the Republic of Korea have to fill in medical declaration forms, he said.

Since the Republic of Korea announced the outbreak of MERS on May 20, Vietnamese health authorities have isolated 96 people with its symptoms, but all tested negative later.

The latest case was a 74-year-old Korean tourist who came to Vietnam with his wife on June 24. He fell sick on July 4 and came to a hospital in the central city of Hue for a check-up the same day, news website VnExpress reported.

He was sent to isolation on the same day, while Hue authorities rushed to review all the places he had visited and people he had contacted with. But his test results confirmed that he did not contract the virus.

Although many people dismissed the ministry's measures as "overreacting," they were meant to prevent the virus from entering Vietnam, or to contain it from spreading, Phu said.

MERS falls in the same group of viruses as the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which killed 800 people around the world in 2002-03.

The virus, first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, causes symptoms like cough, fever and shortness of breath, and is highly fatal – 36% of MERS patients have died, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

As of July 1, WHO said, it has been notified of 1,357 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection, including at least 484 related deaths.

In the Republic of Korea, 184 cases have been reported, including 33 deaths.

No vaccines or treatment is available for MERS, whose route of transmission still remains unknown, though most cases are attributed to human-to-human infection, WHO said.

Inl't Cooperatives Day 2015 marked in Hanoi

The Vietnam Cooperatives Alliance hosted a meeting in Hanoi on July 4 marking the 93rd International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) International Co-operative Day and 21st United Nations International Co-operative Day.

There are about 300,000 cooperative groups and 20,000 cooperatives throughout the nation. The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance has engaged in most of economic sectors attracting about 12,000 members.

The cooperative economic sector has greatly contributed to the nation's poverty reduction, new rural development, and improvement of people’s lives, especially those in remote and disadvantaged areas.

The main message of International Cooperatives Day 2015 is to call on governments and cooperative movements to take action to promote equality.

Vice President of the Vietnam Co-operative Alliance Hoang Van Thinh, the co-operative economic sector has grown steadily as a result of great efforts by the Party, State, National Assembly and Government.

Philip Hanzen, International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s representative, glowingly spoke of cooperation between ILO and the Vietnam Co-operative Alliance, particularly in implementing the Vietnam Labour Code and Co-operative Law.

He expressed his hope that the two sides will further collaboration for better results in the future.

Blood donation campaign introduced in HCM City

The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) introduced the “Red Journey 2015” blood donation campaign on July 3 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, the event and its 120 volunteers will operate from July 3-26 in 22 provinces and cities nationwide, aiming to attract about 20,000 donors and receive at least 17,000 units of blood.

Gala shows and promotion activities will be also organised.

A delegation will start the journey through 13 southern and central provinces on July 4. Meanwhile another delegation will kick-start their trip across nine localities in the North on July 10.

The two delegations will reunite in Hanoi on July 23 and implement blood donation activities there until July 25.

Organised for the first time in 2013, the “Red Journey” has popularised blood donation activities to around 1 million people and attracted 50,000 donors with 28,400 blood units, according to Head of the NIHBT Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri.

Founding of Hoa Hao Buddhism celebrated

The Mekong Delta province of An Giang organised a grand ceremony on July 3 to mark the 76 th founding anniversary of Hoa Hao Buddhism.

Addressing the event, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Van Pha said that over the past 76 years, Hoa Hao followers have promoted patriotism and unity and contributed to the nation-building and safeguarding process.

They have actively participated in social and charitable activities including providing free food for orphans, the elderly and patients at hospitals as well as offering medicine to poor patients, he stated.

He asked the Hoa Hao Buddhist community to continue promoting great national unity and participating in campaigns initiated by the VFF, including “Day for the Poor”, and “Vietnamese people prioritise Vietnamese products”.

Founded in 1939 in An Giang province, the Hoa Hao Buddhism sect now has over 2 million followers in 17 cities and provinces nationwide .

Last year, Hoa Hao followers contributed more than VND230 billion (US$10.58 million) to supporting the poor and building new-style rural areas.

Hanoi steps up measures against Japanese encephalitis

Hanoi’s Department of Health is intensifying measures to prevent Japanese encephalitis.

Medical preventive units are to strengthen inspection efforts at hospitals and in the community to promptly detect cases for timely treatment.

The health sector is also responsible for raising public awareness of outbreak prevention and encouraging families to vaccinate their children on the recommended schedule.

It will also open training courses for health workers to quickly identify symptoms of the disease.

The city’s health department advised that maintaining environmental hygiene and receiving prompt and sufficient vaccinations are effective measures to prevent the disease.

Children are recommended to receive three doses of the vaccine: the first when they are one-year-old, the second one or two weeks after that, and the third one year after the first. For maintenance, children should receive booster vaccinations once every three or four years until they reach 15 years old.

According to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh, Japanese encephalitis is a pernicious communicable disease caused by mosquito bites.

The disease spreads around the year, especially in summer. Children under 15 years old are especially susceptible to the virus, particularly those who have not been vaccinated, he stressed.

In the first five months of this year, Hanoi recorded nine cases but no fatalities.

Hanoi leader proposes concrete plans for closer ties with Tokyo

Chairman of the Hanoi City People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao proposed more concrete policies to facilitate investment, trade, education and cultural exchange with Tokyo while meeting Governor Yoichi Masuzoe in the Japanese capital on July 3.

The guest suggested carrying out more tourism marketing activities; increasing mutual visits by tour operators, businesses and journalists; and helping the two business communities seek joint ventures.

Hanoi wants Tokyo to continue its assistance in education-training, architectural planning and urban environment, he said.

