International Association of Geodesy Working Week 2019 to be held in VN

The International Association of Geodesy Working Week 2019, themed “For Spatial Enablement of Each Citizen”, will be organized in Viet Nam from April 22-26, according to the information from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The week, held annually between nations, is the top international forum for officials working in geodesy.

Around 1,000 delegates will attend the event and more than 300 reports will be presented within three days.

The Working Week will be organized in five days with a series of events including the opening ceremony, meetings, sub-meetings and the closing ceremony.

In addition, around 50 exhibitions of equipment and software from leading companies in the world will be displayed.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa said that the Working Week not only creates an opportunity to accelerate international integration for people working in geodesy, maps and land management in Viet Nam but also facilitates them to exchange experience and knowledge.

State money asked for flood control at TSN airport

The HCMC Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program has proposed the municipal government use State capital to improve water drainage for Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the canal basin in Tan Binh District.

According to the center, the project will upgrade the 1.86-km Hy Vong Canal at a total cost of VND488 billion (US$21.5 million), including VND280 billion for site clearance compensation. This canal is now one of the three main conduits for draining rainwater from the airport.

In May 2016, the city government approved an anti-flooding project for the city, which includes upgrading Hy Vong Canal. The project was then funded by an official development assistance (ODA) loan from the World Bank (WB). A design, an environmental impact assessment report, and site clearance and compensation plans for the project were complete.

However, the committee announced last month that the project was no longer be funded by the WB. Therefore, the city is weighing using other financing sources to continue the Hy Vong Canal upgrade.

“It is urgent to upgrade Hy Vong Canal to prevent flooding at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and in the canal basin in Tan Binh District. The project should be funded by the city’s budget,” said the steering center in a document sent to the HCMC People’s Committee.

In recent times, heavy rains have caused heavy flooding at the airport, leading to flight delays and cancellations. A torrential rain on August 26, 2016 submerged many parking slots and Taxiway M1 of the airport, seriously affecting landings and takeoffs at the airport.

According to the steering committee, there are three canals responsible for rainwater drainage at Tan Son Nhat airport, including Hy Vong –Tham Luong Canal in Tan Binh District in the north of the airport, A41 Canal in the south and Nhat Ban Canal from the airport fence to Gia Dinh Park in the southeast which is scheduled for completion in late September this year.

Private hospitals still facing barriers

Private hospitals have significantly helped relieve the pressure from chronic overload at public hospitals but their operations are facing a lot of obstacles, heard a conference on development of private hospitals in HCMC on Monday.

Vu Xuan Bang, deputy director of the Health Insurance Policy Implementation Department, said the number of private hospitals and clinics serving the medically insured has surged recently.

In 2015, the country had 210 private clinics and 155 private hospitals providing services for people with health insurance coverage. This year the number has risen to 444 (292 clinics and 152 hospitals) and they are present in almost all cities and provinces.

In the first quarter of 2017, there were nearly 4.3 million doctor’s visits for checkup and treatment and nearly VND1.6 trillion (about US$70.4 million) was spent on the insured. Total spending on medication at private healthcare facilities was over VND2 trillion a year, accounting for 6.25% of the country’s total.

Private healthcare facilities however are facing a lot of difficulties such as a serious shortage of doctors and health workers.

According to private hospitals, the Ministry of Health has not issued specific classification criteria for private healthcare facilities, making it difficult to set fees.

HCM City to have open top buses this month

HCMC-based Anh Viet Tourist Company will this month put into operation double-decker open top buses which tourists can take to visit places of interest in the city.

Nguyen Khoa Luan, CEO of Anh Viet Tourist, said the project is estimated to cost VND40 billion (US$1.76 million). Initially, the company will have four buses traveling to famous tourist sites in districts 1, 3 and 5 such as the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the HCMC Post Office, the War Remnants Museum and Cho Lon area where many Vietnamese of Chinese descent reside.

Ticket prices are not known at this time, Luan said.

When the double-decker buses are put into service, the current normal buses used for hop-on-hop-off city tours will be transferred to other tours arranged by the firm, such as those to the city’s outlying district of Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta.

Last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved the use of double-decker open top buses for tourism purposes in seven provinces and cities – Danang, Hanoi, HCMC, Lam Dong, Kien Giang, Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue.

Vietnam gov’t orders heavier punishment for agency behind false toxic fish sauce survey

Vietnam’s Government Office has ordered the trade ministry to review the punishment handed down to a consumer group behind a survey that falsely reported toxic arsenic levels in local fish sauce last year, saying that just rebuking its top official was “not strict enough”.

The Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas) last October released a survey that claimed nearly 70% of the 150 samples of traditional fish sauce tested on the domestic market had excess levels of arsenic.

The announcement ignited a widespread food scare and affected many producers in a country that uses fish sauce as an essential condiment and consumes around 200 million liters of the product each year.

The Vietnamese government was quick to dismiss the survey, saying it was misleading because it failed to differentiate between highly toxic inorganic arsenic, and the less dangerous organic variety found commonly in seafood.

Two months ago, the trade ministry said it had fined the group VND15 million (US$660) and reprimanded its chairman, Doan Phuong. Vietnam has four levels of punishment for misconduct by an official: reprimand, warning, demotion and expulsion.

In a recent cabinet statement, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said the ministry had not gone far enough because Vinastas had caused “serious consequences” with its false fish sauce report.

He said the ministry should impose a punishment that the violation deserves.

Vinatas issued an apology following the incident and fired its deputy general secretary, Vuong Ngoc Tuan, who was in charge of releasing the survey.

The survey itself was sponsored by the Hanoi-based communications and advertising firm T&A Ogilvy, a member of global advertising group Ogilvy and Mather.

Local media outlets were also caught up in the scandal. As many as 50 news organizations were fined for carrying the findings and sparking public panic, and two editors of a major newspaper had their press cards revoked.

Annual fish sauce sales in Vietnam are worth VND7.2-7.5 trillion (US$320-330 million), according to government statistics.

No legal complaints have been lodged regarding the survey.

Party leader commemorates late General Nguyen Chi Thanh

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 6 offered incense to late General Nguyen Chi Thanh, a man who was closely attached to Vietnam’s victories during struggle against France and the first years of war against the US.

Visiting the Commemoration House for General Nguyen Chi Thanh on his 50th death anniversary, the Party leader viewed images, documents and items related to the life and career of the General, a great revolutionary and excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh.

General Nguyen Chi Thanh was born on January 1, 1914 in Quang Dien district, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

He joined the Communist Party of Indochina when he was 20. He held many important position in the Party, State and army, including the Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army and head of the Party Central Committee’s Agriculture Commission.

His service significantly contributed to the growth of the Vietnam People’s Army, as well as the development of agriculture and other sectors.

During his 30 year-plus revolutionary career, he was a model of fighting selfishness, corruption and wastefulness, as well as a pioneer in following President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example.

Danang FantastiCity contest opens for entries

The Da Nang Tourism Department and Coco Bay resort have launched the Danang FantastiCity, a competition that offers both domestic and international players a chance to experience the central coastal city.

Lasting for two months, the contest has two rounds. 

The first round runs between July 5 and August 15 and calls for submissions of photos taken during trips to Da Nang. Participants are required to create an account on the contest’s official website – danangfantasticity.com, then uploading 10 to 15 photos of their personal travel experiences in the city with a 250-word maximum description.

Nine candidates selected from round one will take part in round two from August 31 to September 27, which includes a sponsored 4-day 3-night trip in Da Nang. 

The participants will be randomly divided into 3 teams for updates on their activities and to tackle challenges. Members of a judging panel will take turns to accompany each team to enjoy the city, helping them take photos, write blogs and make video clips.

When the trip ends, each team must summarise their journey by creating a video clip of less than five minutes, a photo series of less than 50 pictures and writing a personal reflection of no more than 1,000 words.

The winner is set to pocket a prize worth 100 million VND (4,398 USD), while the most impressive and favourite groups will go home with 30 million and 20 million VND (1,319 and 879.9 USD) of cash and gifts, respectively.

Further details can be found at: danangfantasticity.com/rules/

VN-France friendly football in capital

The Việt Nam-France friendly football tournament will kick off in Hà Nội on July 8.

The event will feature eight teams, including Francophone alumni students and organisations and enterprises who are partners of France and Việt Nam.

The event is organised by the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Co-operation Association, Embassy of France in Việt Nam and the France Alumni Việt Nam.

It aims to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14 and promote friendly ties between the two countries.

Vietnam-Laos culture, sports and tourism festival kicks off

The second culture, sports and tourism festival in the Vietnam-Laos border area kicked off in the northern mountainous province of Son La on July 5 evening.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, stressed that the event celebrates not only the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Laos, but also the 40th anniversary of the signing of the bilateral Treaty on Amity and Cooperation as well as to welcome the Year of the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship 2017.

“The event affirms the long-standing traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in a more developed, practical and effective way that meets the aspirations of the two people, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world,” Thien said.

Chairwoman of the Vietnam’s National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou, together with officials from both countries and representatives of nine provinces in Vietnam and 10 provinces in Laos that share the border attended the ceremony.

The 10 provinces bordering Laos include Dien Bien and Son La in the north, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam in the central region and the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

Anti-flooding projects in HCM City halted following ODA cut

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are now uncertain about how to mobilize capital for major anti-flooding projects after the World Bank ended its official development assistance (ODA) last month.

The municipal People’s Committee and the WB in June agreed to terminate the US$400 million in ODA for the Tham Luong-Ben Cat-Nuoc Den Canal project, causing it to be halted halfway.

The plan to renovate Hy Vong Canal, which is intended to alleviate inundation in Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh District, is also affected by the cut.

The canal renovation was expected to give the city a facelift and improve the lives of two million residents in eight districts.

The first phase of the project has been finished, which included dredging the canal bottom and building roads along the waterway.

The second phase involves the construction of tidal drainage facilities at two ends of the canal and a pipeline system to direct wastewater to a treatment plant in Tan Phu District.

These components were anticipated to be carried out in the 2017-20 period, as long as the ODA package would be provided by the WB.

Regarding the Hy Vong Canal project, Tran Dang Nghia, an official from the Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program, stated it is the only solution to flooding at the airdrome as previous measures did not work.

Hanoi steamrolls motorbike ban bill through

Hanoi legislators on July 4 overwhelmingly approved a proposal to ban motorbikes from the city center from 2030 to reduce traffic congestion, despite strong opposition from transport experts and the public.

The resolution was passed by the city’s legislative People’s Council with 91% of the votes.

Under the decision, hailed as a "breakthrough" by the council’s vice chairman Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, motorbikes will be banned from downtown districts and limited in areas with adequate public transport.

Hanoi will also impose restrictions on cars, but not a blanket ban. Cars, which now occupy over 40% of the city's roads according to police data, will only have to stay away from specified streets during certain hours and days, and will be charged higher parking fees in downtown areas.

The motorbike ban has been raised and rehashed several times over the past few years, and has always received strong opposition from many experts and residents as it targets the country’s most popular means of transport.

Figures from Hanoi police released late last year showed the city of 7.6 million people had more than five million motorbikes and 550,000 cars. The country had around 45 million registered motorbikes last year, according to official data.

Buses are currently the only means of public transport in the city, and they are becoming less popular. The city has been pouring money into other projects including a metro system, but that could take years to complete.

The final decision came several days after the Transport Development and Strategy Institute at the transport ministry had to defend a survey of 15,000 people it claimed to have conducted in the city.

The institute said that more than 90% of those asked endorsed the ban. But many members of the public have questioned its authenticity in media reports. 

An online poll by VnExpress recently showed more than 70% of 6,500 respondents said "No" to the ban.

Legal and transport experts in recent weeks have also bristled at the ban, calling it “hasty” and even “impossible” given the current public transport network.

Some said the ban has no legal grounds and will put Vietnam at odds with the rest of the world where people are free to drive motorbikes in most countries.

Painting exhibition on old Sài Gòn opens

Sài Gòn 3 Mét Vuông (Sài Gòn in Three Square Metres), a painting exhibition on old Sài Gòn, will be held at Blanc Artspace from July 7-9.

The exhibition will display colourful images featuring the daily life of people in Sài Gòn in the early 1990s, created by the Saigon Emoji group led by Maxk Nguyễn.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 7pm at Blanc ArtSpace Books Café at 57D Tú Xương Street in District 3. Free entrance.

Vietnamese, Lao provinces jointly build peaceful borderline

The central province of Quang Nam and its neighbouring Lao province of Sekong have agreed to maintain coordination in building a shared border line of peace and friendship.

The consensus was reached during talks between the Quang Nam chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the visiting delegation from the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC)’s Sekong chapter in the Vietnamese locality on July 6.

Both sides also pledged to step up communications to help local people better their understanding of the Vietnam-Laos time-honoured friendship and solidarity, while increasing exchanges and consolidating the grassroots political system in border districts, including Tay Giang and Nam Giang of Quang Nam, and Ka Lum and Dac Chung of Se Kong.

Over the past time, the two provinces have made efforts to attract the involvement of border residents in developing the economy and ensuring defence-security.

Quang Nam and Se Kong provinces share a 142km-long borderline. The two sides have seen their cooperation grow in all fields over recent years.

Health care services checked for APEC forum in Quang Nam

An APEC 2017 working group on July 6 inspected preparations on health care for the APEC Forum on Financial Inclusion which is slated for July 10-12 in Hoi An town, the central province of Quang Nam.

The group, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Department for Diagnosis and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, had a working session with the Quang Nam Department of Health and visited health care facilities at the site of the event. 

Khue asked the local department to set up a sub-committee for health care to serve the forum, while suggesting it to allocate skilled officials and equipment as well as medicine to the forum’s venue, hotels of delegates and places they will visit.

From July 6-12, the department will also check food safety, environmental hygiene, disease prevention work as well as water resources serving delegates.

Folk music, fashion show in celebration of Vietnam-Laos ties

A folk music festival and traditional costume display took place in the northern mountainous province of Son La on July 6.

The event attracted the participation of more than 50 artists across Vietnamese and Lao provinces that share a border line, including Son La, Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An from Vietnam, and Houaphan, Luang Prabang, Phongsaly, and Xieng Khouang from Laos.

The event was part of the second culture, sports and tourism festival in the Vietnam-Laos border area that opened in Son La on July 5 evening to celebrate the two countries’ 55th relations anniversary, 40th anniversary of the signing of their Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.

The festival is scheduled to be rounded off with a ceremony on July 7 evening.

Korean city to support green, smart city in Đà Nẵng

The Korean city of Daegu will help build an integrated managment centre on green and smart urban management in the central city of Đà Nẵng. The information was conveyed on Wednesday to the central city’s leadership by the head of Planning and Coordination of the Deagu Metropolitan City, Ku Bon-geun.

Ku Bon-geun said the centre will support Đà Nẵng in applying information technology (IT) in urban management, disaster prevention, search and rescue and resilience to climate change.

The vice chairman of the Đà Nẵng City’s People’s Committee, Hồ Kỳ Minh, said the city will offer the best conditions for construction of the centre.

Minh said Đà Nẵng launched its e-Government initiative in 2014, offering free wireless internet services with 20,000 connections for local residents and tourists at major public spaces and streets across the city.

The central city also provided 1,196 on-line administration procedures, including one-stop shops, residential management, public transport and water supervision through the e-Government system.

Last year, the city and the telecommunications group Viettel signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing Đà Nẵng into a smart city by 2020.

Both Vietnamese and Korean budget airlines operate daily flights connecting Korean cities and Đà Nẵng since 2014.

T’way Air, a low-cost airline based in Seoul, launched a new direct flight connecting Đà Nẵng and Daegu – the company’s third route between Korea and Việt Nam in addition to direct flights from Đà Nẵng to Pusan and Muan.

According to the city’s tourism department, there are 12 flights from Korea to Đà Nẵng every week, carrying an average of 1,500 passengers.

Last year, Đà Nẵng and the South Korean city of Gyeongsan inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on development and co-operation in the cosmetics industry.

Tourists from South Korea comprise the second-largest segment of foreign tourist arrivals to Đà Nẵng, with more than 443,000 – nearly 20 per cent of total foreign travelers – last year.

The central city is also home to 53 foreign direct investment projects from South Korea with total capital of US$734 million.

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