At the meeting, both sides reviewed the execution of a memorandum of understanding on friendship and cooperation between the two cities signed in 2013, saying that with the birth of the Asian Network of 21 Major Cities initiated by Tokyo, coordination between Hanoi and Tokyo has been expanding with plentiful joint involvement.

The Hanoi leader spoke highly of Tokyo’s support in the environment, urban infrastructure, environmental pollution, investment, water drainage management and athletic training in anticipation for Asia tournaments between now and 2020.

Both host and guest hoped expanding ties between the two cities would contribute to the Vietnam – Japan strategic partnership.

The same day, the Hanoi mayor also held a working session with Governor of Kanagawa prefecture Kuroiwa Yuji and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akihiro Ota.

Together with the ministry leaders, Thao co-chaired a workshop on investing in infrastructure and urban development in Hanoi.

Japan is currently the largest supplier of official development assistance to Vietnam and Hanoi in particular and the second largest investor in the country.

Bac Giang province promotes ethnic policies

Authorities of northern Bac Giang province will continue making efforts in the last half of 2015 to implement policies designed to benefit ethnic minority people by improving their material and spiritual life, a local official said.

Nhu Van Nam, Deputy Head of Bac Giang’s board for ethnic minority affairs, said the board will promote the implementation of ethnic-targeted policies, including Programme 135 initiated by the Government that aims to assist most disadvantaged areas nationwide.

Support will be provided to impoverished households in 62 underprivileged communes and towns in the districts of Son Dong, Luc Ngan, Luc Nam, Yen The and Lang Giang.

Relevant agencies will help ethnics shift to improved sources of livelihood and provide concessional loans for their production activities. Meanwhile, infrastructure facilities and water supply stations in rural areas will be built, Nam said.

For the rest of this year, the ethnic minority affairs board will liaise with other agencies to monitor the implementation of ethnic-targeted programmes, projects and policies while calling for more investment in these communities.

It will also submit blueprints for sustainable poverty alleviation, human resources, job development and law dissemination in ethnic communities to the provincial People’s Committee, he added.

In the first six months of this year, Bac Giang spent 70 billion VND (3.25 million USD) on carrying out Programme 135 under which communal authorities offered production aid to 52 communes and 85 hamlets and villages in disadvantaged areas.

Low-income families in 62 rural communes and towns were supported with more than 3 billion VND (139,500 USD) while four concentrated water supply stations were built in Son Dong, Luc Ngan, Luc Nam and Yen The districts.

About 760 households were helped to shift their livelihoods and 752 others received 11.28 billion VND (517,000 USD) of concessional loans provided by the Bank for Social Policies to develop production activities.

According to Bac Giang’s portal, the province was home to more than 1.6 million people in 2014 with 21 ethnic groups. Ethnic minorities accounted for about 12.4 percent (more than 200,500 people) of the local population. The most populous ethnic minority groups are the Nung, Tay and San Diu.

New union lights up hope for poor patients

The association to sponsor disadvantaged patients in the Southwest region made a debut on July 4.

The association consists of 104 members in charge of mobilising public support for the deprived community.

It has thus far raised more than 63 billion VND (2.9 million USD), of which 5 billion VND (230,414 USD) will be donated to building shelters, 500 million VND (23,041 USD) to five heart surgeries, and 100 million VND (4,608 USD) to supporting poor children, among others.

The association targets to raise a total funds of 200 billion VND (9.2 million USD) within the first three years of operation.

Nghe An: Tea crops lost to drought

Hundreds of hectares of tea plantation in the central province of Nghe An have been destroyed due to prolonged drought, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The hardest hit districts are Thanh Chuong (347ha), Anh Son (300ha) and Con Cuong (100ha).

The province’s People’s Committee for the first time announced a state of emergency across the province in late June due to prolonged severe drought occurring in the locality during the summer-autumn crop 2015.

Water levels in local reservoirs have been down to 30 percent of full capacity.

Of the total 42,440 hectares of summer-autumn crops cultivated in the locality, over 4,500 hectares were damaged due to water shortages, as were tens of thousands of hectares of maize, tea, sugar cane and other crops, causing great losses to local farmers.

Douc langur to be shifted to rescue centre

The central Quang Ngai Province's forest management department began legal procedures today to shift a grey-shanked douc langur to the northern Ninh Binh Province's Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Centre.

The langur, nearly a year old and weighing about 1kg, was handed over by a local man to the forest management department yesterday. The man had captured it in a local forest recently.

The grey-shanked douc langur is a species native to Viet Nam and is included in the list of endangered species in the Viet Nam Red Book. It is also one of the world's 25 most endangered primates.

Work starts on Bac Giang-Lang Son Expressway

The Ministry of Transport held a launching ceremony in the northern province of Lang Son on July 5 to commence construction of the Bac Giang-Lang Son Expressway and reinforce the surface of the National Highway 1A section running through Bac Giang and Lang Son provinces.

The project will be implemented under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format at a total cost of over VND12.188 trillion (US$560.65 million). Project investors will be permitted to collect fees to refund their investment capital within 21 years and five months as soon as the expressway is put into operation in 2017.

The expressway is over 63km long, starting at Km 45+100 in Lang Son’s Chi Lang district and ending at Km 108+500 connecting with an expansion project of the Hanoi-Bac Giang section of the National Highway 1A. It accommodates four lanes and a designed speed of 100km per hour.

Investors will also reinforce the surface of the National Highway 1A section from Km 1+800 (Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son) to Km 112 (Lang Giang district in Bac Giang).

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai praised the project’s significance, hailing it as a driving force to boost local socio-economic development as well as reduce congestion and traffic accidents on the National Highway 1A segment running through the two provinces.

The deputy PM asked the investors and contractors to ensure the progress and quality of the facility, while urging Bac Giang and Lang Son to create favourable conditions for construction work in regards to land clearance.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri